《General, Your Wife Is Requesting Your Return Home For Farming》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°He Tongsheng! Stop right there!¡± ¡°Fatty Su! Give up! I will never marry you!¡± Today was Fat Lass Su¡¯s big day, but her husband actually ran away on her wedding day. She was really angry! He Tongsheng had been deceived by the matchmaker. There were two Su families in Xinghua Village. One of them was the well-regarded Su family. Their ancestors were commoners and their family background was clean. The daughter they gave birth to was beautiful and had a good reputation. She was the person that all the men in the village wanted to marry. Although it was not appealing to marry into the family, it was acceptable if it was the beautiful lady of the Su family. In addition, the betrothal gift money given by the other party was really generous. It was a total of 20 taels! There was hope for him to study! Who knew that after the rites, he would realize that he had married into the other Su family! Looking at Fatty Su¡¯s fierce face, he wanted to die! ¡°If you¡¯ve accepted my betrothal gift, you¡¯ll have to be my husband!¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± He Tongsheng fled without looking back! Fatty Su became the laughing stock of the entire village. She raised her butcher knife and chased after him, but she slipped and tripped. Her head hit the door heavily, resulting in a big bump. When her biological father, Su Cheng, rushed to her house, she had already fainted at the door. Su Cheng was terrified. He wanted to hug his unconscious daughter and be a kind father. But he was not able to carry her. He resorted to shaking his daughter¡¯s shoulder with considerable difficulty. ¡°Daya! Don¡¯t scare Dad! Wake up!¡± ¡°Dad! He escaped to town!¡± It was her younger brother, Su Ergou. Hearing Su Ergou¡¯s words, Fat Lass Su, who had finally been woken up, closed her eyes again and fainted. Su Cheng gritted his teeth in anger and clenched his fists. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a husband? I¡¯ll kidnap one up for you!¡± Su Cheng did as he said and immediately brought his son out to find a husband for his daughter. He did not believe that no one would want his daughter! ¡°Father.¡± Su Ergou pointed at the empty village. ¡°The villagers seem to have closed the door.¡± Su Cheng was stunned. But he did not give up and brought his son to the official road to raise a complaint. It was just their luck to have encountered a fight. From the looks of it, a group of bandits had intercepted a passing merchant. The merchant must have run away, leaving only a masked guard to deal with the bandits. The father and son hid on a hill not far away and paid close attention to the battle on the official road. ¡°Dad, which one should we kidnap?¡± Su Ergou asked from behind the grass. Su Cheng lay beside him and said cunningly, ¡°The one who can fight the best, has a good waist, and can give birth!¡± Su Ergou was puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t childbirth a woman¡¯s business?¡± Su Cheng glared at his son. ¡°If a man¡¯s waist isn¡¯t good, can a woman give birth?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou understood. After a round of fighting, the masked guard defeated eight mountain bandits, but he also paid a heavy price¡ªhe was seriously injured and exhausted. Therefore, when the Su father and son ambushed him from behind, he did not even have the chance to retaliate before he was covered in a sack. Just as the father and son were about to carry him away, there was a rustling sound from the carriage. Was there someone else? Su Cheng warily took out his firewood knife and opened the curtain! When he saw the scene in the carriage, he was instantly dumbfounded. ¡­ . At the Su family. On the big red wedding bed, Su Xiaoxiao slowly opened her eyes for the eighth time. She was sure that she wasn¡¯t dreaming. She had really transmigrated. From a dignified military doctor and ace sniper to an ancient fatty with no knowledge and weighing more than 200 kilograms. Not only was she lazy, but she was also a bully in the village. She had a bully for a father named Su Cheng and a bully for a brother named Su Ergou. The family of three abused their power in the village. It was worth mentioning that her father and brother doted on her very much. Not long ago, she had taken a fancy to a man named He Tongsheng from the neighboring village. Father Su had spent all his family¡¯s savings and asked the matchmaker to ask the He family for a son-in-law. Today was her big day with He Tongsheng. She did not expect He Tongsheng to have been deceived by the matchmaker. After the matter was exposed, He Tongsheng abandoned her and fled the marriage. This was the first time she had seen a groom run away from his marriage. What a rare sight! However, what really surprised Su Xiaoxiao was not this sudden marriage, but that Father Su actually went to the village to find a son-in-law for his daughter¡¯s marriage. Could he really nab a man for her? Su Xiaoxiao was digesting the memories in her mind when Su Cheng and Su Ergou returned home. ¡°Daughter! You¡¯re awake!¡± Su Cheng entered the house and found his daughter lying on the bed in a daze. He rushed over and held his daughter¡¯s chubby hand. ¡°You scared me to death! Don¡¯t do anything stupid in the future, understand? That kid surnamed He isn¡¯t worth it! I¡¯ll chop that kid up and feed him to the pigs one day!¡± Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t used to her new family. She paused for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Su Cheng said with a serious expression, ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re fine. You¡¯re not crying anymore.¡± Did she have to put on a show and kick up a fuss for her father? In her memory, Fatty Su was really like this. If she was unhappy, she would fly into a rage at home and throw a tantrum. Su Cheng doted on his daughter too much and could never bear to teach her a lesson. This caused Fatty Su¡¯s personality to become even more domineering and her temper to become uncontrollable. Su Xiaoxiao tried her best to maintain her persona. ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through. He isn¡¯t good enough for me! You don¡¯t have to do it yourself next time. I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my daughter!¡± Su Cheng was very satisfied. He sat down on the bed and smiled mysteriously at his daughter. ¡°Dad has good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?¡± ¡°Either.¡± ¡°I captured a husband for you. He¡¯s a hundred times better looking than He Tongsheng! You¡¯ll definitely like him!¡± Jesus! Did he really kidnap a man for her? How was she going to maintain her persona next? ¡°Then, what¡¯s the good news?¡± she asked in a daze. Su Cheng looked at his daughter strangely. Wasn¡¯t what he said just now good news? Forget it, since his daughter thought that what came next was the good news, he would roll with it. Su Cheng cleared his throat and changed his words. He grinned and said, ¡°The good news is that you don¡¯t have to give birth any more! My son-in-law has already given us children!¡± Su Xiaoxiao choked. What did he mean by that? Was there anyone in this family who was normal? Su Cheng raised his hand. ¡°Ergou, bring him in!¡± ¡°Hey! We¡¯re coming over!¡± Su Ergou agreed and pushed open his sister¡¯s door. Su Xiaoxiao turned around and saw not one or two, but three¡­ cute little children standing in a row with their bags. They were carried in by her brother, Su Ergou. Old Father Su spread his hands and chuckled. ¡°Are you surprised that you got three freebies?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao felt terrible. On the first day of her transmigration, she was halfway through her marriage. Had she been single for 27 years in her previous life because she had never met such an efficient father who kidnapped a husband and children for her? ¡°Daughter, daughter, daughter?¡± Su Cheng called her. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t react. She fainted again. It was not that her mental endurance was poor, but that her body had a slight concussion from the fall just now. The action of turning her head to look at the children was too forceful, causing her to faint. ¡°Dad, why did my sister faint again? Was she frightened?¡± Su Ergou asked worriedly. Su Cheng listened to his fat daughter¡¯s even snoring and glared at his son in disdain. ¡°Why are you scaring me? With your sister¡¯s guts, who can frighten her? She¡¯s happy! Didn¡¯t you hear your sister say that it¡¯s good news!¡± Su Ergou was confused. Did his sister mean that? ¡­. Su Xiaoxiao slept until the afternoon. Father Su was not at home. He brought Su Ergou and the three children to the village to distribute red eggs and collect a wave of gift money along the way. The villagers were shocked and angry. They were shocked that Su Cheng had really nabbed a son-in-law for Fatty Su. They wondered which family¡¯s son was so unlucky. What was infuriating was that when the villagers usually held banquets, the Su family would come over to freeload and never give them a copper coin. Now, they had the cheek to ask them for money. It was simply a disguised robbery! ¡°Why do you want three portions?¡± Auntie Liu glared at him. She was not afraid of the three tyrants of the Su family! Su Cheng raised his chin arrogantly and hooked his finger at his son. Su Ergou raised up one of the children and said confidently, ¡°For the wedding, full month celebration, and first birthday!¡± Auntie Liu was speechless The little kids were also speechless. On the other side, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that Daddy Su had gone to the village to cause trouble. She hadn¡¯t eaten all day and was dizzy with hunger. In her previous life, she had received very strict training in the army. Hunger training was also one of them, but that was more or less because of her strong physique. This body clearly could not withstand hunger. She had to find something to eat as soon as possible. Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen. Although she had the Host¡¯s memories, Su Xiaoxiao was still stunned when she stepped into the kitchen. The walls were cracked, the roof was leaking, and the pot was cracked. The basket on the ground was scattered, and the vegetable leaves and mud sweet potatoes were scattered on the ground. There was also a sticky black substance in the pot. Su Xiaoxiao felt another assault on her soul. In her previous life, she wouldn¡¯t even enter such a kitchen, let alone eat the food inside. Su Xiaoxiao endured the discomfort in her stomach and packed up. She busied herself for a full hour before finally tidying up the messy kitchen. Su Xiaoxiao mixed a bowl of corn noodles with some white flour, stir-fried chives, and eggs. She then fried the chives in lard and picked a few complete sweet potatoes to make a pot of sweet potato soup. In her memory, the original Host had a large amount of staple food, since she had the priority when the food at home was allocated. The Host ate rice, while Father Su and her younger brother ate porridge. The Host ate white flour, while the father and son ate corn noodles. As for eggs and lard, Father Su and Su Ergou had not tasted them for a long time. Su Xiaoxiao had originally picked up two chives, but after some thought, she put one back. Then, she scooped a bowl of sweet potato soup and sat on the small stool in the kitchen to eat. Suddenly, there was a muffled sound from the room ahead. She frowned, put down her bowl and chopsticks, and walked towards the house. At first, she thought that the rest of the Su family had returned. When she entered the room, she realized that there was a man lying on the ground, as if he had just fallen off the bed. That should be how the commotion just now happened. Su Xiaoxiao continued to observe him. The man had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a tall figure. His clothes were exquisite, and it was unknown what material they were made of, but they inexplicably gave off an expensive vibe. The man¡¯s fingers were slender and well-defined. There were calluses on his palm. ¡°A martial artist?¡± Su Xiaoxiao gave her preliminary judgment. In addition, Su Xiaoxiao detected the thick smell of blood from his body. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Strange, why was there an injured man in the Su family? Wait a minute, could he be the son-in-law that Father Su had caught for her? She knew it. How could anyone dare to marry her? Even if he had been kidnapped, he would escape. If it was a seriously injured person, it would make sense. Su Xiaoxiao blinked, squatted down, and flipped him over. After all, he was her husband. She had to check the goods. However, when Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze landed on that indescribable face, her eyes widened. Didn¡¯t her father say that he was a hundred times better looking than He Tongsheng? Was that it? If Father Su were here, he would definitely be shocked by the scene before him. This was because when he took off the man¡¯s mask, he clearly saw a handsome face that was peerless in the world. Otherwise, he would never want a son-in-law with a burden. The reason why the man had become like this was that his face had landed on the ground just now when he accidentally fell. His face was now swollen. The pig head¡­ er, no, the man was awake. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw a fat woman lying between his legs and doing something to him sneakily. His hair stood on end, and he suddenly reached out his arm to attack her! Su Xiaoxiao was checking his injuries when she suddenly felt a murderous aura and a chill on her neck. With the combat skills trained in her previous life, she raised her chubby arm and blocked the other party¡¯s wrist with agility! The man seemed to be prepared and hurriedly used his left hand. Unexpectedly, he could not move. Only then did he realize that his left arm and legs were tied up with ropes. ¡°Who are you!¡± He asked coldly! Su Xiaoxiao relied on her weight advantage and sat on his right arm. The man with a mountain on his arm could not speak. Seeing that the other party had completely lost the ability to counterattack, Su Xiaoxiao heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she had the foresight and tied the man up in advance. Otherwise, she would have been crippled if not dead. ¡°Are you still going to hurt me? If you don¡¯t hurt me, I¡¯ll untie you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to the man. The man¡¯s arm bore the weight of his life. He frowned and said in a cold sweat, ¡°Who are you? What do you want? Where¡­ where are the others?¡± ¡°The others? Well, I don¡¯t know.¡± She really didn¡¯t know. When she woke up, there was no one at home. As for the first two questions, she had to think before answering them. The man looked at Su Xiaoxiao skeptically. Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°Here¡¯s the situation. You fainted on the way and my family saved you. I was checking your injuries!¡± The man looked at his loose belt and said with a dark expression, ¡°Do you need to take off my pants to check my injuries?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said confidently, ¡°There¡¯s blood on your pants. I have to see where you¡¯re injured!¡± The man said coldly, ¡°That¡¯s not my blood!¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°I know now.¡± The man clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. ¡°So you¡¯ve already¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao was silent. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the sky. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not like it looks very good.¡± The man was dumbfounded. Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Was there actually such a shameless person in the world who despised him after seeing him naked? How ridiculous! Forget it! As a man, he would not argue with women! Su Xiaoxiao looked at the man who was still murderous a second ago and suddenly fell silent. She raised her eyebrows. Eh? Was he lying flat now? The man had not given up. He had calmed down. The most important thing now was the safety and whereabouts of the three children. His own situation was really not worth mentioning. He remembered that he had been ambushed from behind and woke up there. What the hell had happened? Su Xiaoxiao stretched out her chubby hand and waved it in front of the man. ¡°Why are you in a daze? Why are you suddenly silent? Have you become stupid after I sat on you?¡± She moved her fat butt slightly. ¡°There, I won¡¯t press on you anymore.¡± He was already numb! The man looked at Su Xiaoxiao coldly. He regarded Su Xiaoxiao with suspicion, wariness, and vigilance. However, he did not look at her with disdain. One had to know that since she was young, the Host had received too many strange gazes. Although it could not be said that everyone in the village had ill intentions toward her, the man in front of her was the first to not show any abnormalities. The man frowned and asked, ¡°You said that your family saved me. Did they say anything else?¡± Well, they said that he was her husband. And that he gave her three children. Su Xiaoxiao squatted on the ground and drew circles with her finger, thinking about how to smooth things over. From the man¡¯s angle, he saw a fat girl with a round head. Every hair on his body emitted an aura of irritability. The man winced. Gulp. The man¡¯s stomach growled. ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked up in confusion. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± The man was embarrassed. Before he could speak, Su Xiaoxiao stood up and dusted her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll get you something to eat.¡± Seriously, this man had forgotten that he had not eaten! Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to bring two bowls of sweet potato soup and a plate of chives. One of the bowls was cold. ¡°Do you want me to feed you or do you want to eat it yourself?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°I¡¯ll eat it myself. Untie me,¡± the man said. Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t move, he frowned and added, ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao untied the rope around his arms and legs and helped him onto the bed. She brought a pillow for him to lean on. His injuries were mainly on his abdomen and legs. His upper limbs were unrestricted and he could eat on his own. Su Xiaoxiao moved the small table in her room to his bed and placed a bowl of steaming sweet potato soup on it with a plate of chives. She was usually too lazy to get out of bed. This was how Father Su and Su Ergou fed her. The man looked at the food on the table and did not have much of an appetite. However, he had to recover his strength as soon as possible. He forced himself to take a sip of the sweet potato soup and was surprised to find that it tasted very good. The sweet potato¡¯s sugar was boiled into the soup. It was sweet with a slightly salty taste. Coupled with a little fresh spring onion, the taste was not inferior to the ones cooked by the chefs in the capital. He tried the chives again. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The taste was also very stunning. Was this woman behind all of this? It was unbelievable. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Su Xiaoxiao, who was drinking soup at the table, asked. The man hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Wei Ting.¡± ¡°Su Daya.¡± Su Xiaoxiao also reported the name of this body. Wei Ting did not say anything else. He endured the pain in his body and continued to eat. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him from time to time. Ignoring that pig-headed face, just by looking at his eating movements, she could see that he exuded a noble aura. However, this person¡¯s aura was very cold. How could she describe it? It was as if he had crawled out of a pile of corpses and used the corpses to accumulate his killing aura. This man must have killed more than one person! Did Father Su know what kind of trouble he had nabbed? Moreover, she had just checked him. There were many cuts and injuries on his body. Two deep gashes were on his upper right abdomen and left calf. There were traces of simple treatment on the wound. Father Su must have applied medication to his wounds. Even so, he had lost too much blood. His pulse and aura were very weak. Coupled with the wound and bruise on his abdomen, she could not rule out the possibility of internal bleeding. In short, his injuries were much worse than they actually looked. Had she been in her previous life, she would have full confidence in curing him, but now¡­ ¡­. After dinner, Wei Ting rested. Su Xiaoxiao was also exhausted, mainly because her body was too fat. She could eat and sleep, but she couldn¡¯t work. Su Xiaoxiao finished washing the dishes and fell onto her bed. She was probably thinking about that man¡¯s injuries. In her daze, she dreamed that she had returned to the base¡¯s pharmacy. This was a medical pharmacy on the top floor of the research building. It was still in the construction stage and had yet to be used. Not many people were qualified to enter. Su Xiaoxiao was one of them. She grabbed the first aid kit on the table and picked some emergency medicine from the shelf to put in. As she was selecting, she woke up. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. How professional was she? She was even thinking about treating that man in her dreams. The next moment, she couldn¡¯t smile. She suddenly saw a first-aid kit in her hand. ¡­. ¡°Daya! I¡¯m back!¡± Su Cheng¡¯s bright and happy voice came from outside. Su Xiaoxiao stuffed the first-aid bag back into the blanket. ¡°Steady,¡± she told herself, ¡°Don¡¯t panic.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and calmly left the room. After Su Cheng and Su Ergou returned from robbing the villagers, they went to town and bought Su Daya¡¯s favorite snacks. The three children were forced to work for the entire day. On the way back, they fell asleep from exhaustion. Su Ergou held one in each arm while Father Su carried one. Su Xiaoxiao had fainted too quickly and didn¡¯t see their faces clearly. Now that she took a closer look, she couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in her heart. They had round faces, exquisite facial features, and long eyelashes. They were the best-looking children she had ever seen. Their quiet and obedient appearance after falling asleep made one¡¯s heart soften. She did not expect that man to have such cute children. Su Xiaoxiao poked the faces of the three little fellows. Oh. So soft. The three little fellows opened their eyes one after another as if they had been woken up by Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Eh? Dad, they¡¯re awake!¡± Su Ergou was about to cry. ¡°They¡¯re finally awake. I¡¯m so tired!¡± After carrying them for a few kilometers, his arm was about to break! Su Xiaoxiao gave the triplets a strange look. Was it an illusion? Why did it feel like they had not just woken up? Could it be that they had pretended to be asleep along the way and used Father Su and Su Ergou as a means of transportation? She must be thinking too much. Two- or three-year-old babies like them wouldn¡¯t be so scheming! Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The three children jumped to the ground obediently. Their eyes were cute, and it was obvious that they were children without schemes. ¡°What are your names?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The three children circled behind Su Ergou and hid their heads shyly, looking like three little mimosas and making Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s heart melt. ¡°Are they crying?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Ergou said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Be good!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked behind Su Ergou. The three children were stealing glances at her and were caught by her. They immediately retracted their heads. ¡°They just don¡¯t like to talk,¡± said Su Ergou. Su Cheng took out the things he had bought in town from the basket and placed them on the table. The three children walked over and stood on their tiptoes. They grabbed his basket and craned their necks to look in. ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± Su Cheng picked up a bamboo leaf bag on the table and opened it. Inside were three sticks of candied hawthorn that were half-eaten. The candied hawthorn was very expensive. Su Cheng was only generous to his daughter and was stingy with others. He didn¡¯t want to buy it at first, but who knew that the moment he turned around, the three children would bite him? Su Cheng felt intense pain all the way. The three children grabbed the candied hawthorn and went to the room to look for their father. Unexpectedly, not long after they entered the room, they ran out with the candied hawthorns in their hands. Wei Ting fell so badly that even his own children wouldn¡¯t recognize him. Su Cheng and Su Ergou entered the house and were stunned. Where was the handsome son-in-law they had kidnapped? How did he become a pig head after not seeing him for a day?! Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. She said calmly, ¡°Is this the man you said is a hundred times better-looking than He Tongsheng?¡± Su Cheng cleared his throat. ¡°Daughter, believe me. He¡¯s really good-looking.¡± Su Ergou was curious. ¡°Sister, did you beat him up?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡°He fell himself!¡± Why would she beat him up for no reason? Was he really her biological brother? Since it was a fall, he would be fine after he recovered. Su Cheng was relieved and asked Ergou to coax the three frightened children. He then pulled his daughter to the central room. He pointed at a box of snacks on the table and said, ¡°Dad bought you your favorite osmanthus cake. It¡¯s from Jin Ji!¡± Jin Ji¡¯s snacks were not cheap. This small box cost one tael of silver, and their meals were only three to five copper coins a catty. ¡°Didn¡¯t we spend all our money?¡± If she remembered correctly, Father Su had put his own savings into He Tongsheng¡¯s marriage. Su Cheng smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve got gift money!¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°What kind of gift is so expensive?¡± She naturally did not know that Su Cheng had robbed three portions of money. There were a total of six osmanthus cakes in the box. It was obvious that Su Cheng and Su Ergou did not have any. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten, have you?¡± she asked. Only then did Su Cheng remember that he had been out for an entire day. ¡°You must be hungry. Dad will cook!¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ve done it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and went to the kitchen to bring out the sweet potato soup and chives. She said to Su Ergou, who was playing with a few small children at the door, ¡°Ergou, it¡¯s time to eat!¡± ¡°Hey! We¡¯re coming over!¡± Su Ergou led the three children into the house and sat down to eat. He looked at the delicious chives and sweet potato soup on the table and said in surprise, ¡°Dad, did you make this?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°Your sister made it.¡± Su Ergou looked as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°No way? My sister¡­¡± Before he could finish, Su Xiaoxiao opened a box of osmanthus cake. ¡°You guys eat this too. From today onwards, I want to lose weight, so I won¡¯t eat these sweets.¡± Then, as if to show her determination, she entered her room without looking back. It took Su Ergou a long time to come back to his senses. He asked in a daze, ¡°Dad, is Sister¡­ crazy?¡± Su Cheng slapped his son on the head. ¡°Your brain is the one that¡¯s broken!¡± Su Ergou touched his numb head and muttered, ¡°Then what¡¯s going on?¡± His daughter¡¯s behavior today was indeed abnormal, but Su Cheng did not think too much about it. He only felt that his daughter had been too agitated by He Tongsheng¡¯s rejection of the marriage, which resulted in a change in her personality. Su Ergou picked up some of the chives suspiciously. ¡°Is Sister¡¯s food edible?¡± The next second, he was slapped in the face. His sister¡¯s food was too delicious! ¡­ . The Su family had a total of four rooms. Two were in the east and two were in the west. The east room in the south was the largest and had the best lighting. It was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wedding room. Wei Ting was recuperating in another east room. Su Cheng and Su Ergou lived in two west rooms, and the three children rested in Su Ergou¡¯s room. At night, the family fell asleep. Su Xiaoxiao quietly got up. She took out the first-aid bag from under the blanket, opened it, and counted. It was the medical medicine she had put in. How could this be? Had the first-aid kit come through her dream? She couldn¡¯t figure it out. Was this science or theology? ¡°Forget it. Saving a life is more important.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the first aid kit and an oil lamp to Wei Ting¡¯s room. She closed the door and turned the wick to its brightest. There was still not enough light. She brought the oil lamps from the other houses. As she had expected, Wei Ting¡¯s injuries had worsened and his situation was very critical. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t delay any longer and unbuttoned his clothes. Although she had already seen it once, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh¡ªthis man¡¯s figure was too good. His abdominal muscles were well-defined and smooth. His arms and chest muscles were full and firm. Even the mottled scars seemed to emit the power of battle damage. Su Xiaoxiao washed his wounds with saline. The knife wound between his abdomen and calf needed to be stitched up. At this moment, Wei Ting opened his swollen eyes slightly. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked him softly. Wei Ting¡¯s consciousness was blurry. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to stitch up your wound. Don¡¯t move.¡± It was unknown if he understood, but he couldn¡¯t move in his current state. Su Xiaoxiao gave him local anesthesia. After suturing the wound, she wrapped it with gauze. During the entire process, she could feel that Wei Ting had been trying hard to maintain his consciousness. She took out two anti-inflammatory pills and let Wei Ting consume them. At this point, Wei Ting could no longer hold on. He closed his eyes and fell asleep. He was asleep, but Su Xiaoxiao was still busy. Su Xiaoxiao applied medicine to the rest of his injuries and carefully checked his pulse again. She observed the location of his injuries and eliminated the possibility of internal bleeding. It was a relatively light hematoma. As long as this situation did not worsen, it could be treated with medicine. ¡­. The next day, Su Xiaoxiao woke up early. What she said last night about losing weight was true, and she had already formulated a weight loss plan in her heart. The first step was to quit the habit of being lazy and make herself move. With her current weight, it was not suitable for her to exercise vigorously on the ground. She would hurt her knees, so she could start with simple housework. She went to the kitchen to light the fire. Last night, she made sweet potato soup. Today, she switched to making sweet potato pancakes. First, she cut the sweet potato into cubes and coated them with corn flour. The sweet potato itself was sweet, and she could just sprinkle some salt into the corn flour. The sweet potatoes were wrapped in corn paste mixed with spring onions. When they were fried in the oil pot, half of the village was enveloped in fragrance. She steamed a few too. She and Wei Ting ate steamed food. Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Su Xiaoxiao placed the sweet potato cake into the steamer, she carried a basin of dirty clothes to the river behind the village. This was running water that flowed through several villages. Usually, everyone would come here to wash clothes and rice. It was dawn, but there were already many people washing clothes. When everyone saw Fatty Su appear with a wooden basin, they all thought that they had seen a ghost! This lazy woman actually woke up early to work? Were their eyes playing tricks on them, or had the sun risen from the west? No, Fatty Su must be here to extort money! Everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with fear. Without waiting for Su Xiaoxiao to approach, they picked up the buckets and ran! Su Xiaoxiao shrugged helplessly and found a place to squat by the river. There was no industrial pollution in ancient times. The water source was clean and clear. Even the air she breathed was refreshing. Su Xiaoxiao took out the clothes and spread them on a large rock. She rubbed them with soap and used a wooden stick to remove the soap from the clothes. She washed them with water and repeated the process. After washing the basin of clothes, Su Xiaoxiao broke out in a sweat. Su Xiaoxiao carried the wooden basin and walked back. Coincidentally, she bumped into Liu Shan¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law, Little Wu, walking towards the river with a basin of clothes. Little Wu also saw her and trembled in fear. The wooden stick in her basin fell to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s feet. Little Wu was frightened. She wanted to pick it up but didn¡¯t dare to. Su Xiaoxiao freed one hand and bent down to pick up the wooden stick. Little Wu hurriedly closed her eyes! Clunk. The expected pain did not come. Little Wu opened her eyes fearfully and looked at the wooden stick in the basin. She turned around in disbelief. Fatty Su had already walked away without saying a word. ¡°She¡­ just¡­ left?¡± ¡­ . In the Su family, the three children woke up. Su Ergou would sleep until late in the morning, and so would Su Cheng. As for Wei Ting, he was seriously ill and was still unconscious. No one dressed the three children. They went down barefoot. They walked around the house. None of the adults could be woken up. At this moment, the chattering of children came from next door. The three of them walked out curiously. Liu Shan and his family lived next door. The eldest daughter-in-law, Little Wu, had gone to wash her clothes. At this moment, the person shouting was the son of the second daughter-in-law, Madam He. His name was Niu Dan. Niu Dan was seven years old this year and was the only grandson of the Liu family. ¡°Mother! Put on my clothes!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Wait a moment. Let your father drink the medicine first.¡± A few days ago, Father Niu went to the fish pond to dig for lotus roots and sprained his waist. The doctor prescribed some herbs to promote blood circulation. The three children stood on their tiptoes and leaned on the windowsill, looking at the family in a daze. Niu Dan had already seen the three little children and knew that they were the new burdens of the Su family. He looked down on them. He stuck out his tongue in disdain. ¡°Lue! I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± ¡°Come down!¡± Madam He patted her son¡¯s butt and pressed him onto the bed. She took his clothes and put them on him. ¡°Mother, I want to eat sugar eggs!¡± said the Niu Dan. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll make it for you!¡± Madam He said. She had many daughters at home, and only she had a son. The entire family doted on him. Not to mention a sugar egg, she could get him two. Niu Dan held the sugar-flavored egg his mother had made and ate it while watching the three little children. When Su Xiaoxiao arrived home with the wooden basin, she saw the triplets watching the Niu Dan eat. The three of them were barefooted and their clothes were thin. Su Xiaoxiao frowned and put down the wooden basin. When Niu Dan saw Fatty Su, he immediately stopped being arrogant and turned to run. Su Xiaoxiao brought the three little ones home and put clothes and shoes on them. The three of them were thinner than she had expected. Judging from Wei Ting and their clothes, they did not look like they could not afford to eat. Why were they so thin? ¡°Are you hungry?¡± she asked. The three children nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get you something to eat.¡± Su Xiaoxiao entered the kitchen. The three children followed her in and stared at the eggs in the basket. ¡°Do you want to eat this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. All three nodded. Su Xiaoxiao cracked three sugar eggs, one for each of them. The stove house had just been lit and was warm. Su Xiaoxiao moved a small stool over and let the three of them sit in the stove house to eat. She went to Wei Ting¡¯s room and woke him up. ¡°It¡¯s time to take your medicine.¡± Wei Ting opened his eyes in a daze. Su Xiaoxiao helped him up and fed him anti-inflammatory medicine and blood-reducing medicine. Wei Ting did not want to eat for the time being and fell asleep again. This scene was witnessed by the three children who were peeping at the door. They thought of the woman they had seen at the house next door this morning. The woman fed medicine to Father Niu, dressed Niu Dan, and made sweetened eggs for him. Niu Dan called her mother. ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao went to wake Su Ergou up and asked him to stay at home to see the children and the patient. She had to go to town. Although Su Cheng had gone to town yesterday, he was a man and did not know how to plan his life carefully. The first thing he did after robbing the money was not to buy rice and noodles for his family, but snacks for his daughter. Most of the money had been spent on snacks, leaving less than two hundred copper coins. It was almost the end of the year, and prices were rising. It was already difficult for a family with two hundred copper coins, let alone one with four mouths at home. She had to think of a way to earn money. As she was thinking, a sharp shout suddenly came from diagonally ahead. ¡°Fatty Su!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°He Tongsheng?¡± He Tongsheng¡¯s real name was He Jian. He was the third son of the He family. After breaking off the engagement yesterday, Ergou said that he had escaped to town. She did not expect to meet him at the entrance of the market today. Beside him stood two young men dressed like scholars. They should be his classmates. He Tongsheng walked over angrily and said in extreme disgust, ¡°Fatty Su, that¡¯s enough! Don¡¯t haunt me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m here for you?¡± He Tongsheng asked coldly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and stretched out her hand. He Tongsheng dodged like a snake and retreated. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°The betrothal gift. Don¡¯t tell me you only call off the marriage and not the betrothal gift?¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°What about? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t talk nonsense with me. You only have to pay money after a few gropes at the brothel. Firstly, I didn¡¯t marry you, and secondly, I didn¡¯t consummate the marriage with you. Don¡¯t think about reneging on a copper coin!¡± He Tongsheng was furious! This fat woman¡­ actually compared him to a prostitute! Damn it! However, he had already spent a portion of the money! Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°If you don¡¯t return it, we¡¯ll have to meet at the government office.¡± He Tongsheng gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of embarrassing yourself by causing trouble in the government office?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What¡¯s face? Can it be eaten? Besides, aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s embarrassed? You accepted the betrothal gift and agreed to the marriage.¡± He Tongsheng blushed. ¡°I was deceived by the matchmaker.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him coldly. ¡°To think that you¡¯ve read so many sage books for so many years. Even a countryside matchmaker can deceive you. Anyone who¡¯s not stupid can¡¯t fall for this!¡± ¡°I think you should stop studying! Go home and farm! The water in your brain might be able to water two acres of land!¡± Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Tongsheng was furious! Ever since he was young, he had always been the smartest and proudest person in the village. When had he ever been suppressed and humiliated like this? Was this still the fatty from the Su family who only knew how to slash at people? When did she become so eloquent? The two classmates and the passersby surrounded them. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s words were clear and logical. Even if they didn¡¯t know beforehand, they understood the cause and effect. It turned out that this scholar had been deceived by the matchmaker. Then, on the day of the wedding, he broke off the engagement. Now, he was not returning the betrothal gift. ¡°Miss, how much money does he owe you?¡± ¡°Twenty taels!¡± Gasps sounded all around! Taking a wife only cost two taels of silver. Although it was a little expensive to take a lived-in son-in-law, it would not exceed six taels. On account that he was a scholar and was handsome, one would give ten taels at most. Still¡­ Everyone looked at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s fat body and roughly understood why she had offered such a high price. This appearance in the countryside¡­ was indeed unwanted. ¡°Fatty Su! Look at yourself!¡± He Tongsheng said angrily. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°What kind of person am I? Did I delay you from owing my family a betrothal gift?¡± Everyone couldn¡¯t help but nod secretly. This fat girl¡¯s logic was very outstanding. She had never been led by the nose by that scholar. She spoke logically. On the other hand, the scholar was so agitated that he actually scolded a little girl on the street. The difference in intelligence between the two was obvious. At this moment, even the two classmates could not help but frown at He Tongsheng. There were more and more strange gazes around. He Tongsheng said angrily, ¡°S-S-Maybe you guys colluded with the matchmaker to trick me! Yes! That must be it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll see you in court.¡± With that, she turned around and walked towards the government office. If He Tongsheng thought she was threatening him, he was right. There was a man of unknown origin at home. How could she let the government officials turn their attention to the Su family without establishing the other party¡¯s true identity? However, from the conversation just now, He Tongsheng did not know that she already had a husband. Otherwise, with his attitude, he would have scolded her for being shameless. He Tongsheng was a scholar. If this matter tainted him, he would very likely lose the chance to obtain an academic title. ¡°Stop!¡± He Tongsheng threatened, ¡°Your Su family is tyrannical in the village and has done many shameful things. Can you really come out after entering the government office?¡± Su Xiaoxiao ignored him. In terms of psychological warfare, a stupid scholar was not enough to fill the gaps between her teeth. As expected, when they reached the corner, He Tongsheng gritted his teeth and forced himself to chase after them. ¡°Fatty Su!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Have you decided to return the money?¡± She was still the same person, but for some reason, this smile made He Tongsheng fall into a trance for a moment, giving him the illusion that Fatty Su was attractive. He turned around and said in a charitable tone, ¡°I can return you half of the silver. Let¡¯s forget about this matter.¡± ¡°You dropped something.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at his feet. ¡°What?¡± He looked down to find it. ¡°Face.¡± He Tongsheng was speechless ¡°Officer.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked towards the constable who was patrolling the wine shop opposite. He Tongsheng¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Ten, fifteen taels! Fifteen taels should be enough!¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t seem to hear him and continued walking toward the constable. ¡°Eighteen taels!¡± Su Xiaoxiao came to the constable. ¡°Anything?¡± the constable asked. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you!¡± He Tongsheng stomped his feet! Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I want to ask Brother Officer how to get to Jin Ji.¡± ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao took five taels of silver from He Tongsheng and asked him to write an IOU for the remaining fifteen taels. He would have to pay it off within three days. Then, Su Xiaoxiao went to the boutique. Buying clothes was not in the original plan. After all, 200 copper coins were not much. Now that she had money, she wanted to get Wei Ting and the three children to change into some countryside clothes. ¡°For your husband and child?¡± The lady boss was very enthusiastic. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. After coming out of the ready-made clothes shop, she still had four taels of silver left. She went to the grain shop and bought 20 catties of cornmeal, 10 catties of white flour, and 10 catties of rice. When she went to buy meat, the stall was almost closed. ¡°How much is the cured meat?¡± she asked. The butcher was a young man. He said, ¡°50 copper coins a catty. It¡¯s all good meat!¡± ¡°That¡¯s expensive.¡± ¡°I have the cheapest here! Go ask someone else. It¡¯s at least sixty copper coins!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the fresh meat?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The butcher said, ¡°The business is closed. If you want, I¡¯ll sell it to you for ten copper coins a catty.¡± In ancient times, salt was expensive. The cost of cured meat was high, so the price was naturally high. Su Xiaoxiao decided to buy fresh ribs and pork belly and cook them herself. Seeing that she had bought dozens of catties in one go, the butcher smiled and asked, ¡°Miss, there¡¯s still a bowl of pig offal here. If you don¡¯t mind, you can take it. Anyway, I¡¯m closing the stall.¡± Pig offal was a good thing in her previous life, but it was not so popular in ancient times. The main reason was that no one knew how to prepare it. Of course, it was not so bad that no one would buy it even if it was thrown away. After all, poor commoners could not eat much meat in a year. At least, there was some meat in the offal. ¡°Thanks.¡± To make cured meat, salt and spices were indispensable. It was almost afternoon when Su Xiaoxiao finished buying. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t move so many things back herself. She was lucky to meet Old Li at the entrance of the market. Old Li had just sold two old hens and bought two catties of brown sugar for his grandson and pregnant daughter-in-law. He also brought some New Year goods for the villagers. ¡°Grandpa Li.¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted him. Old Li pulled the ox cart and ran! Su Xiaoxiao blocked his way. ¡°Grandpa Li, I¡¯m going back to the village. Please give me a ride.¡± In the past, Fat Lass Su was not so polite. She always called him Old Li and did not greet him before sitting down in the cart. If he was lucky, Fatty Su would just not give him the fare. If he was unlucky, Fatty Su would extort some money from Old Li. Old Li cursed himself for being unlucky. He had just been extorted of money yesterday, and now he had encountered it again! He did not think that Fatty Su would be magnanimous just because she was polite to him. Old Li was about to cry, but what could he do? If he made this little bully unhappy, the Su family still had two bullies with stronger fists! Old Li pulled a long face and let Su Xiaoxiao get into the ox cart with the goods. Halfway back to the village, the ox cart was stopped. They were three hoodlums in town. The leader was called Brother Dao, who was a few years younger than Su Cheng. He had just been released from the government office not long ago. He spun the knife in his hand and glanced at Su Xiaoxiao with a surprised smile. ¡°Yo? Isn¡¯t this Brother Su¡¯s daughter? What a coincidence.¡± Old Li¡¯s expression changed. It was over. He was going to lose everything in this ox cart! Unless Fatty Su helped him¡ª But Fat Lass Su would never help him! It was impossible¡­ Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Uncle Dao, what a coincidence.¡± In her memory, the Host had called him that. His real name was Zhang Dao. Many years ago, he had been an escort with Su Cheng. Later on, the two of them gave up their careers as escorts. One became a hooligan in town, and the other became a bully in the village. In the first few years, the two of them still had some interactions, but they gradually distanced themselves. Zhang Dao felt very comfortable being called Uncle Dao. He smiled and asked, ¡°How is your father recently?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°As usual. I think Uncle Dao is getting more energetic.¡± It was just a formality. She could ramble on for ages but she wondered if he had the patience to continue listening. Of course, Zhang Dao did not have the time. He was here for serious business, not to chat with an unfamiliar fat girl. He went straight to the point. ¡°Little niece, I know your father, and you call me uncle. Forget it today.¡± As he spoke, he turned his malicious gaze to Old Li. ¡°Old man, we¡¯ve been a little tight on money recently. Can you lend us some money to spend?¡± Old Li refused in his heart. The ox cart contained not only his family¡¯s things but also those of the villagers¡¯. If they were snatched away, he could not afford to compensate them! His daughter-in-law was about to give birth, so the old lady asked him to sell the last two old hens at home. He was carrying the money to pay for his grandchild¡¯s birth! What was he going to do? ¡°Brothers, attack!¡± ¡°Alright, Brother Dao!¡± ¡°Uncle Dao.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°My things are on the ox cart.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Zhang Dao gestured and the two of them stopped moving. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao with a faint smile. ¡°Which are my niece¡¯s things?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°They are all my things.¡± Zhang Dao frowned and his expression turned cold. Old Li looked at Su Xiaoxiao in surprise. Of course, he didn¡¯t think that Fatty Su was protecting him. He only felt that Fatty Su was really bold to dare to snatch things from the hooligans in town. Zhang Dao came to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao sat and he stood. He stared straight at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Are you sure everything in the car is yours?¡± ¡°Uncle Dao, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask him.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was calm as if she didn¡¯t feel the threat in his eyes and tone. Zhang Dao sneered. ¡°My niece is different from before.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve grown up.¡± What a calm girl! Zhang Dao looked at Old Li. Old Li lowered his head and didn¡¯t say anything. In any case, he would be robbed. Whether it was by Fat Lass Su or these men, it was all the same to him. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Uncle Dao said that he wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for me. He won¡¯t go back on his word, right?¡± Zhang Dao clenched his fists and grabbed Old Li¡¯s collar. ¡°Hand over your silver!¡± Old Li touched his money bag, but only took out a few sparse copper coins. Where was his money? Su Xiaoxiao said regretfully, ¡°Looks like Uncle Dao is unlucky today.¡± Zhang Dao clenched his left fist so hard that it cracked. ¡°Hmph!¡± He let go of Old Li angrily! Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°Uncle Dao, take care.¡± Then, she said calmly to Old Li, ¡°Hurry up and return to the village. How long do you want my father to wait?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Old Li¡¯s heart ached for his 200 copper coins! His hard-earned money! Which dirty hand took it away! Su Xiaoxiao snatched the whip and chased the ox cart away! Zhang Dao looked at the ox cart coldly. Suddenly, he smelled the fragrance of sorghum. Su Cheng did not drink! He shouted, ¡°Stop right there!¡± Oh no! She had exposed herself! Zhang Dao had never been a good person. He gave Su Cheng some face not because of their past friendship, but because the two of them minding their own business. Yet this girl actually tricked him! She treated him like a fool! He had no choice but to teach this girl a lesson! ¡°Big Brother, that little girl¡­¡± ¡°Teach her a lesson. Let her kowtow a few times and leave her things behind.¡± They knew how to do this! They were simply very familiar with it! The two burly men strode towards Su Xiaoxiao. An ox cart was not a carriage. It could not run quickly. Therefore, the moment she discovered that she had exposed herself, Su Xiaoxiao knew that a fierce battle was inevitable. She looked at the shadow on the ground, picked up the pig trotter she had just bought, and kicked it back! Fast, accurate, and ruthless! It hit him in the face! The burly man fell back heavily. His mind was buzzing, and his eyes were filled with stars! However, this move could only take down one person. The other person grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s sleeve. Su Xiaoxiao kicked him without a word! Not everyone could withstand a kick from a 200-pound fatty. One of the other party¡¯s ribs broke on the spot, and he fell to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. These two were easy to deal with, but Zhang Dao was not. He was a true martial artist and had entered the government office to kill before. With Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s current fat body, she was no match for him. The first move threw Su Xiaoxiao off the ox cart. Fortunately, her fat was thick and she was not injured. But¡ª Zhang Dao¡¯s second move came. Su Xiaoxiao could have dodged it, but Old Li was behind her. If this slash hit Old Li, he would die. Su Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and raised her chubby arm to block it. It was blocked, but the back of her hand was also scratched. ¡°This is forcing me to use my ultimate move¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and shouted behind Zhang Dao, ¡°Dad! You¡¯re here!¡± Zhang Dao turned around. Realizing that he had been tricked, he turned around to grab Su Xiaoxiao, but Su Xiaoxiao was nowhere to be seen. Where was the fatty? Thud! Thud! Thud! Heavy footsteps, one step at a time, made the ground seem to tremble. Zhang Dao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He looked up. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªhere!¡± The power to uproot the mountains¡­ was unparalleled! Su Xiaoxiao stepped onto the ox cart and jumped down towards Zhang Dao! Zhang Dao was knocked out. He lay on the ground like a toad, his tongue hanging out and his eyes rolling back¡­ Su Xiaoxiao was exhausted. She lay on the ground and panted. This body was too fat, too fat, too fat¡­ If it were her previous life¡­ she would not have been so breathless¡­ She wanted to lose weight! She had to starve to death! ¡­ . On the way back, Su Xiaoxiao was cold like a demon. Old Li thought that she had fought with someone and was in a bad mood. He drove the ox cart to the Su family and waited for Su Xiaoxiao to take everything away. Unexpectedly, Su Xiaoxiao only took her things and coldly closed the door! He was stunned on the spot! Didn¡¯t Fat Lass Su fight with those people to snatch these things? He sat back on the ox cart in a daze. He seemed to have stepped on something. He looked down and saw that it was his lost money bag. That¡¯s not right. He had looked for it just now. It was clearly not on the ox cart¡ª He looked at the closed door of the Su family¡¯s house with a complicated expression. ¡­ . After Su Xiaoxiao returned home, she went straight to her room. She was hurt. In her previous life, she had been injured by knives and guns. It was not a big deal. However, she had neglected that this body¡¯s pain receptors were abnormally developed. Compared to her previous life, she was at least ten times more afraid of pain! Now that there was no one else around, she finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. She looked at the back of her injured hand and cried out, ¡°It hurts!¡± Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Old Li returned home, it was almost dark. Madam Qian sat on the threshold and fed her grandson, glancing out anxiously from time to time. ¡°Why isn¡¯t your grandfather back yet?¡± Madam Qian muttered. He went out early in the morning. Could it be that the old hen couldn¡¯t be sold? ¡°Grandpa!¡± The three-year-old grandson pointed at the tired Old Li in the night. Madam Qian quickly brought her grandson into the house and let her daughter-in-law feed him. She then walked over to pick up Old Li. ¡°Why are you back so late? Did you sell the chicken?¡± She looked at the car. ¡°Sold,¡± Old Li said. ¡°What about the things for the folks?¡± she asked again. ¡°I bought them all and sent them over,¡± Old Li replied. Qian looked at him strangely. ¡°I think something¡¯s wrong with you. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Thinking of what had happened along the way, Old Li had mixed feelings. ¡°I¡­ came back with Fat Lass today.¡± Madam Qian gasped. ¡°That wretched girl extorted money from you!¡± ¡°No, she didn¡¯t blackmail me.¡± ¡°She sat in your cart for nothing again!¡± ¡°No.¡± Old Li opened the money bag. He had counted. Not only was there not a single copper coin missing but there were also ten more. ¡°She paid for the ride.¡± Madam Qian¡¯s jaw dropped. Old Li continued, ¡°She even chased away the hooligans in town.¡± Madam Qian was speechless. ¡­ . At the Su family, tears streamed down Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t that she wanted to cry. It was this body¡¯s instinct. Not only did this body feel different from ordinary people, but even her tear ducts were exceptionally developed. She could not control them at all. In her previous life in the army, her results were outstanding in all aspects. Her stamina, shooting, and combat skills were almost second to none. She had always felt that it was because she had worked hard enough. From the looks of it, it was true that she had worked hard, but her strong physique and genes were innate. After this body was done crying, Su Xiaoxiao took out an iodophor to disinfect herself before going to the kitchen. Su Cheng and Su Ergou started a fire in the kitchen, boiled hot water, and washed the three children¡¯s hair. The door was closed tightly, so they didn¡¯t hear anything from outside the kitchen. When Su Xiaoxiao pushed the door open, Su Cheng was educating the three children with a serious expression. ¡°From today onwards, your name is Su Dahu! Your name is Su Erhu! Your name is Su Xiaohu!¡± The three children sat naked in the wooden basin with wet hair. They looked up at Su Cheng with confused expressions. Su Ergou squatted behind the stove and added firewood to the stove while roasting a few sweet potatoes. The wind blew against the light. Su Cheng turned around and said in surprise, ¡°Daya! You¡¯re back!¡± He was so happy to see his daughter! The three children also looked at Su Xiaoxiao. They were silly and cute. ¡°Sister!¡± Su Ergou shouted. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at the messy kitchen. After not seeing it for a day, it had become a large-scale car accident scene again¡­ They were not allowed to enter the kitchen in the future! ¡°Dad, Ergou.¡± Family members had to greet each other. She closed the door and the house warmed up again. Su Cheng hooked a small stool over with his foot and sat down for his daughter. Su Xiaoxiao sat down. ¡°Dad, were you naming them just now?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Su Dahu, Su Erhu, Su Xiaohu. How is it? The names Dad gave are so pleasant!¡± Thinking of her own name and Su Ergou¡¯s, Su Xiaoxiao basically did not have high expectations of Su Cheng¡¯s naming standards. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it sounds like they¡¯re from the same generation as me and Ergou?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°Really?¡± Forget it. He could call them whatever he wanted. It was just a few nicknames. Thinking of something, Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How do you know who¡¯s the eldest, who¡¯s the second, and who¡¯s the third?¡± Su Cheng let down their hair and pointed at their heads. He said confidently, ¡°One whirl, two whirls, three whirls. Eldest, Middle, Third!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Father Su continued to bathe the three children. Su Xiaoxiao went to Wei Ting¡¯s house to change his dressing. The wound was alright. She had sutured it beautifully, but he still had a low fever and his body was very weak. After dealing with two serious injuries, Su Xiaoxiao applied anti-inflammatory and painkillers ointment to the rest of his injuries. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m really tired.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sat down on the edge of the bed. After working all morning, buying things, and fighting all the way, she was exhausted. Wei Ting gasped. Su Xiaoxiao hummed. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Wei Ting slowly opened his eyes, a trace of vigilance flashing across them. Su Xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°Who are you guarding against? You¡¯re like a fish on a chopping board. Killing you is easier than killing an ant!¡± Wei Ting clenched his fists and closed his eyes. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the bowls and chopsticks on the stool. Originally, there were two steamed sweet potato cakes she had brought in before she left. There was only half left. ¡°You were awake during the day?¡± she asked. How was Wei Ting not awake? He had even interacted deeply with her family. He already knew that the three children were here. Yesterday, he asked where the children were, but this woman actually lied and said that she didn¡¯t know! He had worried for nothing! ¡°Does my father know?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Wei Ting looked at her as if she was a fool. Su Xiaoxiao coughed. ¡°Looks like he was here. Did he say anything to you?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°He said that someone attacked me. He was the one who chased the other party away and saved me and my children. He asked me to give myself to him and be your Su family¡¯s live-in son-in-law.¡± ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± Su Xiaoxiao choked. ¡°Then what are you thinking?¡± Wei Ting mocked, ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that the person who attacked me from behind was your father?¡± He didn¡¯t see it, but he heard the other party¡¯s voice before he fainted. ¡°You want me to marry a thief and acknowledge him as my father-in-law? Dream on!¡± Ah, this¡­ It would be very awkward. Su Xiaoxiao scratched her head angrily. Wei Ting snorted coldly. Suddenly, Su Xiaoxiao reached out to him. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± he asked warily. Su Xiaoxiao raised her chin and looked down at him. ¡°Although my father kidnapped you, I also treated you. We¡¯re even! Since you don¡¯t intend to give yourself to me, we have to settle the score between us!¡± ¡°Food fees, accommodation fees, medical fees, care fees, 20 taels a day! 500 taels a month! 100 taels for child support fees, 300 taels for three children! It¡¯s settled now, no credit!¡± Creak¡­ The door was pushed open. Su Cheng walked in. ¡°Daya, the children are done bathing¡­ Eh? Is my son-in-law awake?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was thinking, What son-in-law? You¡¯ve already exposed yourself, okay? Wei Ting looked at Su Cheng and smiled. ¡°Father, I¡¯m hungry.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded! Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting, where is your integrity? He had swoern never to marry a thief and never to acknowledge a thief as his father-in-law! Why did he change his mind in the blink of an eye?! Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Cheng accepted this greeting and replied calmly, ¡°You¡¯re hungry? Alright, I¡¯ll go cook.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao wanted to stop him, but Su Cheng had already turned around and left. After Su Cheng went to the kitchen, the smile on Wei Ting¡¯s face instantly disappeared, and he returned to his cold self. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s chubby face darkened. ¡°You did it on purpose!¡± Wei Ting glanced at her coldly. ¡°What else? Do you really think I¡¯ll be willing to be your husband?¡± Su Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, I¡¯m not willing to take it! I¡¯ll send you to the government office immediately! Let¡¯s see how you can be unreasonable!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°The entire village knows that we¡¯re married. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll implicate you if I enter the government office?¡± What was going on? Was he even told about the marriage? Su Xiaoxiao said angrily, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Go out and ask around! Have I, Su Daya ever been afraid?¡± Wei Ting raised his eyes arrogantly and elegantly. ¡°Is that so? Who was the crybaby who was hiding in the house and crying?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! I didn¡¯t!¡± Wei Ting sneered. ¡°Yes, it wasn¡¯t you. It was a puppy crying.¡± Su Xiaoxiao wanted to bite him to death! Wait, this guy heard her cry. Did that mean he had woken up long ago? Just now, she had changed his dressing and measured his temperature. Was he pretending to be dead the entire time?! Very good. Two can play the game. Su Xiaoxiao, who was like an angry little pufferfish a second ago, suddenly revealed an obedient and charming smile. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m coveting your beauty?¡± Wei Ting sneered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to her room to get a small bronze mirror and placed it in front of him. Wei Ting did not understand what she meant, but he still subconsciously looked into the bronze mirror. Then, his body trembled! Looking at a certain someone¡¯s expression, Su Xiaoxiao felt happy. Leaving the bill behind¡­ Uh, no, medicine. She left the house in high spirits and couldn¡¯t help but pull up her pants! ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen and said that she would cook dinner. She really couldn¡¯t stand watching Daddy Su and Su Ergou cause trouble in the kitchen that she had painstakingly cleaned up. The two of them had no objections to this. In fact, they agreed very much. Originally, they couldn¡¯t bear to let the only girl cook, but ever since they tasted Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s cooking, it was difficult for them to swallow Su Cheng¡¯s food. Especially since Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t around at noon, the family was forced to eat Su Cheng¡¯s cooking again¡­ That feeling was simply¡­ Su Xiaoxiao made a pot of braised pork, a bowl of tofu intestines, a large bowl of steamed eggs, three small bowls of steamed eggs, and a plate of cabbage. She mixed some radish shreds. Looking at the table full of dishes, Su Ergou was dumbfounded. ¡°Is our family going to celebrate the new year?¡± No, they didn¡¯t eat such good food during the new year. The three children couldn¡¯t wait any longer and drooled around the table. They ate in the kitchen. Firstly, it was warm. Secondly, the kitchen had a short table. The three children could reach it from their stools. Wei Ting¡¯s diet needed to be light. Su Xiaoxiao cooked some cabbage and lean meat porridge for him alone and asked Ergou to scoop a bowl of steamed eggs for him. When Ergou returned, the family officially started eating. However, when Su Cheng and Su Ergou saw the big bowl of tofu intestines, they did not dare to eat anymore. They had eaten it at a relative¡¯s house once, and it tasted terrible. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the two of them strangely. The three children could not eat it because it was too spicy, but these two had preferences for food with strong flavors. Su Ergou braced himself and picked up a piece. He hesitated for a moment before putting it into Su Cheng¡¯s bowl. ¡°Dad, eat first!¡± The corners of Su Cheng¡¯s mouth twitched. He picked up the fat intestine and placed it in Su Ergou¡¯s bowl. ¡°Eat it!¡± ¡°Sister, eat!¡± Su Ergou gave it to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m on a diet, so I can¡¯t eat this.¡± After a pause, she looked at Su Cheng in surprise. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t dare to eat it?¡± Su Cheng stammered, ¡°How, how, how?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sobbed. ¡°Then you don¡¯t dote on me anymore.¡± Su Cheng trembled! ¡°Haha!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was amused by Su Cheng¡¯s reaction and swayed back and forth. Su Ergou looked at his sister in confusion. Was his sister seriously ill? Had her brain been damaged? Su Xiaoxiao continued to eat in satisfaction. This family was really fun. In her previous life, she grew up in a very serious family. Her mother was a businesswoman, and her father was a research professor. One of them had endless meetings, and the other had endless research. The house was always cold and empty. Only the secretary and nanny could be seen. She had also thought that she was a serious person. In the end, Su Cheng and Su Ergou naturally ate the dish and could not stop. In the end, neither of them gave in to the other. Su Xiaoxiao mercilessly took it away. ¡°Aren¡¯t you trying to lose weight?¡± The two of them looked at her resentfully. Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve been on diet for a day. I¡¯m rewarding myself. I¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡± At the same time, she finished the remaining half of the plate of braised pork. Su Cheng and Su Ergou were speechless. ¡­ . After dinner, Su Xiaoxiao cleaned up the remaining meat and pig offal, smeared it with salt, and hung it on the shelf in the backyard. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hide where she got the money to buy so many things and told her family that she asked He Tongsheng to return the betrothal gift. ¡°There are fifteen taels left. He wrote an IOU and will return it within three days.¡± As Su Ergou helped her dry the meat, he snorted. ¡°At least he knows his place! If he dares to go back on his word, I will go to his house and beat him to death!¡± Su Xiaoxiao washed her hands and carried out the clothes she had bought from town. She didn¡¯t know much about sewing, so she only bought ready-made clothes. She had to let them try the clothes on. If they weren¡¯t suitable, she would bring them to town tomorrow to change them. ¡°Dad, are you there?¡± Su Xiaoxiao knocked on the door. ¡°Yes,¡± Su Cheng said. Su Xiaoxiao pushed the door open and entered. Su Cheng was sitting on a stool, lighting a dim oil lamp and clumsily mending one of Su Ergou¡¯s cotton clothes. The Host¡¯s mother passed away early, and Su Cheng was both a father and a mother. The clothes at home were mended by him. But he did an awful job and it always made the villagers laugh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Da Ya?¡± Su Cheng asked. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the needle marks on Su Cheng¡¯s rough fingers and said, ¡°Er Gou has grown up. This cotton shirt is too small. There¡¯s no need to mend it. I bought him a new one.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ okay.¡± Su Cheng was surprised. This was the first time Su Daya bought clothes for Su Ergou. In the past, when she went on the streets, she would buy food or rouge and makeup for herself. Su Cheng thought that she was here to talk about this. He put Ergou¡¯s clothes aside and picked up his old cotton shirt. His cotton shirt was the worst. ¡°You don¡¯t have to mend yours either,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Cheng was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s not very expensive. When I have money in the future, I¡¯ll buy you something better.¡± Su Cheng looked at the brand new cotton shirt his daughter handed over and his eyes turned red. Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of clothing. There¡¯s no need to¡­¡± Su Cheng felt a lump in his throat. ¡°This is the first time you made clothes for me¡­¡± ¡°I bought it¡­¡± ¡°Same thing.¡± But Su Xiaoxiao felt it was very different. She looked at Father Su, not knowing what to do. The tyrant of Xinghua Village actually had such a reaction when he received the cotton-padded clothes from his daughter. She couldn¡¯t accept it! Old Su Cheng was relieved, and tears flickered in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re different after getting married. My daughter has grown up. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll treat my son-in-law well.¡± No, what did this have to do with Wei Ting? She was the one who bought the clothes! That guy didn¡¯t even move a finger! Why was he being nice to him? He should be beating him up! ¡°Daya, it¡¯s getting late. Go rest,¡± Su Cheng said to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Oh,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Then you should sleep early too.¡± Su Cheng nodded. Su Xiaoxiao turned and walked out. The moment the door closed, a cry came from inside! ¡ªIt was Father Su holding the cotton clothes his daughter gave him in the house¡­ The boor was crying! Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s chubby body trembled! Did the villagers know that the tyrant was capable of tears? Su Xiaoxiao went to the backyard to look for Su Ergou. Su Ergou took a cold shower in the backyard. This was what Su Cheng taught him. He said that taking a cold shower in winter could improve one¡¯s physique. Su Ergou had not taken a hot bath since he was eight years old. His body was indeed good! Su Xiaoxiao seriously suspected that Su Cheng was just too lazy to boil water for Su Ergou. ¡°Ergou.¡± ¡°Sister?¡± Su Ergou had just poured a basin of cold water on his head when he realized that Su Xiaoxiao had come over. The wind was cold and he was only wearing a pair of wet pants. Su Xiaoxiao felt cold. ¡°I bought you a cotton shirt. I¡¯ll bring it to your room later. Try it after you take a shower. If it doesn¡¯t fit, tell me. I¡¯ll change it in town.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Su Ergou agreed readily and continued to take a shower. Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao was still staring at him, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Sister, is there anything else?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sized him up cautiously. ¡°Are you going to cry?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Ergou was stunned and shook his head. ¡°No, why should I cry?¡± Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand. ¡°Then it¡¯s fine. Hurry up and wash. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± It seemed that Su Ergou was the only one in the family who was not prone to crying. It was good to be simple-minded. Su Xiaoxiao went to Su Ergou¡¯s house. The three children were sitting cross-legged on the bed playing with wooden blocks. It was something the Host and Su Ergou had played when they were young. Today, Su Cheng spent a lot of effort digging it out of the box. The children did not cry or make a fuss. They could play by themselves without anyone watching. It was much easier to take care of them than Niudan next door. Su Xiaoxiao walked over with the clothes. The three little ones looked up at her with cute eyes, a little shy. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s heart was about to overflow. Although they had an unreliable father, the three children were really cute! They were cuter than the dolls she had bought in her previous life! Su Xiaoxiao placed a stack of brand new clothes at the head of the bed and gave the three of them three sets. She had dressed them in the morning and roughly knew their sizes. The cotton clothes she bought all fit them well. ¡°Stand up and let me see,¡± she said. The three of them stood up obediently and jumped around the bed. The pants were just the right size. They wouldn¡¯t fall off and were not so long that they would trip on them. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all for today. It¡¯s time to sleep.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put away the toys on the bed and spread the blanket. She undressed the three of them and stuffed them into the blanket. She did not know if the three children were afraid of the dark. She had been afraid when she was young. She left an oil lamp on the table and checked their blankets. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, someone among the three of them suddenly called her mother. Su Xiaoxiao staggered and almost fell! ¡°Who called?¡± She looked at the three little ones under the blanket in shock. The three of them looked at her innocently. She corrected him sternly. ¡°You can¡¯t just call anyone that, understand? I¡¯m not your mother.¡± The three little ones continued to look at her. She sighed. Forget it. They were still young. She heard that children say anything that came to their minds when they first learned to speak. In her previous life, many children would call unfamiliar women mothers. They should be the same. Su Xiaoxiao went to Wei Ting¡¯s room last. She was not so polite to Wei Ting and threw the clothes at him. Wei Ting was about to fall asleep when he woke up again. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned her head proudly and left without looking back. ¡­ . The next day, Su Xiaoxiao woke up early as usual. She peeled the dressing off the back of her hand. This dressing was close to the texture of her skin. It could not be seen if one did not look closely. Therefore, no one at home noticed that she was injured. ¡°The new medicine in the research building is indeed useful. It healed such a deep wound in one night.¡± ¡°From the looks of it, it will recover in two days without any scars.¡± This was a pleasant surprise. She changed her dressing and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. To her surprise, other than Wei Ting, everyone else got up and changed into the new cotton clothes that Su Xiaoxiao had bought. It was not strange for children to wake up early, but didn¡¯t Father Su and Su Ergou not open their eyes until late in the morning? She had spent a lot of effort scooping up Su Ergou yesterday! ¡°The weather is good today. Let¡¯s go out for a walk!¡± Su Cheng said. ¡°Father is right!¡± Su Ergou said. The three little ones nodded. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You haven¡¯t had breakfast.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll eat when I get back!¡± With that, Su Cheng left with Su Ergou and the three children. The first villager they met was Auntie Zhou, who went to dig for radishes. Auntie Zhou grabbed the basket tightly and shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t have any money!¡± Su Cheng walked forward arrogantly and patted his sleeve. ¡°New clothes.¡± Auntie Zhou was confused. Su Cheng said, ¡°My daughter bought it.¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°My sister bought it.¡± The three little ones, ¡± Mom bought it.¡± Auntie Zhou could not respond to any of them. ¡­ . In a medical center in town, the physician treated Zhang Dao¡¯s last injury. Su Xiaoxiao had done a lot of damage. Three of his ribs were broken! If not for his body that practiced martial arts all year round, he would probably be a cripple now! ¡°Big Brother!¡± The other two lackeys also fainted and limped. A fierce glint flashed across Zhang Dao¡¯s eyes. ¡°Su Cheng, you raised a good daughter! Just wait! I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao went to Wei Ting¡¯s room to check on him as usual. The low fever had subsided, but the hematoma in his liver had not. He was still a weak patient. ¡°Take your medicine yourself.¡± Su Xiaoxiao filled a bowl with two anti-inflammatory pills and three capsules to remove the hematoma. She knew he was awake. ¡°What medicine are you giving me?¡± He had never seen such a strange medicine. Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°Oh, not only do you want to be our family¡¯s son-in-law, but you also want to ask about my family¡¯s ancestral secret?¡± ¡°Who wants to ask?¡± Wei Ting turned away coldly. Father Su and Su Ergou didn¡¯t know that Su Xiaoxiao had treated Wei Ting¡¯s injuries. They thought that Wei Ting had relied on the bottle of medicine he carried with him. Wei Ting thought that the father and son knew that Su Xiaoxiao was treating him. Although he was puzzled as to why a countryside woman was proficient in the Qihuang technique, he was not close enough to chat with this family. Hence, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s cover was not blown. However, Su Xiaoxiao was not afraid even if she was exposed. With Father Su and Su Ergou¡¯s blind love for her, it was not difficult to fool them. On the other hand, Wei Ting was more troublesome. When she found an opportunity, she would definitely cheat some secrets out of him. ¡­ . There was meat at home. For breakfast today, Su Xiaoxiao made a few catties of steamed dumplings, made a pot of vegetable pork ribs porridge, and roasted a few sweet potatoes. The little beans seemed to like them when Su Ergou roasted some for them last night. Since the entire family was up, Su Xiaoxiao planned to have breakfast with them when they returned. But after waiting for a long time, there was no one. Had they strolled out of the village? ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll pick up some firewood first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao brought a bowl of vegetable pork ribs porridge to Wei Ting and brought the hemp rope to the forest at the back of the mountain. Coincidentally, she bumped into her neighbor, Little Wu. Little Wu was also here to pick up firewood, but she accidentally fell. Not only did the firewood scatter all over the ground, but her feet were also stuck. It was a big tree that had been cut off in the forest. It was not easy for an adult man to move it, let alone a skinny Little Wu. Little Wu was anxious and in pain. However, she was timid and did not dare to shout for help. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know how long she had been stuck, but she looked pitiful. Su Xiaoxiao walked over. Seeing her, Little Wu trembled like a frightened rabbit. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything and just went to one end of the tree trunk. She used all her strength to lift it. This was the power of being a Fatty! Had she been a 90-pound beauty, she would definitely not be able to carry this big tree! Little Wu quickly moved her foot out. Bang! The tree slammed back to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted!¡± She had not eaten breakfast! Su Xiaoxiao panted as she came to Little Wu and squatted down to check her right foot. ¡°It¡¯s just a bruise. It¡¯s nothing serious. Can you walk?¡± Little Wu nodded timidly and bent down to pick up the firewood on the ground. Seeing her limp, Su Xiaoxiao sighed and helped her tie the firewood and carry it on her shoulder. ¡°Keep up!¡± Little Wu looked at the little bully who had snatched her firewood in a daze and did not dare to disobey her. Su Xiaoxiao placed the firewood at her door and left. On the other side, Su Ergou returned with the three children in high spirits! ¡°Sister! We¡¯re back!¡± Su Xiaoxiao had just reached home. ¡°Eh? Why are there only the four of you? Where¡¯s Dad?¡± Su Ergou saw the firewood by her feet and frowned. ¡°Sister, you went to pick up firewood? I can do this kind of work! Don¡¯t go up the mountain!¡± ¡°I want to lose weight,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me where Dad went.¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°Oh, Dad was called to town.¡± ¡­ . At the medical hall. ¡°Brother Su, this way please.¡± A young man brought Su Cheng to the tea room on the second floor. ¡°Brother Dao is waiting for you inside.¡± Su Cheng looked around and muttered, ¡°Why are you drinking tea in such a place?¡± The young man smiled but said nothing. Su Cheng entered the house. The house was dark, and a strong smell of liniment and golden sore medicine assaulted his nose. He frowned involuntarily. Zhang Dao sat in a mahogany chair. The dim light appropriately blocked the weakness and paleness on his face. He smiled and said, ¡°Brother Su is really a busy man. You haven¡¯t visited me in so many years.¡± Su Cheng laughed and strode over. Just as he was about to sit down on the chair beside Zhang Dao, a thug behind Zhang Dao pulled the chair back. Su Cheng narrowed his eyes. Zhang Dao said sternly, ¡°There are no rules! Hurry up and show Brother Su a seat!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The thug pushed the chair back. It was a show of strength. An old trick. Su Cheng sat down calmly and asked Zhang Dao with a smile, ¡°Brother, why are you looking for me today?¡± Zhang Dao said with a faint smile, ¡°Brother Su, you¡¯re being distant. Can¡¯t we catch up?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to catch up¡­¡± Before Su Cheng could finish, Zhang Dao interrupted him. ¡°Fifth Master sent someone to look for me a few days ago and asked if I was willing to follow him to the prefecture city.¡± Fifth Master was a ruthless person; even the county magistrate did not dare to provoke him. Su Cheng changed his cursing attitude and said with a smile, ¡°You have Fifth Master¡¯s care. Your future is limitless.¡± ¡°This person was sent by Fifth Master.¡± Zhang Dao pointed at the thug behind him. ¡°No wonder he doesn¡¯t look ordinary.¡± Su Cheng smiled. ¡°Brother, are you here to say goodbye to me? Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll treat you to a few drinks at Spring Breeze Restaurant!¡± Zhang Dao suddenly grinned. ¡°There¡¯s no need to drink. Brother Su, since you¡¯re so sincere, why don¡¯t you give me a small gift?¡± Su Cheng said readily, ¡°What do you want? As long as I have the ability, I¡¯ll definitely get it for you!¡± Zhang Dao smiled and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s at your house.¡± Su Cheng frowned. ¡°At my house?¡± Zhang Dao smiled maliciously. ¡°Your precious daughter, Su Daya.¡± ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao cleaned up the dishes and left through the back door of the kitchen. Behind the kitchen next door, Little Wu was squatting on the ground and plucking corn. This was made for the Niudan of the second branch. This morning, he suddenly said that he wanted to eat green peppers and stir-fried corn. ¡°Why are you always doing work?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s voice suddenly sounded, and Little Wu shivered again. Sigh, how timid. It was no fun at all. Even though Su Xiaoxiao had shown her kindness to Little Wu in the past two encounters, Little Wu was still very afraid of her. Su Xiaoxiao picked up a corn cob and patted it on her palm. ¡°Madam Wu, do me a favor.¡± Little Wu took a deep breath. It was finally here. Fatty Su was going to extort her¡­ ¡­ . At the medical hall. After Zhang Dao finished speaking, Su Cheng¡¯s expression turned cold at a visible speed. Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Zhang Dao, what do you mean?¡± Su Cheng had also changed the way he addressed him. Zhang Dao¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°What do you mean? Didn¡¯t your precious daughter tell you when she went back? Is it so easy to get away with offending me? If I don¡¯t get back at you today, I, Zhang Dao, won¡¯t be able to survive in the underworld in the future!¡± Su Cheng frowned at him. ¡°Did Da Ya hurt you?¡± He had long seen that Zhang Dao was injured, but he did not really care about Zhang Dao. If Zhang Dao did not mention it, he would not bother to ask. Zhang Dao snorted. ¡°Stop pretending! If you don¡¯t want to hand her over, fine.¡± He took out a dagger and stabbed it into the table between them. ¡°Leave a hand!¡± Su Cheng¡¯s gaze landed on the cold dagger. ¡°If I leave it, will you let her off?¡± Zhang Dao narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°That depends on my mood. If I¡¯m in a good mood, I might not argue with that fatty.¡± Su Cheng slowly grabbed the dagger on the table. Zhang Dao couldn¡¯t help but laugh mockingly. ¡°Brother Su, Brother Su, is it worth it to give up your hand for a fat and stupid daughter who can¡¯t be married off? Back then, when we traveled everywhere together, who didn¡¯t call Brother Su a good bodyguard?¡± Su Cheng replied in a low and dangerous voice, ¡°Who are you calling a fatty?¡± Zhang Dao was stunned. In the next second, the dagger in Su Cheng¡¯s hand approached his face. He never dreamed that Su Cheng would suddenly go berserk and attack him! One had to know that more than ten of his brothers were guarding the backyard. It was impossible for Su Cheng not to see them on the way here. Wasn¡¯t he afraid of hurting himself? He wouldn¡¯t be able to walk out unscathed. He was injured and could not avoid this move. However, there was a powerful fighter behind him who quickly grabbed Su Cheng¡¯s right wrist. However, Su Cheng¡¯s move was a feint, or rather, it was deliberately fed to the two of them. His left hand had already picked up the white porcelain vase at the side and smashed it fiercely at Zhang Dao¡¯s head! Zhang Dao was cut open on the spot! The people behind couldn¡¯t stop him even if they wanted to! Su Cheng had been farming in the countryside for many years, making people forget what a reckless character he was back then. The thug came forward and tried to punch Su Cheng to the ground. Unexpectedly, Su Cheng kicked him in the chest and he fell heavily to the ground! Su Cheng grabbed Zhang Dao¡¯s collar and punched him! ¡°Fat bastard, huh?¡± ¡°Fat and stupid, huh?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten how I got you back from the bandits back then?¡± How could he have forgotten that they had encountered mountain bandits? The bodyguards had been robbed, and he had been captured. It was Su Cheng who had risked his life to bring him and the escort out! The price was naturally heavy. Su Cheng¡¯s right hand was almost crippled. He could only return to his hometown to farm. The hand that Su Cheng used to teach him a lesson was the crippled right hand. Although he was much weaker, it was enough to teach Zhang Dao, who was already seriously injured, a lesson. Su Cheng pressed the knife to the ground and rubbed it. His snow-like fist landed. As long as he didn¡¯t die, he would beat him to death! ¡°Zhang Dao, just because I haven¡¯t provoked you, do you really think I¡¯m afraid of you!¡± ¡°How dare you bully my daughter! You¡¯re tired of living!¡± Zhang Dao was beaten up until he doubted his life. The thugs guarding the backyard had naturally heard the commotion. However, they thought that it was Su Cheng who was beaten up. The more they listened, the more they felt that something was wrong. Finally, they rushed in. At this moment, Zhang Dao was already bruised and on the verge of death. Everyone was shocked and pounced at Su Cheng. In a one-on-one battle or a one-on-two or three battle, Su Cheng had no problem. However, it was still a little difficult for Su Cheng to fight more than ten men at the same time. Just as the situation in the house was turning upside down, the door was suddenly kicked open violently by a small fat leg! Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou rushed in with wooden sticks. ¡°Let go of my father!¡± Su Ergou jumped in! As the saying went, the soft was afraid of the hard, the hard was afraid of the rough, and the rough was afraid of the reckless. These hooligans were naturally unreasonable, and the Su family did not care about their lives to protect one another. After a round of fighting, more than ten hooligans were actually defeated. No one dared to rush over. The three tyrants of the Su family panted heavily. Su Cheng threw the stick in his hand at Zhang Dao¡¯s feet and said while panting, ¡°Zhang Dao, remember this. If I can beat you up once, I can beat you up a second time! If you dare to have any ideas about my daughter again, I¡¯ll chop you up!¡± The three of them left the medical center. This battle was a sorry sight. Su Cheng¡¯s right hand was numb and his leg was sprained. Su Ergou took a punch to the face and bled a little. The only one who wasn¡¯t injured was Su Xiaoxiao. It was not that she was the best at fighting. She was so fat that she was actually not very agile. It was the two men at home who took all the firepower for her. ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± Su Cheng asked. ¡°Ergou said that you were called to town by Zhang Dao¡¯s subordinates, so I guessed that something had happened,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Cheng said, ¡°Don¡¯t come again. I can handle it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me how I offended Zhang Dao?¡± Su Cheng said without thinking, ¡°What¡¯s there to ask? No matter what, you won¡¯t provoke him. It¡¯s obvious that he bullied you. Did you suffer?¡± This answer, which was completely different from what she had imagined, stunned Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°No,¡± she said. The small injury on the back of her hand was not worth mentioning. Her crying was a problem with her physique, and her injury was not serious. ¡°How many times have I told you not to cause trouble outside!¡± ¡°Be good and be a good child. Don¡¯t let your parents worry.¡± ¡°It takes two hands to clap. Why aren¡¯t they targeting anyone but you? Figure your own problems first.¡± When Su Xiaoxiao was young, she heard most of these heartfelt words. Even if it wasn¡¯t her fault, they would never listen to her explanation. With just a sentence, ¡°Be strict with yourself and treat others kindly¡±, she easily brushed aside the ostracization and bullying she had suffered. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Father Su. ¡°Don¡¯t you blame me for not telling you that I injured Zhang Dao when I came back? If I had told you, you wouldn¡¯t have gone to see him unguarded today.¡± Su Cheng waved his hand indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t suffer a loss. If I don¡¯t go to see him, he will come looking for me one day. It¡¯s the same! Besides, you¡¯re sixteen years old, not sixty! Why do you have to think so much?¡± Twenty-six, she added in her heart. Actually, she could have done it more thoroughly. She didn¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t tell him in advance. It was a delicate state of mind. She could not describe it. As she was thinking, Su Cheng said again, ¡°By the way, the two of you are here. Who¡¯s watching the children?¡± His son-in-law was sick and could not take care of the three little fellows. Of course, he could not count on Wei Ting. That fellow could not even get out of bed. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I found someone.¡± Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was not far from the town to the village, about six to seven miles. Su Cheng sprained his ankle. Even though he said that they could walk, Su Xiaoxiao still went to hire an ox cart. It was from the neighboring village. Old Li was not around today. The family of three sat on the ox cart. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly asked, ¡°Who is Fifth Master?¡± When they were fighting with that group of people just now, she heard someone shout, ¡°Su, aren¡¯t you afraid of offending Fifth Master by doing this? Brother Dao is Fifth Master¡¯s man!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Who¡¯s Fifth Master?¡± Su Ergou was also curious. Su Cheng said nonchalantly, ¡°I¡¯m from the underworld and have some small influence in the city. I¡¯ve interacted with them in my early years.¡± ¡°Sounds impressive,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Cheng said, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Zhang Dao¡¯s nonsense. He¡¯s not in Fifth Master¡¯s league!¡± ¡°What if he did know Fifth Master?¡± Su Ergou asked. Su Cheng snorted. ¡°So be it! We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it! He¡¯s been beaten up like that. No matter what, he¡¯ll have to lie in bed and recuperate for a few months! By the time he complains, it¡¯ll be too late!¡± Su Ergou said weakly, ¡°What if it¡¯s not too late?¡± Su Cheng slapped his forehead. ¡°Whose side are you on!¡± Su Ergou felt wronged. The ox cart driver sent the Su family of three to the vicinity of Xinghua Village. Before leaving, Su Xiaoxiao instructed him, ¡°Please tell He Tongsheng¡¯s family that I don¡¯t care if he comes or his family. In short, once the three days are up, there will be blood if there¡¯s no money!¡± The man drove away, shaking with fear. Su Ergou gave Su Xiaoxiao a thumbs up. His sister had an aura! ¡°However, Sister, he doesn¡¯t seem to be from He Tongsheng¡¯s village. He¡¯s from Willow Village in the east.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡­ . When the three of them entered the village, the three little children were like three little chicks waiting to be fed. They flapped their little arms back and looked at the village road. Seeing them, the three little ones ran over. ¡°Dahu, Xiaohu, Erhu!¡± Su Ergou¡¯s eyes lit up. He took the three little ones¡ªone on his shoulder and two in his arms. The three little ones with dark faces were quiet. Little Wu timidly walked up to Su Xiaoxiao and whispered, ¡°They¡­ they came here to wait¡­¡± The wind at the village entrance was strong and cold. She was afraid that Fatty Su would blame her for not taking good care of the children. ¡°Thank you for today.¡± Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t think that Little Wu had done anything wrong. ¡°They didn¡¯t cause trouble for you, right?¡± Little Wu hesitated for a moment. ¡°They didn¡¯t disturb me.¡± It was just that they made half the children in the village cry¡­ Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I knew it. They¡¯re very obedient.¡± Little Wu braced herself. ¡°¡­ Yes, your sons are very easy to take care of.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was about to explain that they weren¡¯t her sons but decided to let it rest. When Wei Ting recovered, he would leave with the children. ¡°Take these snacks back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao bought a few boxes of snacks from town. Of course, they weren¡¯t from Jin Ji. Little Wu didn¡¯t want it. ¡°Take it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said fiercely. Little Wu accepted it with trepidation. ¡°If¡­ if there¡¯s nothing else. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her fleeing back and thought, Look at how scared she is. ¡°She¡¯s also pitiful.¡± Su Cheng sighed. It was rare that he wasn¡¯t stingy. Little Wu married Liu Shan¡¯s eldest son, Liu Ping. Liu Ping¡¯s mother had a difficult labor when she gave birth to him. Later on, Liu Shan married a second wife, Big Wu. Although they had the same surname, Little Wu was not related to the Big Wu. Big Wu gave birth to a son and a daughter. The daughter got married, and the son was Niu Dan¡¯s father. Big Wu only doted on her biological son. In addition, Little Wu only had two daughters, so Liu Shan was even more biased towards Big Wu. Liu Ping and Little Wu worked hard in town, while the other daughter worked hard at home. ¡­ . After arriving home, Su Xiaoxiao sent medicine to Wei Ting as usual. Perhaps it was because he was shocked by his own appearance, but Wei Ting was much more introverted than two days ago and didn¡¯t say a word to Su Xiaoxiao. She was gleeful to see him in such a depressive state! Su Xiaoxiao smiled and went to the kitchen to make dinner¡ªfried eggs, scallion fried noodles, and a bowl of cabbage and pork belly. Hmm¡­ Would they finish it before she was able to cure the meat? After an intense fight during the day, the three of them had exhausted a lot of stamina and had a huge appetite. The three little ones were like three squirrels that ate a lot too. She specially cooked an extra pot of rice, thinking that if she couldn¡¯t finish it, she would make clay pot rice tomorrow morning. Not long after, the pot was empty. At night, Su Xiaoxiao carried a basin of hot water to Su Cheng. Su Cheng was lying on the bed, hissing. It had been a long time since he had fought with someone like this. He felt as though his bones were scattered, especially his right hand and right ankle. One was numb, and the other was in excruciating pain. ¡°Father, I¡¯m coming in.¡± Su Cheng ended his gasp in a second and sat up straight. ¡°You¡¯re not asleep yet?¡± he asked seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep later.¡± She carried the hot water to the bed. ¡°What?¡± Father Su sniffed, smelling of Chinese medicine. ¡°Did you buy medicine?¡± Of course, she did not buy any medicine. These were the Chinese medicine that she had packed into the first aid kit from the base¡¯s pharmacy last time. They had the effect of easing pain, containing inflammation, and promoting blood circulation. Wei Ting had no use for them for the time being. Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°I went to town yesterday and bought some¡­ medicine. Put your feet in and soak them.¡± Su Cheng waved his hand. ¡°Just give them to my son-in-law. I don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°Why are you always thinking about him?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said fiercely. ¡°Just put your feet in!¡± Old Father Su obediently placed his feet in the wooden basin. He had only suffered a sprain in his ankle. It would heal in a few days. The problem was his right hand. In the Host¡¯s memory, Father Su¡¯s right hand had an old injury. When it was cold and damp, it would flare up. At best, it would hurt, and at worst, it would be numb. A traveling physician had come to the village and prescribed a few doses of medicine for Father Su. After taking it, he had not had any relapse for a few years. Today, he was injured again after fighting Zhang Dao. If he could not be cured this time, Father Su¡¯s right hand would be completely crippled. Seeing his daughter holding his right hand in a daze, Su Cheng cleared his throat and retracted his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it doesn¡¯t hurt!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way to treat your hand. Before that, don¡¯t use too much strength!¡± Su Cheng thought that his daughter was going to town to ask a doctor to treat his hand. He said disapprovingly, ¡°It¡¯s fine if I say so. Why would you spend so much money?¡± He knew very well that his hand could not be treated. Even the traveling physician with brilliant medical skills had only stopped the pain in his right hand, but he had not recovered his original strength. He would never get better. ¡­ . After leaving Grandpa Su¡¯s house, Su Xiaoxiao went to Su Ergou¡¯s house again. Su Ergou went to the toilet. The three children were standing by the table, standing on their tiptoes and looking at something. ¡°Do you want some snacks?¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over and asked. The three little ones raised their round heads and blinked as they nodded. ¡°If you want to eat, say it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up a box of osmanthus cake and squatted down to look at the three of them. The three of them remained silent. Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°You can have it if you say so.¡± Still, no one said anything. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment before taking the osmanthus cake away and bringing a few candied hawthorns from her room. The three of them were instantly stunned. Indeed, candied hawthorn was more charming than osmanthus cake. Su Xiaoxiao coaxed, ¡°Hawthorn¡­ candy.¡± She wondered if it was too long and difficult and simplified it. ¡°Candy.¡± The three of them said, ¡°Mother.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°It¡¯s candy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao corrected them. ¡°Mother.¡± The three little ones were stubborn. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s head hurt. Last time, it was just a little kid calling out. This time, all three of them shouted. Although it was a good thing that a child could speak, she could not get excited at all. This was really a huge and beautiful misunderstanding. She was not their mother! Facing the three little fellows who could not be corrected, Su Xiaoxiao sighed helplessly. ¡°Okay, eat.¡± She handed them the candied hawthorn. ¡°You can only eat one, or you won¡¯t be able to sleep later. You can eat the rest tomorrow, understand?¡± With that, she rubbed their heads and turned to go to the kitchen. The three children grabbed the candied hawthorns and looked at her, their small figures looking a little lonely. Su Xiaoxiao waited until the water in the kitchen boiled, but Su Ergou had yet to come out of the toilet. ¡°Ergou.¡± ¡°Aye!¡± He didn¡¯t fall into the latrine pit. That was fine. Su Xiaoxiao carried a bucket of hot water back to her room. She had fought today and was dirty. She needed a hot bath. She was about to take off her clothes when a short cough came from Wei Ting¡¯s room. She was shocked and couldn¡¯t continue with the bath anymore. She immediately went next door. Wei Ting choked on the water he was drinking. When he saw someone coming over, he hurriedly placed the cup back on the stool, turned around, and threw a cold back view at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao looked at this awkward man, then at the half-spilled teacup on the stool, and sneered coldly. ¡°I advise you not to move around, especially when you get up or turn over. Otherwise, it will cause internal bleeding again. Even a Zenith Heaven Immortal can¡¯t save you!¡± Wei Ting ignored her. Since he was fine, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t intend to stay any longer. However, the moment she turned around, she suddenly thought of something and stopped in her tracks to ask him, ¡°How old are your sons?¡± Wei Ting still had his back to her. ¡°Two and a half.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded to herself. It was just as she had guessed. She said again, ¡°Which of them is the eldest, the second, and the third?¡± Wei Ting thought for a moment and said, ¡°The one with one hair whirl is the eldest. The two with two is the second and the one with three with the third.¡± Did Father Su really guess correctly? Su Xiaoxiao was shocked. ¡°Then¡­ what are they called?¡± ¡°Why are you asking about this?¡± Wei Ting sounded a little wary. Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips. ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t want to say it! From now on, I¡¯ll call them Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu !¡± Wei Ting frowned and hesitated. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him and coughed lightly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine for you to recuperate outside, but aren¡¯t you worried that the children won¡¯t go back after so long?¡± ¡°What?¡± Wei Ting did not understand what she meant. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Their mother!¡± Wei Ting was silent. After a while, he whispered, ¡°She passed away.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know your wife¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my wife.¡± ¡°What?¡± What the hell? She gave birth to three sons for you, but in the end, you didn¡¯t even give her a status?! Scumbag! Su Xiaoxiao left angrily! ¡°She is¡­¡± Wei Ting was halfway through when he sensed that something was wrong. He turned around and saw that Su Xiaoxiao had already gone out. He frowned. Su Xiaoxiao went to Su Ergou¡¯s house again. The three of them placed themselves on the bed and fell asleep. They didn¡¯t cover themselves with the blanket and held the candied fruits Su Xiaoxiao had given them without eating a single one. They clearly wanted to eat them, so why didn¡¯t they? Was it because they were sad? Had her words hurt their young hearts? Su Xiaoxiao pulled the blanket over them. ¡°Sister!¡± Su Xiaoxiao shuddered and turned around to glare at him. ¡°You scared me! Keep your voice down! They¡¯re asleep!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Su Ergou scratched his head and walked into the house. He whispered, ¡°Sister, why did you call me just now?¡± ¡°Sit down.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed at the stool beside her. Su Ergou sat down obediently. Su Xiaoxiao checked his injuries and went to Wei Ting¡¯s room to get a bottle of ointment. She carefully applied it to Su Ergou¡¯s wounds. He had been punched in the face. His face was bruised and there was a scratch on his shoulder. ¡°Just tell me if it hurts,¡± she said. Su Ergou smiled foolishly. ¡°Hehe, it doesn¡¯t hurt! Sister!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued to apply medicine for him. Su Ergou said thoughtfully, ¡°I think¡­ you¡¯ve treated Dad and me better than before you broke your head.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked calmly, ¡°Is that so?¡± Su Ergou nodded seriously. ¡°Yes! You didn¡¯t buy me clothes or apply medicine for me in the past¡­ Dad is right. A woman is different when she has a husband! Sister, I will treat Brother-in-law well in the future!¡± Why was Wei Ting involved again? Not only did that guy freeload at home, but he also kept taking credit for her work! ¡°I¡¯ll really lose out if I don¡¯t sleep with him!¡± ¡°Sister, what did you say?¡± Su Ergou did not hear her clearly. Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and said proudly, ¡°With his pig face, I can easily enter post-coital dysphoria.¡± Su Ergou: My sister is acting up again¡­ I can¡¯t understand a word she said. ¡­ . At night, Su Xiaoxiao took a hot bath and lay under the blanket. She didn¡¯t fall asleep that quickly. Some things started to go through her mind. The first was the situation at home. She had spent about five taels of silver last time. All that was left was the fifteen taels of silver that He Tongsheng owed. It didn¡¯t sound bad, but the entire family could eat so much¡­ except for Wei Ting, that patient. Without any income, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they would eat up all that they could afford. ¡°Looks like I have to think of a way to earn money.¡± Forget about running away from poverty. Another very important thing was Father Su¡¯s hand injury. This kind of old injury was the most difficult to treat. The base pharmacy was one of the largest in the military. There were many newly developed special medicine inside. Unfortunately, she had only packed some emergency medicine to treat Wei Ting last time. If only she could go in again. Su Xiaoxiao hugged the first aid kit and closed her eyes. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, that night, she didn¡¯t dream of the base¡¯s pharmacy and slept until dawn. Su Xiaoxiao was a little disappointed. ¡°Is there only one benefit for transmigrators?¡± If she had known, she would have taken more medicine. Since she could not count on the pharmacy, he could only go to the medical center in town to take a look. She dressed and left the house. It was probably because she was too tired from the fight yesterday that she woke up later than two days ago. This was relative to her schedule. The rest of the family was still dreaming in bed. She went to the backyard to wash up and took a look at herself through her reflection on the water in the basin. She had been here for a few days, but she had not looked at her face carefully. She was a little fat and chubby, but her facial features were not bad. His eyebrows were thick and well-shaped. Her almond-shaped eyes were round and big, and her nose was narrow and tall. His lips were red and full. When she smiled, there were two small dimples. Based on her experience in her previous life, if she could slim down, she would definitely be a little beauty! Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to steam a basket of white steamed buns. She also made a pot of sweet potato porridge and cooked ten eggs. She controlled her diet a little and did not make it too strict. For example, she still ate some braised pork instead of abstaining from it totally. Losing weight was a gradual thing. One could not starve blindly or suddenly eat too cleanly. Otherwise, it would definitely lead to gluttony. She had a large base now. If she moved around casually and got busy, her weight would slowly drop. After breakfast, Su Xiaoxiao went to wake Su Ergou up. As soon as she entered the house, she saw the three little balls twisting around under the blanket. Were they awake? Thinking of what happened last night, Su Xiaoxiao felt a little guilty. A child without a mother was already pitiful enough, but their father was so unreliable. Wasn¡¯t it just calling her mother? Why take it so seriously? If they wanted to call her that, so be it. She wasn¡¯t missing anything. After mentally preparing herself, Su Xiaoxiao gently pulled open the blankets of the three little fellows. The three of them looked at her in a daze. Su Xiaoxiao burst out laughing. The three of them hurriedly raised their hands and covered their faces shyly. Su Xiaoxiao laughed out loud. She didn¡¯t wake Su Ergou up. Su Ergou was sleeping soundly. She had originally planned to wake Su Ergou up, but now she changed her mind. ¡°I¡¯m going to town. Do you guys want to join me?¡± ¡­ . Half an hour later, Su Xiaoxiao left with the three bubbly children. Su Xiaoxiao could walk to town on foot, but the three children couldn¡¯t. Fortunately, Old Li¡¯s ox cart was at the village entrance. From the looks of it, he was about to set off. ¡°It¡¯s better to be here early than late.¡± She walked over with the children. There were a few villagers who were going to town on the ox cart. When they saw that she was taking the ox cart, they all dispersed. Only Little Wu remained. The family had run out of salt and needles at home, so her mother-in-law asked her to go to town to buy some. She was still afraid of Fatty Su. ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Su Xiaoxiao, who was already on the ox cart, asked. Little Wu hesitated for a moment before bracing herself and getting into the ox cart. Su Xiaoxiao sat on the side with the three children, and Little Wu sat opposite her. Together with her was a pile of rice and grains that Old Li was helping the villagers to sell. Little Wu wanted to say something but hesitated. She wanted to say that the snacks from yesterday were delicious. This was the first time her two daughters had eaten snacks from town. Just as the ox cart left the village entrance, Wang Laizi got on. He saw Fatty Su and was stunned. ¡°Is it Fat Lass Su? Are you bringing your sons to town?¡± He greeted her with a grin. The Su family of three were bullies in the village. This Wang Laizi was actually not a good person. He had done many sneaky things and was especially lecherous. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. He did not dare to provoke Fatty Su. He glanced at the timid Little Wu and smiled before sitting down beside her. ¡°Sister, are you going to town?¡± He leaned against Little Wu and said. Little Wu moved aside uncomfortably. Wang Laizi continued to sit beside her. ¡°What are you buying? I¡¯ll help you get it later.¡± His leg was already touching Little Wu¡¯s. However, no matter how Little Wu moved, he shamelessly stuck close to her and pretended to casually reach behind her. Little Wu¡¯s body stiffened. Wang Laizi smiled evilly. In the next second, Su Xiaoxiao stood up and kicked him off the ox cart! Old Li did not know what had happened and quickly stopped the ox cart. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. Wang Laizi lost a front tooth. He spat out a mouthful of blood and said fiercely, ¡°Fatty Su! Why did you kick me!¡± Little Wu looked at Su Xiaoxiao with red eyes. Su Xiaoxiao stepped onto a stool and said arrogantly, ¡°If I don¡¯t like you, so be it. Why? Are you unhappy?¡± ¡°You!¡± Wang Laizi glanced at Little Wu. Was Fatty Su standing up for Little Wu? Impossible, Fat Su was not so kind! But he didn¡¯t provoke her! Wang Laizi couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter what, but he couldn¡¯t really expect Fatty Su to give him an explanation. He cursed and left. Old Li didn¡¯t say anything and continued to drive the ox cart. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t ask how Little Wu was, nor did she comfort her. It was as if she hadn¡¯t seen anything she shouldn¡¯t have seen just now. She really just didn¡¯t like Wang Laizi. The ox cart stopped at the entrance of the market. Su Xiaoxiao carried the three children off the ox cart. Little Wu also got out of the car. She mustered her courage and whispered to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao had gone to the medical center yesterday and remembered the way. She led the three little ones along the bustling street, attracting the attention of many passersby. Triplets were rare to begin with, let alone such adorable ones. Since they went to the village to show off yesterday, the three of them thought that they were in town to do the same. They puffed out their chests and walked with small haughty steps! The passers-by were about to die of laughter! ¡°Why is everyone laughing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered and was about to turn to look at the three children. At this moment, a carriage rushed over. ¡°Get out of the way! Get out of the way!¡± the coachman cried out in panic. He tried to stop the carriage, but the horse completely lost control and could not be pulled. ¡°The three of you¡­ ¡± Su Xiaoxiao wanted to tell the three children to hurry to the side, but when she turned around, she saw that the three little ones were already hiding behind a bunker¡­ Uh, no, behind the burly man. Their sense of crisis was quite strong. The streets were in chaos. Su Xiaoxiao had just grabbed a little girl who had fallen at her feet when a peddler¡¯s cart rushed over and almost ran over the little girl. The runaway carriage was about to charge into the crowd. In the blink of an eye, a young man in brocade clothes broke out of the window on the second floor and charged toward the horse without hesitation! Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He successfully knocked down the horse alone; the man and horse fell heavily onto the street! Almost at the same time, Su Xiaoxiao took the opportunity to kick the cart in front of her! The cart flew out and hit the carriage that was thrown out by inertia. The cart stopped in front of the old couple who couldn¡¯t run away in time. The old couple looked at the carriage close at hand and were so frightened that their legs went limp. The horse struggled a few times after being knocked down. The young man took out a handkerchief and covered its mouth and nose, knocking it out. The young man seemed to be injured and looked very pained. Su Xiaoxiao walked over and asked him, ¡°Are you okay?¡± The young man covered his left arm. ¡°No¡­¡± Before he could finish, a woman¡¯s scream came from the shop behind him. ¡°Young Master! Young Master, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t scare me!¡± This shop was the most expensive snack shop in town¡ªJin Ji. The one in trouble was a five-year-old boy in royal blue brocade clothes. Just now, he was eating sugar-fried chestnuts when he bumped into a young man¡¯s horse. The horse fell under his windowsill. The huge commotion made him tremble and choke on the chestnut. His face quickly turned green and he gradually began to suffocate. The servant girl was frightened, but she was not a doctor. Other than screaming, there was nothing she could do. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the young man¡¯s dislocated arm and repositioned it. Then, without caring about the young man¡¯s surprise, she quickly rushed into Jin Ji. ¡°Why are you crying? Hurry up and find a doctor! The medical center is right ahead! Quickly carry the child over!¡± It was the shopkeeper of Jin Ji. The maidservant was already flustered. How could she carry a five-year-old child? A kind-hearted young man reached out and carried the little boy from her arms. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold as she blocked his path. ¡°Give me the child.¡± The young man looked strangely at the fat village girl who had suddenly appeared. ¡°Who are you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the little boy who was gradually losing consciousness and said seriously, ¡°Give me the child. He¡¯s dying!¡± This child was obviously lacking oxygen! Generally speaking, if one was deprived of oxygen for more than a minute, one¡¯s breathing would stop. If one was deprived of oxygen for more than three minutes, cerebral edema would occur. If one was deprived of oxygen for more than six minutes, one would cause irreversible damage to the organs of the body and and the person might even suffocate! The young man frowned and said, ¡°Little girl, don¡¯t cause trouble! I have to send this child to the medical center!¡± A customer couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Where did this village girl come from? Why are you causing trouble?¡± The two old men shook their heads. ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s how the Zhang family died. There¡¯s no way to save them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing we can do even if we go to the medical center.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t question the doctors¡¯ medical skills and said to the young man, ¡°The medical center is too far away. You won¡¯t be able to make it in time! I can treat him!¡± What kind of joke was this? A little fat village girl actually said that she could treat such a dangerous choking disease. No one believed Su Xiaoxiao, and no one dared to give her the child. The shopkeeper jumped out at this moment. ¡°Where did this stinky woman come from? Get out of the way! Do you want to kill this child?¡± He did not care if this illness could be treated. In short, nothing could happen in his shop! The logic didn¡¯t make sense. Time was tight, so Su Xiaoxiao could only use force. ¡°Excuse me!¡± She kicked the young man, and the man let go in pain. Su Xiaoxiao caught the child with both arms. ¡°She¡¯s snatching the child!¡± the shopkeeper shouted. When everyone saw that a fat village girl had come to cause trouble at the critical moment of life and death, they were all furious. ¡°Stupid girl! If you don¡¯t let go of that child, we won¡¯t be polite to you!¡± A burly man pointed at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s nose and said. ¡°Miss! This child is about to die. Don¡¯t cause trouble!¡± ¡°What do you want? Let¡¯s talk nicely. Don¡¯t hold a dying child hostage!¡± ¡°Let her treat him!¡± As everyone was talking, a cold young man¡¯s voice suddenly appeared at the door. Everyone was stunned. The crowd made way almost spontaneously. It was a beautiful young man dressed in luxurious clothes. He had jade-like eyebrows and a tall figure. He was elegant and had a priceless jadeite pendant hanging from his waist. His shoulder blades and clothes were a little dirty, but his noble and otherworldly aura was not inferior. The lobby fell silent. He came to Su Xiaoxiao and said word by word, ¡°You treat him.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Give me a chair.¡± The young man lashed out with his whip and swept a chair over. He was actually a martial artist! Soon, someone recognized him as the young man who had collided with the horse on the street just now. This time, everyone did not dare to act rashly. Su Xiaoxiao quickly sat down and let the child lie on her left arm. She placed her palm under his chin. Then, she began to pat the spot behind his back. Once, twice, three times! On the fifth slap, the child suddenly spat out a chestnut! The child caught his breath and burst into tears! The onlookers were so shocked that they were speechless. The child¡¯s cry woke the servant girl up. She scrambled over and hugged the child tightly. ¡°Wuwu¡­ Young Master, you scared me to death¡­¡± The guests and passersby surrounded him. An auntie said, ¡°Stop crying. Give the child some water.¡± A businessman at the side handed him tea. ¡°Don¡¯t let the child eat chestnuts again.¡± An old man stroked his beard. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to that girl just now¡­ Hurry up and thank her¡­ Otherwise, your young master would not have been saved. This is the first time I¡¯ve lived to this age¡­ Eh? Where¡¯s that girl?¡± Su Xiaoxiao left Jin Ji. She was in a hurry to save other people just now. She wondered how the three children were doing. She crossed the street. The place where the three little ones had been standing was empty. Her eyebrows jumped! ¡°Dahu! Erhu! Xiaohu!¡± Just as she was feeling anxious, the three little ones ran out of a jewelry shop. ¡°Madam, your child¡­¡± the shop assistant reminded her. The woman who was choosing jewelry turned around. ¡°It¡¯s not my child. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± The clerk was shocked. Just now, the three little fellows had swaggered in behind this lady. He had thought that they were together. Su Xiaoxiao felt relieved when she saw the three little fellows. The three little ones pounced on her and hugged her. She squatted down and patted the heads of the three of them one by one. She said in relief, ¡°You know to wait in the shop. How smart.¡± It was the end of the year, and there were many people on the streets. If one was not careful, one might be targeted. It was much safer to be in the shops, especially high-end shops that sold expensive jewelry. Being praised, the three little ones blushed shyly. Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The three little fellows were too excited to go out this morning and did not eat properly at home. They only wanted to come out and play. The three of them nodded. Su Xiaoxiao remembered that there was a stall selling dumplings and glutinous rice balls nearby. The couple had been doing this for many years and it had always tasted good. Moreover, it was in the same direction as the clinic. Su Xiaoxiao brought the three little ones to the stall. After breakfast, there were no more customers. The boss was not around, and the lady boss was standing behind the stall wrapping dumplings. There was also a seven-year-old girl helping to pluck vegetables. She was the first to see the guest. She tugged at the landlady¡¯s clothes. ¡°Mom, there¡¯s a guest.¡± The lady boss recognized Su Xiaoxiao. After all, there weren¡¯t many customers who were so fat. She could remember her for a long time. ¡°Miss, would you have two bowls of rice wine glutinous rice balls and a bowl of spicy soup dumplings today?¡± she asked pleasantly. The main dish was huge. She could eat three bowls at a time, and both bowls were sweet. It was no wonder she was fat. In order to lose weight, Su Xiaoxiao decided to resist the urge to eat. She asked the three little ones, ¡°Do you want to eat dumplings or glutinous rice balls?¡± The three of them said nothing. The lady boss looked down and realized that there were three little balls beside the fat girl. The little balls were adorable. Their faces were red like three lucky dolls who had walked out of a New Year painting. The lady boss had never seen such beautiful children and could not help but ask, ¡°Miss, they are¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the little girl who was leaning against the lady boss and then at the three envious children. She said seriously, ¡°My sons.¡± The three little ones were stunned. The lady boss was also stunned. Su Xiaoxiao was too young to be the mother of three children. However, in this chaotic world, there were girls who had married long ago. The lady boss smiled and said, ¡°Three sons. How lucky.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. Su Xiaoxiao asked the three of them again, ¡°Dumplings, glutinous rice balls, which one do you want to eat?¡± The three little ones only said, ¡°Mom.¡± She knew this would happen. Su Xiaoxiao coughed and replied vaguely, ¡°Yes, what do you want to eat?¡± The three little eyes were bright. Su Xiaoxiao turned her face away and muttered softly, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s my first time being a mother¡­ I might not be able to do it well¡­¡± ¡°Eat.¡± One of the little beans pointed at the dumplings. Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. Did he say the second word so quickly? There was one spiral on his forehead. It was Dahu. The one with a white headband was Erhu, and the one with a blue headband was Xiaohu. Er Hu and Xiao Hu asked for glutinous rice balls. The four of them sat down around the small table and the steaming dumplings and glutinous rice balls were served. ¡°Mother, eat,¡± the three of them said. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You guys eat. I¡¯m not hungry. Be careful.¡± The three of them faced the bowl and took small breaths. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly looked at the three of them and said, ¡°Do you¡­ know your names?¡± She wanted to know their real names. The three of them tilted their heads and thought for a moment before nodding. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Then what are your names?¡± The three of them held their small chests. ¡°Dahu.¡± ¡°Erhu.¡± ¡°Xiaohu.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡ª- After the three of them were full, Su Xiaoxiao brought them to the medical center in town. The fight yesterday occurred in the back alley, away from the staff of the medical center, so no one knew her. In order to stabilize Old Father Su¡¯s injuries, acupuncture and herbs were indispensable. ¡°I want a set of silver needles. Also.¡± She paused and listed a dozen herbs in one go. The shopkeeper calculated the amount for her. It was five taels. After the first purchase, she only had two taels of silver left. ¡°Can it be cheaper?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The shopkeeper smiled faintly. ¡°How much do you want to give?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I only have two taels of silver in my hand. If you¡¯re willing¡­ I can exchange my medicine for it to fill the difference.¡± The shopkeeper laughed angrily. How arrogant of a village girl! She wanted to barter her medicine in exchange. What medicine? Was it a rotten herb from the countryside? What did she think of Rongen Hall? ¡°Rongen Hall is the largest medical center in town. What good medicine do you have? Why would we want something from a village girl? What can you offer!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°My medicine is very good.¡± The shopkeeper mocked, ¡°I think you¡¯re here to cheat me of my medicine. I¡¯ve seen many people like you! Hurry up and leave! Otherwise, I¡¯ll report you to the authorities!¡± In the room on the second floor, the young man in embroidered clothes sat on a chair. A doctor from the medical center was checking his left arm. ¡°The dislocated area is well connected. There won¡¯t be any repercussions.¡± The young man in embroidered clothes raised his hand, and the doctor tactfully left. The guard standing by the window suddenly said, ¡°Young Master, look! It¡¯s that girl from just now!¡± The young man turned to look. ¡°It¡¯s her.¡± It was just that there were three children beside her. As the guard gestured, he asked strangely, ¡°Young Master, did she really¡­ reattach your arm just now?¡± When Young Master hit the horse, he was in the crowd opposite and did not see it clearly. The young man in the brocade robe grunted. The guard said, ¡°Look at her clothes. She¡¯s clearly a village girl. Why does she know this? Could it be that she knows medicine too? Let¡¯s invite her to treat Young Master!¡± The young man was silent. She should know medical skills to reconnect dislocated arms and save a choking child. But¡­ healing his cousin. ¡°Cousin¡¯s identity is special. It¡¯s best not to approach someone of unknown origin. It¡¯s better to wait for Doctor Dong of the medical center.¡± Doctor Dong had been practicing medicine for many years and was the best candidate to treat his cousin. ¡ª- After Su Xiaoxiao came out of the medical center, she planned to take a look elsewhere. After taking a few steps, she was stopped by a man in his fifties. The other party¡¯s clothes were no different from ordinary people¡¯s, except that there was a medicinal gourd hanging on his waist. He was a physician. The physician smiled and cupped his hands at Su Xiaoxiao, stating his intentions. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°So you were in Jin Ji back then¡­ Are you asking me how I saved that child?¡± The doctor smiled awkwardly. ¡°I hope you can enlighten me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re too polite. What guidance? If you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The doctor could not believe that the other party had agreed so easily. This was different from what he had expected! ¡°You¡¯re a physician, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a small porcelain bottle from the basket and smiled. ¡°I have a bottle of golden sore medicine here. Do you want it? I can sell it to you at a cheap price.¡± The doctor looked at the small porcelain bottle she took out and asked resentfully, ¡°If I don¡¯t buy your medicine, will you teach me how to save someone from choking?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without thinking. ¡°But aren¡¯t you embarrassed to freeload?¡± The doctor was speechless. The doctor¡¯s lips twitched. He asked with a fake smile, ¡°How much for a bottle?¡± Su Xiaoxiao extended her hand. ¡°Since we¡¯re in the same industry, I¡¯ll sell it to you for five taels of silver!¡± The doctor was shocked. ¡°Five taels?! Why don¡¯t you rob!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the sky and shrugged helplessly. ¡°Then let the other clinics freeload.¡± The doctor was speechless again. Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fifteen minutes later, Su Xiaoxiao had three taels of silver in her hand. This was not a bargain. He wanted to bargain, but a certain black-hearted fatty did not allow it. He only had three taels of silver on him. Su Xiaoxiao said that she could go home with him to get it. He whispered, ¡°My mother will beat me up if she finds out.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. In the end, after repeated negotiations, he used a brand new set of silver needles and some medicinal herbs to offset the difference. However, he didn¡¯t have the two herbs that Su Xiaoxiao needed for the time being. He asked Su Xiaoxiao to go to his family¡¯s medicine shop three days later to collect the goods. ¡°Rongen Hall actually wants five taels of silver for something that can be settled with two taels of silver! How despicable!¡± The doctor was speechless. It was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. ¡ª- When she left this morning, Su Xiaoxiao was prepared to use all the money she had to buy medicine for Daddy Su. Unexpectedly, not only did she not spend a single cent, but she also earned three taels. In this way, she would have five taels of silver in her hand. Su Xiaoxiao went to the market with money and bought red beans, green beans, brown sugar, and glutinous rice noodles, each weighing 10 catties. White sesame and black sesame each weighed 1 catty. Her family was too capable of eating. The meat she bought last time was obviously not enough, so she went to the meat stall at the market again and asked for five kilograms of pork ribs, five kilograms of pork belly, and five kilograms of pork tenderloin. ¡°Give me a few more pounds of fat.¡± Fat meat could be refined into lard. In addition, the finished lard was crispy and delicious. ¡°Miss, can you finish so much meat?¡± The butcher asked curiously. ¡°There are many people at home, so we can finish it,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. She wouldn¡¯t eat all of it immediately, such as the pork ribs. Villagers did not eat meat at every meal. It was already rare for them to eat meat twice a month. This fat girl looked ordinary, but she was actually quite generous. That was true. If she didn¡¯t eat so much meat, she wouldn¡¯t have grown so fat. He was not discriminating against fat people. On the contrary, he felt that being fat was a blessing. The young butcher didn¡¯t forget to skewer the pork ribs with the lettuce leaf and hand it to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°20 copper coins for a catty of pork ribs, 13 copper coins for a catty of meat, and 8 copper coins for a catty of fat. It¡¯s a total of 420 copper coins. I¡¯ll charge you 400 copper coins. In addition, I¡¯ll give you some pig skin.¡± Although it was called pig skin, it was actually meat. It was 500 grams. ¡°There are also two kidneys. Do you want them, Miss? If you do, I¡¯ll give them to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± She took it back to nourish Wei Ting¡¯s spine. He was running a small business and didn¡¯t have much profit. The butcher had already taken it very cheaply. In return, Su Xiaoxiao took out a bowl of braised food from the basket and placed it on the stall. The butcher turned around and saw an extra bowl of braised intestines. He hurriedly said, ¡°Miss! Your intestines!¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head coolly. ¡°No, they¡¯re yours.¡± The butcher was speechless. ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao continued to stroll around the market with the little beans. ¡°Eh? There are actually dried plum vegetables.¡± It was a stall selling dried goods. Almost all the other dried goods were sold out, except for a basket of dried plums. ¡°How much is this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The old woman who was buying groceries glanced at her impatiently and said, ¡°Fifty copper coins, all for you!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao bought it readily. The old woman was speechless. She regretted not bidding. Su Xiaoxiao went to buy some spices. She went to the entrance of the market and realized that Old Li was still there. The things on the ox cart had been sold out, and Little Wu was sitting on it. She smiled and walked over. ¡°Grandpa Li, why aren¡¯t you back yet? Don¡¯t tell me you specially waited for me here?¡± Old Li choked and said seriously, ¡°I-I just want to take two more people. I can¡¯t make a wasted trip.¡± Little Wu said nothing. Just now, three people from the neighboring village wanted to take the ox cart, but Old Li rejected them. Su Xiaoxiao carried the child onto the ox cart. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the fare for four people!¡± She was worth two. The three little fellows were one, and the goods she bought were one. Old Li responded vaguely. When he got out of the car, he only accepted her fare for one. ¡ª- When she got home, Su Xiaoxiao realized that everyone had gone out. She entered Wei Ting¡¯s room and asked, ¡°Where are my father and brother?¡± Wei Ting turned his back to her and said calmly, ¡°They just went out.¡± ¡°Did they say where they were going to?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and went to the kitchen to cook. Wei Ting stopped her. ¡°Where¡¯s my medicine? Why is there only one bottle left? Where did the other bottle go?¡± ¡°Sold,¡± said Su Xiaoxiao. Wei Ting frowned. ¡°Who¡­ who asked you to sell my medicine?¡± That was a very precious medicine! It could not be bought with money! Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°Please understand your situation. You eat, drink, and stay with me. You almost used up my first-aid kit. What¡¯s wrong with selling a bottle of golden sore medicine?¡± Wei Ting held it in coldly. Su Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°Speaking of which, other than two bottles of medicine, you don¡¯t have anything valuable. Don¡¯t you bring money with you?¡± Wei Ting ignored her. Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. ¡°You must have money, right? Where did you hide it?¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you search me long ago? If I hid the money, wouldn¡¯t you have found it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao stroked her chin. ¡°Then it¡¯s hidden somewhere else?¡± Wei Ting still had his back facing her. ¡°Stop trying to trick me!¡± Hehe, how vigilant. Su Xiaoxiao was not angry. She looked at his broad shoulders and powerful back and said domineeringly, ¡°I¡¯ve spent a sum of money for your food, clothes, and medicine. If you can¡¯t repay it in the future, you¡¯ll pay with your body!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Even at night, Father Su and Second Dog Su didn¡¯t return. Su Xiaoxiao could only cook dinner for the three little ones and Wei Ting. After dinner, she bathed the three little ones. When she returned to her room after pouring water, the three little fellows were also there, each holding a small pillow. Su Xiaoxiao probed, ¡°What¡­ are you doing?¡± ¡°Sleeping with Mother,¡± Dahu said. Erhu pointed next door. ¡°Niudan sleeps with his mother.¡± Xiaohu hugged Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s leg and raised his cute head. He said in a childish voice, ¡°Xiaohu, sleep with mother.¡± Make requests, list real cases, act cute¡­ This was an organized and divided operation! Su Xiaoxiao hugged them solemnly. The three little eyes rolled around. ¡°Dark,¡± Dahu said, pointing at Su Ergou¡¯s room. ¡°Scared,¡± Erhu continued. ¡°Yes!¡± Xiaohu nodded seriously. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡°Just this once,¡± she said sternly. ¡°Tomorrow, you guys should go back to the west room and sleep.¡± The three little ones nodded obediently. Su Xiaoxiao spread the blanket, took the clothes off the three little ones, and carried them to bed. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± She looked at the three children lying under the blanket. The three little ones blinked their big black eyes. They wanted their goodnight kiss. Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pulled the blanket over the three children with a dark expression. The kiss plan failed. The three little ones closed their eyes regretfully and obediently stopped talking. The children played happily and slept quickly. Not long after, the sound of their even snores came from the bed. Su Xiaoxiao rested her chin on her hand and looked at the three children who were sleeping soundly. She didn¡¯t even know what it was like to have her mother accompany her, but she inexplicably became someone else¡¯s temporary mother. Some people wanted to hold umbrellas for others after having been in the rain. However, there were also people who inherited their parents¡¯ cold genes. ¡­ . It was late at night when the father and son dragged their tired bodies back. When they arrived home, Old Father Su rushed into his room without eating dinner. Su Xiaoxiao scooped a bowl of soup and rice and handed it to Su Ergou. ¡°Where did you go today? What happened to Dad?¡± Usually, the first thing Su Cheng did when he returned home was to look for his daughter. Tonight was clearly abnormal. Su Ergou took the soup and took a sip of rice. He whispered, ¡°Uncle Cheng is gone. He disappeared five days ago. Father only received the news today and rushed over to bury him.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Uncle Cheng?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Ergou sighed. ¡°One of Dad¡¯s brothers used to follow Father on a few missions. His legs were not good, so he stopped working. All these years, he had been working as a short-term worker in town and had a difficult life. When Father was in his prime, many people came to curry favor with Father. When Father quit, only Uncle Cheng was still willing to interact with Father. Don¡¯t you remember? When you were young, you fell seriously ill and didn¡¯t have the money to go to the medical center. It was Uncle Cheng who sold the old cow in his family and gave us the money to treat your illness.¡± That was when Su Daya was seven years old. Su Ergou was five years old. She was too sick and had a fever. Therefore, only Su Ergou remembered the despair of his family and the new lease of life brought by Uncle Cheng. Zhang Dao was an ingrate while Uncle Cheng was a loyal person. No wonder Old Father Su was so sad. Su Ergou was actually very sad. ¡°In the past few years, the Cheng family has borrowed a lot of money to treat Uncle Cheng¡¯s illness. After Uncle Cheng left, he left behind an orphan, a widow, and an old mother. Not to mention paying the debt, they can¡¯t even live anymore.¡± ¡ª- There was no lamp in the room, so Su Cheng sat on the chair in a daze. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s me. Are you asleep? I¡¯m coming in.¡± With that, Su Xiaoxiao brought a bowl of soup and rice to Su Cheng. She did not light the lamp. The dim candlelight shone in from the central room. It was not too bright, and Su Cheng¡¯s disappointment was hidden. Su Cheng did not want to be too embarrassed in front of his daughter. He said in a normal tone, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed him a note. ¡°Take it.¡± Su Cheng asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°IOU,¡± said Su Xiaoxiao. Su Cheng did not understand. Su Xiaoxiao pulled his hand and placed the IOU in his palm. ¡°He Tongsheng still owes 15 taels. When he returns the money, take it to the Cheng family.¡± Su Cheng suddenly raised his head and looked at his fat daughter in shock. Su Xiaoxiao let go of his hand and sat down on the stool beside him. ¡°If that¡¯s not enough, I still have four taels.¡± ¡°Enough, enough¡­¡± Su Cheng choked. ¡°Our family of three can do things. We will definitely earn money.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know how to comfort people. She didn¡¯t know if saying this would make Father Su feel better. ¡°I won¡¯t buy those rouge and cosmetics in the future, nor will I eat Jin Ji¡¯s snacks. The expenses won¡¯t be big. I remember that our family has land. When Wei Ting recovers, let him farm. Our family will have food and can save a sum.¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s quite enough, right?¡± She spoke carefully. Su Cheng¡¯s throat was so swollen that he could not speak. For the passing of a good brother, and for his sensible daughter. Su Xiaoxiao struck while the iron was hot. ¡°Dad, let¡¯s do proper business in the future and not extort money from the villagers, okay?¡± ¡ª- The next day, Su Xiaoxiao used all her willpower to pull herself out of the warm blanket. Last night, she had made it sound easy. In fact, how could she be so optimistic? Losing 15 taels of silver all of a sudden made this poor family worse. It was true that there were three people at home, but there were also seven mouths waiting to eat. All of them were good-for-nothings¡­ except for the seriously injured Wei Ting. This guy might be a good-for-nothing after he recovered. After all, the three little ones could eat a lot, so their father¡¯s appetite should not be bad either. ¡°Fortunately, I bought the ingredients yesterday. I planned to do business today, so I don¡¯t have to panic.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pulled open the cupboard and took out a large alms bowl filled with dough. There was no yeast in ancient times. People used fermented old noodles or wine. She used old noodles. The duration of fermentation of old noodles varied according to temperature. Generally speaking, the higher the temperature of the environment, the easier it was to ferment. In summer, it was usually four hours. In winter, it was eight hours. She usually kneaded the dough before sleeping. When she woke up the next morning, it was almost fermented. While waiting for the dough to wake up, Su Xiaoxiao boiled the red bean and green bean into two pots. She also boiled the dried plum vegetables and took out the braised pork belly. She wanted to make crispy pastry, so she needed a layer of oil pastry. It was not difficult to cook the oil pastry. After adding lard and white flour into the fresh egg yolk liquid, it was time to prepare the oil pastry. The skin was wrapped in a layer of oil, making the texture even more oily and soft. She made a total of three fillings: red bean, green bean, and dried plum. In the end, she ran out of stuffing and only had a little dough left. On a whim, she made a few fat intestine crisps and brown sugar crisps. ¡°Sister¡­ what delicious food did you make again?¡± Su Ergou was woken up by the urge to pee. He went to the toilet and was attracted to the kitchen by the fragrance. He was still half-asleep, but it didn¡¯t stop him from eating. He casually picked up a biscuit and bit into it¡ª Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s hot!¡± ¡°Howl¡ª¡± A bubble appeared in Su Ergou¡¯s mouth. He was awake now and his tongue was swollen. However, it did not prevent him from eating his sister¡¯s pancakes. ¡°Sister, your pancakes are even better than Jin Ji¡¯s osmanthus cake!¡± He was eating brown sugar. The sugar had completely melted, and it was sweet with a hint of lard. It was so delicious. Su Xiaoxiao let him try one of each flavor. ¡°Are you full?¡± ¡°Oh, pretty much.¡± ¡°Then pack up and get ready to work.¡± Su Ergou was stunned. ¡°What work?¡± ¡­ . Fifteen minutes later, the siblings carried the basket to town. ¡°Sister, where are we going to sell it? The market?¡± Su Ergou asked. Ordinary people might have reservations about their first time doing business. Su Ergou was talented and his skin was thick enough to be used as the sole of a shoe. Would he have reservations? It was impossible! ¡°Not the market,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Ergou asked curiously, ¡°Then where are we going?¡± Chapter 20 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Jin Ji.¡± ¡°No way, Sister? Are you going to sell the pancakes to Jin Ji?¡± If it was before yesterday, she might have tried this. However, after experiencing the incident at Rongen Hall, she understood that a small village girl like her was not worthy of these shops. ¡°Let¡¯s go opposite Jin Ji.¡± Su Ergou was dumbfounded. ¡°Sister, Jin Ji sells snacks! How many have set up shop to compete with Jin Ji only to close down? Can we win against Jin Ji?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said casually, ¡°Snatch business? You¡¯re overthinking. We cant sell to that many people with two baskets of pancakes. However, it¡¯s good that you have this ambition. Perhaps one day, we can really snatch business from Jin Ji.¡± Su Ergou muttered, ¡°Sister, why do you like to daydream more than me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll find out soon.¡± In ancient times, there were no city enforcement officers. As long as they did not block the entrance of the shop, they could usually set up stalls where they liked. Of course, if they affected the operation of the shop, they would be chased away by the shop owners. The jewelry shop opposite Jin Ji opened late. It was the right time to set up a stall. The first pot of osmanthus cake was about to be ready. There was a long line at the door. The more Su Ergou looked at them, the more he felt that he might not be able to sell any of them today. Su Xiaoxiao found a suitable spot and took out the biscuit. They didn¡¯t have a stall. Before leaving, Su Xiaoxiao made a bamboo sieve tray around her neck. The golden pastry was placed neatly on the tray. If it were any other vendor, they might not have attracted much attention. But Su Xiaoxiao was a 200-pound fatty! Who would walk over and not look at her twice? Even those who were waiting in line for Jin¡¯s snacks couldn¡¯t help but look at her frequently. ¡°Sister, let me serve the pancakes,¡± said Su Ergou. ¡°No need. You have another mission.¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up a pastry and handed it to Su Ergou. ¡°Eat.¡± Su Ergou: ¡°Aren¡¯t we selling it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. This is called eating broadcast.¡± Su Ergou was speechless. Su Ergou was already used to his sister¡¯s abnormal behavior after she broke her head. Since his sister wanted him to eat it, he would eat it. When he was on the third pancake, a young girl finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She pulled her mother¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mom, I want to eat that.¡± The mother and daughter walked forward. The woman asked, ¡°How much are your pancakes?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ten copper coins for one. There are three flavors. The one with white sesame has red bean filling, the one with black sesame has dried vegetable meat filling, and the one with double sesame has green bean filling.¡± The woman frowned and said, ¡°Meat buns are only two copper coins each. You¡¯re selling a palm-sized pancake for ten copper coins. It¡¯s too expensive!¡± Su Xiaoxiao explained patiently, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of sugar. It¡¯s very sweet. There¡¯s meat in the dried plum vegetables and there¡¯s a lot of filling.¡± In ancient times, sugar was expensive. The cost was obvious. This was already the price of conscience. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it first? You can buy it if it¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The woman was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao wrapped her hand in clean gauze and cut three pancakes. She let the woman and her child try a small piece of each flavor. ¡°Mom! It¡¯s delicious!¡± For once, the woman did not retort. She thought that the snacks sold by a village girl would not taste good, but who knew that it was so delicious? Moreover, she noticed that Little Fatty¡¯s actions when cutting the pancakes were very clean. ¡°Two of each,¡± the woman said. Su Xiaoxiao took out a clean bamboo leaf pancake. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an extra one since you¡¯re our first customer. Which flavor do you want?¡± ¡°Which one do you like best?¡± the woman asked her daughter. The little girl said straightforwardly, ¡°I like them all!¡± ¡°Give me one with dried plum vegetables,¡± the woman said. ¡°Alright.¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed the wrapped biscuit to the woman. The woman took out her purse. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ergou, collect the money.¡± Looking at the 60 copper coins that suddenly appeared in his bag, Su Ergou found it unbelievable. How long had it been? He had already earned so much? It was even faster than him and his father going from house to house to extort money! Everyone saw the reaction of the mother and daughter. Some people suspected that it was an act, while others were genuinely curious. Suddenly, a young scholar in the team at the entrance of Jin Ji shouted, ¡°Aiya! It¡¯s her!¡± The companion in front of him turned his head and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°I asked you to come to Jin Ji with me yesterday, but you didn¡¯t come. You missed it!¡± The scholar pointed at Su Xiaoxiao and said, ¡°She¡¯s the fat village girl I told you about who saved the choking child!¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! It¡¯s her!¡± The person who said this was the old man who had just bought his first box of snacks. He was also there when Su Xiaoxiao saved the child. The scholar smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go buy her pancakes!¡± His companion panicked. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s our turn in another two hours! We¡¯ve been queuing for almost an hour!¡± The scholar ignored him and went across the street without looking back. ¡°Lady, do you remember me?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve met?¡± ¡°Okay. I was upstairs yesterday, and you were in the lobby. You were busy saving people, so you probably didn¡¯t see me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao understood. It was a guest of Jin Ji. The scholar patted the folding fan in his hand and said, ¡°Your pancakes look very ordinary. Jin Ji also has such pancakes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°But mine is better.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± The scholar laughed. He was not mocking her, but he simply felt that this little fat village girl was a little cute. ¡°If it tastes bad, I¡¯ll buy it too since I respect you as a heroine! Give me ten!¡± Su Xiaoxiao wrapped ten for him. The scholar was puzzled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give me one? The lady only bought six just now.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°That¡¯s business. If you come first tomorrow, I¡¯ll give you one even if you only buy one.¡± The scholar was not greedy for a snack. He did not expect it to be delicious. He was just teasing her. He wouldn¡¯t come tomorrow! Thinking of something, he asked, ¡°Does your pancake have a name? Jin Ji¡¯s is called Supiao.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Wife Cake.¡± The scholar was speechless. ¡­ . The snacks sold more smoothly than expected. In less than an hour, all 100 pancakes were sold. If they had gone to the market, they would not be able to sell it so quickly. After all, she had set a high price. The commoners who went to the market might not be willing to spend ten copper coins on a small snack. Of course, Jin Ji¡¯s customers were not short of money. If she made hers cheaper than Jin Ji¡¯s, there would not be so many people buying it. In addition, she had the aura of saving people and also earned the trust of her customers. Finally, there was a small gimmick¡ªthe name of the puff pastry. Wife Cake. How novel. Due to the limitations of her cooking tools, the pancakes she made were very different from the ones in her previous life. However, for ancient people who had never eaten all kinds of preservatives and additives, the taste of this pastry was already very wonderful. When they closed the stall, Su Ergou smiled slyly. ¡°Sister, guess how many copper coins we earned today?¡± Chapter 21 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Seven hundred and eighty.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Ergou was surprised. ¡°Sister, I was the one who collected the money. How did you know?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We used twelve for tasting and gave one away. You ate three and crushed six. The remaining seventy-eight cost ten coins each.¡± Su Ergou admired her sister so much. ¡°Sister, did you hurt your brain? Did you recover from the fall?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless at her silly brother. ¡°Sister, are we still selling pancakes tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are we still heading to Jin Ji?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She would continue to leech off Jin Ji¡¯s traffic. ¡°Alright!¡± Su Ergou was very happy. Selling pancakes was much easier than extorting money. He could even eat them all the time. ¡°Sister, I like dried plum vegetables the most!¡± It was oily and salty with a hint of sweetness. It was so delicious that he wanted to bite his tongue. ¡°Is your tongue done?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Ergou stuck out his tongue a few times. It did not hurt. He said, ¡°Done.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll make you preserved vegetables and braised pork when we get back.¡± Su Ergou asked, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll know after eating. Let¡¯s go to the market to buy some ingredients.¡± Business was too good. She planned to make more tomorrow but the ingredients would not last for a few days. ¡°Miss!¡± She had just arrived at the entrance of the market when she was stopped. She looked up and saw that it was the young butcher. The butcher jogged over and said with sweat all over his face, ¡°You¡¯re finally here. Otherwise, I was wondering where to find you.¡± ¡°Looking for me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him in shock. The butcher smiled in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s like this. Do you¡­ have any more of the braised intestines you made yesterday?¡± To be honest, he didn¡¯t plan to eat it at first, but it would be a pity to throw it away, so he braced himself and tasted it. ¡°It¡¯s better than my mother¡¯s.¡± Su Xiaoxiao rubbed her chin. ¡°Are you here to ask me how to make braised intestines, or do you want to buy a bowl of braised intestines from me?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The butcher was successfully stumped. Naturally¡­ he was here to ask for guidance on the cooking method. However, after hearing the little village girl¡¯s words, he felt that it seemed a little unreasonable not to buy a bowl. ¡°Buy, buy¡­ How do you sell it? How much do the braised intestines cost?¡± Look, he was stuttering. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not expensive. Twenty coins a catty.¡± Butcher suspected he¡¯d heard wrong. ¡®Twenty¡­ twenty coins? A catty?¡¯ A whole set of pig intestines weighed 20 catties and could not be sold for 10 copper coins. How did she dare to shout this price? The rarer something was, the more expensive it was. In the entire market, she was the only one who could make this braised food. Moreover, sugar and salt were expensive. She really did not bid recklessly. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°If you buy it, I¡¯ll only charge you ten copper coins.¡± The butcher said blankly, ¡°So¡­ so cheap?¡± Could it be that the little village girl had taken a fancy to him? Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°See you tomorrow, then.¡± ¡°Ah, see you tomorrow.¡± The young butcher turned and blushed. When Su Xiaoxiao passed by the stall selling dry goods, she met the old woman again. The old woman opened her mouth and said, ¡°60 copper coins for dried plum vegetables!¡± She had lost 50 copper coins last time! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t want dried plums today.¡± The old woman was speechless. ¡ª- There were not many ingredients bought today, and Su Ergou carried everything the entire time. They did not take the ox cart and walked back to the village. Old Master Su was not at home. He must have gone to settle Uncle Cheng¡¯s matters. The three little ones were at Liu Shan¡¯s house. ¡°Go and fetch Dahu and the others,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Su Ergou. ¡°Alright!¡± Su Ergou put down the heavy basket and walked out of the central room. After a while, he returned in a panic. ¡°Sister! Sister! Sister! Someone¡¯s here!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was getting water in the backyard to wash her hands. Hearing this, she looked up calmly. ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°It¡¯s Uncle and Aunt!¡± The uncle and aunt that Ergou mentioned were from the family of their biological mother, Madam Chen. Their uncle was Chen¡¯s biological brother. His name was Chen Feng and his wife was Madam Huang. The Chen family was from Willow Village. Su Xiaoxiao searched through the Host¡¯s memories and understood why Su Ergou had such a reaction when the Chen family came. Father Su was a beggar who wandered to Willow Village. He became a cowherd for the Li family and grew up eating all kinds of food. As for the Chen family, they naturally wouldn¡¯t find a cowherd as their son-in-law. The Chen family had arranged a marriage for Madam Chen in town. The groom already had a wife and he had been unruly to Madam Chen before the wedding. Therefore, Madam Chen refused to marry him. For the sake of the generous betrothal gift, the Chen family forced Madam Chen into the marriage. It was the young Su Cheng who ran to the town and beat that person up ruthlessly and the marriage was ruined. Later on, Madam Chen wanted to marry Su Cheng. The Chen family did not agree and threatened to sever ties with Madam Chen if they dared to marry! They thought that this could scare Madam Chen, but they did not expect Madam Chen to pull the young Su Cheng out of Willow Village without hesitation and settle down in Xinghua Village. During the years when Daddy Su was in the limelight, the two families resumed their relationship. Later on, Madam Chen, unfortunately, passed away when Su Cheng had taken a long journey. He did not even see his wife for the last time. After that, he quit being an escort. The Chen family blamed Su Cheng for Madam Chen¡¯s death. Not only did Su Cheng pay a large sum of money, but the relationship between the two families also broke down again. Occasionally, they would bump into each other. The Chen family always treated the Su family of three badly. Because of his wife, Su Cheng was especially tolerant of the Chen family. Su Daya and Su Ergou did not dare to challenge the Chen family. After Su Xiaoxiao digested the memories in her mind, Chen Feng and Madam Huang entered. ¡°Yo, isn¡¯t this Daya?¡± Madam Huang saw Su Xiaoxiao walking in from the back door. Su Ergou hid behind his sister. Su Xiaoxiao said to him, ¡°Ergou, greet Uncle and Aunt.¡± Su Ergou reluctantly stuck his head out. ¡°Uncle, Aunt.¡± Chen Feng had a serious expression. Madam Huang walked forward with a smile and sized up the siblings. ¡°It¡¯s only been a while since we last met, but Ergou is already so tall! And Daya is also so¡­¡± ¡°Fat.¡± Su Xiaoxiao finished her sentence. Madam Huang smiled awkwardly and sat down with Su Xiaoxiao. Chen Feng sat down early. He frowned at the Su family, who had suddenly stopped being sloppy. For a moment, he suspected that he had come to the wrong place. The last time the Su family was so clean was when his sister was still alive. Madam Huang had actually discovered it too, but she automatically ignored it. She was here today for serious business. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ergou, go to the kitchen and boil some water to make tea for Uncle and Aunt.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Su Ergou fled the central room with relief. Madam Huang held Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand affectionately and smiled. ¡°Where¡¯s your father? Isn¡¯t he at home?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her hand. One who was unaccountably solicitous was hiding evil intentions. ¡°Father went out. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll be back today. Uncle and Aunt came at the wrong time.¡± Madam Huang¡¯s smile froze. ¡°¡­Your father won¡¯t object anyway. It¡¯s the same if I tell you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°What do you want to tell me, Aunt?¡± Madam Huang said indignantly, ¡°Your uncle and I heard about He Tongsheng. That Tongsheng is really a scumbag! How dare he humiliate you like this!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°So Aunt is here to stand up for me?¡± Madam Huang¡¯s smile froze again. ¡°Of course. Tomorrow, let your uncle come and beat that He up!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go today?¡± Madam Huang was dumbfounded. Chapter 22 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Just tell her that you¡¯re here to propose marriage!¡± At the side, Chen Feng spoke. If they continued chatting like this, they would not be able to get to the main topic even if the sky turned dark. ¡°To matchmake me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. Madam Huang smiled brightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Yaya, you¡¯re not young anymore, and your engagement with He Tongsheng has been called off. I¡¯m afraid it will be difficult for you to find a husband in the future. Alas, who asked you to have the blood of our Chen family flowing in your bones? Your uncle and I can¡¯t let you live alone for the rest of your life.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Then, which family are you planning to tell me about?¡± Madam Huang said, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s our Chen family! Marry your cousin and we¡¯ll be even closer!¡± She had three cousins in the Chen family: her eldest cousin, her second cousin, and her youngest cousin. They were 19, 17, and 18 years old respectively. None of them were betrothed. Su Xiaoxiao was deep in thought. ¡°Eldest Cousin is indeed old enough to be married.¡± Madam Huang immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s your second cousin!¡± Her second cousin was not her aunt¡¯s biological son. He was an illegitimate son brought back by her uncle, Chen Feng. Back then, Madam Huang had caused a lot of trouble because of this. However, she could not go against the entire family, so she reluctantly kept the child. Su Xiaoxiao pouted in disdain. ¡°So you¡¯re trying to matchmake that illegitimate son. I thought you wanted me to marry my eldest cousin!¡± ¡°Your cousin is a scholar!¡± Madam Huang blurted out. Su Xiaoxiao asked innocently, ¡°Aunt, you mean¡­ he¡¯s out of my league!¡± Madam Huang did not respond. Of course, a notorious fat girl was not worthy of her son, but she would not say it out loud! Madam Huang smiled awkwardly. ¡°Your eldest cousin is a bookworm and doesn¡¯t know how to dote on others. Your second cousin is about the same age as you. He has mentioned it to me a few times that he likes you very much. Besides, doesn¡¯t your father want his son-in-law to marry into the family? Who would let their eldest son marry into the family?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°Oh, so you want him married into the bride¡¯s family.¡± Madam Huang smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re family. We won¡¯t take the betrothal money and break the engagement!¡± Here was the main point. Su Xiaoxiao asked with a faint smile, ¡°How much betrothal money do you want, Aunt?¡± Madam Huang said earnestly, ¡°Although you¡¯ve been married once and are a married woman, the Chen family won¡¯t despise you. Aunt won¡¯t ask for too much betrothal money either. You can just give the Chen family whatever your father gave to the He family.¡± Listen, what kind of tone was this? It was as if she had suffered a lot as a living Bodhisattva. Did Madam Huang really think that she could not tell what she was planning? Not only could she get rid of an eyesore, but she could also get twenty taels of silver. It was simply killing two birds with one stone. However, why did the Huang family only come at this time? Su Xiaoxiao remembered that day when she and her brother sat on the ox cart going toward Willow Village and even threatened to ask He Tongsheng to return the silver. The coachman must have mentioned this to the Chen family after returning to the village. Seeing that there was profit to be made, the Chen family quickly came to look for them. Madam Huang continued, ¡°Your marriage was publicly called off by He Tongsheng. I¡¯m afraid no one in the surrounding villages would dare to marry you, let alone be your family¡¯s live-in son-in-law. It was only because of your uncle¡¯s relationship with your mother that he agreed to your marriage with your second cousin. Your grandfather originally didn¡¯t agree, but your uncle and I persuaded him for two nights.¡± Two nights. The time matched. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered to feign civility with her anymore. She hit the nail on the head and said, ¡°He Tongsheng is a scholar after all. Why does Second Cousin need twenty taels of betrothal money?¡±¡® It was not that she looked down on her second cousin, but since the Huang family wanted to sell their son, they had to allow others to bargain, right? Madam Huang felt a little embarrassed. ¡°What are you talking about? That¡¯s your second cousin!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m your biological niece. Twenty taels of silver. Unless it¡¯s Eldest Cousin, there¡¯s no way!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Madam Huang was furious. An ugly and fat stupid girl actually dared to covet her son! A toad lusting after swan meat! Pfft! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Can¡¯t you bear to do it, Aunt? Ergou, send the guest out.¡± ¡°Aye!¡± Su Ergou, who was hiding in the backyard and eavesdropping, ran out without a word. Halfway through, he turned back to his sister and whispered, ¡°Sister, how should I send them off?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Women always turned hostile quickly, especially when Madam Huang looked down on the Su family. Seeing that Fatty Su was serious, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to pretend to be good-tempered! She stood up and pointed at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s nose. ¡°I asked Erlang to marry you because I pity you! You¡¯re fat and stupid! You¡¯re lazy! Your reputation is bad! On the day of the wedding, the groom abandoned you and ran away! The villagers are all watching you make a fool of yourself! Do you really think anyone still wants you?!¡± Chen Feng frowned. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Chen Feng. ¡°Uncle, do you think so too?¡± Chen Feng frowned even more. ¡°Daya, although your aunt¡¯s words are unpleasant, it¡¯s the truth. If your family can¡¯t take out so many betrothal gifts, it¡¯s fine if it¡¯s less.¡± Madam Huang almost subconsciously screamed, ¡°No less! What will we do about our eldest son!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°So Aunt is already arranging a marriage for Eldest Cousin. Uncle, Aunt, are you planning to sell your illegitimate son and use the money you earned for your eldest son to take a wife? What a good plan. What a pity, I won¡¯t be this fool!¡± The commotion was too big, causing many villagers to watch from the door. Liu Shan¡¯s second daughter-in-law, Madam He, was the first to arrive and heard everything. ¡°The Chen family is here to arrange a marriage for their son.¡± She took on the role of the commentator. ¡°It¡¯s twenty taels of dowry.¡± ¡°To be the lived-in son-in-law.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the son who¡¯s a scholar, it¡¯s the second son! The son of a prostitute outside! Yes! The one with a slight limp in his right eye!¡± News of the Chen family¡¯s rotten deeds had long spread throughout the countryside. Logically speaking, Fatty Su¡¯s net worth was so bad. Marrying a crippled illegitimate son was considered a match made in heaven. However, the Chen family actually asked for twenty taels of silver. They were really shameless. Sun Ergua shouted, ¡°Fat Lass! My son will be your live-in son-in-law! You can just give him two taels!¡± Madam He glared at him and said, ¡°Go away! Where did your son come from!¡± Everyone laughed. Madam Huang¡¯s expression turned ugly. How could she not know that an illegitimate son was not worth twenty taels of silver? However, the Su family of three had always agreed to everything the Chen family asked for. No matter how unreasonable this girl was outside, she could only listen to her obediently. It was as if she was a different person today! It was her fault for not knowing that they had twenty taels of silver in their hands! If she had known, she would have come long ago to take the silver! There were more and more villagers watching, so she couldn¡¯t throw a tantrum anymore. She forced a smile and said, ¡°Aunt is doing this for your own good. Only by marrying your second cousin will you have a good life in the future.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Aunt, I have a husband.¡± Madam Huang chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! Call him out if you dare!¡± Chapter 23 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Fatty Su didn¡¯t lie to you. She¡¯s really married. We gave her all the money!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I gave him three portions!¡± ¡°She even brought three burdens with her!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before. Fatty Su, could it be that your husband is so ugly that he can¡¯t be seen by others?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± The villagers laughed again. Su Xiaoxiao finally understood. These people did not mind watching the show. They were not helping the Huang family or siding with her. However, she really could not call Wei Ting out. It was not that she felt that he was too ugly to see anyone, but that Wei Ting would never help her deal with the Huang family and the villagers. ¡°What happened?¡± A magnetic voice came from behind. It was Wei Ting¡¯s voice. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s first reaction was, ¡°Can this guy get out of bed?¡± Her second reaction was that it was over. If Wei Ting did not cooperate and said that he was not her husband, she would not be able to clean up the mess. This was very definitely something Wei Ting could do. She clenched her fists and quickly thought of a solution. She did not notice the reaction of the Huang family and the villagers. Wei Ting came to her side and asked softly, ¡°Why is it so noisy at home?¡± Su Xiaoxiao, who was used to Wei Ting¡¯s sarcasm, was stunned by his gentle tone. She subconsciously turned to look at Wei Ting. Now she was even more confused. Wei Ting¡¯s face was no longer swollen, revealing his original appearance. His face was like jade, his thick eyebrows slanted to his temples, and his nose was high. His deep eyes were looking at her without blinking. His obsidian-like eyes reflected her stunned little chubby face. When he was lying down, he looked very long, but when he stood up, he seemed to be taller. His posture was tall and straight, like a bamboo. Even the rough linen clothes could not hide his noble aura. Daddy Su didn¡¯t lie to her¡­ This was really a man a hundred times better looking than He Tongsheng! Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. This was a man who could make all women blush and their hearts beat faster. She had just laughed at him for being so ugly that she couldn¡¯t bear to see him. Now, she wished she could bite her tongue. Wei Ting smiled and took out a cotton shirt to put on Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°It¡¯s windy in the hall. Be careful not to catch a cold.¡± Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t infatuated, but this body was. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been unable to walk when she saw He Tongsheng. That was not the point. The main point was, why did Wei Ting suddenly become so gentle and considerate? Wei Ting¡¯s gaze swept across Madam Huang and Chen Feng, who stood up in shock. He turned to ask Su Ergou, ¡°Ergou, they are¡­ ¡± Su Ergou replied, ¡°Uncle, Aunt!¡± Wei Ting said politely, ¡°So it¡¯s Uncle and Aunt. Please sit.¡± Chen Feng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You are¡­ ¡± Su Ergou took a step forward. ¡°My brother-in-law!¡± What a strange feeling. He was clearly afraid of his uncle and aunt, but once his brother-in-law came out, he immediately felt confident! For the first time since Chen Feng entered, he revealed an incredulous expression. Madam Huang also had a look of disbelief on her face. This was even more shocking than a knife falling from the sky. Wei Ting asked, ¡°Uncle, Aunt, why did you come today?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought, Heh, didn¡¯t you hear them from where you were? ¡°I¡­¡± Madam Huang opened her mouth and was speechless. Just now, she kept saying that no one wanted this girl, but now, such a handsome husband appeared. This was a slap to her face. ¡°Husband.¡± After confirming that he wasn¡¯t here to undermine her, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s evil streak surfaced. She blinked her tearless eyes and said aggrievedly, ¡°Uncle and Aunt are here to break us up.¡± Madam Huang was shocked. ¡°When did I come to break you up?¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued to look aggrieved. ¡°Didn¡¯t Aunt just propose to me? She said that other than Second Cousin, no other man in the world would sincerely treat me well. I¡¯m fat and stupid, and no one wants me.¡± Wei Ting smiled at her. ¡°Who said that? You¡¯re not fat at all.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him with an even more innocent gaze than Bambi. ¡°Am I stupid?¡± Wei Ting took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°Not stupid. Very smart.¡± Su Xiaoxiao held his slender hand and asked in a choked voice, ¡°Husband, will you not want me?¡± Enough was enough! Wei Ting smiled. ¡°I¡¯m your husband. Of course, I won¡¯t abandon you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao threw herself into his arms. ¡°Husband, you¡¯re the best!¡± Su Ergou trembled. His sister was acting up again. The villagers who were forced to eat their public displays of affection were quite full by now! The Chen couple had their faces slapped. Thinking of how they had boasted so much, the Su family had already had a live-in son-in-law. Su Xiaoxiao took out her handkerchief and cried. ¡°Husband, Aunt said that Eldest Cousin is a scholar. I¡¯m not worthy of him. You should go and become a scholar too! You¡¯ll bring glory to our Su family!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already left.¡± Wei Ting turned back into an iceberg in a second. So soon. She hadn¡¯t acted enough. Su Xiaoxiao pushed her chest and got up from his arms, touching his chest in the process. Wei Ting was speechless. ¡°They¡¯re all gone? Eh? Where¡¯s Ergou?¡± ¡°He went to the kitchen to get some water.¡± Wei Ting returned to his room. Su Xiaoxiao followed with her chubby legs. Wei Ting sat down by the bed with a cold expression. ¡°Why are you here again?¡± Su Xiaoxiao placed her chubby hands behind her back and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m checking your injuries¡­ Hubby!¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± The gentle Wei Ting was still cute, even though he was pretending. Su Xiaoxiao clapped her hands. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Let me see your injuries.¡± Wei Ting looked warily at the pair of chubby hands reaching towards him and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Su Xiaoxiao straightened and gestured. ¡°You do it.¡± Wei Ting couldn¡¯t unbutton his shirt for a long time. He lowered his hand awkwardly and looked away. Amused, Su Xiaoxiao walked forward and removed his clothes, removing the gauze on his abdomen and left calf. The last time she took medicine from the base¡¯s pharmacy, it was all the latest special medicine. She had to admit that the effect was really good. The wound had already scabbed over, and there was no swelling at all. However, he was so injured that his bones were visible. He had to stay in bed and recuperate. ¡°My calf is swollen.¡± He would occasionally get out of bed, but he was supported by Su Ergou, and he used the strength of his right leg. In order to help her, he walked out as if nothing had happened. Su Xiaoxiao lost her intention of teasing him. She said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll apply some medication for you. Tell me if it hurts.¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury.¡± There were many old scars on his body. He had risked his life countless times. After treating Wei Ting¡¯s injuries, Su Xiaoxiao went to the backyard. The three little ones walked in and looked at him cutely. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Wei Ting couldn¡¯t be bothered with the three brats. The three little ones stretched out their little fists. Daddy had worked hard. They massaged Daddy¡¯s legs. Wei Ting snorted in satisfaction. ¡°This is the only time. I won¡¯t help her next time¡­ Tsk! You hit my wound!!!¡± Chapter 24 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The three little ones were pragmatic. After serving their father, they shook their heads and ran to the kitchen to look for Su Xiaoxiao. There was no reluctance to leave! Wei Ting¡¯s mouth twitched. Little bastards¡­ Su Xiaoxiao was talking to Little Wu at the back door of the kitchen. Today, Su Cheng was going to settle the Cheng family¡¯s matters, so Su Xiaoxiao entrusted the three children to Little Wu. In return, she gave Little Wu some food. Little Wu said, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished the pancakes you gave me this morning.¡± ¡°Were they delicious?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°D-delicious,¡± Little Wu said. She was not being polite. It was sincere praise. Once, when her sister-in-law was sick, she accompanied her mother-in-law to the neighboring village for a meal. She heard that they had invited a chef from town. It was the best meal she had ever eaten. However, she felt that Fatty Su¡¯s pancakes were no worse than that chef¡¯s. Su Xiaoxiao handed her a covered bowl. ¡°These are crushed and not easy to sell. If you don¡¯t mind, take them back for the children.¡± Little Wu wanted to continue rejecting her, but Su Xiaoxiao glared at her and obediently took the bowl. She only opened the bowl after returning to her kitchen. Although they were said to be broken pancakes, there were actually only very slight cracks. Such pancakes were still sold in the market. Not only were there three pancakes in the bowl but there was also a large piece of fat and thin braised meat under it. The family could barely afford two meals of meat in a month. Basically, the meat would be prioritized for her father-in-law, second brother, and Niudan. Her mother-in-law and second sister-in-law, Madam He, could occasionally get a piece of meat, but she and her daughters had not tasted meat for half a year. With the meat filling in the pancake that Fatty Su gave her this morning and what she had just received, had she actually eaten two meals of meat in a day? ¡­ . Liu Shan¡¯s family did not say anything about Little Wu taking care of the Su family¡¯s children. The Su family was domineering, so it was not surprising that they would make people to take care of their children. If Little Wu didn¡¯t do it, would he let Madam He and Big Wu do it instead? Even though Little Wu had to take care of the children, she did not miss out on any work. In the kitchen, the three children surrounded the stove and stood on their tiptoes to look into the pot. However, they were not as tall as the stove and could not get a proper glimpse. ¡°Mother,¡± Xiaohu said as he looked at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s chopping board. ¡°Xiaohu, eat.¡± Su Xiaoxiao mischievously picked up a sliced green onion and fed it to him. Xiaohu opened his mouth and took a bite. He frowned and stuck out his tongue. Su Xiaoxiao laughed uncontrollably. Having seen Xiaohu testing the onion, the other two were no longer interested in the things on the chopping board. They turned to look at the leftover shortbread in the basket on the small table. They had eaten shortbread this morning. It was delicious. But now, they didn¡¯t want to eat this because just now, all three pastries had been licked by Xiaohu. ¡°Sister! I¡¯m hungry. Is there anything to eat?¡± Su Ergou walked into the kitchen. Dahu grabbed the basket on the small table and handed it to Su Ergou. ¡°Uncle, eat.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Su Ergou asked. Dahu and Erhu shook their heads. Xiaohu was still sticking out his tongue in disgust. ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll eat it!¡± Su Ergou held the basket in one hand and stuffed a pastry into his mouth with the other. ¡°Eh? Why is it a little damp¡­¡± ¡ª- Father Su had gone to settle the Cheng family¡¯s matters and would probably only return at night. Su Xiaoxiao made fried onion and kidney, crispy meat, stir-fried vegetables, and steamed egg custard. She had steamed a big bowl previously, but the three little ones didn¡¯t like it. They liked to pack it in small wontons and each had a portion. Su Ergou and Wei Ting were also involved. ¡°Ergou, serve the dishes.¡± ¡°Coming!¡± Su Ergou quickly entered the kitchen, carried out the cooked dishes, and scooped rice for the family. Su Xiaoxiao went to Wei Ting¡¯s room. ¡°Shall I bring it in for you, or will you go out and eat with us?¡± she asked. Wei Ting looked at the three brats running around the central room and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go out to eat.¡± Su Xiaoxiao came to the side of his bed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m helping you. Can you walk by yourself? Don¡¯t ruin your left leg again! You¡¯re wasting my medicine!¡± Wei Ting frowned, probably wanting Su Ergou to come over. However, after hesitating for a moment, he still handed his hand to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao helped him sit down in the central room. ¡°Brother-in-law! Are your injuries better?¡± Su Ergou asked. Wei Ting did not know whether to respond or not. He only said, ¡°Much better.¡± Wei Ting sat opposite Su Xiaoxiao. On Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s left were the three little ones, and on her right was Su Ergou. The three of them were too short to sit down. Su Xiaoxiao leaned the chair against the table and let the three of them stand on it to eat. Su Ergou picked up the bowl and chopsticks and whispered into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s ear, ¡°Sister, Brother-in-law is quite good-looking, right? Dad and I didn¡¯t lie to you, right? Is he a hundred times better-looking than He Tongsheng? I told you you would like him!¡± Wei Ting ate his food unhurriedly. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Wei Ting and gritted her teeth. ¡°Can you be any louder? Eat!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou buried his head in his food. The three little ones also ate seriously. It was just that they were too young and food fragments were scattered all over the table. Now, it was Wei Ting¡¯s turn to gaze at Su Xiaoxiao. There was no impatience or annoyance in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. Wei Ting felt a little relieved. He picked up a piece of meat and ate it. ¡°What dish is this?¡± He asked Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao took a look and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it not delicious?¡± Wei Ting thought for a moment and said, ¡°No, but¡­ the taste is a little strange.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pig¡¯s kidney,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Cough! Cough, cough, cough!¡± Wei Ting choked and turned his head to avoid the dining table. After coughing, he looked at Su Xiaoxiao in shock. ¡°Say it again. What is this?¡± ¡°A pig¡¯s kidney!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I used yellow wine to remove the fishy smell! Does it taste tender and refreshing!¡± Wei Ting suddenly felt that the food in his bowl was not fragrant. Su Xiaoxiao pushed the plate in front of him. ¡°I specially bought it for you to nourish your body. It¡¯s good for your kidney and spine. Eat more!¡± Wei Ting squeezed his chopsticks. ¡°My body is in very good condition!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at the three little ones and nodded thoughtfully. Wei Ting was speechless. He didn¡¯t mean that! ¡ª- At night, Father Su finally returned. He ran around for the entire day. First, he asked for the fifteen taels of silver on the IOU from the He family. Then, he brought Old Cheng¡¯s orphan to pay the debts owed by the Cheng family. In the end, there were seven taels left. The Cheng family didn¡¯t want it no matter what. He secretly stuffed it into the Cheng family¡¯s closet. With one thing settled, he could finally sleep. When Su Xiaoxiao brought dinner into his room, he was already asleep. Su Xiaoxiao returned to her room. As she recorded the accounts in her mind, she thought about what to do next. In her previous life, she had never been worried about money. Now, she wished she could split a copper coin into two. The three little ones came to sleep again tonight, but Su Xiaoxiao rejected them. The three little ones went to sleep with Su Ergou. Not long after, Su Ergou screamed from the west room. ¡°Ahhh! They peed! They peed!¡± Chapter 25 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The three of them had wet their bed and their urine had formed a big map on the sheet; the entire bed became their river. When Su Xiaoxiao went over, the three little ones looked at her innocently. ¡°Sister! How can I sleep like this?¡± Su Ergou felt wronged. Su Ergou¡¯s bed could not be slept on. Wei Ting¡¯s was a small bed and could not accommodate another person. Su Xiaoxiao sighed helplessly. ¡°Ergou, go sleep at Dad¡¯s place. Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, come to my room to sleep.¡± Su Xiaoxiao changed the three children into dry clothes. The three of them hugged their beloved pillows and climbed into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s bed. Looking at the three children who had successfully slept on her bed again, Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°This is really the last time!¡± The three little ones nodded. ¡°Close your eyes and sleep!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said fiercely. The three little ones obediently closed their eyes and fell asleep sweetly. ¡­ . The three of them didn¡¯t look like they were sleeping. When Su Xiaoxiao woke up, there was no one beside her. She rummaged around the bed. As expected, there was one on the side, one on the bed, and one in the corner. The three of them slept soundly, looking a little cute. Su Xiaoxiao stuffed the three of them under the blanket and poked their fair and tender faces one by one, automatically imagining the sound effects. She amused himself. They were like three cute little window dolls. Su Xiaoxiao dressed up and carried her laundry to the backyard. There had been a light snowfall last night. The ground was thin, and there was a slight creaking sound when one stepped on it. Su Xiaoxiao grew up in the south in her previous life and rarely had the chance to see snow. Later on, she went to the university and studied in a northern city for eight years. Her strong adaptability was probably nurtured by those eight years. Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to heat up the fire. She boiled the hot water in the pot and took out the dough and soaked beans from the cupboard. While waiting for the water to boil and the dough to rise, she moved a small stool and sat under the straw shed in the backyard to wash her clothes. Wei Ting¡¯s fever had subsided and he was no longer muddle-headed. Naturally, he woke up early. He limped to the backyard to wash up, but he saw Su Xiaoxiao sitting in the cold and washing her clothes. He had also heard the commotion last night. The three brats had actually wet the bed. It was obvious that she was washing the bedsheets that had been wet by the babies. She didn¡¯t complain at all. Why? Of course, it was to lose weight. The clothes at home had always been washed by Su Ergou. There was not much Su Xiaoxiao could do now, so she could only snatch the housework. Su Xiaoxiao hummed a tune as she washed. In her previous life, she was tone-deaf, but this body had a throat that had been kissed by an angel. In addition, she was fat and had a large lung capacity. She could sing at a high pitch without panting. However, she still controlled her strength a little early in the morning. Wei Ting looked at her happy expression and felt that he could not understand her. ¡°Eh? You¡¯re up?¡± Wei Ting was slightly stunned. Only then did he realize that he had been lost in thought with a little fat girl. He composed himself and said calmly, ¡°Who can sleep when you¡¯re so noisy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I¡¯m so noisy every day! I don¡¯t see you being unable to sleep!¡± Wei Ting did not want to argue with her because she was washing the children¡¯s clothes early in the morning. He limped past her and planned to wash his face himself. However, he overestimated his ability to move and missed a step. Seeing that he was about to fall into the cold water tank, Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly pulled him¡ª She still had to make pancakes later. She couldn¡¯t dirty the water! She might have used too much strength and pulled her head over, causing Wei Ting to pounce on her. By the time she reacted, she was already pressed into the snow by Wei Ting. Out of the doctor¡¯s instinct to save the dying and heal the injured, she firmly pressed the patient¡¯s head with her hand. With the soft snow cushioning her fall, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hurt. She only recovered after feeling dizzy for a while. ¡°Wei Ting, you can get up.¡± Wei Ting didn¡¯t move. ¡°Hey, although I¡¯m fat, you¡¯re also very heavy.¡± Wei Ting still did not move. Su Xiaoxiao frowned and raised her head with difficulty to take a look. Uh¡­ Wei Ting seemed to have fainted because of her. She had forgotten that she was a little fatty. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t move Wei Ting herself, so she could only go to Father Su¡¯s house and call Su Ergou up. ¡°Sister, are you going to sell pancakes?¡± Su Ergou woke up instantly. It turned out that selling pancakes was what it took to wake a brother who was sleeping in. ¡°Not yet.¡± Su Xiaoxiao coughed lightly. ¡°Your brother-in-law fell in the backyard. Go and lift him.¡± Didn¡¯t she help him up when he fell? Why did Su Ergou have to do it? When he got there, Su Ergou understood that his brother-in-law had fainted! ¡°How did you fall? Are you alright?¡± He was really worried about Wei Ting. ¡°It¡¯s fine. He¡¯ll be fine after sleeping for a while.¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t tell him that Wei Ting had fainted from suffocation in her luxurious sea view room. ¡°Carry him in. Don¡¯t let him freeze.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The two of them carried Wei Ting back to the small east room. ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao was worried that he would get seriously ill from the suffocation. She checked his injuries and took his pulse to make sure that he was fine before leaving the room. With this delay, she and Su Ergou arrived in town two hours later than yesterday. Jin Ji had already sold a few pots of snacks. Su Ergou pointed at Jin Ji. ¡°Sister, no one is queuing anymore. Everyone has bought and left.¡± Not only were there fewer customers at the entrance of Jin Ji, but even the shop behind them had opened. This meant that they could no longer sell their snacks at the main entrance. She thought for a moment and went straight to the entrance of the alley beside Jin Ji. Su Ergou looked at the sparse pedestrians and asked bitterly, ¡°Sister, can we sell it today¡­¡± The situation today was indeed not in their favor. ¡°Little girl! You¡¯re finally here!¡± A familiar voice came from across the street. The siblings looked over at the same time. It was the young scholar from Jin Ji yesterday. He was wearing a light blue academy uniform and holding a folding fan. He was handsome and high-spirited. He strode over and patted his left palm with his folding fan. He said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve successfully waited for you! I¡¯m the first guest today. We agreed that you¡¯ll gift me one if I buy one from you!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Which flavor do you want?¡± The scholar snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t you only have three flavors? Give me one of each!¡± ¡°There are four today,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°There¡¯s an extra flavor ¨C chestnut.¡± Little Wu had brought the chestnuts over this morning. After they were cooked and the shells had been peeled for her, she decided to try making ten pancakes filled with chestnuts. The scholar said coldly, ¡°How would I know if it¡¯s delicious?¡± Su Xiaoxiao cut a small piece for him. He calmly tasted it. ¡°So-so.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh.¡± The scholar said, ¡°I want them all.¡± The siblings were dumbfounded. Chapter 26 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Before the ten chestnut pancakes could see the bustling market, the scholar put them into his pocket. Su Xiaoxiao kept her word and gave him one. The question was, which flavor should he choose? The dried plum dish was not bad. It was oily but not greasy. It was crispy but not dry. There was a hint of sweetness in the salt and it was especially satisfying. But the red bean filling and green bean filling were not bad either. After some hesitation, the scholar took out another 20 copper coins and gathered three flavors. Su Xiaoxiao handed him the wrapped pancakes. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to eat my biscuit yesterday?¡± The scholar hummed. ¡°I, I, I, I decided I want them today, okay?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± The little fat girl was quite cute when she smiled. The scholar cleared his throat and said, ¡°Then, are you still coming tomorrow? Will you be late? Will you change places?¡± Su Xiaoxiao, who was asked three times in a row, was speechless. Due to many uncontrollable factors, Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t give him a definite answer. The scholar suggested, ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you sell them at the entrance of our academy? Many people in our academy have come from afar to buy snacks.¡± His words seemed ordinary, but they actually gave Su Xiaoxiao an extremely high evaluation. He was just short of saying that her pancakes were high-end substitutes for Jin Ji snacks. In ancient times, there were indeed poor students who could enter the academy, but there was no lack of children from rich families. This provided Su Xiaoxiao with an idea. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and asked, ¡°But does the academy allow us to set up a stall at its entrance?¡± The scholar hurriedly said, ¡°Of course!¡± Su Ergou looked at him strangely. ¡°How would you know? Does your family own the academy?¡± The scholar replied affirmatively, ¡°Yes!¡± Su Ergou was speechless. The scholar¡¯s name was Shen Chuan, and his name was Qinghe. He was really the son of the dean of the Wutong Academy. Xinghua Town was not big. It was the only academy in town. It was not in the center of the town, but it was not too far. It was about three or four miles away on foot. Shen Chuan sighed and said, ¡°I asked Jin Ji to set up a stall. Unfortunately, they don¡¯t like it.¡± It was normal for Jin Ji to look down on them. After all, they did not lack customers. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± It was not far from Jin Ji to the academy, but if one counted the distance from the village to the town, it was a full ten miles. On one hand, the distance was long. On the other hand, the main customers there were students. If they couldn¡¯t sell all the wife cakes before class in the morning, there was a high chance that they would need to wait for the students until school ended at noon. In that case, the time cost would be high. Shen Chuan wanted to persuade her further, but another guest came over. She was a generous and fat aunt. The auntie carried the basket and pushed Shen Chuan aside. She smiled at Su Xiaoxiao and said, ¡°Girl, you¡¯re here! I¡¯ve passed by several times. I thought you weren¡¯t coming to sell pancakes today!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said politely, ¡°I was a little delayed today. What flavor do you want? Or do you want two dried plums and a red bean like yesterday?¡± The aunt looked at her in surprise and said, ¡°Girl, you have such a good memory!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°You give off a friendly feeling. It¡¯s hard not to remember you.¡± Everyone who came out to do business knew how to say something pleasant. However, she was the first to praise the aunt like this. The aunt was overjoyed. ¡°I want dried plum vegetables and red bean stuffing. Also, do you have any other fillings?¡± ¡°There are green beans,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Four!¡± the aunt said. In the blink of an eye, she sold eight more. Although they missed the peak period in the morning, the pancakes were still sold out very quickly. Moreover, with the support of repeat customers, there were less than half of the wife pancakes than yesterday. In addition, she corrected the way she packed the pancakes yesterday in time. None of them were crushed today. ¡°Sister! We earned 900 coins today!¡± Su Ergou said excitedly. There were still a hundred pancakes, six for tasting, one for free, and three for Su Ergou. ¡°This equivalent to a small tael!¡± How many times did he and his father have to extort to gather so much? ¡°To the market,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Okay!¡± Su Ergou put away the money bag and took Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s bamboo sieve tray and basket. ¡°Sister, let me take it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to lose weight!¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Su Ergou responded by giving her his basket. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. The two of them went to the market. The butcher was chopping pig bones when he saw Su Xiaoxiao walking toward him. His hand trembled nervously and he almost chopped off his thumb! ¡°That¡¯ll be fifty coins.¡± He said to the old man who bought the pig bones. The old man looked at him as if he was a fool. After paying, he left with the pig bone. The butcher smiled awkwardly. ¡°Y-You really came?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a bowl of braised intestines from her basket. ¡°Here.¡± The butcher hurried to get the coppers. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No need. This bowl is for you.¡± Butcher was shocked. ¡°What? For me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°If you think it¡¯s delicious, why don¡¯t I consign it to you in the future?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The butcher was shocked again. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a few days. There¡¯s no braised food in the market. We¡¯ll split the profits and I¡¯ll rent your stall. I¡¯ll give you 10% of my daily income. Or I¡¯ll supply you at the lowest price. You can sell it for as much as you want.¡± The butcher¡¯s smile gradually stiffened. The little fat village girl didn¡¯t like him¡­ She liked his stall¡­ ¡ª- On the other side, Shen Chuan returned to the academy with a large bag of newly bought Wife Cakes. ¡°Dad! I¡¯m back!¡± He went to his father¡¯s courtyard to greet him first. However, his father was not in the house. He was about to leave when an angry young man¡¯s voice came from a room in the back. ¡°How did your Rongen Hall treat people? It¡¯s been two days! Not only did my cousin not get better, but he became worse! He used to be able to wake up two or three times a day, but from yesterday noon until now, my cousin hasn¡¯t woken up once! Is this the best doctor your Rongen Hall has mentioned?! My cousin is about to die from your treatment!¡± ¡°Young Master, please calm down. Doctor Dong will take your brother¡¯s pulse again.¡± ¡°What pulse! He¡¯s simply a quack!¡± Clang! The young man seemed to have broken a vase. Shen Chuan exclaimed softly. Suddenly, someone behind him asked in a deep voice, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shen Chuan trembled and turned to look at his father. ¡°Dad! You scared me to death!¡± Dean Shen looked at his son sternly. ¡°Who asked you to eavesdrop here?¡± Shen Chuan defended himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t eavesdrop. I came to deliver snacks to you. Didn¡¯t you say that the Wife Cake yesterday was delicious? I went to buy more.¡± Dean Shen remained silent with a serious expression. Shen Chuan asked curiously, ¡°Dad, who are the two guests who suddenly moved into our house? The older one seems to be dying. The younger one looks like he wants to kill someone.¡± Dean Shen said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask.¡± Shen Chuan curled his lips and muttered softly, ¡°Actually, I know a physician. Her medical skills are quite good.¡± Dean Shen glanced at his son and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. Not everyone is qualified to treat the person inside. If anything goes wrong, you¡¯ll be beheaded!¡± Shen Chuan froze. Chapter 27 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao bought some bean pods and fennel at the market. She originally wanted to buy some hot sauce, but after thinking about it, she felt she could go home and make it herself. When she passed by the old woman¡¯s work stall, the old woman called out to her with a dark expression, ¡°Aren¡¯t you buying dried plums today?¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands and said, ¡°I bought a basket last time. It can last for a long time.¡± The old woman gritted her teeth. For the thousandth time, she regretted selling it so cheaply. But other than her, no one else bought it. The old woman gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll sell it to you at a cheap price!¡± Hence, Su Xiaoxiao only spent 50 copper coins to buy another large basket of dried plums. When they reached home, it was already past lunchtime. The three little ones were so hungry that they were howling. Father Su had cooked, but it was too disgusting. The three little ones stuck their heads into the rice jar and did not eat the dark dishes made by Daddy Su. Old Father Su did not eat it either. Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to cook while Su Ergou helped her. When she came out, Su Xiaoxiao saw Father Su sitting in the backyard with a log. Su Xiaoxiao walked over and looked at his hand. ¡°Your hand is injured. Didn¡¯t I tell you not to use your right hand anymore?¡± Father Su smiled and said, ¡°It won¡¯t take much effort. I know what to do. Take it easy!¡± ¡°What did you make?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Father Su sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with outside matters these past two days and neglected the family. You¡¯ve worked hard. Your uncle and aunt came to visit, and my son-in-law also told me about it. I¡¯ve made a walking stick for my son-in-law. It¡¯ll be convenient for him to move in the future.¡± Wait. It seemed to be the case from the beginning. Why did it suddenly change from her being wronged to making a walking stick for Wei Ting? How did his mind make that leap? ¡°Dad! Sister! The food is ready! You can eat now!¡± Su Ergou barked. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡± Father Su placed the half-made walking stick aside and brought his chubby daughter into the central room. Wei Ting had already been helped out by Su Ergou to sit down. Su Xiaoxiao rejected the idea that someone could bask in her glory even while lying down. However, when she thought of how she had suffocated him this morning, she silently endured it. She quietly looked at Wei Ting, who was opposite her. Wei Ting slowly picked up his bowl and chopsticks, his expression unchanged. It was as if nothing awkward had happened. Very good, everyone chose to feign amnesia together. ¡°Eh, daughter, what dish is this?¡± Father Su looked at the unfamiliar dish on the table. It looked like pork belly, but it was different from her usual cooking. ¡°It¡¯s braised pork with preserved vegetables,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°It¡¯s made of pork belly.¡± She had planned to cook this dish yesterday, but Father Su hadn¡¯t returned, so Su Xiaoxiao left it for today. Coincidentally, she bought bean pods today. ¡°It¡¯s not spicy, right?¡± Father Su asked. ¡°It¡¯s not spicy,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Hearing that it was not spicy, Father Su picked up a piece for the three little ones. The three of them used their chopsticks to poke at the meat. Wei Ting frowned. Father Su said to his son-in-law, ¡°This is how children learn to eat. You have to let them do it themselves.¡± Wei Ting thought about how before he came to the Su family, the three little brats had indeed been fed by others. After coming here, although they ate miserably, they did it themselves. Moreover, their appetites had increased a lot. The braised pork with preserved vegetables was very tender, it was fatty, but not greasy. It melted with a sip. The taste of the preserved vegetables was stewed in it, and the preserved vegetables soaked in gravy and bean paste had a different oily flavor. The three little ones ate until their mouths were oily. Wei Ting usually did not like greasy things, but he could not help but eat a few pieces. The family ate their fill. Su Ergou and the three little ones lay on the chair to rest their stomachs. Father Su sighed. ¡°Daughter, have you realized that ever since our son-in-law came to our house, our family¡¯s days have improved a lot? In the past, we didn¡¯t see meat twice in a month, but recently, we can eat meat every meal.¡± Was that Wei Ting¡¯s credit? It was hers! She had transmigrated! Su Xiaoxiao was so angry that she glanced at him coldly. ¡­Sleeping with him once was not enough. It would take at least two times to recover her losses! Wei Ting looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who was about to explode from anger, and smiled. He said to Su Cheng, ¡°Dad is right. I bring good luck to my wife.¡± Su Xiaoxiao tore the bamboo leaves! Three times! ¡ª- In the afternoon, Su Cheng continued to make a walking stick for Wei Ting while Su Ergou took care of the children. Su Xiaoxiao went to her own field. What she said in front of Father Su was that when Wei Ting recovered, she would let Wei Ting farm. That was just a saying. Wei Ting would leave after recovering. It was December now. After being here for so long, she had almost figured out the climate here. Xinghua Town was located in the middle of the Great Zhou Dynasty, slightly north. The four seasons were clear, and it would snow in winter. It was not as cold as the north. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s somewhat similar to the climate in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in my previous life. What crops are suitable for planting in this climate?¡± There was a hierarchy of knowledge and specialization. In her previous life, she had become independent early and learned culinary skills. However, she was really ignorant about farming. ¡°Wait, let¡¯s not worry about whether I know how to plant it or not. I seem to have forgotten where my home is.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood in front of the field in a daze, doubting her life like a lost little fat penguin. ¡°Y-Yaya?¡± A bewildered voice came from behind. Su Xiaoxiao turned around. It was Old Li and his wife, Madam Qian. The two of them, one carrying a hoe and the other carrying a basket, were probably here to work in the field. ¡°Grandpa Li, Auntie Qian,¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted. Old Li asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao scratched her head. ¡°I want to go to my family¡¯s land to take a look. I¡¯ve forgotten where it is.¡± Old Li was amused by her silly look. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you there.¡± Madam Qian seemed to want to stop him, but Old Li had already led Su Xiaoxiao forward. She could only accept her fate and follow. ¡°This is your land.¡± Old Li pointed at an overgrown field. The Su family¡¯s two acres of land had been deserted for many years and was no longer in good shape. Logically speaking, if the land was ruined like this, it would be taken back by the village. However, who would dare to take the land of the Su family¡¯s three tyrants? ¡°Daya, do you want to farm?¡± Old Li asked. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I want to plant some vegetables so that I don¡¯t have to go to town to buy vegetables in the future.¡± Old Li said, ¡°What do you want to eat? Come to my house to pick it.¡± Madam Qian glared at her man! Fatty Su could eat so much. If she were to pluck it, all the leaves in the ground would be gone! ¡°I still have to plant the land too,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Old Li said, ¡°The land is so desolate that you have to replant it. Moreover, even if you plant it now, it will take a few months to harvest.¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to your house to pick vegetables first. I can also see what vegetables there are.¡± Old Li said, ¡°What do you want to plant? I¡¯ll give you the seeds and seedlings. If you don¡¯t know how to plant them, let your Auntie Qian teach you.¡± Madam Qian turned her face away. She would not teach Fat Lass Su how to farm! Chapter 28 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There were many vegetables planted in Old Li¡¯s vegetable field. Su Xiaoxiao picked some radishes, cabbages, and garlic sprouts. ¡°This is¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the green vegetables and asked. Old Li said, ¡°The smell of this is a little strong. Many people aren¡¯t used to it.¡± Wasn¡¯t this coriander from her previous life? Coriander was a good thing. It contained rich vitamins, trace elements, and many minerals. It could be used to alleviate rashes and reduce digestion. It was very suitable for eating in winter. Su Xiaoxiao picked some coriander and filled Old Li¡¯s basket. She went out to look at the land and did not bring anything. When Madam Qian saw Fat Lass Su pick so many vegetables, her face turned green with pain. Old Li said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°You don¡¯t sell vegetables. You only have a few people to eat at home. Actually, you don¡¯t need so much land. Half an acre is enough. The remaining acre and a half can be used to grow some food.¡± Su Xiaoxiao listened to Old Li. She naturally wouldn¡¯t waste any land. However, compared to food, she wanted to plant sugarcane more. Sugar cane could be used to make sugar. The cost of making pancakes could be reduced greatly, and the profit margin would be greater. As for selling candy, she had no intention of doing that for the time being. In ancient times, sugar and salt were rare items. Behind them was a huge business chain. Once she disturbed the sugar market with a low price, she would definitely become a target. She wouldn¡¯t do that until she was strong enough. ¡°Grandpa Li, Auntie Qian, I¡¯ll go back first.¡± ¡°Go,¡± Old Li said. Madam Qian secretly rolled her eyes. Amused, Su Xiaoxiao left the vegetable field with the basket. She really wasn¡¯t angry. When they reached home, Su Xiaoxiao took out the vegetables and returned the basket to Old Li and his wife. The basket was heavy and covered with a clean cotton cloth. After she left, Madam Qian opened it and saw six pancakes and two pieces of meat! Madam Qian gasped! ¨C Su Cheng finished making the walking stick and called Wei Ting over to test it in the backyard. Father Su was really good to his son-in-law. It was anyone¡¯s guess if Daddy Su would vomit blood the day he left. Su Ergou went to the village entrance to fetch water. The three little ones did not take an afternoon nap. They climbed out of bed and went next door. They came to the window of the second room. Niu Dan did not eat sugar eggs today. His grandfather, Liu Shan, went to the back village for a meal yesterday and brought him half a bowl of peanuts and a piece of candy. He ate a peanut and licked the candy. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± He tempted the three little ones. ¡°Peanuts!¡± He raised the half-licked candy bar again. ¡°Candy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you! You¡¯ll die of hunger! Go ahead!¡± The three little ones blinked and walked away. ¡°Hmph!¡± Niu Dan snorted and continued to lick the candy. Suddenly, the three little ones returned. Everyone had a string of shiny candied hawthorns in their hands. Seeing the candied hawthorn, Niu Dan¡¯s eyes widened! The three little ones began to lick the candied hawthorn. After licking for a while, they were not satisfied and started to gnaw with their little teeth. Niu Dan immediately felt that the candy in his hand was no longer fragrant! After the three of them had enough of the candied haws, they went home and took a bowl of fried sesame balls and fried oil pastry. They ate one at a time before Niu Dan cried from hunger! ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao sat behind the kitchen and sharpened her knife. Big Wu¡¯s stern voice came from the kitchen next door. ¡°Can¡¯t you eat enough yourself? You gp to your parents¡¯ house every other day to pass them things from our family! Is this how you perform your duty as a wife? You can¡¯t even give birth to a child! You¡¯re all money-losing goods!¡± ¡°Eat, eat, eat! All you think about is eating!¡± In the beginning, she was scolding Little Wu. In the end, she was probably scolding Little Wu¡¯s two daughters. Her two daughters were crying from the scolding. ¡°Cry, cry, cry! Are you mourning?¡± Big Wu raised her hand impatiently and slapped her two granddaughters a few times. Little Wu blocked it with her body and suffered a few blows. Niu Dan in the front room also cried. It was a real mourning level. Niu Dan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Big Wu couldn¡¯t be bothered to teach Little Wu and her daughters a lesson. She hurriedly went to the front room to coax her precious grandson. Su Xiaoxiao continued to sharpen her knife. About half an hour later, Little Wu opened the back door of the kitchen, planning to come out for some air. She caught a glimpse of Su Xiaoxiao sharpening her knife in the snow. Perhaps she was worried that Su Xiaoxiao would hear the commotion just now, she felt a little awkward. Su Xiaoxiao placed a few catties of pork ribs and some vegetables that she had just picked from the ground. Little Wu walked forward silently and squatted down to help Su Xiaoxiao pick vegetables. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t ask what had happened to Little Wu, nor did she reject her help. However, after Little Wu finished picking the vegetables and washing her ribs, she went into the house and gave her 20 copper coins. Little Wu was stunned. ¡°You seem to need this more than food.¡± Little Wu¡¯s eyes turned hot. Her mother was sick. She wanted to take a few eggs back to visit her mother, but she was discovered by her mother-in-law, Big Wu, and was scolded. She had been like this for so many years and was already numb to it. However, for some reason, the moment Su Xiaoxiao handed her the copper coins, an indescribable grievance surged in her heart. She whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t go to my parents¡¯ house every other day to pass them things.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I know.¡± Little Wu¡¯s tears fell. The grievances that had accumulated for many years fermented in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s trust until they completely erupted. ¡ª- The three little ones had peed too much last night and wet two mattresses. Coupled with the fact that it was snowing and there was no sun, the mattresses were still wet. Tonight, Su Ergou could only sleep with Daddy Su. The three little ones got their wish and got their third free sleep with Su Xiaoxiao. The three little ones waved goodbye to their father and carried the pillow to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s house. Su Xiaoxiao was about to rest when Su Ergou asked at the door, ¡°Sister, are you asleep?¡± ¡°No, come in,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Ergou was here to ask about tomorrow¡¯s business. ¡°Sister, are we going to set up a stall in Jin Ji or the academy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought seriously and said, ¡°Jin Ji.¡± Su Ergou: ¡°Ah.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled at him. ¡°You want to go to the academy?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°There are many students in the academy. They will definitely sell more than at the entrance of Jin Ji!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true.¡± Jin Ji was surrounded by high-quality customers. They could afford it and it would save the siblings time. Su Ergou continued, ¡°Then are we giving up on the academy¡¯s business?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that the sales model has to change.¡± Thanks to her CEO mother in her previous life, she still had some business ideals in her mind. Su Xiaoxiao said to Su Ergou, ¡°It¡¯s late. Go to sleep.¡± Su Ergou nodded. ¡°Okay, remember to wake me up tomorrow.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was amused. ¡°I will.¡± Why did she feel that her silly brother was more enthusiastic about selling pancakes than extorting money? Su Ergou and the others went out and another head popped in. ¡°Sister, you can make a kind of pancake called Ergou pancake in the future!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Chapter 29 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios While sleeping, Su Xiaoxiao realized something interesting. Including tonight, the three little ones had slept with her for three nights. The first night, it was Dahu who slept next to her. The second night, it was Erhu. Tonight, it became Xiaohu. The three children actually knew how to take turns. Dahu and Erhu had already fallen asleep. Xiaohu still tried to open his eyes wide and move his little head left and right. Su Xiaoxiao asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiaohu said, ¡°Xiaohu won¡¯t sleep.¡± He was the youngest. It was not easy for him to be with his mother. He did not want to sleep. He wanted to be awake. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Xiao Hu stopped answering. How could Su Xiaoxiao know what he was thinking? She turned off the light and lay down beside Xiao Hu. She said sternly, ¡°Close your eyes!¡± Xiaohu obediently closed his eyes, but he still did not sleep. ¡°Mother.¡± Xiaohu called her. Su Xiaoxiao pretended to sleep. Xiaohu stopped calling her after three times. It would be a huge mistake to think that he was finally going to sleep. A small bump appeared in the blanket of the three little ones. Soon, the small bump moved towards Su Xiaoxiao. Xiaohu got under her blanket. Sleeping with his mother! Not telling Dahu and Erhu! Coincidentally, Dahu and Erhu did the same. ¡ª- The first thing Su Xiaoxiao did when she woke up was look for children. There was one at the head of the bed, one at the end of the bed, and one in the corner. After arranging the three of them, Su Xiaoxiao went to Father Su¡¯s room to wake him up. There were a lot of things to do today, and she couldn¡¯t handle it alone. When Su Ergou came to the kitchen, Little Wu was also there. He looked startled. Little Wu hurriedly explained, ¡°I¡­ I have nothing to do. I came over to help.¡± Su Ergou looked at his sister, who did not object. ¡°Oh,¡± he said and accepted. At first, Little Wu was a little nervous, but Su Ergou only focused on work and ignored her. She gradually relaxed. Su Ergou mainly did menial work while Little Wu helped to wash, cut, and knead the vegetables. She was clean and efficient. Su Xiaoxiao only needed to tell her once before she remembered. With Little Wu and Su Ergou helping¡­ it was mainly due to Little Wu¡¯s help that they completed twice the workload as yesterday. Su Xiaoxiao was satisfied. ¡°My mother is awake. I have to go over.¡± Little Wu kept an eye on her family. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Alright, go first. I¡¯ll talk to you about your salary when I come back from town.¡± Little Wu shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve already given it to me. That¡¯s twenty coppers.¡± Her husband, Liu Ping, worked hard in town. He could not earn so much even if he worked hard for a day. If he was lucky, he could earn ten to five copper coins. Most of the time, he only earned two meals. ¡°I¡¯ll come back tomorrow morning.¡± She turned around and left through the back door of the kitchen. Then, she thought of something and turned back. ¡°You don¡¯t need to pay me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao burst out laughing. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the children for you too.¡± She sneaked back a second time. Su Xiaoxiao almost laughed to death at her sneaky actions. Before leaving, Su Xiaoxiao went to Wei Ting¡¯s room. His wound was healing well, and she could remove his stitches tonight. Then, she left a message for Father Su. She originally wanted to leave a note, but sadly realized that the family of three was all illiterate. ¡°I write in simplified Chinese. Father Su would not be able to read it even if he was literate.¡± After muttering, she said to Wei Ting, ¡°When my father wakes up, tell him to learn how to grow vegetables from Auntie Qian.¡± ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao first went to the market with Su Ergou. The young butcher had just set up his stall. He had been scammed and was in a bad mood, but life had to continue. Su Xiaoxiao came to the stall and asked him with a smile, ¡°Have you thought about it? Are you going to split the profits with me or are you going to supply me?¡± Butcher looked at this little fat village girl who had ruined him and turned his face away sadly. ¡°Split the accounts.¡± If they lost money this way, it would be on her. If they earned money, he would have a share. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± The butcher frowned at her. ¡°You¡¯re not surprised at all. You knew I would choose to split the profits?¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°Because there¡¯s no need to take the risk. You¡¯ll have a share if we earn, and I¡¯ll take the loss.¡± ¡°But I want three-seven,¡± Butcher said. ¡°Twenty-eight! Also, sell me half of your meat at half price!¡± ¡°Half? That¡¯s too much!¡± ¡°Just treat it as a wholesale price. The goods I offer can be sold for a price. Do the math and see if you can earn it back!¡± The butcher finally agreed. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s try it out for a day. Happy cooperation.¡± ¡ª- After leaving two big jars, Su Xiaoxiao went to Jin Ji with Su Ergou. Although they had only set up their business for two days, news of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s Wife Cake had already spread in Jin Ji. ¡°Aiya, it¡¯s not that I want to say this, but can¡¯t you change your pastries? They¡¯re so expensive, and they¡¯re always the same. A small village girl¡¯s pastries are better than yours! The name is also novel. It¡¯s called¡­ Wife Cake!¡± The complainant was a regular customer of Jin Ji. When Manager Sun heard this, he didn¡¯t mind. ¡°They went to buy it because that girl saved a child in Jin Ji. How can her pancakes be delicious?¡± The head chef of Jin Ji had retired from the capital and had entered the palace to be a royal chef in his early years! Would he lose to a little village girl? ¡°Yo, yo, yo, here comes the Wife Cake!¡± The old customer said without hesitation, ¡°Girl! Leave a few for me!¡± ¡°Wife cake, tsk, tacky!¡± Manager Sun went to the kitchen coldly. A few chefs were gathered together to taste the pancakes. They had to taste the pancakes that they sold every day. They would only sell them after they passed the taste test. Otherwise, they would rather throw them away than sell them to customers. They had recently been trying to improve their own shortbread. ¡°It smells so good.¡± Manager Sun walked forward and looked at the pancake on the table. ¡°Is it new? It seems different from the previous formula.¡± The cooks said nothing. Manager Sun took a bite and his eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s soft and sweet. It¡¯s much better than the ones we made before! Who made it?¡± The cooks looked at each other. One of them mustered his courage and said, ¡°I bought it from outside¡­ It¡¯s that little village girl¡¯s wife cake.¡± Manager Sun was speechless. ¡ª- At the alley near Jin Ji, Su Xiaoxiao finished selling the last Wife Cake on the tray and was about to close the stall. ¡°Miss, give me two stuffed red beans and a dried plum!¡± A young woman came over and said. Su Xiaoxiao said politely, ¡°Sorry, I sold out today.¡± The woman pointed at Su Ergou¡¯s basket and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t there more inside?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°These aren¡¯t for sale.¡± Su Ergou whispered into his sister¡¯s ear, ¡°Sister, there¡¯s so much left. Why don¡¯t you sell it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know in a while.¡± An hour later, the two of them stood at the entrance of Wutong Academy. At this moment, the students had already started their classes. There were not many people outside. The servant stopped them and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Shen Chuan.¡± Chapter 30 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Who are you?¡± the servant asked. ¡°Shen Chuan asked us to come over,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. The servant looked at the two of them suspiciously. One was a fat village girl and the other was a poor boy. No matter how he looked at it, they did not seem to be able to get along with Young Master Shen. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Su Ergou said. ¡°He even said that this academy is owned by his family!¡± The Wutong Academy was opened by the Shen family. It was no secret that the only son of the Shen family was called Shen Chuan. The servant still did not believe the two of them. ¡°Sister,¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°Could that Shen Chuan be lying to us? He asked us to set up a stall here, but we couldn¡¯t even see him.¡± ¡°Can we set up a stall here?¡± he asked the manservant. ¡°No,¡± the servant refused. Su Ergou said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Sister, look!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment. ¡°When we see Shen Chuan, we¡¯ll ask him what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Still want to see him?¡± Su Ergou curled his lips and muttered, ¡°We can¡¯t even enter the door!¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around. ¡°Shall we go through the small door?¡± Su Ergou was stunned. ¡°What?¡± Fifteen minutes later, the two of them arrived at the back door of the Wutong Academy. This place was much quieter than the front door. The guard was an old man. The old man was sitting on a chair and looked like he was about to fall asleep. It was a skill to fall asleep in the cold wind in the middle of winter. Su Ergou whispered, ¡°Sister, what if this person doesn¡¯t let us in?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try it first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao prepared for the worst. If she couldn¡¯t go in the back door, she would wait for the students at the academy to finish school. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m looking for Shen Chuan,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to the old man. The old man opened one of his eyelids and glanced at her lazily before closing his eyes again. ¡®What does that mean?¡¯ ¡°Can I go in?¡± The old man continued to rest. ¡°If you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll go in.¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused and said to Su Ergou, ¡°Go to the front door and wait. If Shen Chuan comes out from there, tell him that I¡¯ve gone in to look for him.¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°Okay, Sister!¡± Su Xiaoxiao entered the academy. The Wutong Academy was very big, and she actually did not know where Shen Chuan was. A student in a white school uniform brushed past her. She stopped him. ¡°Young Master, have you seen Shen Chuan?¡± The other party looked at her strangely. It was unknown if he was wondering why such a chubby girl existed in this world or why this fat girl came to look for Shen Chuan. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°He asked me to sell him something. I¡¯m here to deliver it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The other party nodded and pointed southeast. ¡°He should be in class. If you want to send something, send it to that courtyard.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thanked him and walked towards the courtyard. Along the way, she did not forget to admire the scenery. So this was the ancient academy. It was not as exquisite and glamorous as in movies. It was just an ordinary house. From time to time, the voices of the teachers and the scholars could be heard. Su Xiaoxiao listened and unknowingly arrived at the courtyard. A servant was sweeping the snow. When he saw a fat village girl, he couldn¡¯t help but pause. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Shen Chuan.¡± The servant looked at her deeply and did not say anything. He turned around and brought her into the courtyard. He gestured for Su Xiaoxiao to wait in the room while he went out to do something. Su Xiaoxiao placed the basket on the table and sat on the chair for a while, thinking about asking the servants when Shen Chuan would come. When she left the house, it was snowing again. Large patches of snow fell silently like goose feathers. ¡°Eh? Where¡¯s that person? Why did he disappear?¡± Su Xiaoxiao could only return to the room to wait. When he passed by the gate in the second courtyard, a man coughed violently from a room in the back. ¡°Shen Chuan, is that you?¡± She asked. The coughing became worse, accompanied by dry retching, the kind that almost coughed out the lungs. Su Xiaoxiao frowned and quickly went to the room. It was not Shen Chuan. It was a young man in his early twenties. He was half lying on the edge of the bed, coughing until he was sweating and his blood was surging. His entire face was red. Su Xiaoxiao hurried to the bed and helped him sit up. Her legs hung under the bed. The man¡¯s temperature was high, and Su Xiaoxiao could feel a burning sensation in her palm. This was much hotter than Wei Ting¡¯s. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t bring a first-aid bag out, so she could only use her hand to measure his forehead temperature. ¡°I¡¯m afraid your fever has reached 40 degrees.¡± Su Xiaoxiao unbuttoned his shirt and leaned over to listen to his heart. ¡°Take a deep breath. Vomit when I ask you to.¡± The man¡¯s reaction was very poor and he couldn¡¯t understand what Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Xiaoxiao frowned and took his pulse again. Su Xiaoxiao made a diagnosis based on his breathing sounds, symptoms, and pulse. The preliminary diagnosis was acute pneumonia. In ancient times when even a cold could kill, pneumonia was definitely a serious illness. He had been infected for a few days and had not received timely and effective treatment, causing his condition to worsen. If this continued, there was no guarantee that it would not cause complications like pleurisy. In serious cases, it might even endanger his life. However, she did not have any medicine to treat pneumonia. As she was thinking, she suddenly felt her vision flash. She subconsciously closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw the base¡¯s pharmacy. She was standing in the internal medicine area. The medicine cabinet in front of her was filled with an entire row of antibiotics and anti-viral medicine. Surprisingly, these were just the medicine required to treat acute pneumonia. Su Xiaoxiao started to get the medicine. This time, she didn¡¯t see an empty first aid kit, but she had brought a small basket. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s also Father Su¡¯s medicine!¡± She quickly walked towards the surgical area, but before she could carefully screen, her vision flashed again and she left the pharmacy. She looked down at the bottle of bone-strengthening pills she had grabbed in a hurry and confirmed that she had really entered. She checked her little basket again. The medicine was all there. Therefore, she obtained those pills. But why couldn¡¯t she enter last time? Was there some special trigger condition? Also, she came out before she finished taking it. Was there a time limit? Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it. She took out a thermometer and took his temperature. His fever had indeed reached forty degrees. Su Xiaoxiao injected a dose of antipyretic needles into his muscles and gave him a skin test for antibiotics. The skin test went well so she quickly fed him the medicine. Chapter 31 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was a little too much medicine, and he vomited after consumption, making him look very pathetic. This was what the man¡¯s personal guard saw when he entered the house. The guard¡¯s expression changed as he shouted and walked forward. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of my young master!¡± He had already finished the anti-inflammatory medicine and anti-viral medicine. Su Xiaoxiao was about to feed him cough syrup. She shoved the last spoonful into his mouth before the guard could rush over. Then, she dodged. The guard missed. Without Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s support, the man fell onto the bed. The attendant¡¯s expression changed again. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to grab Su Xiaoxiao and turned to help the man lie down. ¡°Young Master! Young Master!¡± The fever medicine was effective. The man began to sweat and his body was sticky. The guard was even more flustered. Why was he sweating like this? ¡°Young Master¡­ Young Master, what¡¯s wrong? Young Master, don¡¯t scare me! Young Master¡­ Young Master¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Dean Shen walked in hurriedly. He had just finished class when he heard Chang Ping¡¯s wail. Changping was crying on the man¡¯s body. Hearing this, he turned his head and looked at Dean Shen with snot and tears. ¡°Dean¡­ My young master has been harmed¡­¡± Dean Shen¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Who¡­ harmed your young master?¡± Changping raised his hand and pointed at Su Xiaoxiao, who was trying her best to reduce her presence. ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously. Changping cried, ¡°I saw everything! Don¡¯t deny it! My young master was fine just now¡­ It was you¡­ You poisoned my young master!¡± Only then did Dean Shen notice that there was a little fat girl in the house. She looked like a girl from a village. Although their academy was not an important place in the government office, they would not let anyone in casually, let alone this girl entering his courtyard. If something happened to Young Master because of his negligence, he would be blamed even if he died ten thousand times! ¡°Who are you? How did you get in?¡± he asked coldly. Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°I just came in.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Dean Shen rejected him. ¡°You¡¯re not a student of the academy, nor are you a servant of the academy. The servant guarding the door would not let you in.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I came in the back door.¡± Dean Shen said without thinking, ¡°That¡¯s even more impossible!¡± That old man had a worse temper than anyone else. Why would he let a little village girl enter the academy for no reason? Dean Shen said sternly, ¡°You¡¯d better tell me the truth. Otherwise, I can only send you to the government office!¡± The guard choked and roared, ¡°You harmed my young master! You¡¯re so ruthless! My young master has no grudge against you! Why did you harm my young master? Tell me! Who sent you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed helplessly. ¡°I didn¡¯t harm your young master. I was saving him just now. He¡¯s coughing so hard that he can¡¯t breathe. His high fever is serious. If he isn¡¯t treated in time, he¡¯ll be in danger. If you don¡¯t believe me, touch him. Is his fever gone?¡± Chang Ping touched his young master¡¯s forehead. It was really not that hot anymore. No, when a person died, their corpse would turn cold. This little fatty had harmed his young master! ¡°Stop quibbling! Someone, tie her up!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tie her! Don¡¯t tie her! Don¡¯t tie her!¡± Shen Chuan rushed in anxiously and stood in front of Su Xiaoxiao, panting. ¡°Listen to me, there must be some misunderstanding¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and looked at him. ¡°Oh, Shen Chuan?¡± Shen Chuan turned around and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Miss Su.¡± Dean Shen frowned. ¡°Shen Chuan! What are you doing!¡± Shen Chuan explained, ¡°Dad! I asked someone to let her in! I¡¯ve already told Uncle Qiu and the servants in the courtyard!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. No wonder it went so smoothly. Changping choked in disbelief. ¡°Young Master Shen, my young master has no grudge against you¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought, Here we go again! Can¡¯t this guard say something else for a change? Shen Chuan said firmly, ¡°I won¡¯t harm your young master, and neither will Miss Su. She said that she was saving your young master just now. Believe her! She knows medicine!¡± As he spoke, he looked into his father¡¯s eyes with certainty. ¡°Dad, remember the girl I told you about who saved the choking child in Jin Ji? It¡¯s her!¡± When Dean Shen heard his son¡¯s explanation, his expression turned even colder. ¡°So you found a girl from the countryside to treat Young Master? Do you still remember my warning? What nonsense!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Shen Chuan hesitated. He had not invited Miss Su to treat her. He had not had the chance to mention this to her. However, explaining this now seemed a little¡­ Dean Shen said in a low voice, ¡°Shen Chuan! Move aside!¡± The servant outside the door was already in position, ready to pounce on the little fat village girl at any time. Shen Chuan panicked. ¡°Dad, can you believe me for once¡­¡± Dean Shen placed his hands behind his back and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll say it one last time! Move aside! Otherwise, I¡¯ll tie you up and send you to the government office!¡± Shen Chuan snorted gloomily. ¡°You even said that I wasn¡¯t picked up from the streets by you. How can you treat your own son like this?¡± Dean Shen was so angry that the corners of his mouth twitched. Shen Chuan casually glanced at the door. ¡°Young Master Jing! You¡¯re here!¡± The servant outside the door hurriedly bowed. Dean Shen subconsciously turned his head. ¡°Miss Su, sorry!¡± Shen Chuan grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist and rushed out the door. ¡°Unfilial son!¡± Dean Shen was furious. Shen Chuan pulled Su Xiaoxiao and ran away. However, no one expected him to retreat in panic. In front of him were a burly guard and a young man in embroidered clothes with a nine-section whip. The young man¡¯s eyes were cold and his aura was powerful. He was only sixteen or seventeen years old, but he had a murderous aura. It was as if he had killed someone and drunk blood. The moment Shen Chuan saw the other party, he completely gave up resisting. Only one thought floated through his mind. It was over. It was over. His jinxed mouth really brought Young Master Jing here. It seemed that he and Miss Su were destined to not escape today. Chapter 32 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dean Shen was shocked to see the young man in embroidered clothes at the door. This brat was really Young Master Jing. Young Master Jing was not easy to get along with. He looked young but was merciless. Fortunately, this kid didn¡¯t really escape. He hoped that Young Master Jing could forgive him for his sake! ¡°Young Master Jing¡ªyou came back at the right time¡ªYoung Master has no grudges with anyone, but someone wants to harm Young Master¡ª¡± Changping began to mourn again. The young man in embroidered clothes quickly swept his gaze across the scene and paused on his unconscious cousin for a moment before turning to look at the stranger who had appeared in the room. ¡°Let go!¡± Dean Shen scolded in a low voice. Shen Chuan was so frightened that he forgot that he was still holding Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s fat wrist. Su Xiaoxiao calmly moved her hand away. Dean Shen hurriedly said, ¡°Young Master Jing, listen to me. My son didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡± Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Changping¡¯s cries. ¡°She drugged Young Master and almost killed him¡­ Your son let her in¡­ He even said that it wasn¡¯t intentional¡­¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Dean Shen¡¯s scalp went numb. There was a big misunderstanding. How should he protect his son? At this moment, the manager of Rongen Hall followed over with another doctor surnamed Yang. The two of them were originally with the young man in embroidered clothes, but the young man suddenly quickened his pace. The two of them could not catch up, so they fell behind by a few steps. However, what did that servant say just now? Did someone drug a noble? The shopkeeper of Rongen Hall crossed the threshold and recognized the little fat village girl in the room at a glance. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± ¡°Shopkeeper Cao, do you know her?¡± Dean Shen asked. Manager Cao looked at Dean Shen. ¡°She¡¯s a little liar. The last time she came to Rongen Hall to cheat, I discovered her in time and chased her out! Dean Shen, why is she here? The person who drugged the noble just now¡­ Could it be her?¡± Dean Shen¡¯s expression gave Manager Cao an answer. Manager Cao clenched his fists and pointed at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s nose. ¡°I know! No wonder there¡¯s no improvement in the noble¡¯s illness. It¡¯s because of you!¡± Dean Shen was unhappy to hear this. Doctor Dong had treated Young Master a few days ago. Did Manager Cao mean that this girl had come several times? Was their academy so careless? Or was it his son who let this girl over every day to harm Young Master? Shen Chuan chuckled and said, ¡°Cao, don¡¯t slander others! Why are you blaming Miss Su for your lack of medical skills? Miss Su just arrived today!¡± This time, Dean Shen stood on his son¡¯s side. The young man in embroidered clothes moved his feet. He did not speak. It was just a slight movement, but it deterred everyone. The house fell silent. Shen Chuan boldly glanced at him and saw him walking towards him. Shen Chuan¡¯s breathing paused, and his heart was in his throat. The young man stopped in front of him. He was so nervous he couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Why are you here?¡± the young man in brocade asked. ¡°I, I, I¡­¡± Shen Chuan stammered, not knowing how to answer. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Shen Chuan was stunned. Only then did he realize that the young man was talking to Miss Su. ¡°What did you give my cousin?¡± the young man in embroidered clothes continued. ¡°Medicine,¡± Su Xiaoxiao replied. ¡°You know medicine?¡± ¡°I know a thing or two.¡± ¡°What illness does my cousin have?¡± ¡°Lung disease.¡± ¡°Can you cure it?¡± ¡°I can.¡± ¡°What are the chances?¡± ¡°If the patient has no hidden illness, the chances are very high.¡± ¡°Okay, you treat him.¡± Everyone was shocked! Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to disturb me when I¡¯m doing my treatment.¡± Especially the one called Changping. He was too noisy. The young man in embroidered clothes said, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°No onlookers.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°The consultation fee is very expensive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Shopkeeper Cao¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡°Young Master Jing! Don¡¯t be deceived! She¡¯s a liar!¡± Shen Chuan chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re the liar! You took so much money from Young Master Jing, but you treated him until he was half-dead! What right do you have to call others liars!¡± ¡°You!¡± Shopkeeper Cao choked. He turned to look at the young man in embroidered clothes. ¡°Young Master Jing, Doctor Yang is a famous doctor I invited from the city. Are you sure you want a little girl from the countryside to treat the noble in his place? I¡¯ll be blunt first. If this girl treats the noble, our Rongen Hall won¡¯t clean up her mess! It¡¯ll be too late for her to come to our Rongen Hall then!¡± The young man in embroidered clothes said expressionlessly, ¡°Bai Ze, send the guest away.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The guard called Bai Ze looked at Manager Cao and the others coldly. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Shopkeeper Cao flicked his sleeves and left without looking back. Dean Shen opened his mouth. ¡°Young Master Jing, this is a serious matter. Please think twice.¡± The young man in embroidered clothes did not answer him. Instead, he said, ¡°With Cousin¡¯s current situation, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to trouble Dean Shen for a few more days.¡± Dean Shen understood that he had made up his mind. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°It¡¯s my honor.¡± After leaving the house, Dean Shen frowned and looked at Shen Chuan. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on? Young Master Jing seems to know that village girl.¡± Shen Chuan thought for a moment. ¡°Dad, now that you mention it, I remember that Young Master Jing was also in Jin Ji that day! He should have seen Miss Su!¡± The scene that day was a pity. He actually didn¡¯t witness Su Xiaoxiao saving someone with his own eyes. He went to the opposite side to look for her and only saw a fat village girl coming out of Jin Ji. Not long after, Young Master Jing came out. Everyone was talking about how the young man in embroidered clothes had knocked down a crazy horse and how the fat village girl had saved the child who had choked on food. Inside the house, the young man in embroidered clothes said to Changping, ¡°You can leave.¡± Changping did not dare to disobey the brocade-robed youth and obediently retreated. The young man looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Miss Su?¡± He had heard Shen Chuan call her that. Su Xiaoxiao nodded and turned to look at him. ¡°Young Master Jing?¡± She had also heard others call him that. ¡°Jingyi,¡± he said. ¡°Miss Su,¡± she said. Some things happened by chance. He wanted to avoid it, but it seemed to be destined. The heavens had made a decision for him. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you for the last consultation fee.¡± He was talking about her helping him reattach his dislocated arm. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t refuse. Although she didn¡¯t take it to heart, to these big shots, it was the hardest to return a favor. It was better to give the other party a consultation fee in the form of two silver ingots. ¡°I¡¯ll leave my cousin¡¯s illness to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Su Xiaoxiao and Jing Yi agreed to come back tomorrow. After she left with the basket, Jing Yi called Bai Ze over. ¡°Check her identity.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 33 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao went to the outer courtyard to find Shen Chuan and handed him the medicine that the patient needed to take. She carefully instructed him on the dosage and usage. ¡°I can¡¯t trust others, so I can only ask you. Also, this is a secret recipe passed down by my ancestors. Remember to keep it a secret for me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will.¡± Shen Chuan accepted the strange medicine. ¡°In return, these pancakes are for you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out 50 Wife Cakes wrapped in bamboo leaves from her basket. ¡°Th-there¡¯s so much?¡± Shen Chuan was stunned. ¡°I can¡¯t finish it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°If you can¡¯t finish it, you can give them to your classmates to try. It¡¯s necessary to build a good relationship with your classmates.¡± Actually, it was meant to be given to the students of the academy to taste, but now that there was a good opportunity to present it as a favor, why not go with the flow? In her previous life, she had always disliked her mother¡¯s way of doing things as a businesswoman who was too tactful. However, when she went from being the eldest daughter of a wealthy family to a village girl who did not have enough to eat, she understood that being a person who did not bow down to others¡­ required capital. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The academy is too far away. I might not come to the academy to set up a stall in the future.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Shen Chuan was disappointed. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°However, if anyone wants to eat it, you can reserve it in advance. As long as you reach ten, I¡¯ll send it to you for free.¡± ¡°In addition, we¡¯re considered friends. For your sake, I¡¯ll only charge nine copper coins for anything that the academy has reserved.¡± Wow, he didn¡¯t have to go out and the pancakes would be delivered. It was even cheaper by one copper coin. Thinking about it, it was really worth it! Shen Chuan agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget the Wife Cakes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao reminded him. ¡°Oh, right, right, right!¡± Shen Chuan returned with a smile. He picked up a large pile of biscuits and left. Su Xiaoxiao went to the main entrance of the academy. Seeing her come out, the servant who had stopped her was dumbfounded. ¡°Sister!¡± Su Ergou jogged over. ¡°Have you seen Shen Chuan?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Yes, I gave him the cakes.¡± ¡°Then we can go back,¡± said Su Ergou. Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Let¡¯s go somewhere first.¡± The three-day appointment with the physician had arrived. She had to go to the physician¡¯s house to get the silver needles and herbs. ¡°Do you know Spring Willow Lane?¡± she asked Su Ergou. ¡°I do. It¡¯s not far from the market. From here to Spring Willow Lane, it¡¯s about¡­ three to four miles?¡± Su Ergou was not sensitive to numbers. He had estimated seven to eight miles himself. In fact, they had walked more than six miles. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s fat body was covered in sweat. She had done enough exercise today¡­ Spring Willow Lane was an old alley. The limestone floor was cracked, and green moss grew in the cracks. The two of them walked carefully and finally arrived at a door with a wooden sign with the surname Fu. ¡°Knock,¡± said Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Aye!¡± Su Ergou was happy to be ordered around by his fat sister. He raised his hand and knocked on the door. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± He shouted. After a while, the door was slowly pulled open from the inside. ¡°Who is it?¡± An old voice asked impatiently. ¡°Eh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked and looked at her in surprise. She also saw Su Xiaoxiao and her eyebrows twitched. ¡°There¡¯s no dried plum today!¡± That¡¯s right, the granny who opened the door for them was the old woman who sold dry goods at the market. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but sigh. The town was so small¡­ She met two ¡°acquaintances¡± in a day. ¡°Wait, how did you know about my house?¡± the old woman asked with a frown. Su Xiaoxiao looked up at the door plate on the wall. It was definitely someone with the surname Fu. ¡°Excuse me, is Physician Fu here?¡± she asked. The old woman snorted angrily. ¡°Why are you looking for my son?¡± ¡°Mother! Is someone here to see me?¡± Physician Fu quickly walked over with a medicine pestle. He had been pounding medicine in the backyard. ¡°Physician Fu.¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted him. ¡°It¡¯s Miss Su.¡± Fu Langzhong¡¯s eyes flashed as he said to his mother, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s windy outside. Go in and rest. I¡¯ll receive her.¡± The old woman pointed at Su Xiaoxiao and said to her son, ¡°If she asks you for treatment, you have to charge her double the consultation fee!¡± Physician Fu and Su Xiaoxiao were speechless. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. After the old woman entered the house, Physician Fu led Su Xiaoxiao to the side. ¡°My mother doesn¡¯t know that I spent money to buy golden sore medicine from you. Don¡¯t let it slip. I¡¯ve prepared the silver needles and herbs. Wait a moment, I¡¯ll bring them to you immediately.¡± ¡ª- While waiting for the medicine, Su Xiaoxiao took a look at the Fu family¡¯s medicine cabinet. The medicine inside was not very expensive, but there were no inferior products. From this, it could be seen that Physician Fu had very strict control over the herbs. He would never fake it. It probably ran in the family. The dried plums that the old lady sold her were also of outstanding quality. ¡°Miss Su, sorry to keep you waiting.¡± Fu Lang handed a bag to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Check it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao counted the herbs without missing a single one. She paused and suddenly said, ¡°I have a few prescriptions for difficult illnesses. Do you want to learn them?¡± Physician Fu¡¯s eyes sparkled as he thought of something. His expression was serious. ¡°Do you still need me to buy golden sore medicine?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll give them to you directly.¡± Physician Fu had a bad feeling she had something up her sleeves. Soon, he understood that there was no free recipe in the world. There was a price for everything. ¡ª- In Xinghua Village, in Old Li¡¯s vegetable field, Madam Qian was teaching someone to farm. The person he was teaching was none other than the Su family¡¯s bully, Su Cheng. Madam Qian expressed that she was definitely not short-handed. She had sworn in her heart that she would never teach Fat Lass Su how to farm. It was Su Cheng, not Fat Lass Su, who was to be taught. Technically, she had kept to her word. ¡°These are big green onions, these are small green onions, these are chives, and these are the garlic sprouts you usually eat. The leaves of the garlic sprouts are flat, and the big green onions are round.¡± Su Cheng looked at the greenery with a dumbfounded expression. What the hell? Weren¡¯t they all green? ¡°Pick some spring onions for me,¡± Madam Qian said. Su Cheng decisively scooped some chives. Madam Qian was speechless. The villagers who were watching the show on the field almost laughed out loud. Su Cheng was a big bully in the village. He used to strut around, but when had he ever made such a fool of himself? Su Cheng was extremely depressed, but he could not flare up. Since his fat daughter wanted him to learn, he had to learn well. Of course, he had not come alone to embarrass himself. He had even dragged a scapegoat with him. ¡°Son-in-law, come!¡± he said to Wei Ting, who was sitting on the field. Wei Ting pointed at his injured leg with his walking stick. ¡°Father, it¡¯s inconvenient with my leg.¡± It was rare for Su Cheng to embarrass his son-in-law. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to, right?¡± Wei Ting was speechless. The price of calling him father was a little high. More and more villagers gathered around. Some of them were here to see the pair make a fool of themselves, while others were purely here to admire Wei Ting¡¯s looks. There was no one else in the world who could be so handsome. Someone in Old Su¡¯s vegetable field also noticed Wei Ting. ¡°Mother, who is that person?¡± Su Jinniang asked. Madam Fang took a look and said to her daughter, ¡°Little Su¡¯s son-in-law!¡± Su Jinniang lowered her eyes and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s¡­ really good-looking.¡± Chapter 34 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Sister, what did that physician say to you in the house?¡± On the way back, Su Ergou asked Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao panted. ¡°Before answering your question, I think we need to find an ox cart.¡± She had walked too much today, and her chubby legs could no longer move. Su Ergou hurriedly said, ¡°Sister, wait for me here. I¡¯ll hire an ox cart from the market!¡± This was the only way. Her chubby body really could not take it anymore. Su Ergou went to the market. Old Li did not come to town today. It was an ox cart from another village. Thankfully, Su Ergou forgot about the topic just now. It was already afternoon when the two of them returned to the village. At the entrance of the village, a few villagers were drawing water around the ancient well. When they saw Fat Lass Su and Su Ergou return from outside the village, they didn¡¯t make a fuss. This family seemed to have suddenly changed, especially Fat Lass Su. The villagers had seen her go to the mountain to pick firewood and wash clothes by the river. She even left early and returned late. It was said that she had gone to town to do business. ¡°I saw her riding Old Li¡¯s ox cart last time. She paid Old Li!¡± Auntie Wu said. ¡°I saw it too!¡± The wife of the Sun family said. Auntie Wu continued, ¡°Hey, what do you think¡­ What¡¯s going on? Why did Fat Lass Su suddenly change into a different person? Is she possessed?¡± ¡°Nonsense! Have you seen a ghost like this?¡± The person who spoke was Madam Zhou. She was in her early thirties and looked to be in her forties. Auntie Wu: ¡°Then why did she¡­¡± Madam Zhou snorted. ¡°What else can it be? She found a good husband! If I had such a handsome husband, I wouldn¡¯t be so lazy!¡± The villagers roared with laughter. Although they were laughing at the Su family, Fatty Su¡¯s husband was really handsome. Just looking at him made one¡¯s heart melt. The wife of the Sun family said, ¡°Why is Fatty Su so lucky?¡± Madam Zhou said, ¡°What¡¯s the use of having a good life? A fresh flower is stuck in cow dung! It¡¯s a pity about that young man.¡± Everyone agreed deeply. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to say that about my husband.¡± Fatty Su¡¯s sinister voice suddenly sounded from behind everyone. She looked up at the sky and sighed. ¡°If my husband is cow dung, then what are your men? Crap pits?¡± Everyone was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao, who had successfully rebuked the villagers, left in a good mood. Su Jinniang walked over with a basket. She greeted the aunties and aunties. Seeing their gloomy faces, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did something happen?¡± Madam Zhou looked at Fatty Su¡¯s departing back and rolled her eyes coldly. ¡°Fatty Su!¡± ¡°What happened with Daya?¡± Su Jinniang asked. The Su family was a cultured family. Su Jinniang never called her Fatty Su like the others in the village. She always called her Daya. Madam Zhou cursed, ¡°She doesn¡¯t understand human language. She¡¯s clearly a piece of cow dung, but she still thinks she¡¯s a flower! I wonder how much money she spent to buy such a live-in son-in-law! Doesn¡¯t she know that she¡¯s worthy of him?¡± The wife of the Sun family teased her. ¡°If she¡¯s not worthy, is your daughter worthy?¡± The villagers roared with laughter again. Madam Zhou¡¯s reputation in the village was not very good either. She loved to stir up trouble, but women also liked to listen to gossip. They despised Madam Zhou but always talked to her. She spat. ¡°Pfft! How old is my daughter?¡± Auntie Wu smiled and said, ¡°She¡¯s 14 years old. She can be matchmade. I¡¯m just afraid that the young man won¡¯t like your daughter!¡± Madam Zhou chuckled and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t think highly of me, do you think that I¡¯m interested in your family? In my opinion, let¡¯s not fight anymore. In all the villages, only Jinniang is worthy of that young man!¡± Su Jinniang blushed. ¡°Auntie Zhou, stop joking. He¡¯s Daya¡¯s husband. It won¡¯t sound good if word gets out.¡± Auntie Wu seized the opportunity to retort, ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re thick-skinned and don¡¯t watch your mouth. Don¡¯t implicate Jinniang! Jinniang is being matchmade as we speak! Yes, Jin Niang?¡± ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Su Jinniang replied vaguely. ¡ª- At noon, the three children ate another meal of Daddy Su¡¯s dark cuisine. When they saw Su Xiaoxiao return, they pounced into her arms, feeling extremely aggrieved. ¡°Eh? Where¡¯s Grandpa?¡± she asked. ¡°Farming,¡± Dahu said. ¡°Daddy, farm too,¡± Erhu added. ¡°Yes!¡± Xiaohu added. Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou did not have lunch. ¡°Ergou, go to the kitchen and start the fire. I¡¯ll go back to the house to change my clothes first.¡± She was drenched in sweat. ¡°Alright!¡± Su Ergou quickly went to the kitchen to start a fire. Su Xiaoxiao opened the closet and started to look for clothes. She found that there weren¡¯t many sets of clothes to wear. They were either too plain or too beautiful. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to find a suitable size. Just after she changed into it, she bumped into Su Jinniang, who was passing by. She looked at Su Jinniang in shock, and Su Jinniang happened to be looking at her. A sentence automatically floated into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mind¡ªIt¡¯s not scary to wear the same clothes. Whoever is ugly is the one feeling awkward. Neither of them spoke. Su Jinniang left with a cold expression. Su Ergou came to the central room with a roasted sweet potato. ¡°Sister, Little Wu sent roasted sweet potatoes over. Do you want to fill your stomach first?¡± After saying that, he saw Su Xiaoxiao looking at the door. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Su Jinniang.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°Why am I wearing the same clothes as her?¡± Su Ergou¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°Sister, have you forgotten that your clothes were made according to Su Jinniang¡¯s?¡± ¡°Er¡­ yes?¡± She had not inherited this memory. Su Ergou snorted. ¡°If Su Jinniang wears red, you will also wear red. If Su Jinniang wears green, you will also buy green. You even imitate Su Jinniang¡¯s walking posture a hundred times!¡± Su Xiaoxiao held her forehead. No wonder Su Jinniang looked at her like that. Su Ergou said weakly, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t emulate her in the future.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked down at her outfit. However, she did not have any other clothes to wear. This set of clothes¡­ would have to do for now. Su Xiaoxiao ate half a sweet potato and went to the kitchen to cook. She cut the sweet potato into slices and wrapped them in the salted batter with green onions. She threw them into the oil pot and fried them until they were golden. The sweetness of the sweet potato and the salty taste of the batter perfectly fused together. The outside was crispy and the inside was tender. The green onion was fragrant and oily. There was a lot of batter. She fried another plate of crispy meat. The three little ones stayed by the stove. Su Xiaoxiao fried it while they ate. Their hands and mouths were busy. To the children, this was probably the most satisfying moment of the day. Chapter 35 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When it was almost time for dinner, the crowd gradually dispersed. The eldest granddaughter and youngest grandson of Madam Qian came to call her back for dinner. ¡°Soon,¡± Madam Qian said to her two grandchildren. She picked up two radishes from the ground that Su Cheng had plucked, pinched the skin, and handed them to the siblings. The two of them played in the field while eating radishes. The two of them were attracted to Wei Ting, who was sitting on the field. Firstly, they had never seen Wei Ting before. Secondly, they had never seen such a good-looking person. The children¡¯s gaze was straightforward and honest. They would take a few more glances if they wanted to. Wei Ting did not mind and openly let the two children size him up. The little girl was called Qiu Ni. She was almost seven years old and was shy and obedient. The little boy was called Shuan Zi. He was three years old and was at the age where he could do anything. Little Shuanzi hugged Wei Ting¡¯s walking stick and started playing. When the adults were not paying attention, he dragged his walking stick and ran! ¡°You little brat!¡± Madam Qian¡¯s expression changed drastically. She raised her fist and jogged toward her grandson. Little Shuanzi dragged his walking stick and ran a few ridges before entering the Su family¡¯s vegetable field. Madam Fang helped to grab the little bolt and deliberately said fiercely, ¡°You¡¯re very naughty! If you run again, I¡¯ll catch you and sell you!¡± Little Shuanzi struggled to jump down from her hand. He abandoned his walking stick and ran towards Madam Qian fearfully. ¡°Grandma! Granny Fang is selling me!¡± Madam Fang was both angry and amused. She shouted at the panting Madam Qian, ¡°Stop running, I¡¯ll bring it over to you!¡± Then, she said to her daughter, ¡°Jinniang, send the walking stick over.¡± Su Jinniang picked up the walking stick on the ground and looked at the Li family¡¯s vegetable field not far away. Madam Fang wanted to send it to Madam Qian. After all, it was the Qian family¡¯s grandson who caused the trouble, so she was in charge of chasing him back. But for some reason, Su Jinniang saw the young man on the field at first glance. The young man was wearing the clothes of an ordinary villager. It was an inconspicuous material, but he sat there with a tall figure and long legs, emitting a quiet and special aura. His facial features were exquisite and his side profile was perfect. Su Jinniang had never seen such a good-looking man. She did not know why he used a walking stick. ¡°What are you waiting for? Go!¡± Madam Fang urged. Su Jinniang silently took her walking stick to Old Li¡¯s vegetable field, but she did not hand it to Madam Qian. Instead, she returned it to Wei Ting. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Wei Ting thanked her. His magnetic voice was cold and distant. A breeze stirred his aura. There was no stench of sweat on him, only a faint medicinal fragrance. Was he injured? Su Jinniang glanced at his leg. ¡°Jinniang!¡± After Madam Qian finished lecturing her grandson, she smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re being matchmade, right? I think the people proposing are about to break through the threshold of your Su family!¡± This was the truth. Su Jinniang was the most beautiful and famous girl in the village. There was no man who did not want to marry her. Su Jinniang felt inexplicably uneasy. ¡°Not yet.¡± Qian said, ¡°Daya is the same age as you. She¡¯s already married!¡± Fatty Su and Su Jinniang had the same surname and were the same age. It was inevitable that they would be compared. However, Fatty Su had never won since she was young. Her friends in the village were only willing to play with Su Jinniang. Fat Lass Su had always been envious. Later on, Fat Lass Su started to imitate Su Jinniang. Unfortunately, she was fat and ugly, and could not successfully emulate her. Madam Qian pulled Su Jinniang¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if even someone like Fatty Su can find a handsome husband. Yours will only be better!¡± Su Jinniang glanced at the handsome man on the field without saying anything. ¡­ . As the sun set, Su Cheng ended his farming studies for the day. Looking at the vegetable field that had been ruined by Su Cheng, Madam Qian was furious! Su Cheng coughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll come back tomorrow.¡± Madam Qian¡¯s hair stood on end! Again? ¡ª- The father-in-law and son-in-law went home. Su Xiaoxiao sat on a small stool at the door and ate a roasted corn cob while admiring the three children poking an ant nest. Su Ergou went to fetch water. ¡°Daughter! I¡¯m back!¡± When Su Cheng saw his fat daughter, the haze of being tortured by the green leaves for the entire afternoon was instantly swept away. ¡°Dad,¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted. ¡°Grandpa!¡± The three little ones called out obediently. ¡°Hey!¡± Su Cheng walked over with a smile and squatted down in front of the three of them. ¡°What are you playing with?¡± ¡°Ants,¡± Dahu said. ¡°Daya!¡± Su Cheng turned to look at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Help my son-in-law up!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him indifferently. ¡°He has hands and feet. Why do I need to help him?¡± ¡°Daya!¡± Su Cheng had a serious expression. Su Cheng was always exceptionally principled when it came to treating his son-in-law well. Su Xiaoxiao reluctantly walked toward Wei Ting. She curled her lips and stretched out two fat fingers. Wei Ting looked at her disdainful expression and smiled. He pressed his entire body against her arm. Su Xiaoxiao was caught off guard and was almost crushed by him! ¡°Wei Ting!¡± she snapped. Wei Ting took a deep breath and looked at Su Cheng with a melancholic expression. ¡°Dad, Daya is fierce to me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Cheng¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Girl, you can¡¯t bully my son-in-law!¡± Su Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth. Learned how to complain, had he? Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Go ahead. Don¡¯t worry about breaking my bones. Just don¡¯t faint from suffocation like last time.¡± With that, she did not forget to puff out her chest. Come on, let¡¯s hurt each other! Wei Ting successfully recalled his experience of fainting in somebody¡¯s arms and his expression froze. ¡°Ha!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her head in victory and helped the blushing Wei Ting into the house. ¡­ . Dinner was pepper-flavored meat, fried eggs with fat intestines, stir-fried cabbage with cold radish shreds, and a pot of dough soup. It was a combination of meat and vegetables, nourishing iron and blood, and rich in nutrition. No matter how hard Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao fought, he had to admit that Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s culinary skills were superb. Once he started on the dishes that he had never touched in the past, he could not stop. Su Ergou finished the last mouthful of rice. ¡°Sister, what are we eating tomorrow?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°Pig brains?¡± Wei Ting was shocked. At night, Su Xiaoxiao came over to remove the stitches for Wei Ting. The wound healed beautifully, with only a shallow line. Wei Ting had also sutured it before, but it was not as perfect as hers. Of course, he was a man. He didn¡¯t care if there were scars on him. He was just puzzled. How could a countryside girl have such exquisite medical skills? Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone on the roof!¡± Wei Ting covered her mouth with one hand and used his other hand to extinguish the candle on the table. The house fell into darkness. Su Xiaoxiao squatted on the ground in an extremely strange position between his legs. Chapter 36 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao felt that something was wrong with this posture. His long legs were on both sides. If she moved forward¡­ She couldn¡¯t go forward. She wanted to lean back. Wei Ting thought that she could not stabilize herself and was about to fall, so he kindly pulled her back. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. She could only squat on the spot. Wei Ting¡¯s attention was mainly on the uninvited guests on the roof, so he did not notice their awkward posture. His first reaction was that the other party was coming for him and the children. The children were playing with Su Ergou in the backyard. The entire courtyard was filled with laughter. He was prepared to kill tonight. To his surprise, the uninvited guest on the roof showed no signs of attacking. He did not sense any malice from the other party¡¯s aura. The other party only stayed on the roof for a moment before leaving silently. It was unlikely that the other party was alone and did not attack because he was afraid of him. The children were right under the other party¡¯s nose. If the other party really went to grab the children, he would not be able to save them in time. So¡­ what was going on? Who was that man? Was he after him? Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s chubby butt went numb. She felt terrible. She grabbed Wei Ting¡¯s arm and stood up. At this moment, Wei Ting lowered his head and asked her, ¡°Could it be directed at you¡­ ¡± Before he could finish, his lips touched Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s forehead. ¡°You kissed me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes widened. Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°You bumped into me. You were clearly taking advantage of me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao straightened her back and placed her hands on her chubby waist. ¡°My legs are numb, can¡¯t I stand up? Who asked you to suddenly lower your head?¡± Wei Ting refused to admit that it was his fault. ¡°You took advantage of me and molested me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth. ¡°I molested you, right?¡± She laughed in exasperation. Wei Ting snorted coldly. Su Xiaoxiao was furious! She narrowed her eyes and suddenly bent down to press him against the bedhead. She quickly kissed him on the cheek! ¡°This is what it means to molest!¡± She said domineeringly! Wei Ting froze. The atmosphere in the room became strange. Su Xiaoxiao felt a chill at the back of her head. She blinked and slowly turned around. Father Su, Ergou, Mrs. Wu, and the three children stood at the door, looking dumbfounded. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. This could not be explained clearly. Su Xiaoxiao calmly stood up and pretended to adjust Wei Ting¡¯s clothes. ¡°I already said that your injuries haven¡¯t healed. I told you to take it easy.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Everyone was speechless. Wasn¡¯t she the one who should take it easy?¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao coughed lightly and returned to her room under everyone¡¯s incredulous gazes! After closing the door, she fell onto the bed and covered her head with a pillow! Ahhh! How embarrassing! That night, the three little ones came to the east room with pillows again. ¡°Ergou, didn¡¯t you dry your mattress?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Ergou. Su Ergou said bitterly, ¡°They peed on Dad¡¯s bed again!¡± ¡°Did you do it on purpose?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked seriously. The three little ones shook their heads cutely. Su Xiaoxiao doubtfully carried the three little ones into the bed. ¡ª- Before dawn the next day, Little Wu came over to help Su Xiaoxiao as usual. When she rolled up her sleeves to wash the dried vegetables, Su Xiaoxiao noticed the scar on her arm. ¡°Your mother-in-law hit you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t intend to pretend not to see it this time. Little Wu rubbed a handful of dried plum vegetables and hesitated, but still said, ¡°Just¡­ yesterday morning.¡± Big Wu scolded Little Wu for taking the eggs back to her parents¡¯ house and vented her anger on Little Wu¡¯s two daughters. Little Wu ended up blocking a few blows for her daughters. In her memory, this was not the first time Little Wu had been beaten up. However, Little Wu never complained outside. Su Xiaoxiao always heard the sounds of beating and scolding because she lived next door. Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t in a hurry to ask her if she had other plans for the future. Instead, she said, ¡°Can you come over every day in the future?¡± Little Wu nodded. The two families lived next door, and she did not need to travel far. It was not a problem for her to come over every day. Su Xiaoxiao took out the dough. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you monthly.¡± Madam Wu hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s free!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in amusement, ¡°Who would hire someone to do work without paying? I¡¯m not Nero Zhou, the Exploiter.¡± ¡°Zhou¡­ what?¡± Little Wu didn¡¯t understand. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s very hard for you to come over every morning to help me cook. If the business grows in the future, it will be even harder. In addition, I have to ask you to take care of the three children from time to time. You already have two children, so it¡¯s not an easy job.¡± Little Wu said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Meizi can help me keep watch.¡± Meizi was the eldest daughter of Little Wu. She was eight years old and was very obedient and sensible. When the three little children ran around the village, it was Meizi who had been following them. ¡°Besides¡­ Dahu and the others¡­ are quite easy to look after.¡± This was not a lie. The three children had a strong sense of crisis. They never went to dangerous places, nor did they leave the sight of Little Wu or Meizi. They didn¡¯t cry or wet their pants. If they were hungry or thirsty, they would say it. If they wanted to relieve themselves, they would say it. Although they often made the children in the village cry, they never bullied Meizi and her sister. ¡°Regardless of whether it¡¯s easy to take care of Dahu and the others, I have to pay you your salary.¡± Xiaoxiao said to Mrs. Wu, ¡°Twenty copper coins a day for the time being. When the benefits increase in the future, I¡¯ll give you more money.¡± Little Wu was stunned. ¡°T-twenty copper coins?¡± For one day of work? In a month, it would be more than two taels! She would earn more than Liu Ping! Not only was she paid, but she was also given a portion of the pancakes and braised food that Su Daya made every day. If she went to town to buy them, it would be a considerable sum. ¡°There¡¯s no need for so many¡­¡± ¡°If you think I give you too much, do your job well.¡± ¡­ . Because she was going to the market, Su Xiaoxiao left early today. When she arrived, Luo Dazhuang had just set up his stall and hadn¡¯t hung the meat up yet. ¡°So early,¡± Luo Dazhuang said. ¡°How was the sale yesterday?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Here.¡± They were all sold out. 10 catties of braised meat, 20 catties of braised ribs, 30 yuan per catty and 40 yuan per catty. When he heard her price, he thought she had gone crazy. This was a small town. Did she think it was a city? In the end, it was really sold out. ¡°A pound of braised meat was used for taste tests,¡± he said. It meant that he did not deliberately deduct copper coins. He sold it for one tael of silver and 70 copper coins. Luo Dazhuang¡¯s cut was 20%, and Su Xiaoxiao got 850 copper coins. The cost of meat was 300 copper coins. The cost of labor, marinade and other costs was less than 50 copper coins. From the looks of it, the net profit was half a tael of silver. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re working well together.¡± She smiled and took back the jars from yesterday. She placed three new jars in his stall. Chapter 37 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Weigh it. Ten catties of pig intestines, ten catties of meat, seven catties of pig head meat, and ten catties of braised pig trotters.¡± Ever since the evidence was confirmed, Luo Dazhuang had calmed down a lot. He weighed the braised meat one by one, which was slightly more than what Su Xiaoxiao had said. Su Ergou patted his chest and said, ¡°We will never be short of money!¡± ¡°How much are you planning to sell it for?¡± Luo Dazhuang asked. ¡°Thirty copper coins for the meat and forty copper coins per catty for the rest.¡± Luo Dazhuang was shocked. ¡°No way? You¡¯re selling pork at such a high price?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°What¡¯s rare is precious. My formula and taste are worth this price!¡± ¡°Alright, don¡¯t blame me if you can¡¯t sell it.¡± It would be strange if anyone bought such expensive pig offal. At Jin Ji, Manager Sun came in early for work. At this moment, he was testing the freshly cooked snacks with a few chefs in the cubicle. ¡°How is it?¡± Manager Sun asked. The cooks looked at each other and shook their heads. It didn¡¯t taste right. ¡°Too sweet,¡± said a cook named Li. He was a senior chef in Jin Ji and had been working for more than ten years. Logically speaking, his culinary skills were not bad. ¡°Why is it sweet again?¡± Manager Sun frowned. ¡°The pot was bland just now, and this pot is sweet. What¡­ is wrong?¡± Chef Li said, ¡°I can taste what ingredients she used, but I can¡¯t make it taste like a Wife Cake.¡± Chef Wang said, ¡°The heat control and the ratio of ingredients are also very important. Sometimes, the difference is too great. Haven¡¯t people been fighting to imitate our snacks, but they can¡¯t make them taste like ours either?¡± Everyone else nodded. Manager Sun said angrily, ¡°The problem now is that someone made it! It¡¯s even better than Jin Ji! Didn¡¯t you hear what the customers said?¡± ¡°She probably didn¡¯t imitate our snacks¡­¡± A new chef said weakly. ¡°How could she not have!¡± Manager Sun glared at him. The new chef fell silent. ¡°She must have improved our formula,¡± said another chef with the surname Liu. Manager Sun said coldly, ¡°If she can improve, can¡¯t you do the same? To think few men can¡¯t beat a small village girl. If word gets out, what will happen to our Jin Ji?¡± Jin Ji was an established brand after all. The influence of the wife cake was not too great. After all, the little fat village girl only sold a few a day. But it wasn¡¯t like it didn¡¯t affect them at all. He had heard guests discussing more than once that their pancake wasn¡¯t as delicious as the Wife Cakes. This was a great humiliation! ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­ we chase her away?¡± Chef Liu suggested. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t want to chase you away?¡± Manager Sun rolled his eyes. ¡°She saved our customer. If we chase her away, what will the customers think? Besides, she¡¯s not at the main entrance of Jin Ji. She¡¯s not blocking the way or affecting the customers. Why should we chase her away?¡± Manager Sun was a little cunning, but he was also business-minded. He knew the importance of the store¡¯s image and did not wish to do anything to ruin Jin Ji¡¯s reputation. ¡°Continue to think about the formula. I¡¯ll come up with ideas.¡± ¡ª- There was a long queue at the entrance of Jin Ji as usual, but soon, an unbelievable scene happened. The moment Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s Wife Cakes were placed on display, many customers in the queue moved in front of her. Hence, she also formed a small queue. It was naturally incomparable to Jin Ji, but to a vendor who dared to sell snacks at the entrance of Jin Ji, it was already a rare sight. ¡°Miss! Are there any with chestnuts today? I didn¡¯t eat them yesterday!¡± A young man stuck his head out and asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said with a smile. Little Wu went back to her mother¡¯s house and stuffed the copper coins that Su Xiaoxiao had given her into her mother¡¯s hands. Her mother knew that her life with her in-laws was not easy and refused to accept them. However, she could not persuade Little Wu, so she asked her to bring the chestnuts back. ¡°I want chestnuts too!¡± said a little boy. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll buy for you!¡± a middle-aged woman said dotingly. Then, she thought of something and asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Will you be sold out when we arrive?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said happily, ¡°I made forty chestnuts today.¡± Twenty with red beans, twenty with green beans, and twenty with dried vegetables. It was still a hundred. As they wished, the grandmother and granddaughter bought chestnut stuffing. The chestnut-filled pancake was a test of culinary skills. Although chestnut had its own sweetness, it had to be enhanced with sugar. If too much was added, it would easily overshadow its taste, making it taste not much different from other sweet fillings. Su Xiaoxiao had grasped it perfectly, perfectly retaining the fragrance and sweetness of the chestnut. It was pink and glutinous, with a hint of crispy oil; it was sweet but not greasy. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s delicious!¡± the little boy said. The other guests also praised the chestnut-filled Wife Cake. A hundred were quickly sold out. Su Ergou muttered, ¡°Sister, I¡­¡± He had yet to eat and broadcast! Su Xiaoxiao laughed uncontrollably. ¡°I brought it for you.¡± She had other missions today and could not rush back to cook at noon. She brought food for herself and Ergou and left some for Daddy Su and the others. Su Ergou began to dig in his sister¡¯s basket. Why did he feel¡­ a little happy? In the past, it had always been Su Ergou who gave in to his sister and made people forget that he was also a child who needed someone to dote on him. Su Ergou successfully found a bowl of Wife Cakes. ¡°Sister, you eat too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on a diet. You eat it.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou stuffed the biscuit into his mouth. After packing up, Su Xiaoxiao planned to leave. At this moment, Manager Sun walked over leisurely. He put his hands behind his back and looked like he was taking a stroll. ¡°Are you done selling?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was sure that he was talking to her. She hummed indifferently. ¡°We¡¯ve sold out.¡± Manager Sun said with a fake smile, ¡°You guys¡­ are always selling things near Jin Ji. Aren¡¯t you snatching business?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If two country bumpkins like us can snatch Jin Ji¡¯s business, then your business is too easy to snatch.¡± Wasn¡¯t this a slap in the face? Manager Sun coughed a few times. ¡°You¡¯re a young lady. It¡¯s not easy for you to make a living with your younger brother. In the future, when the weather gets colder, will you even set up a stall in the snow? How about this? Why don¡¯t you sell the biscuits to Jin Ji?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him in surprise. Manager Sun raised his chin and said, ¡°You sell them for ten copper coins each, but I think your pancakes are only worth two to three copper coins. If you sell them for five copper coins, you can get 200 a day!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pulled Su Ergou and left without looking back. Manager Sun was incredulous. Had he been ignored by a girl?! He stomped his foot in anger. ¡°Six coins! Six coins is enough, right?¡± ¡°Seven¡­ Seven coins! No more!¡± ¡°Hey¡ªyou can¡¯t sell it for ten cents, can you?¡± The siblings walked away. Manager Sun made up his mind! ¡°Why don¡¯t you name a price! You can sell the formula!¡± Chapter 38 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao ignored him and the siblings went to the academy. This time, the two of them used the back door again. The guard was still the old man. However, today, he did not let them go easily. Instead, he glanced at the half-eaten pa in Su Ergou¡¯s hand and said slowly, ¡°Give me one.¡± Su Ergou was speechless. ¡ª- Su Ergou did not know that his sister was here to treat someone and thought that they were here to do business with the academy. ¡°But Sister, our pancakes are sold out! We¡­ we only have these left in the bowl.¡± But there was nothing he could do. He had only eaten half of one and the old man had taken two! Was there no justice in this world? ¡°It¡¯s not for sale today. We¡¯ll get the pre-ordered list from Shen Chuan first and send it over tomorrow according to the list.¡± Su Xiaoxiao explained it in detail. ¡°I see!¡± Su Ergou was enlightened. ¡°In that case, we don¡¯t have to wait here to sell it, Sister! How did you think of that?¡± Su Xiaoxiao hummed. ¡°I just thought of it. Maybe¡­ I¡¯m smart?¡± Su Ergou was speechless. The two of them went to Dean Shen¡¯s courtyard. The servants had already ordered them to let this little fat village girl pass. ¡°He is¡­¡± The servant looked at Su Ergou. ¡°My brother,¡± said Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Ah, please come in.¡± The servant politely invited the two of them to an elegant room. The Shen family was not rich, but they owned the academy after all and were considered a big family in town. In the room, there was a table, a chair, a table, and a book. They seem to be very particular. It was the first time ordinary villagers came here, so they felt a little uncomfortable. Su Xiaoxiao planned to let her brother relax. When she turned around, she saw that Su Ergou had fallen asleep on the chair. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. She went to the patient¡¯s room, which was next door. Jing Yi was there too and he had just wiped his cousin¡¯s sweat. Since there was sweat, it meant that the fever was receding. ¡°There you are,¡± he said. ¡°My cousin¡¯s high fever goes back and forth. Why is that?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s normal to have a high fever for three to five days. Did he eat last night and this morning?¡± Jing Yi nodded. ¡°He ate some plain porridge.¡± Looking at it this way, there was some improvement. At least he could eat. The doctor of Rongen Hall had not seen any improvement for a few days. The moment she arrived¡­ Jing Yi looked at her deeply and remembered Bai Ze¡¯s report last night. ¡°She¡¯s a girl from Xinghua Village. Her surname is Su. She has a father, a younger brother, and three children. The three children call her father Grandpa and her younger brother Uncle. They should be her sons.¡± Three children. How old was she? ¡°Her husband¡­ ¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t come out of her room.¡± Since she was just a country bumpkin, Bai Ze did not continue guarding against her. ¡°Where did you learn from?¡± Jing Yi asked. Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°My master is very low-key and usually doesn¡¯t let me say it. But if you insist on knowing, I shall tell you reluctantly. My master¡¯s surname is Fu and he lives in Spring Willow Lane.¡± Bai Ze did say that after leaving the academy yesterday, she went to the house of a physician with the surname of Fu. Fu. Could it be Imperial Physician Fu from back then? No, Imperial Physician Fu had passed away many years ago, and his age did not match that of the physician. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Jing Yi said calmly, ¡°No, I just feel that very few doctors are willing to take in female disciples.¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I¡¯m talented and have a good foundation? I¡¯m a rare genius!¡± Jing Yi looked at her chubby body and the corners of his mouth twitched. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m going to start treating the patient. Can you wait outside the room?¡± Jing Yi turned around and left the room, closing the door for her. Su Xiaoxiao said casually, ¡°By the way, if you want to know anything in the future, you can ask me directly. You don¡¯t have to get someone to sneak up to my roof.¡± Jing Yi clenched his fists. With Bai Ze¡¯s movement technique¡­ he was actually discovered by a small village girl? Su Xiaoxiao took in his reaction. So he did do it last night. Su Xiaoxiao walked over expressionlessly and bolted the door! Jing Yi was speechless Su Xiaoxiao took out the first aid kit from the small basket. Su Ergou had found this just now, but he did not open it. She took out her stethoscope and listened to the other party¡¯s heartbeat and breathing. The improvement was not great. ¡°Looks like the effects of the medicine are too slow.¡± Su Xiaoxiao decided to give him an IV. He woke up when she put the pressure tube on him and looked at Su Xiaoxiao in confusion and shock. Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°I¡¯m a physician invited by Young Master Jing. I¡¯m treating you. It might be a little painful. Bear with it for a while.¡± The other party nodded and obediently did not move. Doctors liked obedient patients the most. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be very gentle.¡± Then, she pricked the leak¡­ This body did not have the muscle memory accumulated from her previous life. Her chubby fingers stabbed down according to the strength in her brain and decisively pierced over his head. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him regretfully. ¡°Um, I might have to pierce you again.¡± The other party smiled weakly and gently, indicating to Su Xiaoxiao that it was fine. Su Xiaoxiao finally got it right on the third try. ¡­ . Jing Yi had been silently guarding the corridor. Changping was ordered not to approach. He stood in the courtyard from afar, looking at Jing Yi bitterly and worriedly at the closed door. Young Master Jing was really something. How could he let a small village girl treat Master? If there was really a problem, let¡¯s see how Young Master Jing would explain it when he returned to the capital! The patient was not in a good state of mind, so he fell asleep again after an infusion. Su Xiaoxiao came out twice to see if Su Ergou had caught a cold. Jing Yi asked the servants to bring the charcoal basin into the house. The last time Su Xiaoxiao came out was two hours later. Shen Chuan returned from class and saw Su Xiaoxiao under the corridor. ¡°Eh, Miss Su, you¡¯re here!¡± He smiled and greeted her. Seeing the young man beside her, his smile disappeared and he cupped his hands. ¡°Young Master Jing.¡± Jing Yi nodded slightly. Shen Chuan looked at Su Xiaoxiao and then at Jing Yi. It was obvious that he had something to say to Su Xiaoxiao alone. Jing Yi entered his cousin¡¯s room expressionlessly. Shen Chuan was all smiles again. He took out a piece of paper and handed it to her. ¡°Miss Su, after everyone tasted your pancakes yesterday, they all said that it was delicious! A total of 23 people reserved it. The exact amount is written on the list! There could have been more but I was afraid you won¡¯t be able to fulfill the order!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Sorry to have troubled you.¡± Shen Chuan had thought it through. If there were too many of them, she would indeed be too busy with her current manpower. Shen Chuan said, ¡°I have my own convenience! I don¡¯t have to line up at Jin Ji anymore! Speaking of which, do you only sell wife cakes? Do you have any other snacks?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Su Xiaoxiao. Shen Chuan patted the fan in his hand. ¡°That¡¯s great. The Wife Cake is delicious, but if they keep eating it, I¡¯m worried that they will get tired of it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao realized that this young master of the academy was a glutton. He was probably the one who wanted to try out all sorts of snacks! ¡°By the way, there¡¯s a medicine that you don¡¯t have to administer. Continue to feed the rest.¡± ¡ª- After instructing Shen Chuan, Su Xiaoxiao woke up Su Ergou, who was sleeping soundly, and left the academy. Unexpectedly, she met an acquaintance at the entrance of the academy. Chapter 39 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t recognize him at first glance and only felt that he looked familiar. She didn¡¯t take it to heart and brushed past him with the sleepy Su Ergou. The other party probably didn¡¯t expect to be ignored by the siblings. He frowned and said, ¡°Su Daya! Su Ergou!¡± Eh? Did they really know each other? Su Xiaoxiao stopped and turned to look at him. ¡°Who are you?¡± Su Ergou rubbed his eyes and froze. ¡°Cousin?¡± Father Su was an orphan and had no sisters. The only person who could be called Eldest Cousin was the scholar from the Chen family. What was he called again? Hao? Yuan? It was no wonder that Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t remember. It was because the Host didn¡¯t have much interaction with her eldest cousin. Even if they met occasionally, her eldest cousin rarely spoke to her. Chen Haoyuan looked at the two of them unhappily. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Su Ergou opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Chen Haoyuan¡¯s gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face with undisguised disdain and hostility. ¡°Did you come for me?¡± he asked. What was this person talking about? Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Ergou in confusion, indicating that she did not understand what this cousin was doing. ¡°Do I know him well?¡± she whispered. Su Ergou covered his mouth with his hand and lowered his voice. ¡°You used to like Eldest Cousin. Have you forgotten? You even gave him a purse, but Eldest Cousin didn¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t He Tongsheng the one I like?¡± ¡°He Tongsheng came later.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. The siblings whispered, and Chen Haoyuan frowned even more. Su Xiaoxiao secretly clenched her fists. How many had the Host taken a fancy to? And these memories were scattered. It was really inconvenient. Chen Haoyuan said coldly, ¡°I heard about you and He Tongsheng.¡± There was a hidden meaning in his words. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him strangely for a long time before finally understanding what he was insinuating. He thought that she could not marry He Tongsheng, so she came to provoke him again. Wait a minute, didn¡¯t Chen Feng and Madam Huang tell him that she had a handsome husband like Wei Ting? Even though Chen Hao was a scholar and had delicate features, he was still not on par with Wei Ting, alright? Su Xiaoxiao looked at the bag in his hand and understood. Chen Haoyuan lived in the academy and only had a day off. He had a day off today and didn¡¯t know that Chen Feng and his wife had gone to the Su family to cause trouble. Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°Who said I was here for you?¡± Were all the ancient scholars so noble? He Tongsheng and Chen Haoyuan were the same. Both of them wished they could raise their noses to the sky! Chen Haoyuan said arrogantly, ¡°You better not be! Also, the academy is not a place for people like you. Plant your land in the countryside and don¡¯t come out to embarrass yourself!¡± ¡°What kind of people are we?¡± Su Ergou was unhappy. Ever since Su Xiaoxiao fell out with the Chen family, he didn¡¯t seem to be as afraid of them as before. ¡°You know very well what kind of person I am.¡± Chen Haoyuan dusted his spotless sleeves. The meaning was obvious¡ªthey were two rogue bullies with muddy legs dirtying the holy land of scholars! ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. Take care!¡± With that, Chen Haoyuan flicked his sleeve and left. Su Ergou looked at his back and scratched his head. ¡°Sister, why do I suddenly want to beat him up?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go and beat him up?¡± Su Ergou said timidly, ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t dare to.¡± He had told his father about the last time his uncle and aunt came to his house. His father did not say a word after hearing it and only silently returned to the house. He could not judge his father¡¯s attitude towards the Chen family. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Sister, aren¡¯t you angry?¡± Su Ergou quickly followed. Su Xiaoxiao said casually, ¡°What¡¯s there to be angry about? Are we the kind of people he says we are? You¡¯re still young. You¡¯ll meet many such people in the future. You won¡¯t be able to settle all of them. Unless he moved your cheese, don¡¯t waste your time.¡± What cheese? Su Ergou scratched his head. ¡°Sister, are you going to make new snacks? Are you going to make Ergou biscuits?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao ignored him, but Su Ergou continued the original topic. ¡°Sister, when you first took a fancy to He Tongsheng, I knew that it was because He Tongsheng was also a scholar. In your heart¡­ you still miss Cousin.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what he thinks of me anymore.¡± She only cared about money, money, and more money! Su Ergou nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s true. You have brother-in-law now! His looks are much better than theirs!¡± Su Xiaoxiao, who was calm even after being labeled by Chen Haoyuan, clenched her fists tightly with a dark expression! Why was it that guy again? So angry! ¡ª- Wei Ting was pulled by Father Su to learn farming from the Qian family again today. His stitches had been removed, but he still couldn¡¯t use too much strength. The main force was still Father Su. Looking at the vegetable field that had been ruined again, Madam Qian was so angry that she clenched her fists and trembled! Father Su touched his nose resentfully. ¡°You asked me to pluck it¡­¡± Madam Qian gritted his teeth. ¡°Is that plucking? You¡¯ve uprooted it!¡± Father Su muttered, ¡°You said I could pull it out¡­¡± ¡°You can pluck the onions! Who asked you to pluck the garlic seedlings?!¡± Madam Qian was so angry that her heart ached! Heavens, let this guy extort her! Don¡¯t let him learn farming from her! Extortion would only cost her a few copper coins but he is effectively destroying half an acre of her farmland! ¡°You do it!¡± Madam Qian said to Wei Ting in exasperation. Wei Ting sighed and limped over with his walking stick. There were even more villagers watching today than yesterday. Even those from the neighboring village had come. They came to see Tyrant Su¡¯s son-in-law. ¡°Aunt Qian, have some water first.¡± Wei Ting gave her a bowl of water from Madam Qian¡¯s basket. Qian took the bowl and took a sip, feeling a little better. She pointed at the green plants on the ground and asked Wei Ting, ¡°What are these? Do you still recognize them?¡± ¡°Big onions, garlic sprouts, leeks, spring onions, radish, and lettuce.¡± Wei Ting reported from left to right. ¡°Yes.¡± Madam Qian was very satisfied. She glared at Su Cheng and said, ¡°Young people are still the smartest. You learned it immediately! Unlike some people, who can¡¯t differentiate between green onions and garlic sprouts after a hundred times!¡± Evil Tyrant Su made a fool of himself again! The villagers were really going to die laughing! Su Cheng¡¯s eyes darted around as he quickly changed the positions of the vegetables. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Wei Ting. ¡°Can you still recognize them?¡± Wei Ting was speechless. He was a good son-in-law. Why was there a need to fight? Chapter 40 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the other town, Su Xiaoxiao thought about her conversation with Jing Yi and was worried. She went to Spring Willow Lane again. When Aunt Fu saw her, her nostrils flared. ¡°Why are you here again!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pouted. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not looking for you to buy dried plums.¡± Aunt Fu was so angry she couldn¡¯t speak! Physician Fu came out. ¡°Mother¡­¡± Aunt Fu said angrily, ¡°I asked you to charge her double treatment fee, did you take the payment?¡± Physician Fu said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯ve taken it¡­¡± She was his disciple. A disciple in name only. He did not dare to say the last sentence. ¡°Hmph!¡± Aunt Fu thought that she had successfully extorted Su Xiaoxiao and entered the house proudly! ¡°Sister, I want to go to the toilet.¡± Su Ergou needed to pee. ¡°The latrine is over there.¡± Physician Fu pointed the way. After Su Ergou went to the toilet, Su Xiaoxiao asked about the young man in embroidered clothes. Physician Fu said, ¡°Someone was here. A young man with a sword.¡± It was Bai Ze, Jing Yi¡¯s guard. Su Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°Did he ask you about me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Physician Fu said. ¡°He asked me who you are to me. I said you were my disciple and asked him who he was, and he left.¡± She had guessed that Jing Yi would investigate her. Fortunately, she had made preparations in advance. Otherwise, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to explain her medical skills. Next, she thought that Physician Fu would ask her what was going on. Who was she, where was her master, and why was someone investigating her? Unexpectedly, Physician Fu did not seem to care at all. He only reminded her solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t tell my mother. The Fu family¡¯s medical skills are passed down to men and not women. If she finds out that I took in a female disciple¡­ Even if it¡¯s just a nominal disciple in name, she will definitely be furious.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°Oh, I suddenly want to tell her.¡± Physician Fu was speechless. ¡ª- The siblings arrived home at about the same time as their father and the family¡¯s son-in-law. Everyone ended their day¡¯s work and worked hard and happily. Except for Madam Qian. She had been tortured to death. Su Cheng was all smiles. ¡°Daughter! I¡¯m back! My son-in-law is also back!¡± When they returned home, they were loving in-laws! The three little ones followed Meizi and Niu Dan to the village to play. Su Ergou went to call them home for dinner. Su Xiaoxiao entered the kitchen and took Father Su¡¯s Chinese medicine. While waiting for the medicine, she brought the bone-strengthening medicine she had taken from the pharmacy to Father Su¡¯s room. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Father Su asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Bone-strengthening medicine.¡± Father Su had never seen such a strange medicine. ¡°Did you spend a lot of money on this?¡± ¡°I met a good physician who sold it to me at a cheap price,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said as she handed him a money bag. ¡°I¡¯ve earned some money from doing business these few days. Take these first.¡± Old Master Su refused. ¡°I don¡¯t want it. Take it and spend it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve kept some and given some to Ergou. Although it¡¯s not much, as long as we work hard in business, it will definitely get better and better in the future.¡± Old Master Su¡¯s throat hurt again. He held his daughter¡¯s hand and resisted the urge to cry with great willpower. He choked and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ Dad will learn to farm well¡­¡± In the house of the Li family, Madam Qian, who was eating, suddenly shivered involuntarily. ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao hadn¡¯t given Old Father Su acupuncture yet. It wasn¡¯t time yet. She returned to the house and took out the list that Shen Chuan had given her. She planned to see how many had been ordered of each type so that she could decide how much dough to distribute tonight. But when she saw the black and white paper in her hand, her expression froze. She couldn¡¯t read! To be precise, she did not know the language of this dynasty! Moreover, the ancient words were written vertically from top to bottom, and from right to left. There were no punctuation marks, so it was not easy to guess! She had been too hasty! Had she known earlier, she would have asked Shen Chuan to read it! The little fatty scratched her head angrily! Just as she was about to go crazy, she turned around and saw Wei Ting sitting at the door enjoying the sunset. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up as she strode over. ¡°Wei Ting, can you read?¡± Wei Ting sat on the chair and looked up indifferently. The afterglow of the setting sun fell into his deep eyes, reflecting a dazzling light. Su Xiaoxiao swallowed. Oh no, this body¡¯s love-struck habit was acting up again. She quickly turned her face away and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question.¡± Wei Ting looked at the back of her head and said indifferently, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and looked at him with sparkling eyes. ¡°Then help me read the words on this!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t read?¡± Wei Ting was surprised. Those who knew medicine more or less knew how to read, except for some barefooted doctors who only knew a few traditional cures. However, it was obvious that her medical skills were much better than those of barefooted doctors. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about country bumpkins not being able to read? Are you going to read it or not?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook the list in her hand. Wei Ting asked with a faint smile, ¡°Is this your attitude of begging?¡± Su Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth. Wei Ting leaned back in his chair and said in a tone, ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t want me to read it. Forget it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glared at him angrily and took a deep breath. She smiled. ¡°Husband, you¡¯ve worked all day in the fields. It¡¯s been hard on you. Are you thirsty? Are you hungry? I¡¯ll get you a glass of water!¡± She quickly poured a cup of tea. ¡°It¡¯s slightly cold,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Wait!¡± Su Xiaoxiao went into the house to get a cup of hot water. ¡°It¡¯s bland,¡± Wei Ting said again. ¡°Okay!¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to add some tea leaves. Apart from a few luxuries for Su Daya in the past, the Su family lived frugally. The tea leaves they had were old tea, rough and astringent. Wei Ting took a sip and didn¡¯t want to drink anymore. ¡°Husband, are you tired? Let me massage your shoulders!¡± Su Xiaoxiao circled behind him and reached out with her chubby hands to massage his shoulders and neck. Wei Ting enjoyed the way someone tried his best to please him. Except for one development. A certain someone¡¯s hand was indeed very disciplined at first, but as she pressed down, it went in an indescribable direction. Wei Ting¡¯s body tensed. ¡°Give it to me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sneered. Did he think that she couldn¡¯t deal with him? She had long noticed that there was an itch on Wei Ting¡¯s waist. Wei Ting pointed at the words on the list and read them to her word by word. Su Xiaoxiao listened attentively and subconsciously bent down behind him, wanting to remember the words he read. The girl¡¯s warm breath landed on his ear, and Wei Ting paused. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Wei Ting continued reading. The wind was cold and he was hot. ¨C When Su Jinniang passed by not far away, she saw the two of them being intimate under the setting sun. ¡°I¡¯m done reading.¡± Wei Ting said coldly. Su Xiaoxiao leaned on the chair and tilted her head, smiling at his perfect side profile. ¡°Husband, you¡¯re so amazing!¡± Wei Ting¡¯s expression was calm, and his tone was disdainful. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say it then!¡± Anyway, he had finished reading it and she had what she needed! Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the list and got up to go inside. Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°The tea is cold.¡± Su Xiaoxiao unleashed her aura without looking back. ¡°Pour it yourself!¡± Wei Ting was dumbfounded. Chapter 41 ? 41 Murder The three little ones went crazy and didn¡¯t come back with Su Ergou. Su Ergou activated his child-catching mode and the three little ones ran away! Su Ergou only had two hands. After catching Dahu and Erhu, Xiaohu slipped away. After catching Xiao Hu, Dahu ran away. After holding Dahu under his arm, Erhu stuck out his tongue and escaped. Su Ergou was flustered. The villagers, who had just finished watching the humiliation of Su Cheng and his son-in-law, were fortunate enough to witness the youngest bully of the Su family being played by three little children. ¡°Aiyo¡­ Hahaha¡­¡± The villagers¡¯ stomachs hurt from laughing. When had Su Ergou, who always followed his father around, ever been in such a sorry state? How silly! Hahahahaha! Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know about the commotion between Su Ergou and the three little ones. After Wei Ting finished reading the list to her, he suddenly lost his temper and returned to the house with a cold face. ¡°I¡¯ve spoiled you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips and snorted. She went to the kitchen to wash the vegetables. There was not much wood, so she decided to go to the back mountain to pick up some firewood. The sky was dark in the morning, so she usually took the main road. Now that there was enough light, she decided to take the small path behind the kitchen and go around the mountain. Su Jinniang had already returned home and was sitting in the backyard picking vegetables. The voices of her mother, Madam Fang, Second Aunt, and Madam Zhou could be heard from the kitchen. Madam Zhou lived next door to Old Su. If there was nothing else, they would come over to visit. ¡°Sister Fang, which family is Jinniang planning to marry into? Have you decided?¡± It was Madam Zhou¡¯s voice. Madam Fang said, ¡°Not yet.¡± Madam Zhou wondered, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t it been decided yet? Jinniang is already 16!¡± In the countryside, many girls would be married by the time they reached the age of fifteen. There were not many who were still undecided at the age of sixteen. Second Aunt Yang said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. It¡¯s not like Jinniang can¡¯t find a good match.¡± ¡°No matter how good a girl is, it¡¯ll be difficult for her to get married once she¡¯s old!¡± Zhou said, ¡°Don¡¯t be blind and delay Jinniang.¡± Madam Fang smiled. Madam Zhou gossiped, ¡°There are many suitors, right? I see matchmakers coming to your house every day. Who are they? Old Luo¡¯s Dazhu! He must be one of them!¡± Dazhu, the village chief¡¯s nephew, was a down-to-earth and hardworking young man. If not for the fact that Madam Zhou¡¯s daughter was still young, she would have wanted Dazhu to be her son-in-law. ¡°Is there anyone from town? That daughter of the family that owns a wine shop in Willow Village has already married someone from town! She¡¯s far inferior to Jinniang. If she can even marry into town, Jinniang¡­ ¡± Before Madam Zhou could finish, she was interrupted by Madam Fang coldly. ¡°My Jinniang won¡¯t adopt her style! Jinniang has always been well-behaved. She won¡¯t seduce a man who has an engagement!¡± The minister¡¯s son originally had a fianc¨¦e, but the match was ruined by the wine dealer¡¯s daughter. Madam Fang continued, ¡°There are also people from the town who came to propose marriage, but Jinniang¡¯s grandfather wants to choose a scholar as his son-in-law.¡± Madam Zhou smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. Jin Niang should get married and study! Unlike Fat Lass Su, so what if she finds a handsome husband? He can¡¯t read a word and is learning to farm from Old Li!¡± Su Jinniang recalled the scene when Wei Ting read the letter to Su Xiaoxiao. That man¡­ was clearly literate. ¡ª Madam Zhou gossiped for a while before leaving. Su Jinniang washed the picked vegetables and brought them into the kitchen. ¡°Is it snowing? Jinniang, close the door,¡± Madam Fang, who was cooking, said to Su Jinniang. Su Jinniang quietly went to close the back door of the kitchen and bumped into Su Xiaoxiao. Su Jinniang¡¯s gaze landed on her flowery cotton jacket and she closed the door coldly. Su Xiaoxiao looked down at her clothes. Damn, she had forgotten to buy new clothes. It started to snow. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t go far. She picked up a bundle of firewood and quickly returned. Su Ergou finally caught the three little ones. He was so tired that he was panting like a husky. The three little ones were full of energy and slipped into the kitchen to look for their mother. ¡°Mother, Dahu is hungry.¡± ¡°Erhu is hungry too.¡± ¡°Xiaohu is the most hungry!¡± Xiaohu lifted his clothes and patted his stomach. Su Xiaoxiao gently poked his watermelon-like stomach. ¡°Aiya, you¡¯re really hungry!¡± Xiaohu nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao burst out laughing. Dahu and Erhu also wanted to her poke their stomachs. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. She poked them one by one and didn¡¯t favor one over the other. Su Xiaoxiao had made a hotpot with corn and pork rib soup tonight. The soup base was not spicy, but she made the dipping sauce spicy. She clapped her hands. ¡°Done!¡± At this moment, there was a loud knock on the door. ¡°Fatty Su! Come out!¡± ¡°What are you doing? What are you shouting for!¡± Su Cheng removed the door latch with a cold face. The snow outside blew against his face and poured down his neck. Su Cheng quickly pulled his collar. When Madam Wan saw the door open, she raised her fists and pounced forward. Su Cheng moved aside and she missed. ¡°Mother!¡± Madam Wan¡¯s daughter-in-law was shocked. She looked at the bully, Su Cheng. Seeing that Su Cheng had no intention of attacking her, she boldly entered the house and helped Madam Wan up. ¡°Mother, are you alright?¡± she asked worriedly. Madam Wan shouted, ¡°Where¡¯s Fatty Su? Get her out! Get her out!¡± Su Cheng frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you looking for my daughter?¡± ¡°Father.¡± Su Xiaoxiao came out of the kitchen. When Madam Wan saw her, she pushed away her daughter-in-law, who was supporting her, like a wild beast. She picked up the chair on the ground and threw it at Su Xiaoxiao! Su Cheng was behind Madam Wan and it was too late to snatch the chair. Su Xiaoxiao had just crossed the threshold and the three little fellows were behind her. She couldn¡¯t hide. She was holding the hotpot in her hand, so she couldn¡¯t use her hand to block it. Just as the chair was about to hit her, the door to the small east room suddenly opened. Wei Ting flashed out and it struck down. Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°The chair costs money!¡± Wei Ting gritted his teeth and grabbed the chair firmly. Su Xiaoxiao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness. Chairs are expensive.¡± Wei Ting was dumbfounded. ¡°Wan! What¡¯s wrong with you!¡± Su Cheng strode forward and stood in front of Madam Wan. He said fiercely, ¡°Are you crazy! How dare you attack my daughter! Don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t hit you just because you¡¯re a woman?!¡± ¡°Mother! Mother!¡± Madam Wan¡¯s daughter-in-law hurriedly pulled her mother-in-law aside. The commotion was too big. The villagers came to watch the commotion again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that in the house?¡± ¡°Wang Laizi¡¯s mother and his wife.¡± Wang Laizi was the man who had touched Little Wu on the ox cart that day. Su Xiaoxiao kicked him off the ox cart. Seeing that all the villagers had come, Madam Wan ran out and collapsed to the ground. She pounded her chest and cried, ¡°Son¡­ my poor son¡­ the goddamn Su family¡­ return my son¡¯s life¡­ ¡± Wang Laizi¡¯s wife also cried sadly. Madam He said, ¡°What do you mean by returning your son¡¯s life? Auntie Wan, explain it to everyone.¡± Madam Wan cried, ¡°Fatty Su killed my son!¡± Chapter 42 ? 42 Murderer What? Did Fat Lass Su kill Wang Laizi? When everyone heard this news, they were extremely shocked. Although the Su family was domineering, they had never killed anyone. What was going on? Su Cheng walked out of the house. ¡°Wan! Don¡¯t slander her! When did my daughter kill your son?¡± Madam Wan pointed at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°I¡¯m not talking nonsense! Your daughter killed him!¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked out unhurriedly. ¡°You said I killed him. Do you have evidence?¡± Madam Wan was exceptionally agitated. ¡°My son has no feud with anyone but you! Who else could it be?¡± Su Cheng said impatiently, ¡°When did my daughter become enemies with your son?¡± Madam Wan pointed at Su Xiaoxiao and said angrily, ¡°She kicked my son off the ox cart a few days ago!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Oh, yes, so what? Isn¡¯t it too far-fetched to conclude that I¡¯m the murderer based on this?¡± Madam Wan was so excited that she panted heavily. ¡°You said it yourself¡­ that you don¡¯t like my son!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I did say that.¡± Madam Wan cried to everyone, ¡°Everyone, listen! She admitted it! She doesn¡¯t like my son and won¡¯t even let my son sit on the ox cart!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t let your son take the ox cart because¡­ ¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°Because what? Tell me! You can¡¯t say it! You don¡¯t like my son, so you killed him! You¡¯re so ruthless!¡± Madam Wan cried until her voice was hoarse. Everyone looked at Fatty Su differently. Just because no one died in the past didn¡¯t mean that it would always be the case, right? Moreover, their family was the most domineering in the entire village. Who else would be capable of killing him Fatty Su? ¡°She even killed someone. She¡¯s really something!¡± ¡°Why is there such a disaster in our village?¡± ¡°Poor Wang Laizi.¡± Wang Laizi was of a bad character and had bad habits. However, he was a living person after all. It was fine if he lost his life due to his own actions, but it was a little too much to be killed. No one wanted to live in the same village as a murderer. At this moment, another villager said, ¡°Little Su¡¯s family isn¡¯t from our village, to begin with! They¡¯re from Willow Village next door! In my opinion, apart from reporting this to the officials, we have to chase their family back to Willow Village!¡± It would be best if they could get rid of these bullies! The village chief arrived with Old Li. The two of them listened and almost understood what was going on. Old Li advised, ¡°Everyone, calm down. Daya is not that kind of person! She won¡¯t kill anyone!¡± ¡°Old Li! Why are you speaking up for Su Daya? Did she give you any benefits?¡± ¡°If she didn¡¯t give him any benefits, why would he let his wife teach the Su family how to farm?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Li family and the Su family have been really close these few days!¡± ¡°Old Li, what benefits did she give you? This is human life! Don¡¯t cover up for a murderer!¡± When Old Li heard these words, he was furious. He pointed at those people and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about murderers! I only know¡­ if it weren¡¯t for Daya that day, your New Year goods would have been snatched away by the hooligans in town!¡± Old Li told them everything about Su Xiaoxiao fighting Zhang Dao. Su Cheng said, ¡°That¡¯s right! The Su family offended Zhang Dao because of this matter. We even went to the medical center to fight with Zhang Dao! My hand was injured!¡± Everyone looked at one another. There were a lot of New Year goods that day. If that was really the case, they would owe Fatty Su a big favor. Madam Wan gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re in cahoots with her! Naturally, you¡¯ll speak up for her! Other than the few of you, who else has seen that group of people in town? It¡¯s all because of you!¡± Everyone thought that it seemed to make sense. Madam Wan continued, ¡°What kind of person is Fatty Su? It¡¯s already good enough that she didn¡¯t extort money from the villagers. Would she help them? Old Li, you are dragging the entire village down with you just because you reaped a few benefits!¡± Old Li was anxious. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! If I lied, let me¡­ let me be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!¡± With this oath, everyone fell silent. Actually, they knew Old Li¡¯s character very well. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been at ease letting Old Li buy New Year¡¯s goods for them. It was only because it happened suddenly and was related to Fatty Su that they had some doubts. However, Old Li had made such a vicious oath¡­ Could it be that they had really wronged Fatty Su? Madam Wan said angrily, ¡°So, so what if she really helped you snatch back your things? It¡¯s true that she has a grudge against my son! Old Li! You were there that day! It was your ox cart! Tell everyone yourself, did she kick my son down?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Old Li could not deny it. ¡°Aunt Wan.¡± Little Wu squeezed in from behind the villagers. She squeezed her sleeves and said with a pale face, ¡°I was there that day. Daya kicked your son off the ox cart because¡­ ¡± Su Xiaoxiao interrupted her coldly. ¡°Wu! Since when are you allowed to interfere in my matters!¡± ¡°Daya!¡± Little Wu looked at Su Xiaoxiao with red eyes. She understood that Su Daya did it on purpose. Su Daya stopped her from telling the truth because she was worried that her reputation would be damaged and she would be criticized in the future. However, she could not watch Su Daya be slandered as a murderer. She did not believe that Su Daya was that kind of person. Su Xiaoxiao walked up to Madam Wan and looked down at her in the cold wind and snow. ¡°You know your son¡¯s character. Many people wish they could beat him to death. Didn¡¯t you often curse him and say that if you had known that he was so useless, you would have drowned him in the river¡­ ¡± Madam Wan berated, ¡°I¡¯m his mother! How can I kill my son?¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°You¡­ ¡± Madam Wan fell back in anger! Su Xiaoxiao looked at Madam Wan and said, ¡°You keep saying that I¡¯m the murderer. Then let me ask you, when did your son die? Who discovered him? What was the murder weapon? Who saw me kill him with their own eyes?¡± Madam Wan said, ¡°He¡­ he was discovered by Madam Qi¡­ that is, Chunya¡­ at the back door of my house¡­ his corpse is still warm!¡± Su Xiaoxiao had been observing Madam Wan¡¯s expression. Madam Wan wasn¡¯t lying. The village chief said, ¡°Su Daya, where were you when it first snowed?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I was on my way to the back mountain to pick up firewood.¡± Li Zheng asked, ¡°Did anyone testify for you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze passed the crowd and landed on Su Jinniang. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go back. There¡¯s nothing to see,¡± Su Jinniang held Madam Fang¡¯s arm and said. ¡°Wait!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, staring at Su Jinniang. ¡°Chief, I think I know who the murderer is.¡± Chapter 43 ? 43 The Truth ¡°Who?¡± the village chief asked. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°I went to the back of the mountain to pick up firewood once. I heard from Wang Laizi that the girl from the Su family is really beautiful. If he can touch her twice, he¡¯ll be happy for the rest of his life! I suspect that Wang Laizi went to provoke Su Jinniang and was killed by her!¡± Everyone was shocked! Su Jinniang frowned. Madam Fang turned around. ¡°Fatty Su! Don¡¯t slander my daughter! Wang Laizi doesn¡¯t dare to provoke my daughter! My daughter didn¡¯t kill Wang Laizi! Jinniang hasn¡¯t gone out since she came back from the field. She has been working at home! Our entire family can testify!¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re family, so you naturally testify for her.¡± What they used to refute Fatty Su just now was used on Su Jinniang. They did not believe that Su Jinniang would kill someone, but Madam Wan did not jump out to refute. Could it be¡­ that there was really something going on? The reason why Madam Wan was silent was that her son had indeed coveted Su Jinniang¡­ Madam Zhou snorted. ¡°How can a woman kill Wang Laizi? Do you think everyone is like you, a fatty with brute force!?¡± Su Cheng said fiercely, ¡°Who are you calling a fatty? Believe it or not, I¡¯ll slap you!¡± Madam Zhou shrank back. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then she must have an accomplice!¡± Su Jinniang clenched her fists and said, ¡°Stop arguing! When Wang Laizi was in trouble, I was helping in the kitchen at home. My mother said that it was snowing and asked me to close the back door of the kitchen. Su Daya, didn¡¯t you see me?¡± Madam Fang hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes! I asked Jinniang to close the door!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked enlightened. ¡°Oh, that person is you. I didn¡¯t see clearly when it was snowing. I thought it was your sister, Yu Niang.¡± Madam Wang said, ¡°Yu Niang is at her in-laws¡¯ house! She¡¯s about to give birth. Her body is heavy, so she can¡¯t come back at all!¡± All the villagers knew about this. Su Jinniang said to the village chief, ¡°With Su Daya as my witness, my suspicion is cleared, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the village chief nodded. ¡°In that case, the two of you were near your house at that time. The murderer was neither you nor Su Daya.¡± Madam Wan howled again. ¡°Then who killed my son?¡± ¡°This question¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze swept across and landed on the daughter-in-law of the Wan family, Chunya.¡± Why don¡¯t you ask your daughter-in-law? ¡± Chunya trembled. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Chunya, you were the one who told your mother-in-law that I had a grudge against Wang Laizi, right? You saw me going to the back mountain to pick firewood, right?¡± Madam Wan said, ¡°Fatty Su! What are you trying to say!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Auntie Wan, your son¡¯s death is definitely related to your daughter-in-law! She deliberately chose a time when no one can testify for me and slandered me! However, God¡¯s plan worked. Su Jinniang saw me when she went to close the back door.¡± ¡°Daya is right!¡± Su Cheng always trusted his fat daughter without reservation. ¡°Wan, your daughter-in-law was the one who discovered the corpse. It was still warm when she was discovered. Perhaps she just killed your son!¡± Madam Wan suddenly looked at Chunya! Chunya¡¯s face was pale. She hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°Mom¡­ No¡­ It¡¯s not me¡­ I didn¡¯t kill Dacai¡­ I swear¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Wang Laizi was also called Wang Dacai. Although Chunya said that she did not kill him, she was clearly feeling guilty. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her deeply. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t kill him, you should know who the murderer is.¡± Madam Wan grabbed Chunya¡¯s arm tightly. ¡°Tell me! Who is the murderer? Tell me! Tell me quickly!¡± Chunya burst into tears. ¡°I can¡¯t say¡­¡± ¡°Tell me! Who killed my son?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Chunya. Just say it, right? Don¡¯t take the blame for others.¡± ¡°Chunya, don¡¯t be stupid. Tell me. Your man died. This is a blood feud.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you have a shameful relationship with the murderer, right? Otherwise, why would you keep your mouth shut for him?¡± The villagers gradually began to speculate maliciously from their initial kind words. It was not their fault. Chunya¡¯s actions were too abnormal. Madam Wan also began to suspect something. She pinched Chunya¡¯s arm hard. ¡°Tell me! Which wild man is it!¡± Chunya¡¯s tears fell like rain, but she refused to say who the murderer was. Su Xiaoxiao looked into the distance. ¡°Stop fighting. The murderer is here.¡± Everyone looked in the direction Su Xiaoxiao was pointing. The little bully of the Su family was pushing a man who was tied up and walking over in the snow. Behind the two of them were three little bullies. The man walked slowly, and Su Ergou kicked his butt. ¡°Go!¡± The three little bullies picked up the little whip made by their uncle! Dahu said fiercely, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Erhu also said fiercely, ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll slap you!¡± Xiaohu waved his leather whip angrily. ¡°Whip you!¡± When they got closer, everyone recognized the man who was tied up. ¡°Wang Laizi?¡± Madam He exclaimed. Auntie Liu said, ¡°Ah! The corpse has come back to life!¡± Everyone scattered! Auntie Liu jumped behind Su Cheng. Unexpectedly, Su Cheng also flashed behind his fat daughter. Auntie Liu was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Dad, are you afraid of ghosts?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°No, I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll be afraid. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll always be your strongest backing!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Ergou sighed. ¡°Why are you hiding? Wang Laizi is not dead!¡± The villagers looked at each other. Only her mother, Madam Wan, came to her son in a daze. She raised her hand and touched her son¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s warm¡­ warm and alive¡­ What, what¡¯s going on? You clearly stopped breathing just now¡­¡± Su Ergou snorted. ¡°He held it in!¡± Madam Wan grabbed his wrist. ¡°You have a pulse too. I couldn¡¯t feel it just now.¡± Su Ergou casually threw a small iron ball to the ground. ¡°Put this under your armpit and you can temporarily lose your pulse. What a petty trick!¡± The villagers heaved a long sigh of relief. As long as he wasn¡¯t a zombie¡­ Speaking of which, what was wrong with Wang Laizi? He was alive and well, so why did he pretend to die and frame someone? Madam Wan did not distinguish between right and wrong and embarrassed herself! Everyone collectively forgot that they had also wanted to chase Little Su¡¯s family out of the village. The village chief asked solemnly, ¡°Wang Dacai, why did you do that?¡± Wang Laizi remained silent. The village chief said seriously, ¡°Everyone, disperse! Wang Dacai, Madam Wan, Chunya, come to my house!¡± He was going to interrogate the family alone. Everyone did not disperse so easily and rushed to the village chief¡¯s house to watch the commotion. Su Cheng went too. He was going to beat up that bastard! Even though the bastard had already been beaten up by Su Ergou. Su Ergou came to Su Xiaoxiao with a smile. ¡°Sister, was I dashing just now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Who taught you?¡± Su Ergou replied, ¡± Brother-in-law¡­ ¡± Wei Ting had not been in the central room for a long time. She thought that he was indifferent to her matter and had returned to the room to rest. She did not expect this. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How did he know that Wang Laizi isn¡¯t dead?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only found out when I went there! Brother-in-law said that he wanted to go to the crime scene to find clues!¡± Wei Ting was much smarter and more meticulous than she had imagined. Su Xiaoxiao looked around and asked, ¡°Where is he?¡± Chapter 44 ? 44 Lost Weight Su Ergou pointed behind. ¡°Brother-in-law left slowly. He was afraid that something would happen to you, so he asked me to bring Wang Laizi over first.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s injuries had not completely healed. He still needed to lie in bed to recuperate. Occasionally, he would get off the ground and move around. He could only walk slowly with his walking stick. When he went to Wang Laizi¡¯s house, he left in a hurry, and his leg was swollen in a short time. On the way home, the snow fell harder. When Su Xiaoxiao found him, he was sitting on a large rock under the old pagoda tree, with his walking stick at the side. Usually, this stone was a place for many villagers to chat and gossip. Su Xiaoxiao never felt that it was anything special, but tonight, when he sat down, she seemed to have an additional perspective of the place. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, a tall figure, and long legs. His black hair was a little messy from the wind and snow, and it brushed past his handsome face. The scene was beautiful. ¡°Seriously, he¡¯s criminally seductive,¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered and walked forward. ¡°Why are you sitting here?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Looking at the scenery?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao sat down beside him. Wei Ting glanced at her strangely. ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the pitch-black night. ¡°Looking at the scenery.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you not cold?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°I¡¯m fat. I¡¯m fat not afraid of the cold. Are you asking me because you¡¯re cold?¡± Wei Ting snorted and did not answer. Su Xiaoxiao touched his hand. Wei Ting frowned. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Your hands are so cold. Aren¡¯t you going back? Let¡¯s go! If you continue sitting, you¡¯ll become an ice popsicle!¡± As she got up, she wanted to grab Wei Ting¡¯s walking stick and was surprised to find that it was broken. ¡°You¡­¡± She was stunned for a moment, then looked at his leg. ¡°You fell?¡± ¡°No,¡± Wei Ting said expressionlessly. Su Xiaoxiao squatted down and lifted his left trouser leg. She looked at his bloody knee and said, ¡°You still say you didn¡¯t fall!¡± The wound on his left calf was extremely deep. Although it would only require a superficial suture, it would still take some time to completely recover. This was great. Not only did his calf not recover, but his knee was also grazed. ¡°Don¡¯t just sit there. Let¡¯s head back and apply the medication.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood up and put away the broken walking stick with one hand while extending her other hand in front of him. Seeing that Wei Ting did not move, she waved her chubby hand. ¡°It¡¯s just an injured leg. Don¡¯t tell me you expect me to carry you? I¡¯m a delicate girl! How can I carry a man like you?¡± Wei Ting looked at her with a complicated expression. In the end, Wei Ting still held her hand. The two of them walked home step by step against the snow. After taking a few steps, Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Alright, I take back what I said just now. I¡¯m a 200-pound fatty. You can¡¯t break me. Don¡¯t be afraid to use force.¡± Excessive pressure on his injured leg would worsen his injuries. Wei Ting hesitated for a moment and leaned slightly against her. Su Xiaoxiao thought of what happened tonight and coughed lightly. She said proudly, ¡°Actually, even if you don¡¯t help me today, I can get away. I found an alibi for myself.¡± Wei Ting sneered. ¡°Who said I helped you? I¡¯m helping Ergou. Don¡¯t flatter yourself and think too much.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Hehe, who¡¯s thinking too much? Ergou is my brother. Does he need your help?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°He called me brother-in-law.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If he calls you brother-in-law, are you his brother-in-law? Then if I call you husband, are you my husband?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°That depends on how you call me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped and looked at him deeply. She smiled. ¡°Husband¡­ ¡± Wei Ting: ¡°¡­How unpleasant.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. The two of them continued walking. When they passed by Old Su¡¯s house, they bumped into Su Jinniang, who came out to pour water. Su Jinniang looked at the two people in the snow and suddenly called out to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Su Daya!¡± She put down the wooden basin and quickly walked to the two of them. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± In her impression, she did not have much of a relationship with this village belle. The village belle looked down on her, and all the friends she liked went to curry favor with the village belle. Su Jinniang looked a little nervous. She deliberately avoided looking at Wei Ting and stared at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Why did you slander me just now? There¡¯s clearly nothing between me and Wang Laizi! Are you deliberately ruining my reputation? How did I offend you?¡± The village belle was a little angry. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Would you be willing to stand up for me if I didn¡¯t say that?¡± Su Jinniang held her breath and glanced at Wei Ting from the corner of her eye. ¡°I¡­ Of course, I will.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sneered. ¡°Su Jinniang, do you think I¡¯m blind? When the village chief asked for someone who can prove my innocence, you pulled your mother away. What do you have to say to that?¡± Su Jinniang denied it. ¡°I didn¡¯t pull my mother away!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the sky speechlessly. ¡°Your mouth is on you. You can say whatever you want.¡± Su Jinniang¡¯s face was filled with disappointment. ¡°Su Daya, you¡¯ve always been jealous of me since you were young and always went against me. I won¡¯t bicker with you, but I never expected you to use such a method to take revenge on me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her in confusion. ¡°No, Su Jinniang, what¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± Su Jinniang lowered her eyes. ¡°Forget it. You know what you¡¯ve done. That¡¯s all I have to say. I hope you won¡¯t continue to do stupid things in the future!¡± With that, she turned around and left without any reluctance. A cold wind blew, bringing with it the faint fragrance of her rouge. After taking three steps, she turned around and sized up Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Also, don¡¯t learn to wear clothes like mine in the future.¡± With that, she really left. Su Jinniang was crazy! Exposing her shortcomings in front of Wei Ting? ¡°How ridiculous!¡± Su Xiaoxiao patted the snow off her body and looked up to see Wei Ting looking at her without blinking. She said righteously, ¡°What are you looking at? Isn¡¯t it just a few pieces of clothing? Can¡¯t I wear what she wears?¡± ¡°You seem to have lost weight,¡± Wei Ting said. Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Wei Ting pointed at her sleeve. ¡°It was tight here previously. When you changed my dressing, there was a red mark.¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Are you so observant of me?¡± Wei Ting mocked, ¡°I¡¯m wary of your hidden weapons!¡± A woman could definitely float after being praised for losing weight. She did not care if Wei Ting insulted her. Su Xiaoxiao lowered her head and touched her stomach. ¡°Now that you mention it, I do feel that my clothes aren¡¯t so full. Wei Ting, I¡¯ve really lost weight!¡± She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with joy. Wei Ting looked away and said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re just a little thinner than before. You¡¯re still¡­ ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said fiercely, ¡°Hold back your words!¡± Chapter 45 ? 45 Mastermind ¡°Where did you go just now?¡± At Old Su¡¯s house, Madam Fang had just come out of her house when she saw Su Jinniang closing the door. Su Jinniang pointed at the wooden basin in her hand. ¡°Pour water.¡± ¡°You applied perfume?¡± Madam Fang smelled her daughter¡¯s rouge. Su Jinniang lowered her eyes and said, ¡°No, my ears are frozen. I applied some snow cream.¡± Madam Fang nodded and said, ¡°I think I heard you talking to someone just now.¡± Su Jinniang said, ¡°I bumped into Su Daya and said a few words.¡± Madam Fang said unhappily, ¡°What did you say to her? She framed you tonight.¡± Su Jinniang said nothing. Madam Fang thought to herself, ¡°Is she married? I think this Fat Su is different from before. Her brain has become bright. Look at what she said to Madam Wan tonight. She¡¯s not stupid at all¡­ I heard that she even went to town to do business.¡± Su Jinniang said in a low voice, ¡°What business can she do? Mother, don¡¯t listen to nonsense.¡± Madam Fang said, ¡°It¡¯s true. Someone saw her go to town with Ergou in the morning and come back in the afternoon. If she didn¡¯t earn money, where would she get the money to buy those grains and meat? Moreover, they haven¡¯t gone to the village to extort money recently.¡± Su Jinniang leaned the wooden basin against the wall. ¡°Isn¡¯t there still the betrothal gift that the He family returned? That money is enough for them to squander for a while. When they¡¯re done, they¡¯ll extort money from everyone like before.¡± Madam Fang felt that her daughter¡¯s words made sense and sighed. ¡°Aiya, what a sin. How did our village get into trouble with this family?¡± ¡ª In the Su family, the three little ones were standing under the corridor, looking in the direction of Wang Laizi¡¯s house. It was dark and snowing hard. When Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting returned home, they saw three anxious snowmen. Wei Ting¡¯s heart suddenly softened. The few brats were not raised in vain. Just as he was about to walk towards them, he saw the three of them running over and pouncing on Su Xiaoxiao. Dahu and Erhu each held one of her hands. Xiaohu was a step slower. He wanted to pull her clothes, but he couldn¡¯t. He simply hugged Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s legs with his hands and feet. Wei Ting¡¯s mouth twitched. These brats¡­ Father Su wasn¡¯t back, so Su Xiaoxiao let the three children eat dinner first. She went to the small east room to treat Wei Ting¡¯s wound. Wei Ting was already used to her strange medicine. As soon as she started practicing medicine, she seemed to have become a different person. She was serious and rigorous. Su Xiaoxiao straightened up and took off her gloves. ¡°You don¡¯t need stitches, but your old injury hasn¡¯t healed yet. Your left calf is swollen again. Do you need me to remind you to rest more?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Wei Ting agreed calmly. After a while, seeing that she was not leaving, he asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± As Su Xiaoxiao packed up the iodophor and cotton swabs, she said casually, ¡°Just that Su Jinniang, she¡¯s the village belle of our village¡­ Although she¡¯s only a little bit worse than me, I still have to give you a friendly reminder. You¡¯re my husband in name now. Don¡¯t cuckold me. You can¡¯t even think about it. Otherwise, I¡¯ll lose face.¡± Wei Ting looked at the little fat peacock in front of him who was pretending to be proud and smiled. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s better-looking than you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao threw a pillow at him! Scumbag! A certain someone¡¯s exasperated look really made Wei Ting feel good. How was Su Jinniang good-looking? He did not look at all. In the central room, the three little ones slid down from the chair after eating and looked innocently at Su Ergou, who was guarding them. ¡°Uncle, I miss Grandpa,¡± Dahu said. Su Ergou said, ¡°My father will be back soon.¡± ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°I want Grandpa.¡± ¡°Grandpa.¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°It¡¯s snowing so heavily. You can¡¯t go. My sister won¡¯t let you go out.¡± ¡°Grandpa.¡± The three little ones were so aggrieved that they were about to cry. Su Ergou surrendered. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll call him back, alright?¡± After Su Ergou left, the three little ones immediately carried their pillows to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s house. Su Xiaoxiao was sorting through the first aid kit. ¡°Mother, Dahu is sleepy.¡± ¡°Erhu is also sleepy.¡± ¡°Xiaohu¡­ Xiaohu¡­ is the most sleepy!¡± ¡°You¡¯re always the most hungry and sleepy,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in amusement, ¡°Go to sleep if you¡¯re tired.¡± Dahu pointed at Su Cheng¡¯s room. ¡°Grandpa, he¡¯s not here.¡± Erhu pointed at Ergou¡¯s house. ¡°Uncle, he¡¯s not here either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so dark!¡± Xiaohu¡¯s expression of fear was exaggerated. They had all gone out and no one knew when they would return. Su Xiaoxiao held her forehead and sighed. She pulled open the blanket. ¡°Alright, come up.¡± The three little ones crawled onto the bed and lay down obediently under the blanket, sleeping contentedly. About an hour later, the father and son returned covered in snow. Su Xiaoxiao quickly went forward and patted the snow for the two of them. ¡°Have you asked? What did Wang Laizi say?¡± ¡°Close the door,¡± Father Su instructed Su Ergou. ¡°Hey.¡± Su Ergou inserted the door bolt with his almost frozen fingers. Father Su came to the brazier and told him about Wang Laizi. ¡°Zhang Dao did it.¡± It turned out that all of this was Zhang Dao¡¯s idea. After Zhang Dao was taught a lesson by the Su family¡¯s three tyrants, he had been holding a grudge. However, he did not dare to provoke them. He happened to have met Wang Laizi at the gambling den. In a few rounds, Wang Laizi lost all his money and Zhang Dao lent him some . In return, he did something for Zhang Dao. Wang Laizi did not dare to offend the Su family at first, but firstly, he owed Zhang Dao money. Zhang Dao threatened him that if he was disobedient, he would have to leave a hand behind. Secondly, Zhang Dao told him that the Fifth Master of the prefecture city would protect the two of them. Even if they were exposed, the Su family would not dare to do anything to them. According to the plan, Wang Laizi would pretend to be dead and cause a huge commotion, forcing the villagers to send Fatty Su to the government office. Zhang Dao had brothers in the government office, and Su Xiaoxiao would be in trouble. Even if Wang Laizi woke up miraculously a few days later, Su Xiaoxiao would have long been tortured in prison. It had to be said that this move was really sinister! If Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting hadn¡¯t reacted in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable! Father Su and Su Ergou beat Wang Laizi up and left him hanging with half a breath. He could only resign himself to fate. He was not worthy of living after doing such a wicked thing! As for Zhang Dao¡­ Su Ergou gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him tomorrow!¡± ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Su Cheng angrily grabbed his things and rushed to town with Su Ergou. How dare he scheme against his daughter like this? Even if he had to pay with his life today, he would kill that bastard! ¡°Zhang, come out!¡± Su Cheng kicked open Zhang Dao¡¯s door. The courtyard was empty. ¡°Damn! He got away!¡± Chapter 46 ? 46 Consultation Fee In the following days, Su Cheng would go to Zhang Dao¡¯s house every day. Zhang Dao did not dare to return to town. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s business was booming, and her wife cakes had become a little famous on the streets. 100 pancakes a day was no longer enough but Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t increase the quantity. Instead, she added two new snacks-chestnut cake and egg yolk pastry. Every time they would be sold out in less than two hours. Manager Sun came to look for her a few more times, wanting to buy her formula, but Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t agree. The academy¡¯s orders were increasing, and so was the braised food business. She did not set the price cheaply, but she sold her goods. Moreover, because the braised food business was too good, the butcher¡¯s own pork business also prospered. ¡°This is for today.¡± Luo Dazhuang handed two strings of copper coins to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao counted the money and handed it to Su Ergou. Luo Dazhuang said, ¡°The market will be closed soon. It can only open after the 15th of January next year.¡± The atmosphere of the ancient Chinese New Year was much thicker than in her previous life. Basically, shops and stalls began to close one after another in the middle of December. ¡°After I finish my business for the next few days, I¡¯ll come over on the 16th of January,¡± she said to Luo Dazhuang. Luo Dazhuang wanted to say that he might not open on the 16th of January, but when he met the little fat girl¡¯s expectant gaze, he swallowed his words. ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Luo Dazhuang casually picked up a piece of pork belly. ¡°There aren¡¯t many customers left in the market. This probably won¡¯t be sold. Take it back.¡± This was high-grade plum blossom meat. It was not even noon, so how could it not be sold? Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t expose him. She accepted the pork belly and handed him a bag of snacks. It was not as a return gift for the plum blossom meat. She had prepared it early. The interactions between people were very mysterious. Some cooperated because of benefits, while others because of their compatible nature. ¡°I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao bade him farewell. Luo Dazhuang opened his mouth and finally decided to stop her. ¡°Um¡­ If I didn¡¯t choose to share the profits with you, what kind of supply price would you have given me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought about it seriously. ¡°Every catty should be five copper coins less than the current price.¡± ¡°Is this the minimum supply price you mentioned? It¡¯s only five cents less?¡± Most of the little girl¡¯s braised food was sold for 40 copper coins a catty. He could get eight copper coins if he split it 20-80. The cheapest meat was 30 copper coins a catty. If he had to pay six copper coins, it would cost more than five copper coins. Luo Dazhuang was glad. ¡°Fortunately, I chose to split the profits!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re very smart.¡± Actually, it wasn¡¯t that Luo Dazhuang was smart. Su Xiaoxiao who had given him a white lie. The real supply price was only half of the selling price. The reason why Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t tell him this was that it wouldn¡¯t help. It would only increase his regret. After all, it was impossible for her to change the way she cooperated in the short term. Regret was useless when it came to cooperation. If he carried emotions that he shouldn¡¯t, disagreements and conflicts would be inevitable over time. He saw that business was good now and wanted reassurance that he would not regret it, so she gave him this reassurance. ¨C Su Xiaoxiao collected the bill and went to the academy last. After interacting with him for a while, Su Xiaoxiao had already learned his surname from the man. She called him Young Master Xiang. ¡°The sound in your lungs is gone. You¡¯re recovering well.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the stethoscope off her ear. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take any more injections. You just have to take the medicine.¡± She could not hide the infusion. After all, it was impossible for the patient to be unconscious every time. He had asked Su Xiaoxiao about her medical skills. Su Xiaoxiao only said that it was passed down from her master, so it was not convenient for her to say anything. The world was big, and there were always experts and hermits. Regardless of whether he believed her or not, she would stick to her story. Fortunately, he did not question her medical skills after that. Young Master Xiang smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Miss Su this time. If not for Miss Su¡¯s medical skills, I¡¯m afraid I would have died.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said politely, ¡°No, God helps the good.¡± Young Master Xiang said, ¡°Is Miss Su still coming over tomorrow?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I won¡¯t be coming tomorrow. I¡¯ll give you a prescription. I¡¯ll come back in three days to check on you.¡± He did not need to take Western medicine anymore. Instead, Su Xiaoxiao used Chinese medicine to calm his breathing and cough, repair his blood essence, nourish his body, and stabilize his foundation. It was better this way. ¡°I see¡­¡± Young Master Xiang sighed regretfully. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°In three days¡­ I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll still be in Apricot Town.¡± ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Young Master Xiang was silent. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. You don¡¯t sound like a local.¡± Young Master Xiang said, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m from the capital.¡± At the door, Jing Yi frowned and did not agree with his cousin revealing his background. Su Xiaoxiao widened her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°The capital. I¡¯ve never been there in my life. What¡¯s the capital like?¡± Young Master Xiang smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s big and prosperous. There are many shops and the streets are very wide. There are fresh and interesting people and things, as well as dirty things.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°It sounds like a complicated place.¡± Young Master Xiang looked warmly at the little fat girl beside him. ¡°Miss Su, are you interested in going to the capital?¡± Jing Yi¡¯s handsome brows furrowed even more. What did her cousin mean? Did he want to take her back to the capital? Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°Not for now.¡± She was still in the stage of settling her needs. How could she have the money and capital to go to the Imperial City? ¡°The capital must be very far, right? With your current condition, it¡¯s not suitable for you to travel. If possible, I hope you can completely recover before traveling.¡± This was the truth. His foundation was weaker than ordinary people, not to mention that adult pneumonia was not a minor illness. Young Master Xiang smiled. ¡°Since Miss Su has said so, it¡¯s fine if I stay for a few more days.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s expression was complicated. ¡°That¡¯s for the best.¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed him a prescription. ¡°You can go to Physician Fu¡¯s house in Spring Willow Lane to get herbs according to this prescription. The quality of his herbs is good, and the price-quality ratio is high. He¡¯s honest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Young Master Xiang unfolded the words on it and took a look. ¡°Miss Su¡­ did you write this prescription yourself?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said sternly, ¡°Of course, I wrote it! Why? Do you think I don¡¯t know how to write?¡± Young Master Xiang smiled. ¡°No, it¡¯s Miss Su¡¯s handwriting. I was very surprised.¡± Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips. That was all that guy could do. Young Master Xiang said, ¡°Changping, go get the consultation fee.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Chang Ping agreed. He didn¡¯t like Su Xiaoxiao and glared at her as he walked. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care about a little attendant at all. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Young Master Xiang and said, ¡°You¡¯re quite easy to talk to, unlike your ice-faced brother. He¡¯s¡­ the same as someone I know. He always has a cold face, as if someone owes him money.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s face was as black as charcoal. Chapter 47 ? 47 Probe Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that Jing Yi was at the door. Young Master Xiang looked in the direction of the door and chuckled. ¡°Yes, Jingyi has a bad temper. I¡¯ll teach him a lesson for you later.¡± Su Xiaoxiao quickly waved her chubby hand. ¡°No need, no need. He¡¯s your cousin after all. Don¡¯t make your brother unhappy because of an outsider like me. He¡¯s a little cold to me, but he¡¯s quite good to you.¡± ¡­. After Su Xiaoxiao left, Jing Yi walked in. ¡°Cousin, are you really not planning to return to the capital?¡± Young Master Xiang did not say anything and only handed Jing Yi a secret letter. After Jing Yi opened it, his expression turned solemn. ¡°He actually¡­¡± Young Master Xiang said, ¡°The people we sent out all failed. Before the mission is completed, we can¡¯t return. And recuperating¡­ is an extremely suitable reason. It won¡¯t arouse the suspicion of the capital.¡± Jing Yi hesitated. Young Master Xiang asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jing Yi said bluntly, ¡°You revealed a little too much to her.¡± Young Master Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Are you referring to how I told her that I¡¯m from the capital? If she deliberately approached me, her expression wouldn¡¯t be so natural when I said that I¡¯m from the capital.¡± Jing Yi was enlightened. ¡°So Cousin was testing her.¡± Young Master Xiang gently rubbed the prescription that Su Xiaoxiao had left behind. ¡°Her medical skills are too suspicious. Back then, Aunt was also unfortunately infected with lung disease. The treatment process was much longer and more dangerous than mine. However, from the looks of it, I was overthinking. She wasn¡¯t sent by any faction to approach me. She was just a little girl who had received guidance from an expert.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a young woman. She¡¯s married,¡± Jing Yi corrected. Young Master Xiang frowned in surprise. ¡°She¡¯s not old, but she¡¯s already married?¡± Jing Y repliedi, ¡°Hehe, not only is she married, but she also has three children!¡± ¡ª Su Xiaoxiao went to the room in front to find Shen Chuan. Shen Chuan handed her the list of snacks he had reserved as usual. Su Xiaoxiao took the list and gave him three taels of silver. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Shen Chuan asked. ¡°A commission,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Huh?¡± Shen Chuan did not understand. ¡°What commission?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It means that I can¡¯t let you help for nothing. Just treat it as remuneration. You helped me book snacks and take care of Young Master Xiang¡¯s medicine. I haven¡¯t had the chance to thank you properly.¡± Shen Chuan waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Do you think I¡¯m the kind of person who does things for money? Besides, my father can¡¯t wait for me to show my face in front of Young Master more often. I have to thank you for giving me this opportunity. This time, you cured Young Master¡¯s illness. My father is quite grateful to you. He just doesn¡¯t say it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pondered. ¡°That young master¡­¡± Shen Chuan looked around and whispered, ¡°He has a powerful background. You¡¯ve realized it too, right? Unfortunately, no matter how I asked, my father refused to reveal his identity!¡± Curiosity killed the cat. The less one knew, the better. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Take it. Otherwise, I won¡¯t dare to ask you for help again.¡± Seeing how insistent Su Xiaoxiao was, Shen Chuan could only accept it. Although he was the dean¡¯s son, his father was actually very strict. He only had 500 copper coins a month. Including the one tael that his mother had secretly given him, he did not even have one tael a month. The feeling of earning money¡­ seemed pretty good! Su Ergou treated the academy as a good place to sleep. He was sleeping soundly on a chair soundly. Su Xiaoxiao patted her silly brother awake. Su Ergou wiped his saliva and asked in a daze, ¡°Sister, is the list ready?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We can go back now. Young Master Shen, farewell.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± Shen Chuan suddenly thought of something and stopped Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°By the way, Miss Su, do you know a student called Chen Haoyuan? I heard from the old man that you two had a long conversation at the entrance of the academy.¡± The old man he was talking about was the old man who wanted to rob a pancake from Su Ergou. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shen Chuan said, ¡°The academy has to make recommendations for a few students study in the city. My father is considering choosing one between Chen Haoyuan and another student.¡± ¡­. Su Xiaoxiao brought the sleepy Su Ergou out of the academy. Chen Haoyuan had just exited the bookstore opposite and saw the siblings at the entrance of the academy. He frowned fiercely with a hint of disgust in his eyes. His classmate followed his gaze. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t those the siblings selling snacks? Recently, many people in the academy have reserved their snacks. I¡¯ve eaten them once too. The taste is not inferior to Jin Ji¡¯s, and it¡¯s even cheaper! Brother Chen, do you want to buy snacks too?¡± ¡°No,¡± Chen Haoyuan said indifferently. He already knew that Su Xiaoxiao had come to the academy to sell snacks. The status of a farmer, worker, and merchant was very low. Chen Haoyuan looked down on peddlers who smelled of copper. Besides, what could that pair of siblings do? Were their snacks better than Jin Ji¡¯s? Who was the one who spread the rumors? Chen Haoyuan warned, ¡°Don¡¯t buy anything from her in the future! Be careful not to eat anything bad!¡± His classmate said, ¡°No, the snacks they sell are not just delicious. They¡¯re especially filling!¡± Chen Haoyuan said calmly, ¡°I can tell that you¡¯ve never eaten good food!¡± Coincidentally, Dean Shen came down from the study. He was on the second floor just now, so the students usually couldn¡¯t go up. ¡°Dean!¡± His classmate noticed Dean Shen first and immediately turned around to bow. Chen Haoyuan quickly composed himself and turned around to bow respectfully. ¡°Dean.¡± ¡°Why are you standing at their door?¡± Dean Shen asked. ¡°We¡­ were just looking at the siblings selling snacks,¡± the classmate replied. He couldn¡¯t say that they were talking about her behind her back. Dean Shen looked at Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou, who were gradually walking away, and asked, ¡°Do you know them?¡± His classmate shook his head. ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve only eaten the wife cakes they sell.¡± Dean Shen¡¯s gaze landed on Chen Haoyuan¡¯s face. Chen Haoyuan composed himself and said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t know either!¡± ¡ª Dean Shen returned to the courtyard and first visited Young Master Xiang, who had just recovered from a serious illness. When he learned that he still needed to recuperate in the academy for a while, Dean Shen expressed that it was his honor. He immediately instructed the servants to prepare the New Year goods. The New Year would be different due this time due to Young Master. ¡°Dad!¡± Just as Dean Shen left the study, he bumped into the smiling Shen Chuan. Dean Shen looked at the mud and snow on someone¡¯s feet and said coldly, ¡°Where did you go?¡± Shen Chuan said, ¡°No, I was tired from studying and walked around. I know what to do next year!¡± Dean Shen could not understand. Shouldn¡¯t a scholar be conscientious and focused? Why was his son like a monkey, running out every day? If not for the fact that his son had attained some results in his learning, he would have tied him up and beat him up. Shen Chuan smiled mysteriously. ¡°Dad, let me tell you some news!¡± Dean Shen was annoyed by his indecent appearance. He did not take after him at all. Dean Shen said stiffly, ¡°Speak.¡± Shen Chuan smiled and said, ¡°Chen Haoyuan from Class A of the academy is Miss Su¡¯s cousin! Do you want to consider recommending him to the prefecture city?¡± Dean Shen frowned. ¡°Are you saying that he¡¯s Miss Su¡¯s cousin?¡± Chapter 48 ? 48 Making Things Difficult Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou went to a food shop near the market. On the way, Su Ergou asked his sister excitedly, ¡°Sister, how many more days do we sell the pastries for?¡± ¡°Three days at most,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. As the new year approached, there were fewer and fewer customers in town. Their business did not seem to be affected, mainly because there were many return customers. Everyone was thinking of holding some new year¡¯s goods. Once the new year passed, almost no one came out to buy. ¡°Only three days?¡± Su Ergou was disappointed. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him in amusement. ¡°You like selling pancakes so much?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Ergou nodded. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s cold and freezing and you¡¯re being told what to do. Don¡¯t you feel tired and annoyed? In summer, it¡¯s hot and you might get heatstroke. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better to lie at home?¡± Su Ergou shook his head. ¡°But I¡¯ll be hungry if I lie at home.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed and touched the back of his head. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go hungry again.¡± With the launch of the new product, they needed more and more ingredients. Yesterday, she ordered 20 catties of glutinous rice noodles, 30 catties of white sugar, 50 catties of flour, and 100 duck eggs. The salted egg yolk used for the yolk pastry was marinated by her. She did not know if salted duck eggs were sold in the capital, but there were none in town. The moment the egg yolk pastry was out, it immediately became everyone¡¯s new favorite. However, because the cost of the salted egg yolk pastry was too high, it was sold for 25 copper coins each. The students could reserve them for 23 copper coins each. This price was still cheaper than Jin Ji¡¯s snacks, so they sold very well. The two of them arrived at the grain shop and unexpectedly met Aunt Huang. Ever since she got snubbed at Little Su¡¯s house, Madam Huang had hated Fat Lass Su. She had been thinking about how to get back at her, but coincidentally, this damn fatty came knocking on her door! ¡°Yo, I was wondering who it was. Isn¡¯t this that little heartless ingrate?¡± Hearing Madam Huang¡¯s sarcastic words, Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Madam Huang said with a dark expression. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m laughing at you for not saying anything if you don¡¯t know how to speak, lest you embarrass your son.¡± Madam Huang fell back in anger. ¡°You!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said bluntly, ¡°What about me? First of all, Aunt didn¡¯t give birth to me, and second of all, you didn¡¯t raise me. Why did I become an ingrate? If you really want to call me an ingrate, aren¡¯t you more like an ingrate who sucked the blood, sweat, and silver of my deceased aunt and treated her children harshly?¡± Madam Huang had long learned this girl¡¯s sharp tongue, but it was still infuriating to hear her speak again! She pointed at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s nose. ¡°You, you, you¡­ Damned girl, don¡¯t be too arrogant! Your cousin is going to the city to study! When he becomes the High Scholar, you¡¯ll see!¡± If he passed the county examination, he would not have to kneel to the county magistrate. If he passed the examination, he would only be more glorious! Thinking of this, Madam Huang finally felt better. She straightened her back and said, ¡°Wretched girl, just you wait! The first thing your cousin will do is chase you out of town!¡± How arrogant of him to chase her out of town! However, the High Scholar was indeed very rare in this dynasty, especially in such a remote town. It was a rare existence. It was not an exaggeration to say that the High Scholar is someone who had transformed into a dragon. Could it be that Chen Haoyuan could really do it? When Madam Huang saw Su Xiaoxiao in deep thought, she thought that she must have felt guilty and afraid. Madam Huang was extremely proud! Since Su Xiaoxiao had offended her, she would let her see how powerful she was! ¡°Girl! It¡¯s too late to regret it now! Even if you kneel down and beg me, I can¡¯t agree to your marriage with Erlang!¡± Su Xiaoxiuao was incredulous. Who wanted to be her daughter-in-law? Was Wei Ting not handsome anymore? Or was Wei Ting¡¯s waist not good? However, Madam Huang was right about one thing. After Chen Haoyuan became the High Scholar, Little Su¡¯s family would definitely not have a good life. Madam Huang said to the shop owner, ¡°Don¡¯t do business with her. In the future, when my son becomes a High Scholar, he will come to your shop to buy!¡± With that, she walked away triumphantly. Su Ergou snorted. ¡°You haven¡¯t achieved it yet, but you¡¯re already ordering people around. Boss, here!¡± He handed the money bag to the boss. Unexpectedly, the boss didn¡¯t respond. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Ergou asked. The boss¡¯s eyes flashed and he stammered, ¡°Y-You guys take the money back. There¡¯s no more flour. It¡¯s sold out.¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The boss said, ¡°It was sold out this morning!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I reserved it yesterday. You should sell it to me first.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The boss panicked under Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze. He turned around and tidied up the food bag.¡± Anyway, go buy it elsewhere. I don¡¯t have it here! ¡± Su Ergou said angrily, ¡°Hey! You have to be honest when doing business! You didn¡¯t sell the flour we agreed on. What do you want us to make pancakes with? Don¡¯t tell me you really believe her. Her son is only a scholar. Who knows if he can achieve a ranking?¡± The boss said awkwardly, ¡°I have no choice. Miss, go buy it elsewhere!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Forget it, Ergou, let¡¯s go.¡± Su Xiaoxiao brought Su Ergou out of the shop. Su Ergou said bitterly, ¡°Sister, why are you stopping me? He¡¯s a man. How can he be frightened by a woman?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Madam Huang,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Ergou adapted to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s change in address very quickly and felt extremely comfortable. Su Ergou asked curiously, ¡°If it¡¯s not her, what¡¯s going on? Why did the shopkeeper go back on his word and not sell it to us?¡± Su Xiaoxiao had a guess. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go ask another shop.¡± There were originally many stalls selling flour in the market. They were all villagers from various villages. It was almost the new year, so they didn¡¯t set up stalls anymore. Su Xiaoxiao came to buy them. Su Xiaoxiao remembered that there were two more nearby. However, when they came to buy it, they all said that it was sold out. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bag of white flour?¡± Su Ergou pointed at the bag of flour in front of the counter. The boss of this shop smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°That¡­ was reserved by someone else. The money has been paid.¡± ¡°What about this?¡± Su Ergou found another bag of white flour behind the rice jar. ¡°Why are you hiding it?¡± The boss¡¯s smile was stiff. ¡°It¡¯s for eating at home. It¡¯s almost the new year.¡± The two of them came out of the third shop. Su Ergou finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Sister, what¡¯s going on? In the past, it wasn¡¯t so difficult to buy flour previously.¡± It was not a famine year. The price of food was stable, so there should not be a shortage of supplies. Moreover, there was no shortage of rice and wheat, only flour was unavailable. It was really strange. Su Ergou said, ¡°I remember now. There¡¯s also a shop selling rice and noodles in the west, but it¡¯s a little far. Sister, wait for me here. I¡¯ll buy it!¡± He picked up his basket and was about to leave. Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°No need. No one will sell it to us.¡± Su Ergou was stunned. ¡°Why?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked ahead and said calmly, ¡°Our business is too good and is an eyesore to some people.¡± Chapter 49 ? 49 Deal Su Ergou was furious. ¡°Arent we just doing our business? Who are we offending?¡± ¡°Yo, Miss Su, Little Brother Su, what a coincidence.¡± On the street ahead, Manager Sun alighted from the carriage leisurely and walked towards the two of them with a smile. He looked at the siblings, who were wearing linen cotton clothes and were empty-handed in the cold wind, and the smile in his eyes deepened. ¡°Are you guys here to buy things too? You don¡¯t seem to have bought anything. Is it almost the new year and the shops are out of stock?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Su Ergou asked angrily. Manager Sun smiled and said, ¡°Brother Su, don¡¯t be so angry. We¡¯re all businessmen. Harmony brings wealth!¡± Su Ergou said unhappily, ¡°Who wants to make money with you?¡± Manager Sun looked at Su Xiaoxiao. Compared to her exasperated brother, this little fat village girl was much calmer. She was not surprised to see him, as if she had expected him to appear here at any time. ¡°Miss Su, what do you want to buy? If you can¡¯t buy it, tell me! I¡¯m happy to help you!¡± Manager Sun said righteously. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little too shameless?¡± ¡°Ah! It¡¯s you! It¡¯s you! You didn¡¯t let the shop sell flour to us!¡± Su Ergou finally reacted. Manager Sun¡¯s smile faded a little, but he did not deny it. Originally, only an evenly matched opponent was worth probing carefully. There was no need to be careful when dealing with two ants. In the past, he cherished Jin Ji¡¯s reputation. In addition, the little fat village girl was in the limelight for saving his customer, so he wanted to buy her formula. Unexpectedly, she mercilessly rejected him. Manager Sun could tell that although Su Ergou was a man, the real decision-maker was this little fat village girl. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao and smiled meaningfully. ¡°Some people don¡¯t know how to appreciate favors and refused an easy way out. Miss Su, what do you think?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said bluntly, ¡°Tell me, what do you want?¡± Manager Sun placed his hands behind his back and said proudly, ¡°Jin Ji has been in Xinghua Town for 21 years and have lost countless peers. Business these days is easy to do but also difficult to sustain. It depends on who does it and how. For example, Miss Su, you have skills. Unfortunately, you¡¯re just a village girl. Anyone on the streets can easily crush you. Do you believe that with a word from me, no one will dare to sell flour to you within a hundred miles! A clever woman can¡¯t cook without rice. Without flour, what can you make pancakes with?¡± Su Ergou said angrily, ¡°Hey! You¡¯re too vicious! What¡¯s wrong with us selling our pancakes? You still have so many customers! Your business is still so good! I don¡¯t see you earning less!¡± That was right and wrong. Yes, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s production was limited, and Jin Ji¡¯s sales were indeed not affected much in the short term. What he had not realized was that Jin Ji¡¯s reputation was falling. After eating the snacks sold by Su Xiaoxiao, the customers would feel that Jin Ji wasn¡¯t worth this price. ¡°You did so much just for the formula.¡± Su Xiaoxiao hit the nail on the head. Manager Sun¡¯s thoughts were exposed and he felt embarrassed for a moment. ¡°Sigh, how can I answer that? I want to form a good relationship with Miss Su, but Miss Su has never given me a chance. Now that the boss has heard some news, I can¡¯t explain it to him.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in Jin Ji¡¯s internal matters. If you¡¯re only after the formula¡­ ¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused. Manager Sun revealed a smile that gradually succeeded. ¡°Then I might have to disappoint you.¡± Manager Sun suspected that he had heard wrongly. What did the girl say? Was she going to disappoint him? Now that things had come to this, was she still not going to compromise? He looked at Su Xiaoxiao suspiciously. ¡°You mean¡­ ¡± Su Ergou shouted, ¡°My sister means that we won¡¯t sell the formula!¡± Manager Sun shook his head. ¡°Girl, you¡¯re too young. I¡¯m afraid you haven¡¯t experienced the consequences of refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit. Don¡¯t think that just because I¡¯ve been polite to you time and time again, you really think that I don¡¯t have a temper!¡± Su Xiaoxiao had already experienced Manager Sun¡¯s temper the first time she saved the child. He was not a good person. He only had business in his eyes and would do anything to achieve his goal. He had contributed greatly to Jin Ji¡¯s business over the years. He had the talent but he lacked humanity. Su Ergou took a few steps forward and stood in front of Su Xiaoxiao. He said to Manager Sun, ¡°Who are you scaring? If you continue to be fierce to my sister, I¡¯ll beat you up!¡± ¡°Little brother Su¡­ ¡± ¡°Who are you calling Little Brother? Is Little Brother something you can call? My sister said that it¡¯s not for sale! Even if you ask a hundred times, it¡¯s still not for sale!¡± Manager Sun¡¯s smile turned cold again. ¡°Miss Su, are you sure you want to go against Jin Ji?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°So in Manager Sun¡¯s eyes, I, a small village girl, am actually qualified to go against the dignified Jin Ji. Manager Sun, are you praising me or lowering your status?¡± Manager Sun¡¯s expression froze. She was just a peddler from the countryside. Logically speaking, she would not catch Jin Ji¡¯s eye. How could a ferocious tiger care about an ant on the ground? But he did care. Not only did he care, but it was like a fishbone in his throat. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him. ¡°You said it yourself just now. Harmony makes money, but I just didn¡¯t agree to sell the formula to you, and you¡¯re already making things difficult for us. Could it be that to Jin Ji, business isn¡¯t about mutual consent, but force?¡± Manager Sun¡¯s expression turned even uglier. This girl was so sharp-tongued that he could not win against her. However, he was not here to reason with her today! Manager Sun said in a low voice, ¡°Girl, I¡¯ll ask you one last time. Are you selling the formula or not?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°No. Even if you ask me a hundred times, I still won¡¯t sell.¡± Manager Sun¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°It seems that you plan to walk to your end!¡± Su Ergou¡¯s years of fighting made him sense that something was wrong. ¡°What do you want?¡± he shouted. Manager Sun snorted coldly and made a gesture. Seven to eight burly men immediately rushed out of the alley blocked by the carriage. All of them were fierce and looked like they wanted to beat someone into the mud. ¡°Sun, do you want to fight?¡± He knew this! Su Ergou rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Sister! Let me do it! I haven¡¯t fought in a long time. My hands are itching!¡± Su Ergou turned into a little bully of the Su family in a second. There were many enemies, and it was difficult for Su Ergou to take advantage of them. Therefore, Su Ergou planned to capture Sun first. However, the other party seemed to have expected him to do this and pounced at him. Chapter 50 ? 50 Negotiation Without any moves, all of them used their bodies as a sandbag and pressed down on Su Ergou. Su Ergou was pressed to the ground and could not move. He gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°Let go of me! Fight me openly if you dare!¡± Su Ergou¡¯s combat strength was not that weak. However, that was only when both sides were fighting fairly. This group of people was shameless and did not give Su Ergou a chance to attack. The side of his face was pressed into the cold snow. His teeth chattered and he struggled unwillingly. However, the more he struggled, the tighter he was pressed by the human sandbags on his body. These days, it was not a chaotic world, but it was not a peaceful world where people did not close their doors at night. Without some means and shady methods, how could Jin Ji become the most powerful in town? Su Xiaoxiao was furious, but she didn¡¯t show it on her face. She was calm. She was so calm that it made one feel a chill. For some reason, Manager Sun, who was clearly in control of the situation, felt his heart skip a beat. ¡°Miss Su¡­¡± He spoke. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Let go of my brother and I¡¯ll sell you the formula.¡± Su Ergou was shocked. ¡°Sister!¡± Manager Sun smiled brightly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be fine if you said that earlier?¡± His smile disappeared and he looked coldly at the burly men who were suppressing Su Ergou. ¡°Did I ask you to attack Little Brother Su?¡± ¡°Aiyo! It¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡± The burly man in the lead was the first to get up and push his brothers away. ¡°Get up, get up, get up! Everyone get up!¡± The human-shaped sandbags stood up from Su Ergou¡¯s body. The burly man in the lead stretched out his hand to Su Ergou with a smile. ¡°Little brother, are you alright? It was a misunderstanding just now. I apologize to you.¡± Su Ergou glared at him coldly and ignored his hand. Instead, he got up and walked to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t sell it!¡± Manager Sun smiled and said, ¡°Aiya, it¡¯s cold. Miss Su, shall we talk in the carriage?¡± Su Xiaoxiao refused. ¡°No need. I¡¯m too fat. I¡¯m afraid your carriage won¡¯t be able to accommodate me.¡± Manager Sun was dumbfounded. Manager Sun knew that the other party was angry that he had bullied her brother, but he had no choice! If this girl had listened to him earlier, no one would have suffered. Manager Sun said, ¡°Miss Su¡­ ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Cut the crap. I can sell you the formula, but the price has to be satisfactory. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about getting the formula!¡± Manager Sun seemed to have heard a huge joke and even changed the way he addressed her. ¡°Girl, do you think you¡¯re still qualified to negotiate with me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Manager Sun, this isn¡¯t a condition. It¡¯s my bottom line! I¡¯d rather not do the snack business from now on than to sell my unique formula at a low price! If you think you can buy a better one, pretend I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Ten taels,¡± Manager Sun said. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°Which formula do you want to buy?¡± Manager Sun stretched out his finger. ¡°All three!¡± He wanted the recipes for the wife cake, chestnut cake, and egg yolk pastry! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ten taels. I can earn it back in ten days. Aren¡¯t you being too shameless?¡± ¡°Fifteen taels! No more!¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°Miss Su, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. It¡¯s better to have a business than not. Don¡¯t be impulsive. You¡¯ll ruin your future by being stubborn.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was not threatened by his words and remained calm. ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do anything if you cut off my flour? As long as I can buy wheat, I can make flour myself! Or do you think¡­ your Jin Ji is so powerful that you can control all the wheat in town?¡± Control the wheat¡­ How was that possible? The ingredients that Jin Ji bought were flour, not wheat. At most, they could control the flour suppliers, but they could not extend their reach that far. Manager Sun snorted. ¡°Girl, you make it sound so easy. Do you really think it¡¯s that easy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said unhurriedly, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m negotiating with you here. If you force me into a corner, I¡¯d rather suffer a little, be tired, or even sell less than give up the formula!¡± This little fat village girl! Manager Sun clenched his fists. ¡°Name your price!¡± ¡°Twenty taels!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Manager Sun narrowed his eyes. ¡°A formula,¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued. Manager Sun¡¯s expression darkened! If one formula was 20, wouldn¡¯t three formulas be 60? The formula they bought from the prefecture city back then had never been so expensive! Manager Sun said angrily, ¡°Twenty-five taels, three prescriptions! Girl! Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself! So what if you can make flour? I have many ways to make your business unable to continue!¡± ¡°Fifty taels!¡± ¡°Thirty!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡°45. I won¡¯t do it if it¡¯s one copper coin less!¡± Manager Sun¡¯s expression darkened. Seeing that the situation was bad, the burly men at the side rubbed their fists and surrounded the siblings. The meaning was obvious. If she was any more arrogant, she would have to eat a punch. However, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t back down at all and held on to 45 taels. This was at least 25 taels higher than Manager Sun¡¯s expectations. Originally, he had brought so many people with him because he wanted to snatch it openly. He gave 20 taels of silver as hush money. But these siblings were really tough. Manager Sun threatened, ¡°Girl, don¡¯t be ungrateful.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Then let¡¯s fight, but you can forget about getting the formula!¡± The leader rubbed his fists and walked over. ¡°Master Sun, leave this to us. I promise to get the formula for you!¡± Manager Sun raised his hand to stop him and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Forty-five taels it is. Deal!¡± ¡­. Fifteen minutes later, the siblings left. Manager Sun sat in the carriage and looked at the list that Su Xiaoxiao had dictated and that he had personally written. He smiled knowingly. The leader stood outside and opened the curtain. ¡°Master Sun, have you gotten it?¡± Manager Sun dusted the piece of paper with the formulae in his hand and smiled proudly. ¡°I finally got it. It wasn¡¯t easy.¡± The burly man smiled and said, ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. She¡¯s just a girl from the countryside. It¡¯s just a matter of moving your fingers to scare her. In the past, Master Sun was magnanimous and didn¡¯t get serious with her. Today, with us brothers, that little fat girl was so frightened that she didn¡¯t dare to move!¡± On the surface, he was praising Manager Sun, but in fact, he was flattering himself. Manager Sun was an old fox. How could he not tell? He was in a good mood today and could not be bothered. The burly man asked hesitantly, ¡°Master Sun, are these formulae¡­ fake?¡± Manager Sun glared at him. ¡°What are you thinking? If she dares to give me a fake recipe, I¡¯ll immediately cut off her flour supply!¡± The big man chuckled. ¡°You have a point. I forgot about that.¡± ¡°That girl doesn¡¯t have the guts to fool me with a fake formula¡­¡± Manager Sun put away the formula. However, perhaps because he was interrupted by his subordinates, he suddenly felt strange. Chapter 51 ? 51 The Three Treasures On the way back, Su Ergou did not say a word. He was so silent that people forgot that he was a little bully who had once followed Father Su. It was almost afternoon when they arrived at the village. Wei Ting was in the field with Father Su. The three children went to the village to play, and so did Meizi and Niudan. Because of the formula, Su Ergou did not eat the food Su Xiaoxiao brought with her. He cooped himself in his room and did not come out. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and decided to make his favorite braised pork with preserved vegetables. The pork belly and bean paste were ready-made. After braising them, she placed the dried plum vegetables on a tray and quickly prepared them. Su Xiaoxiao cut the onions and sprinkled them. She wanted to call Su Ergou to eat, but after thinking about it, she brought the preserved vegetables to his room. Su Ergou sat on the bed alone. Since she transmigrated to this world, this silly brother had always been carefree. This was the first time Su Xiaoxiao saw him so sad. Su Xiaoxiao knocked on the door. ¡°Ergou, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Su Ergou turned around and wiped his face with his sleeve. Su Xiaoxiao walked forward and looked at the back of his head strangely. ¡°Are you¡­ crying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Su Ergou choked. He was really crying. He did not cry when he was beaten up for her. He did not cry when he was pressed to the ground and rubbed against it. He did not cry when he took a cold shower and was so hungry that his eyes turned black. However, he did so when she sold a few formulas. The child was crying. Su Xiaoxiao did business for a living, so it didn¡¯t matter to her whether she sold snacks or formulae. Su Ergou was different. He really liked selling pancakes. When the formulae was snatched away, it felt like someone had cut off his heart. He stubbornly turned his face away and raised his head, not letting his sister see him crying. Su Xiaoxiao sat down beside him and hooked his finger. ¡°Are you blaming me for selling the recipes?¡± Su Ergou¡¯s tears kept falling. ¡°No, I¡¯m useless! If I hadn¡¯t been caught by them, you wouldn¡¯t have handed over the formula!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°How should I explain it to you? I¡¯d have sold the formula whether you were captured or not. Not wanting you to be hurt at all is one thing. Secondly, I have my own plans.¡± Su Ergou cried. ¡°Nonsense! You clearly didn¡¯t want to sell it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°It¡¯s true. I didn¡¯t give in previously because I was waiting for an opportunity to raise the price. If I sold it easily, the people in Jin Ji would think that they had lost out. If they looked for me to cooperate in the future, they would push the price down. However, if I sold it when I was forced into a corner, no matter what price I shouted, it would seem like my bottom price. There¡¯s no one who doesn¡¯t like to take advantage of others. Just treat it as a means of marketing and negotiation.¡± ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect them to attack so quickly¡­ Does it still hurt?¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her hand to touch Su Ergou¡¯s cheek. Su Ergou wiped his tears. ¡°My heart hurts.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Do you understand what I just said?¡± ¡°I understand¡­ The recipes are gone¡­ Ah¡­¡± Su Ergou wailed. Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°You¡¯re lonely¡­¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any pancakes for sale-woo-¡± Su Ergou was extremely sad. He felt that he had nothing to live for. Su Xiaoxiao said patiently, ¡°We can sell them. Jin Ji will sell theirs, and we sell ours. There¡¯s no conflict. Moreover, even if they take the recipe, theirs won¡¯t taste better than ours. Instead, they might bring fame to these snacks. Besides, the market is so big that we can¡¯t split them all. Don¡¯t forget that we still have the academy¡¯s business.¡± ¡°But it¡¯ll all be gone soon-we¡¯ll be poor again-¡± Su Ergou cried very sadly. ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao quickly diverted his attention. ¡°Don¡¯t you like to eat preserved vegetable braised meat? I made a big plate. It¡¯s all yours.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t eat¡­ ¡± Su Ergou sniffed and looked at his sister with tears in his eyes. ¡°Sister, what did you say you made?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and handed him a large plate of preserved vegetable braised meat and a pair of chopsticks. ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s hot. You won¡¯t like it when it¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Sister, eat too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not eating. You eat.¡± She wanted to lose weight. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou wiped his tears and started eating. ¡ª After coaxing her brother for a while, Su Xiaoxiao broke out in a sweat. ¡°Coaxing is a physical job.¡± Anyway, who was the kid? He was even harder to coax than the three children. Su Xiaoxiao was about to return to her room to change her clothes when she turned around and saw the three children at the door. They were sticking their round heads out and looking in. She had to stop herself from saying, ¡°Ergou, your image is gone. From now on, you are Uncle Crybaby.¡± Su Ergou had cried for so long and had exhausted a lot of energy. At this moment, he was burying his head in the dried meat and did not notice the three little ones eavesdropping in the corner. Su Xiaoxiao brought the three little ones to the central room. Meizi didn¡¯t go far and watched them from the door. When she saw Su Xiaoxiao, she went back shyly. The three little ones had gone somewhere to play and were sweating profusely. Su Xiaoxiao brought over a dry towel and wiped the three of them. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± she asked. In the past, the three of them would have nodded in unison. This time, they didn¡¯t. The three of them looked straight at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she wondered. The three of them did not speak and ran back to Su Ergou¡¯s room. Su Xiaoxiao thought that they had gone to look for Su Ergou and did not think too much about it. She returned to the house to change into fresh clothes. Just as she opened the door to the kitchen, she saw the three children standing at the door with their small bags. ¡°For Mother,¡± Dahu said. ¡°Giving to Mother too,¡± Erhu said. ¡°And Xiaohu¡± Xiao Hu also stuffed his small bag toward Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao looked confused. ¡°Do you want to leave your luggage with me?¡± The first time she saw the three little ones, they were each carrying such a small bag. They were arranged to stay in Su Ergou¡¯s room, so the luggage was placed at Su Ergou¡¯s side. The three of them pulled Su Xiaoxiao into the room and gestured for her to open the bag. Su Xiaoxiao placed the three small bags on the table. ¡°Do you want to change your clothes?¡± As she asked, she casually opened the first bundle. It was Xiaohu¡¯s. Xiaohu¡¯s stood on his tiptoes and pulled out a small cotton vest from the bag. Su Xiaoxiao thought that he was going to wear this and was about to bring it over for him to change into when she saw his small hand digging into the small cotton vest. He dug out a few small silver coins. He threw away the cotton vest and grabbed a pair of cotton pants. From the pants, he dug out a few more small pieces of silver. As Xiaohu dug out more than ten pieces of silver, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Mother, Mother!¡± Erhu also wanted to open the small bag. Su Xiaoxiao opened it for him in a daze. He was not like Xiaohu, who was picking at the seams of his clothes. Instead, he unbuttoned his pocket and took out two golden leaves. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Dahu¡¯s was even more awesome. His hat had two layers. After taking off the inner layer, he shook out five white banknotes! Then, he took off his small shoes and dug out a token that was glowing with black light from under his shoe! Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth was wide open for a long time. The case was solved. Father Su did not find a single copper coin on Wei Ting. So it was in the hands of these little fellows? No, the scattered money and banknotes of different values did not seem to have been given by Wei Ting. They were more like what the children had hoarded. Su Xiaoxiao actually didn¡¯t understand why she had made that assumption. It was just her intuition. Their extraordinary sense of crisis sometimes made people feel that they were not carefree children. The carefree look was especially obvious on Niudan next door, and Little Meizi, who had always been looking at people¡¯s expressions. In order to verify her guess, she asked, ¡°Does this money belong to your father?¡± The three of them shook their heads. ¡°Does your father know?¡± The three of them shook their heads again. It seemed that they had been hoarding it. She couldn¡¯t help but think that they were three squirrels that hoarded money. It sounded funny, but Su Xiaoxiao felt sad. What had the three little fellows experienced to have such crisis awareness and the habit of hoarding money? Did they think that their family was out of money and were worried that she would starve, so they took out all the money they had painstakingly saved for her? Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s heart felt like it had been rubbed by a warm hand. She looked at the three little ones who wanted to give her all their belongings and was momentarily at a loss for words. Of course, she couldn¡¯t take their little money. Not to mention that she still had money for the time being, even if she didn¡¯t, she couldn¡¯t be greedy for the children¡¯s. She gently pushed the money back on the table and touched their heads. She said softly, ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, take your money back.¡± ¡°For Mother,¡± Dahu said. Xiaohu waved his hand seriously. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Erhu patted his belly. ¡°Erhu, eat less.¡± They wanted to eat less and not let their mother starve. Chapter 52 ? 52 Token Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t a sentimental person, but perhaps because of her special physique, her eyes suddenly felt hot. She hugged the three little ones and said gently, ¡°I won¡¯t go hungry. I have money.¡± The three of them did not believe her. So Su Xiaoxiao had no choice but to take out the money she had earned from selling the formula and the consultation fee she had earned from Young Master Xiang. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll drop the consultation fee in front of the three of you.¡± The three of them counted the silver ingots seriously. After confirming that their mother had a lot of money and was not short of money to spend, they reluctantly nodded in satisfaction. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three of them and said in amusement, ¡°Keep the money well. I¡¯ll come and ask you for it one day when I don¡¯t have money to spend.¡± The three of them thought about it and felt that it was feasible. They temporarily took back the money. However, the ugly black plaque was forgotten by Dahu with a look of disdain. The three of them returned to Su Ergou¡¯s house and chased Uncle Ergou out to hide the small bag! ¡­. In the afternoon, snow began to fall again. Wei Ting and Su Cheng returned from the ground. The three little ones were sleeping. It was unknown if it was an afternoon nap or a late nap. The two of them entered the house covered in snow. As his body gradually recovered, Wei Ting¡¯s complexion became much better, making him look even more imposing and handsome. Su Cheng was actually not bad-looking. If not for his fierce reputation, who knew how many people would want to be stepmother to her and Ergou? ¡°Father, didn¡¯t I tell you not to bring him along? He fell on his leg. He has to use less strength.¡± He had fallen when he caught Wang Laizi last time. His knee was broken and his calf injury almost relapsed. Father Su¡¯s eyes flashed as he touched his high nose bridge. ¡°My son-in-law wanted to go himself! Ask if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned to Wei Ting. ¡°Wei Ting.¡± ¡°Aiya! I¡¯m so hungry! Is there food in the kitchen!¡± Father Su slipped away decisively. Only Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting were left in the central room. For some reason, the atmosphere suddenly¡­ became strange. Wei Ting¡¯s aura was proportional to his recovery, and his powerful presence was becoming harder and harder to ignore. His back was against the light, and his well-defined eyebrows were slightly hidden in the darkness. His calm and sharp eyes were like sharp blades waiting to be unsheathed, filled with cold sharpness. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him. ¡°What?¡± He used Su Cheng¡¯s new walking stick to point behind Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°You are blocking me from entering the room.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and entered his room. Wei Ting was speechless. Wei Ting thought that she was there to change his dressing and did not say anything. He followed her into the house. Just as he sat down, Su Xiaoxiao took out a token and handed it to him. ¡°Is it yours?¡± The moment he saw the token, Wei Ting¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Where did you find it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the token back and patted it on her palm. ¡°Tell me what this is first.¡± Wei Ting looked at her deeply and suddenly relaxed. This was one of the most important tokens he had. He had thought it was in the hands of that group, but who would have thought it was in her hands? ¡°Did the three of them give it to you?¡± He clearly remembered that those people had snatched his bag away. If the token was still there, there was only one possibility. The three brats had hidden it. ¡°No, I¡­ picked it up myself!¡± ¡°Heh!¡± He was sure it was given by the brat! The little brat took his token and didn¡¯t give it to him. Instead, he gave it to a girl he just knew. This was too much! Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°I picked it up myself. If you have the ability, get one yourself.¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head proudly. ¡°Don¡¯t bully me because I can¡¯t read. I¡¯ve learned a lot of words recently!¡± Wei Ting¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Oh, you mean the names on the list? Those were only a few words.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. These days, she had learned a lot of words under the pretext of getting Wei Ting to read the list, but he actually said¡­ only a few words? Who was he looking down on? As if seeing her anger, Wei Ting smiled faintly and raised his eyebrows at the token in her hand. ¡°Admit it.¡± To hell with admitting! If she knew, would she have asked him?! Su Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me. At most, I¡¯ll ask Shen Chuan tomorrow morning!¡± With that, she kept the token and turned to leave! Wei Ting had heard about Shen Chuan from Su Ergou. He was the son of the dean of a small academy and was still wet behind the ears. Wei Ting said casually, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, go ahead and ask.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped in her tracks and looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me.¡± Wei Ting smiled coldly. ¡°If you dare to hedge it on the lives of your entire family, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao clenched her chubby fists. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out one day! Before that, I¡¯ll keep this thing!¡± ¡°Up to you.¡± Wei Ting leaned against the head of the bed nonchalantly, moved his injured leg up, and began to rest. Su Xiaoxiao wanted to beat him up. Forget it. No matter what, at least she had something to use against him. The more he acted like he didn¡¯t care, the more it proved that this thing was important to him. After Su Xiaoxiao left, Wei Ting slowly opened his eyes, which were cold. He had to find a chance to get the token back! ¡ª Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to eat a corn cob and start cooking dinner for the family. Ever since Wei Ting said that she had lost weight (a little), her confidence in losing weight had increased. She had not touched sugared water for many days and used coarse grains as her main food. Tonight, she planned to steam a pot of sweet potato brown rice. Halfway through cutting the sweet potato, the three children ran in hurriedly and threw themselves into her arms, looking frightened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. Before the three of them could speak, Big Wu shouted from next door, ¡°Eat! You only know how to eat!¡± ¡°Woo-¡± It was Little Meizi crying. Big Wu was hitting the children of the eldest branch again. ¡°Grandma! Don¡¯t hit my sister!¡± Big Meizi was trying to stop the fight. Unfortunately, not only did she fail to stop Big Wu, but she also received a beating. ¡°Eat sugar, Grandma Wu. Fight!¡± Dahu gestured. The cause of the incident was that Little Meizi had eaten a piece of Niudan¡¯s sugar. When Big Wu found out, she hit her. However, this was actually just what the child saw. The real reason was that Liu Ping had returned from town for the new year and did not bring back much money. Big Wu was dissatisfied and took the opportunity to vent her anger on the three-year-old Little Meizi. At this moment, the men at home had gone out. Little Wu was packing clothes in the front yard. When she heard her two daughters crying, she hurriedly put down what she was doing and went to the kitchen. This time, Little Wu did not swallow her anger like before. Instead, she argued with her mother-in-law. ¡°Mother! Little Meizi only ate half a piece of sugar. Do you have to be so harsh?¡± ¡°Aiyo, your man is back and someone is backing you up so you dare to talk back to your mother-in-law! Do you know how expensive sugar is? You even dare to steal it!¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t eat it secretly! Niudan had thrown it on the ground!¡± ¡°Did you talk back?¡± Big Wu slapped Meizi. Chapter 53 ? 53 Splitting Up ¡°Are you worried about Sister Meizi?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked the three little ones. The three little ones nodded honestly. The eight-year-old Big Meizi was like a sensible parent who would take care of the three little ones with Little Wu. After all, this was the Liu family¡¯s matter. Unless Liu Ping¡¯s family became stubborn, Su Xiaoxiao could help them once or twice, but she could not help them forever. ¡°You are both useless! You can¡¯t earn much money, but you¡¯re still adding expenses to the family! I don¡¯t think you should cook dinner! Just eat all the wind!¡± Every word of Big Wu pierced Little Wu¡¯s heart like a needle. That¡¯s right. She couldn¡¯t give birth to a son, so she deserved to be unable to raise her head. She deserved to be someone¡¯s slave. She deserved to implicate her two daughters and be beaten and scolded! She really wanted to go back to her family, but even her family advised her not to cause too much trouble. She just had to endure it. But in recent days, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore¡­ Little Wu¡¯s sudden suppression and silence caused a strange feeling to surge in her heart. ¡°Are you mute!¡± Big Wu shouted. ¡°Mother.¡± Little Wu hugged her two trembling daughters and whispered, ¡°If you really don¡¯t like us, we¡¯ll split up.¡± Big Wu¡¯s expression changed. She pointed at her nose and said, ¡°You little hussy, what did you say?¡± Little Wu mustered her courage and looked at her mother-in-law with tears in her eyes. ¡°I said that we¡¯ll split up.¡± Big Wu cursed, ¡°Your father and I are still here, yet you dare to mention splitting up. Are you trying to curse us to death? You heartless thing!¡± It was a rule in the countryside that families would not be split up if the parents were still around. Moreover, if they really split up, they would not be able to get their hands on Liu Ping¡¯s salary and no one would do the work at home! Big Wu grabbed the rolling pin and hit Little Wu fiercely! ¡°Mother!¡± Big Meizi exclaimed. Suddenly, a fat hand grabbed Big Wu¡¯s rolling pin. Big Wu turned around. ¡°Fatty Su?¡± She gritted her teeth and moved her arm. Su Xiaoxiao easily grabbed her rolling pin. ¡°Why? Do you want to attack me?¡± Of course, Big Wu did not dare to attack Fat Lass Su! Su Xiaoxiao coldly snatched the rolling pin from her hand with a vicious and impatient expression. Facing the fierce Fatty Su, Big Wu did not even dare to fart! This was what it meant to bully the weak and fear the strong. Su Xiaoxiao knocked on the door with her rolling pin and said indifferently to Little Wu, ¡°Hey, Wu, I asked you to wash clothes, but you ran away halfway?¡± Little Wu lowered her head and said nothing. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to wash up, you will do it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed at Big Wu fiercely. Big Wu would not go! What was wrong with Fatty Su? She hadn¡¯t done anything evil for a while. Why had she returned to her former self? Big Wu turned around and grabbed a cloth to wipe the stove. Little Wu went to the Su family from the back door of the kitchen gloomily. The two children followed. Big Wu wanted to leave the two little ones behind, but Fatty Su glared at her coldly and she stopped talking. With her man at home, she might be able to deal with the situation. When she was on her own, she didn¡¯t dare to be unreasonable with Fatty Su. Su Xiaoxiao left. When Big Wu looked over furtively, Su Xiaoxiao casually threw the rolling pin back and it hit the Big Wu¡¯s head. ¡°Ouch-¡± A huge bump immediately appeared on Big Wu¡¯s forehead! ¡ª At the Su family, the Meizi sisters sat on the small bench in the kitchen. The two of them had stopped crying. The three little ones generously took out their snacks to entertain the two of them. Big Meizi did not eat it, and Little Meizi was especially satisfied as she nestled in her sister¡¯s arms and ate. Little Wu sat behind the stove and helped to add wood to the stove. Su Xiaoxiao continued to cut the sweet potatoes. ¡°Have you really decided to split?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The three little ones and Little Meizi buried their heads in the snacks while Big Meizi glanced at her mother. Little Wu nodded calmly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve decided.¡± In the past, she would not dare to leave the Liu family. Not only would she and Liu Ping be criticized by the villagers, but they would also face a situation where they had nowhere to go. Little Wu asked, ¡°After we split up, will you still want me to work at your house?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without thinking, ¡°Yes.¡± Such an outstanding employee was equivalent to three. Why not? Little Wu seemed to understand where her confidence in splitting up came from. If not for Su Daya, she might not dare to mention splitting up with the Liu family for the rest of her life. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If Liu Ping doesn¡¯t mind, you can come to my place to try for two days.¡± Little Wu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You mean¡­ you want to hire Liu Ping to do work?¡± ¡°It depends on whether he can do it or not.¡± Su Xiaoxiao did not make it clear. Little Wu hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, yes! He can endure hardships!¡± If both of them could work, it would not be a problem to support the two children! Su Xiaoxiao nodded. She thought of something and asked, ¡°Have you mentioned the separation to Liu Ping?¡± Little Wu said, ¡°I did. He didn¡¯t object.¡± It was obvious how difficult it was for a stepson to survive under his stepmother. In Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s memory, Liu Ping was an honest person. He was hardworking and could endure hardships, but he was a little stubborn. However, he had never complained that Little Wu could not give birth to a son. He doted on his two daughters very much, and the couple had a good relationship. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Little Wu hesitated. ¡°What is it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Little Wu bit her lip and said in a low voice, ¡°If we really split from the Liu family, it will be unpleasant. If we work at your house, we might implicate you¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao shrugged her round shoulders. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about reputation? Does our Su family have that?¡± Little Wu was speechless. ¡ª Little Wu stayed at Little Su¡¯s house until her father-in-law and husband returned. Although her father-in-law was also biased towards the second wife, Big Wu more or less restrained herself and would not beat her and the children to death with him and Liu Ping around. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hide Little Wu¡¯s matter from her family. After all, she might hire the two of them to work openly in the future. She had to inform her family. After hearing Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s words, Father Su probably thought of his past with his wife and the Chen family. After a long silence, he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s good to split up.¡± ¡­ . As he was still upset about the formula, Su Ergou was not in a good mood. He ate less than usual for dinner. Seeing how pitiful he was, the three children sighed and climbed into his bed with pillows. They decided to sacrifice themselves to sleep with him tonight and coax Uncle Ergou. The family rested one after another, but Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t sleep. She went to the kitchen and cleaned up the dishes before preparing the ingredients for tomorrow. Then, she took out the dough that she had distributed in the afternoon. As it had been placed near the stove, the temperature was higher than outside. It had already fermented. In addition, the hind leg meat in the pot was ready. She scooped it out and placed it on the chopping board. She pulled out the rolling pin from the cupboard. When Wei Ting walked into the kitchen with his walking stick, he saw a little fat girl working seriously. Chapter 54 ? 54 Alone It was the first time he had seen her cook. ¡°Eh? You¡¯re not asleep?¡± Su Xiaoxiao casually looked up and saw Wei Ting standing at the door. Wei Ting restrained his expression and walked in with his walking stick. ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and didn¡¯t doubt him. ¡°You came at the right time. Help me add some firewood.¡± She thought that with this guy¡¯s personality, he would definitely reject her disdainfully. Unexpectedly, he silently sat down on the small stool in front of the stove. He placed his walking stick aside and took the dry firewood from behind him and threw them in one by one. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re so obedient tonight.¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°Is there anything to eat?¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued to cook. ¡°Yes, but you have to wait a while. I¡¯m not done yet.¡± Wei Ting began a long wait. Su Xiaoxiao flattened the cooked lean meat and tore it into pieces. Wei Ting looked at her strangely. Not only did she have medical skills that he had never heard of, but she also often cooked dishes and snacks that he had never eaten. This was most likely a new trick. He wondered what it tasted like. Usually, he only ate. This was the first time he watched her cook seriously. She was also very serious when cooking, but it was different from the seriousness when she was practicing medicine. ¡°You like cooking very much?¡± ¡°Because it relieves stress.¡± What kind of words were those? Yes, this woman often said things that he did not understand. Su Xiaoxiao placed the shredded meat into the pot and stir-fried it with salt, sugar, and a little soy sauce until it was fluffy. ¡°Try it.¡± She handed the plate to Wei Ting. ¡°Chopsticks,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°You¡¯re so particular!¡± Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips and turned around to take a clean pair of chopsticks from the cupboard. Wei Ting picked up a small piece of meat and slowly tasted it. ¡°How does it taste?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked him. He chewed carefully. It was salty with a hint of sweetness. It was rustling and not considered oily, but it was not dry either. He could not say what the texture was, but the taste was very novel and unique. He couldn¡¯t help but take another bite. The more he chewed, the more fragrant it became. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked. ¡°Meat floss!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said with a smile. ¡°How is it? It tastes good, right?¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± Wei Ting said calmly. Su Xiaoxiao was already used to this. She snorted and brought back a large plate of meat floss. Wei Ting¡¯s chopsticks reached for the meat floss but missed. Su Xiaoxiao hugged the plate and raised her eyebrows at someone. ¡°If you say that it¡¯s delicious, I¡¯ll give it all to you!¡± Wei Ting said expressionlessly, ¡°Childish!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head proudly, put down the meat floss, and brought out a bowl of chestnut filling. This bowl of chestnut filling was made by Little Wu when she was taking refuge here. It was really dense and exquisite. Most importantly, Little Wu was hygienic enough to meet her standards of cleanliness. Su Xiaoxiao cherished this employee too much. Su Xiaoxiao fried a chestnut meat pancake and continued to let Wei Ting taste it. ¡°Well?¡± she asked. ¡°It seems a little too salty to taste the chestnuts,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll put less meat floss.¡± She made another. ¡°Too sweet,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Too much sugar.¡± She reduced the sugar and chestnuts and handed the third pancake to Wei Ting. ¡°What about this time?¡± After tasting it carefully, Wei Ting said, ¡°The filling is just right. The skin is a little hard.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s too hot¡­ put less firewood.¡± Next, she made egg yolk meat floss filling, honey date meat floss filling, and meat floss filling with red bean and green bean. Wei Ting was stuffed to death. Was this woman done? When was she going to go? ¡°Which is the best?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked him with a face full of flour. To be honest, Wei Ting¡¯s image was not much better than hers. His face was black from the soot, but he did not know it. ¡°They are pretty much the same,¡± he said. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Which do you think Ergou will like the most?¡± Wei Ting was surprised. ¡°You made these for Ergou?¡± Was all this fiddling for most of the night was for Su Ergou? Perhaps because it was late at night and one¡¯s inner defense was lowered in the narrow space, Su Xiaoxiao told Wei Ting about selling the formula. ¡°My mother¡­ my mother, when I was very young, gave her partner a gift that belonged to me. She used my things to please him in order to do business. I was very sad.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°The formula is yours. You¡¯re selling your own things.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s the same.¡± She did not know that selling the formula to Su Ergou would be such a huge blow. In her opinion, it was just a few formulas. She had a lot of ideas. After selling the old ones, there would be new ones. Back then, her mother probably had the same thoughts as her today-it was just a small gift. At most, she would buy her a better one when she earned money in the future. ¡°You made all these snacks to make Ergou happy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and sat down on the stool beside him. She muttered, ¡°He¡¯ll really be sad for a long time.¡± The light from the stove reflected in her melancholic eyes, making her look a little lonely. Wei Ting turned to look at her. At this moment, he suddenly felt that she was a pitiful little girl. Well¡­ a chubby pitiful little girl. Su Xiaoxiao continued to cook. She wanted to make a unique taste. And Wei Ting would risk his life to accompany her. The two of them took turns testing the food and were half-full. After midnight, she was finally done. She sat beside Wei Ting to rest. The sleepiness of her chubby body came easily. She tilted her head and fell asleep on Wei Ting¡¯s shoulder. Wei Ting frowned and raised his slender fingers to poke her head. Her head swayed and she leaned in again. Wei Ting poked her again, and she leaned on him again. This happened a few times, but she did not move her head away. His shoulder hurt. Wei Ting took a deep breath and said coldly, ¡°Hey, Su Daya, wake up.¡± Su Xiaoxiao slept soundly. ¡°Su Daya.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dawn. Time to do business.¡± No matter how Wei Ting tried to rouse her, her even breathing was the only response. He had finally waited until now. Wei Ting looked coldly at Su Xiaoxiao, who was leaning on his shoulder and raised his hand to untie the pouch on her waist. He did not find the token in his pouch. ¡°That¡¯s strange. Where did you put it?¡± He searched her sleeve again. Nothing, either. Did she put it in her pocket? Wei Ting¡¯s gaze drifted to her slightly heaving chest. He frowned and looked away. The experience of being suffocated appeared in his mind and he felt a little embarrassed. However, finding the token was more important. He gritted his teeth and reached into her cotton shirt. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Wei Ting in a daze before looking at the hand that had reached into her clothes. ¡°You touched me?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyelashes trembled. Seeing that she was obviously still asleep, he said calmly, ¡°No, you¡¯re just dreaming.¡± Su Xiaoxiao, who was in a daze, said in a daze, ¡°In your dreams¡­¡± Then she had to touch him back. Wei Ting was shocked when Su Xiaoxiao tugged at his belt! Chapter 55 ? 55 Digging a Hole Did this woman know what she was doing?! Even in a dream, she shouldn¡¯t casually pull on a man¡¯s belt! She thought she was dreaming! If Su Xiaoxiao was awake, she would definitely retort, ¡°Didn¡¯t you attack first?¡± Unfortunately, this body was too weak. Su Xiaoxiao had stayed up most of the night, and her current state was not much different from sleepwalking. Wei Ting grabbed her chubby hands and gritted his teeth. ¡°Su Daya!¡± Su Xiaoxiao stared at him and looked down. ¡°Wow!¡± She broke free from Wei Ting¡¯s hand and reached down- Wei Ting¡¯s face turned pale as he knocked her out with a karate chop! ¡ª Su Xiaoxiao slept until dawn. She looked at the sunlight coming in through the window and her mind buzzed. This feeling was like having a hangover. It was strange. ¡°I¡­ wasn¡¯t I making pancakes in the kitchen? Why am I sleeping in my own bed?¡± She scratched her head, not understanding. ¡°Ahhh! Don¡¯t snatch my pancakes!¡± It was Su Ergou¡¯s voice. Su Xiaoxiao came back to her senses. ¡°It¡¯s time to go out! Oh no! I haven¡¯t made snacks!¡± She quickly lifted the blanket and got off the bed. Her clothes were neat. Could it be that she was too tired last night and fell asleep after returning to the room? The three little ones fought with Su Ergou for the pancakes in the kitchen. Although they were small, they had six little demonic claws. There was no way Su Ergou could win. ¡°Mine, mine! They¡¯re all mine! My sister made them for me! Brother-in-law said so!¡± ¡°How old are you to fight with a child!¡± Father Su knocked his son on the head and carried the plate to the three children. Wei Ting sat in the backyard wiping his walking stick with a cold and terrifying aura. Those who knew would say that he was wiping his walking stick. Those who did not know would think that he was wiping his bow and arrow. Su Xiaoxiao came to his side and looked down at him. ¡°Wei Ting.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was deep in thought. ¡°When I saw you, I suddenly remembered a dream I had last night.¡± Wei Ting stopped wiping his walking stick and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your dream.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked around him and squatted down. She looked up at him. ¡°But I dreamed of you. You touched me.¡± Wei Ting glanced at her coldly. ¡°Is it possible for me to touch you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible either.¡± Not to mention that Wei Ting was not interested in her, even if he was, he would probably not take advantage of her with that personality of his. It was all because this body¡¯s physique was too poor. When she dozed off, it was as if she was drunk and could not withstand it at all. She really missed her body in her previous life. Su Xiaoxiao recalled and still felt that something was wrong. ¡°But¡­ it was quite detailed.¡± Worried that he wouldn¡¯t understand, she added, ¡°I pulled your pants.¡± She glanced at him with her small eyes. ¡°Why do you think a dream can be so lucid¡­¡± Wei Ting interrupted her coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know why?!¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought about it seriously. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true. I¡¯ve seen it.¡± Wei Ting was dumbfounded. Su Xiaoxiao was deep in thought. ¡°Did you touch me¡­¡± Her dream came to an end at the wrong time. Wei Ting was about to explode. Not only did he stay up all night for no reason, but it also resulted in so many problems. Most importantly, he did not find his token on her or in her room in the end. Where did this girl hide the token? ¡­. During breakfast, Su Xiaoxiao realized that Wei Ting¡¯s leg was limping even more. She looked at Father Su and said solemnly, ¡°Father, I told you that his leg injury hasn¡¯t healed and he can¡¯t get off the ground. Look at how crippled he is.¡± Wei Ting glanced at Su Xiaoxiao coldly as he bit the flatbread in his hand. Father Su looked at his son-in-law¡¯s leg with a confused expression. ¡°No, he was fine when he came back yesterday. Why did his leg become like this after a night? Did you carry a pig in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°Achoo!¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and sneezed. ¡ª Su Xiaoxiao woke up late and set up her stall later than usual. Old Li sent the siblings off with an ox cart. Su Xiaoxiao wanted to pay for the ride, but Old Li refused to take it. Recently, Little Su¡¯s family sent many things to their house. Madam Qian¡¯s basket had not been empty since she returned from the fields. There were vegetables planted by her family, as well as pancakes and meat from Little Su¡¯s family. Although the vegetable fields had not fared well under Su Cheng¡¯s attempts to farm, those vegetables could still be sold at the market. At most, they would not look good and were only a few copper coins cheaper. What Su Xiaoxiao gave him was not something that could be bought with money. Recently, the family had been doing well and his daughter-in-law¡¯s health had improved a lot. The midwife said that this child would definitely be a fat boy! ¡°Next time! You can give it to me next time!¡± Old Li stuffed the copper coin back into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and pulled the ox cart away. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Li.¡± As usual, the two of them went to Luo Dazhuang¡¯s stall to supply goods and collect the jar and money for yesterday¡¯s dishes. Then, they walked toward Jin Ji. Su Ergou said, ¡°Sister, did you really make the pancakes for me this morning?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Yes. Do you like them?¡± Su Ergou said in high spirits, ¡°I like them! They¡¯re better than the previous snacks! Then what are they called?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ergou Pancake.¡± Su Ergou was stunned and looked at his sister in disbelief. ¡°Is¡­ is it really Ergou Pancake?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded with a smile. Su Ergou was excited. ¡°Then, can we sell Er Gou Pancake?¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing, of course.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped and looked at him solemnly. ¡°Also, I won¡¯t sell the formula.¡± Su Ergou¡¯s mood was completely cured. He was only thirteen this year. Speaking of which, he was no more than a half-grown child. He would be sad about something simple and happy about a trivial return. He walked down the street, smiling like a little fool. ¡ª At Jin Ji, the chefs made three types of snacks according to the formula Manager Sun brought back. Everyone tried the food one by one. ¡°Delicious!¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed better than what we did.¡± ¡°So we got the oil pastry method wrong. It¡¯s more oily and delicate if we make it according to her formula. It¡¯s just-¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Manager Sun asked. ¡°Missing something,¡± said a chef. Master Qin said nothing. In his opinion, it was not missing just something, but a lot more. ¡°Is there really a problem with the recipe?¡± Manager Sun asked nervously. 45 taels of silver was not a small sum. If he bought a fake recipe, the responsibility would be huge! ¡°The recipe is right,¡± Master Qin said. With his experience, he could naturally tell that the other party had not tampered with the recipe. It was the difference in texture caused by the time of fermentation and the uneven heat. Doing anything required talent. Some people were born with sharp taste buds and could taste things that ordinary people could not. He was like that, so he was very good at doing this. However, it was obvious that the girl¡¯s talent was not inferior to his. The chestnut cake and wife cake were not much different from the those that the girl sold. If he made more of them and practiced more, he should be able to make up for it. What really made him frown was the last snack. The yolk pastry didn¡¯t taste right. The salted egg yolk pastry was completely different from what the little village girl sold. ¡°Is this also a matter of heat control?¡± Manager Sun asked. Master Qin said, ¡°It¡¯s not the heat control, it¡¯s the ingredients.¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°We¡¯re using the freshest and best ingredients in town!¡± Jin Ji¡¯s weakness was that it was expensive, but it was definitely not sloppy when it came to ingredients. ¡°Is it the yolk?¡± a chef said. ¡°The recipe says salted yolk. We added salt, but the taste is still not right.¡± The salted egg yolk in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s pancake had a rustling taste and was oily and salty. Their egg yolk was tasteless. The chef pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I ate a kind of salted egg in the capital. The yolk inside has this texture.¡± Manager Sun was shocked. ¡°You mean¡­ we have to go to the capital to buy it?¡± Chapter 56 ? 56 Beg Her ¡°Is it available for sale in town?¡± a cook asked. ¡°No,¡± said the chef. ¡°What about the prefectural city?¡± Manager Sun asked. Master Fu shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing in the prefectural city either. These salted eggs are all for the high officials and nobles in the capital. Ordinary small provinces and counties can¡¯t sell them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right.¡± Manager Sun wondered, ¡°If this thing is only sold in the capital, could that girl have bought it from the capital?¡± ¡ª It was late today, and the regular customers were anxious. ¡°Are you getting arrogant? Jin Ji has already sold two pots!¡± Shen Chuan said gloomily. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Eh? Why are you here today?¡± ¡°I was passing by,¡± Shen Chuan said. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao wrapped five salted egg yolk pastries and handed them to the auntie in front of her. ¡°Your snacks are 100 copper coins.¡± The yolk pastry cost ten copper coins more than the wife cake and chestnut cake. ¡°Here, the list.¡± Shen Chuan casually handed her the list. Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. ¡°You specially came to give me the list? Actually, there¡¯s no need. After we finish our business here, we¡¯ll go to the academy to get it ourselves.¡± Shen Chuan said angrily, ¡°I said I was passing by and brought it to you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°You¡¯re a little angry today. Did you get into a fight with the dean again?¡± Shen Chuan sighed. ¡°He insisted that I go to the city to study after spring. I don¡¯t want to go!¡± This was a family matter, and it was not convenient for Su Xiaoxiao to interfere. ¡°For you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao wrapped a set of snacks for him. ¡°It¡¯s for you. No charge.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shen Chuan asked. ¡°To comfort you,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously. Shen Chuan was speechless. Shen Chuan coughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯m a man. Do I need a little girl like you to comfort me? Here!¡± He threw a small silver to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°There¡¯s no need to look. I¡¯m happy today!¡± He was going to squander his father¡¯s wealth! He would squander the money ruthlessly! After squandering his wealth, Eldest Young Master Shen swaggered away. Su Xiaoxiao handed the silver to Su Ergou and put it away. ¡°Do you understand?¡± Su Ergou shook his head in a daze. He didn¡¯t understand. Why did Young Master Shen give his sister more money when she didn¡¯t want it? Su Xiaoxiao patted his shoulder. ¡°Learn slowly.¡± There was clearly much less traffic on the streets than before. In addition, they had arrived too late. Many customers waited for a long time and thought that they would not be setting up their stall today. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s a little slow today,¡± Su Ergou said. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s normal to have ups and downs in business.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mentality was very good. She was probably really generous and not anxious at all. The money she had on hand was not earned from the snack and braised food business. She had earned 45 taels of silver from selling the formula and 30 taels of silver from Young Master Xiang. She did not have to worry about being hungry in the short term. However, her business had to be expanded slowly. If she wanted to expand the production scale, she had to invest more capital. Besides, the house was old. This house was built when Madam Chen and Father Su got married. More than ten years had passed, and the walls had cracked, the roof was piling, and there were leaks. She planned to put the construction of the house on the agenda after spring. With this calculation, she would have to spend the money she earned before she could save it. As she was thinking, Manager Sun walked over leisurely with his hands behind his back. ¡°Yo, Miss Su, you¡¯re here to set up a stall again.¡± He came in front of the two of them and glanced at the snacks on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s tray. He smiled and said, ¡°Business isn¡¯t very good today.¡± Su Ergou was not happy with Manager Sun, who had forcefully bought their formula. ¡°Why are you here again? I¡¯m warning you, there¡¯s no recipe to sell to you! I won¡¯t sell it again!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to buy a recipe. I¡¯m here to ask for a refund!¡± ¡°What refund? You¡¯ve already taken the formulae. Are you trying to extort us?!¡± Su Ergou knew too much about extortion. Manager Sun took out a sheet of paper with the formulae from his wide sleeve and flicked it in front of Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°You sold me a fake formula! Even if you go to the government office, it¡¯s your fault!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You wrote it yourself as I dictated. Unless you wrote the wrong instructions, there won¡¯t be a problem with the formula.¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°But the snacks I made according to your recipe taste different from the ones you sell!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked puzzled. ¡°Really?¡± Manager Sun waved behind him and a staff ran over with a plate of egg yolk pastry. ¡°Taste it yourself!¡± Manager Sun said. Su Xiaoxiao opened the egg yolk pastry. ¡°There¡¯s no need to taste it. It¡¯s indeed different from what I made.¡± Manager Sun said coldly, ¡°You admit it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°But the issue is not with the formula. You bought the wrong ingredients. Don¡¯t blame me!¡± Manager Sun gritted his teeth. This girl was really not easy to scare¡­ Ordinary people would have been flustered by his questioning, but this girl was unbelievably calm. Was she really a teenage village girl? Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Manager Sun, we¡¯ve opened our doors to do business. If you¡¯re really asking for advice humbly, I can do you a favor and tell you. If you want to extort me and trick me, I advise you to give up! I sold you the formulae not because I¡¯m afraid of you. I set up a stall at the entrance of Jin Ji and indeed snatched some of your business. We see each other often and should not go overboard. I¡¯ll just treat it as forming a good relationship. But try bullying us again and you¡¯ll have it coming!¡± In business negotiations, one had to be thick-skinned and have a strong aura. It didn¡¯t matter if there was real substance. It was enough to make people believe that you had it. This was an experience that Manager Sun had practiced for decades. Who knew that he would be easily controlled by a little girl? Manager Sun really looked at Su Xiaoxiao in a different light. Of course, he did so with a hint of gritted teeth. Manager Sun said with a fake smile, ¡°Alright, as long as you¡¯re willing to tell me where you bought your ingredients, I¡¯ll believe you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Is this your attitude when begging?¡± Su Ergou wondered, ¡°Why does it sound like my brother-in-law?¡± Manager Sun was dumbfounded. He smiled exaggeratedly. ¡°Miss Su, where did you buy your salted egg yolk?¡± She had better not tell him that it was the capital. If this girl had the capital¡¯s supply, would she be worried that he would cut off her supply of flour in this town? Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about that. I made it myself.¡± Manager Sun was stunned. ¡°You made it yourself?¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t you know how to do it? It¡¯s not very difficult.¡± Manager Sun almost vomited blood. What did she mean when she said it was not very difficult? If the chefs in town heard her words, they would run over to beat her to death! Su Xiaoxiao said generously, ¡°Seeing that we¡¯ve worked together in the past, I can sell the recipe for the salted egg to you at a low price.¡± Jin Ji sold snacks, not ingredients. Who the hell would want a recipe for salted eggs? In that case, would they have to grind their own flour, fry their own fragrant oil, plant their own produce, and dry their own pepper? Later on, he might even have to buy the formula for white sugar and official salt. That way, he wouldn¡¯t be far from death! In short, Jin Ji would not make the ingredients themselves. Manager Sun said reluctantly, ¡°I don¡¯t want the formula, but if you have more salted eggs on hand, you can sell them to me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°Sigh, although it¡¯s not difficult to cook salted eggs, it¡¯s very troublesome. I only made those. If I don¡¯t even have enough for myself, how can I sell more to you?¡± Manager Sun gritted his teeth. ¡°The price is negotiable!¡± Chapter 57 ? 57 Rescue The fish¡­ had taken the bait! Did Manager Sun really think that everything would be fine after buying her formulae? That was just the beginning of another business. One had to know that it was not easy to take advantage of a little village girl! Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care if Manager Sun could see through her. After all, he couldn¡¯t do anything to her. He needed the ingredients for the yolk pastry, and she was the only one in town who could make it. Unless he gave up on this snack, he had to buy it from her. He had already spent 15 taels of silver on this formula. If he really gave up, would he be able to bear it? Would he be able to explain it to his boss? What was that saying? Good hunters often appear as prey. From the moment Manager Sun targeted her formulae, the situation today was destined. Indeed, Manager Sun had another option-to buy goods from further away. But if he could, why would he look for her here? It could be seen that the cost of buying goods elsewhere was far higher than the budget that Manager Sun could use for the ingredients. In the end, Su Xiaoxiao agreed to supply Jin Ji with salted egg yolk for eight copper coins per piece. This was much more profitable than selling the formula. After the first batch of orders was made in spring, Manager Sun suggested that they try it first and pay when they were satisfied. Su Xiaoxiao understood that Manager Sun wanted to ask around during the new year to see if there were any other supply channels. ¡ª The snacks were sold out at noon. For the next two days, there were almost no customers on the streets, and most of the shops were closed. After selling the last pancake, Su Xiaoxiao clapped her hands. ¡°Close the stall! Our business this year is over!¡± Su Ergou was not satisfied. ¡°So fast.¡± ¡°Not soon. It¡¯s already afternoon.¡± In the past, when they set up their stall, they could sell them all in less than an hour. It had never been past noon. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Tomorrow is the new year. Look, there¡¯s no one on the streets. The market is about to close. Let¡¯s hurry up and buy something.¡± ¡°Sister, what do you want to buy?¡± Su Ergou asked. ¡°I want to buy some peanuts and see what else is missing,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Ergou said happily, ¡°I like peanuts!¡± Peanuts were indeed not bad. They could be fried, made into peanut crisps, and ground into peanut butter. Peanut butter was good nutrition for weight loss. Not only could it replenish the high-quality fat needed by the body, but it could also increase the sense of satiety. If she ate it on an empty stomach, she would not need to eat for a long time. Unfortunately, when they arrived at the market, the peanut seller had already packed up. They would not set up their stall again this year. Su Ergou looked at the mostly empty market. ¡°Sister, we can¡¯t buy peanuts.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed regretfully. Suddenly, an idea flashed across her mind. ¡°If I can¡¯t buy it here¡­ I can buy it from there!¡± Su Ergou scratched his head. ¡°Sister, which place are you referring to?¡± Half an hour later, the two of them walked through the thick snow to Spring Willow Lane. The Fu family¡¯s door was closed. Su Xiaoxiao had her hand in her warm sleeve and couldn¡¯t be bothered to take it out, so she ordered her brother, ¡°Ergou, knock.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou knocked on the wooden door. ¡°Is anyone there? Physician Fu! It¡¯s us!¡± No reaction. ¡°Aren¡¯t you at home? Are you on a house call?¡± Su Ergou muttered. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Aunt Fu didn¡¯t set up her stall. Physician Fu isn¡¯t here. She should be. Continue knocking.¡± Su Ergou continued to knock on the door. ¡°Aunt Fu! It¡¯s us! Are you at home? Can you hear me?¡± Probably because they had made too much noise and disturbed the neighbor next door, a woman in her early thirties pulled open the courtyard door and walked out. She looked at the siblings and frowned. ¡°Stop knocking! Physician Fu Lang is making a house call! He¡¯s not here!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked politely, ¡°We¡¯re looking for Aunt Fu. Is she around?¡± The woman said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. That old woman never interacts with anyone. Who would know her whereabouts?¡± She went into the house. Something was wrong. Su Xiaoxiao frowned. When she went to look for Luo Dazhuang to settle the bill in the morning, she did not see Aunt Fu. After the afternoon passed, she was not around either. She did not set up her stall for the entire day. If she was not at home, where did she go? ¡°Ergou, climb in!¡± Su Er was stunned. ¡°Huh? Sister, this isn¡¯t good, right? Aren¡¯t we not extorting money anymore?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°What does it have to do with extorting money?¡± Su Ergou¡¯s expression became even more indescribable. ¡°Are you trying to steal money?¡± Su Xiaoxiao held her forehead speechlessly. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to go in and see if Aunt Fu is around.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, oh.¡± Su Ergou scratched his head resentfully. The siblings did the same thing, but Su Xiaoxiao usually only scratched her head when she was irritable. Su Ergou said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go in.¡± Su Xiaoxiao reminded, ¡°Be careful!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Su Ergou stepped on the wall and easily climbed into the courtyard. After a while, Su Ergou pulled open the old door. ¡°Sister! Something happened to Aunt Fu!¡± Su Ergou found Aunt Fu in the open space in the backyard. She was lying in the snow with signs of struggle under her. There were dustpans and dried vegetables scattered on the side. ¡°What smell is that?¡± Su Ergou sniffed. ¡°The kitchen!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Ergou quickly went to the kitchen to take a look. ¡°Heavens! The pot is burned through!¡± Su Xiaoxiao squatted down. It seemed that Aunt Fu was planning to bring the washed dried plums to the kitchen to cook. However, in the snow, she slipped and fell. She tried to get up on her own. Maybe she was old, or she had fallen too hard. She didn¡¯t succeed. Physician Fu was not around, and her relationship with the neighbors was not very harmonious¡­ In the end, she fainted in the snow. ¡°Sister! Aunt Fu is still breathing, right? Make way, I¡¯ll move her into the house!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch her yet. I¡¯ll check.¡± To rule out whether there are external injuries or fractures in the body. Su Xiaoxiao began to examine her. There was no obvious bleeding, but her left leg was broken. ¡°She¡¯s quite heavily injured.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°Ergou, go to the kitchen and find a few pieces of dry wood. They have to be flat and long. If there aren¡¯t any, cut a few pieces.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Su Ergou agreed. Father Su was a martial artist. It was normal for him to be injured. He would deal with some small injuries himself. He had followed his father for many years and had more or less seen a little. He understood what kind of board his sister wanted. Not long after, he hacked a few pieces over. ¡°Sister, can you see if this is enough?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at it and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Go to that storeroom. I remember there are clean cloth strips hanging on the shelf on the left.¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°Sister, you even remember this!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Hurry up! She¡¯s freezing. It¡¯ll be dangerous if she doesn¡¯t enter the house!¡± ¡°Aye!¡± Su Ergou went to get some pieces of cloth. Su Xiaoxiao did a simple brace on Aunt Fu¡¯s leg. ¡°Be careful when you lift her later.¡± Frozen people were prone to second fractures. Su Ergou moved an old door over. The siblings carefully carried her back to Aunt Fu¡¯s bed. Aunt Fu¡¯s situation was very bad. Although the fracture was not fatal, she had suffered serious temperature loss. If she did not recover her temperature in time, she might never wake up again. Chapter 58 ? 58 Taking the Medicine The first step to rescuing patients with hypothermia was to get them to leave the low-temperature environment. Su Xiaoxiao quickly took off her winter clothes. ¡°Ergou! Go to the kitchen and build a brazier! Hurry! Boil a few more buckets of hot water!¡± Su Ergou: ¡°The pot¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Go borrow it from the neighbors. Be polite!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Su Ergou turned around and walked out. The cold wind and snow seemed to press down on Su Ergou¡¯s face mercilessly. Su Ergou did not close his mouth and took a deep breath of snow. ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± ¡°Tui tui tui!¡± He spat out the snow in his mouth in disdain and knocked on the door next door. The person who opened the door was the woman who had just spoken to them. The woman had just been sweeping and was holding a broom with snow hanging on it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong now?¡± the woman asked. She probably didn¡¯t like Aunt Fu. After knowing that the siblings were here to look for her, she didn¡¯t have a good attitude toward them. Su Ergou remembered his sister¡¯s advice and said politely, ¡°Madam, do you have many pots at home? I want to borrow one from you.¡± When Su Ergou was a bully, he was fierce. When he was obedient, he was actually quite a pleasing young man. Coupled with his gentle tone, he was¡­ quite likable. The woman coughed lightly and said indifferently, ¡°Why are you borrowing the pot?¡± Su Ergou said truthfully, ¡°Aunt Fu next door fainted and the pot at home was burned through. I want to use the pot to boil some hot water for her.¡± ¡°She fainted?¡± The woman was shocked. ¡°Isn¡¯t her body quite strong?¡± Su Ergou scratched his head. ¡°Maybe it was too slippery in the snow and she accidentally fell. Then, she fainted from the cold.¡± The woman frowned and turned around to enter the house to get a big pot for Su Ergou. Then, she looked at Su Ergou deeply, as if she was wondering if that bad-tempered old woman would actually have someone help her. Hadn¡¯t she scolded him enough? To be honest, if it weren¡¯t for Physician Fu, who would be willing to bother with that old woman? ¡°Who are you to her?¡± the woman asked. ¡°We¡¯re here to buy peanuts from her,¡± Su Ergou said. The woman said nothing more. Su Ergou took the pot to the kitchen and quickly boiled hot water. In the house, Su Xiaoxiao took off the granny¡¯s snow-soaked clothes and reattached the splint on her leg. Su Xiaoxiao was already very careful throughout the entire process, but she could still feel that Aunt Fu¡¯s breathing was getting stranger. She took Aunt Fu¡¯s pulse and opened her eyes. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao had a guess. She retrieved the first aid kit from the small basket. She was going to perform a follow-up on Young Master Xiang today, so she brought her first aid kit with her before leaving. The first aid kit contained a stethoscope and a blood pressure monitor. Aunt Fu¡¯s left arm was slightly bruised. She tied the sleeve of the blood pressure gauge to Aunt Fu¡¯s right arm and stuffed the stethoscope¡¯s receiver in. As she pumped and pressed, she observed the blood pressure gauge¡¯s data. As expected, Aunt Fu¡¯s blood pressure was very high. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know about Aunt Fu¡¯s medical history, so she wasn¡¯t sure if it was a one-time increase in blood pressure caused by frostbite or if her blood pressure had always been high. Either way, she had to reduce the patient¡¯s pressure immediately. She could take this opportunity to see if she could enter the pharmacy. Su Xiaoxiao closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes, she realized that she was still where she was. ¡°No way. Someone¡¯s going to die. Can it work?¡± High blood pressure and frostbite shock were very dangerous! It was much more dangerous than Young Master Xiang¡¯s condition the previous time! Su Xiaoxiao tried many times to no avail. Just as she was about to give up, her vision flashed and she entered the pharmacy. She was standing in front of the medicine cabinet in the Cardiology Department. Su Xiaoxiao was confused. ¡°Are you on a 2G network? Your reaction is so slow.¡± Although she was complaining, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t forget to take medicine, such as blood pressure medicine, diuretics, potassium chloride¡­ ¡°And Father Su¡¯s medicine!¡± It was rare for her to come in. She had to- Just as the thought flashed through her mind, her vision blurred. She was out. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. Last time, she had at least taken a bottle of bone-strengthening medicine. This time, she couldn¡¯t even retrieve that. ¡°How tightly guarded.¡± Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips. Actually, she did not completely understand what was going on. After all, she had only entered three times. If she wanted to figure out the pattern, she would probably have to try a few more times. ¡°Let¡¯s treat Aunt Fu first.¡± In the kitchen, Ergou raised the brazier and the hot water was ready. Su Xiaoxiao used a water bag to fill a few hot water bags to warm Aunt Fu¡¯s body. Aunt Fu finally regained a trace of consciousness. She opened her eyes stiffly and saw Su Xiaoxiao busying herself in the room. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ you¡­¡± She was freezing, and her tongue was no longer sharp. Su Xiaoxiao greeted, ¡°It¡¯s me, Aunt Fu.¡± Aunt Fu couldn¡¯t move, but Su Xiaoxiao could tell that she had rolled her eyes at her. Since she could still roll her eyes, it seemed she wouldn¡¯t die. Su Xiaoxiao helped her up slightly and placed a pillow behind her back. She carried a glass of water and a cup of medicine. ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, take the medicine.¡± Aunt Fu continued to stubbornly and slowly roll her eyes! Su Xiaoxiao stuffed the medicine into her mouth and fed her a few spoonfuls of warm water. In her situation, taking blood pressure medicine alone was not enough. She had to keep up with the diuretics and potassium chloride. Having taken strange medicine, Aunt Fu continued to roll her eyes. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You can speak now, right? If you can¡¯t, you can nod and blink. I need to know your medical history so that I can treat you more accurately later.¡± Aunt Fu retorted, ¡°My son is a physician. Do I need you to treat me?¡± Besides, what medical skills could a little girl know? Forget it! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The first question is, do you often feel dizzy? Sometimes, your chest will be stuffy and your limbs will be numb?¡± Aunt Fu was stunned, and her disdainful expression froze. ¡°Looks like it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and continued, ¡°Are the above symptoms more common in the morning and evening?¡± Aunt Fu was even more surprised. ¡°Looks like it again.¡± Su Xiaoxiao understood that she had guessed correctly again. If Aunt Fu¡¯s condition was not controlled, it was easy to trigger cardiovascular disease, such as angina, and so on. In serious cases, it might even cause a cerebral infarction and a heart attack. Her fall might have been caused by her high blood pressure and dizziness. Fortunately, Su Xiaoxiao and Ergou came to buy peanuts. Otherwise, Aunt Fu would have died of illness or frozen to death. ¡°Look at you. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no one living next door. Can¡¯t you scream if you fall? You¡¯d rather faint from the cold than shout for help. What a stubborn temper!¡± Su Xiaoxiao cherished her life, especially after dying once. She could understand how precious life was. What was more important than life? ¡°Have you thought about Physician Fu¡¯s feelings? If he came back from consultation and realized that his mother was gone, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to see you for the last time! How can he face himself for the rest of his life? Can he forgive himself when he thinks that his consultation indirectly caused your accident? Can he continue to save the dying and heal the injured? Can he still hold the silver needles in his hand?¡± Chapter 59 ? 59 Kind Act It was unknown if it was because she was affected by Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s words or because she was shocked by Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s aura, but Aunt Fu didn¡¯t retort. When Su Xiaoxiao brought two white pills and a spoonful of warm water to her mouth, she swallowed them cooperatively. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put down her cup in satisfaction. She had been a little agitated just now not only because she was angry at the patient for not fighting for her life, but also because she thought of Father Su, who had been separated from Madam Chen since he returned from the escort mission. He had yet to walk out of the trauma from back then. There was also herself. She would never be able to return to the twenty-first century alive. In that world, she was a dead woman. Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t someone who would stay immersed in negative emotions. She was very good at adjusting. She quickly returned to the topic. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask what I gave you?¡± Aunt Fu¡¯s body warmed up and her words were smooth. However, her attitude was still indifferent. Aunt Fu said coldly, ¡°What can it be? Do you really think your native method can save people?¡± She had seen many country bumpkins, and many of them died from consuming strange concoctions. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t argue with her. Facts spoke louder than words. With high blood pressure, a person¡¯s body would definitely not feel good. When the medicine took effect later, she would feel comfortable and understand how effective her ¡°native method¡± was. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°You didn¡¯t mention your illness to Physician Fu, right? Do you feel that headache and dizziness are small matters? Did you sit for too long? Or are you avoiding treatment?¡± Aunt Fu said impatiently, ¡°Why are you so talkative today!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m only talkative because I care about you.¡± Aunt Fu said angrily, ¡°Who needs your concern? Is your concern valuable?¡± Look at this strange temper. Wei Ting and Jingyi were nothing compared to this woman. The two of them had cold personalities. Aunt Fu was really grumpy and had a sharp tongue. No wonder her neighbors were afraid of her. However, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t agree with her. It was not the first time she had interacted with the Fu family. She originally thought that the quality of the medicinal herbs prepared by Physician Fu was good and that it was not mixed with fake medicine. However, if one paid careful attention, he would discover that Aunt Fu¡¯s ingredients were also top-notch. Her dry goods were the best in the market, and her weight was also the highest. There was no lack of weight. Instead, she would usually give a bit more. Physician Fu Lang treated many people and did not earn much money. There was no lack of poor people who could not afford the consultation fee. Aunt Fu, who had a bad temper and scolded her neighbors, did not say anything about this. Su Xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°I won¡¯t argue with you anymore. I¡¯ll go cook.¡± Aunt Fu berated, ¡°You still want to cook at my house!¡± Su Xiaoxiao placed her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy for so long. I¡¯m cold and hungry. What¡¯s wrong with a meal? Hit me if you dare!¡± Aunt Fu looked at her splinted legs and was so angry that her wrinkles seemed to be trembling. Su Xiaoxiao revealed a victorious smile and clapped her hands. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be angry. Lie down and sleep for a while. It will help the medicine take effect faster.¡± Medicinal effects? Ha! Did a little girl who sold braised food and snacks really think that a random native method could treat her dizziness for many years? At most, she believed that this girl did not deliberately poison her, but she did not believe that it would be effective! ¡ª Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen and cooked a pot of seaweed and egg porridge. The seaweed was rich in potassium and could help reduce blood pressure. The barley nourished the yin and nourished the kidneys, and it was also good for relieving Aunt Fu¡¯s current symptoms. In addition, she spread out a few dried plum pancakes for her and Su Ergou to eat. She would not stand on ceremony with Aunt Fu. After she washed the pot and returned it to the next door neighbor, she brought a basket of dry goods. ¡°These are from Aunt Fu. Please accept them,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said with a smile. The woman looked at the basket full of big and beautiful dried mushrooms. Thinking that she could make a pot of chicken stewed with mushrooms for her husband and son at night, she couldn¡¯t bear to reject them. ¡°If there¡¯s anything, just call out. It¡¯s normal for Doctor Fu to go out for three to five days without returning. Those remote villages don¡¯t have money to earn and the roads are difficult to walk. No one is willing to go. Only Doctor Fu doesn¡¯t mind the mountains and long roads. He¡¯s willing to be a fool!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°Sigh, wasn¡¯t it Aunt Fu who asked him to go? Aunt Fu said that she would rather suffer than let the poor people look down on her.¡± The woman recalled that the vicious old woman had indeed never made things difficult for poor patients. Even if she had scolded everyone on the street, she did not reject or chase away patients who could not afford the medicine. Thinking of this, the woman fell silent. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°In short, I thank you on behalf of Aunt Fu.¡± After that, Su Xiaoxiao returned to the Fu family and packed another basket of dried goods to send to another neighbor. ¡°Aunt Fu said that it has been exposed to too much sun. The weather is so humid. If you don¡¯t eat it, it will spoil. If you don¡¯t mind, you can take it to make soup. It¡¯s very nourishing.¡± ¡­. In the evening, Su Xiaoxiao carried a bag of peanuts and left. Aunt Fu sat on the bed and shouted angrily, ¡°Stupid girl! What did you take again!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said confidently, ¡°Medicine and consultation fees!¡± Aunt Fu was speechless. She had been deceived. A country bumpkin had bartered a bag of peanuts for her native concoction. She had suffered a huge loss! During the night, two unbelievable things happened in the Fu family. The first thing was that Aunt Fu¡¯s symptoms had eased-her panic and shortness of breath were gone, and her head no longer hurt. Her dizziness had been greatly relieved, and her limbs were no longer numb. The second thing was that her neighbors, who never interacted with her, suddenly came to her door! One brought her a bowl of hot chicken stewed with mushrooms and helped her to the toilet. The other helped her refill the brazier, leaving a pot of fungus soup and a few plum cornbread. He even said that he would visit her again early! Aunt Fu felt like she had seen a ghost! ¡ª Su Ergou was simple-minded. He only thought that his sister had given Aunt Fu two boards. He didn¡¯t think it was a big deal. As for feeding her medicine, he did not see it. When the two of them returned to the village, it was already completely dark. Father Su was a little anxious. Although Zhang Dao was no longer in town and no one could deal with the siblings, he was still nervous if the children did not return. When he went to the village entrance for the seventeenth time, he finally saw his fat daughter. ¡°Daya!¡± He let out a long sigh of relief, his mood brightening. ¡°Why are you back so late?¡± Su Ergou told her what happened at Aunt Fu¡¯s house. ¡°¡­ I extorted a bag of peanuts from her!¡± Su Cheng gave his fat daughter a thumbs up. ¡°As expected of my daughter!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡­. The three little ones did not see their mother for an entire day and were collectively listless. When Su Xiaoxiao finally returned, the three of them did not pounce on her immediately. Instead, they entered Su Ergou¡¯s room. The three of them faced the wall, looking aggrieved. Chapter 60 ? 60 Progress ¡°This is¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood at the door and looked at the three children before looking at Su Cheng. Su Cheng sighed. ¡°They¡¯ve been waiting for you all day, and refused to eat dinner.¡± That was probably due to Father Su¡¯s dark culinary arts¡­ Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t expect to return so late and had only prepared and left lunch in the kitchen. Su Cheng had to contribute to the dark cuisine at night. Su Xiaoxiao thought of how she had waited downstairs for Madam Li like this when she was young. Madam Li was her mother in her previous life. However, her waiting never paid off. Even if it did, Madam Li would not stay at home for more than ten minutes before leaving in a hurry. She had also locked herself in her room in a fit of anger, waiting for Madam Li to coax her. However, when she opened the door and went out, Madam Li had already left, leaving her and the nanny who took care of her at home. Su Xiaoxiao came behind the three little ones and poked their shoulders with her chubby index finger. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, I¡¯m back.¡± The three of them didn¡¯t move. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Am I too late?¡± The three of them remained silent. Su Xiaoxiao turned the three of them around. Their small bodies turned around, but their small heads turned to the side stubbornly. Their expressions were extremely aggrieved. If Madam Li had pushed open the door that she had not locked back then, she would have seen herself like this, right? ¡°Are you angry with me? Tell me, okay?¡± Even though she tacitly agreed that they called her mother, she was still not used to referring to herself as a mother. Dahu said gloomily, ¡°I¡¯m so sad.¡± ¡°Erhu is also sad,¡± Erhu said aggrievedly. Xiaohu held his chest and said with heartache, ¡°Xiao Fu¡­ is the saddest!¡± Ah, where did such young children learn these words? It was so cute to hear children talking like adults! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault today. I should have come back earlier.¡± The more she spoke, the more aggrieved the three of them felt. Their eyes were red. It was still different. In her previous life, she would not cry. No matter how sad she was, there were no tears. Su Xiaoxiao bent down and kissed each of their cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, okay? I¡¯ll take you guys to town tomorrow.¡± The moment they received the kiss, the three of them blushed. No matter how hard they tried to maintain their aloofness and grievance, they could not hold it in anymore. The three of them were so embarrassed that they fell to the ground. They covered their shy faces and got up. They were going to show off to Niudan! Looking at the three of them running out, Su Xiaoxiao laughed. On the other side of the house, Wei Ting looked at the three little brats who had increasingly deviated from their original behavior and frowned deeply. ¡ª Everyone was not full from dinner, mainly because Su Cheng¡¯s cooking was too terrible. Su Xiaoxiao cooked a pot of noodle soup with cured meat and cut some vegetables. The family couldn¡¯t stop eating and the three children even licked the plates clean. Su Ergou went to wash the dishes while Su Xiaoxiao began to make peanut butter. There was no mill at home, but Old Li¡¯s family did. Su Xiaoxiao planned to borrow it herself. Su Cheng¡¯s heart ached for his daughter and couldn¡¯t bear for her to move the mill at night, so he could only bite the bullet and personally visit. Recently, Su Cheng had been going to town to hunt Zhang Dao down and did not come to learn farming much. Madam Qian was idle for a while and was laughing when she saw Evil Tyrant Su again. ¡°There¡¯s no more land to plant!¡± She slammed the door! Su Cheng, who was snubbed was speechless. Su Cheng knocked on the door in resignation. ¡°I¡¯m here to borrow a mill. I¡¯ll return it to you after I¡¯m done using it.¡± There was no response from behind the door. Was she refusing to lend it? Su Cheng touched the bridge of his nose resentfully. If he had known earlier, he would have farmed properly. Suddenly, the door opened! A mill was thrown out! Bang! The door closed again! Su Cheng was dumbfounded. Old Li¡¯s family had two types of millstones. The big millstone was lent to someone else. The other was a small millstone that was not too heavy. Su Cheng could move it with his left hand. However, Su Cheng was asking for a beating¡­ He used his right hand and realized that his right hand¡­ no longer hurt. After fighting with Zhang Dao last time, his hand injury relapsed. If he used a little force, his hand would tremble and hurt at night. He didn¡¯t care. However, to him, he would get used to the pain. But¡­ when did it¡­ stop hurting? Could it be the bottle of medicine his daughter had given him? Su Cheng returned home with a heart full of doubts and the small mill he had borrowed from Old Li¡¯s family. Su Xiaoxiao was sitting in the backyard with Su Ergou and Wei Ting. Wei Ting was made to sit there by her. ¡°Daughter, come here!¡± Su Cheng put down the millstone and said to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m coming.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood up and glared at Wei Ting. ¡°Peel it properly. You¡¯re not allowed to be lazy!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Heh.¡± His hands which were used to kill enemies were now used to peel peanuts. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao came to Su Chengwu. Su Cheng shook his right hand and said happily, ¡°Look!¡± ¡°Look¡­ what?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was confused. Su Cheng said in surprise, ¡°Dad¡¯s wrist doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was shocked. She hurriedly held Su Cheng¡¯s right wrist and gently pressed it everywhere. ¡°Does it really not hurt anymore? What about here?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt!¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt either!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pressed each area one by one. Other than the numbness and pain when she pressed some of his acupoints, it wasn¡¯t like this before! She had yet to officially treat Father Su and he had only eaten a bottle of bone supplements. Could it be that¡­ the bone supplements developed by the base not only had the effect of replenishing calcium and strengthening the bones but could also repair nerve damage? This was definitely a big surprise and a big discovery! Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll test the strength of your wrist. Don¡¯t force yourself. If it hurts or feels uncomfortable, get me to stop.¡± Su Cheng replied, ¡°Okay!¡± Su Xiaoxiao gently pressed Father Su¡¯s wrist and increased her strength. ¡°You have to tell me if it hurts!¡± ¡°I will.¡± His daughter understood how to feel sorry for others. He felt relieved. When Su Xiaoxiao increased her strength for the fourth time, Father Su frowned slightly. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Su Xiaoxiao quickly stopped. ¡°It¡¯s a little numb,¡± Father Su said. ¡°Then that¡¯s all for now.¡± Su Xiaoxiao retracted her hand. The results of this test were much stronger than expected. She thought that Father Su¡¯s hand injury would only improve after a series of complicated treatments. However, a bottle of bone supplements allowed her to see hope. His damaged nerves were slowly recovering. In the past, she had 50% confidence in helping him recover, but now, she had 80%! There was a reason why the pharmacy was so stingy. The conventional prescription medicine she took probably could not compare to a bottle of high technology bone strengthening pills. She had fleeced the base! ¡°Hehe.¡± Su Xiaoxiao felt that she had picked up a huge bargain. Su Cheng looked at his fat daughter who was smiling foolishly and couldn¡¯t help but tremble. ¡°Daya, don¡¯t scare me.¡± He would rather his hand didn¡¯t get better than let his fat daughter become a fool. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Father Su and said hopefully, ¡°Father, your hand will definitely recover!¡± She was 80% confident. She would use all her strength to fight for the remaining percentage! Chapter 61 ? 61 Warmth Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to make peanut butter. Father Su also joined the team of family laborers peeling peanut shells. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m done peeling a basin of peanuts.¡± Su Ergou placed a basin of peanuts on the stove. ¡°Do you still want to peel more?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. She paused and said, ¡°It¡¯s too cold outside. Come in and peel.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Su Ergou went outside to bring in a sack of peanuts and his brother-in-law and father. Su Cheng and his son-in-law were in the category of being forced to peel peanuts. They were lazy and often needed Su Ergou¡¯s reminders. Wei Ting was young and fast. When Father Su had only peeled a dozen peanuts, he had already filled a big bowl. Father Su took the opportunity to change their bowls! Su Xiaoxiao turned around and widened her eyes. ¡°Wei Ting! Why did you only peel these few?¡± Father Su waved his hand. ¡°Aiya, don¡¯t blame my son-in-law. I peeled too quickly.¡± Wei Ting was wondering if Su Cheng could be any more shameless. His boat was flipped over just like that! Su Xiaoxiao poured the peanuts into a hot pot and stir-fried them. It was a test of the speed. The three little fellows returned from showing off next door and surrounded the stove to watch Su Xiaoxiao stir-fry peanuts. The family gathered in the kitchen illuminated by the fire and oil lamps. The cold wind howled outside, but everyone felt that it was a warm winter. The skin of the peanut became darker, and the peanut kernels were about to turn slightly yellow. She put them in the sieve and shook them to remove the skin. Those that were not removed were rubbed off with hands. Su Xiaoxiao washed the stone mill and dried it. She split half of it and let Wei Ting grind it. She put the other half into the garlic pot. Su Ergou asked, ¡°Sister, what are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said patiently to her brother, ¡°I¡¯m making peanut butter. I just want to try if grinding or pounding makes it more fragrant.¡± Su Ergou was very enthusiastic, but Father Su and Wei Ting wanted to slack off. Father Su pretended to say, ¡°Aiya, my hand hurts.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You can grind it with your left hand. It doesn¡¯t take much strength.¡± Wei Ting stretched out his bandaged long legs. ¡°My legs¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°You don¡¯t need legs to grind peanuts!¡± The two of them continued to work. The peanut butter in the stone mill was first ground twice with a mill, mixed with cold water, and stirred. Then, it was put into the mill and ground a few times. The more it was ground, the finer the sauce would be. Su Xiaoxiao asked Father Su to grind half of the sauce into a grainy paste-the adults ate them, and the other half was smooth-and the three little ones ate them. This smoothness was relative. It was not completely smooth like what she had in her previous life. There were still a few grains. Su Xiaoxiao continued to stir-fry peanuts and performed the role of the production manager. Su Ergou peeled the peanut shells and peanut shells. He also supervised Father Su and Wei Ting. He could be said to be the workshop director. The three little ones were only in charge of tasting the peanuts that Su Xiaoxiao had stir-fried, the peanut butter that Father Su had ground, and the peanut paste that Wei Ting had made. The family had a clear division of labor. In the blink of an eye, only half of the sack of peanuts was left. The rich fragrance of peanuts filled the entire kitchen. It was warm and fragrant. Even the Liu family next door could smell it. Madam He lay under the blanket and drooled at the fragrance. ¡°What did Little Su¡¯s family make again?¡± ¡°Who knows!¡± Niudan¡¯s father turned around with his back facing Madam He and drooled. For some reason, Little Su suddenly had meat. She ate meat every day! At first, he thought that it was just some lard that had been refined. After all, Fatty Su liked to eat this in the past. That was his assumption until he bumped into Su Ergou with a sausage in his mouth. He was eating it while drying the cured meat in the courtyard! At that moment, he was certain that the Su family had really eaten meat! It was not lard, nor was it solely for Fatty Su. It was the kind where the entire family could eat their fill! Madam He was really craving it. She patted her man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t we buy a few catties of meat? Tomorrow, you can tell Mom. Let¡¯s make dumplings.¡± Liu An said impatiently, ¡°The meat is for the new year! Aren¡¯t you afraid of being scolded by mother? Go and tell her yourself!¡± Madam He lay flat in anger and muttered, ¡°How would I dare to say that?¡± To be honest, Liu An also wanted to eat meat. However, his parents were in a bad mood recently, so he did not dare to ask. Madam He smiled again and said, ¡°Let Niudan do it? He¡¯ll definitely do it!¡± Niudan, who was lying between the two of them, had long fallen asleep. He did not know that his parents had designs on him. Liu An was a little tempted. He hesitated for a moment and rejected, ¡°Forget it, we can¡¯t make that much for Niudan. There won¡¯t even be enough for him.¡± That was true. It was not that the Great Wu did not dote on her biological son and her only grandson, but that the family did not have much. ¡°Hey.¡± Liu An suddenly thought of Little Wu. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Sister-in-law often work for Little Su¡¯s family? Ask her to ask Fat Lass Su for some.¡± Madam He asked, ¡°Will Fatty Su give it to us?¡± Fatty Su, the little bully, had always been the one to extort others. It was even more difficult to make her spit out something. Although Old Li had testified that she had helped him snatch back the villagers¡¯ New Year goods, who knew what was going on? Liu An had witnessed he Su family giving Old Li benefits. Perhaps Old Li had been bribed by the Su family! Therefore, after hearing Madam He¡¯s question, Liu An was not confident. He said irritably, ¡°Isn¡¯t this your fault? When Fat Lass Su was slandered for having killed someone, why didn¡¯t you speak up for her? After Old Li spoke up, Fat Lass Su took a lot of things to Old Li¡¯s house! I saw it all!¡± Madam He snorted. ¡°You were there that night! Why didn¡¯t you say so!¡± Liu An choked. He couldn¡¯t win against Madam He. Just as he was about to flare up and shout, his mother spoke first. ¡°Why are you making so much noise in the middle of the night? Can¡¯t you let me sleep? Eat, eat, eat! All you know is eat! Are you rushing to eat and reincarnate!¡± It was unknown if she was scolding Liu An, Madam He, or Fatty Su and her family next door. In the kitchen, the family was so busy that they did not hear anything. Even if they heard it, they would not take it to heart. They would only think that Big Wu was going crazy. The peanut butter that was ground with the stone mill was viscous, smooth, and delicate. The peanut butter that was pounded with a stone pestle was more inclined to peanut mud and was thick and dense. Both of them tasted good. The three little ones preferred the version ground with the stone mill. It was smooth and would not cause choking. Su Xiaoxiao was more interested in the one ground by the stone pestle. The stone mill scattered the peanuts, and the smell was dispersed. The peanuts were crushed, pressed, and tempered repeatedly. The grease and fragrance of the peanuts seemed to have been pressed into every molecule of the ingredient. With a bite, the oil and fragrance exploded between one¡¯s teeth. This was really pure peanut butter without sugar or salt, thickener, or hydrogenated plant oil. It was too fragrant! Su Xiaoxiao smacked her lips and pointed at the pestle in Wei Ting¡¯s hand. ¡°Enough grinding. We¡¯ll make this kind later.¡± Wei Ting looked at the remaining half of the sack of peanuts and frowned. ¡°You just want me to keep pounding peanuts for you!¡± Chapter 62 ? 62 Fragrant Room Su Xiaoxiao bent down and arrogantly looked at someone sitting on the small stool. ¡°Yes! Did you just realize?¡± Wei Ting took a deep breath and used the same trick. ¡°Dad, Daya bullied me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in a second, ¡°Dad, if he doesn¡¯t do it, you can grind the rest. Dad, you grind it!¡± Su Cheng decisively cut off his son-in-law and said, ¡°Son-in-law, actually, I also think that the peanuts are more fragrant when you grind them this way. Make more!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Wei Ting realized that when it came to working, this cheap father-in-law was unreliable. The three little ones began to rub their eyes. ¡°The children are sleepy,¡± Father Su said to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao put down the spoon and looked at the three of them. ¡°Are you going to sleep?¡± The three of them shook their heads. Dahu said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep.¡± Erhu yawned. ¡°I want to play.¡± It was midnight! Su Xiaoxiao looked at Xiaohu. ¡°What about you?¡± Xiaohu didn¡¯t say anything and just stretched out his arm toward Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao picked the little fellow up. Xiaohu fell asleep in her arms. Immediately after, Dahu and Erhu could not hold on anymore. They swayed as they walked. Father Su and Su Ergou carried the sleepy children back to the house. ¡°I want to play,¡± Erhu said. And fell asleep. Dahu was more tenacious and lasted until he entered the central room. After pointing out Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s room to Su Ergou, he fell asleep. In the kitchen, Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting continued their peanut butter business. Halfway through, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly had an idea. She took out the stir-fried sesame seeds from the cupboard and added them to Wei Ting¡¯s mortar. Wei Ting frowned. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Sesame is more fragrant if it¡¯s ground. However, you¡¯re strong, so it shouldn¡¯t be bad! This is called¡­ sesame peanut butter!¡± Wei Ting glanced at her and did not want to speak at all. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ah, right, we can make a bowl of sesame sauce!¡± Wei Ting placed the stone pestle on the mortal. ¡°Are you done?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°No!¡± It was not easy for her to discover that he had such skills. Of course, she had to make the best use of it. Wei Ting was indeed a martial artist. His control of strength was perfect. It was as thin as it could be. The sesame sauce he stirred was really no different from one that was made using a grinding stone. As Su Xiaoxiao fried the peanuts, she hummed a tune. Wei Ting looked at her happy expression and really did not understand what there was to enjoy. Wei Ting¡¯s physique was too strong, and he could last much longer than Su Xiaoxiao. In the end, Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t take it anymore and decided to do the rest tomorrow. Tomorrow was the day to go to town to check on Young Master Xiang. Before falling asleep, Su Xiaoxiao packed the medicine she needed into the first aid kit and checked the token in the invisible compartment. This compartment was well hidden. Those who did not know about first aid kits would not be able to find it. In the central room, Wei Ting was shrouded in darkness. He saw all of this through the crack of the door. No wonder he couldn¡¯t find it. She had hidden it in that strange little bundle. Su Xiaoxiao placed the first-aid bag on the bed and closed her eyes to sleep. Wei Ting waited until he heard her even breathing in the room before gently pushing open the door and coming to the bed. Su Xiaoxiao rolled over and placed a chubby arm on the first-aid bag. Wei Ting frowned and reached out with his slender hand. As he pulled open the blanket, he carefully held her chubby arm. Su Xiaoxiao had just taken a shower and her body was soft and warm. The moment she touched his cold fingertips, she woke up! The tall figure was inches away. The warm breath in the night was infinitely magnified, not to mention the cold touch on her arm. Someone was there! Alarm bells rang in her heart! Wei Ting knew martial arts, but Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s sudden awakening made him feel guilty. He was subconsciously stunned. But it was only for a moment. Anyway, it was so dark at night, so she probably didn¡¯t see it clearly. When she asked, she only said that she was dreaming again. Unexpectedly, just as he moved, Su Xiaoxiao whispered, ¡°Wei Ting?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°Is it really you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao spoke again, this time with certainty. Wei Ting was stunned. He could not see his fingers. He did not say anything. How did this girl recognize him? Wei Ting started the second time tonight. ¡°You are dreaming¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said fiercely without thinking, ¡°You¡¯re the one dreaming! I¡¯m very awake!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was indeed very awake tonight. She had to go for a follow-up tomorrow. With the lesson she had learned from sleeping too much, she didn¡¯t let herself get sleepy tonight. In addition, Wei Ting¡¯s hand was so cold, it very refreshing to touch. ¡°Wait.¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed Wei Ting¡¯s wrist, causing Wei Ting, who was about to get up, to lean on her again. To avoid touching her, he tried to prop himself up on his elbows. Su Xiaoxiao was not a thin beauty like Su Jinniang. She was a little fatty. Wei Ting closed his eyes and raised his body, but he still inevitably touched a soft spot. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know what he was going through. She thought of something and her expression became serious. ¡°I didn¡¯t dream it last time, did I?¡± ¡°You did,¡± Wei Ting said righteously. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask me which time and what dream!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Should he have flipped through the almanac before getting up today? Su Xiaoxiao looked pained. ¡°Alright! I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a person!¡± ¡°What kind of person am I? Don¡¯t misunderstand!¡± Wei Ting found it difficult to explain. Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°I misunderstood? I caught you red-handed! How dare you quibble!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what you think!¡± Wei Ting had a headache. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°Then what? You¡¯ve been caught twice! Also! I think you were very firm with your actions!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you-¡± Wei Ting looked down and quickly looked away, swallowing the words in his mouth. He flushed and said, ¡°Let go of me and let me up!¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed his wrist tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know. You won¡¯t admit it if I let you go! You¡¯re not allowed to leave until you make yourself clear!¡± At this point, in order to prove his innocence, Wei Ting could only be honest. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the token! Who asked you to take my token and not return it to me? I can only come and take it myself!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s theft if you don¡¯t ask!¡± Wei Ting gritted his teeth. ¡°That¡¯s my own thing!¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked as she thought about the validity of his words. ¡°You¡¯ve been freeloading on me! Your token is mine!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to pay you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said fiercely and domineeringly, ¡°It¡­ it has to be the same! Between you and the token, choose one to give me!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Chapter 63 ? 63 New Year¡¯s Eve (1) How did the topic get to this point? It was different from what she had expected! Shouldn¡¯t Wei Ting deny it or state that he had not given her the token? In that case, he was here to steal her things tonight! No, her original intention was not to ask him to admit that he had stolen it. How did they end up at this point in their quarrel? She did not perform well! Unfortunately, Wei Ting did not give her a chance to turn the tables. ¡°I¡¯ll give myself to you. Can you return the token to me?¡± The night blurred his outline and the coldness in his tone. His low and magnetic voice made one¡¯s heart inexplicably soften in this silent world. Su Xiaoxiao understood that this body¡¯s infatuation was acting up again. She was the one who dropped the ball at the critical moment! Wei Ting wanted to take back the token, but Su Xiaoxiao refused to hand it over. The two of them fell into a stalemate. ¡°Wei Ting.¡± Su Xiaoxiao suddenly spoke. ¡°Shoot.¡± Wei Ting replied coldly. Su Xiaoxiao hummed and recalled seriously. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t dreaming last time, did I touch it?¡± Wei Ting was speechless. In the end, Wei Ting could not take back the token because Xiaohu peed. Su Xiaoxiao felt that it was time. When Xiaohu moved under the blanket, she hurriedly pulled him out and stuffed him into Wei Ting¡¯s arms. Wei Ting was not so lucky. Before he could react, a wave of his son¡¯s love rolled across his chest¡­ Xiaohu, who had finished peeing, felt very comfortable even in his sleep. He raised his chin in enjoyment and looked extremely smug in his sleep. Wei Ting went out with a dark expression. ¡°Haha!¡± Su Xiaoxiao fell onto the bed with a smile. ¡ª Before dawn, Su Xiaoxiao got up from the soft blanket. Perhaps it was because a fatty was not afraid of the cold or because there were three small warm water bags, but she slept quite warmly. It had snowed heavily last night and blocked the door. The stone slabs in the backyard were covered in thick ice, making it difficult for children to step on them. Su Xiaoxiao swept the snow and shoveled the ice. She was covered in sweat and finally eliminated the hidden danger in the backyard. This year¡¯s business ended yesterday. She did not have to set up a stall today, but she still had to go to town. Firstly, she was not sure if Physician Fu had returned. She had to see Aunt Fu. Secondly, it was time to do a follow-up for Young Master Xiang. She cooked two poached eggs, drained them, smeared them with a thin layer of peanut butter, scalded a few cabbage leaves, and added a corn cob-to manage her current weight, this was a nutritious and sumptuous fat-reducing breakfast. She steamed big meat buns for her family and heated them in the pot. Then, she carried the three sleeping children to Su Ergou before carrying the basket out the door. The snow on the road was thick and difficult to walk on. In such weather, unless there was something important, they usually wouldn¡¯t go out. However, Su Xiaoxiao actually met her aunt, Madam Huang, and her eldest cousin, Chen Haoyuan, at the village entrance. Madam Huang¡¯s outfit today was not simple. She was wearing a brand-new cotton-padded jacket and a very rare silver hairpin. Although it was obvious that it was silver-plated, it was already considered an important outfit in the countryside. Looking at Chen Haoyuan again, he was on vacation. He had taken off the blue academy uniform and changed into a decent grayish-white robe. In Zhou Country, people paid attention to their attire and could not wear clothes that exceeded their status. For example, most of the commoners were dressed in short combat clothes and could only wear outfits made of common cloth. Commoners were named thus for a reason. A long gown was a symbol of status for a scholar or a wealthy family. Chen Haoyuan belonged to the former. Clothes maketh the man. This applied to both men and women. Half of Chen Haoyuan¡¯s handsomeness came from his good looks, and the other half was from his dignified long robe and school uniform. Wei Ting was the only one who could look striking despite wearing shabby clothes. Madam Huang was holding a basket covered in cotton. It looked a little heavy, and it was a little difficult for Madam Huang to carry it. Meanwhile, Chen Haoyuan was empty-handed. Chen Haoyuan was a scholar. The entire family doted on him and didn¡¯t let him do any work¡­ Su Xiaoxiao felt that boys should be like Ergou and be raised well. They couldn¡¯t be too spoiled. It was obvious that Madam Huang and Chen Haoyuan were not here for the Su family. As for who they were looking for, Su Xiaoxiao was not interested. She left expressionlessly. Seeing that the wretched girl did not even greet her, Madam Huang was so angry that she mocked, ¡°Have you become blind and mute now that New Year Year¡¯s Eve is approaching? Do you not even know how to greet your Aunt?¡± Chapter 64 ? 64 New Year¡¯s Eve (2) Madam Huang was very arrogant now. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her and couldn¡¯t be bothered with her. She had forgotten that New Year¡¯s Eve was approaching. She had to leave early and come back early. She could not let the three little fellows wait until they felt wronged. When Madam Huang was ignored again, she felt like her fist had hit cotton. She was so angry that she jumped and blocked Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s path. ¡°Damn girl! Didn¡¯t you hear me talking to you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered with you. Can¡¯t you tell? Why are you so eager to embarrass yourself? Haven¡¯t you done enough of that the last time? Do you still want to continue?¡± Some people would never know what was good for them and insisted on asking for a scolding early in the morning! Did she really think he was afraid of her? Where did her sense of superiority come from? Madam Huang thought of how she had failed to sell their son to the Su family and was mocked instead. Her face turned red. What was wrong with this wretched girl? She was completely different from before! Chen Haoyuan frowned. ¡°Daya, my mother is your elder. How can you be rude to her?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°Cousin Scholar, your mother keeps calling me a wretched girl. When she scolded me for being blind and mute, you didn¡¯t even fart! Yet, when it¡¯s my turn to say a few words, it is construed as being rude to my elders. Oh, your mother is an elder. If she scolds me and humiliates me, I should accept it. If she brings a knife to my neck one day, should I obediently let her cut me?¡± Chen Haoyuan choked. At this moment, Madam Fang and Su Jinniang came to the well to get water. ¡°It¡¯s Aunt Xiu and Scholar Chen. Daya is also here.¡± Madam Fang greeted him. Su Xiaoxiao guessed why Madam Huang was there. She was most likely here to propose to Su Jinniang. Su Xiaoxiao was right. Madam Huang was indeed here for her son¡¯s marriage today. Madam Huang did not want to lose face in front of her future in-laws. She pulled her son and said sarcastically, ¡°Forget it, Hao. You¡¯re going to the prefecture city to study. Don¡¯t argue with your cousin! Your cousin is illiterate. She won¡¯t understand even if I explain!¡± Madam Fang smelled the animosity and advised, ¡°It¡¯s early in the morning. Let¡¯s talk nicely.¡± Madam Huang said, ¡°I want to talk nicely too. Not everyone is like your Jinniang, who¡¯s reasonable, virtuous, and smart! Some people only care about being lazy and don¡¯t know anything. They can¡¯t even compare to Jinniang!¡± After Madam Huang finished speaking, she turned around and realized that Fat Lass Su had already walked away. She wondered if Fat Lass Su had heard her words just now. When Fatty Su scolded her, she heard every word. She was poking her lungs! Why did Fat Lass Su leave when it was her turn to scold her? Did she scold her for nothing?! Madam Huang felt stifled! Madam Fang continued to be the peacemaker. ¡°I don¡¯t think Daya is that kind of person. Daya has become much more sensible recently.¡± Madam Huang chuckled and said, ¡°If she¡¯s half as sensible as Jinniang, I don¡¯t have to worry¡­ After all, she¡¯s my sister-in-law¡¯s biological daughter. I originally thought that when Hao goes to the prefecture city to study, I would take care of her¡­ ¡± ¡°Is Scholar Chen really going to study in the prefecture capital?¡± This was the second time Madam Huang had mentioned this. Madam Fang had no choice but to pay attention. Madam Huang said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Only those who have the potential to become High Scholars are qualified to be recommended to the prefecture city!¡± Chen Haoyuan didn¡¯t say anything, as if he had tacitly agreed that he could become a High Scholar. Madam Fang¡¯s attitude towards the two of them instantly changed. Originally, with Su Jinniang¡¯s looks and reputation, she did not have to worry about not being able to marry into a good family. However, no matter how good a family was, they had never produced a High Scholar. It seemed that this marriage was most likely going to be settled. Madam Fang smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s cold. Let¡¯s talk at home.¡± At this point, Madam Huang finally felt relieved. The wretched girl did not take her seriously. She thought that she was so great after marrying a handsome husband. Heh, wasn¡¯t he still a farmer? Was he as good as her son? Her son was the future High Scholar! Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know what Madam Huang was thinking. Her schedule today was a little tight, and the road was difficult. If she wanted to come back early, she had to rush to town as soon as possible. She did not have the time to listen to Madam Huang go crazy. It was going to be New Year¡¯s Eve, and most of the shops on the street were closed, but the door was pasted with festive spring couplets and blessings. In ancient times, paper was very expensive, and the couplets scholars wrote were even more valuable. Therefore, it was very rare to see anyone putting up couplets in the village. In Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s memory, Madam Chen had pasted them once or twice when she was still alive. After she passed away, they no longer had them. Chapter 65 ? 65 New Year¡¯s Eve (3) Su Xiaoxiao suddenly wanted to buy a pair of couplets, but unfortunately, there was nothing left in the shops. ¡ª When Su Xiaoxiao arrived at Spring Willow Lane, the Fu family¡¯s courtyard door was ajar. There were a few small footprints in the snow. Su Xiaoxiao immediately concluded that Physician Fu still hadn¡¯t returned last night. ¡°Aunt Fu, I¡¯m here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pushed open the courtyard door and went to Aunt Fu¡¯s room. Aunt Fu was sitting on the bed taking medicine. As soon as she heard Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s voice, an awkward and flustered expression flashed across her face. She hurriedly placed the medicine box on the stool at the side and turned to look inside the bed. However, she suddenly felt that it was inappropriate to leave it outside and hid the medicine box under the blanket. When Su Xiaoxiao crossed the threshold, she had already turned her head to the side and willfully threw Su Xiaoxiao a side profile. Su Xiaoxiao came to the bed in amusement. ¡°Aunt Fu, how do you feel today?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die!¡± Aunt Fu said angrily. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Yo, you¡¯re very energetic. It seems that the medicine worked well. You don¡¯t feel uncomfortable anymore, right? Your face is a little rosy. Did you sleep well last night?¡± Aunt Fu snorted. ¡°What¡¯s so good about it! Can¡¯t you see that my leg is broken!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I gave you painkillers.¡± Wei Ting had not finished the painkillers. He was not afraid of pain, so Su Xiaoxiao had some painkillers left. ¡°Hmph!¡± Aunt Fu said stubbornly, ¡°Your medicine is ineffective!¡± ¡°It¡¯s ineffective? Then where did the medicine I left for you go?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the empty stool and asked. Aunt Fu said, ¡°Thrown it away!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and held back her laughter. ¡°What are you laughing at!¡± Aunt Fu glared. Su Xiaoxiao pouted and gestured for Aunt Fu to look at her blanket. Aunt Fu looked down and saw that the blanket was not covered properly, revealing a few pills. ¡°Haha!¡± If she had to laugh, she would laugh. Su Xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t let go of the opportunity to let the little old lady die of embarrassment. Aunt Fu¡¯s face turned red! To be honest, she didn¡¯t believe that the medicine Su Xiaoxiao gave her would be effective at first. Firstly, Su Xiaoxiao was just a girl from the countryside and couldn¡¯t know medicine. Secondly, she had never seen those strange pills. Her husband practiced medicine, and so did her son. Even if she was not a doctor, she had more knowledge than others, but she had never seen a treatment method like Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s. However, at night, her panic disappeared, and her headache lessened. She shook her head and did not feel as dizzy as usual. As for the pain in her leg, it was not too noticeable. When she woke up at dawn, she realized that she had slept well. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she slept so soundly. ¡°When one is old, it¡¯s inevitable that there will be some problems. One will not become terminally ill all of a sudden, but it will aggravate bit by bit over time. This is the rule of birth, aging, illness, and death. You can¡¯t treat it.¡± Her husband had practiced medicine for many years and treated countless people. In the end, didn¡¯t he die of illness? Her husband¡¯s initial symptoms were the same as hers. He had changed countless prescriptions. At first, it was indeed effective, but not long after, the efficacy became weak. In the end, no prescription proved to be useful. Su Xiaoxiao took out a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer to measure her blood pressure. ¡°You just got better. Don¡¯t be so pessimistic. Your mood is imperative to recovery.¡± Aunt Fu¡¯s condition needed long-term control, but as long as it was controlled correctly, she could still live a long and healthy life. In her previous life, the old lady upstairs was also a patient with high blood pressure. She was in her eighties and took care of her grandchildren every day. Aunt Fu had witnessed her husband¡¯s death with her own eyes. Repeated disappointments destroyed her will. She did not want to experience it another time. Therefore, even if there was some improvement, she did not believe that she could completely recover. Su Xiaoxiao understood the patient¡¯s mentality. She was not in a hurry to persuade her with words. She would know when the time came. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Have you eaten breakfast? Did your neighbors send it over? Is it delicious?¡± Aunt Fu said, ¡°You¡¯re so noisy!¡± ¡­. After leaving Aunt Fu¡¯s house, Su Xiaoxiao had an extra bag of sesame seeds in her basket. There was also a consultation fee! Then, Su Xiaoxiao went to Wutong Academy. Young Master Xiang cooperated much better and obediently let Su Xiaoxiao check. ¡°You¡¯re recovering very well,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Continue to consume the herbs. Your diet must be light too. Don¡¯t indulge in eating and drinking during the new year. Also, don¡¯t drink alcohol!¡± Young Master Xiang smiled warmly. ¡°Okay.¡± Changping rolled his eyes. Who do you think you are, talking to my young master like this? Su Xiaoxiao pointed at Changping and complained, ¡°He¡¯s rolling his eyes at me!¡± Young Master Xiang said seriously, ¡°Then I¡¯ll dig out his eyeballs to apologize to Miss Su.¡± Changping was shocked by his words! Su Xiaoxiao was also stunned. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need.¡± Young Master Xiang looked at the little fat girl¡¯s stunned expression and couldn¡¯t help but laugh softly. Chapter 66 ? 66 Arrogance (1) Young Master Xiang¡¯s condition was stable, so Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t stay any longer. Before leaving, she took two boxes of snacks from the small basket and gave them to him. ¡°This is¡­ ¡± Young Master Xiang looked at Su Xiaoxiao in confusion. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°It¡¯s going to be New Year¡¯s Eve. I made some snacks myself. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Changping glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. This time, he didn¡¯t dare to roll his eyes. Young Master Xiang accepted it readily. ¡°Miss Su, thank you.¡± Actually, how could Su Xiaoxiao have remembered New Year¡¯s Eve? It was just that he had given her too much in consultation fees and for the medicine previously, so she returned a small token of appreciation. She really had to thank Madam Huang for reminding her about New Year¡¯s Eve. Although it was not a valuable item, with his status, he did not care about those valuable items at all. Perhaps the treasures he bought with all his assets were not worth mentioning in his eyes. On the other hand, the snacks she made herself seemed more sincere. ¡°Why are there two boxes?¡± Young Master Xiang asked casually. ¡°One box is yours, and the other is Jing Yi¡¯s,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Jing Yi.¡± Young Master Xiang smiled. ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to call him by his name.¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°He¡¯s young. What else can he be called?¡± Young Master Xiang asked, ¡°Am I very old?¡± Huh? Su Xiaoxiao wondered why he was fussing about this. ¡°You only said that your surname was Xiang, but you didn¡¯t say the rest of your name!¡± ¡°Chonghua,¡± he said. ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°My name.¡± He smiled warmly. The ancient people had surnames, names, and calligraphic words, such as Shen Chuan and Qinghe. In this dynasty, there did not seem to be a too strict boundary between words and names. It was customary for people of the same generation to call each other names. There was no disrespect. Scholars were polite and often addressed one another by their surname or name. It was like how a classmate might call Shen Chuan Young Master Shen or Brother Qinghe. Of course, there was nothing wrong with calling him Shen Chuan. Did he mean that she could call him Xiang Chonghua in the future? Or¡­ Chong Hua? Su Xiaoxiao blinked and said seriously, ¡°Oh.¡± ¡­. Not long after Su Xiaoxiao left, Jing Yi came in covered in snow. Young Master Xiang was writing. Jing Yi came to his side and asked, ¡°Cousin, are you testing her today?¡± ¡°No.¡± Young Master Xiang continued writing. Jing Yi continued, ¡°Then why did you tell her your words?¡± Young Master Xiang glanced at Changping, who was sweeping the snow outside the door. Changping shivered and hid to the side. ¡°You¡¯ve learned to complain to Jing Yi.¡± Young Master Xiang smiled faintly. ¡°She¡¯s not a poisonous snake or a ferocious beast. There¡¯s no need to be so wary of her.¡± Jing Yi frowned and said, ¡°But you don¡¯t have to trust her so much.¡± Young Master Xiang pushed a box of snacks on the table to his hand. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jing Yi asked. ¡°Gift for New Year¡¯s Eve,¡± Young Master Xiang said. Jing Yi asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t the New Year end yesterday?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the 23rd of December in the capital. It¡¯s different in Qingzhou. Today is the day.¡± After Young Master Xiang finished speaking, he added, ¡°Miss Su made it herself.¡± Jing Yi didn¡¯t have any prejudice against Su Xiaoxiao. He just didn¡¯t want his cousin to trust an outsider too much. He tasted it. ¡°How does it taste?¡± Young Master Xiang asked. Jing Yi said truthfully, ¡°It¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s not inferior to what the imperial chef makes.¡± Young Master Xiang smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s rare. I remember that you don¡¯t like sweets.¡± Jing Yi thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s because their food isn¡¯t delicious.¡± Young Master Xiang laughed and finished writing. He placed the brush on the rest and said to Jing Yi, ¡°Send this pair of couplets to Miss Su.¡± ¡°Why? ¡± ¡°It¡¯s my return gift. ¡± Jing Yi gasped. ¡°You want your calligraphy to fall into the hands of the commoners?¡± If that person in the palace found out, he would definitely fly into a rage! ¡ª After Su Xiaoxiao came out of Young Master Xiang¡¯s room, she went to the study in the front courtyard to see if Shen Chuan was there. Along the way, she did not see a bookstore that was open. She thought that Shen Chuan might have red paper and could buy some from him. However, she came at the wrong time. Dean Shen brought Shen Chuan back to his father-in-law¡¯s house for New Year¡¯s. Su Xiaoxiao left the academy regretfully. The old man stopped her. ¡°There are no pancakes today!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously. The old man waved his finger. ¡°A pancake for a piece of red paper.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Fifteen minutes later, Su Xiaoxiao valiantly left the back door with ten pieces of red paper. The servant asked in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t Young Master ask you to¡­ just give the paper to Miss Su?¡± The old man took a bite of the egg yolk pastry. ¡°Hmm.¡± So what? Chapter 67 ? 67 Arrogance (2) The pancakes smelled so good! ¡ª It snowed again in the morning. Fortunately, it only snowed for a short while before stopping, so it did not affect Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s walking. It was noon when Su Xiaoxiao arrived at the village. At this time, most of the villagers were at their houses. However, more than half of the villagers had gathered at the Su family¡¯s house, surrounding it tightly. ¡°Sister! You¡¯re back!¡± Su Ergou, who was fetching water at the village entrance, saw his sister. The three children, who insisted on following him to fetch water but were actually waiting for Su Xiaoxiao at the village entrance, pounced on her! Su Xiaoxiao bent down and let the three little fellows bump into her. She patted the heads of the three little ones. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu.¡± After interacting with them for a while, she could distinguish them without counting the swirls on their heads. The three little ones, who had been called the right name, were extremely happy. They fought to rub their heads against her palm. ¡°Mother.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was gradually used to this form of address and no longer corrected them insistently. She patted their heads and touched their hands. ¡°Are you cold?¡± The three of them shook their heads. ¡°Not cold.¡± Waiting for their mother was not cold at all! Su Ergou was ready with his water, and the family began to walk back. ¡°Did something happen to the Su family?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Ergou snorted. ¡°Cousin wrote the word ¡®fortune¡¯ and some couplets for the Su family. The village chief and relatives of the Su family also received them. They even said that if there are more later, they would give them to the villagers for free. Everyone wants to see if they can grab a couplet. If they really can¡¯t, they would snatch the word ¡®fortune¡¯.¡± The couplets in town were very expensive. In addition to the cost of red paper, they also had to pay the person who wrote the couplets a little money. Madam Huang and Chen Haoyuan could be said to have spent a lot of money to make the Su family look good. Madam Fang and Madam Yang came out to paste the couplets. Their faces were filled with joy. The villagers surrounded them and praised them non-stop. At this moment, Auntie Wu squeezed out of the Su family with her crying grandson. The adults cherished spring couplets, but they didn¡¯t want children. There was no choice. Auntie Wu could only leave first. When she saw the siblings, she hurriedly said, ¡°Daya! Ergou! Scholar Chen is writing a couplet. Hurry up and get a pair! He¡¯s your cousin! He¡¯ll definitely give it to you!¡± Su Ergou rolled his eyes. Who wanted that guy¡¯s couplets? Auntie Wu shouted, ¡°Scholar Chen! Fatty Su and Ergou is here to ask you for a couplet!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the villagers instantly looked at the siblings. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it would be our turn after writing Old Zhang¡¯s?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why is there another couplet for someone else? Are you done?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t fight with them! They¡¯re Scholar Chen¡¯s cousins!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve misunderstood. We¡¯re not here for the couplets. We¡¯re just passing by.¡± Madam Huang finally found an opportunity to show off. She smiled proudly and mockingly. ¡°If you want it, just say it. We¡¯re relatives. Our Chen family can still afford it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°I said I don¡¯t want it.¡± Auntie Wu advised, ¡°Fat Lass, don¡¯t throw a tantrum. Your aunt already said that she would give them to you. Why don¡¯t you want it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said domineeringly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested!¡± What did Fat Lass Su say? She¡­ wasn¡¯t interested? She actually looked down on the couplets written by Scholar Chen! Fatty Su¡¯s words successfully attracted everyone¡¯s attention! However, no one thought that she was telling the truth. On the contrary, they only felt that she was speaking out of spite! Who was Chen Haoyuan? He was a scholar who was even more powerful than He Tongsheng. It was difficult to find another one! On the other hand, couplets were as rare as meat in the countryside where they could only bear to eat two meals a day other than during the busy farming season! Who didn¡¯t want a couplet during the new year? ¡°Sigh, I¡¯ve long heard that the two families don¡¯t have a good relationship. They even made things so ugly previously,¡± a villager said. They were talking about Madam Huang and her husband, Chen Feng, going to the Su family to arrange a marriage for their illegitimate son and Fatty Su. Chen Feng and his wife had their faces slapped by Fatty Su and her newlywed husband in public. ¡°If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t have the cheek to ask for a couplet either.¡± ¡°Madam Chen didn¡¯t argue with her and graciously offered her a couplet. Why doesn¡¯t she want it?¡± ¡°I already said that she¡¯s too ashamed to accept it.¡± A few villagers discussed the matter among themselves. These people did not have this expression at the entrance of the Su family the previous time. Instead, they acted as if it had nothing to do with them and watched the show. However, things were different now. In order to obtain the couplet written by Scholar Chen, almost everyone sided with Madam Huang. Madam Huang was extremely comfortable with the words ¡°forgiving and magnanimous¡±. In any case, she had to give away the last couplet. If she could gain a good reputation and step on this girl¡¯s face, she had no reason to disagree. She pretended to sigh. ¡°Everyone, stop talking. My sister-in-law passed away early so she doesn¡¯t have a mother to take care of her. It¡¯s inevitable that she¡¯s a little insensible. As her aunt, can I really argue with a child?¡± These words were just short of saying that Fatty Su was motherless and did not receive a proper upbringing. Madam Huang thought that she was being reasonable and said magnanimously, ¡°Forget it, Fat Lass. I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. Call me Aunt. I¡¯ll give you this couplet.¡± ¡°Ah, really? Then what should we do?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been waiting for a day!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Fat Lass is Hao¡¯s cousin after all¡­¡± Madam Huang was halfway through her sentence when she turned around. Fat Lass Su was gone! Had that wretched girl left without waiting for her to finish? ¡°Damn girl! Stop right there!¡± Madam Huang was trembling with anger! Su Xiaoxiao held the three little ones¡¯ hands and said unhurriedly, ¡°Ergou, tell her that I don¡¯t want the couplets written by Chen Haoyuan.¡± Su Ergou turned around and shouted, ¡°My sister said we won¡¯t want the couplet Chen Haoyuan wrote even if you pay us to accept it!¡± Madam Huang extended her index finger and placed one hand on her hip. She scolded angrily, ¡°You wretched girl! Keep being stubborn!¡± Stubborn? Su Xiaoxiao laughed angrily. Putting aside Chen Haoyuan¡¯s character, his handwriting- She had seen the couplets posted by Madam Fang and Madam Yang clearly. The handwriting was far inferior to Wei Ting¡¯s! ¡°Ergou, we¡¯ll write our own couplets when we get back.¡± Su Ergou turned around again and shouted, ¡°My sister said we¡¯ll write our own couplets when we get back!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell them this¡­¡± Madam Huang smiled. ¡°Okay! Go and write! If you can write it, I¡¯ll chop off my head for you!¡± Did she think it was her first day getting to know Fatty Su? None of the family of three could read! It would be fine if she didn¡¯t take their couplet! Could she even write a couplet? She was bragging! She wanted to see how the Su family would clean up the mess! Chapter 68 ? 68 Manipulation (1) ¡°Tiedan!¡± Madam Huang called over the child of a relative of the Su family and handed him a piece of red paper. ¡°Here, bring it to the Su family. Tell them that I, as their aunt, gave it to them. Don¡¯t they want to write their own couplets? If they don¡¯t have paper, they won¡¯t be able to write it. Don¡¯t blame me, their aunt, for not being able to afford a piece of paper!¡± Was this a question of whether they could afford a piece of paper? She was really vicious! She knew that Fatty Su could not write a couplet at all and was just showing off, but she insisted on sending her a piece of paper. Now, she wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to say, ¡°I want to write, but I don¡¯t have any paper.¡± The villagers clicked their tongues in their hearts, but they could not say anything on the surface. They were still waiting to ask Scholar Chen for a couplet! ¡°Sister, listen to my advice. Forget it,¡± Madam Fang said. Madam Huang smiled and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t mean anything else. If she can¡¯t write it, it¡¯s good to do a paper cut of a flower, right?¡± At this point, Madam Fang couldn¡¯t persuade her anymore. She could only let Tiedan send the red paper to the Su family. Unexpectedly, not long after, the ten-year-old Tiedan returned with the red paper. ¡°The fat lass said no. She has it herself.¡± Just now, when she said that they could write the couplet themselves, the villagers did not believe her. Now that she said that they had their own red paper, the villagers were even more incredulous. Madam Huang said, ¡°Sigh, forget it, forget it. I¡¯m an aunt after all. Why should I be angry with a little girl? Hao, write a couplet and send it to Daya.¡± She just wanted to see Fatty Su make a fool of herself. Madam Huang was going to fight with Fatty Su to the end this time! Su Jinniang, who had been silent, suddenly said, ¡°Daya can¡¯t write, but she has a husband.¡± Madam Huang mocked, ¡°You mean the one who learned farming from the Li family? He¡¯s just like an embroidered pillow. He looks good but is useless!¡± ¡°He can read.¡± Su Jinniang paused and explained, ¡°I¡¯ve seen him read letters to Daya.¡± Madam Huang said disdainfully, ¡°Who knows if he¡¯s reading blindly? If he¡¯s really literate, would he need to learn to farm?¡± Madam Zhou, who lived next door to the Su family, echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right. If he has the ability, how can he be Fatty Su¡¯s live-in son-in-law?¡± This time, the villagers could not refute. Although they recognized that Wei Ting was handsome, his merits were only limited to his looks. His ability was definitely inferior to that of Scholar Chen. Su Jinniang frowned and silently went to her room. ¨C At Little Su¡¯s house, the three little ones went to look for Father Su. They wanted to poop. Su Ergou poured the water from the bucket into the water tank and continued to fetch water from the village entrance. Su Xiaoxiao knocked on Wei Ting¡¯s door. ¡°Come in,¡± Wei Ting said. Su Xiaoxiao entered with a smile. Wei Ting was wiping his dagger at the head of the bed. The dagger was plundered from him when Father Su tied him up and later returned to him. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the cold blade and instinctively felt a murderous aura. This dagger was very sharp! From the beginning, the two of them had been suspicious of each other. Therefore, Wei Ting could not be bothered to pretend to be harmless in front of her. Wei Ting continued to wipe the dagger. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not looking for you to smash peanuts.¡± It was going to be New Year¡¯s Eve, so she would let him rest for a day! She came to the bed and handed the hot tea in her left hand to Wei Ting. ¡°Are you thirsty?¡± Seeing that Wei Ting did not speak, she handed him a plate of egg yolk pastry in her right hand. ¡°Are you hungry? Does your shoulder ache? Does your waist hurt?¡± Hearing this familiar line, Wei Ting did not ask her if she had something to ask of him again. Instead, he hit the nail on the head. ¡°Why? Do you want to use me and throw me away afterward again?¡± ¡°You even learned to summarize your experience¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered. She smiled and put down the snacks and hot tea. She patted his shoulder like they were good brothers and said, ¡°Look at you. What are you saying?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Human language.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°I won¡¯t throw you away! I promise I won¡¯t throw you away this time! I haven¡¯t even eaten a handsome husband like you. How can I bear to throw you away!¡± Listen, did this sound like what a decent girl would say? Wei Ting choked on her shameless and explicit words. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°What nonsense are you thinking about all day!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to say that about yourself!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s goal was actually very simple. She wanted Wei Ting to write a pair of couplets. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost the new year. It¡¯ll be so festive to paste a pair of couplets!¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to write it now. I¡¯ll do it tomorrow.¡± Chapter 69 ? 69 Manipulation (2) Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly said, ¡°Today!¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°Why must it be today?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°Because¡­ it¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve today?¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°I think you made a bet with someone, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Uh¡­ you know?¡± How could he not know? Even the neighboring village had heard Su Ergou¡¯s loud voice. Su Ergou had already said those harsh words, putting Su Xiaoxiao in a difficult position. If she couldn¡¯t produce a pair of couplets, she would be humiliated. ¡°Are you going to write it or not?¡± ¡°No,¡± Wei Ting refused. Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes dangerously. ¡°Are you really not going to write it?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°I won¡¯t write it. I¡¯ve said so.¡± Su Xiaoxiao placed her hands on her hips. ¡°You really want to see me embarrass myself, right? Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re my husband! If I embarrass myself, you won¡¯t be any better!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Just as Su Xiaoxiao was gritting her teeth, someone knocked on the back door of the kitchen. Su Xiaoxiao thought that it was Little Wu. She glared at Wei Ting angrily and turned to open the door. Unexpectedly, it was Su Jinniang. Su Jinniang was wearing a brand new pink floral cotton shirt and a white embroidered jacket. To be honest, it was not the authentic pink color but an unforgiving shade. If her foundation was slightly worse, it was very likely that she would look dull and old-fashioned. However, Su Jinniang could carry it off. She was not called the village belle for nothing. ¡°Why are you at my house?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked calmly. She did not think that she could have any interaction with Su Jinniang in private. Su Jinniang clearly had a motive for her sudden visit. Su Jinniang glanced in the direction of the courtyard and central room. ¡°Are you alone in your house?¡± ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was logical and didn¡¯t waste her breath on her. Su Jinniang frowned. It was unknown if it was because she didn¡¯t like Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s attitude or if there was something else. ¡°For you.¡± Su Jinniang took off the cloth on the basket and handed a roll of red paper to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao unfolded it and saw that it was a couplet. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her strangely. ¡°Su Jinniang, what do you mean by this?¡± Su Jinniang said, ¡°Su Daya, I¡¯m here to help you. You don¡¯t have to be so hostile to me!¡± Her voice was a little loud. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°You, Su Jinniang, are helping me?¡± When she was young, she was ostracized but Su Jinniang never pulled her friends from the village to play with her. Why did she suddenly become so kind? Su Jinniang said seriously, ¡°You contradicted your aunt in front of so many people just now. She¡¯ll come over soon to mock you. Take this couplet and use it. It can¡¯t compare to Scholar Chen¡¯s. After all, I bought it from town. But it¡¯s enough to deal with your aunt!¡± The village belle¡¯s actions were really strange. She had scolded her previously, but this time, she came to help her. Su Jinniang continued, ¡°Get your husband to say that he wrote it. It should be able to fool your aunt.¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°Su Jinniang, my aunt is your future mother-in-law. Instead of taking her side, you secretly came over to help me?¡± Su Jinniang frowned and said, ¡°My marriage hasn¡¯t been decided. I might not marry into the Chen family.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh, is that what your family wants?¡± ¡°You worry about yourself! Your aunt is coming over soon! Whether you want to embarrass yourself or not is up to you!¡± With that, Su Jinniang didn¡¯t care if Su Xiaoxiao wanted to accept the couplet or not and left without looking back! She seemed to be walking very quickly, but she had actually been paying attention to the Su family. As she heard Fatty Su close the back door, the man¡¯s face flashed across her mind, and her heart raced. He¡­ should have heard it, right? Did he know that she had come to help? Would he be grateful to her? Su Xiaoxiao took the couplet to Wei Ting¡¯s room. Wei Ting was still wiping his dagger. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s already shining. There¡¯s no need to wipe it!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°I like it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips and threw the couplet on the table in front of him. ¡°What?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s a couplet given by Su Jinniang! How strange. She clearly doesn¡¯t have a good relationship with me and even exposed my shortcomings in front of you the last time, but she came to help me today!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ask her why.¡± To be honest, Wei Ting wasn¡¯t interested. Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°I asked! I said that my aunt is her future mother-in-law. Shouldn¡¯t she help her instead? Guess what she said? She said that she might not marry Scholar Chen! What is Su Jinniang up to? By the way, she even reminded me to be on good terms with you and say that you wrote the couplet! She¡¯s quite thoughtful. Our family of three can¡¯t read, and only you, a foreign son-in-law, can lie.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°The couplet that has just been written is wet. In this weather, it won¡¯t dry for half a day.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked thoughtful. ¡°You¡¯re right. Then Su Jinniang would have given it to me for nothing! I would still be exposed! I thought she was so smart, but it turns out that she¡¯s only so-so!¡± Wei Ting looked at a certain fat girl. ¡°How do you do business with your brain? You¡¯re so stupid!¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood up and said angrily, ¡°Who are you calling stupid? Anyway, you¡¯re not writing it! If I can¡¯t produce the couplet, I¡¯ll be mocked! So what if I¡¯m exposed? It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Bang! She slammed the door and left! ¡°Give it to me!¡± Wei Ting said in a low voice. ¡°Pour your own water! Take your own food!¡± ¡°Paper.¡± ¡°Huh? Husband, what did you say?¡± Su Xiaoxiao switched to a Loli voice and pushed open the door. She stuck her head in and blinked at him. There was no one else who could change their attitude so quickly. The corners of Wei Ting¡¯s mouth twitched as he said coldly, ¡°Am I going to write the couplet?¡± ¡°Hehe, hubby is the best!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and went to the central room to get the red paper. The brush and ink had been bought when she prescribed Young Master Xiang¡¯s medicine in the past and had always been placed in Wei Ting¡¯s room. ¡°Grind the ink,¡± Wei Ting said expressionlessly. ¡°Okay!¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed with a smile. She took out an inkstone and ink block. As she ground the ink, she said earnestly, ¡°I think Su Jinniang probably didn¡¯t want me to be exposed on purpose. She probably just wanted to help and didn¡¯t think too much. We have to be grateful to her, especially you, husband. Don¡¯t have a bad impression of her because of this.¡± Wei Ting glanced at her with a complicated expression. Did this girl realize everything? Su Xiaoxiao shook her head decisively. ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything. I¡¯m just an innocent little pitiful girl!¡± The cunning Su Xiaoxiao was chased out by Wei Ting. Chapter 70 ? 70 Face Slapping (1) Madam Huang did as she said and really came to the door with a couplet that had just been written. Just as Wei Ting had said, the weather was cold and the ink was drying slowly. Madam Huang did not want to get herself covered in it. She got Tiedan and the other child to hold them with both hands. The ink was still wet when they came over. Chen Haoyuan¡¯s first verse was ¡°Flying Snow Welcomes the New Spring¡±, and the second verse was ¡°Firecrackers Welcomes the New Year¡±. Other than the two children holding the couplet, there were also many villagers who were there to watch the show. Madam Huang was here to avenge her previous humiliation. She couldn¡¯t wait for more people to witness the tables being turned! Madam Zhou, who was next door to the Su family, also came to join in the fun. Madam Zhou wanted to watch the world burn. Before Madam Huang could speak, she shouted, ¡°Fatty Su! Come out quickly! Your aunt has sent you a couplet!¡± The villagers surrounded the entrance of the Su family. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that Fat Lass Su was holding another happy occasion. Su Xiaoxiao slowly walked out with a half-eaten corn cob. Her gaze swept across everyone and landed on Madam Zhou¡¯s high cheekbones. She said, ¡°So my aunt gave me a couplet. Why are you so excited? Is it for you? Or do you want to wait for me to reject it so you can claim them for yourself?¡± ¡°You!¡± Madam Zhou¡¯s thoughts were exposed and she immediately felt embarrassed. The person in the village who loved to stir up trouble was Madam Zhou. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Madam Zhou couldn¡¯t provoke Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s family of three tyrants, she might have made things up about Su Xiaoxiao. Of course, it was not that she did not do so, but she did not dare to go too far. Su Xiaoxiao had an extremely bad impression of this person, so she wouldn¡¯t show her any mercy. Madam Zhou was speechless. She was really useless. Fortunately, Madam Huang did not expect Madam Zhou to help her. She had come prepared. It was enough to crush this girl alone! She looked at Su Xiaoxiao and sighed. ¡°Yaya, Aunt knows that what you said just now was all in spite. How can you write any couplets? If you knew how to write, you would have taken it out and pasted it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head secretly. She thought that these people were bad at tea and talk. Compared to Madam Li, they were all trash. Madam Li was a real figure in the business world. But Su Xiaoxiao had enough on her to confront these people. ¡°What if I can produce them?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t waste her breath on Madam Huang and went straight to the point. ¡°Does what Aunt said just now still count?¡± Madam Huang sneered. ¡°Heh, of course, it counts! If you can write it! I¡¯ll chop off my head!¡± Didn¡¯t she understand the Su family? Other than knowing the banknotes, they could not read anything else! Write couplets? In their next life! ¡°Sure.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said to Su Ergou, who had returned with the water, ¡°Bring out the machete.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Su Ergou put down the bucket and quickly brought over a butcher knife. ¡°Sister, I can¡¯t find the machete. Is the butcher knife okay?¡± Everyone was shocked! Madam Huang¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Su Daya! Do you want to kill someone?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No, Aunt wanted to cut off her head herself. I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t have a knife, so I prepared it for you.¡± Madam Huang said coldly, ¡°Su Daya! Let¡¯s talk about the couplet now! What nonsense!¡± ¡°Ergou,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Go to your brother-in-law¡¯s room and get the couplet.¡± Does my brother-in-law have a couplet in his room? Su Ergou went in and out of Wei Ting¡¯s room with a dumbfounded expression. The couplet was hanging on his arms. Everyone was shocked. No way? The Su family really wrote the couplet? ¡°Impossible!¡± Madam Huang refused to believe that the Su family could write a couplet. They even wrote¡­ She couldn¡¯t read, but she could count. This couplet clearly had more words than her son¡¯s. Madam Huang screamed, ¡°You¡­ you bought them in town, right? That¡¯s right! That must be it! I saw you going to town this morning! You must have gone to buy them!¡± Su Xiaoxiao tapped the couplet with her chubby finger. ¡°Open your eyes and see clearly! The ink hasn¡¯t even dried!¡± The villagers went forward to admire. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to touch it!¡± Su Ergou said fiercely. Everyone hurriedly retracted their fingers. They saw it clearly. The ink was wet and emitted a rich ink fragrance. It was obvious that it had just been written. Moreover, because they were close, they made a new discovery. Little Su¡¯s couplet paper¡­ seemed to be of a better color compared to Scholar Chen¡¯s! It was also thicker! Chapter 71 ? 71 Face Slapping (2) Furthermore, it was smooth and the color would not bleed! It actually didn¡¯t lose its color! The youngest son of the village chief could not help but touch it. It was really not dirty! Chen Haoyuan used the most ordinary red paper, the kind that was colored with a slot. The quality of the dye was not good, so after he bought it, the color loss was very serious. Tiedan and the other child with the couplet had their hands dyed red. In addition, the patterns on Chen Haoyuan¡¯s red paper were uneven. Not only did it soak the paper, but the ink was also slightly smudged. The red paper that Su Xiaoxiao brought back from the academy was ordered by Dean Shen from the prefecture city at a high price. The bottom paper was rice paper and used the best dye technology. Moreover, it was thickened by an additional layer. It was naturally smooth and did not get soaked or lose color. The color was also purer. Dean Shen had bought it for Young Master Xiang and could not bear to use it himself. Shen Chuan took out ten pieces and asked the old man to give them to Su Xiaoxiao! Even a fool could tell that the Su family¡¯s couplet was more than a level higher than Scholar Chen¡¯s. The villagers were thinking-they had heard that Fat Lass Su had brought Su Ergou to do business in town. Could it be that she had really earned money? However, Madam Huang¡¯s inner thoughts were-No! This is not true! How could a vulgar girl like Fatty Su be worthy of better paper than his son? Madam Huang¡¯s face turned green and red, and her heart was about to explode. ¡°You, you¡­ Who knows what you wrote? Can you say that it¡¯s a couplet just by randomly drawing? In that case, can I buy a few pieces of paper and scribble?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine if Aunt can¡¯t read. I¡¯ll read it to you.¡± ¡°The first verse: Spring in all the lakes and seas! The second verse: All the rivers and mountains will shine! The horizontal verse-Myriad Phenomena Update!¡± She had recently learned some words. This couplet happened to be within her knowledge. But if Wei Ting had written another word, she would not be able to recognize it all. Everyone gasped. They must have seen a ghost! Fat Lass Su read the couplet? She, Fatty Su, could read?! Was this still the same fat bully who extorted money all day long? Heavens! Earth! Had the sow gone up the tree? The sun had risen from the west! Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped! No one spoke for a long time! Su Xiaoxiao liked the effect of blinding everyone who didn¡¯t believe in her! She raised her chin and placed her chubby hand behind her back. She said proudly, ¡°My husband taught me!¡± Alright, she had actually secretly learned it. Wei Ting was not so kind as to teach her! Madam Huang did not believe it! How could this wretched girl be so lucky? Had she recruited a fairy-like live-in son-in-law who was actually a scholar? No, no. Being able to write did not mean that he was a scholar. Some people only knew a few words in their early years but did not make much of it in the end. She had heard from the Su family that Su Cheng and his new live-in son-in-law often went to look for the Qian family to farm. Did he really have the ability to write couplets? Wasn¡¯t copying books for others more profitable than farming? Madam Huang immediately concluded that the words in the couplet were not proper words. Even if they were, they were like those bumpkins in the countryside who had only studied for a few years. Who knew what had been written? As for Fatty Su, she definitely didn¡¯t read on the spot. She memorized it in advance! It didn¡¯t matter if Madam Huang was paranoid or couldn¡¯t bear to see others live well. In short, she felt that there must be something going on! She said to Tiedan, ¡°Go, call Hao over! Let him recognize what¡¯s written on that couplet!¡± Tiedan went obediently. Su Xiaoxiao laughed. Madam Huang pointed at Su Xiaoxiao and said, ¡°Wretched girl, what are you laughing at!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m laughing at you for being stupid.¡± Madam Huang got someone to expose her for writing fake couplets, but when Chen Haoyuan came over and saw Wei Ting¡¯s words, would he really not feel inferior? ¡°Do you want to call the village head over too?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said provocatively. The villagers could not read and would believe whatever Chen Haoyuan said. She remembered that the village head was literate and was quite fair. Madam Huang snorted. ¡°So be it! Who¡¯s afraid of whom! Do you expect the village head to protect you? Impossible!¡± Oh, what was Madam Huang thinking? Did she think that she had called the village head over to protect the villagers? The villagers had also been led astray by Madam Huang. At first, they felt that Fatty Su was fearless. The words in this couplet were most likely not written blindly. However, after Madam Huang shouted, they felt that Fatty Su was doing the Su family a favor. Would the village head agree? This show was really getting more and more interesting. The village head lived next door to Old Li¡¯s house. The two of them came over again. Unlike the time when Madam Wan and Wang Laizi¡¯s wife came to cause trouble, Old Li was illiterate. He had no right to interrupt today. He was just worried about Daya. He saw the change in the Su family and really did not want them to be maliciously hurt again. ¡°Village Head.¡± Chen Haoyuan also came over and greeted him. The Village Head nodded politely. ¡°Scholar Chen.¡± ¡°Mother, what happened?¡± Chen Haoyuan asked Madam Huang. At the door, Su Ergou had already pasted the couplet with red and black words on his wall. The banner was also pasted properly! Madam Huang waved her hand and pointed. ¡°Take a look at what¡¯s written on that couplet!¡± Chen Haoyuan looked over. It was fine if he didn¡¯t look, but when he did, he froze. Seeing her son¡¯s reaction, Madam Huang couldn¡¯t help but urge, ¡°Hao, what¡¯s wrong? Say something? Is it nonsense?¡± The villagers¡¯ attention landed on Chen Haoyuan. To be honest, they were indeed illiterate, but for some reason, the couplets of the Su family were more pleasing to the eye than those of Chen Xiucai¡¯s. Chen Haoyuan stared at the couplet and clenched his fists bit by bit, revealing a look of disbelief. ¡°Who wrote this?¡± he asked. Chapter 72 ? 72 Fainted From Anger (1) ¡°My brother-in-law wrote it!¡± Su Ergou straightened his back and said! ¡°What does it say?¡± Madam Huang continued to ask her son. Chen Haoyuan was shocked and rendered speechless by the calligraphy on the couplet. His throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and he couldn¡¯t say a word. He prided himself on his outstanding calligraphy and was often praised by the teachers. However, if one compared his calligraphy to the words on the couplet, it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was inferior! At the side, the village head read out boldly, ¡°All the lakes and seas are in spring! All the rivers and mountains are shining! The Myriad Phenomena update! Well written, well written!¡± Everyone looked at each other. The village head and Fatty Su read the same thing! The village head even praised this couplet for being well-written! When Scholar Chen wrote the couplet just now, although the village head also praised it, his attitude was not so intense! ¡°Is this couplet real, Village Head?¡± a villager asked. ¡°Are there fake couplets?¡± The village head was puzzled. The wife of the Sun family said, ¡°Just now, Scholar Chen¡¯s mother said that the couplets of the Su family are scribbles. They¡¯re nonsense.¡± The village head said seriously, ¡°If this couplet is nonsense! Then everyone¡¯s couplets would be nonsense!¡± There was no one else who wrote couplets today. Did Scholar Chen write nonsense? In the heart of the village head, this couplet was even more exquisite than Scholar Chen¡¯s! ¡°The words are good, the mood is good, and the paper¡­ is good.¡± It was so good that he was at a loss for words. ¡°Son!¡± Madam Huang placed her last hope on Chen Haoyuan. His son was a scholar and was the most knowledgeable. His words carried the most weight. As long as his son said that the Su family¡¯s couplet was wrong, it was wrong! Chen Haoyuan was unwilling to admit that his handwriting was inferior to that of a country bumpkin. However, the cold sweat on his forehead betrayed him. Su Xiaoxiao would not let go of this opportunity to give Scholar Chen a slap in the face. After all, he was always arrogant, as if he was the best in the world and everyone else was a toad in a pond! ¡°Aiya, Cousin, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Is it because my husband¡¯s couplet is too good that you feel inferior?¡± The villagers did not understand what it meant to feel inferior, but Scholar Chen looked up in shock. At this moment, he really felt that Su Daya was different! In the past, Su Daya would not be able to do anything. If she was anxious, she would attack. If she really wanted to scold someone, it would be with words that underscored her ignorance! Could it be¡­ that it was all taught by that rumored cousin-in-law? Wasn¡¯t he a bumpkin? ¡°Sister! He definitely didn¡¯t write as well as Brother-in-law!¡± Su Ergou was a little fan. The siblings echoed each other, making Madam Huang and Scholar Chen extremely awkward. Madam Huang said, ¡°You¡¯re from the same village, so of course, you¡¯re speaking up for your own village!¡± She was accusing the village head of being unfair and deliberately biased toward the Su family. The villagers were unhappy to hear this. Madam Huang was not too smart. Originally, in order to obtain the couplet personally written by Scholar Chen, everyone tried their best to curry favor with Madam Huang. Even the villagers who were usually just watching the show were helping her watch Fatty Su make a fool of herself. They were already biased toward Madam Huang, yet they were beaten to death by her words. Did she say that they only protected their own villagers? They admitted that the Chen family¡¯s couplet was fragrant, but they were here to seek auspiciousness, not annoyance! She really was really egoistic! Madam Huang realized that she had said something wrong, but it was too late. The villagers were no longer on her side. Seeing that Madam Huang had courted death, Su Xiaoxiao shouted in her heart that she deserved it! After all, the village head was not a proper scholar. His taste was limited. He might not have been convincing when he said that Wei Ting¡¯s couplets were well-written. Madam Huang thought so too. Her son was the only scholar here. As long as her son did not admit it, the Su family¡¯s couplet was nothing! ¡°Eh? Look! There¡¯s a carriage coming over!¡± A villager pointed in the direction of the village entrance. Seeing a carriage in Xinghua Village was equivalent to seeing a luxury car in the ravine in her previous life. That was quite rare. Was he here to look for the village head? The carriage did not go into the main house. Instead, it stopped at the entrance of the Su family. ¡°Village Head, they must be looking for you, right?¡± the wife of the Sun family said. The village head shook his head. He did not know this carriage and had never seen the driver. Among everyone present, only Chen Haoyuan recognized that this was Dean Shen¡¯s carriage. The coachman was a servant of the academy. Chapter 73 ? 73 Fainted From Anger (2) Only he could build a relationship with the academy. Could it be¡­ that he was here for him? So who was in the carriage? Was it the dean? No, no. The dean would not come here personally. But what if? Did the dean value him so much that he wanted to visit him personally? The curtain of the carriage was opened by a folding fan, and a young man in a sky-green robe jumped out. He was tall and handsome. There was a young man¡¯s aura and heroic spirit between his eyebrows, and there was no lack of scholarly aura. However, he didn¡¯t seem supercilious. He was wearing expensive clothes with a jade belt and a clear Hetian jade pendant. It was obvious that he was the young master of a rich family! Madam Huang asked softly, ¡°Hao, who is he?¡± Chen Haoyuan frowned and said, ¡°Dean Shen¡¯s son.¡± Madam Huang was shocked. ¡°Your dean¡¯s son? He¡¯s here for you, right, Hao?¡± The dean¡¯s son personally came to visit and even found Xinghua Village from Willow Village. How big was this? She had recovered her dignity! Madam Huang pulled Chen Haoyuan forward with a smile and said excitedly, ¡°Young Master Shen! You¡¯re here for my son, right? My son is here!¡± ¡°Eh? You¡¯re here too.¡± Shen Chuan looked at Chen Haoyuan in surprise. These words made the hearts of Madam Huang and Chen Haoyuan skip a beat. From Shen Chuan¡¯s tone, he was not here for her son. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Miss Su!¡± Shen Chuan asked. ¡°Is this Miss Su¡¯s house?¡± Shen Chuan was surrounded by the villagers and did not see Su Xiaoxiao eating corn cobs leisurely behind the crowd. When the villagers heard this, they didn¡¯t think of Su Xiaoxiao immediately. After all, Fatty Su was a bully. The only person they called Miss Su was Su Jinniang of the Su family! At this moment, Madam Fang walked over with Su Jinniang. Madam Zhou quickly waved at the two of them. ¡°Jinniang! A young master is looking for you! Who are you again?¡± She asked Shen Chuan. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m from Wutong Academy. My name is Shen Chuan.¡± Shen Chuan was very polite. He did not look down on her just because she was a village woman. ¡°He¡¯s from the same academy as Scholar Chen!¡± ¡°He¡¯s so handsome!¡± ¡°I think I heard Scholar Chen say just now that he¡¯s the dean¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Why is the dean¡¯s son looking for Jinniang? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s also looking for Jinniang to propose marriage?¡± Su Jinniang and Madam Fang came to the crowd and heard the villagers¡¯ discussion. Madam Fang was stunned. Su Jinniang also looked at him in shock. Shen Chuan¡¯s appearance and bearing were flawless. Although he was not as heaven-defying as Wei Ting, he was more than a level higher than Chen Haoyuan. Moreover, he was the dean¡¯s son! What a noble status! If he was really here to propose marriage to the Su family¡­ The collective hearts of Madam Fang and Su Jinniang thumped. Shen Chuan said, ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. The person I¡¯m looking for isn¡¯t her. It¡¯s Su Daya!¡± What? Su Daya? ¡°Make way, make way.¡± Su Xiaoxiao casually patted the villagers blocking the door. Everyone made way for her in a daze. Shen Chuan finally saw her. His eyes lit up as he went forward and said, ¡°Miss Su! It¡¯s really your house! Looks like I didn¡¯t find the wrong person! However, is your family holding a happy occasion? Why are there so many people?¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no joyous occasion. It was just about a couplet. Shen Chuan, you came at the right time. Help me see how this couplet is!¡± He called her by her name! Did they know each other? They were quite familiar with each other?! Was this really the Su Daya they knew?! The villagers were all dumbfounded. Chen Haoyuan was as shocked as everyone else. He was fearless if he didn¡¯t know, but he understood. He had been studying in the academy for five years, but he could not directly call Young Master Shen Chuan! It was not that they were inferior, but that their relationship was not that close! After Shen Chuan finished admiring it seriously, he could not hide his admiration and said, ¡°Which expert did you hire to write your couplet? The words are very elegant! The meaning is good!¡± ¡°Compared to this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed at the couplet in Tiedan¡¯s hand. Shen Chuan did not know that Chen Haoyuan had written it. He took a look and said bluntly, ¡°How can this be compared? This is far inferior to the one on your wall!¡± Did they hear that? The young master of Wutong Academy personally said that Scholar Chen¡¯s couplet was inferior to the Su family¡¯s! Now, no one was wronged anymore! The village head nodded in satisfaction. He knew it. The couplets of the Su family were better! His taste was right! Madam Huang panicked. ¡°Young Master Shen, how can you speak up for outsiders? In the future, when you go to the prefecture city to study with my son, in the words of you scholars, that is¡­ you¡¯re from the same hometown! You have to take care of each other!¡± Shen Chuan looked at Madam Huang strangely. ¡°Eh? Don¡¯t you know? Chen Haoyuan isn¡¯t on the list of people going to the prefecture city this time!¡± Madam Huang said without thinking, ¡°How can it be? Impossible!¡± Shen Chuan said, ¡°Why would I lie to you? The name list was released a few days ago. The students who are going to the prefecture city have long been informed and have gone to settle the city road guide.¡± Chen Haoyuan hadn¡¯t received any news. He thought that the list would only be posted at the beginning of spring¡­ Was that the truth? ¡°W-why?¡± He couldn¡¯t accept it. Shen Chuan sighed. ¡°I¡¯m also very puzzled. I clearly told my father that you¡¯re Miss Su¡¯s cousin.¡± Everyone looked at the mother and son differently. Madam Huang had been bragging for the entire morning that Chen Haoyuan was going to the prefecture city to take the imperial examination. How was she going to clean up this mess? Chen Haoyuan¡¯s face burned. He wished he could find a hole to hide in. ¡°Scholar Chen, don¡¯t be discouraged. Whether you go to the prefecture city to study isn¡¯t the most important. As long as you study hard, you will one day stand out.¡± The village head disregarded what had happened and comforted Chen Haoyuan, but in Chen Haoyuan¡¯s ears, it was equivalent to ridicule. He said nothing and his expression was extremely ugly. At the side, Madam Huang finally couldn¡¯t take the continuous blows and fainted. Chapter 74 ? 74 Prestige! Chen Haoyuan looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who was talking to Shen Chuan as if no one was around, and a guess suddenly flashed across his mind. ¡°Su Daya! Did¡­ did you do something behind my back!¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused in her eating and looked at him in confusion. Was Chen Haoyuan crazy? Was he blaming her for tampering with the spot? If she had the time, she might as well make a few more pancakes! Shen Chuan did not expect Chen Haoyuan to slander his cousin like this. What did his failure to get selected have to do Miss Su? How did he become her cousin? Su Xiaoxiao said incredulously, ¡°Chen Haoyuan, are you alright? Just because you didn¡¯t get selected, you¡¯re blaming me?¡± Chen Haoyuan said hatefully, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, why would I have failed?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m not from your academy!¡± Chen Haoyuan gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re really despicable!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Father Su, who had finished taking care of the three children, walked out with a livid expression. He strode up to Chen Haoyuan and slapped him without a word! Su Cheng did not show mercy with this slap and slapped Chen Haoyuan to the ground! Everyone was shocked, and the scene was instantly silent. Although Su Cheng was bad, he did not treat the Chen family badly. It could even be said that he gave them whatever they wanted. It was really his first time beating up a scholar of the Chen family on the first day of the Lunar New Year! ¡°Hao!¡± Madam Huang, who had fainted on the ground, jumped up. The corners of everyone¡¯s mouth twitched. Had she been pretending to faint? Madam Huang was very embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t clean up the mess, so she decided to pretend to faint. However, now that her son had been beaten up, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to continue pretending. She hurriedly helped her son sit up. Looking at the swollen side of her son¡¯s face and the skin at the corner of his mouth, she was furious. She pointed at Su Cheng and scolded, ¡°Su Cheng! You¡¯re crazy! Why did you hit my son!¡± Su Cheng said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve tolerated your family for a long time. You know very well how much money you¡¯ve asked for and how much money you¡¯ve spent! I didn¡¯t argue with you because of Su Niang! The Chen family gave birth to Su Niang after all, and I¡¯ll help her repay the debt to her family! But after so many years, all the kindness has been paid for! Don¡¯t think about bullying our children again! From now on, our Su family has nothing to do with your Chen family!¡± ¡°This slap is just a small lesson. If you dare to cause trouble at my house again, it won¡¯t be as simple as a slap!¡± Su Cheng¡¯s attitude tore off the last cover of the Su and Chen families. The reason why Madam Huang dared to cause trouble time and time again was that as the head of the family, Su Cheng had never fallen out with the Chen family. No matter how Fat Lass Su caused trouble, she was still a girl. Madam Huang did not really take Fatty Su seriously. In Madam Huang¡¯s opinion, the real deciding factor was Su Cheng¡¯s attitude. And it was impossible for Su Cheng to fall out with the Chen family in his life! However, Madam Huang had been wrong from the beginning. It was true that Su Cheng tolerated the Chen family, but in Su Cheng¡¯s heart, his daughter was the most important. In the past, the Chen family had only made things difficult for him and had never created any trouble for his daughter. Now that the Chen family had bullied his daughter repeatedly, it would be strange if he could tolerate this! Su Xiaoxiao gave Father Su a thumbs up in her heart. How cool was he! He should draw a line with the Chen family! Don¡¯t let this family suck the blood of the late Madam Chen again! Su Ergou felt relieved. He asked Su Xiaoxiao excitedly, ¡°Sister, can I¡­ beat them up in the future?¡± He thought that his voice was very soft, but Madam Huang heard him. Madam Huang trembled. Was there no end to it? Was it the younger one¡¯s turn to beat them up now that the older one was done? ¡°You, you, you¡­ Your Su family, just wait! My son is a scholar! He doesn¡¯t even have to kneel when he sees the county magistrate! You hit my son. You won¡¯t let this matter go!¡± Madam Huang bluffed and helped the dejected Scholar Chen up before leaving dejectedly under the laughter of the villagers. ¡°Alright, alright, disperse. What¡¯s there to see!¡± Father Su waved at the villagers impatiently. Su Ergou pointed at the couplets on the wall and said, ¡°Dad, our family pasted them. Brother-in-law wrote them!¡± Father Su raised his chin in a second and said to the villagers, ¡°Oh, then you can look as long as you want!¡± He was immensely proud. ¡°Are there any more couplets?¡± Father Su asked Su Ergou. ¡°Yes, Dad,¡± Su Ergou said. ¡°Brother-in-law wrote a few.¡± Su Cheng placed his hands behind his back and said generously, ¡°Take them all out! If there¡¯s anything the villagers like¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up! Su Cheng said, ¡°They can take a few more glances.¡± Everyone was speechless. ¡ª Shen Chuan came to look for Su Xiaoxiao today for two things. The first was to deliver something, and the second was¡­ to deliver something. Shen Chuan carried another big bag down from the carriage. ¡°I just returned from my grandfather¡¯s house. My father asked me to bring it to you. It¡¯s a local specialty of my grandfather¡¯s locale!¡± ¡°Dean Shen?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. Shen Chuan smiled and said, ¡°He didn¡¯t say it himself, but when I suggested sending you some, he didn¡¯t object. With my understanding of my father, this is tacit consent!¡± Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao was still puzzled, he explained, ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention it to you before? You saved Young Master Xiang and resolved my father¡¯s urgent need. You also created many opportunities for me to get close to Young Master Xiang. My father remembers it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh.¡± Shen Chuan handed her a brocade box. ¡°In addition, when I left the academy, I bumped into Young Master Jing coming to give you the couplet, so I brought it over for him. It¡¯s Young Master Xiang¡¯s calligraphy treasure. Even my father is envious of it. You have to keep it carefully!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took it. Rich people were indeed different. A couplets was packed in such an exquisite brocade box. Su Xiaoxiao thought to herself that it would have been better if he had come earlier. Then, she wouldn¡¯t have had to work hard to curry favor with Wei Ting¡­ Shen Chuan looked at the couplets on the wall and said thoughtfully, ¡°But I think your family¡¯s couplets are also quite good. They¡¯re comparable to Young Master Xiang¡¯s!¡± This evaluation was very rare. After all, Young Master Xiang¡¯s calligraphy had been personally praised by Dean Shen. Su Xiaoxiao was not proficient in calligraphy. She could tell when the difference was great, but not when both are comparable. ¡°Who wrote it?¡± Shen Chuan asked curiously. ¡°Oh, someone,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly. Jing Yi had investigated her, but Shen Chuan had not. She had never mentioned it herself, so Shen Chuan did not know about her supposed marriage and had always called her Miss Su. In the small east room, Wei Ting, who was writing couplets, snorted coldly. Heh, was this the promise not to throw him away after using him? A woman¡¯s mouth was made for lying! Wei Ting casually glanced at the three brats who were scribbling around the table. The corners of his lips curled up as he shouted unhurriedly, ¡°Wife, Xiaohu peed!¡± Xiao Hu was speechless. And so was Shen Chuan. Su Xiaoxiao clenched her chubby fists and gritted her teeth! Wei Ting! Chapter 75 ? 75 Jealous When Su Xiaoxiao entered Wei Ting¡¯s room with a dark expression, Xiaohu was trying to pee. ¡°Xiaohu didn¡¯t pee.¡± He waved his small hands at Su Xiaoxiao seriously. ¡°I know.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched his head and said to him and Dahu, ¡°Go and help Uncle Ergou paste the couplets.¡± The three of them put down the paper and pen on the table and left. After writing a couplet, Wei Ting was writing the word ¡°fortune¡±. Su Xiaoxiao slapped the table and said fiercely, ¡°Wei Ting, what were you trying to do?¡± Wei Ting continued to write leisurely. ¡°Has your little lover left?¡± Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why? Are you jealous?¡± Wei Ting sneered. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re thinking too much. I just think that everything has to be fair. If I¡¯m not allowed to attract bees and butterflies in the village, don¡¯t even think about fooling around outside.¡± Su Xiaoxiao clenched her chubby fists again. Logically speaking, she did not have any improper thoughts about Shen Chuan and did not have any intention of falling in love. Furthermore, Shen Chuan clearly did not have any intention of doing so. However, what if there was really development between her and Shen Chuan other than business? Shen Chuan was actually a good candidate. Now, before the seeds could grow, Wei Ting would peel them first! Su Xiaoxiao was a bully. ¡°Be careful. If I can¡¯t get married one day, I¡¯ll really make you take the responsibility!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°You can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡­. In the afternoon, the peanuts and sesame seeds at home were ground. Su Ergou went to Old Li¡¯s house to borrow his millstone. Su Xiaoxiao asked him to bring a couplet, four blessings, and a large piece of red paper. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the village head and Auntie Liu.¡± They had to build a good relationship. Auntie Liu¡¯s land was close to the Li family¡¯s. When Father Su learned farming from Madam Qian, he accidentally caused trouble on someone else¡¯s land. When Chen Haoyuan was writing the couplet in the Su family, Auntie Liu and Madam Qian didn¡¯t go to watch the commotion. They thought that they could only envy others, but they didn¡¯t expect their own family to have one too! Theirs was even better! In comparison, the Chen family¡¯s efforts were completely insufficient! Madam Qian and Auntie Liu didn¡¯t know how to do paper cuts and came to look for Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao helped to cut them. They were exquisite and festive! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Fat Lass to have such ability!¡± Auntie Liu¡¯s mother-in-law sighed sincerely. ¡°She¡¯s very capable!¡± The wife of the Sun family, who had come to visit, said. ¡°She went to town to sell pancakes and earned a lot of money! I heard from Liu An¡¯s wife that they have meat every meal!¡± Who would have thought that the Su family, who had once relied on extortion to survive, could go to town to do business? If they weren¡¯t possessed, they were lucky. Auntie Liu thought for a moment and said, ¡°He found a good son-in-law.¡± The wife of the Sun family muttered, ¡°Master Wei is handsome and literate. Why did he marry into the Su family? Was there a big problem?¡± Auntie Liu glared at her. ¡°Why are you like Madam Zhou? You can¡¯t live a good life, right?¡± The wife of the Sun family said, ¡°I was just saying. Is there a need to be so angry?¡± ¡°Say whatever you like. Just don¡¯t say it at my house!¡± Auntie Liu chased her away! In the past, her mother-in-law would have said a few choice words to Auntie Liu, but looking at the couplet and red paper on the table, her mother-in-law fell silent. On this day, the discussions about the Su family in the village did not stop. They took on various tones from good to bad, from envious to jealous, and from surprised to shocked. On the other hand, there was a rare silence in the Su family. Chen Haoyuan had an incident with the quota, and the mother and son had been humiliated in the village. Old Master Su regretted agreeing to this marriage this morning. Su Jinniang locked herself in the room. Her family thought that she was troubled by her marriage. Only Su Jinniang knew that she had been humiliated today. Ever since she was young, she had never lost to Fatty Su. But today, in front of all the villagers, she lost! When everyone thought that the young master of the academy was looking for her and she herself thought so, the other party called Fatty Su¡¯s name! At that moment, she became a complete joke! Su Jinniang did not think about how much Fat Lass Su had experienced in the past. She was used to being proud. Once Fatty Su, who used to be inferior to her, had risen, she seemed to have lost her balance. She did not understand why Fatty Su could marry an outstanding man like Wei Ting. Why did Fatty Su know the young master of the academy? It seemed that Fatty Su had become lucky overnight¡­ Su Jinniang attributed everything to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s luck. Little did she know that Su Xiaoxiao had worked hard in private. The snow fell for three days. Su Xiaoxiao walked back and forth between the village and Spring Willow Lane every day with difficulty. It was not that she was not afraid of the cold and exhaustion. Su Xiaoxiao sat on the snow several times and panted heavily. Aunt Fu cursed at first, but in the end, she fell silent. She had looked at the little fat girl¡¯s face and ears that were red from the cold just for an old woman like her who had half her body buried in the ground. When Physician Fu finally returned from his consultation, he almost knelt down to Su Xiaoxiao after learning what had happened at home! Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand. ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s nothing. I took the consultation fee!¡± It was a huge bag of peanuts! ¡­ and a basin of sesame! It was so fragrant! But no amount of consultation fees could exchange for Miss Su¡¯s treatment and care for his mother. He would remember this kindness! At noon, the snow stopped for two hours. When Su Xiaoxiao was halfway there, it began to fall again. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face hurt from the cold, and her back was sweating. As they approached the village, there was the sound of hurried hooves not far away. This place was very close to the official road. Occasionally, there would be passersby. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t mind and continued walking. However, her luck today was really not good. She tripped over a big rock covered in snow. Her chubby body fell heavily into the snow! What was worse was that the things in the basket were scattered all over the ground. She reached out to pick them up and in a moment of carelessness, two long cuts appeared on the index and middle fingers of her left hand. Blood flowed! Her fingers were connected to her heart, and the pain nerves in her body instantly woke up. The pain multiplied, and she gasped! She couldn¡¯t cry, couldn¡¯t cry¡­ She had to bear with it! A tall figure stepped on the thick snow and walked towards her. He stood behind her for a moment, bending to pick up her fallen belongings. ¡°Stupid!¡± He said. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mind was buzzing with pain. She only realized that someone was approaching when she heard a familiar voice. She looked up and met those cold, emotionless eyes. She pouted and cried. ¡°Wei Ting¡­ It hurts¡­ ¡± Chapter 76 ? 76 Treasure This body was prone to pain and tears. It was impossible not to be affected. Su Xiaoxiao cried. ¡°Waah¡­ It hurts¡­ Wei Ting¡­ ¡± Wait. Wei Ting? Wei Ting! Su Xiaoxiao froze and stopped crying. She widened her red eyes and held back her urge to cry. She did not want to embarrass herself in front of this guy! Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°If you want to cry, cry. No one will laugh at you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± she asked tearfully, her voice breaking. Wei Ting leaned over and looked at her at eye level. The corners of his lips curled up as he said mischievously, ¡°Not really.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Could she beat this guy to death now?! Wei Ting had a proud expression. Su Xiaoxiao shifted her butt in the snow and turned her back on him, throwing him an angry back! Looking at the little fat peacock who was angry with him, Wei Ting almost laughed out loud. However, when he saw the blood on the ground, he couldn¡¯t smile anymore. Was this girl injured? He thought she had fallen in the snow and landed in a mess. She was cold and aggrieved, so she cried in anger. He leaned on his walking stick and came to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Let me see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not showing you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao covered her wound tightly and turned away from him. She had just cried. Her voice was hoarse and choked. She was clearly angry, but Wei Ting could hear a trace of grievance. Wei Ting sighed and placed his walking stick aside. He knelt on one knee in the snow and said to her, ¡°I was wrong, okay?¡± Why would a man argue with a little fat girl? Su Xiaoxiao turned around and asked him coldly, ¡°Then tell me, what did you do wrong?¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Wei Ting thought about it seriously. ¡°My mistake was¡­ to laugh at you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao instantly exploded. ¡°So you really laughed at me just now?!¡± Wei Ting subconsciously denied it. ¡°I was not laughing at you¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao exploded again. ¡°Then you lied when you admitted your mistake?!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. What kind of question was this? Wei Ting took a deep breath and pulled her wrist away. He looked at her injured left index and middle fingers and asked, ¡°Did you bring any medicine?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned her face away proudly and glanced calmly at the small basket beside her. Wei Ting glanced at her, grabbed the basket, found her first aid kit, and unzipped it¡­ He didn¡¯t know what kind of design this was, but he had seen her open it. He began to rummage. Su Xiaoxiao raised her chin. ¡°Don¡¯t take the opportunity to look for the token. It¡¯s not here!¡± Wei Ting did not say anything. He took out a cotton swab and saline. He naturally could not call out the names of these two things, but she had treated his wounds many times. He had been watching for a long time. He cleaned her wound and applied ointment. Su Xiaoxiao was in pain, but she resisted the urge to cry in front of someone. ¡°You¡¯re a strange person,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°How am I strange?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked angrily. ¡°You seem to be more afraid of pain than ordinary people.¡± Wei Ting hit the nail on the head. Su Xiaoxiao was really shocked. Was Wei Ting¡¯s observation so keen? He even discovered this? Wei Ting said this because through his observations during this period of time, Su Daya was not a delicate person. In fact, she could endure more hardships than the soldiers in the military camp. Su Xiaoxiao corrected him. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of pain! I can¡¯t stand the pain!¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°Is there a difference?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Of course! I can¡¯t withstand pain because my pain receptors are developed and the pain is infinitely magnified! It¡¯s innate! It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid!¡± Alright, there was also a hint of instinctive avoidance and fear, but she would overcome it one day! That was another word that Wei Ting had never heard of. At this moment, Wei Ting could not completely understand the difference between the two. At the end of the day, wasn¡¯t she still afraid of pain? A few years later, she would fight on the battlefield with wounds all over her body. She said, ¡°Wei Ting, it really hurts.¡± However, she did not retreat or fall. She used her willpower, which was not inferior to that of a man in the world, and fought ten times or a hundred times harder to step over the mountains of corpses and seas of blood to come to his side. At that moment, Wei Ting really understood what she said today. Wei Ting bandaged Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wound. ¡°It¡¯s so ugly!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said as she looked at the two ¡°big dumplings¡± in her hand. Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s already good enough that someone bandaged you. Why do you despise it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°I can bandage it myself!¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so just now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m very happy to let you work!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. At this moment, two black-clothed guards rode their horses past the two of them. The hooves kicked up snow and almost landed on them. One of the people who had already walked away thought of something and looked back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± his companion asked. ¡°That person¡­ looks familiar.¡± His companion looked back. The snowstorm was very strong, and he could only vaguely see two figures-a little fat village girl and a man in cloth clothes. ¡°Did you see wrongly? How can there be anyone familiar in such a remote village?¡± The guard in black thought for a moment. ¡°I probably saw wrongly.¡± That noble should be in the capital. Why would he come to a remote village in Qingzhou to stay with a small village girl? They even seem intimate. Don¡¯t forget, that was the famous Killing God. No woman could get close to him. The noble ladies in the capital could not do it, nor could the royal princess, let alone a fat girl from the countryside. His companion advised, ¡°Hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t make the young marquis wait!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wei Ting, who had already stood up but suddenly squatted down to check her injured hand. ¡°Is it to see how ugly you¡¯ve made it?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Wei Ting grabbed the small basket at the side and stood up with his walking stick. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. Can you walk?¡± ¡°I injured my hand, not my leg. Besides, if I can¡¯t walk, can you carry me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at his injured leg. The meaning was obvious. Could he carry her? Wei Ting understood her gaze and returned her gaze. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be my problem if I can¡¯t carry you, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless! What an idiot! She really wanted to beat him to death! The two of them walked home in the snow. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Why did I meet you here? Are you picking me up?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sneered. ¡°Lying again! I used to take the village road. It¡¯s snowing too heavily today. There¡¯s too much snow on the village road. I was afraid that I would walk into a ditch, so I took the longer route!¡± Wei Ting said nothing. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°The location of your accident is nearby. Did you¡­ bury some treasure here?¡± Wei Ting said without thinking, ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. Chapter 77 ? 77 Digging for Treasures After placing the things at home, Su Xiaoxiao brought a short shovel and quietly left! She would know after digging! Su Xiaoxiao came to the place where Father Su and Su Ergou had ambushed Wei Ting. There were no traces of the previous battle, and the tattered carriage had long been burned by the nearby villagers. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the snow on the ground and thought. If she was Wei Ting, where would she hide her wealth at a critical moment? ¡°The north and south ends are official roads. There¡¯s a small forest in the east. After crossing a ditch in the west, there¡¯s cropland. He can¡¯t bury it in the cropland¡­ If someone plows the land casually or digs up a few vegetables, the assets will be exposed.¡± ¡°The forest is about 30 steps away. Dahu and the others were in the carriage. He couldn¡¯t have walked too far¡­ ¡± ¡°The ditch!¡± The ditch was blocked by water in winter, so it was the best place to hide things! Of course, this was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s initial guess. ¡°It¡¯s time to verify my guess!¡± Su Xiaoxiao came to the side of the ditch and casually chose a spot. She rolled up her sleeves and started digging. To be honest, Wei Ting¡¯s bandage was a little ugly, but it was very thick. It did not hurt at all to grab the shovel! Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s chubby body squatted on the ground and dug! As she dug, she would turn around from time to time to see if Wei Ting had caught up to her. She looked like a sneaky little fat squirrel! ¡°No.¡± She frowned. She continued to dig. When she dug the third pit, she suddenly felt terrifying killing intent. ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± A man¡¯s fierce shout came from behind. It was not Wei Ting¡¯s voice. She told herself to be steady and not to panic. Su Xiaoxiao squatted on the ground and calmly turned her head. Eh? Weren¡¯t these the two men in black who had galloped on the official road just now? Su Xiaoxiao pretended not to remember and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± The other party was also surprised. Wasn¡¯t this the little fat village girl just now? Why was she here? Su Xiaoxiao took the initiative and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question! You don¡¯t look familiar. You don¡¯t look like people from the nearby village! Who are you?¡± The two of them exchanged glances. The square-faced guard who had noticed Wei Ting just now sized up Su Xiaoxiao and said, ¡°We were passing by. You¡¯re a girl. Why are you squatting by the road in the snow?¡± ¡°Why do you care!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said fiercely. Sometimes, the more confident a person was, the less suspicious they would be. She got up and dusted the snow off her shovel, looking depressed. ¡°I hate it! You scared away the prey! I¡¯m not digging anymore!¡± The square-faced guard asked suspiciously, ¡°What prey is buried in the snow?¡± Su Xiaoxiao put her hands on her hips and exploded. ¡°I¡¯m digging for an earthworm! I¡¯m going to use it as bait to catch a pheasant in the forest! Why are you so noisy? You¡¯ve already lost me a pheasant!¡± The two of them were speechless. Who was the louder one? His companion whispered, ¡°She looks like a nearby villager. Should we ask her?¡± The square-faced man pondered for a moment and rejected, ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t alert the enemy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the shovel and left. The two of them had already dispelled their doubts about her, but at this moment, something unexpected happened. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s purse leaked, and a shiny black token fell into the snow. The scene fell silent! Su Xiaoxiao bent down and picked up the token before stuffing it into her arms! The two guards missed! A murderous glint instantly appeared in their eyes! The square-faced man said coldly, ¡°Hand over that thing just now!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pretended to be confused. ¡°What is it? I don¡¯t understand!¡± The square-faced man pulled out a sword from his waist and threatened, ¡°Girl! Don¡¯t be ungrateful! Hand it over, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Burning, killing, and plundering in broad daylight. Do you have any respect for the law? I¡¯m warning you, if I shout, the entire village can hear me!¡± The square-faced man tapped her acupoint. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless! The square-faced man said to his companion, ¡°You do it.¡± His companion said, ¡°Why me?¡± The two of them had just seen the little village girl stuff the thing into her arms. They were men, so it was not convenient for them to touch a woman¡¯s chest. ¡°What happened?¡± At this moment, a young man in a black cloak with a silver lining walked over with a cold expression. Su Xiaoxiao took a look. Jing Yi? Jing Yi also saw Su Xiaoxiao and frowned. The two black-clothed guards bowed respectfully to him. ¡°Young Marquis!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened. The square-faced man reported, ¡°Young Marquis, there¡¯s a suspicious¡­ ¡± Before she could finish, Jing Yi raised his hand and undid Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s acupoints. Su Xiaoxiao finally could speak and move. She said in disbelief, ¡°Jing Yi, are you a marquis?¡± This time, it was the two guards who were dumbfounded. Did the little village girl just call their young master by his name?! Did the little master know her?! Jing Yi frowned. Although he was unwilling to expose his identity, his subordinate had already done so. It was not good for him to lie and say that he was not. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly complained, ¡°The two of them robbed me!¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°It was him!¡± The square-faced man and his companion spoke at the same time. The square-faced man looked at his companion with a dark expression. Are you so anxious to betray me?! His companion coughed lightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡± The square-faced man came to Jing Yi¡¯s side and whispered a few words. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t hear what he said, but she could guess that he was mentioning the token to Jing Yi. Jing Yi raised his hand. The square-faced man took three steps back. Jing Yi looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Miss Su, please take out what you just kept.¡± Su Xiaoxiao reached out and took out a wife cake wrapped in oil paper. ¡°Here, take it!¡± The square-faced man said, ¡°It was clearly not this!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°This is all I have!¡± The square-faced man frowned. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Su Xiaoxiao straightened her back. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, come and search!¡± Jing Yi had a complicated expression. ¡°Miss Su, sorry.¡± They were really searching! After all, she was Young Master Xiang¡¯s savior and had once helped with Jing Yi¡¯s arm. However, all of this was nothing compared to a token. What was that token? ¡°Jing Yi, I¡¯m a woman!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly. ¡°Is Hong Luan here?¡± Jing Yi asked the two of them. ¡°Yes.¡± The square-faced man placed his index finger and thumb into his mouth and whistled at the sky. Not long after, a woman in red walked over in the snow and leaped into the air. She knelt on one knee in front of Jing Yi and bowed. ¡°Hong Luan greets the Young Marquis!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s first reaction was that she was so cool. Her next thought was that it was over. There was no way to hide from a body search. If she could not hide the token, Wei Ting¡­ would most likely be exposed! ¡°Miss Su, this way please!¡± Hong Luan brought Su Xiaoxiao into the small forest in the east. Chapter 78 ? 78 Merit Fifteen minutes later, Hong Luan and Su Xiaoxiao came out of the forest one after another. Hong Luan presented the things she had found to Jing Yi with both hands. ¡°Please take a look, Young Marquis.¡± Jing Yi opened the handkerchief and took a look. ¡°Pancake?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Hong Luan said. ¡°I only found this.¡± Jing Yi looked coldly at the two black-clothed guards at the side. The two of them frowned! The square-faced man said, ¡°Young Marquis, I really saw it! It¡¯s indeed what we¡¯ve been looking for!¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Jing Yi asked another person. Another person recalled carefully and said, ¡°It looks like it to me.¡± Hong Luan was unhappy. ¡°What do you mean? Are you suspecting that I missed it, or are you suspecting that I¡¯m protecting her?¡± Hong Luan was a hidden guard and was good at qinggong and concealment. Her vigilance and meticulousness were not something ordinary experts could compare to. She did not care what these two fellows had seen. In short, she had searched inside and out. There was indeed nothing suspicious on that little village girl. Jing Yi broke open the pastry. It was just a pancake. There was nothing hidden. The square-faced man was very puzzled. ¡°I did see her put it in her pocket¡­¡± Hong Luan said indifferently, ¡°Perhaps you saw wrongly. It¡¯s just a biscuit.¡± The square-faced man opened his mouth. ¡°I¡­ ¡± Hong Luan snorted. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, go search again!¡± Hong Luan was not speaking up for Su Xiaoxiao. She firmly believed that her search methods would not miss any blind spots. Jing Yi also believed in Hong Luan¡¯s ability. If the item was really on Miss Su, it was impossible for Hong Luan not to find it. As for protecting Miss Su, it was even more impossible. Jing Yi waited for Su Xiaoxiao to come out after putting on her clothes and personally apologized to her. Su Xiaoxiao said angrily, ¡°To think that I thought we were friends, but you don¡¯t trust me at all. Thinking about it, it¡¯s not strange. You¡¯re the Young Marquis, and I¡¯m just a small village girl. You¡¯re out of my league! Goodbye!¡± With that, Su Xiaoxiao left without looking back. Jing Yi wanted to say something but hesitated. He looked at the broken pancake in his hand and pinched the brocade bag in his left hand that he had not given away in time. His expression darkened. ¡ª Su Xiaoxiao kept walking back. After confirming that she was far away from Jing Yi and the others¡¯ line of sight, her tense body finally relaxed. She let out a long breath. It was too dangerous. Jing Yi looked like a high school student in her previous life. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so calm and meticulous. She was not really angry with Jing Yi, but if she did not appear so angry, she would appear very suspicious. She thought that she would definitely be exposed this time, but at the critical moment, the pharmacy appeared. Although it was only for an instant, it was enough for her to put the token in. In Hong Luan¡¯s opinion, she only clutched her chest and felt dizzy for a moment. Hong Luan asked her what was wrong. She said to Hong Luan, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat breakfast and went to town for a consultation. I was so hungry that I almost fainted! It wasn¡¯t easy for me to bring a pancake, but you treated it as stolen goods!¡± With that, she successfully deceived the world. ¡­. She had got off unscathed and the pharmacy had contributed. Speaking of which, she had entered the pharmacy a total of four times. The first time was to treat Wei Ting¡¯s injuries. The second time was to treat Young Master Xiang¡¯s lung disease. She also gave Father Su a bottle of bone-strengthening pills. The third time was to save Aunt Fu. The fourth time was just now. Could it be that¡­ the trigger condition of the pharmacy was an emergency? What was the criteria to be met? Initially, she thought that the pharmacy might only appear when there was an medical emergency situation, but how could she explain what happened today? Too many doubts flashed across her mind. Su Xiaoxiao felt that she had to figure it out. Not only because it was supernatural, but also because it was her only remaining connection to that world. Perhaps one day, she could return to that world through it. Assuming her body wasn¡¯t cremated¡­ After arriving home, Su Xiaoxiao plunged into her room and began to study how to enter the pharmacy. ¡°The first two times, I was confused, like Zhu Bajie eating a ginseng fruit. I came out with the medicine without realizing it. I had a strong desire to enter that time, but I also tried a few times-¡± ¡°What are you muttering about?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s voice suddenly sounded at the door. Su Xiaoxiao trembled and turned to him with a dark expression. ¡°Why are you eavesdropping on me?¡± Wei Ting knocked on the door indifferently. ¡°The door is open.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao secretly stuffed the small shovel under the bed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t dig up your treasure!¡± Wei Ting looked at her deeply and said coldly, ¡°Ergou called you.¡± ¡°Sister! Sister!¡± Su Ergou called him Sister at the entrance of the village. The entire village heard him. It was obvious how distracted Su Xiaoxiao was just now. Wei Ting naturally did not know what had happened on the official road. He looked at the shovel that was exposed and said mockingly, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re very disappointed that you didn¡¯t dig it up.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glared at him. ¡°One day, I¡¯ll dig it up!¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to the village entrance and found the anxious Su Ergou. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Ergou said anxiously, ¡°Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu are missing!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you see them? Tell me properly.¡± Su Ergou scratched his ears and cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it was time for dinner. I asked them to go back for dinner. Coincidentally, Zhu Zi came over to fetch water. We chatted for a while, but when we turned around, they were gone!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll go find them. You can go back first.¡± The little fellows must not want to be caught by Su Ergou and went into hiding again. Su Xiaoxiao was right. The three little ones were indeed hiding and playing hide-and-seek with their uncle. They would only returned with their uncle after he found them. The safety range of the three of them had gradually expanded from their house and Liu Shan¡¯s house next door to an entire row of villages. In other words, they were getting bolder. The three of them hid in a small woodpile behind the Su family¡¯s kitchen. These were wood that were cut before the snow. They were intended for repairing the house, but because the weather was bad, they could only be put aside for now. The older children could not get in. The three of them were young and could get in one at a time. The three of them squatted in the firewood pile for a while, but Uncle Ergou did not come. They ran out again. Coincidentally, Su Jinniang pushed the door open to pour water away. She saw the three little ones next to the firewood pile at a glance. The three of them were wearing thick cotton-padded jackets with blue hoods over them. Fatty Su had worn these when she was young and Father Su had taken them out to put on the three little ones. This way, it didn¡¯t matter if they were dirty after playing. They just had to change their clothes every day. The three of them were cute. Their eyes were big and their eyelashes were long. There was no child in the village who was more beautiful than them. Nor in town. At least, Su Jinniang had never seen any. Su Jinniang knew that they were Wei Ting¡¯s children. She poured away the water, put down the wooden basin, and came to the three of them. She bent down and gently patted the snow on their clothes. The three of them looked at her with wide black eyes. Su Jinniang smiled gently and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of freezing on such a cold day? Do you want to come in and warm yourself by the fire?¡± Chapter 79 ? 79 Separation The three little ones did not want to warm themselves by the fire. They only wanted to hide. This was the first time Su Jinniang had observed the three children up close. Just like their father, the closer they were, the better they looked. It was just that they were quite naughty and always made the children in the village cry. It must be that Fatty Su didn¡¯t know how to raise them. If she were their mother- She would teach them well. ¡°What are your names?¡± Su Jinniang asked softly. The three of them said nothing. It was not that Su Jinniang really did not know their names. She just wanted to tease them to speak. Wasn¡¯t this the way to start an interaction between adults and children? Seeing that they were silent, Su Jinniang was not discouraged. Instead, she continued to ask gently, ¡°Which of you is Dahu, which is Erhu, and which is Xiaohu?¡± The three of them remained silent. Su Jinniang thought for a moment before turning around and entering the house. She secretly took a piece of candy from home, broke it into three small pieces, walked out, and handed it to them. The Su family¡¯s conditions in the village were not bad, but it was one thing for their family to eat such expensive things. It was rare for them to casually give them to the children in the village. ¡°Here,¡± she said, smiling. She was good-looking and spoke gently. The children in the village liked her very much. In addition, this was candy. There was no child who did not like candy. She handed it forward again and said, ¡°This is sweet. It¡¯s delicious.¡± Of course, the three little ones knew about candy. Niudan had used this to tempt them. The three of them didn¡¯t take it. Su Jinniang asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you like it? Or is your father¡­ not letting you eat it?¡± ¡°Dahu! Erhu! Xiaohu!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s cry came from ahead. The three little ones¡¯ eyes lit up. They decisively ran out of the alley. Su Jinniang followed a few steps and saw the three of them pounce into Fatty Su¡¯s arms like swallows. Their three little heads rubbed against Fatty Su. ¡°Where did you go to play? You¡¯re sweating profusely,¡± Fatty Su said as she patted Dahu¡¯s head. Dahu raised his hand and pointed. ¡°Over there, hide!¡± ¡°Erhu wants it too.¡± Erhu stretched his little head over. ¡°Xiaohu! Xiaohu!¡± It was very difficult for Xiao Hu to squeeze in between his two brothers! Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. She touched everyone¡¯s heads. Dahu turned and pointed at the small of his back. ¡°And here,¡± he said in a childish voice. Su Xiaoxiao often touched their backs to see if they were sweating. Su Xiaoxiao touched this and that in amusement. The three children raised their chins proudly! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You¡¯re drenched in sweat. Hurry up and go back to change your clothes for dinner.¡± The three of them nodded and skipped away with Su Xiaoxiao. The three of them were like different people in front of Su Jinniang and the other villagers. ¡°Are you eating anything you shouldn¡¯t have?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°No.¡± The three little ones shook their heads. Su Jinniang watched them leave and clenched the candy in her hand. Fatty Su was clearly targeting her and not allowing her to build a good relationship with Wei Ting¡¯s three children. Su Jinniang had really misunderstood Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that Su Jinniang had given the three little fellows candy. The reason she asked this was because the three little ones had eaten wild fruit at the back of the mountain with the older children in the village a few days ago. The children in the village had eaten since they were young and were used to it. They did not feel any discomfort. However, the three little fellows had a stomachache all night. Ever since then, Su Xiaoxiao stopped letting them eat from elsewhere. ¡°Mother.¡± The three little ones only noticed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrapped fingers. Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said without changing her expression, ¡°It¡¯s for fun.¡± The three little ones blinked cutely. Fifteen minutes later, each child had two dumplings wrapped in their hands. The three of them decisively went next door to look for Niudan to show off the fingers that their mother had wrapped for them! Unfortunately, Niudan was not in the mood to fight with them today. The family was arguing again about the separation of his uncle and aunt. His grandfather, Liu Shan, was furious, and his grandmother had been scolding him all morning. ¡°I raised you up with great effort! In the end, this is how you repay me! I know that I¡¯m not your biological mother! I don¡¯t expect you to be filial to me! But you can¡¯t curse me to death!¡± ¡°You two are killing me! Are you trying to curse me and your father to death?¡± As Big Wu spoke, she started crying. ¡°Has it been easy for me to be someone¡¯s stepmother all these years? How have I let you down?¡± How could it be right? Did Big Wu really not remember how she had treated Liu Ping badly? Cutting pig grass at the age of five, working in the fields at the age of six, sleeping in the cowshed in the middle of winter¡­ When he was sick, she never invited a doctor. If not for Liu Ping¡¯s luck, he would have died many times! When Liu Ping went to town to do manual labor, he did not rest during the winter and summer. The hard-earned money fell into the hands of Big Wu. So where did Big Wu get the cheek to say that she was right about Liu Ping? ¡°Did you instigate it?¡± Seeing that Liu Ping was unwilling to let go, Big Wu immediately targeted Little Wu. She walked over and gave Little Wu a big slap! A crisp slap sounded in the central room. The person who was slapped was not Little Wu, but Liu Ping, who rushed over to block her. Liu Ping took the blow forcefully, and his face immediately swelled up. Looking at the palm print on Liu Ping¡¯s face, Big Wu was stunned. Liu Shan, who was sitting in the chair, frowned fiercely. ¡°Husband, I¡­¡± Big Wu turned to look at Liu Shan and then at the stubborn Liu Ping. She wanted to say that she did not want to hit Liu Ping, but the atmosphere in the house was suddenly so oppressive that she could not speak. No matter what, Liu Ping was the eldest son in the family. As his stepmother, she could think of ways to squeeze him, but she could not hit him. ¡°Kneel down, the two of you!¡± Liu Shan said to his son and daughter-in-law. Liu Ping and Little Wu knelt down. Liu Shan said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one last time. Are you really going to split up?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Liu Ping said. ¡°Brother! Sister-in-law! Don¡¯t be rash!¡± Madam He put down the spatula and came over from the kitchen. She said to Liu Ping and Little Wu, ¡°It¡¯s the new year. Why are you splitting up? Hurry up and apologize to Dad and Mom! Our family is harmonious. Stop fooling around! I know that Liu An was injured a while ago and can¡¯t work in the fields. He¡¯s a burden to you! Sister-in-law will apologize to you here! It won¡¯t happen again!¡± Madam He¡¯s words were evasive. How could the eldest branch only feel aggrieved in these few months? But she couldn¡¯t say that the entire family had been squeezing the eldest branch, right? Madam He did not want to split up. Although Liu Ping¡¯s salary would not fall into her hands, Big Wu had always been biased towards the second branch and had spent a lot of money on Liu An and Niudan. And because of her husband and son, she could more or less get some benefits. In addition, if Sister-in-law left, who would do so much work at home? She did not want to be exhausted! Chapter 80 ? 80 Attack (1) The adults were arguing too fiercely, and Niudan was so frightened in the kitchen that he cried. The three children were here to show off their fingers. Seeing Niudan cry like this, they were a little embarrassed to show off. ¡°Finger,¡± Dahu said. Just to show off. ¡°Mother wrapped it,¡± Erhu said. If his brother showed off, he would show off too. ¡°You don¡¯t have it,¡± Xiaohu added. Niudan was speechless. He couldn¡¯t just stop crying, right? The three of them ran back to their kitchen where Su Xiaoxiao was cooking cured meat. ¡°Mother, I want,¡± Dahu said. Su Xiaoxiao thought that the three of them were greedy for the cured meat in the pot and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s not cooked yet. Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Not meat.¡± Dahu shook his head and raised his dumpling finger to point at the cloth on it. ¡°I want this.¡± ¡°Gauze?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Yes!¡± The three of them nodded. Children were at the age of playfulness and exploration. It was normal for them to mess around. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t refuse and returned to the east room to cut three clean pieces of gauze for them. The three of them happily played with it. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and continued to cook. ¡°Eh? Where are the children?¡± Father Su walked in with the dry firewood. He had clearly heard the voices of the little fellows. ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± He saw Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrapped index finger. ¡°Nothing. I accidentally scratched it,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°They went to look for Niudan.¡± ¡°Are you really fine?¡± He knew his fat daughter very well. A small wound could last for a long time. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Wei Ting wrapped it.¡± It looked so serious. ¡°Son-in-law is so considerate,¡± Father Su said. Su Xiaoxiao spoke, ¡°Hello, did you miss the point?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go see the children.¡± Father Su went to the back door of the Liu family and took a look. He saw the three little fellows wrapping something around Niudan¡¯s hand. Niu Dan was twitching as if he had just cried. Father Su automatically imagined a small bullying scene and nodded in satisfaction. The three little fellows did not suffer a loss, so he was relieved and went home to continue chopping firewood. The Liu family¡¯s argument intensified. When Liu Shan threw a chair, Niudan cried again. The three little ones walked over and slammed the front door of the kitchen shut! Niudan was stunned. ¡­ That worked? This was the bad thing about living in the countryside. Whenever there was any commotion, more than half of the village would rush over to watch the commotion. Knowing that they were breaking up the family, everyone advised Liu Ping to stop fooling around. Although they also knew that the eldest branch was not having a good time in the Liu family, it was still the same thing. As long as their parents were around, they would not split up. As long as they broke up, it would be an extremely ugly scene. Liu Shan felt that he could not afford to lose face. ¡°If you want to split up, you have to die!¡± ¡°Aiya, Brother Ping, listen to Auntie¡¯s advice. Which of the families that broke up has a good ending? If you don¡¯t think for yourself, think for the two children.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Life won¡¯t be easy after you split up.¡± ¡°A pot of rice can¡¯t feed two families. What grudge can¡¯t be resolved? Must you make it to the point of splitting up? Yes, it¡¯s a little hard on your eldest branch, but you¡¯re the eldest son. Which eldest son doesn¡¯t live like this?¡± The villagers stood at the moral high ground and criticized the unorthodox couple. ¡°Auntie Zhou is right. It¡¯s naturally harder for the eldest son to take charge than the second son!¡± Su Xiaoxiao strode in. Everyone looked at her strangely, not understanding why she was there. Su Xiaoxiao placed her hands behind her back and said leisurely, ¡°In my opinion, Liu Ping really doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him. Isn¡¯t it just doing more hard work and working for others outside? Why is he aggrieved? And Little Wu, she¡¯s the head of the family. She¡¯s the one who washes, cooks, cleans, and chops firewood. As the eldest daughter-in-law, this is what she should do!¡± Everyone was wondering why her words sounded strange. However, Fatty Su¡¯s words successfully reminded everyone, or rather, she stated what everyone had evaded. Liu Ping worked hard in town. In order to get more work, he rarely returned home. He had worked so hard, but how did the Liu family treat his wife and children? Little Wu did the work of the entire family alone. When the farm was busy, she had to farm. In comparison, Madam He and Big Wu were freer. Their children were dressed in rags and were thin. They were far inferior to Niudan of the second branch. Big Wu told everyone how much her heart ached for Liu Ping. She claimed to not feel so strongly for her own son. Chapter 81 ? 81 Attack (2) Yes, she must have used her mouth to feel sorry for him. It was all talk and no action. This was Big Wu! In everyone¡¯s hearts, it was not that they could not differentiate between right and wrong. However, it was similar to the principle that it was better to destroy a temple than a marriage. If they persuaded others to split up, they would be criticized. They were not so righteous! Liu Shan said in a low voice, ¡°Fatty Su, this is our Liu family¡¯s business. It¡¯s not your place to criticize!¡± No matter what, Liu Shan was still a grandfather. He was not so timid when facing a little bully from the Su family, especially in front of the entire village. He had to maintain some semblance of dignity. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care if he was afraid or not. She wasn¡¯t here to scare him with her weight. She said sarcastically, ¡°Grandpa Liu, it¡¯s fine to break up with such an unfilial son!¡± Liu Shan could tell that this girl was here to cause trouble! It had been a while since the Su family had found someone to extort money. He thought that they had turned over a new leaf, but it turned out that they were still bastards! Liu Shan said coldly, ¡°Liu Ping is my son. Unless I die, he can forget about being separated from this family!¡± Su Xiaoxiao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Aiya, I¡¯m relieved to hear that!¡± The villagers were puzzled. What did Fatty Su mean? Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°You just said that Liu Ping is your biological son. Unless you die, he can forget about splitting up! In that case, repay the debt Liu Ping owes!¡± The villagers stared. What kind of development was this? Liu Shan frowned. Liu Ping was also confused. Little Wu glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. She knew Fatty Su best. Although she didn¡¯t know what Fatty Su wanted to do, she believed her. ¡°Fatty Su, are you trying to extort money again?¡± It was Madam He from the second branch. Su Xiaoxiao took out an IOU from her wide sleeve and dusted it gently, showing it to the Liu family and the villagers. ¡°This is the IOU that Liu Ping personally signed. His fingerprint is on it! He owes me a total of 30 taels! The interest is 18 taels, a total of 48 taels! Hurry up and return the money!¡± Liu Ping said, ¡°Since when¡­ ¡± Little Wu pinched Liu Ping! Liu Ping paused and Little Wu hurriedly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to give it to you in a few days?¡± Liu Ping looked at Little Wu as if he had seen a ghost. Little Wu¡¯s words confirmed Fatty Su¡¯s ¡°extortion¡±. No, with an IOU, it could not be called extortion! Su Xiaoxiao secretly praised Little Wu for not disappointing her. Su Xiaoxiao said fiercely, ¡°But you also agreed to give me some interest in advance! Did you give it to me?¡± Little Wu stammered, ¡°I¡­ we really can¡¯t¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed at Liu Shan. ¡°If you two can¡¯t take it out, ask your father for it!¡± Big Wu¡¯s expression changed! She did not want to repay the first branch¡¯s debt! ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± Liu Shan was furious. ¡°So the two of you haven¡¯t told your family yet. Alright, I¡¯ll tell them.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled unhurriedly. ¡°A while ago, Liu Ping was carrying a sack for someone in town and accidentally broke a noble scholar¡¯s jade pendant. That jade pendant was originally worth 50 taels of silver. Coincidentally, I was doing business nearby, and Young Master Shen of the Wutong Academy was also there. Young Master Shen appeared, and on account of him, they only asked Liu Ping to compensate 30 taels of silver! I was the one who paid the money first. It¡¯s 60% interest, written clearly in black and white! Young Master Shen is the witness. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go to the Wutong Academy to verify it with him!¡± Who wouldn¡¯t believe her if she mentioned Young Master Shen of the academy? They had seen Young Master Shen send Fatty Su a New Year gift with their own eyes! Fatty Su was indeed on good terms with Young Master Shen! As for why Fat Lass Su was so kind- Pfft! It was an interest of 60%. Was she being kind? She was trying to extort the Liu family to death! Fatty Su was still that little bully! Su Xiaoxiao hooked her chubby hand. ¡°How is it? Return the money!¡± Liu Shan was so angry that his blood surged. He suppressed his anger and looked at Liu Ping, who was kneeling on the ground. ¡°Is what she said true?¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can verify it with Shen Chuan! Liu Ping¡¯s handprint is on it, and so is Shen Chuan¡¯s!¡± Okay, the fingerprints actually belonged to Wei Ting and Su Ergou. Liu Shan called his youngest son over. ¡°Invite the village head over.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t panic at all. After the village head came over, he carefully checked the IOU. ¡°According to what¡¯s written on it, he does owe 30 taels of silver, 60% interest, and 1,800 copper coins a day. He owed it 10 days ago. Today, he should have accumulated payment of 18 taels of silver.¡± This matched Fatty Su¡¯s words. Fatty Su asked, ¡°Chief, Liu Ping is from the Liu family. The Liu family should help him repay the debt he owes, right?¡± The village head frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°Logically speaking, that¡¯s the case.¡± Big Wu¡¯s eyes turned black as she staggered and fell to the ground. She slapped her thigh and cried, ¡°What sin did he commit?¡± 48 taels! They wouldn¡¯t be able to repay him even if they sold her! If she had known earlier, she would have agreed to split up! Liu Ping only earned about a hundred copper coins a month, less than half a tael of silver at most, and the daily payment was nearly two taels. How long would it take? In other words, the Liu family could not afford it even if they went bankrupt! Liu Shan¡¯s expression was also that of a complete defeat. He was so angry that his entire body was trembling. He asked Liu Ping, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell your family about such an important matter!¡± Liu Ping: ¡°I¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°Fortunately, I discovered it in time. If I were a step later, you would have split from the main family and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get the Liu family to return the debt! With your own strength, hmph, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to pay it back in your next life! Grandpa Liu, I remember that you have some savings. It¡¯s time to take it out!¡± When the villagers heard this, they were enlightened. Could it be that Brother Ping didn¡¯t want to drag his family down? He wanted to shoulder the debt himself. It was better than his entire family being dragged down by him! If that were the case, they would have misunderstood the two of them! How was Brother Ping unfilial? He was clearly filial! Chapter 82 ? 82 Protective ¡°Fatty Su, in your dreams!¡± The person who spoke was Big Wu. She was the first to disagree if she wanted to touch their savings! Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to hand over the savings, then use something valuable as payment.¡± Something valuable? Field? Land? A farmer in the countryside would be living like rootless duckweed without farmland. Who would dare to give up these two things? At this moment, the youngest daughter of the eldest branch came over crying. She had just woken up when Big Meizi came out of the house. ¡°Mother.¡± She spread her small arms for her mother. Little Wu hugged her daughter tightly. Big Meizi came out to carry her sister, but her sister did not leave with her. Big Wu¡¯s eyes flashed as she said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°We¡¯ll sell these two girls to you!¡± Everyone was dumbfounded. This old fellow was even selling her granddaughter for money! Liu Ping was shocked. ¡°Mother!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said with disdain, ¡°What¡¯s the value of two girls? Why don¡¯t you use your grandson to repay your debt? Niudan is fair and chubby. I¡¯ll give take him for five taels as a neighbor!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t sell my son!¡± Madam He screamed without thinking. Niudan was not only the treasure of the second branch, but also the apple of Liu Shan and Big Wu¡¯s eyes. Not to mention that Madam He did not agree, the two elders would not bear to part with him. However, they had to use their savings, fields or Niudan to repay the debt. To be precise, that would barely be enough to offset the interest. Even if they sold their entire family, they would not be able to gather 48 taels. Madam He cried, ¡°Dad! Mom! Let Big Brother split from the family! We don¡¯t owe her! Why should we repay his debt!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Whoa, you make it sound like they didn¡¯t earn money for the family or help you work.¡± These words choked Madam He to death. Liu Ping handed over all his salary to Big Wu. When Little Wu¡¯s biological mother was sick, she was not even allowed to take an egg back to her parents. Why couldn¡¯t the entire family pay the debt that Liu Ping owed? Auntie Liu gossiped and said, ¡°Brother Ping, don¡¯t split up. Let your family help pay it back!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Have you thought about it? Are you going to pay them back together or are you going to split up?¡± ¡°Split up!¡± Madam He said. ¡°Dad! Mom! If this family isn¡¯t divided, Liu An and I won¡¯t be able to live!¡± Big Wu¡¯s mouth moved. She wanted to split up too. She looked at the head of the family. Liu Shan was in a difficult position. He was the one who had said that he would not agree to the separation, but Liu Ping owed so much. If he did not split the family, he had to fork out money for Liu Ping. He did not want to take out the money, nor could he afford it. Auntie Liu continued, ¡°Uncle Liu, if there¡¯s really no other way, split the family.¡± There were two surnames in the village-Liu and Wu. These two surnames had the most people, but they were not related by blood. Old Li glanced at Su Xiaoxiao and sighed. He said to Liu Shan, ¡°Old Liu, you should split up. It¡¯s difficult for you too.¡± The development of the matter was really beyond the villagers¡¯ expectations. Liu Ping had suggested splitting up because he did not want to implicate his family. Because of this filial piety, no one dared to drown him! On the other hand, the Liu family was a little inhumane. After all, Liu Ping was the eldest son in the family. Although it was wrong for him to owe money, he did not do it on purpose. Besides, he had given the family all the money he had earned over the years. Shouldn¡¯t his family take some out to repay his debt? Liu Shan had a complicated expression. ¡°Village Head¡­¡± ¡°Make your own decision.¡± As the village head spoke, he looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Daya, do me a favor. No matter who repays the debt, give them a few more days.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said slowly, ¡°The limit can be extended, but the interest can¡¯t be reduced. It¡¯s 1,280 coins a day!¡± Big Wu¡¯s temples throbbed. ¡°Split¡­ split!¡± With so much debt, she would die! Liu Shan looked at the second branch. ¡°Do you guys agree to split up too?¡± Madam He glanced at her man and gritted her teeth. ¡°Split up!¡± ¡°Liu An?¡± Liu Shan asked his youngest son. Liu An braced himself and said, ¡°Since Big Brother and Sister-in-law insist on splitting, I have nothing to say.¡± Liu Shan sighed. ¡°Then please be a witness and split the family.¡± He said to Liu Ping and Little Wu, ¡°Your mother and I won¡¯t touch our funeral savings. The rest will be divided into two portions. Your eldest and second branches will each take half.¡± This method could be considered to have taken good care of the eldest branch. It was the rule that the funeral savings would not be touched, but the rest of the money was divided equally among the two elders. Chapter 83 ? 83 Protective With the division, Liu Shan would be giving up his share with Big Wu. In the past, Big Wu would not have agreed, but she was in a hurry to get rid of the debt of 48 taels of silver and did not say a word. Liu Shan continued, ¡°Our family has a total of five acres of land. The two acres of land in the east are yours.¡± Liu An opened his mouth. Those were the most fertile pieces of land. Madam He glared at him and told him not to speak. Otherwise, if they ruined the separation, who would pay the debt? Liu Shan continued, ¡°I¡¯ve given you the best land, so we won¡¯t split the house. If you really don¡¯t have a place to stay, clean up the ancestral house beside the fish pond and live there.¡± This was equivalent to giving the ancestral house to the eldest branch. Liu Shan said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be dissatisfied about? Take advantage of the fact that the village head and the villagers are here and quickly raise it. It won¡¯t be useful to raise it after the division.¡± ¡°No, thank you, Dad.¡± Liu Ping and Little Wu kowtowed to Liu Shan and Big Wu. They didn¡¯t expect to get so much. They thought they would be kicked out and wouldn¡¯t be able to take a single copper and were prepared for the worst. Little Wu understood that if it weren¡¯t for Fat Lass Su today, they really wouldn¡¯t even get half a copper coin. The next step was to write the documents and move. Su Xiaoxiao was a bully, so she naturally couldn¡¯t stay and help Little Wu. That would ruin her persona. However, just as she turned to leave, she was stopped by the village head. ¡°Da Ya, I remember that your husband can write. Can you ask him to help us write the document?¡± The separation of the family was not just a few empty words. The transfer of land and house had to be accounted to the government office. Moreover, the details of how to split the family had to be written down in black and white to prevent future entanglements. ¡°Alright,¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed generously. ¡°Our Su family will do Village Head this honor!¡± The village head was relieved! Su Xiaoxiao went to Wei Ting to tell him about the successful separation of the Liu family¡¯s first branch, mainly to show off her wisdom. She sat opposite Wei Ting and rested her elbows on the table. She rested her chin on her hands and said proudly, ¡°How is it? Am I powerful? I told you this method would work!¡± She was referring to the use of fake IOUs to facilitate the separation. Wei Ting chuckled and said, ¡°You can only scare these countryside people. If you really take it to the government office to compare your handprints, you will expose yourself.¡± Su Xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°I¡¯m betting that they won¡¯t go to the government office!¡± What a joke. She had even brought Shen Chuan up. Which villager would think that she was lying? The villagers did not have a strong legal sense. If they really wanted to verify it, they would have to go to Shen Chuan to verify it. Shen Chuan would definitely not expose her! Wei Ting took a pen and paper and began to write down the details of the separation. He had never met such a woman. She didn¡¯t care about her reputation at all. It seemed fine no matter how others scolded her. If they called her a bully, she would be a little bully. She was still so¡­ smug. Was she stupid? No, what happened today was definitely not a petty trick. She had read people¡¯s hearts thoroughly. It was not an exaggeration to call her resourceful. Wasn¡¯t she stupid? She had the foolishness of a moth flying to the fire for the people beside her. ¡°Are you done? I¡¯ll take it away if you¡¯re done!¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the document on the table and swung her head before leaving valiantly! Not long after, the three children came to look for their father. They wanted their father to write on their fingers. Wei Ting looked at their wrapped fingers and his lips twitched. Why did they have to learn everything that girl did? Of course, he knew that the three brats were not injured. If they were injured, she would tell him. ¡°Write what?¡± he asked. ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Xiaohu said. Wei Ting thought for a moment and wrote their names on the gauze-Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu. The three of them shook their heads and left valiantly! Wei Ting was speechless. ¡ª The people from the government office had gone back for the new year. The procedures would be done after the new year, but the document of the separation was clearly written. Under the witness of the village head, Liu Shan and Liu Ping signed their fingerprints. This matter was considered settled. After the commotion was over, the villagers dispersed. Liu Ping and Little Wu were not infamous, but the Liu family suffered a lot of criticism. Liu Ping and Little Wu were the only ones who were not criticized for splitting up. Big Wu and Madam He stared at Little Wu, afraid that she would take something else from home. Little Wu couldn¡¯t leave to thank Fatty Su, but she whispered to Liu Ping about Fatty Su¡¯s help during this period. Liu Ping was shocked. He had guessed what had happened today, but he did not expect that this was not the first time Fatty Su had helped them. This was too¡­ unbelievable. That was Fatty Su! A terrifying female bully! Little Wu said, ¡°Fatty is our benefactor. We must repay her well in the future.¡± Liu Ping patted his chest. ¡°Wife, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll repay her no matter what!¡± At this moment, Su Xiaoxiao did not know that Liu Ping, who looked ordinary, would really repay her kindness in the future. Su Xiaoxiao was cutting cured meat in the kitchen. The three little ones surrounded the stove, each holding a piece of shiny cured meat and eating it in small bites. She hummed a cheerful tune. The three little ones matched the rhythm and ate while swaying their heads left and right. This scene was a little heartwarming. Wei Ting had never seen the three brats so happy. They had lived in deep trouble since they were born. It was only after coming to the Su family that they seemed to have found peace. Su Xiaoxiao looked up and met Wei Ting¡¯s gaze. She was about to tease Wei Ting when he spoke first. ¡°It¡¯s just helping someone split up. Why are you so happy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao snorted and continued to cut vegetables. ¡°What do you know? I¡¯m helping my employees solve their worries!¡± She would protect her employees! Who dared to bully them? No way! After a pause, Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Why are you in the kitchen? You¡¯ve been hanging around me a little too often recently. Wei Ting, don¡¯t tell me you really like me?¡± Chapter 84 ? 84 Reunion Wei Ting sneered. ¡°Heh, dream on.¡± Su Xiaoxiao cut the vegetables and raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m quite beautiful, right, Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu?¡± The three little ones nodded. Their mother was the most beautiful! They would not accept any rebuttal! ¡°Little brats¡­¡± Wei Ting felt that if this continued, they would probably not remember whose sons they were. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at the stove and said to Wei Ting, ¡°You came at the right time. Add some firewood.¡± Wei Ting walked in with his walking stick and sat on the small stool. He placed the thick linen on his right leg, grabbed a dried branch rack, and pressed both ends down. The dry branch broke. Country bumpkins broke dead branches like this, but if the people in the capital saw this, their jaws would probably drop. He was the Killing God who became famous when he was young; he had broken the spines of enemies, strangled their throats, stepped on thousands of bones, waded through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and his hands were stained with countless thick blood. At this moment, he was willing to sit in a dilapidated kitchen and be a villager. ¡°Peel a corn cob,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Wei Ting went to wash his hands and began to peel the corn cob. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I want another bucket of water.¡± Wei Ting went to get water again. No way. Was this guy so obedient today? Su Xiaoxiao sized him up. To be honest, she felt that it was abnormal if he and Father Su didn¡¯t slack off for a day. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m full.¡± Xiaohu couldn¡¯t eat anymore. He raised half a piece of thin bacon and looked at Su Xiaoxiao eagerly. He ate the fat part because it was so delicious. The other part was a little hard and his little teeth couldn¡¯t bite through it. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m going to gain weight again.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed and ate it with Xiaohu¡¯s hand. Among the three of them, only Dahu finished eating and gave Erhu¡¯s to Su Xiaoxiao. The meat floss that fell from the stove was eaten by Su Xiaoxiao. Wei Ting looked at her interaction with the three children and his eyes moved, but he did not say anything. ¡­. This was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s first New Year in ancient times, and she took it very seriously. In her previous life, Madam Li and Academician Su would only get together on New Year¡¯s Eve. Unfortunately, even so, their family had never had the atmosphere of New Year. The three of them ate the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner cooked by the nanny and watched the live broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala. They stayed until midnight and ate dumplings or drank a bowl of silver ear soup. The New Year would be over. Throughout the night, Madam Li and Academician Su did not exchange more than ten sentences. As the only child in the family, she could still chatter a few years ago. When she grew up, she became an emotionless New Year machine like them. At noon, Su Xiaoxiao cooked cured meat and jade rice. The cured meat was very soft, and the salty fragrance mixed perfectly with the sweetness of the corn. Coupled with a little glutinous rice, it tasted glutinous. The three children liked it very much! The family buried their heads in their food and finished the large pot of bacon rice in the blink of an eye. Su Xiaoxiao was 60% full. She could only eat so little to lose weight. Even though she was 60% full¡­ the portion was actually not small. She planned to make some soup. After removing the lid, Little Fatty¡¯s body trembled! No way! Were they all gone? She made two meals! Were they too good at eating? Su Xiaoxiao felt that she had to hurry up and earn money. Otherwise, she might not be able to feed the family. In the afternoon, Su Xiaoxiao planned to make some fried snacks. She washed the table in the central room clean and sprinkled it with powder. She remembered that in her previous life, her grandmother used the door as a table when she went to her grandmother¡¯s house in the countryside. The entire family gathered together and worked very quickly. There were not many people in this house now, so the table was enough. Su Xiaoxiao brought the fermented dough over and cut it into evenly-sized balls. She rolled them into strips and rubbed them into five centimeters of dough. Su Ergou watched for a while and followed suit. He rubbed ten dough twists in one go. Father Su and Wei Ting did not have this talent. Su Xiaoxiao exploded. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for me to roll dough into noodles¡­ You guys made it back into dough!¡± ¡°Mother.¡± Dahu raised the ugly dough he had rubbed. Su Xiaoxiao took a look and said, ¡°The children are better than you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao re-assigned the two of them to a job requiring lower skills-turning dumplings. She cut the thin slices into small diamond-shaped pieces and made a cut in the middle. She passed a corner of the diamond-shaped slice through the cut. It was the dumpling that her grandmother had made for her when she was young. Wei Ting was in charge of cutting, and Father Su was in charge of folding it. Needless to say, Wei Ting¡¯s knife skills were really good. They were clean and precise. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened. She bent down to admire the artwork that Wei Ting had cut out and muttered softly, ¡°Have you practiced it before?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve practiced it.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s slender fingers held the knife and easily drew an opening of the same length and angle. ¡°Not only do you have to find the vital points when killing¡­ If the angle and depth are a little different, you can¡¯t kill anyone.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Opposite the two of them, Father Su worked hard to fold the dumpling skin. It was also a form of training for his right hand. His right hand was getting more and more agile. An 80% chance became 100%. Su Xiaoxiao believed that with one or two bottles of black technology bone-strengthening pills from the pharmacy, he would definitely be completely cured! Su Xiaoxiao took the fried dough and dumplings to the oil pot in the kitchen and fried them until they were golden and crispy. She placed sesame in half of them, and the fragrance of the oil and sesame wafted through most of the village! In addition, Su Xiaoxiao also fried a few catties of lotus root and green bean balls and wrapped them in dumplings and spring rolls. She called Su Ergou over and sent some fried goods and dumplings to Liu Ping and Little Wu. She also gave a bowl to Old Li and Auntie Liu. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s this.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a few papercuts and couplets and handed them to Su Ergou. Previously, she did not give them to Little Wu because they had not split up. If she had given them to her, it would be snatched away by Big Wu and the second branch. There was no trouble now. Su Ergou¡¯s movements were extremely smooth. He ran through the cold snow as expected of someone who grew up taking cold showers! When he returned, Su Ergou had two large baskets of fresh vegetables and a sack of plump chestnuts. ¡ª On New Year¡¯s Eve, Su Xiaoxiao woke up earlier than she did business. She wanted to make a reunion meal. Other families would skip breakfast or take two bites at noon. Their family could not do it. They had to eat until they were full. She baked herself sweet potato pancakes with peanut butter and cooked vegetable egg noodles for her family, accompanied by fried lotus root and green bean balls. Wei Ting¡¯s injuries were no longer serious. Other than abstaining from spicy food, there was no need to be too wary of anything else. Then, Su Xiaoxiao sadly realized that this guy¡¯s appetite had increased since his food restrictions were removed. There was now another person at home giving her cause to slog! ¡­. Su Xiaoxiao made braised crucian carp caught by Su Ergou at the river, braised lotus roots dug by Su Ergou at the fish pond, and wild vegetables and egg pancakes. The vegetables were plucked by Su Ergou at the back of the mountain. She also steamed lotus root meatballs, green bean meatballs, and glutinous rice pearl meatballs. The three little ones loved glutinous rice pearl balls the most and even accepted the small ginger grains inside. There was also preserved food-pig liver, sausages, pork ribs, and a few stir-fried dishes. Father Su really didn¡¯t expect to eat such a sumptuous reunion meal in his life. If only his wife was still around. She would definitely be relieved. ¡°Grandpa, eat pork ribs.¡± Dahu picked up a big pork rib for him. ¡°Eat meat.¡± Erhu gave him the meat in his bowl. Xiaohu¡¯s grasp of the chopsticks was not as good as his brothers¡¯. He scooped a pearl ball with his small spoon and placed it clumsily into Father Su¡¯s bowl. ¡°Pig balls!¡± he said in a childish voice. Father Su smiled and corrected him. ¡°It¡¯s a pearl ball.¡± Xiao Hu imitated him and said, ¡°Pig balls.¡± ¡°Pearl balls!¡± Father Su taught patiently. ¡°Pig balls!¡± Xiaohu studied hard! Dahu stuck out his tongue. ¡°Xiaohu is so stupid!¡± Xiaohu waved his hand seriously. ¡°Xiaohu isn¡¯t stupid!¡± Erhu also said, ¡°Stupid.¡± Xiaohu said, ¡°Not stupid!¡± Erhu was a fence-sitter. ¡°Yes, not stupid.¡± Dahu insisted, ¡°Stupid!¡± Xiao Hu said, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid!¡± The three little fellows quarreled. The main forces were Dahu and Xiaohu, and Erhu and the mud. ¡°Alright, alright, stop arguing.¡± Father Su¡¯s tears had already been stopped by the three little fellows. As he coaxed the three of them and reminisced about his wife sadly, he realized that his emotions were no longer coherent! ¡°They¡¯ve never been so noisy before.¡± Wei Ting seemed to be talking to himself or Su Xiaoxiao beside him. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three little ones who were no longer arguing but kept sticking out their tongues and making faces at each other. She smiled and said, ¡°Are they noisy? I don¡¯t think so.¡± If not for them chattering, how cold and desolate would it be this year? At night, Su Xiaoxiao took out the big red lantern she had made and asked Wei Ting to hang it up. Su Ergou cut a basket of bamboo from somewhere, raised a pile of firewood in the empty space in front of the door, and threw the bamboo in one by one. The bamboo crackled like firecrackers. The three little ones had never seen firecrackers before. Their first reaction was fear and they pounced into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arms. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. These are firecrackers. They are very fun.¡± As she spoke, she threw one into the fire herself. The three little ones saw that Su Xiaoxiao was also playing and were really not afraid. ¡°More firecrackers! More firecrackers!¡± The three of them ran over and held Su Ergou¡¯s hand. ¡°Okay!¡± Su Ergou said. ¡°Watch.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey! What¡¯s that called? Let me do it!¡± Father Su decisively snatched Su Ergou¡¯s bamboo. Chapter 85 ? 85 Climbing on to the Bed Su Ergou was a little unwilling. ¡°Dad! I only chopped off so much. Don¡¯t throw it all away!¡± ¡°I know, I know!¡± Although Su Cheng said that, he did not hesitate to throw more, causing Su Ergou¡¯s heart to ache! ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, Grandpa will throw with you! Come!¡± Su Cheng picked them up one by one, held their soft hands to grab the bamboo, and threw. Crack! Clap! Clap! Clap! The three little ones heard the firecrackers that they had blown up and shouted excitedly! ¡°It¡¯s Xiaohu¡¯s turn! It¡¯s Xiaohu¡¯s turn!¡± Xiao Hu shook Father Su¡¯s thigh, strongly protesting that his brothers had already played two rounds! It was Father Su¡¯s fault for not being able to differentiate between the three little fellows and often carrying the wrong one. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. It¡¯s Xiaohu¡¯s turn.¡± Father Su put down Dahu. When he turned around, he was carrying Erhu again. Xiaohu clenched his fists and flapped his arms back. He said frantically, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m the one. Xiaohu!¡± Wei Ting stood under the corridor and quietly watched this scene. A trace of gentleness flashed across his eyes, but there was also a hint of complexity. They were very happy here, but one day, he would take them away. While they were having fun, Su Xiaoxiao quietly entered Wei Ting¡¯s room. She closed the door quietly. This was originally a small storeroom. The latch had long been broken and had never been repaired. However, now that the entire family was setting firecrackers outside, they probably would not come over. Wei Ting had a large hanging scale in his room. Father Su had brought it back from the escort agency when he was on an escort mission. The Host had weighed herself with that scale. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have known that she weighed 200 catties. The big hanging scale required two people to carry the big weighing pole and one person to control the weight. This was not a problem for Su Xiaoxiao. She found the scale rod and placed it on two cabinets before hanging the basket. The quality of this basket was really good. It could even hold 200 catties. Uh¡­ Was this scale really not used to weigh pigs? Su Xiaoxiao hung the heavy weights at 200 catties. She had been trying to lose weight for a month. Logically speaking, she was less than 200 catties, but she was wearing such thick clothes and shoes. Those would add a few catties. What was worth mentioning was that the weight in ancient times was different from modern times. It was not 10 taels per catty, but 16 taels per catty. This was the reality behind the saying half a catty for 8 taels to refer to two similar things. As for the exact weight, it was different in every dynasty. In this dynasty, she had done some measurements with the measuring cup she had brought out of the pharmacy. One tael here was 30 grams, and a catty was 480 grams. Therefore, strictly speaking, she weighed less than 200 catties. ¡°I lost eight catties out of thin air! I¡¯m really smart!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her chin proudly, shook her fat body, and began to weigh it. Weighing herself was a skill in itself. There was no need to mention that she had failed several times along the way. Fortunately, she could be considered half an expert in engineering. After messing around and sweating profusely, she finally weighed herself. 185! She had lost 15 catties! No, there were clothes! When weighing the scale, none of the clothes could absolve themselves from adding to the weight! Su Xiaoxiao decisively took off her clothes before heading up the scale again!. On the other side, Xiao Hu was tired. He pulled Wei Ting¡¯s hand and looked around for Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Mother, I want Mother.¡± He said in a childish voice. Dahu and Erhu were still in a good mood, playing with Father Su and Su Ergou. Xiaohu went to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s room first. ¡°Mother.¡± He went to the kitchen at the back. ¡°Mother.¡± ¡°No.¡± He raised his head and looked at Wei Ting aggrievedly. ¡°I want Mother.¡± The doors of Su Ergou and Father Su¡¯s rooms were open. It was dark inside the rooms, and there was clearly no one inside. Only Wei Ting¡¯s door was closed. There was faint candlelight under the door. Wei Ting said to Xiao Hu, ¡°Your mother is in my room.¡± After saying that, Wei Ting was shocked. What did he mean¡­ in his room? Could it be that after living here for a long time, he really treated this place as his home? ¡°Mother!¡± Xiaohu went to push the door open, but he couldn¡¯t. He looked at Wei Ting. ¡°Dad, open it.¡± This door was a little old and the door mortar was a little inflexible. Just because a child could not push it did not mean that Wei Ting could not do it. Su Xiaoxiao had just stripped herself down to her undergarments when she heard Xiaohu¡¯s childish voice. ¡°No, no, no¡­ later¡­ ¡± She screamed! However, it was already too late. The door was pushed open by Wei Ting. She could not let Wei Ting and the children see her like this. The impact was really not good! In a moment of desperation, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s potential was activated. She rushed to the bed, pulled open Wei Ting¡¯s blanket, and crawled in domineeringly! Boom! The bamboo bed collapsed! Xiao Hu was dumbfounded. Wei Ting looked at the scattered clothes on the ground, then at the bed that had been crushed by Su Xiaoxiao, and at a certain girl lying in the ruins, only wrapped in a blanket and revealing two fair and chubby legs. ¡°You climbed into my bed in the middle of the night?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡°¡­I can explain.¡± ¡­. ¡°¡­That¡¯s the process.¡± Su Xiaoxiao told Wei Ting about her weighing process in detail. Of course, she said that after putting on her clothes. Xiaohu was sleeping soundly in her arms. Wei Ting said nothing. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t doubt me. Look! The scale is still there!¡± It would be a lie to say that she was not embarrassed by such a huge incident. However, who would have thought that this would happen? ¡°Why did you take off your clothes?¡± Wei Ting asked. ¡°So it would be more accurate!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°You thin people can¡¯t understand our pain at all!¡± She was very strict with her weight! Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand. ¡°Forget it, you won¡¯t understand even if I tell you.¡± How could she expect a man with a V-line and an eight-pack to understand the twists and turns of her diet? ¡°I understand,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°You really understand?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ting nodded. Su Xiaoxiao relaxed. ¡°Then tonight¡­ I¡¯ll have to trouble you to squeeze in with Ergou. I¡¯ll repair the bed tomorrow. If it can¡¯t be repair, endure it for a few more days. After the New Year, I¡¯ll buy a bed.¡± ¡°Daughter! Son-in-law! The firecrackers are finished! I¡¯m so hungry!¡± Father Su strode over. ¡°Eh? You two are here. Is Xiaohu asleep?¡± He looked at the child in his daughter¡¯s arms and subconsciously lowered his voice. Su Xiaoxiao touched Xiao Hu¡¯s smooth forehead. ¡°He just fell asleep. Aren¡¯t Dahu and Erhu tired?¡± Father Su smiled and said, ¡°They¡¯re playing! They went to cut bamboo again!¡± ¡°Why are the two of you sitting in the house?¡± Father Su felt that the atmosphere was strange. Wei Ting sighed. ¡°Dad, Daya came to my room and caused my bed to collapse.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡­ I was weighing myself!¡± Was she weighing herself with the bed? Father Su looked at his fat daughter in shock, then at his handsome son-in-law, and understood something. His fat daughter was very like her mother back then! Back then, he was a brat and was so shy on his wedding night that he did not dare to look at his wife. In the end, it was his wife who quickly- No, no, it had to be him. It had to be him! He would never admit that he was the one who was pushed down! Su Xiaoxiao saw his father¡¯s expression and knew that he was thinking about the wrong things. ¡°Dad! You¡¯ve misunderstood! It¡¯s not what you think!¡± She looked at Wei Ting and said fiercely, ¡°Explain it to my father!¡± Wei Ting sighed. ¡°Sigh, if you want me to move into your room, just say it. Why break a bed?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless! ¡°Ahhh! Wei Ting! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Chapter 86 ? 86 Same Room (1) As Wei Ting moved into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s room, Su Xiaoxiao followed behind him with the sleeping Xiaohu and gritted her teeth! Wei Ting smiled faintly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll sleep outside tonight?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Su Xiaoxiao ignored him. Su Xiaoxiao gently placed Xiaohu under the blanket. She was clearly angry, but she exhibited a different kind of gentleness toward the children. Habit was a terrifying thing. Even if they were not related by blood, some things were engraved in their bones. After Su Xiaoxiao covered Xiaohu with the blanket, she turned to clean up the half-cut window flowers on the table. Wei Ting pinched the little fellow¡¯s cheek. Xiaohu was woken up by the pinch! He opened his big black eyes and saw his father. A trace of fear flashed across his eyes! Then, he turned around and saw Su Xiaoxiao busy at the table. His mother was here. It was his mother¡¯s room. Xiaohu closed his eyes and fell asleep again. The corners of Wei Ting¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Little brat!¡± As Su Xiaoxiao kept the papercuts, she decided to cut the rest. She sat down at the table and said proudly as she cut the window flowers, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to! You want to retrieve the token! I guarantee you that you won¡¯t be able to get it! Even if there¡¯s a negative distance between us, don¡¯t even think about knowing where the token is!¡± ¡°What negative distance?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s the closest distance between a man and a woman!¡± She kept sprouting terms that he had never heard of. At first, Wei Ting thought that it was a dialect in this area, but later on, he gradually realized that she was the only one saying those strange words. Wei Ting wondered what was inside her head. Why was she so different from ordinary people? As for Su Xiaoxiao, she found it boring to crack dirty jokes in front of an ancient person who couldn¡¯t understand. So she changed the topic. ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you not asleep either?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°I¡¯m doing the papercuts to stay up for the New Year. Why? Are you accompanying me?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Heh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao knew very well what Wei Ting was planning. He wanted to find the token when she was asleep! Dream on! The token was in the pharmacy. She couldn¡¯t even get it herself! But then again, she had not expected Wei Ting to do this. Where was this guy¡¯s bottom line? Or could it be that in order to take back the token, he could even sacrifice himself? He was really ruthless to himself! Fortunately, she was not an enemy! Some people were merciless to their enemies, but they were not so ruthless to themselves. Of course, this also confirmed the importance of that token. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but become even more curious. What was it? Why did Wei Ting and Jing Yi want it so badly? Was it something that belonged to Wei Ting? If so, was Jing Yi snatching it from Wei Ting? If they fought one day, who would she help? Her thoughts gradually strayed. Wei Ting looked at her in confusion for a moment. The confusion was then replaced by contempt. His expression was even more exciting than Xiaohu¡¯s. ¡°You will cut your hand!¡± he said coldly. ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Su Xiaoxiao came back to her senses and continued to do the papercuts. Not long after, she finished cutting them all. She took a few to Father Su¡¯s house and pasted the papercuts with him. ¡°Sister!¡± Su Ergou returned. He did not manage to cut the bamboo but carried a sleeping child in each arm. Su Ergou looked extremely aggrieved. ¡°Sister, they can sleep too well!¡± A second ago, Dahu and Erhu were still shouting excitedly in the snow. In the next second, the two of them stretched out their arms to Su Ergou. ¡°Uncle, hug.¡± He thought that the two little fellows were tired from walking, so he carried them. Unexpectedly, the two of them fell asleep once they were in his arms! He did not manage to cut the bamboo and even carried the two weights for a long time. His arm was about to break. Boohoo! ¡°You can¡¯t do this! You were the ones who wanted to chop bamboo!¡± Su Xiaoxiao laughed at the sight of an aggrieved Ergou. Su Ergou said aggrievedly, ¡°Sister, why are you still laughing!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I won¡¯t laugh at you anymore.¡± Su Xiaoxiao patted his shoulder. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Su Ergou was speechless. Father Su took over the children. The little guys were sleeping soundly and their faces were flushed. It was unknown what they were dreaming about, but their little mouths were chattering and their eyebrows were raised. To think they could be furious in their dreams. The more Father Su looked at them, the more he liked them. Although he did not say it, he actually doted on the three little fellows very much. The most obvious expression was that he was not so stingy with the three little fellows. Chapter 87 ? 87 Same Room (2) In the past, he couldn¡¯t bear to buy candied hawthorn for the three of them. Now, he was willing to buy¡­ a stick. The three of them ate a skewer. If he bought it for Su Xiaoxiao, she would eat three skewers alone! His daughter was the most important! Father Su carried the children to Su Ergou¡¯s room and carried Xiaohu from Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s room. The rest of the papercuts were handed to Su Ergou and Wei Ting to paste while Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to cook supper. She had lost so much weight. She had to reward herself! She would¡­ eat a peanut butter dumpling. Uh, no, it was dumplings dipped in peanut butter. Su Xiaoxiao made cornmeal shrimp steamed dumplings. The shrimp was dried shrimp that she had taken from Aunt Fu. It was 80 to 90% dry and had a faint sea salt flavor. The locals were not used to it, so it was not sold well. However, Su Xiaoxiao liked it very much. The steamed shrimp dumplings she made had a lot of filling with thin skin, high protein content, and low sugar content. They were very suitable for dieting. It was also suitable for a family. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m not full!¡± Su Ergou said. He was at the age of growth and had the most terrifying appetite. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s coming up.¡± Su Xiaoxiao scooped out the mutton noodle soup from the pot. The three men each had a bowl. Wei Ting was suddenly stunned when he saw this bowl of mutton noodle soup. ¡°Sister, what meat is this?¡± Su Ergou asked. ¡°Mutton.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. It was difficult to buy mutton. If she didn¡¯t know Luo Dazhuang, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to buy it at all. She had only bought three catties. She cleaned up the gamey smell and preserved the umami of the mutton to the greatest extent. In addition, she sprinkled a faint layer of pepper. It was not too spicy. After taking a bite, her entire body warmed up. Su Ergou and Father Su were sweating profusely and could not stop eating. Wei Ting looked at the mutton noodle soup in his bowl but did not move his chopsticks for a long time. ¡°Aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Wei Ting¡¯s mouth moved. ¡°Where¡­ did you learn this dish?¡± ¡°Aunt Fu taught me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression. ¡°Her temper is a little bad, but she knows how to cook a lot! I¡¯ve learned a lot!¡± Su Ergou was enlightened. ¡°Sister! No wonder your culinary skills have become so good!¡± The truth was actually related to Young Master Xiang. Wei Ting¡¯s accent when he first came to the village was close to Young Master Xiang¡¯s. Since Young Master Xiang was from the capital, Su Xiaoxiao boldly guessed that Wei Ting might also be from the capital. She asked Young Master Xiang about the local customs of the capital, including this mutton noodle soup. Looking at Wei Ting¡¯s reaction, she had guessed correctly. How did the people of the capital get chased here? Wei Ting took a sip of mutton noodle soup in a daze; he really felt like he had returned to the mansion for the new year. ¡°Sister, can you make mutton soup tomorrow?¡± Su Ergou asked. ¡°No problem.¡± The remaining 500 grams of mutton was originally used to wrap dumplings, but since Ergou wanted to eat mutton soup, she would make soup! ¡°Aiya, I ate too happily!¡± Father Su leaned back in his chair and touched his round stomach. Who would dare to say that his daughter didn¡¯t know anything? Her culinary skills were much better than the famous chefs he had encountered when he traveled everywhere! Wei Ting was also a little unsatisfied.Perhaps it was another illusion, but the mutton soup she made¡­ tasted like home. At midnight, after the New Year celebration, the family returned to their rooms to rest. Wei Ting had been separated from Su Xiaoxiao previously. Firstly, his injuries were too serious and it was easier for him to recuperate alone. Father Su had never told him the second reason. He was worried that his son-in-law was so seriously injured. If he died¡­ Ahem, alright, reality proved that he was overthinking. His son-in-law was living a lively life! In the east room, the couple finally sat calmly on the edge of the bed. ¡°Inside or outside?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked expressionlessly. ¡°Whatever,¡± Wei Ting replied expressionlessly. ¡°If you get up at night, sleep outside. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡± ¡°My kidney is very good. There¡¯s no need.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll sleep outside! I wake up early!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pulled open the blanket and Wei Ting lay down before her. He said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I¡¯ll sleep outside.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, took off her shoes, stood up, and stepped over him! Wei Ting was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao wrapped the blanket tightly and rolled herself up into a silkworm. She said with a serious expression, ¡°Cover yourself with a blanket. Don¡¯t snatch mine when you¡¯re cold!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Mind your own business.¡± This guy¡­ Su Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at him! ¡°Go over a little,¡± Wei Ting said coldly. Su Xiaoxiao gave him another death stare and moved in angrily until she was against the wall. But soon, she frowned and moved back. She was even closer than before and almost squeezed into Wei Ting. Wei Ting frowned. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. This is my bed. I can sleep wherever I want! If you have the ability, sleep on the floor!¡± If they slept on the same bed, she would have been considered to have slept with him! This body¡¯s sleep quality was extremely high. Wei Ting was about to choke her when he heard her even and steady breathing. ¡°You fell asleep so quickly. Are you a child¡­¡± ¡°Are you really asleep?¡± ¡°Su Daya?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was right. Wei Ting was actually here for the token. He could feel that his leg was fine. He would not require his walking stick soon. At that time, he could leave with the children. However, before he left, he had to take back the token. It was snowing outside, but it was not cold inside. ¡°Ah!¡± She screamed in the middle of the night. Wei Ting was instantly jolted awake and opened his cold eyes. Could he fall asleep beside this woman? Chapter 88 ? 88 Pregnant (1) He subconsciously looked at the candlestick on the table. Because of New Year¡¯s Eve, they had not extinguished the candles before sleeping. To Wei Ting¡¯s surprise, the candle was not much shorter than before he slept. In other words, not much time had passed. Had this woman drugged him? To make him sleep so quickly. The screams continued. It was a little far away. Wei Ting was a martial artist, so he could hear a little intermittently. He hesitated for a moment and shook Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Wake up, something happened.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was sleeping so soundly that she had long forgotten that Wei Ting was lying beside her. She pulled Wei Ting into her arms and gently patted his back. ¡°Xiaohu, stop fooling around¡­¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and held his breath in time so he would not faint from the suffocation! However, it was precisely because he did not faint that he felt the softness and fragrance. Wei Ting blushed and hurriedly took her chubby arm away. He sat up straight and said seriously, ¡°Something seems to have happened to Old Li¡¯s family!¡± ¡°What did you say? What happened to Old Li¡¯s house?¡± Su Xiaoxiao woke up. ¡°Someone¡¯s calling out,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°It¡¯s a scream.¡± The Su family and Old Li¡¯s family lived at the end of the village and at the entrance. It was true that Wei Ting¡¯s hearing was too heaven-defying. Otherwise, even an expert in the Imperial City might not have been woken up by such a distant sound. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t hear him. However, she did not suspect that Wei Ting was lying to her or had heard wrongly. They had endless arguments, but they also had unspeakable trust. Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly went to put on her clothes. The situation was urgent, so she couldn¡¯t care less about decency and climbed over Wei Ting. The young woman¡¯s fragrance entered Wei Ting¡¯s nose again. Wei Ting¡¯s eyes flickered as he turned around slightly. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the cotton shirt and turned around to see Wei Ting lifting the blanket and getting out of bed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to take a look,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Can your leg withstand it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t refuse. Wei Ting was still not used to the type of clothes in the countryside. He had to take a long time every time he buttoned himself. After Su Xiaoxiao put on her clothes, he was still frowning at the buttons. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked forward. ¡°Raise your arms!¡± Wei Ting obediently raised his arm. Su Xiaoxiao buttoned him up seriously and quickly, then grabbed the belt to fasten it for him. The two of them did not consummate their marriage, but at this moment, for the first time, they looked like a real couple-a wife tidying her husband¡¯s clothes. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s attention was all on Old Li¡¯s house, so she didn¡¯t notice that the two of them were a little too intimate. Wei Ting looked at a fat girl who was wholeheartedly helping him change. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. After tidying up, they could go out! Wei Ting shut up. Su Xiaoxiao handed him his walking stick. Seeing that he looked like he was owed money, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Wei Ting leaned on his walking stick and left with a cold expression. ¡ª At this time, the villagers had already fallen asleep. There was only some movement in the other Su family. The two of them heard the woman¡¯s screams and some children¡¯s sad and afraid cries from afar. ¡°It¡¯s Qiuni.¡± Wei Ting said. He was often pulled by Su Cheng to learn farming from Madam Qian. He had seen Madam Qian and Old Li¡¯s grandchildren. The grandson was three years old and was called Shuanzi. The granddaughter was seven years old and was called Qiuni. The one crying now was Qiuni. The woman who was screaming was undoubtedly the mother of Qiuni and Shuanzi, Madam Zhao. The village head¡¯s house was next door. He and his wife were also woken up. When Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting arrived, he had just come out of bed with only half of his cotton shirt buttoned. ¡°Daya, Mr. Wei?¡± The village head was surprised. In the past, he was just like the villagers and addressed Wei Ting as Brother. Later on, after seeing Wei Ting¡¯s talent, he felt a sense of respect and changed the way he addressed him. ¡°Village Head,¡± Wei Ting greeted. ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± the village head asked. Wei Ting said, ¡°We heard some commotion in the Li family, so we came over to take a look.¡± How could he hear it from so far away? What kind of ears did the two of them have? He was only woken up at this moment! Wei Ting went to knock on the door. Just as he raised his hand, the door was pulled open. It was Old Li who opened the door. Old Li was shocked to see them standing at the door! ¡°Grandpa Li, it¡¯s us,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Old Li wiped his cold sweat and asked, ¡°Daya? Brother Ting? Village Head? Why are you here?¡± Chapter 89 ? 89 Pregnant (2) ¡°What happened to Sister-in-law?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. This form of address was enough to show that she was not distant from Old Li. Old Li wiped his red eyes. ¡°In the afternoon, Shuanzi fell. She went to pick up the child and knocked herself¡­ At first, she was fine¡­ But something felt wrong at night¡­¡± The village head¡¯s expression changed. Little Madam Zhao was probably going to give birth! He hurriedly said, ¡°Then hurry up and invite the midwife!¡± That was the problem! The midwife¡­ was gone! When his daughter-in-law first realized that her stomach was not feeling well, Old Li went to hire a midwife. The midwife was here, but as soon as she entered the village¡­ she was intercepted! ¡°Who is it? Other than the mother of Shuanzi and Qiuni, is there anyone else in our village who is about to give birth?¡± The village head was an honest man couldnt figure it out. ¡°The Su family?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Wei Ting had more or less guessed it. Along the way, only the Su family had not slept. If there was someone else in the village giving birth, it could only be traced to the Su family. The village head thought for a moment. ¡°No one from Old Master Su¡¯s family is pregnant!¡± ¡°Yuniang?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked again. Old Li nodded again. Yuniang was Su Jinniang¡¯s elder sister. She had married someone from another village three years ago and had just gotten pregnant this spring. On the 15th of August, she returned to her parents¡¯ house to visit them. The village head had an impression of this. ¡°Is she back for the new year?¡± The village head frowned. ¡°But she can¡¯t snatch the midwife you invited.¡± Old Li did not expect Su Yuniang to do this. Old Li said, ¡°The midwife also came to take a look. She said that Shuanzi¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t in labor yet. She went to Yuniang first and said that she would come over after Shuanzi¡¯s mother has gone into labor¡­¡± However, the truth was that he could not invite her. The midwife was from He Tongsheng¡¯s village and was close to him, so she naturally knew the situation of the Su family. Su Yuniang was married to the grandson of the head of the Shallow Water Village and had a sister-in-law who was the young madam of the town. How could Madam Zhao compare? ¡°Why are you standing at the door? Hurry up and call the midwife!¡± It was Madam Qian¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± Old Li said to the three of them and went to Old Su¡¯s house in the snow. Old Li returned very quickly, his face filled with anxiety and frustration. ¡°Yuniang is also giving birth. The midwife can¡¯t leave¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Grandpa Li, let me take a look.¡± ¡°You?¡± Old Li looked at Su Xiaoxiao in shock. Even though he understood that Su Daya was capable and was no longer the lazy little bully from before, this transformation was probably not enough for her to help deliver a child! Wei Ting said, ¡°Grandpa Li, let Daya try. Daya knows medicine.¡± The village head and Old Li said in unison, ¡°You¡­ know medicine?¡± In order to save people, she could not wear her medical vest. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°I met a doctor in town who taught me some Qihuang techniques.¡± The village head said, ¡°Daya, giving birth is not a joke!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Wei Ting. I know medicine! Right, husband?¡± She looked at Wei Ting. Wei Ting did not undermine her in the end. He nodded and said, ¡°Daya¡¯s medical skills are comparable to many famous doctors I¡¯ve seen.¡± Was this guy¡­ praising her? This was the first time. Su Xiaoxiao straightened her back! The village head was very respectful to scholars. Wei Ting had good handwriting and wrote good couplets. In his heart, this was a descendant of a scholarly family. He believed Wei Ting¡¯s words. But Little Madam Zhao was the wife of the Li family after all¡­ ¡°Old Li¡­¡± He turned to look at Old Li, who seemed to have aged ten years overnight. Old Li fell into a huge dilemma. At his age, how could he not understand that giving birth was like walking through the gates of hell? He also hoped that he could believe Wei Ting and Daya, but the person lying in the room was his daughter-in-law, the biological mother of his two grandchildren. If anything went wrong, the two children would become motherless! Su Xiaoxiao understood his dilemma. If it were her, she probably wouldn¡¯t believe that a little bully who had done evil for many years could deliver a child. However, this was different from that situation at Jin Ji. She could not use force. She sighed softly and said patiently, ¡°Grandpa Li, you won¡¯t be able to hire another midwife. Why don¡¯t you let me try?¡± ¡°Let Daya try,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡± Daya is a girl. Let her in and help. It¡¯s good for her to take care of Qiuni.¡± These words were like a brick that shattered the door, loosening the defense in Old Li¡¯s heart. That¡¯s right. Her son was chopping firewood and boiling water in the kitchen. There was only Madam Qian in the house. She had to take care of her pregnant daughter-in-law and coax her crying granddaughter. Her heart was a mess! Su Xiaoxiao nodded to herself. Although Wei Ting was a martial artist, he was not stupid. Old Li brought Su Xiaoxiao to his daughter-in-law¡¯s room. Wei Ting and the village head waited in the central room. ¡°It will turn misfortune into good luck, right?¡± the village head asked nervously. Wei Ting said nothing. Even if Su Daya¡¯s medical skills were brilliant, giving birth was really a dangerous thing. If the mother of Dahu and his brothers had not wanted to give birth to them, she would not have¡­ ¡°No way!¡± Madam Qian¡¯s voice interrupted Wei Ting¡¯s thoughts. Wei Ting and the village head looked over at the same time. Madam Qian left the room and blocked Su Xiaoxiao at the door. She said to Old Li, ¡°I asked you to look for the midwife! Look what you found! She¡¯s just a little girl! Are you crazy to let her deliver Chunxiu¡¯s child!¡± Old Li was embarrassed. Su Xiaoxiao sighed. Sigh, had he listened to Wei Ting¡¯s words in vain? Once they met, Auntie Qian gave it to her. The first few sentences could really be omitted! Now, she couldn¡¯t even enter. How was she going to help Little Madam Zhao deliver the child? After their interaction for a period of time, Auntie Qian had already changed her opinion of the Su family a little. However, this did not mean that she would hand her daughter-in-law¡¯s life over to Fatty Su. Fatty Su was at most a little bully who had turned over a new leaf. Could she be a midwife? Impossible! Su Xiaoxiao learned Wei Ting¡¯s way of persuasion. ¡°Auntie Qian, I¡¯m not doing anything else. I¡¯m just going in to see Qiuni and say a few words to Sister-in-law. Sister-in-law can¡¯t fall asleep now.¡± Madam Qian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. That¡¯s right. When women gave birth, they wouldn¡¯t wake up once they fall asleep¡­ Su Xiaoxiao clenched her chubby fists. ¡°Look at me. If I stand there, she won¡¯t be sleepy anymore. She¡¯ll be so scared the child will be out in no time!¡± Madam Qian was speechless. Chapter 90 ? 90 Delivery It was impossible to scare the child out, but Madam Qian could tell that Fatty Su was sincere in helping. In the end, her man was just a farmer who had been digging for food for his entire life, and she was just an ignorant village woman. How could she really stabilize herself in this situation? She was already panicking! In terms of trust in Fatty Su, Old Li was better. After all, he had seen with his own eyes how desperately Fatty Su dealt with evil people in order to protect the New Year goods he had hauled for the villagers. Madam Qian felt that this family was not as bad as before and was showing signs of improvement. At the end of the day, however, she was too traumatized by the Little Su family in the past. Deep down, she could not hand her daughter-in-law¡¯s life to a little bully. ¡°Stop causing trouble. Go back.¡± She finally made such a difficult decision. ¡°Xiaoyong¡¯s father, go to the kitchen to boil water and ask your son to go to town to see if he can get a doctor from the medical center!¡± The village head said, ¡°The doctor isn¡¯t good at delivering babies either!¡± There was a hierarchy of knowledge and specialization. Doctors treated people, but midwives delivered babies! Madam Qian pointed at Fatty Su and said, ¡°Is she a midwife? How did you dare to let her in?¡± ¡°Mother! Mother!¡± From the back room came Qiuni¡¯s cries. Madam Qian¡¯s expression changed. She turned around and lifted the curtain to enter the room! Old Li and the village head also took a step forward. This was their instinct to help, but they were men and could not watch a woman give birth. They could only hold it in. However, Su Xiaoxiao seized the opportunity and entered the room! She came to the bed and looked at the sweating and pale Madam Zhao. She grabbed her wrist and took her pulse. ¡°Why did you come in!¡± Madam Qian scolded. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°How long has it been since she ate?¡± ¡°What?¡± Madam Qian did not hear her clearly. Su Xiaoxiao changed her words. ¡°I¡¯m asking, how long has it been since she ate?¡± Madam Qian said in a daze, ¡°It¡¯s been a while. She knocked her belly on the table and hasn¡¯t eaten anything since.¡± She had hurt herself. Her body was uncomfortable and she could not eat at all. Su Xiaoxiao immediately said, ¡°Go boil a bowl of sugar water for her!¡± With that, she retrieved the first aid kit from the small basket, unzipped it, took out a pair of sterile gloves, and put them on. When she practiced medicine, she seemed to have become a different person. Her every move exuded a serious aura. Madam Qian¡¯s words were suddenly stuck in her throat! This Fat Lass Su was undoubtedly unfamiliar to her. She had an authoritative aura that could not be rejected, but she did not look like she was bullying her. ¡°It¡¯s best to add two poached eggs!¡± Su Xiaoxiao added. Madam Qian left in a daze. She couldn¡¯t explain why she listened to Fatty Su. Su Xiaoxiao said to Qiuni, who was crying so hard that she was out of breath, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your mother is just hungry. She¡¯ll have the strength after eating something. Qiuni, can you help Grandma get the eggs first?¡± Qiuni nodded with tears in her eyes. ¡°Yes!¡± She obediently went to get the eggs. Su Xiaoxiao first took a clean gauze to wipe the sweat on Madam Zhao¡¯s face and neck. ¡°Did your water break?¡± She asked softly and Madam Zhao nodded weakly. Su Xiaoxiao touched her stomach. ¡°The position of the fetus is positive. I just took your pulse, and it¡¯s very good. You¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t scare yourself. This isn¡¯t a difficult labor. Even if I didn¡¯t come, you could have given birth yourself.¡± Clinically speaking, Little Madam Zhao¡¯s fetus was already full-term. It was not considered premature. It was just that there was no labor that was not difficult. Secondly, she had an accident in the evening and it acted up at night. Madam Zhao thought that it was because of this that she might not be able to keep this baby. She was nervous and under too much mental pressure, so she couldn¡¯t eat, causing her stamina to be exhausted and her blood sugar to be too low. Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°It takes strength to give birth. You have to eat, understand?¡± Little Madam Zhao choked and nodded. Fatty Su¡¯s eyes and voice were too gentle, exuding a calming power, making her subconsciously think of her mother. Little Madam Zhao had never studied and did not know how to express her current feelings. In short, she wanted to cry. It was not a sad cry. This was Fatty Su. She should have been afraid. But why¡­ did her heart fall back into place? Madam Qian cooked a bowl of sugar eggs and fed them to her daughter-in-law. It was strange. She had only gone to cook a bowl of sugar eggs. Why didn¡¯t her daughter-in-law cry or shout? She didn¡¯t seem to be worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to give birth anymore and worked hard to eat. No matter what she said at night, she wouldn¡¯t eat¡­ Madam Qian looked at Fatty Su strangely. Could it be¡­ this girl¡¯s credit? After Madam Zhao finished eating the sugar eggs, she finally had the strength to give birth. After her uterus opened to the maximum, Su Xiaoxiao placed her hand on her stomach and felt every contraction. ¡°Are you ready? When I tell you to exert force later, do it.¡± Little Madam Zhao nodded. The contraction came. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Inhale. Very good, hard!¡± Madam Qian was stunned. She had given birth herself and had seen her daughter-in-law give birth. Even if she did not know much about it, some things were interlinked. The midwife seemed to deliver babies like this. Fatty Su really understood! Had Fat Lass Su secretly gone to learn to be a midwife? Outside the house, Old Li and his son were as anxious as ants on a hot pan. They kept walking around the central room. ¡°Mother, has Chunxiu given birth?¡± Li Xiaoyong asked. Madam Qian chuckled. ¡°Stop asking! Go away! Do you think you¡¯re wrapping dumplings? Giving birth is way harder than that!¡± Li Xiaoyong shut his mouth resentfully. The village head looked silent and calm, but in fact, his heart was in turmoil. The only calm person in the central room was Wei Ting. Was he indifferent? No, if he really didn¡¯t care, he wouldn¡¯t have come with Daya. Wei Ting must be confident in Daya¡¯s medical skills since he did not panic at all. In that case, he should trust Daya more. The village head was thinking too much. Wei Ting only felt that it was useless for him to think too much. He could not help much inside. It was better to wait quietly for the news. At least, he would not be a hindrance. Little Madam Zhao¡¯s delivery was in the final stage. She held Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand tightly and used her last bit of strength as a mother. It turned out that Little Madam Zhao had indeed frightened herself at first. After Su Xiaoxiao came to deliver her child, the process went very smoothly. With a loud cry, everyone felt relieved. ¡°It¡¯s a fat kid.¡± Su Xiaoxiao wrapped the child up and carried him into Madam Zhao¡¯s arms. ¡°You¡¯re so brave.¡± Little Madam Zhao¡¯s eyes were red. It was only right for a woman to give birth. No one had ever praised her like this. At most, they would say she was really good at giving birth. It felt different when Fatty Su praised her. She seemed to have¡­ really done something amazing! Chapter 91 ? 91 Reward Old Li waited anxiously outside the door. ¡°Old woman, quickly carry it out and let me take a look! Is Chunxiu alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Madam Zhao¡¯s voice could not be heard outside. ¡°Chunxiu!¡± Li Xiaoyong called her. Little Madam Zhao wanted to respond, but she really did not have the strength. ¡°Chunxiu, you must be tired. I¡¯ll make you something to eat!¡± When Madam Qian saw her daughter-in-law like this, her heart ached. ¡°I¡¯ll carry the child out first. Rest well.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mother,¡± Little Madam Zhao said weakly. Madam Qian picked up the newborn baby. ¡°As a mother-in-law, I should thank you for adding children to the family! Alright, stop talking and sleep for a while.¡± Little Madam Zhao nodded slightly. The next two hours were very important. The mother¡¯s heart rate and blood pressure had to be observed to see if there was any postpartum hemorrhage. This was also known as the fourth birth. Su Xiaoxiao stayed in the room. Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t leave, Madam Qian fell silent this time. She carried the child to the door and was about to draw the curtain when she turned around. ¡°Fatty, thank you.¡± If not for Fatty Su today, Chun Xiu would never have given birth successfullly. It didn¡¯t matter if Chun Xiu was frightened or if their entire family was panicking. In short, it was only after Fatty Su came that Chun Xiu¡¯s situation changed. She would not think that Fatty Su had not contributed just because Fatty Su said that Little Madam Zhao could give birth naturally. She remembered what had happened this time. Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough!¡± The corners of Wei Ting¡¯s mouth twitched. Was this how this sentence was used? How could she say that she could not thank her enough? Soon, Wei Ting knew that Su Xiaoxiao had not used the wrong sentence. She had really gone with the flow and seized her opportunity. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°If you really want to thank me, please teach my father and husband how to farm after spring!¡± Madam Qian staggered with her grandson in her arms and almost fell! ¡­. Su Xiaoxiao stayed in the house for a full two hours. It was almost dawn. Little Madam Zhao had long fallen asleep peacefully. Her condition was very stable. Su Xiaoxiao could finally go back. She walked out stiffly with two big dark circles under her eyes. This was really not a body that could stay up late. She had pinched herself countless times, and her legs were swollen¡­ After the village head learned that the mother and son were safe, he went back first. Only Wei Ting, Old Li, and Li Xiaoyong were left in the central room. Seeing Su Xiaoxiao come out, Old Li hurriedly said, ¡°Daya, go back after some food! Your Auntie Qian went to cook!¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost done!¡± Auntie Qian shouted in the kitchen, afraid that Fat Lass Su would leave just like that. After a tiring night, they should at least let her stay for a meal! Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything. Old Li looked at her in a daze. ¡°Daya, Daya?¡± Su Xiaoxiao fell facedown! ¡°Daya!¡± Old Li¡¯s expression changed drastically! Wei Ting reacted quickly, grabbed the mattress that Li Xiaoyong carried, and threw it over! Su Xiaoxiao fell onto the soft mattress. Old Li and Li Xiaoyong heaved a sigh of relief! God, they were scared to death! Fatty Su almost fell to the ground! It was already very miserable to be so fat. If she fell and ruined her appearance again, she would really not be able to live! Old Li was terrified. ¡°What happened to Daya? Daya! Daya!¡± Wei Ting walked over with his walking stick and checked Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s breathing. He said to Old Li and Li Xiaoyong, ¡°It¡¯s fine. She¡¯s asleep.¡± Old Li and Li Xiaoyong were speechless. Wei Ting had witnessed her ability to fall asleep instantly and was very calm. He set his walking stick aside. Old Li hurriedly said, ¡°Xiaoyong, quickly carry Daya into the room with Mr. Wei!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Li Xiaoyong came over to help. Wei Ting said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll bring her back.¡± As he spoke, he helped Su Xiaoxiao up and turned around to carry her on his back. Seeing that Wei Ting had actually carried Fatty Su on his back, the father and son were simply stunned! ¡°Sorry, we dirtied your mattress,¡± Wei Ting said. Old Li instantly came back to his senses and said in fear, ¡°You¡¯re treating me like an outsider! It¡¯s all thanks to Daya today!¡± So what if she dirtied a mattress? She could even tear down his house! Wei Ting carried Su Xiaoxiao away. Li Xiaoyong said, ¡°Dad, am I seeing things? Isn¡¯t Mr. Wei crippled? How can he still carry Fatty?¡± Old Li slapped his forehead. ¡°Aiya! Look at my brain. I¡¯ve been nervous all night! Hurry up and help! And take Mr. Wei¡¯s walking stick!¡± Li Xiaoyong chased after her with his walking stick. Wei Ting just asked him to help send the walking stick home, and he could handle Su Daya on his own. There should be some distance between men and women, so Li Xiaoyong did not insist. Moreover, even if he wanted to, he could not carry Fatty Su, who weighed 200 pounds. Mr. Wei was too amazing! Wei Ting carried Su Xiaoxiao back to the east room. Su Xiaoxiao was sleeping soundly. Wei Ting was not so lucky. Not to mention that he had not obtained the token, his leg, which had finally healed, had withstood a heavy load again. Looking at the heartless little fat girl, Wei Ting gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. The plan to leave¡­ had to be postponed again! ¡ª Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that Wei Ting was gritting his teeth. She had broken her limit tonight. She had endured much harder than the night she made peanut butter. However, her hard work was not without reward. She had entered the pharmacy again! This time, she was in the pharmacy lounge. On the clean table was a bottle of medicine she had never seen before. ¡°Multivitamins?¡± These should be for her. She had lost weight recently. Apart from a lot of physical work, she also consumed less food. It was indeed easy for her to lack various nutrients. Su Xiaoxiao pinched her small double chin suspiciously. ¡°This has never happened before. Could it be¡­ a reward for me?¡± ¡°Are you rewarding me for delivering Little Madam Zhao¡¯s child? Or are you rewarding me for working hard to lose weight recently?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be that I was rewarded for sleeping with Wei Ting¡­¡± They had slept on the same bed! It had to count and she did not accept any rebuttal! Forget it. Who cared about the reason? It was good to have it! Ever since she witnessed the effects of the black technology bone-strengthening pills, Su Xiaoxiao no longer dared to underestimate these seemingly ordinary health supplements. Moreover, in the winter, when there was a severe shortage of fruits, vitamins were indeed good things. She wondered if children could eat it. If they could, she wanted to give some to the three little ones- Su Xiaoxiao put away the vitamins and paused for a moment before sighing. ¡°But it¡¯s not enough to only supplement vitamins. I do so much work daily, consuming a lot of energy. Recently, I¡¯ve been feeling a little cramp in my calves¡­ I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m short of calcium¡­ I have to find some calcium tablets!¡± ¡°Calcium tablets.¡± She looked around. As she walked, she arrived at the familiar medicine cabinet. ¡°Eh? Where are the calcium tablets?¡± She pretended to look for it. Suddenly, she grabbed a bottle of bone-strengthening pills! As expected, she was blasted out again! But she had already obtained the bone-strengthening pills! Su Xiaoxiao threw her head back and laughed. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Chapter 92 ? 92 Mother and Son Wei Ting was woken up by Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s demonic laughter. His first reaction was that this girl had gone crazy in the middle of the night. No, it was already dawn. His second reaction was that he had actually fallen asleep beside this girl again. That wasn¡¯t like him. Even with the three little fellows, he remained vigilant and did not dare to fall asleep entirely. He was naturally not guarding against the three little fellows, but against others hurting them. In short, since he was a very guarded person, it was really odd to fall into a deep sleep beside a woman twice in a row. ¡°Wei Ting, you¡¯re the best!¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and naturally gave Wei Ting a bear hug! Wei Ting stiffened. What did this have to do with Wei Ting? It was purely because Su Xiaoxiao was too happy and couldn¡¯t find a way to celebrate. Fortunately, she used Wei Ting as a free human pillow. Then, Su Xiaoxiao fell asleep again. Wei Ting frowned. ¡°Su Daya, don¡¯t push your luck! Take your hand away!¡± ¡°Hu hu¡­ ¡± ¡°Did you hear that!¡± ¡°Hu hu¡­ ¡± Wei Ting frowned and removed her soft and chubby arm. She leaned forward again. He took it away. She got on. After repeating this a few times, Wei Ting fell asleep. ¡­. When Su Xiaoxiao woke up, it was already noon. The first thing she did when she opened her eyes was reach under the mattress on the inside of the bed. After she came out of the pharmacy, she stuffed the bone-strengthening pills and multivitamins here¡­ She was not dreaming. She had really entered! A beautiful day began with fleecing the pharmacy! She was so happy! Wei Ting woke up earlier than Su Xiaoxiao. His voice came from the central room, along with Father Su and Su Ergou. The entire family was up. That was true. It was noon. She should be too hungry to sleep by now. Su Xiaoxiao first studied the bottle of multivitamins. The pills were in the form of chewable gummies and were not recommended for those under the age of three. In other words, the three little ones could not consume them. In addition, the bottle was marked as reserved for ladies, so Father Su and Su Ergou could not consume the multivitamins. They seemed to be for her. Su Xiaoxiao took two orange pills according to the dosage marked on the bottle. It was sour and sweet and quite delicious. ¡ª Old Li came to the Su family¡¯s house with a basket of red eggs and told them about Su Xiaoxiao delivering the baby. Hearing that it was due to the teachings of a physician in town, Father Su did not doubt it at all. Su Ergou, on the other hand, looked enlightened. ¡°It¡¯s Doctor Fu, right? No wonder every time I go there, my sister talks to him alone for a while. It¡¯s Doctor Fu who¡¯s teaching my sister medical skills!¡± Old Master Su was proud. ¡°My daughter is so powerful!¡± Only Wei Ting remained silent. Su Daya had clearly met Physician Fu after going to town to do business, but before doing business, she was already treating his legs. He could almost conclude that her medical skills were not taught by Physician Fu. Why would she lie? In fact¡­ why did she hide it from her biological father and brother? What secrets did she have? For the first time, Wei Ting became seriously curious about Su Xiaoxiao. ¡ª As soon as Su Xiaoxiao came out, the three children didn¡¯t want anything else and pounced into her arms. After they found themselves lying on Uncle Ergou¡¯s bed when they woke up, they felt that they had slept for nothing! It must be Stinky Daddy! He must have carried them away so he could lay on their mother¡¯s bed! Hmph! They were going to ignore their stinky father! Bad Daddy! Su Xiaoxiao patted the three of them on the head. It was not enough for them to touch her. They wanted her to kiss and hug them! The three of them pouted and wheedled, making Su Xiaoxiao laugh. The sadness and joy of people were indeed not interlinked. The three little fellows felt they were wronged, but why did she think that they looked so funny? ¡­. The good news of Madam Zhao giving birth to a son spread throughout the entire village early in the morning. The mother and son were safe, and the villagers congratulated them. On the other side, Su Yuniang was not so lucky. She had intercepted Madam Zhao¡¯s midwife and was not frightened by any accidents. Logically speaking, she should have given birth more smoothly than Madam Zhao. Who would have thought that she would give birth to a little daughter? The child was fine, but she was not. After having trouble with her labor in the middle of the night, the midwife gave her a dose of medicine. Perhaps she had given her too much, but Su Yuniang became weak after giving birth. Immediately after, Su Yuniang bled profusely. The midwife ran away in fear. Poor Su Yuniang was alone in the delivery room in pain. Su Yuniang¡¯s return to her maiden home did not alarm the village, but the cries of a baby and Su Yuniang had shaken everyone. The gossipy Madam Zhou lived next door. Once Madam Zhou found out, the entire village knew. The village head went to the Su family to understand the situation. When he returned, he bumped into Madam Qian, who was feeding Shuanzi at the door. Madam Qian asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation with Yu Niang?¡± The village head said without hiding anything, ¡°¡­ I guess she had an overdose, courtesy of the midwife.¡± When Madam Qian heard this, she didn¡¯t know if she should be afraid or glad. This midwife had not held back with the dosage. If Su Yuniang had not intercepted her yesterday, wouldn¡¯t her daughter-in-law have been the one to suffer? The village head had also thought of this. He thought a little more. If Su Yuniang hadn¡¯t snatched Madam Zhao¡¯s midwife yesterday, Su Daya would have heard her giving birth and gone to see what had happened. In that case, would Su Yuniang be safe and sound? The village head pondered for a moment and turned to go to the Su family¡¯s house. Su Xiaoxiao was eating in the kitchen while the three little ones accompanied her. The village head said, ¡°¡­ Daya, can you go and see Yuniang?¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused in her eating and said casually, ¡°I have no objections, but are you sure Su Yuniang is willing to let me see her?¡± The village head stood up from the small stool and said excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you say so. I¡¯ll go to the Su family!¡± He took two steps forward and turned to look at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Daya, you¡¯ve really changed. Your mother will definitely be happy for you!¡± ¡­. The village head braved the thick snow to come to the Su family. However, to his surprise, Su Yuniang actually rejected his good intentions! He finally understood why Su Daya asked him if he was sure Su Yuniang was willing to let Su Daya attend to her. Su Yuniang was really unwilling! ¡°She even guessed this¡­ She¡¯s much smarter¡­¡± Actually, this was not difficult to guess. Although the Li family and Su Xiaoxiao had a good relationship, didn¡¯t they almost keep her out? On the other hand, she had nothing to do with the Su family. It would be strange if they believed her. In addition, Su Yuniang had married into a ¡°rich family¡± and was very arrogant. There was no need to mention Su Jinniang¡­ However, there were some things that Su Xiaoxiao knew in her heart, but she couldn¡¯t say them out loud. She had to let the village head hit a wall himself. Otherwise, it would seem like she was judging a gentleman by her own standards. She could be a bully, but she did not want to be used as a foil for the Su family¡¯s reputation! Chapter 93 ? 93 Change In the central room, the village head was sitting opposite Old Master Su. Old Master Su looked very tired, probably because he was worried about his granddaughter, Su Yuniang. The reason why the Su family was quite famous in the village was due to the great famine in Qingzhou 30 years ago. Many refugees had to go hungry and starving people were everywhere. It was even said that many people had traded their children for food. Apricot Flower Village also suffered a calamity. It was Old Master Su¡¯s father who went to town to pawn the Su family¡¯s ancestral jade pendant at a high price and bought back food to help the entire village. That was why everyone did not starve to death. Later on, the entire village mourned when Old Master Su¡¯s father passed away. It was not an exaggeration to say that without Old Master Su¡¯s father, they would not have their current village. Because of this relationship, even if he was a village head, even if he was of the same generation as Old Master Su, he still respected him very much. Furthermore, he was indeed nearly ten years younger than Old Master Su. He said earnestly, ¡°Daya learned from the physician in town. She¡¯s very capable! Last night, Shuanzi¡¯s mother delivered her child with Daya¡¯s help! The mother and son are safe!¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°I heard that Mr. Wei also wrote a couplet for Village Head and you stuck it at the entrance. Do you look down on Scholar Chen?¡± The village head was a little stunned when he heard this. Why was it related to the couplet? Wasn¡¯t he talking about treating Yuniang? Soon, the village head came back to his senses. Scholar Chen¡¯s couplet was sent over on account of the Su family. But the village head had put up the one that was written by Wei Ting. This was equivalent to embarrassing the Su family. He really didn¡¯t think too much about it. It was his wife who felt that the conflict between Scholar Chen and Madam Huang and Fat Lass Su¡¯s family was too ugly and inauspicious. She didn¡¯t want to paste the one written by Scholar Chen and it had nothing to do with the Su family. The village head sighed in a low voice. ¡°Brother Su, do you think I came to speak up for Daya because I received benefits from her? When Daya treats Yuniang, the one who benefits is Yuniang, not Daya.¡± Old Master Su snorted. ¡°After she treats Yuniang, who won¡¯t look for her if they have a headache or fever in the future?¡± The village head knew that Old Master Su was a kind person. He hated evil to the core and disdained interacting with Su Cheng¡¯s family of bullies. ¡°Daya isn¡¯t such a person.¡± Li Zheng said, ¡°She¡¯s much more sensible now. She¡¯s doing business and learning skills from others. She¡¯s really changed a lot. If you trust me, let Daya come over and take a look at Yuniang.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that fatty to treat me!¡± Su Yuniang¡¯s panting voice came from the inner room. She was in so much pain that she was about to abandon the child. However, even so, she would never let someone like Fatty Su treat her! The village head was confused, but she was not! Other than being lazy, the Su family only extorted money everywhere. None of their family was good! Was Fatty Su trying to deceive her again? Was she, Su Yuniang, such a stupid person? It was most likely a coincidence that Fatty Su had delivered Madam Zhao¡¯s child safely! Madam Zhao had given birth to two children before. She could give birth to her third child with her eyes closed. Why would she need a midwife? ¡°Ouch!¡± A sharp pain came from her abdomen. Su Yuniang gripped the mattress tightly and almost fainted. ¡°Stop talking!¡± Madam Fang, who was guarding the bed, was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t you save some strength!¡± Su Yuniang endured the intense abdominal pain and said with cold sweat, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t care¡­ I don¡¯t want Fatty Su to come over¡­¡± The cotton mat under her was soaked in blood again. As Madam Fang wiped her tears, she went to her room to find a new mat for her. Su Jinniang said in a low voice, ¡°Sister, why don¡¯t¡­ I go to the Su family to take a look? If Fatty Su is really lying, I should be able to find out after testing her.¡± Su Yuniang glared at her. ¡°Forget it! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to!¡± Su Jinniang¡¯s expression changed slightly. She lowered her head and remained silent. Outside the house, the village head was a little awkward. Old Master Su said, ¡°Go back. I¡¯ve already asked Yuniang¡¯s brother to go to the Rong¡¯en Hall in town to invite a doctor.¡± The village head was shocked. ¡°Rong¡¯en Hall? The medical center in town? The consultation fees there are not cheap!¡± Especially when it came to house calls, it was countless times more expensive than a court consultation! Old Master Su said, ¡°Yu Niang doesn¡¯t lack this bit of silver.¡± The village head was stunned. That¡¯s right. How could he have forgotten that Yu Niang had married into the richest village in the surrounding villages-Shallow Water Village? Her husband was the biological grandson of the village head! Her conditions were naturally not bad. Thinking of something, the village head said, ¡°But the medical center hasn¡¯t opened on the first day of the new year. Even if you have money, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to hire a doctor!¡± Old Master Su said proudly, ¡°Yu Niang¡¯s sister-in-law married into town. Her husband¡¯s family is quite famous in town. She knows a few doctors.¡± The village head couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Yu Niang was really lucky. At this point, it was not convenient for the village head to persuade him further. Although he trusted Su Daya, he did not dare to say that her medical skills were better than the doctors of Rong¡¯en Hall. It was naturally best if the Su family could invite a doctor from Rong¡¯en Hall. The village head stood up and left. Old Master Su asked Su Jinniang to bring him a box of tea leaves that Yu Niang had brought back. The village head refused. Old Master Su said, ¡°I can¡¯t let you come for nothing. You remember our Su family in your heart. I understand. Take it. Yu Niang brought back a lot. There¡¯s still a lot at home.¡± The village head was originally a little puzzled. For example, why did Yu Niang return to her maiden home alone? Where was her husband? He couldn¡¯t ask anymore. He smiled. ¡°Then it would be disrespectful of me to refuse.¡± ¡ª At Little Su¡¯s house, Su Daya had just changed the three little fellows¡¯ clothes and played three rounds of kissing and hugging. The three little ones were finally satisfied. Father Su was doing something in the backyard, carving and scraping with a knife. ¡°Dad, what are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over. Old Master Su nodded and said, ¡°Making a few slingshots for Dahu and the others.¡± Su Xiaoxiao squatted down beside her father and looked at the wood on the ground. ¡°They¡¯re so small. Can they play with slingshots?¡± Old Master Su sighed. ¡°Niudan brought a slingshot over this morning. The three of them were extremely envious.¡± The daily routine of Niudan and the three little ones was to show off. They would compare everything from food to toys. Niudan was a seven-year-old child, so he naturally knew how to play better than a two-and-a-half-year-old kid. Su Xiaoxiao thought to herself, that her father really spoiled them. She would wait to see who he can cry to when they eventually leave with Wei Ting. Father Su said, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Go in and warm yourself by the fire!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Go in and do it too.¡± As Father Su peeled the wood, he said, ¡°The room is too dark.¡± It was snowing today. When the door was closed, there was no light. When the door was opened, the people in the room would freeze. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Father Su¡¯s hands which were turning purple from the cold and said, ¡°Dad, let me do it. I¡¯m better at this than you.¡± Su Cheng asked, ¡°When did you learn to do this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°Didn¡¯t you make it for Ergou and me when we were young? I¡¯ve remembered it all! If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll make one for you later!¡± Chapter 94 ? 94 Background (1) She was serious. She really knew how to do it. Father Su felt that his daughter¡¯s heart ached for him. She didn¡¯t want him to starve and freeze outside, so she took over the job. His fat daughter was really the best fat girl in the world! Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw the tears in her father¡¯s eyes! No way. Was he going to cry again? She wanted to remind him to bear with it! It was not in line with his persona as a bully! ¡°Dad! I suddenly remembered something! This is for you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly took out the bone-strengthening pills that she had obtained! Old Master Su¡¯s tears stopped abruptly. His eyes widened as he looked at the porcelain bottle Su Xiaoxiao handed over and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s the medicine you took. I bought it last time and forgot to take it out.¡± Old Master Su took it and looked around. ¡°Oh, you changed the bottle this time?¡± This kind of porcelain bottle was better sealed. It was given to her by Physician Fu. ¡°Is it the same as before?¡± Old Master Su asked. ¡°It¡¯s the same. Take six once a day before bed.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°After finishing this bottle, you should be able to recover.¡± If possible, it would be even more foolproof to consolidate the effect with the last bottle. Hearing Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s words, Father Su¡¯s eyes subconsciously lit up. If it was a month ago, he would not believe that his hand would completely recover. However, ever since he witnessed the medicinal effect of this supplement, he began to have confidence in healing his injuries. He was looking forward to the day when he could grab a 200-pound saber again! Su Cheng carefully accepted the medicine bottle and suddenly sighed. ¡°Aiya, after a year, you and Ergou will be a year older, and Dad will also be a year older!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re only 36! You¡¯re very young, okay?¡± The ancients got married early. Old Master Su married Madam Chen at the age of 18. At the age of 20, he had his first child, the Host. The Host had just turned 16 a month ago. Father Su was handsome, tall, and trained. His physique was not bad either. If he had existed in the world of her previous life, he would have been a handsome uncle who could charm thousands of girls! In ancient times, people labeled themselves in ways that made them feel old. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t you realize that you¡¯re more energetic?¡± Old Master Su stretched his muscles and said thoughtfully, ¡°Now that you mention it, I do feel a little¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao, ¡± It¡¯s good to sleep early and wake up early. Even the children know!¡± Father Su rubbed his head handsomely. ¡°Daughter, do you think I¡¯m getting younger?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°There are still wrinkles at the corners of your eyes.¡± Father Su was speechless. ¡ª Father Su called Su Xiaoxiao to his room, looking a little mysterious. ¡°Dad, what are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Old Master Su opened the box and rummaged through it for half a day. ¡°Ah, I found it! I almost thought I lost it!¡± He turned around, sweating. There was an old peachwood box in his hand. He handed the box to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Open it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took it and her hand sank. She said, ¡°The box doesn¡¯t look big, but it¡¯s quite heavy. The quality is not bad.¡± Old Master Su smiled and urged, ¡°Open it quickly!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao opened the peachwood box that had long been stained with traces of time. A dusty peachwood fragrance assaulted her nose, with a hint of a very cold fragrance. It was strange and smelled good. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze landed on the brocade box and saw a jade pendant lying inside. Madam Li loved to collect jade in her previous life. Although Su Xiaoxiao had never studied jade in detail, she knew a little. The quality of this jade was very good and could be said to be an emperor-level jade. If it was made into a bracelet, its value would be immeasurable. Jade had to be raised. Su Xiaoxiao often saw Madam Li soak her jade in water. Hmph, Madam Li had never even given her a bath! She was not Madam Li¡¯s biological daughter. Jade was! Her thoughts wandered away and she returned to the jade. Father Su did not have the mood to take care of the jade. He casually stored it away. The jade pendant was severely dehydrated and had no luster. Fortunately, her mother had taken good care of the jade. If it was a tender jade, it would have cracked long ago. ¡°Dad, where did you get this jade pendant? It looks very valuable.¡± ¡°An heirloom,¡± Father Su said. ¡°It¡¯s yours from now on.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°Our family¡­ has heirlooms?¡± Chapter 95 ? 95 Background (2) Wasn¡¯t her father an orphan who grew up eating food from hundreds of families? Orphans were a popular term. The villagers outside called them beggars and cowherds. ¡°Now we do!¡± Old Master Su said. Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Dad, how much did you spend on it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it. I probably¡­ picked it up,¡± Old Master Su recalled. Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®probably¡¯?¡± Old Master Su explained, ¡°I don¡¯t remember either. Ever since I can remember, I have had this jade pendant on me. It looks like it¡¯s worth a few dollars. I thought that if I really couldn¡¯t survive anymore, I would pawn it!¡± How much was it worth? Did he have some misunderstanding about a few? If this piece of jade was sold, it could support a few large villages, okay? What luck did her father have to pick up such a treasure? Su Xiaoxiao carefully looked at the shape of the jade pendant and said to her father, ¡°Dad, this jade pendant looks like part of a half?¡± ¡°Half?¡± Father Su muttered. ¡°Did I pick up a piece of broken jade?¡± Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly shook her head. ¡°What I mean is that it¡¯s a pair of pendants. This is the left piece. There should be another piece on the right. When combined, it happens to form a complete shape.¡± Father Su said, ¡°I only picked this up.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the jade pendant and asked, ¡°Dad, do you remember where you¡¯re from?¡± Father Su shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± He had wandered into Willow Village 30 years ago when there was a famine. At that time, he was only six years old, and his memory was almost blurry. Su Xiaoxiao had also heard about some things back then. The disaster in Willow Village was more serious than in Apricot Flower Village. Apricot Flower Village was supported by the Su family, and dozens of people in Willow Village had starved to death. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you about to starve to death? Why didn¡¯t you exchange it for something to eat?¡± Old Master Su thought for a moment. ¡°Perhaps I was young at that time. I didn¡¯t expect it.¡± Actually, there were a few times when he couldn¡¯t go on anymore. He didn¡¯t sell this jade pendant and gritted his teeth to survive. Why didn¡¯t he sell it? He couldn¡¯t tell. ¡­. When Su Xiaoxiao put away the jade pendant and returned to the east room, Wei Ting was also there. She was about to ask why he was in her room when she remembered that this guy¡¯s bed had collapsed and he had officially moved in with her! Wei Ting was sitting by the bed, appreciating a couplet on the table under the light from the window paper. Appreciation was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s description after she beautified it, but in fact, this guy¡¯s gaze was more like a critical judgment. ¡°You went through my things!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°It fell to the ground. I just picked it up.¡± Then, after a pause, he said, ¡°Who wrote it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said proudly, ¡°A friend! How is it? Is it not worse than what you wrote?¡± Even Director Shen wanted to keep Young Master Xiang¡¯s calligraphy treasure. It should not be bad! ¡°Heh.¡± Wei Ting snorted disdainfully. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t look at it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the couplet, rolled it up, put it back into the brocade box, and put it into the cabinet. Wei Ting looked at the closed cabinet door, his eyes turning cold. ¡­ The three little ones could not stay at home and had to run out even in the snow. Su Ergou went to the village to walk the children. Father Su returned to his room to catch up on his sleep. Su Xiaoxiao moved a small stool to the backyard, grabbed a knife, and seriously made slingshots for the three little ones. She knew how to do it, but this knife was a little blunt. ¡°Here.¡± A slender jade-like hand handed her a dagger. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze followed this exquisite jade-like hand all the way to his peerlessly handsome face. She thought to herself that guy really had no blind spots. Under the shed, in the shadows, it could be said everything that was illuminated looked ghastly. If one was not careful, he would look like a vegetable, but Wei Ting¡¯s look endured the bad lighting with ease. When he first came, his skin was a light wheat color. After recuperating at home for a month, other than being called by Father Su to learn how to farm a few times, he basically did not go under the sun. Hence he had developed a trace of fairness. He was not feminine at all. He was full of heroic spirit and killing intent. ¡°Thanks.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the dagger. She had seen Wei Ting wipe this dagger more than once. It looked very sharp and she had been envious for a long time. She had finally touched it today. Her first feeling was that it was heavy. Su Xiaoxiao pulled out the scabbard bit by bit with a sense of occasion. Wei Ting reminded her calmly, ¡°It¡¯s very sharp. Be careful.¡± Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and smiled. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Chapter 96 ? 96 Background (3) Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll dirty my dagger!¡± Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head proudly. ¡°Then you can choose not to give it to me. I don¡¯t care. You just care about me!¡± Wei Ting ignored her. Su Xiaoxiao began to peel the tree branches. With a slash, she was stunned. ¡°Wow! What a fast dagger!¡± Could this be the legendary ability to cut iron like mud? Su Xiaoxiao tried a few more times and was extremely comfortable. ¡°Wei Ting, what kind of dagger is this?¡± ¡°You like it?¡± Wei Ting asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said honestly. Wei Ting said indifferently, ¡°Return the token to me and this dagger is for you.¡± To hell with it! So this was his plan! Su Xiaoxiao was just short of stabbing him. She thought that he had a conscience and saw that she was struggling to make a slingshot for his sons, so he contributed his dagger to help her. Ha, she really couldn¡¯t think too highly of men! ¡­. After the three little ones ran out of the house, they began to run in the snow. They were small, so they ran and disappeared. Su Ergou dug the three little ones out of the thick snow and sighed. ¡°You guys are not even as tall as the snow, but you insist on coming out to play!¡± The three of them didn¡¯t care and wanted to play! Suddenly, they were attracted by the cries of a baby. The three of them looked in the direction of the voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Ergou asked. Big Tiger said, ¡°Uncle, someone¡¯s crying.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Er Hu. ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Hu heard it too. Su Ergou scratched his head. ¡°Did you hear wrongly? Who¡¯s crying?¡± Two of them grabbed his hand on each side while the third pushed his butt, shoving him toward the Su family. When he got closer, Su Ergou really heard the cry of a baby. Su Ergou scratched his head. ¡°What ears do the three of you have? You can hear it from so far away?¡± The one crying inside was Su Yuniang¡¯s child. Su Yuniang had suffered a lot. Ever since she gave birth at night, not to mention her abdominal pain, she had no milk. The child cried loudly from hunger. Su Yuniang was extremely frustrated. She asked her brother to go to town to find a doctor with the connections of her sister-in-law¡¯s family, but he had yet to return. Madam Zhou went to the Li family¡¯s house next door to take a look. She came back and said to Su Yuniang that Madam Zhao had started lactating and there was so much milk that the child could not finish it. These words were like a knife stabbing into Su Yuniang¡¯s heart. In order to successfully give birth, Su Yuniang intercepted Madam Zhao¡¯s midwife. In the end, not only did she give birth to a daughter, but she also ended up like this. What was going on? Su Yuniang could not bring herself to beg Madam Zhao. In the end, Mdm Fang couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and carried the child to the Li family. No matter what Madam Zhao thought of Su Yuniang, the child was innocent. Madam Zhao carried the child over and fed him. During this period of time, Su Xiaoxiao sent meat to the Li family every few days. Old Li and Madam Qian could not bear to eat it, so they gave it all to Madam Zhao and the two grandchildren. Madam Zhao¡¯s body was well-nourished and she was filled with milk. After eating and drinking her fill, Su Yuniang¡¯s daughter finally fell asleep sweetly. Madam Fang was extremely grateful, but when she thought of Yuniang¡¯s actions, she felt a little awkward and embarrassed. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll bring her over to feed her later.¡± Madam Qian entered the house and said, ¡°Leave her here. It¡¯s snowing heavily. Aren¡¯t children who haven¡¯t reached their full term afraid of freezing? You can bring the child back after Yuniang starts lactating.¡± Mdm Fang thought that this was the only way. ¡°I¡¯ll get Jinniang to come over later.¡± Madam Zhao could help feed him, but it was not good to trouble her to change the diapers. After Madam Fang left, Madam Qian handed the boiled sugar water egg to her daughter-in-law. ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry anymore?¡± Madam Zhao shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not angry anymore. I have to be grateful that Yuniang snatched the midwife away. Otherwise, I would be the one suffering.¡± Madam Qian coughed lightly. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to say this outside.¡± Madam Zhao smiled and said, ¡°I know, Mom!¡± Madam Qian was a good mother-in-law. Madam Zhao really treated her as her biological mother, so she said whatever she wanted with Madam Zhao. She wouldn¡¯t do the same with outsiders. It was not until evening that Su Yuniang¡¯s eldest brother finally invited the doctor back. It was a young doctor in his early twenties. ¡°Is he reliable at such a young age?¡± Mdm Fang asked her son softly. Su Dalang said, ¡°Doctor Lu happened to be going out, so he asked me to get Doctor Zhang.¡± The truth was that Yu Niang¡¯s connections were not that useful at all. Doctor Lu was too lazy to treat her, so he asked his disciple to come over. This disciple had yet to graduate and had only learned a little. In addition, Yuniang was a woman, so it was inconvenient for him to treat her illness. He only took her pulse and prescribed the prescription. Su Dalang rushed to town to get medicine again. Rong¡¯en Hall did not open on the first day of the new year. Fortunately, when he went to town to look for a doctor, he saw a small medicine shop that was open so he got the medicine there. Unexpectedly, not only did Su Yuniang not improve after drinking the bowl of medicine, but she also bled profusely. Her chest felt stuffy and she fainted on the spot! Mdm Fang hugged her unconscious daughter and screamed, ¡°Yu Niang!¡± The Su family panicked. Seeing that his sister had become like this, Su Dalang went forward and grabbed Doctor Zhang¡¯s lapel. He said angrily, ¡°You quack! I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Doctor Zhang¡¯s face turned pale and he said seriously, ¡°How am I a quack! I¡¯m a doctor of Rong¡¯en Hall! It¡¯s obvious that the medicine you took is wrong!¡± Su Dalang gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I bought it according to the prescription you gave me!¡± Doctor Zhang straightened his neck and said, ¡°Then¡­ then the herbs are not good! Many herbs are overdue or inferior! Eating them is like consuming poison! Where did you get the medicine!¡± Su Dalang said, ¡°A doctor with the surname Fu.¡± Chapter 97 ? 97 Miracle Doctor ¡°Daya! Daya, bad news! Hurry up and follow me to take a look!¡± When the village head rushed to the Su family¡¯s house, Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting were sitting in the backyard making slingshots for the three little babies. The two of them fought fiercely, but they had a good tacit understanding when it came to working. If not for the village head¡¯s shout, Su Xiaoxiao would have had the illusion that they were really a couple. ¡°Village Head.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put down the pulse pressure tube in her hand and stood up. Wei Ting naturally moved her stool away to prevent her from hitting it. He also picked up the pulse pressure tube that was about to fall to the ground to prevent her from stepping on it. This series of actions looked ordinary, but it demonstrated an indescribable tacit understanding. Wei Ting suddenly felt that something was wrong. Why was he so considerate toward this woman? He put the stool back where it had been moved and Su Xiaoxiao almost tripped over it! ¡°Wei Ting!¡± Su Xiaoxiao exploded! Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Hmph.¡± The village head smiled awkwardly and nodded at Wei Ting. ¡°Are the two of you busy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, I was bored and made some trinkets for the children. Did something happen to Su Yuniang?¡± There was probably no other thing that could make the village head come looking for her in a panic at this time. The village head explained Su Yuniang¡¯s situation. ¡°They¡¯re fighting! Someone¡¯s going to die!¡± It was unknown if he was talking about Su Yuniang¡¯s life or Doctor Zhang¡¯s. ¡ª When Su Xiaoxiao and the village head rushed to the Su family, both parties were arguing about Su Yuniang¡¯s problem. ¡°I spent five taels of silver to invite you for a consultation! Is this how you treat my sister!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you delayed the treatment time! Moreover, I¡¯ve already told you clearly! My prescription is not wrong! It¡¯s you who got the wrong medicine! Who asked you to buy the medicine from the small shop? Physician Fu? I¡¯ve never heard of him! Those small shops sell fake medicine! Otherwise, they would mix in other items to save cost! You fell for it yourself and blackmailed me! Are you reasonable!¡± ¡°What a good way to absolve yourself of responsibility. Could it be that your Rong¡¯en Hall sells real and good medicine?¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked in with a powerful aura and a calm voice. The Su family was very surprised to see her. They looked at the village head beside her and roughly understood what was going on. The Su family was unhappy. After such a thing happened, the village head actually called an outsider over to watch the commotion. When Doctor Zhang saw that it was a fat village girl, he did not hide the disdain in his eyes. ¡°Where did you come from? Of course, the medicine our Rong¡¯en Hall sells is good! Had you gone to Rong¡¯en Hall to get the medicine today, nothing would have happened!¡± Old Master Su frowned and said, ¡°Village Head, why did you bring her here? Didn¡¯t I say that there¡¯s no need for the Su family to visit?¡± The Su family was the light of the righteous path. The other Su family was like evil demons. Old Master Su had always looked down on their family of three. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care how the original owner dealt with him. She would not put up with his disdain! Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°If Village Head hadn¡¯t come personally, I wouldn¡¯t have come even if your Su family knelt down and begged me!¡± Old Master Su¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Fatty Su!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m being honest. A life is at stake. If you don¡¯t care about your granddaughter¡¯s life and death, you can continue to argue with me!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know medicine,¡± Su Jinniang muttered. ¡°Bring me the dregs of the medicine that Su Yuniang drank!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Jinniang frowned. ¡°Fatty Su, are you ordering me around?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it!¡± The village head also knew that it was not a solution to continue arguing. He smelled the medicine and went to the kitchen to bring out the medicine jar that was still hot. ¡°Whoosh!¡± He placed the medicine jar on the table and quickly pinched his cold ear with his reddened fingers. Su Xiaoxiao bent down and sniffed, frowning. Su Jinniang said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re quite good at pretending.¡± Mdm Fang came out of Su Yuniang¡¯s room and said to Su Jinniang, ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to take care of the child in the Li family? Why are you back?¡± Su Jin¡¯s mother said, ¡°I¡¯ve discussed it with Aunt Qian. She¡¯ll help take care of the child for a while.¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the hot medicine jar and poured out the dregs. ¡°Give me the oil lamp.¡± She said. The village head quickly handed her an oil lamp. Old Master Su glared at the village head. The village head coughed lightly. Su Xiaoxiao wrapped her finger in a handkerchief and pulled at the herbs on the table. She said to Doctor Zhang, ¡°Su Yuniang just gave birth and is weak. You actually prescribed such a strong tonic for her and even used angelica! Angelica is meant for improving blood circulation! Do you have any common sense?¡± Doctor Zhang¡¯s face turned pale! This was indeed his prescription, and it had indeed included angelica. This fat village girl¡­ really knew the Qi Huang technique! Was there something wrong with this family? There was a doctor in the village, so why did they go to town to invite him? He had carried the weight of someone¡¯s life for nothing! Su Xiaoxiao stopped arguing with him. ¡°Where¡¯s Su Yuniang?¡± Mdm Fang was already intimidated by Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s aura and subconsciously pointed in. Su Xiaoxiao drew the curtain and entered the room. ¡°Fatty Su, you¡¯re not allowed to mess with my sister¡­ ¡± Su Jinniang followed her in. Su Xiaoxiao lifted the blanket and took a look. She grabbed Su Yuniang¡¯s wrist to take her pulse and touched her forehead with her other hand. Su Yuniang was really unlucky. First, she intercepted an unreliable midwife, and then she encountered an ignorant quack. Su Xiaoxiao took out a new set of silver needles from her pouch. This set of silver needles was originally prepared for Father Su. However, ever since she had the black technology bone-strengthening pills from the pharmacy, Su Xiaoxiao felt that Father Su¡¯s hand could recover without acupuncture. Su Jinniang said coldly, ¡°What are you going to do to my sister? I¡¯m warning you, Fatty Su! This is my house! If you dare to hurt my sister¡­ ¡± Noisy! Su Xiaoxiao pressed her down on the chair and glared at her. ¡°Sit down obediently! Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± This was what Fatty Su often said. She was not just saying it casually. Fatty Su really knew how to beat people up. Su Jinniang was stunned by Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s sharp gaze and aura. When Su Xiaoxiao pricked Su Yuniang¡¯s acupoints with silver needles, Su Jinniang wanted to shout, but Su Yuniang miraculously woke up. Su Yuniang opened her eyes in a daze. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m going to massage your stomach. You might feel a little uncomfortable. Bear with it.¡± Her preliminary deduction was that Su Yuniang¡¯s contractions were weak and she could not expel the blood clot in her uterus, causing her to bleed non-stop. As for the cramp in her abdomen, it was caused by her stomach discomfort. It was not a big problem at all. If not for this quack prescribing medicine ignorantly, Su Yuniang would not have fainted. Su Xiaoxiao massaged Su Yuniang to help with the contractions, which was very effective. Not long after, Su Yuniang felt much better. She looked at Fatty Su in disbelief. To be honest, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that she didn¡¯t have the strength, she would have thrown Fatty Su out the moment she touched her. She said in a daze, ¡°Fatty Su, you¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao retracted her hand. ¡°Do you remember how I pressed your belly just now? Get your family to massage you every two hours. You don¡¯t have to take any medicine for the time being. Keep your diet light and it can relieve your gastrointestinal discomfort. I¡¯ll make a prescription for you and you can take your medicine according to it.¡± Su Yuniang was so surprised that she could not say a word. ¡°Do you have a pen and paper at home?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked calmly. Su Yuniang glared at her sister. ¡°Hurry up and get it!¡± After being scolded by her sister, Su Jinniang frowned unhappily. Madam Fang had already entered the room. Like Su Yuniang, she was also shocked by Fatty Su¡¯s actions. However, this was not the time to be shocked. She said to Su Jinniang, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear your sister? Go get it!¡± Su Jinniang bit her lip and went unwillingly. ¡°I heard Yuniang¡¯s voice. Is she awake?¡± Su Dalang pulled Su Jinniang. ¡°Ask her yourself later!¡± Su Jinniang shook off her brother¡¯s hand with a dark expression and went to the table in the central room to get a brush and ink. She returned to the room and placed them on the table coldly. Su Xiaoxiao picked up her pen and wrote a prescription. She said to Su Yuniang, ¡°Your stomach isn¡¯t feeling well. You have to eat light food. Don¡¯t rush to lactate. You have to take care of your body first.¡± When Su Yuniang heard this, her expression froze. ¡°The prescription is good, and the medicine is also good, but it¡¯s not suitable for Su Yuniang¡¯s condition,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said as she glanced at the weak Madam Fang. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Mdm Fang was stunned. Su Yuniang said, ¡°Mother, she wants to take your pulse!¡± ¡°Ah, take my pulse!¡± Mdm Fang handed her hand to Su Xiaoxiao and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Fatty is so good. You even took my pulse.¡± After Su Xiaoxiao finished taking Madam Fang¡¯s pulse, she nodded and said seriously, ¡°You have a loss of blood and qi, so you can consume the medicine.¡± ¡°Did you hear that? My prescription is a good one¡­ your family can consume it¡­ Ah¡­.¡± Outside the house, before Doctor Zhang could finish, he was punched to the ground by Su Dalang. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered to ask how things would end between them and Doctor Zhang. She returned to the bed and looked at Su Yuniang, who was still in great shock. She extended her chubby hand. Su Yuniang was confused. ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao hooked her finger and said righteously, ¡°The consultation fee! Did I treat you for nothing? I walked from my house to yours. This is considered a consultation! On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the consultation fee will be doubled! Well, you and your mother will get four times the fee!¡± Su Yuniang and Madam Fang were stunned. Chapter 98 ? 98 Becoming Beautiful (1) Of course, Su Yuniang had to bargain. In the end, Su Xiaoxiao returned valiantly with the high consultation fee of five taels of silver. Other than Su Yuniang, the expressions of the Su family were not good. It had to be known that they had only given Doctor Zhang two taels. It was originally five taels, but they took back three taels. Doctor Zhang was a doctor of Rong¡¯en Hall and had also come from town. Who was Fatty Su? She was just a little girl from the village. How could she demand a consultation after taking a few steps? However, Su Yuniang said, ¡°Isn¡¯t my life worth these few taels of silver?¡± Su Yuniang paid the consultation fee and did not let the Su family pay for Madam Fang¡¯s share. After a daughter got married, she was no longer considered family. Some accounts were calculated clearly. This made her feel disappointed and helpless. Thinking that Su Xiaoxiao was also married, but there was no barrier between her and her family, Su Yuniang felt envious from the bottom of her heart. Madam Fang carried a bowl of boiled brown sugar millet porridge into the room. This was cooked according to the prescription left behind by Fatty Su. She did not put too much brown sugar. Su Yuniang was reading the prescription written by Fatty Su. There were actually only a few words on the prescription, and they was crooked. The cooking method was mainly dictated by Fatty Su. She seriously suspected that Fatty Su just wanted to legitimately extort the consultation fee. She married into Shallow Water Village and had a scholar at home. She barely recognized a few words, but she didn¡¯t know how to write. Fatty Su actually knew how to write. Su Jinniang frowned. The last time Fatty Su read the couplet, the villagers had already seen her in a different light. If the villagers knew that she could write¡­ How did Fatty Su know how to write? Su Jinniang felt suffocated. Madam Fang did not have much of a reaction. Fatty Su had honed many abilities, so it was not strange for her to acquire another one. What really puzzled her was whether Yuniang should drink more brown sugar water after giving birth. However, Fatty Su said that it wasn¡¯t good to consume too much sugar. ¡°Only a spoonful of sugar. Do you think it¡¯s bland?¡± Madam Fang scooped a spoonful and fed it to Su Yuniang. Su Yuniang took a sip. It tasted alright. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± ¡°Are you really not going to add any sugar?¡± Madam Fang asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t Fatty say that to only put a spoonful of sugar?¡± Su Yu¡¯niang lowered her head and drank a bowl of brown sugar millet porridge. It was boiled according to Fatty Su¡¯s instructions. It was not that sweet and was very suitable for her current appetite. Mdm Fang recalled what happened just now and was still in disbelief. ¡°What do you think happened to Fatty? She has changed so much.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that she married a good husband?¡± Su Yuniang handed the empty bowl to her mother and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. She recalled the time she had only been married to a ¡°big family¡± for a few days, but the rules were already different from before. Su Yuniang said, ¡°She¡¯s willing to learn from her husband. What in the world is unchanging?¡± Su Jinniang muttered, ¡°Sister, that¡¯s not what you said just now¡­¡± Su Yuniang glared at her. ¡°I almost died just now!¡± Su Jinniang choked. In the beginning, Su Yuniang looked down on Fatty Su and refused to let her treat her. It was because Fatty Su had a bad reputation. When she was young, she had even fought with her. There was no doubt that she had lost. She had experienced Fatty Su¡¯s evilness. However, just now, she had personally experienced Fatty Su¡¯s kindness. Since that girl had really changed her personality and was really capable, she, Su Yu¡¯niang, could let go! The grudge between her and Fatty Su was over. From now on, she would no longer have any prejudice against Fatty Su. As for Su Ergou and Father Su, she temporarily retained her original opinion. They were two bullies! Su Yuniang looked at her sister indifferently. ¡°You were supposed to take care of the child. Why do you keep staying at home?¡± Madam Fang sighed. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll go later. Jinniang will take care of you at home.¡± With that, Madam Fang carried the empty bowl out. Su Jinniang sat down silently by the bed. ¡°Sis.¡± ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡± Su Yuniang was so tired that she wanted to sleep. Su Jin¡¯s mother whispered, ¡°Can you¡­ tell Grandpa not to let me marry Scholar Chen?¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°Why? Is a scholar not worthy of you?¡± Su Jin¡¯s mother complained, ¡°You don¡¯t know how ugly the Chen family¡­ was in the village on New Year¡¯s Eve.¡± Su Yuniang said coldly, ¡°Even if it¡¯s ugly, we have agreed to this marriage!¡± Su Jinniang bit her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry so far away. It¡¯s¡­ our village is quite good. I can come back more often to show my filial piety to my grandparents.¡± Su Yuniang said bluntly, ¡°Su Jinniang, I understand what you¡¯re thinking. I advise you to give up! I won¡¯t help you!¡± Su Jinniang felt wronged. ¡°You¡¯re my sister. Why won¡¯t you help me?¡± Chapter 99 ? 99 Becoming Beautiful (2) Su Yuniang glanced at her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of being struck by lightning!¡± Su Jinniang clenched her fists. In the central room, just as the village head was about to leave, he praised Fatty Su from head to toe. Old Master Su remained silent the entire time. Even if Su Yuniang couldn¡¯t see her grandfather¡¯s expression, she could guess that her grandfather still didn¡¯t like the Su family. It was understandable that some old people had deep-rooted ideas. However, she didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but she vaguely felt that her grandfather seemed to have an inexplicable rejection of the Su family. ¡ª After Su Xiaoxiao earned her first consultation fee this year, she hummed a tune and returned home leisurely. The entire family sat in the central room and waited for her. The three little ones were also obedient! Su Xiaoxiao placed the ingots she had earned on the table. The three little ones: ¡°Wow!¡± What a huge sum of money! Su Cheng widened his eyes. ¡°Daughter, did you extort a big one?¡± ¡°No!¡± Su Xiaoxiao had a serious expression. ¡°It¡¯s the consultation fee! The Su family gave it to me! We agreed that our family wouldn¡¯t extort money anymore! How could I still extort money?¡± Su Ergou asked, ¡°Sister, how did you treat Su Yuniang?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Acupuncture, physiotherapy, food therapy.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Speak human language.¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°I just pricked her with silver needles and pressed her stomach a few times. Then, I reminded her to eat more food that is easy to digest.¡± Su Cheng, Su Ergou and Wei Ting were dumbfounded. Was that not extorting five taels of silver? At this moment, Xiaohu walked over and covered his butt. He said to Su Xiaoxiao with an aggrieved expression, ¡°Mom, my butt hurts.¡± Su Xiaoxiao carried him onto her lap. ¡°Did you poop today?¡± Xiaohu shook his head. Su Xiaoxiao gently opened his mouth and looked at his gums. Yes, he was getting heaty. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Did you secretly eat peanut butter again?¡± Among the three little fellows, Xiaohu was the most gluttonous. Xiao Hu blinked cutely and slid down Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s leg. ¡°My butt, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± It would be strange if it didn¡¯t hurt. Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to cook a bowl of Chameleon Grass tea for Xiaohu. The Chameleon Grass was also called Fractured Ears in modern times. It was sent by Shen Chuan on the day of the New Year. After plucking its leaves, it would be the same as the Fractured Ears she had eaten in her previous life. She had prepared it twice, but unfortunately, her family was not used to it. Xiaohu was not used to drinking it either and stuck out his tongue in disdain. His big grape-like eyes darted around as he raised his small hand and pointed out, ¡°Mom, Grandpa called me.¡± With that, he put down the small bowl in his hand and slipped away! Su Xiaoxiao was both angry and amused. She drank the Chameleon tea that Xiao Hu had not finished. ¡ª When Su Xiaoxiao returned to her room, Wei Ting was already in the room. He had just taken off his cotton clothes and looked like he was preparing to go to bed. He did not have overly exaggerated muscles on his body, but his tight muscles and strong waist all highlighted his top-notch figure. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze lingered on him for a while, satisfying the infatuated instincts of this body before going to do her own thing. She brought over a basin of clear water and carefully placed the jade pendant that Father Su had given her. Wei Ting subconsciously took a look. Su Xiaoxiao caught it. Su Xiaoxiao showed off. ¡°Our family heirloom!¡± Wei Ting looked up at the barren house as if to say, ¡°With your family¡¯s conditions, can there be an heirloom?¡± Su Xiaoxiao brought the basin over. ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll broaden your horizons! Here!¡± Wei Ting only glanced at it and recognized it as a piece of real jade. ¡°This is half of a set,¡± he said. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Impressive, you know your stuff!¡± Wei Ting said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s not rare.¡± What was rare was the jade material. The family heirloom this girl had was really a high-grade jade. ¡°Did you rob it?¡± Wei Ting said. Su Xiaoxiao said righteously, ¡°I already said it¡¯s an heirloom! It¡¯s passed down from generation to generation!¡± This kind of jade was extremely rare on the market. If it was really inherited, how illustrious would the family be? Wei Ting naturally did not believe her, but he did not take a piece of jade to heart. He was more concerned about his token. He had searched the east room inside and out, but there was no sign of the token. Where exactly did this girl hide the token? ¡°Wei Ting! You touched my undergarments!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was about to take a shower when she opened the closet and realized something. Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed her undergarment and turned to glare at him fiercely. ¡°The flowers in my undergarment were facing south! They¡¯re facing north now!¡± ¡°You remembered wrongly.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly. He lay flat under the blanket and said extremely seriously, ¡°I didn¡¯t if I said so.¡± Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes and strode over. She reached out and touched his chest! Wei Ting was shocked. ¡°You touched me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled evilly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t if I said so!¡± ¡­. Unknowingly, more than half of the Spring Festival had passed. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s business would open after the New Year, but she could not really wait until the New Year was over before doing anything. Many things had to be prepared in advance. On the tenth day of the new year, Little Wu brought Liu Ping to her door. It was Su Xiaoxiao who called them over to discuss work. Initially, Su Xiaoxiao was a little worried that it would arouse disgust if she asked someone to do things before the New Year. Little did she know that the couple was extremely happy about it. Ever since they split up, they were much more relaxed than before. At the same time, they were much free. It did not feel good to be bored. When they heard that they were going to start work, the two of them were extremely enthusiastic. Su Xiaoxiao invited them into the central room and served them snacks. This was the first time Liu Ping went to the Su family. Although he had heard from Little Wu that the Su family had changed, he still felt a little uneasy. ¡°Brother Liu, have some tea.¡± Su Xiaoxiao poured a cup of hot tea for him. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, don¡¯t trouble yourself!¡± He stood up and took it with both hands. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Brother Liu, you don¡¯t have to be so polite. You have to come often in the future.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes.¡± Liu Ping sat down awkwardly and took a sip of tea nervously. It was so hot that his soul left his body! ¡°Daya.¡± Madam Wu looked at Su Xiaoxiao without blinking. ¡°Have you lost weight?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°You can tell?¡± Madam Wu nodded and looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Your face¡­ seems to have shrunk.¡± It was not that her face had seemed to have shrunk. It really did! After the mistake last time, Su Xiaoxiao found an opportunity to weigh herself again. After removing her clothes, it was 180 pounds! She had lost a total of 20 pounds! However, her foundation was too big. In addition, she had lost a lot of weight in the early stages, so the change in her appearance was not too big at present. Wei Ting was the first to notice that she had lost weight, and Little Wu was the second. ¡°You look better too. Your face¡­¡± At this point, Madam Wu actually mustered her courage and reached out to pinch Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. This frightened Liu Ping! In his internal dialogue, he was saying, ¡°Wife! Let¡¯s not be stupid! You¡¯re pinching the little bully of the Su family! If she slaps us both, the two of us would fall face flat!¡± Madam Wu muttered, ¡°It seems to be much more delicate.¡± It was not that Madam Wu had pinched her before, but that Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s skin was visibly rough in the past and her skin color was uneven. Su Xiaoxiao had looked in the mirror and felt that she was a fat beauty. That was because, in ancient times, there were only bronze mirrors or water vats. How could one tell her skin color? Her skin had indeed become delicate. She could feel it when she washed her face every day. A standard diet with less sugar and oil could improve the condition of the skin to a certain extent, but it was not possible to transform it to this degree. Could it be that¡­ the multivitamins in the pharmacy had hidden effects? Chapter 100 ? 100 Famous After that, she tried to enter the pharmacy a few times but failed. She seriously suspected that the pharmacy was trembling with anger after she fleeced it the last time. Wei Ting¡¯s token was still inside. After the last time, she realized that the token might be a hot potato. Whoever took it would be unlucky. Unfortunately, she could not take it out now¡­ Liu Ping now treated Fatty Su as his benefactor. When he found out that he was coming over today, he specially went to the pond at the back of the mountain to catch a few wild carp. The biggest one was more than a catty, and the smallest one was half a catty. To be able to catch such fat carp in the winter, Liu Ping was indeed capable. ¡°Fish.¡± The three little ones squatted in the backyard and looked at the fish in the basin. The Meizi sisters were also there. Su Ergou teased them. ¡°Isn¡¯t the little fish cute?¡± ¡°Cute,¡± Little Meizi said. Dahu slurped. ¡°Braised.¡± Erhu said, ¡°Fried.¡± Xiaohu said, ¡°Stewed soup.¡± Little Meizi exclaimed, ¡°My three younger brothers are so scary!¡± The adults continued to talk in the central room. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Uncle and Mr. Wei,¡± Liu Ping said. Since he had come to visit, he had to greet the two of them. He was a little silly, but he still understood the ways of the world. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, my father and Wei Ting went to the fields to pick vegetables.¡± Liu Ping sighed inwardly. This family had changed so much. Even the bully boss, Father Su, had gone to the fields to pick vegetables. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°I called you here today to discuss work.¡± Liu Ping hurriedly said, ¡°Meizi¡¯s mother told me about it. I can do anything! Really!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was amused. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll tell you what business we have now. Sister Wu should have mentioned the braised meat business and snack business to you.¡± Liu Ping said, ¡°Ah, She mentioned it before. She said that your food is especially delicious. I tried it too¡­ It¡¯s indeed delicious!¡± The Su family had given them fried meatballs and snacks during the new year. There was also cured meat, braised meat, and snacks. He was definitely not saying this to flatter Fatty Su. He really felt that the food was especially delicious! It could be seen that Liu Ping was still a little nervous for the first time in a bully¡¯s house. There was no hurry. After interacting with her more in the future, he would slowly adapt. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°After the new year, the braised meat and snacks business will continue. In addition, there will be a salted egg business.¡± ¡°Salted eggs?¡± Madam Wu whispered, ¡°The duck egg I gave you! You said the egg yolk was delicious!¡± ¡°Ahhh! That!¡± Liu Ping looked at Fatty Su in admiration. ¡°Daya, you can even make duck eggs like that. You¡¯re too capable!¡± Who said that Liu Ping was naive? Wasn¡¯t he quite savvy when he complimented people? Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°Everyone has their own abilities but in different ways. Currently, our business is in the beginning stages. We don¡¯t have enough manpower, so we have to do various things. But Brother Liu, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t treat you badly.¡± Liu Ping said solemnly, ¡°Daya, you¡¯re treating us like outsiders. You¡¯ve helped us so much. If it weren¡¯t for you, not to mention splitting up, we would have been scolded to death by the villagers. With just a word from you, I, Liu Ping, can even smear my head on the ground!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Do you mean to say you would go through all sorts of trials for me?¡± Liu Ping was stunned. ¡°Ah, I can also be your disciple!¡± Su Xiaoxiao laughed. Why was Liu Ping so funny? Regarding the division of labor, Su Xiaoxiao already had a clear plan in her heart. Little Wu was still in charge of the previous work. The difference was that she was separated from the Liu family and did not have to hide anymore. The working hours could be lengthened. Of course, it was within a reasonable time. She would not squeeze her employees dry. After the working hours were extended, the production could keep up with the demand. Be it the braised meat business, the snack business, or even the supply to Jin Ji, it would be much easier than before. Liu Ping¡¯s main mission was the transportation of products. If she did well, she could start her own logistics in the future. Business in a small town could not satisfy her. Her goal was the entire Qingzhou and even the entire Great Zhou! Hmm¡­ It was too early to brag. She had to resolve the current problem first. ¡°There will be a lot of goods to transport in the future, so we need a means of transportation,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°You mean the ox cart?¡± Liu Ping asked. Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°The ox cart is too slow.¡± It would be dark before two deliveries can be made. Liu Ping had seen many types of carts when he was working hard outside. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°The faster ones are the donkey cart and mule cart. A carriage is too expensive.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t consider the carriage for the time being. Including the consultation fees she had earned, although she had a considerable sum of silver, she roughly understood the price of horses. A medium-sized Southwestern horse would be sold for between 70 and 80 taels. A horse alone could empty her fanny pack, let alone a cart. ¡°I know how to make a handcart.¡± Liu Ping scratched his head. ¡°I used to work as a carpenter for a few years.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. She had found a treasure! Liu Ping continued, ¡°Today is the tenth day. The docks open early. There¡¯s a horse market there. Shall I ask around?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. ¡°Is there a dock in our town?¡± Liu Ping said, ¡°It¡¯s from the neighboring town. It belongs to the government relay station and is adjacent to our town. If we follow the official road, it¡¯s not far. If we¡¯re fast, we can arrive in more than an hour.¡± It was no wonder that the city opened early. Strictly speaking, the relay station was not closed. There were also soldiers on duty on New Year¡¯s Eve, in case of emergency military intelligence and danger everywhere. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Since she had nothing to do at home, she might as well go to the ancient horse market. ¡°Mother!¡± The three little ones clattered over. During this period of time, Su Xiaoxiao had been at home. The three little ones were used to her company and were even more clingy to her. They could not leave her for a moment. ¡°Dahu wants to go.¡± ¡°Erhu will go too.¡± ¡°And Xiaohu.¡± Faced with three little fellows who would wheedle and act cute for no reason, Su Xiaoxiao could not do justice to her training in her previous life to be cold and brutal. ¡°It¡¯s a long, long walk.¡± She tried to scare them off. Xiaohu stretched out his small hand and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I can walk. I can walk.¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. Madam Wu reminded her husband, ¡°Go and borrow Uncle Li¡¯s ox cart.¡± Liu Ping glanced at Su Xiaoxiao and replied, ¡°Hey, okay! I¡¯ll go now!¡± When Old Li heard that Su Xiaoxiao was going to town, he pulled out his ox cart without a word. Liu Ping was about to pay when Old Li glared at him. ¡°What are you doing? Why would I need you to pay for my ox cart!¡± Liu Ping smiled awkwardly and pulled the ox cart away. ¡°Sister! I¡¯ll go too!¡± Su Ergou said. Su Xiaoxiao waved her chubby hand. ¡°Alright, get on the ox cart!¡± Madam Wu wouldn¡¯t go to town. She would stay to pickle the salted eggs. The family left valiantly. Su Xiaoxiao walked. She wanted to lose weight. The villagers were not too surprised to see Liu Ping driving Old Li¡¯s ox cart out with the Su family. They understood that Liu Ping owed Fatty Su a debt, causing the couple to sell themselves as slaves. The news had long spread throughout the village. Along with this was the news of Fatty Su delivering Madam Zhao¡¯s child on New Year¡¯s Eve. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t go to the village to gossip. Otherwise, she would know how much of a commotion she had caused. It was fine if she suddenly changed her personality, but she even turned over a new leaf and started a business. It was fine if she was doing business, but she was actually a midwife in the village at such a young age! ¡°Midwife? Fatty doesn¡¯t just know how to deliver babies! Have you heard about Yu Niang? After she gave birth, she almost went to see the King of Hell! It was Fatty Su who pulled her back from the gates of hell!¡± ¡°Really? Are you kidding me!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, go ask Old Su yourself!¡± If someone really came to ask, although the Su family did not want to remember Fatty Su¡¯s credit, Su Yuniang was honest and admitted that it was Fatty Su who cured her. For a moment, Fatty Su became famous in the village! Chapter 101 ? 101 Buying a Horse (1) This time, it was not a bad reputation. The villagers were very curious. Did Fatty Su receive guidance from an expert? Could this be the legendary enlightenment? They heard that she fell on her wedding day¡­ The aunties in the village started wondering if they should go back and throw their children¡­ Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know what the villagers were thinking. She openly accepted the gazes of the villagers. It was mainly because she was used to it. The original owner had received too many strange gazes since she was young. She wouldn¡¯t care, nor would she distinguish them carefully. If she looked carefully today, she would realize that everyone was looking at her differently from before. It was not only because there was less malice, but they were also unconsciously attracted by her new appearance. She was still the same person. She was still very fat, but for some reason, the villagers felt that Fatty Su looked much more pleasing to the eye. It seemed as if¡­ she had become fair. The dazzling sunlight above her head was reflected on her supple face, and her skin was so tender and supple. In addition, a few sharp-eyed aunties realized that her face was a little different. In the past, her face looked like a big round pancake. Now, there were some lines on her lower jaw. She had a cute round face! ¡°Fat Lass¡­ looks better.¡± Madam Fang, who was drying clothes at Old Su¡¯s house, said. Su Jinniang spread out her clothes and said in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s so fat. What¡¯s so good about her?¡± In the room, Su Yuniang continued leisurely, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Even though she¡¯s fat, her facial features are really not bad. If she slims down, she would be much more beautiful than you!¡± Su Jinniang was so angry that she threw the clothes heavily on the clothesline! The snow had not fallen for a few days. Today, the weather was clear and the wind was not strong. It was warm sitting on the ox cart. The three little ones narrowed their eyes in enjoyment and were extremely arrogant! Liu Ping looked at their happy faces and knew that they were doing extremely well in the Su family. They were both stepmothers. But while Big Wu was mean, Fatty Su, who was always regarded as a bully, was more like the triplets¡¯ biological mother. Thinking of this, Liu Ping subconsciously revealed an envious gaze. Su Xiaoxiao happened to turn around and met Liu Ping¡¯s gaze. Liu Ping¡¯s heart skipped a beat, while Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. Why did she feel that he want to be her son? ¡­. Two hours later, the three adults and three small children arrived at the horse market Liu Ping mentioned. Although it was called a horse market, it was actually a few old sheds built by the docks. There was some livestock waiting to be sold inside. It was only the tenth day of the lunar new year, but there were already many people going to the horse market. The probability of people turning their heads to do a doubletake of the fat village girl and the little packrats was 100%. All the pedestrians looked at them. Su Xiaoxiao said to the three little ones on the ox cart, ¡°Watch Uncle closely. Don¡¯t let him get lost, understand?¡± The three little ones nodded seriously and grabbed Su Ergou¡¯s sleeve. They would definitely keep an eye on Uncle! Liu Ping said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°The largest shed is for the government¡¯s post-horse. Other than the post-horse, you can choose anything else.¡± The six of them walked around the horse market. To be honest, other than the officials¡¯ fat and strong horses, the rest were either old horses or sick horses. The price was ridiculously expensive. ¡°50 taels? This is an old horse!¡± Liu Ping looked at the horse dealer in disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t bully me for not knowing the market. I¡¯ve worked here for two years. This kind of old horse is usually only sold for 20 to 30 taels.¡± The dealer said slowly, ¡°There¡¯s a rumor that there¡¯s going to be a war in the southwest. Horses are in short supply. This horse is a little old and can pull goods. If you think it¡¯s expensive, the military camp will drag it away on another day and you won¡¯t be able to buy it even if you want to! If you really want it, 45 taels, no less!¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and left with Liu Ping. She did not care if the news was accurate or not. She did not intend to spend all her assets to buy an old horse that would only last a few years. An old dealer diagonally opposite shouted at Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Miss! Are you hauling goods or traveling? If you¡¯re hauling goods, look at the mules! I have high-quality mules here. They eat little and are strong. There are people between the ages of four and ten!¡± Liu Ping said, ¡°Nonsense! Horse mules eat a lot! Donkey mules have a small appetite!¡± Mules were the descendants of horses and donkeys. A horse mule was born of a female horse and was closer to a horse. A donkey mule was born of a female donkey and was closer to a donkey. The advantages of donkey mules were that they had a small appetite, strong endurance, and long lifespan. They could be used until they were about 20 years old. On the other hand, the horse mule was strong, fast, and smarter. Its shortcoming was that it had a bad temper and was not easy to tame. Its lifespan was also shorter than that of a mule. It would lose its ability to be used when it was about 15 years old. Chapter 102 ? 102 Buying a Horse (2) ¡°Generally speaking, everyone is still willing to buy horse mules. They¡¯re capable and stronger than horses, and they¡¯re not as difficult to raise as horses. Although they eat more than donkey mules, they eat less than horses.¡± Liu Ping continued, ¡°The price of young and strong horse mules is usually five to ten taels. The most expensive one is not more than fifteen taels. As for donkey mules, it¡¯s about three to eight taels. The market is different everywhere. This is the price we have here. Some mules are not worth much.¡± Su Xiaoxiao felt that she had hired the right person. Liu Ping had made up for her lack of knowledge. Otherwise, she would be choosing blindly. ¡°Liu Ping!¡± A short but very muscular man in his early thirties walked towards the two of them. Liu Ping took a look. ¡°Brother Hai!¡± He said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°I used to work for him. He¡¯s a foreman here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Brother Hai came to the two of them and patted Liu Ping¡¯s shoulder with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s been two years since we last met. Where have you been? This is¡­ ¡± ¡°My boss.¡± Liu Ping introduced Su Xiaoxiao. Hearing that this young girl dressed like a village girl was actually Liu Ping¡¯s boss, Brother Hai was obviously surprised. ¡°My surname is Su.¡± Su Xiaoxiao. The three little ones couldn¡¯t sit still on the ox cart and pulled Su Ergou around. Now, the four of them weren¡¯t beside them. The other party smiled and said, ¡°So it¡¯s Miss Su. Sorry, my surname is Huang. Miss Su, just call me Haizi.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll call you Brother Hai too?¡± Huang Hai smiled and said, ¡°Alright, alright!¡± He looked at Liu Ping again. ¡°I just accepted a big job and was about to ask around about you. I wanted to ask you to come back and work for me, but it looks like I was late.¡± Liu Ping worked hard and did not complain. Every foreman liked him. Liu Ping smiled innocently. Huang Hai did not make things difficult for him and said gently, ¡°I saw that you seemed to be choosing livestock just now. Are you using them yourself? Are you pulling goods or people?¡± ¡°Mainly to haul goods,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Huang Hai looked around and said, ¡°The good stuff is inside. Follow me!¡± He turned and led the way. Liu Ping leaned over and whispered, ¡°Brother Hai is quite reliable. Why don¡¯t we go take a look?¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them followed Huang Hai to a shed at the side. The seller was the old dealer just now. Huang Hai said, ¡°Uncle Yang, we¡¯re on the same side.¡± The old dealer glanced at the two of them. ¡°Horse mule or donkey mule?¡± ¡°Horse mule.¡± Su Xiaoxiao. The old dealer left for a while. When he returned, he brought with him a fat and strong horse mule. ¡°High-grade horse mule, 20 taels, no bargaining!¡± This was a four-year-old mule. Be it age or physical fitness, there was nothing to criticize about it. Huang Hai smiled and said, ¡°Uncle Yang, 20 taels is too expensive! I told you we¡¯re on the same side!¡± The old dealer snorted. ¡°If it¡¯s not someone you brought, I won¡¯t sell it for less than 25 taels!¡± Huang Hai thought for a moment and said to Su Xiaoxiao and Liu Ping, ¡°Recently, the southwest hasn¡¯t been peaceful. There are rumors that there¡¯s going to be war everywhere, and the price of livestock has increased a lot. In the past, a high-grade horse mule was only sold for ten to eighteen taels, and the most expensive one was only fifteen taels. Why don¡¯t you wait for a few days? I don¡¯t think there will be a war in the southwest. After the situation passes, perhaps the price of livestock will drop.¡± But who could guarantee how long the situation would last? Su Xiaoxiao was waiting to use it. Every day that was delayed meant one less day of business. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the old dealer and said, ¡°5 taels.¡± Huang Hai choked! She really dared to slash prices! Other people would slash prices by a fraction but there was not even a fraction left after she slashed! The old dealer was so angry that he almost grabbed the broom to chase Su Xiaoxiao out! ¡°Who did you bring? Are you sincerely buying livestock!¡± The old dealer scolded Huang Hai. What could Huang Hai do? He had lived for more than 30 years, but this was the first time he had seen such a strange person. The old dealer said angrily, ¡°23 taels! Not a penny less¡­ Or I¡¯m not selling!¡± Su Xiaoxiao extended a chubby hand. ¡°5 taels.¡± The old dealer was speechless. He wanted to grab his knife! Huang Hai looked at Liu Ping as if he was asking, ¡°What kind of employer are you working for? Are you sure you don¡¯t regret it? It¡¯s not too late to come under my wings¡­¡± Liu Ping¡¯s forehead was also covered in a cold sweat. As expected of the little bully of Apricot Flower Village. This price¡­ He was afraid that Fatty Su would hit him with a brick after failing to bargain. The old dealer trembled. ¡°20, 20 taels!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°5 taels.¡± The old dealer pointed with his finger. ¡°5 taels can only buy you a donkey!¡± Chapter 103 ? 103 Buying a Horse (3) Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands and said, ¡°Five taels is enough to buy a cow in our countryside. What donkey is this? An immortal donkey? You¡¯re selling it for 5 taels!¡± The old dealer covered his chest and looked at Huang Hai as if to say, ¡°Huang, if you bring such a customer over again, I¡¯ll cut ties with you!¡± Huang Hai cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Uncle Yang, why don¡¯t you give me some face? This mule will be ¡­¡± Before he could finish, Su Xiaoxiao flipped her chubby hand. ¡°10 taels!¡± The old dealer was furious. ¡°15 taels!¡± Huang Hai said quietly, ¡°I was preparing to cut to 18 taels.¡± The old dealer regretted it after saying that. What had he just said? 15 taels? Had he been angered to confusion by this fat girl? Su Xiaoxiao chuckled and prepared to pay. But at this moment, a change occurred. The three little ones ran over and grabbed her sleeve. ¡°Mom.¡± Huang Hai and the old dealer were dumbfounded. Were this little girl¡¯s sons already so old? The three little ones only pulled her to another shed. It was the official¡¯s horse shed. The three of them pointed at a weak newborn foal inside. It was a premature foal. It had been born two days ago. The mare had been seriously injured and had died not long after giving birth. The foal had nothing to eat and had been hungry for two days. It could not even stand steadily. If this continued, it would starve to death in a few days. A foal could not survive without a mare, so the soldiers at the courier station did not spend much effort to take care of it. The three of them looked at the foal that had lost its mother with deep sympathy. ¡°Do you want that foal?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The three of them nodded. Su Xiaoxiao touched their little heads. They were only two and a half years old and ignorant. Perhaps even they did not even understand why they felt so much sympathy for a small lonely horse. The three little ones stared unblinkingly at the unattended foal. Liu Ping whispered, ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to spoil the children like this. Just buy them a couple of sweets later.¡± ¡°Do you really want to bring it home?¡± Su Xiaoxiao confirmed with the three of them again. The three of them nodded seriously. The official horse of the courier station was not for sale, even if it was only a small foal. However, this foal was in a special situation. The mare was dead, and there was no other mare to feed it after giving birth. Huang Hai stepped forward to negotiate with the soldiers. ¡°If you keep it, it will be dead. Can you just treat it as dead?¡± The officer said, ¡°No, it¡¯s against the rules.¡± Huang Hai said, ¡°Does it conform to the rules after it dies? Why are you so rigid?¡± In the end, Huang Hai found the old postman who had once owed him a favor and got someone to make an exception. He sold it to Su Xiaoxiao at the price of a retired old horse. He did help, but he couldn¡¯t bear to see what would happen. They were paying forty taels of silver on a newborn foal that may die anytime. This was simply throwing the money away! Su Xiaoxiao asked Su Ergou to get some hay from the courier station and put it on the ox cart. She carried the weak foal up. Because she had bought a foal, she only had five taels of silver left. She silently went to the old dealer¡¯s horse shed. ¡°Um, are you still selling your donkey?¡± The old dealer was speechless. ¡°Five taels!¡± Su Xiaoxiao emptied her purse. ¡°I only have three taels left.¡± Fifteen minutes later. The group of six left the horse market with a sickly foal and a skinny donkey. Liu Ping never dreamed that they could buy such animals. They had completely deviated from their original plan! Liu Ping comforted himself as he drove the ox cart. ¡°A donkey¡­ A donkey is good. It eats little and has strong endurance. It can pull mills, haul goods and its temperament is gentle¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the docile donkey beside him kicked its hind legs and the sign at the entrance of the Horse City collapsed instantly! Liu Ping did not know what else to say. Chapter 104 ? 104 Flaunting The six of them returned to the village. A large group of villagers surrounded the village entrance. This scene shocked Liu Ping, who thought that something big had happened in the village. He was about to jump off the ox cart and ask someone when the villagers swarmed around him. Su Ergou rubbed his sleepy eyes. Hmm? What was going on? Was there a fight? Aunt Wu asked, ¡°Fatty, I heard that you went to town to buy a horse. Where is the horse you bought? Su Xiaoxiao wondered,¡± Eh? When did I say that?¡± She turned to look at Su Ergou. Su Ergou shook his head like a rattle drum; his cheeks were trembling! She looked at the three little ones. The three little ones also shook their heads! They had failed to show off! She looked at Liu Ping again! Liu Ping was shocked. ¡°No, no. I went to borrow Old Li¡¯s ox cart and only said that I wanted to go to town. I didn¡¯t say what it was for!¡± At this moment, Father Su walked over with his hands behind his back. ¡°Make way, make way, make way,¡± he said in a commanding tone. The villagers made way. When Father Su saw Su Xiaoxiao beside the ox cart, he instantly smiled happily. He hadn¡¯t seen her fat daughter for a day. He really missed her! He raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Daughter! Where¡¯s the horse you bought? Show it to broaden the horizons of the villagers!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. The matter had to start with Father Su and Wei Ting returning home after picking vegetables. Su Xiaoxiao brought her brother and the three little ones out while Madam Wu marinated the salted eggs in the backyard. When Father Su asked where his daughter went, Madam Wu¡¯s original words were, ¡°Daya wanted to buy livestock and went to the horse market in the neighboring town with Liu Ping. Ergou and the children also went.¡± What Father Su heard was: My daughter¡­ wants to buy¡­ a horse. He chose to filter the rest of the words! Such an important joyous occasion naturally had to be shown off. It seemed there was a reason why the children at home liked to show off. She had found the source. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Aiya! Whose donkey is this? It can¡¯t be yours, right, Fatty? Didn¡¯t you go to buy a horse? Did you get tricked?¡± It was Madam Zhou. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Fatty can¡¯t even tell a horse from a donkey?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure¡­ Fatty used to¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Old Master Su cleared his throat heavily. Only then did everyone remember that they were facing the three tyrants of the Su family. Recently, the three tyrants of the Su family rarely came out to extort money, making them relax their vigilance gradually. The villagers stopped talking, but their eyes were still filled with surprise. Father Su quickly walked to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s side and asked in a low voice, ¡°Daughter, did you really treat a donkey as a horse?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said frankly, ¡°No, I know it¡¯s a donkey.¡± Father Su was stunned. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to buy a horse? Why did you buy a donkey?¡± ¡°Horse? Yes, there is one.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Old Master Su¡¯s eyes lit up! He raised his chin proudly at the villagers. ¡°Did you hear that? My daughter said it! She bought a horse!¡± With that, he looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Daughter, where¡¯s the horse?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Here.¡± Father Su asked, ¡°Where?¡± The villagers also craned their necks and kept looking behind the ox cart. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three cute little ones and reached out to gently remove the big blanket that they were surrounding. Under the blanket was a dying foal. Its eyes seemed to be unable to focus. Father Su was dumbfounded! Indeed, it confirmed a saying: You will be struck by lightning if you act tough! Madam Zhou was amused. ¡°This is a newborn horse calf, right? Aiyo, Fat Lass, why did you buy this to play with? You can¡¯t keep it alive!¡± Aunt Wu also shook her head and sighed. ¡°Yes, it looks like it¡¯s about to collapse.¡± The daughter-in-law of the Sun family said, ¡°Fatty, after all this time, you¡¯re still a fool! This is at least 10 taels of silver!¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°10 taels! Who are you looking down on? My sister spent 40 taels!¡± ¡°With forty taels¡­ You bought a little horse calf that can¡¯t be kept alive?¡± Madam Zhou was about to faint from laughter. She was doing business, delivering babies, and treating illnesses. The villagers were all saying that Fatty Su was capable, but looking at her today, she was clearly still that stupid girl who knew nothing! The villagers had similar thoughts as Madam Zhou. They also felt that Fatty Su had wasted her money. The Su family, which had been holding their heads high in the morning, had once again become the laughingstock of the village. Madam Wu walked over silently and secretly pinched Liu Ping. She said in a low voice, ¡°How did you help Daya choose a horse? Why did you choose a horse calf?¡± Liu Ping cried out in his heart that he had been wronged. He had tried to persuade her, but Daya insisted on buying it. There was nothing he could do, right? After all, he had no say over Daya. Su Xiaoxiao said to Madam Zhou, ¡°Aunt Zhou, don¡¯t worry. I promise to fatten it up!¡± Just because others couldn¡¯t raise a young horse didn¡¯t mean that she couldn¡¯t either! If she didn¡¯t even have this bit of confidence, how could she have paid for it? ¡°Alright, alright, disperse, disperse!¡± Father Su dispersed the villagers. The villagers left, but none of them believed that Su Xiaoxiao could raise the horse calf. ¡ª After Madam Zhou returned, the first thing she did was gossip about Fatty Su¡¯s stupid actions to Madam Fang and her daughters. A few women sat in Su Yuniang¡¯s room. Su Yuniang was feeding the child. After recuperating according to Fatty Su¡¯s prescription for a few days, her vitality had recovered a lot, and she had milk, but not much. During the day, she would carry it to Old Li¡¯s house and ask Madam Zhao to help feed it a few times. At night, she would feed it herself. Su Jinniang said, ¡°In this weather, foals can¡¯t be raised alive. Unfortunately, that¡¯s 40 taels of silver.¡± Although she said it was a pity, her tone was clearly gloating. ¡°She¡¯s only been in business for a month and she¡¯s already earning forty taels¡­¡± Madam Fang¡¯s focus was not on the horse. It was rare for Su Yuniang not to speak up for Fatty Su because even she thought that Fatty Su had made a loss. Adult horses were expensive, easily costing 70 to 80 taels of silver. This was only an ordinary breed. Good horses were hard to come by. It seemed cheap to buy a horse for 40 taels, but it was a foal that could not be raised. Madam Zhou could not hide her mockery and added insult to injury. ¡°She said that she wanted to buy it to pull the goods! I think she probably lost all her capital! A girl should stay at home! Who¡¯s like her, who shows her face all day long and even learns to do business like a man? Now, she¡¯s lost everything!¡± Su Yuniang frowned. ¡°Mom,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well. I want to sleep.¡± Mdm Fang said, ¡°Ah, okay. Then we¡¯ll go out first.¡± ¡ª Liu Ping drove the ox cart to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s house. Old Li and the village head also came over. The two of them did not watch the commotion at the village entrance mainly because they cared about Su Xiaoxiao. However, now that there was no one else around, there were some things that they had to say. ¡°Daya, why did you buy a foal?¡± The village head asked. The three little ones raised their heads and looked at Su Xiaoxiao. Chapter 105 ? 105 Unity They were the ones who wanted to bring the foal home, but along the way, everyone pointed at it. They felt like they had done something wrong. ¡°Mom.¡± The three of them looked at one another uneasily. Su Xiaoxiao patted the three of them on the head. ¡°Be good. The horse is very good. Mom likes it very much.¡± After a pause, Su Xiaoxiao felt that this might not be enough and added. ¡°I like the foal as much as I like you.¡± The three of them hurriedly shook their heads! She had to like Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu the most! Su Xiaoxiao understood and burst out laughing. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I like Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu the most.¡± As she spoke, she carried the three of them down one by one. ¡°Go find Daddy. Grandpa and Uncle will carry the foal in.¡± The three of them obediently went. Su Xiaoxiao smiled at the village head and said, ¡°I like it, so I bought it.¡± The village head was not stupid. He sighed and said, ¡°The children like it, right? Sigh, you¡¯re too indulgent.¡± His thoughts were similar to those of Liu Ping. Even his own children were not so spoiled. If the child cried and refused to give up, he would just hit him a few times. How could anyone really dote on the children like this? Their views were different, so Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t argue with the village head. Moreover, the three little ones were not children who only wanted things. Even if she did not buy it today, they would definitely not cry. However, their young hearts might always have a regret that could not be filled. If the silver was gone, she could earn it again. Their childhood could not be restarted. She hoped that she could protect the pure kindness in their hearts. Old Li removed the blanket and checked the foal. He was the only one in the village who raised cows. Although he had never raised a horse, he was still more experienced than ordinary people. He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s a premature foal, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± The village head was shocked. It was fine if it was a weaned foal, but it was actually born prematurely? No wonder it looked so weak and small! ¡°Can it still live?¡± He asked Old Li. Old Li shook his head. ¡°A foal needs to drink milk for the first two months. At the very least, it has to drink milk for a month. A foal without milk won¡¯t grow up, let alone one who hasn¡¯t had milk.¡± ¡°Aiyo, Heavens!¡± When the village head thought about how Daya had spent 40 taels of silver to buy this, he felt sorry for her. ¡°Can you find another horse to feed it?¡± he asked Old Li. Old Li sighed. ¡°We have to find it.¡± There were very few horses giving birth in the winter. If this foal was not born prematurely, it should have been born at the beginning of spring next month. Moreover, this was the countryside. No one raised horses. The last hope in the village head¡¯s heart was shattered. He looked at Daya sympathetically, not knowing what to say to comfort her. Su Xiaoxiao knew in her heart that the village head and Old Li were not here to ridicule her. They were sincerely thinking in her interest. She said seriously, ¡°Village Head, Uncle Li, don¡¯t worry. I can raise it.¡± She did not say how she would raise it. The two of them naturally did not believe her, but the more they said, the sadder she would be. They comforted her and left with sighs. Father Su¡¯s heart was bleeding. However, he had to raise the foal her daughter bought. He went to tidy up the pigpen aggrievedly. There were no pigs at home. The pigpen was used as a woodshed and would be occupied by the foal in the future. It probably wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep in it for long. Should he¡­ or dig a hole in the forest behind? Su Ergou didn¡¯t know how to raise horses and didn¡¯t know that the foal couldn¡¯t be raised. Anyway, he would believe whatever his sister said! Wei Ting walked out with his walking stick. He looked at the foal that Su Ergou had carried to the pigpen¡­ It should be called a stable now¡­ and then at Su Xiaoxiao, who had walked into the house with her head held high. He was about to speak. Su Xiaoxiao extended her chubby hand and gestured for him to stop. ¡°Stop! I know what you want to say! Swallow it back!¡± Wei Ting snorted and went to the kitchen coldly. Fine, she wouldn¡¯t let him say it. Don¡¯t regret it. Although Father Su usually slacked off in farming and assembly line work, he did not hesitate to pack up the stables. He had no choice. He could not bear to let his daughter do such dirty work. After cleaning up, he was sweating. All parents in the world dote on their children. Su Xiaoxiao could buy a foal for the three little ones, and Father Su could fix a stable for his daughter without any complaints. Even if he had to personally bury this foal in a few days. After finally tidying up the stable, Wei Ting walked over and said, ¡°Dad, a newborn foal is afraid of the cold. This place is open. The wind and snow are strong. It will freeze.¡± Old Master Su looked pained. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Su Ergou hugged the foal and said, ¡°Dad, if we don¡¯t raise it in the backyard, where should we raise it?¡± Of the four rooms at home, only Wei Ting¡¯s original room was empty. Wei Ting said, ¡°We still need to prepare some grass. Fresh wheatgrass is the best. If there¡¯s no wheatgrass, dry grass is fine.¡± It was not enough for Father Su to move all the withered grass in the house, so he went to Old Li¡¯s house to request some. ¡°Liu Ping, you know woodwork. Coincidentally, help me repair the bamboo bed¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao came to the door of the small east room and halfway through her sentence, her throat was stuck. ¡°Sister, move aside!¡± Su Ergou carried the remains of the bamboo bed out of the house and threw it into the backyard. He raised the axe and hacked! ¡°Hey, it can burn for days!¡± Su Ergou was very satisfied. Su Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She said to Liu Ping with a fake smile, ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble you.¡± ¡­. Now that the cub¡¯s residence was settled, feeding it was the next priority. Although she guessed that the rice soup wouldn¡¯t work, Su Xiaoxiao still made a bowl to try. Indeed, the little horse was not interested at all. She could only get some milk for it to drink. The three men at home were tidying up the dried grass for the little foal. Su Xiaoxiao blinked and quietly returned to the small east room. She had to think of a way to enter the pharmacy. Surprisingly, she entered smoothly this time! Uh¡­ she was a little flattered. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t dare to delay. The trigger mechanism of the pharmacy was too strange. She was afraid that if she was a little slower, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take anything. She first grabbed the token on the table. She had to bring this out no matter what. Then, she arrived at the neonatology department¡¯s area. What was worth mentioning was that when she passed by the Orthopedics Department¡¯s special area, she obediently didn¡¯t take the bone-strengthening pills. She found the milk powder counter in the second row. Su Xiaoxiao chose three cans of goat¡¯s first milk powder developed by the base and took a milk bottle with a cross mouth. She paused, then thought of something and tentatively took another. Seeing that she was not kicked out, she took two more! When she left the pharmacy and returned to the small east room, she had three big jars of milk powder and four cute little milk bottles in her arms! She happily went to make milk powder and touched her purse. Only to find that the token had been seized by the pharmacy! Indeed, there was a price to pay for taking advantage of others! ¡ª At night, Su Yuniang¡¯s ten-year-old brother came to look for Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°My sister isn¡¯t feeling well. She asked you to take a look at her.¡± Su Xiaoxiao went. Su Yuniang was very comfortable. Her face was rosy, and her pulse was normal. Su Xiaoxiao retracted her hand. ¡°Aren¡¯t you fine?¡± Su Yuniang did not answer. Instead, she asked, ¡°What are you thinking? Do you have too much money to spend?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Yes, I have to thank you for the five taels of consultation fee.¡± Su Yuniang glared at her. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to sell your horse for you. You won¡¯t be able to sell it for forty taels. Let¡¯s see if you can sell it for ten or twenty taels.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t expect Su Yuniang to tell her this. They were both daughters of the Su family, but Su Yuniang was much more honest than Su Jinniang. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it can¡¯t be raised? Who will buy it?¡± Su Yuniang tucked the child beside her. ¡°There are always some people who are stupid and rich.¡± Su Xiaoxiao suspected Su Yuniang was implying at her with that statement. ¡°I appreciate your kindness. I shall raise my own horse.¡± She thought of something and said, ¡°Su Yuniang, didn¡¯t I fight with you when we were young?¡± Su Yuniang glanced at her. ¡°Why? Do you still want to fight?¡± Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand. ¡°I won¡¯t bully you since you¡¯re having your confinement! Besides, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t win! Alright, let¡¯s forget about the past!¡± With that, she reached out to Su Yuniang. Was this¡­ a handshake? Su Yuniang hesitated for a moment before placing her hand on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s chubby hand. Su Xiaoxiao frowned strangely. ¡°What?¡± Su Yuniang¡¯s eyelashes trembled. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s consultation fee!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said righteously. ¡°I took your pulse!¡± Su Yuniang was speechless! Chapter 106 ? 106 Tempted The entire village was waiting to see Fatty Su make a fool of herself. However, after a day, the little horse did not die. Two days passed, but the little horse was not dead. Three days later, the little horse stood up! The news came from Niudan. As a frenemy of the three little ones, Niudan obtained a chance to feed the foal after being bullied to tears again. ¡°It stood up as it ate!¡± Some villagers did not believe him and personally went to the Su family to take a look. In the end, they realized that the little horse could not only stand, but also walk around! Although it was walking shakily, it looked much more energetic than it did a few days ago! At least it was no longer half-dead! The village head exclaimed, ¡°Daya really¡­ reared it to life.¡± Fatty Su used her capability to slap some villagers¡¯ faces again. Madam Zhou, who was gloating and gossiping everywhere, did not dare to say anything. In the blink of an eye, it was the 15th day of the first lunar month. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s business would officially open tomorrow. However, because she had spent all her savings on buying a horse and a donkey, Su Xiaoxiao was so poor that she could not even afford the ingredients. The ingredients for making pancakes at home could only last for another two days¡­ Su Xiaoxiao scratched her head angrily! Sigh, why did she buy a horse? ¡°Daya, are you there?¡± Father Su¡¯s voice came from outside the door. Su Xiaoxiao closed the account book and regained her composure. ¡°Yes, Dad. Come in.¡± Old Master Su entered the room and gave her a brand-new money bag. ¡°Dad, what are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have anywhere to spend it. Take it,¡± Father Su said. There was a total of 5 taels of silver inside. Su Xiaoxiao had given it to Father Su. Old Master Su was very stingy and did not spend a single cent. No, he spent 10 copper coins to buy a stick of candied hawthorn for the three little ones. Su Xiaoxiao held the money bag in her hand and felt a warmth reach her heart, making her nose sting. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Father Su waved his hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to sleep. You should sleep early too.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Father Su¡¯s back and said seriously, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll earn a lot of money! I¡¯ll turn your 5 taels into 500 taels! 5,000 taels!¡± Father Su was amused. 5,000 taels? It was already not bad for her to not lose money. However, this was his biological daughter. She had to be pampered even if she was a prodigal! At night, Su Yuniang¡¯s little brother came again. He secretly handed Su Xiaoxiao a pouch and looked around. He said in a low voice, ¡°My sister said that this is not a consultation fee. It¡¯s a loan to you. You have to return it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao opened the pouch and saw two ingots worth 5 taels of silver. Su Yuniang was really a rich woman! ¡­. The next day, Su Xiaoxiao woke up early. Madam Wu and Liu Ping came over before dawn. Today, Madam Wu was mainly responsible for separating the yolk and white of the salted duck eggs. The salted egg white that had been marinated was still flowing in a liquid state, while the egg yolk had solidified, so it was not difficult to separate. She only needed to knock a small hole in the eggshell and pour out the egg white. In order to increase efficiency, Su Xiaoxiao made a simple shelf and evenly lined it up. Every time, she only needed to knock a small hole in the eggshell and place it upside down on each compartment to let the egg white flow down smoothly and drip into the jar below. The filtered salted egg white naturally could not be wasted. It could be used to marinate meat, stir-fry vegetables, cook porridge, and so on. Jin Ji wanted salted egg yolk, which saved Su Xiaoxiao a process. Su Xiaoxiao also made a compartment to store the salted egg yolk and spread bamboo leaves at the bottom. These squares were designed by Su Xiaoxiao and made by Liu Ping. They were just right. It had to be said that Liu Ping¡¯s skills were really good. ¡°Sister, aren¡¯t you going to do the snack business today?¡± Su Ergou asked as he sorted the egg yolk with a spoon. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Not today.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou smacked his lips and was a little disappointed. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I¡¯m not doing the braised meat business today. The snack business will open. Hurry up and bring the chestnuts over!¡± Su Ergou¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Alright!¡± It was quite busy early in the morning. Su Xiaoxiao stirred the mung bean sand and said, ¡°Ergou, there¡¯s no sugar left. Go scoop some for me.¡± A slender jade-like hand picked up the empty sugar bowl on the stove, opened the sugar jar beside the cabinet, scooped up a large bowl of sugar, and placed it back on the stove. Su Xiaoxiao was too busy to look up. ¡°I need water. Add a ladle and a half to the pot.¡± That exquisite jade-like hand scooped up the water ladle again and gently added it to the big iron pot twice. ¡°I need¡­¡± Before she could finish her third order, the hand opened the cupboard again and took out the waking dough. Su Xiaoxiao realized that something was wrong. Su Ergou was not so calm when he worked. It was not that he was careless, but he did rush through everything! Su Xiaoxiao blinked and slowed down. She coughed lightly and said, ¡°I want to drink water. I¡¯m thirsty.¡± The hand paused and poured her a bowl of warm water. Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°My hands are not free.¡± That hand paused twice or three times before finally feeding Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and smiled. She lowered her head and took a small sip. ¡°How sweet!¡± She still wanted to drink! ¡°Brother-in-law, you¡¯re here! Eh? You¡¯re feeding my sister water!¡± A certain someone¡¯s hand trembled and gave Su Xiaoxiao a big gulp! Not only did Su Xiaoxiao choke, but the water was also splashed all over her face. She bristled. ¡°Su, Er, Gou!¡± ¡­. Su Xiaoxiao went to change her clothes with a dark expression. Su Ergou said to Wei Ting, ¡°Why should my sister be angry? You didn¡¯t splash it on her, right?¡± Then, Wei Ting glanced at him and left without saying a word. ¡­. When it was almost dawn, the snacks and salted egg yolk were all loaded onto the donkey cart. The donkey was bought five days ago. The small cart that was loaded at the back was made by Liu Ping. Su Ergou also contributed a lot. Before leaving, Su Xiaoxiao told Liu Ping and Madam Wu about their salary. Initially, she had given Madam Wu 20 copper coins a day. Now that the workload had increased and the working hours had lengthened, Su Xiaoxiao mentioned 2,000 copper coins a month, which was two taels of silver. Liu Ping¡¯s monthly allowance was also two taels. Initially, Madam Wu felt that 20 copper coins were too much. Now, it had actually increased to 20 taels! Liu Ping was also stunned. His wife had told him that Daya would not treat them badly, but he had never thought that he would be able to take so much! When he worked hard in town and ate rice and steamed buns, he only brought back one tael a month at most. Although he had a lot of work to do with Daya, he had water to drink when he was thirsty, food to eat when he was hungry, and rest when he was tired. Not only would Daya not scold him, but she would also not deduct his salary. He said seriously, ¡°Daya, half a tael is enough! I feel bad if you give me too much! You¡¯ve helped our family so much. I can¡¯t ask for so much!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Brother Liu, you don¡¯t have to feel bad.¡± Hiring Liu Ping was equivalent to hiring a delivery man and a carpenter. The salary of two taels of silver was not high. She had yet to mention the reward. She smiled and said, ¡°Brother Liu, work hard with Sister Xiao Wu. I won¡¯t treat you badly.¡± Liu Ping naturally believed it! After interacting with her for a while, he could tell that although Daya was a woman, her ability and breadth of mind were way ahead of many men! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the market first.¡± On the first day, Su Xiaoxiao wanted to show Liu Ping the way and meet Luo Dazhuang and Shen Chuan. In the future, she would leave the market and the academy to Liu Ping. She and Su Ergou would focus on setting up a stall at the entrance of Jin Ji. ¡ª After Su Xiaoxiao and the other two set off, Wei Ting also walked out with his walking stick. It was early and there were not many people in the village. No one noticed him. He tried to walk as quietly as possible as he walked towards the official road. ¡­. Luo Dazhuang had been waiting at the market for a long time. His parents hoped that he would rest at home for a few more days and come out to set up the stall when there were more people. But who asked him to agree to that little village girl? During the new year, the matchmaker came to tell him about a few girls. He was not very satisfied and the face of the little village girl kept flashing across his mind. He had been here for two hours, but there was no sign of the little village girl. The village girl had probably forgotten her agreement with him today. To think that he had left her high-grade plum blossom meat. ¡°Dazhuang!¡± Su Xiaoxiao came to the stall and waved her hand in front of his eyes. She asked, ¡°Why are you in a daze? A customer is looking for you to buy meat!¡± Luo Dazhuang came back to his senses and glanced at Su Xiaoxiao and the aunt who had been waiting for a long time. ¡°You want two pounds of pork ribs? I¡¯ll¡­ Aiya! Who are you!¡± He suddenly realized that something was wrong with the little girl he had just glanced at. She was different from before! He looked at Su Xiaoxiao again! Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Dazhuang?¡± Luo Dazhuang felt like he had seen a fairy. After not seeing her for a month, Su Xiaoxiao changed a lot. Although she had not lost much weight, the lines of her face appeared, making her facial features look defined and three-dimensional. Her skin went from rough yellow skin to a smooth girlish complexion. This was a visible whitening and beauty. Luo Dazhuang covered his chest. Phew, his heart was beating so fast! ¡°Are you selling meat? If not, I¡¯m leaving!¡± The auntie was getting impatient. ¡°Sell, sell, two catties, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up the bone knife on the chopping board and chopped two catties of pork ribs. She used a string of dumpling leaves to hand the pork to the auntie. ¡°I¡¯ll charge you 30 copper coins for the business!¡± The aunt paid in satisfaction and left with the ribs. Luo Dazhuang¡¯s heart was pounding! The way she chopped her ribs just now was filled with the aura of a butcher! Su Ergou said, ¡°Sister, I want to eat pork ribs tonight!¡± ¡°Alright, five catties.¡± Su Xiaoxiao lowered her head and took out her wallet. ¡°No charge. It¡¯s for you!¡± Luo Dazhuang said arrogantly and began to chop ribs. Su Ergou added, ¡°Brother-in-law likes to eat it too!¡± Luo Dazhuang: ¡°A hundred copper coins!¡± Chapter 107 - 107 Popularity (1) 107 Popularity (1) Su Xiaoxiao introduced Liu Ping to Luo Dazhuang. In the future, Liu Ping would deliver and pick up the goods. The settlement was still once a day, which was requested by Luo Dazhuang. Luo Dazhuang was a conservative businessman. Su Xiaoxiao understood this and did not find it troublesome. Su Xiaoxiao bought a total of ten catties of pork ribs, ten catties of plum blossom meat, two large pig trotters, and two sets of pig offal. Su Xiaoxiao handed the money bag to Liu Ping and asked him to pay the bill. She also gave Luo Dazhuang a bag of steaming snacks. After being trashed again, Luo Dazhuang handed Su Xiaoxiao a pig brain expressionlessly. From now on, they would not owe each other anything! After leaving the market, Su Xiaoxiao led Liu Ping to Jin Ji. Liu Ping had worked in town for many years and was familiar with the roads. He mainly recognized people. It was Liu Ping¡¯s first time at Jin Ji. To be precise, it was his first time entering Jin Ji. He had passed by it many times in the past, but unfortunately, he did not dare to and could not enter. ¡°Jin Ji is so big.¡± Liu Ping looked at the decorated hall and deeply felt that he had learned something from his Daya. There were a few new faces in Jin Ji. Su Xiaoxiao did not see Manager Sun. The person who came to contact them was a man surnamed He, who was in his early thirties. Su Xiaoxiao heard the waiter call him Manager He. ¡°You are¡­¡± Manager He frowned as he looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who was dressed like a village girl, and Liu Ping, who had patches on his shoes. ¡°It¡¯s Miss Su, right?¡± A waiter in the kitchen quickly walked over and smiled at Su Xiaoxiao. He said to Manager He, ¡°They¡¯re here to deliver the goods. It¡¯s the business that Manager Sun decided on previously.¡± Manager He frowned again and sized Su Xiaoxiao up. He had no intention of interacting with Su Xiaoxiao and left arrogantly. The assistant said amiably, ¡°Miss Su, have you brought the goods?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I brought them. They¡¯re outside.¡± The assistant said, ¡°Please send them to the kitchen.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± After Manager He returned to the counter, he said something to the waiter beside him. The waiter walked over and scolded Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Take the back door! Don¡¯t offend the guests in the lobby!¡± Even a fool could tell that he was looking down on her. The assistant smiled awkwardly. ¡°Miss Su, are we¡­ going through the back door?¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t take it to heart, the assistant heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Where did your Manager Sun go?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The assistant opened his mouth. ¡°He¡­ went to find another job. Miss Su, don¡¯t worry. The business that was originally decided won¡¯t change. It¡¯s still as much as it should be.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t ask further. Liu Ping moved the 100 salted egg yolks to the kitchen and left four grid boards for the egg yolks. She would bring new ones over tomorrow and bring the old ones back. This was the first time the chefs had seen such a box containing egg yolk. They were all extremely curious. This way of storing egg yolks was fine. The egg yolks would not fall off and were not easy to break. It was convenient. ¡°Where did you buy it, young man?¡± an elderly chef asked. Liu Ping said, ¡°My boss taught me.¡± The chef said again, ¡°Your boss is¡­ ¡± Liu Ping pointed at the layers of salted egg yolk and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s Miss Su, who supplies you!¡± Everyone was enlightened and shocked. They originally thought that the girl was just good at cooking, but they did not expect her to be so skilled. The design of this grid¡­ was amazing! If they had such a slot, how many eggs could they save from breakage every day? ¡°Can you make us a few too? It¡¯s not for nothing!¡± ¡°This¡­ I have to ask the boss.¡± Liu Ping came out and told Su Xiaoxiao that the chef wanted the egg grids. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let them find a carpenter to make it themselves. Anyway, the grid has been left for them. The carpenter should be able to make it after seeing it.¡± It was not that she did not want to earn this money, but it was not worth it. Woodworking in town was not expensive. They could not sell it for much money and it was time-consuming. There was no such thing as applying for a patent in ancient times. Liu Ping said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go tell them!¡± On the other side, Su Ergou looked at the donkey cart as he placed the snacks out. Now that they had a small cart, they didn¡¯t have to hang the tray around their necks and sell it like before. In his sister¡¯s words, they already had a cart! Even though the stall was just a small cart¡ª Su Ergou¡¯s enthusiasm soared. He grinned and revealed the first commercial smile of the new year! ¡°I¡¯m selling¡­ pancakes!¡± ¡°Look, look! The wife pancakes are out!¡± Chapter 108 - 108 Popularity (2) 108 Popularity (2) More than ten customers who were queuing up at Jin Ji were shouted at by Su Ergou! These were all old customers. They had eaten the pancakes sold by the siblings and felt they were much better than the pancakes sold in Jin Ji. It was just that they did not sell a lot every day. If they came late, it was very likely that they would not be able to snatch them. ¡°There are also wife pancakes in Jin Ji,¡± a guest who still chose to queue said. ¡°I wonder if the things those country bumpkins sell are clean. What if I get sick from eating them?¡± A young master said, ¡°That¡¯s right. If you eat snacks from Jin Ji, you can live for 200 years!¡± The customer wanted to scold this kid for speaking like this, but when he saw that the other party was a scholar, he closed his mouth. Shen Chuan snorted and opened his fan. He no longer queued for the Jin Ji and swaggered to the line of authentic wife pancakes. ¡°Give me five red bean fillings!¡± ¡°I want two green beans! Two red beans!¡± ¡°Do you have egg yolk pastries?¡± ¡°Chestnut cake! Chestnut cake! Chestnut cake!¡± ¡°Do you have any wife pancakes with chestnut filling today? Leave a few for me! Don¡¯t sell them all later!¡± The siblings only sold 100 pancakes at the stall. All the regular customers knew that they had to snatch the pancakes. Otherwise, they would be gone! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t squeeze. You can buy it since we made a hundred more today.¡± ¡°I want two of the dried plums!¡± said a young woman. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t make any dried plum vegetables today. There¡¯s a new flavor. Do you want to try it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao cut a small piece of meat floss pancake and handed it to her. The woman took it and gave the child a bite before eating the rest herself. The mother and daughter liked it very much. The little girl said, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want those with dried plum vegetables anymore. I want this!¡± ¡°Let me try it too!¡± An auntie said. ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao cut a little for her and the guests in front. After everyone tasted it, they were as stunned as ever. Indeed, the snacks sold by this pair of siblings had never disappointed anyone! The aunt asked, ¡°It¡¯s different from the pancakes you sold previously. Is this also a wife pancake? What filling is it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and looked at Su Ergou. Su Ergou straightened his back and said proudly, ¡°This is Ergou Pancake!¡± Ergou Pancake? Was it the Ergou they understood? Why did they come up with such a strange name? It was too old-fashioned! However, the taste was really superb! The salty and sweet taste was different from the smooth texture of the dried plum vegetables. It was rustling and soft, and the more one chewed, the more fragrant it became! Its crust was also softer, giving off a gentle and plump feeling, making people subconsciously bite it gently. Oh my god, how could someone make pancakes that were so delicious? ¡°Give me ten!¡± A young man said. ¡°I want ten too!¡± The auntie behind him said. ¡°Fifteen!¡± ¡°Twenty!¡± Wait, you haven¡¯t asked for the price! Had she become so rich after the new year? The meat floss pancakes were priced higher than the wife pancakes. Firstly, the process was more complicated, and secondly, the cost price was higher. The honey date meat pancake cost 15 copper coins, and the salted egg yolk meat floss pancake cost 25 copper coins. This price was definitely not economical. Liu Ping was shocked when he heard it at first. He estimated that they could only sell half of what they had at most. However, he only went to the kitchen to pass a message. When he came back, he was dumbfounded! Did they arrange the wrong place for setting up the stall? Jin Ji was beside them! Su Ergou¡¯s hands went weak from receiving the copper coins. People kept handing them to him, and those that couldn¡¯t reach him stuffed them into his arms. ¡°Aiyaya! Don¡¯t snatch, don¡¯t snatch! Line up!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°Howl! Who pinched my butt!¡± Su Ergou was in chaos! Su Xiaoxiao methodically wrapped snacks for the guest. Her movements were smooth and her memory was amazing. There was no mistake. ¡°Sir, your three chestnut cakes.¡± ¡°Little brother, your five Ergou pancakes.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, limited to five per person.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wrap it up for you immediately. It¡¯s a total of 120 copper coins.¡± Liu Ping was dumbfounded. His wife had mentioned to him that Daya¡¯s business was very good. She could sell all the pancakes she made every day. However, selling the goods in one day was considered sold out; so was selling them in one hour. The queue was almost longer than the one at the entrance of Jin Ji! Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that this was the real stall of Jin Ji. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t get to the wrong place¡ªJin Ji is here! The snacks are about to be served! They¡¯re not selling Jin Ji¡¯s snacks outside! Jin Ji doesn¡¯t set up roadside stalls!¡± It was a newcomer from Jin Ji. He was likely Manager He¡¯s trusted aide. When he came out and saw that many of the customers in line had been snatched, he thought that the other party was an imposter, so he shouted. An auntie carrying a basket retorted with her hands on her hips, ¡°I love buying from a roadside stall!¡± Everyone laughed out loud! ¡°Yes, didn¡¯t they buy from the siblings¡¯ roadside stall?¡± ¡°Where did this fool come from?¡± ¡°And the wrong one?¡¯ Even if you went the wrong way, we won¡¯t!¡± The snacks from Jin Ji were also out, but none of Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou¡¯s customers were snatched away. Not only that, Su Xiaoxiao clearly felt that many of the guests this time were stewards or servants of big families. This meant that her customer base had risen to another level. She was about to enter a new market. This was definitely the biggest surprise of the new year! It was not until the 200 pancakes were sold out that the customers returned to line up at Jin Ji. Such a situation would not have happened a month ago. When Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou just set up the stall, the customers couldn¡¯t buy snacks from Jin Ji, so they came to buy snacks from the siblings. Liu Ping was shocked. Was he really seeing things just now? He had been in town for a few years, but he had never seen anyone snatch business from Jin Ji like this. It was just a roadside stall! ¡°Give me a few pancakes. Any flavor will do.¡± ¡°Sorry, they¡¯re sold out. Come back tomorrow.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there three more beside you?¡± ¡°Those are for my brother.¡± Three live eating broadcasts were Su Ergou¡¯s standard. Business was too good today. He hadn¡¯t had time to eat. Su Xiaoxiao remembered that she wouldn¡¯t sell his share of happiness. Wait, this voice¡­ Chapter 109 - 109 Commanders Seal (1) 109 Commander¡¯s Seal (1) Su Xiaoxiao looked up. ¡°Shen Chuan?¡± Shen Chuan said, ¡°You¡¯re a busy person now! Your business is getting bigger and bigger. Don¡¯t forget me!¡± ¡°Thanks to you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled slightly. She thought of something and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to study in the prefecture capital before the New Year? When are you leaving?¡± Shen Chuan sighed. ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took in his expression and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to want to go.¡± Shen Chuan waved his fan helplessly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same studying anywhere? My father teaches well.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books. Dean Shen probably wants you to go out and gain experience.¡± Shen Chuan closed his fan. ¡°What you said makes sense. Thinking about it this way, I¡¯m not so against going to the prefecture capital! Moreover, the prefecture capital is not far. I can get there in a day if I ride fast. I can come back in ten days.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had always heard in the village that the prefecture capital was as far as it was. It took ten days to half a month to walk. It turned out that it only took a day by carriage. This was probably the difference in resources between prodigies and ordinary people. Shen Chuan patted his fan. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t get to eat your snacks!¡± Actually, he could have queued up, but after hesitating for a moment, he gave way to the customer behind him several times. He hoped that her business would improve. He hoped that her snacks would be eaten by more customers. However, he regretted it now. If he had known¡­ he would have let one less guest move ahead of him. ¡°Here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a bag of snacks from the basket. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sold out?¡± Shen Chuan asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We¡¯re sold out, but this is not for sale. It¡¯s a gift for my friend.¡± This little girl could always surprise people. Shen Chuan happily took the snack and looked at Su Xiaoxiao a few more times. Just now, Su Xiaoxiao was surrounded by people, so he couldn¡¯t see her clearly. Now that he was closer, he realized that Miss Su seemed different from before. She¡­ looked better. How could a scholar like him comment on a girl¡¯s appearance in his heart? It was very rude! Shen Chuan was mainly here to say goodbye to Su Xiaoxiao today. He had originally planned to go to her house, but when he thought about how she was already married, he was worried that he would cause many misunderstandings if he frequented her house. Speaking of which, why was she married? ¡°I almost forgot when I was talking to you. Young Master Xiang asked me to ask you if he needs to continue taking his medicine after eating it. If you¡¯re free, can you go to the Academy to do a follow-up for him?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go over later.¡± Shen Chuan still had to say goodbye to his other classmates and took his leave first. Liu Ping brought the donkey over and closed the stall with the siblings. Suddenly, a waiter from Jin Ji walked over with a dark expression. He said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to sell snacks here anymore!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. He pointed at the ground with his nose. ¡°This is Jin Ji¡¯s territory! Jin Ji has the final say!¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°We didn¡¯t sell it at the entrance of Jin Ji!¡± The assistant threatened, ¡°You can¡¯t go anywhere near Jin Ji! Otherwise, you¡¯ll be chased out every time we see you!¡± Su Ergou put the unfinished pancake back into the paper bag and rolled up his sleeves, showing his true colors as a bully. ¡°Who are you chasing away? Say it again if you have the guts!¡± ¡°Ergou, come back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao called out to Su Ergou. Su Ergou gritted his teeth and glared at the assistant before returning to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s side. Seeing that the two of them did not attack him, the assistant treated it as if the two of them were afraid. He sneered and flicked his sleeve. ¡°You¡¯re on your own! Don¡¯t let me see you again!¡± Su Ergou said gloomily, ¡°Sister! Why didn¡¯t you let me beat him up? Even if they came seven or eight more times like last time, I wouldn¡¯t have lost!¡± He had learned a few moves from his brother-in-law! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No need.¡± Liu Ping advised, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s just an errand boy. It¡¯s useless for you to beat him up.¡± Su Ergou said angrily, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go beat up Manager Sun!¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Manager Sun. After Manager Sun left, there is a new manager whose surname is He. He should have brought that assistant over just now. He looks unfamiliar.¡± Su Ergou muttered, ¡°What is Jin Ji doing? Why did they suddenly change the shopkeeper? The new person is even worse than Shopkeeper Sun!¡± At the very least, Manager Sun had never chased them away. It was not that Manager Sun was very kind. When he forced them to sell the formula, Manager Sun had also used some dishonorable methods. Chapter 110 - 110 Commanders Seal (2) 110 Commander¡¯s Seal (2) However, this new Shopkeeper He was even more arrogant and unscrupulous than Shopkeeper Sun, and he did not take the vendors on the streets seriously. The matter of saving the child had long been forgotten. Now that it was rarely mentioned, even if Jin Ji really chased her, the ¡°big hero¡±, away, they would not receive much abuse. It was said that the business world was like a battlefield. Competition was a life-and-death relationship. Moreover, a new position holder would be eager to prove his worth. Manager He would not follow Manager Sun¡¯s rules. He wanted to set his own rules. Liu Ping sighed secretly. Just now, he was still amazed at how well Daya¡¯s business was doing. Who knew that she would get into big trouble with Jin Ji? If they could not set up a stall near Jin Ji, the customers they had painstakingly accumulated would be lost. Daya must be very sad, right? Liu Ping looked at Su Xiaoxiao, but to his surprise, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression was very calm. Su Xiaoxiao was indeed not too shocked. From the day she decided to set up a stall near Jin Ji, she had expected this day. If they did not want to attract the attention of Jin Ji, they could only run an unsuccessful business. Once their business became popular, it would definitely cause Jin Ji to chase them away. In the past, Manager Sun did not chase her away. Other than the fact that she was still in the limelight when she saved Jin Ji¡¯s customer, the other two reasons were that she did not sell much and did not snatch many high-quality customers. Today, several big families visited her small stall. The old customers of Jin Ji were disappearing. Even if Manager Sun was here, he might not be able to sit still. In a way, their business was really popular. It was so popular that even Jin Ji was jealous. In Madam Li¡¯s words, this was not a bad thing. It was a precious whetstone that could hone her abilities. If she could survive it, she would be able to soar! If she couldn¡¯t take it, she could only lie back on the ground and continue to be a pile of mud! Madam Li came from a rural family and went to work in society before graduating from junior high. Her grandmother had told her many stories about Madam Li¡¯s bumpy journey. She said that Madam Li had slept on the streets, eaten rotten steamed buns, been a cleaner, sold bento boxes, been threatened by her peers, and been splashed with dog blood by her competitors¡­ She had even been stabbed and hospitalized¡­ She looked at Madam Li, who was dressed in jewelry and was even more elegant than a wealthy lady. She felt that her grandmother was making up a story to make her feel more sorry for Madam Li. But she was a child. Why should her heart ache for adults? Madam Li didn¡¯t even feel sorry for herself! From the looks of it, Granny might not be exaggerating. The bumps that ordinary people had to go through to start from scratch were unimaginable. However, she was not afraid. In fact, there was a hint of anticipation in her bones. Wasn¡¯t it just Jin Ji? Trying to trample her down? Dream on! ¡°Sister, are we still coming to set up the stall tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes! Why not?¡± If she had the ability to snatch Jin Ji¡¯s business with her strength, they should not think about scaring her away with a few words. She compromised this time. If she expanded her business somewhere else, she dared to bet that Jin Ji would still not let her off. Therefore, why should she back down? Liu Ping thought to himself, As expected of a bully. She was even bolder than a man. She really went against Jin Ji. He was an honest person and never caused trouble, but Daya was his benefactor. If Jin Ji¡¯s fist smashed down tomorrow, he would stand in front of Daya! ¡­. At Wutong Academy, Young Master Xiang had nothing to do. He was wearing a fox fur coat and painting in front of the window. Jing Yi sat silently at the side. The young man gave off a high-spirited feeling when he was quiet. Young Master Xiang glanced at him and glanced at his right hand. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t given away the brocade bag yet?¡± Jing Yi¡¯s hand that was playing with the brocade bag paused. ¡°What did Cousin say?¡± Young Master Xiang said, ¡°Alright, can¡¯t I tell what you¡¯re thinking? You clearly wanted to give it away before the new year. Tell Cousin, did you not give it away, or did the person refuse and returned it to you?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t refuse!¡± Jing Yi said. After saying that, he realized that he had said it too quickly and said, ¡°Who said I wanted to give it away?¡± Young Master Xiang smiled and said, ¡°If you want to give it to her, so be it. When did our Young Marquis Jing become so wishy-washy? Aren¡¯t the two of you quite close? Why can¡¯t you give her a gift? Did you offend her?¡± Jing Yi said stubbornly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Cousin is talking about.¡± ¡°If you really can¡¯t send it out, I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Why should Cousin help to give my own gift?¡± ¡°You admitted it, didn¡¯t you?¡± Jing Yi wanted to say something but hesitated. After a while, he said, ¡°It¡¯s just a return gift.¡± ¡°It is only a return gift if you gave it away.¡± Young Master Xiang pointed at his heart. ¡°Whatever remains with you are just intentions.¡± ¡°Cousin, shouldn¡¯t you be worried about yourself?¡± Jing Yi decisively changed the topic. ¡°I heard that I¡¯m going to have another cousin-in-law.¡± This was the news that Hong Luan and the other two had brought back from the capital. The imperial edict had been issued. He understood that his cousin did not want to marry his betrothed. In a marriage between nobles, everyone took what they needed. While his cousin obtained military power, his in-law-to-be was also officially appointed the Duke and obtained the recognition of all the families. This was probably the meaning of this marriage. Seeing that his cousin was silent, Jing Yi regretted mentioning this topic. ¡°Do you have the whereabouts of the Commander¡¯s Seal?¡± Young Master Xiang did not want to talk about the marriage. Jing Yi said, ¡°No.¡± Young Master Xiang said, ¡°I will need to recover from my ¡®illness¡¯ one day. I can¡¯t stay in Qingzhou forever. It¡¯s best to get the Commander¡¯s Seal before I leave.¡± Jing Yi opened his mouth and asked, ¡°Cousin, is the Commander¡¯s Seal really that important?¡± Young Master Xiang continued to paint. ¡°Without the Commander¡¯s Seal, we can¡¯t touch the Wei family.¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°The entire Wei family died in battle. There is only a young son left. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± ¡°Young son?¡± Young Master Xiang smiled. ¡°You make it sound like you¡¯re older than him. He¡¯s a young talent. He was the top scholar at the provincial level by the age of 17. At the age of 18, he abandoned his studies and took up martial arts. At the age of 19, he beheaded King Hulie¡­ He can go to the battlefield and enter the court. Jing Yi, don¡¯t underestimate him.¡± Chapter 111 - 111 Harboring Love 111 Harboring Love ¡°Young Master, Miss Su is here.¡± Chang Ping reported from outside the door. Ever since Su Xiaoxiao complained about him, he didn¡¯t dare to disrespect Su Xiaoxiao in front of Young Master. Therefore, when he heard that Su Xiaoxiao was here, he immediately came over to inform Young Master. Jing Yi was slightly stunned and looked at his cousin. ¡°You asked her to come?¡± Young Master Xiang smiled and said, ¡°If I don¡¯t invite her, won¡¯t you be able to give away your gift?¡± Jing Yi frowned. Young Master Xiang sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that she has a husband.¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°It¡¯s just a thank-you gift. Cousin, are you thinking too much?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m thinking too much.¡± Young Master Xiang smiled at Jing Yi and turned to the long man. ¡°Why are you standing there? Hurry up and invite Miss Su in.¡± Chang Ping hurriedly turned around and left the courtyard. Liu Ping also followed the two of them in. In the future, he would be in charge of the academy¡¯s business. Liu Ping¡¯s mood today was like a swing¡ªbusiness was booming and he was happy! He was threatened by Jin Ji and was disappointed! Did they have business with the academy too? How shocking! To ordinary people, the academy was much more sacred than Jin Ji. It was filled with scholars. People could not enter just because they were rich. What was the saying? All things were inferior except for reading. It could be seen how respected scholars were. ¡°Miss Su, please,¡± Chang Ping said. Su Xiaoxiao followed Chang Ping to Young Master Xiang¡¯s room. Liu Ping and Su Ergou stayed in the small study. Su Ergou had probably come here to catch up on his sleep. The moment he entered the house, he started to feel sleepy. He touched his pouch. Eh? Where was his Ergou Pancake? Oh, he remembered. The last pancake had been robbed by the old man at the back door. Su Ergou smacked his lips and lay down on the chair to sleep! Liu Ping was a little uneasy. He sat upright for a moment and felt strange. He couldn¡¯t help but stand up and walk away. He looked at this vase and then at the calligraphy painting. It was unbelievable that he could enter the academy in his lifetime! ¡°You¡¯re Brother Liu, right?¡± A pageboy walked in with a smile. ¡°Ah, I am!¡± Liu Ping immediately tensed up as if he had been caught red-handed. The servant entered with a cup of tea. ¡°Brother Liu, have some tea.¡± Liu Ping hurriedly said, ¡°Ah, no, you don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± The servant said amiably, ¡°Brother Liu, you don¡¯t have to be polite with me. My young master said that we have to treat the person Miss Su brought over well. The dean has the same intention.¡± Liu Ping had just sat down when he heard this and stood up in shock. ¡°Dean?¡± The servant smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the dean¡¯s courtyard. He¡¯s teaching students now.¡± Liu Ping¡¯s legs went weak! Damn! He had entered the dean¡¯s residence! The servant said politely, ¡°Miss Su just told me that you will be the one to deliver the goods in the future. My young master is about to go to the prefecture to study. You can look for me for business. My name is Zhou Xing.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Liu Ping said, ¡°Little Brother Zhou.¡± Zhou Xing smiled and said, ¡°Brother Liu, don¡¯t be so polite. If my young master hears this, he will punish me. Brother Liu, sit for a while. I¡¯ll go check the list.¡± Zhou Xing left. Liu Ping could not calm down for a long time. It was one thing to hear that Daya had a relationship with Young Master Shen, but it was another to feel it personally. He was just a farmer. Even if the other party was a servant, he was still the dean¡¯s trusted aide. Why was he being polite to him? Wasn¡¯t it all because of her? Daya was amazing! He had followed the right person! ¡­. ¡°Your pulse is gentle and strong. It¡¯s neither floating nor sinking. Your rhythm is neat. You¡¯re recovering well. You don¡¯t have to take any more medicine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao retracted her hand. Young Master Xiang sat on the chair and lowered his elegant and exquisite cuffs with a smile. He said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Miss Su¡¯s medical skills are brilliant. You must have had an extremely good year.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t understand why he said that. Young Master Xiang smiled warmly. ¡°You look good.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought he could just praise her for becoming beautiful! Su Xiaoxiao looked around. ¡°Eh? Why don¡¯t I see Jing Yi?¡± Young Master Xiang glanced at the door from the corner of his eye and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Yes, he had been staying here all morning. When he heard that you were coming¡­ ¡± ¡°Cousin!¡± Jing Yi walked in expressionlessly and glanced at Su Xiaoxiao, who was sitting beside Young Master Xiang. ¡°Miss Su.¡± ¡°Oh, Jing Yi, you¡¯ve grown taller!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s sharp eyes noticed the change in him. Jing Yi¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°In the past, you only came up here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed at a small pattern on the door frame. ¡°Now you¡¯ve grown taller.¡± Chapter 112 - 112 Harboring Love (2) 112 Harboring Love (2) Young Master Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Miss Su is really observant of Jing Yi.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was clearly married. Logically speaking, they should call her Madam Su, but Su Xiaoxiao had been walking around as a girl, so they did not change their address. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I have a younger brother who¡¯s also growing taller.¡± Jing Yi left with a dark expression. ¡°Eh? Why did he leave?¡± Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips. ¡°You have a bad temper.¡± Young Master Xiang sighed in amusement. ¡°Sigh. Looks like he can¡¯t send it out again.¡± ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t understand. ¡°No.¡± Young Master Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Miss Su, stay for a meal. I happen to have some ingredients from the capital.¡± Su Xiaoxiao rejected politely. ¡°No, I still have something on at home. I have to go back early.¡± When the three little children did not see her, they would squat in the corner again. Seeing this, Young Master Xiang no longer insisted on asking her to stay and asked Changping to give her the consultation fee. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You gave a lot last time. You don¡¯t have to give it this time.¡± Changping was thinking that if she was serious about not accepting payment, she should open her fist first! However, Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the silver tightly. ¡°Aiya, seriously, you¡¯re treating me like an outsider. I already said no.¡± Chang Ping was speechless. ¡­. After leaving the Academy, Su Xiaoxiao went to Spring Willow Alley again. Doctor Fu was making another house call. However, this time, it was in town and could come back at night. Su Xiaoxiao was here to deliver antihypertensive medicine. Counting the days, Aunt Fu should have finished her medicine. ¡°Did you take your medicine well?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked routinely. ¡°I didn¡¯t take it!¡± Aunt Fu replied unhappily. She took her blood pressure and found it to be normal. It would be strange if she didn¡¯t take the medicine. She probably didn¡¯t miss a dose. Su Xiaoxiao looked straight at her and smiled mischievously. ¡°Aunt Fu, you¡¯ve gained weight. Your appetite has been good recently, right?¡± Aunt Fu denied it. ¡°Nonsense! My appetite is terrible! I can¡¯t eat anything! It¡¯s your medicine! Also, my leg is broken and I¡¯m in so much pain. How can I be in the mood to eat!¡± ¡°Aunt Fu, I brought you tonic soup! It¡¯s stewed with the cordyceps you gave me. It smells good!¡± The woman next door walked in with a bowl of steaming tonic soup and a smile. It was obvious that this was not the first time she had done this. When she saw Su Xiaoxiao, she was stunned at first. Then, her gaze landed on the empty plate on the bedside table and her body trembled! ¡°Aunt Fu, there were three big pancakes. I only went to make soup. Don¡¯t tell me you ate them all?¡± Aunt Fu¡¯s face turned red! ¡°I didn¡¯t! She ate it!¡± She decisively pushed the blame onto Su Xiaoxiao. In the next second, she burped. ¡­. Seeing Aunt Fu die of embarrassment was simply a joy in life. Su Xiaoxiao was not stingy with her laughter. Aunt Fu¡¯s face darkened! With the neighbor taking good care of Aunt Fu, Su Xiaoxiao was not worried. After keeping the medicine, she brought Su Ergou and Liu Ping back to the village. Su Xiaoxiao took the reins and said to Liu Ping, ¡°You¡¯ll go to the few places we went to today often in the future. Do you remember them?¡± ¡°I remember.¡± Liu Ping said with heartfelt admiration, ¡°Daya, I realized that it wasn¡¯t easy for you.¡± The villagers discussed in private how Daya had earned silver. Some even asked if she had gone to steal. If they went to see how far Daya had walked, how many places she had run to, how much she had done, and how much risk she had taken, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything malicious. ¡­. Su Xiaoxiao entered the house while Su Ergou fed the donkey. Madam Wu went home to cook for her two children. Old Master Su brought the three little ones to dig bamboo shoots in the small forest behind the kitchen. The foal lay on the warm hay in the small east room and slept. Wei Ting was nowhere to be seen. Eh? Where did that guy go? In the forest to the east of the official road, Wei Ting stood under a snow-covered tree with a cold expression. ¡°My lord!¡± A man in black knelt on one knee and cupped his hands. ¡°I came late. Please forgive me!¡± Wei Ting glanced at the bushes at the side and said calmly, ¡°Have the marks been destroyed?¡± The man in black said, ¡°Everything on the way here has been destroyed!¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought that Wei Ting had another motive for coming to the official road last time. She was half right. He did have something to do. Although he didn¡¯t dig for treasures, he left marks. ¡°Sir, are the little masters alright?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Not only were they fine? They were simply so happy that they had forgotten about home! They had forgotten their surname! Wei Ting¡¯s eyes turned cold. The man in black sensed Wei Ting¡¯s emotions and could not help but wonder if the little masters were doing well or not. If they weren¡¯t doing well, why did he say yes? If they lived well, why this bitter expression? The man in black returned to the topic. ¡°My lord, since you and the little masters are safe, can we set off for the capital?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Not yet. We have to take back the Commander¡¯s Seal first.¡± The man in black¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Sir, have you obtained the Commander¡¯s Seal?¡± He had originally obtained it, but now he had lost it¡­ Wei Ting frowned and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. I have my own ideas.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The man in black continued, ¡°Your Excellency, Young Marquis Jing has left the capital. I suspect that he has also come to Qingzhou to inquire about the Commander¡¯s Seal.¡± Wei Ting pondered. A moment later, he gestured to the man in black. ¡°Go do something.¡± Had the lord finally given him a mission? The man in black was extremely excited. He cupped his fists and said, ¡°Sir, please instruct me! I will go through fire and water!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Cut a bundle of firewood.¡± The man in black was dumbfounded. ¡­. When Wei Ting carried the firewood out of the forest, it was almost noon. At this moment, the villagers were eating at home with their doors closed. There were not many people outside. Wei Ting had specially chosen this time. However, just as he passed by the village entrance, he happened to bump into Su Jinniang, who had come to the well to get water. Chapter 113 - 113 Snubbed 113 Snubbed Su Jinniang was wearing brand-new clothes and looked beautiful. When she saw Wei Ting, her face turned slightly red. ¡°Mr. Wei.¡± Wei Ting ignored her. She mustered her courage again and looked at the bundle of dry firewood on Wei Ting¡¯s shoulder. She said softly, ¡°Young Mr. Wei, did you go to chop firewood? It¡¯s inconvenient to move around in your condition. How can the Su family let you do such a job? Put it down. I¡¯ll get my brother to send it over for you.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Wei Ting rejected coldly. Su Jinniang hurriedly said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed. We¡¯re from the same village. It¡¯s only right for us to help each other¡­¡± ¡°Brother Wei!¡± Li Xiaoyong walked out of the house. He looked at Wei Ting and smiled happily. ¡°It¡¯s really you! I thought so at home just now! It¡¯s snowing heavily. Why did you go to chop firewood? Let me know if you want firewood next time!¡± As the two families interacted more, Li Xiaoyong¡¯s address of Wei Ting changed from Mr. Wei to Brother Wei. ¡°Give it to me!¡± Li Xiaoyong reached out and grabbed the firewood from Wei Ting¡¯s shoulder. Wei Ting said politely, ¡°Thank you.¡± The two of them walked toward the Su family. Li Xiaoyong ignored Su Jinniang. Su Yuniang had intercepted the midwife, so he was extremely angry. The entire village was indebted to the Su family. While he could not take revenge on the Su family, he could ignore them, right? Su Jinniang looked at the two of them leave without looking back as if she had been snubbed. ¡­. At home, the three little ones had only returned from digging bamboo shoots. To be precise, when they saw Su Xiaoxiao, they decisively abandoned Father Su. Su Xiaoxiao made goat milk for the three human cubs and the small horse cub. The three of them sat on the low stool in the small east room, grabbed the handle of the milk bottle with both hands, and gulped the milk. The little horse was also drinking the milk Su Xiaoxiao fed it. The four cubs sucked at the milk bottle, each more arrogant than the other. Su Xiaoxiao was always taking out strange things that confounded Wei Ting. It could not be said that he was not surprised, but it was indeed not that strange when it came to her. He had once asked Su Xiaoxiao what these strange things were and where they came from. Su Xiaoxiao only replied with three sentences. ¡°It¡¯s made of goat¡¯s milk! It¡¯s given by a physician! It¡¯s good for the body!¡± Wei Ting doubted the second sentence. At night, the family sat in the central room and ate. Su Ergou frowned tightly. He could not hide his thoughts. Almost all his thoughts were written on his face. Wei Ting asked, ¡°Ergou, did something happen?¡± Su Ergou took a bite of rice and told him about the threat from Jin Ji. Su Cheng slammed the table. ¡°How ridiculous!¡± So what if a new shopkeeper came? He threatened his daughter! How bold! ¡°I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow morning! Let¡¯s see who dares to touch my daughter!¡± The next morning, Father Su was sound asleep¡­ After buying fresh ingredients yesterday, she was able to make plum-dried vegetable pancakes. In addition, she had also arranged for the braised meat. Su Xiaoxiao made 160 more pancakes today than yesterday, a total of 360, 60 of which were for Wutong Academy. As for the salted egg yolk, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t ask Madam Wu to work on it. It was Jin Ji who destroyed the cooperation first. Did Jin Ji think that it was the only one who could bully others? From now on, she would also impose sanctions on Jin Ji! Although it might not be of any use. After all, there were many snacks in Jin Ji. Selling one less egg yolk pastry would not hurt at all. However, this was not a matter of whether she could cause much loss. It was her attitude and stand! ¡­. The three of them drove the donkey cart to town. In the past, the route was the market, Jinji, and the Academy. Now that Liu Ping was here, they first came to the vicinity of Jin Ji to set up a stall. Liu Ping sent them off before driving to the market and Wutong Academy to deliver the goods. At the alley beside Jin Ji, Su Xiaoxiao took out the folding table she had designed and generously placed the snacks out. She was no longer worried that Jin Ji would cut off her flour. Firstly, she had taken Father Su and Su Yuniang¡¯s ¡°sponsorship¡± yesterday to the market to stockpile enough flour to last for a month. Secondly, Shen Chuan had told her that the prefecture capital was not far. She could reach it in a day. Jin Ji¡¯s clutches could not reach the prefecture capital yet. These were her confidence in fighting against Jin Ji. When the waiter of Jin Ji saw that the siblings had come to set up a stall again, he hurriedly went to the office upstairs to report to Shopkeeper He. Manager He frowned. ¡°What did you tell them yesterday?¡± The waiter said, ¡°I told them not to set up a stall near us. Otherwise, we¡¯ll chase them away every time we see them!¡± Manager He said, ¡°Then why are they still here?¡± The waiter said anxiously, ¡°I don¡¯t know either! I¡¯ve asked around. Back then, when Manager Sun asked them to buy the formula, they didn¡¯t agree at first. Later on, when Manager Sun came to force them, the two of them immediately cowered! They sold three formulas in one go!¡± Some truths were distorted as they spread. Back then, Su Xiaoxiao was not afraid, but digging a hole for Manager Sun. Manager Sun had taken a fancy to the three prescriptions himself. Manager Sun cared about his face. He could not admit that he could not defeat a little girl. The truth that came out of his mouth was already a little warped. If he let others spread that, his nose would no longer be his nose, and his eyes would no longer be his eyes. Shopkeeper He and the others did not know the truth. In their opinion, two country bumpkins, one of whom was a girl, definitely did not have the guts to be enemies with Jin Ji. One threatened the other! Shopkeeper He said coldly, ¡°Go down! Chase them away!¡± The waiter rolled up his sleeves fiercely. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll go now!¡± The sky was already bright, and there were gradually more pedestrians on the streets. The siblings¡¯ business opened for the new day. There were repeat customers and many new customers. It seemed that their reputation had been established. ¡°Your five Ergou pancakes. They¡¯re jujube-flavored.¡± Su Xiaoxiao wrapped them up and handed them to the first customer of the day. She was an auntie in her early forties and was a regular. Her son was studying in a private school in town. ¡°Is your son¡¯s leg alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The aunt smiled and said, ¡°Speaking of which, I really have to thank you. Your method is very useful, and the seaweed you recommended is also delicious. My son has been eating for half a month and his legs haven¡¯t gone weak again!¡± Su Xiaoxiao had actually never seen the other party¡¯s son. She heard the auntie¡¯s description and felt that his limbs were weak and he had suddenly lost strength. Perhaps he was not seriously ill, but he lacked some trace elements. Hence, she suggested that he ate more potatoes and seaweed. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°He can also eat more longans and celery.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll remember it!¡± The aunt accepted the snacks and paid 75 copper coins. ¡°Miss, you seem to have lost a lot of weight. Are you tired from setting up the stall too early?¡± Yesterday, a few old customers said that she was thinner than before. It seemed that the effect of losing weight was more obvious than expected. ¡°Don¡¯t tire yourself out too much.¡± The aunt thought for a moment and said, ¡°But if you do look better after losing a little weight.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. When the waiter came over to chase Su Xiaoxiao away, dozens of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s pancakes had already been sold. There were more people queuing up than at the entrance of Jin Ji. The waiter was furious and shouted angrily, ¡°Go, go, go! Who allowed you to set up a stall here!¡± The guests looked at him. Su Xiaoxiao said unhurriedly, ¡°Who allowed me to put it up? It¡¯s naturally the heavens, the heavens, and the laws of the Great Zhou!¡± The waiter¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was neither servile nor overbearing as she said, ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Firstly, I didn¡¯t burn, kill, or commit arson. Thirdly, I didn¡¯t occupy any shops. I worked hard to earn some money with my own hands. Why can¡¯t I set up a stall!¡± The waiter pointed angrily. ¡°This is Jin Ji¡¯s territory!¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m at least ten feet away from Jinji. Did your Jinji buy this alley too? Or does the entire street belong to your Jin Ji!¡± ¡°Aiya, what¡¯s wrong with your Jin Ji? There are so many stalls on the streets, but you didn¡¯t chase them away. You came to chase them away when they were selling snacks! Or did you just bully honest people?¡± ¡°Your Jin Ji¡¯s snacks are expensive and disgusting. Yet you don¡¯t allow others who make cheap and good ones to be here? Who gave your Jin Ji the guts?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Hurry up and leave! You¡¯re delaying us from buying snacks!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± An old man gave the waiter a kick. The waiter was dejected and went back to report angrily. ¡°Manager He, why don¡¯t we just smash their stall!¡± Manager He pushed open the window and looked coldly at the thriving stall downstairs. He recognized a few old clients of Jin Ji. One was Minister Zhao¡¯s servant, and the other was Lord Chen¡¯s chef. It was not a wise move to smash the stall now. ¡­. In less than an hour, the 300 pancakes were sold out. Even ones meant for Su Ergou¡¯s food broadcast were bought. There was no choice. When a child cried, Su Ergou¡¯s heart softened and he sold it. ¡°Sister, where are we going now?¡± ¡°Back to the village.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Liu Ping went to deliver the goods from the market and the academy.¡± She had asked Liu Ping to return to the village after sending them off. There was no need to pick them up, but according to the speed at which they sold snacks, they would probably go back earlier than Liu Ping. ¡°Heh! I forgot about Brother Liu Ping.¡± Su Ergou scratched his head. The siblings put away the stall, carried their baskets, and walked back. This distance was nothing to the two of them, especially after shaking off 20 pounds of fat. Su Xiaoxiao felt that her body was much lighter. The two of them left the town. When they approached the upper village road, a group of burly men chased after them fiercely. ¡°The persons in front, stop right there!¡± Chapter 114 - 114 Beating Up 114 Beating Up Su Ergou looked back and asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Sister, are they talking to us?¡± There seemed to be no one else here other than them. Su Xiaoxiao nodded calmly. ¡°I think so.¡± What would come would come. Jin Ji couldn¡¯t scare them, but they didn¡¯t dare to chase them away violently on the streets, so they began to play dirty tricks. From Manager Sun to Manager He, none of them were easy to deal with. However, it was obvious that this new Manager He was more arrogant, domineering, and unscrupulous than Shopkeeper Sun. ¡°Damn it! Didn¡¯t I tell you to stop? Are you deaf or stupid!¡± Seeing that the siblings were ignoring them, the other party¡¯s tone became even more unfriendly. Su Xiaoxiao calculated in her heart that there were still at least three miles between here and the village. She couldn¡¯t run faster. After all, even if she lost 20 pounds, she was still 180 pounds. Putting aside whether she could escape or not, her knees would probably be crippled after running. Then she could only force it. Su Xiaoxiao stopped and turned to look at them. Seeing Su Xiaoxiao stop, Su Ergou also turned around. He had fought since he was young. Was he afraid? No way! Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze swept across the other party. Unexpectedly, she found a few familiar faces. A few of them came out with Manager Sun last time and pressed Su Ergou to the ground. The leader was not around. This time, the leader was a scar-faced man. The person who had spoken ruthlessly to the siblings just now was the triangular-eyed subordinate beside him. ¡°Sister, I think they¡¯re the ones from last time.¡± Su Ergou also recognized them. ¡°But not all of them.¡± This was not surprising. Not all people in the underworld were united. ¡°Girl,¡± the scar-faced man said, ¡°you guys are very bold.¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re just a little bolder than you cowardly things.¡± Cowardly things? All the hooligans were shocked. Was this something a girl could say? Was she really not a man? Su Ergou gave his sister a thumbs up. ¡°Sister! Good scolding!¡± The scar-faced man¡¯s expression turned very ugly. The triangular-eyed subordinate beside him scolded sternly, ¡°Who are you calling a coward? Do you believe that I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Su Ergou placed his hands on his hips. ¡°Come on! If you have the ability, come and beat me! I¡¯m waiting! If you don¡¯t come, you¡¯re a bastard!¡± ¡°You!¡± The triangular-eyed man was furious. The scar-faced man raised his hand to stop him from rushing over. He said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Girl, it¡¯s not good to make enemies everywhere at such a young age. You know that you¡¯ve offended someone you shouldn¡¯t have, right?¡± The triangular-eyed man said, ¡°Brother, why are you talking so much nonsense with them? Let me teach them a lesson! Let¡¯s teach them a lesson!¡± The scar-faced man continued, ¡°As long as you agree not to do business in town anymore and kowtow to us a few times, I might consider being gentler.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Cut the crap. If you want to fight, go ahead.¡± Su Ergou said loudly, ¡°That¡¯s right! If you want to fight, fight! Are you a man?!¡± ¡°Who the hell are you insulting!¡± The triangular-eyed man was completely enraged. Without waiting for his brother to speak, he raised his fist and pounced at Su Ergou. Although Su Ergou was young, his reaction speed was not slow. He waited for the other party to approach and dodged the other party¡¯s fist. At the same time, he threw a punch at the other party¡¯s abdomen! The triangular-eyed man took a few steps back! ¡°Kid!¡± He covered his painful stomach and looked at Su Ergou in shock and anger. ¡°Rascal! You¡¯re courting death!¡± The scar-faced man could tell that Su Ergou was not easy to deal with. ¡°You guys go too.¡± The few hooligans who had fought Su Ergou rushed forward and planned to use the same trick again. Just like last time, they used their bodies as sandbags to press Su Ergou to the ground. Su Xiaoxiao was already prepared. She raised her chubby leg and kicked the hooligan at the front away! Then, she raised her fat fists and punched them one by one. She was not a thin young man like Su Ergou. Her chubby fists were very strong. ¡°Gosh!¡± A hooligan¡¯s teeth flew out! ¡°Ugh!¡± The other hooligan¡¯s bile came out¡ª ¡°Sister! Good job!¡± As Su Ergou fought with others, he did not forget to praise his sister. He could be said to be a fan. The siblings caught the hooligans off guard, but this was only the first wave of hooligans. The scar-faced man and the other five men had yet to attack. Su Xiaoxiao could clearly feel that their breathing was different from the other hooligans. They were real martial artists! ¡°Brother!¡± The triangular-eyed man was beaten beyond recognition by Su Ergou. The scar-faced man finally moved. He gestured, and the five people behind him flashed forward! Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold! What speed! This was not an ordinary hooligan. He was the guard of an important family! If Manager Sun only brought a few hooligans to scare her and Su Ergou, then Manager He really wanted to teach the siblings a lesson! The men could tell that Su Xiaoxiao was better at fighting than Su Ergou. They exchanged glances and surrounded Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Stay away from my sister! Don¡¯t touch her!¡± Su Ergou was furious. In the end, he punched the triangular-eyed man, stood up, and pounced at them. However, before he could get close, one of the hooligans grabbed his arm. The other party pinned his hands behind his back and pressed him to the ground, placing a knee on his lower back. This position restrained all of Su Ergou¡¯s strength, making him unable to resist. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Ergou!¡± Among the five of them, one went to subdue Su Ergou, and the other four surrounded her. The scar-faced man came to Su Ergou¡¯s side and stepped on his right wrist. ¡°Girl, surrender. Otherwise, I¡¯ll break his wrist!¡± He began to exert force with his feet, and Su Ergou¡¯s face revealed a pained expression. ¡°To hell with you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was not threatened! She decisively grabbed the basket behind her and threw it at the person in front! The scar-faced man suddenly raised his foot. Su Xiaoxiao used unimaginable speed and charged at the scar-faced man like a small cannon. The scar-faced man was ruthlessly sent flying. Su Xiaoxiao also fell hard, her mind buzzing! A hooligan grabbed the stick on the ground to hit the back of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s head! Su Ergou¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Sister!¡± At the critical moment, a rolling pin flew through the air and hit the hooligan¡¯s back knee. The hooligan cried out and fell to his knees, the stick falling from his hand. It was Su Cheng! He was holding a butcher knife and looking fierce! ¡°You bullied my daughter! Do you all want to die?¡± Chapter 115 - 115 Beaten Up 115 Beaten Up The scar-faced man frowned. Where did this man come from? Did he throw a rolling pin just now? He was so far away, but he was actually so accurate! Was that a butcher knife in his hand? What kind of weapon was this? Father Su¡¯s arrival made Su Ergou shout, ¡°Dad, Dad! You¡¯re here!¡± Su Cheng walked past his son, to the amazement of the hooligan on top of Su Ergou. Su Cheng helped his fat daughter up from the ground. His expression changed instantly as he asked dotingly, ¡°Daughter, are you alright?¡± Everyone was dumbfounded. Where was his stance? Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Old Master Su said domineeringly, ¡°Rest at the side and let Dad deal with this group of trash!¡± ¡°Dad, give this to me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed at the slingshot hanging on his waist. This was Xiaohu¡¯s slingshot which was confiscated when Xiaohu didn¡¯t focus on pooping. He had brought it out when he went out and did not notice it. ¡°Alright, play with it.¡± Father Su handed the slingshot to Su Xiaoxiao. Father Su first saved Su Ergou, who did not go to the side to sit and play with the slingshot. Father Su said, ¡°Fight against one and a half. Leave the rest to me.¡± Su Ergou said in a daze, ¡°Dad, why one and a half?¡± Old Master Su pointed at the hooligan kneeling on the ground. ¡°I injured his knee, so it¡¯s inconvenient for him to move. He can only be considered half a hooligan!¡± Su Ergou muttered, ¡°Oh.¡± The father and son fought two against five. Su Cheng did not formally learn martial arts from others. He figured it out himself. His moves were very complicated, but they were practical. Su Ergou had inherited his father¡¯s fighting style. He did not put on any airs, but his fists hit the flesh. A hooligan quietly approached Su Ergou from behind. Su Ergou stepped on his instep, grabbed his wrist, and threw him over his shoulder to the ground! Old Master Su exclaimed, ¡°What was that move just now?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°Brother-in-law taught me. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s called!¡± Yes, his son-in-law was really capable! He would go back and give his son-in-law a drumstick! ¡°Howl!¡± Father Su was kicked in the butt. Su Xiaoxiao held her forehead. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be distracted! You¡¯re fighting with someone!¡± The few people who had been beaten up by Su Xiaoxiao regained their strength and started to stir up trouble. They could not defeat him, but they could still pester the father and son so that they could not unleash their greatest strength. Su Xiaoxiao weighed the slingshot in her hand and picked up a small stone from the ground. She shot it out! Studying medicine was an acquired effort, but her physical fitness and talent for shooting were innate. They seemed to be engraved in her brain waves. She hit accurately no matter how tricky the angle was! The moment the hooligans got up, their legs went numb. They really did not dare to show off anymore. Seeing that the people he brought over were gradually at a disadvantage, the scar-faced man joined in the fight. To be able to take charge of so many underlings, the scar-faced man was indeed capable. He created problems for Su Cheng.Moreover, he also noticed Su Xiaoxiao, who was attacking from the side. He cunningly locked his position between Su Cheng and Su Ergou, not giving Su Xiaoxiao a chance to hit him with a slingshot. After a while, Su Ergou and Father Su both took a few punches. But the scar-faced man took even more. At this moment, the scar-faced man noticed Father Su¡¯s flaw! He was using his left hand! Moreover, he had been avoiding using his right hand! He was not left-handed! His right hand was injured! The scar-faced man was overjoyed. No matter how powerful an opponent was, he would be no different from an ordinary person once his flaw was discovered! The scar-faced man used a feint and used one hand to twist Su Cheng¡¯s left hand that was holding the butcher knife. His right hand suddenly punched Su Cheng¡¯s spleen! Su Cheng¡¯s right hand was injured, so he definitely could not withstand this move. Once his spleen ruptured, what awaited him was only death from excessive blood loss! However, at this moment, something unexpected happened! Su Cheng¡¯s right hand clenched into a fist and met his iron fist! Crack! Crack, crack, crack! The scar-faced man heard the sound of bones cracking! There was more than one! Success! He had crippled this man¡¯s hand completely¡­ Wait, no. The man raised his right fist again which sped towards his face! How was that possible? Hadn¡¯t his hand already¡­ It was not until he fell to the ground with blood gushing out of his nose and the pain in his face mixed with the intense pain in his left hand that the scar-faced man realized that it was his hand that had broken! How could¡­ His observation would not be wrong! This man¡¯s right hand was injured! Habits did not lie! That was not an act! But why did his fist receive a blow from the other party¡¯s injured hand? He even broke his bones! ¡°Ha!¡± Su Ergou jumped over and knocked the scar-faced man out with a rolling pin! Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the remaining few pretended to be dead or fled. Su Cheng didn¡¯t chase after them, nor did he let Su Ergou chase after them. Firstly, they were all small fries. The big ones had already been beaten up by him. More importantly, his daughter was still here. Protecting her was the most important! ¡°Dad.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood up and dusted off her pants. She quickly walked over and looked at his right hand. ¡°Is your hand alright?¡± She was also shocked by the punch just now. To be able to break the scar-faced man¡¯s hand, it could be seen that Father Su was ruthless. She was very worried that Old Master Su¡¯s hand, which she had painstakingly nourished, would relapse. Old Master Su moved his wrist. ¡°I think I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Really? Let me see.¡± Su Xiaoxiao gently grabbed his wrist and pressed it repeatedly on his acupoints. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt!¡± Old Master Su said. ¡°Does it feel numb?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Old Master Su sensed it carefully and shook his head. ¡°No!¡± Su Xiaoxiao checked carefully from his wrist to his knuckles and then to his fingertips. Father Su looked at his hand in a daze. ¡°Daughter, my hand¡­ seems to have really recovered.¡± The punch just now was due to his survival instinct. After punching out, he was actually prepared to be crippled again. He had thought that he had wasted the medicine his daughter had bought for nothing. She must have spent a lot of money¡­ Su Xiaoxiao held his hand. ¡°Dad! Let¡¯s go back quickly!¡± She couldn¡¯t wait to test Father Su¡¯s grip and wrist strength! Father Su said, ¡°Hey, hey, hey, but these people¡­ ¡± Su Xiaoxiao pulled her father forward quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them!¡± Compared to a few hooligans looking for trouble, Father Su¡¯s recovery was naturally the most important! She was looking forward to a satisfactory result! ¡°Wait!¡± Father Su raised his hand solemnly. ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was confused. Old Master Su walked to everyone and plundered their silver. There was not a single copper coin left. It was obvious that he was experienced! Old Master Su raised his eyebrows in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, we can leave now!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ergou, follow me.¡± Su Ergou grabbed the basket on the ground. ¡°Alright!¡± Old Master Su turned around and reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t forget the rolling pin!¡± It could still be used after washing. It would cost five copper coins to buy a new one! Chapter 116 - 116 Recovery 116 Recovery Not long after the group left, a man in black also left like a ghost behind a big tree not far away. ¡°My Lord.¡± In the backyard of the Su family, the man in black knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully to Wei Ting. The three little ones sat beside Wei Ting and combed the fur of the little horse. The little horse was very obedient but they were more obedient. They were their mother¡¯s favorite obedient babies. The three little ones did not react much to the arrival of the man in black. They seemed to be used to it and were not interested. On the other hand, the man in black looked at the three little ones in shock and did not dare to recognize them for a moment. In his memory, the three young masters were thin and small. They looked malnourished and were constantly afraid. Their eyes were filled with fear. Now, they were more like ordinary children. They were raised to be fair, tender, and carefree. ¡°How¡¯s the matter I asked you to do?¡± Wei Ting asked indifferently. The man in black said in a low voice, ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t attack.¡± Wei Ting frowned. ¡°Why?¡± The man in black said aggrievedly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I was unwilling, but¡­ but I didn¡¯t have a chance.¡± What kind of freaks made up that family? They were clearly country bumpkins, but why were they so good at fighting? He had even prepared his lines. ¡°When you see injustice, help! You don¡¯t have to thank me! See you in the martial world!¡± Then, he would leave with a suave and impressive back view! That was the peak of heroes! However¡ªthat family did not give him a chance to show off at all! Wei Ting was not too surprised by this. ¡°You can leave.¡± ¡°My Lord!¡± ¡°They¡¯re back.¡± The man in black disappeared with a whoosh! If Niudan was here, he would definitely be stunned. However, the three little ones were very calm and continued to comb the fur of the little horse. ¡­. After Su Xiaoxiao arrived home, she first enjoyed the three cute children¡¯s one-stop service package¡ªkissing, hugging, and raising them high. She kissed, hugged, and raised them high! Alright, who was serving who? Then, she began to test the grip and wrist strength of Father Su¡¯s right hand. She did not have any professional precision instruments on hand, but the ancients had their own methods. When Father Su practiced in the past, he used clay, wooden blocks, stones, and weights. Before he was injured, his grip was quite shocking. He could easily crush a stone. After being injured, he could not even crush an egg. It was effortless for Su Xiaoxiao to find clay. Su Xiaoxiao found another tender bamboo tube and Father Su used some strength to successfully crush it! He used greater effort with an old bamboo but no matter how hard he tried, he did not feel any discomfort. Su Xiaoxiao asked him to try holding the weights again. The weight was only 20 catties. The three little ones hung themselves on the weight. One was 25 catties, and Old Master Su could hold two. Including the weight of the weight, he held 70 pounds! To a patient whose hand had been crippled for many years, this was simply a surprise! The grip during the fight just now was definitely more than 70 pounds. Of course, there was a difference between punching and gripping. In addition, the potential that erupted under danger just now did not represent his usual state. But Su Cheng was confident! The day of grabbing a 200-pound saber was getting closer and closer! ¡°The medicine in the pharmacy is really useful¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao made up her mind. No matter what, she had to get the third bottle of Bone Strengthening Granules for Father Su! Perhaps he could break through 200 pounds. Perhaps Father Su would become a peerless expert. Alright, she was thinking too much. However, after recovering, it was very necessary to consolidate the healing effect with a bottle of medicine. Old Master Su¡¯s injuries seemed to have washed away the bad luck brought about by the Jin Ji incident. The family was happy and went about their business. Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to cook. Wei Ting walked in with his walking stick. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to say anything?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out the cutting board from the cupboard. ¡°What?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°You offended the largest snack shop in town. Did you encounter anything today?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°You mean that? They sent people to ambush us, but we won.¡± Wei Ting said indifferently, ¡°You only won once. It¡¯s hard to guarantee that they won¡¯t come a second or third time. Aren¡¯t you worried that they have a backup plan?¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed a washed sweet potato and began to cut it. ¡°If I¡¯m worried, will they let it go? No, right? So look, I could pass a day being worried or carefree. Likewise, I could pass a day being happy or depressed. Why don¡¯t we choose to face it squarely? We should be thinking of a way. Being afraid is the most energy-consuming and useless emotion in the world. Besides, isn¡¯t there a saying that advocates dealing with whatever comes our way? I¡¯m so smart. Why would I be afraid of a small Jin Ji?¡± If she could not even settle Jin Ji, she could forget about doing any big business in the future. She should go home and lie flat! It was rare that Wei Ting did not retort her. Su Xiaoxiao blinked and looked at Wei Ting with sparkling eyes. ¡°Are my words very philosophical? Are they very touching? Are you impressed by me and regret not meeting me earlier?¡± Wei Ting was speechless. ¡ª- This matter at Jin Ji was not over. Su Xiaoxiao closed her stall at the end of the morning. The thugs sent by Manager He chased after her 15 minutes later. Manager He was very confident. There were a few experts he had spent a lot of money to hire from the prefecture capital. They were specially hired as guards for families with status in the prefecture capital. They were originally used to show off, but he did not expect them to be used to deal with a pair of siblings from the countryside. It was really an overkill. However, in the evening, when Jin Ji was about to close, those people did not return to report to him. He called his trusted assistant over. ¡°Where are they?¡± The waiter said, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re on the way?¡± Manager He said coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that they don¡¯t live far away?¡± The waiter muttered, ¡°Perhaps the information I asked for was wrong.¡± As they spoke, the triangular-eyed man went upstairs in a sorry state. Seeing his appearance, Shopkeeper He and the waiter¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°What happened to you?¡± The waiter asked. The triangular-eyed man told him everything. Manager He looked suspicious. ¡°They¡¯re just three country bumpkins. Are you really not lying to me?¡± The triangular-eyed man swore to the heavens, ¡°If I say anything false, I will never have a son in my life!¡± Manager He was furious. It was fine if a few local hooligans lost, but there were experts he had brought from the prefecture city in the group. Had they actually not beaten three country bumpkins? A kid, a fatty, and a¡­ farmer carrying a butcher knife. No matter how he thought about it, it was unbelievable! Shopkeeper He was in a terrible mood! It never rains but pours. Jin Ji was in big trouble! Their egg yolks were gone! They could not make egg yolk pastries anymore! Manager He said impatiently, ¡°If you can¡¯t make it, so be it! Aren¡¯t there other snacks? It¡¯s not like the whole business of Jin Ji is gone!¡± The accountant reminded him, ¡°But didn¡¯t we take on Minister Qi¡¯s business? Minister Qi¡¯s mother is celebrating her seventieth birthday. The snacks were handed to our Jin Ji to make. Among them are wife pancakes and egg yolk pastries. Minister Qi specifically asked for them.¡± Manager He frowned. ¡°When did you accept it?¡± The accountant replied, ¡°When Manager Sun was around.¡± Minister Qi was the most respected master in Apricot Flower Town. He was rich, and his son was an official in the prefecture capital. Even the county magistrate did not dare to be impudent in front of him. It was obvious that if they messed up the Qi family¡¯s birthday banquet, Jin Ji would be in trouble. Chapter 117 - 117 Jealous 117 Jealous After doing business for so many years, Manager He had learned a principle: never overestimate a person¡¯s kindness. Don¡¯t think that just because those nobles were famous for their philanthropy, they could really support the ship. Sometimes, the more well-regarded such people were, the more they would not allow their subordinates to make mistakes. Moreover, this was not an ordinary snack. Minister Qi had asked for it. Perhaps his mother liked it. Would it be fine if it was missing from the birthday banquet? Manager He asked, ¡°How many days are left until the birthday banquet?¡± The accountant said, ¡°Three days.¡± Manager He¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± If he had said so earlier, he would have endured the siblings for the time being! The accountant thought to himself that this was something that he had instructed before the new year. The kitchen remembered it and would do it on the day. There was no need for Manager He to worry! However, who would have thought that on his first day in office, he would offend the siblings who were supplying them? Over the years, disregarding whether Manager Sun¡¯s methods were honorable or not, his management was well done, and the entire Jin Ji was well managed. It was purely Manager He¡¯s fault. Manager He asked with a headache, ¡°How many of the salted egg yolks are left?¡± The accountant braced himself and said, ¡°There¡¯s not a single one left.¡± Manager He said coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t they just provide the goods?¡± The accountant said helplessly, ¡°They supplied a hundred and we finished it long ago! The chefs tried two and sold the rest yesterday. There were guests today who came to ask why the egg yolk pastry was gone.¡± Manager He was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table! ¡­. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that her sanction, which she thought wouldn¡¯t create a dent, had coincidentally pressed down on Jin Ji¡¯s throat. She was counting her things in the small basket. She patted her forehead. ¡°I forgot to send the red dates and silver ear fungus I brought back from Aunt Fu yesterday to Su Yuniang!¡± ¡°Dad! Ergou! Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu! I¡¯m going out for a while!¡± In the central room, Wei Ting, the only one who was not addressed, had a dark expression. It was especially lively at the Su family today. The Zheng family of Shallow Water Village had come. It was Su Yuniang¡¯s husband, Zheng Yuanbo, and her eldest sister-in-law, Zheng Lanxiu. There were more or less some rumors in the village about Su Yuniang giving birth to a child in her maiden family for the new year. Because villagers remembered the Su family¡¯s past kindness, they did not go overboard in their gossip, but no one knew what they were thinking. The Su family¡¯s door was open, and Su Xiaoxiao walked in. The central room was empty, and there was no one there. However, the conversation kept coming from Su Yuniang¡¯s room. ¡°¡­Yu Niang, your child has been born. The New Year is over. It¡¯s time to go back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had some impression of this voice. It should be from Su Yuniang¡¯s eldest sister-in-law, Zheng Lanxiu. ¡°You¡¯ve been away from home for a while and Brother Xing misses you badly, right, Brother Xing?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes! Yu Niang, come back with me!¡± ¡°If you want me to go back with you, get rid of that bitch first!¡± Bitch? She seemed to have heard something extraordinary. Su Xiaoxiao continued to prick up her ears. It would be a waste not to listen to the gossip that she had chanced upon! Zheng Lanxiu said earnestly, ¡°Yuniang, listen to Eldest Sister¡¯s truth. Brother Xing doesn¡¯t have anyone else in his heart. He took her in because he saw that she was pitiful. Who would have thought that she would seduce Brother Xing¡­ Brother Xing was confused for a moment and regretted it after that. Brother Xing wanted to send her away, but she became pregnant¡­ The two elders at home didn¡¯t agree, so he kept her for the time being.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Brother Xing is sincere with you. You¡¯re Brother Xing¡¯s legitimate wife. No one can surpass you! When the child is born in the future, it will be under your name and she will be sent away immediately!¡± Su Yuniang said agitatedly, ¡°Let her go now! Also, I don¡¯t want her child! Tell them to get lost!¡± After that, Zheng Lanxiu patiently persuaded her a few more times. Su Yuniang didn¡¯t listen to a word and only said, ¡°Get that woman out of the Zheng family with the bastard in her belly!¡± Zheng Lanxiu was finally forced into a corner. She revealed her true colors and said bitterly, ¡°You can¡¯t give birth to a son yourself, so you can¡¯t let others do it? Do you want to cut off our Zheng family¡¯s bloodline? You only got pregnant after being married for three years. What did I think you could give birth to? It¡¯s still a¡­ ¡± Before she could finish, Su Xiaoxiao heard her scream. In the next second, Zheng Lanxiu covered the bump on her forehead and ran out in a sorry state. ¡°Su Yuniang! Just stay at your maiden home! Let¡¯s see how long you can stay! Brother Xing! Let¡¯s go!¡± Zheng Lanxiu grabbed her brother¡¯s hand and scolded as she walked, ¡°Why did you marry such an unreasonable shrew back then!¡± The two of them brushed past Su Xiaoxiao. Brother Xing lowered his head and looked like a good-for-nothing. Zheng Lanxiu glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. In her anger, she ignored everyone and left without looking back! ¡°Hey! Lanxiu!¡± Madam Fang chased after her. ¡°Do not chase after them!¡± Su Yuniang said angrily. ¡°You!¡± Madam Fang glared at her daughter and turned around to see Su Xiaoxiao in the central room. Mdm Fang was stunned, and a trace of panic flashed across her eyes. However, she looked at Zheng Lanxiu, who was sitting in the ox cart, and ignored Su Xiaoxiao as she chased after her in-laws. When Su Xiaoxiao entered the room, Su Yuniang was covering her face and crying bitterly. Hearing someone enter, Su Yuniang immediately took a deep breath and let go, pretending that she had never cried. She looked up and saw Su Xiaoxiao. She was shocked and seemed to have other emotions. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She wiped her tears and asked coldly. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and tilted her head. ¡°Seeing you make a fool of yourself?¡± Su Yuniang glared at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I said I wasn¡¯t.¡± She walked forward and handed her a small basket. ¡°What?¡± Su Yuniang¡¯s tone was normal, but her voice was still choked. ¡°Dried red dates and dried silver ear fungus to nourish blood and qi. Also.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her. ¡°You haven¡¯t gone to the toilet for a few days, right?¡± Su Yuniang choked. Constipation after giving birth was one of the most common postpartum conditions, and the silver ear fungus was rich in dietary fiber and promoted intestinal peristalsis. ¡°If eating silver ear fungus isn¡¯t enough, try this plum.¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed her a jar of sweet plums. This kind of plum was similar to the prune she had eaten in her previous life. The effect and taste were similar. It was a specialty of the Great Zhou. Well¡­ Aunt Fu really had a lot of good stuff! Su Xiaoxiao tapped the jar with her fingertip. ¡°A friendly reminder not to trust any of your farts.¡± Su Yuniang and Madam Fang were stunned. Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I still have to send some to Sister Chunxiu.¡± Su Yuniang looked at her. ¡°Why did you send it to me first?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Your house is close! My house is at the end of the village, and the Li family lives at the entrance. Your Su family is in the middle. If I don¡¯t send it to you on the way, wouldn¡¯t I have to make a big detour? Wouldn¡¯t it be tiring!¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you trying to slim down?¡± Su Xiaoxiao caved in. She said with a fake smile, ¡°I care about you, Su Yuniang. In my heart, you are more important than Sister Chunxiu, okay?¡± Su Yuniang sneered and said, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to return my money.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°Uh¡­ can I not return it?¡± Chapter 118 - 118 Out of stock 118 Out of stock It was impossible not to. Su Yuniang smiled faintly. ¡°If you please me, I can consider not charging you interest.¡± Just as Su Yuniang was thinking about whether this little fatty would put aside her pride, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression changed in a second and she said obsequiously, ¡°Aiya, Yu Niang, are you thirsty? Are you hungry? How is your life? Tell me if you have any difficulties.¡± Su Yuniang and Madam Fang were stunned. After leaving the Su family, Su Xiaoxiao went to Old Li¡¯s house and gave the red dates and silver ear fungus to Madam Qian, telling her how to brew them. ¡°Don¡¯t add too much sugar. You must use less sugar!¡± She instructed. The instruction was not intended to help her lose weight, but for health reasons. It was really not good to consume too much sugar. ¡°Got it.¡± Madam Qian no longer doubted Fatty Su¡¯s medical skills. She would listen to whatever Fatty Su said. Madam Qian brought Su Xiaoxiao a basket of fresh vegetables. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and happily carried the vegetables home. When she arrived home, she realized that there was an additional mother and son in the central room. It was Wang Laizi¡¯s neighbor. Madam Luo was in her mid-twenties. She had many children and led a bitter life. She looked to be in her thirties. She had a six-year-old boy in her arms. The mother and son¡¯s eyes were red and their bodies were trembling. It was obvious that they were very afraid, but they had to hold back their fear. ¡°Daughter, you¡¯re back?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°A fish bone was lodged in Goudan¡¯s throat. The family made him drink vinegar and swallow food. It still hurts.¡± The news that Fatty Su knew medicine had spread in the village for a while, but the villagers were afraid of her former infamy and did not dare to visit her. Other than Su Yuniang, this mother and son were the first. Su Xiaoxiao walked toward the mother and son. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± The mother and son cowered. Su Xiaoxiao wondered if she was that scary. They were clearly so afraid, but they still came to look for her. It could be seen that Goudan¡¯s situation was a little serious. ¡°Give me the child,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Madam Luo. ¡°She asked you to give her the child!¡± Su Cheng said. Mdm Luo trembled and was about to cry. She regretted it. Why did she bring her son to the bully¡¯s house? Could they stop the consultation now? Su Xiaoxiao brought Goudan into her room. Goudan was so frightened that he didn¡¯t dare to cry. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. She opened the first-aid kit and took out the disposable tongue-pressing board and forceps. ¡°Open your mouth and let me see.¡± Goudan didn¡¯t dare to. Su Xiaoxiao shouted, ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu!¡± The three little ones ran in. ¡°Mom!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to the three of them, ¡°Open your mouth and let Mom check.¡± The three of them raised their heads, flapped their small arms, and opened their mouths obediently. ¡°Ah¡­ ¡± Su Xiaoxiao checked the three of them and handed three candied dates she had prepared to the three little ones. ¡°Alright, your little teeth are very healthy today. Go play.¡± The three of them were extremely happy to be praised by their mother and skipped out! ¡°Look, it doesn¡¯t hurt, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Goudan, ¡°I¡¯m just checking. I¡¯m not doing anything.¡± Goudan glanced at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s table and slowly walked over. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± ¡°Very good. Ah.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ ¡± Swoosh! Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s tweezers were as fast as lightning. Before Goudan could react, the fishbone was taken out. Su Xiaoxiao handed him a candied date. ¡°You did well. You were very brave.¡± Goudan grabbed the candied date and ran out excitedly. Mdm Luo hugged her son and looked him up and down. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Mom! It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!¡± Gou Dan raised the candied plum in his hand. ¡°Fat Sister gave it to me.¡± Mdm Luo was shocked. Was¡­ was it really given by Fatty Su? Fatty Su actually gave candy to children? People always paid attention to strange things. Madam Luo should be surprised that Fat Lass Su cured her son, but Madam Luo could not forget the joy of her son running towards her with the candied plum. Children could not hide their emotions. Indeed, children were easy to coax. The problem was, why should Fatty Su coax Goudan? Was it so that Fatty Su could collect more consultation fees or extort a few more copper coins? Extortion¡­ extortion of copper coins? Could it be that Fatty Su would sell her a candied plum for more than ten copper coins? Fatty Su had done this before and the villagers had suffered! ¡°I, I¡­¡± Madam Luo only had three copper coins. ¡°Anything else?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely. ¡°Huh?¡± Mdm Luo was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going to work.¡± Was she not accepting her money?! Old Master Su walked over and pointed at Madam Luo domineeringly. ¡°Two copper coins!¡± Mdm Luo was stunned ¡ª- After Liu Ping delivered the goods, the donkey rushed back to the village. ¡°Daya! Are you and Ergou alright!¡± He guessed that Jin Ji would most likely find trouble with the siblings today. He thought he would look for them after sending the goods, taking the braised meat money, and retrieving the pre-ordered list. Unexpectedly, the siblings had already finished selling and returned to the village. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Brother Liu.¡± Su Xiaoxiao came out of the backyard. ¡°Are you really fine?¡± Liu Ping expressed his suspicion. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m really fine.¡± Liu Ping looked at her and then at Su Ergou. Su Ergou¡¯s wrist was slightly bruised, but it was nothing serious. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll punch one!¡± Ergou told Liu Ping how he had defeated a nest of hooligans. Liu Ping¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Go to work!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly. ¡°Alright, Sister!¡± Su Ergou obediently went to chop firewood. Liu Ping thought to himself that fortunately, this family was made up of born bullies. Otherwise, how could they have defeated so many hooligans? ¡­. The next day, Su Xiaoxiao brought Su Ergou to the usual place to set up a stall. The waiter who had chased them away yesterday walked over again. Su Ergou¡¯s fist itched. If not for the fact that there were so many guests present, he would have beaten this kid into a pig on the streets! ¡°Hey, you guys¡­ ¡± ¡°Go away! Don¡¯t you know that there¡¯s a queue!¡± The waiter was about to speak when he was pushed aside by an aunt. ¡°Where did this person come from? Can¡¯t you see that everyone is queuing up? If you want to eat snacks, queue up at the back!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± The guests crowded the venue, and the waiter did not even have the chance to get close to Su Xiaoxiao to talk. After the waiter received countless looks of disdain, Su Xiaoxiao sold out the 200 pancakes she had set up today. The siblings began to close the stall. The waiter finally seized the opportunity to speak to Su Xiaoxiao. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath on them and asked directly, ¡°I say, have you forgotten something? You haven¡¯t supplied Jin Ji for two days!¡± She had seen shameless people, but she had never seen anyone so shameless. After causing trouble for them repeatedly, he could actually question them openly for not supplying them. If the Great Wall was made with the skin of Jin Ji, Lady Meng Jiang would probably not be able to cause any damage to the wall with her tears. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know why?¡± Chapter 119 - 119 Means 119 Means The waiter pretended to be confused. ¡°How would I know what¡¯s wrong with you? We agreed that you would supply no more than a hundred egg yolks a day, no less than thirty. It¡¯s only been a few days, and you¡¯re already going back on your word?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Your ability to accuse others is really unheard of! When did I agree to supply you every day? Do you have evidence?¡± ¡°You!¡± Manager Sun had been careful when he discussed cooperation with Su Xiaoxiao. The two sides were competitors. He was worried that Su Xiaoxiao would supply the bad salted egg yolks to Jin Ji and keep the good ones for herself. Therefore, he decided to try out the arrangement for a while to confirm the quality of the supplied salted egg yolks before signing an official purchase document with Su Xiaoxiao. Therefore, Jin Ji could not furnish any contract to ask Su Xiaoxiao for supplies. Otherwise, they would have gotten her to compensate for the huge breach of contract. The waiter left dejectedly. ¡°Shopkeeper He, they won¡¯t agree to resume the supply.¡± In the room on the second floor, he related the conversation with Su Xiaoxiao honestly. He did not add fuel to the fire, mainly because it was not worth it. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s original words were enough to anger him. The day after tomorrow was Minister Qi¡¯s birthday banquet. They had to get the ingredients tomorrow night at the latest. Manager He¡¯s expression changed. The waiter probed, ¡°Why don¡¯t we use force?¡± Manager He rolled his eyes at him. If using force worked, it would have worked yesterday. He would not have to see the annoying siblings this morning. After saying that, the waiter realized that he had said something wrong. The people they had sent out came back injured and swollen. Everyone was crying. Acting tough would not work. He said awkwardly, ¡°Why don¡¯t we buy it elsewhere?¡± Manager He looked at him as if he was a fool. ¡°Other places? Do you mean the capital?¡± It would take him ten days to half a month to reach the capital from here. By the time he bought the salted egg yolks, it would be too late! ¡°This won¡¯t do and that won¡¯t do. What should we do?¡± The waiter was completely helpless. After following the shopkeeper for so long, this was the first time he had encountered such a headache. ¡°Buy them from her!¡± Manager He said. ¡°Buy¡­ salted egg yolks?¡± The waiter asked uncertainly. Manager He asked impatiently, ¡°Who would want salted egg yolk alone? I can guess that something is wrong!¡± The waiter widened his eyes. ¡°Buy a whole salted egg? That¡¯s expensive, right?¡± Manager He used the lid of the cup to stir the tea leaves in the tea bowl. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s expensive or not. It¡¯s fine if we make a small loss. Most importantly, the Qi family¡¯s birthday banquet must be foolproof!¡± The waiter said bitterly, ¡°She has to agree to sell it¡­ ¡± Manager He said calmly, ¡°Just don¡¯t let her know that we bought it.¡± ¡­ . Downstairs, Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou had finished closing the stall. The two of them carried baskets on their backs. Su Ergou grabbed an Ergou pancake and ate it heartily. ¡°Sister, are you really not going to take a bite? It¡¯s very delicious! Your Ergou pancakes are getting better and better!¡± Su Xiaoxiao clenched her fists. ¡°You eat it. I want to continue losing weight!¡± The meat pancake was very heaty and contained sugar. It was easy to whet one¡¯s appetite and one would not be able to stop eating it. ¡°Let¡¯s head back,¡± she said. ¡°Yes!¡± Su Ergou nibbled on the pancake and nodded vaguely. ¡°Miss! Miss! Please wait!¡± A woman with a white jade hairpin waved at Su Xiaoxiao and walked over. She was in her early forties. She had a kind face and was dressed simply. The material of her attire was not bad. ¡°May I ask what¡¯s the matter?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked politely. The woman smiled and said, ¡°I thought I was late. Fortunately, you haven¡¯t left. The pancakes your family sells are better than those in Jin Ji and are cheap.¡± ¡°The pancakes are sold out today,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. The woman smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not here to buy pancakes. I want to buy salted eggs from you. I¡¯ve tried your egg yolk pastry. It¡¯s made with superior salted egg yolk. It¡¯s not inferior to the salted egg yolk I ate in the capital.¡± ¡°Have you been to the capital?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The woman smiled bitterly. ¡°A few years ago, I followed my husband to the capital to take the exam and stayed for a while. Unfortunately, he failed in the end. My son is more promising than him. He¡¯s not even 20 years old and has already been admitted to the county level. He¡¯s going to study in the prefecture capital for this year¡¯s village examination. I want to buy some salted eggs for him to bring along. I wonder if you sell salted eggs?¡± ¡°How many do you want?¡± Initially, in order to supply Jin Ji, there were many salted eggs at home. If someone really wanted to buy them, she could sell them. ¡°Can I ask the price?¡± the woman said. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°One will cost you 18 copper coins. If you buy 50, I can sell them to you for 17 copper coins each.¡± The woman exclaimed, ¡°Your egg yolk pastries only sell for 20 copper coins each.¡± Su Xiaoxiao explained, ¡°The egg yolk pastry only uses egg yolk. You are buying the entire salted egg. The cost of the salted egg is in the egg white.¡± The egg was white and salty. Salt was expensive in ancient times! ¡°Ah, this¡­¡± The woman looked conflicted. ¡°Sell it to me at a cheap price. I¡¯ll introduce you to business in the future.¡± ¡°How many do you want?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°I originally only wanted dozens, but your price¡­¡± The woman hesitated for a moment and sighed.¡± If I buy a hundred, can it be cheaper? ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Sixteen coins, no less.¡± The woman gritted her teeth. ¡°Alright! When can I get the goods?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The morning after tomorrow at the latest.¡± The woman reminded her, ¡°Then let¡¯s make a deal. Miss, you¡¯re not allowed to go back on your word! My son happens to be taking the carriage the day after tomorrow.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡ª- The woman went to report to Manager He. ¡°Manager He, it¡¯s already done. Sixteen copper coins for one, a total of a hundred. She promised to bring the salted eggs the morning after tomorrow.¡± Manager He asked, ¡°Are you sure nothing will go wrong?¡± The woman said, ¡°I¡¯ve already paid the deposit. I think this girl¡¯s character is alright. She won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± The waiter said nonchalantly, ¡°Hmph, if she has a good character, she wouldn¡¯t have cut off our supplies!¡± The woman remained silent and did not comment. Manager He gave the waiter a look. The waiter took out a money bag and handed it to the woman. The woman took it with both hands. ¡°Thank you, Shopkeeper He.¡± After the woman left, the waiter said with a smile, ¡°Manager, you¡¯re still the best! You found someone from the theater troupe to pretend to be a customer! That girl is kept in the dark. She¡¯s probably still feeling smug! When we get the goods the day after tomorrow, we¡¯ll deal with that girl!¡± At that time, there would be no need to worry about anything. That girl¡¯s good days would be over! ¡­. In the next two days, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s business at the stall went exceptionally smoothly. Jin Ji seemed to have compromised. No matter how good Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou¡¯s business was, they did not cause trouble for the siblings again. On this day, the siblings finished selling snacks. The woman came to get the goods at the agreed time. There were a hundred of them, all intact. The woman checked the goods and paid the bill. She could not hide her smile and said, ¡°Miss, thank you so much!¡± Chapter 120 - 120 Turning Point 120 Turning Point ¡°You still want to run? Let¡¯s see where you can run today!¡± In a small alley, a few thugs surrounded a middle-aged man who looked disheveled. The middle-aged man originally wanted to escape, but how could he, who had a big belly, be a match for a few young burly men? Not long after, he was blocked at a dead end. The middle-aged man curled up and hugged his head tightly as he was kicked and punched repeatedly. ¡°Please let me go¡­ I really don¡¯t have money¡­ I can¡¯t pay it back¡­¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I repay my debt?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t borrow it. You¡¯ve got the wrong person¡­¡± ¡°We found the wrong person? Your handprint is on it! Do you think we¡¯re blind?¡± Another round of punches and kicks ensued. When Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou passed by the alley, they reflexively looked in. Su Ergou exclaimed, ¡°Sister, that person¡¯s voice sounds a little familiar¡­ Could it be Physician Fu?¡± The middle-aged man was familiar. The first person he thought of was Physician Fu. When one of the thugs saw the siblings, he reprimanded them loudly, ¡°What are you looking at? If you continue looking, I¡¯ll beat you up too!¡± ¡°Damn you!¡± Little Bully Su was angered. Coincidentally, he finished the last bite of the pancake, crumpled the bamboo leaf, and threw it at that person without any hesitation! The man¡¯s face was hit. It didn¡¯t hurt, but it was a slap in the face! The two sides started fighting. The Su family had never been afraid of fighting. These three were just small fries in the casino. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t even do anything. Su Ergou soloed and took care of the entire scene. The three of them ran away cursing! Su Ergou felt that something was wrong. When he helped the person up, he finally realized what was wrong. He curled his lips in disdain. ¡°Eh, why is it you?¡± Manager Sun also widened his mouth in shock. ¡°Little¡­ Little Brother Su? Miss Su?¡± He never expected that the people who saved him were his former opponents¡ªSu Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou. Back then, he was so glorious that he did not even look at the siblings. But now, he was hiding from debts everywhere and his past glory was gone. How tragic was that? Su Ergou asked, ¡°Sun, how did you end up like this?¡± Manager Sun leaned against the wall and sat down. He sighed. ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t mention it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and looked down at him. ¡°Just mention it. After all, we saved you. Let us laugh at you.¡± Manager Sun wanted to ask the siblings if it felt really good to stab him in the back like this. However, after hiding for many days, he did have a stomach full of words to say. He leaned against the cold wall behind him and looked up at the gray sky. ¡°Did you notice that the shopkeeper of Jin Ji has changed?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°Yes, that new guy is even more shameless than you!¡± For some reason, Manager Sun felt that he was being insulted, Manager Sun composed himself and continued, ¡°All these years, for Jin Ji, I¡¯ve been doing all I can in the wind and rain. Every day, I worked hard. If Jin Ji can become big, I, Sun Quan, dare to say that I deserve credit!¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Su Xiaoxiao laughed. Was this guy actually called Sun Quan? She could imagine Liu Bei warping to the scene to beat him to death! Manager Sun looked at Su Xiaoxiao with hurt. ¡°You¡¯re still laughing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said righteously, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll laugh.¡± Manager Sun wondered what kind of siblings they were. To summarize Manager Sun¡¯s experience, he had dedicated half his life to Jin Ji and treated Jin Ji as his child. Who would have thought that he would be destroyed by Jin Ji in the end? ¡°That He guy is a relative of the boss,¡± he said. Su Xiaoxiao came to a realization. ¡°No wonder he¡¯s so arrogant.¡± Manager Sun had revealed his background. His sad fate was completely exposed to the siblings. Anyway, there was no dignity left. So be it. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What about you being chased for a debt?¡± It was fine if he didn¡¯t mention this, but once he did, Manager Sun¡¯s expression turned even uglier. This was the real moment that made men lose face. Su Xiaoxiao looked at his pained expression and guessed blindly, ¡°Could it be that your concubine ran away with someone else, took away your savings, and left you a lot of debt?¡± Su Ergou placed his hands on his hips and laughed. ¡°Haha! Sister! How can there be such a stupid and unlucky man in the world?¡± Manager Sun fell silent. Su Ergou stopped laughing. ¡°Ah, there really is¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao patted Manager Sun¡¯s shoulder sympathetically. In the next second, the siblings burst out laughing. ¡­ After the siblings finished laughing, Manager Sun was numb. But what could he say? Wasn¡¯t it all his doing? Su Xiaoxiao touched her stomach. ¡°Phew, I¡¯ve probably lost two pounds here.¡± This was the legendary concept of training abs through laughter! Manager Sun said, ¡°Your business is getting bigger and bigger. When I passed by Jin Ji that day, I saw more people queuing up in front of your stall than at the entrance of Jin Ji.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said proudly, ¡°Yes, are you envious?¡± Manager Sun sighed. ¡°I underestimated you. Girl, you¡¯re not an ordinary person.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said shamelessly, ¡°There are many people who look down on me. You¡¯re not the only one. I don¡¯t care about a few loose words.¡± This was the first time Manager Sun had seen someone so thick-skinned. ¡°Are you still supplying Jin Ji?¡± he asked. ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°That He guy is inhumane. He wanted to chase us away and even sent people to ambush us on the way.¡± Su Ergou showed off his small biceps. ¡°In the end, we beat him up!¡± ¡°You girl, you¡¯re stubborn.¡± Manager Sun thought of something and suddenly smiled happily. ¡°Then Jin Ji is finished.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°What¡¯s done? It¡¯s just an egg yolk pastry. It¡¯s still good if they don¡¯t sell it.¡± Manager Sun smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know, right? Tomorrow is Minister Qi¡¯s birthday banquet. Back then, I spent a lot of effort and connections to send the snacks to the Qi family. After Old Madam Qi tried them, she took a fancy to the wife cake and egg yolk pastry, especially the egg yolk pastry. Old Madam Qi said that this snack can¡¯t be missing at the banquet. Now that you¡¯re not supplying Jin Ji, they can¡¯t make their egg yolk pastry. If they mess up the Qi family¡¯s birthday banquet, they will suffer a huge setback!¡± Hearing this, not only did Su Xiaoxiao not gloat, she fell silent. ¡°How many egg yolk pastries does the Qi family want for their birthday banquet?¡± she asked. Manager Sun said, ¡°A hundred.¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Manager Sun was stunned by Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s sudden reaction. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s been too calm these two days. Jin Ji didn¡¯t find trouble with us but a woman came to buy a hundred salted duck eggs.¡± These few sentences seemed to be unrelated, but how smart was Manager Sun? He immediately understood what was going on! His expression changed drastically. ¡°He sent her! He bought your ingredients!¡± ¡°Ah? That woman didn¡¯t buy it for her son? Was she running an errand for He?¡± Su Ergou was furious! He was too detestable! Su Xiaoxiao frowned, but soon, her brows relaxed. Her lips curved into a smile. ¡°You sealed the deal before the New Year, right?¡± Chapter 121 - 121 Visit 121 Visit Manager Sun said, ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Before the New Year, I have yet to supply Jin Ji. You bought the egg yolk pastry from me for Old Madam Qi to try, right?¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Manager Sun cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any raw materials, okay?¡± Manager Sun had the brains and talent to do business. Most importantly, this fellow was bold enough to sell a business that he had not obtained. Manager Sun had helped her a lot. ¡°Girl, what are you thinking about?¡± Manager Sun asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking that my egg yolk pastry is not so easy to imitate. If Old Madam Qi finds out that the taste this time is different from the ones she ate before, do you think she will be unhappy?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Manager Sun gasped. He had not thought of this just now. That¡¯s right. Even after obtaining Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s formula, the snacks Jin Ji made still had a slight difference in taste. It was the same for the wife cake and the chestnut cake. As for the egg yolk pastry¡­ the salted egg yolk had only arrived this year, and he was no longer the shopkeeper of Jin Ji. He had never tasted how it was done there. Manager Sun said, ¡°But what if Old Madam Qi can¡¯t taste the difference? The texture is a little different, but there¡¯s not much difference. Moreover, even if you make it yourself, you can¡¯t guarantee that every batch will taste the same! I heard that the chef of Jin Ji doesn¡¯t rest for the New Year and focuses on cultivating at home to master your formulae.¡± ¡°Whatever you say is possible.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was not a person who underestimated herself, but she would not be blindly confident. ¡°Can you still enter the Qi family?¡± Manager Sun sighed. ¡°The Qi family does business with Jin Ji, not with me, Sun Quan. It¡¯s probably difficult.¡± ¡°Ten taels.¡± ¡°Sigh, I really can¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Twenty taels.¡± ¡°I told you¡­¡± ¡°Thirty taels.¡± ¡°Hey, girl¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ergou, call that group of people over and say that Manager Sun is giving it to them!¡± Manager Sun shuddered. ¡°I suddenly remembered that Nanny Ding of the Qi family is from my hometown!¡± ¡­. At dawn, Manager He woke up early under the service of his concubine. Today was Old Madam Qi¡¯s birthday, and it was also the first cooperation between Jin Ji and the Qi family. The Qi family had a say in the prefecture capital. As long as this business was done, why would Jin Ji worry about not being able to open up in the prefecture capital? In order to express the importance of this business, Manager He decided to deliver it to the Qi family personally. He went downstairs to the kitchen. ¡°Are the snacks ready?¡± he asked. The waiter came out of the kitchen and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve been watching for the entire night! I guarantee that nothing will go wrong!¡± The snacks were made on the fifth night. After staring at them for the entire night, they were bragging! Manager He couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue about such small matters. He got someone to put the snacks into a food box and bring his carriage. The waiter and an old friend from Jin Ji went with him. The group arrived at the Qi family. Although Jin Ji was the largest snack shop in town, it was simply not in the league of a rich family like the Qi family. Manager He was not qualified to use the main door. His carriage stopped outside the back door. The person who came out to receive them was a small butler of the Qi family. ¡°It wasn¡¯t you the last time.¡± The junior manager frowned. Manager He said politely, ¡°I¡¯m the new shopkeeper of Jin Ji. My surname is He.¡± ¡°Over there! Don¡¯t hang the lantern wrongly!¡± The junior manager shouted at the servant at the side. After saying that, he looked at Manager He. ¡°What did you say? Alright, come in!¡± To think a mere manager actually despised him, the head manager. Manager He was indignant. However, he also understood that the Qi family was one of the most powerful families in Apricot Flower Town. Jin Ji could not afford to offend them! ¡°I¡¯ve already said that you don¡¯t have to come personally.¡± The waiter also felt indignant for his master. He thought that if the shopkeeper came personally, he would more or less be treated well. Unexpectedly, the servants of the Qi family looked down on them and ignored them! Manager He said calmly, ¡°He¡¯s just a small fry.¡± When he obtained Old Madam Qi¡¯s favor, wouldn¡¯t such an ignorant servant be easily dismissed with a word? On the other side, a beautiful maidservant came over with a lantern. ¡°Miss Qing¡¯er, you¡¯re so early?¡± The young steward, who ignored Manager He and the others, actually revealed a fawning smile when he met this maidservant. The maidservant said, ¡°Old Madam is up. Have the snacks from Jin Ji arrived? Old Madam said to give them to her to try first.¡± The junior steward smiled and said, ¡°Miss Qing¡¯er can just instruct me on such matters. Why bother making a trip yourself? Miss Qing¡¯er, you can go first. I¡¯ll send you off!¡± The maidservant said, ¡°Don¡¯t pick make so much noise with unimportant people and disturb Old Madam¡¯s peace.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes!¡± The junior manager turned around with a smile. His expression turned cold as he said to Manager He, ¡°Snacks.¡± Manager He gave the waiter and his old companion a look. The two of them carried in food boxes one after another and handed them to the junior steward. The junior steward called over a few smart servants and followed the maidservant to serve the snacks to Old Madam Qi. The waiter looked at the other party¡¯s graceful back and swallowed. He whispered, ¡°Manager, the Qi family is indeed a big family. Even a maid is much more beautiful than the girls of Yue Hong Pavilion¡­¡± Yue Hong Pavilion is a brothel in Apricot Flower Town. Manager He wished he could kick him. Was he tired of living by comparing the Qi family¡¯s maidservant to the women in the brothel? Manager He was waiting in the courtyard outside the kitchen. He was not waiting for the bill, but for Old Madam Qi¡¯s feedback. He was confident that Old Madam Qi would definitely like the pancakes! She might even want to see him! What he did not expect was that before Madam Qi could summon him, Miss Qing¡¯er would scold him. ¡°What snacks did you give us? It¡¯s completely different from last time! Old Madam is angry! Who asked you to buy the snacks from another place!¡± The junior steward was confused and turned to look at Manager He. Manager He said, ¡°Miss Qing¡¯er, we¡¯re from Jin Ji.¡± Qing¡¯er said angrily, ¡°Then have you changed chefs?¡± Shopkeeper He hurriedly said, ¡°No! The snacks today were all made by the chef of Jin Ji! There¡¯s no one else!¡± The snacks that were usually sold were taught by the main chef and the other chefs shared the responsibility. The Qi family¡¯s birthday banquet was very important, and the main chef did it himself. Qing¡¯er said coldly, ¡°Why is that taste different?¡± Manager He frowned. The chef had not changed. Could it be that the girl had provided them with inferior salted eggs? At this moment, a servant rushed over. ¡°Manager Zhang! The people from Jin Ji are here! They said that they¡¯re here to deliver birthday snacks!¡± Manager He was stunned. ¡°We¡¯re the ones from Jin Ji! Why is there another Jin Ji?¡± The servant looked at Shopkeeper He and said to his butler, ¡°That person¡¯s surname is Sun. He came last time.¡± Chapter 122 - 122 Success 122 Success Qing¡¯er came to a realization. ¡°So you¡¯re imposters! No wonder it tastes so bad!¡± Manager He shouted, ¡°No, we¡¯re the real Jin Ji!¡± Manager Zhang said to the servant, ¡°Call him in.¡± Manager He also wanted to see who dared to impersonate Jin Ji! Soon, they were brought in by the servant. When he saw the three of them clearly, Manager He¡¯s eyes almost fell out! ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Who else could it be but Manager Sun, Su Xiaoxiao, and Su Ergou? Strange, why were the three of them here? Manager Sun cupped his hands at Steward Zhang and said amiably, ¡°Steward Zhang, how have you been?¡± Previously, it had always been Manager Sun who negotiated business with the Qi family. Manager Zhang had seen him and had an impression of him. As for the fat girl and poor boy beside him, they were unfamiliar faces. Manager He¡¯s cold gaze swept across Manager Sun and the siblings. He subconsciously felt that Manager Sun was older and more experienced. This matter must have been Manager Sun¡¯s idea. He said angrily, ¡°Sun! Why are you here?¡± Manager Sun smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m naturally here to deliver goods to the Qi family!¡± ¡°You¡¯re no longer the shopkeeper of Jin Ji! It¡¯s not your place to deliver the goods!¡± Manager He said as he looked at Manager Zhang. ¡°This person has long been chased out of Jin Ji. Now, I¡¯m the shopkeeper of Jin Ji!¡± Manager Sun hit the nail on the head. ¡°Then, did you made the pastries from last time?¡± Manager He choked. Manager Sun thought to himself, No way? This girl really guessed correctly? Jin Ji didn¡¯t manage to replicate her taste! Since it was a guess, there was a possibility that she was wrong. Even Su Xiaoxiao could not guarantee that her plan was foolproof. At this moment, she felt more relieved. As long as Jin Ji did not make the exact same taste, she still had a chance! ¡°Where are the snacks?¡± Qing Er asked. She did not care whether it was the old shopkeeper or the new shopkeeper. She only wanted the egg yolk pastry from the previous time. Otherwise, if she angered Old Madam and Minister Qi blamed her, these people would have to bear the consequences! Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou handed her four large food boxes. Qing¡¯er said to Steward Zhang, ¡°Please get a few people to send them to Old Madam¡¯s courtyard!¡± Steward Zhang smiled and said, ¡°Alright, Miss Qing¡¯er!¡± After the servants of the Qi family left with the snacks, Su Xiaoxiao and the others were not in a hurry to leave. Manager He was also there. He glared at the three of them coldly and said disdainfully, ¡°Sun, have you actually fallen to the extent of being with two country bumpkins? Jin Ji has raised you for more than twenty years, and this is how you repay Jin Ji! Are you worthy of Jin Ji?¡± Damn it! Who was the one who let the other down? Manager He continued, ¡°Also, don¡¯t think that you can snatch the business of Jin Ji like this! For the same formula, Jin Ji used the best flour and hired the most powerful chef! If the taste of Jin Ji can¡¯t satisfy Old Madam Qi, don¡¯t even think about it!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Manager Zhang ran over. From the looks of it, something was wrong. Manager He smiled gloatingly. ¡°Heard what I said? You guys have no chance at all¡­¡± Steward Zhang came to Su Xiaoxiao and the other two and said, ¡°Please. My Old Madam invites you.¡± He said please. Manager He trembled. ¡°What did you say?¡± Manager Zhang ignored him and said politely to Su Xiaoxiao and the other two, ¡°Please follow me.¡± The three of them followed Steward Zhang to Old Madam Qi¡¯s courtyard. Manager He did not believe it and shamelessly followed to investigate. Old Madam Qi was 70 years old this year. In ancient times, she was considered old. Her body was considered strong, and she did not have much of a fetish for food and clothes. She had only tasted the snacks sent by Manager Sun previously and could not forget the taste. Minister Qi was a filial son, so he immediately decided on this deal. He didn¡¯t care how much money it was. What he wanted was for Old Madam Qi to be happy. Old Madam Qi sat on the official hat chair, her expression exuding the dignity of an old lady. She looked at the three of them and asked, ¡°Who made the snacks?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Manager He glanced at the table and was shocked! In a food box on the left, there were rows of pink peaches The peaches were white and red, and there were light green peach leaves sitting under them. Just looking at them made one smell the fragrance of the peaches. In a food box on the right, there were yellow and orange marigolds. Their petals were distinct, and the stamens were dotted with bulging brown centers. They were too lifelike. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they were in a food box, no one wouldn¡¯t have thought that these were real peaches and real marigolds. It was no wonder that Manager He had such a big reaction. Even Old Madam Qi, who only ate snacks in the prefecture capital all year round, was stunned. She had never seen anyone make snacks so unique. Before she even tasted them, she asked Steward Zhang to call her over. She asked, ¡°Girl, tell me, what is all this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°Salted egg longevity peach pastry, milk-flavored chestnut cake, and longevity cake.¡± Manager He craned his neck and looked at the third food box. There were birthday cakes inside. The longevity pancake looked more like a normal pancake, but if one took a closer look, one would discover that there was more than meets the eye. The filling of the birthday cake was the same as the wife¡¯s cake, but the skin was not crispy. It was similar to the skin of a mooncake. Since Old Madam Qi was old, Su Xiaoxiao made the texture of this skin even more fragrant and soft, so that it was more suitable for her teeth. In addition, Su Xiaoxiao used a mold to press the word ¡°longevity¡± and the carving of the pine branch on the pancake. It was beautiful. It could be said to be the essence of the first two snacks. Old Madam Qi said warmly, ¡°Qing¡¯er, bring the snacks over for me to try.¡± ¡°Yes, Old Madam.¡± Qing¡¯er held a silver tray, took a piece of each snack, and handed it to Old Madam with a small gold spoon. Old Madam Qi also tasted a little. The taste was even more stunning than the egg yolk pastry and wife cake the previous time. Old Madam Qi looked at Su Xiaoxiao with satisfaction. ¡°Girl, do you have anything to say about these snacks?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°Everyone wishes to have a long lifespan. Peach symbolizes immortality! I wish you a long life!¡± What a good saying! Everyone looked at the marigold chestnut cake, salted egg yolk longevity peach pastry, and pine branches carved with longevity pancakes on the table. At this moment, they all felt enlightened! They had really underestimated this fat village girl. The snacks were not delicious, but actually belied such exquisite thoughts! They had opened their eyes today! Manager He was stunned and could not say a word. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him lightly. ¡°Stealing business from me, I¡¯ll roll you to death!¡± Chapter 123 - 123 Famous 123 Famous Ahem, strictly speaking, she was the one snatching business from Jin Ji. But Jin Ji was the one that refused to give her a way out! Two can play the game! It was obvious from Old Madam Qi¡¯s expression that she believed in Su Xiaoxiao. Old Madam Qi¡¯s gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face again. This time, there was less of the dignity of an old lady and more of the gentleness of an old man. ¡°Girl, come forward.¡± She waved at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao walked over calmly. She was neither overly anxious nor timid. After all, she was not born and raised in ancient times and had never learned ancient social etiquette. However, some things have endured since ancient times. That was a person¡¯s aura and confidence. Old Madam Qi looked at her gently. ¡°You¡¯re a girl with good fortune. Tell me, what¡¯s your name?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Su Daya.¡± Old Madam Qi smiled and said, ¡°Where are you from?¡± ¡°From Apricot Flower Village,¡± she answered truthfully. There was no need to lie about such information. The Qi family could easily find out about her ancestors. Manager He snorted in his heart. She was just a bumpkin from the countryside! He didn¡¯t know if the things she made were clean or not. Old Madam Qi was a proper person from the prefectural city. When she married into the Qi family, it shocked most of the town! It would be strange if Old Madam Qi took a fancy to her! Manager Sun said at the right time, ¡°Old Madam, you don¡¯t know, but Miss Su¡¯s snacks are very famous. The dean of Wutong Academy is full of praise for Miss Su¡¯s culinary skills and even asked Miss Su to supply the students of the academy every day.¡± Old Madam Qi was surprised. ¡°Even Dean Shen likes it.¡± Manager Sun smiled and said, ¡°Of course! I don¡¯t dare to deceive Old Madam!¡± Manager Sun was indeed an old businessman. His words were controlled well and he could talk the birds out of the trees. How could he know Dean Shen¡¯s attitude toward Su Xiaoxiao? In short, he would just brag! How did one¡¯s business come about? It was 30% based on strength and 70% on bragging! Manager He was really furious. This shameless bastard! Dean Shen was also a rather famous person in Apricoty Flower Town. He was a scholar who did not get involved in worldly affairs. His ambition was not in the royal court, but to teach. Old Madam Qi looked at Su Xiaoxiao with more certainty. Actually, even if Manager Sun didn¡¯t brag, Old Madam Qi wouldn¡¯t think that Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s things were unpresentable just because she came from the countryside. At her age, she was an old lady with money, power, and status. She had her own judgment and did not have to live in the eyes of others. If she thought something was good, then it was good. Not to mention these snacks, those lines of poetry were enough for her to treat Su Xiaoxiao differently. Of course, after Manager Sun brought up Dean Shen, her impression of Su Xiaoxiao became even deeper. ¡°Girl, do you have a name for your snacks?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment before she realized that Old Madam Qi was not asking about the name of a single snack. She thought for a moment and looked up into Old Madam Qi¡¯s kind eyes. She said seriously, ¡°Su Ji.¡± ¡­. On Old Madam Qi¡¯s seventieth birthday, all the famous people in the town were in attendance. The county magistrate also personally came to congratulate her. Beyond Apricot Flower Town, there were also many guests from the prefecture capital. Some were from her family, and some were from her grandson¡¯s connections in the officialdom of the prefecture capital. When the snacks made by Su Xiaoxiao appeared at the birthday banquet, these old masters and madams felt that they had seen the world. Take the county magistrate for example. Although he was not a scholar in the top rankings, he was still a proper county examination scholar and had entered the capital three times to take the examination. He had never seen such a unique snack. He looked at the prefecture officials beside him. Everyone was as surprised as him. ¡°Everyone wishes to have a long lifespan. Peach symbolizes immortality! This is to wish our Old Madam a long life!¡± Qing¡¯er followed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s words and introduced the snacks to the ladies and daughters who came to ask. ¡°Is it a snack from Jin Ji?¡± Jin Ji was the largest snack shop in town. Everyone immediately thought of it. Qing¡¯er snorted. ¡°No! It¡¯s Su Ji!¡± ¡°Su Ji? A new shop? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡°Is it the shop in the prefecture?¡± ¡°I live in the prefecture capital. There¡¯s no snack called Su Ji in our prefecture capital. Even if there is, it might not be famous. I¡¯ve never eaten something from Su Ji.¡± ¡°Where did that come from? It¡¯s not the provincial capital, is it?¡± ¡°My brother is studying in the provincial city. There are no such delicious snacks in the provincial city!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be from the capital, right? The capital is so far away. Did the Qi family invite a famous chef from the capital to cook at home?¡± ¡­. After the birthday banquet began, Su Xiaoxiao came out of the Qi family and knew nothing about the commotion caused at the banquet. The Qi family returned the snacks from Jin Ji and asked for a refund. Then they bought from Su Xiaoxiao. There were 100 salted egg yolk longevity peach pastries, 50 marigold chestnut cakes, and 50 longevity pancakes. It was a total of 20 taels. Old Madam Qi was happy and rewarded Su Xiaoxiao with 10 taels. ¡°Sister! We earned 30 taels today! 30 taels!¡± Su Ergou was so excited that he sprang in elation! The joy of selling snacks was really incomparable to extortion! Su Xiaoxiao was quite happy. In her previous life, she treated money like dirt, but after coming here, she was really poor. 30 taels was definitely a huge sum of money for the current her. She had to plan how to use this money. Compared to the siblings who had won the battle, Manager He was like a defeated rooster, dispirited and angry! ¡°A petty person is successful!¡± He gritted his teeth and glared at the siblings before walking towards the carriage of Jin Ji with a cold expression. Su Xiaoxiao casually moved her feet, and a small stone flew to Manager He¡¯s feet. Manager He slipped and fell into the shaft! ¡°Ouch!¡± A large bump appeared on his forehead. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°You have to watch when you walk, Shopkeeper He.¡± Manager He got into the carriage and left! Su Xiaoxiao planned to go to the market to buy some beans and duck eggs. However, if they waited for Liu Ping to come over, it would be difficult for them to bring so many ingredients back to the village without the donkey cart. While Liu Ping was waiting, Manager Sun came out of the Qi family. Facing Su Xiaoxiao again, Manager Sun felt a little complicated and awkward. In the past, they were enemies. Who would have thought that they would work together one day? He paused for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll treat the Qi family¡¯s business as repayment for yesterday. I, Sun Quan, am a snob and my methods are a little dishonorable, but I¡¯m not an ungrateful person. I¡¯ve told the Qi family¡¯s steward that if there¡¯s such a business in the future, they will look for you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and glanced at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get yourself some business?¡± Even if he was not the shopkeeper of Jin Ji, he still had his ability. It was not impossible for him to make a comeback. Manager Sun sighed helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯ll return the favor. From now on, I won¡¯t snatch your business.¡± Chapter 124 - 124 Getting Rich 124 Getting Rich Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh.¡± Manager Sun continued, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± With that, he turned around and left. He had been beaten up by the people from the gambling den yesterday and was still injured. In order not to leave a bad impression on the Qi family and affect Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s business, he forced himself to endure the pain in his body and pretended to be nonchalant. Looking at his staggering back, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly said, ¡°Hey, how much do you owe?¡± ¡­ . When Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou returned to the village, it was already evening. The three little ones were already waiting at the village entrance. They flapped their small arms behind them and kept glancing at the village road. When they finally saw the familiar fat figure, the three of them couldn¡¯t wait anymore and pounced at Su Xiaoxiao. Considering that she might return late today, Su Xiaoxiao had informed them in advance last night. The three of them did not cry, but they missed their mother¡¯s presence. Su Xiaoxiao squatted on the ground and the three of them squeezed into her arms, breathing in the aura that made them feel at ease. ¡°Mom, Dahu misses you so much.¡± ¡°Erhu misses you too.¡± ¡°Xiaohu misses you the most!¡± Perhaps because they had interacted more with their village friends, the three little fellows spoke more fluently than before. Occasionally, they could say a complete sentence in one breath. Su Xiaoxiao was pleasantly surprised by their every growth and change. This was really a strange experience. It was just that they did not grow much. They still looked like three little radishes. ¡°Look at what Mom brought you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out three sticks of shiny and red things. Xiaohu opened his hands. ¡°Wow! Candied hawthorn!¡± Although they had already greeted each other, there would still be lingering sadness. Su Xiaoxiao had never raised a child, but some things were easily understood. The three little ones happily took the candied hawthorn. ¡°Mother, eat.¡± The three of them handed her the candied hawthorn. Su Xiaoxiao waved her chubby hands. ¡°I want to lose weight, so I won¡¯t eat it. Give it to Uncle Ergou.¡± The three of them began to play rock-paper-scissors. Naturally, they learned it from the children in the village. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t understand why they suddenly wanted to play rock-paper-scissors. She found out when Xiaohu lost. He sighed and handed a candied hawthorn to Su Ergou with a serious expression. ¡°One!¡± Su Ergou was speechless. ¡ª- Wei Ting was also there. He was sitting on a stone under a big tree at the entrance of the village. He was wearing coarse linen clothes and had black hair tied into a simple bun with a wooden hairpin that was only worth a copper coin. He was clearly dressed like a poor country bumpkin, but he looked like an immortal. He looked into the distance quietly, thinking about something. He seemed to be enveloped by a faint sadness and melancholy. ¡°Wei Ting!¡± Su Xiaoxiao called him. Wei Ting restrained his thoughts. His distant gaze changed and he returned to his usual inhumane and cold self. He turned to look at Su Xiaoxiao. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her and the children. The scene seemed to have been frozen. Smoke rose from the village as she walked towards him, who had long fallen into hell. ¡°Wei Ting, were you waiting for me too?¡± She placed her hands behind her back, tilted her head, and smiled at him. ¡°Have you been waiting for a long time?¡± Wei Ting calmly shifted his gaze and looked at the three little ones who were fooling around with Su Ergou. ¡°Dahu and the others wanted to come.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows in disbelief. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± He stood up expressionlessly and walked towards the Su family with his walking stick. Su Xiaoxiao followed closely. The three little ones ran ahead wildly with Su Ergou. The entire village was filled with their giggles. Su Xiaoxiao sighed sensibly. ¡°Children are so energetic! After a hard day, I feel like I¡¯m going to collapse. Yet Ergou can still go up to the roof to fiddle with the tiles!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a child too?¡± ¡°You called me a child. How old are you?¡± ¡°Older than you.¡± ¡°Of course, I know you¡¯re older than me. You already have three children!¡± Wei Ting said nothing. Since she mentioned age, Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Wei Ting, when¡¯s your birthday?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said casually, ¡°I¡¯m just asking. My birthday is on the first of December. My father and Ergou have theirs on the 29th of the first month, which is the end of this month. It¡¯s almost time. What about yours?¡± Wei Ting still did not answer. Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips. ¡°It¡¯s said that a woman¡¯s age is a secret, but it¡¯s the other way around with you. Alright, I won¡¯t ask you anymore. I¡¯ll get the kids to tell me.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°First of June.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°61?¡± Children¡¯s Day? No, Children¡¯s Day in modern times was mapped to the solar calendar, and the birthdays of the three little ones were mapped to the lunar calendar. As the two of them spoke, they arrived home without realizing it. Su Xiaoxiao shrugged. ¡°I thought this road was quite long, but we reached so soon.¡± Wei Ting seemed to have sensed something. His eyes moved, but he did not speak. Old Master Su had been farming with Auntie Qian for the entire afternoon and was so tired that he was silent. At this moment, he was catching up on his sleep in the house. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t wake him up and gently closed the door. Then, she returned to her room and sat on the stool. She untied the money bag at her waist and poured out a few scattered copper coins. She had earned 30 taels today. The consultation fee that Xiang Zhonghua had given her previously, as well as the ten taels of snacks and braised meat that she had earned over the past few days, totaled 60 taels. But there were only a few copper coins left. She even said that she could return Su Yuniang¡¯s silver! It was all spent! Boohoo! How painful! Creak¡­ The door opened. Su Xiaoxiao sat up straight in a second and turned back into the high and mighty little fat peacock. Wei Ting walked over with an indifferent expression and glanced at the copper coin on the table and the IOU in her hand. The IOU was issued by Manager Sun. Before leaving today, Su Xiaoxiao gallantly told Wei Ting that she had gone to earn big money, but in the end, she earned an IOU. In order to avoid being mocked, she quietly put away the IOU. ¡°I saved the silver in the bank! I made a killing!¡± She thought Wei Ting would say, ¡°Heh, is that so? Where¡¯s the evidence?¡± Unexpectedly, Wei Ting did not say anything else and placed a money bag on her table. Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I picked it up.¡± Wei Ting said. His answer did not address her question. Su Xiaoxiao opened the bag. ¡°Wow!¡± Two white silver ingots! Two banknotes worth 50 taels! She was rich! Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Wei Ting, is this for my family?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°I already said that I picked it up.¡± The thoughts of the man in black, whose pants had been plundered, were: Can you make your story more believable? For Su Xiaoxiao, this was starting capital!Su Xiaoxiao happily put away the money bag. ¡°Wei Ting, you¡¯re quite rich!¡± Ever since she met Jing Yi and his subordinates on the official road, she had never gone there again. Unexpectedly, Wei Ting went to dig out the treasure himself! How could she know that Wei Ting had not dug but extorted? Chapter 125 - 125 Rich 125 Rich The moment he was extorted, the man in black was stunned. He wondered what Wei Ting experienced recently. Why did he learn to extort money? Su Xiaoxiao rested her chin on her hands and looked at him. ¡°Wei Ting, are you getting more and more concerned about me?¡± Wei Ting glanced at her indifferently and said indifferently, ¡°Have you lost all your body weight to your face?¡± Damn! Was he indirectly scolding her for being thick-skinned? What did this guy do in the past? To be so good at arguing, was he the top scholar? The kind who fought with the other scholars? Forget it, she would forgive him on account of the silver! ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao went to the Su family to return the money to Su Yuniang. Su Yuniang looked visibly haggard. While others would become rosier as they observed their confinement, she seemed to have done her confinement in vain. It was not strange if one thought about it. As the saying went, a married daughter would be criticized for returning to her parents¡¯ house every other day. Not to mention that she was giving birth and doing her confinement at her maiden home. As she stayed longer, the gossip in the village increased, especially when the Zheng family came once and quarreled with her. Madam Zhou, who was a gossipy woman, had witnessed it and publicized it that night. It was true that the villagers respected the Su family, but they could not help but be old-fashioned and gossipy. In addition, the conflict between Su Yuniang and her family was also growing. The Su family hoped that she would go with the flow and put a stop to her conflict with Brother Xing. The sentiment was that since Brother Xing was sincerely repenting, she should stop her pretence and go back to live with him. That woman was just a concubine and could not do much. The Zheng family had many people, so having more children was just a matter of setting aside more chopsticks. It was not like she had to worry. She could just pretend not to see it. However Su Yuniang could not take this lying down and refused to go back. While Old Madam Su and her eldest sister-in-law didn¡¯t look too good, Madam Fang¡¯s heart ached for her daughter, so she did not mind. However, she did not agree with her daughter¡¯s actions. She also advised her daughter not to hurt the spousal relationship with her husband. She had to live her life and not push her man away. No one in the family really stood in Su Yuniang¡¯s shoes to consider things from her perspective. Su Yuniang actually didn¡¯t care what the villagers thought of her. She cared about her family. However, to her family, she was already an outsider. ¡°I really envy you sometimes,¡± Su Yuniang said wistfully as she sat on the bed. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m quite envious of myself.¡± Su Yuniang gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt my emotions!¡± Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips. ¡°So fierce.¡± Su Yuniang took a deep breath and connected her broken emotions. She continued, ¡°I envy you for being able to find a live-in husband.¡± Generally speaking, only those who could not give birth to a son would ask their daughter to find a live-in son-in-law to inherit the family¡¯s bloodline. However, the Su family had Su Ergou. Under such circumstances, Su Cheng had to bear a lot of pressure as the head of the family. However, Su Cheng would rather be criticized than marry his daughter to someone else to suffer. ¡°You have a good father,¡± Su Yuniang said. ¡°Of course, my father is very good!¡± Su Xiaoxiao also felt that Father Su was the best father in the world. Although he did things a little inappropriately, his love for her was deep. Su Yuniang¡¯s father was similar to Madam Fang and did not have his own opinions. Old Master Su was in charge of the family. ¡°Maybe your grandfather was too domineering.¡± Sometimes, a strong father would raise children who lacked opinions. ¡°Perhaps.¡± Su Yuniang didn¡¯t care much anymore. ¡°If only I could find a live-in husband.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her deeply. ¡°You¡¯re quite suitable for that sort of arrangement.¡± Su Yuniang was opinionated and smart. She had a strong personality and was brave. She was easy-going and had good taste. Su Yuniang had heard too many objections, so she could not help but be slightly surprised at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s words. Su Xiaoxiao pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to accept it either. When two people are together, they should be loyal to each other. Otherwise, why would there be sayings about everlasting love?¡¯¡± ¡°Everlasting love.¡± Su Yuniang¡¯s heart was touched. ¡°If Mr. Wei betrays you one day, what will you do?¡± Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand. ¡°He won¡¯t!¡± Because they were not a real couple at all! How could there be a betrayal? One day, they would be separated and never see each other again. This was what would become of her and Wei Ting. From the beginning to the end, Su Xiaoxiao did not persuade Su Yuniang to return to her in-laws¡¯ house. She returned the money and left. Just as she left, the Zheng family came knocking on her door. It was still Zheng Lanxiu, but without Brother Xing; she came with her man, Cripple Feng. Cripple Feng walked with a slight limp, and that was how he got this nickname. Cripple Feng watched as Su Xiaoxiao came out of the Su family. He stared at Su Xiaoxiao until she was far away. ¡°What are you looking at!¡± Zheng Lanxiu pinched her man! ¡°Ouch!¡± Cripple Feng was in pain and scolded the bitch in his heart, but he smiled and said, ¡°What can I look at? I¡¯m just wondering if it¡¯s inconvenient for us to visit since there¡¯s a guest in the Su family.¡± Zheng Lanxiu said angrily, ¡°Hmph! Is it inconvenient for us or is it inconvenient for a daughter who lives in her maiden home!¡± These words were for Su Yuniang. Cripple Feng¡¯s mind was filled with the chubby figure he had seen just now. His eyes flashed as he asked, ¡°Strange, who was that fatty just now? I¡¯ve never seen her before¡­¡± Zheng Lanxiu said impatiently, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you seen her before? She¡¯s Fatty Su from the Su family!¡± ¡°Ah! It¡¯s her?¡± Cripple Feng was extremely surprised. Because of his relationship with the Su family, he had accompanied Zheng Lanxiu to Apricot Flower Village several times. As such, he had seen Fatty Su in the past. However, the original Fatty Su was fat and ugly. Her skin was rough and she was fat. The girl just now was clearly not as fat as he remembered. Her skin was smooth and tender. Zheng Lanxiu was a thin person. She was old and shriveled. She did not have much flesh in her hands, so he could not be interested at night. That little fat girl just now was really too tempting. Soon, he saw Su Jinniang again. Su Jinniang was wearing a light purple cotton-padded jacket. Because she was working, her sleeves were rolled up, revealing a slender wrist. Jinniang was still the most beautiful! ¡°It¡¯s Jinniang, right? I haven¡¯t seen you for a while. You¡¯ve grown up!¡± Cripple Feng greeted her with a smile. Su Jinniang frowned slightly. She didn¡¯t like Zheng Lanxiu¡¯s man very much. He always looked at her with lecherous eyes, making her feel nauseous. ¡­ . Zheng Lanxiu was here to persuade Su Yuniang to go back. If Su Yuniang did not leave, she would stay until Su Yuniang was willing to leave with her! Because she stayed, Cripple Feng also stayed in the Su family¡¯s house. At night, Su Yuniang had dinner in her room. She carried her daughter and fed her before preparing to rest. She had just put her daughter down when her hand touched something cold. She picked it up and saw that it was a jade pendant. She had seen good things in the Zheng family and recognized that this was jade although she did not know the exact grade. However, her intuition told her that this jade pendant was quite valuable. This was clearly not her jade pendant, nor did it belong to her family. She knew very well what jewelry was at home. This was why Su Xiaoxiao thought Su Yuniang was very suitable to be the head of the family. Su Yuniang thought for a moment and muttered, ¡°Could it be Fatty Su¡¯s?¡± Fatty Su had just come to pay her back. Perhaps she had dropped the jade pendant when she took out the silver. ¡°How beautiful¡­¡± Although she was envious, Su Yuniang was not greedy for the things of other people. ¡°Little brother!¡± She called out to the door. ¡°Coming! Big Sister, you called me?¡± The ten-year-old Su Sanlang went in through the curtain. He was still young and his voice had not yet broken. He was just a child. On the other hand, it was no longer convenient for Su Dalang and the seventeen-year-old Su Erlang to enter Su Yuniang¡¯s room. Su Yuniang handed him the jade pendant. ¡°Take this to the Su family and ask Fatty Su if this is hers.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He took the jade pendant. In this family, her youngest brother was the most supportive of her. Firstly, Su Sanlang was young and innocent. Secondly, after Madam Fang gave birth to Su Sanlang, she fell ill for a few years. During that time, Su Yuniang was the one who raised Su Sanlang. Su Sanlang¡¯s feelings for Su Yuniang were very deep. He was happy to go to the Su family. This was not only out of obedience to his sister but also because fatty Su would give him delicious food and allow him to look at the horse. Su Jinniang stopped him just as he left the house. ¡°Little brother, it¡¯s so late. Where are you going?¡± Su Sanlang turned guiltily and put his hands behind his back. ¡°I¡¯m going next door¡­ to find Zhou Zhuang.¡± Su Jinniang looked at his stiff arm. ¡°What are you hiding in your hand?¡± Su Sanlang hurriedly said, ¡°Nothing!¡± Su Jinniangcame to him. ¡°Show me! Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell Grandpa!¡± Su Sanlang was most afraid of Old Master Su, so he could only bite the bullet and take out the jade pendant. ¡°Fatty Su¡¯s thing was left at our house. I¡¯ll return it.¡± Su Jinniang said coldly, ¡°Then why did you lie to me?¡± Su Sanlang fell silent. Su Jinniang said, ¡°Give it to me. I¡¯ll send it for you.¡± He whispered, ¡°No.¡± Su Jinniang¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell Grandpa¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Old Master Su heard the siblings¡¯ movements in the central room and walked to the door with a dark expression. Su Sanlang lowered his head in fear. Su Jinniang spread out her hands and said generously, ¡°Fatty Su came to treat Sister just now and left the jade pendant in Sister¡¯s room! Grandpa, I¡¯ll send it to her!¡± Old Master Su¡¯s gaze landed on the jade pendant, and his expression changed! Chapter 126 - 126 Warmth 126 Warmth ¡°Grandpa, can I send it to Fatty Su?¡± Su Jinniang asked. Because of the dim light, she did not notice Old Master Su¡¯s expression change. ¡°Show me,¡± Old Master Su said. Su Jinniang walked back to her door and handed the jade pendant to Old Master Su. The jade pendant was a valuable thing, so it was only right to be cautious. What if Su Yuniang used her jewelry to supplement Fatty Su? Su Jinniang felt that her grandfather was guarding against her sister from betraying the family and did not suspect anything else. Old Master Su held the jade pendant in his hand and flipped it around. His fingertips kept rubbing the patterns on the jade pendant. Su Jinniang felt that she had guessed correctly. ¡°Grandpa? Does this jade pendant belong to Sister? Did she give it to Fatty Su?¡± Su Jinniang felt that her sister was too much! She didn¡¯t even leave such a good thing for her! She actually gave it to an outsider! ¡°What jade pendant is mine?¡± Su Yuniang¡¯s voice appeared in the central room. Old Master Su and his two grandchildren looked at her. ¡°Big Sister!¡± Su Sanlang ran to her side and lowered his head in shame. ¡°Second Sister found me.¡± ¡°Why are you out?¡± Old Master Su asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been cooped up in the house for too long, so I came out to take a walk,¡± Su Yuniang said. Seeing that Old Master Su was about to speak, she explained, ¡°Daya said that I can come out and walk around. It¡¯s fine as long as I don¡¯t stand in the cold wind outside.¡± Su Jinniang snorted. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone walking out during confinement!¡± Su Yuniang did not argue with her. Instead, she looked at Old Master Su and the jade pendant in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s Daya¡¯s. She left it in my room so I got Sanlang to return it to her.¡± Old Master Su pinched the jade pendant and calmly handed it to her. Su Sanlang looked at Su Yuniang. Su Yuniang said to her brother, ¡°Give it back. We¡¯re not greedy for others¡¯ things.¡± As she spoke, she glanced at Su Jinniang meaningfully. Su Jinniang blushed slightly. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll go in first.¡± She lowered her head and entered the house. Old Master Su also returned to his room coldly. Su Yuniang looked back at her grandfather¡¯s gradually disappearing back and frowned slightly. Why did she feel that her grandfather¡¯s expression was not right? ¡­ . Su Sanlang personally handed the jade pendant to Su Xiaoxiao. Recently, Su Xiaoxiao had been soaking the jade in water when she had nothing to do. Needless to say, the texture of the jade became even more crystal clear. ¡°So it landed at your sister¡¯s place. It scared me. I thought I dropped it on the way back to the village!¡± This was the most valuable treasure she had on her and it was really delightful to find it again. She went into the house to get an egg yolk pastry and handed it to him. He was not a completely ignorant child. He could roughly understand that the relationship between the two families was not harmonious. Only his eldest sister and Fatty Su were close. Therefore, he would not let his family know that he had eaten something from the Su family, except for his eldest sister. He usually ate before leaving. ¡°Can I see the horse?¡± he asked. ¡°Sure.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Overjoyed, Su Sanlang went to the small east room. He had seen the horse as many times as Niudan. Unfortunately, he had seen it secretly. He could not show it off to his friends everywhere and was dying from holding it in. ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao put away the jade pendant and turned to cook in the kitchen. In order to celebrate her business success, she specially made a few hard dishes, a pot of rock-sugar pork shoulder, a bowl of braised pork ribs, and a plate of¡­ something that Wei Ting could not name. ¡°What is this?¡± Wei Ting asked. It was like tofu, but it was not tofu. It was tender, smooth, and melted in the mouth. The fragrance of spicy oil completely fused into it, and there was an indescribable¡­ freshness to it. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Brains!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Wei Ting choked! ¨C After dinner, Father Su went to the backyard to practice his wrist strength. Actually, it was also a form of rehabilitation. Su Xiaoxiao made simple equipment for him and specified the upper limit of strength and time. He would do it for one hour a day, and he would work on the exercise step by step. Wei Ting taught Su Ergou and the three little ones how to read. The three little ones were just bystanders. They shook their heads as they scribbled. The main student was Su Ergou. Although Su Ergou was usually playful, he was very serious when learning from Wei Ting. He was a proper fanboy. Of course, it was also because Wei Ting had taught him well. Su Xiaoxiao carried a basket of needles and thread over and pretended to sit beside Su Ergou. ¡°I¡¯m sewing a few clothes. Since it¡¯s expensive to light a few oil lamps and my family isn¡¯t well-off, I¡¯ll use the oil lamps here. You guys talk. I won¡¯t eavesdrop!¡± If not for the fact that he had just given her so much silver, Wei Ting would really believe that her family was not well-off. Wei Ting didn¡¯t say anything and continued to teach Su Ergou. The three little ones liked Su Xiaoxiao too much. They fought to show her their little graffiti. ¡°Mom, it was written by Xiaohu.¡± Xiaohu showed off his¡­ circles. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Not bad. Xiaohu is so smart!¡± Dahu and the Erhu had to be praised. Su Xiaoxiao listened attentively as she dealt with the three little ones. Wei Ting was really good. He could tell a story with just one word. Su Ergou, who did not like to study and only liked to tease cats, play with dogs, and get into all sorts of mischief, actually felt that studying did not seem so annoying anymore. Su Ergou said, ¡°Brother-in-law, you speak better than the teacher.¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°Did you go to school?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°There¡¯s a private school in Shallow Water Village, where Su Yuniang¡¯s in-laws live. When I was young, I went there to study for a few days. The teacher found me stupid and troublesome, so he didn¡¯t let me go anymore.¡± He didn¡¯t want to go himself. He hated the Master. His brother-in-law was different. His brother-in-law never scolded him for being stupid, nor did he chide him if he remembered wrongly. ¡°These are the words you learned today. Copy them.¡± Wei Ting handed Su Ergou a piece of calligraphy and a stack of white paper. The words on the note were big and angular. Su Xiaoxiao could see them clearly without getting close. The main thing was that there were instructions on the order of the strokes. Su Ergou scratched his head gloomily. He could read, but he really didn¡¯t like writing. Moreover, why were there so many? How long was he going to write? Wei Ting stood up calmly. ¡°Give it to me tomorrow after you¡¯re done. I¡¯ll go rest first.¡± Su Ergou grabbed the brush with a deep vengeance. ¡°Got it, Brother-in-law.¡± As soon as Wei Ting left, Su Xiaoxiao took a small stack of calligraphy paper from the table. ¡°I¡¯ll help you write a few!¡± ¡°But Sister, do you know how to write?¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up the brush that Wei Ting had used and said without changing her expression, ¡°Hey, who doesn¡¯t know how to draw?¡± Su Ergou felt that what his sister said made sense. He gave her more books. ¡°Sister, help me write a few more!¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed generously. ¡°Okay!¡± Su Ergou lazily climbed onto the bed to sleep. The siblings had a good relationship and were not that distant. Su Xiaoxiao brought a small table over and sat on the bed. ¡°Move over!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou rolled up the blanket and wriggled in. Seeing this, the three little ones instantly threw away the toys in their hands and crawled onto the bed. Su Xiaoxiao sat cross-legged and practiced calligraphy. The three little ones somersaulted behind her and played happily! Chapter 127 - 127 Same Bed 127 Same Bed After rolling a few times, the three little ones would rub their little heads on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s body. Their actions were very light and wouldn¡¯t disturb her writing. Su Xiaoxiao wanted to laugh. She inexplicably felt like a charging station that was sustaining them. By the time Su Xiaoxiao finished practicing the last word an hour later, Su Ergou had long fallen asleep. The three little ones had also exhausted their energy and fallen asleep. Su Xiaoxiao rubbed her sore wrist and looked at the thick stack of her hard work on the table. She felt a sense of achievement. She quietly got out of bed, put away the table, and tucked the three little ones into the blanket. After that, she returned to the east room. She thought that Wei Ting had already rested at this hour. Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the house, she saw Wei Ting sitting in the room wiping his dagger. Su Xiaoxiao drooled. Ah, she really coveted this dagger! She seriously suspected that this guy did it on purpose! The goal was to lure her to hand over the token in exchange! It was a pity that she could not retrieve the token at all. She could only stare enviously. Su Xiaoxiao swallowed her saliva and walked over unhurriedly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping in the middle of the night? Why are you sharpening your knife in the room? Are you trying to kill me?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Do you know that it is late? Yet you are sewing clothes in the middle of the night?¡± Su Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡­ like to sew for so long!¡± Wei Ting: ¡°Heh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°Anyway, I wasn¡¯t practicing calligraphy!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. After turning off the lights, the two of them lay on the soft bed. Although they had slept together for many days, the two of them did not cross the line. Su Xiaoxiao blinked and asked, ¡°Wei Ting, why did you say that it took so long for me to sew clothes just now? Do you think I¡¯ve been gone for too long and you can¡¯t sleep if I leave you alone in the room?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then why did you wait for me to come before sleeping?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Who¡¯s waiting for you? Don¡¯t flatter yourself.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Su Xiaoxiao snorted weakly and turned around with her back facing him. After thinking for a moment, she turned around and stared at his perfect side profile. With a handsome man beside her, it was good to take a look! Not long after, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyelids started to flutter. She couldn¡¯t open them again. In the dead of night, Wei Ting¡¯s heart calmed down bit by bit as he heard the even breathing beside him. The hatred and distracting thoughts in his mind gradually faded. He closed his eyes and fell asleep. ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao had to do business and woke up early. Unexpectedly, Madam Wu and Liu Ping were even earlier. Su Xiaoxiao opened the door for the two of them. ¡°Have you waited long?¡± ¡°No, I just arrived,¡± Madam Wu said. The two of them entered the house. Su Xiaoxiao said to Liu Ping, ¡°Brother Liu, you don¡¯t have to come so early.¡± Liu Ping was mainly in charge of carpentry and transportation. He could come after the snacks were finished. Liu Ping smiled honestly. ¡°I came over to see if I could help. I can chop firewood, carry water, and start a fire!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ergou can do these jobs.¡± Liu Ping said, ¡°Let Ergou sleep a little longer!¡± There was a reason why Su Xiaoxiao changed the shift between the two of them. Not only was there a difference in the division of labor, but she was also concerned about the sisters. ¡°The two children are still young. As it is, it¡¯s not like there were so many adults watching before the separation.¡± Their current residence was by the fish pond. It was very quiet and there were no neighbors. If a bandit really came, the two children would be in danger. Liu Ping felt that it shouldn¡¯t be. The village was quite safe. Moreover, he had locked the door when he came out. No one could enter. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Brother Liu, you should go back. Come back at dawn.¡± Madam Wu said, ¡°Listen to Daya.¡± ¡°Aye¡­ sure!¡± Liu Ping scratched his head and went back. As it turned out, it was fortunate that he complied. As soon as he reached the house, he realized that the lock had been broken. The copper lock used in the countryside was not very complicated. It could be opened with a twist. Liu Ping¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he hurriedly entered the house. ¡°Meizi!¡± ¡°Woo¡­ ¡± From inside the house came Mei Zi¡¯s suppressed cry. Liu Ping kicked open the sisters¡¯ door. Mei Zi was pressed onto the bed and had her mouth covered. Liu Ping rushed over without a word, grabbed that person¡¯s collar, and threw him to the ground! ¡°Meizi, are you alright?¡± He rushed over to support his trembling daughter. Mei Zi cried in fear. ¡°Dad! There¡¯s a thief!¡± Halfway through her sleep, Meizi sensed that someone had entered the house. She called out for her father, but the person did not answer. She sensed that something was wrong and wanted to shout for help, but just as she called out twice, the person covered her mouth tightly. The man panicked and covered her mouth and nose. If Liu Ping had arrived a little later, Mei Zi would have suffocated to death. The man got up and tried to flee but could Liu Ping let him succeed? He ran up and kicked that person to the ground! Liu Ping taught the other party a lesson. He knew this person. It was Zhang Xiaoshi from the village. He looked honest, but who would have thought that he would do such a thing? Liu Ping beat him up until he heaved more air than he breathed. He only stopped when the village head rushed over. He was extremely glad that he had been chased back by his eldest daughter. Otherwise, something would have really happened to Big Meizi. Little Meizi did not wake up. What if she had woken up when Big Meizi was being attacked? Was she going to be smothered by Zhang Xiaoshi? Liu Ping felt a lingering fear and kicked Zhang Xiaoshi again! This matter was indeed too evil. The village head did not cover up and reported it to the officials after dawn. Zhang Xiaoshi was taken away by the officials. After this incident, Liu Ping and Little Wu¡¯s working hours were staggered. Madam Wu came to work first. After dawn, she went back to see the children and Liu Ping came to work. If the children woke up early, they would come with Liu Ping. In the morning, Madam Wu and the children would be at the Su family¡¯s house. She had to prepare the salted duck eggs and do some processing work until noon. Liu Ping was more flexible and was on call. He might have to shop at night or do some woodwork in the afternoon. ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao still set up a stall in the alley near Jin Ji, but it was not the shabby stall from before. She had her own stall and a banner sign written by Wei Ting¡ªSu Ji. The publicity at the birthday banquet brought great popularity to Su Ji. Now, they did not have to ride on the popularity of Jin Ji at all. Instead, Jin Ji became the ¡°high-end substitute¡± for Su Ji because it sold the same type of wife cake and chestnut cake. The so-called high-end substitute was a term to describe spending money to buy from Jin Ji to satisfy one¡¯s cravings because one could not eat Su Ji. Without Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s egg yolk, Jin Ji could not make the egg yolk pastry at unless they imported it from the capital. However, in that case, the cost would not be able to be maintained. Moreover, because of Old Madam Qi¡¯s disdain, Jin Ji lost several high-end clients! They wanted to accept orders from high-end families, but they could not! In stark contrast to Jin Ji, Su Ji was rapidly on the rise. How popular were Su Ji¡¯s snacks? As long as Su Ji opened the stall, there was no one at the entrance of Jin Ji! No one expected that after 30 years of popularity, the entity that defeated Jin Ji was actually a roadside stall from the countryside! What could be good to eat at the roadside stalls? Sorry, Old Madam Qi was eating that! So was Dean Shen! Was there a person who was so noble that he wouldn¡¯t eat it? It turned out there wasn¡¯t. ¡°Aiyaya! Brother in front, show mercy! I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time! Leave two for me!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only been queuing for half a day! I¡¯ve been queuing for three days and I haven¡¯t bought anything once!¡± ¡°Miss, make more next time. It¡¯s not enough!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If there¡¯s business, you have to do it! Who are you saving money for!¡± Manager He sat in the room upstairs. Each time he heard these words, he would vomit blood! Chapter 128 - 128 Breathtaking 128 Breathtaking However, he was helpless. After all, Su Ji had become the Qi family¡¯s favorite. Old Madam Qi had said that she would look for Su Ji next time! With the Qi family¡¯s protection, no one in town would dare to suppress Su Ji¡¯s business anymore! Downstairs, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. It was not that she was unwilling to do more. In fact, she had already done a lot. From a hundred the day before, there were now more than three hundred in a day, but even so, she still did not have enough to sell. As for expanding the production scale of snacks, she did not consider it for the time being. Old Madam Qi¡¯s birthday banquet gave her another layer of inspiration. Of course, whether it could be implemented depended on what came after the birthday banquet. It was never easy to enter a new market. She had to be patient. Strength and luck were indispensable. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m done selling!¡± Su Ergou said. He was a little happy and unsatisfied. Everything sold too quickly and he hadn¡¯t had his kicks yet! ¡°Close the stall,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Alright!¡± Su Ergou obediently put away the folding table. On the other side, Father Su swaggered over with a big knife. He laughed as he said, ¡°Daughter, was everything sold out so fast?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t have to come over tomorrow. Sleep more at home.¡± Old Master Su waved his hand. ¡°That won¡¯t do! What if some ignorant people think they can cause trouble when Dad isn¡¯t around?¡± Su Xiaoxiao put the tray back into the basket. ¡°No, they don¡¯t have the guts anymore.¡± Father Su picked up his daughter¡¯s basket and carried it on his shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say! I have to protect you for a while longer!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him and said bluntly, ¡°Dad, you just don¡¯t want to learn to farm, right?¡± Su Cheng coughed. ¡°What nonsense were you talking about? Aiya, I¡¯ll go see if that brat Zhang Dao is back. I want to hack him to death!¡± Su Cheng slipped away! Manager He¡¯s eyebrows twitched at Su Cheng¡¯s words. Hacking people? Was he serious? Was there anyone normal in this family? However, Su Xiaoxiao was right. Manager He did not dare to touch Su Xiaoxiao easily now. Firstly, this family was too good at fighting. Ordinary martial arts practitioners could not do anything to them. He would have to pay a higher price to invite more powerful experts from the prefecture capital, but that was not something that could be done easily. As the saying went, the soft was afraid of the hard, the hard was afraid of the rough, and the rough was afraid of the dead. He was arrogant but this family did not care about their lives! Secondly, he had just blocked them once, and that girl had joined forces with Manager Sun to snatch a big business deal from Jin Ji. He felt that if he continued to block them, Jin Ji might suffer even greater losses. He had to slow down and reconsider his plans. ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou returned to the village first. Many villagers came to get water from the well at the entrance of the village and saw the siblings. Su Ergou was visibly taller. He was originally half a head shorter than Su Xiaoxiao, but now he was almost at her eyebrows. Su Xiaoxiao had also changed a lot. The last time she weighed herself was more than half a month ago, and she had lost 20 pounds. Su Xiaoxiao felt that she had lost eight or nine pounds recently. The belt of her pants had clearly loosened, and the villagers could tell that her face had shrunk. And her skin was really tender. As the villagers looked at her, they could not take their eyes off her. ¡°Daya! Are you done with Ergou? How¡¯s business today?¡± It was Auntie Liu. Su Xiaoxiao said politely, ¡°Thanks to you, it¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°Sister Fatty!¡± Goudan greeted her. ¡°Does your throat still hurt?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked him. Gou Dan shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!¡± Goudan was the little boy who went to her to get the fish bones extracted. In the past, he was also afraid of Fatty Su. Now, he was not afraid anymore and praised Fatty Su every time he met someone. Some people didn¡¯t mean any harm by calling her Fatty. Su Xiaoxiao was used to it. The women began to whisper. ¡°Did you notice that the fat girl has become prettier?¡± ¡°You just realized?¡± ¡°Has she lost weight?¡± ¡°Her face is fair and tender. It used to be dark and yellow and she had acne.¡± ¡°Do you think she¡¯s a young lady? She¡¯s married! I heard that as long as the man is powerful, the woman will be¡­ nourished!¡± This group of aunties started talking dirty. Su Xiaoxiao decisively pulled Su Ergou away. ¡°That fat girl¡¯s face is almost better-looking than Jinniang¡¯s.¡± Just as the Sun family¡¯s daughter-in-law finished speaking, Su Jinniang walked over with a bucket. Someone tugged at the sleeve of the Sun family¡¯s daughter-in-law. When the latter saw this, she hurriedly shut up. She hoped that Su Jinniang didn¡¯t hear what she said just now. Otherwise, it would be awkward. Su Jinniang greeted everyone as usual and chatted happily. Thinking that she probably didn¡¯t hear it, the Sun family¡¯s daughter-in-law was relieved. However, when Su Jinniang walked back after getting the water, her expression quickly darkened. ¡­ . Since Su Yuniang refused to return to her in-laws¡¯ house, Zheng Lanxiu and Cripple Feng really lived with the Su family and refused to leave. When Su Jinniang walked to the door of the house with a bucket of water, she saw Cripple Feng looking at a certain place in a daze, looking like he was about to drool. Su Jinniang followed his gaze and saw Fatty Su and Su Ergou gradually disappearing into the distance. When Fatty Su entered the house and could not be seen, Cripple Feng smacked his lips and turned to return to the house. He bumped into Su Jinniang. He quickly smiled. ¡°Yo, Jinniang is back! Did you go get water? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? I¡¯d have helped you! Come, come, come! Give it to me!¡± Su Jinniang frowned and avoided his perverted hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± Cripple Feng chuckled and Su Jinniang entered the house in disgust. Dinner was prepared by Su Jinniang and Madam Fang. There were six dishes, a soup, and four vegetarian dishes. The meat dishes were a bowl of fatty meat fried with cabbages, and a plate of fried pickled fish wrapped in flour. The Su family¡¯s conditions were not bad in the village, but they did not eat meat every meal, especially after the new year. The family usually ate vegetarian food for half a month. There were guests at home, so Old Master Su asked Madam Fang to make two meat dishes. Su Yuniang was still eating in her room during her confinement. It was a rule in the countryside that women did not go to the table. It was also a rule of the Su family. Old Madam Su, Madam Fang, and Su Jinniang usually sat in the kitchen to eat, but Zheng Lanxiu was a guest after all, so it was not appropriate for her to stay in the kitchen. Hence, she went to the central room to set up a separate table. After Zheng Lanxiu finished her food, Su Jinniang went to refill her food in the kitchen. Su Xiaoxiao happened to pass by through the back door and was about to go up the mountain to dig up some wild vegetables to make three favorite wild vegetable meatballs. Su Jinniang looked at her up close and her expression changed slightly. The Su family only ate two meals. The second meal was earlier, unlike the Su family, which had three meals and only made dinner at night. It was still early, so it was obvious what Fatty Su looked like. She was still the same person, but she seemed different in every way. She didn¡¯t seem to be so fat anymore. Her skin had also improved. It was fair and smooth. Was this really Fatty Su? Why did she suddenly look better? Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her. ¡°Why are you looking at me? I didn¡¯t wear the same clothes as you today!¡± Su Jinniang clenched her fists jealously. ¡­ . When they returned to the central room, Su Jinniang handed the bowl of rice to Zheng Lanxiu and sat down beside Madam Fang. The two tables were not far apart, and Cripple Feng was sitting behind her. She picked up the bowl and ate some rice. She said in a low voice, ¡°Fatty Su is really something. She¡¯s still running up the mountain alone at this hour. Isn¡¯t she afraid that she won¡¯t be able to come back if she encounters any danger?¡± Cripple Feng¡¯s ears pricked up. Was the little fat girl¡­ going up the mountain alone?! Chapter 129 - 129 Torturing Scum 129 Torturing Scum After dinner, Cripple Feng went out. Cripple Feng was not a child, and it was not his first time in the village. He also knew many villagers in the village. As such, Zheng Lanxiu and the Su family did not take it to heart. They thought that he was just wandering around the village. There was only one path up the back mountain from Old Su¡¯s house. If one walked east, he would end up at the place where the villagers usually gathered firewood. The bolder villagers would walk further forward and hunt, catch fish, or dig wild vegetables. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t name the wild vegetables that Su Ergou dug last time. They were a little like the black flat vegetables she had eaten in her previous life. They were extremely resistant to the cold and could grow in the snow, but they were slightly sweeter than what she had in modern times. She would mince it with pork, before mixing it with egg white and wrapping it in flour. Whether it was fried in the oil pan or steamed, it was very fresh, fragrant, and tender. ¡°Phew!¡± Su Xiaoxiao climbed halfway up the mountain. She remembered that the first time she climbed, she rested three or four times. She panted like a calf and worked off more than 20 catties of fat. At this point, not only was her body lighter, but her heart and lungs were also stronger. ¡°Ergou said that he dug beside the old locust tree. Where¡¯s the old locust tree?¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her sleeve to wipe her sweat and looked around for the old locust tree that Su Ergou mentioned. She had never been able to chop firewood here in the past, so she was not too familiar with this place. However, it was early now, so there was no hurry. ¡°Ah! I see it!¡± The old locust tree was blocked by a few pine trees. It was actually just about ten steps to the right. Su Xiaoxiao walked over with the small basket on her back. She squatted down and took out a shovel to dig the snow. The snow melted a lot, leaving only a thin layer. After digging twice, green wild vegetables were revealed. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and placed the basket aside. This wild vegetable had to be cut with scissors. If she left the root behind, it could continue to grow. Su Xiaoxiao put away the shovel and took out the scissors. One, two, three¡­ Su Xiaoxiao squatted on the ground and moved forward as she cut. Unknowingly, she had filled most of the basket. ¡°It should be enough to eat for a long time. I can go back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao clapped her hands and put the scissors away. She grabbed the basket and prepared to leave the mountain. At this moment, a figure suddenly rushed forward and blocked her path. It was Cripple Feng. Cripple Feng walked towards Su Xiaoxiao with a smile. ¡°Aiya, isn¡¯t this Fatty? Where are the wild vegetables you dug up on the mountain? Did you dig them up? Do you need my help?¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. Why was Cripple Feng here? Cripple Feng was empty-handed. He did not look like he had come up the mountain to chop firewood, catch fish or dig wild vegetables. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him coldly. Cripple Feng was a relative of the Su family, and she had nothing to do with him. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered with him and walked back. Cripple Feng smiled wretchedly and blocked Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave. Look at how tired you are, carrying such a heavy thing. Come, give me the basket! I¡¯ll help you take down the mountain!¡± ¡°You girls are delicate and tender. You shouldn¡¯t be doing such rough work!¡± ¡°Your husband really doesn¡¯t know how to dote on you! A beautiful wife like you should just warm the bed!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Brother Feng will dote on you!¡± Cripple Feng was not from the village after all. Although he had heard of the Su family¡¯s bad reputation, he had never really experienced how powerful Fatty Su was. In his opinion, he was a man. Fatty Su could not defeat him. Once he was done with her, would Fatty Su dare to publicize it? Even if she really announced it, he would insist that she had seduced her. She was so fat and had a bad reputation. Who would believe that he could like her? At most, he would be scolded by Zheng Lanxiu and lose a lot of flesh! As he thought about it, Cripple Feng became even bolder. He opened his arms and pounced at Fatty Su! He planned to hug Fatty Su. If Fatty Su dodged, he would continue. Little did he expect Fatty Su to raise her leg and kick him to the ground! Cripple Feng fell into a bed of snow. Although the snow was soft, his teeth flew out! This was a testament to the amount of strength she had! Cripple Feng was in so much pain that he doubted his life. It was no wonder that he was so surprised. Most people would either be too afraid to move or scream when they were molested. Who would react like Fatty Su who kicked him? Su Xiaoxiao had never been soft-hearted when dealing with perverts like Cripple Feng. She took a step forward and kicked Cripple Feng in the back. Cripple Feng was sent flying again! He felt his organs displace. As he hit the tree behind him, one could hear the sound of his joints cracking. He didn¡¯t know which bone was broken¡­ Cripple Feng cursed in his heart in pain as Su Xiaoxiao slowly walked up to him. She couldn¡¯t even be bothered to say anything to a scumbag like Cripple Feng. She raised her foot again. Cripple Feng was afraid. He was really afraid! ¡°Fatty! Have mercy! I was wrong! I won¡¯t block your way anymore! Let me go!¡± ¡°Block my way?¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°Did you just want to block my way just now?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Cripple Feng was frightened and cold.¡± I¡­ I wanted to help you carry your things Aiya! ¡± ¡°Dishonest.¡± Su Xiaoxiao kicked him again. Cripple Feng, who was already half dead, howled in distress! Unfortunately, this was the depths of the forest, and no one could hear him. Cripple Feng lay on the ground and cried. ¡°Fatty! No! Daya¡­ Daya, spare me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Who are you to call me Daya?¡± Cripple Feng hurriedly changed his words. ¡°Su, Su, Su, Su¡­ Miss Su! Heroine Su! I was wrong! I shouldn¡¯t have touched you! I won¡¯t dare to do it again! Please¡­ let me go¡­¡± He cried miserably, as snot and tears streamed down his face. Su Xiaoxiao felt disgusted and couldn¡¯t be bothered to kick him. She walked past him. Cripple Feng really gave up now and did not dare to have any improper thoughts about Fatty Su. The Su family¡¯s bully lived up to her reputation! Su Xiaoxiao suddenly stopped after taking a few steps. Cripple Feng was about to stand up when he saw her posture. He was so frightened that he hugged his head and squatted down! Su Xiaoxiao turned around! ¡°Stop hitting me! Heroine! I¡¯ve realized my mistake!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Su Xiaoxiao ordered. Cripple Feng choked. His voice was stuck in his throat. Su Xiaoxiao held her breath and listened to the commotion in the distance, her expression becoming more and more solemn. Cripple Feng also sensed that something was wrong with her. It was not directed at him, but¡­ ¡°There¡¯s something in the forest¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered and glared at Cripple Feng. It was this guy¡¯s cries that attracted something he shouldn¡¯t have. Su Xiaoxiao started fleeing! Cripple Feng scrambled after her. ¡°Heroine! Wait for me! Don¡¯t leave me here alone!¡± ¡°Roar!¡± The roar of a forest overlord came from the depths of the forest. Cripple Feng¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°It¡¯s a big worm!¡± Chapter 130 - 130 Domineering 130 Domineering The big worm was not a worm, but a tiger in the mountains. The place where Su Xiaoxiao dug wild vegetables was not too deep. Under normal circumstances, they would not encounter ferocious beasts. It could only be said that they were too unlucky today. Many animals hibernated in winter. Those who did not hibernate also reduced their daily activities, making it difficult for the big worm to hunt. The big worm expanded the range of its prey. Coupled with Cripple Feng¡¯s cries, it successfully attracted the big worm¡¯s attention. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Cripple Feng coldly. ¡°If I had known, I would have killed you!¡± Cripple Feng cried, ¡°Heroine Su, please spare me!¡± If her body had experienced the harsh training of the army in her previous life, Su Xiaoxiao would naturally not be afraid of a big worm. However, she was now a little fat girl weighing more than 180 catties ¡­. It was difficult to fight head-on. The best strategy was to escape! Unfortunately, the big worm was much faster than them. It was not strange to think about it. The big worm was the king of the mountains, and the forest was its territory. How could it let two humans escape from under its nose? The big worm quickly caught up to the two of them and blocked their path. Su Xiaoxiao changed direction and the big worm continued to give chase! It turned out that without qinggong, two legs could not outrun four. When they were forced to an empty space by the big worm, Su Xiaoxiao knew that she couldn¡¯t run from the big worm anymore. With no obstacles, the big worm only needed to jump up neatly and easily push one of them to the ground. The big worm that had been hungry for the entire winter was very terrifying. It would never let go of its prey easily. It looked back and forth between Su Xiaoxiao and Cripple Feng as if it was secretly contemplating which prey was more delicious. Cripple Feng was thin and shriveled. His flesh would be old and dry. Su Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, was different. She was fair and fat, looking fresh and juicy. The big worm decisively drooled at Su Xiaoxiao. However, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s tonnage was a little daunting. It had never seen such a ¡°huge monster¡±. She was round and looked like a cub that was about to grow up. The big worm began to probe carefully. Su Xiaoxiao knew that she could not show any fear now. Otherwise, once the big worm confirmed that she was a weak prey, it would launch a full-scale attack on her! She had to find a chance to subdue the big worm! It was easy to say but very difficult to do. Although she had experienced all kinds of harsh training in her previous life, she had never really fought a tiger and lacked combat experience. She could only improvise. The big worm roared at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao did not dodge and her eyes were very calm. Cripple Feng, who was at the side, had long collapsed to the ground in fear. His limbs were weak, and he could not even shout for help. He did not understand how Fatty Su could remain calm in the face of danger. If it were a man, he would have peed his pants! Seeing that its roar did not scare its prey away, the big insect worm gave up on immediately pouncing forward. Instead, it slowly approached Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao took out the shovel from the basket. When the big worm was about ten steps away from Su Xiaoxiao, it suddenly jumped up. Instead of charging straight at her, it first stepped on the tree at the side and used the momentum to pivot and leap onto another tree. It only stopped for an instant on each tree. It seemed to be borrowing strength, but also seemed to be hiding. Damn! This tiger actually knew how to play a game of deception! If not for Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s training, she would have been dazzled. Swish! The big worm pounced over! Only to have Su Xiaoxiao slap it with the shovel! Feel the power and anger from the little fat lass! Bang! The big worm fell to the ground as its mind buzzed! Su Xiaoxiao used all her strength, but the price was that half of her chubby arm was numb. Cripple Feng was dumbfounded. Was he seeing things? Did Fatty Su knock down a big worm? The big worm was not so easily injured, nor would it give up easily. The rules of survival in the jungle had always been cruel. It had been hungry all winter. If it didn¡¯t feed soon, it would die. Therefore, it had to fill its stomach today no matter what! It pounced at Su Xiaoxiao again. Su Xiaoxiao snorted, ¡°Hehe, are you the only one who knows how to move?¡± Alright, it was indeed the only one that knew how to do it. This fat body could not run¡­ Su Xiaoxiao waited patiently and restrained herself. In a few breaths, she exchanged more than ten moves with the big worm. Crack! The shovel broke! No kidding? At this time? The big took the opportunity to throw Su Xiaoxiao to the ground. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the basket on the ground and blocked the big worm¡¯s bloody mouth! ¡°Cripple Feng!¡± She turned her head and shouted. Cripple Feng: ¡°Huh?¡± Did Fatty Su call him? Why did she call him? He was afraid¡­ ¡°Give me the scissors!¡± Fatty Su said. The fallen scissors were behind the big worm, and Cripple Feng did not dare to go over. He slumped under the tree, and there happened to be several large rocks on the side. He grabbed a small rock with trepidation and threw it at the big worm weakly. Snap. It did hit the target, but it was too soft. There was not even a sound. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. He was just tickling it! However, Cripple Feng¡¯s actions still attracted the big worm¡¯s attention. The big worm turned its head and looked at Cripple Feng with thick saliva dripping from its mouth. Cripple Feng was so frightened that his face turned pale. For some reason, he got up and ran! Although the big worm was not very interested in Cripple Feng, its dumb animal instinct of chasing prey was triggered when he ran. It actually gave up on Su Xiaoxiao and chased after Cripple Feng. The big worm bit Cripple Feng¡¯s left calf. ¡°Ah!¡± Cripple Feng screamed and fell into the snow! The canine teeth pierced through his flesh, and blood flowed! This time, Cripple Feng really became a cripple. He almost fainted from the pain! Si Xiaoxiao took advantage of the fleeting opportunity. She picked up the scissors from the ground and held them tightly with both hands. Without a moment to lose, she rushed over and stabbed the animal¡¯s neck! She had pricked the carotid artery. This place could quickly cut off the oxygen supply to the brain, causing life to enter an oxygen-deprived or even oxygen-free state. Under such circumstances, its consciousness and strength would dissipate. As long as the wound was big, deep, and precise, it would lose its offensive power in the shortest time possible! ¡°Roar!¡± The big worm let go of Cripple Feng¡¯s leg in pain and turned its head to struggle, trying to escape Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s attack. Su Xiaoxiao decisively stabbed the creature with the pair of scissors again, causing it to roar and throw Su Xiaoxiao off! Su Xiaoxiao turned around and knelt on one knee, supporting herself with her palms! Cripple Feng felt that Fatty Su was incomparably cool at this moment! The big worm roared angrily to vent its pain and anger. It rolled on the ground a few times and finally pounced on Cripple Feng! Cripple Feng peed his pants! ¡°Ah!¡± He was going to be eaten by Big Worm! However, the expected pain did not come. The big worm suddenly stopped moving. It lay on him and panted, drooling. Its breathing became weaker and weaker until it ceased to breathe. Chapter 131 - 131 Three Treasures 131 Three Treasures The surroundings became very quiet. The strong smell of blood mixed with the unpleasant smell of urine made Cripple Feng vomit. Was¡­ was the big worm dead? Killed by Fatty Su? Did Fatty Su¡­ killed a big worm? Cripple Feng was so shocked that he even forgot about the pain in his leg. A few men could not kill a big worm, but Fatty Su did. Had she eaten a bear¡¯s heart and leopard¡¯s gall just now? And he had decided it was a good idea to harass her? When Cripple Feng looked at Fatty Su again, he was no longer looking at her like he was looking at a woman. If she could kill a big worm, didn¡¯t that mean that Fatty Su was even more terrifying than a big worm? Cripple Feng trembled! Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t have the time to care what Cripple Feng was thinking. Fighting with the big worm had exhausted her stamina, so she had to rest for a while. She had just reflected that her heart and lungs had improved, but after a fight, she realized that she was still far from her goal. No wonder so many people gave up halfway while trying to lose weight. When one thought a big step had been made, it was actually just a small step. It was a huge dampener to one¡¯s willpower, Su Xiaoxiao looked up at the gradually darkening sky. She would not give up. In her dictionary, there was no such thing as giving up! Su Xiaoxiao raised her hand to wipe her sweat. Unexpectedly, a drop of blood fell. She thought it was the blood of the big worm and didn¡¯t mind. However, just as she got up, she sensed that something was wrong. Why was she feeling a little dizzy? She looked at the back of her hand again. There was a slender cut on it. She had cut it at some point. This was very strange. This body¡¯s pain receptors were abnormally developed. Although she was wearing thick clothes and had thick fat, she was extremely sensitive wounds like that. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡± ¡°The back of my hand¡­ is a little dark¡­¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Have I been poisoned?¡± No one here had poisoned her. Cripple Feng did not have the ability, and the big worm did not have the intelligence. There was only one possibility. While escaping or fighting the big worm, she accidentally cut herself brushing past the poisonous vines along the way. The sap of this poisonous vine had the effect of numbing the nerves, causing her to not notice any pain. She fell back to the ground. ¡°Daya¡­ can you help me move the big worm away?¡± Cripple Feng asked weakly. Even if it was a dead animal, he was still afraid. Su Xiaoxiao said nothing. Cripple Feng looked at her strangely. ¡°Daya, what¡¯s wrong? Are you tired? Your expression seems a little off¡­ Daya¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao fainted. ¡­ . At Little Su¡¯s house, the three little ones played in the backyard. As they played, they began to feel frustrated. They kept scratching their heads and walking in circles. This was a sign of extreme anxiety. They had not been like this for a long time. To be precise, ever since they came to Apricot Flower Village and lived with the Su family, they had gradually become normal children by observing Niudan and the other children in the village. However, only Wei Ting and the man in black knew that the three little fellows were originally different from ordinary children. ¡°Come to Dad,¡± Wei Ting said to the three of them. The three of them grabbed their heads and frowned as they came to his side. They were very irritable. And very frustrated. They snuggled in his arms and kept scratching their heads. The tender skin on their heads was about to tear. Wei Ting held their hands and tried to divert their attention. ¡°Do you want to eat?¡± The three of them shook their heads. ¡°Feed the horse?¡± The three of them shook their heads. Looking at the three of them¡¯s uncomfortable and uneasy expressions, Wei Ting¡¯s heart ached, but he did not know how to comfort them. If she were here¡­ ¡°My lord!¡± The man in black jumped into the courtyard and knelt on one knee. Just as he was about to report something, Father Su came out of the house. He leaped onto the roof. ¡°Son-in-law, have you seen Daya?¡± Su Cheng asked. ¡°No,¡± Wei Ting said. Father Su went to the central room again. ¡°Ergou! Have you seen your sister?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°I think she went to the mountain to dig for wild vegetables.¡± ¡°When did she go?¡± Father Su asked again. Su Ergou thought for a moment. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s been a while, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao often went up the mountain to dig wild vegetables and chop firewood, mainly to lose weight. She usually went for a long time. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Su Ergou asked. Father Su frowned. ¡°I¡¯m panicking here. No, I have to look for her!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± Su Ergou said. ¡°Sure!¡± Father Su did not refuse. He went to the backyard to inform Wei Ting and ask him to keep an eye on the three children. Then, he went up the mountain with Su Ergou. The man in black had a puzzled expression. They were clearly his young masters. Of course, his master would watch over them. Did he need them to remind him? Still¡­ The scene just now did look like that of a family¡­ ¡°My Lord!¡± The man in black almost forgot about the serious matter. He descended from the roof and looked at the three anxious little ones in Wei Ting¡¯s arms. ¡°Are the young masters¡­ acting up again?¡± Wei Ting gave him a cold look. The man in black hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°I misspoke!¡± Wei Ting patted the backs of the three of them, as he tried to calm them down. The three of them felt very uncomfortable, but they could not express it. Wei Ting was at his wit¡¯s end, and so was the man in black. Forget it, he would talk about the information he found first! ¡°Lord, I just found out that Young Marquis Jing is in Apricot Flower Town! Lord, do you think¡­ ¡± Wei Ting stood up and left. ¡­ . In the evening, it snowed again in the mountains. Cripple Feng¡¯s calf was bitten, and he was in extreme pain. After taking a few steps, he could not walk anymore and sat down on the ground. The snow on the ground had actually almost melted, and only some vegetation was covered in a thin layer. In front of him was a dead tiger, and beside him was the unconscious Fatty Su. What was worth mentioning was that the distance between him and Fatty Su was even greater than the distance between him and the big worm. If Fatty Su had fainted in front of him two hours ago, it would be strange if he was not happy. However, after a series of narrow escapes just now, he was already scared out of his wits. How could he dare to have any improper thoughts about Fatty Su? Coupled with his leg injury, he felt like he was dying. ¡°Fatty Su¡­ Don¡¯t die¡­ How can I leave the mountain if you die?¡± ¡°Get up and help me down the mountain¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you call someone over¡­¡± ¡°Wuwu¡­¡± Soon, Cripple Feng also passed out because he had lost too much blood. ¡ª- ¡°Daughter!¡± ¡°Sister!¡± Father Su and Su Ergou searched for Su Xiaoxiao in the forest. This was the bad thing about the snow melting. The footprints could not be seen. Su Cheng was furious. ¡°Why didn¡¯t she answer me? Isn¡¯t it nearby?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°But if she was digging for wild vegetables, it¡¯s in this area!¡± The snow kept falling, quietly burying the already thin traces. Father Su looked at the silent forest and felt uneasy for a long time. It was almost dark. Where had Daya gone? Chapter 132 - 132 Care 132 Care Su Xiaoxiao lay on the cold grass and let the snow fall on her face and body. She could not feel the pain and coldness. She could no longer tell if it was the effect of the poisonous vines or if she was frozen. Was it an illusion? Why did she hear someone calling her? But she couldn¡¯t make any sound. It was not easy for her to be reborn. Was she going to die here? Her eyelids were getting heavier. If she fell asleep now¡­ she would never wake up. But really¡­ she couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. In her daze, she vaguely saw a tall figure walking toward her. She opened her mouth to say something but fell completely unconscious. Wei Ting squatted down and touched her forehead before picking up her injured chubby hand. Usually, she would cry like this with just a scratch. Now, with this inch-long wound, who knew how many tears she would shed? ¡°My Lord!¡± After the man in black checked his surroundings, he reported, ¡°An injured man and a dead big worm. The man was bitten by the big worm. The big worm¡­ died from having its throat pierced. The scissors were not sharp. It was stabbed at least twice.¡± Wei Ting frowned. The man in black looked at Cripple Feng and then at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Lord, between the two of them, who stabbed the big worm?¡± That stabbing was too ruthless. It was difficult to believe that an ordinary person could do it. However, other than the two of them, there was no trace of a third person. Wei Ting didn¡¯t say anything and looked coldly at the wound on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand. The man in black also came over to take a look. He dipped his fingertip into the dried blood on the back of her hand and sniffed it. ¡°Lord, she was cut by the poisonous vine.¡± ¡°Is it serious?¡± Wei Ting asked. The man in black thought for a moment. ¡°If it were any other woman, it might be very serious.¡± Wei Ting frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The man in black muttered, ¡°The wound isn¡¯t deep. She¡¯s so fat. This dose won¡¯t kill her. She¡¯ll be fine after lying down for two days!¡± He said that she was fine, but why did he still feel that there was killing intent in his lord¡¯s eyes? Wei Ting took off his cotton jacket and covered Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s frozen fat body. ¡°My Lord!¡± The man in black¡¯s expression changed! How could his lord take off his clothes for a woman? Wei Ting helped Su Xiaoxiao sit up and turned around to carry her on his back. The man in black¡¯s expression turned even worse. ¡°Lord! Let me do it!¡± This woman was so fat! She would crush his lord! Moreover, his lord¡¯s leg was injured! Wei Ting rejected him with a look. He stood up with Su Xiaoxiao on his back. This was not the first time Wei Ting had carried Su Xiaoxiao. On New Year¡¯s Eve, when she fell asleep, he was the one who carried her back. It had only been twenty days, but he clearly felt the weight on his back lighten. ¡°Take the walking stick,¡± Wei Ting said. The man in black picked up the walking stick on the ground resentfully. Did he still remember that he had a walking stick? Didn¡¯t he realize that his leg had recovered? Did he still want to return to the capital? ¡°There are also wild vegetables,¡± Wei Ting instructed. The corners of the man in black¡¯s mouth twitched. He was the legitimate son of the Wei family. When did he start thinking about a few stalks of wild vegetables? ¡°Lorf, what about that person?¡± the man in black asked gloomily. ¡°Carry that down the mountain,¡± Wei Ting said calmly. ¡°Oh.¡± The man in black reluctantly walked towards Cripple Feng. Was there a need to carry this thin piece of pork rib? ¡°I mean the tiger,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Why are we carrying the tiger down the mountain?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°For money.¡± The man in black was speechless. The man in black said, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re limping. Do you think it¡¯s possible for you to carry a big worm and a fat girl back? The villagers will be suspicious!¡± Wei Ting glanced at him and said, ¡°So you¡¯ll be the one selling it.¡± The man in black was speechless again. His face darkened as he resigned himself to fate and carried the tiger¡¯s carcass on his shoulder. After becoming a woodcutter, he also became a tiger hunter. His lord was a different person! ¡°What about this person?¡± The man in black kicked the unconscious Cripple Feng. Wei Ting thought for a moment. ¡°Bring him.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The man in black grabbed Cripple Feng¡¯s collar with one hand. His lord only said that they would bring him along, but he did not say how. He dragged Cripple Feng down the mountain like a sack. Cripple Feng was dizzy from the rough handling. His butt rubbed the ground all the way. He was woken up by the pain a few times and fainted again. The man in black threw Cripple Feng at the foot of the mountain and left. Cripple Feng was discovered by a villager who came out to relieve himself. Since Cripple Feng was covered in blood, the villager almost thought he had seen a ghost. It took him a while to recognize that they were relatives of the Su family. He hurriedly went to the Su family to report. The Su family was naturally in chaos. Cripple Feng was fine when he left. How did he become like this in just a while? ¡°Aiya!¡± Zheng Lanxiu pounced on her man and cried. ¡°Damn it! Who did it?¡± Su Jinniang came too. Only she knew that Cripple Feng had gone to the back mountain, but she never expected him to return in this state. Did Cripple Feng succeed or not? Why was he injured like this? ¡°Brother Wei! Fat Lass!¡± The ten-year-old Su Sanlang pointed at the village road ahead. Wei Ting took another path down the mountain and deliberately avoided Cripple Feng. He didn¡¯t know what had happened on the mountain, but he knew that there were many gossipers in the countryside. Su Xiaoxiao was covered in his cotton coat and was carefully protected. ¡°Brother Ting, where did you go?¡± It was the Junior Officer. Wei Ting said politely, ¡°I accompanied Daya to the mountain to pick some wild vegetables. She was tired and fell asleep.¡± Su Jinniang thought. Fatty Su had clearly gone up the mountain alone! She saw clearly that Wei Ting did not accompany her! Could it be that¡­ Cripple Feng had succeeded? Did Wei Ting find them on the mountain and witness Fat Lass Su losing her innocence? Could he have seriously injured Cripple Feng in his anger? Fatty Su had been tainted by another man and he had seen it¡­ He had seen it¡­ Su Jinniang¡¯s heart thumped. ¡­ . When Wei Ting arrived home, Father Su and Su Ergou had just come out of the house. The two of them had gone to the mountain to look for her but to no avail. They wondered if Su Daya had already returned, so they went home to take a look. Seeing that there was no one at home, they planned to look for her again. ¡°Son-in-law? Daughter!¡± ¡°Eh? Brother-in-law! Why are you with my sister? What happened to my sister?¡± The father and son welcomed him. ¡°I met her on the mountain. She might have encountered a big worm.¡± Wei Ting had nothing to hide from his family. Most importantly, he could not hide it either. She was covered in blood. Wei Ting continued, ¡°There was another villager who was injured. Daya¡¯s injuries aren¡¯t serious. Dad, don¡¯t worry.¡± The father and son did not care about Crippled Feng at this moment. After all, Crippled Feng was a relative of the Su family and had nothing to do with their family. The father and son didn¡¯t think in that direction. They were worried about Su Xiaoxiao and followed Wei Ting into the house. Father Su spread the blanket and Wei Ting placed her on the soft bed. Her body looked bloodstained, but it was actually not hers. As for the wound on the back of her hand, it was as the man in black had said. It was fine. Even the color of the scar had faded. The reason why she was unconscious was that there was still some poison left in her body. Even though Wei Ting had repeatedly promised that Su Xiaoxiao would be fine, Father Su¡¯s heart still ached. ¡°You can¡¯t let your sister go up the mountain alone next time. You have to follow, understand?¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Su Ergou agreed solemnly. Father Su continued, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll follow!¡± After saying that, he looked at Wei Ting and grabbed his hand. ¡°Son-in-law, it¡¯s all thanks to you this time!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s my duty as a family.¡± Before going up the mountain, Wei Ting entrusted the three children to Little Wu. Wei Ting¡¯s leg was swollen again so Su Ergou went to fetch the three of them back. The first thing the three of them did when they entered the house was to look for Su Xiaoxiao. The three of them began to climb onto the bed! They wanted to sleep with their mother! But as they climbed, the three of them stopped. Their mother didn¡¯t sleep during the day¡­ The three of them looked at Wei Ting uneasily. The three little fellows were more sensitive than ordinary children and sensed that something was wrong so quickly. Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°Your mother only fell asleep¡­ She was exhausted during the day¡­ so she fell asleep. I¡¯m not lying to you. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask her yourself when your mother wakes up.¡± In order to increase their acceptance, he deliberately referred to Su Xiaoxiao as ¡°your mother¡±. This was something that he never used to do. The three of them enjoyed it and believed their father. They sensibly stopped climbing onto the bed and gently came to her pillow. They stood on their tiptoes and kissed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face one by one. It was very soft. They did not want to wake their mother. They were also very careful as if they were protecting the most precious thing in their lives. Chapter 133 - 133 Shy 133 Shy It was late at night when Su Xiaoxiao woke up. The oil lamp in the room was lit, and there were three sticky children under the blanket. Ever since the night of New Year¡¯s Eve, the little kids had gone back to sleep with Su Ergou, but tonight, they said that they would not go over. Wei Ting did not object. The three of them were very anxious during the day, but after lying beside a certain someone, they calmed down. Even if she didn¡¯t do anything, it seemed that as long as she was around, the three little fellows would feel much better. The man in black was also very surprised by this. Even his lord could not appease the young masters, but this woman did it easily. The young masters had been hunted down since they were born. Before they were weaned, they had started to go into hiding. It was unknown how many days they had lived without seeing the light of day. The longest time was when they hid in the cellar for a month. By the time they found the three young masters, the nanny was already dead. The three of them lay beside the already stiff corpse. They didn¡¯t even have the strength to cry. They were still young and did not understand many things. They might even think that it was normal to escape death and live in the darkness. After the adults brought them to their side, they always tried their best to let them live a normal life. Unfortunately, from time to time, they would appear anxious like what happened today. It was as if¡­ they lived under the sun, but their hearts had fallen into a dark corner. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know what the man in black was thinking. To be precise, she didn¡¯t know that there was such a person near her. The first thing she did after opening her eyes was not to check her injuries, but to look at the three little ones who were sleeping soundly. How cute. They looked cute even when they were asleep. She couldn¡¯t help propping herself up on her elbows and lowering her head to kiss their soft faces. One kiss wasn¡¯t enough. She kissed them a few more times. Their cheeks were soft and bounced on touch. It was too addictive! Wasn¡¯t this more fun than the window dolls she used to see in the shops? After kissing them, she looked up. ¡°Uh¡­ Wei Ting?¡± Wei Ting was not asleep. He was sitting at the table with a stack of calligraphy she and Su Ergou had written. Well, they were mainly written by her. Thinking of her actions just now, Su Xiaoxiao cleared her throat calmly. Was it a little too much to kiss his sons a few times? Wei Ting did not tease her. Instead, he looked at her and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your hand hurt?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, you¡¯re talking about this.¡± She had almost forgotten about it if Wei Ting had not mentioned it. She looked at the back of her right hand. Her skin color and senses had returned to normal, and her wound had closed. There was no discomfort anywhere in her body. It seemed that the poison was not very strong. It could only paralyze people for a while. After that, it would be naturally metabolized by the human body. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ Where¡¯s the big worm?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s dead.¡± Why was thinking about a tiger the first thing she did when she woke up? ¡°Sigh, what a pity.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to kill it. It should be able to sell for a lot of money.¡± Otherwise, why would she work so hard to kill the tiger in the end? To save the Cripple Feng? It was all about the money! Wei Ting placed a money bag on her table. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Is this for family expenses again?¡± Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°I picked it up from the mountain.¡± Needless to say, he could really be considered to have gone up the mountain to pick it up this time. However, he picked up a tiger and ordered the number one assassin of the Shadow Pavilion to sell it in town. The explanation was technically not wrong. ¡°Hehe.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s happiness returned! It was good to have money! Su Xiaoxiao opened the money bag and counted the ingots. Her eyes were almost green. ¡°By the way, Wei Ting, did you carry me back?¡± She remembered fainting on the mountain. Wei Ting snorted indifferently. Only then did she react! ¡°Is your leg fine?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Wei Ting snorted calmly. ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m crippled again.¡± This guy¡¯s physique was really impressive. Ordinary people who were repeatedly injured like him would have long been permanently crippled, but Wei Ting would be fine in two days. Thinking of something, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly turned serious. ¡°Wei Ting, you took advantage of me!¡± Wei Ting frowned. ¡°How did I take advantage of you?¡± He thought Su Xiaoxiao was referring to how he carried her back. ¡°If you want to freeze to death on the mountain, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish next time!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her chin and said, ¡°You touched my hand!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± He carried her back obediently the entire time! Not to mention that he did not have any improper thoughts, even if he did, he would not take advantage of her when she was unconscious! Su Xiaoxiao stretched out her injured chubby hand. ¡°Then who applied this medication? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Ergou and my father!¡± There was a lump on the back of her hand. The blanket was probably smeared. It was obvious that it was someone¡¯s doing. Wei Ting fell silent. The man in black on the roof said to himself, ¡°Sigh, I already said that she was fine. Lord, why did you have to apply medication to her? Is this good? Do you like being extorted?¡± Wei Ting mocked, ¡°If I¡¯m taking advantage of you by applying medication for you, how much have you taken advantage of me?¡± ¡°So you wanted to take revenge?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked pained. ¡°How can you do this?!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao spoke as she pleased. She touched her chubby face and sighed melancholically. ¡°You already have improper thoughts about me when I¡¯m fat. When I slim down in the future and become even more beautiful, won¡¯t you be infatuated with me, be crazy about me, and die for me!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Could he throw this girl out? The man in black on the roof couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fell. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s that sound?¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. Wei Ting glanced around and said calmly, ¡°A rat. It has been causing trouble for a while. If it continues, I¡¯ll beat it to death.¡± The man in black was speechless. The man in black, who could afford to provoke his lord, rolled away dejectedly to a place where his lord could not hear him breathe. Naturally, he could no longer hear the lord and the little fat village girl. ¡­ . Sometimes, extreme joy turned into sorrow. Su Xiaoxiao teased Wei Ting until her stomach hurt. As a soul in her twenties, she successfully sensed the change in her body. She seemed to be on her period. In ancient words, it was called Gui Water. This body¡¯s period was irregular. She would either experience it a few times a month or not at all for a few months. Many girls had encountered similar situations during their adolescence, so she did not take it to heart. Thinking about it carefully, this was her first period after transmigrating. Was it so uncomfortable? Was this to make up for not having suffered in her previous life? ¡°Wei Ting, please go out for a while.¡± Wei Ting wanted to say that she was up to something again, but her face gradually turned pale. She did not seem to be pretending. His eyes darkened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao endured the pain and said, ¡°It¡¯s Gui Water.¡± As a doctor, she did not think that there was anything to be ashamed of during a normal period. Wei Ting did not think so. He was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao covered her stomach and looked at him. ¡°Why do you have such an expression? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what Gui Water is?¡± In ancient times, there were no physiology classes, nor was there a developed Internet to share all kinds of knowledge. However, Wei Ting was the father of three children. He should have come into contact with women, right? A woman would always be inconvenienced for a few days every month. He should understand this, right? He looked like a virgin who had never touched a woman! Now his ears were red too. He looked even more like a virgin now. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly had an evil idea. She leaned close to his ear and smiled. Chapter 134 - 134 Holding Hands 134 Holding Hands Her warm breath landed on the tip of his ear, which seemed to be suddenly on fire! Wei Ting stood up and said coldly, ¡°Clean up!¡± With that, he forgot to take his walking stick and hurriedly left! Su Xiaoxiao burst out laughing. What the hell? Was the father of three children so innocent? It was too easy to flirt with him and get him all flustered. Su Xiaoxiao cleaned up before letting Wei Ting enter again. At this moment, Wei Ting had already regained his usual composure and had a cold expression. Even if Su Xiaoxiao teased him with more private and shameful words, he wouldn¡¯t lose his cool again. Unfortunately, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s stomach hurt so much that she doubted her life. She didn¡¯t have the strength to flirt with handsome men anymore. Wei Ting turned off the lights, took off his clothes, and lay down straight on the bed. The three children were originally between the two of them. They fell asleep and climbed onto Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s body. Then, they fell asleep and rolled to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s other side. This body¡¯s pain senses were too developed, and Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t sleep from the pain. Wei Ting listened to her uneven breathing and opened his mouth, wanting to say something but hesitated. ¡°Wei Ting, I¡¯m a little cold,¡± Su Xiaoxiao whispered. Wei Ting gave her a little of his blanket and covered her with it. ¡°Is that better?¡± He asked in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m better.¡± Su Xiaoxiao lay on her side facing him and said in a weak nasal voice, ¡°Wei Ting, your voice is so pleasant.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s voice was naturally magnetic and obviously not the kind that had been modified with the technique of broadcast hosting. Wei Ting had never cared about his looks and voice. As a man, he protected his family and country. He went into battle to kill enemies. He was good at everything but he did not like others praising him for things that were too superficial. However, for the first time tonight, he did not feel disgusted. ¡°What was all that about on the mountain?¡± he asked. ¡°I killed a big worm,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Yes, I saw,¡± he said softly. Wei Ting had probably guessed that she was the one who killed the big worm. After all, compared to the old relative of the Su family who wet his pants, she was more courageous. However, it was not easy to really reach that step. If she was not careful, she might lose her life. Wei Ting continued, ¡°Is that person a relative of the Su family?¡± Hearing Wei Ting¡¯s magnetic voice, Su Xiaoxiao was a little sleepy. ¡°Yes, Zheng Lanxiu¡¯s man, Zheng Lanxiu¡­ Su Yuniang¡¯s eldest sister-in-law. He¡¯s not a good person. I beat him up.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyes darkened. In a daze, Su Xiaoxiao felt Wei Ting¡¯s coldness and killing intent. She reached into his blanket and patted the back of his hand as if she was coaxing the three little ones. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I didn¡¯t suffer a loss¡­ I won¡¯t suffer a loss¡­ There¡¯s no one in the village I can¡¯t beat¡­¡± Her eyelids became heavier and her voice became softer and softer. In the end, it became even breathing. She forgot to take her hand back and held Wei Ting¡¯s hand. She was a little fatty and was usually not afraid of the cold, but after having her period, her hands and feet became cold. Wei Ting¡¯s hand was warm, and her grip was comfortable. Wei Ting¡¯s fingertips moved. Forget it. She was unwell. Just this once! ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t feeling well so Father Su asked her to rest at home for two days and do business in a few days. Although Father Su doted on her, there was no room for negotiation. Su Xiaoxiao stayed at home for two days. Cripple Feng¡¯s situation was not good. After he was carried back to the Su family, Zheng Lanxiu immediately asked the Su family to invite a physician from the town. Su Yuniang said that Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s medical skills were brilliant, but Zheng Lanxiu didn¡¯t believe her and insisted on inviting someone from town. Su Dalang went to Rongen Hall overnight and invited a legitimate physician. However, Cripple Feng was too seriously injured. The big worm had bitten through his leg. The physician said that even if his leg recovered, it would not recover to its original state. In other words, Cripple Feng would really be a cripple in the future. Hearing this bad news, Zheng Lanxiu almost fainted on her husband¡¯s bed. ¡°Why did you go up the back mountain for no reason? Who needs you to chop firewood?¡± Zheng Lanxiu cried until she was out of breath. Cripple Feng was a little lecherous, but firstly, he was not ugly, and secondly, he was a sweet-talker. He knew how to coax Zheng Lanxiu after causing trouble. Of course, Zheng Lanxiu would not want him to become a cripple. ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± Su Dalang asked the doctor in the central room. The doctor shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s too seriously injured. It¡¯s already lucky that he survived.¡± ¡°Sister, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Dalang noticed that Su Jinniang¡¯s face was pale and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you feeling unwell? Coincidentally, the physician is here. Let him take a look.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Su Jinniang raised her hand to wipe the cold sweat off her face. ¡°There¡¯s too much blood¡­ I was frightened.¡± The sight of Cripple Feng being carried in was really shocking. Su Dalang did not suspect anything and said to Su Jinniang, ¡°Hurry up and go back to your room. Second Brother and I will take care of Brother Feng.¡± Cripple Feng was in a worse state compared to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao was asleep, but he was really unconscious. When Su Jinniang returned to her room, her back was breaking out in cold sweat. She had never expected such a thing to happen. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me¡­ He wanted to go himself¡­ I didn¡¯t ask him to¡­ It wasn¡¯t me¡­¡± ¡°What are you muttering about?¡± Su Yuniang suddenly appeared at the door. Su Jinniang was shocked! She quickly turned around and looked at Su Yuniang in fear. ¡°Sister¡­¡± Su Yuniang looked at her doubtfully. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Jinniang clenched her sleeves and lowered her eyes. ¡°Brother Feng became like that. I was frightened¡­¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°Hmph, he¡¯s just a bastard. So what if he¡¯s crippled?¡± Obviously, Su Yuniang knew very well what kind of person Cripple Feng was. Cripple Feng did not provoke Su Yuniang because she was a ruthless person who dared to slash at him with a kitchen knife. He did not dare to provoke Su Yuniang¡¯s sister openly. At most, he would take a few more glances at Su Jinniang and harass her when there was no one around. Su Yuniang turned around and returned to the house. She had just stepped out of the threshold when she turned back. ¡°The matter of Cripple Feng¡­ has nothing to do with you, right?¡± Su Jinniang¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Sister, what nonsense are you talking about? What does his business have to do with me!¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°It¡¯s best if it has nothing to do with you. Zheng Lanxiu is not to be trifled with. If she finds out who harmed Cripple Feng, she will definitely skin that person alive.¡± Su Jinniang stopped her. ¡°Sister, you should hurry back to the Zheng family. After what happened to Brother Feng, it¡¯s not appropriate for him to stay with us to recuperate.¡± Su Yuniang frowned and looked at her. ¡°Su Jinniang, what do you mean?¡± Su Jinniang composed herself and said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Sister, Brother Feng and Sister Lanxiu wouldn¡¯t have moved into our house. If they didn¡¯t, there wouldn¡¯t have been an attack on the mountain. In the end, everything started because of Sister. If I were Sister, I would bring the child back to the Zheng family tonight. I wouldn¡¯t give my in-laws a chance to scold me or cause trouble for my family.¡± Su Yuniang¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve caused trouble for the family?¡± Su Jinniang swallowed and said seriously, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Sister, haven¡¯t you caused enough trouble? Don¡¯t you know how bad the gossip in the village is? Also, aren¡¯t you responsible for Brother Feng becoming like this?¡± Chapter 135 - 135 Business 135 Business Su Yuniang did not expect Su Jinniang to slander her like this. During the years when Madam Fang wasn¡¯t well, not only did she raise Sanlang, but she also took care of Jinniang. In the end, she was an outsider in Jinniang¡¯s heart! Su Yuniang smiled bitterly. ¡°You¡¯re really my biological sister!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, the two of you?¡± Madam Fang came over from the kitchen and sensed that the atmosphere between the sisters was not right. ¡°How old are you? Why are you still arguing? We have guests at home!¡± Su Yuniang returned to the room coldly. Su Jinniang also entered her room in a fit of pique. Madam Fang frowned. ¡°These two children!¡± ¡­ . Crippled Feng¡¯s injuries were more severe than he had imagined. Along the way, he suffered superficial injuries. They looked serious, but they were not serious. What was concerning was the leg that had been bitten by the big worm. After careful treatment by the physician, not only did he not improve, but his leg also became red and swollen. He had also been in a daze. If this continued, Cripple Feng would probably lose his leg. Zheng Lanxiu did not dare to continue wasting her time in the Su family. She brought Cripple Feng back to Shallow Water Village and asked someone to invite a more experienced physician from Rongen Hall. Su Xiaoxiao rested at home for two days and completely recovered. She could continue to set up a stall tomorrow! ¡°Sister, are you really alright?¡± Su Ergou asked. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to set up a stall anymore?¡± ¡°Yes, but your health is the most important. I can wait a few days.¡± Su Xiaoxiao rubbed his head in amusement. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s been hard on our hardworking Ergou.¡± The three little ones were brushing the fur of the foal in the backyard. When they saw Uncle Ergou¡¯s head being rubbed, they abandoned the foal in unison and ran over, stretching their little heads in front of Su Xiaoxiao. It meant that they wanted their heads to be patted too! ¡°Ha!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was amused and touched their heads. ¡°Excuse me, is this Miss Su¡¯s house?¡± An acquaintance came to the door and the three children ran over. Manager Sun stood outside the open door. Just as he was hesitating if he should knock, he saw three round heads sticking out. Dahu¡¯s was at the top, and Xiaohu¡¯s was at the bottom. Manager Sun looked at the three identical and cute faces and his face blindness acted up! ¡°Who are you?¡± Dahu asked warily. He had never seen an unfamiliar face in the village. ¡°I¡­ ah¡­¡± ¡°Why are you looking for Mother?¡± Erhu sized him up. ¡°Are you a bad person? Bad people don¡¯t enter!¡± Xiaohu said seriously. Manager Sun was dumbfounded. Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, Manager Sun is a guest.¡± The three of them nodded sensibly. ¡°Oh.¡± The three little ones worked together and pulled open the unlatched wooden door. They said politely, ¡°Please come in.¡± As Manager Sun entered, his eyes were glued to the three little fellows. It couldn¡¯t be helped. This was the first time he had seen such cute children in his life. ¡°Triplets?¡± he asked Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao gestured for him to sit down. ¡°Yes.¡± Manager Sun sat down in a daze and looked at the little kids who were walking around Su Xiaoxiao. Then, he looked at Su Xiaoxiao and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Oh, my sons.¡± Manager Sun was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao had always used the identity of Miss Su when she was doing business outside. Manager Sun thought that she was a woman who had never married. Who knew that she already had three children? Why did he not believe it? ¡°Mother, it¡¯s hot.¡± Xiaohu grabbed his collar. Su Xiaoxiao touched his back. He was indeed sweating. She took a piece of dry cloth that was draped over the back of the chair and placed it on his back. Her movements were extremely skilled. It was obvious that she was used to it. Manager Sun fell silent. ¡°Go play,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to the three of them and they ran off to brush the foal¡¯s fur. Su Ergou went to the kitchen to bring a pot of hot water. Su Xiaoxiao made tea and poured a cup for Manager Sun. She went straight to the point. ¡°Do you have something to discuss with me?¡± She paid off the Manager Sun¡¯s debt at the gambling den. Before he gathered enough money for Su Xiaoxiao, Manager Sun had to ¡°sell himself to pay off the debt¡±. Of course, he could forget about selling his fat body. But he could still use his ability. Speaking of serious matters, Manager Sun temporarily put aside his curiosity about Su Xiaoxiao. He said, ¡°I¡¯ve been to many places these past few days and have indeed accepted a good business. It¡¯s also a banquet snack business. That family is not inferior to the Qi family, but it¡¯s a little far away. It¡¯s in the prefecture city.¡± ¡°The prefecture city?¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Manager Sun nodded. Su Ergou said, ¡°It will take ten days to half a month to go to the prefecture city. Our snacks will be ruined if we transport them over!¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°Ah, it won¡¯t take that long. We¡¯ll take the carriage and set off at dawn. We¡¯ll arrive on the second day at the latest. It will take half a month if you walk!¡± Shen Chuan had also said that they could reach the prefecture city in a day. Manager Sun continued, ¡°However, Little Brother Su¡¯s concerns are not wrong. The snacks will not taste fresh anymore if they are left out for too long. If we send them over after we¡¯re done, it will have to be done overnight. Ordinary commoners might not be able to tell the difference, but the guests at the banquet are used to having delicacies. They can taste the difference.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°So you mean¡­ ¡± Manager Sun smiled and said, ¡°If you want to take this business, we have to go to the prefecture city to do it on the spot. The price will definitely satisfy you. It¡¯s higher than what the Qi family paid. I wonder¡­ if you¡¯re willing to take this long trip.¡± Ordinary girls would not leave their houses. Due to her livelihood, she had no choice but to do business on the streets. However, the town was not far after all. It was really a long trip to the prefecture city. From Manager Sun¡¯s standpoint, he naturally hoped that Su Xiaoxiao would agree. If she earned more money, he would have dividends and could repay her sooner. However, he wouldn¡¯t force Su Xiaoxiao. Everything depended on her wishes. ¡°If you can¡¯t make up your mind, there¡¯s no harm in thinking about it for a night. That madam is a guest of the Qi family. She tasted your snacks at Old Madam Qi¡¯s birthday banquet and was very impressed. She will only leave for the prefecture city tomorrow. I¡¯ll come back tomorrow morning.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go.¡± Manager Sun said in a daze, ¡°Are you really not going to think about it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°What¡¯s there to consider? I¡¯ve never left Apricot Flower Town in my life. With this deal, I can earn money and go to the prefecture city to take a look. Why not?¡± If not for the limited money she had, she would have gone to the capital! ¡°Ah¡­¡± Manager Sun was not especially surprised. It was as if he had subconsciously decided that she was not an ordinary woman. She dared to risk her life, and was brave to barge in when the occasion called for it. She was fearless. Unfortunately, she was not a man. Otherwise, she would definitely have made shocking achievements. After Father Su and Wei Ting returned from the Li family¡¯s land, Su Xiaoxiao told them about going to the prefecture city to do business. ¡°Do you really want to go?¡± Father Su asked. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Su Ergou was worried¡­ Uh, his father was worried too, but he respected his daughter¡¯s opinion. He would grow old one day and not be able to accompany them for the rest of their lives. He couldn¡¯t expect them to soar on their own while cutting off their wings. ¡°Just you and Ergou?¡± Father Su asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Manager Sun is going too. He¡¯s familiar with the city.¡± Father Su thought for a moment. ¡°Bring Liu Ping along.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need, Dad. Liu Ping has something to do at home.¡± Business in town had already stopped for two days. If they continued to rest, their business would lose momentum. Father Su originally planned to say that she should bring someone to protect herself, but when he thought about how Liu Ping could not fight as well as his daughter and Ergou, he swallowed his words. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± Chapter 136 - 136 Best Friend 136 Best Friend ¡°Tomorrow morning,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°So soon.¡± Father Su couldn¡¯t bear for her to leave. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave early and return as soon as I can. Oh, right, I left Liu Ping at home because business in town can¡¯t stop forever.¡± She was not feeling well and had already rested for two days. As for her and Su Ergou going to the city, it would take at least three days. If they did not set up their stall for five days, it could result in dissatisfaction and loss of customers. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do it!¡± Father Su did not think that this had anything to do with him for the time being. ¡°Liu Ping is in charge of running errands. Sister Wu makes pancakes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao hadn¡¯t been idle for the past two days. Although she didn¡¯t go to town to do business, she taught Little Wu how to make pancakes. Little Wu was already very capable. In addition, she had been following her for a period of time and was very familiar with the process of making pancakes. Other than failing at the egg yolk pastry, she basically knew how to make wife cakes and chestnut cakes. In any case, her pastry was better than Jin Ji¡¯s. Su Xiaoxiao had given Jin Ji a recipe, but there was actually a lot to learn about making pancakes delicious. Not to mention the heat at each stage, even the water quality needed for each snack was different. A slight change could result in a thousand miles of difference. Of course, the master of Jin Ji could study it, but didn¡¯t it take time? How could it be faster than her teaching it step by step? Little Wu made another pot of wife cakes and brought it over for the family to taste. After Su Xiaoxiao tasted it carefully, she approved the ones with green bean filling, red bean filling, and chestnut filling. The dried plum vegetables were slightly inferior and did not meet her standards. However, it was actually not bad. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s requirements were too high. But on second thought, if not for her high standards and requirements at all times, how could she reach the peak of her business? Excellent was a habit. Liu Ping also came to try, but his culinary skills¡­ were really inferior to Little Wu¡¯s. Little Wu had been the daughter-in-law of the Liu family for so many years. She had cooked every meal. She had finally mastered it. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°These few pancakes will be sold for the next few days. Dad, you and Wei Ting have to help Sister Wu or take care of her children.¡± Little Wu would definitely not be able to handle it alone. In addition, she had also instructed Liu Ping to take as few orders as possible. ¡°Got it,¡± Father Su agreed. ¡°There¡¯s more.¡± What followed was the main point. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her father solemnly. ¡°Dad, you have to sell the pancakes!¡± Father Su was speechless. ¡­ . ¡°Su Ji¡¯s stall, banner sign, tray, snack box, bamboo leaf, paper bag¡­¡± In the central room, Su Xiaoxiao counted the items needed to set up the stall one by one. ¡°Have you remembered everything I said? If you really can¡¯t remember, ask Liu Ping. He¡¯s familiar with it.¡± She could only pause the braised meat business for a few days. Otherwise, Little Wu would definitely be exhausted. Fortunately, there were no competitors when it came to braised meat. It was sold at Luo Dazhuang¡¯s pork stall, so business would not be affected. ¡°Daya, I can do the braised meat.¡± Little Wu came over from the kitchen. Making braised meat was easier than making snacks because Su Xiaoxiao had made the sauce. She only needed to put the meat in and cook it with some salt. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Can you handle it? Don¡¯t count on my father and Wei Ting. They might not be able to help much.¡± Due to their bad work records, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t dare to have high hopes for them. Little Wu whispered, ¡°I can do it.¡± Really, she could do it. She had already suffered in the Liu family. This work was really nothing. Moreover, this was something she liked to do and she did not feel tired doing it. This was probably¡­ in line with what Daya often said about passion? Little Wu¡¯s eyes lit up. She really wanted to do something for Daya. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± She lowered her head and pinched the corner of her shirt nervously. ¡°I wonder if it can be done well? Will it ruin your reputation?¡± Thinking of this, Little Wu regretted speaking quickly and taking responsibility. What if she ruined the business? Su Xiaoxiao was originally worried that she would be tired. Now that she saw that Little Wu was afraid of dragging her down, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You can do it. You have to believe in yourself and my taste.¡± Little Wu mustered her courage and looked into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. ¡°Can¡­ can I really¡­ do it?¡± She was going to hold the fort alone. Ever since she was young, she had always been told was that a woman was the most useless. They helped their husbands and raised their children, worked hard, and at thirty years old became a mother-in-law. They never seemed to be able to do things like men. But Daya was different. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t want to give her too much pressure. ¡°Don¡¯t scare yourself before you start. If I¡¯m not afraid, what are you afraid of? I won¡¯t blame you if it really fails. Just do it boldly!¡± Little Wu took a deep breath and nodded nervously. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave the braised meat business to you. Do your best and don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± After giving her instructions, Su Xiaoxiao returned to her small east room and began to pack her luggage for the prefecture capital. She would only be there for a few days, so there was no need to tidy up too much. She pulled open the cabinet door and hummed a tune as she took out the clothes and bag. Wei Ting entered the room and glanced at her indifferently. He said, ¡°Why are you so happy to go to the prefecture capital?¡± Su Xiaoxiao folded her clothes and shook her head. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just happy about it!¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Wei Ting snorted coldly. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°Are you so angry because you can¡¯t bear to part with me?¡± Wei Ting did not answer. Instead, he sat down on the chair expressionlessly and picked up a stack of calligraphy on the table. ¡°Your handwriting is so ugly!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pushed the blame away. ¡°Ergou wrote it!¡± ¡°Sister! I can¡¯t find my pants!¡± Su Ergou was also packing. ¡°Coming!¡± Su Xiaoxiao put down the clothes she was folding and went to the west room. She found it immediately. ¡°Isn¡¯t it here?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou scratched his head. When Su Xiaoxiao returned to the room, she clearly felt that her bag had been moved. She flipped through it and found a dagger at the bottom. It was heavy and the scabbard was thick. There was no flirtatious jewelry decoration. It was simple and textured. She gently pulled out the dagger. A cold light flashed and one could feel its sharpness and killing intent. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wei Ting, who was sitting at the side checking her calligraphy. She tilted her head and asked, ¡°Did you put it there?¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Give it back to me if you don¡¯t want it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly stuffed the dagger into her bag. ¡°Yes! Who said I didn¡¯t want it!¡± The next time she went up the mountain and encountered a big worm, she could kill it with a slash. She no longer needed to fight to the death like last time. Was this guy worried that she would encounter any danger on the way? Human cognition and thinking were often related to one¡¯s personal experience. It was much safer to go to the city on the official road than to enter the deep mountains and old forests. Ordinary people would only be worried that they would be exhausted from the journey and not adapt to the environment. The first thing Wei Ting thought of was to give her a way to protect herself. Had he grown up in an extremely unsafe environment? Or that he had experienced too many dangers? Su Xiaoxiao walked over and sat down beside him, gently holding his hand. Wei Ting frowned. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m comforting you.¡± The Wei Ting was speechless. ¡°Wei Ting, I¡¯ll return the token to you when I return from the city.¡± Su Xiaoxiao decided that after she was done with this business, she would think of a way to enter the pharmacy again and bring the token out! Wei Ting was stunned for a moment before saying calmly, ¡°Up to you.¡± ¡­ . At night, Su Xiaoxiao went to Su Yuniang¡¯s house again to take Su Yuniang¡¯s pulse. She was still a little weak. Her spleen and stomach were not as good, so she could not over-nourish them. She also had to nurse her child, so she had to pay attention to her diet. ¡°Did the silver ear and sweet plum work?¡± Su Xiaoxiao retracted her hand and asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Su Yuniang replied vaguely, unwilling to admit that she finally understood what she meant by ¡°don¡¯t believe any of your farts.¡± Su Xiaoxiao reminded her, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the city tomorrow and won¡¯t be back for three days. If you feel uncomfortable, get someone to invite Physician Fu over from Spring Willow Lane in town. He is much more reliable than the physicians of Rongen Hall.¡± Su Yuniang asked, ¡°Are you going to remind Little Madam Zhao like this later?¡± ¡°Why do I need to remind her?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was confused. Madam Zhao¡¯s body was not empty. Su Yuniang was very satisfied. Chapter 137 - 137 Torturing Su Jinniang 137 Torturing Su Jinniang After coming out of Su Yuniang¡¯s room, Su Xiaoxiao bumped into Old Master Su and Su Jinniang. Old Master Su was checking the accounts in the central room while Su Jinniang made tea for him. Old Master Su had a lot of fields under his name. His family could not finish planting them, so he rented a portion out. The yearly rent was ten to twenty taels. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t deliberately ask where these lands came from, but she had heard from the villagers. It was 30 years ago that Old Master Su¡¯s father used his ancestral jade pendant to exchange for food to help the villagers. In return, the village agreed to give the Su family a large piece of land. Not to mention, the Su family had bought two acres of land from Old Master Su. When the two of them saw Su Xiaoxiao, they revealed¡­ disdain. It had not been a day or two since the Old Master Su¡¯s family looked down on her family. Su Xiaoxiao naturally wouldn¡¯t rush to receive their cold shoulders. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t greet the two of them. To be precise, she didn¡¯t even look at them. Old Master Su frowned. At this moment, Su Yuniang¡¯s father and eldest brother returned from Shallow Water Village. They probably had something to tell Old Master Su, but because Fatty Su was present, it was not appropriate for them to speak. ¡°Collect the accounts.¡± After instructing Su Jinniang, Old Master Su walked out with a serious expression. Only Su Xiaoxiao and Su Jinniang were left in the central room. Su Jinniang obediently put away the account books on the table. She had been learning from her grandfather these days and actually had some thoughts. Since Fatty Su could read, and she was smarter than her, she would definitely be capable of being literate too! The truth was that she had been ¡°learning¡± from her grandfather for more than half a month and her progress was not smooth. Old Master Su would not spend time and energy teaching a granddaughter to read. This was one of the reasons. The second reason was that Su Jinniang did not have the talent to learn. However, Su Jinniang would not admit that she was stupid. She only hated herself for not marrying a good husband. Otherwise, she would have recognized more words than Fat Lass Su! ¡°Don¡¯t come to my house for no reason!¡± Su Jinniang said coldly. Su Xiaoxiao said with a faint smile, ¡°You care quite a lot. First, you care about my clothes, and now you care where I go. What do you think you are to me?¡± Su Jinniang said coldly, ¡°This is my house. You¡¯re not welcome here!¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me coming?¡± Su Jinniang used to like Fat Lass Su being around her because she was fat and ugly. She imitated her clothes and walked, making Su Jinniang look like a fairy. It was different now. Fatty Su had become beautiful and stopped learning to dress like her. On the other hand, many people in the village began to imitate Fatty Su¡¯s hairstyle and jewelry. If Fatty Su tied her hair into a bun, they would do the same. If Fatty Su wore two braids, so did they. In the past, when she went to the well to get water, everyone was talking about her clothes and jewelry. Now, it became ¡ª ¡°Daya¡¯s clothes are so beautiful! Where did you buy the materials? I¡¯ll go to town to buy them another day!¡± Although she was unwilling to admit it, Su Jinniang did feel a huge sense of crisis. As long as she approached Fatty Su, Su Jinniang would be jealous for no reason. ¡°The account book is upside down,¡± Su Xiaoxiao reminded kindly. Su Jinniang couldn¡¯t read and didn¡¯t notice that some of the accounts were inverted. ¡°I know! You don¡¯t have to remind me!¡± Su Jinniang blushed and turned one of the ledgers over. Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°Not this one.¡± Since Su Xiaoxiao had OCD, she couldn¡¯t stand it! ¡°The third book!¡± Su Jinniang slammed the account book on the table and glared at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°So what if you know a few words? Did you come specially to show off in front of me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was confused. ¡°Su Jinniang, are you crazy? Showing off to you? Would I feel a sense of accomplishment?¡± Su Jinniang felt that she had been underestimated, and her pride suffered a huge blow. In her anger, she blurted out, ¡°As someone who had been defiled by a wild man, what right do you have to compare to me?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s competing with you¡­¡± Wait. Defiled? Wild man? Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze landed on Su Jinniang¡¯s face. Su Jinniang realized that she had let it slip and quickly picked up the account book and walked back. Su Xiaoxiao knocked on the table indifferently. ¡°Su Jinniang, stop right there and make yourself clear. What do you mean by wild man? What¡¯s this about defiling?¡± She only had one man, and that was Wei Ting. She and Wei Ting were husband and wife in name. Even if they really slept together, it would be called matrimonial sex and boudoir pleasure. It was only right and proper. There was no taint. Therefore, Su Jinniang was not referring to Wei Ting. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Jinniang deeply. ¡°Did you do it?¡± Su Jinniang froze. She didn¡¯t turn around. She carried the ledger and hurried to the backyard. Even a fool could tell that something was wrong with her guilty look. Su Xiaoxiao knew it. She was digging for wild vegetables. How did she meet Cripple Feng? In addition, Cripple Feng had gone up the mountain empty-handed. He would not stroll there unless his intent was to stop her. However, she had always assumed that Cripple Feng had followed her and never thought of Su Jinniang. That¡¯s right. Before going up the mountain, she had met Su Jinniang behind the kitchen of the Su family. Su Jinniang knew where she was. Su Xiaoxiao followed. Su Jinniang heard footsteps behind her and turned around in a panic. ¡°Fatty Su, what are you doing!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her indifferently. ¡°It was you.¡± Su Jinniang¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!¡± Su Xiaoxiao mocked, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Are your ears or your brain not working well? Alright, I¡¯ll help you wash up.¡± ¡°You¡­ ah!¡± Before Su Jinniang could finish, Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the back of her neck and pressed her into the water tank in front of her! With a loud splash, Su Jinniang was pressed into the cold water like a chick! Her arm trembled, and the account books in her arms fell to the ground! She struggled hard, but her strength was nothing to Su Xiaoxiao! Su Xiaoxiao lifted her head. ¡°Su Jinniang, I gave you basic respect. Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡± This was the first time Su Jinniang had truly experienced the power of the Su family¡¯s little bully. She really did not understand how Su Yuniang dared to fight with such a bully girl when she was young. She was terrified. She didn¡¯t know if it was from the cold or fear, but she was trembling. ¡°Grandpa¡­ Dad¡­ ¡± She let out a cry for help like a pig being slaughtered. ¡°Huh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pressed her into the water again and Su Jinniang almost drowned in the water tank! There was no pity in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. It was fine if she ran to Wei Ting to make her presence known. It was just a woman¡¯s flirtation and Wei Ting would not fall for that. But she actually baited Cripple Feng to attack her! Cripple Feng was a relative of the Su family. How could Su Jinniang not know what he was like? She was not afraid of Cripple Feng, and could defeat him even if ten more came. However, she hated Su Jinniang¡¯s vicious thoughts! ¡°Fatty Su, what are you doing? Let go of my sister!¡± Chapter 138 - 138 Falling Out 138 Falling Out Su Dalang heard the commotion and came over but Su Xiaoxiao ignored him. She continued to press Su Jinniang! She would press her to death! ¡°Fatty Su!¡± Su Dalang was furious. He picked up the stick on the ground and hit Su Xiaoxiao. How could Su Xiaoxiao let him hit her? With a wave of her chubby arm, she easily caught his stick. Su Dalang was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Move aside, or I¡¯ll teach you a lesson too.¡± Su Dalang naturally wouldn¡¯t give in, but he couldn¡¯t snatch the stick back. He raised his leg to kick Su Xiaoxiao¡­ Su Xiaoxiao was faster than him and kicked him to the ground! At this moment, Old Master Su, his son, Su Can, and his second grandson, Su Erlang, also arrived. ¡°Dalang!¡± Su Can was a coward. He did not fight with Fatty Su immediately. Instead, he pounced over and helped his son up. The 17-year-old Su Erlang¡¯s expression was also very ugly. ¡°Eldest Brother! Second Sister!¡± Su Jinniang was still pressed into the water tank and drinking cold water. Old Master Su¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Su Daya! Stop!¡± Su Xiaoxiao let go easily and Su Jinniang slipped out of the water tank. However, in less than a second, she pressed Su Jinniang down again! Everyone¡¯s expression changed! Old Master Su clenched his fists. ¡°Fatty Su!¡± Su Dalang was the only one in the Su family who had guts. Su Erlang wanted to rush over a few times, but he was frightened by Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s stick. When she was almost done with Su Jinniang, Su Xiaoxiao fished her out and threw her to the ground as if she was throwing a useless sack. ¡°Fatty Su, what¡¯s wrong with you? How did my second sister provoke you!¡± Su Erlang scolded. Su Xiaoxiao said indifferently, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Su Jinniang?¡± Old Master Su looked at Su Jinniang, who was lying on the ground and breathing heavily. He asked, ¡°What did you do?¡± Su Jinniang¡¯s face was pale as she said weakly, ¡°Grandpa, I didn¡¯t¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll know if she did or not when Cripple Feng wakes up.¡± Cripple Feng? Old Master Su frowned. What did this have to do with Crippled Feng? Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Can and Su Dalang who lowered their heads. Su Xiaoxiao sneered. ¡°Yo, haven¡¯t you already found out the truth? Why? You don¡¯t dare to say it? Do you want me to say it for you?¡± Old Master Su followed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze and looked at his son and eldest grandson. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The two of them did not dare to make a sound. They had just returned from Shallow Water Village when Cripple Feng woke up. At that time, Zheng Lanxiu cried and asked him why he went up the mountain. Cripple Feng stammered and said that he had heard from Su Jinniang during dinner that Fatty Su had gone up the mountain alone. He had evil intentions and secretly followed her¡­ Unexpectedly, he was taught a lesson by Fatty Su before he could even touch a finger of hers. Later on, he and Fatty Su encountered a big worm. It was Fatty Su who killed the big worm. Otherwise, he would probably have died without a corpse. He couldn¡¯t remember how he got down the mountain. Perhaps Fatty Su had saved him¡­ When the father and son heard this, they no longer dared to stay in Shallow Water Village. They immediately rushed home to discuss this with Old Master Su. Unfortunately, before they could say anything, Su Xiaoxiao had already beaten Su Jinniang up. There were two families in the village that one could not afford to offend. One was the Old Master Su¡¯s family, and the other was the Su family. Old Master Su¡¯s reputation was too strong. If one offended him, he would be despised by the entire village. As for the other Su family, their reputation was too bad. No matter what, they would blackmail you, cheat you, and beat you to death! In short, they were unreasonable! On the way back, the father and son decided not to let Fat Lass Su know the truth. Otherwise, it would be difficult to clean up the mess. Su Dalang gritted his teeth and said, ¡°My sister didn¡¯t do it on purpose! She only said that you went up the mountain, but she didn¡¯t ask Cripple Feng to look for you! Cripple Feng went himself! Besides, aren¡¯t you fine?¡± At his words, Su Xiaoxiao slapped Su Jinniang, who had finally stood up with the support of the water tank, to the ground. Su Xiaoxiao pinched her wrist and said calmly, ¡°Oh, my hand didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It hit her of its own volition. Besides, isn¡¯t Su Jinniang still alive?¡± Everyone was speechless. In the past, the three tyrants of the Su family rarely provoked them and rarely extorted money from them unless they took the initiative to provoke them. However, other than Su Yuniang who had fought with Fatty Su, the others had always ignored the three tyrants of the Su family and treated the Su family as a plague. Everyone looked at this little plague with ashen faces. Su Erlang said angrily, ¡°Fatty Su! Don¡¯t go too far! Go to the village and ask around. What kind of family is our Su family? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you won¡¯t be able to stay in the village if you cause trouble at our house?!¡± The entire village owed the Su family a favor. Whoever went against the Su family would be going against the entire Apricot Flower Village! Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡°Stop using the villagers to pressure me! The villagers spoil your Su family, but I won¡¯t!¡± ¡°You!¡± Su Erlang fell back in anger. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t give him a chance to refute. ¡°What about me? When your Su family sold the jade pendant to help the villagers, our Su family hadn¡¯t moved over yet! Our family doesn¡¯t owe anyone a favor! We mind our own business! But since Su Jinniang made things difficult for me, don¡¯t blame me for teaching her a lesson!¡± Su Dalang gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I already said that my sister didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said with a strong aura, ¡°She knows if she did it on purpose!¡± ¡°Enough! Shut up!¡± Old Master Su said sternly. His deep gaze swept across the disheveled Su Jinniang and looked at Fatty Su, who actually dared to fight the entire Su family alone. It was not a surprise. Unsurprisingly, Fatty Su was an unreasonable bully. Unexpectedly, Fatty Su gave him a strange feeling. He asked, ¡°Su Daya, regardless of whether Jinniang did it on purpose or not, you¡¯ve already taught her a lesson. What else do you want?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sneered. ¡°Heh, what a coincidence. What do you mean by whether it was intentional or not? That¡¯s true. You have to protect your biological granddaughter. Otherwise, once you admit it, won¡¯t it show that you didn¡¯t teach your granddaughter well?¡± Listen, she scolded Old Master Su with just a few words. Old Master Su¡¯s gaze was cold. The entire family was furious. Their old man was respected and had never been ridiculed like this. Fatty Su was too much! Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll stop here today. After all, I really didn¡¯t lose anything, so I¡¯ll only teach her a small lesson.¡± Old Master Su¡¯s family was about to go crazy. How could this be a small lesson after Su Jinniang was ravaged to this extent? ¡°However.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked coldly at the trembling Su Jinniang. ¡°It¡¯s best if she doesn¡¯t appear in front of me in the future. Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat her up every time I see her!¡± Chapter 139 - 139 Scheming Erhu 139 Scheming Erhu Su Xiaoxiao left arrogantly. Su Erlang said angrily, ¡°Grandpa! Fat Lass Su is too much!¡± Old Master Su said coldly, ¡°You should think about how to deal with the Zheng family when they come later!¡± Su Erlang was stunned. How could he have forgotten that in this incident, Cripple Feng had almost lost half his life! If Fatty Su had not bothered about Cripple Feng and let him be bitten to death by the big worm or let him freeze to death on the mountain, they might have said that Fatty Su had beaten him up and thrown him to the big worm¡­ They could push the responsibility to Fatty Su! However, Fatty Su saved Cripple Feng twice¡­ What would Zheng Lanxiu think? She would only hate Su Jinniang! She would hate her to death! ¡­ . Su Jinniang was helped back to her room by her two brothers. Madam Fang had gone to the fields and was not at home. Su Yuniang walked in with a cold expression. ¡°Little brother, go out first.¡± She said to Su Sanlang behind her. Su Sanlang went out obediently. Su Jinniang sat at the head of the bed in a sorry state and glared at Su Yuniang with red eyes. ¡°Are you satisfied with what you did to me? How good would it be if you didn¡¯t return to our parents¡¯ house! Why did you summon Cripple Feng? Why did you summon Fatty Su? You could clearly have stopped Fatty Su¡­ but you kept hiding in the room¡­ You just watched as I was bullied by her¡­ ¡± Without letting her continue, Su Yuniang raised her hand and slapped her! Su Jinniang was stunned. Su Yuniang said word by word, ¡°Su Jinniang, if there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll shave your head and send you to a nunnery.¡± Su Jinniang was stunned. ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao returned home. Seeing that she was sweating, Father Su asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell the truth. ¡°I¡¯ve fallen out with the Su family.¡± This was a big deal. It was much more serious than falling out with the Chen family. After all, Old Master Su¡¯s family was too well-regarded village. If they were not careful, they might really be chased out by the entire village. Father Su¡¯s eyes were filled with fear. ¡°Why did you fall out with them? There are so many people in the Su family! You didn¡¯t suffer a loss, right!¡± ¡°No,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°I beat them up.¡± Father Su was relieved in a second and waved his hand. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. ¡ª- Father Su told her not to worry about the village and leave everything to him. She could go to the city to do business in peace. Su Xiaoxiao agreed. ¡°Okay.¡± The three little ones also knew that Su Xiaoxiao was about to go on a long trip. They came over with small pillows to sleep with her. This time, the rotation system clearly failed. Everyone wanted to sleep next to their mother. Dahu and Erhu occupied Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s left and right. Xiaohu couldn¡¯t beat his two brothers and gave up. He threw away his small pillow and placed his head on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s. Su Xiaoxiao laughed. After sleeping like this for a night, wouldn¡¯t she obtain a little ice sculpture the next day? Su Xiaoxiao carried Xiaohu into the blanket and placed him with Erhu. Erhu had the gentlest personality among the three children. Xiaohu and Dahu knew how to fight, but Xiaohu could never win. The three little fellows fell asleep. ¡°Mom.¡± Alright, there was a fish that escaped the net. It was Erhu. Erhu moved closer to her and searched his pocket. He took out a small thing and handed it to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao took it. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A talisman,¡± Erhu said. ¡°Granny Du gave it to me.¡± Madam Du was a witch from the neighboring village. The three little ones would sometimes follow Niudan and the others to her house to play. ¡°Why did she give you this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Erhu thought for a moment and told her the truth. ¡°I exchanged a pancake for it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Why did Erhu do the exchange?¡± Erhu fell silent. This was called a safety talisman, but it was actually a small pouch sewn with rags. Granny Du¡¯s ¡°talismans¡± were also divided into levels. The lowest-grade safety talisman contained plant ash, and cost one copper coin each. The one that Granny Du gave Er Hu was probably the highest grade. It contained a genuine copper coin. The Host had once bought an identical one from Granny Du and spent half a tael of silver! That witch was a big scam artist! Although Erhu had exchanged for it with a pancake, their family could sell any pancake for ten copper coins. Granny Du was definitely making a profit. Actually, Su Xiaoxiao could roughly guess why Er Hu gave this to her. She touched his little head. ¡°Erhu, the witch is lying. I don¡¯t need this thing to come back safely.¡± The child¡¯s feelings were precious, but there were some principles she had to teach the child to prevent him from continuing to be tricked by the witch in the future. Erhu paused and said, ¡°Pancake. Expired.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. ¡ª- Before dawn the next day, Manager Sun arrived in the hired carriage. The coachman was the original servant of Jin Ji and insisted on leaving with Manager Sun. Manager Sun originally didn¡¯t agree since he couldn¡¯t even protect himself. After he collaborated with Su Xiaoxiao, he called the shop assistant over. The shop assistant was called Xiaowu. ¡°I can go to town myself,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Manager Sun said in amusement, ¡°Creditor, boss, how can I let you go yourself? Then I would¡¯ve been a manager for nothing!¡± Putting aside their past grudges, Manager Sun and Su Xiaoxiao were quite compatible in business¡ªthe two of them were very bold and went all out in their pursuit. ¡°Is Little Brother Su awake?¡± he asked. ¡°He¡¯s awake. He¡¯s squatting in the latrine pit,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°You can call him Ergou.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Manager Sun agreed and said to Xiaowu, ¡°Take Su¡­¡± He paused. ¡°Should I call you Miss Su or Young Madam Su?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Miss¡­ Su.¡± He still had the ability to read people¡¯s expressions. There was not much luggage on this trip to the city, mainly some ingredients for snacks. Manager Sun helped to move the ingredients into the carriage. ¡°I went to see Madam Wang again last night. Madam Wang means to provide us with a kitchen. Do you think we should use the kitchen in her residence, or should we find another small courtyard outside?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Let¡¯s use her kitchen. It¡¯s convenient.¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of others stealing your recipes?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°If they can steal it, let them.¡± Manager Sun pondered for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The chefs hired by Jin Ji from the capital had to spend a lot of effort to figure it out. How could one learn all the skills after watching it once? ¡­ . Before leaving for the prefecture city, Su Xiaoxiao went to Physician Fu¡¯s house. ¡°Is there anything you want me to bring? For example, herbs?¡± she asked Physician Fu. Physician Fu didn¡¯t need to buy anything from the city. However, after Aunt Fu found out that Su Xiaoxiao was going to the city, she asked her son to give Su Xiaoxiao a jar of health pills and have her bring it to an old friend in Qingyun Temple. With that personality of hers, it was rare that Aunt Fu actually had old friends. At seven o¡¯clock, the group got into the carriage and traveled for the entire day. At night, they successfully arrived at the prefecture city. The bustling atmosphere assaulted their faces. The streets were filled with traffic and were much livelier than Apricot Flower Town. ¡°Sister! There are so many people!¡± Su Ergou lifted the curtain and looked at the endless crowd. He was so shocked that he could not close his mouth. Manager Sun smiled and said, ¡°This is not even the most prosperous street in the prefecture city. On the way to the Wang family later, we will pass by Jade Cloud Street. There are even more people there!¡± Compared to Su Ergou, Su Xiaoxiao was much calmer. He asked, ¡°Miss Su, have you¡­ been to the prefecture city before?¡± It didn¡¯t look like it was her first time entering the city! ¡°I¡¯ve never been here,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Ah! Sister! What a big candied hawthorn!¡± Su Ergou wished he could stick his head out to take a look. Manager Sun looked at Su Xiaoxiao and then at Su Ergou. He thought to himself that Su Ergou¡¯s reaction seemed more like an inexperienced villager. Su Xiaoxiao, on the other, looked as though she had even been to the capital. If possible, Su Xiaoxiao really wanted to go to the capital. Unfortunately, it was too difficult to get a travel pass to the capital. There was no scholar at home who could enter the capital to take the examination. Chapter 140 - 140 Entering the City 140 Entering the City Su Xiaoxiao admired the night view of the prefecture while thinking about her plan to enter the capital. ¡­She had just entered the prefecture capital and already wanted to enter the capital. One had to say that Su Xiaoxiao was ambitious. Su Ergou suddenly shouted, ¡°Sister! Fire! What a big fire!¡± Manager Sun jumped in fright. He glanced at them and relaxed. He smiled and said to the siblings: ¡°It¡¯s a vaudeville troupe. Our town also has one.¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°How can the people in town be as powerful as this? Wa, wa, wa! Fire again!¡± The pedestrians by the road were shocked by his voice and turned around to see where the fool came from. Su Ergou met a few malicious gazes and said fiercely, ¡°What are you looking at!¡± Everyone¡¯s lips twitched as they walked away. ¡°Sister, I want to sit outside!¡± Su Ergou said. ¡°Go.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Ergou lifted the curtain and sat down beside Xiaowu. ¡°Where are we staying?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Manager Sun said: ¡°There is a Yuelai Inn near the Wang Family, let¡¯s stay there.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How long will it take?¡± Shopkeeper Sun looked outside and said: ¡°After going down this street, we will make a right and go through an alley. About fifteen minutes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and asked, ¡°What kind of family is the Wang family?¡± Shopkeeper Sun replied: ¡°They started by selling tea leaves. Later on, they started a silk business. Right now, the largest cloth shop and dye shop in the prefectural city are owned by the Wang Family. I heard that they are preparing to open a cloth shop in the provincial city. The Madam Wang who invited us to make the pastries for the weekly banquet is the wife of the third branch. She is a very kind person, and the price she offers is also good.¡± ¡°The banquet is tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°So fast¡­ Didn¡¯t they prepare a chef at first?¡± Shopkeeper Sun laughed: ¡°She tasted your snacks and liked them so much that she decided to ask you to make them at the last minute. At first, she heard that Old Madam Qi had given her thirty taels and did not intend to pay higher than that. I told her that you are a girl and don¡¯t go out easily. Moreover, the town¡¯s business is too busy. In the end, we raised the price to forty taels and the fare was five taels. This price is considered high in the prefectural city. After all, we are only doing it for a day.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Manager Sun¡¯s business ability was not to be underestimated. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°As we agreed from the beginning, I¡¯ll give you 20% of our earnings. The ingredients and the fare will be on me.¡± Manager Sun smiled: ¡°Deal.¡± This price was not very fair. If he was at his peak, not to mention 20% interest, he would easily draw 40%. However, things were different now. He had been chased out by Jin Ji. Jin Ji slandered him everywhere. His value had plummeted, and no shop dared to use him anymore. He was in dire straits. In addition, at this critical juncture, Miss Su was willing to abandon her past grudges and hire him. It could be considered a timely help. The carriage soon arrived at the inn. Su Ergou smacked his lips. ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen enough?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Su Ergou nodded honestly. Children were really energetic. After sitting in the carriage for an entire day, she was about to fall apart, but Su Ergou was still full of energy. Su Xiaoxiao yawned. ¡°I¡¯m tired today. After I finish my business tomorrow, I¡¯ll accompany you to the streets at night.¡± Su Ergou¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Can, can I?¡± Not just to take a look? But to walk around? ¡°Okay, be good tonight and don¡¯t make a fuss. I¡¯ll take you there tomorrow.¡± Su Xiaoxiao yawned again. She was really sleepy. ¡°Alright!¡± Su Ergou jumped off the carriage. ¡°Manager Sun! Quick, quick, quick! I want to sleep!¡± ¡°Good!¡± Manager Sun smiled and got off the carriage. Emotions between people were infectious. At first, he did not understand why Miss Su would bring her younger brother along. He thought that perhaps she wanted his younger brother to gain exposure to the world. Now, he seemed to understand that this younger brother of hers was simply very refreshing! Manager Sun went to Yuelai Inn to book a room. Su Xiaoxiao had her own room, while he and Su Ergou shared one and Xiaowu had a room. ¡°I want to stay with Xiaowu.¡± Su Ergou said. Little Wu was only a few years older than Su Ergou. There was no generation gap between the two of them. Manager Sun was a little mature, so Su Ergou could not relate to him. Manager Sun looked at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao was no longer yawning. She stood in front of the counter and was about to fall asleep. ¡°Alright.¡± Manager Sun said to Su Ergou. He paid for the room and the deposit. ¡°Let¡¯s go up.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and walked forward in a daze. Manager Sun took a few steps up the stairs and turned around: ¡°Miss Su! You¡¯re going the wrong way!¡± Su Xiaoxiao had already arrived at the door. She tripped and knocked her head against the door. Eh? It didn¡¯t hurt. Su Xiaoxiao opened one eyelid. She was too tired to open the other one. A cold and handsome young face entered her line of sight. How beautiful. ¡°Jing Yi?¡± Su Xiaoxiao recognized him. Jing Yi¡¯s hand was firmly on the door frame. She had bumped into the back of Jing Yi¡¯s hand just now. No wonder it didn¡¯t hurt. The young man was wearing a black brocade robe and a dark-colored fox fur cloak. His face was a little childish, but his eyes were filled with a fearsome heroic spirit. He was almost comparable to Wei Ting. He looked travel-worn as if he had also rushed over. Manager Sun had met Jing Yi once, but his attention was on Su Xiaoxiao, so he didn¡¯t recognize Jing Yi. He hurried to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s side and pulled her behind him. He said to this young man, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master. We didn¡¯t mean to offend you. Please forgive us!¡± With that, he cupped his hands at Jing Yi and pulled Su Xiaoxiao, who was about to fall asleep, upstairs. ¡°Young Marquis!¡± Bai Ze walked over. ¡°Did something happen? Why did you suddenly get off the carriage?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Jing Yi looked at the disappearing figure at the end of the corridor, withdrew his hand, and gently rubbed his fingertips. ¡°We should go,¡± Bai Ze reminded. They had an important mission to complete, so they could not delay. Jing Yi did not move. Only when he heard the door close upstairs and the sound of someone hitting the bed hard did he leave with the murderous aura and calmness that a young man should not have. ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao slept until midnight. It was time to get up and do business. She touched her forehead. Jing Yi seemed to have been here yesterday. This was Su Ergou¡¯s first time entering the city, and he was overly excited. He pulled Xiaowu along and chatted for half the night, causing the two of them to have a pair of huge dark circles under their eyes when they were woken up by Manager Sun. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that they had been up to mischief the night before. Manager Sun went to get Su Xiaoxiao, who had already dressed up and washed up. ¡°Uh¡­¡± It seemed she slept really fast and woke up really early. ¡°Let¡¯s make do for breakfast.¡± Manager Sun handed the steamed bun he bought from outside to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Does the inn have steamed buns?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a bite. ¡°Uh¡­ they don¡¯t taste good.¡± Manager Sun replied: ¡°No, the breakfast at the inn is expensive, the steamed buns were bought from elsewhere.¡± The shopkeeper of Jin Ji had never been so frugal when he went out. Chapter 141 - 141 Banquet 141 Banquet After they had a simple breakfast, the sky was still dark, but the streets were lit. The reason was that there were many shops in the prefecture and they opened early. The candles under the corridor were all lit. The group got into the carriage. When Xiaowu was in Jin Ji, he always followed Shopkeeper Sun around to discuss business. He had come to the prefecture city seven or eight times, so he was familiar with the environment. There were not many pedestrians on the street, so he did not take a shortcut. He sped along the main road and soon arrived at the side door of the Wang family. Although the Wang family was a merchant family, their house was built in a more imposing style than that of the Qi family. Moreover, it seemed to have been renovated in recent years. The colors of the walls and eaves were very new and magnificent. The Third Madam had already informed the servant at the side door. After Shopkeeper Sun introduced himself, the servant brought them into the manor and led them to the kitchen. The Wang family had a total of three branches. The first branch was the direct descendant of Master Wang, and the second and third branches were borne by concubines. Today was the banquet for the first branch¡¯s direct grandson, and it was especially grand and festive. The servants should have started work at midnight. The backyard was brightly lit. As the servant led the way, he glanced at the siblings from time to time, mainly at Su Xiaoxiao. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Even if Su Xiaoxiao lost dozens of kilograms, she was still a big fatty in ancient times. However, compared to the dark fatty when she first transmigrated, she was now fair, chubby, and a little cute. ¡°Brother Qiu, who is it?¡± Another servant asked the servant in a low voice. The servant said in a low voice, ¡°Third Madam hired a chef from Apricot Flower Town.¡± ¡°From town?¡± The maid pursed her lips, clearly looking down on her. ¡°What was Third Madam thinking?¡± ¡°Shh¡­¡± The servant looked around. ¡°Don¡¯t let Third Madam hear this.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± The maidservant agreed and looked at Su Xiaoxiao a few more times. She was the most eye-catching among them, so it was impossible not to notice. Su Xiaoxiao heard their conversation clearly. There was a chain of disdain everywhere. The people in town looked down on the countryside, and the people in the prefecture looked down on the people from town¡­ She would just do her part and not care about what others say. Third Madam thoughtfully prepared a small kitchen for them and instructed the servants to try their best to satisfy any ingredients they needed. There was no need to specially report to her. However, when the servant brought them to the small kitchen that had been prepared in the morning, he unexpectedly discovered that there were people inside. They were unfamiliar faces. The servant was stunned and asked, ¡°Who are you? Which branch did you come from?¡± A middle-aged man who was preparing flour on the stove said, ¡°We are the pastry chefs hired by your residence.¡± The servant said, ¡°That¡¯s not right. The pastry chef is here.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± A delicate female voice slowly sounded from not far away. The speaker looked to be about thirty-five or thirty-six years old. She was dressed in gorgeous clothes and was covered in jewels. She looked extremely wealthy. She was accompanied by a maidservant and a maidservant. They were both well-dressed. The servant turned around and bowed to the other party. He said respectfully, ¡°Second Madam!¡± The Second Mistress smiled faintly and asked, ¡°It¡¯s Lingqiu. What are you doing here?¡± The manservant called Lingqiu said, ¡°Second Mistress, I brought the masters over to make snacks.¡± ¡°Where did this pastry chef come from?¡± ¡°From Apricot Flower Town.¡± ¡°Who brought in the town cook?¡± ¡°I invited her. Does Second Sister-in-law have any objections?¡± Third Madam came over with her maidservants. Her clothes were plainer than Second Madam¡¯s, but she was younger and more beautiful. She stopped beside the manservant, Manager Sun, and the others and looked at the Second Mistress. The atmosphere suddenly became a little tense. Manager Sun was a shrewd person. How could he not understand the attitude of the two Madams? The eldest branch of the Wang family was in charge, and the first madam held the reins. The second master and the third master were the children of concubines. Usually, the two madams would assist the first madam with the matters of the residence. There were naturally many open and hidden conflicts. Second Madam said sarcastically, ¡°Sister-in-law, it¡¯s not that I want to criticize you, but our Wang family is considered a reputable family in the prefectural city. How can you hire a few chefs from the countryside?¡± The second madam actually did not know that Su Xiaoxiao was a village girl. However, the people in town were all considered villagers by the people in the prefectural city. Third Madam sneered. ¡°Sister-in-law has handed this matter to me. I naturally have the final say on who I invite. Second Sister-in-law, you don¡¯t have to worry about it! Those chefs inside are hired by Second Sister-in-law, right? I heard that they¡¯re from your maternal family. Second Sister-in-law is right about one thing. Our Wang family is a reputable family. When our maternal family comes, they have to be guests. Why did they come to the kitchen to work? If word gets out, won¡¯t people laugh at our Wang family for not knowing how to treat guests?¡± The Second Mistress choked. It was bullsh*t that they were from her maternal family. They were just introduced by her maternal family. In order to get this job, they deliberately said that they were her maternal family. Manager Sun rubbed his nose resentfully and said in a volume that only he and Su Xiaoxiao could hear, ¡°Did you see that? When immortals fight, ghosts suffer.¡± Su Xiaoxiao calmly watched the two ladies fight. ¡°Big Brother agreed!¡± ¡°Eldest Sister-in-law has always been in charge of the matters in the backyard!¡± Second Madam¡¯s backer was Eldest Master, and Third Madam¡¯s backer was First Madam. They were in a stalemate. Su Xiaoxiao went into the kitchen to make snacks. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to the chef in front of the stove. The chef glanced at her. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the kitchen knife. The chef took a step back! Although it was called a small kitchen, it had two stoves and four pots. Su Xiaoxiao occupied a stove and asked Xiaowu and Su Ergou to bring the ingredients in. While the two madams were arguing fiercely, Su Xiaoxiao took out a chopping board, sprinkled some powder on it, and started making snacks. In the Qi family, it was Su Xiaoxiao who snatched the business of Jin Ji. Today, it was someone else who snatched her business. Regardless of whether Third Madam had obtained First Madam¡¯s permission or not, Second Madam had unparalleled confidence when she mentioned First Master. Under such circumstances, there was only one solution¡ªstrength would determine the outcome! When the other three chefs saw her cooking, they hurriedly took out their ingredients. ¡°This kind of situation¡­ is rather rare.¡± Manager Sun was embarrassed. He was the one who ran the business. If it really failed, it would be his responsibility. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Running a business was about risk and profit. It was normal for unexpected events to happen. The most important thing was to be calm. ¡°Sigh.¡± Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao did not blame him, Manager Sun secretly heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he was also a little glad. The little girl was young and broad-minded. She could do great things. The two madams fought until the end, but the chefs did not argue. Instead, the snacks on both sides were out of the oven. The master hired by the Second Mistress made yellow pea and osmanthus cakes. These were two pastries from the capital, and most of the ones sold in the prefecture were not authentic. These three masters clearly had some skills. They made it very authentic, the color was pure, and the texture was exquisite. After they brought it out, there were a few pieces left in the pot that did not look good. Manager Sun ran over and secretly took two bites. He was stunned! Chapter 142 - 142 Showing Off 142 Showing Off Damn! They had met their match! The pastry was authentic! Jin Ji did not sell yellow pea cakes, but they sold osmanthus cakes. Compared to their osmanthus cakes, Jin Ji¡¯s osmanthus cakes were simply like younger brothers! ¡°Miss Su¡­¡± Manager Sun turned back with a complicated expression. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have confidence in Su Xiaoxiao. He had eaten Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s pastries before. The taste was impeccable. However, those few people were not bad either. In addition, they made famous food in the capital, so they had a reputation. Su Ji¡¯s pastries were delicious, but unfortunately, they were not famous. They were not as well-known as the famous ones in the capital. ¡°Tsk, what a miscalculation,¡± Manager Sun sighed. Soon, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s snacks were out of the pot. Manager Sun looked at the several yellow and orange¡­ snacks on the plate and pointed at them: ¡°No, these are¡­ eggs? Aren¡¯t these¡­ sugar paintings?¡± Pastries like these could be seen everywhere on the streets. They were made with syrup bit by bit and looked exquisite. They also tasted saccharine sweet As for Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s, they were not even delicate. They were just in the shape of an eggshell. ¡°Well¡­ ¡± Manager Sun was speechless. ¡°Take them out.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Ah.¡± Manager Sun¡¯s mouth opened and closed several times. He braced himself and took the ¡°eggshells¡± out. She was the creditor. She was the boss! Seeing Manager Sun bring out the eggs, Second Madam burst out laughing. ¡°Third Sister-in-law, this is the chef you hired. What did she make? They¡¯re not even as good as my cooking!¡± These were just eggs made with sugar. Could a seven or eight-year-old child make them? Third Madam also frowned slightly. Manager Sun said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, the boss made it!¡± The Second Mistress was almost out of breath from laughing. She covered her face with a handkerchief and said, ¡°Then bring the snacks over for Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law to try. Let¡¯s see whose they like more!¡± The servants carried the three snacks to the courtyard of the eldest branch. First Master and First Madam had just woken up and were sitting down to eat some millet porridge. There were two meals of fish and meat in the day, so they did not eat much in the morning. The snacks were placed on the table for the two of them. This was Eldest Master¡¯s fault. Matters of the residence were First Madam¡¯s territory, and he shouldn¡¯t have meddled. It was his second brother who came to look for him and talked for half a day; he couldn¡¯t refuse and agreed. ¡°Madam, you make the decision.¡± His lordship said. The First Madam sighed. ¡°You promised Second Brother. If I don¡¯t agree, wouldn¡¯t that embarrass you in front of your brothers?¡± Eldest Master was very pleased. He smiled and said, ¡°Then should we still use the chef Second Brother called over?¡± ¡°It looks like Second Brother¡¯s chef is reliable.¡± First Madam¡¯s gaze swept across the three snacks and landed on a few ¡°eggs¡± made of sugar. She frowned. ¡°What kind of chef did Third Sister-in-law hire?¡± ¡­ . The servants quickly came over from the courtyard of the eldest branch. Second Madam and Third Madam asked in unison, ¡°What did Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law say?¡± The servant lowered his head and reported, ¡°Reporting to the two Madams, First Master and First Madam said to use the pastry chef that Third Madam invited.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± The Second Mistress raised her voice. ¡°You must have said the wrong thing! They made a candy!¡± That was right, Su Xiaoxiao did make a piece of candy. It was just in the shape of an eggshell, but it was essentially candy. What was so special about it? The three chefs saw that there were two left on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s stove; Su Ergou had eaten one. They walked over with sullen faces. One of them broke off a small piece of sugar with his bare hands. ¡°Just the smell of syrup. Nothing special¡­¡± Wait. The head chef suddenly paused and tasted it carefully with the tip of his tongue. As if he realized something, he picked up a small spoon at the side and broke the sugar egg. An unbelievable scene happened. There was actually a little tiger made of pastry lying in the sugar egg. The tiger¡¯s body was tender yellow, and the tiger¡¯s head and tail were outlined with brown syrup. It was the size of a palm, lifelike, soft, and cute. The young master of the Wang family was a tiger based on his zodiac! Amazing. This snack was amazing! Not to mention the taste, just the meaning and appearance alone were a few streets ahead of them! After tasting it, the three of them could not quibble! The tiger snacks were made with corn flour. The filling was made by Su Xiaoxiao herself. In addition, she mixed a small spoonful of peanut butter that Wei Ting had mashed. The taste was sour and sweet, and there was a strong fragrance of peanuts. The taste was very layered; the texture was rich, and the main and secondary tastes were distinctive. The three of them admitted defeat! Third Madam was proud and elated. After being suppressed by the second branch for many years, she finally gained respect from her eldest brother and sister-in-law. She smiled brightly. ¡°Second Sister-in-law, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave first. Second Sister-in-law, go do your work too. Let¡¯s not disturb Miss Su and Brother Su from making snacks here.¡± The Second Mistress stormed off like a defeated rooster! Third Madam smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve invited the right people. Make the snacks well. The price we originally discussed will not change. Also, make more of these snacks. I¡¯ll increase the price by ten taels!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to raise the price¡­¡± Manager Sun was just being polite. How could he really refuse? Ten taels of silver were nothing to the Wang family. Third Madam could still afford it. ¡°It¡¯s settled then.¡± Third Madam praised Su Xiaoxiao a few more times before turning around to meet her eldest brother and sister-in-law. Manager Sun laughed as he wiped away his cold sweat. When he worked with Miss Su, he needed a strong heart. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s pastries were done very smoothly. Su Ergou had improved visibly these days and was much more efficient. When she went to town to do business, Su Xiaoxiao always felt that she was too busy in the morning because they were in a hurry. The Wang family¡¯s birthday banquet only started at noon. There was plenty of time, so she was not afraid. ¡°Ergou, are you tired?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tired!¡± ¡°Do you like to cook like what we did today, or do you like to sell snacks?¡± ¡°Both!¡± Su Ergou said. It was more fun to sell snacks, but he had earned a lot from cooking. He had heard that the lady had added ten taels the moment she opened her mouth! Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°This child really makes one feel a sense of achievement.¡± Second Madam left, but the three chefs she had invited did not. The three of them shamelessly stayed behind to see what snacks Su Xiaoxiao would make. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hide anything. This made the three men even more embarrassed. If it were them, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to allow someone else to ¡°steal¡± from them. ¡°Can I trouble you to knead some flour?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Yes, alright!¡± The three of them hurriedly agreed. What kind of experience was it to have a professional chef as an assistant? Su Xiaoxiao could only say that it was very smooth! Su Xiaoxiao realized that there was a nanny goat in the residence and asked Manager Sun and the servant to bring a jar of goat milk over. She poured the goat¡¯s milk into the pot and boiled it to remove the fishy smell. She boiled some ginger milk and sent it to the madams. She had heard Third Madam¡¯s nasal voice just now. In addition, she made milk-flavored chestnut cakes, dried fruit milk rolls, and sesame sauce milk rolls. Everything could be healed! Chapter 143 - 143 Storm 143 Storm Of course, traditional snacks were also essential. If Su Ergou was the only one helping her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do so many things. But now, she had three free laborers. It would be a waste not to use it! While Su Xiaoxiao was making snacks, Manager Sun was not idle either. He shamelessly went to the front yard to expand his business. He didn¡¯t care if he was an invited guest or not. In short, he just had to sneak in. How could his skin be more important than business? If he was not shameless, Jin Ji would not have become the boss of Apricot Flower Town from a small workshop! He, Sun Quan, was down and out, but one day, he would definitely make a comeback! The banquet was about to begin and everything was ready. Manager Sun also relied on his ability to boast and attract a lot of business. How many could be decided today¡­ He suppressed the smile on his face and hurried to the kitchen. ¡°Sister, I want to relieve myself.¡± Su Ergou said. His sister¡¯s ginger milk was too delicious. He could not help but drink three big bowls. ¡°Go. Do you know where it is?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°I know. That servant has already said it,¡± Su Ergou replied. As soon as Su Ergou left, Manager Sun arrived. He was overjoyed. ¡°I was lucky today and bumped into the Qi family. They praised our desserts and said that they were delicious. I took the opportunity to pull in a few business deals. The latest deal is in ten days. The Zhao family¡¯s daughter is coming of age. Madam Zhao wants to see you. Are you free now? If you are, send the snacks to the front and meet Madam Zhao on the way. I¡¯ve already spoken to Third Madam, and she has no objections.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Coincidentally, she was done here. Su Xiaoxiao took out the plates from her house. ¡°Come and load the plates. Watch how I do it.¡± The three chefs: ¡°Okay, Miss Su!¡± Manager Sun was dumbfounded. Wait a minute, what happened in the hour or two he wasn¡¯t there? After the plates were loaded, Su Xiaoxiao and Manager Sun carried a food box to the front hall. The rest of the snacks would be served by the servants of the Wang family. There was no need for her to spend any effort. ¡°Let me tell you about the Zhao Family¡­¡± Manager Sun took the food box and began to introduce the Zhao Family to Su Xiaoxiao. When the two of them passed through a corridor, a woman¡¯s pleading voice came from a small bamboo garden not far away. ¡°Let go of him! Let go of him! Let go of my brother!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The woman was probably pushed to the ground and knocked over something on the ground. She even let out a scream. A man reprimanded, ¡°Get up quickly! Stop crying and howling! If you make Mr. Li unhappy, watch your skin!¡± ¡°Steward Wu, I¡¯m begging you! I¡¯m kneeling down for you! Let them release my brother¡ªmy brother is still young¡ªhe¡¯s not a servant of the Wang family¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s a servant of the Wang family! What did you say when you brought him into the residence?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want him to come to the Wang family anymore! Manager Wu, let him go! I only have one younger brother! Steward Wu¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes were cold. Manager Sun shook his head: ¡°Sigh, we can¡¯t interfere with the matters of the mansion. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Steward Wu, I beg you¡­¡± ¡°If you continue to shout, I¡¯ll get someone to chase you out! You¡¯ll ruin Mr. Li¡¯s mood. When he denounces us later, we¡¯ll all have to bear the consequences!¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped in her tracks. She heard a young man¡¯s muffled groan of resistance coming from a room in the small bamboo garden. It was very weak and unreal. Manager Sun¡¯s hearing was not as good as hers, so he did not hear any sounds. However, he had been around for many years, so how could he not guess what had happened? ¡°At today¡¯s banquet, the only one surnamed Li seems to be the young master of Prefecture Lord Li¡¯s family,¡± Manager Sun said in a low voice. ¡°According to rumors, this young master is the youngest son of Prefecture Lord Li, and also the only legitimate son. He has been spoiled by his family and has been tainted with some¡­ disgraceful hobbies.¡± What did he mean by a dishonorable hobby? To put it bluntly, he was a promiscuous homosexual! In the prefecture, Prefecture Lord Li was almost omnipotent. Although many people hated Young Master Li¡¯s actions, they could not do anything to him. According to Steward Wu¡¯s conversation with the woman, Young Master Li had touched a servant of the Wang Family. This was too ridiculous! Su Xiaoxiao clenched her fists. Steward Sun saw the murderous look on her face and hurriedly advised, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t, Miss Su, don¡¯t be rash! We¡¯re not from the Wang family. We can¡¯t even be considered guests! That person inside is the legitimate son of Prefecture Lord Li! Not to mention our current identities, even if we combine the strengths of Jin Ji and the Qi family, we¡¯re not enough to argue with the Li family! We can¡¯t afford to offend them!¡± As he spoke, he decisively reached out to grab Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist. At his age, he had no ill intentions toward Su Xiaoxiao. He purely treated her as a junior and wanted to pull her away. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t move. ¡°You go first.¡± ¡°You¡­ you won¡¯t¡­¡± Manager Sun looked around, lowered his voice, and advised in a low voice, ¡°I know you¡¯re warm-hearted, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have saved that child at Jin Ji! But there are so many injustices in the world. Can you control them? Before you control others, you have to think for yourself first! If we offend Prefecture Lord Li, we can forget about doing business in the Prefecture City in the future! A sneeze from him can take our lives!¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and loosened her fists. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Manager Sun heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s not that we¡¯re cold, but the world is difficult and complex. Sometimes, we have to accept our fate. Let¡¯s go. Out of sight, out of mind.¡± ¡­ . The room was dimly lit. Mr. Li smiled evilly and walked towards the young man on the bed. The young man struggled, but his entire body was tied up and his mouth was gagged. All his struggles were in vain. Young Master Lee charged forward. ¡°It¡¯s your fortune to serve me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you serve me well, I¡¯ll let you live a good life for the rest of your life. You won¡¯t have to be a servant in this lousy residence anymore!¡± Young Master Li raised his hand to tug at his belt. The door was kicked open. A chubby figure rushed in like a hurricane. She grabbed Young Master Li from the bed and threw him to the ground mercilessly! Young Master Li screamed as he fell. He was half-awake. ¡°Who is it? Which bastard! How dare you hurl me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over and aimed a kick at his chest! ¡°Ouch!¡± Young Master Li was kicked so hard that he flipped over. His nose bridge was broken, and blood sprayed all over the ground! Su Xiaoxiao quickly untied the young man. ¡°Brother¡­¡± The woman rushed in crying. The servants who were knocked down by Su Xiaoxiao also got up and followed her. At the same time, Su Xiaoxiao saw the young man¡¯s face clearly. Her eyes turned cold! The woman came to the bed and stopped crying! Manager Sun ran the slowest. He panted as he entered. When he took a closer look, he staggered and fell! What was the situation? How did the young man who was forced by Mr. Li become¡­ Su Ergou? Su Ergou, whose mouth was gagged, roared, ¡°Boohoo!¡± This time, even Young Master Li was dumbfounded. Where was his beautiful young man? How did it become a little black skin? Chapter 144 - 144 Beat Up the Scumbag (1) 144 Beat Up the Scumbag (1) Su Ergou was indeed a little¡­ tanned. He was good-looking. After all, Father Su and Madam Chen were not bad-looking. However, he was not Young Master Li¡¯s cup of tea. He liked those that were fair, tender, and weak. Su Ergou looked very irritable at first glance. He was especially aggressive. Young Master Li could not take it and hugged his chest as if he had been taken advantage of! Su Ergou was furious. When he came out of the toilet, he was actually put in a sack! The little bully had never suffered such grievances in his life! After Su Xiaoxiao untied him, he took off the cloth ball in his mouth and raised his fist to punch Young Master Li! The servants of the Wang Family and Young Master Li were also in the room. They could not let Young Master Li be beaten up. They rushed up and surrounded Su Ergou. Su Ergou would rather take a few punches himself than let Young Master Li off. This ruthlessness could be said to be the Su family¡¯s legacy. Seeing that everyone¡¯s fists were about to land on Su Ergou, Su Xiaoxiao picked up a stool with her toes and kicked it at the servants, knocking them to the ground. Su Xiaoxiao took the opportunity to go forward and snatch the sticks from their hands. Then, she swept at the other people who were surrounding Su Ergou! The small bamboo garden was not big, and the room was even smaller. The group of people could not do much to attack, nor could they hide. Seven or eight servants were forcefully wiped off by the siblings! Manager Sun was on the verge of tears. ¡°Oh my god, oh my god, when Ergou beat someone up, it was fine if you didn¡¯t stop him, but why did you beat him up too?¡± ¡°Are you trying to offend Mr. Li to the end?¡± Many people naively thought that taking a step back was a big deal, but was that really the case? If Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou didn¡¯t do anything, would these people let them off? The answer was no. From Young Master Li¡¯s actions, it could be seen that this person was an unreasonable bastard. Whether Su Ergou beat him up or not, he would settle scores with Su Ergou and Su Xiaoxiao today. If that was the case, why was there a need to argue with him? Such a huge commotion in the Little Bamboo Garden naturally could not be hidden. When Prefecture Lord Li heard that his son had fought with someone, he initially thought that his son had bullied someone else again. However, when he, the Wang family¡¯s Eldest Master, First Madam, and the other women rushed to the Little Bamboo Garden, they were surprised to find that the person who had been beaten up was his son! ¡°Stop! All of you, stop! You guys! Hurry up and pull them away!¡± There were guards from the government office. Their grasp of martial arts was not something a few servants could compare to. The moment the guards reached out to catch him, Su Xiaoxiao dragged Su Ergou over. The guards missed and were a little stunned. Su Xiaoxiao pulled Su Ergou aside and dragged him away. However, the latter had his own thoughts and gave Young Master Li another slap! Prefecture Lord Li¡¯s face darkened! Everyone was so frightened that they did not dare to speak. ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Prefecture Lord Li asked in a low voice. Since he was asking about Young Master Li¡¯s followers, he was also asking about the siblings who had beaten up his son. Su Ergou snorted. ¡°Ask him!¡± Everyone gasped. ¡°Kid, do you know who you¡¯re talking to?¡± The Second Mistress pretended to be surprised. ¡°Aiya, Third Sister-in-law, aren¡¯t they the chefs you hired?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, Lord Li¡¯s cold gaze landed on Third Madam¡¯s face! Third Madam was so nervous that her face turned pale and a cold sweat broke out all over her body. ¡°Father¡­¡± Young Master Li covered his swollen face and came to his father in tears. ¡°You¡¯re finally here. If you were any later, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see you. Hurry up and bring them in! Bring them to jail!¡± Manager Sun¡¯s expression changed! The prison in the prefecture capital? Once they entered the prison, they would die! ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± Lord Li asked again. Yours Truly wasn¡¯t even fierce yet, so why was he so fierce? Su Ergou said angrily, ¡°What else could it be? He got someone to kidnap me! What¡¯s with that? What a big pervert!¡± Su Ergou was still young, so he didn¡¯t quite understand. He spoke vaguely, but everyone in the room understood. They had long heard that Young Master Li had some hobbies in that area. They did not expect to see it with their own eyes in the Wang family¡¯s backyard today. No matter how noble Young Master Li¡¯s background was, this was the Wang family. Wasn¡¯t this a little too ridiculous? Young Master Li had actually drunk too much. In addition, he was indeed used to being arrogant. He could not control himself when he was drunk. Chapter 145 - 145 Beat Up the Scumbag (2) 145 Beat Up the Scumbag (2) Su Ergou¡¯s rhetorical words were like a resounding slap to Prefecture Lord Li¡¯s face! Prefecture Lord Li¡¯s face flushed red! However, what was even more humiliating was that Young Master Li actually started arguing with Su Ergou. ¡°Nonsense! I didn¡¯t ask anyone to tie you up! You climbed onto my bed yourself! I asked someone to tie that kid up! Look at yourself! Why would I like you!¡± Prefecture Lord Li was so angry that his heart was twitching. Everyone could not bear to watch. It was fine if he wanted to mess around, but why was he so stupid? Couldn¡¯t he just deny it? Although everyone knew his inclinations, they could pretend to be blind! They could go against their conscience and say that they didn¡¯t believe the siblings¡¯ words! To think he shot himself in the foot! Su Ergou said fiercely, ¡°You said I climbed onto the bed on my own. How can I tie myself up?¡± The few Li family servants with swollen faces wished they could lower their heads into their pants. This was a huge farce. They had kidnapped the wrong person. ¡°My Lord!¡± A young official in his late twenties walked over. He cupped his hands and bowed to Prefecture Lord Li. ¡°Leave these two troublemakers to me! Young Master Li is injured. It¡¯s better to get a doctor to treat him in time to prevent him from falling ill.¡± Prefecture Lord Li¡¯s resentful gaze swept across the siblings before he left with his injured son. Second Madam sneered and looked at Third Madam, who didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly. ¡°Third Sister-in-law, you should have listened to me earlier. Wouldn¡¯t it be fine if we didn¡¯t use these two chefs? Now that Young Master Li is injured in our family, I wonder if he will implicate us and bear a grudge!¡± First Madam shouted, ¡°You should stop talking too!¡± Second Mistress shut her mouth. Eldest Master did not say anything but his words were written all over his face. First Madam said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°The Wang Family is small and can¡¯t accommodate the two of you. Our Wang Family can¡¯t afford such a capable chef.¡± With that, she left with First Master. The joys and sorrows between people were not interlinked. Not everyone could empathize with others. Third Madam had invited them here to make her proud. Now that they had embarrassed her, Third Madam was no longer willing to pay attention to them. ¡°I¡¯m done with the snacks,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°You still want snack money!¡± Third Madam¡¯s expression changed instantly. ¡°You caused such a big commotion and damaged a room full of things. I still have to ask you to compensate me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We didn¡¯t break everything.¡± Third Madam was speechless. ¡ª- When they came out of the Wang family, the young official was also there. He was the grandson of Old Madam Qi. His name was Qi Ming. Two years ago, he made it to the top two in the academic rankings. He did not enter the Imperial Academy and was sent to Qingzhou to be the official secretary of the prefecture. He said, ¡°You should leave the prefecture capital as soon as possible. The Prefecture Lord only has one legitimate son. If you hurt him, it¡¯s best not to fall into the Prefecture Lord¡¯s hands again.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to arrest us?¡± Qi Ming smiled helplessly. ¡°If I capture you, my grandmother won¡¯t be able to eat your snacks later. She¡¯ll blame me. I¡¯ll tell the Prefectural Lord that you¡¯re not from the prefectural city and have already been captured and brought back to the county office, which will watch you strictly and make you suffer in prison.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him deeply, ¡°Lord Qi, you are a good official.¡± Qi Ming¡¯s eyes flickered. Su Xiaoxiao and the others got into the carriage. ¡°Miss Su!¡± Qi Ming suddenly spoke. Su Xiaoxiao turned around and looked at him in confusion. Qi Ming smiled gently. ¡°Manager Sun has told me everything that happened just now. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao got into the carriage and looked at Manager Sun, who had a bitter expression on his face. She straightened her fat waist and said, ¡°See! Lord Qi said I did nothing wrong!¡± Manager Sun sighed. What kind of fearless boss did he have? ¡°Manager Sun, where is the prefectural academy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°At Long Stream Street,¡± Manager Sun replied. ¡°Is it far?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too far away. Why are you asking about this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a weed off Su Ergou¡¯s head. ¡°Business ended early. I¡¯m going to visit a friend.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Young Master Shen, right?¡± Manager Sun had seen Shen Chuan visit her stall more than once. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°It¡¯s him. You know him too?¡± Manager Sun smiled: ¡°I can¡¯t say I know him. He used to be a regular customer of Jin Ji. He once came to me and asked me to sell the snacks to their academy, but I didn¡¯t agree. At that time, I looked down on the small business of the academy. Now I don¡¯t regret it. Otherwise, Jin Ji would have reaped benefits.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said confidently, ¡°Jin Ji is not cheap. I can snatch the business even if you do it.¡± Manager Sun replied, ¡°Although this is the truth, can¡¯t you be more humble?¡± About fifteen minutes later, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the prefecture academy. ¡°Wow, the prefectural academy is so impressive!¡± Su Ergou said in a daze. Shopkeeper Sun explained: ¡°Of course it is impressive.¡± Su Xiaoxiao did not wait long before Shen Chuan came out with a fan. ¡°Shen Chuan.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over with her chubby hands behind her back. Shen Chuan turned around and said in surprise, ¡°Miss Su?¡± Su Xiaoxiao came in front of him and looked at the students behind him. ¡°I saw them walking in groups of twos and threes. Why are you alone?¡± Shen Chuan opened his fan. ¡°I like to be alone! By the way, why are you in the prefecture capital? Are you here alone?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ergou, Manager Sun, and a shop assistant called Xiaowu went to buy things.¡± ¡°Is that Manager Sun from Jin Ji?¡± Shen Chuan asked. ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded, ¡°He¡¯s my manager now.¡± Shen Chuan said in a daze, ¡°Uh¡­ It seems that a lot has happened while I was away from town¡­ By the way, why did you come to the prefecture capital?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said casually, ¡°I¡¯m here to do some business.¡± Shen Chuan was amused. ¡°Not bad, your business has even reached the prefectural city!¡± Chapter 146 - 146 Exalted (1) 146 Exalted (1) As the saying went, there were three joys in life¡ªgetting onto the rankings, the wedding night, and meeting an old friend in a foreign land. Shen Chuan did not have a chance to do the first two for the time being, but he caught up to the last one. It would be a lie to say that he was not happy. He treated Su Xiaoxiao and the others to a meal at the White Cloud Pavilion, the most famous restaurant in the prefecture. The food at the White Cloud Pavilion was not bad. Manager Sun had been here a few times. Shen Chuan had never lost in prodigality. He ordered a large table full of signature dishes. ¡°Is it good?¡± Shen Chuan asked. ¡°Delicious,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Ergou thought to himself that they were clearly not as delicious as the food she made. Su Xiaoxiao was on a diet and couldn¡¯t eat too much. She stopped eating the rest of the dishes and slowly pecked at the bean sprouts in her bowl. Shen Chuan said, ¡°I haven¡¯t asked you. What business are you here for?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s to make snacks at the Wang family¡¯s banquet.¡± Shen Chuan said in surprise, ¡°The Wang family? The Wang family that owns the cloth shop?¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Chuan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re too amazing!¡± This was more than just amazing. It was simply heaven-defying, okay? After all, she had only set up a stall to do business for two months, but she was already welcomed by the rich Wang family. ¡°Is the price high?¡± Shen Chuan was not interested in other people¡¯s matters, but he was quite gossipy about Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said lightly, ¡°Not much, 40 to 50 taels.¡± Shen Chuan was dumbfounded. Wasn¡¯t 40 to 50 taels a lot? She was too arrogant! Manager Sun laughed. They had smashed a room full of furniture. They had to pay 50 taels in compensation. They had even lost five taels. Shen Chuan was full of admiration. ¡°The Wang family has a lot of connections. You guys should have negotiated a lot of other businesses at his family¡¯s banquet, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao wanted to save face. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s also the Zhao family and the coming-of-age ceremony. I don¡¯t remember the other two.¡± Manager Sun continued to laugh. Yes, they accepted orders, but they were all canceled. ¨C After dinner, it was still early. Shen Chuan wanted to take her around the prefectural city, but she shook her head and refused. ¡°I have to go to Qingyun Nunnery to deliver something for someone.¡± At this point, Shen Chuan could not force her to stay. However, when he went to check out, he was told that the bill had been paid. Shen Chuan looked at the carriage that was gradually driving away and felt a little upset. ¡°I promised to be the host¡­¡± ¨C ¡°Young lady, creditor, boss, how should I address you?¡± In the carriage, Manager Sun smiled insincerely. ¡°We lost 5 taels. The meal just now was 5 taels. Today, we have a negative profit of 10 taels. Do you have too much money to burn? How about letting me return only twenty taels?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°If you dare to give me one copper coin less, try it!¡± She felt that Shen Chuan¡¯s life in the prefecture was not as comfortable as she had imagined. ¨C At seven o¡¯clock, the carriage arrived at the foot of the mountain. Qingyun Nunnery was located halfway up the mountain. They climbed for more than an hour before they finally entered the nunnery hall. Manager Sun was so tired that he was panting like an ox: ¡°If I had known¡­ If I had known it was so tiring¡­ I would have accompanied Xiaowu¡­ to rest in the carriage¡­ What did I do¡­ I wanted to join in the fun with the two of you¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao was also panting, but not as hard as him. The last time she fought with the tiger, she seemed to have broken through the limits of her physical fitness. She could feel that her physical fitness had increased by another level. Su Ergou was jumping around and looking around. The nunnery was not as interesting as the bustling marketplace. He felt bored after a few glances. Qingyun Nunnery had been around for a long time. The bricks and tiles were old and rusted, and they were showing signs of being eroded by time. Green moss grew on the limestone slabs in the corner, and one might slip on rainy days. Su Xiaoxiao entered the nunnery. A little nun who was sweeping the courtyard looked up at them. ¡°Patron, are you here to offer incense?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a letter from her pocket. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Grandmaster Hui Jue. An old friend with the surname Fu asked me to bring something to her. This is a letter from that old friend. Grandmaster Hui Jue will know who it is after reading it.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Patron, please wait a moment.¡± The little nun put down the broom, took the letter, and walked through the hall to the meditation room in the back row. After a while, she turned back and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Patron, please come in.¡± In a meditation room, Su Xiaoxiao saw a nun who was about the same age as Madam Fu. Perhaps it was because she was a nun, but she looked very calm and peaceful. ¡°Grandmaster Hui Jue,¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted. Grandmaster Hui Jue sat at the table. She put down Madam Fu¡¯s letter and looked at Su Xiaoxiao gently and kindly. ¡°Little Patron Su, please sit.¡± Chapter 147 - 147 Exalted (2) 147 Exalted (2) ios Su Xiaoxiao sat down opposite her. Su Xiaoxiao was not surprised that she could say her surname. Madam Fu must have mentioned it in her letter. Mistress Hui Jue smiled. ¡°Did Ting Lan ask you to come? How has she been this year?¡± Ting Lan? Was this Aunt Fu¡¯s name? It sounded so nice. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I just met Aunt Fu not long ago. I can¡¯t say for the past year. She¡¯s been¡­ okay for the past two months. She broke her leg at home before the New Year. She¡¯s fine now.¡± Grandmistress Hui Jue shook her head. ¡°I knew she only reported good news and not bad news! Is she really fine?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s recovering very well,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. She was indeed recovering well. In another half a month, she would be able to remove the splint. Her blood pressure was also under control, and she had a harmonious relationship with her neighbors. Aunt Fu was living a good life now. Grandmaster Hui Jue looked at Su Xiaoxiao gently. She could feel from her expression that Ting Lan was doing well. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t stay in the meditation room for too long. She talked about Madam Fu¡¯s recent situation and handed over the health pills she was asked to bring over. After Grandmaster Hui Jue accepted it, she replied to Madam Fu with a letter and asked a few little nuns to bring over a few large sacks. Su Xiaoxiao opened one of them. Good lord, they were all high-grade tea leaves and dry goods! So, did all of Aunt Fu¡¯s good stuff come from Grandmaster Hui Jue? Then there was a new question. How did Grandmaster Hui Jue, who had lived in the mountains for a long time, obtain so many high-grade tea leaves and dried goods? She felt that this nun was not simple¡­ Mistress Hui Jue also gave Su Xiaoxiao a bag of tea leaves. Su Xiaoxiao had to rush back to the inn and couldn¡¯t stay for long. After thanking her, she bade farewell to Grandmaster Hui Jue. Grandmaster Hui Jue suddenly felt reluctant. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s getting late. If Young Patron Su doesn¡¯t mind, you can stay in the nunnery.¡± When the little nuns in the room heard this, their mouths widened in shock. The Grandmaster actually invited a little patron to stay over? She didn¡¯t even see visitors! If Su Xiaoxiao was alone, she wouldn¡¯t mind, but since Su Ergou and Manager Sun couldn¡¯t stay in the nunnery, she couldn¡¯t leave Ergou behind. ¡°Sorry, I came up the mountain with my brother and a manager.¡± Su Xiaoxiao tactfully expressed her rejection. Grandmaster Hui Jue understood and didn¡¯t force her to stay. She just said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Little Benefactor Su, if you come to the prefecture next time, can you come and talk to me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. She agreed. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao left Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s courtyard. Before she left, she left a box of snacks for Grandmaster Hui Jue. Su Ergou and Manager Sun were nowhere to be seen. Su Xiaoxiao did not see the two of them, but she saw an unexpected¡­ acquaintance. It was not appropriate to say that they knew each other. After all, they had only met once this afternoon. ¡°Little Master, please help me pass the message.¡± This man who was so polite to the nun in the nunnery was none other than Prefecture Lord Li. Prefecture Lord Li did not have such a humble attitude in the Wang family. The little nun said, ¡°The nun has ordered that she would not see all devotees. If I pass the message on your behalf, I will be scolded!¡± Could it be that the person Prefecture Lord Li requested to see was Grandmaster Hui Jue? Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes and calmly walked past the two of them. Prefecture Lord Li was not blind. A figure suddenly walked towards him, and it was from Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s courtyard. He immediately said, ¡°Didn¡¯t a devotee enter?¡± After saying that, he realized that something was wrong and turned his head away. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped in surprise and turned to look at him. ¡°Aiya, Prefecture Lord Li! I¡¯m sorry!¡± She didn¡¯t look too sorry with her arrogant attitude! Prefecture Lord Li looked at Su Xiaoxiao in shock, not understanding how she could come out of Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s courtyard. ¡°You!¡± Su Xiaoxiao spoke at the same time, ¡°Prefecture Lord Li, are you here to see Grandmaster Hui Jue too?¡± Too? Did this girl really see Grandmaster Hui Jue? Prefecture Lord Li was shocked! ¡°For¡­¡± He wanted to ask the little nun why but the little nun had already run away! Only he and the chubby village girl were left on the lawn. He was no longer as humble as before. Instead, he looked supercilious. ¡°How did you get in?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I walked in. Do I have to crawl?¡± Prefecture Lord Li choked. This girl! ¡°I¡¯m asking you, why did Grandmaster Hui Jue agree to see you?¡± ¡°Maybe I look better?¡± Lord Li was dumbfounded. Coincidentally, at this moment, another little nun walked out with a sack of dry goods. ¡°Little Patron Su, where is your carriage? Senior Sisters and I will send it down the mountain for you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly said, ¡°No need. When my brother comes back, we¡¯ll take it down the mountain ourselves.¡± Prefecture Lord Li was even more surprised. ¡°These things are¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said lightly, ¡°Oh, they¡¯re from the Grandmaster.¡± Although it was not for her alone. Not only did that person see this girl, but she also gave her something. Lord Li¡¯s expression immediately became very interesting. Su Xiaoxiao purposely said, ¡°Oh, does Prefecture Lord Li want to see the Grandmaster too?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Prefecture Lord Li was just about to take the opportunity to ask the little nuns when they all disappeared! They were professionals at hiding from devotees! Prefecture Lord Li clenched his fists and looked at Su Xiaoxiao unwillingly. ¡°You¡­ go tell the Grandmaster that I want to see her.¡± ¡°Prefecture Lord Li, are you ordering me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°My leg hurts and I can¡¯t walk.¡± ¡°You touched my son. I haven¡¯t settled this score with you! Don¡¯t fail to appreciate my kindness!¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and left! ¡°Come back!¡± Su Xiaoxiao kept walking forward! Prefecture Lord Li clenched his fists tightly. ¡°You unruly commoner!¡± Su Xiaoxiao stepped out of the nunnery. ¡°Please!¡± He spat out the word through gritted teeth. Su Xiaoxiao stepped on the threshold and didn¡¯t look back. She stretched out a finger. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Running expenses? Am I going to pass the message for nothing?¡± Prefecture Lord Li glared at Su Xiaoxiao and took out a silver ingot. He walked to the door and coldly handed it to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao shook her finger in disdain. ¡°100 taels!¡± Prefecture Lord Li trembled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go rob someone!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving.¡± Prefecture Lord Li was furious. He gritted his teeth and took out a banknote worth 100 taels. Su Xiaoxiao took the banknote and went to look for Grandmaster Hui Jue. Soon, she walked out with her head held high. Prefecture Lord Li could not hide their excitement and asked, ¡°Did you convey the message? What did the Grandmaster say?¡± Su Xiaoxiao stretched out her hand and made a hand gesture. Prefecture Lord Li¡¯s face darkened. He took out another banknote for 100 taels of silver and slapped it on her palm! Su Xiaoxiao continued to gesture. Prefecture Lord Li gritted his teeth and took out another banknote. It wasn¡¯t until he took out four banknotes that Su Xiaoxiao reluctantly stopped. She said indifferently, ¡°The Grandmaster said¡­ she won¡¯t see you!¡± Prefecture Lord Li was dumbfounded! Chapter 148 - 148 Domineering Young Marquis (1) 148 Domineering Young Marquis (1) When Su Ergou and Manager Sun returned to the nunnery, Su Xiaoxiao was counting banknotes at the door languidly. One, two, three, four, five. The Prefecture Lord was really generous! ¡°Sister!¡± Su Ergou ran over with a bag full of fruits. His head was covered in sweat. Su Xiaoxiao took out a handkerchief. She was used to taking care of the three little ones, so she was very good at wiping sweat. Su Ergou was stunned. His sister had never treated him like this before. Besides, he was no longer a child. ¡°Are you not going to wipe it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him and asked. ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Su Ergou moved his head over. He could be an adult tomorrow! Su Xiaoxiao wiped his sweat and threw the handkerchief at him. Su Ergou borrowed a basket from the nunnery¡¯s young masters. ¡°Sister, this fruit is especially sweet. Try it!¡± ¡°Where did you pick it? Did they allow it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Su Ergou nodded vigorously. ¡°I only went to pick them because the little masters agreed. I promised to give them some!¡± A few ten-year-old nuns were standing behind the door and secretly looking over. Compared to their mature and steady senior sisters, they were still very young and timid. These words sounded contradictory, but this was really their state. They didn¡¯t dare to talk too much to Su Ergou, but they were bold enough to secretly ask Su Ergou to help them pick fruits. They wanted to hide it from their senior sisters. After Su Ergou gave them half of the fruit, they ran off with the loot. ¡°Eat it after washing it,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou entered the front yard of the nunnery and found a water vat to wash the handkerchief and fruits. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Wash them separately. Don¡¯t wipe the fruits with your handkerchief!¡± Su Ergou¡¯s hand trembled and the fruit fell into the water tank. He turned to look at his sister and thought to himself, ¡°Does my sister have eyes on the back of her head? She even knows about my little movements!¡± Su Xiaoxiao counted the money again in front of Manager Sun. She did it very slowly, one by one, nonchalantly, exuding the aura of an arrogant master. ¡°Did you get a good look?¡± Her lips curved. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Five, five pieces.¡± Manager Sun swallowed his saliva. Because there was too much silver, he did not care about the little girl¡¯s sudden arrogance. ¡°Where did you get them?¡± he asked. Su Xiaoxiao said arrogantly, ¡°Oh. When you weren¡¯t around, I did a simple business.¡± Manager Sun was dumbfounded. On the other hand, after Prefecture Lord Li descended the mountain, the steward personally helped him onto the carriage. His expression was ugly; it was even worse than when he was in the Wang family. The steward witnessed the entire process and was furious. ¡°That girl is too much! First, she injured Young Master, and now she¡¯s here to extort money from you¡­ Didn¡¯t Lord Qi say that he would capture her and bring her back to the county office? Could it be a lie?¡± Sitting in the carriage, Prefecture Lord Li¡¯s face was ashen. The steward made a chopping gesture. ¡°Sir! In a while¡­ I¡¯ll find someone to deal with her!¡± Prefecture Lord Li glared at him resentfully. ¡°You only know how to clean up! Didn¡¯t you see where she came from just now?¡± From¡­ from Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s meditation room. The steward¡¯s eyebrows twitched! The steward was stunned. ¡°Sir! She¡¯s just a girl from town. How does she know Grandmaster Hui Jue?¡± Prefecture Lord Li said angrily, ¡°If you ask me, who should I ask?¡± He was really unlucky today. He had suffered so much embarrassment in the Wang family, and he had not been able to see Grandmaster Hui Jue when he came to the nunnery. It was normal not to be able to see her. After all, he had been here many times, but he had never succeeded. But this time was different. Someone else had entered! This meant that Grandmaster Hui Jue was willing to meet devotees! ¡°Investigate that girl for me!¡± ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± ¡­ . When Su Xiaoxiao and the others returned to the inn, it was already very late. Fortunately, the shops in the prefecture were closed later than in town. At this moment, the shops were still open, and there were many people on the streets. ¡°Sis.¡± Su Ergou looked at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Put your things away. I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Su Ergou was so excited that he could fly. Together with Xiaowu and Manager Sun, they carried the bags of things they had brought back from the nunnery upstairs. Manager Sun was worried about the two children wandering the streets alone. That girl could not be considered a child, but handling Su Ergou alone was akin to dealing with three brats. He had to watch them closely. Su Xiaoxiao was never stingy when it came to food. She would buy whatever Su Ergou wanted to eat. Su Ergou was full after shopping and eating all the way. Chapter 149 - 149 Domineering Young Marquis (2) 149 Domineering Young Marquis (2) ¡°Back to the inn,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Ergou burped. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s still early.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at his round belly. ¡°The last street.¡± She wanted to help her silly little brother digest his food. Manager Sun couldn¡¯t walk anymore. With Xiaowu¡¯s help, he returned to the inn. The siblings walked around again. Su Ergou was so happy that he forgot about home. Su Xiaoxiao threatened him with kinship. ¡°You¡¯re not listening to me anymore, are you?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll listen.¡± Su Ergou hung his head and reluctantly followed his sister back to the inn. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s room was not on one side of the street but faced a quiet alley. This alley was rented by the inn. When business was too good, it was used to store the guests¡¯ carriages. It was not the peak season, so the alley was empty. Su Xiaoxiao washed up and was about to go to bed when she heard a commotion in the alley. Was someone fighting? Su Xiaoxiao thought about it. She was too tired today and wasn¡¯t interested. However, the sound of fists hitting flesh was really seductive. In the end, she got up and pushed open the window. The two men were dressed in dark clothes. If not for the bright moonlight tonight, they would have almost blended into the night. Su Xiaoxiao leaned out and admired it with interest. His figure was really good. His kung fu was really beautiful. What a cool move! She wanted to learn that move too! Wait, why did she feel that one of the figures looked familiar? Was it Jing Yi? Su Xiaoxiao calmed herself down and stared at the youth in black holding the nine-section whip. The other party was using a sword. The youth lashed out with his whip and wrapped it around the other party¡¯s wrist. Jing Yi was emitting a cold and powerful aura. His kung fu was very good, but his age and experience were disadvantageous. The black-clothed man opposite him seemed to be a veteran killer. He was not afraid of being entangled. He pulled himself in front of Jing Yi with Jing Yi¡¯s whip. With a flick of his wrist, he cut Jing Yi¡¯s arm! When the cold blade sees blood, one must die! The man in black¡¯s killing intent suddenly soared! He was going to take Jing Yi¡¯s life! Su Xiaoxiao picked up the vase beside her and smashed it at the other party¡¯s head! The cold blade reflected Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s blatant sneak attack. He raised his sword and smashed the vase that Su Xiaoxiao threw down. The vase was just a smoke bomb. Su Xiaoxiao held onto the windowsill with one hand and jumped down with a cool posture! Damn! She was stuck! Su Xiaoxiao squelched and hung upside down from the window. The man in black was stunned. Jing Yi was speechless. The window lattice couldn¡¯t withstand Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s weight and came off the wall with two cracking sounds. Su Xiaoxiao covered her face and fell. She could not break her face. She wanted to be beautiful. Jing Yi flew up and hugged Su Xiaoxiao, who was free-falling. His entire back was exposed. In order not to accidentally injure Su Xiaoxiao, he threw away the long sword in his hand. This was the best time to attack Jing Yi! The man in black did attack, but for some reason, his sword energy seemed to have missed. It didn¡¯t hurt Jing Yi. Instead, it coincidentally shattered the window lattice that trapped Su Xiaoxiao. Jing Yi and Su Xiaoxiao fell to the ground. Fortunately, the window lattice had shattered in advance. Otherwise, it would have stabbed into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s flesh. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Jing Yi hurriedly asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Jing Yi caught her, so it didn¡¯t hurt. The man in black had yet to leave. Su Xiaoxiao pulled out the slingshot from her waist. With a twist of her fingertips, a stone was loaded onto the slingshot. She aimed at the man in black and shot out! The man in black raised his sword to block. He thought that it was a stone, but who knew that there were three of them! He stomped his feet, flew up, and spun in the air. Pa! Pa! The remaining two stones hit the wall, creating two small holes! This strength¡­ Clink! There was another sound! The man in black was dumbfounded. Why was there another one? The stone did not hit the wall. Instead, it hit the man¡¯s¡­ butt. The stone rebounded in a beautiful arc. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Yo, your butt is quite elastic.¡± The man in black was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed some more ¡°ammunition¡±. There were stones and peanuts. The man in black dodged with a dark expression, but he didn¡¯t attack Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Young Marquis!¡± Bai Ze and the others arrived. The man in black leaped into the air and left. Bai Ze said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll go after him! You guys protect the Young Marquis!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± Hong Luan followed Bai Ze. The two of them chased after the man in black at full speed. The remaining two were the guards who wanted to search Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s body in the forest. The one with the square face was called Wu Mu, and the other was called Qing Xuan. Su Xiaoxiao had been in and out of Wutong Academy several times. She didn¡¯t know if they were close or not, but she knew their names. The two of them were very surprised that Su Xiaoxiao was there. Su Xiaoxiao ignored them. She looked at Jing Yi¡¯s arm and said, ¡°The wound is a little deep and needs to be treated. I have medication in my room.¡± As she spoke, she took a few steps forward and turned around when she realized that Jing Yi had not moved. ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go and apply the medication!¡± They all looked at Jing Yi! The young duke would not go. He hated seeing physicians the most¡­ When Jing Yi obediently followed her upstairs, everyone was dumbfounded They wanted their domineering Little Marquis back! ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao had brought a first aid kit in case of emergencies. Who would have thought that it would come in handy? She opened the first aid kit. Jing Yi didn¡¯t know much about medicine and didn¡¯t have much interaction with physicians. Therefore, even if he saw the first aid kit that was out of place in this world, he only thought that he didn¡¯t know much about it. Su Xiaoxiao took out saline and iodophor. ¡°Can you take off your clothes? Show your arms.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly, and he looked at her uncomfortably. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°What are you thinking about? I¡¯m a physician. If it¡¯s not convenient for you to take it off, I can only cut off your sleeve.¡± Jing Yi thought for a moment. ¡°You can cut it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was amazed. Was he so conservative? Su Xiaoxiao really cut it. If he didn¡¯t care about his clothes, why would she? Jing Yi said, ¡°You have to sew it up after you¡¯re done.¡± At his words, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s scissors almost stabbed into his flesh! Chapter 150 - 150 Good Baby 150 Good Baby Su Xiaoxiao cleaned his wound thoroughly, making sure to clean both his skin and flesh. In order to catch her, his arm hit the ground and the sand and dust entered his wound. Jing Yi broke out in a cold sweat. His knuckles turned white, but he didn¡¯t make a sound. ¡°You can endure pain quite well.¡± The last person who could tolerate pain was Wei Ting. Why did she always think of Wei Ting when she saw Jing Yi? Were these two related? They didn¡¯t look alike¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going to suture you. I¡¯ve run out of the anesthetic, so I can only stitch you raw. It might hurt a little. Fortunately, there are only two stitches. I¡¯ll be as quick as I can.¡± Jing Yi nodded. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t overestimate herself and her actions were quick. Jing Yi stared fixedly at her. Before he could feel any pain, she had already cut off the thread. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done.¡± When Su Xiaoxiao gave Jing Yi a piece of candy, he was speechless. The candy was wrapped in paper and there was still the warmth of her fingertips. Jing Yi hated being treated like a child. ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Jing Yi held the candy tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t get wet, don¡¯t use too much force, and reduce the movement of your left arm. Don¡¯t eat spicy food¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao reminded him of some things to take note of. ¡°How many days will it take before you remove the stitches?¡± Jing Yi asked. He had been in the military camp before, so he knew about this kind of suture wound. After it healed, he would have to find a physician to remove the stitches in the flesh. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I used a protein line for you. You don¡¯t have to remove it.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Jing Yi lowered his eyes. Su Xiaoxiao wondered, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re a little disappointed?¡± Jing Yi pinched the candy she gave him and took out a brocade bag. He hesitated for a while before handing it to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay.¡± Jing Yi was speechless. ¡ª- Wu Mu was waiting in the alley with a big square face. Qing Xuan said nothing. Wu Mu pondered and said, ¡°Qing Xuan, do you think the Young Marquis¡­ is too careless with that girl? I heard from Bai Ze that at first, he advised his cousin to be wary of her, but in the end, he was the first to let down his guard. He went up with her just like that, isn¡¯t he afraid that the girl will do something to him?¡± Qing Xuan rolled his eyes at him. ¡°What can she do to the young duke?¡± Wu Mu couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. He just felt that when the Young Marquis was with that girl, he got attacked easily. ¡°She¡­ she¡¯s a physician! What if she poisons the young duke!¡± Wu Mu finally found a reasonable guess and instantly felt that he was extremely smart! Qing Xuan was about to say something when Jing Yi came over. ¡°Young Marquis!¡± Qing Xuan stepped forward and looked at his arm, wanting to ask how his injury was. Jing Yi said, ¡°She sewed the sleeve.¡± Qing Xuan asked, ¡°Who cares about your sleeves? ¡°Is your injury alright?¡± Qing Xuan asked. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± Jing Yi said. Qing Xuan looked at him suspiciously. He said that he was fine, but his expression¡­ seemed to tell them that he was stabbed somewhere¡­ Soon, Bai Ze and Hong Luan returned in exasperation. ¡°He escaped!¡± Hong Luan said unhappily. Bai Ze said, ¡°I¡¯m worried that he¡¯ll come back and harm Young Marquis, so we rushed over to warn him. Hong Luan, take care of Young Marquis later, I¡¯ll go after him.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Jing Yi said. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to catch up.¡± Bai Ze frowned. His Light-body Technique was the best among the four of them. Jing Yi said lightly, ¡°That person is Yuchi Xiu.¡± Bai Ze fell silent. Qing Xuan was puzzled, ¡°Why did Yuchi Xiu come to Qingzhou? Isn¡¯t he in the capital?¡± Yuchi Xiu wasn¡¯t from Great Zhou, but a Xianbei. He did not serve his country andwas an assassin of the Shadow Pavilion; he would work for whoever could afford the price. A few years ago, someone had spent a lot of money to buy Old General Wei¡¯s head, and Yuchi Xiu had accepted this mission. But in the end, for some reason, he was actually subdued by the youngest son of the Wei family and became a secret guard of the Wei family. When it came to the martial arts world, everyone said that this was a huge departure. Wu Mu suddenly said, ¡°Young Marquis, I have something¡­ I haven¡¯t said.¡± Jing Yi instructed, ¡°Speak.¡± Wu Mu said, ¡°I once saw a person on the official road of Apricot Flower Town. He looked very similar to that person. I thought I was wrong.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°You mean¡­ the youngest son of the Wei family?¡± The four of them were puzzled. The Marquis was younger than that person. Did he have any obsession with calling him the youngest son of the Wei family? Wu Mu did not deny it. He recalled, ¡°At that time¡­ he was with a village girl. Their actions were very intimate.¡± At this point, Wu Mu paused and mustered his courage to look at his young duke. Chapter 151 - 151 Good Baby (2) 151 Good Baby (2) ¡°That village girl¡­ was Miss Su!¡± ¡­ . Early the next morning, after Su Xiaoxiao and the others had a sumptuous breakfast in the prefecture, they boarded the carriage back to Apricot Flower Town. Although the business with the Wang family was ruined, extorting 500 taels from Prefecture Lord Li was considered an additional windfall. In addition, she got to know Grandmaster Hui Jue. The nun had asked her to visit her next time, so they should be considered acquaintances, right? Looking at Prefecture Lord Li¡¯s attitude towards the nun, Su Xiaoxiao felt that she had to cozy up to this big shot. On the other side, Jing Yi and the others also returned to Wutong Academy. The weather had been good for the past few days. Snow had melted everywhere, and the eaves were filled with melted snow. Young Master Xiang was wearing a fox fur coat and painting in front of the window. The maidservants secretly looked at him through the curtain of snow and water. They felt that it was difficult to find a man more noble, elegant, and handsome than Young Master Xiang in this world. ¡°Cousin.¡± Jing Yi walked in, looking travel-worn. The maids¡¯ eyes suddenly became busy. Young Master Xiang was a melancholic and honorable sickly beauty, while Young Master Jing was a handsome young man. They were both good-looking! Young Master Xiang glanced at him and stopped painting. ¡°Were you injured?¡± Jing Yi was stunned. ¡°How did you know?¡± He had clearly covered it with his clothes. Young Master Xiang put down his brush. ¡°You smell like medicine. How did you get injured?¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°I met an assassin.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Young Master Xiang was slightly surprised. ¡°What assassin can hurt you?¡± Jing Yi lowered his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know him. I was just careless. It¡¯s just a superficial wound. Cousin, don¡¯t mind it.¡± Young Master Xiang said thoughtfully, ¡°Looks like our whereabouts have been exposed. We have to end the mission as soon as possible, or else it will attract more and more trouble. Has the mission been completed?¡± Jing Yi answered truthfully, ¡°No, that person didn¡¯t appear.¡± Young Master Xiang frowned slightly. ¡°Jing Yi, I have a bad feeling. It¡¯s as if¡­ we¡¯ve been targeted and all our movements are slower than the other party.¡± Jing Yi said solemnly, ¡°Cousin, do you mean that the reason that person didn¡¯t appear was because of an accident?¡± Young Master Xiang said, ¡°This is just my guess. Did you find anything else in the prefecture?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Jing Yi said. Young Master Xiang reminded, ¡°You¡¯re injured. Hurry up and go back to your room to rest. I¡¯ll get Changping to get a physician for you later.¡± Jing Yi said seriously, ¡°I told you it¡¯s just a superficial wound. Don¡¯t call the physician over. I hate physicians.¡± Young Master Xiang smiled. ¡°Ah, I almost forgot. You didn¡¯t like to see a physican since you were young. You took care of yourself when you were sick and even when you were injured. Our family has been worried about you a lot. Previously, I was puzzled when I heard you say that Miss Su helped you reattach your arm.¡± Jing Yi turned away. ¡°That¡¯s because she moved too quickly.¡± Young Master Xiang smiled and said, ¡°She did it without informing you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jing Yi admitted with a serious expression. Jing Yi returned to his room after a while. Young Master Xiang opened the brocade box on the table and took out a prescription. It was the prescription that Su Xiaoxiao had left behind. Looking at the bold handwriting on the prescription, Young Master Xiang¡¯s expression darkened bit by bit. ¡ª- Today was the day Su Xiaoxiao promised to return home. The three little ones went to the village entrance early to wait while Meizi watched them. Wei Ting did not go. He had something on. The man in black stood in front of him with a wooden expression. He had maintained this posture for two hours. Wei Ting glanced at him impatiently. ¡°If you haven¡¯t completed the mission, just say it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± the man in black said numbly. ¡°I didn¡¯t let Young Marquis Jing see Bai Xiaosheng.¡± Bai Xiaosheng, also known as Know-it-all, was someone who was sought after in the martial world. It was rumored that there was no information in the world that he could not find. Of course, this guy was just bragging. At most, he was just gathering good information. Unfortunately, he happened to have a secret relating Wei Ting. And this secret must not fall into the hands of Jing Yi¡¯s party. The man in black looked sad. ¡°Originally, I had a chance to kill Young Marquis Jing, but¡­ that girl appeared! I can¡¯t kill her too, right?¡± As he spoke, he exploded! ¡°To think there is actually a time when I, Yuchi Xiu, ranked second on the Assassin List, wasn¡¯t able to kill people! What a great humiliation!¡± Wei Ting paused. ¡°You stayed there for two hours because of this?¡± ¡°No.¡± The man in black became sad again. He covered his butt and said with empty eyes, ¡°My butt hurts¡­ I¡¯m not pure anymore¡­¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Wei Ting looked at him strangely, his expression indescribable. ¡°You¡­ were you the one below?¡± The man in black was dumbfounded. ¡ª- At the village entrance, the three little ones had already become three small statues pining after their mother. Some of the villagers teased them. An auntie chuckled and said, ¡°Your mother went to the city and won¡¯t be coming back.¡± ¡°She will come back!¡± Dahu said. ¡°Mother agreed!¡± Xiaohu said. ¡°Pinky swore!¡± Xiaohu said. The auntie continued, ¡°That¡¯s a lie. She won¡¯t let you follow her. Your mother doesn¡¯t want you anymore. She¡¯s gone to the city to live a good life.¡± Xiaohu stomped his feet. ¡°Yes! She wants Xiaohu! Erhu! Dahu!¡± They were so angry. These grannies were so annoying! Mother would not abandon them! However, they waited and waited. It was almost dark, but their mother still had not returned. The pinky swear. Three days. It was going to end today. The three of them began to feel anxious and restless. They walked in circles and scratched their heads with their small hands. At this moment, a carriage arrived at the village entrance. The curtain was lifted, and a familiar chubby figure alighted. The gloominess in their heart seemed to have dissipated in an instant. The eyes of the three little ones lit up. They flapped their little arms and ran over! ¡°Mother!¡± Mother was back. Mother did not abandon them! They were not motherless children. They were their mother¡¯s good babies. Chapter 152 - 152 Reunion 152 Reunion They ran into the soft and familiar embrace, breathing in the breath that made them feel at ease. ¡°Mother, Xiaohu misses you.¡± It was rare for Xiaohu to speak before his two brothers. Dahu and Erhu also expressed that they also missed their mother very much. As the saying went, a child with a mother was a treasure. Without a mother, they were three mere stalks of grass. For the past few days, they had been eating their grandfather¡¯s grass every day! How disgusting! Su Xiaoxiao patted their heads and rubbed their chubby faces. They were quite cold. ¡°Have you been waiting long?¡± she asked. Xiao Hu said seriously, ¡°I waited.¡± It took Su Xiaoxiao a while to realize that Xiaohu had been waiting since morning. She was puzzled. Where did he get that accent from? She had spent three days in the prefecture capital and two days in the carriage. It would be a lie to say that she was not tired. However, when she looked at the three cute little packrats, it was as if¡­ her fatigue had dissipated a lot. Dahu and Erhu also expressed their longing for their mother. At the same time, they also complained about the grannies! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I won¡¯t abandon you.¡± One could say that these villagers were very malicious, but that was not the case. One could say that they did not have any malicious intentions and they did hurt the child. ¡°Daya, your Auntie Feng was just joking.¡± Auntie Liu tried to smooth things over and said to the rest, ¡°Don¡¯t make such jokes again in the future.¡± They looked at the viciousness between Little Bully Su¡¯s eyebrows. How could they dare to disagree? The happiness of the three little ones returned! She had only been gone for three days, and the three of them spoke more fluently. Children really changed every day. ¡°Where¡¯s Uncle Ergou?¡± Erhu asked. Perhaps because they were both the second child of the family, Erhu often paid attention to this unreliable uncle. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°In the carriage.¡± Su Ergou was sleeping soundly in the carriage. Xiaowu shook him for a long time without waking up. The three little ones quickly climbed into the carriage. They covered their eyes and sighed as they looked at their uncle, who was drooling and sleeping soundly. They really didn¡¯t want to admit that they knew him. The three little ones took a deep breath, opened their mouths, and shouted, ¡°Sell¡­ snacks!¡± Su Ergou opened his eyes. ¡°Come, come, come¡­ Here it comes! How many do you want?¡± Hahaha! The villagers burst out laughing! There were not many carriages in the countryside. The villagers surrounded the carriage and looked at it for a while. After Su Xiaoxiao left with her brother and the three little ones, they were still looking. Xiaowu also wanted to break out of the encirclement, but how could his combat strength compare to that of the aunties? The auntie couldn¡¯t stop the carriage, so they stopped him. ¡°Yo, this carriage is expensive, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a tall horse. Taller than a man.¡± This horse had a gentle temperament. At first, the villagers did not dare to approach it. There were a few bold men standing behind it. After obtaining Xiaowu¡¯s permission, they touched the horse a few times. It was different from touching a cow! ¡°Little brother, where¡¯s your carriage?¡± ¡°Our manager hired this for the boss.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your boss?¡± ¡°Miss Su is our boss!¡± When the villagers heard this, they were shocked! Fatty Su had become the boss! She even hired a manager and a carriage! ¡°Was¡­ Fatty is that powerful?¡± Xiaowu knew that Fatty Su was Miss Su. He smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. If she¡¯s not good, can she do business in the prefecture?¡± Although they might not have any business in the future, it did not stop him from bragging. The skill of bragging could be said to have been passed down from Su Xiaoxiao to Manager Sun and then to Xiaowu. It was perfect! If Manager Sun hadn¡¯t warned him in advance, he would have bragged about the glorious feat of the boss extorting the Prefecture Lord. The villagers were envious of the Su family. The family that used to be the worst was now richer than the Old Master Su¡¯s family. Speaking of that Su family, sigh, things haven¡¯t been peaceful recently. ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao was home. Father Su finally had his daughter back. His heart, which had been hanging in the air for three days, relaxed as tears streamed down his face. ¡°Daughter! You¡¯re finally back!¡± Little Wu and Liu Ping were in the backyard counting the ingredients they needed for tomorrow. When they heard the commotion, they hurriedly put down their work and walked out. ¡°Daya!¡± Little Wu¡¯s eyes lit up. Liu Ping muttered, ¡°Wifey, you don¡¯t even look at me like that!¡± ¡°Father, Sister Wu, Brother Liu.¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted everyone. ¡°Eh? Where¡¯s Wei Ting?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the house.¡± Su Cheng shouted toward the small east room, ¡°Son-in-law! Daya is back!¡± Wei Ting opened the door and walked out of the east room with a cold expression on his face. Su Xiaoxiao was used to his ice-cold face. If he really smiled at her one day, she would think that she had seen a ghost. However, the feeling of having a whole family¡­ was not bad. Little Wu said to her eldest daughter, ¡°Meizi, bring your sister out to play.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Da Meizi went to the backyard to look for her sister, who was sitting on a small stool and eating the shortbread obediently. The two sisters went to play together. The three little ones also knew that the parents were going to talk about serious matters. They were very sensible and did not make a fuss. They went next door to look for Niudan. There was a lot of good stuff today. When he saw the three little kids coming over, he immediately showed off. ¡°I have a new slingshot! You don¡¯t!¡± Dahu said, ¡°My mother is back.¡± ¡°So what if your mother is back? Is she as good as my new slingshot?¡± Niudan tried bragging again, ¡°I, I have sesame candy! I just bought it!¡± Xiaohu said, ¡°My mother is back.¡± Niudan insisted, ¡°My, my, my, my father made me a top!¡± Xiao Hu said proudly, ¡°My mother is back, hehe!¡± Awesome. Ah! He was bragging in vain! ¡ª- The family sat down in the central room and held an informal family meeting. Su Xiaoxiao placed a banknote worth 100 taels on the table. The entire family was dumbfounded. Wasn¡¯t it forty-five taels? Why, why was it so much? Su Xiaoxiao continued to dig. Two, three, four, five! A string on Father Su¡¯s head snapped! He looked at his chubby daughter with a complicated expression. ¡°Daughter, you¡­ did you go to the prefecture capital to rob?¡± Little Wu and Liu Ping¡¯s gazes shifted from the banknotes to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. Did she really resort to robbery? It was five hundred taels! How many villages had she robbed? Su Xiaoxiao sighed, ¡°Father, what are you talking about? We¡¯ve already retired. How can I rob others?¡± Little Wu and Liu Ping heaved a sigh of relief. The next second, they heard Su Xiaoxiao say, ¡°I did run some errands for someone and asked for some money.¡± The two of them were puzzled Father Su asked in a daze, ¡°Who did you extort?¡± Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand casually. ¡°It¡¯s just a prefecture lord. No, I¡¯m not extorting!¡± Duang! Father Su fell off his chair! Chapter 153 - 153 Harvest 153 Harvest Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s trip to the prefecture capital had earned her five hundred taels. This was a sure thing. One did not ask where heroes came from, and one did not ask how a person¡¯s money was obtained! Anyway, if she got it, it would be hers! Su Xiaoxiao patted her father¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dad, calm down. I¡¯ve surpassed you. You should be happy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve extorted the prefecture lord. I¡¯m so happy!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only been a village tyrant for so many years, but you¡¯ve become a little bully in the prefecture city after just one trip!¡± Father Su was about to cry. The only calm person in the room was Wei Ting. This guy rarely lost control of his expression. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know if he was really calm or indifferent to her matters. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s business these days I¡¯ve been away?¡± This was what Su Xiaoxiao was most concerned about. ¡°Your Sister Wu did well,¡± Father Su said. He did not treat Little Wu as an outsider. In fact, what Little Wu did was not only not bad, but it was also quite good for Su Ji¡¯s reputation. In the beginning, Su Xiaoxiao only asked her to make three snacks. The braised meat business was made as a matter of convenience, so there was no need for too much. Unexpectedly, Little Wu made the Ergou pancakes the next day and increased the production. According to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s original plan, she was to produce 100 pancakes a day, 50 pancakes for the Academy, and no more than 30 catties of braised meat. Little Wu doubled the production. The price was that she was very tired and visibly haggard. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to work so hard?¡± Madam Wu lowered her head and said softly, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t want to embarrass you.¡± Ever since she was young, no one had trusted her. Although her family had treated her well, they did not think that a girl was useful. Only Daya believed in her and was willing to hand such a heavy burden to her. She wondered if this was the self-worth that Daya had mentioned. She¡­ felt her worth. Not only could she live as a wife, a mother, and a daughter-in-law, but she could also work like a man. She seemed to have started a new life. She did not want to let Daya down. Su Xiaoxiao said sincerely, ¡°Sister Wu, you¡¯ve done well. You¡¯re even better than I thought.¡± Madam Wu¡¯s eyes lit up. Liu Ping¡¯s heart ached again. He reflected that his wife was not even so happy during their wedding. If production increased, sales would also be a problem. In fact, for the past few days, sales were a bigger problem. At the very least, Little Wu was trained. Father Su¡­ had never done sales. He had only been a bodyguard for a few days. The reason why Su Xiaoxiao insisted on letting Father Su sell it was that the regular customers knew him. When they saw him, they knew that it was indeed Su Ji¡¯s stall. ¡°All sold out! Not a single one left!¡± Father Su said proudly. ¡°Were they sold out every day?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Father Su raised his eyebrows. Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. ¡°Father, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Wei Ting took a sip of tea indifferently. Liu Ping smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Wei also went!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face was serious. ¡°Father, his legs aren¡¯t good. Why did you drag him to town?¡± Father Su coughed lightly. ¡°Ahem! There¡¯s a donkey cart. He doesn¡¯t have to walk by himself.¡± Su Xiaoxiao imagined the extremely handsome Wei Ting sitting on the donkey cart with a small stool. She couldn¡¯t bear to look at him¡­ Father Su was a little prideful. He was a little reluctant to sell pancakes. With the principle of never embarrassing himself alone, he decisively took advantage of his son-in-law! Unlike farming, Wei Ting had made the right decision to come this time. He didn¡¯t need to do anything. He just had to sit there. That suffocatingly handsome face created a higher turnout than Su Xiaoxiao, a 200-pound fatty. Wei Ting was good-looking and appealed to young and old alike. Aunts and women swarmed over like ferocious beasts, and the young girls were not any less aggressive. In just three days, Wei Ting was given the nickname ¡°Pancake Man Xi Shi¡±. What a dark history! ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao brought gifts for everyone from the prefecture. For the Meizi sisters, there was a jar of local preserved meat and two new outfits. Little Wu¡¯s was a silk handkerchief embroidered with winter plums. She remembered that Little Wu had a similar handkerchief and had always kept it. When they split up, it was confiscated by Big Wu. Little Wu¡¯s eyes turned red. Daya cared about people, but she never expressed her feelings in words. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Brother Liu, this is for you.¡± Liu Ping was stunned. ¡°Me too?¡± The credit for the past few days seemed to be all on Little Wu and Wei Ting, but in fact, Liu Ping¡¯s credit could not go unnoticed. Who said that transportation was not important? To receive business, they had to travel to so many places. Nothing could go wrong in between. It was not easy for Liu Ping either. Liu Ping took it and sniffed it. ¡°It smells so good. It¡¯s Shaodaozi!¡± Liu Ping did not have any other hobbies. He only liked to drink a little wine occasionally, especially when it came to Shaodaozi. Coincidentally, there was an old wine cellar in the prefecture city. Shaodaozi was his family¡¯s trademark. Su Cheng reminded, ¡°You can drink, but don¡¯t be an alcoholic.¡± Liu Ping patted his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t go overboard!¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a pair of brocade boxes from her bag. ¡°Father, your tea leaves!¡± These were tea leaves given by Grandmaster Hui Jue. They were much better than the ones sold in ordinary shops! The three little ones happily claimed three boxes of dried meat, three pairs of small shoes, three sets of new clothes, and three days¡¯ worth of kisses, hugs, and lifts! They were so happy! Wei Ting was the only one left in the family. His aura was a little low. He stood up calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my room first.¡± Everyone looked at Wei Ting and then at Su Xiaoxiao. Father Su winked at her. ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked knowingly. Father Su said, ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°He didn¡¯t even pick me up at the village entrance!¡± Father Su was speechless. ¡ª- Knock knock knock! There was a knock on the door. Wei Ting threw the newly written calligraphy aside indifferently. His eyes were a little cold and dry. Su Xiaoxiao waited for a long time, but Wei Ting did not say anything. Ha, this was her own room, why would she need to knock on the door? Su Xiaoxiao pushed the door open. ¡°Come in.¡± Almost at the same time, Wei Ting spoke. Su Xiaoxiao closed the door again! Then, she slowly pushed it open and walked in calmly. She came to Wei Ting¡¯s side like a proud little fat peacock. She looked up at the ceiling and placed a brocade box on the table. ¡°Here.¡± Wei Ting asked coldly, ¡°To whom?¡± Su Xiaoxiao put her hands on her hips. ¡°Who else is in this room?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s expression did not change at all. He still had a cold expression, but the air of frustration around him had disappeared. He stretched out his slender fingers and casually opened the brocade box. It was a jade hair crown. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s a gift. Take it or leave it.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyes moved slightly. Su Xiaoxiao turned her head and saw the crumpled paper on the table. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s that?¡± She reached for it. ¡°Nothing!¡± Wei Ting grabbed the paper ball first. ¡°Let me take a look!¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the paper ball from his hand and unfolded it. It was a few handwritten notes. She had practiced calligraphy with Su Ergou to copy his calligraphy. Did he¡­ write a new one for them to copy? To be precise, he wanted Su Ergou to copy it. Su Xiaoxiao was confident that she had hidden her actions well! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s written so well, why did you throw it away? What a pity.¡± She lovingly unfolded the paper ball, laid it on the table, and pressed it down with her hand again and again. Wei Ting frowned as he watched her carefully and seriously deal with a few crumpled paper balls. His eyes suddenly became a little cold. Wei Ting took back the paper ball. ¡°There were mistakes in it, I¡¯ll write a new one!¡± Chapter 154 - 154 Seizing the Child 154 Seizing the Child During the three days when Su Xiaoxiao was not at home, Father Su exerted his top-notch culinary skills and successfully fed Wei Ting and the three little ones until they became recluses. Father Su¡¯s heart ached for his daughter, who had been rushing all day. He decided to cook again tonight. The three little ones sensibly did not object. The family was prepared to be poisoned by Father Su¡¯s dark culinary skills again, but Old Li unexpectedly came. Today, Li Dayong went to the back of the mountain to cut firewood and accidentally caught two fat and big pheasants. The Li family killed chickens tonight and asked the Su family to go over for dinner. Su Cheng said politely, ¡°Uncle Li, how can I accept this?¡± Old Li quickly said, ¡°Daya is our Li Family¡¯s savior. Don¡¯t¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Su Cheng, Su Ergou, and the three little ones had already come out of the house. The three little ones lined up and waited for food! When Madam Qian cooked, she originally thought about not eating one and keeping it to sell in town. However, when she thought about how there were many people tonight, she made up her mind and stewed both chickens. The debt of gratitude was not something that two chickens could repay. Moreover, their family members could also eat. Halfway through, Su Xiaoxiao came in with a basket. Mdm Qian looked at her in confusion. Su Xiaoxiao removed the dry cloth covering the basket and took out the braised meat and pork ribs, with the intent to let Aunt Qian stew them together. Madam Qian said, ¡°We have two chickens! There¡¯s enough to eat!¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about the appetite of a cook.¡± Madam Qian refused no matter what. How could she invite someone over for a meal and let her guest bring meat over? Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything. She picked up the knife and chopped the braised pork ribs before placing them into the pot. ¡ª- Old Li also invited the village head over. Tonight, the few men would have a drink or two. Madam Qian stewed two pots of meat dishes. One pot was chewy, and the men ate it with wine. The other pot was for the children and Mrs. Zhao. The stew was very soft. Little Mrs. Zhao ate in her room during her confinement period. Su Xiaoxiao always ate at the table. The Su family didn¡¯t have such strange rules. Madam Qian accompanied the guests to the table. Their table was too high for the children to reach. The other table could not accommodate them either, so they set up a small table separately. The eldest granddaughter, Qiuni, brought the little boys to eat and even thoughtfully picked up food for them. Su Xiaoxiao sat between Madam Qian and Wei Ting. She was controlling her diet and eating not eating much. Madam Qian thought that she was too embarrassed to pick up food, so she grabbed the iron ladle in the pot and scooped a full ladleful for her. She gave Su Xiaoxiao all the fattest and most meaty chicken pieces. Madam Qian was being kind. It was rare for country bumpkins to see meat and fish. The lean meat was too dry. Not only was this kind of fat fragrant, but it was also filling. Su Xiaoxiao was in a dilemma because she knew that Madam Qian was being kind. If she ate it and she would gain ten pounds in one bite. If she didn¡¯t eat it, it would feel like a snub. She looked at her father for help. Father Su was drinking with the village head and Old Li. ¡°Hello, brothers¡­ Five champions¡­ Six, six, nine, nine¡­ Eight horses¡­¡± They were drunk after playing drinking games and their seniority was messed up! Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Ergou. Su Ergou buried his head in his food, completely ignoring his sister¡¯s death stare. Su Xiaoxiao wondered, ¡°Where¡¯s the tacit understanding that blood is thicker than water?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. It seemed like she had lost weight for nothing. Suddenly, Wei Ting quietly reached over with his chopsticks and picked up the fattest pieces of chicken in her bowl. He ate them very naturally. Su Xiaoxiao blinked and was dumbfounded. Madam Qian scooped another spoonful for Su Xiaoxiao, and Wei Ting picked out the fat inside to eat. Su Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes and ate the vegetables. Wei Ting didn¡¯t eat fatty meat at home¡­ Madam Qian was unhappy. ¡°Why do you always take the food in Daya¡¯s bowl? Is the food in Daya¡¯s bowl more fragrant?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao tried to explain. Wei Ting: ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glared at him. Do you know what Auntie Qian asked you? Mother Qian could not hold it in and smiled. ¡­ . After a full meal, the men drank until they staggered. Li Dayong first carried the village head back, then brought Su Cheng back with Su Ergou. Why did Su Cheng have two people supporting him? Wasn¡¯t it because he was more drunk? One moment, he was practicing boxing, and the next moment, he was practicing sword techniques¡­ with the little wooden swords of the three little ones. The three little ones followed suit. Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting followed behind them unhurriedly. The moonlight was beautiful tonight, reflecting the light reflected in the snow. The ground was wet from melting snow for the past few days. ¡°Be careful.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t fall again.¡± Wei Ting hummed nonchalantly. Due to his actions tonight, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t mind his cold face. She coughed lightly and said, ¡°Before I went to the prefecture, I told you that I would return the token to you. I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s just that I left it somewhere¡­ I can¡¯t retrieve it¡­¡± Wei Ting frowned slightly and quickly regained his cold expression. Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t sure if he believed her or not. Just as she was hesitating to correct her words to be more precise, there was a clattering sound from the Su family. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the lights of the Su family and said to Wei Ting, ¡°Go back first. I¡¯ll go check on Yu Niang.¡± After she left, a shadow separated from the night and quietly came behind Wei Ting. His movements were so light that others would not be able to sense it. Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°What are you doing now?¡± Yuchi Xiu sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been discovered again. Lord, how did you find out? How did I expose myself? Tell me, I¡¯ll change.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°You¡¯re living.¡± Yuchi Xiu was speechless. Yuchi Xiu couldn¡¯t argue with Wei Ting, so after a bit of self-pity, he decisively changed the topic. ¡°Sir, that girl said just now that she would return the Commander¡¯s Seal to you. Is that true?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°If it¡¯s true, that¡¯s great! When we get back the Commander¡¯s Seal, we can immediately return to the capital!¡± He did not want to stay in this lousy place anymore! His ass. His purity¡­ ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao heard Su Yuniang¡¯s cries and rushed over. The Su family¡¯s door was tightly shut from the inside. She banged on the door a few times, but no one came to open it. In Su Yuniang¡¯s house, the entire family was in an uproar. It was no wonder that they could not hear the knocking on the door. ¡°Give me back my baby!¡± It was Su Yuniang¡¯s choked voice. Su Can took a step back with the child in his arms. Su Yuniang pounced forward but was stopped by Su Dalang and Su Erlang. Su Dalang said earnestly, ¡°Sister! Stop fooling around! The child belongs to the Zheng family. It¡¯s only right for us to send the child back! We can¡¯t keep raising the Zheng family¡¯s child!¡± Su Yuniang refuted, ¡°I gave birth to the child after ten months of pregnancy! It¡¯s a piece of flesh that fell from my body! How did it become the Zheng family¡¯s?! The child ate my food and drank my water. Did it cost you one copper coin? I gave the family twenty taels! Can¡¯t it support us?!¡± Su Dalang avoided the main point. ¡°This child¡¯s surname is Zheng! She¡¯s from the Zheng family!¡± When she was half-dead from the quack¡¯s treatment, her elder brother beat the quack up. She was so touched at that time, but at this moment, she was so disappointed. Su Yuniang gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Return the child to me! Otherwise, I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡± ¡°Su Yuniang!¡± Old Master Su called her name. This was a very strict form of address. Su Yuniang looked at Old Master Su pleadingly, trying to awaken the last bit of the relationship between the two of them. ¡°Grandpa, ask Eldest Brother to return the child to me. I worked hard to give birth to the child. It¡¯s mine¡­¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°Since you can¡¯t bear to part with your child, go back to the Zheng family with her.¡± Su Yuniang smiled coldly. ¡°You¡¯ve offended the Zheng family, so you want to use me to repay your debt? I wasn¡¯t the one who caused the injury! If you have the ability, give Su Jinniang to the Zheng family as compensation!¡± Su Erlang said coldly, ¡°How dare you mention Cripple Feng! If you hadn¡¯t refused to return to the Zheng family, would Cripple Feng have stayed at home?¡± These words were exactly the same as Su Jinniang¡¯s. They were really biological siblings. Su Yuniang¡¯s heart turned cold. She had completely given up on this family. She had once thought that her family was her refuge. She was too naive. A married daughter was like spilled water. From the moment she sat in the bridal sedan, she was already an outsider. ¡°In order to shut Cripple Feng and Zheng Lanxiu up, you used me to fill in the blanks. Good, good, very good.¡± Su Yuniang suddenly smiled. She laughed crazily. She stumbled out of the room. No one stopped her. They thought that she had finally thought it through and was willing to return to the Zheng family. At this moment, something unexpected happened! Su Yuniang suddenly dashed forward to bang her head against the ancestral altar! Madam Fang: ¡°Yuniang!¡± ¡°Sister!¡± No one had expected this change. They wanted to stop it, but they were squeezed at the door! It was too late¡­ Yuniang was about to crash into it¡­ With a loud clang, the Su family¡¯s door was kicked open! Chapter 155 - 155 Divorce (1) 155 Divorce (1) Su Xiaoxiao was at the door, too far away from the table. It was too late to catch Su Yuniang. At the critical moment, she suddenly took out the dagger that Wei Ting had given her and threw it at Su Yuniang¡¯s calf along with the scabbard! The dagger accurately hit Su Yuniang¡¯s calf; her legs went limp and she fell to the ground! Su Xiaoxiao controlled her strength so that Su Yuniang would not be injured. Su Yuniang got up and planned to kill herself again. Su Xiaoxiao quickly walked behind her and grabbed her arm! ¡°Let go!¡± Su Yuniang shouted without turning around. After saying that, she realized that the feeling on her arm was not right. She turned her head and saw a familiar face through her blurry eyes. The grievance in her heart suddenly multiplied, and she burst into tears! ¡°Daya! They took my baby!¡± This was the first time Su Yuniang showed her weakness in front of Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold. She said to the sobbing Su Yuniang, ¡°Got it. Leave it to me.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± It was light, but it weighed a thousand pounds. Su Yuniang¡¯s mixed emotions were suddenly greatly comforted. She felt a sense of security, and her heavy heart gradually relaxed. She wasn¡¯t certain when it happened but the person she trusted the most was no longer her family, nor the person she slept with, but this little fat girl who was not related to her by blood. Su Yuniang choked and nodded. Su Xiaoxiao turned around and looked coldly at the Su family who finally squeezed out of the house. She said word by word, ¡°Give me the child.¡± Su Dalang shouted, ¡°Su Daya, don¡¯t go overboard! This is our Su family¡¯s business! It has nothing to do with you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pulled her sleeve and rolled it up. ¡°I¡¯ll say it one last time. Give me the child.¡± What was this girl trying to do? Was she planning to come to the Su family to fight again? ¡°Don¡¯t hurt the child,¡± Su Yuniang whispered behind her. ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao replied casually. Her sleeves were rolled up to her wrist, revealing a fair wrist. It wasn¡¯t one of those skinny wrists. It had a hint of plumpness. Like high-quality cream, it was so white in the dim yellow night that it was a little eye-catching. Su Dalang said coldly, ¡°Su Daya, don¡¯t think that we¡¯re afraid of you just because we let you leave the last time! If you continue to be a busybody, don¡¯t blame us for being impolite!¡± ¡°Are you done talking?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Dalang choked. An ominous feeling suddenly surged in his heart. Su Daya was clearly very calm, but why did he feel that she was much more dangerous than last time? As it turned out, his instincts were right. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t waste her breath on him. She walked forward and grabbed his collar, pulling him over! Su Dalang had no time to react at all. He only felt his vision blur and his feet stagger. By the time he felt the pain in his knee, he was already pressed to the ground by Su Daya! ¡°Dalang!¡± Madam Fang exclaimed. ¡°Brother!¡± Su Erlang took a step forward. Everyone¡¯s expression changed. Su Jinniang stood behind everyone and watched this scene from afar. Her hair stood on end. Su Daya was not joking. She really dared to beat him up. Old Master Su¡¯s face turned as black as charcoal. ¡°Su Daya!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was not afraid of him. She looked at him arrogantly. ¡°Do you want me to repeat myself? If I repeat myself, I¡¯ll break one of his bones!¡± With that, she raised her foot to stomp on Su Dalang¡¯s ribs! ¡°Stop!¡± Old Master Su shouted, ¡°You can have the child!¡± Su Xiaoxiao moved her foot an inch and stepped on the small stool beside Su Dalang. The small stool shattered into pieces with a crack! When everyone saw this scene, they felt a lingering fear in their hearts. Su Daya was serious. If this kick landed on Su Dalang¡­ the consequences would be unimaginable. Su Xiaoxiao looked coldly at Su Can behind Old Master Su. ¡°Do you want to have a go?¡± Su Can shivered and quickly carried the child over. Su Xiaoxiao took the child. She held the baby in one hand and grabbed Su Yuniang¡¯s wrist with the other. Then she brought the mother and daughter out of the Su family without looking back. In the night, Yuchi Xiu, who had witnessed the entire process, clicked his tongue repeatedly. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. How ruthless. Lord, did you really marry into the family willingly and disguised your identity? Why do I feel like you were kidnapped?¡± Everyone in this family was good at fighting. None of them were normal people, okay? Of course, Wei Ting would not admit that he was captured by the Su family. Chapter 156 - 156 Divorce (2) 156 Divorce (2) Did he not care about his reputation? ¡ª- Wei Ting arrived late after Su Xiaoxiao and Su Yuniang entered. Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you leave first? Why are you behind me?¡± Wei Ting pointed at his leg and said confidently, ¡°I¡¯m lame and walk slowly.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then I didn¡¯t see you either.¡± ¡°I saw you. You ignored me,¡± a certain someone lied through his teeth. Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh.¡± She had a murderous aura and would not bring it into the house. She handed the child to Su Yuniang and turned to Wei Ting. ¡°Yuniang and the child will stay with us for a few days.¡± Su Yuniang looked at Wei Ting. She was not an ignorant young lady. She had a certain level of judgment and could tell that Wei Ting was not an ordinary person. It had nothing to do with his appearance, but with his words, actions, and temperament. Shallow Water Village was a very rich village. As the daughter-in-law of the village head¡¯s family, she could often interact with the squires in town. Wei Ting had an arrogance and nobility that the squires did not have. A proud son of heaven. The phrase came to her as she reflected. Wei Ting nodded gently at Su Yuniang. ¡°Make yourself at home. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. Aiya, this guy can speak human language! Wei Ting said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Father and ask Ergou to go to Father¡¯s place tonight and free up Ergou¡¯s room?¡± There were a total of four rooms in the house. One was a small warm nest for the pony, one belonged to Father Su, one belonged to Su Ergou, and the east room belonged to Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s original plan was for Wei Ying to go to Su Ergou¡¯s room and she would squeeze in with Yu Niang for a few days. As soon as Wei Ting finished speaking, he probably realized that this decision was a little inappropriate. He frowned and tried to salvage the situation. ¡°Xiaohu and the other two don¡¯t sleep well.¡± That was right. After returning from the prefecture capital, the three little ones resolutely returned to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s room to make up for the three days of deficiency. If Su Yuniang slept with her, they would be two adults and four children. It was indeed a little crowded. Su Yuniang said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao coughed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble.¡± Wei Ting went to the backyard to look for Su Cheng, who was cultivating. Su Yuniang said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Daya, your husband is a good person.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Really?¡± Forget it. He showed her respect in front of her friends, so she would not expose how much he usually deserved a beating. Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°My family and I¡­¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°Just tell me the truth.¡± ¡ª- At Old Su¡¯s house, Su Yuniang¡¯s departure made the already tense atmosphere at home worse. Mdm Fang¡¯s heart ached for her daughter, but she did not dare to disobey Old Master Su. She could only stand in the corner and secretly wipe her tears. Su Can said sheepishly, ¡°This child, Yu Niang, has been different since she was young¡­ She can¡¯t play with those young ladies¡­¡± Su Yuniang had the mentality of a man, but unfortunately, she was a woman. Back then, even the boys in the village did not dare to fight with Fatty Su. Su Yuniang was only three years older than Fatty Su, but she was actually thin and small. It was obvious that she was not Fatty Su¡¯s match. Even so, Su Yuniang still provoked Fatty Su. If there was no Fatty Su in the village, Su Yuniang would be the boldest. However, no matter how bold she was, she was still a woman. She had to get married and take care of her husband and children. For the past three years, Su Yuniang had not had any children in her in-laws¡¯ house but was still doing well. It could be seen that she was capable. However, perhaps she was too capable and forgot her own worth. She went against her in-laws and her maternal family and refused to listen to anyone. Su Can said, ¡°Dad, what do you think¡­ we should do about this? Tomorrow, the entire village will know that Yuniang is staying with the Su family. The villagers will gossip. We can¡¯t afford to be disgraced. Alas, if she was half as obedient as Jinniang, she wouldn¡¯t have caused such a scene!¡± Su Jinniang was in the room. As she handed Madam Fang a handkerchief, she felt a sense of satisfaction. Old Master Su¡¯s expression was solemn. After pondering for a while, he said, ¡°If anyone asks, tell them that Yuniang¡¯s health is not good and she went to the Su family to recuperate.¡± Fatty Su had learned medicine and had been coming to the Su family to treat Su Yuniang¡¯s illness recently. This reason was still acceptable. ¡ª- At Little Su¡¯s house, Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou cleaned up the room. The countryside was not as particular as the city. It was good enough to have an empty room with clean bedding. The two of them left in a hurry. Since Su Yuniang and the child¡¯s diapers were not brought out, Su Xiaoxiao went to the Su family¡¯s house again with a butcher knife. Su Cheng and Su Ergou also brought along a butcher knife each. The Su family was so frightened that they did not even dare to breathe loudly. Su Xiaoxiao asked Madam Fang to pack up a few sets of clothes before the family swaggered away. Old Master Su¡¯s family was so angry that they rolled their eyes! ¡ª- At night, Su Yuniang finished washing up and sat under the blanket. The baby beside her was sleeping soundly. She felt a long-lost peace in the Su family. ¡°Daya, thank you for today. Also, thank your father for me.¡± As the head of the family, if Su Cheng did not agree¡­ In fact, it was only right for Su Cheng to disagree. After all, Su Yuniang¡¯s identity was too awkward. Who would be willing to get involved in her mess? But she could tell that this family was really united. No matter who made the decision, the others would spare no effort to respond. She used to think that her family was the same. After experiencing so many things, she finally understood that her family¡¯s harmony was just an illusion. Everyone¡¯s hearts had never really been together. Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said, ¡°If you feel bad, you can pay for food.¡± Su Yuniang was stunned. Why did Daya always have the ability to interrupt her emotions? Su Yuniang took a deep breath. She was used to being in tune with her emotions. She said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me what I plan to do in the future?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Have you thought about it?¡± Su Yuniang: ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Then why should I ask?¡± She was really asking for a beating! Who did she learn it from? In the east room, Wei Ting sneezed for no reason! Su Xiaoxiao made Su Yuniang angry, but it dispelled her unhappiness with her family. Her anger had subsided! She pondered and said, ¡°Daya, what if¡­ I mean if¡­ I don¡¯t want to go back to the Zheng family?¡± Su Xiaoxiao put her clothes in the cabinet. ¡°Then you won¡¯t go back.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you think a woman like me would be scandalous?¡± Su Xiaoxiao had an incredulous expression. ¡°Su Yuniang, don¡¯t you think too highly of yourself? You haven¡¯t cheated on the Zheng family five or six times, and you still have the cheek to say that you¡¯re immoral? Is the threshold for immoral now so low?¡± Su Yuniang was stunned. Su Yuniang asked, ¡°If it were you, what would you do?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said fiercely, ¡°Kill him!¡± Su Yuniang was speechless again. ¡ª- Too many things had happened that night. Su Yuniang had fallen out with her family and was homeless. She should not have been able to sleep, but she quickly fell asleep. The next day, Su Xiaoxiao got up to make snacks. Su Yuniang came to the kitchen with her clothes on. The starlight and scattered snow reflected on her thin face. She was very weak, but her eyes were unprecedentedly firm. ¡°Daya, I¡¯ve thought it through. I want to leave the Zheng family.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was not too surprised. She put down the half-kneaded dough. ¡°I¡¯m only going to ask you this once. Are you sure?¡± Su Yuniang pinched her fingers and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ll ask Zheng Yuanbo for the divorce letter.¡± In the Great Zhou Dynasty, women would only be divorced by their in-laws if they committed seven mistakes. Su Yuniang did not make any mistakes. The Zheng family could not divorce her unless she brought it up herself. However, regardless of whether she brought up herself, it was not a glorious thing to be divorced. In the future, she might be criticized by others for the rest of her life and be unable to raise her head. However, she was not afraid of these. She would rather be condemned by everyone than return to that man¡¯s side! This was no small matter. Su Xiaoxiao only said one word to her, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 157 - 157 Deal 157 Deal Zheng Lanxiu did not have a comfortable time. First, there was the matter with the family of her younger brother, Zheng Yuanbo. One of them was Su Yuniang, who refused to return to the Zheng family, and the other was Ah Xiang, who kept urging Zheng Yuanbo not to bring Su Yuniang back, causing the family to be in a foul mood. Then there was Cripple Feng¡¯s leg. Ever since he was injured, she had consulted all the physicians in town. Not only did his injuries not improve at all, but they also worsened. In the beginning, it was said that his leg might be a little lame. Later, the physician gave her the bottom line. He would be lucky to get away with the lameness. If Cripple Feng¡¯s injuries worsened, he could only amputate his leg. Otherwise, if the infection was too serious, Cripple Feng would not even be able to survive. Zheng Lanxiu was a strong woman. Her mother passed away early, and as the eldest sister, she was like a matriarch. She raised her younger sisters with Zheng Yuanbo. Later on, her father married and filled the house, but his new family did not gain any advantage from her. However, no matter how domineering she was to the outside world, some concepts were deeply rooted in her bones. Feng Zhiwei was her man and the root of her life. She could not allow anything to happen to Feng Zhiwei. She had already gone to the Su family to make a fuss. She had also taught Su Jinniang a lesson. She pressed her to the ground and slapped her several times! Although Su Jinniang did not admit that she did it on purpose, she would not listen. She needed someone to vent her anger on. But after venting, she fell into deep panic and confusion. Was Cripple Feng really going to have to amputate one leg? Could he still live after that? The physician could not guarantee that he would live, but if he did not cut it off, he would definitely not survive¡­ ¡°Zheng Lanxiu.¡± A cold voice interrupted Zheng Lanxiu¡¯s thoughts. Zheng Lanxiu came back to her senses and realized that the water she had been fetching for a long time had all been spilled onto the ground. There was not a single drop in the bucket. She turned to look at the person who called her. A complicated look flashed across her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Zheng Lanxiu had mixed feelings about Su Xiaoxiao. Cripple Feng had gone after Su Xiaoxiao to take advantage of her, but Cripple Feng had also escaped danger because of Su Xiaoxiao¡­ She had no right to blame Su Xiaoxiao, but she would be jealous too. She was jealous that her husband had taken a fancy to another woman. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t have time to care about Zheng Lanxiu¡¯s emotions. She went straight to the point. ¡°Do you want to save Cripple Feng?¡± Zheng Lanxiu was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao brushed the snow off her body. From Apricot Flower Village to Shallow Water Village, she had to pass through a forest on the way. The temperature in the forest was low, and the snow that remained had fallen on her shoulders. She kept it short. ¡°If you want to save him, I can.¡± Zheng Lanxiu frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Literally, I can treat Cripple Feng¡¯s injury, and only I can. Even if you go to the prefecture or the capital, you won¡¯t be able to find a physician who can save his leg.¡± Zheng Lanxiu really wanted to go to the prefectural city to hire a famous physician. Wait, what did this girl say? Zheng Lanxiu¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°Can you save his leg?¡± The physician of Rong¡¯en Hall could at most save his life, but his leg would definitely not be saved. Moreover, he only had a 50% chance of survival. Su Xiaoxiao said casually, ¡°Yes.¡± Zheng Lanxiu¡¯s first reaction was disbelief, but then she remembered that Su Yuniang had suggested that she invite Su Daya over when Cripple Feng had first gotten into trouble. Su Yuniang had lost half her life after giving birth. It was Su Daya who had saved her. Could it be¡­ that all of this was real? Did Su Daya really know medicine? Was she just lucky? Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be in a hurry to reply to me. Once you¡¯ve thought it through, go to the Su family to look for me. However, I have to remind you that while I can afford to wait, Cripple Feng¡¯s leg¡­ might not. If this drags on, perhaps even I will have to saw off his leg.¡± Zheng Lanxiu clenched her fists. Should she trust Su Daya? She¡­ could she gamble with Cripple Feng¡¯s life? Su Xiaoxiao turned around and left without any intention of forcing her. Zheng Lanxiu looked at her calm and indifferent figure as she left. For some reason, an indescribable feeling suddenly surged in her heart. It was as if this person had an innately convincing aura. Was this still the same Su Daya? Zheng Lanxiu stopped her. ¡°How much do you want?¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped in her tracks. ¡°The letter for releasing the wife.¡± Zheng Lanxiu frowned. ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s voice was soft and indifferent. ¡°I said, I want the letter for releasing Su Yuniang.¡± ¡­ . Zheng Lanxiu returned to the Zheng family. The sound of laughter came from Zheng Yuanbo¡¯s room. She suddenly felt irritated and raised her hand to slap the door without hesitation. ¡°Zheng Yuanbo, come out!¡± The playful sounds stopped abruptly, followed by the rustling of clothes. After a while, Zheng Yuanbo opened the door in a panic. Zheng Lanxiu could tell at a glance that he was doing something shameful in his room again. Ah Xiang was his woman. Logically speaking, it was not too much to do anything, but in broad daylight¡­ Ah Xiang was still pregnant¡­ That woman was a vixen! ¡°Sister.¡± Ah Xiang finished tidying her clothes and timidly came to Zheng Yuanbo¡¯s side. She lowered her head and looked extremely afraid. Zheng Lanxiu was disgusted by the way she addressed her. Zheng Lanxiu did not like Su Yuniang because Su Yuniang had a strong personality and was very smart. She knew how to win people over and do business. She earned a lot of money for the family and seriously threatened her status. Zheng Lanxiu did like Ah Xiang more. Ah Xiang was obedient and knew how to coax people. But today¡­ Zheng Lanxiu frowned. ¡°Brother Xing, come with me.¡± She brought Zheng Yuanbo to the kitchen. ¡°Sister, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Zheng Yuanbo asked. Zheng Lanxiu looked at him. ¡°What do you think about Yu Niang?¡± Zheng Yuanbo¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°Ah¡­ She, she didn¡¯t want to come back, right?¡± Zheng Lanxiu said resentfully, ¡°So you¡¯re just going to let it go?¡± Zheng Yuanbo muttered, ¡°Yuniang will hit Ah Xiang. Ah Xiang¡¯s belly is getting bigger. What if it affects her pregnancy? Sister, Ah Xiang is pregnant with a son!¡± Zheng Lanxiu asked angrily, ¡°Who told you that?¡± Zheng Yuanbo shuddered and lowered his voice. ¡°Ah Xiang¡¯s stomach is sharp. The elders in the village said so.¡± Zheng Lanxiu closed her eyes. ¡°Do you not like Yu Niang anymore?¡± Zheng Yuanbo said, ¡°I do, but I¡¯m also a little afraid of her. If only Yuniang was gentler, like Ah Xiang.¡± Zheng Lanxiu was furious. ¡°Ah Xiang, Ah Xiang, you can¡¯t stop talking about her! I think you should go with Ah Xiang!¡± Zheng Yuanbo was unhappy. ¡°Sister, Ah Xiang wants to live with me. If you get Yuniang to accept Ah Xiang, Ah Xiang will treat her as her biological sister. Ah Xiang has such a good temper. She definitely won¡¯t cause trouble for Yuniang.¡± ¡°Let me ask you: if you can only choose one between Yu Niang and Ah Xiang. Who do you choose?¡± ¡°Sister!¡± ¡°Answer me!¡± ¡°¡­ Yu Niang.¡± Zheng Lanxiu sighed helplessly with a complicated expression. ¡°Then from today onwards, you¡¯re not allowed to touch Ah Xiang again. After she gives birth, send her away. I¡¯ll raise the child. Actually, it¡¯s better for Yu Niang not to see it. Forget it, I¡¯ll get Ah Xiang to go back with me later.¡± Zheng Yuanbo moved his lips. He wanted to say something, but he did not dare to disobey his eldest sister. He said gloomily, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Ah Xiang.¡± Zheng Lanxiu sat alone in the kitchen with tears streaming down her face. In the end, she still chose her younger brother between Cripple Feng and her younger brother. ¡ª- Ah Xiang asked, ¡°Yuan Bo, what did Big Sis say to you?¡± Zheng Yuanbo lowered his head and did not dare to look at her. ¡°In a while, you and Eldest Sister will head back.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ah Xiang asked. ¡°Eldest Sis¡­ wants to send you off.¡± Zheng Yuanbo said. Ah Xiang panicked. ¡°Husband! Don¡¯t you want Ah Xiang anymore? Ah Xiang is pregnant with your child!¡± Zheng Yuanbo said sadly, ¡°Big Sister¡­ asked me to choose between you and Yu Niang. Yu Niang is my official wife. I can¡¯t divorce her. Father and Mother won¡¯t agree.¡± Ah Xiang took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. ¡°Eldest Sister is a married daughter. Why should she care about her family¡¯s matters?¡± Zheng Yuanbo said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that about Eldest Sister. This family can¡¯t do without Eldest Sister. We can¡¯t do without Yu Niang either.¡± Yuniang was good with business and earned a lot of money for the family. Ah Xiang turned around. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Zheng Yuanbo fell silent. Ah Xiang bit her lip and turned around to hug him. She asked in a coquettish voice, ¡°Can you bear for me to leave?¡± Zheng Yuanbo lowered his head. ¡°What¡¯s the use of being reluctant? If you don¡¯t leave, Yu Niang won¡¯t come back¡­¡± Ah Xiang choked and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave then! Before I leave, I¡¯ll serve you again, okay?¡± Zheng Yuanbo whispered, ¡°Ah Xiang, don¡¯t be like this¡­¡± ¡­ . Zheng Lanxiu had enough of crying. She wiped her tears and prepared to call Ah Xiang to go back with her. However, when she arrived at Zheng Yuanbo¡¯s door, an unbearable sound came from inside. The door was not closed tightly. Through the crack in the door, she saw two figures intertwined. ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t go to town today. It was Father Su who dragged his precious son-in-law out to set up a stall. Wei Ting was forced to set up shop. He sat on the stool behind the stall with a cold expression, exuding an aura that prevented strangers from approaching. Even so, there were still many people who came to admire his beautiful face. ¡°Give me ten chestnut cakes and ask that young man to pack them for me,¡± a young girl said shyly. Wei Ting¡¯s eyelids did not even twitch. Father Su chopped the machete on the chopping board. ¡°Say it again, who¡¯s going to pack it!¡± The little girl was so scared that she cried. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that her father was such a bandit. She was making salted eggs with Little Wu in the backyard. Even though they did not have to supply Jin Ji, their salted eggs were still not enough. They had no choice. Business was too good. When she ran out of wood ash, she went to the kitchen to move it. At this moment, someone walked over from the central room. Little Wu said, ¡°Yu Niang, you¡¯re in confinement. It¡¯s windy today. Don¡¯t come out.¡± The other party did not respond. Madam Wu turned around. ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for Su Daya.¡± Zheng Lanxiu said. Chapter 158 - 158 Success 158 Success Cripple Feng¡¯s injuries had worsened so much that the physician from Rong¡¯en Hall was no longer coming. When Su Xiaoxiao pushed the door open and entered, a stench assaulted her nose. If it wasn¡¯t winter, it would have attracted mosquitoes and flies. Zheng Lanxiu had gone through a huge struggle to invite Su Xiaoxiao over. She glanced at Su Xiaoxiao, but there was no change in her expression. ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t you smell it?¡± she asked. ¡°I can smell it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao carried the basket into the house. Zheng Lanxiu was even more surprised. She didn¡¯t know how many people had been driven away by the stench of Cripple Feng. The physicians of Rong¡¯en Hall all looked disgusted. They frowned and covered their noses with handkerchiefs. Su Xiaoxiao placed the basket on the table. Zheng Lanxiu opened her mouth. ¡°Are you sure you can cure him?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t answer her. Instead, she said, ¡°Go out and wait. I don¡¯t like to be disturbed when I¡¯m treating people.¡± Zheng Lanxiu said, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her indifferently. Zheng Lanxiu sighed. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± Zheng Lanxiu left the room. ¡°Close the door,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Zheng Lanxiu closed the door. Cripple Feng¡¯s face was flushed, his lips were dry, and his breathing was heavy and even. Su Xiaoxiao opened the first aid kit and took out a thermometer to measure him. Forty degrees. He was having a fever. She lifted the blanket. The stench was even stronger, almost nauseating. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression did not change at all. She carefully examined Cripple Feng¡¯s wound. In just a few days, his wound had already festered so badly. The physicians of Rong¡¯en Hall were really useless. What was the use of just applying ointment? They had to clean the wound. Otherwise, even if they applied a hundred bottles, the inside would still fester. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just Rong¡¯en Hall that caused his condition to deteriorate. Su Xiaoxiao found something other than a golden sore medicine on his wound. It looked like the wood ash she used to make salted eggs. Wood ash had a wide range of uses. Country people used it to fill their menstrual belts and scattered it on the fields during spring plowing to improve the soil. In addition, many soil recipes also used wood ash to treat external injuries. Wood ash did have the effect of stopping bleeding to a certain extent, but it could also cause contamination to the wound. Unclean wood ash, in particular, would cause the wound to be infected again. Zheng Lanxiu must have been desperate and found a local prescription for Cripple Feng to test. The situation was more serious than she had imagined. It seemed that Cripple Feng had to suffer more. However, it was right for a lecher like him to suffer. At least it would teach him a lesson. She would see if he still dared to have lecherous thoughts in the future. Su Xiaoxiao asked Zheng Lanxiu for a wooden basin. She first washed the wound with saline. Cripple Feng had been bitten through. She could not only clean the surface but also the flesh. The muddle-headed Cripple Feng up from the pain. ¡°Ah!¡± He let out a blood-curdling scream. What the heck? The iodophor and peroxide haven¡¯t been served yet. She¡¯ll have to wash it a few times. He should just suck it up! She would see if he would dare to do it in the future! Zheng Lanxiu¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she listened outside the door. There were a few times when she wondered if Su Daya was going to take the opportunity to torture Cripple Feng to death. Cleaning the wound was only the first step. She still had to apply medication and suture the wound, which would really take half of Cripple Feng¡¯s life. After all, she had used up all the anesthesia in her hand. Cripple Feng was not Jing Yi. He did not have the tenacity to endure the pain. He was in so much pain that he cried for his parents. He fainted a few times and woke up from the pain a few times. Zheng Lanxiu was crying outside. When Su Xiaoxiao finally completed the treatment, Zheng Lanxiu looked as if she was the one who had been stitched up. She was drenched in a cold sweat. ¡°How is it?¡± She hurried into the house and staggered to the bed. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Su Xiaoxiao replied. Zheng Lanxiu choked and asked, ¡°What do you mean by alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao put the first aid kit into the small basket. ¡°I¡¯ve cleaned up everything that needs to be cleaned up, sutured everything that needs to be stitched up, and applied the medication. The fever will subside in three days. I¡¯ll come over every day to change his dressing. Remember to give him two pills every morning and night. He¡¯s already taken them this morning. You can give them to him tonight after dinner.¡± With that, Su Xiaoxiao placed the anti-inflammatory medicine on the table. Zheng Lanxiu picked up the porcelain bottle. She was still nervous, but Su Daya¡¯s steady look ignited a trace of hope in her. Su Xiaoxiao played with the knife in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the release letter. I can treat him and but I can also kill him.¡± Zheng Lanxiu shivered. ¡ª- Three days later, Cripple Feng¡¯s fever really subsided, and his consciousness became much clearer. His wound no longer smelled bad. He was still in pain, but it wasn¡¯t the kind of pain that made him feel like dying. ¡°If I can¡¯t get the release letter today, I won¡¯t come tomorrow,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Zheng Lanxiu. Su Xiaoxiao wanted a release letter, not a divorce letter. If it was a divorce letter, it would be easier. Although Su Yuniang did not make any mistakes, the divorce letter would count as long as she did not go to the government office to sue the Zheng family. There was no precedent for a letter to release a wife from marriage in the surrounding villages. A woman would either stay in her in-laws¡¯ house for the rest of her life or be chased out by them. How could she leave the house with her head held high? Would Old Zheng let her go? Could Old Zheng take this lying down? Zheng Lanxiu said, ¡°I have an idea. If Yu Niang agrees to pay¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t have any ideas about Su Yuniang!¡± Zheng Xiulan choked on her words. At present, Su Daya was Cripple Feng¡¯s only hope. She had Cripple Feng¡¯s life in her hands, and Zheng Lanxiu could not afford to offend her. An hour later, Zheng Lanxiu found Ah Xiang. ¡°Do you want to stay with the Zheng family?¡± ¡­ . At Little Su¡¯s house, the three little ones led the foal to the village to ride their horse. Little Wu was working in the backyard while Su Yuniang watched from the side. She had not finished her confinement and could not touch cold water. However, she was not really idle. She had just finished settling the accounts. In the past, Su Xiaoxiao was the one who settled the accounts. When Su Xiaoxiao went to the capital, it was Wei Ting who settled the accounts. When Su Yuniang came, it was Su Yuniang who took over the accounts. Su Xiaoxiao was now delegating everything to others. ¡°Here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao suddenly appeared behind Su Yuniang and handed her a piece of paper. ¡°What?¡± Su Yuniang took it. Su Yuniang knew about Su Xiaoxiao treating Cripple Feng¡¯s injuries. That day, when Zheng Lanxiu came to invite Su Xiaoxiao, she was in her room for confinement. However, Su Yuniang did not know about Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s conditions for Zheng Lanxiu. Therefore, when Su Yuniang saw the release letter written in black and white, she was stunned. ¡°You¡­¡± She looked at Su Xiaoxiao in a daze and then at the letter in her hand. She flipped through it several times. There was Village Head Zheng¡¯s seal and Zheng Yuanbo¡¯s signature and stamp. It was real. It was a true release letter! How was this possible? How could the Zheng family agree? It was already difficult for her to get a divorce letter, let alone a release letter! She was already prepared to fight the Zheng family to death. She even thought that the Zheng family would skin her alive! ¡°Daya¡­¡± She looked at the chubby girl in front of her in disbelief. This girl said ¡°Okay¡±, but it turned out that she didn¡¯t mean ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Instead, she meant, ¡°Alright, leave it to me.¡± Chapter 159 - 159 Xiaohu 159 Xiaohu Su Xiaoxiao casually folded her sleeves. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. Don¡¯t be too touched.¡± Strictly speaking, she really had to thank Su Jinniang for this. If Su Jinniang hadn¡¯t lured Cripple Feng up the mountain and caused him to be injured, Cripple Feng¡¯s life wouldn¡¯t have fallen into her hands. Luck and opportunity were prepared for those with strength, and she happened to know medicine. It could only be said that the stars aligned. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Sign your name, stamp it, and then take it to the government office to seal it.¡± Little Wu was not that surprised. Daya was like this. She would really risk her life for the people around her. She was meticulous and brave. She was the most special girl Little Wu had ever seen. Su Yuniang didn¡¯t deny Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s ability and righteousness. She just¡­ couldn¡¯t figure out how Su Xiaoxiao did it. That was the Zheng family! Even if Zheng Lanxiu took action, she would not be able to persuade the Zheng family to give her a release letter! Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°The one called Ah Xiang¡­ seems to have played a role.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was an efficient person. If she wanted the release letter, she had to get it on the day itself. Otherwise, there would be trouble. Zheng Lanxiu had no choice but to look for Ah Xiang. First, she put on a show with Ah Xiang. She held a knife and wanted to chase Ah Xiang out. Ah Xiang pretended to be helpless and revealed her true identity. Ah Xiang said that she was originally a child of a rich family and had fled from her family to escape the marriage. She fell in love with Zheng Yuanbo at first sight and was afraid that the Zheng family would send her back to marry her fianc¨¦, so she refused to reveal her identity. In order to prove that what she said was true, Ah Xiang even took out a box of gold jewelry and a bank card. She declared, ¡°I¡¯m much richer than Su Yuniang. If you want money, I can give it to you! But I have a condition. With me, Ah Xiang, in this family, there won¡¯t be Su Yuniang!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. Su Yuniang¡¯s body is injured from giving birth. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to give birth in the future! If you are willing to sever the Zheng family¡¯s bloodline, so be it!¡± Su Yuniang could not leave with her child because she was Zheng Yuanbo¡¯s legitimate wife. They had a marriage contract! However, Ah Xiang was nameless and the Zheng family could not control her. If she left with the child in her stomach, the Zheng family would really be helpless. They could not keep her¡­ She was more fertile and richer than Su Yuniang. The Zheng family was tempted. Coupled with Zheng Lanxiu fanning the flames from the side, the Zheng family agreed. Zheng Lanxiu continued, ¡°Yuniang didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Our Zheng family can¡¯t divorce her. We can only give her a release letter. Yuniang has to agree to it herself.¡± Elder Zheng asked, ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t agree?¡± Zheng Lanxiu frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her.¡± The result was that Su Yuniang wanted her child. She also wanted to take away the clothes and jewelry under her name. After understanding the entire process of the incident, Su Yuniang did not know what to say. She muttered, ¡°How much anxiety did you cause Zheng Lanxiu for her to think of this trick? Isn¡¯t she afraid that Ah Xiang will be exposed?¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°If she exposes herself, they can chase Ah Xiang out.¡± Su Yuniang was stunned for a moment before she came to a realization. Zheng Lanxiu killed two birds with one stone. Not only did she use Ah Xiang to get the release letter written by the Zheng family, but she also had something on Ah Xiang. If Ah Xiang had any ill intentions in the future, she could accuse her of not being the daughter of a rich family. It was Ah Xiang who threatened her with the child in her stomach and forced her to fake it for Ah Xiang. Su Yuniang smiled emotionally. ¡°I underestimated this sister-in-law in the past.¡± That was because her cultivation was not shallow! Reality proved that there were many smart women in the world. ¡°Aiyaya, Sister Wu is still the cutest.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Madam Wu with curved eyes. Little Wu blushed and lowered her head shyly. Su Yuniang¡¯s face darkened. Who was she calling cute? ¡ª- In the afternoon, Father Su returned from his business with Wei Ting and Su Ergou. ¡°Why are you so late today?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Ask your son-in-law!¡± Father Su said unwillingly. Su Ergou said bitterly, ¡°There were so many people blocking the alley. We couldn¡¯t even get out. Don¡¯t bring Brother-in-law to set up a stall in the future. They were all here to see him!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wei Ting seriously and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Yes.¡± Such a good-looking husband should indeed be hidden at home. He should be hidden forever. Wei Ting frowned. Why did he feel that the way this girl looked at him was not right? ¡°Mother.¡± Xiaohu grabbed his little head and walked over from the entrance. Su Xiaoxiao held his hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is your head itchy?¡± Xiaohu shook his head. He looked very uncomfortable. Wei Ting frowned, almost thinking that he had ¡°relapsed¡± again. Su Xiaoxiao carried the little guy and placed him on the chair. She asked softly, ¡°Where are your brothers?¡± ¡°At Niudan¡¯s,¡± he said in his baby voice. So the little guy came back alone? Such a situation was rare. Usually, the three of them would move out together. Su Xiaoxiao squatted down and looked at him. ¡°Tell me if you feel uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Mm¡­ Mm¡­¡± Xiaohu scratched his head and made a few uncomfortable sounds. Su Xiaoxiao opened his hair bun and examined his scalp. ¡°Is it itchy? Or does it hurt?¡± ¡°It hurts,¡± Xiaohu said aggrievedly. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± Xiaohu said, ¡°My teeth hurt.¡± Why are you scratching your head when your teeth hurt? Hearing this, Wei Ting¡¯s heart relaxed a little. It was good that it was not a ¡°relapse¡±. It seemed that other than the last time when she did not return for a long time and they had a relapse, they were almost normal children the rest of the time. Thinking of this, Wei Ting looked at Su Xiaoxiao with a complicated gaze. She said that she would return the token to him. If that day really came¡­ Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know what Wei Ting was thinking. She was busy examining Xiaohu¡¯s teeth. She carried Xiaohu to a place where there was enough light at the door and said to Xiaohu, ¡°Open your mouth and let me see.¡± Xiaohu raised his head and opened his mouth obediently. ¡°Ah¡­¡± It seemed he had caries. Su Xiaoxiao asked seriously, ¡°Did you secretly eat candy again?¡± The desserts she made were not too sweet, especially the ones she made for them alone. All of them had reduced sugar and she would remind them to rinse their mouths. This was unless Xiaohu secretly ate candy. Xiao Hu shook his head seriously. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal any candy.¡± It was a pancake that he had secretly eaten. Children¡¯s baby teeth would fall off when they reached a certain age, but that did not mean that the baby teeth did not need treatment. If it was serious to a certain extent, not only would it hurt, but it might also affect the germination of the teeth. At the thought of such a cute and beautiful child, she smiled and gritted her teeth. He was too beautiful! Su Xiaoxiao took some cotton swabs and water and cleaned Xiaohu¡¯s teeth carefully. ¡°Let¡¯s observe it first. If it still hurts tomorrow, we¡¯ll have to pull out your teeth.¡± Xiaohu was shocked. ¡°Xiaohu doesn¡¯t want to pull out teeth!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If you eat candy secretly, you have to pull out your teeth!¡± Xiaohu raised his little hand and pointed next door. He said in a particularly serious tone, ¡°Dahu ate too! Pull out Dahu¡¯s teeth!¡± Ha! This little guy really did not hesitate to sell out Dahu! However, this reminded Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao pulled Dahu and Erhu back and checked their teeth one by one. Dahu and Erhu were fine, but Xiaohu had caries. Xiaohu was grief-stricken! He knelt on the ground and punched his chest angrily! They were brothers. They would share their happiness and difficulties together! Why didn¡¯t they get caries together? Chapter 160 - 160 Reward 160 Reward As the only baby in the family who had caries, Xiaohu received special treatment from Su Xiaoxiao¡ªhe was under the supervision of the entire family and was not allowed to eat pancakes for the time being. Life was not easy. Xiaohu sighed! Dental caries required treatment. The sooner the better. Su Xiaoxiao entered the pharmacy smoothly this time. Before she could react, she was already in the pharmacy¡¯s lounge. It was a lounge, not a ward. Based on her previous experience in the pharmacy, she would usually enter a certain ward directly if it was an emergency. For example, she got medicine for Wei Ting in the surgical area. She obtained medicine for Young Master Xiang in the internal medicine area and retrieved medicine for Aunt Fu in the cardiology area. There were only two times when she entered the lounge. The first time was when she hid the token, and the second time was when she was rewarded with a bottle of multivitamins. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze fell on the table in the lounge. As expected, other than Wei Ting¡¯s token, there were two more bottles of medicine. One bottle of collagen peptide powder, the other¡­ Uh, why wasn¡¯t anything written? Su Xiaoxiao unscrewed the cap and took a look. These were small yellow pills that looked a little like detox pills. They smelled a little similar, but why wasn¡¯t there a label? It looked like a third-rate product. Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°Is this for me again?¡± Ever since she weighed herself on New Year¡¯s Eve and realized that she had lost 20 kilograms, her confidence in losing weight had increased greatly. In addition to the necessary daily exercise, she had also controlled her diet more strictly. For heavier people, losing weight too quickly can easily lead to skin relaxation, and collagen could promote skin elasticity. She did not dare to say if the collagen on the market was really effective or if this was an IQ tax. After all, she had never consumed them. However, the medicine in the base pharmacy was definitely effective. That being said, she felt that she had no use for the detox pills at all. The Chameleon Grass was enough for typical heat-removal cases. If one was really poisoned, the Detox Pill would be useless. ¡°Forget it, I shall just accept it first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put the two bottles of medicine away. This time, Su Xiaoxiao was very dutiful. She didn¡¯t take the black technology concoctions from the pharmacy. She only took some medicine and materials for treating Xiaohu¡¯s dental caries, a little anesthetic, and Wei Ting¡¯s token. After leaving the pharmacy, Su Xiaoxiao quickly checked her purse. Wei Ting¡¯s token was still there. ¨C Su Xiaoxiao went to the central room to look for Xiaohu. ¡°Eh? Where¡¯s Xiaohu?¡± Xiaohu had gone into hiding. He did not want his teeth to be pulled out, so he carried his small pillow to Father Su¡¯s room. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Su Cheng looked at Xiaohu who had suddenly entered the house and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiaohu hugged his little pillow and looked at him adorably. ¡°Sleep with Grandpa.¡± Father Su said, ¡°Are you the only one?¡± The three little ones usually act collectively. Xiao Hu nodded. In the past few days, Su Ergou had vacated his room for Su Yuniang. The father and son squeezed together at night. Although his bed was not small, it could not fit three people. But if it was only Xiaohu, they could manage. ¡°Alright, come up.¡± Father Su pulled the blanket away. It was not dark yet. Father Su had woken up early to do business. He had to catch up on sleep. Xiaohu kicked off his shoes and slipped into bed. When Su Xiaoxiao found Su Cheng¡¯s room, Xiao Hu had already crawled into Father Su¡¯s bed. However, although his head and body had gone in, his little butt was still sticking out. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the little ostrich and laughed. In the end, Su Xiaoxiao was the one who pulled him out. ¡°Grandpa, help!¡± Xiaohu appealed to Su Cheng¡¯s sympathy. ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­¡± Father Su looked at his chubby daughter and wanted to say that it was just a toothache. He would be fine after he grew up and his permanent teeth sprouted. There was no need to really pull out his teeth. However, when he met Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s serious gaze, Father Su lost. ¡°Aiya, Grandpa is asleep.¡± Su Cheng closed his eyes and remained unconscious! Xiaohu¡¯s inner thoughts were that adults nowadays were too unreliable! Along the way, Xiaohu sent out strong distress signals to Su Yuniang, Madam Wu, and Su Ergou. But who would dare to provoke Su Daya? For a moment, everyone was blind. Wei Ting was also in the east room. ¡°Father!¡± Xiao Hu called out the most sincere ¡°father¡± since he was two and a half years old. Wei Ting walked over. ¡°Give him to me.¡± Boohoo, Daddy was reliable! ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao gave Xiaohu to Wei Ting. Xiao Hu hugged his stinky father¡¯s neck and glared at his own short legs! ¡°Let¡¯s leave! Let¡¯s leave!¡± Wei Ting sat down and clasped Xiao Hu¡¯s hands and feet tightly. ¡°Is this okay?¡± Xiaohu was dumbfounded. Su Xiaoxiao put on her gloves and took out her tweezers. ¡°Oh, turn to the right a little. The lighting is better that way.¡± The condition of Xiao Hu¡¯s teeth wasn¡¯t so serious that she needed to pull them out. They were in the mildest condition. Su Xiaoxiao used a little dressing to treat his caries. In addition, Su Xiaoxiao noticed that his second molar was about to grow out. No wonder the little guy had been drooling a lot recently. Xiaohu sat on Wei Ting¡¯s lap, and Su Xiaoxiao bent down to treat him. In order to see more clearly, she had no choice but to get closer to Xiaohu and Wei Ting. It was so close that Wei Ting could see her eyelashes clearly. Wei Ting recalled the first time he looked at her. To be honest, she had changed a lot. But the changes didn¡¯t seem revolutionary. The former was her skin, and the latter¡­ was her unique seriousness and focus. ¡°Done.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took back the tweezers. Wei Ting put Xiaohu down. Su Cheng had been looking at the door for a long time. Seeing that the little guy was finally done, he hurriedly walked in. Xiaohu pounced into his arms aggrievedly. ¡°Boohoo, Grandpa!¡± Su Cheng held the little guy in his arms and comforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. Grandpa will bring you to set off firecrackers and shoot slingshots!¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. The process of applying the medicine was actually not uncomfortable. The little guy was so sad because he thought that she had pulled out his little teeth. He was worried about his little teeth. Su Xiaoxiao started to pack up the medicine and tools on the table. She thought of something and took off her gloves. She took out a token from her pouch and handed it to Wei Ting. ¡°I promised to return it to you.¡± Wei Ting was stunned when he saw that she had really returned the token intact. Su Xiaoxiao waved the token. ¡°Take it. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want it?¡± Wei Ting paused and slowly took the token. After Su Xiaoxiao left, the man in black, Yuchi Xiu, flashed in. He stared at the token in Wei Ting¡¯s hand and his eyes lit up. ¡°Lord! This little girl kept her word. She really returned the token to you! That¡¯s great! We can finally set off for the capital!¡± Wei Ting gave him a cold look. The lord didn¡¯t seem very happy. But he wasn¡¯t wrong. Yuchi Xiu activated his powerful brain function as he looked at his lord¡¯s legs and came to a sudden realization. ¡°My Lord¡¯s leg injury has yet to recover. I was negligent. We¡¯ll return to the capital after you recover!¡± logo Chapter 161 - 161 Lesson 161 Lesson As the only pitiful baby in the family who had his teeth ¡°pulled out¡±, Xiaohu had a small reason to be finicky. He didn¡¯t eat by himself. He wanted someone to feed him. Su Cheng was feeding him with a small bowl. He was a little boy. After Grandpa fed him, he wanted Uncle to feed him. After Uncle fed him, he wanted Auntie Su to feed him. In the end, he even pulled Dahu and Erhu over. ¡°Brother, feed.¡± Dahu¡­ Dahu fed him a fist. At the end of the month, Father Su welcomed his 37th birthday. Su Ergou was also 14 years old. On the first day of February, Su Yuniang¡¯s child was one month old. In the countryside, the child had to hold a one-month-old celebration. Su Yuniang recuperated in her maiden home for many days before moving into the Su family¡¯s house. The Su family told the public that she was not in good health and was in danger. They had to let the physician take care of her at all times. The villagers were suspicious. There were a few times when they passed by Little Su¡¯s house and saw Su Yuniang prancing around. She could even settle the accounts and take care of the three children. Now that her child was one month old, she should return to her in-laws¡¯ house to hold a one-month-old celebration. Or at least, her in-laws should come to pick up the child. ¡°It¡¯s a girl, what¡¯s there to celebrate?¡± Su Can said to the villagers. It was not uncommon to not hold a one-month-old celebration for a baby girl. However, what happened next stunned all the villagers. Zheng Lanxiu came to the Su family¡¯s house and gave them a large cart full of Su Yuniang¡¯s belongings. What did that mean? Was Su Yuniang chased out by the Zheng family? The Su family was furious. Su Can immediately blocked Zheng Lanxiu¡¯s path with his eldest son, Su Dalang. ¡°What does the Zheng family want?¡± Zheng Lanxiu snorted coldly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your precious daughter? She¡¯s the one who wants to divorce my brother!¡± ¡°What? Divorce?¡± Su Can and his son felt like they were struck by a bolt from the blue. They didn¡¯t even remember how they had returned to the Su family. Old Master Su asked Su Yuniang to come over. Since Su Yuniang had finished her confinement period, she planned to go to the government office to seal the release letter to let it take effect. Otherwise, she would still be the daughter-in-law of the Zheng family. ¡°Sis, Grandpa wants to see you,¡± he whispered. If it were Dalang and Erlang, Su Yuniang would not have bothered. However, this was the only younger brother of the Su family who was on her side. Su Yuniang did not want to make things difficult for him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± She was going, not going back. In her heart, she no longer treated the Su family as her own home. He lowered his head. ¡°Grandpa wants you to enter from the back.¡± He felt that she had embarrassed the Su family. Fine. She would do as requested. ¡­ . In the main hall of the Su family, Su Yuniang saw her dignified grandfather, her complaining grandmother, her indignant father, her two disappointed brothers, her pitiless sister, and her weak and helpless mother. This was the family she had been with for so many years. It was really heartbreaking. ¡°San Lang, go with your mother to the kitchen to cook,¡± Old Master Su instructed. Su Sanlang gave Su Yuniang a worried look. Su Yuniang patted his shoulder assuringly. ¡°Big Sister is fine. Go.¡± Su San Lang and Madam Fang went to the kitchen. Old Master Su¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and the Zheng family?¡± Su Yuniang said frankly, ¡°I divorced Zheng Yuanbo.¡± The entire family gasped. Zheng Lanxiu was not lying. This girl had really divorced him! Old Master Su slammed his palm on the table. ¡°How dare you!¡± Su Yuniang did not say anything. In the few days she had stayed with the Su family, she had learned one thing from Su Daya, and that was to not waste her breath on people who did not understand her. Those who understood didn¡¯t require you to explain. For those who didn¡¯t, it was useless no matter what you say. Her maternal family would not care that Zheng Yuanbo had a vixen by his side, nor would they consider the torture and disgust she felt when she faced a scumbag and a concubine every day. They only wanted Su Yuniang to continue being the daughter-in-law of the main family in Shallow Water Village. Su Dalang frowned and said, ¡°Sister, you¡¯ll make us unable to raise our heads in the village.¡± Su Yuniang asked, ¡°That¡¯s more important than whether I¡¯m doing well or not, right?¡± Su Dalang said coldly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you living well? Brother-in-law dotes on you very much, and your parents-in-law also value you. Go to the village and ask. How many wives can receive such treatment accorded to you?¡± It was true that Zheng Yuanbo doted on her, but he also betrayed her. Her parents-in-law thought highly of her. However, didn¡¯t they still choose to keep Ah Xiang at home after hearing that she couldn¡¯t give birth and wasn¡¯t as rich as Ah Xiang? She knew that she was doing something shocking. Perhaps she was born rebellious. ¡°Where¡¯s the release letter?¡± Old Master Su went straight to the point. Compared to the others who only knew how to use words to suppress Su Yuniang, Old Master Su clearly knew how to grasp the pertinent points. The release letter needed to be stamped in the government office, and Su Yuniang had been in confinement. In other words, she had not had the chance to legitimize the release letter. ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao went to set up a stall today. When the regular customers saw her, they immediately felt that it had been a long time. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Father Su was too cruel, scaring a few girls to tears. Even so, Su Ji¡¯s business was still getting more and more popular. Wasn¡¯t it infuriating? ¡°Eh? Girl, have you lost weight again?¡± An aunt asked. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve lost some weight.¡± She had secretly weighed herself again last night and found that she lost another twenty pounds. If the first month¡¯s 20 pounds did not seem to have made a difference, the second month¡¯s weight loss of 20 pounds could not be more obvious. The cuffs of her sleeves were loose, her collar less taut, and the flesh on her cheeks lessened. Before, she panted heavily when she took three steps and sweated profusely when she took five. Now, she was a light and chubby girl. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t lose weight for others to see. She wanted a healthy body. Compared to the external changes, what delighted her more was the continuous strengthening of her body. If this continued, it wouldn¡¯t be long before she could recover¡­ half of her strength from her previous life. Why half? It was all because this body was special. In her previous life, she did everything with half the effort. Now, it was the other way around. Soon, the pancakes were sold out. Su Xiaoxiao closed the stall and went to the market with Su Ergou to buy ingredients. Su Ji had made a name for itself in town, and the boss of the shop knew Su Xiaoxiao. They knew that someone called Liu Ping would come to pick up the goods for her later. The siblings walked back to the village. On the way, Su Ergou suddenly said, ¡°Sister, have you noticed that the people from Jin Ji have not come to find trouble with us recently?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. They had robbed Jin Ji of their business. Logically speaking, Jin Ji should hold a grudge and find an opportunity to take revenge. Even if they were afraid of Old Madam Qi, they could secretly cause trouble as long as they did not blow up their stall in public and did not let anyone catch them red-handed. But Jin Ji¡­ didn¡¯t seem to have moved. This had to start with Yuchi Xiu. Yuchi Xiu had tied up Manager He before he went to the prefecture capital. With a raise of his hand and a slash, Manager He turned into a bald chicken. From the beginning to the end, Yuchi Xiu didn¡¯t even give Manager He a frontal view. He stood under the moonlight with his back facing Shopkeeper He, looking cool and arrogant. ¡°Be good, or you¡¯ll die next time!¡± Manager He thought to himself,¡± What do you mean by being good? Listen to who? What do you want me to do? Where did this idiot come from? Tell me clearly before you leave!¡± Chapter 162 - 162 Missing 162 Missing Manager He was tied to the cold ground and lay naked for the entire night. The next day, he caught a cold and had not been to Jin Ji for several days. Su Ergou showed off his biceps. ¡°Sis, we must have scared him!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment. ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s true.¡± When the siblings reached home, they did not see Su Yuniang. After asking Madam Wu, she shook her head. ¡°I went to the river to wash the salted eggs. When I came back, she wasn¡¯t in the house anymore. Oh right, I heard her say that she was going to the county office. Did she go to town?¡± Su Xiaoxiao knew about the matter of getting the letter stamped at the county office. She had set up the stall early in the morning and Su Yuniang was still sleeping. Her original plan was to get Liu Ping to send Su Yuniang to town in the afternoon on a donkey cart. However, he could not rule out the possibility that Su Yuniang could not wait and went to the county office herself. As for why Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t meet her, it wasn¡¯t hard to understand. The town was so big, and the county office and Jinji were in two different directions. Coincidentally, they had missed each other on the way. However, Su Yuniang did not return even in the evening. ¡°Does it take that long to go to the county office?¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered and asked Su Ergou to ask Old Li to see when Su Yuniang left the village. The village head and Old Li both said that they did not see Su Yuniang leave the village. This was strange. If she did not leave the village, where could Su Yuniang have gone? Could it be that the village head¡¯s family and Old Li¡¯s family happened to not see Su Yuniang go out? Su Xiaoxiao called Liu Ping over. ¡°Brother Liu, please go to the county office and see if Yu Niang is here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Liu Ping sat on the donkey cart and the donkey galloped away. This donkey was different from other donkeys. It ate a lot, was strong, and ran fast. About an hour later, Liu Ping returned to the village. ¡°The people from the government office said that no young woman came today.¡± Madam Wu did not leave. She was also waiting for news of Su Yuniang at the Su family¡¯s house. She asked, ¡°Could she have¡­ returned to the Zheng family?¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°Su Yuniang has cut ties with the Zheng family.¡± ¡°Old Su?¡± Su Ergou also expressed his guess. Su Yuniang had mentioned that she had left some things at the Su family¡¯s house. Her luggage¡­ and some of her private money. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know the exact amount. Su Yuniang didn¡¯t say anything, but it shouldn¡¯t be a small sum. Su Yuniang hid it very well. She did not even tell Madam Fang. Therefore, if Su Yuniang wanted to take back her things, she had to go personally. The Su family should have some luggage left¡­ Su Xiaoxiao thought about it and was about to visit them personally when the Su family came. It was Su Can and Su Erlang. The father and son were aggressive as if they were here to tear down the house. Su Can stood at the door and shouted, ¡°Fatty Su! Where did you hide Yu Niang? Ask her to come out and see me! I have something to say to her!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at the three of them strangely. ¡°Yu Niang isn¡¯t here.¡± She found it strange that Su Yuniang wasn¡¯t in the Su family either. ¡°Where did Yu Niang go?¡± Su Can asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Su Xiaoxiao answered honestly. Su Can¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Fatty Su! Su Yuniang has been staying at your house for the past few days. Don¡¯t you know where she is?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t know.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly. Su Can said coldly, ¡°Did you deliberately hide her and not let us see her?¡± Su Ergou walked out. ¡°Why would we hide? We haven¡¯t seen Sister Yuniang since we came back from town. We wanted to ask you if Sister Yuniang went to your place.¡± ¡°Nonsense! Yu Niang isn¡¯t in our Su family at all!¡± Su Can said to his son, ¡°Erlang, go and ask the village head and Li Xiaoyong if Yu Niang left the village.¡± Su Erlang went. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t stop him. Why should she be kind enough to help the Su family? Su Erlang returned with sweat all over his forehead. He panted and said, ¡°Father, Second Sister didn¡¯t leave the village.¡± Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. Su Can glared at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Fatty Su! Where did you hide Yu Niang?¡± Liu Ping also walked out and said, ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. Daya really didn¡¯t hide Yu Niang. Daya is also looking for Yu Niang.¡± Su Can suddenly raised his voice. ¡°In that case, you¡¯ve lost Yu Niang?¡± Liu Ping hurriedly explained, ¡°No¡­ We didn¡¯t¡­¡± Su Can¡¯s voice was too loud, startling the villagers nearby. First, it was Madam He and Madam Wu from the neighboring house, followed by the Sun family¡¯s wife and Aunt Wu. Not long after, the most powerful gossiper in the village, Madam Zhou, also came over. She and Auntie Liu arrived one after another. After all, one lived on the left of the Su family while the other lived on the right. ¡°What happened?¡± Madam Zhou asked. Su Erlang complained, ¡°Auntie Zhou, the Su family lost my second sister.¡± Su Ergou was unhappy. He put his hands on his hips and said, ¡°Hey, hey, hey! How can you say that? Who made Sister Yu Niang disappear?¡± Su Erlang said, ¡°Then where do you think my second sister went?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Su Ergou choked. ¡°Look, you can¡¯t say it, right?¡± Su Erlang was smarter than his eldest brother. He looked at the villagers around him and said aggrievedly, ¡°Everyone, be the judge. My sister was recuperating with them. After she went missing, they even blamed us and asked where we were!¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°No! Who f*cking played the blame game? I was¡­¡± Little Bully Su was good at fighting, but he was not as good at talking. Father Su and his son-in-law were still picking vegetables in the fields. Only Su Xiaoxiao and the others were at home. ¡°Don¡¯t say that our Su Clan is bullying others.¡± Su Can said coldly, ¡°Let Yu Niang out, and we¡¯ll pretend nothing happened!¡± ¡°Pretend?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°What did our Su family do? Do we need your Su family to pretend that nothing happened? Who are you giving charity to?¡± Su Ergou immediately straightened his back. ¡°That¡¯s right! What¡¯s so great about your Su family? Do you think we¡¯re beggars?¡± Su Can scolded, ¡°But Yu Niang went missing from your family!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Can without blinking. ¡°It¡¯s only been half a day. How can you be so sure that she¡¯s missing?¡± Su Can choked. Su Erlang said, ¡°But Yu Niang disappeared from your house!¡± ¡°Wah!¡± A baby¡¯s cry came from inside the house. Yuniang¡¯s child was so hungry that she cried. Madam Wu wanted to carry her to the Li family and ask Madam Zhao to help feed her. Su Can hurriedly said, ¡°The child is crying like this. He must be hungry. Quickly get Yuniang to come out!¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°I already said that Sister Yuniang is not at my house!¡± ¡°Speaking of which, where did Yuniang go? How can a mother abandon her child?¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s already so late. It¡¯s time to go back.¡± ¡°Did she go back to your in-laws¡¯ house?¡± ¡°Would she go home without her baby?¡± The villagers spoke one after another, and their guesses about Su Yuniang¡¯s whereabouts gradually became strange. They could not be blamed for thinking too much. It was really strange. Who would leave a one-month-old baby behind? Chapter 163 - 163 Protective 163 Protective Su Xiaoxiao said to Madam Wu, ¡°Sister Wu, take the child to the Li family and let Sister Zhao feed him.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Madam Wu nodded. ¡°This is my second sister¡¯s child!¡± Su Erlang blocked Madam Wu¡¯s path. ¡°If you made my second sister disappear, who knows what you will do to my second sister¡¯s child?¡± Su Ergou rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Are you crazy? Do you want to fight?¡± ¡°What for?¡± It was Su Cheng. He had just returned from the Li family¡¯s field and was carrying a basket of freshly picked vegetables with Wei Ting. When the two men at home appeared, Su Can and the others¡¯ arrogance clearly weakened. However, very quickly, Su Can straightened his back again. ¡°Su Cheng, where did your family hide Yuniang? With the villagers around, your Su family had better give us an explanation!¡± Su Cheng looked into the room. ¡°Is Yuniang not here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°In the morning, Sister Wu came back from washing the salted eggs and didn¡¯t see Yu Niang.¡± Su Cheng frowned. It was already night. Wei Ting¡¯s cold and sharp gaze swept past Su Can and his son. Su Can inadvertently turned his head and met Wei Ting¡¯s icy cold gaze. Ordinary people were not used to making eye contact. Whether it was getting caught when looking at others or catching others looking at them, they would subconsciously dodge. However, Wei Ting did not avert his eyes. He seemed to be born with the unruliness and calmness of a superior being. On the other hand, Su Can¡¯s heart skipped a beat under his oppressive gaze. ¡°Mother.¡± The three little ones scurried over from next door. ¡°Don¡¯t bully my mother!¡± Dahu said fiercely. The three little bullies stood in front of Su Xiaoxiao fiercely. The villagers were a little surprised. It was already good enough that such young children did not cry in fear when they encountered such a huge formation. The few little fellows actually had the guts to stand in front of the entire village for their stepmother. They were all children, but why was the difference so big? Madam He thought of her son, Niudan. On the day the family separated, there was a scene in the central room and Niudan cried in the kitchen. He did not even dare to fart. It was infuriating that Niudan couldn¡¯t even match up to two-and-a-half-year-old children. Su Xiaoxiao patted their heads. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go in with Father first. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± The three children looked at their fair and chubby mother, then at their crippled father. They nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that their mother was indeed better at fighting. Su Cheng also said, ¡°Son-in-law, go in first. Don¡¯t get hurt when we fight later!¡± Wei Ting, who had been severely underestimated was speechless. On the other side, Su Yuniang¡¯s child was crying. Su Xiaoxiao said to Su Ergou, ¡°Ergou, accompany Sis Wu to the Li Family.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Su Ergou agreed, grabbed the machete, and walked out. Su Erlang was so frightened that his face turned pale. He thought to himself that he must not give in but had already given way meekly. Su Ergou sent Little Wu to the Li family. Madam Zhao fed the child and asked what had happened. Madam Wu sighed. ¡°Yuniang is missing.¡± Mrs. Zhao said, ¡°Just now, Ergou came to ask Father if he had seen Yu Niang leave the village.¡± Madam Wu said, ¡°That¡¯s right. We thought that Yuniang had gone to the government office to do something.¡± As for what it was about, Little Wu did not say. Mrs. Zhao was not a gossipy person, so she tactfully did not probe further. When Mdm Qian heard this from outside the door, her expression turned ugly. What did Su Yuniang¡¯s disappearance have to do with the Su family? Su Yuniang had her own legs and feet. Could Daya tie her up? Madam Qian was still brooding over Su Yuniang intercepting the midwife, but Madam Qian¡¯s impression of the Su family had long changed. ¡°Old man, go take a look.¡± She called Old Li, ¡°Call the village head too.¡± Old Li was very surprised. ¡°Why are you suddenly willing to meddle in other people¡¯s business today?¡± Madam Qian was not someone who liked to join in the fun. Madam Qian glared at him. ¡°I¡¯m not an ungrateful person!¡± Although she did not say it out loud, she remembered how much Daya had helped their family. Unfortunately, even the village head could not help with Su Yuniang¡¯s matter. Su Xiaoxiao asked calmly, ¡°You keep saying that I hid Yu Niang. Why would I hide her?¡± Madam Zhou said sarcastically, ¡°Are you afraid that Yuniang will recover and you won¡¯t be able to earn money, so you deliberately hid her for a few more days?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Can mockingly. ¡°I think the Su family knows why Yu Niang moved into my house.¡± Su Can¡¯s eyes flashed. Madam Zhou chuckled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to scam the consultation fees and deliberately make Yuniang¡¯s illness worse? That¡¯s why Yuniang had no choice but to stay in your house to recuperate?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what your Su family told the villagers.¡± Su Can cleared his throat. Aunt Liu suddenly said, ¡°Ah, I remember something. In the morning, I seemed to have seen Yuniang¡¯s younger brother coming to look for Yuniang. They left from the back of the house! I was cooking in the kitchen at that time! I even called him! I asked him if he was looking for his eldest sister, but he didn¡¯t answer, but I saw him enter the kitchen of the Su family.¡± Sun Sanlang been here! Things had taken a turn! The village head quickly asked Li Xiaoyong to call Su Sanlang over. He had come with Su Jinniang and Madam Fang. Ever since Su Xiaoxiao taught Su Jinniang a lesson and threatened her not to appear in front of her again, Su Jinniang had indeed not gone out for a few days. There were many people today. Su Jinniang didn¡¯t believe that Su Xiaoxiao would do anything to her in public, so she mustered her courage and came over. ¡°Sanlang.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked him, ¡°Did you come to see your elder sister today?¡± Everyone turned to look at him. Su Sanlang was only ten years old. When had he ever encountered such a situation? He was so frightened that he hid behind Madam Fang. The village head said, ¡°Sanlang, don¡¯t be afraid. Just say what¡¯s on your mind.¡± Su Sanlang looked timidly at his father and two brothers and nodded weakly. The village head continued, ¡°Did your eldest sister tell you where she was going?¡± Su Sanlang shook his head. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Sanlang, who told you to look for your sister?¡± Ever since Su Yuniang moved into the Su family, the Su family did not allow Su Sanlang to interact with her anymore. Therefore, there must be a reason for his sudden visit. He hesitated, then whispered, ¡°Grandpa sent me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Why did he ask you to look for your sister?¡± ¡°He asked me to bring Eldest Sis back,¡± he said. Su Xiaoxiao asked again, ¡°Did your sister go back with you?¡± He hesitated for a moment before answering softly, ¡°Yes.¡± When the siblings returned, Aunt Liu did not see them. She went to cook. Su Xiaoxiao paused, ¡°Do you know why your grandfather asked your sister to go back?¡± Su Sanlang shook his head. ¡°Grandpa didn¡¯t say.¡± Su Cheng raised his chin and snorted coldly. ¡°Did you hear that? Yu Niang has returned to your Su family. You still came to our house to ask for her?¡± Su Erlang said angrily, ¡°My second sister did go back, but she took her things and left again!¡± ¡°Is that so, Sanlang?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the ten-year-old child again. Su Sanlang nodded slowly. ¡°Eldest Sis seems to have quarreled with the family. She took a bundle and left in a hurry. I called out to her, but she ignored me. I saw her coming from the back¡­ to your house.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Did you see her enter our house?¡± He searched his memory. ¡°Well, she went in the back door.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold. Yuniang had returned? Then, she disappeared again? Was Su Sanlang lying, or was there something else going on? Chapter 164 - 164 Search 164 Search ¡°Yuniang returned to the Su family. Other than San Lang, did anyone else see her?¡± The person who spoke was Madam Qian. Mdm Qian had never interfered in the village¡¯s matters. This was the first time she had stood up. However, after thinking about it, it was not strange. After all, her daughter-in-law¡¯s child was delivered by Fatty Su, so she naturally sided with her. Everyone looked at Auntie Liu. Auntie Liu sighed. ¡°I really didn¡¯t see it. I went to cook.¡± ¡°What about Meizi¡¯s mother? Isn¡¯t she working for the Su family?¡± a villager asked. The Sun family¡¯s wife said, ¡°She just said that she went to the river to wash her things! She wasn¡¯t around at that time!¡± ¡°Sanlang, is what you said true?¡± the village head asked. Su Can was unhappy. ¡°What do you mean, Village Head? Are you suspecting that we deliberately got Sanlang to lie? How old is he? Ten years old! Can we teach him like this?!¡± The village head explained, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Su Can snorted coldly and said, ¡°Little Su¡¯s family has become rich recently. I know you¡¯re close to Little Su¡¯s family, but you can¡¯t favor Little Su¡¯s family. Don¡¯t forget that if it weren¡¯t for our Su family back then, the entire village would have starved to death!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, those who wanted to speak up for the Su family fell silent. Although the village head was being rebuked, he still had to ask what he needed to ask. ¡°Sanlang, after you saw your eldest sister enter the back door of the Su family, did you follow her?¡± Su Sanlang shook his head. ¡°I went back to the house.¡± The village head continued, ¡°In other words, you can¡¯t be sure of your sister¡¯s whereabouts after that?¡± He froze. Madam Qian snorted. ¡°That¡¯s right. Perhaps Yuniang left on her own! She has her own hands and feet! Who can tie her up? They said that the Su family hid Yuniang. Where can they hide her? This place is only so big! The family went to town to do business! When Yuniang disappeared, they were not home! How could they hide her?¡± The villagers finally experienced Aunt Qian¡¯s combat strength. She usually did not fight with others. It was not that she did not know how to fight, but that she looked down on them! Look at this logic. There was nothing wrong with it! Su Yuniang disappeared when Madam Wu went to the river to wash the salted eggs. At that time, there were others by the river to prove that Madam Wu had been washing them and had never left. When Madam Wu returned to the Su family, Yuniang was already gone. Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou came back around noon. Liu Ping was even later. Which member of the Su family had the time to commit a crime? Not to mention Father Su and Wei Ting, the two of them were learning how to farm in the Li family¡¯s vegetable field. Half of the villagers could testify. Su Cheng raised his eyebrows arrogantly. ¡°How is it? You have nothing to say, right? Do you want to go into the house and search? If you can find er, I, Su Cheng, will chop off my head and let you kick it like a ball!¡± ¡°I looked, and there is no one!¡± It was actually Niudan. He entered Little Su¡¯s house from the back door, searched around, and came out of the front door. Madam He wished she could beat this silly son to death! Was he speaking up for the Su Family? The more he lived, the worse he became! Su Can stammered, ¡°Maybe Yuniang went to town to look for you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sneered. ¡°Have you forgotten that you asked Su Erlang to ask the village head and Uncle Li just now? You said yourself that Yuniang didn¡¯t leave the village.¡± Su Can¡¯s face turned red, and Su Erlang could not say anything. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered with the Su family anymore. She turned around and entered the house. Su Erlang stopped her. ¡°Fatty Su, where are you going?! You haven¡¯t explained yourself clearly!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glared at him coldly. ¡°Finding Yuniang is more important than slandering the Su family!¡± Su Erlang choked and his face turned red. Compared to outsiders, no one in Su Yuniang¡¯s family cared about Su Yuniang¡¯s whereabouts. The villagers looked at the Su father and son with skeptical expressions. Su Erlang muttered without much confidence, ¡°Don¡¯t be hypocritical. You can¡¯t find her¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao had already entered the house. Su Cheng: ¡°Ergou! Close the door!¡± ¡°Aye!¡± Su Ergou immediately closed the door of their house. ¡°Everyone, go search too,¡± the village head said earnestly. A few brave men stood up and said that they would go home to get an oil lamp before searching for Su Yuniang. The Su family looked at each other. Su Can said, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and find them too.¡± Su Jinniang looked toward the lit oil lamp in the Su family¡¯s house. Two figures were reflected on the window paper in the east room by the candlelight. They were hugging the child intimately. She was so jealous that she dug her nails into her palms. ¡ª- Xiao Hu suddenly said that he had a toothache. Wei Ting held him on his lap, and Su Xiaoxiao bent down to examine him. ¡°No problem.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Xiaohu rolled his eyes. ¡°My teeth hurt.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°You just want me to watch over you, right?¡± Children had their own way of protecting adults. It seemed that as long as she stayed in the room, she would not be bullied. It was such a childish and touching thought. Su Xiaoxiao touched his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine. No one can bully me.¡± Liu Ping¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside the house. ¡°Uncle Su, Daya! The Su family has gone to the Li family to snatch the child!¡± Su Xiaoxiao had heard it clearly in the Su family. They would not raise this child. Even if they snatched it, they would send it to the Zheng family. The current Zheng family would not treat this child well. Moreover, didn¡¯t they agree to look for Su Yuniang? Why did they turn around and snatch the child? ¡°The Su family¡¯s reaction isn¡¯t right.¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. Wei Ting hummed faintly. Father Su said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Damn it! He doesn¡¯t take his daughter¡¯s life seriously! He only knows how to fight with us!¡± In Father Su¡¯s opinion, the Su family was trying to snatch the child because she had been living with their family. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Father, go over. We can¡¯t let them snatch the child away. I¡¯ll go to the Su family again and ask Sanlang.¡± Father Su carried his machete to the Li family. The men of the Su Family were all mobilized. Even Old Master Su was not around. They must have gone to snatch the child or to look for Su Yuniang with the villagers. There were only Old Madam Su, Mdm Fang, Su Jinniang, and the ten-year-old Su Sanlang. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Su Jinniang looked at her in surprise. ¡°You came to me this time!¡± In other words, she was implying that Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t hit her since Su Xiaoxiao was the one who came to her house. Su Xiaoxiao raised her hand. Su Jinniang dodged to the side! Su Xiaoxiao looked at her strangely. She was just pushing the door. Su Sanlang and Mdm Fang were there, so she asked Mdm Fang too. Mdm Fang said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was cooking in the kitchen. Later, I was called over by my mother to find something for her. When I came out, Yuniang had already left.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Do you know why Yuniang quarreled with the family?¡± Madam Fang shook her head. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Do you really not know, or do you not dare to say?¡± Chapter 165 - 165 Clue 165 Clue ¡°Aunt Fang, Yuniang is your daughter. In this family, no matter how others treat her, at least you and Sanlang treat her sincerely.¡± Madam Fang hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡­ think I heard them mention divorce.¡± Therefore, Su Yuniang quarreled with her family over the divorce. It was not difficult to guess the Su family¡¯s attitude. They definitely did not agree to it. In the eyes of the Su family, reputation was the top priority. The rest had to make room. Before the argument came to an end, Su Yuniang packed her bags and appeared to have left. There was nothing more she could ask. She could only confirm that Madam was not lying. There was another problem. Why did the Su family call Su Yuniang back at the beginning? They even secretly walked from the back. ¡°Zheng Lanxiu was here. Could it be that the Su family heard some news from Zheng Lanxiu and felt that Su Yuniang was embarrassing, so they secretly called Su Yuniang back to reprimand her?¡± Su Xiaoxiao pondered and walked back to the Su family. In the village, the villagers looked around with torches. Madam Zhou mocked, ¡°You said you cared about Yuniang, but you didn¡¯t look for her. You just wandered around the village. Those who don¡¯t know might think that you¡¯re wandering the streets!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Madam Zhou. Her cold gaze made Madam Zhou¡¯s heart skip a beat. She did not dare to nag anymore. A villager said, ¡°The few of you stay in the village. The rest will follow me to the mountain to take a look!¡± The villagers started running around. It was not that Su Xiaoxiao did not want to look for her, but she felt that Su Yuniang would not hide with any family in the village or run up the mountain for no reason. Su Yuniang¡¯s disappearance was a mystery. She felt that something had happened. The three little ones looked around at the door. When they saw her return, they asked in a childish voice, ¡°Mother, where¡¯s Auntie?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°Auntie went out. Mother will find her later.¡± Most of the time, she referred to herself in the first person. She would only call herself Mother when she comforted the three little ones. This was in line with Wei Ting¡¯s style. A two-and-a-half-year-old child did not know much about blood relations. They only knew that their mother, father, grandfather, uncle, Auntie Su, and her little baby lived at home. People who lived together were family. Father Su, Su Ergou, Liu Ping, and Madam Wu returned. Father Su snorted. ¡°How dare Su Can and Su Erlang challenge me? I¡¯ll beat them to death!¡± The truth was that Su Can and his son had run away in fear before they even started beating them up. Father Su continued, ¡°Your Aunt Qian said that we should leave the child at her house. She told us not to worry and that she would not let anyone snatch it away.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°What happened to Yuniang?¡± Father Su was puzzled. Obviously, after spending some time together, Father Su figured out Su Yuniang¡¯s personality. She was definitely not someone who disappeared for no reason. ¡°Father, go to Zheng Lanxiu¡¯s house with Ergou and ask her if she said anything to the Su family during the day.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Father Su brought Su Ergou along. Su Xiaoxiao also planned to go out and look for Su Yuniang. As soon as she lifted her foot, the sound of a donkey came from the backyard. The elders in the village said that donkeys liked to bark, but they had never heard their family¡¯s donkey bark since they bought it. At one point, they thought that they had bought a mute donkey. ¡°Daya.¡± It was Wei Ting¡¯s voice. Su Xiaoxiao turned back. In the backyard, Wei Ting was holding a bag. There were some messy grass and wood shavings on the bag. ¡°Where did you get it?¡± she asked. Wei Ting looked at the donkey that was slowly eating grass and said, ¡°It dug it out; it was hidden in the pigpen.¡± The pigpen was now a donkey¡¯s nest. This donkey loved cleanliness and the pen had to be cleaned every day. In addition, it had a larger appetite than ordinary donkeys. If it was not fed, it would be irritable and tear down the house. Therefore, the donkey¡¯s nest was often filled with thick grass. The bag was picked out of the grass by the donkey. This bag looked unfamiliar and did not look like something from home. Su Xiaoxiao reached out to open the bag. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Wei Ting said. He opened it warily and realized that there was only a pile of clothes and worldly possessions inside. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him deeply. ¡°Were you worried that there was a hidden weapon here? Were you afraid that it would hurt me?¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°You talk too much.¡± ¡°Fine, you don¡¯t have to tell me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the bag and carefully flipped through it. ¡°These are Yu Niang¡¯s personal clothes and¡­ 50 taels of silver and another 50 taels of silver.¡± It added up to a hundred taels. This was a huge sum of money in the countryside. It had to be known that many families¡¯ annual income was less than five taels. If it was Su Yuniang¡¯s, it would not be strange. That woman was a rich lady. Wait! It was strange! ¡°Sanlang said that after Yu Niang and her family quarreled, she carried a bag and left in a hurry. He didn¡¯t even manage to stop her. I remember Yuniang telling me that her money was hidden in the Su Family. After her confinement, she wanted to find an opportunity to get it back.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°You think this is the silver she brought back? Hidden in the pigpen?¡± ¡°You also think that something is wrong, don¡¯t you? First of all, Yuniang can¡¯t possibly hide something in¡­ not a pigpen! It¡¯s a donkey¡¯s nest!¡± Su Xiaoxiao corrected him seriously. Wei Ting shook his head helplessly. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a donkey¡¯s nest.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Secondly, if Yuniang really went home to get her own money, then¡­ it¡¯s definitely more than that.¡± She had once boasted to Su Yuniang that she had earned 500 taels in the prefecture capital. At that time, Su Yuniang sneered and chuckled. ¡°500 taels is enough to make you so happy. How promising!¡± She asked Su Yuniang, ¡°At least I have it, do you?¡± Su Yuniang scoffed, ¡°Much more than you!¡± Of course, it could also be said that Su Yuniang was boasting. However, based on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s observation and understanding of Su Yuniang, this little rich lady¡¯s private savings were definitely more than a hundred taels! Since she had the chance to return to the Su family, how could she only bring back a hundred taels? Did she expect to go back a second time? In a flash, Su Xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°The person Sanlang saw wasn¡¯t Su Yuniang! Someone wearing Su Yuniang¡¯s clothes came out from the back door of Old Su¡¯s house and deliberately let Sanlang see it! San Lang probably didn¡¯t see her face. Sanlang called her, but she didn¡¯t dare to answer because her voice didn¡¯t sound like it!¡± This could be verified with Su Sanlang. However, Su Xiaoxiao felt that it was unnecessary. Because she had already guessed what was going on. Su Yuniang¡¯s disappearance was targeted at the Su family. Once the ¡°stolen goods¡± were found, they would claim that Su Yuniang was killed by the Su family because the Su family was greedy for money and tried to kill her. Although no one in the Su family had the time to commit a crime, there were some killing methods that did not need to be done face to face. Since the other party could create stolen goods, he must have thought of a way to commit the crime. Su Xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°Not good! Yuniang is in danger!¡± Chapter 166 - 166 The Truth 166 The Truth Su Xiaoxiao turned around and left. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Wei Ting asked. ¡°I¡¯ll look for her on the mountain!¡± She was definitely not in the village, nor should she be with the Zheng family. The most impossible place had actually become the largest hiding place. Wei Ting frowned and did not say anything. After Su Xiaoxiao left, Yuchi Xiu flashed into the room like a ghost. He had just arrived. He was not interested in the missing person from the Su family. What did it have to do with him? He only cared about Wei Ting and the three little ones. ¡°Sir! Guess who I saw in town just now?¡± Wei Ting ignored him. He said to himself, ¡°I actually saw Xiao Zhonghua at Wutong Academy! No wonder Young Marquis Jing appeared in town. He¡¯s escorting his cousin! Eh? Lord? Did you hear me? Xiao Zhonghua!¡± Wei Ting¡¯s expression was cold. Yuchi Xiu looked at him strangely. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s wrong with you now? Why aren¡¯t you surprised that I found out about Xiao Zhonghua? Could it be that you already knew? No, you don¡¯t seem happy¡­¡± ¡°Get out,¡± Wei Ting said. Yuchi Xiu walked out with his head down. ¡°I have a mission for you.¡± Yuchi Xiu¡¯s eyes lit up. So We Ting didn¡¯t mean for him to scram, but for him to go out and carry out a mission. Was he going to kill Xiao Zhonghua? Right, right? He was cool, handsome, and arrogant. He was ranked second on the Assassin List. He should complete such a hellish mission! Only then would he be worthy of his status! Two breaths later, Yuchi Xiu walked out of the room with a look of despair. ¡­ . Old Su¡¯s house, Su Jinniang had just taken off her coat and planned to rest. Suddenly, the door was kicked open and Su Xiaoxiao rushed in. ¡°Fatty Su, you¡ªah¡ª¡± Before Su Jinniang could finish her sentence, Su Xiaoxiao grabbed her hair and threw her off the bed. Su Jinniang saw stars. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t waste her breath on her. She grabbed her neck and lifted her up against the cold wall! ¡°Su Jinniang! Tell me honestly, where did Yuniang go?¡± Her tone was cold, like a Rakshasa from purgatory. Su Jinniang clearly felt that Su Xiaoxiao was really murderous this time. The last time she taught her a lesson, it was at most a small punishment. This person was really strange. When she schemed against her, she was not that angry. She only had a little connection with Su Yuniang¡¯s disappearance, but she wanted to kill her. Could it be that there were indeed people in the world who were not selfish? She, Su Jinniang, did not believe it! Fatty Su was after Su Yuniang¡¯s money! Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡°Su Jinniang, my patience is limited.¡± Su Jin¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°I¡­ How would I know where my sister went? Didn¡¯t she go missing in your house?¡± Su Xiaoxiao unceremoniously threw the bag in her other hand to the ground. ¡°The person who went to my house was you, right?¡± The bag and the items inside rolled on the ground. Su Jinniang looked at the mess on the ground and her expression changed. ¡°You don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying, do you? Your brain is so useless. Why don¡¯t I dig it out for you to see if it¡¯s filled with straw?¡± With that, Su Xiaoxiao pressed Su Jinniang¡¯s head on the table and casually took out the dagger that Wei Ting had given her. A cold aura spread to Su Jinniang¡¯s neck. When others threatened, they would feint twice, but Su Xiaoxiao went for the kill immediately! At the critical moment, Su Jinniang used her survival instincts and tilted her head to the side. The dagger stabbed into the table! A small cut was made on her cheek by the blade, and warm blood flowed out. Su Jinniang was so frightened that her mind went blank! Su Xiaoxiao pulled out the dagger from the table! Su Jinniang cried out, ¡°I really don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯m not lying to you¡­ I didn¡¯t take her out¡­ I just hid a bag at your house¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s dagger landed on the side of her head! The cold blade reflected her disheveled appearance at this moment. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze was even colder than the dagger. ¡°As expected, it was your Su family! What else do you know?¡± Su Jinniang was so frightened that her eyes turned red. ¡°Grandpa¡­ He only asked me to change into Big Sister¡¯s clothes and hide the bag¡­ When I came back after hiding it¡­ Big Sister was no longer around¡­ I was telling the truth¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought about it and asked, ¡°When you came back, was there anyone else not at home?¡± Su Jin¡¯s mother stammered, ¡°B-Brother.¡± Su Xiaoxiao held the dagger. ¡°Only him?¡± Su Jin¡¯s mother¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Grandpa! Grandpa isn¡¯t home either. He hasn¡¯t come back until now.¡± It seemed that Old Master Su and Su Dalang were together with Su Yuniang. On one side, the grandfather and granddaughter, Su Yuniang, were hiding. On the other side, Su Can and his son were acting out a scene of a thief shouting for the thief to be caught. How disgusting. Su Xiaoxiao picked up the dagger and patted Su Jinniang¡¯s bloody face with the cold blade. ¡°Su Jinniang, if you hide anything from me today, I¡¯ll cut off your tongue when I come back!¡± Su Jinniang shivered! ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao walked out of Old Su¡¯s house and looked at the dark night sky. The dark night seemed to have substance as it pressed down on this poor village. How would Old Master Su deal with Su Yuniang? ¡­ . In a narrow cage, Su Yuniang slowly woke up. Her hands and feet were tied, and her mouth was gagged. ¡°Woo¡­ Woo¡­¡± She tried to make a sound and banged her head against the box, oblivious to the pain. ¡°Open the box.¡± When Su Yuniang heard this familiar voice, her body froze. The box was opened, and there was no light in the house. The snow outside the house that had yet to be melted reflected a little light. When Su Yuniang saw the person in the room, her expression changed from shock to numbness. Old Master Su, who was sitting on the chair, said, ¡°Yuniang, I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Are you going back to the Zheng family?¡± Su Yuniang did not react. Su Dalang was standing beside Old Master Su. He said anxiously, ¡°Sister, quickly agree to Grandpa!¡± Tears flashed in Su Yuniang¡¯s eyes. She stubbornly held back her tears. Old Master Su said in a deep voice, ¡°Our Su family can¡¯t afford to be disgraced. Either you return to the Zheng family, or I¡¯ll send you away tonight. With your crimes, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to drown you in a pig cage.¡± Su Yuniang¡¯s mouth was gagged and she could not speak, but her red and swollen eyes were filled with endless mockery. Zheng Yuanbo had betrayed her. Zheng Yuanbo had brought a woman home. Yet she had to be the one being drowned in a pig cage. Why? Was it because she was the first person in the village to divorce her husband¡¯s family? In places like the capital and the provincial capital, people were relatively open-minded. A released woman¡¯s reputation was better than that of a divorced woman. It was different in the countryside. A woman proposing a divorce with a man was committing serious treason! If she lorded over a man, she would bring shame to the entire family! Chapter 167 - 167 Saved 167 Saved For the first time, Su Yuniang felt that her grandfather was so unfamiliar. He used to be the elder she respected the most, but now she realized that he was hypocritical. Great philanthropist? Yes, he was a kind person who would rather force his own granddaughter to death to protect his reputation. How ironic. Old Master Su said, ¡°Take the cloth out of her mouth.¡± Brother Su did as he was told. Old Master Su looked at Su Yuniang coldly. ¡°You can say it now. Do you agree or not?¡± Su Yuniang asked, ¡°Where does Grandfather plan to send me?¡± Her address had changed. Old Master Su did not care about how she addressed him, but he was not surprised by her answer. It was as if he had expected this outcome. On the other hand, Eldest Brother Su was anxious. ¡°Sister! You¡¯re crazy! We¡¯re doing this for your own good! Why did you walk all the way to the dark side?! Did Fatty Su lead you astray? I realized that ever since you got close to her, you¡¯ve become more and more rebellious! Think about your background and hers! Her father is a beggar! Her mother was expelled from the Chen family! How can she be a good person?¡± ¡°She¡¯s always showing her face to the outside world and learning how to do business like a man. She¡¯s not ashamed at all! How can you learn from her? Did she teach you to divorce the Zheng family? It was her idea, right?¡± Eldest Brother Su suggested all sorts of nonsense. Su Yuniang refuted, ¡°It was my own idea! Also, what¡¯s wrong with her birthright? We¡¯re all farmers in the countryside. Who¡¯s nobler than whom?¡± Su Dalang said proudly, ¡°Our Su family is not something that those beggars can compare to!¡± Su Yuniang said coldly, ¡°The Su family is much stronger than you!¡± Old Master Su scolded sternly, ¡°Enough! Dalang! Send her away!¡± ¡°Grandpa!¡± Su Dalang¡¯s expression changed drastically. He said to Su Yuniang, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just ask where you were going to be sent to? Did you think that you would be sent to a relative¡¯s house for a while? You¡¯re wrong! You¡¯re going to be sent to a nunnery, and your head will be shaved as a nun! It¡¯s not our town¡¯s nunnery, but the one in Clearwater County, which is a hundred miles away! The people there are all sinful women. There are people guarding them. If you go, you can forget about coming out for the rest of your life!¡± Su Yuniang¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Grandfather, I was wrong! I¡¯ll go back to the Zheng family! I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± The most important thing now was to stabilize her grandfather! Old Master Su said, ¡°Shut her mouth!¡± ¡°Grandpa!¡± Su Dalang couldn¡¯t bear it. Old Master Su said sternly, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that she¡¯s giving in with an agenda? What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for me to do it personally?¡± No, her grandfather¡¯s reaction was wrong! She admitted that she was using a stalling tactic, but her grandfather¡¯s attitude was too unyielding! He had just said he would compromise as long as she agreed. Now that she had agreed, he would not keep his promise! Su Yuniang looked at Old Master Su in horror. ¡°Grandfather! Are you trying to frame the Su family?¡± Her grandfather asked her third brother to secretly bring her to their house. No one saw her along the way. Everyone probably thought that she had disappeared from the Su family. Su Yuniang was too smart. She was so smart that if she were a man, Old Master Su would definitely spare no effort to nurture her. What a pity. Su Yuniang wanted to call for help, but Su Dalang had already covered her mouth. Then, Su Dalang took out a handkerchief smeared with medicinal powder and covered her mouth and nose. Her vision darkened and she fainted. ¡°Go to the ferry tonight. Be careful on the way.¡± ¡°Got it, Grandpa.¡± Su Dalang still couldn¡¯t bear to part with his sister, but when he thought about how his sister had indeed done something treasonous, he felt that this was the punishment his sister deserved, just as his grandfather had said. Everyone in the village was searching around Apricot Flower Village. Little did they know that Su Yuniang had already been taken on a detour from Willow Village to town. This abandoned straw hut was located at the place where the two towns met. It was only two to three miles away from the ferry service area. However, there were too few ferries recently, so they had no choice but to wait until night. When Su Dalang carried Su Yuniang to the dock, the timing was just right. The boat was about to sail. Su Dalang gave the money and said to the middle-aged couple rowing the boat, ¡°You must send her there!¡± The woman smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We have a good reputation!¡± Su Dalang frowned. On second thought, the person his grandfather had found should be reliable. His grandfather would not harm Yuniang. Just as Su Dalang was about to hand Su Yuniang over from the sack, a tall figure suddenly descended from the sky. With a swift flip, he landed on the ship. He was dressed in black and wore a black bamboo hat. What greeted them was a lonely and profound back view! The boatman had seen much of the world. He composed himself and asked: ¡°This hero is¡­¡± The man in black only said, ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of talking to me!¡± With that, he stomped his feet and rose into the air. The huge internal force caused the ship to shatter into pieces! Before they could react, he had already arrived in front of Su Dalang. He grabbed the sack and threw Su Dalang into the water! The couple¡¯s vision blurred, and the boat was empty. ¡°Did anyone really come here just now?¡± As soon as the boatman finished speaking, a force struck them, mercilessly shaking the two of them into the water. ¡°God was here.¡± A certain man in black said domineeringly. In Apricot Flower Village, the villagers searched all night and everywhere they could, but Su Yuniang was nowhere to be seen. At the same time, there were some ill-meaning voices in the village. ¡°Have you heard? Yuniang went to the Su family with a large sum of money that day.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Tsk, you. Yuniang is gone. Where do you think the silver went?¡± ¡°You mean¡­ the Su Family is trying to kill her for money?¡± ¡°Shh, keep your voice down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right. Weren¡¯t all the people from the Su family in town? How did they harm Yuniang? Yuniang disappeared before they returned.¡± ¡°It was Little Wu who said that after she washed the salted eggs and went back, there was no one at home. She hasn¡¯t seen Yu Niang since. What if¡­ Little Wu is lying?¡± ¡°Little Wu is an honest person. How could she lie?¡± ¡°Little Wu is Fatty Su¡¯s woman. Of course, she lied for Fatty Su! Perhaps she also split the money! She¡¯s also an accomplice!¡± ¡°Aunt Zhou, who are you calling an accomplice?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s voice suddenly appeared behind them. Madam Zhou and the daughter-in-law of the Sun family, who were gossiping, were shocked! Madam Zhou loosened her grip and the bucket of water that she had painstakingly drawn fell back into the well! Su Xiaoxiao also came to fetch water. She walked over casually and glanced at Madam Zhou. She said bluntly, ¡°Make way.¡± Madam Zhou said, ¡°I¡¯m not done yet! Why are you snatching?¡± Su Xiaoxiao gently placed the bucket on the well. It was clearly a very casual action, but it inexplicably made one¡¯s heart skip a beat. Madam Zhou subconsciously took a step back. She thought about it and felt embarrassed. She said, ¡°Fatty Su, why are you so arrogant? Your good days are over! A life for a life! Just wait to be thrown into the county jail!¡± Chapter 168 - 168 Return 168 Return At this moment, more people had come to the village entrance to get water. The villagers who had gone around looking for Su Yuniang also rushed back. Everyone gathered at the village entrance. When they heard Madam Zhou and Fatty Su¡¯s conversation, they could not help but surround them. When Madam Zhou saw that her fellow villagers were here, she felt more confident. She raised her voice and said, ¡°Fatty Su, you know very well what you¡¯ve done. To think that Yuniang treated you as a doctor and believed you. She even spent so much consultation money to move into your house, but you¡¯re greedy and don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you. You harmed Yuniang for money!¡± ¡°What do you mean for money?¡± Auntie Wu asked. ¡°Sister Xiao Zhou, you can eat whatever you want, but you can¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not spouting nonsense!¡± Madam Zhou snorted coldly. ¡°Everyone doesn¡¯t know, right? Yesterday, Su Yuniang took a large sum of silver to Little Su¡¯s house! She disappeared at night! Tell me, if it¡¯s not Fatty Su and the others who killed her for money, what could it be?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, how did you know she took the silver to my house? Did you see it?¡± Madam Zhou said, ¡°We¡¯ll know once we search your house!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Search my house? Zhou, I think you¡¯re tired of living!¡± Madam Zhou was so frightened by Little Bully Su¡¯s aura that she took a big step back. She said fiercely, ¡°You, you, you, you¡¯re feeling guilty, right? If you have a clear conscience, why don¡¯t you let us search you? I think you¡­ you hid Yu Niang¡¯s silver! You¡¯re afraid that we¡¯ll find it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If you doubt me today, you can search my house. If you doubt me tomorrow, do I have to open the door and welcome you in? What do you take my Su family for?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Village Head!¡± It was Elder Su. The village head also searched for the entire night. On the way, he bumped into Old Master Su, who had come down from the mountain. The ages of the two men added up to more than a hundred years old. They were not like young men. After a night without sleep, they looked extremely haggard. Especially the village head. He was clearly much younger than Old Master Su, but he looked much more tired than Old Master Su. The person who asked the question just now was the village head. Li Xiaoyong said, ¡°Aunt Zhou slandered Daya, saying that Daya harmed Yuniang.¡± Madam Zhou exploded. ¡°What do you mean by slandering her? I¡¯m telling the truth! If you don¡¯t believe me¡­ If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Old Master Su! Did Yu Niang leave with a large sum of money?!¡± Old Master Su wanted to say something but hesitated. The village head said, ¡°Brother Su, just say it.¡± Old Master Su said with a complicated expression, ¡°Yuniang¡¯s valuables¡­ are indeed missing.¡± Madam Zhou hurriedly said, ¡°Did you hear that!¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled, ¡°Just because of this, you say that I killed her for money? If you have the ability to solve cases, why don¡¯t you go to the government office to be judges?¡± ¡°You!¡± Madam Zhou was so angry that she fell backward. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Speaking of Yuniang carrying silver, I remember something. Sanlang said that he heard Yuniang quarreling with her family before Yuniang left. Why couldn¡¯t you have murdered Yuniang?¡± ¡°Yuniang is a member of our Su family! How can we harm her?¡± It was Su Can. He and Su Erlang came over from outside. He looked at Old Master Su. ¡°Father, we just went to the Zheng family. Yu Niang didn¡¯t return to her in-laws¡¯ house.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Then tell me, what are you arguing about with Yuniang?¡± ¡°Noisy¡­¡± Su Can was about to talk about the divorce, but he stopped himself when he caught Old Master Su¡¯s gaze. He said, ¡°We wanted Yuniang to come back, but she refused to come back. She said that you wanted her to treat her for a few more days. You told her that if she came back early and did not address the root of her illness, you wouldn¡¯t be responsible! We said that you were most likely scaring her. Yuniang was bewitched by you, and she wouldn¡¯t listen to us no matter what! She took the silver to pay for your consultation!¡± ¡°I was wrong.¡± Su Xiaoxiao apologized sincerely. Everyone was stunned. Was she admitting her culpability? Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be judges. You should be storytellers.¡± At first, the villagers did not understand. After a while, they realized that Fatty Su was mocking the Su family for making things up. ¡°Pfft!¡± Aunt Liu could not help but laugh. When Old Master Su looked at her with a dark expression, she quickly stopped smiling and looked into the distance with a serious expression. Su Can said, ¡°Father, in my opinion, they¡¯re the ones who harmed Yuniang!¡± The reason why the Su family dared to slander Su Daya so brazenly was that they knew her personality. Su Yuniang had lived there for many days, but Su Daya¡¯s family did not say anything that they should not have. In order to protect Su Yuniang¡¯s reputation, Su Daya¡¯s family did not expose the truth of Su Yuniang¡¯s departure from home, nor did they publicize the scandal between Su Yuniang and Zheng Yuanbo. Therefore, Su Daya¡¯s family would definitely suffer in silence! Of course, even if Su Daya¡¯s family revealed the truth, they were not afraid. Both sides had their own opinions. Did the villagers believe in the Su family which had done evil, or the Su family which had done the village a favor? Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We didn¡¯t harm Yu Niang.¡± Su Can said, ¡°Whether you did or not, won¡¯t we know after a search?¡± Madam Zhou chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. If you were innocent, would you not dare to let us search you? Don¡¯t you agree?¡± The human heart was the most easily incited. The villagers saw the change in the Su family and their complaints about the Su family decreased a lot. However, this matter concerned the other Su family¡­ It was obvious who was more important. The villagers fought to speak. ¡°Fatty, just let them search.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you didn¡¯t do it, you can also prove your innocence, right?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t dare to let us search. Could it be like what Aunt Zhou said? Is there really something going on?¡± ¡°Stop stalling for time! When the Su family hears the commotion and moves the stolen goods, we won¡¯t be able to find anything!¡± This was about human life; it was about the life of a Su family member. They could not even repay the favor of the Su family with their lives. They had to seek justice for the Su family! After that, the villagers rushed toward the Su family. A trace of smugness flashed across Su Can and Su Erlang¡¯s eyes as they quickly followed. They thought to themselves that Fatty Su would be caught red-handed soon. They would see how she was going to quibble then! ¡°Aiya, you guys¡­¡± The village head tried to stop them, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t stop them at all. Li Xiaoyong caught up. He was not looking for stolen goods, but to prevent the villagers from causing trouble in the Su family. All this while, Su Xiaoxiao calmly fetched water. Old Master Su was old and naturally could not rush forward like young people. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao suspiciously. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know where they hid it. She thought that she was innocent, so she wasn¡¯t afraid of being searched. Her reaction was reasonable. However, for some reason, he felt that something was amiss. An uneasy feeling rose in his heart. In Old Su¡¯s house, Su Jinniang woke up in a daze. Last night, Su Xiaoxiao came to interrogate her and knocked her out. The next time she opened her eyes was the present moment. God¡­ Was it almost dawn? Oh no, she had to tell his father quickly that the matter of Yuniang¡¯s belongings had been exposed! Su Jinniang lifted the blanket and got out of bed. She was so nervous that she was wearing her shoes on the wrong side. She opened the door and saw Madam Fang coming out of the kitchen. Madam Fang did not sleep the entire night either. Her eyes were red from crying. When Su Xiaoxiao came to question Su Jinniang last night, she and Old Madam Su had also gone to look for Yuniang nearby and did not hear anything from Su Jinniang¡¯s room. Su Jinniang looked at the haggard Madam Fang. There was no heartache in her eyes. Instead, she felt that her mother was very useless. She did not want to be like her mother in the future. She asked, ¡°Mother, are Father and Second Brother back?¡± Mdm Fang said, ¡°He went to Little Su¡¯s house. I think your grandfather went too.¡± Su Jinniang turned pale. ¡°What?¡± Su Can, who had no idea what was going on, was gloating. When he found the bag in the pigpen later, he would see how the Su family would deny it! The front door of the Su family¡¯s house was locked, so they went in through the back door. While the villagers started searching from the kitchen and the backyard, Su Can rushed into the pigpen without thinking. However, to his surprise, the pigpen was clean. Other than a donkey, there was not even a blade of grass! Didn¡¯t she say it was hidden in the feed? Where was the feed? Where were the haystacks? Where was the bag? ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao also came in from the back door. She leaned against the door frame of the kitchen nonchalantly, a bundle hooked between her fingertips. Su Can¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s Yuniang¡¯s bag! It¡¯s really at your house! Guys, look! We found the stolen goods!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled coldly. Su Can took three quick steps forward to snatch the bag. Unexpectedly, before his hand could touch her, a familiar figure walked out from behind Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Dad.¡± Su Yuniang spoke. Su Can froze on the spot! Chapter 169 - 169 Face Slapping 169 Face Slapping Everyone looked at Su Yuniang, who had appeared out of thin air in front of them, and their jaws almost dropped. Su Can was completely dumbfounded. Su Erlang was similar to his father. He did not expect to see Su Yuniang again in the village. Wasn¡¯t she sent away? Why did she return to the Su family again? Su Yuniang was wearing a black cloak that looked like a man¡¯s clothes. However, no one cared about this detail at this juncture. Her forehead was bruised, and her cheeks were stained with grass and dust. She looked a little disheveled. Aunt Liu asked, ¡°Yuniang, where did you go last night? Everyone looked for you all night.¡± Su Yuniang said tiredly, ¡°Something happened. I came back late.¡± Li Xiaoyong turned to look at the villagers and said, ¡°Look! Su Yuniang is here! Who said that the Su family is trying to kill her for money? If you have the ability, come out and say it again!¡± Everyone looked at Mdm Zhou. Just now at the village entrance, she was the one who kept saying that the Su family had harmed Su Yuniang. Madam Zhou panicked. ¡°I¡­ I heard it from someone else!¡± ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± Aunt Liu asked angrily. ¡°I¡­¡± Madam Zhou choked and pointed at Su Can and his son. ¡°I heard it from them!¡± Su Erlang¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°When did we say that?¡± Madam Zhou stammered, ¡°You, you said that Yuniang left with a large sum of silver. Could it be that the Su family saw the silver and harmed Yuniang? I heard everything through the wall!¡± Su Xiaoxiao wanted to laugh. The Su family was really scheming. They did not even let Madam Zhou off. What Madam Zhou heard was exactly what the Su family wanted her to hear. Then, they would use her mouth to spread the news. Madam Zhou cursed silently. What was wrong with the Su family? How could they be wrong?! Su Xiaoxiao went back to the kitchen to get a pancake. She leaned lazily against the door frame and ate it slowly. The show today would not end anytime soon. After all, the main character had yet to arrive. At this time, Old Master Su arrived at the Su family¡¯s house. The Su family¡¯s door was tightly shut. The village head thought for a moment and knocked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Brother Li, please open the door.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Li Xiaoyong walked through the central room and opened the door for the two of them. The two of them had just entered the central room when Su Jinniang arrived, panting. ¡°Grandpa!¡± She screamed in panic. Old Master Su frowned unhappily. ¡°Why are you shouting so early in the morning? Look at you.¡± Su Jinniang had come out in a hurry. Not only were her shoes worn backward, but she had also not combed her hair or buttoned her shirt properly. She looked disheveled. The village head hurried into the house. See no evil, see no evil! Su Jinniang said with a pale face, ¡°Grandpa, I¡­¡± Old Master Su scolded, ¡°Go back now!¡± Su Jinniang said anxiously, ¡°Grandpa, Grandpa!¡± Old Master Su went in. Then he froze. Because he saw Su Yuniang. ¡°Yuniang?¡± Unlike Old Master Su¡¯s reaction, the village head was very surprised. ¡°Yuniang, where did you go yesterday?¡± Su Yuniang wrapped her cloak tightly around her body and looked at Old Master Su, who was standing at the back door of the central room, with a complicated gaze. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you have to ask my grandfather this question. Only he knows best where I was taken.¡± Su Yuniang¡¯s words confused the villagers. Where was she taken to? Why did they have to ask Old Master Su? ¡°Were you taken away by your grandfather?¡± Li Xiaoyong asked. He had long lost his filter on the Su family¡¯s benevolent people. He was one of the first people who dared to question the Su family¡¯s morals. Su Can finally came back to his senses. He hurriedly shouted, ¡°Yuniang, what nonsense are you talking about?! You went missing on your own. What does it have to do with your grandfather?!¡± Su Yuniang laughed mockingly. ¡°I went missing on my own? That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll come and tell the villagers today how I went missing on my own!¡± Old Master Su¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Yuniang, shut up!¡± Su Can took a step forward. Su Xiaoxiao took out a machete. Su Can¡¯s body trembled and he jumped back! Su Yuniang looked at the villagers squeezed in the courtyard. Her bloodshot eyes were filled with determination. ¡°Does everyone think that I moved into the Su family to recuperate? Bullsh*t!¡± Everyone was shocked. Sh-sh*t? Was this what the daughter of the Su family would say? Wasn¡¯t it said that she was the most well-mannered girl in the village? The faces of the Su family members turned as black as the bottom of a pot. As Su Yuniang cursed, the turbid anger in her heart seemed to follow. Actually, she had wanted to say these words for a long time. It was just that she still had the last bit of feelings for the Su family. However, last night, the last bit of feelings was personally cut off by her family! ¡°I divorced Zheng Yuanbo!¡± The villagers¡¯ jaws dropped to the ground. Divorced? Su Yuniang? The Su family¡¯s Su Yuniang? Regarding the reason for the divorce, Su Yuniang had skipped it. It was not important. ¡°Before the divorce, in order to force me back to the Zheng family, my family snatched my child and wanted to send it to the Zheng family. I was suicidal then. It was Daya who arrived in time to save the child and me and took me in. This is the truth behind my stay in the Su family!¡± Su Can gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Su Yuniang, what nonsense are you making up? Did Su Daya force you?¡± Su Yuniang did not care about her fierce father at all. ¡°After that, I divorced Zheng Yuanbo. Yesterday, my family found out about my divorce and tricked me home¡­ ¡± Old Master Su said in a deep voice, ¡°Shut up!¡± Su Yuniang said indignantly, ¡°Why should I shut up? You can do it, but can¡¯t I say it out loud? Just because I have embarrassed you, Grandfather, you asked Big Brother to knock me out and secretly send me to a nunnery a hundred miles away to shave my head and become a nun! Then, you even tried to frame the Su family! You wanted the Su family to take the blame!¡± ¡°In your eyes, the life and death of your biological granddaughter is not important. The reputation of the Su family is more important! For the sake of your reputation, you will do anything!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Old Master Su punched the wall. The veins on his forehead bulged. It was obvious how angry he was. He scolded her angrily, ¡°Su Yuniang! The Su family gave birth to you and raised you. The kindness of giving birth to you is greater than the heavens. You committed treason and should have shaved your head as a nun! Did I do anything wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao laughed. ¡°If you want to shave her head, just do it openly! Do we not have a nunnery in town? Why did you send her a hundred miles away? You want Yuniang to disappear forever and let our Su family suffer eternal injustice. Old Man Su, your heart is really black.¡± Su Erlang said sternly, ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything wrong! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s wrong! If you hadn¡¯t urged Yu Niang day and night, would my second sister have done such a treacherous thing? Shouldn¡¯t you be punished?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sneered, ¡°By punishment, do you mean we should be framed and take the blame for your Su family?¡± Chapter 170 - 170 Establishing Her Own 170 Establishing Her Own Su Erlang clenched his fists and said, ¡°It was my idea and my father¡¯s. Grandpa didn¡¯t know!¡± Su Can was stunned. Su Erlang lowered his eyes and gritted his teeth. ¡°Grandpa just¡­ sent Yu Niang away with Eldest Brother. I was filled with hatred, so I thought of a way with Father to avenge the Su family.¡± With that, he turned around and knelt down in front of Old Master Su. ¡°Grandpa, I was the one who came up with the idea. Punish me!¡± When Su Can saw his son kneeling, he also reacted and knelt beside his son. He said to Old Master Su, ¡°No, no, no, Father, it was my idea! You punish me! Erlang has been weak since he was young and almost died a few times. He can¡¯t withstand our family rules!¡± The father and son echoed each other and removed Old Master Su from blame completely. Old Master Su was the head of the Su family and was the most respected figure in the surrounding villages. If he was not implicated, the Su family¡¯s reputation could still be saved. Everyone had a deep understanding of the Su family. Back then, when they were helping the villagers, Old Master Su was also there. He and his father transported the food back in carts and distributed it from door to door. They ate the chaff themselves and did not let the villagers go hungry. Those who had experienced that disaster were all deeply indebted to the Su family. As long as Old Master Su did not admit it, they were unwilling and did not dare to question him. ¡°Go home and kneel,¡± Old Master Su said in a deep voice. ¡°Yes, Grandpa.¡± Su Erlang pulled Su Can¡¯s sleeve. The father and son helped each other up. Old Master Su said to the village head, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring them up well and almost wronged the Su family. It¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°Ah, this¡­¡± The village head scratched his head. Old Master Su then looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Daya, when your father comes back, I will personally visit and apologize. But Yuniang¡­¡± Su Yuniang leaned closer to Su Xiaoxiao. She took a brave step forward, but the reverence she had for Old Master Su still existed. Perhaps in the near future, she could completely abandon him. However, she was still affected. Su Xiaoxiao gently held her shoulder and said to Old Master Su, ¡°Yuniang has divorced her husband¡¯s family. According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, if the divorced woman is accepted by her family, she can return to her family or establish her own family!¡± Old Master Su¡¯s expression changed when he heard that. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t give him any respect. ¡°Old Man Su, do you want to stay here and continue to settle the score between us, or do you want to leave Yuniang here and take your son and grandson back?¡± He had already embarrassed himself enough today. The more he said, the more mistakes he would make. Old Master Su could not stay any longer. Otherwise, if he revealed a new flaw, there would really be no way to remedy it. He looked at Su Yuniang coldly and left! Now that Su Yuniang had returned safely and the commotion was over, it was time for the villagers to go back and digest the gossip they had witnessed today. However, since the villagers were kind enough to look for Su Yuniang for the entire night, Su Yuniang was grateful and bought all of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s snacks today. When they were out of the pot, she would send them to everyone. Coincidentally, at this moment, Little Wu steamed the snacks. A rich crispy fragrance and the fragrance of meat wafted out from the kitchen. The villagers drooled. Su Yuniang¡¯s gratitude was not fake. It was also true that she knew how to win people over. ¡°Sigh, Yuniang, you¡¯re such a good girl. The Zheng family is not blessed. Don¡¯t think too much. Live your life well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go to a place like a nunnery if you can avoid it. You even have a daughter.¡± ¡°Your little girl is out of confinement, right? When the weather is good, carry her out for a walk.¡± ¡°Sigh, your grandfather went overboard this time¡­ Speaking of which, how did you come back?¡± ¡°It was Daya who saved me,¡± Su Yuniang said. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you this time.¡± ¡°Sigh, Daya, I¡¯m sorry. I was a little anxious today. I shouldn¡¯t have distrusted you. If there¡¯s a next time¡­ I won¡¯t do it again! I promise!¡± The other villagers also apologized to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t gain anything. At least in the future, it won¡¯t be easy for the Su family to frame us.¡± After sending off the villagers, Su Yuniang sat on the threshold of the kitchen tiredly. ¡°Who brought you back?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. She was looking for Su Yuniang when she suddenly heard a thud from the back door. She opened it and saw Su Yuniang sitting at the door in a daze. ¡°A man,¡± Su Yuniang said. Su Xiaoxiao thought about it, ¡°My father?¡± Su Yuniang said lightly, ¡°Not an old man.¡± Su Cheng, who had just returned from searching outside was speechless. Su Cheng, who had just celebrated his thirty-seventh birthday was speechless for a long while. Su Yuniang frowned. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t see his face clearly¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze fell on Su Yuniang¡¯s cloak. Su Yuniang had been drugged twice, but the aftereffects of the drug were still there. Her mind seemed to be wrapped in mush, and she could not think too much. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the house first. My baby¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°She¡¯s in the Li family. Sister Zhao is feeding her.¡± Su Yuniang did not say anything else. She held her aching waist and returned to her room. She was about to take off her clothes when she raised her arm. Something was wrong. She looked down and her expression changed slightly. She was actually wearing a man¡¯s cloak! She took off her cloak and threw it on the ground! Which stinky man¡¯s thing was this? ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao returned to the east room. Wei Ting looked like he had just woken up. He sat on the chair and tidied his clothes. He wore the jade hair crown that Su Xiaoxiao had given him. It was not real jade, but even if it was a stone, it looked like real jade on this man¡¯s head. It was said that clothes maketh the man. Why was it the other way around when it came to him? It was early in the morning, and she was attacked by his looks. Anyone who looked at her would know. Su Xiaoxiao walked into the house and looked to her heart¡¯s content. She said calmly, ¡°You sure slept well after such a big thing happened.¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to stay at home to look after the children?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°You sent him, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± Wei Ting pretended not to understand. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°The person who saved Yuniang. Do you have¡­ a guard hiding in the dark? He¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Wei Ting asked. The guard was just like Jing Yi¡¯s four colored subordinates; they were elusive and appeared at his beck and call. Su Xiaoxiao thought about it and decided not to reveal Jing Yi¡¯s background. After all, Jing Yi had saved her. Jing Yi was her true friend, and this guy was only her husband in name! ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Wei Ting said coldly. Su Xiaoxiao snorted, ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t want to admit it!¡± Some things did not need evidence. Su Xiaoxiao was not stupid. It was most likely him! Su Xiaoxiao suddenly bent down and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°It¡¯s your reward!¡± Wei Ting squeezed his knuckles. ¡°You!¡± With a cold expression, he turned around in embarrassment. ¡°Su¡­¡± Whoosh! Whoosh! Su Xiaoxiao, who had been tired all night, lay on the bed and fell asleep. Wei Ting stood up with a cold expression and looked murderously at a certain fat peacock that had offended him time and time again. His slender jade-like hand gently pulled the blanket over her. Chapter 171 - 171 Blackmail 171 Blackmail Compared to the peace and quiet of Su Xiao Xiao¡¯s family, the Su family could be said to have exploded. No one expected things to turn out like this. They had clearly planned it, but what had gone wrong? Why did they mess it up in front of the villagers? If not for Su Erlang being smart and taking responsibility, the Su family¡¯s reputation would probably have been ruined. Old Master Su sat in the central room with a livid expression. Su Can and Su Erlang had ugly expressions. Su Can was puzzled. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Dad, didn¡¯t you send Yuniang away? Why is she back?¡± This was also something that Old Master Su could not figure out. He had personally seen Su Dalang carry her to the ferry. That place was at least ten to twenty miles away from the village. With Su Yuniang¡¯s strength after her confinement, she could not have walked back in the dark. Su Jinniang walked silently toward her room. ¡°Stop.¡± Old Master Su stopped her. Su Jinniang turned around in fear and lowered her head, not daring to look at him. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Old Master Su looked at her obvious expression and asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you know something?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Su Jinniang bit her lip and whispered, ¡°Fatty Su came to look for me last night. She¡­ she found that bag and asked if I pretended to be Sister to hide the bag at her house.¡± Su Can was shocked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier!¡± Su Jinniang said aggrievedly, ¡°I was knocked unconscious by Fatty Su. When I woke up, I went to look for you, but¡­¡± However, at the entrance of Little Su¡¯s house, Old Master Su did not give her a chance to speak. If he had known this news in advance, Old Master Su would have stopped Su Can and his son from slandering the Su family. That way, things would not have ended up like this. Knowing that he had made a huge mistake, Old Master Su closed his eyes in regret. Su Can suddenly said, ¡°By the way, Dad, Yuniang is back. Where¡¯s Dalang?¡± Su Dalang only arrived home at noon. He was kicked into the water by the man in black who had appeared for no reason. He drank a stomach full of ice water. When he was pulled ashore by the boatman and his wife, he almost lost half his life. It was not that he did not know how to swim, but he could not swim at all in such thick clothes in winter. He thought that he had suffered in the water, but his troubles had just begun. The couple complained that he had offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have provoked and asked him to compensate them for their boat! How could Su Dalang have money? The boatman and his wife refused to let him go and even threatened to arrest him to see the officials. Su Dalang was frightened out of his wits. In the end, under the ¡°forgiveness¡± of the boatman and his wife, he signed an IOU and was released by the two of them. When Old Master Su heard this, how could he not understand that his grandson had been extorted? That couple had done something shameful. If they really reported it to the officials, the two of them would have to spend the rest of their lives in prison! As long as Su Dalang insisted that he did not know that person, the boatman and his wife could not do anything to him. If it were Su Yuniang, she would not have fallen for this. Thinking of Su Yuniang, Old Master Su felt even more stifled. ¡°Dalang, how much did they ask you to compensate?¡± Su Can asked. Su Dalang lowered his head. ¡°Five, five hundred taels.¡± ¡°What?¡± Su Can¡¯s vision darkened and he fainted on the chair¡­ ¡ª- It was noon when Su Xiaoxiao woke up. She stretched, feeling energetic. It was not that she had not survived the night in the past, but no matter how long she slept, she still felt a trace of fatigue when she woke up. She was extremely sure that multivitamins did not have such an effect. Could it be the collagen peptide from last time? In that case, not only could it increase the elasticity of the skin, but it could also nourish blood and qi and increase one¡¯s stamina. She had to admit that the effect was not bad. She was gradually appreciating the small pharmacy. After Su Xiaoxiao washed up, she went to the kitchen to eat some sweet potato pancakes. Ever since Little Wu took charge and managed the production department, Su Xiaoxiao felt much more relaxed. She was feeling less and less pressured. Little Wu¡¯s monthly allowance was one tael. She had worked for half a month in the first month. Logically speaking, she should have been given 500 copper coins, but she had a total of two taels. Little Wu was dumbfounded. In half a month¡­ she had earned two taels¡­ This, this was too¡­ Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t tell her that there was still a quarterly dividend at the end of March. Liu Ping was also given two taels. Liu Ping had taken on all the logistics and purchases, in addition to the big and small carpentry work at home. It was truly a lot of work. Su Xiaoxiao went to the backyard to get a basin of water and squatted on the ground to soak the jade. Su Yuniang walked over with the baby who had just finished drinking milk and looked at Su Xiaoxiao strangely. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Raising jade,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Yuniang was very envious of people who could squat down flat on their feet. She could not squat unless she stood on her tiptoes, and her balance was not good. She found a stool and sat down. She looked at the crystal clear jade pendant in the water. After Su Xiaoxiao wore and maintained it, the jade gradually returned to its original green and luster. This was a top-grade jade. ¡°Where did you get it?¡± Su Yuniang asked. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? It¡¯s an heirloom.¡± Su Yuniang expressed her doubts. ¡°With this family heirloom, can you still be poor until now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°My father couldn¡¯t bear to sell it!¡± Su Yuniang looked straight at the jade pendant and thought of something. She muttered, ¡°My grandfather seems to recognize this jade pendant.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned to look at her. Su Yuniang recalled, ¡°The night I asked San Lang to send the jade pendant back to you, my grandfather saw the jade pendant. His expression was strange at that time.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°My father picked up this jade pendant when he was young. At that time, my father was still a cowherd in Willow Village. He shouldn¡¯t have seen your grandfather, right? How did your grandfather know my father¡¯s jade pendant?¡± Su Yuniang asked, ¡°Where did your father get his jade pendant?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t remember either. He¡¯s been wearing it since he can remember. He suspects that he picked it up on the way while escaping.¡± ¡ª- In the afternoon, Manager Sun came. He had brought a business. ¡°It¡¯s from the prefecture city!¡± He beamed. Su Xiaoxiao handed him a cup of brewed tea. He brought it over and took a sip, and almost vomited! Manager Sun¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°Boss, what tea is this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, Chameleon Grass.¡± Manager Sun trembled. What grass? You¡¯re giving me grass to drink? Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡± Is there actually someone in the city who dares to invite me to do business?¡± She had offended the prefecture lord. Who was so bold? Manager Sun dusted his wide sleeves and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know who ran the business? Am I, Sun Quan, such an incompetent person?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Speak human language.¡± Manager Sun coughed lightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s for a funeral. No, no, it can¡¯t be called a funeral. Worshipping the ancestors, do you understand? They¡­ are returning to their hometown to worship their ancestors.¡± Chapter 172 - 172 Rich Woman 172 Rich Woman Hearing this, Su Xiaoxiao understood. The client was not from the prefecture capital¡¯s circle. He did not know that she had offended the prefecture lord, so he had the guts to invite her. ¡°When are we leaving?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Manager Sun said, ¡°Tomorrow morning, the day after tomorrow at the latest.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go to town.¡± Manager Sun said awkwardly, ¡°You¡­ are really not hesitant? That¡¯s the prefecture city. What if you meet the prefecture lord again¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°If they dare to invite me, I dare to go.¡± ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao went to town mainly to see Dean Shen and Aunt Fu and ask if they had anything to bring to Shen Chuan and Grandmaster Hui Jue. Ever since she saw Shen Chuan¡¯s condition in the prefecture capital last time, Su Xiaoxiao vaguely wondered if sending Shen Chuan to the prefecture capital¡¯s academy was the right decision. As usual, she took the back door. Then, as expected, she was robbed of five pancakes by the old man guarding the door. She entered the academy with a dark expression. Coincidentally, Dean Shen had gone out with Young Master Xiang. The servant said that he would only return three days later. ¡°Looks like we can only do it next time.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Zhou Xing, ¡°Is Jing Yi around?¡± Zhou Xing said, ¡°Young Master Jing isn¡¯t here either.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll come again next time.¡± Just as she left, two men walked out from behind the screen. It was Wu Mu and Qing Xuan. Bai Ze and Hong Luan, one in the light and the other in the dark, had followed Jing Yi out. The two of them stayed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Qing Xuan asked. Wu Mu touched his square face. ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something wrong with that girl?¡± Qing Xuan said, ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Wu Mu said thoughtfully, ¡°Yuchi Xiu has appeared. Do you think his master won¡¯t be nearby? I suspect that I wasn¡¯t seeing things that day. The person with her was the youngest son of the Wei family!¡± Qing Xuan said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Young Marquis ask us not to interfere in this matter? He hid it from Young Master.¡± Wu Mu said seriously, ¡°This is the most terrifying thing! The Young Marquis has only known this girl for a short time, but he actually didn¡¯t confess any suspicious signs to Young Master for the sake of this girl! The Young Marquis must have guessed something and didn¡¯t want Young Master to hurt her, so he deliberately didn¡¯t say it to Young Master.¡± Qing Xuan was silent. He had to admit that Wu Mu¡¯s guess made sense. Wu Mu made up his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll follow her! Let¡¯s see if the youngest son of the Wei family is at her house!¡± ¡°Hey! Come back! You¡­¡± Qing Xuan did not manage to stop him. Wu Mu used his top-notch qinggong, flew over the eaves, and left the academy like a ghost. He was about to catch up. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his waist! ¡°Aiya, what the¡­¡± Who the hell was playing with a slingshot? Wu Mu was hit. The small stone hit his vital point. His entire body stiffened, and all his strength suddenly dissipated. He fell down and fell facedown! Crack! His leg was broken. F*ck¡­ He would have to recuperate for a long time¡­ Outside the backyard door, a servant looked up at the white clouds in the sky. ¡°Are you shooting blindly? You made me waste a stone. Where¡¯s the bird? It didn¡¯t hit anything! How can you be stronger than me? You only know how to brag!¡± The old man threw the slingshot back into his arms and took a bite of the crispy pancake. ¡°Delicious.¡± ¡ª- ¡°My leg is itchy. Hurry up and remove the splint!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tear it down for you when I get back from the prefecture city.¡± ¡°A few more days?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Aunt Fu was speechless. Aunt Fu still asked Su Xiaoxiao to bring a bottle of health pills for Grandmaster Hui Jue. Grandmaster Hui Jue looked to be in a good state. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t think it was a big deal whether she ate health pills or not. However, the quality of the Fu family¡¯s food had always been guaranteed. It was beneficial to the body. As Su Xiaoxiao left with the health pills, Aunt Fu began to secretly remove the splint. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t turn around, as if she had eyes at the back of her head. ¡°If you dare to remove it yourself, I¡¯ll put a cast on you!¡± Aunt Fu was speechless. ¡ª- At Little Su¡¯s house, the entire family learned that Su Xiaoxiao was going to the prefecture city. Su Ergou was very excited. He could go to the prefecture city again. He was so happy! Father Su was a little uneasy. ¡°Daughter, we¡¯re not robbing the Prefecture Lord this time¡­¡± ¡°Okay, Dad!¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed. He only said that she would not rob the Prefecture Lord, but he did not say that she would not rob others, right? Father Su muttered,¡± Why do I still feel strange¡­¡± The family worked in the backyard. Wei Ting returned to the room and took a sip of water. Yuchi Xiu flashed in. ¡°Sir, do you need me to protect you in secret?¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You like to cause trouble.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, there was a thunderous commotion in the backyard. Boom! It was Liu Ping¡¯s new donkey shed that had collapsed. Whoosh! It was the woodpile that Su Ergou had just piled up that had scattered. Pfft! It was the stove in the kitchen that suddenly burned. Su Yuniang was trying to make noodles when the basin suddenly exploded, and white flour splashed all over her face! Su Yuniang let out an angry lion roar. ¡°Who did it?!!¡± Yuchi Xiu was speechless. ¡ª- According to Manager Sun¡¯s instructions, he had accepted a big order. It was a total of three days. One day for worshipping the ancestors, one day for inviting guests, and one day for family banquets. Indeed, what followed was a very generous reward of 100 taels a day. ¡°It¡¯s just that our reputation isn¡¯t established yet. Otherwise, not to mention a hundred taels, I could even negotiate a thousand taels.¡± These were Manager Sun¡¯s exact words. It was impossible to determine if it was true or not. However, 300 taels were really tempting. It was undeniable that Manager Sun¡¯s ability to accept orders was indeed nothing to complain about. At night, Su Xiaoxiao packed her things in the east room. Su Yuniang came to look for her. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a few days.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°I have something to do. Before that, I want to go back to the Su family and get my things back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°You mean your private savings? Aiya, I¡¯m going to the prefecture city. I have to pack. I¡¯m so busy.¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°Ten taels!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said angrily, ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°Gold.¡± Su Xiaoxiao rubbed her chubby hands. ¡°Sigh, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s gold or not. I just want to take a walk at your house.¡± Su Xiaoxiao carried the butcher knife and returned to the Su family with Su Yuniang. Now that the Su family saw Su Yuniang, it was as if they had seen a jinx, and there was a little fiend beside the jinx. The Su family¡¯s eyelids twitched, but when they saw the butcher knife in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand, they couldn¡¯t say a word. The Su family did not know how much money Su Yuniang had. If they had known, they would not have used a hundred taels to frame Su Yuniang. It could only be said that poverty limited their imagination. When they saw Su Yuniang dig out a large box of gold from the crack in the wall, the Su family was dumbfounded. They had always thought that Su Yuniang¡¯s money was given by the Zheng family. If she divorced the Zheng family, it meant that Su Yuniang had nothing. If they had known that Su Yuniang was so rich, they would have worshiped her no matter what! They really regretted it! Chapter 173 - 173 Relieved 173 Relieved Because of Su Dalang¡¯s stupidity, the Su family owed 500 taels of silver. The Su family did have some assets, but it was really difficult to take out so much money at once. They looked at Su Yuniang¡¯s gold and could not help but have thoughts. Su Can opened his mouth. ¡°Yuniang, you¡­¡± Su Yuniang said calmly, ¡°You want to say that this gold is yours and you won¡¯t let me take it away?¡± She coolly took out an account book! ¡°This clearly notes where my money came from, which bank I took it from, and where the official seal came from! There¡¯s no way you can take my money for yourself!¡± If they fell out, there was no need to leave any leeway for the other party. ¡°Originally, you should have a share of this money. But you were the ones who pushed me out! Then I can only set up another household with my money!¡± These words almost angered Su Can. ¡°Then, return the 100 taels!¡± Su Can said. In order to frame the Su family, they had placed a hundred taels of silver in that bag. Su Yuniang smiled. ¡°Dad, have you forgotten that the bag is mine!¡± Su Can choked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already¡­ explain it clearly¡­¡± Su Yuniang mocked, ¡°So, did you let the Su family take the blame for nothing? Don¡¯t you have to compensate others for some losses? You don¡¯t have money, but your life¡­¡± ¡°Which one do you want dead?¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked in with a butcher knife. In the end, the Su family was in the wrong. Even if Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s family forcefully kept the money, there was no way to reason. This was what it meant to suffer a double loss. Su Yuniang said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m leaving! I¡¯ll never come to this house again!¡± The Su family watched her leave the house without looking back with Fatty Su, who was holding a butcher knife. Their faces were as dark as the bottom of a pot. ¡°Did you vent your anger?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Yuniang let out a long sigh. ¡°I did!¡± Under the moonlight, the two of them looked at each other and smiled. Indeed, it was so damn satisfying! Su Yuniang had to leave to do something, so it was not convenient for her to bring the child along. She could only entrust her daughter to Madam Zhao. This time, she personally came to apologize and thank Madam Zhao. It was her fault for intercepting her midwife back then. She was very selfish in the moment of life and death. Madam Zhao said in a low voice, ¡°No, I actually have to be grateful to you. If you hadn¡¯t snatched that midwife away, I would have been the unlucky one.¡± Su Yuniang was speechless. Madam Qian did not intend to cut Su Yuniang any slack. Where was she back then when she should apologize? Did she think that she could bribe them with a basket of snacks and meat? Were they so spineless?! Her daughter-in-law must not forgive her! Su Yuniang handed over two gold ingots. ¡°I¡¯ll leave my girl to you for the next few days.¡± Madam Qian said, ¡°Sigh, back then, it was only because the midwife wanted to curry favor with you and said that my daughter-in-law wasn¡¯t in labor that you felt at ease keeping the midwife. Otherwise, with your personality, you definitely wouldn¡¯t have monopolized her.¡± Madam Zhao was speechless. ¡ª- At Little Su¡¯s house, Su Xiaoxiao continued to pack her things for the prefecture capital. She would be gone for a longer time this time, so she had to bring a few more clothes. In addition, there were ingredients. There were too many things to prepare for the three days of banquet. Liu Ping was called over. Su Xiaoxiao made a list and asked him to buy them early the next morning. After buying the items, he could just haul them to Manager Sun¡¯s residence. ¡°Okay.¡± Liu Ping accepted the list. In order to increase Liu Ping¡¯s efficiency and accuracy, Su Xiaoxiao also asked him to learn some words from Wei Ting. He learned it and taught it to Little Wu when he returned. Little Wu learned faster than Liu Ping. It was just that it had been so long. Little Wu and Liu Ping had worked too hard. It was time to find a few people to share the burden with them. Just as she was thinking, Li Xiaoyong came over. Su Xiaoxiao went to the central room. ¡°Brother Xiaoyong, what¡¯s the matter so late?¡± Li Xiaoyong scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Well, I saw that you¡¯re quite busy here, so I wanted to ask you¡­ do you need manpower?¡± Of course, she needed manpower! However, she did not want everyone. She would rather have none than use someone she couldn¡¯t trust. If it was Li Xiaoyong, there was naturally no problem. The Li family was down-to-earth and capable. From Old Li to Auntie Qian to Li Xiaoyong, they were all good at work. This was like a pillow being handed to her when she was sleepy. Li Xiaoyong said, ¡°Your Sister Zhao and the child are already out of confinement. If you don¡¯t mind, we can both come.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°Why would I mind? I can¡¯t ask for more. However, my work here is different from the work in the village. Brother Xiaoyong, you and Sister Zhao will follow Sister Xiao Wu and Brother Liu for a few days to see if you¡¯re used to it.¡± After sending Li Xiaoyong off, Su Xiaoxiao asked Su Ergou to call Liu Ping over and told him that Li Xiaoyong and Madam Zhao had come to help. She also carefully divided their work. Liu Ping remembered and would tell his wife when he returned. Su Xiaoxiao continued to return to the house to pack. Halfway through, Wei Ting came over after washing up. He glanced at the bags of various sizes on the bed. One of the bags actually had a pink undergarment jutting out of it. It was indecent! He turned his face away coldly. ¡°Wei Ting.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was busy arranging her clothes and didn¡¯t notice a certain someone¡¯s cold expression. ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡± ¡°To do what?¡± A certain someone had a cold expression and answered the question quickly. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a powerful subordinate? Yuniang is leaving to do something. I¡¯m worried that the Su family will cause trouble while I¡¯m not around. Can you ask your subordinate to protect Yuniang?¡± Wei Ting refused to admit it. ¡°I already said that I don¡¯t have subordinates.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll take it that you agree. Thank you!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Wei Ting looked at her bags on the left and right and frowned. ¡°You¡¯re packing so many clothes?¡± The last time, there was only a bag. This time, it was as if she was not coming back. Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said, ¡°Half of them are Ergou¡¯s. Coupled with the fact that we¡¯re leaving for a longer time this time, it will take at least five days to seven days.¡± Wei Ting fell silent. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°Wei Ting, don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t bear to part with me? Do you want to go with me?¡± Wei Ting took a sip of tea. ¡°Heh, dream on.¡± Father Su walked over. ¡°Daughter, the flour is packed! How¡¯s your packing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time, Dad.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Cheng and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the family to you.¡± Father Su patted his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of the family and raise my son-in-law, Dahu, and the others until they¡¯re fair and fat! Coincidentally, I¡¯ve learned a few new dishes recently¡­¡± Wei Ting¡¯s hand trembled¡­ ¡ª- The next day, Manager Sun came to the village to pick up Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou. Xiaowu was still driving the cart. When Su Xiaoxiao heard the sound of hooves, she put down her work and bade farewell to Little Wu and the others. She went to the central room to carry her bags out. Manager Sun got out of the carriage and said with a smile, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re done packing. Xiaowu, quickly enter the house and move the things. We¡¯re preparing to leave¡­¡± Before he could finish, he was shocked! ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him strangely and followed his gaze. Then, her eyebrows twitched! Behind him, other than the sleepy Su Ergou, there were also Wei Ting and three little radishes. The three little ones each carried a small bag and looked at her with big eyes! Wei Ting did not carry a bag¡­ He shamelessly hung his bag on Su Ergou¡¯s shoulder. Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Wei Ting carried the three brats to the door and said without changing his expression, ¡°Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu can¡¯t bear to part with you and want to go with you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m going to do business. I might not have time to accompany the children.¡± Wei Ting sighed. ¡°Then I can only reluctantly come along to take care of them.¡± Hey, they were his sons, to begin with, okay? What did he mean by reluctantly taking care of them? Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°But what will happen to the family¡¯s business if you leave? If father sells pancakes alone¡­ He won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡± The business was too popular now. The pastries were almost snatched up as soon as the stall was set up. At least two people were needed. ¡°Xiaoyong.¡± Wei Ting called Li Xiaoyong, who was washing salted duck eggs in the backyard. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Big Brother Wei?¡± Li Xiaoyong asked. Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°Do you know how old he is? Why are you calling him Big Brother Wei? Why do I feel that he¡¯s actually younger than you?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Follow my father to the street to sell pancakes later.¡± Li Xiaoyong¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Sure!¡± Wei Ting added, ¡°Xiaoyong is not bad-looking.¡± The three little ones used their cuteness and blinked at Su Xiaoxiao. They didn¡¯t say anything and just stared deeply. It was as if as long as Su Xiaoxiao said no, their young hearts would be greatly hurt. They were going to become three pitiful worms without a mother. Xiaohu hugged the bag and raised his hand, singing sadly. ¡°Little cabbage ~ The land is yellow ~ Two to three years old ~ Without a mother ~¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Chapter 174 - 174 The Su Family in the Capital (1) 174 The Su Family in the Capital (1) Fifteen minutes later, the group embarked on the journey to the prefecture capital. With the addition of one big and three small ones, a carriage clearly could not accommodate them. Liu Ping drove the donkey cart to town. The three little ones liked to take the donkey cart. After all, it was their own donkey and the feeling of attachment was different. Moreover, the donkey cart was open. It was cool to sit in it! They wanted to sit with their mother! As a result, Su Xiaoxiao was pulled onto the donkey cart. The family of five was neat. On the other hand, Liu Ping was squeezed out and sat in the carriage. The donkey kicked off and left! Manager Sun looked at the donkey running away and suspected that he was seeing things. ¡°Did you actually buy a donkey?¡± Why was it faster than his horse? After going to town, Su Xiaoxiao found the dealership and hired another carriage. Seeing that there was only the carriage and no coachman, Wei Ting asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the coachman?¡± ¡°He¡¯s far away but right in front of you.¡± With that, Su Xiaoxiao handed Wei Ting a horsewhip. Lord Wei was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°Hiring a coachman costs money. It¡¯s not cheap. It¡¯s 80 copper coins a day and there¡¯s food and accommodation. Let¡¯s save as much as we can! Right, Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu?¡± The three little ones nodded. Xiaohu clenched his fists and said, ¡°We have to save money!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and glanced at someone. ¡°I think you know a lot about horses. You should¡­ know how to drive a carriage, right?¡± Look, she even used provocation. What could Wei Ting say? If he had known, he would have sold pancakes on the streets. Wei Ting drove the carriage through the city with a handsome face. This was much more exposed than selling pancakes. Hence, after the pastry man, Xi Shi, there was another carriage man, Zhao Jun, in Apricot Flower Town. The carriages left Apricot Flower Town and drove onto the official road to the prefecture city. On both sides of the road were endless rice fields. There was still half a month before the planting of the early rice. The rice field was bare and barren like a desert. Su Xiaoxiao felt that there was nothing to see, but the three little ones squeezed their heads out of the carriage window one by one. ¡°Mother, what is that?¡± ¡°Weed.¡± ¡°That!¡± ¡°Birch tree.¡± ¡°Birch tree.¡± ¡°The one beside is not a white birch tree. It¡¯s a camphor tree.¡± Xiaohu was the most talkative and asked all the way. Occasionally, Dahu and Erhu would ask a few questions. Su Xiaoxiao was very patient. Wei Ting snorted and continued to be the coachman for Su Xiaoxiao and the three children. When the little fellows went out in the morning, they seemed to be on steroids. They could not take it anymore in the afternoon. They were listless and yawned one after another. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The three of them shook their heads. ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy.¡± In the next second, they fell asleep. After a day of long journey, they arrived at the prefecture city at sunset. This time, they were not staying at Yuelai Inn. Manager Sun opened the curtain of the carriage and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°The place where they were going to worship the ancestors is on Half Moon Mountain. Let¡¯s head seven to eight miles east. There¡¯s an inn there, near Half Moon Mountain.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°That place doesn¡¯t seem to be far from Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s nunnery?¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s much closer than going to the nunnery from Yue Lai Inn. Are you going to visit Grandmaster Hui Jue this time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Not to mention that Aunt Fu had asked her to bring something, she had also promised Grandmaster Hui Jue that if she came to the prefecture city again, she would go to the nunnery to see her. ¡°Are you going tonight?¡± Manager Sun asked. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the dark sky. ¡°No, it¡¯s too late today. Let¡¯s do it another day after we finish our business.¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°Alright.¡± She would focus on doing business first and visit after she was done. Since she had brought the three little fellows out, she had to stroll around the prefecture city. It was not easy for children to come out and explore. The inn they checked into was called the Half Moon Mountain Inn. Compared to the Yuelai Inn, the conditions were a little worse. This time, it was not that Manager Sun wanted to save money, but that there was only one inn nearby. Moreover, because a large family was going to worship their ancestors, the rooms were already full. ¡°Is¡­ is there not a single room left?¡± Manager Sun asked. The innkeeper looked up at him and then at Su Xiaoxiao. He sized her up and asked, ¡°Are you Miss Su?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Do you know me?¡± The innkeeper revealed a polite smile. ¡°Grandmaster Hui Jue mentioned you to me. You¡¯re¡­ quite easy to recognize.¡± ¡°Just say that I¡¯m fat!¡± The innkeeper said amiably, ¡°Grandmaster asked me to reserve four rooms for you. Do you think it¡¯s enough?¡± Chapter 175 - 175 The Su Family in the Capital (2) 175 The Su Family in the Capital (2) Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed, ¡°Does Grandmaster Hui Jue know that I¡¯m coming over?¡± She had yet to visit her! Thinking of something, Su Xiaoxiao turned to look at Manager Sun. ¡°Where did you discuss your business?¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°Someone came looking for me. At the Wang family¡¯s banquet¡­ I told those guests where I lived and left a business card.¡± Su Xiaoxiao finally understood. Manager Sun said he had brokered it himself but the business was most likely introduced by Grandmaster Hui Jue. She knew it. She had already offended the Li family. Why would anyone dare to support her? She originally thought that the client was from elsewhere and did not know. Now that she thought about it, someone who could build a relationship with Grandmaster Hui Jue was not afraid of someone like Prefecture Lord Li at all. She had to find an opportunity to thank Grandmaster Hui Jue later. There were four rooms. Su Xiaoxiao and the three little ones had one, Wei Ting had one, Su Ergou and Little Wu had one, and Manager Sun had one. Manager Sun was very surprised that the two of them did not live in the same room. However, on second thought, the beds in the inn were not big. There were three children in the middle, so it was indeed a little difficult to squeeze into the same bed. Su Xiaoxiao had always been extremely serious about her work. Whether it was a big client or not, she would do her best to deal with it. ¡°Manager Sun, it¡¯s me.¡± She knocked on Manager Sun¡¯s door. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Manager Sun opened the door for her. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I have a question for you. Did that family say what taboos or restrictions we have to take note of for the offerings? For example, meat, lard, and so on?¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°I¡¯ve asked. They said there aren¡¯t any. Just do what you¡¯re good at.¡± The offerings were for the ancestors, but after the sacrifice, the offerings would be distributed. These offerings were usually thought to be stained with the blessings of the ancestors. After eating them, they could be protected by their ancestors. Su Xiaoxiao roughly knew what to do. Manager Sun suddenly said, ¡°What a coincidence. The family who invited us to make snacks also has the surname Su.¡± ¡­ . Su Xiaoxiao returned to her room. The three little ones widened their eyes and sat on the bed in high spirits. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyebrows twitched. After sleeping all afternoon¡­ Were they¡­ well-rested from the long nap? Dahu said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m hungry.¡± Erhu said, ¡°Eat chicken drumsticks.¡± Xiaohu said, ¡°Eat pancakes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao rejected mercilessly. ¡°You can¡¯t eat pancakes.¡± Xiaohu felt wronged and refused to say anything. The three of them slept all the way during the day. When they woke up at this hour, they would not sleep again until the latter half of the night. There was a small market a mile away. When they passed by just now, it was very lively. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and went next door to get Su Ergou and Xiaowu, as well as Wei Ting, to walk around the market. Manager Sun did not go. His old bones could not keep up with the stamina of young people. Xiaowu drove the carriage. The three little ones did not want to take the carriage. They wanted to walk! Dahu and Erhu quickly occupied Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s left and right hands. Xiaohu was so angry that he stomped his feet! ¡°I don¡¯t want to walk,¡± Xiaohu said to Wei Ting. Wei Ting decisively picked Xiao Hu up and threw him to Su Ergou. The market here could not compare to the one in the prefecture city, but there were also many stalls. The three little ones drooled at the stall selling fried chives dumplings. Su Xiaoxiao asked for six chives dumplings and asked Su Ergou to buy eggnog glutinous rice balls from the stall next door. She was on a diet so she wouldn¡¯t eat this sugar-oil mixture. When he sat down, Xiaohu successfully snatched the seat beside his mother and shook his head happily! Wei Ting suddenly stood up and left silently. Su Xiaoxiao thought that he had gone to the toilet, but when he returned, he had a roasted sweet potato in his hand. ¡°I bought it in passing,¡± he said calmly. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Then why are you giving it to me?¡± Wei Ting brought the sweet potato back. ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t want to eat it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao snatched the sweet potato over and broke open the crispy outer skin. The outer skin was a little burnt, and there was a faint sweet and sour taste. Compared to the pure sweet part in the middle, Su Xiaoxiao actually liked to eat this part more. Her round face was chubby. When she took a bite, her cheeks were puffed up like a fat squirrel foraging. ¡°Brother-in-law, why aren¡¯t you eating? Are you not hungry?¡± Su Ergou asked. Wei Ting moved his gaze away from Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face and grabbed the chives dumpling on the plate. ¡°I¡¯m eating.¡± Su Ergou smacked his lips. He thought that if Wei Ting didn¡¯t eat it, he would eat it for him! After they had eaten 70% of the chives dumplings and rice balls, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t allow them to eat anymore. ¡°It¡¯s too late. It¡¯s difficult to digest if you eat too much. We¡¯ll come back tomorrow.¡± Chapter 176 - 176 The Su Family in the Capital (3) 176 The Su Family in the Capital (3) Hearing that he could still come tomorrow, Su Ergou happily accepted it. The group returned to the inn. The three little ones were so excited that they did not want to sleep. They rolled around on the bed. Wei Ting said, ¡°I¡¯ll watch them. You sleep first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had to wake up early tomorrow, so she didn¡¯t stand on ceremony with Wei Ting. She rolled up the blanket and fell asleep. When she woke up, Wei Ting was no longer in the room. The three little ones were sprawled out and sleeping soundly. There was one at the head of the bed, one at the foot of the bed, and one at the side. Su Xiaoxiao arranged the little fellows and covered them with the blanket. Then, she began to dress and wash up. Manager Sun slept early and woke up early. He woke Xiaowu up first and went to the horse shed to feed the horses. Then, he instructed the kitchen to prepare breakfast. When Su Xiaoxiao arrived at the lobby, the steamed dumplings were already out of the oven. ¡°Boss, did you sleep well last night?¡± Manager Sun asked. ¡°Not bad.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sat down beside him. Manager Sun said, ¡°Xiaowu went to wake Ergou. He¡¯ll be down soon. This basket of dumplings is for you. There¡¯re fresh ones in the kitchen.¡± Su Xiaoxiao tasted the soup dumplings. ¡°They taste good.¡± The ingredients were very fresh. They used pepper and ginger to remove the fishy smell of the meat. After taking a bite, the juice exploded slightly. It was the taste of soup dumplings. ¡°You eat too,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to him. Manager Sun smiled. ¡°Eat first. I¡¯ll wait for Ergou.¡± Su Xiaoxiao did not have any concept of seniority, but Manager Sun would not forget his status because of this. The boss was magnanimous, so he could not take advantage of her. He had to know his limits. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything else and ate two more. Manager Sun said, ¡°Boss, I went to ask around again this morning.¡± ¡°What did you ask about?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Manager Sun whispered, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s the family who invited us to make snacks. I originally thought that it was a business deal I discussed, so I didn¡¯t think too much about it. However, after thinking about it at night, I realized that this business was most likely arranged by Grandmaster Hui Jue. That¡¯s definitely not an ordinary family, so I asked around.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t just ask around, did you? You dug around and got to the bottom of it, right?¡± Guests came down from the lobby one after another. Manager Sun lowered his voice and said, ¡°That family with the surname Su is from the capital. It¡¯s said that they¡¯re a high-ranking official in the capital! No wonder they¡¯re not afraid of us offending the Li Residence!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued to eat the soup dumplings. ¡°No, why are you so calm?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve received the business of a noble in the capital! What a gimmick! If word gets out in the future, Jin Ji won¡¯t even be worthy of carrying our shoes!¡± In any case, Manager Sun had been excited for a long time. He had even planned a hundred ways to brag, build momentum, and kill off Jin Ji. Manager Sun continued, ¡°Their ancestral home is in Ping Cheng, Qingzhou. They will return to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors every few years. However, I heard that they haven¡¯t come back much these past few years. Do you know why?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Manager Sun muttered, ¡°You¡¯re really a very bad supporting character!¡± Manager Sun had spent money to fish out the gossip and couldn¡¯t help but spit it out. ¡°It¡¯s said that many years ago, the Su family returned to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors and encountered robbers. A madam of the Su family and her child were cruelly killed by robbers! Ever since then, fewer members of the Su family have returned! This time, it¡¯s said that they¡¯re moving the grave!¡± ¡°Sister!¡± Su Ergou went downstairs. ¡°It smells so good!¡± Manager Sun said to Xiaowu, ¡°Go to the kitchen and ask them to bring out the remaining three baskets of dumplings.¡± Xiaowu agreed. ¡°Okay.¡± Su Ergou was about to eat when Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Send a basket up for your brother-in-law.¡± ¡°Brother-in-law isn¡¯t awake yet,¡± Su Ergou said. ¡°I didn¡¯t even hear any movement in his room.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Just go.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou obediently picked up a basket of buns and knocked on his brother-in-law¡¯s door. Chapter 177 - 177 Aunt 177 Aunt Wei Ting quickly opened the door for him. Su Ergou scratched his head. ¡°Brother-in-law, you¡¯re really up?¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°I just woke up. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Ergou handed the steamer to him. ¡°Oh, Sister asked me to send you a basket of buns. Do you want to go down and eat with us?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll eat in the room.¡± Su Xiaoxiao and the others had to do business and ate quickly. If he sat with them, he would be alone not long after. In addition, he had to look after the three little fellows next door. Wei Ting said, ¡°Put it in your sister¡¯s room.¡± Su Ergou agreed. ¡°Aye, alright!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was almost done eating in the lobby. She had a choice of place to sit. She happened to be able to see her and Wei Ting¡¯s two rooms. The other two rooms were around a corner, which was her blind spot. She glanced at Wei Ting on the walkway. Wei Ting entered her room with the three little ones¡¯ room with a calm expression. The three of them only fell asleep in the middle of the night. They would probably wake up late today. She did not believe that Wei Ting had followed her to the prefecture city for the three little fellows. Wei Ting was too shrewd. He must have his own motives. Su Ergou was also full. The group set off for Half Moon Mountain. The tomb of the rich family was located on a piece of treasured land. The two sides of the top were tall, and the middle part was sunken inward in the layout of the Incense Burner Mountain. It was already good enough for ordinary families to have a grave, but this family had an entire cemetery. Not only that, but they also built a separate family temple. On the way here, Su Xiaoxiao asked Wei Ting many questions about the sacrifice. The ancestral hall of the Great Zhou was also called a family temple. Commoners were not qualified to build a family temple. There were seven temples for the emperor, five temples for the vassals, three temples for the physician, and one temple for scholars. In short, to build a family temple, one had to at least be an official. She had only learned from the innkeeper this morning that the big family that had hired them to make snacks had built five temples. In other words, the head was a duke. The vassals from the capital had too big a background. What was Prefecture Lord Li in front of them? What? He was not even worthy of carrying shoes? No, this sentence was already a scam. Moreover, the gossip Manager Sun had heard yesterday was also inaccurate. The family was not here to move the grave. They were here to worship their ancestors and perform a crown ceremony for a direct descendant. In the Great Zhou, men were considered adults when they were 20 years old. If they were married early, they would perform the crown ceremony on the day before the wedding. The location was all at the family temple. It was already difficult for country bumpkins to fill their stomachs, so they were naturally not so particular. They probably could not even afford a hair crown, even if they were adults. Only these vassals and physicians could afford to talk about such red tape. Su Xiaoxiao felt that she had to buy a hair crown for Father Su when she returned this time. She didn¡¯t want to buy fake jade. She wanted real jade. Father Su wandered to Willow Village during the year of the disaster. He had been a cowherd for ten years and grew up eating all kinds of food. He had no elders, so he naturally did not have a crown ceremony before he became a husband and a father. ¡°The red-tiled hut at the foot of the mountain¡­ That¡¯s right, it¡¯s here!¡± Manager Sun lifted the curtain. ¡°Xiaowu, stop the carriage.¡± Manager Sun pointed at the towering buildings in front of him and said, ¡°Do you see that? That¡¯s the Su family¡¯s temple. It¡¯s a true energy sect! Unfortunately, we can¡¯t enter. In a while, we¡¯ll make snacks in the kitchen here. Someone will come and get them.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Su Xiaoxiao calmly got out of the carriage. Su Ergou had taken a nap in the carriage and was in good spirits. The person who came to contact them was a steward with the surname Yu. Probably knowing that they were introduced by Grandmaster Hui Jue, Steward Yu¡¯s attitude was very polite. After bringing her to the kitchen, he asked if there was anything else she needed. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We brought the ingredients ourselves. May I ask where the water is?¡± Steward Yu smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s a clean well in the backyard. If you don¡¯t want to use the well water, there¡¯s a natural mountain spring half a mile east. It tastes sweeter than the well water.¡± Su Xiaoxiao decided to try the spring water. Su Ergou picked up two buckets with a shoulder pole and followed. They soon arrived half a mile away. Su Xiaoxiao watched as the winding spring water flowed down from a naturally formed stone cave. She stretched out her chubby hand and took a sip. How sweet! ¡°Sister, does it taste good?¡± Su Ergou asked. Su Xiaoxiao nodded without hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s sweeter than the water on our mountain.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it too!¡± Su Ergou put down the shoulder pole and bucket. He did not hold it with his hand. Instead, he tilted his head and took it with his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s so cold!¡± His collar was wet. However, he could also taste that the spring water here was indeed sweet. ¡°Sister, can we bring two buckets for Dad when we go back?¡± ¡°Eh? Sister, what¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± ¡°Sister!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°I heard it. Ask Steward Yu later how much the spring water is. Buy some and bring them back.¡± Between the siblings, one really went all out to take care of his loved ones and the other went all out to spoil them. Su Xiaoxiao frowned slightly. She¡­ seemed to have seen Jing Yi just now. Surrounded by a group of luxuriously dressed people, he entered the temple of the rich family. It was too far away and she could not see it clearly. Perhaps she had seen wrongly. But in the next second, she didn¡¯t think so. Because Changping had come over. Changping was also here to get spring water. The difference was that he was holding two small bamboo tubes. ¡°Su Su Su¡­ Miss Su?¡± Changping looked at the siblings in disbelief. ¡°Why are you here?¡± To meet them wherever he went, he felt they must really be haunting him! Changping was Young Master Xiang¡¯s personal follower. If he was here, it meant that Young Master Xiang was also here. Jing Yi was most likely here. No wonder neither of them was there when she went to the academy to look for them. It turned out that they had gone to the prefecture city. ¡­ . Jing Yi and the others arrived at the entrance of the family temple. A middle-aged man in his forties had long been waiting here with his family. He first cupped his hands at Jing Yi. ¡°Young Marquis Jing, long time no see. How have you been?¡± Jing Yi nodded slightly and moved aside. The man took a look and his expression changed drastically. He bent his knees and knelt down. ¡°Greetings to the Third¡­¡± Young Master Xiang reached out and stopped him from bowing. ¡°When you¡¯re outside, just call me Young Master Xiang.¡± The man understood. ¡°Yes! Young Master Xiang, please come in!¡± Young Master Xiang and Jing Yi followed the man into a courtyard beside the family temple. This place was mainly used to guard the family temple. After they sat down, the servants served tea. Young Master Xiang asked, ¡°It¡¯s been half a year since we last met in the capital. I wonder how your health is?¡± The man sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a little better. It¡¯s almost Aunt¡¯s death anniversary, and Father can¡¯t sleep at night.¡± Young Master Xiang also sighed and said, ¡°Has the Marquis not let go?¡± The man shook his head helplessly. ¡°Father has always been brooding over what happened back then and feels guilty for not protecting Aunt well. Father often said that if only he hadn¡¯t brought Aunt back to the village to pay respects to her ancestors. That way, he wouldn¡¯t have caused Aunt to die tragically and her flesh and blood to wander among the commoners for many years.¡± Chapter 178 - 178 Ancestral Worship 178 Ancestral Worship The siblings went to make snacks after getting water. There was actually a requirement for offerings. Take fruits and snacks for example. Peaches and pomegranates were Yang fruits. They could be used to ward off evil and exorcize ghosts, so they were not suitable to be used as sacrifices. Although there were not many taboos regarding the types of snacks, the number was usually singular. Among the five elements, singular was Yang, and even was Yin. The tomb was already Yin. The offering had to be Yang, and Yin and Yang had to be harmonized to protect the peace of the aristocratic family. Su Xiaoxiao made sweet barley, radish cake, and date cake. Su Ergou helped her. The siblings cooperated well. When Steward Yu came over to ask how long it would take to cook, Su Xiaoxiao was already loading the plate. A refreshing fragrance filled the entire room. Steward Yu swallowed. Who would make offerings so fragrant? Ordinary people thought that the offering was not for people to eat. It meant that it was fine as long as there was food. In terms of taste, it would be much worse than the snacks sold on the market. Steward Yu drooled. He thought to himself that this was making even ghosts cry¡­ He touched the corner of his mouth and confirmed that there was no residual saliva. Then, he composed himself and said to Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to get it now.¡± ¡°Steward Yu,¡± Su Ergou called out to him. Steward Yu asked warmly, ¡°Little Brother Su, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Su Ergou felt that this big family was quite easy to get along with. The people he interacted with were all very polite, unlike the Qi family and the Wang family in the past. Su Ergou said, ¡°Are you selling your spring water? Can I buy two buckets back?¡± Steward Yu was amused by this child¡¯s serious expression. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Su Ergou was disappointed. ¡°However.¡± Steward Yu held back his laughter and said to Su Ergou, ¡°We can give the mountain spring water to people fated to get acquainted with the family. Brother Su, you can bring as much back as you want.¡± Su Ergou scratched his head. ¡°How embarrassing¡­¡± After thinking for a moment, he took out an oil paper bag and handed it to Steward Yu. ¡°Ergou Pancake, for you.¡± ¡ª- Today was dedicated to sacrifice. It could be done in one go. There was no need to eat at noon and at night like a banquet. ¡°Sister, are we done?¡± Su Ergou asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The sacrifice is done. The snacks at the banquet in the next two days have to be made for them to taste and choose.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Are you sleepy? Do you want to go to the chair to catch up on your sleep? I don¡¯t need your help here.¡± It was just a sample. The amount was not big. She could do it herself. ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy.¡± Su Ergou shook his head and walked to the stool to lie down for two hours. The ancestral worship had already ended. When he woke up, Su Ergou rubbed his eyes. ¡°Sister, why are you still making snacks?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°There¡¯s still some fermented dough left. It¡¯s a waste not to make it. Are you hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry.¡± Su Ergou sat up. ¡°I¡¯ll get some mountain spring water!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked around and didn¡¯t see Manager Sun. There was no need to guess. He must be looking for an opportunity to get business. Su Ergou picked up the shoulder pole, hung up two empty buckets, and rushed towards the mountain spring! He came to the spring and drank to his heart¡¯s content before taking out a bucket to scoop up the water. The mountain spring water flowed slowly. A bucket would take half a day. As he waited, he squatted on the ground and drew circles. ¡°Hey, who¡¯s that! Come here for a moment!¡± Not far away, a man spoke. ¡°I¡¯m talking about you!¡± Su Ergou looked up at him in a daze. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s you! Come here!¡± The man waved at Su Ergou. The man was only in his early twenties. From his clothes, he looked like a servant from a rich family. Su Ergou glanced at the less than half-filled bucket and stood up to walk over. ¡°What?¡± The servant put down the cart in his hand and wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°The cart seems to be broken. I can¡¯t push it anymore. Give me a hand.¡± ¡°Is it broken? Make way.¡± Su Ergou came to the cart and grabbed it with both hands. He gently raised it and passed it to the servant. ¡°Isn¡¯t this good?¡± The servant was stunned. However, when it was the servant¡¯s turn to push, the servant couldn¡¯t do it again. He either couldn¡¯t push it or overturned the cart. Fortunately, the box above was tied with rope. Otherwise, it would have been scattered on the ground. ¡°Y-You push it!¡± the servant said angrily. ¡°Then wait.¡± Su Ergou ran to the spring and removed the filled bucket. He placed an empty bucket and continued to receive it. Seeing that he was fetching spring water, the servant thought that he was a servant guarding the Su family¡¯s ancestral shrine. When Su Ergou pushed the cart into the back door of the courtyard, the servant ordered him to help unload the goods. Su Ergou did not say anything and helped him remove it. Su Ergou had just turned 14, but he was much stronger than the servant. He carried down a few big and heavy boxes and they landed lightly. ¡°Kid, not bad.¡± The servant patted his shoulder in admiration. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Su Ergou.¡± ¡°A family child?¡± the servant asked. ¡°What?¡± Su Ergou didn¡¯t understand. Many servants would be given their master¡¯s surname. Such servants had a higher status than those bought outside. The servant could not order him around casually and was about to let him leave. Suddenly, an imposing young man walked over with his head held high. He looked about the same age as Su Ergou. He was dressed luxuriously and had the arrogance of a young master of an aristocratic family. The servant hurriedly bowed. ¡°Little High Duke!¡± Seeing that Su Ergou did not move, he quietly tugged at him. Su Ergou asked, ¡°What?¡± The servant secretly took a deep breath, wondering why this silly kid didn¡¯t bow in the presence of the little prince. The young man ignored the two servants and turned around to instruct the guard behind him, ¡°Bring my horse over. I want to go into the mountains to hunt!¡± The guard looked troubled. ¡°Young High Duke, this¡­ isn¡¯t good, right? The mountains are very dangerous.¡± The young man snorted coldly. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of danger, stay here! I¡¯ll find someone else!¡± The guard said, ¡°Little High Duke!¡± The young man glanced around indifferently, raised his chin, and said arrogantly, ¡°Whoever goes hunting with me will get ten taels each!¡± The servant immediately said, ¡°Little High Duke! I¡¯m willing to go with you!¡± The young man looked at him and then at Su Ergou. ¡°What about you? You¡¯re not going? Are you afraid of danger too?¡± Su Ergou was naturally not afraid of danger. He was fetching water. However, the water could be drawn later. Anyway, the mountain spring could not run away. ¡°Can I go?¡± Su Ergou asked. His sister had said that he could not run around. He had to get the owner¡¯s permission. This young man should be the owner of this place, right? The young man said calmly, ¡°As long as you¡¯re not afraid.¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid!¡± The young man threw the horsewhip to Su Ergou. ¡°Take the horse.¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡± The servant hurriedly brought the horsewhip over and smiled brightly. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll hold the horse for you!¡± The young man snorted and stepped on the stirrups to get on the horse. Chapter 179 - 179 Attack 179 Attack Seeing that his young master was really leaving just like that, the guard was stumped. In the end, he made up his mind and followed. The group entered the mountain. Su Ergou rarely hunted. Firstly, his father and sister did not allow it. Secondly, he was not very good at it. But this person did not say that he had to be the one hunting. Su Ergou thought for a moment. Ten taels of silver could buy many things for his family. His father, his sister, his brother-in-law, Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu¡­ Unknowingly, the group had already entered the forest. It was not difficult for the young man to ride on the horse. The attendant and the servant were exhausted. Although they were servants, they were not the kind who did rough work. Otherwise, the servant would not have been unable to even push a cart. On the other hand, Su Ergou, the youngest, had been walking at the front without panting. The young man muttered unhappily, ¡°It¡¯s been so long, why haven¡¯t I seen any prey?¡± ¡°Little High Duke! Look!¡± The servant pointed at the grass not far away and whispered, ¡°There¡¯s a bamboo rat!¡± The young man finally perked up. He nocked an arrow and shot at the bamboo rat! Unfortunately, it missed and the bamboo rat ran away. The young man frowned. The group continued forward. After the first bamboo rat appeared, it seemed to be easier to encounter prey. The young man first encountered a pair of rabbits, then an elk and several pheasants. However, he did not hit any of the animals successfully. The young man was furious. ¡°What lousy bow!¡± He threw the bow and arrow to the ground in disdain! The guard quickly picked it up and wiped it with his sleeve. ¡°Little High Duke, the prey in this forest is too cunning. Why don¡¯t we go back first and call a few young masters over!¡± The young man glared at him. ¡°You mean I¡¯m not as good as my cousins?¡± The guard said awkwardly, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± The young man snorted and said, ¡°If any of you can hunt any prey today, I¡¯ll reward you with ten taels! Two, twenty taels! I have a lot of money. It depends on whether you have the ability to take it!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, who could stay idle? The attendant and servant all began to catch rabbits and chickens. Su Ergou did not move. The young man asked him, ¡°You don¡¯t want silver?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°Prey that grows in the forest runs faster than poultry. You can¡¯t catch it.¡± ¡°Boring!¡± As soon as the young man finished speaking, Su Ergou took out a slingshot from somewhere and shot a stone at the bushes in front of him. Tip! It sounded like he had hit something! The young man was stunned. The servant and the guard also stopped. They looked at the young man and Su Ergou, then at the motionless grass. Could this kid have really hit it? Their little High Duke could not even hit a prey with a bow and arrow. How could he hit something with a broken slingshot? Su Ergou walked over and dug open the grass to take a look. Eh? Bingo. To be honest, he did not expect to hit it either. His sister¡¯s slingshot was so useful! Its accuracy was too good! The young man said to the servant and attendant, ¡°Did you see that? The two of you, learn more from him!¡± The attendant muttered, ¡°It¡¯s just blind luck!¡± Tip! Su Ergou hit another rabbit. The attendant stammered, ¡°That, that was a nest of rabbits, to begin with. It was very easy to fight.¡± Tip! Su Ergou hit another pheasant. Su Ergou gradually realized the joy of playing with a slingshot. Although he did not hit the target every time, he was the only one in the group who could hit accurately. He had hunted a total of three rabbits and two pheasants. In total, it was 50 taels! Su Ergou was very happy. The young man was unhappy. Why couldn¡¯t he hit it with a bow and arrow, but this country servant could hit it with a slingshot? ¡°Show me your slingshot,¡± the young man said to Su Ergou. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou handed the slingshot to the young man. The young man found the servants in the countryside dirty, but he could not resist his curiosity about the slingshot. He frowned and took it. It was a little heavy. He didn¡¯t know what it was made of. It was strange. He had never seen it before. He pulled. The elasticity was better than the slingshot he had played with before. ¡°So it¡¯s the slingshot.¡± As long as he used this slingshot, he would definitely hunt more prey than this countryside slave. Coincidentally, at this moment, a little pheasant stuck its head out from behind the tree. ¡°Quick, give me the stone,¡± the young man said to Su Ergou. Su Ergou looked at the remaining three stones in his pocket and gave him one. The young man missed. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Give me another one! Give me all of them!¡± Seeing that it was 50 taels, no, 60 taels, Su Ergou contributed the remaining two stones. Unfortunately, the young man was really good-looking but useless. He did not catch a single prey. ¡°A broken slingshot! It¡¯s not useful at all!¡± The young man threw the slingshot up in frustration. Su Ergou frowned. ¡°Why did you throw my slingshot?¡± Su Ergou bent down to pick up the slingshot. The young man pulled the reins tightly and raised them. The horse raised its front hooves and stomped down! The slingshot broke under the hard horseshoe. Su Ergou was furious! This was the slingshot his sister had made for him! Su Ergou glared at him angrily. The young man glanced at Su Ergou. ¡°You dare to glare at me?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I glare at you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m even going to beat you up!¡± The little bully who had his slingshot broken was in a terrible mood. The young man was still adding oil to the fire. ¡°Do you believe that I¡¯ll dig out your eyeballs? Why are you still glaring?¡± The young man lashed out with his whip! Su Ergou tried his best to suppress his anger until the whip landed squarely on his face. Su Ergou completely erupted. He wrapped one arm around the young man¡¯s whip and pulled him down! The young man fell off the horse in a sorry state! ¡°Little High Duke!¡± The attendant and servant¡¯s expressions changed. Su Ergou said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll return this whip to you!¡± Su Ergou slapped the young man¡¯s handsome face! ¡°Ah¡ª¡± The young man screamed in fear. In the blink of an eye, a tall figure rode his horse over. Seeing that it was too late, he rose into the air and kicked Su Ergou¡¯s chest¡ª Bang! A long sword blocked his attack! He flipped a few times and stabilized himself beside the young man. He looked at the other party coldly. The other party also used his movement technique. The difference was that the other party chose to stand in front of Su Ergou. Su Ergou stuck his head out and looked at the young man blocking his way. ¡°Eh? Young Master Jing?¡± The young man was stunned. ¡°Brother Jing?¡± The guard¡¯s face was cold as he asked calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Young Marquis Jing had arrived. Sorry for not welcoming you. However, what does Young Marquis Jing mean?¡± The young man glared at Su Ergou and snorted disdainfully. ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother Jing. This slave is so detestable! Not only did he pull me off the horse just now, but he also tried to whip me! Hurry up and teach him a lesson for me!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a slave!¡± Jing Yi said coldly and turned to ask Su Ergou, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± Su Ergou pointed at the young man and said, ¡°That person broke the slingshot made by my sister!¡± Chapter 180 - 180 Protection 180 Protection The guard asked, ¡°Does Young Marquis Jing know this person?¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°He¡¯s the brother of a friend of mine.¡± The guard looked at Su Ergou skeptically. ¡°I wonder who is that young master in the capital I¡¯ve never seen.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s friends were either rich or noble, but this person¡¯s clothes did not look like a young master of an aristocratic family. ¡°You don¡¯t know my friend,¡± Jing Yi said. The guard sized up Su Ergou carefully. No matter how he looked at it, he did not think that Su Ergou was someone with status. The guard said calmly, ¡°He injured my young master. We can¡¯t let this matter go. What do you think, Young Marquis Jing?¡± Jing Yi asked with a deep gaze, ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± The guard said coldly, ¡°He can sever his arm, or I can cripple his arm.¡± Jing Yi said word by word, ¡°You can¡¯t touch this person. If you don¡¯t believe me, try me.¡± The guard frowned. The two most difficult young people to get along with in the capital were the youngest son of the Wei family and the young marquis in front of him. Although the Young Marquis was young, his martial arts were not weak. If they really fought, he would not be able to gain an advantage. Not to mention¡­ The guard looked at Su Ergou deeply. He was clearly a poor boy. How did he obtain the protection of Young Marquis Jing? Their young master and Young Marquis Jing had grown up together. Logically speaking, his young master should be in Young Marquis Jing¡¯s circle. The guard was puzzled, let alone the young man. The young man frowned and said, ¡°Brother Jing, why are you protecting a slave!¡± Jing Yi said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. He¡¯s not a slave!¡± The young man¡¯s eyes trembled. He¡­ was very afraid of Jing Yi. He was even more afraid of him than he was of the Third Prince. The Third Prince had a gentle personality and was a modest and polite gentleman. He usually did not put on airs and took good care of juniors like them. Jing Yi was different. This guy was unreasonable. Other than the Third Prince, he would not give anyone respect. Jing Yi said to Su Ergou, ¡°Ergou, let¡¯s go.¡± Su Ergou followed Jing Yi. When he brushed past the young man, Su Ergou suddenly pounced forward, snatched the whip, and whipped the young man! The whip hit the young man¡¯s face. The young man¡¯s face was swollen at a visible speed. The guard¡¯s expression turned cold as he slapped Su Ergou! Jing Yi pulled Su Ergou to the other side and punched the guard! The guard gritted his teeth. ¡°Young Marquis!¡± Jing Yi¡¯s internal force shook, causing the guard to take a few steps back. Su Ergou glared at this group of people fiercely. He bent down and picked up the broken slingshot. He gently blew away the grass on it and held it carefully. Jing Yi left with Su Ergou. After taking a few steps, he turned around and looked into the depths of the forest. He frowned slightly. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was his imagination, but someone seemed to be in the dark. However, in the next second, the aura disappeared again. The two of them walked away. The young man was so angry that he threw all the bows and arrows at the horse and kicked the horse twice! The guard was shocked and hurriedly grabbed the reins to prevent the horse from going crazy. The young man gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to look for the Third Prince and tell him what his cousin has done!¡± The guard turned around and looked at the frightened attendant and servant. ¡°Little High Duke went out hunting. Didn¡¯t you know how to stop him? You even let strangers approach him. I think you want to die!¡± The two of them knelt down. The attendant pointed at the servant. ¡°Guard Li, it¡¯s none of my business. He brought him here!¡± The servant panicked and said, ¡°He¡¯s a servant of the Su family! He saw me pushing a cart of things and came over to help me! Moreover¡­ Moreover, it was the young master who wanted to bring him¡­¡± The guard said coldly, ¡°Hmph, neither of you can escape punishment!¡± ¡ª- The young man saw Young Master Xiang talking to Grandpa Su in the east room of the courtyard. ¡°Third¡­ Young Master Xiang, Uncle,¡± he greeted listlessly. Su Yuan glanced at him. ¡°What happened to your face?¡± The young man lowered his head, his eyes red and aggrieved. ¡°Speak!¡± Su Yuan said in a low voice. The young man said gloomily, ¡°A servant from Uncle¡¯s family beat me up. Young Marquis Jing knows him and let him go.¡± Su Yuan was puzzled. ¡°How does Young Marquis Jing know my servants? He even let them go?¡± This was definitely not as simple as knowing each other. Su Yuan continued, ¡°What¡¯s that servant¡¯s name?¡± The young man thought for a moment. ¡°I heard Young Marquis Jing call him¡­ Ergou.¡± Young Master Xiang stopped drinking his tea. ¡ª- Jing Yi sent Su Ergou back to the small courtyard where the snacks were made. Su Xiaoxiao was a little surprised to see the two of them come over together. Then, she saw Su Ergou¡¯s slightly swollen cheek. Her eyes darkened. ¡°Who did it?¡± There was a clear whip mark on his cheek. It was obvious that he had not fallen. Su Ergou told Su Xiaoxiao what had happened. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t suffer a loss. I slapped him back! His face is more swollen than mine!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t suffer a loss.¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused and said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t fight on your own next time. Get me to come along!¡± The guards in the capital were definitely not something the hooligans in town and the prefecture capital could compare to. They had real skills. They really did not care about human lives. It was all thanks to Jing Yi this time. ¡°Got it, Sister,¡± Su Ergou agreed. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°I just made snacks. Do you want some?¡± Su Ergou said heartlessly, ¡°Yes!¡± Jing Yi finally understood why Su Ergou was not afraid of death. If he was fierce, she was even fiercer. None of the siblings were cowards. Su Ergou sat inside and ate snacks while Su Xiaoxiao sent Jing Yi out. ¡°Thank you for protecting Ergou.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Jing Yi said. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°By the way, how are your injuries recovering?¡± Jing Yi moved his arm. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that little prince?¡± She had to know who the brat who bullied Su Ergou was. Jing Yi was silent. If ordinary people asked him, he would not answer. But he didn¡¯t hate talking to her. He said, ¡°His surname is Qin and his name is Qin Yun. He¡¯s the young master of the Duke Protector¡¯s Estate. His grandfather has contributed greatly and was conferred the title of first-grade Duke Protector. It¡¯s hereditary for three generations. Coincidentally, it¡¯s the third generation when it comes to him.¡± ¡°What will happen in three generations?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was a little curious. ¡°Demotion,¡± Jing Yi said. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°His surname is Qin. This family¡¯s surname is Su¡­¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°Old Marquis Su¡¯s sister married the Protector Duke. Many years ago, Old Marquis Su returned to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors and brought the Duchess and her son along. Unexpectedly, they were assassinated halfway. The Duchess unfortunately died, and the whereabouts of the Duchess¡¯s child was unknown. The two families searched for a long time, but they couldn¡¯t find the child. It was not until ten years later that the child returned to the capital.¡± ¡°That child is the newly appointed Duke, Qin Yun¡¯s father. Perhaps because he has suffered among the commoners, the Qin family and the Su family have tried their best to compensate him. His son, Qin Yun, has also been spoiled by the two families.¡± ¡°Also.¡± Jing Yi paused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°My cousin is engaged to the Duke Protector¡¯s Estate. The person he is to marry is Qin Yun¡¯s sister.¡± Chapter 181 - 181 Apology 181 Apology In a room, Qin Yun sat on the bed with a swollen face. A servant used an ice bag to apply the swelling. The servant and the attendant had been beaten 50 times and had long fainted. At this moment, a few other servants were serving him. Qin Yun snorted. ¡°Just you wait. Brother-in-law will definitely stand up for me!¡± The servant who was applying an ice pack for him said, ¡°Little High Duke, Jing Yi is Third¡­ Young Master¡¯s cousin.¡± Qin Yun said without thinking, ¡°So what if he¡¯s his cousin? Is he very close? My sister is about to marry him. He¡¯s my brother-in-law! I¡¯m his brother-in-law! No matter what, he has to help me! Moreover, that wretched slave even whipped me! It¡¯s fine if Jing Yi didn¡¯t stop me, but he even watched him bully me! Cousin won¡¯t side with Jing Yi!¡± The servant said awkwardly, ¡°Are you angry with that little servant, or with the Young Marquis?¡± ¡°That wretched slave can forget about escaping!¡± Qin Yun continued. ¡°By the way, what did my uncle say? Did you capture the wretched slave?¡± The servant¡¯s smile was uglier than his crying. ¡°No, he¡¯s already gone.¡± Qin Yun¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What?!¡± Su Xiaoxiao ended today¡¯s business. She thought that such a big thing had happened and that their business would be ruined two days later tomorrow. Who would have thought that Steward Yu would come over and say that the banquet would only open at noon? They could sleep more tomorrow and come over later. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Do you want to¡­ ask your master again? We beat up your relative.¡± Steward Yu smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve investigated clearly. Brother Ergou is not at fault for what happened today. My master can¡¯t leave today and asked me to convey his apology. He will discipline the little High Duke well later.¡± On the way back, Su Ergou couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Sister, this family doesn¡¯t seem bad.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and didn¡¯t deny it. However, she could not rule out another possibility. The other party had done this out of courtesy to Grandmaster Hui Jue and Jing Yi. When they arrived at the inn, Manager Sun had yet to return. Like Su Xiaoxiao, he was a workaholic. Seeing that Xiaowu was driving the carriage again, Su Xiaoxiao stopped him. ¡°Xiaowu, eat something first. We¡¯ll pick up Manager Sun later.¡± Xiaowu¡¯s heart warmed. ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± Su Xiaoxiao brought Su Ergou into the inn. A familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Miss Su!¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around. ¡°Changping?¡± She said to Su Ergou, ¡°Go up first.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou obediently went upstairs. Changping jumped out of the carriage and came to Su Xiaoxiao. He handed the bag in his arms to her and curled his lips. ¡°Here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t take it. Changping panicked. ¡°Take it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s inside. Why should I take it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not you¡­ I¡­that¡­¡± Changping made Su Xiaoxiao speechless. Could he harm her? Didn¡¯t she know whose servant he was? If not for his young master¡¯s instructions, would he have come over to deliver something to her? Since his young master was taking action, he had to have something good! ¡°Young Master asked me to give it to you,¡± Chang Ping explained unwillingly. ¡°There¡¯s Young Master¡¯s compensation and the money your brother earned from Young Master.¡± His young master was really biased! It was as if this country bumpkin was his biological brother-in-law! Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll reluctantly accept it.¡± Changping rolled his eyes. Did she want him to accept the money on her behalf? Su Xiaoxiao said fiercely, ¡°I caught you rolling your eyes again. I¡¯ll tell your young master!¡± Changping¡¯s eyes froze. ¡°I, no. I have cramps in my eyes.¡± With that, he got into the carriage dejectedly. Su Xiaoxiao carried her bag upstairs. Su Ergou was sitting alone in the house, feeling dejected. It was fine if he was whipped. He was not afraid of pain. Besides, he had already whipped that person back. His heart ached for his silver. That little bastard owed him 60 taels. He was so angry just now that he forgot to ask him for it. So sad. Knock, knock, knock. There was a knock on the door. ¡°Ergou, it¡¯s me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Sister, I want to sleep for a while,¡± Su Ergou whispered. Su Xiaoxiao pushed the door open. Su Ergou muttered, ¡°Sister, I said I want to sleep¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out one gold ingot, two gold ingots, three, four, five¡­ She took a total of twelve. One ingot was worth five taels. Su Ergou¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Sister?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The money you earned was sent over.¡± ¡°I, I, I, I¡­¡± Su Ergou came to the stool excitedly and sat down. He looked at the table that was full¡­ He didn¡¯t care. It was a big table! ¡°Were they sent back? Did I earn all of them?¡± ¡°Yes, you earned it.¡± She naturally knew that it was not given by Qin Yun. It was Young Master Xiang¡¯s own idea. He was cleaning up his brother-in-law¡¯s mess. However, seeing how happy Ergou was, she saw through it and did not say anything. Su Ergou was so excited that he rolled on the bed. This was the money he earned. He earned it herself. This was the first time he had earned so much money. He was really capable! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go over first. Sleep for a while.¡± Su Ergou scratched his head. ¡°Ah, Sister, I¡¯m not sleepy anymore.¡± Su Xiaoxiao threw him a bottle of ointment. ¡°If you¡¯re not tired, apply the ointment. Go downstairs for dinner later.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Actually, he did not need to apply medication. He had already recovered with his tenacious silver superpower! Su Ergou, who had a swollen face, hugged the silver. Su Xiaoxiao returned to her room. The three little ones and Wei Ting were also there. The first and third children had clearly just returned from outside. Wei Ting was wiping their sweat, and the soles of their shoes were still stained with sand. There was no sand around Half Moon Mountain. She did not believe that he had brought the children to play with the sand. He was most likely completing some secret mission. How could ordinary people do anything with so many children? In other words, the three of them were obedient and never ran around or cried. Su Xiaoxiao walked over. ¡°Let me do it.¡± It was really difficult for him to wipe the sweat with a cloth. Dahu grabbed the towel in his stinky father¡¯s hand with both hands and snorted. ¡°Mother, come!¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re capable!¡± ¡°Mother, here.¡± Dahu handed over the towel and his little head. Erhu and Xiaohu were not to be outdone. They handed over their little heads. The corners of Wei Ting¡¯s mouth twitched. They dodged when he wiped them but when it came to their mother, they would offer themselves. Wait, what did he mean by their mother? It was fine if he used the term to coax the three brats, but how could he shout like this in his heart? He must have become used to coaxing the children. He had to pay more attention in the future and could not call her that anymore. Xiaohu suddenly covered his butt and jumped in front of Wei Ting. ¡°Dad, poop stinks.¡± Wei Ting snorted. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to look for your mother this time?¡± Chapter 182 - 182 Meeting 182 Meeting Business went surprisingly smoothly for the next two days. Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou stayed in the small courtyard to make snacks and did not meet Qin Yun again. Qin Yun did not cause trouble for them. It was unknown if he did not care or if he was really disciplined. After three days of business, they received their remuneration, which was 100 taels more than Manager Sun had agreed on. Manager Sun only returned late that night and did not know about the fight between Su Ergou and Qin Yun. He looked at the banknote in his hand and asked Steward Yu, ¡°Did you give the wrong amount?¡± He was greedy for money, but every tael of silver had to be earned legitimately. He would not take such things that others had carelessly given him. Steward Yu smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t pay the wrong amount. Your snacks are very delicious. You deserve this.¡± Therefore, Manager Sun thought that the other 100 taels were a reward from the big family. This was not strange. Some decent big families were generous and would reward them when they were happy. Manager Sun smiled and thanked him. He took out two large ingots from his pouch and stuffed them into Steward Yu¡¯s hand. Steward Yu declined. ¡°Take it, take it!¡± Manager Sun stuffed it into his arms. ¡°Thank you for taking care of us for the past three days.¡± Steward Yu smiled and said, ¡°I actually didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Manager Sun said to him sincerely, ¡°Sigh, how can I not understand the personalities of my two little bosses? They will definitely cause trouble wherever they go. They¡¯ve been here for three days. Can I believe that they didn¡¯t cause trouble for three days? You probably had to watch them closely!¡± Steward Yu said in a daze, ¡°Uh¡­ you still don¡¯t know?¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°What?¡± Steward Yu said, ¡°On the first day you came here, Brother Ergou slapped my young master.¡± Manager Sun was speechless. ¡­ . After finishing work early today, Su Xiaoxiao decided to visit Grandmaster Hui Jue in the nunnery. Wei Ting looked at the three little ones in the room. ¡°I¡¯m going out. Are you with me, or¡­¡± The three little ones took three steps back in unison and hugged Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s leg. Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. This guy clearly didn¡¯t want to take care of the children and deliberately asked this, making it seem like it was the choice of Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu. How scheming! However, seeing that he looked like he was going out to kill someone, she was a little worried if she really handed the children to him. Su Xiaoxiao touched the heads of the three little ones. ¡°Let¡¯s go climb a mountain.¡± The three little ones cried out happily and ran around the house with their small hands raised. Indeed, their relationship with their mother was biological, and their father was dispensable. Su Xiaoxiao also brought Su Ergou along. Wei Ting drove the carriage to the foot of the nunnery. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up in about four hours.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Okay.¡± The group alighted from the carriage. The three little ones rushed up. Their calves were short, and the steps in front were short. They climbed quite quickly, but the terrain at the back was steep. When the steps were high, they could only use their hands and feet. The three children climbed up. Dahu was the strongest and quickly left his two brothers behind. Xiaohu was the weakest. As he crawled, he could not even see Dahu¡¯s butt. He had given up again. He lay down on the steps and stopped climbing! Erhu looked at his lone warrior brother in front of him and then at his slacker brother behind him, wondering if he should be a determined lone warrior or a slacker. Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou took turns carrying them, mainly Xiaohu and Erhu. Dahu climbed a lot himself. This child was a real tiger. After arriving at the nunnery, Su Xiaoxiao saw the little nuns from the last time. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s weight was too easy to recognize. The little nuns recognized her at a glance. Of course, the little nuns also recognized the dark-skinned Ergou, who had helped them steal fruits. ¡°Patrons, are you here to look for Grandmaster Hui Jue?¡± a little nun asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Yes, is Grandmaster Hui Jue around?¡± The little nun said, ¡°Yes, but she is meeting guests now. You have to wait for a while. I¡¯ll bring you to the meditation room to sit.¡± Due to their friendship of stealing fruits together, the little nuns invited Su Ergou in. ¡°Senior Sister, they¡¯re so cute.¡± A ten-year-old nun pinched the faces of the three little ones. The little nun who was called Senior Sister said with a serious expression, ¡°You can¡¯t be rude to the young benefactors! Seriously, you children won¡¯t listen no matter what!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°May I ask how old you are?¡± The little nun raised her chin and said proudly, ¡°Eleven!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. The eleven-year-old ¡°senior¡± nun settled them in a meditation room in Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s courtyard. The three little ones were very favored by the little nuns. The little nuns had never seen such cute children and they were triplets. None of them wanted to leave, so they stayed in the courtyard to play with them. The eleven-year-old nun said in an elderly manner, ¡°Amitabha. My junior sisters are young, and their words and actions are quite childish. Please forgive them.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and nodded. The nun said seriously, ¡°Have you finished memorizing the Buddhist scriptures? Have you digested the content of the morning class? Master is not around, so I¡¯ll do the evening class. I¡¯ll test you in the evening class!¡± The little nuns pouted and reluctantly went to chant. Only she and the three little ones were left in the courtyard. The three little ones looked at her cutely. She turned around and looked toward Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s meditation room. After confirming that no one was looking at the door, she squatted down, took out her hand, and pinched the little packrat¡¯s face! Yayaya! It was so soft! How could they have such soft faces? She rubbed and rubbed! She really wanted to kiss them! The three little ones who looked like all kinds of emojis were speechless. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take my leave first. I¡¯ll visit you another day.¡± In the meditation room, Su Yuan stood up and bade farewell to Mistress Hui Jue. Grandmaster Hui Jue said, ¡°Send my regards to your father.¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°I will. Please take care.¡± Grandmaster Hui Jue asked, ¡°Is your father¡¯s health still not improving?¡± Su Yuan sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s the same as before. It¡¯s not too bad. It¡¯s just that on Aunt¡¯s death anniversary every year, he will fall ill.¡± Mistress Hui Jue wanted to say something but hesitated. She paused and said, ¡°You should head back.¡± Su Yuan came out of the meditation room. The little nun stopped pinching the three little ones and hurriedly straightened up. Her face was Buddha-like and empty. Su Yuan looked at her and then at the three children at the side. Triplets were too rare. Even Su Yuan could not help but look at them for a while longer. The three children looked¡­ At this moment, Su Xiaoxiao walked out with a dry towel. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, come and wipe your sweat.¡± Su Yuan retracted his gaze in time and moved aside to avoid bumping into her. Su Xiaoxiao dodged to the side in time. This agility made Su Yuan look sideways. Su Xiaoxiao went to wipe the sweat off the three little ones. Su Yuan took a few steps forward. For some reason, he turned around and looked at the little fat girl. Chapter 183 - 183 Resemblance 183 Resemblance The little girl was chubby and dressed in simple and clean clothes. Although he did not know her, she gave him a very amiable feeling. It was strange to say that because the little girl¡¯s expression and actions were completely different from amiability. She crossed her arms and lazily leaned against the door frame with a cold expression on her face. The triplets ran towards her. At this moment, the coldness between her eyebrows dissipated. She smiled, revealing two cute dimples. Su Yuan was in a daze. Immediately after, Su Yuan saw a little nun walk over and bring the little girl to Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s meditation room. Su Yuan could guess who she was. Grandmaster Hui Jue introduced him to the little girl from Su Ji who made snacks for them. Su Yuan returned to the manor. The eldest son, Su Mo, came forward. He sensed that something was wrong with his father¡¯s expression and hurriedly asked, ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong? Did something happen to Grandmaster Hui Jue?¡± Su Yuan shook his head. ¡°No, Grandmaster is fine.¡± Su Mo personally served his father a cup of tea. ¡°Then you are¡­¡± Su Yuan sat down and took the teacup. He said thoughtfully, ¡°When I saw a little girl in the nunnery today, I suddenly thought of my aunt.¡± Su Mo smiled. ¡°Oh? Does she look like Grandaunt?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± It was hard for Su Yuan to describe her. If he were to say that she looked like her, she didn¡¯t look that similar. But if he were to say that she didn¡¯t look like her, he couldn¡¯t help but think of his aunt¡¯s voice and smile when she smiled. Su Mo said, ¡°Father misses Grandaunt too much.¡± Su Yuan nodded. ¡°Your grandmother passed away early, and your grandfather was away from home all year round. It was my aunt who raised me. When she passed away, I was already twelve years old. I was old enough to remember.¡± Su Mo had never seen his grandaunt before and did not have as deep of an understanding as Su Yuan. However, as a son, he understood his father¡¯s respect for his grandaunt. Otherwise, she would not have loved him so much and treated him even better than her own son. ¡ª- In the nunnery, Su Xiaoxiao met Grandmaster Hui Jue. Compared to last time, Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s complexion was rosier. It was unknown if it was the effect of Aunt Fu¡¯s Health Pill. Su Xiaoxiao handed over the bag that Aunt Fu asked her to pass to her. Grandmaster Hui Jue said kindly, ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Besides, you¡¯ve helped me a lot. You were the one who recommended this business, right?¡± Mistress Hui Jue smiled. ¡°I just mentioned it casually. It was up to them whether they needed you or not.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then I have to thank you too!¡± Grandmaster Hui Jue said, ¡°Your brother has been wronged.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment before realizing that Grandmaster Hui Jue was referring to the fight between Su Ergou and Qin Yun. She hummed and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. He returned the favor.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± This time, it was Master Hui Jue¡¯s turn to be surprised. When Su Yuan came over just now, he only said that Qin Yun had bullied the young man from Suji and did not take good care of the person she introduced. He felt very apologetic. He didn¡¯t say anything wrong with Su Ergou. In the next second, Grandmaster Hui Jue burst into laughter. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. After Grandmaster Hui Jue had laughed enough, she gloated and said, ¡°I can¡¯t stand that bastard brat. He¡¯s spoiled by the Qin and Su families. Your brother whipped him well.¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh.¡± Grandmaster Hui Jue said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Qin Yun won¡¯t dare to cause trouble for you. He won¡¯t be able to find you either. Su Yuan will keep a close eye on him. They will return to the capital in a few days.¡± Su Yuan. Was it that man¡¯s name? Grandmaster Hui Jue said, ¡°Your surnames are all Su. Speaking of which, it¡¯s fate.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We also have a family with the surname Su in our village.¡± Grandmaster Hui Jue said gently, ¡°It¡¯s not strange. Su is a big family name in Qingzhou. This is just like Li in Liu Province and Yang in Wu Province. There can be more than ten families in a village. In the past, there was a Su Village in East County. Thirty years ago, there was a disaster. Everyone fled or died. That village was gone.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought to herself if her father could have escaped from the Su Family Village. Thinking of something, Grandmaster Hui Jue said, ¡°I heard that you know medicine and even cured Ting Lan¡¯s old illness?¡± It must have been written in Aunt Fu¡¯s letter. It was rare for Su Xiaoxiao to be humble. ¡°I know a little.¡± Grandmaster Hui Jue smiled and said, ¡°The fact that you can treat Ting Lan¡¯s illness is definitely not because you know a little. It¡¯s an illness that even her husband was helpless against.¡± The Fu family had been practicing medicine for generations. Grandmaster Hui Jue did not ask where Su Xiaoxiao was from. She sighed and said, ¡°I have an old friend who has been plagued by an old illness for many years. Unfortunately, he can¡¯t meet a good physician like you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Where is your old friend?¡± If it was close, she could go and show him. Grandmaster Hui Jue replied, ¡°In the capital.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°The capital is too far away.¡± The prefectural city and its surroundings were her current limit. If she went further, she would be too busy to attend to her family¡¯s matters. Grandmaster Hui Jue smiled. ¡°By the way, Miss Su, do you know how to play chess?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Wuzi or checkers?¡± Grandmaster Hui Jue was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao understood. ¡°Go? I don¡¯t know how.¡± Grandmaster Hui Jue felt that the little girl was really fun and her words were fresh. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡± ¡­ . That afternoon, while Su Xiaoxiao was playing chess in Mistress Hui Jue¡¯s meditation room, Su Ergou was encouraged by the little nuns to pick fruits again. The three little ones did not want to pick the fruits. ¡°That¡¯s what all of you want to do!¡± The eleven-year-old nun decisively dragged the three children away. Although she was small, she was quite strong. The three little ones were dragged away soullessly¡­ When Su Ergou and the three little ones returned to the nunnery, they had already become a dirty dog and three dirty tigers. The group stayed in the nunnery until nighttime. Grandmaster Hui Jue asked them to stay for dinner. Su Xiaoxiao estimated that Wei Ting should be waiting for them at the foot of the mountain at this hour. She politely declined Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s invitation. The children played crazily for the entire afternoon without taking an afternoon nap. When they went down the mountain, they had only taken a few steps when the three little fellows started yawning. Su Ergou carried one. It was Xiaohu. Xiaohu used his eyelids to express his last bit of stubbornness before falling asleep. Su Xiaoxiao went to pick up Dahu and Erhu. She had just picked one up when a slender hand reached over. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Wei Ting said softly. Su Xiaoxiao retracted her hand and looked at him in shock. ¡°Why did you go up the mountain? There are so many steps. Your leg¡­¡± Halfway through her sentence, she realized that he did not use his walking stick. ¡°Is your leg healed?¡± she asked. Wei Ting was stunned for a moment. His eyes moved and he replied indifferently, ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ¡°Why did it get better as soon as we arrived at the prefecture? You didn¡¯t pretend when you were home, did you? Then why aren¡¯t you pretending now? Let me guess, did you forget to take your walking stick because you couldn¡¯t wait to pick me up?¡± Wei Ting also carried the Dahu in her arms and went down the mountain expressionlessly. ¡°You¡¯re so talkative!¡± Chapter 184 - 184 Investigating the Truth (1) 184 Investigating the Truth (1) Su Ergou was also sleepy. Su Xiaoxiao carried Xiaohu over. The poor Xiaohu only saw his uncle before he fell asleep and did not know that his mother had carried him all the way. After getting into the carriage, Su Ergou tilted his head and fell asleep. Wei Ting had to drive, so he couldn¡¯t carry the children, and Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t carry three by herself. Su Xiaoxiao was thinking of a solution when she saw Wei Ting take out a blanket that had been placed in the car. He spread the blanket flat on the floor of the compartment. ¡°Put them there.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Let them sleep¡­ on the ground?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ting was very calm. The blanket was thick and soft. It didn¡¯t look like the children would catch a cold. Su Xiaoxiao thought about it and gently put the three little ones on it. She sat down on the blanket herself in case the carriage jolted and the children rolled around. ¡°Is this how you used to travel?¡± She asked. She had hired the carriage, but she had not prepared the blanket. Looking at Wei Ting¡¯s familiar manner, it was obvious that this was not the first time. ¡°Sometimes,¡± Wei Ting said. He waved the whip, and the wheels began to turn. Su Xiaoxiao touched the collars of the three little guys. They were not sweating. ¡°Wei Ting,¡± she said. ¡°It turns out that there was a Su Family Village in the East City many years ago. After that, there was a disaster and the people in that village fled.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Are you suspecting that your father is from the Su Family Village?¡± Wei Ting had long heard about Su Cheng being reduced to a cowherd in Willow Village. Su Xiaoxiao said bluntly, ¡°A little.¡± Wei Ting did not say anything else. ¡­ . The next day, Su Xiaoxiao went to visit Shen Chuan. Shen Chuan¡¯s condition was much better than before. It was obvious that he had worked hard to adapt to life in the prefecture academy. He was a tenacious person. After lunch, the group went back to Apricot Flower Town by carriage. When they arrived in town, it was already late at night. Su Xiaoxiao decided to visit Aunt Fu tomorrow. The two carriages arrived at the village one after another and stopped in front of Little Su¡¯s house. Su Xiaoxiao woke Su Ergou up and got off the carriage with Wei Ting. Su Xiaoxiao said to Xiaowu, ¡°Xiaowu, you can go back first. I¡¯ll take the carriage to town tomorrow and return it.¡± Xiaowu nodded. ¡°Alright, Boss. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± ¡°Sister, I¡¯m going in too.¡± Su Ergou was extremely confused. ¡°Go to Father¡¯s room.¡± Su Xiaoxiao reminded him. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou seemed to be in a daze as he slowly walked into Father Su¡¯s room. Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting also carried the children back to the house. Wei Ting led the horse to the backyard. The carriage was too big and could only be placed at the door. In ancient times, it was fine to sit in a carriage for a while or two, but a long journey like this was really tiring. After washing up, Su Xiaoxiao lay on the bed, unable to lift a finger. She was still a fatty. She had so much fat that she was earthquake-resistant. Wei Ting and the other thin people would probably feel even worse. ¡°Wei Ting, yes, yes, yes¡­¡± ¡°When we have money in the future, we must build roads first. We don¡¯t want bumpy dirt roads. We want flat cement roads. You don¡¯t know how smooth and satisfying it is to race on that road¡­¡± Wei Ting did not hear a single word clearly. Then, a certain someone¡¯s small nose emitted even breathing. Wei Ting looked at the three children sleeping soundly on the bed. Perhaps it was because they had been together for a long time, but they even looked the same when they slept. A complicated look flashed across Wei Ting¡¯s eyes. His leg injury had healed, and he had obtained the Commander¡¯s Seal and the items from the prefecture capital. It was time¡­ to consider returning to the capital. ¡ª- Father Su was woken up by the three little fellows. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Dahu lay on the bed and called to him. ¡°Grandpa!¡± ¡°Grandpa!¡± Erhu and Xiaohu also came over. Father Su¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Eh? You¡¯re back? Dahu! Erhu! Xiaohu!¡± The three of them had dark expressions. Xiaohu pointed at himself and then at his two brothers beside him. ¡°It¡¯s Xiaohu, Dahu, Erhu! Grandpa, you¡¯re mistaken again!¡± ¡°Ahem! I forgot to count the hair swirls.¡± Su Cheng coughed lightly and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your mother?¡± ¡°The kitchen, making pancakes,¡± said Erhu. Dahu pushed a small box in front of him. ¡°Mother bought it.¡± Did his daughter buy him a gift again? Father Su picked it up and weighed it in his hand. Oh, it was quite heavy. Not tea leaves. Well, he hadn¡¯t finished the tea leaves that were bought the last time. Father Su opened the box curiously and realized that there was an exquisite white jade hair crown inside. Mr. Su was not a cultured man. When he was young, he was a cowherd. When he grew up, he became a bully. Even when he was a bodyguard, he had never worn such a fancy thing. Chapter 185 - 185 Investigating the Truth (2) 185 Investigating the Truth (2) ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the old master of the town. What¡¯s the point of spending this money¡­ Sigh, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste for me to wear it?¡± His heart ached, and his eyes were burning. Father Su carefully put away the crown and went to the kitchen to see his chubby daughter. Was it an illusion? Why did he feel that his daughter had lost a lot of weight recently¡­ ¡°Father, you¡¯re awake.¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted him. ¡°Yes, I just woke up.¡± Su Cheng walked over with a serious expression. ¡°Do you like the crown?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Cheng said, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you to earn some money. Why did you buy that thing? It¡¯s not like the countryside people are interested in wearing that.¡± Villagers rarely used wooden hairpins. They wrapped their hair in cloth. Su Xiaoxiao cut a piece of ginger. ¡°My father has to have what others have.¡± It was a very casual sentence as if she was saying that the weather today was so good that it was the best time to pick some cabbages. Su Cheng¡¯s heart was boiling hot. ¡°Daughter¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry!¡± Su Cheng held it in for a second¡­ After Su Xiaoxiao cut the ginger slices, she chopped some chili. Su Cheng peeled garlic for her. ¡°Daughter, did anything happen in the prefecture capital this time?¡± ¡°No, it was fine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao heated the pot. ¡°Did you beat anyone up?¡± Father Su asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said confidently. Father Su felt very comforted. His daughter had grown up and didn¡¯t beat people up anymore. ¡°Ergou beat him up.¡± Su Xiaoxiao added. Father Su¡¯s body trembled. ¡°Who, who did he beat up? Could it be that young master from the Prefecture Lord¡¯s family?¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand. ¡°We have already beaten him up. If he doesn¡¯t come to us, we won¡¯t beat him up a second time. We¡¯re reasonable people!¡± Father Su said hesitantly, ¡°Then this time, the one we beat up is¡­ ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said nonchalantly, ¡°Oh, he¡¯s from the capital. He¡¯s the High Duke of the Public House.¡± THUD! Father Su fell! ¡ª- Father Su angrily went to teach his son a lesson. Just as he reached the door, he saw Su Ergou holding a heavy bucket with both hands and getting out of the carriage with great difficulty. Liu Ping wanted to take it, but he refused. ¡°There¡¯s water here. It¡¯s easy to spill it. The bucket lid doesn¡¯t work either. I¡¯ll do it myself. Brother Liu, move aside.¡± He was 14 years old and was carrying a bucket that was heavier than a stone block. His palms were red and the veins on his arms were throbbing. ¡°Father!¡± Su Ergou carried two buckets of water down. When he looked up and saw his father, he smiled innocently. ¡°I got you spring water from the prefecture capital! It¡¯s so sweet!¡± Stupid child, who the f*ck would bring two buckets of water all the way here¡­ Father Su¡¯s heart swelled as he clenched his fists. Forget it, he would beat him up next time! Over the past few days, nothing had gone wrong with the family¡¯s business. Little Wu was becoming more and more proficient in making snacks. In addition, with Little Madam Zhao helping her, the production of snacks increased immediately. The accounts at home were also handed over to Little Wu to record. It was her first time doing accounts, so she replaced the words she didn¡¯t know how to write with drawings. It was quite decent. Su Xiaoxiao flipped through it. ¡°You did a good job.¡± It was clear that she was not as professional as Su Yuniang, but for a beginner, it was already commendable. Looking at the numbers, Su Xiaoxiao was shocked. In the past, when she made three hundred pancakes, her net profit could reach more than two taels. Coupled with one tael from the braised meat business, she could earn four taels a day. If the quantity was higher, it would not exceed five taels. But what happened in the few days she was away from home? Why did the profits double? There were still so many pancakes¡­ Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed, ¡°A hundred coins?¡± There were several accounts, and the wife cakes were sold for 100 copper coins each. Who was so arrogant? Madam Wu said in a low voice, ¡°These girls were from the Yihong Courtyard.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Do they like Li Xiaoyong?¡± Li Xiaoyong was indeed a little handsome. Madam Wu said, ¡°No, they were there for Uncle Su.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡­ . Su Yuniang returned to Little Su¡¯s house at noon the next day. Su Xiaoxiao originally thought that she went out to ¡°do something¡± to avoid suspicion with Father Su. After all, everyone in the family had gone out. If she was alone at home with Father Su, they could be gossiped about. Who knew that this little rich lady was really going to do something big? In the east room, Su Xiaoxiao was recording the accounts. Su Yuniang gulped down a few mouthfuls of tea. ¡°My legs have been broken from running for the past few days. My mouth is dry and I¡¯m almost exhausted to death. The heavens don¡¯t disappoint those who work hard. I¡¯ve really found out something.¡± ¡°What did you investigate?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Old Su¡¯s family background.¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°It has something to do with your family.¡± Chapter 186 - 186 Investigating the Truth (3) 186 Investigating the Truth (3) Su Yuniang planned to establish her own family. In order to prevent the Su family from causing trouble, she wanted to have something on the Su family. Initially, she was just going to try her luck. Who would have thought that she would really gain something? Su Yuniang suddenly sneered. ¡°Do you know how much money my great-grandfather sold that jade pendant for?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How much?¡± Su Yuniang extended a finger. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°10 taels?¡± Su Yuniang glared at her. ¡°Are ancestral jade pendants only sold for 10 taels each?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the desolate year? If the market isn¡¯t good, pawnshops will lower the price.¡± These words made Su Yuniang fall silent. That¡¯s right, they could sell it for so much during the desolate years. If not for the desolate years¡­ Heavens, just how valuable was that jade pendant? She sighed. ¡°That¡¯s true, but there¡¯s never a shortage of good things.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°100 taels?¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°1,000 taels.¡± That was 1,000 taels of silver from 30 years ago. How much wealth was that? It was enough for a family to eat for several lifetimes! The Su family had spent less than a hundred taels to help the villagers. What was this bullsh*t about eating chaff and swallowing vegetables? There were 900 taels of snowflake silver stored at home. They could afford to eat bird¡¯s nest every day! At the thought of this, Su Yuniang felt disgusted. ¡°I¡¯ve investigated the price and quantity of food back then. I¡¯ve also bought the account book.¡± If the Su family did not put on a show, everyone might not have had anything to say. After all, they sold their own property. They could spend it however they wanted. It was their prerogative to take out as much as they wanted to help their fellow villagers. No matter how much it was, it was a great act. ¡°The Su family doesn¡¯t do anything decent. There¡¯s going to be a good show, but¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused and asked, ¡°You just said that it¡¯s related to our Su family. What do you mean?¡± Su Yuniang chuckled. She was not laughing at Su Xiaoxiao, but at the shameless Su family. She took out a jade pendant and threw it on the table. ¡°Here.¡± The moment Su Xiaoxiao saw the jade pendant, she subconsciously touched her neck. The jade pendant was still there. Then, she picked it up and took a look. No, it wasn¡¯t her half of the jade pendant. Su Xiaoxiao took out her jade pendant and put the two pieces together. The pattern was complete. ¡°A pair? That¡¯s not right. This texture¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched the jade pendant that Su Yuniang brought back. ¡°It¡¯s imitation, right?¡± This girl¡¯s eyesight was not bad. Su Yuniang had examined it for more than two hours. Su Yuniang asked, ¡°Does it look like it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched the patterns on the jade pendant and said, ¡°It looks like it. It¡¯s indeed real jade, but the texture is too tender. It¡¯s stained, right?¡± Su Yuniang was surprised. ¡°You know this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°A little.¡± In her previous life, she had learned a little from Madam Li but was not very proficient. Su Yuniang said, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen your jade pendant, I would most likely have been fooled and bought it as a real and valuable item. This is the imitation of the jade pendant that the Su family pawned back then. The original authentic piece is a pair with your jade pendant.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your family¡¯s jade pendant was picked up by your father when he was young? My grandfather had seen your family¡¯s jade pendant before. If the jade pendant originally belonged to the Su family, my grandfather would definitely not allow me to ask San Lang to return the jade pendant to you.¡± ¡°Besides, all these years, I¡¯ve never heard my family mention that the jade pendant that was sold back was one of a pair. They also never mentioned a lost piece.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°Looks like the jade pendant that the Su family sold back then wasn¡¯t a family heirloom at all. It was also an item of unknown origin.¡± He picked up someone else¡¯s item and sold it. He even bragged about it as his family¡¯s ancestral jade pendant. How shameless. Su Yuniang recalled, ¡°My grandfather¡¯s reaction to your family was very strange. I suspect that he knew something.¡± Chapter 187 - 187 Su Yuans Visit 187 Su Yuan¡¯s Visit Su Xiaoxiao was deep in thought. Su Yuniang said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to Old Su¡¯s house later to see if I can find out anything.¡± ¡°Did you encounter anything strange in the past few days?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was referring to whether the Su family had secretly caused trouble. Su Yuniang frowned and said, ¡°I almost forgot. There¡¯s nothing strange, but there¡¯s one strange person.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Yuniang wanted to say something but hesitated. ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no need to mention a person with a mental illness. Let¡¯s talk about you. How¡¯s the business in the prefecture? Did you mess it up?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What do you mean by messing it up? Can¡¯t you hope for me to be better?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Su Yuniang said. ¡°Did you mess it up?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao took out a stack of banknotes and placed them on the table. Su Yuniang smiled. ¡°Oh, not bad. It¡¯s 100 taels more than last time in the prefecture capital. Who did you extort this time?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face was serious. ¡°I earned it myself!¡± She would never admit that Ergou had fought with someone else! ¡­ Over the past few days, Su Yuniang had been searching for news. She was even more tired than Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou. After talking to Su Xiaoxiao, she went back to her room to catch up on sleep without eating. The carriage was returned by Liu Ping. After he delivered the goods and took the orders, he returned to the village to settle the carriage. When Liu Ping and Little Wu did things, they did not need anyone to say anything. They could take the initiative to find something to do. Although she did not have to return the carriage herself, she had two letters to hand to Madam Fu and Dean Shen. After lunch, she went to town. She went to see the Fu family first. Other than handing the letter to Grandmaster Hui Jue, the other task was to remove the splint for Madam Fu. Actually, Physician Fu could also dismantle it, but he had been making house calls these few days. After Su Xiaoxiao removed the splint, she helped Madam Fu walk on the ground. ¡°How do you feel?¡± she asked. ¡°Nothing!¡± Aunt Fu exerted a little force. Her feet were strong, and she could feel that her bones had indeed healed. At her age, her healing ability was extremely poor. Yet she recovered more quickly than most people with the same condition. ¡°Ouch!¡± Her legs buckled. Su Xiaoxiao gently raised her hand and supported her. ¡°You haven¡¯t used your strength in a long time. You have to get used to it for a while.¡± Aunt Fu snorted, ¡°Do I need you to tell me?¡± She grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and limped back to the bed. ¡°It still hurts a little.¡± She frowned. ¡°Have I not recovered?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t been moving for a long time. Your joints and ligaments have either adhered or contractured. Through rehabilitation, I can pull away the adhesive ligaments and it won¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Aunt Fu said expressionlessly, ¡°It sounds very painful.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stretched out her chubby hand. ¡°Come, come, come. I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Aunt Fu sat on the bed and said shamelessly, ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Is Physician Fu here?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here¡­ What are you doing?¡± Aunt Fu realized that something was wrong. Su Xiaoxiao smiled evilly, bent down, picked her up, and ran! Madam Fu was stunned Su Xiaoxiao placed her in the backyard. ¡°Do you want to go back to your room?¡± ¡°Walk on your own.¡± Aunt Fu¡¯s face darkened! On the first day of Aunt Fu¡¯s rehabilitation, Su Xiaoxiao showed mercy and only ¡°tortured¡± her for half an hour. Then, Su Xiaoxiao carried a big bag of red peanuts and swaggered away. Not long after she left, an inconspicuous carriage stopped at the entrance of the Fu residence. The coachman came down and looked at the door plate. He reported to the man on the carriage, ¡°Master, it¡¯s the Fu family.¡± Su Yuan got off the carriage. He looked at the old door and frowned slightly. The coachman said, ¡°Sir, the door is open.¡± ¡°Knock on the door,¡± Su Yuan said. ¡°Yes.¡± The coachman knocked on the door. Madam Fu had just sent the little fiend away and was fuming. When she heard someone knocking on the door, she shouted angrily, ¡°What are you knocking for? Can¡¯t you see that the door is open?¡± She thought it was one of the neighbors. He stood at the door but did not enter. She said angrily, ¡°If you have something to say, say it! My son isn¡¯t here! I¡¯m not playing cards today!¡± Her legs were about to break, and she didn¡¯t have any strength left! Still, the other party didn¡¯t say anything. She walked to the central room with her walking stick. When she saw Su Yuan in a navy blue robe, her expression froze. A hint of surprise flashed across Su Yuan¡¯s eyes. Aunt Fu realized that she was in a sorry state and her hair was messing after being tortured by the little girl. It was as if she had fought with someone¡­ She coughed lightly and casually pulled her hair. She asked indifferently, ¡°Why is the prince here?¡± Su Yuan bowed politely. ¡°Madam Fu.¡± Madam Fu said, ¡°My status is low. I¡¯m afraid the prince will shorten my lifespan by calling me Madam.¡± ¡°Old Madam Fu, you¡¯re being too serious.¡± Su Yuan looked at her leg. ¡°Your leg is¡­¡± ¡°My leg is fine.¡± Aunt Fu did not want to talk about it. ¡°Prince, why did you come all the way from the capital?¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°I¡¯m performing the crowning ceremony for my son. So I¡¯m bringing him back to the village to pay respects to his ancestors and burn incense for my aunt.¡± Aunt Fu limped to the table and sat down. She glanced at the chair beside her. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, take a seat.¡± Su Yuan sat down on the other side of the table. Aunt Fu asked, ¡°Which son of yours is he? Is he already getting married?¡± ¡°Second child.¡± Su Yuan said. Aunt Fu recalled. ¡°That little snotty slug?¡± Su Yuan smiled. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him.¡± His second child had an allergic reaction when he was young and had snot bubbles all day long. He smiled and said, ¡°Imperial Physician Fu cured him.¡± Aunt Fu frowned. ¡°You can¡¯t be here to chat with me, right? Did that old nun Hui Jue tell you where I live?¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°I did visit Grandmaster Hui Jue.¡± Aunt Fu snorted. Su Yuan continued, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m here to ask for a favor. My father¡¯s chronic illness is getting worse. The doctors in the capital are helpless. I want to ask Imperial Physician Fu¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re late. He¡¯s not here anymore,¡± Aunt Fu said calmly and asked strangely, ¡°Didn¡¯t Hui Jue tell you?¡± Su Yuan¡¯s heart ached. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask.¡± He had only inquired about Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s residence. How could he have expected Imperial Physician Fu to have passed away? He opened his mouth. ¡°Your son¡­¡± Aunt Fu said, ¡°He¡¯s out on a house call. I don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll be back. Besides, he can¡¯t treat the Marquis¡¯ illness.¡± ¡ª- After Su Xiaoxiao came out of Spring Willow Alley, she walked to Wutong Academy and bumped into Liu Ping and Su Ergou. ¡°Eh? Sister!¡± Su Ergou rushed forward excitedly. ¡°Da Ya.¡± Liu Ping also greeted her. ¡°We¡¯re out to buy flour.¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Liu Ping said, ¡°We¡¯re done! It¡¯s just that there was not enough flour in the shops. We had to go to the warehouse to get it. We needed more time.¡± Su Ergou asked, ¡°Sister, where are you going?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the Academy.¡± Su Ergou immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 188 - 188 Plot 188 Plot The siblings went to Wutong Academy together. Although Su Ergou was 14 years old and seemed to have passed the age of being clingy, he was actually still a baby at heart. He liked to be with his sister. ¡°Sister, there are three pancakes left today!¡± He couldn¡¯t bear to eat them and wanted to leave them for his sister, although his sister didn¡¯t lack food. ¡°You eat,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Ergou took a bite of the pancake. ¡°Are you still trying to lose weight? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re fat anymore.¡± Compared to two months ago, Su Xiaoxiao could be considered to have lost a lot of weight, but she was still a little fatty. Su Ergou had his own brother filter. She had not doted on this brother for nothing. As they spoke, the two of them arrived at the back door of the academy. Su Ergou seemed to have suddenly been provoked and stuffed the last two pancakes into his mouth. Then, he said, ¡°There are no more pancakes!¡± The lonely old man was speechless. The weather today was not bad. Dean Shen brought Zhou Xing to the courtyard to dry his books. Zhou Xing saw the siblings at the door and hurriedly said to Dean Shen, ¡°Master, Miss Su and Brother Su are here.¡± Dean Shen handed the book in his hand to Zhou Xing and asked him to continue drying the books. The siblings went forward to greet Dean Shen. Dean Shen and Su Xiaoxiao went into the room to talk. Su Ergou was curious about what Zhou Xing was doing and squatted down to dry the books with him. Others were showing off their books, but he was showing off himself. In the study, Dean Shen asked a servant to serve tea to Su Xiaoxiao and said politely, ¡°I heard that you came to look for me. I wasn¡¯t around because I went to another academy to teach.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I went to the prefecture city a few days ago. I wanted to ask if Dean Shen had anything for Shen Chuan.¡± Thinking of his son, a trace of longing appeared in Dean Shen¡¯s eyes. No matter how strict he was with Shen Chuan, he was still his flesh and blood. Everything he did was for Shen Chuan¡¯s future. ¡°Miss Su, thank you. Is he¡­ doing well in the prefecture city?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°To be honest, the first time I saw him, I didn¡¯t feel like he was in a good state.¡± Dean Shen¡¯s heart tightened. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°However, when I saw him this time, it was obvious that his condition is different. Dean Shen, you have a very capable son. Your decision to send him to the prefecture capital academy was the right one.¡± Letting Shen Chuan train to become stronger in an unfamiliar environment might be Dean Shen¡¯s true motive for sending him to the prefecture city. ¡°This kid¡­¡± Dean Shen revealed a rare gratified smile. Su Xiaoxiao took out a letter. ¡°This is the letter Shen Chuan asked me to bring you.¡± Dean Shen looked calm, but he was actually excited as he took the letter. Su Xiaoxiao stood up and said, ¡°Dean Shen, take your time. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Dean Shen sincerely urged her to stay. ¡°Miss Su, have a meal before leaving.¡± Su Xiaoxiao politely declined. ¡°No, the children are still waiting. If we go back late, they¡¯ll make a fuss.¡± Dean Shen had heard from his son that Miss Su was already the mother of three children. It was unbelievable. She was clearly still so young¡­ When Su Xiaoxiao came out of the study, she saw Su Ergou talking to Changping. It was unknown what Su Ergou said, but Changping laughed out loud. Halfway through his laughter, he saw Su Xiaoxiao. He stopped laughing in a second. ¡°I¡¯ll leave first. Let¡¯s talk next time.¡± With that, he snorted coldly and walked away. With Changping around, Young Master Xiang and Jing Yi should have returned to the academy. As she was thinking, a servant pushed a wheelchair over. In the wheelchair sat the square-faced Wu Mu. It was this square-faced man who caught her digging in the snow and wanted to search her for the token. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly smiled gloatingly. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Lord Wu Mu? Aiya, why is your leg limping?¡± Wu Mu was furious. If he hadn¡¯t followed this little fat girl, would he have been hit by a slingshot and broken a leg? After that, he went to ask around. At that time, a servant and an old man guarding the door were playing with slingshots at the door. They were weak and it was purely a coincidence that they could hit him. Although he was unlucky, Wu Mu could not help but blame the little girl. ¡°Just you wait. When I recover, I¡¯ll definitely investigate you thoroughly!¡± He was a martial artist. His recovery was very fast! Slurp! The wheelchair flipped forward. Wu Mu was facing down and was pressed into the mud by the wheelchair. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Zhou Xing turned around and realized that he had knocked over Wu Mu¡¯s wheelchair. Wu Mu¡¯s other leg was dislocated¡­ Fifteen minutes later, Su Xiaoxiao left the academy in a good mood. She weighed the silver ingots, which were still warm, in her hand. She had reattached Wu Mu¡¯s dislocated leg. For five taels. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°By the way, what were you talking to Changping about just now?¡± Su Ergou blinked. ¡°Nothing.¡± In the room, Young Master Xiang was painting in front of the window. Changping bowed in and bowed respectfully. ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s done.¡± Young Master Xiang raised his brush and outlined a winding mountain range on the drawing paper. ¡°What did you say?¡± Changping said, ¡°I told him that I saw him and Miss Su the last time, but I didn¡¯t report it to you in time. If I had reported it, you would definitely have sent someone to take care of them so that he wouldn¡¯t be bullied by the young master. Because of this, you were angry with me. I asked him to remember to put in a good word for me in front of you the next time he sees you. Then, I gave him the box of white jade ointment from the Imperial Hospital in the capital. I asked him to keep it a secret for me. He¡¯s not even allowed to tell his sister.¡± Young Master Xiang asked, ¡°He didn¡¯t suspect anything?¡± Changping smiled and said, ¡± I told him it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve offended his sister. If his sister finds out that I bribed him, she will definitely stop me! This reason is very sufficient. He won¡¯t suspect anything!¡± Young Master Xiang said, ¡°You did very well. Now, let¡¯s see if he will use this bottle of ointment.¡± Changping said, ¡°He definitely will! Only that person in their family is injured, and I heard that he has been injured for more than a month. This medicine is priceless. Even that person can¡¯t help but use it.¡± ¡­ ¡°Brother-in-law!¡± After Su Ergou arrived home, the first thing he did was look for Wei Ting. ¡°Why are you making so much noise?¡± Father Su was woken up by him and walked out of the house unhappily. ¡°Dad, where¡¯s Brother-in-law?¡± Su Ergou asked. ¡°Feeding the horses.¡± Father Su remembered seeing his son-in-law feeding the horses in the backyard before he slept. Su Ergou went to the backyard. ¡°He¡¯s not there.¡± His brother-in-law and the pony were not around, nor were the three little ones. ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± Wei Ting came out of the east room. ¡°Brother-in-law! So you¡¯re in the room!¡± Su Ergou walked forward with bright eyes and looked around. He said mysteriously, ¡°Come, let¡¯s talk in the house!¡± The two of them entered the room. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Ergou sneakily took out a bottle of ointment from his pouch and said, ¡°Brother-in-law, look! High-grade ointment! From the capital! It¡¯s said to be for the emperor¡¯s use! The effect is especially good!¡± Chapter 189 - 189 Negotiation 189 Negotiation Su Ergou felt that Changping must be bragging when he said that it was used by the emperor. However, Young Master Xiang¡¯s status was precious. As his sidekick, what Changping gave him must be something good. Su Ergou¡¯s logic was right. However, Wei Ting recognized this medicine at a glance. It was indeed for the palace. ¡°Who gave it to you?¡± he asked. ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± Su Ergou blinked. ¡°But I can gesture!¡± He gestured wildly. ¡°Do you understand, Brother-in-law?¡± Wei Ting was speechless. In the backyard, Su Xiaoxiao shouted, ¡°Ergou! Come and help!¡± ¡°Coming, Sister!¡± Su Ergou quickly left. Wei Ting returned to the east room with the medicine. A certain man in black flashed in like a ghost. He looked dispirited as if he had been beaten up many times. Wei Ting frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you now?¡± He touched his butt. Wei Ting said, ¡°Is your butt¡­ impure again?¡± Yuchi Xiu said with a wooden expression, ¡°No, it¡¯s not my butt this time. It¡¯s my chest. Don¡¯t ask. I don¡¯t want to say.¡± Wei Ting didn¡¯t want to ask anyway. Wei Ting said, ¡°Then why are you touching your butt?¡± Yuchi Xiu said aggrievedly, ¡°My butt is on fire. It hurts.¡± Wei Ting looked at him speechlessly. Did it really hurt because of the heat¡­ Yuchi Xiu saw the medicine bottle in Wei Ting¡¯s hand. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s that in your hand?¡± Wei Ting threw the medicine bottle at him. He caught it and took a look. ¡°Yo, do you use the white jade ointment from the palace? If not I¡¯ll use it to wipe my butt.¡± His butt really hurt! It was all that woman¡¯s fault! She was really¡­ really too much! Yuchi Xiu was so angry that he pulled out the cork! Just like pulling out that woman¡¯s head! Wait. The smell was wrong. ¡°Sir!¡± He sniffed the white jade ointment. ¡°Where did you get it?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Ergou gave it to me.¡± Yuchi Xiu gasped. ¡°He actually wanted to poison you! No, he¡¯s just a brat. How can he know how to poison?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyes were cold. Yuchi Xiu was good at giving people nicknames. Yuchi Xiu¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°I know! It must be that girl! She wants to kill Lord!¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t use your brain, should I cut it off for you?¡± Yuchi Xiu took a step back and held his head. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not good to be too cruel.¡± Wei Ting snorted. Yuchi Xiu couldn¡¯t figure out how he had angered his lord. His lord¡¯s temper had been getting harder and harder to figure out recently. Wei Ting looked at the white jade ointment on the table and his expression turned cold. ¡°Sister, I have something to tell you,¡± Su Ergou said. ¡°What is it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued to chop firewood. As Su Ergou tied up the firewood his sister had prepared, he said, ¡°Well, Changping said that Young Master Xiang coughed a little at night and asked me if I had any cough snacks.¡± Su Xiaoxiao broke a piece of wood. ¡°Can¡¯t he just take medicine?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°Changping said that Young Master Xiang has taken medicine for so long that he wants to vomit when he smells the medicine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You agreed?¡± Su Ergou muttered, ¡°I said I¡¯ll ask on his behalf.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put down her machete. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stew some loquat snow pear cream.¡± Wei Ting and Yuchi Xiu naturally heard the siblings¡¯ conversation clearly. Yuchi Xiu said belatedly, ¡°It¡¯s that cunning Xiao Zhonghua!¡± Wei Ting tapped his fingertips on the table. When his lord did this, he was scheming. Yuchi Xiu was so excited that his eyes glowed green. ¡°Sir! Are you going to assassinate Xiao Zhonghua?! Sir! I can do it!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Can¡¯t you think of anything else other than killing?¡± Yuchi Xiu spread his hands. ¡°But I¡¯m an assassin.¡± After a pause, his eyes lit up again. ¡°I understand! Poison Xiao Zhonghua! Into that girl¡¯s snow pear cream! Give Xiao Zhonghua a taste of his own medicine!¡± ¡­ It was almost evening, and the sun was setting. Su Yuan came out of Physician Fu¡¯s house and got into the carriage regretfully. The coachman asked, ¡°Master, does Old Madam Fu not agree?¡± Su Yuan pinched his aching eyebrows helplessly. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go back.¡± The coachman said, ¡°Master, you don¡¯t look too good. I¡¯ll find an inn for you first. Settle down and return to the prefecture city tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°No,¡± Su Yuan said. ¡°Let¡¯s go back overnight.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The coachman waved the horsewhip and slowly drove the carriage out of Spring Willow Lane. ¡°Zhang Dao, you bastard! You still have the guts to come back! Damn it! I¡¯ve blocked your house for a month! Let¡¯s see where you can run this time!¡± Su Yuan had not slept for a few nights. Coupled with the stuffiness in the carriage, he could not breathe. However, just as he pushed the window open, he saw someone fighting in the alley. ¡°You bastard! I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Su Yuan was about to step forward to stop him when he heard the person say, ¡°You found someone to bully my daughter! I think you¡¯re tired of living! If you have the guts, come at me! I respected you as a man! Are you still a f*cking man to have such bad ideas about my daughter!¡± ¡°Master?¡± the coachman asked him. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go.¡± Su Yuan lowered the car window and brushed past Su Cheng, who was beating Zhang Dao up. ¡ª- Recently, the Su family had not been lucky. First, there was the matter of framing the Su family. Although Su Erlang took the blame, the family¡¯s reputation had been affected. In addition, Su Dalang had been extorted for another 500 taels and they lost another 100 taels framing Su Xiaoxiao. The Su family had lost all their money. Su Can said, ¡°Dad, Erlang and I went to the government office to ask. Yuniang has divorced Zheng Yuanbo, and her household registration has returned to our Su family. If she wants to establish her own family, she has to move her household registration out! Without our Su family¡¯s agreement, she can¡¯t move!¡± In other words, they could take the opportunity to extort Su Yuniang. In the past, they did not know that Su Yuniang was so rich. Every time Su Yuniang took ten or twenty taels from her in-laws, they felt that it was not easy. Now that he thought about it, Su Yuniang was dismissing a beggar with that money! ¡°Will Sister give it to us?¡± Su Erlang asked. Su Can snorted. ¡°She¡¯s from the Su family, and what¡¯s hers belongs to the Su family! She has to give it to me!¡± ¡°Give what?¡± Su Yuniang slowly walked in. Su Can was stunned. He looked at Su Yuniang and then behind her. Fatty Su, who was usually holding a butcher knife beside her, was nowhere to be seen. His confidence rose. ¡°Heh, you still have the cheek to come back!¡± Su Yuniang sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t Dad say that? I¡¯m from the Su family. Of course, I can come back.¡± Su Can did not expect Su Yuniang to hear his words just now. This was awkward. He coughed lightly and asked fiercely, ¡°Aren¡¯t you doing very well in the Su family? Why did you come back?¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°I came back to get the household register. If I want to establish my own household, I need the Su family¡¯s signature to allow me to transfer the household register.¡± She had openly placed her weakness on the surface, catching the Su family off guard. Su Yuniang said, ¡°Let¡¯s not beat around the bush. We¡¯re all family. I don¡¯t want to make things too ugly. If you want money, I can give it to you. Just don¡¯t go overboard. Mother and Third Brother are still at home. Even if it¡¯s for them, I won¡¯t be stingy with those worldly possessions. However, I have a condition!¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°Tell me.¡± Su Yuniang said seriously, ¡°I want to know where the jade pendant that our family sold 30 years ago came from!¡± Chapter 190 - 190 Brothers Meet 190 Brothers Meet Su Can said without thinking, ¡°Of course, the ancestral jade pendant was left behind by our ancestors!¡± ¡°Is that so, Grandpa?¡± Su Yuniang looked at Old Master Su. Old Master Su¡¯s expression changed. Although he tried his best to remain calm, Su Yuniang was a smart person. She immediately saw the hidden emotions in Old Master Su¡¯s eyes. There was indeed something fishy! Su Yuniang smiled. ¡°If Grandpa refuses to tell me, I won¡¯t give you this money. I have other ways to get the household register, but it¡¯s a little troublesome.¡± Old Master Su said in a low voice, ¡°Erlang, go pick some vegetables with your father.¡± Su Erlang was a rare smart person in the Su family. His grandfather¡¯s reaction was clearly wrong, but he did not say anything. He silently carried two baskets and pulled Su Can out. Su Dalang went to chop firewood. A few women at home were cooking in the kitchen. Only Old Master Su and Su Yuniang were left in the central room. Old Master Su said in a low voice, ¡°Su Yuniang, what did you find?¡± Su Yuniang asked, ¡°Grandpa, what do you think I found?¡± Old Master Su slammed the table. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question!¡± Su Yuniang said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m asking Grandpa too!¡± This granddaughter had never been so impudent in the past. After living with the Su family for a while, she was becoming more and more like Su Daya. Old Master Su took a deep breath and compromised in his confrontation with Su Yuniang. ¡°That jade pendant was picked up by your great-grandfather. I was there too.¡± Although she had long guessed it, Su Yuniang still felt a sense of mockery when she heard Old Master Su admit it himself. She asked, ¡°Then, may I ask where Grandpa picked it up?¡± ¡°The town.¡± ¡°Why did you only pick up half?¡± When Old Master Su heard this, his expression changed slightly. Su Yuniang sneered and said, ¡°Those are pairs of pendants. Great-grandpa picked up one of them, and the other is in Daya¡¯s father¡¯s hand. Grandpa, can you explain to me what¡¯s going on?¡± Old Master Su clenched his fists. Su Yuniang said calmly, ¡°Grandpa, since I can investigate to this extent, as long as I¡¯m willing to spend more money, it won¡¯t be difficult to find out. However, Grandpa, are you sure you want me to continue investigating on my own? The more I investigate, the more people will be alarmed. Perhaps I won¡¯t be able to hide some things.¡± Old Master Su¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Su Yuniang was not intimidated by his aura. ¡°It¡¯s all because Grandpa taught me well.¡± That night, Old Master Su threatened her like this. Old Master Su snorted. ¡°How would I know? Perhaps someone picked up the other piece!¡± Su Yuniang stood up and left. Old Master Su said coldly, ¡°Su Yuniang, what are you doing?¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°Since Grandpa is unwilling to be honest, I have nothing else to say! I won¡¯t give you the silver! I¡¯ll think of a way to get the household register myself! I¡¯ll investigate the news myself!¡± With that, she left without looking back. Wasn¡¯t this move typical of Fatty Su? Look at how badly Fatty Su had influenced her! Seeing that Su Yuniang had taken a step out of the threshold, Old Master Su gritted his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s Su Cheng¡¯s!¡± Su Yuniang continued walking without looking back. Old Master Su gritted his teeth. ¡°He dropped a jade pendant. Your great-grandfather picked it up and didn¡¯t return it to him!¡± Su Yuniang stopped in her tracks. ¡°Did he drop it, or did you snatch it?¡± Old Master Su said coldly, ¡°If we wanted to snatch it, we could have snatched a pair of jade pendants.¡± That was true. Su Yuniang asked, ¡°Does Grandpa know anything else?¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°Where did Daya¡¯s father come from? Who else was with him? How did you get the jade pendant?¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°He was alone. His clothes were in tatters. He probably hadn¡¯t eaten for a few days. He followed behind a few refugees not far away and picked up some grass roots and tree bark that they had left behind. Sometimes, when those refugees were annoyed, they would beat him up to vent their anger. That¡¯s all I know. I thought that a child like him would either starve to death or be captured to be eaten¡­ When I saw him again, he had already grown up and moved to our village.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. If you don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do. You have to ask how Su Cheng got his jade pendant. In the year of the disaster, there are dead people everywhere. Who knows which corpse he took it from?¡± Su Yuniang threw a stack of banknotes on the table. ¡°See you at the county office tomorrow morning.¡± After Su Yuniang left, Old Master Su closed his eyes tiredly. He did not tell Su Yuniang the entire truth. The child¡¯s situation back then was much worse than he had described. The injuries on his body were large and small, and he was covered in blood as if he had just escaped death. His face was dirty but his eyes were unbelievably beautiful. His clothes were ragged and the material was high-grade silk, but no one thought that it was his. They only thought that he had picked up someone¡¯s clothes and put them on. The child ate at first like a child from a well-bred family, but if he ate slowly, the food would be snatched away¡­ When he first picked up that jade pendant, he and his father had the intention of returning it to him. He had followed the child for a few days. He had personally seen the child follow behind a group of refugees and learn to dig grassroots, peel tree bark, and drink dirty water¡­ He was so weak but tenacious. The last time he saw the child, the child was half beaten to death because of half a rotten steamed bun. At this moment, the jade pendant embedded in his clothes fell out. The refugees went to snatch it. The child was only six years old, but he actually grabbed a rock and threw it at that person¡¯s head! Some people were still wolf cubs even if they wandered into a flock of sheep. ¡ª- In the alley, Su Cheng beat Zhang Dao up fiercely. His arms and legs were all broken. Last time, he was too gentle. This bastard did not learn his lesson and dared to bribe Wang Mazi to frame his fat daughter. This time, Zhang Dao was beaten until he did not have much life in him. Su Cheng left the alley in high spirits. He carried the butcher knife and swaggered back to the village. On the other side, Su Yuan¡¯s carriage drove onto the official road. Su Yuan looked worse and worse. His chest seemed to be blocked by a ball of cotton. He held the wall of the car and panted heavily. The coachman heard an unusual commotion and hurriedly asked, ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Yuan wanted to speak, but his throat seemed to be blocked. He could not make a sound. The coachman said, ¡°Master?¡± THUD! Su Yuan fell. The coachman¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Master?!¡± Su Cheng did not take the village road today. He went to visit the Cheng family and returned on the official road. From afar, he saw a carriage parked on the road. It looked inconspicuous but from his many years of robbery¡­ Ahem, his experience in the martial world, this was most likely a low-key rich businessman. Nine of the ten merchants were traitors. He rubbed his hands. Should he¡­ do something? Sigh, forget it. He had promised his daughter that he would turn over a new leaf and start from scratch. Su Cheng smacked his lips and resisted the urge to rob. He walked past the carriage. ¡­ Three seconds later, he jumped into the carriage. ¡°Robbery! Hand over the silver!¡± Chapter 191 - 191 Divine Medicine 191 Divine Medicine After Su Yuniang returned to the Su family, she found Su Xiaoxiao and told her what she had found out from the Su family. ¡°The jade pendant belongs to your father. Your father was alone at that time and didn¡¯t have any other relatives. A piece of your father¡¯s jade pendant accidentally fell and was picked up by my grandfather and great-grandfather. As for how your father obtained the two jade pendants, my grandfather said that it was very chaotic in the middle of the year and there were dead people everywhere. Perhaps your father took it from some dead person.¡± Countless people died in the disaster year. Some starved to death, and some died of illness. Some poor people could not live anymore and occupied mountains as bandits, robbing rich families who passed by. This situation was not rare. Not all the bones on the road belonged to the poor, and many rich families had been killed. It was indeed possible that Su Cheng had taken it off a corpse. ¡°If your father picked up the two jade pendants from elsewhere and my great-grandfather picked them up, then¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao finished her sentence for her. ¡°Even if your great-grandfather did something wrong, it¡¯s not my father¡¯s after all. I can pick it up even if you picked it up earlier. Besides, your great-grandfather sold it after picking it up and helped a village of refugees. It¡¯s much better than my father not taking it out. Thinking about it this way, the villagers will still stand on the Su family¡¯s side.¡± Su Yuniang sighed and nodded regretfully. She thought that she could expose the Su family¡¯s hypocrisy this time, but who knew that she still missed? Su Xiaoxiao was deep in thought. She felt that Old Su was hiding something. The two of them were talking in the central room when the three little ones came over. Dahu raised his hand and pointed outside the door. ¡°Mother, Grandpa is back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± The three of them blinked at her. Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°Something happened?¡± The three of them nodded. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s first reaction was that her father was in trouble. She grabbed her knife and rushed out¡­ Just as she reached the door, she saw her father jump down from a big carriage valiantly. Su Xiaoxiao went forward and said, ¡°Dad, are you alright?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°I¡¯m fine! Where are you planning to go with the knife?¡± ¡°I thought something had happened to you. I was going to look for you,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said and looked at the big carriage behind him. This carriage looked inconspicuous, but it was much better than the one she had hired at the car dealership. ¡°Dad, where did this carriage come from?¡± Su Cheng said without changing his expression, ¡°I picked it up!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him skeptically. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Su Cheng cleared his throat. ¡°Of course I¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± Su Xiaoxiao heard the breathing in the car and raised her knife warily to lift the curtain. A dying man was lying on the bench in the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her father. Father Su grinned. ¡°Pick one up and get one free!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. In the carriage, Su Yuan¡¯s situation was very bad. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t understand why her father liked to pick up people to bring home. What¡¯s more, he picked up all the patients! What? Was he good-looking? Needless to say, he was really good-looking. He was a few years older than his father and had clear eyebrows. He looked elegant and calm as if he had mellowed over time. The style of the high-grade clothes was very simple. The bones of his fingers were slender and well-defined. Even though his consciousness was blurry, one could feel a noble aura from him. Su Xiaoxiao vaguely felt that this person was a little familiar. Life was more important. She took his pulse and checked his breathing. It was caused by an allergic reaction. His throat had edema and breathing was difficult, and he had almost fallen into shock. He had to be moved away from the allergen immediately. Su Xiaoxiao moved him out of the carriage. ¡°Let me do it, let me do it!¡± Father Su took the patient and moved him to the central room. Su Xiaoxiao dragged two stools and combined them. Seeing this, Su Yuniang came over to help. ¡°Open all the doors and take off his coat!¡± After Su Xiaoxiao finished instructing, she entered the east room to find her first aid kit. Last time, she took a lot of medicine from the pharmacy, but unfortunately, there was no treatment for acute allergies¡­ She rummaged through the first aid kit, but none of them were right. She could also draft a prescription for Chinese medicine to resist sensitivity, but his situation was too critical. There was no time to go to town to get the medicine. Suddenly, a black bottle fell out. It was the third-rate product, the Bezoar Detox Pill, that she had put aside. Because it was too useless, she did not have the chance to use it at all. She had almost forgotten that there was such a bottle of medicine. She did not have any other medicine that was more suitable for the illness. Although resisting sensitivity and clearing heat and detoxifying poison were completely different, she would try her best at this juncture. In any case, there were no side effects after eating the Bezoar Detox Pill. She poured out three pills and mixed them with half a bowl of warm water. This medicine actually melted after entering the water. It was yellow and orange. She walked out with the medicine. Su Yuniang grabbed her wrist. ¡°What are you holding?¡± ¡°Medicine.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Su Yuniang said. ¡°I saw you hesitate for a long time at the bottle just now.¡± This little rich woman was too observant. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed medicine, but no one has drunk it. I don¡¯t know what effect it has.¡± Su Yuniang gasped. ¡°How dare you let someone drink it when you don¡¯t know! What if he dies from drinking it? It¡¯s obvious that this person¡¯s background is not simple. If he dies on his own, it¡¯s none of your business. If you kill him with the medicine, it¡¯ll be your responsibility!¡± Su Xiaoxiao understood that Su Yuniang was doing this for her own good. ¡°But if we ignore him, he will really die.¡± An allergic reaction was a small illness. With his severe allergic reaction, there was throat edema and respiratory obstruction. His life was in danger. Su Yuniang said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s better for him to die himself than for you to kill him!¡± Su Yuniang, was not a kind person. She was selfish. She did not care about the lives of others. She only wanted the people she cared about to be fine! Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this isn¡¯t poison. At most, it can¡¯t cure his condition.¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that he would die if he couldn¡¯t be treated? As long as he consumed what you gave him before he died, the responsibility could be pushed to you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked into her eyes. ¡°Yuniang, believe in me this once.¡± Su Yuniang looked at her in a daze and frowned. In the end, she let go. Su Yuan did not go into complete shock. He still had a trace of consciousness. It was this trace of consciousness that allowed him to retain some ability to swallow. Su Xiaoxiao supported him and fed him half a bowl of orange medicine. Su Yuniang¡¯s heart was in her throat. A few breaths later, a miracle happened. Su Yuan¡¯s breathing seemed to have cleared instantly, and he caught his breath. The dark color between his eyebrows and lips faded, and his expression returned to normal. Su Xiaoxiao stuck the disposable tongue-pressing board into his mouth and looked at his throat. The laryngeal edema was also disappearing. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really effective.¡± She finally realized that the more inconspicuous the medicine, the more advanced the black technology! Who would have thought that a small bottle of Bezoar Detox Pills could treat a serious allergy? Su Yuan completely recovered 15 minutes later. The first thing he saw was three round heads. The three little ones blinked at him. He was slightly stunned. ¡°My stool,¡± Dahu said, pointing under him. After Dahu returned from the prefecture city, he was more articulate. ¡°My pillow,¡± Erhu said, pointing under his head. Xiaohu scratched his head. ¡°My, my, my house!¡± Su Yuan was stunned by the triplets¡¯ actions. Wait, weren¡¯t they the triplets he had seen in the nunnery? Su Xiaoxiao walked over with a dustpan of peeled peanuts. ¡°Mother!¡± The three little ones decisively gave up on observing the patient for a long time and pounced at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Yuan¡¯s gaze followed the three little ones and saw the little fat girl he had met once in the nunnery. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± He exclaimed in surprise. Perhaps because of the edema in his throat, his voice was a little hoarse. ¡°Oh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and sized him up. Soon, she recognized him. It was the devotee who had visited Mistress Hui Jue. His name seemed to be Su Yuan. She knew it. He did look a little familiar as if she had seen him somewhere before. ¡°Miss Su?¡± Su Yuan called her tentatively. Grandmaster Hui Jue introduced Su Ji to business. She said that it was a pair of siblings with the surname Su. The sister was chubby, round, and cute, and the brother was a little dark. He was surprised to see her here. ¡°Master¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment.¡± Su? ¡± There was nothing wrong with calling him that, right? Su Yuan smiled, tacitly agreeing with this form of address. Su Xiaoxiao felt that this man had a different kind of affinity when he smiled, making her want to get close to him. But that was strange, wasn¡¯t it? She was not someone who liked to be close to others. Su Yuan looked at Su Xiaoxiao, then at the three little ones hugging her thigh. Countless doubts flashed across his mind. ¡°This is my house,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°They¡¯re my sons, Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu.¡± Su Yuan was stunned. ¡°Master! Master!¡± The coachman scrambled in. ¡°Why are you in the village? I went to the river to get water for you, but when I came back, the carriage was gone! I was scared out of my soul!¡± At the mention of this, Su Yuan was also puzzled. He clearly had an accident on the official road. Why was he lying at Miss Su¡¯s house the moment he woke up? He asked, ¡°Miss Su, were you the one who saved me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was about to speak when Su Cheng swaggered in with the butcher knife. ¡°Daughter! I did a big job today! Remember to cook meat tonight! Eh? Where¡¯s the person I dragged back?¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. The little vest that she had painstakingly mended for him was torn apart by him. Su Cheng looked at Su Yuan, who had already sat up. Su Yuan also looked at the roguish Su Cheng. Su Yuan was stunned. Chapter 192 - 192 Blood Was Thicker Than Water 192 Blood Was Thicker Than Water ¡°Eh? Are you awake? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Su Cheng glared at Su Yuan fiercely. Su Yuan¡¯s eyes flickered. They were too similar. However, it did not seem like it the moment he opened his mouth. It was said that nephews looked like uncles because the siblings were from the same mother and had common physical characteristics. When he saw Qin Che, Su Yuan felt that he was indeed a little similar to his father. Seeing the person in front of him, Su Yuan finally understood what a real resemblance was. This pair of eyebrows was exactly the same as those of his aunt and father. Su Yuan muttered, ¡°You look like a person.¡± Su Cheng raised the butcher knife. ¡°Who are you scolding? I¡¯m a human, to begin with! What do you mean by saying I look like a person!¡± Su Yuan was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Dad, he¡¯s my customer in the prefecture city. The spring water Ergou brought back for you belongs to his family.¡± F*ck, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to rob someone, but he had done it to a customer¡­ Su Cheng¡¯s eyes darted around. He calmly placed the butcher knife on the ground and kicked it under the long stool. The coachman understood. ¡°It¡¯s you! You kidnapped my master! You¡­ you¡¯re a bandit!¡± Su Yuan said in a low voice, ¡°Zheng Guang, don¡¯t be rude!¡± The coachman pointed at Su Cheng and said, ¡°But Master, didn¡¯t you hear what he said? They clearly¡­¡± Su Yuan¡¯s expression was cold, and the coachman obediently fell silent. Su Xiaoxiao changed the topic in time. ¡°Master Su, your situation just now was very dangerous. It¡¯s an allergy. Do you know that you have an allergy?¡± Su Yuan nodded and smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m allergic to catkins and some food. I¡¯m usually very careful. I was negligent today and didn¡¯t notice the catkins flying in from the carriage. Miss Su, it¡¯s all thanks to you this time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small matter,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said generously. Su Cheng took the opportunity to slip into the backyard. Su Yuan turned around and looked at him before asking Su Xiaoxiao with a smile, ¡°Miss Su, are you from this village?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°My parents were originally from Willow Village, and they moved here later.¡± Su Yuan smiled. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Su Yuan smiled and his gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s round face. ¡°Su¡­¡± He wanted to call her Miss Su, but he suddenly realized that she was already a mother. However, he really could not call her Madam Su. Also, what was her husband¡¯s surname? Wasn¡¯t it too abrupt for him to ask about this? ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Are you still feeling unwell?¡± Su Yuan came back to his senses. ¡°No, I feel much better.¡± These were not pleasantries. They were the truth. He knew his own body very well. When he was young, he did not know that he was allergic and almost could not be saved a few times. It was Imperial Physician Fu who accurately identified his illness and told him that there was no cure for this illness. It was better to guard against it than to treat it. However, there were inevitable mistakes. In his impression, he had never recovered so quickly. Su Yuan asked, ¡°Miss Su, do you know medicine?¡± Su Ergou walked out with the pony. ¡°That¡¯s right. My sister is Physician Fu¡¯s disciple!¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°Which Physician Fu?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°The one in Spring Willow Lane!¡± Su Yuan fell into deep thought. No wonder Mistress Hui Jue knew a little girl from town. It would make sense if the little girl was a disciple of the Fu family. If Physician Fu¡¯s disciple was already so powerful, wouldn¡¯t Physician Fu¡¯s medical skills be even more exquisite? Old Madam Fu said that her son could not treat his father¡¯s chronic illness. She was probably¡­ unwilling to return to the capital, right? No, he had to go to Spring Willow Lane again. He said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I won¡¯t disturb Miss Su.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Father Su stuck his head in from the backyard. ¡°¡­ consultation fee.¡± With that, he retracted her head. How strange. This man looked weak. He could crush him with one finger, but why did he seem a little afraid of him? Not that he was afraid¡­ There was a strange feeling in his heart that Su Cheng could not describe. This was probably one robbery in which he was least confident. Su Yuan smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s my duty. Look at me, I forgot such an important thing. Zheng Guang, go to the carriage to get the silver.¡± Su Cheng¡¯s ears pricked up. Was there silver? He had searched for a long time but could not find it! He sat on the small stool and wanted to peek through the backrest, but he accidentally met Su Yuan¡¯s gaze. He coughed lightly and silently straightened his body. Zheng Guang took out a money bag from the secret compartment of the carriage. ¡°Master, here.¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°For Miss Su.¡± Zheng Guang was stunned. Give it all? Su Yuan said amiably, ¡°Miss Su, please accept it.¡± The lives of vassals were indeed quite valuable. That medicine was indeed quite rare. She only had one bottle. Every pill consumed was one less pill. Thinking of this, Su Xiaoxiao accepted the silver with a clear conscience. Thinking of something, Su Xiaoxiao returned to the house and counted nine small pills. She packed them in a small porcelain bottle, took them out, and handed them to him. ¡°If this level of allergy appears again in the future, eat three pills. There are three doses inside.¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Zheng Guang wanted to take it, but Su Yuan personally took it. Zheng Guang was a little surprised. Although his Heir-Son Lord had a good temper, he was from a noble family after all. With his status, it was rare for him to interact with others like this. Perhaps it was because of Grandmaster Hui Jue and Old Madam Fu. ¡°Master, should I prepare the carriage?¡± Zheng Guang asked. ¡°Okay.¡± Su Yuan nodded. Su Cheng was like a child, stealing glances from time to time. Seeing Zheng Guang take away the carriage he had painstakingly robbed, he was a little depressed. Su Yuan walked over and bade him farewell. With an elegant demeanour, he thanked him kindly. Su Cheng curled his lips and ignored him. Su Yuan was really leaving. Su Xiaoxiao sent him into the carriage. Su Yuan sat in the carriage that Zheng Guang had cleaned up. ¡°Miss Su, we¡¯ll meet again if fate allows.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Take care, Old Master Su.¡± Zheng Guang waved the horsewhip and the carriage slowly left. Su Cheng looked out again. Su Ergou was puzzled. ¡°Dad, what are you looking at?¡± Su Cheng glared at him. ¡°Why do you care what I¡¯m looking at!¡± The man was gone. Hmph, so be it. He did not care! Su Cheng raised the axe and chopped the firewood, one after another as if he was chopping with a knife. Su Ergou was dumbfounded. What was wrong with his father? When the carriage arrived at the village entrance, Zheng Guang saw a little fellow standing under a big tree and looking at them. ¡°Master, he¡¯s Miss Su¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Stop the carriage,¡± Su Yuan instructed. Zheng Guang stopped the carriage by the tree. Su Yuan lifted the curtain and looked at the little guy in front of him amiably. ¡°Are you playing here alone? Where did your brothers go?¡± Erhu said, ¡°They went to walk the foal.¡± Su Yuan smiled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go?¡± Erhu said childishly, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to go.¡± Su Yuan found a box of snacks in the carriage and walked down to give it to him. Erhu shook his head. ¡°Mother said that I can¡¯t eat them.¡± Su Yuan was stunned for a moment before smiling. ¡°Your mother taught you very well. You really can¡¯t eat what strangers give you.¡± Erhu placed his small hands behind his back and tilted his head to look at him cutely. ¡°Are you a lord from the city?¡± Su Yuan smiled and said, ¡°I guess.¡± Erhu continued, ¡°Are you very rich?¡± What kind of question was this? Erhu¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°Your glabella is black. You have bad luck.¡± Su Yuan was speechless. Erhu bluffed seriously, ¡°Do you want to change your luck?¡± Su Yuan was stunned. Erhu stretched out his small hand. ¡°It¡¯s an ancestral jade. Your luck can be changed by touching it. Ten copper coins at a time. Seeing that you look familiar, I¡¯ll charge you five. No bargaining!¡± Su Yuan was speechless. Chapter 193 - 193 Courting Death (1) 193 Courting Death (1) At Little Su¡¯s house, Su Yuan left in the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao went to the forest behind the kitchen to sharpen her knife. The setting sun shone diagonally on the top of her head through the bamboo leaves. When Su Yuniang walked over with her daughter, who had been in her arms for more than a month, she saw this back view. This girl had really lost a lot of weight. Su Yuniang sighed as she moved a small stool and sat down beside Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Are you a blind cat who bumped into a dead rat?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What?¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°The medicine for that master. Why are you so bold? Aren¡¯t you afraid that something will happen to him¡­ ¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued to sharpen her knife. ¡°He¡¯s fine!¡± The little fellow in her arms nodded. Su Yuniang picked her up and patted her back gently, helping her burp out. Su Yuniang said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the government office tomorrow and move the household register out.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°How much did you give the Su family?¡± If they did not give her some benefits, the Su family would never let Su Yuniang off. Su Yuniang kissed her daughter¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°200 taels.¡± THUD! Su Xiaoxiao chopped the chopping board! Su Yuniang said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make them spit it out.¡± ¡­ In the alley between Liu Shan¡¯s family and the Su family, Su Jinniang¡¯s face was pale as she clenched her fists bit by bit. It was not until Su Xiaoxiao and Su Yuniang entered the kitchen and closed the back door that she quickly ran back to her house. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Old Master Su was checking the accounts with Su Can in the central room. Su Can always got the accounts wrong. He was inferior to Su Erlang. Old Master Su glanced at the flustered Su Jinniang and asked, ¡°Where did you go again? Who asked you to go out all day? You¡¯re about to get married. Don¡¯t go out so much in the future!¡± Su Jinniang lowered her eyes. ¡°I¡­ just went to see Sister. I heard her and Fatty Su say¡­ that they want our money back.¡± Su Can stood up. ¡°What?¡± Su Jinniang whispered, ¡°Sister said that if our family is heartless, we shouldn¡¯t blame her for being unjust. After she goes to the county office tomorrow to move the household registration, she will tell the villagers about the jade pendant¡­ Back then¡­ what you and Great-Grandpa sold¡­ was the jade pendant snatched from the Su family. There¡¯s also the jade pendant on Fatty Su as evidence. It was originally a pair.¡± Su Can said angrily, ¡°When did we snatch their family¡¯s jade pendant? That was passed down from our Su family¡¯s ancestors! Shameless bitch! Watch how I deal with her!¡± He rolled up his sleeves and turned to walk out, only to be surprised that no one followed him. The entire central room was silent. Other than him, Old Master Su, Su Erlang, and Su Jinniang were silent. Old Master Su knew the truth, while Su Erlang and Su Jinniang guessed the truth back then. Looking at Old Master Su¡¯s reaction, Su Jinniang knew that she had guessed correctly. How could this be? She was clearly better than Fatty Su in everything, but since when did Fatty Su step on her head time and time again? Now, even the jade pendant had become hers! This was unfair! ¡°Dad?¡± Su Can looked at Old Master Su in a daze. ¡°Could, could it be¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Su Dalang came back with water. Seeing that the atmosphere at home was not right, he quickly put down the bucket. Old Master Su said, ¡°Jinniang, go back to the house first.¡± When the men of the Su family discussed matters, they usually did not allow women to be present. ¡°Yes, Grandpa.¡± Su Jinniang returned to her room gloomily. She had entered, but her ear was pressed against the door to eavesdrop. Su Can swallowed and asked Old Master Su, ¡°Dad, what Jinniang said is¡­¡± Su Erlang frowned and said, ¡°Dad, now is not the time to fuss about this. The most important thing now is not to let them go to the village to bite us! Grandpa, we can¡¯t sit still!¡± Su Can shut up. His heart was in turmoil. Who would have thought that their family¡¯s jade pendant actually belonged to Su Cheng? Didn¡¯t that mean that the favor the villagers owed was also Su Cheng¡¯s? Old Master Su looked at Su Erlang. ¡°What ideas do you have?¡± Su Erlang clenched his fists. ¡°Make the first move!¡± Su Can didn¡¯t agree. ¡°This method¡­ has been used once¡­¡± And they failed. Su Erlang said, ¡°The reason why we failed last time was that we didn¡¯t know that the bag had been discovered by Su Daya and that Yuniang had appeared. This time, the jade pendant is in Su Daya¡¯s hand. Let¡¯s see how they can clear their name!¡± Su Can was timid. ¡°Why don¡¯t we wait a little longer?¡± Su Erlang said seriously, ¡°Dad, what are you waiting for? When Eldest Sister moves the household register, will she still have any scruples about our Su family? Now that her household register is still in our hands, she¡¯s more or less a little afraid and doesn¡¯t dare to go overboard with us. Now is the most suitable time. After tomorrow, it¡¯ll be too late!¡± Chapter 194 - 194 Courting Death (2) 194 Courting Death (2) Although this was not the best solution, it was the only thing they could do now. Otherwise, with Su Yuniang¡¯s personality, she might really expose the Su family¡¯s scandal! Old Master Su closed his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s listen to Erlang.¡± Fifteen minutes later, Su Can brought his two sons to the Su family. They had learned their lesson this time and did not incite the villagers to come over to watch the commotion. ¡°Su Yuniang, come out!¡± Su Can jumped into the central room and said aggressively. Su Yuniang had just coaxed her daughter to sleep when she heard Su Can¡¯s voice. She walked out with a cold expression. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Su Can shouted angrily, ¡°You still have the cheek to say that! Hand over the jade pendant!¡± Su Yuniang frowned. ¡°What jade pendant?¡± Su Can said, ¡°Our family¡¯s ancestral jade pendant! You just returned home and entered your grandfather¡¯s room! After you left, the jade pendant in your grandfather¡¯s cabinet disappeared! Tell me quickly! Did you take it!¡± Su Yuniang chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sell the Su family¡¯s ancestral jade pendant long ago?¡± She was talking about the Su family, not her family. Unfortunately, Su Can was busy acting and did not notice the details of her address. Su Can placed his hands on his hips and said, ¡°Hmph! They¡¯re a pair! After selling one piece, there¡¯s another!¡± Su Yuniang said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re really good at blaming others! The jade pendant clearly belongs to the Su family! You stole their jade pendant! You ate their blood buns, but in the end, you still have to bite them back!¡± Su Can said, ¡°We didn¡¯t say that it was the Su family! Could it be¡­ you mean¡­ you were instructed by the Su family? Yuniang, I understand that you want to establish your own household. Your grandfather and I have discussed it carefully and allowed you to move your household register, but don¡¯t be ungrateful.¡± This was clearly threatening Su Yuniang. Su Xiaoxiao walked over casually and looked at Su Can and the others in frustration. ¡°Again? Are you really asking for a beating?¡± In the past, Su Can would have been afraid. However, the jade pendant was a big deal. He would rather be beaten up than retreat! Su Can said sternly, ¡°Yuniang, hand over the jade pendant! I¡¯ll pretend that this never happened. I¡¯ll go to the county office tomorrow and change your household register!¡± He was giving her a stick and a carrot after. Su Can did not have such a brain. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Erlang. In the entire Su family, other than Old Master Su and Su Yuniang, only Su Erlang had some brains. Unfortunately, he did not use it on the righteous path. On the other side, Old Master Su looked for the village head. The village head politely invited him into the central room. ¡°Brother Su, please sit.¡± He asked his wife to pour a cup of hot tea for Old Master Su. Old Master Su only sniffed and knew that the village head¡¯s family was not brewing cheap tea leaves. ¡°Good tea,¡± Old Master Su said. The village head smiled. ¡°Ah, Daya¡¯s father gave it to me.¡± Grandmaster Hui Jue gave him a few jars. Su Cheng couldn¡¯t finish them, so he distributed some to Old Li and the village head. Old Master Su fell silent. The village head recalled that the Su family had a tense relationship with the Su family and thought to himself that he shouldn¡¯t have mentioned Su Cheng in front of Old Master Su. He coughed lightly and said, ¡°Did you come to look for me about Yuniang?¡± He heard that Yuniang was going to establish her own household. Only with her maiden family¡¯s agreement could Su Yuniang move the household register out. As for relocating in the village, she needed the village head¡¯s fingerprint. He had no objections to this. Old Master Su looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated, looking very troubled. Li Zheng said, ¡°Brother Su, why don¡¯t you just say it?¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°I¡¯m indeed here for Yuniang, but not for her household registration. I hope you can keep it a secret for Yuniang.¡± The village head wondered, ¡°What happened to Yuniang?¡± Old Master Su sighed. ¡°She stole the jade pendant at home.¡± The village head was shocked. ¡°What?¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°Everyone only knows one thing about our Su family selling the ancestral jade pendant back then. Actually, it was a pair of pendants. There were a total of two pieces. We sold one of them and my father passed the other to me. I plan to pass it to Su Can before I die of old age¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The village head was indeed surprised. Old Master Su looked at him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t reveal your wealth, right?¡± The village head nodded in a daze. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Old Master Su continued, ¡°After selling the jade pendant, our family was robbed a few times.¡± The village head let out a long sigh. ¡°I know that.¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°Therefore, my father ordered me not to mention the other jade pendant to anyone to avoid trouble.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The village head expressed his understanding. An ordinary man¡¯s wealth was the cause of his troubles. At that time, it was a desolate year and bandits were everywhere. If they knew that the Su family still had a valuable jade pendant, they would have long robbed the family. Old Master Su changed the topic. ¡°Yuniang came home today and took the jade pendant away.¡± ¡°Yuniang?¡± The village head was shocked again. Old Master Su shook his head and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she did this either. She clearly doesn¡¯t lack money¡ªmaybe she hates me for almost sending her to the nunnery, so she thought of such a way to take revenge on me.¡± The village head opened his mouth. ¡°Ah, this¡­¡± Old Master Su said earnestly, ¡°No matter what, Yuniang is my biological granddaughter. I had no choice but to send her to the nunnery. Whether she hates me or doesn¡¯t acknowledge me as her grandfather from now on, I won¡¯t blame her. However, the jade pendant was passed down from my ancestors after all. I hope she can return the jade pendant.¡± The village head looked at him. ¡°Brother Su, you told me this¡­¡± Old Master Su said helplessly, ¡°She refuses to listen to me now. I beg you to help me persuade her. Also, don¡¯t let the villagers know. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to raise her head in front of the villagers in the future.¡± Chapter 195 - 195 Seeing the Jade Pendant 195 Seeing the Jade Pendant After suffering the loss last time, the Su family would not adopt a strategy that would allow everyone to know. After all, they had wronged Daya¡¯s family once. If they went to ask for things openly again, it was inevitable that people would think that they had made a mistake again. Therefore, the Su family did the opposite this time. If Daya¡¯s family could not take it anymore and publicized the matter, they were not afraid. After all, Old Master Su had already ¡°informed¡± the village head, who would step forward to explain on their behalf that the jade pendant belonged to the Su family. Old Master Su¡¯s prestige and credibility were still there, so it was not difficult to obtain the village head¡¯s trust. Moreover, the village head was biased toward Daya¡¯s family, not Su Yuniang. In order not to arouse the village head¡¯s resistance, Old Master Su did not say anything about Daya¡¯s family just now. The two of them arrived at Daya¡¯s house. Seeing that Su Can and Su Erlang were also there, the village head frowned. Old Master Su took in the village head¡¯s expression. His expression turned cold as he said to Su Can and his son, ¡°Why aren¡¯t the two of you staying at home obediently? Why are you here?¡± Su Can turned around and said to Old Master Su, ¡°Dad, Yuniang took the jade pendant. I¡¯m asking Yuniang for it back!¡± Old Master Su said sternly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to show off?¡± Su Can shrank his neck. ¡°We didn¡¯t show off. Just now, a villager came over and I chased him away.¡± Old Master Su said coldly, ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± ¡°My words don¡¯t work, do they?¡± The atmosphere was very awkward. Su Xiaoxiao said in amusement, ¡°Why do you have to do this, Old Master? One is playing the good cop and the other is playing the bad cop. Who are you acting for?¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°Su Daya, this is our family matter. It has nothing to do with you. It¡¯s our Su family¡¯s fault for misunderstanding you last time. If you still have complaints, I¡¯ll let you scold me for a while. However, please stay away from today¡¯s incident.¡± His words were watertight. If Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know what they were playing at, she would have believed them. ¡°Daughter, did someone come to cause trouble again?¡± Su Cheng walked over with his knife. Seeing Su Cheng¡¯s butcher knife, Su Can¡¯s eyelids twitched, and he subconsciously wanted to run. Su Cheng frowned impatiently. ¡°Why is it you again? Are you trying to extort us?¡± The village head tried to smooth things over. ¡°Misunderstanding, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding. Su Cheng, put down the knife first. Let¡¯s talk nicely.¡± Su Cheng asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Daughter, do you want to talk to them?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Dad, I haven¡¯t told you about the jade pendant. The Su family pawned your jade pendant back then.¡± Su Cheng¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± Su Erlang scolded, ¡°Fatty Su, don¡¯t talk nonsense! Do you have evidence?¡± Su Yuniang stepped forward. ¡°I can testify! Grandpa admitted it himself. The jade pendant was obtained from Uncle Su.¡± Old Master Su¡¯s original words were: Su Cheng had dropped it and they had picked it up. Su Yuniang did not say that. Su Yuniang said, ¡°Village head, don¡¯t be deceived by them. The jade pendant belongs to Uncle Su! They¡¯re thieves! None of the men in this family are good!¡± These words were too treasonous. Fatty Su could curse them like this, and so could Su Cheng. However, as the daughter of the Su family, Su Yuniang would be struck by lightning if she scolded the elders in the family. The Su family was furious. They knew that Su Yuniang was rebellious, but they did not know that she would go all out for Daya¡¯s family. Wasn¡¯t she afraid that they wouldn¡¯t allow her to move her household register? Or was it that in her heart, the reputation of Daya¡¯s family was more important than the rest of her life? She, Su Yuniang, was so selfish! Otherwise, she would not have snatched Madam Zhao¡¯s midwife back then. The village head¡¯s focus was not on Su Yuniang¡¯s disrespect. He asked in confusion, ¡°Whose jade pendant is it?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s our Su family¡¯s!¡± Su Can said. ¡°Hurry up and return the other piece!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled coldly. ¡°Your Su family is really shameless.¡± Su Cheng frowned and said, ¡°How did my jade pendant become yours?¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood up and looked at the Su family in amusement. ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t say that Yuniang took the jade pendant. I would say, ¡®The jade pendant is a pair of pendants. There are two in total. Back then, our Su family sold one of the jade pendants, and the other was unfortunately lost. We searched for a long time but couldn¡¯t find it. I thought that we wouldn¡¯t be able to find it in our lifetime. It was only not long ago that Su Daya came to our house and accidentally left a jade pendant that I realized that it might be the heirloom that we lost back then. Today, Yuniang came back to discuss the relocation of the household register. I told her that it was fine, but you have to answer me honestly first: Where did the jade pendant from the Su family come from? Yuniang said that Su Cheng picked it up when he was young, and I was even more certain that I didn¡¯t make a mistake. That jade pendant is the one our Su family lost!¡± Chapter 196 - 196 Seeing the Jade Pendant (2) 196 Seeing the Jade Pendant (2) The three of them were stunned. Everyone seemed to have been enlightened. Su Erlang clenched his fists. Damn it, why didn¡¯t he think of it! Su Can whispered, ¡°Dad, her story seems to be better than ours¡­¡± Old Master Su glared at Su Can. Su Yuniang burst out laughing. Su Can shouted with bravado, ¡°What are you laughing at!¡± Su Yuniang said gloatingly, ¡°I¡¯m laughing at how you guys are not as smart as Daya alone. Did you forget to bring your brains when you went out to harm others?¡± ¡°Su, Yu, Niang!¡± Su Can reached out to slap her. Slap! It was Su Cheng who did the slapping; Su Can did not manage to touch Su Yuniang at all. Instead, he fell to the ground and lost a front tooth. ¡°Dad!¡± Su Erlang hurriedly helped Su Can up. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far!¡± Su Cheng carried the butcher knife on his shoulder. ¡°Is this too much? I haven¡¯t used the knife yet.¡± Su Erlang gritted his teeth and said, ¡°The entire village knows that the jade pendant belongs to our Su family! No matter how exciting your story is, no one will believe you!¡± Old Master Su loosened his clenched fists bit by bit. Erlang was right. No matter what the truth was, the Su family could not prove that the jade pendant was theirs. As long as there was no way to prove it, the villagers would not believe it! Su Yuniang frowned. She did not publicize the matter immediately because she did not have enough evidence. It was over. The Su family would blow things up first. The situation was disadvantageous to Daya and her family. At this moment, a carriage stopped at the entrance of the Su family. Su Yuan carried Little Fraudster Erhu down. ¡°Don¡¯t run out alone again, understand?¡± ¡°Are you really not going to touch it?¡± Erhu persevered in promoting his lucky stone. Su Yuan was tickled by Erhu. The two of them entered the house. The atmosphere in the house was strange. Erhu was already very familiar with the Su family. Every time this group of people came to the house, they would slander their mother. Erhu had long labeled them as bad people in his heart! ¡°Don¡¯t bully my mother!¡± Erhu ran over and stubbornly stood in front of Su Xiaoxiao. Among the three little ones, Dahu was the boldest. Xiaohu was also fierce. Erhu was relatively mild, but when his brothers were not around, he took on the heavy responsibility of protecting his mother! Su Yuan asked, ¡°Miss Su, what happened?¡± The three of them looked at Su Yuan. Su Yuan was the legitimate son of a duke in the capital. No matter how ordinary his clothes were, they were still of the highest quality. After the Su family became rich, they befriended many rich families. It was really enviable! However, those who befriended the Su family were usually businessmen. Thinking of this, the Su family did not take Su Yuan seriously. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, these people want to snatch my jade pendant.¡± Su Erlang said coldly, ¡°Who wanted to rob you? You were the ones who robbed our house! Hurry up and return the jade pendant!¡± ¡°What jade pendant?¡± Su Yuan asked. Su Xiaoxiao took off the jade pendant around her neck. ¡°There, this is it.¡± Old Master Su¡¯s eyes flickered. Su Erlang glanced at Old Master Su and said tacitly, ¡°My family¡¯s jade pendant is really in your hands! Su Yuniang! You¡¯re really a traitor! You treated our Su family¡¯s heirloom as a gift! You¡¯re so eager to please the Su family! You¡¯re too disappointing!¡± He was shameless to the extreme. Su Yuniang was so angry that she almost snatched the knife from Su Cheng¡¯s hand. ¡°Did you just say that this jade pendant belongs to your family?¡± It was Su Yuan who spoke. Su Erlang, who was questioned by him, said seriously, ¡°That¡¯s right! Master, although I don¡¯t know where you came from and what collaboration you want to discuss with the Su family, I advise you not to do business with such an evil person! Otherwise, you won¡¯t even have time to regret it!¡± Su Yuan stared fixedly at the jade pendant. In Su Erlang¡¯s eyes, his reaction revealed shock and disappointment in the Su family. Su Erlang struck while the iron was hot. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know. This kind of jade pendant was originally a pair. 30 years ago, there was a disaster in Qingzhou. In order not to let everyone starve to death, my great-grandfather sold one of the jade pendants in exchange for the food of the entire village¡­¡± Su Yuniang cursed. ¡°Bullsh*t! Su Erlang, do you know about jade? Do you know how valuable this jade pendant is? Did the Su family have a general or a prime minister in its lineage? How can they obtain such an heirloom?¡± Su Erlang pointed at Su Cheng and said, ¡°If we can¡¯t, can he?¡± Su Yuniang choked. Su Yuan opened his mouth. ¡°Can you¡­ show me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao gave him the jade pendant. Su Yuan¡¯s hand trembled as he took the jade pendant. Su Yuan looked at the three of them with a cold expression. ¡°Where did you get the jade pendant you sold?¡± Su Erlang said, ¡°I told you it¡¯s inherited from my family!¡± Su Yuan said in a low voice, ¡°Nonsense!¡± Su Erlang was shocked by Su Yuan¡¯s sudden aura. He composed himself and asked strangely, ¡°Who are you? You¡¯re an accomplice invited by the Su family, right? You don¡¯t have the right to speak here! Hurry up and return the jade pendant to us! Otherwise, I¡¯ll send you to the officials!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Zheng Guang walked in. ¡°How dare you be rude to my Master? You¡¯re tired of living!¡± Su Can was dumbfounded. ¡°What?¡± Zheng Guang said, ¡°Listen carefully. My master is the heir of the North Garrison in the capital, Su Yuan!¡± A duke from the capital? Old Master Su¡¯s expression changed! Chapter 197 - 197 Su Yuans Wrath 197 Su Yuan¡¯s Wrath Su Yuan rubbed the jade pendant in his hand and looked at Old Master Su without blinking. At this moment, he no longer looked gentle and kind. He had the aura and edge of a superior. ¡°Are you sure your family sold another jade pendant back then?¡± Old Master Su was respected in the village, but in front of the vassals of the capital, he was just a lowly peasant. Cold sweat broke out uncontrollably. He didn¡¯t know how to answer. Su Yuan said fiercely, ¡°You know very well that the jade pendant doesn¡¯t belong to your family. Let me ask you one last time. Did you sell another jade pendant back then?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was holding a left pendant. The Su family had sold a right pendant. Back then, when Qin Che returned to the capital to acknowledge the Qin family, he had the right pendant. Su Yuan said coldly, ¡°Do you know that this is a gift from the emperor? Selling it privately is a capital crime!¡± Old Master Su¡¯s legs went weak and he staggered! Su Yuan said, ¡°If you answer truthfully, I won¡¯t pursue the matter.¡± Old Master Su confessed. ¡°I¡­ I did sell it! I sold it with my father¡­¡± In front of a duke, Old Master Su could not resist at all. Su Yuan continued, ¡°Who did you sell it to?¡± Old Master Su replied, ¡°A businessman. I don¡¯t know who he is. My father went to talk to him. I waited outside. From that person¡¯s accent, he doesn¡¯t sound local. After that, we haven¡¯t seen him again, so if you insist on asking me who he is, I really can¡¯t answer.¡± When had Old Master Su ever been so humble? It was really satisfying to see. Su Yuan continued, ¡°Where did you get the jade pendant you sold?¡± The village head looked at Old Master Su nervously. He had vaguely guessed something, but he was unwilling to face it. After all, this was someone he and the entire village had respected for 30 years¡­ Old Master Su secretly clenched his fists. He began to regret his plan today. Had he known that he would meet a noble from the capital, he would not have gone to the Su family to court death. Old Master Su closed his eyes and said, ¡°It, it fell from Su Cheng¡¯s body¡­ He was still young. I don¡¯t know where he picked up half a rotten steamed bun. Before he could take a bite, it was snatched by a few refugees. His jade pendant¡­ fell at that time.¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop them?¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°There were so many refugees. Could we control them?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then what¡¯s the difference between stealing and you picking up my father¡¯s thing and not returning it to him?¡± Old Master Su¡¯s face turned green and red. It was too late to regret it now. The reputation of the Su family had been torn apart by this noble from the capital. The reputation he was so proud of was actually so fragile in front of absolute power! He was like a frog in a pond. So what if a group of small fish and shrimps admired him for many years? When an eagle flew over from the sky and flapped its wings, it could flip the entire pond! He looked at Su Cheng again. Su Cheng was stunned. Old Master Su thought of what the noble had said. This was a gift from the emperor. If this was an item bestowed by the emperor, then where did Su Cheng come from? He seemed¡­ to have been wrong all along. He was wrong. So was his father. They thought that the child would not survive. If they had known earlier, they would have adopted Su Cheng¡­ Old Master Su¡¯s thoughts had never been so chaotic. Countless ridiculous thoughts appeared in his mind. However, it was too late now. ¡°Zheng Guang, take them away first.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Zheng Guang took the Su family away. Su Yuan had something more important to verify in his heart. He turned to look at Su Cheng¡¯s eyebrows, which were identical to his aunt¡¯s. ¡°Where did you get your jade pendant?¡± Su Cheng said openly, ¡°Oh, I picked it up.¡± A trace of disappointment flashed across Su Yuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Where did you pick it up?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°I don¡¯t remember. Anyway, I¡¯ve had this jade pendant since I can remember.¡± These words made Su Yuan¡¯s eyes light up again. ¡°Could it be¡­ that you didn¡¯t pick it up?¡± Su Cheng scratched his head. ¡°I heard you say just now that this thing has quite a background. If I didn¡¯t pick it up, could it be my own? I¡¯m not afraid of you laughing at me. I was a cowherd when I was young!¡± Hearing how Su Cheng had grown up, for some reason, Su Yuan¡¯s heart suddenly ached. ¡°Where are your parents?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°I don¡¯t have parents.¡± Su Yuan was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao explained, ¡°My father wandered here 30 years ago. He can¡¯t remember much about his childhood. Actually, I also suspected that this jade pendant belonged to my father, but when you said that it was a gift from the emperor just now, it shouldn¡¯t be.¡± No matter what, it was impossible for her father to be related to the royal family, right? Su Yuan hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s not a gift from the emperor. I was just scaring that family.¡± Uh, was he so scheming? Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°So were you helping us out just now?¡± Of course, Su Yuan was not trying to help the Su family out, but there were some things that he could not say yet. He looked at Su Cheng again. ¡°Can I ask when your birthday is?¡± ¡­ On the field, Wei Ting was helping Old Li plow the ground. Old Li accidentally sprained his waist. Wei Ting passed by and came over to help. Actually, he did not know how to plow. His donkey had led the Li family¡¯s cow in the plowing. Needless to say, the plow was quite straight. It was a little late now, and there were no other villagers in the field. ¡°My Lord!¡± Yuchi Xiu used his qinggong to leap over. Wei Ting threw the whip at him. Yuchi Xiu frowned. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m not here to plow the ground!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Now you are.¡± Yuchi Xiu was speechless. ¡°Sir, I have something to report!¡± ¡°It had better be good.¡± Wei Ting did not want to hear those impure things. Yuchi Xiu said seriously, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s serious business! Lord, your father-in-law went to rob someone again!¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°What do you mean again?¡± Yuchi Xiu automatically skipped the question. ¡°Sir, guess who he kidnapped this time? It¡¯s actually Su Yuan! Sir, you didn¡¯t guess wrongly! It¡¯s Su Yuan from the Marquis of Zhenbei!¡± Wei Ting paused. Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°Sir! I¡¯ll kill him!¡± If he couldn¡¯t kill Xiao Zhonghua, let him kill Su Yuan! Otherwise, life would be too boring! He was a killer! A killer! ¡°Sir, kill him? If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll be exposed if Su Yuan sees you later! Xiao Zhonghua didn¡¯t tell anyone when he discovered you because he wanted to get rid of you secretly. Su Yuan is different. He¡¯ll return to the capital to complain!¡± Wei Ting was deep in thought. Yuchi Xiu persevered. ¡°Sir, do you need me to remind you that you should be cultivating under the decree at the Dragon Temple in the capital?¡± ¡°Although it¡¯s cultivation with hair, it¡¯s still cultivation!¡± ¡°Or should I call you Monk Xuan Xin? Master Xuan Xin?¡± ¡­ Ever since he came out of the Su family, Su Yuan could not calm down for a long time. Zheng Guang said, ¡°Master, you just fell ill. Let¡¯s go to the inn to rest for the night.¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Yuan adjusted his breathing and tried not to sound shaky. ¡°Back to the prefecture city!¡± ¡°But you¡­¡± Zheng Guang wanted to say that he had escaped death and would probably not be able to take it after traveling for so long. However, when he sensed the chaotic aura in the car, he swallowed the words he was about to say. He entered the residence at the age of 13 and worked as a servant for the heir for 20 years. He knew the heir very well. Unless something big happened, he would not be so emotional. The two of them returned to the ancestral residence in the prefecture capital overnight. The beast pulling the carriage was a high-grade warhorse. It was faster than those pulling ordinary carriages. In the latter half of the night, Su Mo heard a servant report that his father was back. Su Mo quickly put on his clothes and went to see his father. ¡°Father, you rushed back overnight. Did you manage to invite Imperial Physician Fu?¡± Back then, Imperial Physician Fu faked his death and left the capital. Even the Third Prince was kept in the dark. If not for the relationship between the Marquis of Zhenbei and Grandmaster Hui Jue, he probably would not have known the real news about Imperial Physician Fu. Su Yuan had not slept for the entire night. His body was tired, but his eyes were bright. Su Yuan said, ¡°Imperial Physician Fu¡­ I was a step too late. He has already passed away.¡± Su Mo said, ¡°What? Then isn¡¯t Grandpa¡­¡± Su Yuan waved his hand. ¡°Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s son has inherited his medical skills. Don¡¯t be anxious about your grandfather¡¯s illness. I have another urgent matter to tell you.¡± The last time his father was so serious, he was seeing to his marriage to the daughter of the Lin family. ¡°Father.¡± Su Yuan told his son about the jade pendant. Su Mo was shocked. ¡°Father means¡­ Qin Che¡­¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say now.¡± This matter was too big. It was so big that Su Yuan did not dare to believe it himself. If Qin Che brought back the jade pendant that they had acknowledged and it was really the one that the Su family had sold, there would be something fishy. To be honest, he did not want to suspect Qin Che, but Su Cheng¡¯s eyebrows were too similar to his aunt¡¯s. That little girl also had some traces of his aunt¡¯s features in her youth. There was also the faint intimacy that rose in his heart when he was in the Su family¡­ ¡°Su Cheng¡¯s birthday is also the 29th of the first month¡­¡± There were too many coincidences. Su Mo said suspiciously, ¡°But if he is¡­ why did he change his name to Su Cheng?¡± Su Yuan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He doesn¡¯t remember much about what happened before he was six years old. But Mo¡¯er, the moment I saw that girl, I thought of Aunt. When I saw Su Cheng, I¡­¡± Realizing that his words were too absolute, Su Yuan closed his eyes and calmed down. Su Mo pondered and said, ¡°Father, with all due respect, could there be something¡­¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°Are you referring to a conspiracy?¡± Su Mo did not deny it. ¡°It¡¯s very important, Father. We have to be careful.¡± This was not only a matter of the Su family but also the entire Qin family. Su Yuan thought for a moment and said, ¡°Your concerns are not unreasonable¡­ How about this? Immediately send a pigeon to report this to your grandfather.¡± Su Mo said, ¡°Father, why don¡¯t we investigate first? Shall we inform Grandpa after investigating?¡± Su Yuan¡¯s attitude was very firm. ¡°Report to your grandfather first. If you want to investigate, you can send someone to investigate.¡± Su Mo agreed. ¡°Got it, Father!¡± Chapter 198 - 198 The Truth 198 The Truth Compared to Su Yuan¡¯s excitement, the Su family was much calmer. The family was carefree. Nothing was important. Food was the most important. ¡°Daughter, what are we eating tonight?¡± Su Cheng asked. Su Xiaoxiao picked a fat rib. ¡°Tomahawk pork belly!¡± Su Cheng swallowed. He did not understand what a tomahawk was, but he understood pork belly. His daughter¡¯s food was the most fragrant! Su Cheng opened the lid of the water tank. ¡°Eh? The water is almost empty. Ergou! Brat, where did you go? Daughter, I¡¯m going to get water!¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Su Xiaoxiao replied. She took the washed ribs into the kitchen and placed them on the chopping board before chopping them. Su Yuniang looked at Su Cheng, who was carrying the bucket out, then at Su Xiaoxiao, who was chopping bones. She muttered, ¡°I say, is your reaction not right?¡± After so much had just happened, were they only thinking about eating? Su Yuniang finally understood. This family¡¯s outlook was that there was always a way even if the sky collapsed. They would squat down with bowls and continue to eat. Su Yuniang entered the kitchen to help Su Xiaoxiao. She was not as skilled as Little Wu. At most, she would help peel a corn cob or add some firewood. She found a small stool and sat down facing the stove. ¡°Daya.¡± ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued to chop her ribs. ¡°What happened just now,¡± Su Yuniang said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Master Su¡¯s reaction is strange? The way he looks at you and Uncle Su is strange.¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh.¡± Su Yuniang punched the cotton. Fortunately, Su Yuniang was already used to it. She had to learn to connect her emotions when talking to this girl. ¡°He even asked Uncle Su about his birthday. Since you are not related, why was he asking about his birthday?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Yes.¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°You might not believe me, but my hands are a little itchy now.¡± ¡°Mother.¡± Xiaohu slipped into the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Or was he greedy¡­ Su Xiaoxiao put down the kitchen knife and handed him a scallion pancake without sugar. ¡°Where¡¯s Dahu?¡± Su Yuan had just sent Erhu back. Now that Xiaohu was back, Dahu was the only one who was still out. Xiaohu shook his head. ¡°No.¡± The three of them went out to walk the foal. Erhu went to be a charlatan and slipped away. Xiaohu ran home to find food. In the end, Dahu took on everything alone. Dahu finished walking the foal conscientiously. He did not even let go of a blade of grass. He could be said to be a very serious baby. Meizi sent Dahu back to the Su family. Su Xiaoxiao asked Meizi to bring back a bowl of braised pork. There was no such thing as an impenetrable wall in the world. The news of the two Su families quickly spread throughout the village. Unlike before, this time, it did not come from Madam Zhou. It was from the Li family. The village head was dealt a huge blow. He never expected the Su family to steal a child¡¯s thing, lie to the villagers for so many years, and enjoy the repayment of the villagers with a clear conscience. On the other hand, Su Cheng, who had his jade pendant stolen, was living a hungry and cold life, receiving disdain from the villagers. The village head felt too uncomfortable. He went back and drank two cups from Old Li. When Old Li heard this, he really did not dare to believe it. ¡°The jade pendant¡­ belongs to Su Cheng?¡± The village head nodded drunkenly. His last bit of rationality made him choke. Madam Qian listened. She had long disliked the Su family. Yes, she had Su Yuniang to thank for singlehandedly pulling Madam Qian¡¯s hatred towards the Su family. That night, she told the rest about the Su family stealing Su Cheng¡¯s jade pendant. Auntie Liu was dumbfounded. ¡°No way¡­¡± Madam Qian said, ¡°Why not? The village head said so! I heard it with my own ears! A noble came to the capital and forced Su Can¡¯s father to admit it! Their Su family doesn¡¯t have any ancestral jade pendants at all! They stole from Su Cheng!¡± Auntie Wu said, ¡°Auntie Qian, could you have made a mistake?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not blind yet! How can I be wrong?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that you hate the Su family because Yu Niang snatched your midwife? But you can¡¯t go around defaming the Su family because of this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How much money did Daya give you? Are you speaking up for her family like this?¡± Most of the villagers were unwilling to doubt the Su family. It was not only the prestige that the Su family had established over the past 30 years but also a kind of human nature. After all, no one was willing to easily deny their versions of reality. Auntie Qian chuckled and said, ¡°The noble¡¯s carriage entered the village. Are you really blind or are you pretending to be blind? If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go and confront the Su family! Let¡¯s see if they still have the cheek to say that the jade pendant they sold back then was passed down from their ancestors!¡± Everyone looked at each other. ¡°Are you going?¡± ¡°This, this isn¡¯t good, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. No matter who we suspect, we can¡¯t suspect the Su family¡­ If it weren¡¯t for them back then¡­ our entire village would have starved to death¡­ They took the jade pendant to help us¡­ Are we still human to suspect them like this?¡± Auntie Liu patted her butt. ¡°If you guys aren¡¯t going, I¡¯ll go!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look too,¡± Auntie Qian said. With two taking the lead, it was not difficult for a third one to come. Moreover, everyone was thinking that they were not going to question the Su family, but to listen to the Su family refute the rumors. However, when the villagers arrived at the Su family in twos and threes, the door of the Su family had already closed. It was not completely dark yet! They went to the back door again and it was also closed! Auntie Liu rolled up her sleeves and raised her hand to knock on the door. ¡°Uncle Su, are you home? Dalang? Erlang? San Lang? Jinniang!¡± She called them one by one, but there was no response from behind the door. The villagers did not believe that there was no one in the Su family. The village was only so big. There were seven to eight people in the Su family. Would no one see them if they really left the village? This attitude¡­ seemed a little guilty¡­ Madam Qian sneered. ¡°Heh, what did I say!¡± The doors and windows of the Su family were closed, and the house was dark. The family sat in the central room, not daring to breathe. They had heard the villagers knocking on the door, but they did not dare to open it! What were they going to say? The Su family was slandering them. They didn¡¯t steal Su Cheng¡¯s jade pendant. Su Cheng stole their family¡¯s¡­ If it were two hours ago, they might have been able to say it. But now, with the vassal from the capital testifying for the Su family, did their Su family want to die? Moreover, that was an item bestowed by the emperor! They wished that their family had never sold it! How dare they continue to lie that it was their family heirloom? How many heads were enough to roll? Old Su¡¯s attitude made the villagers unable to sit still. The villagers ran to the village head¡¯s house to verify it. The village head was drunk. He was originally thinking that since they were fellow villagers, he should not make things too ugly. In the end, when the alcohol kicked in, he completely forgot what he had said. That night, Apricot Flower Village exploded. Chapter 199 - 199 Drunk 199 Drunk Wei Ting returned from the field at almost dark. It had been an hour since Su Yuan left, and the news of the Su family stealing Su Cheng¡¯s jade pendant had also spread. The villagers gathered at the entrance of the village in twos and threes or at their own entrance. The atmosphere was incomparably intense. Those who did not know would think that something big had happened in the village. In fact, it was indeed a big deal. An old man with a white beard sighed. ¡°Sigh, the heavens are good. No wonder he keeps coming to extort us. Don¡¯t we owe him?¡± Back then, Su Cheng¡¯s jade pendant was used to exchange for those grains. The villagers owed Su Cheng a favor. Had Su Cheng really extorted a lot over the years? No. He had only extorted a few copper coins. How much food had they eaten back then? At the mention of food, another infuriating thing happened. ¡°I asked Yuniang just now. The Su family sold it for a thousand taels back then! They spent less than a hundred taels to buy food for us! They have a lot of money in their hands, but they pretended to eat chaff and swallow vegetables in front of the villagers every day. They looked like they were about to run out of food! Who were they doing it for!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°If they didn¡¯t do this, how can the village give them the land?¡± ¡°I was really blind back then! I didn¡¯t expect them to be such shameless things!¡± ¡°Speaking of which, why does Su Cheng have such a valuable jade pendant?¡± ¡°He wandered to Willow Village¡­ Could it be that he¡¯s actually a child of a rich family?¡± ¡°Come on, Auntie Wu. Which kid from a rich family isn¡¯t pampered? Su Cheng was a cowherd. He was just lucky. He probably picked it up from somewhere!¡± ¡°It¡¯s also his! It¡¯s wrong for the Su family to steal his jade pendant!¡± Wei Ting had heard most of it along the way. His expression was still very cold. He frowned, looking icier than usual. When he entered the house, the three little ones were sitting on the threshold, holding the milk bottle with both hands and drinking milk. Behind the three of them was the central room with a few oil lamps. Su Ergou set up the tables and chairs and prepared to eat. His gaze passed through the central room and saw Su Cheng chopping firewood in the backyard. After that, he saw Su Xiaoxiao busying herself in the kitchen. A phrase flashed through his mind: disengagement from worldly affairs. In the village, the villagers were all cursing, but no one here mentioned this matter. Everyone buried their heads in their food and did not let Su Xiaoxiao down. The world was huge, and food was the most important! Su Xiaoxiao made Tomahawk pork belly tonight. Every rib was full of meat, fat, and thin. It was wrapped in red-hot sauce. After taking a bite, the salty, sweet, and fragrant sauce exploded in her mouth with fresh gravy. She was simply heaven. The three little ones also got three small pieces. They grabbed them and chewed until their mouths were oily. Wei Ting¡¯s taste was light and he had never eaten anything too greasy. Su Xiaoxiao left him the thinnest piece. He shaved off the thin layer of fat on it. Then, he placed the remaining lean meat back into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s bowl. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him strangely. Wei Ting ate the fatty meat in his bowl with a cold expression. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and stood up to give him a piece of pure fat. Wei Ting was speechless. After dinner, Su Xiaoxiao went to tidy up the kitchen and prepare the ingredients she needed to make snacks tomorrow morning. Su Yuniang walked in with a pot of wine. ¡°You really can¡¯t stay idle.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sniffed. ¡°Wine?¡± Su Yuniang waved the wine pot in her hand. ¡°There.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had a serious expression. ¡°Su Yuniang, are you not nursing the child anymore?¡± Su Yuniang smiled charmingly and found a stool to sit on. ¡°I¡¯ve made an agreement with Sister Zhao. She¡¯ll help feed her for a few days.¡± Su Yuniang was really capable. Back then, she had made the Li family hate the entire Su family by snatching the midwife. Now, she had taken the gold to smoothen her relationship with the Li family, leaving the rest of the Su family to be hated by the Li family. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You really leave everything to others.¡± Su Yuniang snorted. ¡°I can¡¯t compare to you. Ever since you have Little Wu, I think you¡¯re getting freer and freer.¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°Who said I couldn¡¯t stay idle just now?¡± Su Yuniang mumbled, ¡°Damn, I drank too much. My brain is mush!¡± Su Yuniang gulped down a few more mouthfuls. ¡°Daya, do you have any plans for the future?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about this?¡± Su Yuniang said, ¡°I was just asking.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought about it seriously. ¡°Earn money and let my father and brother live a good life. Let Su Ji flourish and let Ergou sell pancakes happily every day.¡± There were also the three children; she wanted to let them live a life where they no longer had to hide. If possible, she wanted to walk around and see Great Zhou¡¯s lovely landscape. In her previous life, other than studying, she was only working. She had spent her short life in school and the army and had no chance to go out and see the exciting world outside. In this life, she wanted to live a different life. ¡°What about you? What are your plans?¡± she asked Su Yuniang. She did not have many friends in her previous life. Firstly, she was not used to interacting with others. Secondly¡­ she only realized now that there might be something wrong with her personality in her previous life. However, perhaps because she had died once, or perhaps because she had fused with this body¡¯s memories and instincts, her personality had changed slightly from what she had in her previous life. The obvious result was that she had friends. ¡°Me.¡± Su Yuniang took a sip of wine and was a little drunk. ¡°I want to leave this place with my girl, go somewhere no one knows, and start over.¡± ¡°Have you thought of where to go?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Yuniang shook her head. She glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°You¡¯ve really lost a lot of weight¡­ Do you want a sip? Why? You don¡¯t dare to drink? You¡¯re a little bully from Apricot Flower Village, but you don¡¯t even dare to drink? You have to live up to your reputation!¡± Did this little rich woman use provocation? Wasn¡¯t it just a mouthful of wine? Was there a need? In her previous life, she could hold her liquor very well. No one in the army could outdrink her. In private, she had a title¡ªit was something about not getting drunk after a thousand glasses! However, Su Xiaoxiao had forgotten about the weak instincts of this body. One sip, two sips¡­ Duang! She collapsed! Su Yuniang was speechless. Su Yuniang was half awake from the shock! This girl¡­ Did she collapse? Su Yuniang quickly squatted down to check her breathing. ¡°Daya! Daya!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said vaguely, ¡°Yuniang, let me tell you a secret¡­ Wei Ting and I¡­ are a fake couple¡­¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Wei Ting walked over. He bent down and picked up a certain drunk little fat peacock; his movements were natural and skilled. Su Xiaoxiao also hugged his neck and buried her head in his chest, looking for a comfortable position. Perhaps it was too uncomfortable to drink, she frowned in frustration. Wei Ting lowered his head and gently pressed his exquisite chin against her slightly hot forehead. A casual action revealed silent comfort. Su Xiaoxiao really fell asleep in his arms. Su Yuniang said incredulously,¡± You call this a fake couple? I don¡¯t believe you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring Daya back to the house first.¡± After Wei Ting greeted Su Yuniang, he carried a certain drunk little girl back to the east room. Su Yuniang watched the two of them leave with a trace of envy in her eyes. She would probably never meet a man who was sincere to her in her life. ¡°Woman.¡± Yuchi Xiu appeared behind her like a ghost and said sinisterly, ¡°Give me back my underpants.¡± Chapter 200 - 200 Breaking the Rule of Abstinence 200 Breaking the Rule of Abstinence Wei Ting placed Su Xiaoxiao on the soft bed. She turned around in a daze and lay beside the three little ones. Her round and chubby face was pressed down, and her red mouth was slightly open. Her lips were full and cute. Wei Ting watched and did not notice that he was bending down lower and lower. He only vaguely felt that her breathing was a little hot and close. ¡°My Lord¡­¡± Yuchi Xiu appeared behind him with a dark expression. Wei Ting sat up straight in a second! Yuchi Xiu didn¡¯t know what he had destroyed just now. He didn¡¯t see anything. This guy was really ruthless as an assassin. He was always short-sighted when it came to other matters. There was no light in the room, but the two of them had excellent eyesight. Wei Ting only glanced at it indifferently and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your eyes?¡± Yuchi Xiu¡¯s eye was swollen. He refused to answer. ¡°My Lord.¡± He said with an ashen face, ¡°Since your leg has recovered, I think we have to return to the capital quickly. Before we go back, I¡¯ll kill Xiao Zhonghua or Su Yuan. You have to let me kill one of them!¡± Towards the end, he became agitated. Wei Ting glared at him coldly. He fell silent obediently. Wei Ting looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who was sleeping soundly beside him, and said to Yuchi Xiu, ¡°When is it your turn to make decisions for me?¡± Other killers cherished their words like gold, but it was the other way around when it came to Yuchi Xiu. ¡°Are you planning to continue wasting your time here? If Xiao Zhonghua finds out that he can¡¯t kill you, the first thing he will do when he returns to the capital is to expose you in front of the emperor. Xiao Zhonghua is about to return to the capital. Don¡¯t ask me how I know. His wedding date with the Qin family¡¯s young lady has already been set. It will be ten days at the earliest, no later than half a month. Xiao Zhonghua will be setting off soon.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s expression was cold. Yuchi Xiu narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Your Excellency, don¡¯t tell me you like this girl and can¡¯t bear to leave. Don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you, Your Excellency. Monks can¡¯t get married. You¡¯re still cultivating! Be careful not to break the rule of abstinence!¡± Fifteen minutes later, Yuchi Xiu came out of the east room. His other eye was also swollen. After finally chasing away the noisy killer, Wei Ting lay quietly beside Su Xiaoxiao. In the past, there were three little ones between the two of them, but today, he placed her in the middle. He even snatched her blanket. Su Xiaoxiao was dizzy. The more she slept, the colder it became. She subconsciously leaned to the side. The blanket for the three little ones was small and not enough for her. She turned around in a daze and moved towards Wei Ting. She first reached in with one of her hands. It was warm. She squeezed in her little fat body, which was trembling from the cold. Wei Ting snorted. See, she took the initiative. Who was the one who broke the rule of abstinence? ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao slept soundly and woke up at dawn. The three little ones and Wei Ting were long gone. She sat on the bed alone for a long time before remembering that she seemed to have drunk a few mouthfuls of wine¡­ Then, there was nothing else. She rubbed her sore neck. ¡°The pillow last night seemed a little hard. It hurt my neck.¡± She dressed up and went to the backyard to wash up. Wei Ting was also there. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s wrong with your mouth? Are you heaty?¡± Wei Ting said with a serious expression, ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou and Li Xiaoyong went to sell pancakes while Father Su went to plow the land. Su Cheng originally did not want to go, but Wei Ting had helped Old Li yesterday. Today, Old Li wanted to return the favor no matter what, so he dragged Father Su to the field. ¡°Where are Dahu and the others?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°They went to look for Niudan,¡± Wei Ting said. Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°Why¡­ didn¡¯t you go to the field?¡± Wei Ting said righteously, ¡°I¡¯m heaty.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Breakfast was a steamed sweet potato and two boiled eggs. After mashing them into a paste, she mixed a spoonful of peanut butter and half a spoonful of sesame sauce to satisfy her cravings and fill her stomach. After breakfast, Su Xiaoxiao left. Su Ji¡¯s business was getting bigger and bigger. She thought that she couldn¡¯t keep setting up a stall and had to rent a shop. She had already thought of the location. It was opposite Jin Ji. That cloth shop happened to be moving. She had to think of a way to buy the shop. Otherwise, she would not be able to get such a good opportunity again. After a night of fermentation, the matter of the jade pendant had already spread to the neighboring village. What was laughable was that the Su family still did not dare to come forward to give everyone an explanation. When Su Xiaoxiao passed by the Su family, she saw that the Su family¡¯s door was surrounded by villagers. Everyone was already furious, but the Su family kept hiding. It was simply adding oil to the fire. The villagers also saw Su Xiaoxiao and the atmosphere instantly became a little awkward. Everyone had scolded the Su family for so many years, but they did not expect that the entire village owed the Su family a favor in the end. She thought that Fatty Su would mock them in various ways, such as scolding them for being blind. Unexpectedly, Fatty Su left as usual without saying a word. ¡°Had she scolded me a few times, I might feel better¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I¡­ I really want her to scold me¡­¡± However, she did not argue, fight, or snatch. She quietly disappeared at the village entrance step by step, making one¡¯s eyes burn. At the academy, Liu Ping came to deliver the snacks that the students had reserved and the pear loquat cream that Su Xiaoxiao had brewed for Young Master Xiang. Changping tested for poison with silver needles and scooped some to feed the chickens. The chickens were all alive. ¡°That can¡¯t be, Young Master.¡± Changping was puzzled. ¡°Did Su Ergou not give him the white jade ointment? Or did he not realize that we had tampered with the ointment? Ah! Could it be that he didn¡¯t guess that Young Master¡­¡± Young Master Xiang said, ¡°Do you think the youngest son of the Wei family is very stupid?¡± Changping said, ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± Young Master Xiang smiled faintly. ¡°He was my study companion back then. We know each other¡¯s handwriting like the back of our hands. Since my calligraphy treasure has already been sent to the Su family, it¡¯s impossible for him to not have guessed about me. Before he became a general, he was a famous young talent in the capital. There¡¯s no need for me to say how smart he is.¡± Changping was even more confused. ¡°Then¡­ if we poisoned him, he should have discovered it. Why didn¡¯t he come back for us? What a good opportunity!¡± Young Master Xiang looked at the porcelain cup on the table. ¡°Let me ask you, who made the snow pear loquat cream?¡± Changping said, ¡°Miss Su.¡± Young Master Xiang continued, ¡°If I¡¯m poisoned after eating her food, what will happen to her?¡± ¡°Her entire family will be executed!¡± Changping said as he realized something. His eyes widened. ¡°Young Master means¡­¡± Young Master Xiang lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea. ¡°Wei Qi, oh Wei Qi, do you finally have a weakness?¡± Chapter 201 - 201 Rise 201 Rise Chang Ping felt that it was unlikely. The youngest son of the Wei family was famous for being unreasonable. Princess Hui An had grown up with him and jumped off the city gate tower for him. He didn¡¯t even blink. If the secret guards hadn¡¯t intervened in time, Princess Hui An would have fallen to her death. There was also Princess Lingxi, his biological cousin. She fell into the lake in front of him and he just walked off. Because of this, Old General Wei slapped him dozens of times and locked him in the ancestral hall in the winter to kneel¡­ That guy had a heart of stone. Why would he care about the life and death of a village girl? Young Master Xiang smiled. ¡°This is getting more and more interesting.¡± Chang Ping suddenly said, ¡°Young Master! I¡¯ve thought of a good idea! Since he cares so much about that girl, why don¡¯t¡­ we capture her!¡± ¡°Young Master Jing!¡± Another servant reported from outside. Chang Ping glanced at his young master and immediately shut up. Jing Yi walked in. ¡°Cousin.¡± Young Master Xiang said warmly, ¡°Where did you go? You¡¯re sweating profusely.¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°I just came from the courier station.¡± Young Master Xiang paused. ¡°Is there another message from the capital?¡± Jing Yi nodded. ¡°Your wedding date with Miss Qin has been set. It¡¯s in May. The palace is urging you to go back as soon as possible.¡± Young Master Xiang put down his teacup helplessly. ¡°Got it.¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°Cousin, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Young Master Xiang said, ¡°Go.¡± After thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°Jing Yi, are you hiding something from me?¡± Jing Yi asked, ¡°Cousin, what do you mean?¡± Young Master Xiang smiled gently. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just saying. You should understand that you¡¯re the only person I can trust. You won¡¯t betray me, right?¡± Jing Yi was stunned. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t betray Cousin.¡± Young Master Xiang smiled in satisfaction. Jing Yi stood up and left. He had already gone out when he suddenly stopped. ¡°Cousin, I can kill anyone you want. Don¡¯t touch her.¡± ¡­ Su Xiaoxiao went to Manager Sun¡¯s residence first and told him about the shop. Shopkeeper Sun¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. After being a stall owner for so long, were they finally going to have their own shop? ¡°Which location do you like?¡± Manager Sun asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The cloth shop opposite Jin Ji.¡± Manager Su replied, ¡°You¡¯re going against Jin Ji!¡± ¡°Coincidentally, so am I.¡± Like-minded people discussed everything abnormally smoothly. The two of them hit it off and set off for the cloth shop. The cloth shop was sublet under a lease that had yet to expire because of poor management. However, because of the good location and the fact that the boss of the cloth shop had seen Su Ji expand with his own eyes, he felt that Su Ji had earned a lot of money and wanted to make a killing on Su Ji. What a coincidence. Shopkeeper Sun and Su Xiaoxiao were each more experienced than the other party. They let the cloth shop owner say whatever he wanted but refused to increase the price. ¡°Go and ask around. Where else can you find a better shop than mine? Girl, you first set up a stall outside my shop, right? Did you come here as soon as you wanted to set up your own shop? Let me tell you, my Fengshui is good!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Then why are you closing down?¡± The cloth shop owner was speechless. ¡°You guys just want to snatch business from Jin Ji! There¡¯s no other shop for rent nearby!¡± The cloth shop owner had rented it for 20 taels a month for a total of five years. There were still three years left, which added up to 720 taels. He wanted to double it and transfer it to Su Xiaoxiao. Could Su Xiaoxiao be such a fool? ¡°Manager Sun, let¡¯s go.¡± After leaving the cloth shop, Manager Sun asked, ¡°Do you really not want that shop anymore?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao hooked her finger at Manager Sun. Manager Sun leaned over. Su Xiaoxiao whispered a few instructions, and the corners of Manager Sun¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Will this work?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We¡¯ll know if it works or not.¡± She had always been a person who reciprocated the actions of others tenfold. If the cloth shop owner wanted to cheat her, he shouldn¡¯t blame her for tricking him. The next afternoon, a few more people came to the cloth shop to ask for the price. However, what annoyed the cloth shop was that those people haggled over the price, and each was more ridiculous than the last! ¡°250 taels? Do you think I¡¯m a beggar? Go, go, go!¡± The next two days were the same. Many people asked, but not a single one exceeded 300 taels. The lowest one even shouted 150 taels. He almost vomited blood on the spot. When Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou came to the alley opposite to sell pancakes again, he braced himself and walked over. ¡°Girl, do you still want the shop?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said casually, ¡°No.¡± The cloth shop owner trembled. ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. I don¡¯t have to rent your shop to destroy Jin Ji. I¡¯ll snatch the business of Jin Ji and wait for it to close down!¡± The cloth shop owner was stupefied. If it were anyone else who boasted like this, the cloth shop owner would definitely scoff. However, this girl¡¯s business was indeed getting bigger and bigger, and she was hiring more and more people. When the new year began, there were still a lot of customers queuing at the entrance of Jin Ji. Now, almost all of them were here. Although it was still too exaggerated to destroy Jin Ji, he inexplicably felt that this girl might really be able to do it! The cloth shop owner said, ¡°You don¡¯t have a shop, so you¡¯re just a small stall. You won¡¯t be able to get good business! A rich family won¡¯t be willing to buy your snacks!¡± Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed, ¡°Do you mean that the Qi family is not a big family? I wonder if Old Madam Qi and Minister Qi will be unhappy when they hear this?¡± The cloth shop owner¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He quickly tried to smooth things over. ¡°I-I just think that since your snacks are so good, you have to have a shop to show off, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We¡¯re running a small business. I can¡¯t afford your price!¡± The cloth store owner said, ¡°How much do you want?¡± Su Xiaoxiao gestured with her finger. The cloth shop owner covered his chest. ¡°200 taels?! You said 600 taels last time!¡± Su Xiaoxiao shrugged. ¡°That was the price last time. You missed it. There¡¯s nothing else.¡± The cloth shop owner was speechless. In the end, Su Xiaoxiao took over his shop for 400 taels. The rent was 350 taels, and the other 50 taels were to buy some furniture in his shop. The boss saw that Su Xiaoxiao was a little girl; since he couldn¡¯t take advantage when it came to the rental, he wanted to scam her in other areas. Unexpectedly, Su Xiaoxiao was even smarter than the accountant of the county office. ¡°If you move away a day later, I¡¯ll deduct a day¡¯s rent.¡± The cloth shop owner broke out in cold sweat. Was a small village girl so powerful these days? On second thought, it made sense. How could she go against Jin Ji if she wasn¡¯t powerful? The cloth shop owner hurriedly got someone to pack up. Manager Sun went to the county office to invite the bailiff over and settle the procedures for subletting. Next was the renovation. After all, they were setting up a snack shop. The layout of the shop would be different from that of a cloth shop. When Su Xiaoxiao went back to design the blueprint, Shopkeeper Sun would look for a craftsman. Liu Ping could also count as one. Chapter 202 - 202 Old Marquis 202 Old Marquis Because there were some details to discuss, Manager Sun returned to the village with Su Xiaoxiao. He could not walk far so Xiaowu drove the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the hired carriage and thought that it was not as cheap as at the beginning of the year. The difference would allow her to buy a carriage. Tomorrow, she would go to the market with Liu Ping. ¡°Do you have any different opinions about what I just said?¡± Manager Sun asked. ¡°Build another kitchen. Also, don¡¯t dig small fish ponds in the backyard. There¡¯s no need for these fancy things,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Manager Sun muttered, ¡°Weren¡¯t you distracted just now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Is it difficult to multitask?¡± Manager Sun was speechless. ¡°You often make me wonder if I¡¯m not smart enough.¡± As they spoke, the carriage entered the village. ¡°Did something big happen to your village? It seems very lively.¡± Manager Sun had been to the village several times and had never seen so many villagers. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at it. More than half of the village was occupied. The other half had rushed over from the neighboring villages. They had probably heard about the Su family and specially came to join in the fun. Su Xiaoxiao nodded calmly. ¡°Yes.¡± Manager Sun was about to say, ¡°Forget it¡± when he saw someone carrying a feces bucket at the entrance of the Su family and splashing it on the closed door. Manager Sun was stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the most respected family in your village? What public anger did they stoke?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. In a nutshell, unjust deeds lead to self-destruction.¡± Had Old Su¡¯s face been torn off in a day? No. The family had been pretending for a long time and really treated themselves as almighty. They thought that their status would not be shaken no matter what. Little did they know that from the moment they took Su Cheng¡¯s jade pendant for themselves, they were destined to end up like this. Letting them live freely for thirty years was already letting them off easy. However, everything was a double-edged sword. The villagers had been deceived for 30 years, so one could imagine the anger in their hearts. At the entrance of the Su family, there were people splashing feces, smashing the door, and the villagers clamoring for the Su family to return the land in the village and all the rent they had collected over the years. The Su family¡¯s reputation collapsed overnight. Manager Sun shook his head. ¡°Heavens, I can¡¯t believe it.¡± At Little Su¡¯s house, Su Yuniang was bandaging Madam Wu¡¯s wound. ¡°What happened?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Madam Wu¡¯s eyes were red. As Su Yuniang bandaged her, she said, ¡°The Liu family¡¯s ancestral house collapsed. Fortunately, we ran away quickly. Otherwise, we would have been buried inside.¡± Madam Wu was hit by a beam and had a few cuts on her arm. She was bleeding a little. Fortunately, it was not too serious. The sisters were playing in the Su family¡¯s house. Liu Ping did not return from town, so the father and daughters escaped. However, for the time being, they had nowhere to stay. Madam Wu¡¯s relationship with her maternal family was not bad. Unfortunately, her maternal family had a number of people and could not accommodate another person, let alone take in their family of four. The Su family could not do it either. Every room was filled to the brim, so there was no space at all. Madam Wu was so worried that she couldn¡¯t help but cry. ¡°I thought it was a big deal.¡± Su Xiaoxiao placed a stack of documents on the table. Madam Wu looked up in a daze. Su Yuniang picked up the document and took a look. ¡°Yo, you rented a shop?¡± This girl was good at doing things! Even men could not compare to her swiftness! ¡°There¡¯s a ready-made room in the shop. You can stay there tonight, but the ingredients in the kitchen are not complete. You still have to make snacks here for the time being.¡± However, this was not a problem. Because Father Su loved to snooze, the time at which they set up the stall was usually delayed for a full two hours. The couple could wait for the children to wake up and drive the donkey cart over. Madam Wu did not expect the problem to be resolved so easily. It seemed that there was nothing in the world that Daya could not resolve. It was great to meet her in this life. ¡ª- On the other side, there was also a reply to Su Mo¡¯s letter. There was a certain risk in sending pigeons. After all, no one could guarantee that the pigeons would not be shot to death or hunted by large birds halfway through their flight. It could only be said that they were lucky. Su Mo took the note from the messenger pigeon and went to Su Yuan¡¯s study. ¡°Father! Grandpa replied!¡± ¡°Hurry up and see what your grandfather said!¡± Su Yuan said. He had absolute trust in his son, but Su Mo would never forget the rules because of his father¡¯s trust. ¡°Yes.¡± With his father¡¯s approval, Su Mo took off the thin rope, opened the note, and read every word carefully. He said to Su Yuan, ¡°Grandpa said to bring him back to the capital.¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°What else?¡± Su Mo shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Su Yuan: ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s it?¡± Su Mo nodded. ¡°Sigh.¡± Su Yuan sighed helplessly. He really respected his father, but sometimes, he was really helpless in regard to the latter¡¯s reticence. Perhaps it was because he was a general, but his father cherished his words like gold. If he could convey his thoughts in a word, he would definitely not use another word. Su Yuan took the note and glanced at it. Indeed, three of the six words were added by Su Mo himself. The original words were: bring back capital. Su Yuan muttered, ¡°What¡­ does your grandfather mean?¡± Su Mo smiled bitterly. ¡°Father, you¡¯re Grandpa¡¯s biological son. If you don¡¯t know, how can I guess Grandpa¡¯s thoughts? You knew Grandpa 20 years before me.¡± Su Yuan was speechless. Su Yuan was at a loss. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is legitimate or not. If we bring him back, won¡¯t something happen?¡± Su Mo said, ¡°Perhaps Grandpa means to bring him back so that he can tell if he¡¯s real or fake?¡± Su Yuan wondered, ¡°Who was the one who said that he couldn¡¯t guess Old Master¡¯s thoughts just now?¡± But how would they bring him? Would they bring them all or only Su Cheng? Grandpa was really¡­ Su Mo put away the note and said to Su Yuan, ¡°Father, leave this to me.¡± Su Yuan frowned. ¡°Are you planning to go to Apricot Flower Town?¡± Su Mo smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t Father already agree to let me investigate it myself? Last time, I was busy with Second Brother¡¯s wedding gift and didn¡¯t have the chance to see them. This time, I have to see them with my own eyes.¡± ¡°Cousin! Cousin!¡± It was Qin Yun. The father and son ended the conversation at the right time. Qin Yun strode in. ¡°Cousin! Eh? Uncle is here too?¡± Qin Yun was dressed in tight clothes today and held a big bow in his hand. It seemed like he was going out to hunt. Qin Yun was the descendant of the Duke Protector¡¯s Estate and the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and grew up in luxury. Any clothes he took off or food he saved was enough for a country bumpkin family to eat for an entire year. Thinking of Su Cheng and his children who had suffered in the countryside, Su Yuan suddenly felt a little upset. ¡°Uncle, you don¡¯t look too good,¡± said Qin Yun. Su Mo glanced at his father. Su Yuan knew that he had lost his composure. The truth had yet to be investigated, so Su Cheng might not be his aunt¡¯s son. But why was he always thinking about Su Cheng and those two children? Chapter 203 - 203 Someone from the Marquis Estate 203 Someone from the Marquis¡¯ Estate ¡°Maybe I didn¡¯t sleep well last night,¡± Su Yuan said warmly. Qin Yun said, ¡°Oh, then Uncle, hurry up and rest. Cousin, let¡¯s go hunting. Let¡¯s not disturb Uncle¡¯s rest!¡± Su Mo paused for a moment and said, ¡°I have a few friends to visit. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to hunt with you today.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Qin Yun was disappointed. He was a child who had been pampered by the two families. His requests were rarely rejected. In the past, Su Mo would have listened to him. However, there was indeed something that had to be done immediately. Su Mo smiled and said, ¡°How about I accompany you next time?¡± Qin Yun said arrogantly, ¡°But I just want to hunt today!¡± Previously, he was inferior to a country bumpkin and even suffered a whip from that country bumpkin. It was not until these two days that his face healed. He had suffered injustice and wanted to wreak vengeance in the forest! Su Mo said seriously, ¡°Not today.¡± Qin Yun curled his lips and left unwillingly. ¡°I¡¯ll go find Second Cousin and Third Cousin!¡± Su Yuan looked at Qin Yun and shook his head. ¡°This child is really spoiled. Fortunately, his sister isn¡¯t like him.¡± Although Qin Yun¡¯s sister had been pampered since she was young, she was much more sensible than Qin Yun. She was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She was also gentle and virtuous. She was a famous talent in the capital. Thinking of Qin Yanran, Su Yuan couldn¡¯t help but think of the marriage between the Protector Duke¡¯s residence and the Third Prince. He frowned. ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose. Mo¡¯er, set off for Apricot Flower Town today.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Su Yuan stopped his eldest son. ¡°Young Master Xiang and Young Marquis Jing are also in Apricot Flower Town. You¡­ have to avoid them.¡± Su Mo nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± After discussing the details of the trip with Su Yuan, Su Mo left the ancestral residence in a carriage. Not long after leaving the ancestral residence, Su Mo felt that he was being followed. He opened a gap in the back curtain of the carriage. After taking a glance, he quietly lowered the curtain. Su Mo chose a high-grade warhorse and arrived in town in the afternoon. This was his first time in Apricot Flower Town. In order to ensure that the mission was successfully completed, he brought a map and a coachman who knew the way. The coachman was not Zheng Guang. Zheng Guang had already shown his face. Su Mo did not know the Su family¡¯s attitude towards Su Yuan. To be cautious, he chose an unfamiliar servant. ¡°A trip to Spring Willow Lane,¡± he said. The coachman did not dare to ask. Weren¡¯t they going to Apricot Flower Village? Why did they change their route to go to Spring Willow Alley? Although Su Mo was a gentle and filial son in front of Su Yuan, Su Mo¡¯s temper was much stronger than Su Yuan¡¯s. In private, the servants were very afraid of Su Mo. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Su Mo said. The coachman stopped the carriage at the Fu family¡¯s entrance. Investigating the Su family was important, but his grandfather¡¯s health could not be ignored. His grandfather had been in the military his entire life. He should not have to spend his last days on the sickbed without dignity. Physician Fu had returned from his consultation and was drying herbs in the courtyard. Seeing someone at the door, he thought that it was someone who was here for a consultation, so he said, ¡°Come in. I¡¯m almost done here. Go to the central room and sit for a while.¡± Su Mo had never seen a physician. He quietly observed at the door for a few breaths before showing his astonishing observation skills. ¡°Doctor Fu?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s me.¡± The doctor spread the herbs in the sack on the dustpan and looked up at the other party. ¡°You are?¡± Su Mo was dressed like a normal young master from the capital. Based on his appearance and bearing, he did not look like someone from town. Doctor Fu was stunned for a moment. For some reason, he felt that this person was not here for a consultation. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The doctor asked. Su Mo smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask Doctor Fu for a consultation.¡± Doctor Fu said, ¡°I have a house call. Are you in a hurry? It might not be convenient today. A patient will come over to change his dressing later. He¡¯s quite seriously injured. I have to see him first.¡± ¡°To the capital,¡± Su Mo said. The doctor was stunned again. Then, he shook his head like a rattle drum. ¡°I can¡¯t go to the capital. Find someone else!¡± Su Mo said, ¡°I won¡¯t reveal Doctor Fu¡¯s whereabouts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about that. My mother is old and has been in the capital for so long. I¡¯m worried¡­ Wait, what do you mean by not revealing my whereabouts?¡± Halfway through his sentence, the doctor suddenly realized that something was wrong. A wary look crossed his eyes. At this moment, Aunt Fu walked out with her walking stick. Aunt Fu said calmly, ¡°Go back. My son won¡¯t go to the capital for a consultation.¡± Su Mo cupped his hands and bowed like a junior. ¡°Old Madam Fu, only Doctor Fu can treat my grandfather¡¯s illness.¡± Aunt Fu said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. With my son¡¯s medical skills, he can¡¯t treat the Old Marquis!¡± Su Mo said, ¡°How could that be? Three days ago, my father accidentally inhaled the willow catkins and was in danger. Your son¡¯s beloved disciple saved my father¡¯s life. You more or less know my father¡¯s situation. Every time it flares up, it¡¯s really dangerous.¡± ¡°Mom, do you know each other?¡± The doctor asked. Aunt Fu did not answer him. Instead, she looked at him coldly. ¡°Have you taken in a disciple?¡± The doctor¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°Ah¡­ well¡­¡± Aunt Fu asked, ¡°When did you accept a disciple!¡± The doctor coughed lightly. ¡°Just¡­ just before the new year.¡± Aunt Fu asked, ¡°Who is it? How old is he? Where does he live? Is he married? Is his family clean?¡± ¡°Clean. Her family background is very clean. She¡¯s from the Apricot Flower Village. How, how old is she¡­¡± The doctor did not ask the girl. ¡°Sixteen,¡± Su Mo said. Aunt Fu frowned as if she was wondering why Su Mo knew the other party¡¯s age. However, she thought that it was most likely Su Yuan who said it, so she didn¡¯t take it to heart. ¡°Bring him over for me to meet another day,¡± Aunt Fu said to her son. The doctor said awkwardly, ¡°There¡¯s no need¡­¡± ¡°If you see that person, you¡¯ll strangle me to death¡­ Aunt Fu snorted. ¡°It¡¯s a big deal to acknowledge a master. I haven¡¯t had a cup of grand-disciple tea yet.¡± The doctor whispered, ¡°You¡¯ve already drunk it¡­ Not to mention grand-disciple tea, you¡¯ve even eaten grand-disciple food¡­¡± Aunt Fu frowned and said, ¡°What are you muttering about?¡± The Fu doctor¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Nothing.¡± Aunt Fu suddenly said, ¡°Wait, Apricot Flower Village? The same village as that girl? Why did you go there to accept disciples?¡± The doctor wiped his cold sweat. ¡°I¡­¡± Aunt Fu waved her hand. ¡°Forget it. As long as it¡¯s not that girl, it¡¯s up to you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes,¡± the Physician Fu slurred. Aunt Fu was about to annoy her son to death. ¡°Did your mouth get smeared? Can you speak properly?¡± Physician Fu braced himself and said, ¡°That¡¯s her.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Aunt Fu asked. The Fu doctor looked death in the eye. ¡°Su¡­ Daya.¡± Aunt Fu was shocked Half an hour later, the Fu family¡¯s courtyard was in chaos, accompanied by the screams of Physician Fu. Su Mo came out of Spring Willow Alley and got into the carriage to Apricot Flower Village. Just as they reached the next alley, he asked the carriage to stop. ¡°Come out.¡± He spoke calmly. Chapter 204 - 204 Recognition 204 Recognition The coachman looked around. What was the situation? Were they followed? Su Mo said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it a second time.¡± At the other end of the alley, two men in luxurious clothes pushed each other and forced themselves to walk over. The coachman took a look and was instantly dumbfounded. ¡°Second Young Master? Third Young Master? It¡¯s you?¡± The two of them got into the carriage. Su Qi chuckled. ¡°Brother, when did you discover us?¡± Su Mo said, ¡°You exposed yourself before you left the ancestral residence. Do you think you hid very well?¡± Su Yu said, ¡°I knew we would be discovered. Why don¡¯t we just take Big Brother¡¯s carriage? The servants¡¯ carriage is suffocating!¡± Su Qi chuckled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so just now?¡± Su Yu curled her lips and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t give me a chance to say it!¡± These two younger brothers were only a year apart and loved to bicker more than the fourth and fifth siblings. Su Mo said, ¡°Alright, stop arguing.¡± The two of them shut up. Su Yu moved closer to Su Mo and asked, ¡°Brother, is what Father said true? Do we really have to bring Su Cheng back?¡± Su Mo frowned. ¡°The two of you were eavesdropping again!¡± Su Yu decisively pushed the blame to Su Qi. ¡°It¡¯s what Second Brother wants to hear!¡± Su Qi exploded. ¡°You were the one who pulled me along!¡± Su Mo said sternly, ¡°If you argue again, I¡¯ll throw the two of you down!¡± Su Mo was respectful and honest in front of Su Yuan, but in front of his younger brothers, he was a strict elder brother. The two of them stopped arguing and stabbed each other with their eyes. The reason why Su Mo let his two younger brothers secretly follow him was mainly that he was worried that if he did not oversee them, the two of them would accidentally say something they should not say in front of Qin Yun. ¡°Are you going back to the prefecture now?¡± he asked. The two of them shook their heads. Su Mo reminded, ¡°You can follow me to the Su family, but you¡¯re not allowed to speak nonsense, especially not to reveal the purpose of our trip. Before everything is investigated, I don¡¯t want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings.¡± Su Qi patted his chest. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. I definitely won¡¯t reveal anything!¡± Su Yu said, ¡°Me too!¡± Su Mo knew his two younger brothers¡¯ personalities the best. They were clearly not young anymore, but they were not as calm as his fourth and fifth brothers. It was better to leave them under his watch than for them to go out and cause trouble. When the carriage arrived at the village road near Apricot Flower Village, a peddler carrying a burden blocked their path. The peddler looked around, put down his burden, and bowed to the carriage. ¡°Eldest Young Master.¡± Su Qi lifted the curtain and said in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s Big Brother¡¯s men?¡± Ever since Su Yuan mentioned Su Cheng to Su Mo, Su Mo had sent his trusted aide over overnight to investigate the situation of the Su family. It was difficult to obtain objective information if he asked directly. Therefore, this person disguised himself as a peddler and wandered around Apricot Flower Village and the neighboring villages for three days. The Su family was famous in the surrounding villages, but they did not have a good reputation. They were the three big bullies who made people tremble in fear. The big bully, Su Cheng, traveled the world with a butcher knife. The fat bully, Su Daya, was lazy and promiscuous. First, she took a fancy to her cousin, Scholar Chen, and then ¡°married¡± He Tongsheng from the neighboring village. However, He Tongsheng escaped on the day of the wedding, and the Su family somehow found a husband. The villagers called him Wei Xiaolang. It was said that he was very handsome. Finally, it was the little bully, Su Ergou. He was also a hooligan and had fought with others since he was young. The infamy of the three of them was really innumerable. Su Yu¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°No way, Big Brother. What kind of family did Grandpa ask us to bring back?¡± Su Mo also frowned. The information he found was obviously different from what his father had brought back. In his father¡¯s eyes, the Little Su family was a warm-hearted, kind, and helpful country family. Which was the real Little Su family? Su Mo asked about Su Cheng again. This time, it was not much different from what his father said¡ªthe year the six-year-old Su Cheng fled from the disaster, he followed the refugees and landed near Willow Village. He suffered a lot and almost starved to death, died of illness, and was beaten to death by the refugees. In the end, he lived in Willow Village and became a cowherd. That was a nice way of putting it. To put it bluntly, he was a beggar. His jade pendant was picked up by the Su family. The Su family knew that it was his, but they did not return it to him. Instead, they sold it for a large sum of silver and used 10% of it to buy food to help the refugees in the village. From this, they captured the hearts of the entire village. As the true owner of the jade pendant, Su Cheng had been despised as a bully for many years. Su Mo was calmer than Su Yuan. Perhaps he was more hard-hearted and did not have much pity for the common people. He admitted that Su Cheng had led a miserable life, but before finding out the truth, he could look at Su Cheng¡¯s experience more calmly. ¡°How tragic!¡± Su Qi thumped his chest. Su Mo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°You¡¯re not a child anymore!¡± Su Qi: ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more¡­ ¡± The peddler hesitated. Su Mo said, ¡°Speak.¡± The peddler had a complicated expression. ¡°The Su family has changed a lot since Su Daya¡¯s wedding.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Su Mo was interested. The peddler continued, ¡°Fatty Su¡¯s engagement was broken off by He Tongsheng. After that, she seemed to have changed into a different person. Not only was she industrious, but she also stopped extorting money. She didn¡¯t extort herself or let her family extort. She brought her brother to town to do business.¡± ¡°Was she selling snacks?¡± Su Qi asked. ¡°Yes, Second Young Master,¡± the peddler said. ¡°Who taught her?¡± Su Yu asked. The peddler said, ¡°Reporting to Third Young Master, I didn¡¯t find out either. It¡¯s as if Eldest Miss Su has gained many skills out of thin air. She was even taken in as a disciple by Doctor Fu. I dare to guess that her skills were taught by Doctor Fu and Old Madam Fu.¡± From the complete timeline, Su Xiaoxiao did business first before getting to know Physician Fu. However, when some logic did not make sense, people would often organize and process a set of memories according to their understanding. The peddler continued, ¡°There¡¯s another saying. Her little husband is quite capable. There were some who suggested that her abilities were taught by her husband.¡± Su Qi asked, ¡°Is her husband really very handsome? Is he even more handsome than me?¡± The peddler said awkwardly, ¡°Uh¡­ I didn¡¯t see him.¡± After that, the peddler reported the Chen family¡¯s matter. Su Yu said indignantly, ¡°The Chen family is really shameless! What¡¯s that Scholar Chen¡¯s name? Such a refined scum had better not enter the capital to take the exam. Otherwise, I¡¯ll kill him!¡± If not for the Su family, he would not have acknowledged them in his heart. However, as a good man, he looked down on the Chen family! Su Mo spent a lot of effort resisting the urge to throw his two noisy brothers out of the carriage. Su Mo understood most of it and gestured for the peddler to leave. Next, he wanted to personally meet the Su family. The carriage drove into Apricot Flower Village and headed straight for the Su family. The villagers were no longer surprised that the Su family had a visit from someone. However, when three handsome men got out of the carriage, it immediately caused a commotion in the village. Su Mo looked at his two younger brothers solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m warning you for the last time. Don¡¯t cause trouble for me. Don¡¯t speak and shut your mouths!¡± The two of them made a gesture to close their mouths. Don¡¯t worry, Big Brother! They would keep their mouths shut! The door was open. The men did business and went to the fields. Su Yu¡¯niang brought her daughter and the three little ones to the Li family. Su Xiaoxiao was drawing the renovation design of the shop in the central room. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Su Mo was about to ask if Madam Su was around. There she was. Su Xiaoxiao had never met them in the prefecture capital, but the little fat girl¡¯s characteristics were too obvious, so it was difficult not to recognize her. ¡°You are¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Mo and the other two strangely. Su Mo said, ¡°I¡¯m Su Yuan¡¯s son. My father passed by here a few days ago and suddenly fell ill. It¡¯s all thanks to Su¡­¡± The little fat girl was lively. Her big eyes were calm and clear. There was a hint of childishness between her eyebrows. For some reason, he could not call her Madam Su. Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Oh, Old Master Su¡¯s family. Are you all his sons?¡± Su Mo said politely, ¡°Yes, my name is Su Mo. They¡¯re my second brother and third brother.¡± Su Qi and Su Yu crossed their arms and each had a cold expression. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°We¡­¡± Su Mo paused. Her father was right. This girl was indeed different. She looked childish, but her eyes were calm, making one feel that she was not easy to deceive. Su Qi said, ¡°We¡¯re not here to gather information!¡± Su Yu said, ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m not here to bring you back to the capital! Even if you have our Marquis Zhenbei¡¯s jade pendant in your hands, it doesn¡¯t mean anything! My grandfather just wants to bring you back to investigate! If you¡¯re fake, we won¡¯t acknowledge you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Mo was even more dumbfounded. Chapter 205 - 205 Showdown 205 Showdown Su Mo wanted to beat his two younger brothers to death. He should have tied them to the carriage and gagged them tightly! Su Yu blinked innocently and shifted the blame. ¡°Second Brother said it first!¡± Su Qi stomped his feet. ¡°Then I didn¡¯t say as much as you did!¡± Su Mo clenched his fists. He didn¡¯t know how he had let his two brothers live until now¡­ ¡°The two of you¡­ get into the carriage and wait!¡± Su Qi and Su Yu got into the carriage with aggrieved expressions. Su Mo pressed the space between his eyebrows. Su Xiaoxiao sized Su Mo up calmly. ¡°So the jade pendant belongs to your family¡­ No wonder your father had such a strange reaction.¡± He asked about this and that and even asked about Father Su¡¯s birthday. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s reaction was a little beyond Su Mo¡¯s expectations. Ordinary people¡­ No, not to mention ordinary people, anyone would probably not be able to maintain their composure after hearing such shocking news. However, the little girl in front of her was calm from the beginning to the end, as if it was not a big deal for her to have a relationship with the Marquis of Zhenbei. Did she know what it meant to be related to the Marquis of Zhenbei? Did she not understand? Of course, Su Xiaoxiao understood. She just had a guess on the day Su Yuan arrived that Su Yuan might know Father Su¡¯s family, but she did not expect Su Yuan to be Father Su¡¯s family. As for why she wasn¡¯t excited, she was not used to celebrating surprises that did not come. Moreover, this might not be a happy thing. Father Su had been missing for so many years. If he came from a humble background, everyone would not be able to eat their fill and wear warm clothes, it would be fine but what kind of family was the Marquis of Zhenbei? In her previous life, although she was not related to the royal family, she could still be considered as having hailed from a rich family. However, she did not experience the warmth that she deserved in that family. On the other hand, after coming here, Father Su and Su Ergou, who would rather starve themselves to feed her, gave her a feeling of home that she had never felt before. In her heart, she had never equated a noble background with a legitimate family. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already heard it¡­¡± Initially, Su Mo had planned to invite their family to the capital with the excuse of doing business. He had even thought of a reason to bring Su Cheng along: She saved their father and was their benefactor. As a gesture of appreciation, he hoped to invite them to the capital to play. Who could refuse such an invitation? If she wasn¡¯t even tempted by this, he would use a ruthless move. Unfortunately, his two younger brothers, who were not afraid of causing trouble, had ruined his plan. He shouldn¡¯t have let them come. No, with their mouths, they would only let it slip in front of Qin Yun¡­ Su Mo took a deep breath and calmed the chaotic thoughts in his mind. ¡°That¡¯s right. This jade pendant belongs to our Marquis of Zhenbei.¡± He waited for her to ask, ¡°Who is missing from the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s family? What¡¯s my father¡¯s relationship with your Marquis of Zhenbei?¡± In the end, she only nodded indifferently. Was that it? He almost blurted out, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious?¡± He held back his words. Before confirming his identity, he actually did not intend to reveal too much. His subordinates were loyal to him and would not lie to him, but she didn¡¯t seem to be related to the rumors at all. ¡°I hope you can go to the capital and cooperate with us to investigate the truth.¡± ¡°Young Master Su.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him calmly. ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to decide if we want to go to the capital. It¡¯s useless even if you hope. It¡¯s not whether you want to acknowledge us now, but whether we want to acknowledge you.¡± This girl¡­ was so arrogant! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We don¡¯t want to have a bunch of fake relatives.¡± Su Mo was speechless. ¡°Young Master Su, if there¡¯s nothing else, I have to get busy.¡± With that, Su Xiaoxiao stopped looking at him and continued to draw. Su Mo casually glanced at it. Rich people often drew with brushes. She used charcoal heads. The drawing was neat and the lines were clear. Although it was not clear what she was drawing, it inexplicably lit up one¡¯s eyes. There was an indescribable rigor. Su Xiaoxiao really ignored Su Mo. ¡°Think about it for a few days first.¡± Su Mo couldn¡¯t force her too much, so he got into the carriage and left. Not long after, Father Su returned from the field. ¡°Daughter!¡± He touched his stomach. ¡°Is there anything good to eat?¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to bring him a plate of pumpkin pancakes. The pumpkin pancakes had just been fried and was still steaming. There was some red bean filling inside. Old Master Su ate happily. ¡°Dad,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly. ¡°Have you ever thought about what family you have in the world?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Old Master Su was very busy. As Su Xiaoxiao drew, she asked, ¡°When you wandered here back then, I was wondering if you got separated from your family. Do you want to look for them?¡± Old Master Su lowered his head and took a bite of the pancake. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years. What¡¯s there to find? You don¡¯t know how serious the disaster was back then. There¡¯s definitely no one at home.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What if there is? Do you want to look for them?¡± Old Master Su waved his hand. After lunch, Physician Fu came to the Su family¡¯s house. This was the first time Physician Fu had come to Apricot Flower Village. To be honest, Su Xiaoxiao was quite surprised. More surprisingly¡­ he was bruised and swollen as if someone had beaten him up. ¡°I accidentally fell.¡± Physician Fu said shamelessly. He would never admit that he was beaten up by his biological mother. Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh.¡± Doctor Fu was about to reply, ¡°What kind of suspicious tone is that?¡± The doctor gulped down a few mouthfuls of tea and wiped the sweat on his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m looking for you for something serious.¡± Physician Fu told Su Xiaoxiao about Su Mo¡¯s visit. ¡°¡­The family from the capital seems to have a relationship with my father. His father came a few days ago, and I went out for a consultation.¡± The world was so small. The physician did not specify Su Mo¡¯s identity, but Su Xiaoxiao had already deduced it from his description. No wonder Su Yuan came to Apricot Flower Town. It turned out that he wanted to invite the Physician Fu¡¯s father to the capital to treat the Old Marquis. The doctor sighed. ¡°My mother said that the Old Marquis has been ill for many years. Even my father can¡¯t treat him. My medical skills are inferior to my father¡¯s, so I should not embarrass myself.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Then why are you here today?¡± The doctor took out a piece of paper from his pocket. ¡°I found my father¡¯s medical case back then. It documents the Old Marquis¡¯s illness. I made a copy. Do you want me to read it to you?¡± ¡°No need. I can read.¡± ¡°Already?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the medical case from him. She learned to read quickly and could basically recognize most of the medical cases. If she really didn¡¯t understand, she could guess with the context. However, to be cautious, she still verified it with Physician Fu. ¡°From the symptoms of the patients recorded by your father, it seems to be heart failure caused by lack of air in the lungs. The herbs your father prescribed are also prescriptions to nourish the air in the lungs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Physician Fu said. ¡°However, this is a record from more than ten years ago. Now, the Old Marquis¡¯s illness might have changed. It¡¯s unknown.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This medical case is too outdated and can no longer be used as a basis for diagnosis¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him.¡± Do you want to go to the capital to treat the Old Marquis? ¡± The doctor shook his head. ¡°My mother is old. I¡¯m worried about leaving her here alone. I think¡­ your medical skills are brilliant. Perhaps you can try.¡± Su Xiaoxiao finished her last stroke. ¡°I¡¯m not going to the capital.¡± Chapter 206 - 206 Missing 206 Missing After Su Xiaoxiao finished drawing the blueprint, Liu Ping returned from town. ¡°Are you used to living in the shop?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Liu Ping scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m used to it! The house is very big, and there¡¯s no wind or rain. The children are all sleeping soundly.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then, you can live there in the future.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Liu Ping was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Are you unwilling?¡± Liu Ping hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°No, no! It¡¯s just¡­ that¡­ Ah¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°I¡¯m not letting you stay for nothing.¡± Liu Ping nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes, I should pay some rent¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you money.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Liu Ping was shocked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Someone has to watch the shop.¡± ¡°But this¡­ I¡­¡± Liu Ping would occasionally become incoherent. What he wanted to say was that they would be living in such a good house for nothing and should pay rent. How could they still be paid? It was convenient to watch the shop. No, it was his job. Su Xiaoxiao was a strange person. She seemed very calculative most of the time, but to say she was stingy, she was even more generous than those men in terms of salary. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°That¡¯s settled. You guys stay upstairs first. After the room in the backyard is renovated, you can move over and continue renovating upstairs. I¡¯ll leave the supervision to you.¡± Liu Ping instantly felt a sense of mission. ¡°Daya, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do a good job!¡± Wei Ting had stayed outside for a long time these few days. Sometimes, when Father Su returned, he would still work alone in the fields. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know if he was really working. However, for a man to keep returning late, something was up. Today, the person plowing the ground was still Yuchi Xiu, but there was another person with them. It was a white-robed man wearing a bamboo hat and veiled hat. ¡°Young Master, the Old Madam knows that you left the capital. She¡¯s very angry and wants you to return to the capital immediately. In addition, on the way here, I heard another piece of news. The Third Prince has already set off secretly.¡± Yuchi Xiu exploded. ¡°What? Xiao Zhonghua left just like that? He¡¯s not coming to snatch the Commander¡¯s Seal anymore? Didn¡¯t he come to Qingzhou for the Commander¡¯s Seal? What trick is this?¡± The man in white said, ¡°Young Master¡­ has been exposed?¡± Yuchi Xiu snorted. ¡°He¡¯s long been exposed. Xiao Zhonghua even tried to poison your young master. Fortunately, I was smart and sensed something wrong in time!¡± The white-robed man said, ¡°In that case, Young Master shouldn¡¯t continue to stay here.¡± Yuchi Xiu chuckled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. If Xiao Zhonghua returns to the capital earlier than your young master, he will definitely expose your young master¡¯s absence from the Dragon Temple to the wretched emperor. At that time, your young master¡¯s head will probably be lost!¡± Wei Ting¡¯s cultivation under the decree was a huge mistake. Princess Hui An was deeply in love with Wei Ting and wanted to marry him. The emperor also agreed. Who would have thought that Wei Ting would resist the decree in the throne room? Emperor Lei was furious. ¡°You don¡¯t even like my princess. Who else in the world do you like? Could it be that you want to be a monk!¡± ¡°As you command.¡± The emperor almost fell off the dragon throne. Yuchi Xiu continued to gloat. ¡°Aiyaya, I¡¯m afraid your young master won¡¯t be able to leave. He became someone else¡¯s live-in son-in-law and was eaten clean. He¡¯s no longer innocent!¡± The white-robed man looked at Yuchi Xiu coldly. Even through the veiled hat, one could feel his confusion, as if he was saying, ¡°Is this guy really an assassin? Did he use his mouth to overwhelm the mission target with so much noise that he died?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Wait for me at the docks at noon tomorrow.¡± Yuchi Xiu staggered. ¡°What?¡± Wei Ting continued, ¡°Prepare some children¡¯s clothes.¡± The man in white was silent for a moment before understanding. ¡°Yes!¡± After the white-robed man left, Wei Ting turned around and saw the three little fellows on the field looking at him. He opened his mouth. The three of them turned around and ran home aggrievedly. That night, the three little fellows disappeared. The three of them had always been sensible and never took the initiative to leave the adults¡¯ sight. If they did not say anything, they usually went next door to look for Niudan. The furthest they went was to the village entrance and would never exceed the ancient well. Today, they grabbed a few small pancakes and left through the back door. The family thought that they had gone to look for Niudan to show off their pancakes again. Unexpectedly, when Su Ergou went to call them home for dinner, Niudan said that Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu had never been to his house. The family went to the village to look for them. They also went to the Li family, the village head¡¯s family, Auntie Liu¡¯s family, and even the Liu family¡¯s fish pond, but there was no sign of the three of them. Su Ergou said, ¡°Last time, they hid behind the Su family. I¡¯ll go there to look!¡± Father Su said, ¡°I¡¯ll go up to the forest behind to take a look.¡± Su Yuniang also wanted to look for them. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Someone has to stay at home. Yuniang, wait at home.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Su Yuniang prayed that the three of them were just playful and would come back after playing enough. However, after interacting with the three little fellows for so long, how could she not know their habits? ¡°Could it be¡­ by someone¡­¡± Su Yuniang did not continue. Wei Ting¡¯s expression was cold. He clenched his fists, and a complicated look flashed across his eyes. He turned around and disappeared into the endless night. When the villagers heard that the little fellow was missing, they all helped to look for him. Someone muttered, ¡°Could they have been captured by the Su family?¡± This guess was not unreasonable. The Su family had stolen Su Cheng¡¯s jade pendant back then. Now that the truth was out, the Su family had collapsed overnight. Needless to say, they hated the Su family. It was not impossible for them to capture the children and take revenge on the Su family. The villagers rushed into the Su family. This time, no matter how tightly the Su family closed the door, the villagers raised their hammers and smashed it. Mdm Fang¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Hand over the children!¡± Su Dalang walked out and stood in front of Mdm Fang. ¡°What children? What are you talking about!¡± ¡°Stop pretending! Hurry up and hand over Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu! Otherwise, you¡¯ll have it coming to you!¡± The Su family was wronged. They had been hiding at home for the past few days and only dared to sneak out in the middle of the night to pick vegetables. Not to mention catching children, they had not even seen a child! The villagers¡¯ feces were thrown just like that. They had finally tasted what had happened to the Su family back then. The Su family was smashed to pieces by the villagers, but they did not find Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu. Yuchi Xiu had gone to investigate Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s whereabouts and was not in the village. Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao entered the mountain. ¡°Dahu! Erhu! Xiaohu!¡± Su Xiaoxiao shouted the three little ones¡¯ names. In the past, no matter how tightly they hid and played, they would definitely run out and stick out their heads for her to pat as long as they heard her voice. Chapter 207 - 207 Mother and Sons 207 Mother and Sons The sky was getting darker, and Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression was getting colder. Along the way, the two of them did not speak and searched wholeheartedly. Not long after, Father Su and Su Ergou also entered the mountain. To be honest, Father Su did not think that the three children would enter the mountain themselves. However, there were already people searching for them in the village, so he brought Ergou to the mountain to try their luck. No one could guarantee that Su Yuniang¡¯s previous accident would not happen. Perhaps the three children had been kidnapped by someone. ¡°Split up and search. Ergou and I will go over there. Son-in-law, you and Daya go to the east.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The four of them split up. Father Su gave Wei Ting a torch and carried the other torch to the southwest with Su Ergou. It was too dark and the weeds were wet. Father Su fell quite hard and his hands were scratched, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He got up and continued to look for the children. Wei Ting¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡­ The two of them found the three little fellows in a damp and dark tree hole. There were some traces of the older children being in the tree hole. It seemed that this was not the first time children had come to this place. If they had not experienced it personally, Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting would not have known that the three little fellows would actually run so far with the older children. In the depths of the forest, the brats were really bold. It was early spring, and it was warm before turning cold. The night was especially cold. The three little fellows shivered from the cold and snuggled together for warmth. Dahu was in the middle, hugging his two younger brothers with his tender arms. Although he and Xiaohu usually fought fiercely, that was at home. Outside, he would not allow his brothers to be wronged. Only he could bully his brothers. However, the current scene was not much better than being bullied. ¡°Dahu! Erhu! Xiaohu!¡± Su Xiaoxiao squatted down. The tree hole was very small and adults couldn¡¯t enter, let alone a fat girl like her. The three little ones only heard her voice and subconsciously wanted to pounce out, but soon, they heard Wei Ting¡¯s movements. ¡°The three of you, come out!¡± The three of them shrank back in fear. ¡°Don¡¯t be fierce to them!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glared at someone. Wei Ting¡¯s lips moved, but he did not say anything else. Su Xiaoxiao knelt on the ground and looked into the tree hole. ¡°Dahu, are you hungry? I made delicious food. Bring your brothers out first.¡± Dahu hesitated for a moment before slowly exerting strength with his hands. The two younger brothers looked at their older brother. They wanted to go out, but no one moved. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°It¡¯s dark. I¡¯m very afraid of being alone. Can you come out first?¡± Hearing that Su Xiaoxiao was afraid, the three of them subconsciously leaned forward. However, they gritted their teeth and endured it. The three little fellows¡¯ reaction was too abnormal. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Can you tell me why you¡¯re hiding here?¡± The three of them shook their heads with red eyes. Su Xiaoxiao placed her hand on the ground, her palm hurting from the branches and stones on the ground. She was too sensitive to pain, and beads of sweat subconsciously dripped down her forehead. ¡°Get up!¡± Wei Ting pulled them up and tore open the tree hole to pull the three brats out. The three of them hid behind Su Xiaoxiao the moment they came out, not letting Wei Ting approach. ¡°Did you hit them?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Wei Ting. Wei Ting said, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said doubtfully, ¡°Then why are they suddenly avoiding you?¡± Wei Ting was silent. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three little fellows hiding behind her and grabbing her clothes, then at Wei Ting, who wanted to say something but hesitated. After a moment, she fell silent too. She said nothing and led the three children down the mountain. Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu followed her closely. Xiaohu accidentally fell. Wei Ting quickly reached out to help him. Xiaohu climbed up stubbornly and quickly, silently raising his hand to wipe his tears. Su Xiaoxiao carried Xiaohu. On the other side, Su Cheng and Su Ergou rushed over when they heard the commotion. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu!¡± Su Cheng quickened his pace. Dahu and Erhu ran towards him and plunged into his arms. He handed the torches to Su Ergou and picked up the two little fellows. He looked around anxiously. ¡°Why did you come to the mountain? Let Grandpa take a look. Are you alright?¡± The two of them leaned on his shoulder and shook their heads, feeling aggrieved. Su Cheng felt the children choking. He frowned at Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiaohu felt that something was wrong and buried his face in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s clothes. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything and silently carried Xiaohu down the mountain. Su Cheng¡¯s gaze landed on Wei Ting¡¯s face. Wei Ting¡¯s face was shrouded in the dark night. He looked at the dark sky. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s going to rain soon. Let¡¯s go home first.¡± Su Cheng was in a sorry state and had fallen a few times. Wei Ting reached out to carry the children. The two of them averted Wei Ting¡¯s advances. Wei Ting said, ¡°Grandpa fell and can¡¯t carry you.¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°I can carry them!¡± The two of them hesitated and stretched out their small arms to Su Ergou. This was the first time Su Ergou was being doted on by the little fellows. After returning home, Su Xiaoxiao checked the three little ones carefully. The three of them had varying degrees of abrasions and bumps on their bodies. Xiaohu was the youngest and had the most injuries. Both his knees were scraped and his palm was cut. Erhu had bruises on his left elbow. Dahu¡¯s forehead was swollen. In addition, although it was not winter, there were already insects in the tree hole. The three of them were all stung. Su Xiaoxiao took out the three yellow pills rewarded by the pharmacy last time. After crushing them, she tried them on her wound to test. The pain instantly disappeared, and a cool feeling spread. It was much less stimulating than the golden sore medicine. It seemed that this medicine could not only be taken internally but also applied externally. She applied it to the children too. From the beginning to the end, the three little ones did not say a word. Their eyes were red and they did not make a sound even when they cried. After all, they were tired. The three of them fell asleep in great grievance. Su Xiaoxiao went to treat Su Cheng¡¯s superficial injuries. At night, she closed her eyes and lay quietly beside the three children. Wei Ting opened the cabinet to pack his things, but she pretended not to hear him. ¡ª- Early the next morning, Su Xiaoxiao made breakfast. It was a sumptuous meal. There was braised wheat, dumplings, winter melon meatball soup, red bean barley porridge, dried shrimp steamed eggs, and a few vegetables picked from the Li family¡¯s land. The dining table was very quiet. Su Yuniang scooped soup for the three little ones. ¡°Have some too.¡± She scooped a bowl for Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao picked up the soup bowl and looked at the three sticky meatballs inside. She said softly, ¡°Dad, if, I mean if¡­¡± Before she could finish, Su Cheng stood up and returned to his room without looking back. Su Yuniang looked at the calm Su Xiaoxiao and then at Su Cheng, who left. She sighed softly. Suddenly, Su Cheng strode out. He had a bag in his hand. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him blankly. Su Cheng said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the capital? Don¡¯t just stand there! Hurry up and eat! The boat will leave later!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. Su Cheng said, ¡°My son-in-law wants to bring us to the capital. I told you yesterday. Don¡¯t you know? Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t packed your things?¡± ¡°Packed,¡± Wei Ting said. Su Xiaoxiao leaned back and looked at the table in the east room. There were two bags on it. He packed all night. Not only his items but also¡­ hers. Chapter 208 - 208 Showing Off 208 Showing Off After breakfast, Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to collect the bowls. She hummed a tune as she swiped. Su Yuniang walked over with the little darling who had been in her arms for more than a month and leaned against the door frame. The little darling blew milk bubbles leisurely. Su Yuniang looked at her daughter dotingly and looked at Su Xiaoxiao unhappily. ¡°Are you quite happy to be able to go to the capital?¡± Su Xiaoxiao washed the pot and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Am I?¡± Su Yuniang snorted. ¡°Why not? I think you¡¯re about to go to heaven!¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not very happy. It¡¯s so-so.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± It would be strange if she believed Su Xiaoxiao! Su Yuniang was not one of the women in the village who did not dare to travel far. She also yearned for the world outside. She only hated herself for not being a man. Otherwise, she would have ventured out long ago. Therefore, she could empathize with Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Yuniang, do you want to go with me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Yuniang looked down at the little fellow in her arms who was blowing milk bubbles at her. ¡°If I go, who will take care of this little fellow?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Looks like you still remember that you¡¯re a mother.¡± Su Yuniang said coldly, ¡°Su Daya, are you itching for a beating?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Who gave her daughter to Sister Zhao every other day?¡± Su Yuniang choked. After Su Yuniang tasted the sweetness of being a hands-off shopkeeper, Su Yuniang¡¯s daughter was about to become a frequent guest of the Li family. Although the two of them bickered, they knew in their hearts that Su Yuniang wanted to go to the capital to explore the wider world. However, her daughter was too young for her to leave. She couldn¡¯t let her baby accompany her day and night, unlike Su Xiaoxiao in her previous life who could take a plane and high-speed rail. In ancient times, carriages could really skin people alive in a month. ¡°When she is a little older,¡± Su Yuniang said. ¡°Alright.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. She thought of something and sighed wistfully. ¡°The business of the shop¡­¡± Su Yuniang interrupted a certain chubby lass. ¡°I can¡¯t manage your business!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Here.¡± Su Yuniang placed a money bag on the stove. Su Xiaoxiao picked it up and weighed it. ¡°Silver? That much?¡± ¡°I¡¯m lending you money!¡± Su Yuniang said calmly. ¡°I know that Wei Ting treats you well, and I know that he doesn¡¯t look like someone who lacks money. However, we women have to have some self-respect. If anything happens, we can stand tall.¡± The reason why Su Yuniang could be so unyielding in the Zheng family was that she could earn money. The Zheng family treated her like the God of Fortune. She understood that Su Daya was more capable than her, but Wei Ting was clearly not from a small family like the Zheng family. To put it bluntly, Su Yuniang was worried that Su Xiaoxiao would be bullied in the capital. Although she was most likely worried for nothing. After all, it had always been this girl who bullied others. Su Xiaoxiao held the money bag, her heart burning. ¡°Yuniang.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you interested in investing in Su Ji?¡± Su Yuniang had done a lot of accounting with Su Xiaoxiao. She understood what it meant to invest. She snorted. ¡°Who cares about your business!¡± Even so, she returned to the house to pack her things and moved to town that night. The three little ones swept away the haze from yesterday and happily shook their heads in the backyard. Then, the three of them valiantly led the foal to say goodbye to Niudan and their friends in the village. They were finally going to send away three little bullies. Their friends heaved a sigh of relief! Su Xiaoxiao went to Spring Willow Lane to see Physician Fu. ¡°You¡­ have decided to go for the consultation?¡± Physician Fu was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve decided. I came to tell you.¡± Physician Fu smiled. ¡°Good, good, that¡¯s great! If you go, there should be hope for the Old Marquis¡¯ illness.¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused and asked, ¡°What kind of person is the Old Marquis you mentioned?¡± Physician Fu recalled, ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t seen the Old Marquis much. I only followed my father to the Marquis¡¯s Estate a few times when I was young. In my impression¡­ the Old Marquis is a serious person. There aren¡¯t many people my father admired in his life. Old Marquis Su is one of them.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had a preliminary impression of this old man. Thinking of something, Physician Fu asked, ¡°However, why did you suddenly change your mind?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, I want to go to the capital to take a look.¡± Physician Fu did not suspect anything. ¡°It¡¯s good to go out and see the world. I saw it long ago. You¡¯re not an ordinary woman. You might have some great accomplishments in the capital.¡± The two of them chatted about Old Marquis Su¡¯s condition. Physician Fu dug out all the diagnoses left behind by his father, hoping to help Su Xiaoxiao. After Su Xiaoxiao left, Physician Fu gently closed the courtyard door and sighed. He composed himself and walked towards the central room with a calm expression. Before he could step in, a bag smashed at him! He was shocked and was forced to catch it. ¡°Mother?¡± He stared dumbfounded at Aunt Fu, who had thrown a bag at him. Aunt Fu said coldly, ¡°Go if you want!¡± Physician Fu lowered his head. ¡°I-I won¡¯t go. What if I go¡­ The capital is so far. It¡¯s not like I can return in two to three days¡­¡± Aunt Fu said, ¡°If you¡¯re not going, I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°What?¡± Physician Fu was puzzled when a carriage stopped at the door. The young coachman walked over with a smile and helped Aunt Fu into the carriage. Physician Fu said in confusion, ¡°Mother, where are you going?¡± The coachman smiled and said, ¡°Grandmaster Hui Jue invited Old Madam Fu to stay in the nunnery for a few days.¡± Fu Langzhong¡¯s eyes suddenly teared up. ¡°Mother¡­¡± In Apricot Flower Village, Father Su was also saying goodbye to the villagers. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m going on a long trip.¡± ¡°The prefecture capital? How can that be called a long trip? Who are you looking down on? You can reach it in a blink of an eye. You can¡¯t even be bothered to invite me!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the capital.¡± ¡°Who will bring me there? My son-in-law!¡± ¡°How? By carriage! Eight horses! What? Didn¡¯t you see? They¡¯re waiting in town. The village road is too narrow. Eight horses can¡¯t cross.¡± Father Su stood under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village and placed his hands on his hips, patiently bragging. Zhu Zhu said, ¡°Mr. Wei is from the capital?¡± The villagers¡¯ jaws dropped. Someone in the capital had become the son-in-law of a fat girl from the countryside. What kind of dogshit luck did the Su family have? Chapter 209 - 209 Going to the Capital 209 Going to the Capital The news that Daya¡¯s family was going to the capital quickly spread to the Su family. Old Su¡¯s days have been tragic. On the one hand, he had to suffer the disdain and anger of the villagers, and on the other hand, he had to face the risk of returning the land under his name. They thought that the Su family must be overjoyed. Although they did not come to their house to mock them, they must have held their heads high behind their backs. Until today. When they heard that the Su family was about to go to the capital, they suddenly realized something. It was not that Daya¡¯s family wanted to establish a persona, but that they had never taken Old Su¡¯s family seriously. Old Su¡¯s family thought that they were competitors and enemies, but who knew that Daya¡¯s family did not even treat them as farts? They were like clowns, constantly guessing the attitude and thoughts of Daya¡¯s family¡­ And Daya¡¯s family was no longer the fish and frog in this pond. Or rather, it was just a stranded mythological giant bird from the beginning. Old Master Su¡¯s blood surged and he collapsed! Su Dalang and Su Erlang¡¯s expressions changed. ¡°Grandpa!¡± ¡ª- Su Xiaoxiao found Manager Sun and told him about her entering the capital. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the shop to you and Yuniang.¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°There won¡¯t be any trouble in the shop. Rest assured in the capital.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought about it carefully. There was indeed nothing that could not be resolved in business. The shop was decided, and Liu Ping and Little Wu moved over. The blueprint for the renovation was confirmed, and Little Madam Zhao and Li Xiaoyong were getting skilled ¡­ She did not deliberately plan anything, but it seemed that she had already made sufficient preparations in the lead-up to this day. Su Xiaoxiao came out of the shop and saw Physician Fu squatting on the ground with his bag and drawing circles. Physician Fu turned around and saw her. He stood up and coughed lightly. ¡°My mother¡­ asked me to go to the capital to treat the Old Marquis.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said casually, ¡°That¡¯s really much easier¡­¡± Physician Fu was speechless. East Arrival Inn was the largest inn in Apricot Flower Town. It was said that it was opened by the Qi family. The business was booming and it was difficult to obtain a single room. However, to the noble young masters of the capital, it was no different from sleeping in their own woodshed. Su Yu felt so disgusted that he had nowhere to stand. ¡°It¡¯s so tattered. The blanket is moldy! Brother, if I don¡¯t go back soon, I¡¯m going to mold!¡± Su Mo calmly took a sip of tea. ¡°You wanted to follow me, but now you¡¯re complaining?¡± Su Yu looked aggrieved. ¡°Wuwu, I regret it¡­¡± The coachman reported from outside, ¡°Eldest Young Master, Physician Fu requests an audience!¡± Physician Fu came over with Su Xiaoxiao. The three brothers were surprised to see her. They were surprised that she had come up too. However, they remembered that she seemed to be Physician Fu¡¯s disciple. Physician Fu went straight to the point. ¡°I agree to go to the capital for a house call, but let me make it clear first. The Old Marquis has been suffering from a chronic illness for many years. I can only try my best. I can¡¯t guarantee that I can treat him.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Su Mo said. ¡°Miss Su is going too?¡± Physician Fu said seriously, ¡°She¡¯s my disciple, so, of course, she has to go. She hasn¡¯t seen such a difficult illness before. I can take the opportunity to teach her.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Regardless of whether the little girl was really convinced by Physician Fu, Su Mo only wanted this result. The process was not important. ¡°When can we set off?¡± Su Mo asked. It was not appropriate to delay his grandfather¡¯s condition. The earlier they could get there, the better. ¡°We can set off immediately,¡± Su Xiaoxiao answered. ¡°We¡¯re not going with you.¡± Su Yu was surprised. ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°The consultation fee is 2,000 taels. You have to pay a 30% deposit first.¡± Su Yu stuttered in shock. ¡°2,000 taels! You¡¯re even more expensive than the Imperial Physician! I think you¡¯re addicted to extorting money!¡± ¡°Then find someone else.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and left. Physician Fu did not hesitate and followed. Su Yu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Which one of them is the master?¡± Su Mo frowned. ¡°Alright, I promise you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°You will prepare the pass.¡± Su Mo took off a token from his waist and threw it to her. ¡°Take this. There¡¯s no need for a pass.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took it backhandedly, stunning Su Mo. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°See you in the capital.¡± ¡ª- Wei Ting went to the dock first. The man in white had already prepared a black boat. Yuchi Xiu returned after checking the news. ¡°Sir, Xiao Zhonghua is returning to the capital from Qingzhou Pass. There¡¯s also a waterway there that¡¯s especially used for salt transport by the Imperial Court. It¡¯s much faster than ordinary waterways. We have to hurry. We can¡¯t let him return to the capital first.¡± The man in white asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t he come to assassinate Young Master?¡± Yuchi Xiu said angrily, ¡°If you ask me, who should I ask?¡± The man in white said, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you.¡± Yuchi Xiu was speechless. This was also what Wei Ting was puzzled about. It was not like Xiao Zhonghua to give up on assassinating him. It was not that Xiao Zhonghua wanted to kill him, but the Commander¡¯s Seal was still in his hand. Yet Xiao Zhonghua actually left just like that? What happened to make Xiao Zhonghua change his plan? Yuchi Xiu looked left and right. ¡°Sir, where are the three young masters?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°They¡¯ll be here soon.¡± When they found out that Su Xiaoxiao was also going to the capital, the three brats were furious. Xiaohu stuffed the bag into Wei Ting¡¯s arms and waved at him. ¡°You can leave!¡± ¡°Who is sending them over¡­¡± Yuchi Xiu realized something and suddenly gasped. ¡°No way? No way? Are you intending to bring that girl to the capital? Do you really treat her as your wife? The two of you aren¡¯t a real couple! Take this opportunity to shake her off! Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t leave her!¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s the children who can¡¯t leave her.¡± Yuchi Xiu gave him a sideways glance. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± At this moment, Liu Ping drove the donkey cart over. The donkey was especially irritable today. The moment it arrived, it kicked Yuchi Xiu¡¯s bag into the water. Yuchi Xiu muttered, ¡°What an annoying donkey!¡± Wei Ting looked at the empty cart and then at Liu Ping. ¡°Where¡­ where are they?¡± Liu Ping said, ¡°Daya asked me to tell you that they will leave first. You can head back yourself.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Yuchi Xiu was speechless. The man in white was speechless. After Liu Ping left, Yuchi Xiu slapped his thigh and laughed wildly. ¡°Lord! That girl dumped you! She doesn¡¯t want you anymore! She even kidnapped your sons! She went to the capital herself! Hahahahaha¡­¡± Bang! Yuchi Xiu fell into the water¡­ Wei Ting gritted his teeth. Su Daya! ¡­ Su Xiaoxiao, who was being ¡°thought about¡± by Wei Ting, was already in the carriage heading to the capital. Su Mo had prepared three carriages. They were spacious and comfortable. Father Su, Su Ergou, and Physician Fu were in one, Su Xiaoxiao and the three little ones in another, and the month-old foal was in the last carriage. She knew that she was not in his original plan to return to the capital. ¡°Mother! What is that?¡± Xiaohu pointed out the window. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°A man, sometimes known as a pig trotter.¡± Xiaohu tilted his head. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look delicious.¡± Chapter 210 - 210 Settlement 210 Settlement Su Xiaoxiao set off early in February. After a month of long journey, she arrived at the capital in March. Along the way, they saw many rich cities. However, when they reached the capital where the emperor lived, they could not help but sigh. The city walls of the capital were really tall, majestic, and magnificent! The guards at the door were wearing thick armor and holding spears with dignified expressions. Su Ergou often jumped across the two carriages repeatedly. Now, he was in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s carriage. He lifted the curtain and looked at the crowd queuing up to enter the city. He cried out in shock, ¡°Sister! There are so many people!¡± The three little ones also squeezed their heads through the carriage window and blinked their big eyes, sizing them up curiously It would be a lie to say that it was not hard for them to travel for days. Even a tough man like Father Su was about to lie flat. Su Ergou had also fallen sick once along the way. Other than losing a little weight, the three little ones did not feel any other discomfort. The three of them grabbed the milk bottle and drank milk. Su Xiaoxiao nodded to herself. ¡°Oh, the milk powder is not bad. I¡¯ll get more from the pharmacy next time.¡± Dahu was the first to finish his. Then, he shot his two brothers a dangerous look. Erhu and Xiaohu hurriedly pounced into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arms, wary of their brother robbing their milk bottles. When it was their turn, the carriage was stopped by the guards. The three coachmen were sent by Su Mo and the carriage. They were from the capital and showed their travel passes. The guard said seriously, ¡°Get down from the carriage!¡± Su Xiaoxiao opened the curtain and gently reached out with her fair wrist, handing the guard a token that was suffused with a cold black light. The guard seemed to know the token of the Marquis of Zhenbei and his attitude instantly became respectful. ¡°The carriage needs to be checked. Please forgive me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao understood and carried the three little fellows out of the carriage. The triplets were too eye-catching. Not only were they cute, but they also drank from their small milk bottles. The passersby were bowled over by their cuteness. Even the guard who was doing a routine inspection could not help but take a few more glances at the three little ones. After checking the carriages and not finding anything suspicious, the guard let the three carriages go. After entering the capital, Su Ergou¡¯s exclamations never stopped. ¡°Sister! Look! What a tall building!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the tower.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh.¡± Xiaohu said, ¡°Tower.¡± Erhu said, ¡°A tall tower.¡± Dahu said, ¡°Not as tall as me.¡± The capital was really too big. The group entered the city in the morning and only settled down in the evening. After confirming that they had settled down, the coachman went to the Marquis Mansion to report. Su Mo and Qin Yun arrived in the capital yesterday. Su Yuan, Su Qi, and the others were still on their way back to the capital. They would probably arrive in another two to three days. The lead coachman saw Su Mo in Tingfeng Courtyard. ¡°Eldest Young Master.¡± He cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°Are they here?¡± Su Mo asked. ¡°They are here,¡± said the coachman. ¡°Where is she?¡± Su Mo looked at the empty courtyard. The coachman said, ¡°They refuse to stay at the Marquis Mansion.¡± Su Mo had long expected that with the girl¡¯s personality, she would most likely not accept the arrangements to stay in the Marquis¡¯s Mansion. He was not surprised by this. ¡°Did they go to Changliu Street?¡± There was a small house under his name on Changliu Street. If she refused to come to the Duke Mansion, the coachman would bring them there to stay. The coachman shook his head again. ¡°No, they went to Pear Blossom Lane.¡± ¡°The Pear Blossom Lane on Scholar Street?¡± Su Mo pondered for a moment. ¡°Why did they go there?¡± Pear Blossom Lane was a rare quiet area in the bustling capital. The east and west sides of the street were connected to the noisy streets. After walking in, one would seem to have left the dust of the streets behind. Su Xiaoxiao came to a house and gently knocked on the closed door. Creak¡ª The door opened from the inside. A slightly hunched servant stuck his head out and looked at Su Xiaoxiao and the others with a strange expression. Su Xiaoxiao took out a letter and handed it to him. The sky was a little dark, and the servant¡¯s eyes did not seem to be working well. He took the letter and closed the courtyard door first. He inserted the bolt and went to read the letter under the oil lamp in the house. When he came over again, he opened the courtyard door wide and politely welcomed them in. ¡°You¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him. He gestured. He was a mute slave and could not speak. Father Su brought his luggage in and looked at the clean and elegant courtyard. He asked, ¡°Daughter, whose house is this?¡± ¡°Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. The last time she visited Grandmaster Hui Jue, she had given her a letter before she left. She said that if she changed her mind in the future and was willing to go to the capital, she could stay in her old residence. The old friend that Grandmaster Hui Jue mentioned was probably the Old Marquis of the Marquis of Zhenbei. At that time, she had already made it clear that she would not go to the capital for a house call. However, Grandmaster Hui Jue was still prepared for this, as if she had expected her to come to the capital in the end. ¡°By the way, help me take a look at Zhong Shan. It¡¯s not easy for him to guard a big house alone¡­¡± These were Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s exact words. Therefore, Su Xiaoxiao knew his name. He was actually not even 50 years old, but he looked a little old. ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhong.¡± After Su Xiaoxiao finished speaking, Zhong Shan clearly paused. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao in a daze before quickly lowering his head and helping to move their luggage in. This was a two-in-one courtyard. It was different from the layout of houses in the countryside. Su Ergou brought the three little ones around. It was extremely rare. Su Cheng, Su Ergou, and Physician Fu lived in the rooms in the front, while Su Xiaoxiao and the three little ones lived in a room in the second courtyard. Zhong Shan did not live here. He only came to clean every day, coming in the morning and leaving at night. After handing the key to Su Xiaoxiao, Zhong Shan returned. The courtyard and rooms were very clean, and the furniture and bedding were ready-made. They could move in rightaway after entering. However, Zhong Shan did not set up a fire in the courtyard, so there was nothing to eat in the kitchen. Fortunately, this was the capital and there were many shops nearby. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll go out and buy some dinner. What do you want to eat?¡± Su Cheng waved his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Let¡¯s go together. I¡¯ve been cooped up in the carriage for the entire day. It¡¯s time to walk around.¡± ¡°Physician Fu, what about you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Physician Fu said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a walk too.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Ergou and the three little ones playing in the courtyard. ¡°Can you still walk?¡± Xiaohu patted his chest with both hands and said in a childish voice, ¡°Xiaohu has to move! Xiaohu has to move!¡± He was the one who shouted the most. He was also the one who stretched out his arm to Father Su after taking two steps. This time, Erhu chose to be a happy salted fish with his brother. ¡°Uncle, carry.¡± Su Ergou picked Erhu up. In the end, only the lonely Dahu was left running in front. After leaving the alley and walking south, there were many snack stalls and restaurants. Father Su was not too picky about food and usually let Su Xiaoxiao decide. However, today, he stopped at an old noodle shop. He looked up at the signboard that had long lost its paint. In a daze, he had the illusion that he had been here. Chapter 211 - 211 Entering the Marquiss Estate 211 Entering the Marquis¡¯s Estate ¡°Dad, do you want to eat noodles?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s voice pulled Father Su back to his senses. He looked at Xiaohu in his arms, then at Erhu, who was being carried by Su Ergou, and Dahu, who was being held by Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Noodles,¡± Xiaohu said. Erhu and Dahu had no objections. Physician Fu and Su Ergou only needed to fill their stomachs. One of them was so tired that he had no taste buds, and the other couldn¡¯t wait to eat. The group entered the noodle shop and found a big table facing the street in the lobby to sit down at. The waiter came over and asked them what they wanted to eat. Su Xiaoxiao asked him to recommend one or two. The waiter was very enthusiastic. ¡°From your accents, you just came from elsewhere, right? Then you have to try our braised noodles! In addition, we¡¯ve been selling our tofu pudding for decades. You can try them.¡± When the salted tofu pudding was served, Su Xiaoxiao finally understood why the waiter only recommended two bowls of tofu pudding. It was salty and covered in sauce. Ordinary people were not used to it. The three little ones ate till they looked like various types of emojis. The only one who was working on the tofu pudding was Father Su. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t you think this tofu pudding tastes bad?¡± Su Ergou asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Father Su said. ¡°Then, then I¡¯ll give you this bowl too.¡± Su Ergou pushed his bowl to his biological father. Father Su took it without a word and ate it in a few mouthfuls. Su Ergou was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Father Su and did not say anything. Su Xiaoxiao did not reveal to her family that Su Mo had come looking for her. After dinner, Su Xiaoxiao went to the counter to settle the bill. A bowl of braised noodles in the capital was actually sold for 30 copper coins a bowl. A bowl of tofu pudding cost eight copper coins. They ate a total of seven bowls of braised noodles, and two bowls of tofu pudding, which cost more than 200 copper coins. As expected of the capital. The prices were really high. On the way back, Xiaohu and Erhu fell asleep in Father Su and Su Ergou¡¯s arms respectively. Dahu persisted until he reached the door of the house before Su Xiaoxiao carried the little guy. His eyelids darkened, and his head tilted to the side. He fell asleep too. Everyone was exhausted along the way and returned to their rooms to rest. Su Xiaoxiao placed the three little ones on the bed. The capital was colder than Qingzhou. Even though it was March, the night was still very cold. She covered the three of them with the blanket and planned to boil some water in the kitchen. The moment she entered the backyard, she saw Su Cheng sitting on the small stool, looking up at the moon¡­ in a daze. ¡°Dad?¡± Su Xiaoxiao called him. Su Cheng came back to his senses. ¡°Are the children asleep?¡± ¡°They¡¯re asleep.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­ I can¡¯t sleep.¡± He scooped up another stool and let Su Xiaoxiao sit. Su Xiaoxiao sat down and asked, ¡°Are you not used to being in the capital?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Su Cheng frowned and thought for a moment.¡± Maybe¡­ ¡± Ever since he ate the bowl of salted tofu pudding, he had a strange feeling. Father Su looked at the big fatty who had clearly lost weight again¡­ No, she was now a small fatty. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Go to sleep. Don¡¯t you have to wake up early tomorrow to treat someone?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hide the fact that she would be going to make a house call at Su Yuan¡¯s family. After all, Physician Fu was around. ¡°Dad, go to sleep too,¡± she said. Su Cheng wanted to sit for a while longer, but he did not want his daughter to worry, so he returned to his room to lie down. He rarely dreamed. This time, for some reason, he dreamed of being chased in an assassination all night. ¡­ Physician Fu woke up early before dawn. He thought that he was early. The moment he entered the backyard, Su Xiaoxiao was already feeding the foal in the courtyard. The foal was two months old and had already started to eat some grass. ¡°Morning,¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted. ¡°I bought steamed buns. They¡¯re hot in the pot.¡± She had actually bought breakfast early? When did she wake up? The corners of Physician Fu¡¯s mouth twitched fiercely. What was that saying about people being more talented and hardworking than you? This was it. After breakfast, the Su family¡¯s carriage arrived. Su Xiaoxiao called Su Ergou up and got into the carriage with Physician Fu. ¡°I remember that there used to be a medicine shop there.¡± Physician Fu pointed at a pavilion on the street and said, ¡°The medicinal herbs were cheap and good. My father often brings me to this shop to buy medicine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the plaque on the attic: Spring Breeze Pavilion. The medicine shop had become a brothel. Things had changed. ¡°What a big change,¡± Physician Fu sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t even name some new streets.¡± ¡°When did you leave the capital?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°20 years ago,¡± Physician Fu said. ¡°I¡¯ve been away for too long. I really don¡¯t know it anymore when I come back.¡± He did not recognize it after only 20 years. What about 30 years? 30 years ago, Su Cheng was only a six-year-old child. What did he remember? The carriage entered the Marquis Estate from the side door. Su Mo was already waiting in the reception hall. In this wave of teams returning to the capital, Su Mo and Qin Yun were the earliest to arrive. There was no other reason. In order to prevent his two brothers, who did not know what to say, from accidentally revealing Su Cheng¡¯s matter to Qin Yun, he could only bring Qin Yun along. ¡°Eldest Young Master, They are here.¡± The servant reported. Su Mo raised his hand and the servant invited her in. Physician Fu did not change much, but when Su Mo¡¯s gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao, he almost did not recognize her. What happened on the way? Why had this girl lost so much weight? Of course, compared to those rich young ladies in the capital who would rather starve to maintain their figures, she was still a little fatty. ¡°You¡­¡± Su Mo opened his mouth. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the patient?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was as straightforward as a sharp knife. Su Mo swallowed his question. He couldn¡¯t tell if Su Xiaoxiao really didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the Marquis Mansion or if she was pretending to be noble. He said seriously, ¡°Follow me.¡± Su Mo personally brought Physician Fu and Su Xiaoxiao to the Old Marquis¡¯s courtyard. Many physicians had come to treat the Old Marquis. The servants were already used to it. However, the doctor this time seemed to be different from before. His clothes were a little plain, and he did not look like a famous physician from an aristocratic family. In addition, there was actually a little fat girl. Was she an assistant? Or was she a maidservant? However, this girl did not look timid at all. Her eyebrows were cold and arrogant, and she was more imposing and dignified than the middle-aged doctor. The servants secretly sized up Su Xiaoxiao. Su Mo glanced over and everyone lowered their heads. The three of them came to the Old Marquis¡¯s room. The servant guarding the door bowed to Su Mo. ¡°Eldest Young Master.¡± Su Mo said, ¡°Is Grandpa awake?¡± The servant shook his head. Su Mo¡¯s expression turned solemn as he said to Physician Fu, ¡°Half a month ago, my grandfather¡¯s condition suddenly worsened¡­ Are you confident?¡± Physician Fu glanced at Su Xiaoxiao calmly and cleared his throat. ¡°Well¡­ we have to see the Old Marquis before coming to a conclusion.¡± Su Mo looked at the calm Physician Fu and then at the expressionless Su Xiaoxiao. He nodded at the servant. The servant pushed open the door and invited Physician Fu into the room. Su Xiaoxiao paused and walked into the room. Chapter 212 - 212 Treating the Old Marquis 212 Treating the Old Marquis When Su Mo was about to enter, he was stopped by Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Please wait outside, Young Master Su.¡± Su Mo glanced at Physician Fu. Clearly, he thought this was Physician Fu¡¯s intention. Physician Fu muttered in his head, ¡°It¡¯s useless to look at me. I¡¯m just a teacher in name. I came to learn¡­¡± But he said calmly, ¡°That¡¯s right. When I practice medicine, I don¡¯t like anyone disturbing me.¡± Heavens, he actually spoke to the future heir of the Marquis of Zhenbei like this. Could he walk out of the capital alive¡­ Su Mo retracted his foot and said to Physician Fu, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to trouble Doctor Fu.¡± Physician Fu broke out in cold sweat. He was scared to death¡­ Su Xiaoxiao closed the door and bolted it. Su Mo looked at the closed door without blinking. He suppressed the anxiety in his heart and waited silently. The servant at the side was puzzled. Even the Imperial Physician was not so arrogant as to reject his young master. The room was filled with a thick medicinal fragrance. The doors and windows were closed, and the smell could not be dissipated. It was so stuffy that one felt a little dizzy. Su Xiaoxiao opened the window. Physician Fu said, ¡°Can the Old Marquis take the wind? The capital is still very cold.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a pole and pressed it against the window. ¡°We have to maintain the air circulation in the ward. A little breeze is fine.¡± The curtain of the Luohan bed was also lowered. It was so tightly covered that one would be suffocated even if she was not sick. Su Xiaoxiao picked up the veil and hung it up with a tent hook. Physician Fu came over to help hang the other half of the veil. A thin and old sickly face entered their vision. Physician Fu had seen the Old Marquis when he was young. Although he had only seen him a few times, the mighty and burly Marquis of Zhenbei had left a deep impression on him. Who would have thought that in just twenty years, the First-grade Martial Lord who had casually beheaded the enemy king and defended the northern territory would actually fall to such a withered appearance? A great sadness surged in Physician Fu¡¯s heart. Men did not cry easily, but perhaps it was because they had not experienced sadness. Physician Fu¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red. ¡°How did it become like this¡­ How did it become like this¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t relate to Physician Fu¡¯s emotions. However, from a doctor¡¯s point of view, this patient had indeed suffered a lot of illness. When he was young, he did not take good care of his body. He suffered countless light injuries and old injuries. He was even repeatedly torn and seriously injured in the same areas. After healing, extremely ugly scars remained. Some injuries would leave aftereffects. They tortured his body repeatedly on countless cold nights. These were injuries. He also had an illness. It was impossible to imagine how it was to have a body that was riddled with holes. Su Xiaoxiao calmly took the patient¡¯s pulse and took out a stethoscope from the small medicine box Liu Ping had made for her. She listen to his heart and lungs. His heart was arrhythmic. It matched the pulse. She took out the blood pressure gauge again, rolled up the patient¡¯s sleeve, and took his blood pressure. His blood pressure was a little low. Su Xiaoxiao opened his eyelids with her fingers and checked the changes in his pupils with a small flashlight. The pupils were so large that the cornea reflection was almost invisible, and the reflection of light had disappeared. The patient¡¯s condition was between a moderate and serious coma. If she did not intervene, the brain stem reaction would completely disappear. That would be a serious coma. There might be even be respiratory failure, heart stop, or even brain death. Su Xiaoxiao looked at his fingers again. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s calm medical practice pulled Physician Fu out of his suppressed and sorrowful emotions. He wiped his tears, pulled himself together, and asked, ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Continue to take the patient¡¯s blood pressure two to three times in fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Physician Fu came to the bed and took the blood pressure gauge. Su Xiaoxiao opened the door and walked out. Seeing her come out, Su Mo hurriedly asked, ¡°How¡¯s my grandfather?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Before answering you, I want to know the patient¡¯s diet and living conditions.¡± Su Mo took a deep breath and nodded patiently. He said to the servant at the side, ¡°Who took care of Grandpa these days?¡± ¡°It was me,¡± the servant said. Su Xiaoxiao asked about the patient¡¯s habits, and the servant answered truthfully. The Old Marquis loved to drink. Those who licked blood ate meat and drank wine in big bowls to satiate themselves. The Imperial Physician had once reminded the Old Marquis that alcohol was harmful to the body. The Old Marquis did not listen to advice and continued to drink. It was not until half a year ago that the Old Marquis could not take it anymore and quit drinking. He continued to consume meat. Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said, ¡°When was the last time the patient ate?¡± The servant said, ¡°Yesterday afternoon, He ate two mouthfuls of porridge. He hasn¡¯t eaten a single drop of rice since.¡± ¡°How long has he been unconscious? Be more specific,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°This¡­¡± The servant scratched his head. Su Mo said, ¡°I came to look for Grandpa last night and wanted him to eat something. Grandpa said that he couldn¡¯t eat. Then he fell asleep and didn¡¯t wake up again in the morning.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°So you don¡¯t know when he passed out?¡± The servant lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯m useless.¡± A patient becoming unconscious at night was the easiest to neglect. It was not this servant¡¯s fault. ¡°Have you seen nausea, vomiting, cough, and other symptoms recently?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± the servant said. ¡°How long has it been?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The servant replied, ¡°It started last winter.¡± Su Mo frowned. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of it?¡± The servant lowered his head. ¡°The Old Marquis hid it and didn¡¯t allow me to say it. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore last month and invited the Imperial Physician over. The Imperial Physician gave him a prescription and it was better. Who would have thought that his condition would suddenly worsen half a month ago?¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Is there angina?¡± ¡°This¡­ I¡¯m not sure. The Old Marquis is very strong¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao understood what he meant. The Old Marquis was someone who didn¡¯t groan even when he was in pain. Su Xiaoxiao already had a deduction in her heart, but she still needed to confirm it further. She said to Su Mo, ¡°Your grandfather¡¯s illness still needs to be diagnosed, but you said that he suddenly worsened half a month ago. I found out the reason.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Su Mo asked. ¡°He was poisoned,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously. Su Mo¡¯s expression changed. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what poison it is, but your grandfather does have symptoms of poisoning.¡± Su Mo held his breath. ¡°Can, can you undo it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± With that, Su Xiaoxiao entered the house and closed the door again. Su Mo clenched his fists. His grandfather was actually poisoned¡­ ¡°Was the Old Marquis really poisoned? What poison?¡± Physician Fu asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said honestly. She did not know much about ancient poisons, so she really could not tell what kind of poison the Old Marquis had been poisoned with. Physician Fu was stunned. ¡°I wonder what poison it is¡­ How can it be cured?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at the bottle of Bezoar Detox Pills in the small medicine box. Chapter 213 - 213 Domineering Father Su 213 Domineering Father Su It was clearly a third-rate product, but it could be consumed internally and applied externally to treat injuries. On the way here, Su Ergou had eaten randomly, suffered from food poisoning, vomited, and had diarrhea. He had become well after taking this medicine. She decided to give it a try with the patient. Before feeding the medicine, she took two tubes of intravenous blood from the patient. Physician Fu had followed her for so long and was already used to her strange actions. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the side room for a while. Continue monitoring the patient¡¯s blood pressure.¡± Physician Fu agreed. ¡°Aye, okay.¡± Entering the side room was a smokescreen. The place she really wanted to enter was the pharmacy. The base pharmacy was fully equipped with a laboratory. Su Xiaoxiao had almost figured out the temperament of the pharmacy. She could usually enter in times of emergency. In addition, she could have a chance to enter the pharmacy at the end of the month. As for what the pharmacy would reward her with, it was all up to luck. For example, on the way to the capital, the pharmacy only rewarded her with a mouthful of immortal aura. Su Xiaoxiao closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was already outside the glass door of the laboratory. Entry was via an iris scan.It was strange that she had never recorded her identity, but she actually succeeded with a scan. The test results came out very quickly¡ªthe blood sugar was barely normal and the blood fat was high. Judging from the patient¡¯s eating habits, such a diagnosis was almost expected. Long-term high blood lipids would cause coronary atherosclerosis, narrowing the blood vessel cavity, and obstructing the flow of blood, causing myocardial ischemia, angina, and in serious cases, coronary heart disease. The patient¡¯s situation was already serious. Su Xiaoxiao took fat-lowering medicine and medicine for coronary heart disease, as well as a few nasal feeding tubes. The patient had to detoxify first, but he was seriously unconscious and could not swallow on his own. She could only intubate. Su Xiaoxiao came out of the ear room with a small medicine box. ¡°How¡¯s the blood pressure?¡± ¡°Still low,¡± Physician Fu said. She had to detoxify the poison as soon as possible. Otherwise, the patient would not even have a chance to be treated. Su Xiaoxiao handed the medicine bottle to Physician Fu. ¡°Three pills. Melt them with warm water.¡± Physician Fu had seen Su Xiaoxiao give Su Ergou this medicine. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a laxative and vomiting medicine?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It can also detoxify.¡± It should work. She added inwardly. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Physician Fu melted the pill skeptically. The effects of the three pills were not obvious. Su Xiaoxiao guessed that the poison was too deep and the medicine was not effective enough. She paused. ¡°Three more.¡± Physician Fu felt a chill down his spine. ¡°Are¡­ are you sure? The Old Marquis is old. You can¡¯t drug him too fiercely¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Do as I say.¡± Physician Fu rubbed his chest. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no other way.¡± He melted three more pills. After feeding him this time, the black color on the patient¡¯s nails finally faded a little, and his pupils were not so dilated. Physician Fu could not hide his excitement. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s effective!¡± ¡­ At Pear Blossom Lane, Su Cheng slept until late in the morning. The three little fellows were already feeding the foal in the courtyard. Next, they would feed themselves. The four little ones faced the milk bottle together. Su Cheng stretched. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, where¡¯s your mother? Oh, I remember. She went on a house call with Physician Fu.¡± The three little ones blinked and continued drinking their milk. The pot was heated with steamed buns. Su Ergou and the three little ones had already eaten and left a few for Su Cheng. Su Cheng held a steamed bun in his mouth and missed the salted tofu beancurd from last night. There was a clean well in the backyard. Su Ergou was drawing water from the well. He glanced at Su Cheng and asked in confusion, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong with your eyes? Did you get beaten up?¡± ¡°Go away! You¡¯re the one who got beaten up!¡± Father Su walked over and looked at his reflection in the bucket of water. He almost scared himself to death! His eyes were so swollen! Sigh, it was all his fault for not sleeping well last night. He had been chased all night in his dream. Father Su decided to walk around the streets to familiarize himself with the surrounding environment and buy some cooking ingredients. They could not eat outside every meal. How expensive was it? ¡°Grandpa.¡± The three little ones walked over like squirrels seeing chestnuts. Su Cheng chuckled. ¡°You didn¡¯t call me Grandpa just now. Now that I¡¯m going out, you started calling me Grandpa.¡± Little brats! The three of them looked at him adorably. ¡°Grandpa.¡± What was shame? It did not exist with the three little ones! Su Cheng asked Su Ergou to guard the house and left the alley with the three little brats. The streets of the capital were extremely lively. The traffic was endless. ¡°I¡¯m selling¡ªcandied hawthorn!¡± ¡°Sell¡ªcandied hawthorn!¡± ¡°Big, sweet candied hawthorn!¡± The three little ones slurped. ¡°Grandpa, I want to eat,¡± Xiaohu said. ¡°Erhu wants it too,¡± Erhu said. Dahu did not say anything. Dahu went straight ahead. The two lackeys followed. ¡°No, you guys¡­¡± The moment the three little ones used the same trick and attacked first, Su Cheng quickly grabbed them! Dahu and Erhu missed. Before Xiaohu could bite¡­ ¡°How much is one?¡± Father Su asked. The vendor said, ¡°A string of forty copper coins.¡± Four, four, four, four¡­ forty? Was this a golden candy? Su Cheng decisively took the three little ones away! The three little mouths were so pouty that one could hang two soy sauce bottles on their lips. In order to appease the three little ones¡¯ injured hearts and to show that he was not a stingy grandfather, Su Cheng generously went to a dried fruit shop. He bought nine dried hawthorns. They were skewered into three sticks and handed to Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu. The three of them took a bite in disdain. Aiyaya! So sour! Their teeth were sore¡­ The sourness caused the three brats to cringe in various expressions of emojis on the streets and stomp their feet! At this moment, a man came out of the shop with a huge box. When he saw the children standing by the street, he shouted, ¡°Get out of the way!¡± The three little fellows were so shocked that their bodies trembled and Xiaohu¡¯s hawthorn dropped. Although it was sour, it was still bought for him. Xiaohu bent down to pick it up. The man stretched out his foot and swung Xiaohu aside. He did not use much strength. It was not considered a kick, but it was already very rude to use his feet to push the child. Moreover, Xiaohu was still young. He lost his balance and fell to the ground. Su Cheng had just helped put on Erhu¡¯s shoes when Erhu stomped them off. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, Xiaohu was bullied. It was fine to bully him¡­ but he would not allow anyone to bully his grandchild! Without a word, Su Cheng raised his leg and kicked the man down! The box in the man¡¯s arms fell to the side, scaring the passersby. Su Cheng carried Xiaohu over and patted the dust on his butt. ¡°Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?¡± Xiaohu stretched out his small hand on the ground and said in a childish voice, ¡°Hand! Hand! It hurts!¡± Su Cheng looked at the child¡¯s red palm and his expression darkened. That person got up and was about to fight with Su Cheng when he was stopped by a middle-aged man who came out of the shop. ¡°Stop!¡± The middle-aged man had the token of the Protectorate of the Public House. Chapter 214 - 214 Father and Daughter 214 Father and Daughter The man stopped. ¡°Steward Zhang.¡± Steward Zhang said, ¡°It¡¯s your first day on the job. Don¡¯t cause trouble for me. Pick up your things and get in the carriage!¡± The man gritted his teeth, picked up the big box on the ground, glared at Su Cheng, and limped away. Su Cheng grabbed his collar. ¡°Did I let you leave?¡± The man didn¡¯t expect Su Cheng to be asking for trouble when he had already let things rest! ¡°Warrior,¡± Steward Zhang said calmly. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Su Cheng said coldly, ¡°You want to leave just like that after hitting my child?¡± His grandchild would not suffer this grievance! The man mocked, ¡°It was clear that wild child stood in my way¡­¡± ¡°Who did you call a wild child?¡± Su Cheng slapped him! The man staggered to the ground with the box. Steward Zhang¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Grandpa, pee.¡± Erhu wanted to pee. Was he a grandfather at such a young age?Steward Zhang sized up Su Cheng strangely. Su Cheng had a pair of swollen eyes that were like walnuts. It really affected his appearance, but for some reason, Steward Zhang vaguely felt that this person looked familiar. He did not look like someone from a rich family¡­ Su Cheng said arrogantly, ¡°I won¡¯t argue with you today! Don¡¯t let me see you again! Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± With that, he raised his hand. The man on the ground reflexively covered his head with his arm. Su Cheng brought the three little ones to the toilet. The man got up with an aggrieved expression. ¡°Steward Zhang, you saw it too. That person was pestering me endlessly. Why didn¡¯t you let me teach him a lesson?¡± Steward Zhang snorted. ¡°If you didn¡¯t kick his child, would he have come to teach you a lesson?¡± The man said awkwardly, ¡°I didn¡¯t use much strength. I just¡­ swung my leg.¡± Steward Zhang said angrily, ¡°How old is that child? Can he withstand your kicks?¡± The man muttered, ¡°Isn¡¯t he fine?¡± Steward Zhang said coldly, ¡°I asked you to work for the Protectorate because of Aunt. Don¡¯t cause trouble for me! If you ruin the reputation of the Protectorate, don¡¯t blame me for chasing you out!¡± The aristocratic families cherished their reputation. As workers, they wore the clothes of the Protectorate and held the tokens of the Protectorate. Yet they dared to cause trouble on the streets. Regardless of whether they were instructed to do so, the reputation of the Protectorate would be affected. Steward Zhang went to the alley opposite the street and bowed to a luxurious carriage. ¡°High Duke, I¡¯ve obtained the item.¡± He presented it with both hands. In the carriage, the man addressed as High Duke was the newly appointed Protector Duke, Qin Che. He was about the same age as Su Cheng and was very handsome. His clothes were luxurious and extraordinary, and his shoes were spotless. He took the brocade box from Steward Zhang and asked unhurriedly, ¡°What happened just now?¡± Oh no, the Duke had seen him. Steward Zhang secretly sweated and smiled awkwardly. ¡°A child accidentally bumped into Wang Dazhu¡¯s leg. That child¡¯s grandfather blamed Wang Dazhu for not dodging in time and knocking down his child. He gave Wang Dazhu a few blows. Wang Dazhu is feeling aggrieved now.¡± ¡°Is the child alright?¡± Qin Che asked with concern. Steward Zhang smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. He bumped into Wang Dazhu himself. Wang Dazhu didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t hit him hard.¡± Qin Che said earnestly, ¡°We can¡¯t let others think that the Duke¡¯s Estate is bullying others.¡± Steward Zhang hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll remember! We won¡¯t embarrass the Duke¡¯s Estate!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Qin Che played with the walnuts he had been holding for several years. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. It¡¯s time to pick Yanran up.¡± The eldest daughter of the Protector Duke, Qin Yanran, was 16 years old and was famous for being a talented woman in the capital. She was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Behind all of this was naturally hard work and sweat, as well as huge financial support. Qin Yanran was learning the zither at the house of a palace musician today. The tuition fee for a musician was expensive. Ordinary families could not afford it. Not long after, Qin Che saw his daughter coming out of the house with the instrument case. Qin Yanran was born shy and was a top beauty in the capital. Coupled with her talent and temperament, she had always been the apple of Qin Che¡¯s eye. ¡°Father.¡± Qin Yanran slowly bowed. Her actions were dignified, and her voice was gentle. This was the bearing of a noble lady. Qin Che smiled dotingly. ¡°Come up.¡± Qin Yanran handed the zither to the maidservant at the side. Her fair fingers gently picked up her flowing dress and gently and elegantly got into the carriage. Qin Yanran¡¯s bearing had been taught by the teachers in the palace. Her every frown, smile, word, and action was indescribably beautiful. It was unknown which family¡¯s laurel was blooming brightly, but in front of Qin Yanran, it immediately lost its beauty. ¡°Why did Father come personally?¡± Qin Yanran sat down on the bench opposite Qin Che. The wheels turned. The carriage was extremely comfortable and luxurious, and it almost did not shake much. Qin Che smiled and said, ¡°I was passing by and came to pick you up. How¡¯s your learning with Master Zhang?¡± Qin Yanran smiled and said, ¡°Master Zhang praised me today. He said that my zither skills have improved greatly. It won¡¯t be long before I can play ¡®Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix¡¯ with him.¡± Qin Che raised his eyebrows. ¡°Oh?¡± Qin Che actually did not know music, let alone understand what song this so-called ¡°Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix¡± was. For the song to be discussed in this way by his daughter, it must be an extremely difficult song. Qin Che said, ¡°Counting the days, the Third Prince should be returning to the capital. Our Yanran will be the Imperial Consort soon. You might not know, but when you were born, a monk gave the Protectorate of the Public House an order. He said that the daughter of the Protectorate has the life of the little phoenix. In the future, she will definitely be the mother of the world!¡± Qin Yanran looked around. ¡°Father! Be careful with your words.¡± The Third Prince was not from the Central Palace. If anyone heard this, they would probably be labeled as traitors. Qin Che laughed. ¡°I¡¯m just telling you. Don¡¯t worry, Father won¡¯t announce it to the public. However, if you really marry the Third Prince, then Father will help the Third Prince ascend to the throne even if I have to use my military power and family strength!¡± Qin Yanran knew her limits and did not indulge in this topic. ¡°By the way, this is for you.¡± Qin Che handed Qin Yanran a brocade box. It was the one that Steward Zhang had taken out of the shop just now. Qin Yanran opened it and a trace of surprise flashed across her beautiful eyes. ¡°Father! This is¡­ a necklace of South Sea Shark Beads?¡± The so-called South Sea Shark Bead was actually a top-notch pearl produced in the South Sea. It was larger, rounder and fuller than ordinary pearls. It was priceless. It was difficult for ordinary people to even take a look, but Qin Che bought a whole string for Qin Yanran. It was obvious how rich the Protectorate was. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Qin Che asked. ¡°I like it,¡± Qin Yanran said sincerely. ¡°Thank you, Father.¡± ¡­ On the other side, after Erhu finished peeing, Dahu and Xiaohu also peed. Su Cheng brought the three little ones to the market. When he passed by a stall, Su Cheng saw a beaded headband. His daughter¡¯s headband was old and she could not bear to change it. Chapter 215 - 215 Fatherly Love 215 Fatherly Love ¡°How much is the headband?¡± Su Cheng asked. ¡°Two taels,¡± the peddler said. ¡°So expensive?¡± Su Cheng said. ¡°You¡¯re not ripping me off, did you?¡± In the countryside, a headband was only three or four copper coins! The vendor explained, ¡°These are real pearls. One costs more than a hundred copper coins!¡± Su Cheng had never worn clothes worth more than a hundred copper coins. He took out his money bag and counted a few scattered pieces of silver. He gritted his teeth and bought them. ¡­ At the Marquis of Northern Zhen¡¯s Estate, Su Xiaoxiao ended the treatment for the day. Physician Fu was sweating. He was not tired, but frightened. When he saw Su Xiaoxiao stick something unknown into the Old Marquis¡¯s nose, he was shocked. Later on, she inserted needles into the Old Marquis. Those acupoints were so dangerous that he usually did not dare to touch them. He had to have a strong heart to make house calls with this girl. Su Xiaoxiao opened the door. ¡°You can come in now.¡± Su Mo took a deep breath. As he entered the house, he suppressed his nervousness and asked, ¡°How¡¯s my grandfather?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The poison is almost cured, but he¡¯s not completely out of danger.¡± Su Mo¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°What poison is it¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said truthfully. Su Mo responded, ¡°How did you cure him if you¡¯re not sure?¡± He glanced at his grandfather on the bed. He was not a physician, and he could tell that his grandfather¡¯s expression was not so bad anymore. His breathing was much smoother, and he did not seem to be in so much pain. His tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little. ¡°What did you put in my grandfather¡¯s nose?¡± ¡°Nasal feeding tube. It¡¯s for the medicine.¡± Su Mo looked suspicious. He glanced at the small medicine box on the table again. There were no bottles and jars that doctors often filled, but some¡­ things that he could not name at all. Su Xiaoxiao closed the small medicine box quietly. Su Mo retracted his gaze. ¡°Since the poison has been cured, why hasn¡¯t my grandfather woken up?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The poison has been cured, but the patient is still sick.¡± ¡°You are the one who¡¯s¡­¡± Su Mo took a deep breath. Forget it, his grandfather was indeed sick¡­ No, why did these words sound so wrong? ¡°Your grandfather has a heart disease.¡± Su Xiaoxiao tried her best to use words that Su Mo could understand. Su Mo was slightly puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a cold and spleen and stomach disorder?¡± This was what the Imperial Physician had diagnosed when his grandfather vomited. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°The patient¡¯s early symptoms are indeed easily misdiagnosed as cold and spleen and stomach dysfunction.¡± Su Mo continued, ¡°But it did improve after taking the medicine¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked unhurriedly, ¡°His diet was especially light during the few days he took the medicine, right?¡± Su Mo looked at the servant at the door. The servant entered the house and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°You have to be strict with your diet when consuming Chinese medicine. The patient¡¯s illness is also related to his diet. If his diet is light, his body will feel better. However, the patient only improved a little and hasn¡¯t been completely cured, right?¡± The servant stammered, ¡°Ah, right.¡± Su Mo looked at Su Xiaoxiao deeply. If not for the fact that she had no contact with the Marquis Mansion, he would have suspected that she had understood his grandfather¡¯s condition in advance. ¡°You learned well from Doctor Fu.¡± She spoke logically and did not look like a disciple who had yet to graduate. Physician Fu coughed. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Oh, we make do. Remember to circulate more air in the house. Don¡¯t close the doors and windows so tightly. It¡¯s not good for the patient¡¯s condition.¡± Su Mo subconsciously frowned. She kept calling him a patient and was completely drawing a line with the Marquis Mansion. If he had some doubts at first, at this moment, he really felt that the little girl¡¯s reason for coming to the capital had nothing to do with acknowledging her family. The Old Marquis was not out of danger. Physician Fu stayed to take care of him while Su Xiaoxiao went back first. Su Mo had no objections. If Su Xiaoxiao, his disciple, stayed, he would probably be concerned. ¡­ After leaving the Marquis Mansion, Su Xiaoxiao took the Marquis Mansion¡¯s carriage back to Pear Blossom Lane. The three little ones were already waiting at the door. As soon as Su Xiaoxiao got out of the carriage, the three of them pounced into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arms. They had been stuck together every day and were no longer used to being separated from Su Xiaoxiao. The three of them felt wronged and buried their faces in her arms, unwilling to get up. Su Xiaoxiao rubbed the heads of the three of them in amusement. ¡°Are you so aggrieved?¡± The three of them nodded. Actually, they were so aggrieved not only because they could not see their mother when they woke up¡­ Xiaohu waved his hand and complained, ¡°Grandpa bought candy residue. It¡¯s not delicious!¡± He didn¡¯t remember being pushed to the ground, but he remembered that the candied hawthorn wasn¡¯t delicious. Erhu also said, ¡°My teeth are sore.¡± Dahu did not say anything. He secretly brought sugar and ate the candy with it. It was not sour. Father Su walked over. ¡°Isn¡¯t this for your own good? Children can¡¯t eat too much sugar.¡± Erhu complained, ¡°But you can¡¯t buy only hawthorn.¡± Father Su cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem, you still know about that?¡± ¡°Granny Du has it.¡± Erhu had seen it at Granny Du¡¯s. Hawthorn was cheap. One could buy a few for two copper coins. The expensive thing was sugar. After being exposed, Father Su still said confidently, ¡°Children can¡¯t eat candy!¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t undermine her father and said to the three little ones, ¡°Grandpa is right. You really should eat less candy. Otherwise, Dahu and Erhu will have bad teeth like Xiaohu.¡± The three of them covered their mouths at the mention of bad teeth. Father Su went to the nearby market to buy the ingredients. Although Father Su looked unreasonable all day, the things he bought were of good quality and cheap. Su Xiaoxiao seriously suspected that it was due to his looks that¡­ During this period, Zhong Shan came once and transported charcoal and firewood over. He had wanted to clean up the courtyard, but he realized that it was very clean. Zhong Shan was stunned for a moment. It was unknown if he was thinking about something or looking at someone. When Su Xiaoxiao came out after making a pancake, he had already left silently. Dinner was onion pancakes and soup, a bowl of steamed eggs, and a plate of stir-fried cabbage. The prices in the capital were too high, so Father Su did not buy meat. The three little fellows were very sensible and did not argue about eating meat. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t have to save it.¡± Su Cheng said nonchalantly, ¡°Sigh, aren¡¯t you on a diet? If we have a room full of people eating meat, how uncomfortable would it be for you to just watch? Besides, it¡¯s fine if you eat a meal without meat.¡± After dinner, Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Su Cheng brought something in. ¡°Here.¡± He handed the thing in his hand to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Cheng had wrapped the item with a handkerchief himself. The things at the stall were not wrapped so well. Su Xiaoxiao wiped her hands dry and took it. When she opened the handkerchief, she realized that it was a red beaded headband. The beads were white and echoed the red color of the headband. The color was very bright. ¡°It¡¯s not cheap, is it?¡± These were real pearls. ¡°It¡¯s not expensive. Just two taels,¡± Father Su said. Wasn¡¯t two taels expensive? He was someone who wouldn¡¯t even spare five copper coins. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know what to say. He couldn¡¯t bear to eat meat, but he was willing to spend two taels of silver to buy her a headband. This father had always been very good to her. Chapter 216 - 216 Arrogant 216 Arrogant Su Xiaoxiao removed the old headband and tied her hair with the new one. Her facial features were extremely good to begin with. Coupled with the effects of vitamins and collagen, her originally dark skin became fair and supple. With her cute round face, she was the most beautiful little girl in the world in Father Su¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oh dear.¡± Father Su suddenly sighed. Su Xiaoxiao was confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dad? Doesn¡¯t it look good on me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± Father Su said. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Then why are you sighing?¡± Father Su looked at the sky melancholicly. ¡°Sigh, why do you think my son-in-law isn¡¯t here yet?¡± Back then, when she left Wei Ting in the capital, Su Xiaoxiao said that saving the patient was more important. Wei Ting still had some things to deal with, so they could not wait for him. Father Su pondered and said, ¡°Could it be that my son-in-law can¡¯t find us? Are you sure you told him we¡¯re here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡­As if. Wei Ting took the water route. Logically speaking, he was not much slower than Su Xiaoxiao and the others. However, Wei Ting¡¯s journey was not peaceful. He was ambushed every few days and the attacks delayed his progress. ¡°Hahaha! What did I say? Xiao Zhonghua won¡¯t let it go easily!¡± Yuchi Xiu, who was dressed in black, excitedly pulled out his sword. He tapped the tip of his foot and flew up to kill the assassin blocking the way. The man in white protected the carriage. It was unknown how many waves of assassins there were. In the beginning, the other party only sent three to five. It was not even enough to fill the gaps between Yuchi Xiu¡¯s teeth. Later on, the other party sent more people, from six to eight to ten. Even if there were people who slipped over under Yuchi Xiu¡¯s nose, they were blocked by the man in white. In short, after a few rounds of assassination, they did not even touch the curtain of the carriage, let alone snatch the Commander¡¯s Seal from Wei Ting. Tonight, they seemed to have made up their minds not to return empty-handed. They mobilized 30 top assassins in the martial world in one go. In addition, they also set up an ambush in the canyon. The huge falling rocks successfully blocked their path. The white-robed man and Yuchi Xiu fell into a chaotic battle and could not split up. An assassin approached the carriage. The assassin lifted the curtain! However, where was the youngest son of the Wei family? It was clearly a¡­ scarecrow! There was a piece of white paper stuck to the scarecrow¡¯s chest. Two mocking words were written in bold strokes: Stupid! Yuchi Xiu wrote it himself. The assassin said, ¡°Oh no! We¡¯ve been tricked! They¡¯ve lured us away!¡± ¡°F*ck you!¡± Yuchi Xiu kicked the assassin opposite him away and used his lightness skill to come to the high rock wall. ¡°I¡¯m not playing with you anymore!¡± He raised his sword and slashed down the huge rock on the rock wall. The boulder rumbled down. However the assassins had dealt with them, he returned it many times over. The man in white frowned. Could this guy give a secret signal when he attacked? Did he have a hobby of sacrificing his companions? Fortunately, he dodged quickly and his qinggong was good enough. Otherwise, he would have been smashed to death by the huge rock! The man in white looked at Yuchi Xiu coldly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I won¡¯t be able to dodge in time?¡± Yuchi Xiu said innocently, ¡°Is it my problem that you can¡¯t dodge in time?¡± ¡°How could you be so unreasonable?¡± The man in white was speechless. How could Young Master stand this guy? He had only been with him for a few days and had already wanted to kill him hundreds of times! At sunset, the capital¡¯s door slowly closed. A carriage sped over. The guard said, ¡°The city gate is closed! Come back tomorrow!¡± The city gate was on a winch. It was not easy to open and close it. Most of it was already closed, and they could not be bothered to open it again. The carriage window was pushed open and a slender jade-like hand handed over a token. The moment the guard saw the token clearly, his expression changed fiercely. He hurriedly took a step back and cupped his hands to apologize. ¡°I was blind! I¡¯ll open the city gate for you now!¡± The city gate opened. Wei Ting pulled down the window expressionlessly. The carriage entered the city. The secret guard disguised as a coachman asked, ¡°Young Master, where are we going now? Are we returning to the residence or¡­¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Can I already return to the residence? Do you want the Emperor to punish the Wei family for deceiving the emperor?¡± The secret guard hurriedly said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± The secret guard continued, ¡°Then¡­ to the Dragon Temple?¡± This time, it couldn¡¯t be wrong, right? He was supposed to be cultivating at the Dragon Temple to protect the country. His Majesty couldn¡¯t punish him, right¡­ Wei Ting snorted. ¡°Do you think Xiao Zhonghua can¡¯t guess that I¡¯m returning to the temple? Do you want me to walk into a trap?¡± The secret guard was speechless. This would not do, and that would not do. Where was he going?! Wei Ting said, ¡°Grandmaster asked someone to bring me a letter. Read it to me.¡± The secret guard mumbled, ¡°No, why do you want me to read your letter? ¡± ¡°My lord, I can¡¯t read.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll read it to you.¡± The secret guard muttered, ¡°Uh¡­ there¡¯s no need¡­¡± The secret guard had stayed in the Wei family for a few years and had never seen Wei Ting so restless. What happened in the countryside? Young Master had become strange. Wei Ting unfolded the letter. ¡°Forget it, you won¡¯t understand what I mean.¡± ¡°The little girl went to the capital. She misses you very much. Unfortunately, the patient¡¯s condition is critical, so she could only leave first.¡± ¡°You must look for her first when you reach the capital. She¡¯s unfamiliar with the place and has three children. I¡¯m worried that she won¡¯t be used to it.¡± ¡°Most importantly, she misses you very much.¡± The secret guard was stunned. He had a feeling that this was not what was written in the letter, but looking at his young master¡¯s expression, he seemed serious and did not seem to be making things up. Wei Ting sighed helplessly. ¡°Sigh, the Grandmaster asked me to look for her. What can I do?¡± The Matriarch also asked him to return to the residence? Did he listen? Wei Ting placed the letter on the table. The secret guard stole a glance. He was a secret guard after all. His eyesight was extremely good. There were only three words on the paper. He knew the one in the middle. It was Blossom. Therefore, how did his young master¡­ expand those three words with what he said and none of them were related to blossom? ¡°Young Master¡­ where¡­ are we going?¡± He didn¡¯t mention a single point! Where the hell were they going? They¡¯ve walked around the streets a few times! Wei Ting snorted coldly, his gaze cold. ¡°Pear, Blossom, Lane!¡± Chapter 217 - 217 The Real Daughter and the Fake (1) 217 The Real Daughter and the Fake (1) In the afternoon, Su Xiaoxiao went to the streets and shopped at a few medicine shops. She needed to concoct some medicine for the patient, but perhaps because she was used to using Physician Fu¡¯s herbs, she felt that the quality of herbs in the shops was not satisfactory. They walked all the way to the end of Scholar Street and finally found a suitable pharmacy. There were many types of herbs, and the quality was not bad. As for the price¡­ It was wishful thinking to try and get it cheap in the capital. Su Xiaoxiao picked a few herbs and went to the counter to settle the bill. Ordinary people came to buy medicine with prescriptions. Only Su Xiaoxiao would concoct them herself. The medicine boy looked at her strangely. Seeing that she had bought ordinary healing herbs and that they were not expensive, and considering she was not a big client, he did not ask further. ¡°Five taels,¡± the medicine boy said. Su Xiaoxiao took out silver. ¡°Please wrap it up.¡± The medicine boy went to pack the medicine. Su Xiaoxiao waited patiently at the counter. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t wait quietly and would walk around the shop again. Su Xiaoxiao, however, would focus on waiting. Qin Yanran entered the pharmacy at this moment. She was wearing a gorgeous dress and a beautiful jade golden hairpin. There was a white jade tassel around her waist. She was wearing a veil, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes. Such a noble lady was rare in the capital. It was not that there were no noble women in the capital, but with her appearance and bearing, she was at least the daughter of a first-grade duke. The shopkeeper hurriedly put down his work and personally walked out to welcome her with a smile. ¡°May I ask if this girl wants to get medicine or hire a physician¡­¡± Qin Yanran said warmly, ¡°I got someone to order a thousand-year-old ginseng at your shop last time. I wonder if you have it?¡± The shopkeeper patted his head. ¡°Ah, did you order the thousand-year-old ginseng? It just arrived this morning! I kept it for you! I¡¯ll go get it for you now!¡± The shopkeeper ran faster than he was rushing to be reincarnated. The maidservant beside Qin Yanran chuckled. Qin Yanran frowned slightly. ¡°Xing¡¯er, don¡¯t laugh.¡± ¡°No, Miss. Look.¡± Xing¡¯er pointed in the direction of the counter. Qin Yanran followed her finger and saw Su Xiaoxiao waiting quietly. Xing¡¯er whispered, ¡°Miss, she¡¯s so fat.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her calmly and Xing¡¯er was shocked. Qin Yanran met Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze and nodded in apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my servant has acted inappropriately. Miss, please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°The medicine is ready.¡± The medicine boy handed the wrapped medicine bag to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the medicine bag and ignored Qin Yanran as she left the medicine shop. Xing¡¯er muttered, ¡°Miss, why is she like this? She actually ignored you when you spoke to her?¡± ¡°Miss, your thousand-year-old ginseng!¡± The shopkeeper held a brocade box with both hands and walked over with a smile. He looked at the green-faced Xing¡¯er and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Qin Yanran said. ¡°Xing¡¯er.¡± Xing¡¯er took the brocade box. Her young lady¡¯s status was precious. It was impossible for her to personally accept something handed over by a commoner. Qin Yanran paid and brought Xing¡¯er into the carriage. She instructed the coachman, ¡°Go to the Marquis of Zhenbei.¡± In the evening, Su Xiaoxiao had just finished brewing the medicine when Su Mo¡¯s coachman came. ¡°Miss Su, the Old Marquis is awake. Physician Fu wants you to go over.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Su Cheng, who was cultivating in the front yard, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll go out for a while.¡± Su Cheng recognized the coachman and knew that she was going to treat Old Master Su¡¯s father. He didn¡¯t object and only reminded Su Xiaoxiao to come back early. Su Xiaoxiao brought the medicine to the Marquis Mansion. She looked at the unconscious Old Marquis on the bed. ¡°Was he awake?¡± Physician Fu coughed lightly. ¡°He did wake up just now. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Little Quanzi.¡± Little Quanzi was the servant who took care of the old marquis. Little Quanzi hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, Miss Su, it¡¯s just that¡­ he fell asleep again after a while.¡± Su Mo was not around. He should have gone to investigate the matter of the Old Marquis being poisoned. He did not spread the news and secretly investigated. He even asked Physician Fu to keep quiet about it. Su Xiaoxiao took the Old Marquis¡¯s pulse and looked at his pupils. ¡°How¡¯s his blood pressure?¡± ¡°His blood pressure has risen a little,¡± Physician Fu said and yawned. Among the people in the group to the capital, Physician Fu was the weakest. He woke up early today¡­ Su Xiaoxiao said to him, ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch here tonight. Go back and rest.¡± Physician Fu hurriedly said, ¡°No need, no need. I¡¯ll just watch over him.¡± Chapter 218 - 218 The Real Daughter and the Fake (2) 218 The Real Daughter and the Fake (2) ¡°Come and replace me tomorrow morning,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said firmly. In the end, Physician Fu couldn¡¯t persuade Su Xiaoxiao and sat in the Duke Mansion¡¯s carriage. Little Quanzi looked at Physician Fu¡¯s departing back with a puzzled expression. Why did Doctor Fu listen to his disciple so much? Shouldn¡¯t the disciple listen to the master? Was he still her master? ¡­ On the other side, Qin Yanran brought the maidservant into the residence. Qin Yun also lived in the residence. When he heard that his sister was there, he hurriedly rushed out the door. ¡°Sister!¡± Qin Yanran looked at her brother who was walking towards her and smiled. ¡°Ah Yun.¡± Qin Yun grabbed her sleeve and wheedled. ¡°Sister, why did you only come to see me now? I¡¯ve been back for two days! Are you here to bring me back to the residence?¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°I heard that you came back for two days and slept for two days.¡± Qin Yun curled his lips. ¡°Isn¡¯t that because it¡¯s too tiring to travel? I wonder what Cousin is thinking. Must he bring me along? Isn¡¯t it good to let me and Uncle come back?¡± Qin Yanran said warmly, ¡°Granduncle usually dotes on you the most. Now that he¡¯s sick, Eldest Cousin naturally has to bring you back first. By the way, how¡¯s Granduncle¡¯s condition?¡± At the mention of this, Qin Yun¡¯s eyes flashed. Qin Yanran frowned slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t seen Granduncle?¡± Qin Yun said aggrievedly, ¡°You can¡¯t blame me for this¡­ You don¡¯t know how tiring it is to travel¡­ Eldest Cousin didn¡¯t let me rest at all¡­ I almost died of exhaustion on the way¡­ Sister, look, I¡¯ve lost weight¡­¡± Qin Yanran shook her head. ¡°Forget it. Follow me to visit Uncle.¡± Qin Yun muttered, ¡°Then can I return to the residence tonight?¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°Stay here with Granduncle!¡± Qin Yun whispered, ¡°Why¡­ I miss Mom¡­¡± Qin Yanran said sternly, ¡°Granduncle dotes on you so much. Can¡¯t you be filial to him?¡± Qin Yun said listlessly, ¡°I¡¯m filial, but you have to let me return to the residence. Also, you¡¯re clearly the one my grandfather dotes on the most.¡± ¡°You¡­ Sigh.¡± Qin Yanran sighed helplessly. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go.¡± The siblings went to the Old Marquis¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Why don¡¯t I see Cousin?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what he was busy with. I didn¡¯t see him when I woke up.¡± Little Quanzi was smashing walnuts in the courtyard under Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s instructions. Hearing the conversation between the siblings, he quickly stood up. ¡°Cousin, Miss!¡± Qin Yun asked, ¡°What are you doing? I heard you clanking just now. Aren¡¯t you afraid of disturbing my granduncle?¡± Xiao Quanzi smiled and said, ¡°Miss Su asked me to smash a few walnuts.¡± Qin Yanran was slightly stunned. ¡°Miss¡­ Su?¡± The surname of the Duke of Zhenbei was Su, but there was no daughter in the Duke of Zhenbei¡¯s family. If there was, they would not be so distant in their address. Su Xiaoxiao walked out lazily. ¡°Little Quanzi, are you done smashing the walnuts?¡± Qin Yun¡¯s gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao. After a while, he exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± Qin Yanran recognized it too. Wasn¡¯t this the fat girl she had met in the pharmacy? Xing¡¯er¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Aiyaya, Miss, it¡¯s her! It¡¯s her!¡± Qin Yun said, ¡°Wait, Sister, you know her too?¡± Qin Yanran asked, ¡°You know her?¡± Little Quanzi was dumbfounded. ¡°Young Master, Miss, do you¡­ know Miss Su?¡± They really had their own stories. Qin Yanran and Su Xiaoxiao had only met once, so they didn¡¯t know each other. Qin Yun had many entanglements with the Su siblings. At the Su family¡¯s ancestral residence in Qingzhou, he had a fight with Su Ergou. Later, he got someone to ask about Su Ergou¡¯s identity and said that the Su family had invited him to make snacks. The name of the business was Su Ji. They were a pair of siblings. The elder sister was a fatty, and the younger brother was a blackie. Qin Yun originally wanted to bring people to take revenge, but unfortunately, he was reprimanded by Su Yuan. Moreover, Su Yuan ordered him not to cause trouble. Otherwise, he would go back and tell his grandfather. Qin Yun was most afraid of his grandfather. Qin Yun and Su Xiaoxiao had never fought seriously. When Su Xiaoxiao went to settle the bill with Steward Yu, Qin Yun looked at her from afar. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s appearance and characteristics were enough for anyone to remember her. Qin Yun rolled up his sleeves arrogantly. ¡°Alright! I didn¡¯t cause trouble for you, but you came knocking on my door!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Qin Yanran called out to him. Little Quanzi took a few steps forward and stood between the two of them. ¡°Young Master, Miss Su is here to treat the Old Marquis. She is the physician¡¯s¡­¡± Disciple. ¡°Is there a misunderstanding between you and Miss Su?¡± Little Quanzi asked. Qin Yun could not be bothered with a slave. He said to Qin Yanran, ¡°Sister, do you still remember that Su Ji I told you about in the letter? It was her brother who whipped me! My face has been swollen for half a month! I have to make them pay! I¡­ what did you just say? What physician?¡± Qin Yun asked Little Quanzi belatedly. Little Quanzi said awkwardly, ¡°The physician Eldest Young Master invited from Qingzhou.¡± Qin Yun berated, ¡°She¡¯s a chef! How can she know how to treat people? Cousin was most likely deceived by her!¡± What? Miss Su was a chef? Now it was Little Quanzi¡¯s turn to be surprised. However, she was invited back by Eldest Young Master. Little Quanzi could not really let her be harmed by Young Master. Little Quanzi could only bite the bullet and say, ¡°No, no! Young Master, Miss Su is that physician¡¯s disciple¡­¡± Qin Yun exploded. ¡°What disciple? She¡¯s a chef! Oh, I understand. You must be swindling everyone!¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s gaze involuntarily landed on Su Xiaoxiao. Compared to the furious Qin Yun, Su Xiaoxiao was much calmer. She even grabbed a handful of walnuts that Little Quanzi had smashed and ate them with relish. Qin Yanran frowned slightly. A very strange feeling rose in her heart. Chapter 219 - 219 Meeting of Grandfather and Grandchild (1) 219 Meeting of Grandfather and Grandchild (1) Qin Yun berated, ¡°Men! Capture her!¡± ¡°What nonsense!¡± Su Mo¡¯s voice appeared behind them. Qin Yanran frowned and turned around, calling out softly, ¡°Cousin.¡± Qin Yun said, ¡°Cousin, you came at the right time! Why did you invite this girl back as a physician? I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know, right? She¡¯s the chef who made snacks at the ancestral residence last time! She doesn¡¯t know medicine! You were deceived by her!¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°Ah Yun, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Since Eldest Cousin invited her back, he must have understood Miss Su¡¯s ability.¡± ¡°The walnuts are not bad. Smash two more.¡± After Su Xiaoxiao finished speaking to Little Quanzi, she turned around and entered the house. Little Quanzi wiped his cold sweat. This girl was really bold¡­ Qin Yun was furious. ¡°Cousin! Look at her!¡± Su Mo said sternly, ¡°Shut up! Your granduncle is seriously ill in bed and needs to recuperate.¡± This was the first time Qin Yun had been scolded by his eldest cousin. He felt extremely aggrieved. ¡°She asked someone to smash walnuts. Why didn¡¯t you say anything about the noise?¡± A trace of surprise flashed across Qin Yanran¡¯s eyes. The Su family doted on her and Qin Yun very much. They could not even bear to say a harsh word¡­ ¡°If you¡¯re here to visit, go in obediently. If you¡¯re here to cause trouble, I¡¯ll get someone to send you back to the residence immediately!¡± Su Mo was in a bad mood. His grandfather had been poisoned and he had no clue after investigating for a day. His grandfather was not out of danger. It was fine if Qin Yun did not obediently visit him, but he actually caused trouble here. Qin Yanran said softly, ¡°Cousin, can I go see Grandpa? I brought Grandpa ginseng soup.¡± Su Mo¡¯s expression softened. The Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s residence had its waves of flourish and decline. In three generations, there was only one girl, and that was his Grandaunt. Therefore, as a cousin, Qin Yanran undoubtedly obtained the love of the entire residence. Unlike Qin Yun, she was not spoiled. On the contrary, she was very sensible. It was no wonder that Su Mo¡¯s grandfather doted on her the most. Su Mo brought her into the room. The room was filled with a thick medicinal fragrance. The Old Marquis was lying on the dark bed like a withered corpse. It was not difficult to make unlucky associations. Qin Yun was a little afraid and did not dare to go forward. Qin Yanran came to the bed dutifully and took out a handkerchief to gently wipe the Old Marquis¡¯s forehead. Su Xiaoxiao sat in a chair and nibbled on a walnut. Qin Yanran asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Miss Su, what illness does my uncle have?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ask Eldest Young Master. I¡¯ve told him everything I need to.¡± Qin Yun said coldly, ¡°What attitude!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. Do you dare to listen?¡± Su Mo¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°It¡¯s a heart condition,¡± he said. ¡°Grandfather has a heart condition.¡± Qin Yanran asked worriedly, ¡°Why did he suffer from heart disease? Grandpa is a martial artist and has always been in good health.¡± Qin Yun chuckled. ¡°Sister, Cousin, they¡¯re quacks. Do you believe her words?¡± Qin Yanran didn¡¯t answer her brother¡¯s words. Instead, she instructed the servant at the door, ¡°Little Quanzi, go and simmer the ginseng soup. My granduncle will drink it when he wakes up later.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The patient can¡¯t drink ginseng soup.¡± Qin Yun gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Stupid girl! You did it on purpose! Why can¡¯t he drink the ginseng soup that my sister made herself?¡± Su Xiaoxiao finished the walnut in her hand and clapped her hands. ¡°The patient is weak and can¡¯t take nourishment. If you want his life, let him drink it.¡± Qin Yun glared. ¡°You cursed my granduncle!¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned in frustration. She did not have much patience with these so-called hedonistic sons. She did not care how others spoiled him. She didn¡¯t want to hear them chatter. ¡°Unrelated people, get out.¡± Qin Yun almost fell back in anger! What did this brat say? Unrelated people? He was the young master of the Protectorate! The person lying on the bed was his grandmother¡¯s biological brother! If anyone wanted to get lost, it should be her! Qin Yun couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Ignoring that this was the Old Marquis¡¯s ward, he raised his fist and smashed it at Su Xiaoxiao angrily! Qin Yanran¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Ah Yun! Stop!¡± She reached out to grab him, but how could she? Su Mo was far away from him and could not stop him in time. Just as everyone thought that Su Xiaoxiao was going to take a punch from him, Su Xiaoxiao easily grabbed his wrist and twisted it, causing him to fall to the ground. She placed her knee on his back and pressed him down. Qin Yun was placed in an extremely uncomfortable and humiliating position. He was furious! The dignified Little High Duke of the Protectorate was actually pressed to the ground by a little girl! Where was he going to put his face? Why was this pair of siblings so good at fighting? Chapter 220 - 220 Meeting of Grandfather and Grandchild (2) 220 Meeting of Grandfather and Grandchild (2) However, without Jing Yi backing her up, Qin Yun was not afraid of her! He shouted, ¡°Stupid girl! I¡¯ll get Granduncle to kill you!¡± Su Mo did not expect the little girl¡¯s movement technique to be so fast. Her capture technique seemed to have been practiced. It was clean, ruthless, and accurate, with a heroic aura. It was difficult to imagine that such a round and chubby body actually contained such terrifying explosive power. ¡°Cousin!¡± Qin Yanran looked at Su Mo anxiously. It was Qin Yun¡¯s fault. Su Xiaoxiao had not provoked him. It was fine if he had spoken ill of others, but he even tried to beat her up. Su Mo really wanted Qin Yun to learn a lesson, but when he met Qin Yanran¡¯s pleading gaze, he sighed imperceptibly. ¡°Su¡­¡± Before he could finish, a weak voice came from the Old Marquis¡¯s throat. Su Mo immediately looked at his grandfather and saw his eyes slowly open. His expression lit up as he strode to the bed. ¡°Grandpa! You¡¯re awake?¡± Qin Yanran hurriedly looked at the Old Marquis with a trace of surprise. ¡°Granduncle!¡± When Qin Yun heard that the Old Marquis had woken up, he immediately became arrogant. ¡°Granduncle! Someone bullied me! Hurry up and teach her a lesson for me!¡± The Old Marquis¡¯s gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao. Qin Yun immediately became smug. ¡°Hurry up and let go of me!¡± His grandfather was awake. This brat was dead meat! Little Quanzi, who had been watching at the door for a long time, silently held his forehead. It was over. Miss Su was finished. The Old Marquis doted on this pair of siblings the most. He doted on them more than his biological son and grandsons. It was as though his son and grandsons were picked up from the streets, and the Qin siblings were biological. If not for the fact that the three generations looked too similar, someone would really suspect so. However, the Old Marquis did not say a word. Of course, it was also possible that he was too weak to say anything. He looked straight at Su Xiaoxiao, his eyes sparkling. Su Mo looked at his grandfather deeply and pondered for a moment. He said to the three people in the house, ¡°Miss Su, please come over and take a look at my grandfather. Yanran, bring Ah Yun back to the residence first.¡± Qin Yanran: ¡°¡­Got it, Cousin.¡± Su Xiaoxiao let go of Qin Yun and Qin Yanran helped him up. Qin Yun still wanted to complain but was pulled away by Qin Yanran. The moment she crossed the threshold, Qin Yanran turned around. She wondered if it was her imagination. After her granduncle woke up, he kept staring at the little girl. His gaze did not look like he was looking at a stranger. After leaving the courtyard, Qin Yun snorted unhappily. ¡°Sister, why did you pull me out? Can¡¯t you see that I was bullied like that? I must get Granduncle to teach her a lesson!¡± Qin Yanran said in a low voice, ¡°Stop fooling around! Granduncle is so ill, you should be concerned about his health! You shouldn¡¯t disturb him with such trivial matters!¡± Qin Yun refuted, ¡°Is it a small matter that I was beaten up? Sister! Ever since you were engaged to the Third Prince, you seem to have become a different person! You keep talking about the rules!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You did! I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore! I¡¯ll go back and tell Father and Grandfather! Let them avenge me!¡± Qin Yanran felt a headache as she watched Qin Yun leave angrily. ¡­ Su Mo was not a fool. What Qin Yanran could notice, he naturally noticed too. Moreover, because he knew a certain amount of inside information, he did not think that it was his imagination like Qin Yanran. Her grandfather looked at the little girl differently. In the past, his grandfather doted on Qin Yanran and Qin Yun the most. However, today, just as the little girl appeared, his grandfather¡¯s attention was all on her. He did not seem to notice Qin Yanran and Qin Yun in the room. Unfortunately, the poison in the Old Marquis¡¯s body had yet to be cleared. He only woke up for a while, but before he could even say anything, he fell asleep weakly again. The commotion just now gave Su Mo a headache. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡± Su Mo said. ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him strangely. Su Mo said, ¡°You and your master are physicians invited by the residence. It was my negligence to let Qin Yun cause trouble in front of you.¡± He was not someone who shied away from responsibility. In addition, he had never seen his grandaunt before. His feelings for her were not as deep as those of his grandfather and father. Therefore, his bloodline towards his grandaunt was not so much love as a form of filial piety to his grandfather and father. Without interference from his grandfather and father, his attitude towards Qin Yun was considered fair and just. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care. Qin Yun and Su Mo were different persons. She would not mix them up. Qin Yun came over to cause trouble, causing Su Mo to remember that Qin Yun had slept for two days. Su Mo said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°I almost forgot. You¡¯ve been traveling for a month. You must be exhausted. I¡¯ll get the servants to keep watch over Grandpa. Go to the room next door and rest for a while. I¡¯ll call you if there¡¯s anything.¡± Su Xiaoxiao gave him a look that said she couldn¡¯t leave. Su Mo looked down and saw his unconscious grandfather holding her hand tightly. ¡­ The Old Marquis woke up in the middle of the night. Su Xiaoxiao sat on the stool and fell asleep at the head of the bed. She felt the movement in her palm and immediately looked up at the Old Marquis on the bed. ¡°You¡¯re awake? How do you feel? Are you feeling unwell?¡± The Old Marquis looked at her in a daze, his hoarse voice trembling. ¡°Fatty¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked strangely. ¡°Eh? You know my name?¡± ¡°Fatty¡­¡± The Old Marquis called her Fatty a few more times and fell asleep in a daze. Su Mo came over close to dawn. He continued to investigate the poisoning. He had not slept all night and was visibly haggard and tired. ¡°How¡¯s Grandpa?¡± Even his voice was much hoarse. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°He woke up once last night, about half an hour ago. He was not too conscious, but his pulse is smoother than yesterday. If his condition doesn¡¯t worsen today, he¡¯ll be considered to have passed the critical period.¡± Su Mo let out a long sigh. Then, he asked, ¡°What did my grandfather say when he woke up?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°He called me¡­ Fatty. How did he know my name?¡± Su Mo was puzzled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you called Daya?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°A nickname.¡± When the villagers saw that she was fat, they called her Fatty from Daya. Su Mo sized her up. ¡°That¡¯s quite an image.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Mo paused. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t tell Grandpa your name.¡± Chapter 221 - 221 Reunion (1) 221 Reunion (1) When it was almost noon, Su Yuan, Su Qi, Su Yu, and the others returned to the capital. The first thing Su Qi and Su Yu did was fight to visit their grandfather. ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± The two brothers tugged at each other, neither giving in. In the end, Su Yu took half a step ahead of his second brother and squeezed into the Old Marquis¡¯s house. The brothers, who had been arguing outside, immediately fell silent as soon as they entered the Old Marquis¡¯s room. Seeing that their grandfather, who could still practice boxing in the courtyard before they set off, lie weakly on the sick bed, their eyes turned red. ¡°What happened to Grandpa?¡± Su Yu choked. The letter said that their grandfather¡¯s health was not good, but they did not expect it to be so bad. Su Qi blamed himself. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If I had known¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have gone to the crowning ceremony¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Second Brother.¡± It was rare for Su Yu not to undermine Second Brother. ¡°You can¡¯t help much in the residence.¡± Su Qi sniffed. ¡°At least I can accompany Grandpa¡­¡± Su Yu said, ¡°Second Brother, don¡¯t think too highly of yourself.¡± Su Qi was speechless. Su Yuan also came over to see the Old Marquis. Then, he went to the study next door with a pained heart. ¡°What did Physician Fu say?¡± Su Yuan asked. Su Mo did not hide anything from his father. ¡°He was poisoned. He also has heart disease.¡± Su Yuan was shocked and grabbed the armrest of the chair. ¡°What? How did your grandfather get poisoned?¡± The heart illness was surprising, but the poisoning was even more unbelievable. Su Mo said, ¡°I¡¯m secretly investigating, but I still have no clue. I¡¯ve asked Grandpa about his daily diet, and there¡¯s nothing strange. We can rule out the possibility that he was accidentally poisoned.¡± The so-called accidental poisoning referred to the suppression of food. Such a situation was rare, but it was not unheard of. The Old Marquis¡¯ poison clearly did not belong to such a situation. Su Mo continued, ¡°I suspect¡­ that someone poisoned Grandpa, but I haven¡¯t found out how or where.¡± Su Yuan nodded and agreed with his son¡¯s guess. ¡°Who would poison your grandfather?¡± Su Mo said seriously, ¡°My grandfather has been in the military his entire life. He¡¯s upright and has made countless enemies. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s very difficult to lock in the murderer based on the motive. From the perspective of the beneficiaries, the first beneficiary is actually Father.¡± Su Yuan hesitated. Su Mo said, ¡°If Grandpa passes away, Father can smoothly inherit the position of Marquis of Zhenbei. I know that Father won¡¯t frame Grandpa, but the officials in the court and the citizens in the capital all know that Grandpa had a big fight with Father a few months ago. Grandpa even threatened to abolish Father¡¯s position as the heir and return the title of Marquis to the Imperial Court.¡± Su Yuan smiled bitterly. ¡°So, in order to protect my title, I¡¯m very likely to attack your grandfather.¡± Su Mo¡¯s eyes were firm. ¡°Father won¡¯t, but rumors will cause trouble.¡± Su Yuan naturally wouldn¡¯t harm his father. He understood that his son trusted him. His son was stating the facts and crushing all the clues to analyze them objectively and impartially. He was proud to have such a son. Seeing that his father was not turned off, Su Mo was relieved and continued, ¡°Grandpa has military power. If he dies, he will benefit many military families, the Wei family, the Murong family, the Qin family, and the Leng family.¡± Su Yuan shook his head. ¡°The Qin and Su families are dead. Without your grandfather, the Qin family¡¯s power in the Imperial Court will be weakened. The Qin family won¡¯t frame your grandfather. As for the Wei family and the Leng family¡­¡± Su Yuan fell silent. The entanglement between the Wei and Su families could not be explained in a few words. Su Mo continued, ¡°By the way, Father, there¡¯s one more thing.¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°Tell me.¡± Su Mo frowned. ¡°Did Grandpa¡­ investigate Miss Su?¡± Su Yuan was puzzled. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Su Mo said, ¡°Miss Su has a nickname in the countryside. Her name is Fatty. I don¡¯t remember mentioning it to Grandpa, but Miss Su said that when Grandpa woke up, he called her Fatty.¡± Su Yuan suddenly became excited. Su Mo looked at him strangely. ¡°Father?¡± Su Yuan calmed himself down. ¡°Aunt was a little fatty when she was young. Father always called her Fatty¡­¡± Su Mo looked at the portraits of his aunts hanging in the study. The girl in the portrait had a graceful figure and was not fat at all! Su Yuan coughed lightly. ¡°Aunt gave the painter 200 taels of silver to make her thinner.¡± A person could be fat, but not her portrait! Before she got married, his aunt¡¯s portrait somehow landed among the commoners. The entire capital knew that the Su family had a fairy-like beauty. Countless children were infatuated with his aunt, crazy about her, and banging against the wall for her! Chapter 222 - 222 Reunion (2) 222 Reunion (2) Su Mo¡¯s expression was complicated. Was she a little thinner? The painter had simply dug out half of her grandaunt! ¡­ The sky was bright when a carriage stopped in the silent Pear Blossom Lane. The secret guard said with huge dark circles under his eyes, ¡°Young Master, we¡¯ve been waiting all night. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to knock on the door? What are you conflicted about? Tell me, I¡¯ll settle it for you, okay?¡± Wei Ting snorted coldly. Didn¡¯t she wake up early in the countryside? They started making snacks at midnight. Had she become lazy in the capital? Wei Ting¡¯s carriage was at the door and he had been bitching for most of the night. If his young master¡¯s anger could kill, the secret guard felt that no one in Pear Blossom Alley would survive. Finally, there was movement in the courtyard. Wei Ting¡¯s ears pricked up and he immediately dusted his long wide sleeves. He had recovered his identity, so he was naturally no longer dressed like a farmer. He was dressed in a wide white robe and a dark-colored gauze shirt with fur. An exquisite jade belt was tied around his strong waist. From afar, he looked ethereal like an immortal. Up close, he was as peerless as jade. The clear light of the Night Pearl rippled in the carriage and landed on his jade-like face, making him look even more clear and handsome. With such a good appearance, even the most beautiful woman had to admit that she was inferior. ¡°The carriage window,¡± he instructed coldly. The secret guard got out of the carriage and raised the window. Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s too high.¡± The secret guard muttered, ¡°Are you picking an angle?¡± Creak. The courtyard door opened. Wei Ting sat handsomely and coldly. Unfortunately, it was Physician Fu. Physician Fu did not know Wei Ting. He glanced at the carriage parked opposite and left. Creak. The courtyard door opened again. Wei Ting continued to sit upright. It was Su Ergou. He did not recognize his new brother-in-law¡­ mainly because he did not look. He took the foal out to poop and returned to the courtyard. Wei Ting was speechless. The third to come out was Father Su. He was not awake at all. He heard the horse snort and thought that his daughter had returned. He glanced at it in a daze. ¡°Ah¡­ not my daughter.¡± He returned to the house to sleep. Wei Ting was speechless again. Was he still Father Su¡¯s most doted son-in-law? The secret guard suddenly pitied his young master. After waiting for the entire night, he was treated as air by the inhabitants of the courtyard one after another. What was going on? Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s a little stuffy in the carriage.¡± The secret guard said, ¡°Uh¡­ Then do you want to come down for a walk?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Since you insist, I¡¯ll listen to you this time.¡± The secret guard was dumbfounded. What did he insist on? Wei Ting alighted from the carriage coolly and came to the unlatched courtyard door. Coincidentally, the three little ones also got up. They wanted to see if their mother was back and pulled open the heavy wooden door. Then, they saw a towering figure. Wei Ting uttered, ¡°Heh.¡± The three little ones looked at him in a daze for three seconds! In the next second, the three little ones worked together and closed the door with a bang! Not good! Stinky father was here to snatch them! ¡°Uncle!¡± The three little ones hugged Su Ergou¡¯s thigh. Su Ergou asked, ¡°What?¡± Dahu said, ¡°Don¡¯t go out.¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°I have to buy buns. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± They were hungry¡­ The three little ones rolled their eyes as they thought of a solution. Xiaohu pointed with his small hand. ¡°Through the back door!¡± Erhu went to the kitchen to get the basket for groceries. Dahu stood on his tiptoes and took the latch off the back door. This was the first time Su Ergou had enjoyed the star-level service of these three little ones. He scratched his head. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± At the front door, Wei Ting laughed angrily. Little brats, did they not want their father anymore after not seeing him for a month? Look at what that woman had done to his sons. The secret guard said, ¡°Young Master, were those three children just now Young Masters?¡± Wei Ting rushed over on the way to the capital. He only learned about what had happened along the way from Yuchi Xiu, but he had never seen the Su family and the young masters. ¡°It¡¯s all because of her!¡± Wei Ting snorted coldly. ¡°When I see her later, see how I deal with her!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the Su family¡¯s carriage arrived. ¡°Miss Su, we¡¯re here,¡± the coachman said. Wei Ting walked over coldly and lifted the curtain. The coachman said in surprise, ¡°Hey! Who are you¡­¡± The secret guard¡¯s sword was pressed against the coachman¡¯s neck. Wei Ting held back his anger all the way. He thought of a hundred ways to teach someone a lesson, but before he could flare up, he saw a tired face. Su Xiaoxiao stayed up all night and fell asleep from exhaustion in the carriage. Chapter 223 - 223 Reunion (3) 223 Reunion (3) Wei Ting reached out coldly and carried her down from the carriage. The coachman was dumbfounded. The secret guards were not much better. Where was the lesson? Wei Ting carried a certain soft little fatty and could feel that she was lighter. Wei Ting frowned and entered the house with a dark expression. The secret guard opened his mouth. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Go buy some meat.¡± The secret guard was speechless. ¡­ The three little ones only followed Su Ergou to buy buns. After buying them, they refused to go back. Su Ergou thought that they had been holding it in at home, so he did not suspect much. It was just that¡­ after walking for a long time, he was not tired, but he was thirsty. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and have a drink before coming out to play.¡± He only said to the three little ones. The three little ones shook their heads. ¡°Rice wine,¡± Xiaohu said. This was the most accurate pronunciation he had ever made. There was indeed a shop nearby that sold rice wine and various buns. Su Ergou swallowed. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± After all, he had earned 60 taels of silver and could afford a few bowls of rice wine. As such, he brought his three nephews in to drink rice wine. Enemies were bound to meet on a narrow road. He had actually encountered Qin Yun. To be precise, Qin Yun had discovered him. Qin Yun had suffered with Su Xiaoxiao yesterday and wanted to complain to his grandfather and father. Unexpectedly, the two of them were busy until midnight before returning. He had already fallen asleep. When he woke up this morning, the two of them went to court again. He was filled with anger and was worried that he had nowhere to vent it. Coincidentally, he saw Su Ergou! Su Ergou¡¯s whip was too ruthless. When he saw Su Ergou, his face hurt. He was on the second floor, and Su Ergou and the three children were in the lobby. The shops in the capital changed frequently, but there were also some unique old shops that did not fold. For example, the noodle shop that day and this restaurant today. ¡°I¡¯m actually eating with such a person. How unlucky!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the little High Duke?¡± The young master of the Zhang family, Zhang Xun, who was sitting opposite him, said, ¡°After knowing that the Little High Duke is returning to the capital, we skipped class to welcome you. Aren¡¯t we considerate enough?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not you,¡± Qin Yun said angrily. ¡°A wretched slave who doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him.¡± Another young master surnamed Li said, ¡°Oh? Which servant actually dares to offend our Little High Duke?¡± Who was Qin Yun? Qin Yun was the only son and the future heir of the Duke¡¯s Protector¡¯s Estate. His biological sister was about to marry a prince. In the entire capital, there were probably not many people who dared to provoke this young duke. Qin Yun said coldly, ¡°The kid I mentioned to you in my letter!¡± ¡°Him? He came to the capital?¡± The third young master, Sun Kuang, stood up and began to size up the hall. The few of them were profligate sons. Qin Yun¡¯s scoundrel friends usually curried favor with him, so they naturally would not let go of this opportunity. ¡°The one with the three children?¡± Sun Kuang asked. Young Master Li and Zhang Xun also came over to take a look. Young Master Li said, ¡°Yo, triplets. How rare. They look quite¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Young Master Zhang coughed heavily. Young Master Li hurriedly changed his words. ¡°They¡¯re silly. It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re country bumpkins from the countryside. Speaking of which¡­ why are they in the capital?¡± Qin Yun snorted. ¡°They¡¯re swindling me! My cousin was deceived badly by them!¡± Young Master Li said in surprise, ¡°Even Young Master Su was deceived? That can¡¯t be¡­ Young Master Su is very smart¡­¡± Qin Yun said angrily, ¡°What do you know? This is called being smart for a lifetime and being muddle-headed for a moment! They pretended to be physicians and sneaked into the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate to treat my granduncle. When I went to visit my granduncle yesterday, he looked like he was about to die¡­!¡± Young Master Li punched the ground and said indignantly, ¡°Outrageous! This is murder!¡± ¡°I reminded my eldest cousin, but he didn¡¯t listen to my advice! He¡¯ll kill my uncle and grandfather sooner or later!¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± Zhang Xun said. ¡°Marquis Su is a good person. He will be fine.¡± This kid kept saying that he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and that his seniors would be killed. Could he hope for the Old Marquis? Young Master Li said seriously, ¡°We can¡¯t let them continue to harm the Old Marquis!¡± Qin Yun asked, ¡°Do you have a way?¡± Young Master Li smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about that? They¡¯re just a few country bumpkins from the countryside. Just chase them out of the capital! Leave this to us!¡± ¡°Can it work?¡± Qin Yun muttered. The Su family trusted the siblings very much. He had not gained anything from them. Young Master Li rolled up his sleeves and said arrogantly, ¡°You¡¯re looking down on us too much. This is the capital, our own territory! If we can¡¯t even chase away a few country bumpkins, I won¡¯t be able to show my face in the capital in the future!¡± Sun Kuang said, ¡°Eh? Those children are gone.¡± Chapter 224 - 224 Face Slapping 224 Face Slapping Su Ergou went to the toilet and reminded the little fellows not to wander around. ¡°Stinky.¡± Xiaohu pinched his nose exaggeratedly. Then the three little fellows left. They wouldn¡¯t go far. They wandered around the shop and went upstairs. After they left the room, the three little ones came out of the empty room next door. They tilted their heads and looked at Qin Yun before looking at his friends. They frowned fiercely. Young Master Li and the others¡¯ plan was actually very simple. It was to scare them. If they couldn¡¯t do it once, they would do it twice. If they couldn¡¯t do it twice, they would do it thrice. If they were frightened enough, they would naturally not be able to stay in the capital. ¡°They¡¯re not that timid¡­¡± Qin Yun felt that this method was inappropriate. Young Master Li said indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s because someone happens to save them every time. Let¡¯s find out where they live and beat them up a few times when no one is supporting them!¡± Qin Yun continued, ¡°They have some skills¡­¡± Young Master Li said, ¡°Call a few more guards! You, rest assured, and wait for us to avenge you!¡± As he spoke, he gave Zhang Xun and Sun Kuang a look. The two of them brought their guards out. There were a total of seven. It was impossible to be a guard in the capital without real martial arts. Su Ergou would be no match for this group of people. Young Master Li instructed, ¡°When that kid comes out later, block him in the alley¡­¡± A guard asked, ¡°What about the three children?¡± Young Master Li said impatiently, ¡°Can¡¯t you hold down the three children?¡± The guards did not want to bully a few children, but as servants, they could not disobey their master¡¯s orders. They went to the alley to wait. Young Master Li said to Qin Yun, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s find a place and wait to watch a good show.¡± They wanted to see Su Ergou beaten up with their own eyes. Only then could they vent their anger. They could not be too brazen. Otherwise, if others found out that they had done it, the elders in the family would punish them. There was a teahouse opposite. The room on the second floor was facing the alley where the crime was about to take place. However, before they could go far, something unexpected happened. The three little fellows walked over. The first to discover them was Sun Kuang. He had been paying attention to the three little ones from the beginning because they were really¡­ too cute. ¡°Big Brother.¡± Erhu raised his head and looked at them cutely. Qin Yun frowned. Sun Kuang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The three little ones did not say anything. Instead, they came to them and raised their small hands to gently pull their sleeves. They had six small hands which were enough to tug at four sleeves. Qin Yun hated the Su siblings to death, including the children with them. He almost instinctively waved his sleeve. ¡°Get lost! Where did this dirty child come from? Don¡¯t touch me!¡± It was Dahu who pulled Qin Yun. Dahu¡¯s hand did not actually touch Qin Yun, nor did Qin Yun¡¯s sleeve slap Dahu. However, Dahu fell to the ground. Immediately after, Erhu, who was beside Dahu, fell to the ground with his brother. Xiaohu was the furthest away, but he also fell! Among the three of them, he was the most exaggerated and promising! He did not forget to vomit blood. ¡°Piu! Ugh¡­¡± Sun Kuang was dumbfounded. What was going on? Did they fall one by one? The first to fall could be said to have been slapped by Qin Yun. The second¡­ was barely touched by the first¡­ although it didn¡¯t seem to have hit¡­ The third one was so far away. Why did he fall? Scholar Street was one of the most prosperous areas in the capital. There was a lot of traffic, not to mention that business at this old restaurant was extremely good. As soon as the triplets fell, they were immediately surrounded. ¡°What happened?¡± an aunt asked. A young lady beside her said, ¡°That young master in white slapped the three children and knocked them down!¡± Qin Yun glared angrily. ¡°Who slapped them? I didn¡¯t even touch them! They fell down themselves!¡± ¡°Woah!¡± The three little ones looked up at the sky and cried. ¡°It hurts!¡± Erhu whimpered, ¡°No, not on purpose¡­ Don¡¯t hit¡­ It hurts¡­¡± Everyone understood. It turned out that a few children had accidentally bumped into him. In a fit of anger, he beat them up! Heavens! ¡°They were just a couple of three-year-old children. How could you bear to do it? ¡± ¡°It was their fault for bumping into him, but it was fine if you reprimanded them. If you really wanted to attack, you should beat up their family¡¯s adults! ¡°It was because the adults didn¡¯t look after their children. You didn¡¯t have the guts to attack the adults, so you vented your anger on the children, right? ¡± ¡°What the hell is this? He looks like a human, but why is his heart so black? ¡± Bullying children on the streets¡­ especially such cute children could really incur public anger. Qin Yun was so angry that his lungs hurt. He pointed at the three little fellows. ¡°If you dare to lie again! I¡¯ll beat you up!¡± Xiaohu cried. ¡°Wu Wa! I¡¯m so afraid!¡± A very righteous little girl placed her hands on her hips and said, ¡°You still said that you didn¡¯t bully them! Look at how fierce you are! Do you still want to attack!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Qin Yun choked. A carriage passed by the entrance of the restuarant. The commotion was too loud and attracted the attention of the carriage owner. She lifted the curtain and asked curiously, ¡°What happened over there?¡± The maid beside her said, ¡°Your Highness, it seems that a few children were bullied.¡± ¡°They even bully children!¡± The woman frowned. ¡°Stop the carriage!¡± The coachman stopped the carriage. The woman alighted from the carriage with the maid. To be honest, her travels were very low-key. Unfortunately, the canopy on the carriage revealed her identity. The citizens of the capital were not ignorant. They could roughly guess what was going on just by looking at the fair-skinned coachman and the bright yellow canopy on the carriage. This was a member of the royal family! It was unknown which royal family member it was. The woman was wearing a thin veil that half covered her face. Everyone did not dare to blaspheme the royal family¡¯s sacred face and lowered their heads. The woman did not reveal her identity, so everyone did not have to bow. However, the surroundings suddenly became silent. It was obvious that everyone had long guessed that her identity was precious. Everyone spontaneously made way. The woman came to the three children and squatted down. She looked at them warmly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The three little ones looked at her in unison. The maid pursed her lips and seemed to want to say something, but when she thought about how many children there were, she didn¡¯t know where to start. She looked at her master worriedly, afraid that the children would say something that would make her master sad¡­ ¡°Am I dead?¡± Erhu asked. ¡°Huh?¡± The woman was stunned. Erhu¡¯s clear and flawless eyes looked at her without blinking. ¡°Otherwise, why would I see a fairy? Mother said that there are fairies only in the sky.¡± The woman was stunned. The maid was even more confused than her master. Master¡¯s appearance¡­ pancake face, green bean eyes, and a pair of flying eyebrows¡­ was he sure he saw a fairy and not a yaksha? The woman¡¯s veil was translucent to hide her appearance. However, the moment she bent down to ask the little fellow, the veil had long been lifted by the breeze. Everyone secretly sized her up. Her appearance was reflected in everyone¡¯s eyes. Everyone shuddered! Did the little bean have some misunderstanding about fairies? Didn¡¯t his conscience hurt if he lied blatantly? The woman blushed and stammered for a long time, unable to speak. ¡°Master?¡± The maid called out to her and reminded her with her eyes to lower the veil. The woman came back to her senses and coughed twice. She tidied her veil and asked Erhu, ¡°What happened?¡± Xiaohu got up, covered his butt, and limped to her. ¡°Fairy Sister, he hit us!¡± He pointed at Qin Yun. Qin Yun¡¯s hair stood on end! ¡°You fell to the right just now! Why are you covering your left butt now!¡± ¡°There was more!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hit!¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± The woman asked indifferently. Qin Yun was not good at observing. He was one of the few fools who did not guess the identity of the woman. However, even if he had guessed it, he probably did not think that he could not afford to offend her. After all, his brother-in-law was a proper prince! Qin Yun raised his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Young Master Li coughed heavily. It was meant as a reminder not to offend the other party who had a background! Qin Yun thought that Young Master Li was reminding him not to expose his identity. Otherwise, it would tarnish the reputation of the Protectorate. He snorted. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± The woman stood up and unleashed her royal aura. ¡°Slap him!¡± The maid opened her mouth. ¡°Master, he¡¯s¡­¡± The coachman flashed over and grabbed Qin Yun¡¯s collar. He slapped him a few times! Qin Yun was stunned by the slap. ¡°I-I¡¯m the young master of the Duke Protector!¡± He thought that these words would successfully suppress the other party. Unexpectedly, the woman did not even look up. ¡°The people of the Duke¡¯s Estate take the salary of the commoners and do not stand up for the commoners. Instead, they bully the weak on the streets. The crime is compounded. Beat them up!¡± Young Master Li shrank his neck and prepared to sneak away. Erhu held the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Fairy Sister, he¡¯s running!¡± The woman said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re birds of a feather. Beat them up together!¡± Chapter 225 - 225 Recognition (1) 225 Recognition (1) Qin Yun had encountered a tough opponent today. As the treasure of the Qin and Su families, who wouldn¡¯t give the Qin and Su families some respect when they saw him? Those who were not as important as him did not dare to provoke him. Those who were more important than him would usually tolerate him due to his youth. In short, Qin Yun was taught a terrible lesson. His scoundrel friends were not spared. Sun Kuang felt that he was in a sorry state. He did not want to attack and had tried to dissuade Qin Yun. Why was he beaten up together? Qin Yun¡¯s identity had just been exposed. In less than a day, the news of the Little High Duke bullying children on the streets and being taught a lesson would spread like snow on the streets of the capital. One could imagine what awaited him when he returned to the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate. On the other side, the woman brought the three little ones into the shop. She asked for a room and asked the three little ones, ¡°Who did you come out with?¡± Dahu said, ¡°With Uncle.¡± The woman said again, ¡°Wheres is your uncle?¡± Erhu said, ¡°In the toilet.¡± Xiaohu pinched his nose and said, ¡°Raqiu-qiu!¡± The maidservant at the side couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. The woman¡¯s expression did not change much, but when she heard that they had family accompanying them, her expression relaxed slightly. She reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t run around anymore, understand?¡± Xiaohu said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Also,¡± the woman said, ¡°no more lies.¡± The three of them blinked at her. The woman snorted. ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t tell?¡± The three of them rolled their eyes, probably thinking of schemes. However, in the end, the three of them lowered their heads. ¡°They wanted to bully Uncle,¡± Dahu said. ¡°So many, so many people,¡± Erhu said. Xiaohu pointed down. ¡°Block the alley!¡± The woman was stunned. She, she didn¡¯t mean this¡­ Wait, were these little fellows really scamming?! ¡°You¡­¡± The woman suddenly felt angry. She, the dignified princess of the royal family, was actually played by a few brats. ¡°Is¡­ is there anything else?¡± She gritted her teeth. Erhu blinked and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Xiaohu waved his hand. ¡°Xiaohu doesn¡¯t hurt either.¡± Dahu nodded. The woman said, ¡°Anything else?¡± Dahu thought for a moment. ¡°I secretly ate candy.¡± He ate it secretly in the morning. The two little fellows looked at Dahu. How could he do this? No wonder they had fewer candies! Erhu thought that he was already scheming enough, but he did not expect his brother to be more scheming than him! He was so angry! The woman pressed down on her heaving chest. ¡°Think about it again. Did you lie about anything else today? Just now¡­ after you saw me just now¡­¡± The three of them frowned and recalled carefully. Their faces were extremely serious. A moment later, the three of them shook their heads. No, these were all the little lies they told today. Calling her fairy sister was not a lie. It was a little gentleman¡¯s courtesy! The woman was excited again. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu!¡± In the backyard, Su Ergou was looking for the three little ones. The three little ones bade farewell to the woman and walked down. The woman waited until Su Ergou took the three little ones away before returning to the carriage with the maidservant. ¡°Fairy Sister¡­¡± The woman covered her face. She was shy and excited. If not for her ears, the corners of her mouth would have reached the back of her head. The weather was so good today! Children were so cute! She wanted to go back and give birth to a nest! She didn¡¯t have a consort. Oh, that was fine. ¡­ After Qin Yun was taught a lesson, he was carried home by the guards. When Qin Yanran saw her brother covered in injuries, her expression changed. ¡°How did this happen?!¡± Qin Yun had never suffered such a heavy punishment in his life. He did not even have the strength to cry and could only sob softly. She then looked at Qin Yun¡¯s personal attendant. ¡°Tell me! What happened to my brother? Who beat him up like this!¡± The guard explained in detail. Through his description, Qin Yanran guessed most of it. The only royal family in the entire capital who did not care about the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate and the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate was Her Highness. She was the same age as Princess Hui An and had yet to be married. Unlike Princess Hui An, who was known as the number one beauty of the royal family, this princess¡¯ appearance was very ordinary and could even be considered a little ugly. However, the Imperial Astronomer had done a reading for her. Her eight characters were extremely good for the royal family. Coupled with the fact that she was from the central palace, she was quite doted on by His Majesty. Chapter 226 - 226 Recognition (2) 226 Recognition (2) Qin Yun cried. ¡°Sister¡­ Help me tell Brother-in-law¡­ Let him teach her a lesson¡­¡± Qin Yanran clenched her fists and scolded in a delicate voice, ¡°Stop causing trouble for the Third Prince!¡± Teaching the direct descendant of the Central Palace a lesson? Did she want to die?! Moreover, it was originally Qin Yun¡¯s fault. Qin Yanran said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so willful and mischievous in the future. You¡¯re the young master of the Duke Protector¡¯s Estate. Remember your identity! Don¡¯t cause trouble everywhere!¡± ¡­ Su Ergou brought the three little fellows home. He was a rash person. When he left the shop, Qin Yun and the others were being taught a lesson. He did not know it was due to him. The three little ones refused to enter and looked around the courtyard. ¡°What are you doing? Come in!¡± Su Ergou said. The three little ones carefully walked in and tiptoed like thieves, confusing Su Ergou. The three of them arrived at Su Cheng¡¯s door and pushed it open, closing it! Su Ergou was speechless. ¡­ Su Xiaoxiao was too tired and slept until the afternoon. In her daze, she vaguely felt someone glaring at her fiercely. However, on second thoughts she thought it was not possible. Her family doted on her very much, so no one would glare at her. Well, it must be an illusion. She rolled over and went back to sleep. Wei Ting, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed and staring at her for the entire day, was speechless. In the evening, the three little ones went to play with the foal. Su Ergou followed closely. Father Su moved a small stool to the front yard. At his feet were the thin bamboo strips that Zhong Shan had obtained for him. The bamboo strips had been treated and dehydrated. They were dry and resilient. When he was young, he only fed cows. Therefore, he learned some skills from others. Sometimes, he learned secretly, and sometimes, he worked for others. His daughter¡¯s basket was broken. He wanted to make a new one for her. It was sold in the market, but firstly, it was expensive. Secondly, it was not as solid and durable as his. Most importantly, his daughter had to put a first aid kit in her basket, so the layout was different from ordinary baskets. He had not woven a bamboo basket for many years and was a little unfamiliar with it. He cut his palm twice. He didn¡¯t even frown. His blood dried and he continued to fabricate. As he weaved, he gradually got into his groove and his movements became familiar and fast. Su Yuan lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw Su Cheng burying his head in weaving the bamboo basket. His heart ached as he turned to look at the weak old man beside him. ¡°Father¡­¡± The Old Marquis woke up two hours ago. This time, he did not fall asleep immediately and was very awake. The first thing he said was to ask where they were. After Su Mo told them where the family lived, he ignored Su Yuan, Su Mo, and Physician Fu¡¯s objections and dragged his sickly body over. Su Mo and Su Yuan reached out to help him. The Old Marquis waved his hand, indicating that he could walk by himself. The father and son knew the Old Marquis¡¯s temper and did not dare to argue with him. Otherwise, it would really be troublesome if the old man fainted again. The Old Marquis had not trained in vain. Most of the reason why he had fainted these few days was that he had been poisoned. Now that the poison was almost eliminated, he was immediately energetic and would be fine after taking a few steps. He slowly came to Su Cheng. Su Cheng was weaving the bamboo basket when he suddenly felt a shadow above his head. He looked up with some frustration. When he saw that it was an old man, he suppressed his anger and asked indifferently, ¡°Who are you?¡± The Old Marquis looked at Su Cheng¡¯s eyebrows which were the same as his sister¡¯s and could not help but feel excited. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re Su Cheng?¡± He asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Ah, I am.¡± Su Cheng stretched his sore long legs. He was tall, so it was difficult for him to sit on the small stool. The Old Marquis extended his trembling hand. Su Cheng instinctively leaned back and looked at him strangely. ¡°What are you doing?¡± It was too similar¡­ He was like him¡­ and like his sister¡­ But there was one more thing to confirm. ¡°Can you¡­ show me your butt¡­¡± Su Cheng¡¯s body trembled as he glared angrily. He jumped up and shouted! The Old Marquis fell to the ground and finished his sentence with difficulty. ¡°¡­The birthmark¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the Old Marquis¡¯s eyes darkened, his head tilted, and he fainted! Su Cheng was dumbfounded. ¡ª- Fifteen minutes later, Su Xiaoxiao, who was forcefully woken up, yawned and came out of Su Cheng¡¯s room. She came to the central room and looked at the anxious Su Yuan, the serious Su Mo, and the slightly awkward Father Su. ¡°It¡¯s fine. He¡¯s asleep. He¡¯ll wake up in a while.¡± Chapter 227 - 227 Recognition (3) 227 Recognition (3) As soon as these words were spoken, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Can I go in and take a look?¡± Su Yuan asked. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Help yourself.¡± The father and son went to the Old Marquis. Only the father and daughter were left in the central room. Su Xiaoxiao was confused. ¡°Dad, why did you beat him up?¡± Su Cheng coughed lightly and muttered, ¡°Who asked him to look at my butt¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°I even took a deep breath.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Cheng said in confusion, ¡°Daughter, what¡¯s going on? Who is that person? Why does he want to see my birthmark¡­ How did he know? I know that Su Yuan. The last time he went to our house, was the other his son? He looks quite similar. The person I knocked out was his father¡­ Ahem, his father?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know the character of this family and didn¡¯t want Father Su to be harmed in any way. It was fine if he did not have any expectations at first, but the disappointment after the anticipation was the most hurtful. However, since things had come to this, there was nothing to hide. Su Xiaoxiao decided to tell him about the jade pendant. ¡°Dad, do you still remember the jade pendant on you? It¡¯s the one you treat as an heirloom.¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°I remember. Why?¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°That jade pendant was originally a pair. You said that you don¡¯t remember where it came from and you might have picked it up.¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°Yes, and I even picked up a pair. Later on, a piece was stolen by the Su family. I know about this.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him steadily. ¡°Dad, you didn¡¯t pick up the jade pendants. They were yours to begin with.¡± Su Cheng was speechless. Su Mo came over and said that the Old Marquis was awake and asked the two of them to enter the room. Looking at his grandfather¡¯s swollen face, Su Mo finally understood where that girl got her reaction speed when beating Qin Yun up. It was definitely inherited. There was no displeasure in the Old Marquis¡¯s eyes. Even the emperor could not slap his face. Su Cheng did. So be it. He had heard Su Cheng¡¯s words just now. There was a birthmark on his butt! Actually, it didn¡¯t matter if he looked at the birthmark or not. From the moment he saw Su Cheng, he knew that the latter was his sister¡¯s child. This feeling had never been so strong. ¡°Let me tell you.¡± Su Yuan sighed. ¡°Su Cheng, the jade pendant in your hand belongs to my aunt. Back then, when my aunt reached adulthood, my father gave her a pair of pendants. They¡¯re the ones in your hand.¡± On the way back to the capital, Su Yuan thought about it repeatedly. What if it was true? What if Su Cheng was indeed his aunt¡¯s bloodline? How should he tell Su Cheng? He thought of countless words, but the moment he opened his mouth, he realized that it was actually not that complicated. ¡°¡­We were assassinated halfway. This caused the carriage to overturn and the horse to be in shock. Aunt and you went missing.¡± ¡°Later found our aunt dead¡­ but we didn¡¯t find you.¡± The nightmares of the past two nights kept flashing across Su Cheng¡¯s mind. A crazy horse, endless pursuit, and blood all over the ground. A woman whose face had long been blurred struggled to get up from the pool of blood. She hugged him tightly for a while, gritted her teeth, and used the last of her strength to push him into the cold lake. He fell bit by bit to the cold bottom of the lake. He saw the assassin¡¯s sword pierce her body. There was no pain in her face. She twisted her head and smiled at him as he fell to the bottom of the lake. She mouthed, ¡°Live¡­ Che¡¯er¡­ You have to live¡­¡± Chapter 228 - 228 Memory 228 Memory As night fell, all the households started to cook. The fragrance of food floated out of Pear Blossom Lane. Su Xiaoxiao sent the Old Marquis and the others to the entrance. ¡°You¡­ is there anything else you want to know? You can ask everything,¡± Su Yuan said. Su Xiaoxiao looked back at Su Cheng¡¯s closed door and asked calmly, ¡°Have you found the murderer?¡± Su Yuan nodded. ¡°I found them. They were a group of bandits nearby.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Is that so?¡± Su Yuan sighed. ¡°There¡¯s indeed something suspicious about this. We¡¯ll investigate secretly.¡± ¡°Actually, back then¡­ after Cousin disappeared, Qin Su never gave up on searching. We were looking for a child with the surname Qin, but we didn¡¯t know that he had long changed his name to Su Cheng. He doesn¡¯t remember¡­ Perhaps he was too shocked back then¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°My father is also very agitated now.¡± If she had known that the truth was so cruel, she might have thought about it more. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in knowing about your family¡¯s struggles, but no one can hurt my father. Not in the past, and not in the future!¡± Su Yuan saw an incomparable determination in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. At this moment, she did not look like a sixteen-year-old girl. Her indomitable iron bones seemed to want to forge the hardest armor for Su Cheng. Su Yuan could not tell how long it had been since he had been so shocked. This was his aunt¡¯s bloodline. He said firmly, ¡°The Marquis of Zhenbei will also protect you.¡± They would not let anyone bully them again, nor would they lose them. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression was very calm. ¡°I¡¯ll protect my own father.¡± With that, she turned around and entered the courtyard. The Old Marquis had yet to recover from his serious illness and could not withstand any torture. After receiving Su Cheng¡¯s punch, he immediately returned to his room to rest. Physician Fu took care of him from the side. Su Yuan and Su Mo went to the study next door. The first time he saw Su Cheng in Apricot Flower Village, Su Yuan vaguely felt that something big was about to happen. After that, big news exploded one after another. Su Yuan repeatedly jumped to the question of whether Su Cheng was his cousin. After confirming the truth today, he finally felt relieved. ¡°Actually, Father¡­ guessed it long ago, right?¡± Su Mo said. Su Yuan did not deny it. ¡°The first time I saw him¡­ I did feel familiar and close¡­ However, the matter is too big. I was afraid of making a mistake¡­¡± Su Mo asked suspiciously, ¡°If Su Cheng is Grandaunt¡¯s flesh and blood, what¡¯s going on with the Duke Protector? Father, do you still remember how he returned to the Qin family back then?¡± Back then, before Su Mo was born, he had learned about Qin Che acknowledging his ancestors. However, as a junior, he could not question and investigate established facts like a case. Therefore, he did not know much about the relevant details. Su Yuan recalled what happened 20 years ago. ¡°I wasn¡¯t in the capital at that time. I heard from your grandfather later that he found the Qin family first and said that he was the son of the Duke. At first, the servants didn¡¯t believe him and chased him out as a beggar. He didn¡¯t give up and came every day. Finally, he met an old steward.¡± Su Mo said thoughtfully, ¡°I thought he met the Duke Protector directly.¡± Su Yuan smiled faintly. ¡°How is that possible? The Duke¡¯s status is precious. If he gets someone unknown to cause trouble in front of him, those servants won¡¯t have to work in the residence.¡± Su Mo nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Su Yuan continued, ¡°That old steward once took care of the little High Duke. After ten years, his appearance inevitably changed, but there were still some outlines of the past between that person¡¯s eyebrows. Coupled with that jade pendant, the old steward brought him to the Duke Protector.¡± Su Mo frowned. ¡°Then the father and son reunited? I heard from Grandpa today that there¡¯s a birthmark?¡± ¡°That child also has¡­¡± Su Yuan paused for a moment. ¡°They also did a blood test.¡± Su Mo said, ¡°A blood test¡­ is not accurate.¡± Su Yuan nodded in confusion. ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± Su Mo said, ¡°Physician Fu. He said it was possible to add something to the water fuse the blood of two people¡± This was the first time Su Yuan had heard of this, but with Physician Fu¡¯s medical skills, it should be true. Su Mo said, ¡°Father.¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°I understand what you want to say. It¡¯s very important. He has already inherited the title of Duke. If he really angers the Emperor, both families might be implicated.¡± Su Mo wanted to say that that was not what he meant. Even if he was cold by nature, he would not let others occupy the magpie¡¯s nest without stirring up trouble. Su Yuan¡¯s eyes were slightly red as he said, ¡°Mo¡¯er, do you know how I felt when I saw Su Cheng sitting in the courtyard weaving bamboo baskets? If not for that accident back then, he would be the one living in luxury now¡­ The young master of the Duke¡¯s Estate, wandering among the commoners, being a cowherd and growing up with hundreds of families¡­¡± Su Yuan closed his eyes and said, ¡°Even I feel so uncomfortable¡­ Your grandfather probably¡­ feels like his heart is being cut by a knife¡­¡± The Old Marquis only did not show it on his face, but if he was not extremely sad, why would he lock himself in his room the moment he returned to the residence? Su Mo asked, ¡°Father, what are Grandpa¡¯s plans?¡± Su Yuan pondered for a moment and sighed. ¡°With your grandfather¡¯s personality, he naturally plans to tell the old Protector Duke directly.¡± Su Mo sized up Su Yuan¡¯s expression. ¡°Father seems to have a different opinion.¡± Su Yuan didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°It¡¯s not a different opinion. I just feel that we¡¯ve already gone wrong once and can¡¯t go wrong a second time. If¡­ I mean if¡­¡± Su Mo continued on behalf of his father, ¡°If the accident back then is related to the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate, Uncle and the others will be in danger.¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Su Mo said seriously, ¡°Father, since Uncle is in the capital, this matter will have to be put on the table sooner or later. It¡¯s better to do it sooner than later.¡± Su Yuan looked at his son. ¡°So you agree with your grandfather¡¯s actions?¡± Su Mo nodded. ¡°I agree. However, Father¡¯s concerns are not unreasonable. Why don¡¯t we do this? Grandpa won¡¯t be able to leave for the next few days. I¡¯ll hurry up and find out the truth. If I really find out anything, it won¡¯t be too late to tell Grandpa to change the plan.¡± Su Yuan pondered for a moment. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡­ When Su Cheng woke up, he realized that he was lying in Su Ergou¡¯s room. He sat up strangely. ¡°Why did I sleep here?¡± Three furry heads squeezed over and blinked at him. ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Cheng rubbed their heads. Su Xiaoxiao walked in with a basin of hot water. ¡°Grandpa is awake. It¡¯s fine. Go play.¡± The three of them left the house. Su Cheng scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Su Cheng frowned and racked his brains to recall. ¡°Is there a guest at our house?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him and quietly placed the hot water on the table. ¡°Yes, Su Yuan was here. Do you still remember him?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°I remember. I was the one who tied him up¡­ ahem, saved him. Daughter, you even treated his illness. Eh? Has he also returned to the capital? Why did he come to our house? No, he¡­ did he come with his son and father?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Yes.¡± Su Cheng admitted that he remembered. ¡°Then did I beat up his father?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why did I beat him up? He¡­ he¡­¡± Father Su couldn¡¯t think anymore. He scratched his head. ¡°Why don¡¯t I seem to remember?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°You were sleepy and were dozing off. He woke you up, so you beat him up.¡± Su Cheng nodded thoughtfully. It was like something he would do. Moreover, why did he have a vague impression? It was because he was sleepy! He coughed lightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t beat him up badly, right?¡± That was the Marquis. ¡°No.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not angry?¡± ¡°No.¡± She muttered under her breath, ¡°He was very happy. He treasures you and can¡¯t wait to take two more punches.¡± ¡°What happened next?¡± ¡°When you fell asleep, the Old Marquis borrowed your room, so Ergou brought you to his.¡± Su Cheng was enlightened. ¡°I see.¡± Of course, Father Su was not asleep. He had fainted. Before he fainted, his face showed great struggle and pain. Su Xiaoxiao guessed that he had remembered something bad when he was young. When a person suffered a huge stimulation, and this stimulation was unacceptable, the brain would automatically activate the defense mechanism and forcefully erase that memory. In other words, Su Cheng had selective amnesia. However, this was not true amnesia. Instead, it sealed the painful memory fragments in his subconscious. Once he was stimulated, the painful memories would return. In serious cases, there might be memory resistance, causing his consciousness to be confused and he would fall into a coma, just like what happened just now. When he woke up again, there would be two outcomes¡ªto completely accept that memory or forget the memories related to it. Looking at Father Su¡¯s reaction, it should be the second possibility. In her previous life, she specialized in surgery. She had not come into contact with many such cases. She had to slowly figure out how to treat them. ¡°What are they doing at our house?¡± Su Cheng asked. ¡°Ah, are they here for you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Yes, they came to look for me to get the medicine. It was not convenient for Physician Fu to prepare the medicine in the residence, so I went to the pharmacy to buy herbs. They passed by and came to get it.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Father Su did not doubt his daughter¡¯s words. Gulp¡­ His stomach growled. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao eagerly, like a big white cat waiting to be fed. ¡°Daughter, I¡¯m hungry.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll cook.¡± Chapter 229 - 229 Meeting the Parents (1) 229 Meeting the Parents (1) ¡°Eh? Daughter.¡± Su Cheng looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s my son-in-law? Where did he go?¡± ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Cheng pointed at the main branch of the second courtyard. ¡°Son-in-law, he was still in your room just now.¡± At this moment, the door of the main room was wide open. At a glance, there was no one. Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°He¡¯s here?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°He came in the morning!¡± Father Su slept until late in the morning. When he saw Wei Ting standing in the room, he asked and found out that Wei Ting had been there for a while. The corners of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°How did he find this place?¡± Su Cheng asked strangely, ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell him where it is? He¡¯s not stupid. Of course, he can find it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°The key point is that I didn¡¯t tell him¡­¡± Not far away, two figures silently enveloped in the night. The secret guard looked at his young master with a complicated expression. Wei Ting stood motionless under the roof, his eyes indifferent to the front. He had maintained this posture for more than an hour. It was obvious that he had been greatly agitated. The secret guard sighed secretly. Hadn¡¯t he been greatly agitated? The fat girl who kidnapped the young master was actually a child of the Protectorate. The blood of the Qin and Su families flowed in her bones. Old General Wei was killed by the Qin and Su families. They have definitely sworn enemies! It was over, it was really over¡­ Su Xiaoxiao came out of Father Su¡¯s room and was about to boil water to bathe the little fellows. When she turned around, she realized that the three of them were standing at the door and looking out. Su Xiaoxiao walked over. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, what are you looking at?¡± The three of them quickly turned around, their eyes wide and innocent. The three of them said nothing. Su Xiaoxiao had been on maternal duty for three months after all. She could guess what the little guys was thinking. She bent down and looked at the three little fellows seriously. ¡°Are you looking for Daddy?¡± The three of them¡¯s eyes flashed. It looked like it. Although the three little fellows did not want Wei Ting to snatch them away, he was their father after all. How could they not want him to return? After a month, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s anger was actually almost gone. When the little fellows looked at her innocently again, her heart subconsciously softened. ¡°Go to sleep first. Perhaps tomorrow¡­ your father will be back.¡± The three of them obediently went. Su Xiaoxiao looked up at the sky. Suddenly, her ears twitched and her eyes turned cold. ¡°Who is it?!¡± She picked up the big hoe by the wall and walked out. Just as she arrived at the alley between the house next door, she bumped into a familiar and unfamiliar figure. What was familiar was this person¡¯s clear eyebrows. What was unfamiliar was that he had taken off his coarse cloth clothes and changed into the embroidered clothes and shoes of a young master of an aristocratic family. He was handsome and had an unparalleled elegance about him. It was late at night and Su Xiaoxiao suddenly suffered an attack from his good looks. ¡°Why¡­ is it you?¡± She murmured the question. Wei Ting tilted his head slightly. Perhaps it was because he had returned to the capital, but his entire aura was different from in the countryside. He was cold and aloof, but he had the unruliness and arrogance of a noble young master. ¡°A hoe, huh?¡± This magnetic sound tickled one¡¯s ears and heart. Oh no, this body¡¯s infatuation was acting up again. It was really a burden at all times. She was clearly going to settle scores with this person, but her heart was beating faster. Su Xiaoxiao wrung her hand. She would treat this love-struck fool sooner or later! ¡°It¡¯s to guard against thieves. Why, can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Alright, which thief dares to target you? They¡¯re really courting death.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you know!¡± Su Xiaoxiao threw the hoe behind the courtyard door and clapped her hands. She asked indifferently, ¡°How did you find me?¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°From your tone, you seem to think you hid it very well.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hide it!¡± Wei Ting sneered. ¡°Then who abducted my sons without a word?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°That¡¯s not kidnapping. I was bringing the kids to the capital!¡± Wei Ting sneered. ¡°It¡¯s kidnapping.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao glared at him, still not understanding how this guy found her. Did Su Yuniang tell him? That was impossible. Su Yuniang did not know her exact address. Grandmaster Hui Jue¡­ Su Xiaoxiao glared. ¡°You know Grandmaster Hui Jue?!¡± Wei Ting uttered, ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°Sister!¡± Su Ergou strode over. When he saw Wei Ting, he exclaimed, ¡°Brother-in-law? You¡¯re back?¡± Chapter 230 - 230 Meeting the Parents (2) 230 Meeting the Parents (2) Wei Ting nodded. ¡°It¡¯s so late. Are you going out?¡± Su Ergou scratched his head. ¡°Dahu and the others want to eat candied hawthorn. I¡¯ll buy it for them.¡± The three little fellows knew that Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t let them eat candied hawthorn and that Father Su was stingy and wouldn¡¯t buy candied hawthorn for them, so they targeted Su Ergou. Su Ergou was the easiest to fool at home. Wei Ting said to Su Ergou, ¡°Your sister and I will go buy it.¡± ¡°Ah, sure!¡± Su Ergou turned around and returned to the central room. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Whose brother was he really? She hadn¡¯t said anything! Wei Ting looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Are you going for a walk?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± A certain little fat peacock shook her head and left valiantly! The secret guard on the roof scratched his head. This little fat girl was quite cold in front of the Su family, but in front of his young master, she was different. The young master was strange, but so was the little girl. They were both strange! The two of them walked on the endless street. One was a fat girl rarely seen in ancient times, and the other was a devastatingly handsome man. Along the way, there was no one who did not turn around to look at the two of them. The two of them did not care about the gazes of the world around them and walked forward openly. She had originally bought candied hawthorn for the three little fellows, but as she walked, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s stomach growled. Su Xiaoxiao was busy for the entire night. After sleeping for most of the day, the Su family came¡­ The series of matters came to an end for the time being, but she forgot that she had not eaten. There were no roasted sweet potatoes sold nearby. ¡°That osmanthus rice wine glutinous rice balls taste pretty good,¡± Wei Ting said. Su Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment before heading in that direction with a cold expression. The two of them found an empty table in the lobby and sat down. Wei Ting asked for two bowls of osmanthus rice and wine glutinous rice balls, a special pot-fried meat, and a plate of cold side dishes. There was no filling in the glutinous rice balls. The texture was porcelain, soft, and a little chewy. It tasted very similar to what she had eaten at her grandmother¡¯s house when she was young in her previous life. Perhaps because it was all handmade and not as smooth and delicate as the ones made by machine, Su Xiaoxiao actually preferred this taste. Su Xiaoxiao ate spoonful by spoonful and unknowingly ate half of it. When she came back to her senses, her eyebrows twitched. She was on a diet. Why did she eat so much? But it would be a waste not to eat¡­ Su Xiaoxiao looked at the glutinous rice balls in the bowl bitterly and tried her best to calculate how much work she had to do tomorrow to metabolize it¡ª The pancake meat was on the table. Wei Ting pushed the pot of meat in front of her and realized that she was staring at the remaining half bowl of glutinous rice balls. He asked, ¡°Is it not delicious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ on a diet,¡± she said stiffly. Wei Ting frowned in disagreement. ¡°You want to be as thin as a bamboo pole?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t you men like fair ladies?¡± Wei Ting paused. ¡°So you slimming for me to see?¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up her chopsticks. ¡°Of course not!¡± She took a bite of pan-fried meat. Oh, how fragrant! ¡­ After the meat, Wei Ting ordered another plate of duck with sauce. The duck meat had been roasted. The skin was crispy and the meat was full, oily, and salty. Su Xiaoxiao completely gave up and ate her fill. Wei Ting had also eaten a lot, but he didn¡¯t get fat from eating. The lines on his body were clear. Su Xiaoxiao looked at his figure which looked slim when clothed and brawny when undressed and was deeply jealous! When the two of them went to buy candied hawthorn, there were only three sticks left. ¡°It¡¯s the last business. I¡¯ll sell it to you at a cheap price. A total of 110 copper coins,¡± the vendor said. Wei Ting paid and walked back with her. After taking a few steps, he saw a carriage from the corner of his eye. He grabbed the candied hawthorn with one hand and grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist with the other, pulling her into the alley at the side! The alley was dark and damp. The two of them were enveloped in the night. Su Xiaoxiao was trapped by him has they leaned against the cold wall. ¡°Shh¡ª¡± He gestured for her to keep quiet. His tall and straight body blocked her. The night in March was actually a little cold, but Su Xiaoxiao was afraid of the heat and didn¡¯t wear much. Her skin was delicate, and the wall was hard, causing her pain. She frowned imperceptibly. Wei Ting paused and reached out with his slender jade-like hand. He circled behind her and placed the back of his hand against the wall, his palm supporting her delicate back. Ordinary people would not feel the temperature of his palm through two to three layers of clothes. However, her body was too sensitive. She could clearly feel his warmth. His fingertips were cold, and his palm was hot. The heat passed through the layers of clothes and ironed her skin bit by bit. His unique aura surrounded her entire body, and even his breathing was intertwined with hers. Damn it¡­ Her mind was calm, but her body began to tingle uncontrollably. Her legs went weak for a moment. He caught her soft little waist in time. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he said softly. He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips. They did not really touch, but they were only a millimeter away. This man was a walking hormone. In her previous life, she would have taken a few more glances. Not to mention, with such an infatuated physique, Su Xiaoxiao closed her eyes and fought against her body¡¯s instincts. She could not be soft. Her legs couldn¡¯t go limp, her waist couldn¡¯t go limp¡­ ¡°Where did he go? I clearly saw Little Seven just now¡­¡± ¡°Madam, did you see wrongly? Isn¡¯t Young Master cultivating as a monk in a temple? Why is he wandering on the streets?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see wrongly! That¡¯s Little Seven! Go find him in the alley!¡± Wei Ting¡¯s hand on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s back suddenly went up and grabbed the back of her head. ¡°Aiya!¡± That person covered his eyes, turned around, and ran away! The two of them were more or less in an ambiguous position. The night was intensified, and their breaths intertwined. Even their breathing and heartbeat could be heard by each other. Wei Ting¡¯s eyelashes trembled as he wanted to remove his hand from her waist. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Ting asked in a low and hoarse voice. Su Xiaoxiao turned her face away from him. ¡°My legs are weak.¡± Chapter 231 - 231 Knocking On The Door 231 Knocking On The Door In this posture and scene, it was difficult not to think too much. Wei Ting almost subconsciously gasped. He wanted to say that nothing had really happened, but he looked at the two of them and swallowed his words. He grabbed the candied hawthorn with one hand and half-held her with the other. He pressed his elbows against the wall. The wall was cold and hard, and her body was warm, carrying the softness and fragrance of a young girl. He was not used to interacting with women. He should have pushed her away¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going to fall¡­¡± His arm tightened and he brought her into his arms. Su Xiaoxiao lay on his chest and listened to his strong heartbeat. Every beat vibrated her eardrums. Oh, she was not the only one who was disappointing. He looked so calm but his heart was about to jump out of his chest. Actually, her legs had long stopped being weak. But she did not want to be the only one to die of embarrassment. She said softly, ¡°Wei Ting, your heart is beating so fast.¡± Hurry up and die! Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it difficult for me when you are pressing down on me like this? Don¡¯t you know how heavy you are?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless! Su Xiaoxiao pushed him away in a second. Before she pushed him away, she touched his chest! She wanted to take advantage of him. There was no way she would suffer a loss! Wei Ting was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and gave him a sideways glance. She snorted. ¡°Who was that person just now? Could it be your rotten crush?¡± Wei Ting glanced at her indifferently and his thin lips moved. ¡°My Fifth Sister-in-law.¡± He was indeed lucky to meet his family on his first day in the capital. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°She called you Little Seven. You¡¯re ranked seventh at home. Well¡­ what¡¯s with the cultivation? Are you a monk?¡± Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°You heard wrongly!¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°Did I?¡± Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I¡¯ll send you back.¡± ¡­ Wei Ting sent Su Xiaoxiao back to her house in Pear Blossom Lane. The three little ones had just taken a shower. When they heard that their parents had gone to buy candied hawthorn for them, they did not even sleep. They waited at the door like three chicks. However, when they saw that Su Xiaoxiao had really returned with Wei Ting, they retracted their heads. Wei Ting was angry and amused. ¡°I¡¯m not taking you away!¡± The three of them carefully stuck their heads out and blinked at him, as if they were considering the truth of his words. Wei Ting took a deep breath and closed his eyes. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll stay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Did I agree to let you stay?¡± The three of them pounced over and called out sweetly, ¡°Dad!¡± That night, the three little fellows were so excited that they couldn¡¯t sleep. They rolled around on the bed and looked at Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting. It was as if they had returned to their days in Apricot Flower Village. Wei Ting waited until the three little fellows fell asleep before leaving the house. He still had something to do. He had to go out tonight. However, he did not expect to be caught just as he opened the courtyard door. His eyebrows twitched. ¡°Fifth Sister-in-law?¡± Madam Jiang chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s indeed you! I knew I wasn¡¯t wrong! I raised you! How could I be wrong!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s an exaggeration to say you raised me¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a year since we last met. I think you¡¯ve grown into a little hooligan!¡± Thinking of the unbearable scene she saw in the alley, Madam Jiang wished she could poke herself blind! ¡°Rascal! Instead of reciting scriptures in the temple, you came to the city to be a galivanting monk! I think you need to be disciplined! Whose house is this? Do you live here?¡± Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°No, Fifth Sister-in-law. This is a physician¡¯s house. I came over to buy some medicine.¡± As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, revealing the injury on his arm. Madam Jiang¡¯s expression changed slightly. He said sadly, ¡°It¡¯s also on my legs and body. It¡¯s inconvenient outside, so I won¡¯t show it to Fifth Sister-in-law.¡± In terms of acting pitiful, Wei Ting had never lost. He continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t deliberately hide from Fifth Sister-in-law just now. Someone chased me all the way. I had no choice. It was just that Fifth Sister-in-law happened to come over.¡± If the three little ones were here, their jaws would probably drop. Their stinky father was actually so shameless. Their scheming skills were all leftovers from their dear father. A trace of heartache flashed across Madam Jiang¡¯s eyes. ¡°Who chased you?¡± Wei Ting said softly, ¡°Fifth Sister-in-law, this is not the place to talk.¡± Mdm Jiang thought for a moment. ¡°Alright, follow me back to the residence.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to return to the residence¡­¡± Mdm Jiang glared at him and pointed at the courtyard behind him. ¡°Are you going back with me yourself, or should I tie you up with the girl in the house?!¡± Wei Ting took a deep breath and sighed faintly. ¡°Fifth Sister-in-law, you¡¯ve changed. You don¡¯t dote on Little Seven anymore.¡± Madam Jiang was speechless. ¡­ At the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate, the Old Duke and Qin Che returned to the residence. It was already night, but because the two of them returned late, the residence was brightly lit. The kitchen began to make supper for the masters. The carriage stopped at the second door. The coachman lifted the curtain. Qin Che wanted to reach out to help his father, but Qin Canglan rejected him. Qin Canglan was a general. Why would he need someone to support him when he got off the carriage? On the other hand, Qin Che was already 16 years old when he returned to the Duke¡¯s Estate. He had missed the best opportunity to practice martial arts and could not inherit Qin Canglan¡¯s martial arts. It had always been a huge regret in Qin Canglan¡¯s heart. Later on, with Qin Yun, Qin Canglan placed his hopes on his grandson. Unfortunately, Qin Yun¡¯s talent was mediocre. Qin Canglan had personally taught him for many years, but he only knew some trifling martial arts. Qin Canglan had only one son. Qin Che only fathered a son and a daughter. It was unknown if his son and grandson could protect the huge foundation of the Duke¡¯s Estate in a hundred years. ¡°Grandfather, Father!¡± Qin Yanran came over with her maidservant. The two maidservants held lanterns behind them. Seeing his granddaughter, Qin Canglan¡¯s expression finally improved. Compared to the father and son, this granddaughter was the most surprising in terms of capability. Unfortunately, she was a woman and could not be brought to the battlefield. Qin Che said, ¡°It¡¯s so late. Why aren¡¯t you asleep? Where¡¯s your mother and brother?¡± Qin Yanran said warmly, ¡°Mother has caught a cold these few days and took the medicine prescribed by the doctor. She rested first. Brother¡­ is also asleep. I made an article to show Father.¡± Qin Canglan could not interfere in the discussion. He returned to the courtyard first. Qin Yanran dismissed the servants. When Qin Che saw her posture, he had some guesses. ¡°What happened? Did your brother cause trouble again?¡± Qin Yun was very good at causing trouble. Most of the time, they dealt with it and kept it from the Old Duke. Qin Yanran sighed. ¡°He was¡­ taught a lesson by Princess Jingning today.¡± ¡°What? Princess Jing Ning has no grudge against us. Why did she teach your brother a lesson?¡± Qin Yanran was not present at the time. She only learned about it from Qin Yun and the servants later. She told him everything that had happened. ¡°We meet one of the siblings every day. I wonder why my brother is so unlucky to go against the Su siblings.¡± He had just been beaten up by Su Xiaoxiao yesterday, and today, he had been beaten up by Princess Jingning for bullying Su Ergou. It was as if ever since he met the siblings, he had suffered one disaster after another. Qin Yanran shook her head. ¡°I told him not to interact with those scoundrels, but he just wouldn¡¯t listen¡­ I¡¯m afraid this matter can¡¯t be hidden from Grandpa. Father has to think of a way to calm Grandpa down as soon as possible¡­ Father, Father?¡± Qin Che came back to his senses. Qin Yanran asked in confusion, ¡°What were you thinking about just now?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing,¡± Qin Che said calmly. ¡°Who do you think those siblings are? Where did they come from?¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°They make snacks. The elder sister¡¯s name is Su Daya, and the younger brother¡¯s name is Su Ergou. They¡¯re from Qingzhou. Other than cooking, the elder sister also knows a little about the Qihuang technique. Now, she¡¯s with her master who has been invited to the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate to treat Granduncle.¡± Qin Che was deep in thought. Soon, he shook his head. ¡°I must be thinking too much.¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°Father, what do you mean by thinking too much?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qin Che smiled. ¡°You went to visit your Granduncle. How¡¯s his health?¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°Not good.¡± Qin Che smiled and patted his daughter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Your Granduncle is a good person. He will definitely be fine.¡± Qin Yanran sighed softly. ¡°I hope so.¡± Qin Che said to his daughter, ¡°It¡¯s late. Settle down.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Qin Yanran bowed and turned to return to her courtyard. Qin Che looked at the dark night sky. ¡°Qingzhou¡­¡± A night breeze blew, and he shivered inexplicably. Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 232 - 232 Grandparent and Grandchild (1) 232 Grandparent and Grandchild (1) In the end, Wei Ting was ¡°arrested¡± back to the residence by his fifth sister-in-law. In the main room of Wutong Courtyard, Old Madam Wei saw Wei Ting, who had been away for a year. Madam Jiang went out first, leaving only a maidservant serving tea in the room. Wei Ting bowed to Matriarch Wei. ¡°Grandmother.¡± Old Madam Wei said, ¡°Hmph, you still acknowledge me as your grandmother. If not for your Fifth Sister-in-law nabbing you back, I think you would still be living a carefree life outside.¡± ¡°Grandmother, Fifth Sister-in-law can¡¯t beat me.¡± In other words, he had returned voluntarily. Old Madam Wei did not fall for his tricks. ¡°Your Fifth Sister-in-law said that you were injured? It¡¯s fake, right?¡± Wei Ting was speechless. He thought to himself privately, ¡°Sigh, give me some leeway.¡± Old Madam Wei said disdainfully, ¡°Don¡¯t I know you well? You¡¯re the most cunning!¡± As the youngest son of the family, Wei Ting had grown up under the love of his parents and brothers. The first few brothers were each more honest than the other, but for some reason, when it came to Wei Ting, he became a little fox. At present, he could not be considered a little fox. After all, he was 21 years old. ¡°Where¡¯s the Commander¡¯s Seal?¡± Matriarch Wei asked sternly. Wei Ting sighed melancholically. ¡°Sigh, at least let me ask you how you¡¯ve been this year and how your body is¡­¡± ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Matriarch Wei was too skilled, and Wei Ting¡¯s sugar-coated bullets were useless against her. Wei Ting took out the Commander¡¯s Seal. After experiencing the loss of her husband, sons, and grandsons, Matriarch Wei¡¯s temperament was already extraordinary. However, the moment she saw the Commander¡¯s Seal, her body still swayed slightly. Wei Ting bowed and raised the commander¡¯s seal above his head with both hands. He bowed solemnly. ¡°I was lucky not to disappoint you.¡± Old Madam Wei reached out her wrinkled hand and took the Commander¡¯s Seal with a trembling hand. She handed the walking stick to the maidservant beside her and touched the cold and familiar patterns on the Commander¡¯s Seal. The dim candlelight fell into her eyes, and one could vaguely see tears flickering in her eyes. Wei Ting looked at Matriarch Wei¡¯s tears and was silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, ¡°Grandmother, did Grandpa really leave this Commander¡¯s Seal behind?¡± ¡°Yes, this is our Wei family¡¯s last life-saving talisman. You must keep it well.¡± Matriarch Wei handed the Commander¡¯s Seal back to Wei Ting. Wei Ting did not hesitate and accepted the Commander¡¯s Seal. The Commander¡¯s Seal not only symbolized power but also an undeniable responsibility on his shoulders. Old Madam Wei said, ¡°I heard that His Highness also went to Qingzhou.¡± Wei Ting did not hide it. ¡°He wanted to snatch the Commander¡¯s Seal.¡± Old Madam Wei said suspiciously, ¡°How did he know about the Wei family¡¯s Commander¡¯s Seal?¡± Wei Ting paused. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Looks like it was leaked,¡± Matriarch Wei said. ¡°Other than him, does anyone else know?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Jing Yi.¡± Old Madam Wei thought for a moment and said, ¡°Young Marquis Jing? That¡¯s not strange. They¡¯re cousins. The Third Prince has always trusted him. Did you meet him in Qingzhou?¡± Wei Ting paused. ¡°Sort of.¡± Old Madam Wei did not ask in detail how about his ¡°sort of¡±. Wei Ting was already so old and had his own limits. The more she let go, the faster he would grow. ¡°He didn¡¯t get rid of you in Qingzhou. When he returns to the capital, he will definitely report you to the emperor. Why didn¡¯t you stay obediently in the temple but run into the inner city?¡± The Country Protecting Dragon Temple also belonged to the capital, but it was not in the bustling inner city. Instead, it was in the western suburbs of the capital. Wei Ting avoided discussing his goal and replied, ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t worry. He wouldn¡¯t enter the capital so early.¡± Xiao Zhonghua dared to poison him. Whether it was to test him or to sincerely seize his life, he was a petty person and held grudges. He had to settle the score. He was not afraid of letting Xiao Zhonghua know about his relationship with that girl. He did not hide it. He would not resort to the trope of distancing himself from someone for her own good. The person he wanted to protect was clearly protected. He would let everyone know the price of touching her. ¡°His Highness should be trapped on the water now. He won¡¯t be back for ten days to half a month.¡± His people would treat Xiao Zhonghua well. Old Madam Wei did not censure that he actually dared to scheme against the prince and was so rebellious. Their Wei family had once been too honest. What happened in the end? If her seventh grandchild had not stayed in the capital to become the top scholar instead of going to the battlefield, he would probably have died. ¡°Where are the three children?¡± Matriarch Wei asked. Wei Ting said, ¡°Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu are in a safe place. I¡¯ll pick them up later. For now, it¡¯s better not to attract attention.¡± ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu?¡± Matriarch Wei frowned. ¡°You gave them nicknames?¡± Chapter 233 - 233 Grandparent and Grandchild(2) 233 Grandparent and Grandchild(2) Wei Ting¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Matriarch Wei wanted to see the three children, but when she thought of the situation in the capital, she felt that there was no harm in waiting a little longer. Anyway, she had already waited for two to three years. A few days did not matter. Old Madam Wei continued, ¡°I heard from your Fifth Sister-in-law that you ruined a girl?¡± Wei Ting smiled. ¡°No, Fifth Sister-in-law has misunderstood.¡± ¡°It¡¯s best if it¡¯s a misunderstanding. Don¡¯t provoke some shady women outside before you get married!¡± ¡°Grandmother, do I look like that kind of person?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look like one,¡± Matriarch Wei said. ¡°You are.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. He really couldn¡¯t be blamed for his vicious tongue since it ran in the family. Old Madam Wei did not dwell on this topic for long. ¡°Your cousin¡¯s family is here to mention your marriage again. They¡¯re asking when you¡¯ll renounce asceticism.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°His Majesty didn¡¯t issue a decree¡­¡± ¡°Do you really care about that decree?¡± Matriarch Wei knew this grandson too well. The Emperor had been choked by him for a moment and could not back down. If he really wanted to renounce asceticism, there were many ways. ¡°Princess Lingxi has already asked for the Empress Dowager¡¯s decree. If you give the nod, the Empress Dowager will immediately exempt you from cultivation. Why? Are you unwilling?¡± Wei Ting restrained the casualness and unruliness between his eyebrows and said seriously, ¡°Grandmother, I can¡¯t marry her.¡± Old Madam Wei said, ¡°Are you the one who doesn¡¯t want a prenatal marriage? Princess Hui An has taken a fancy to you and wants you to be her husband. You naturally can¡¯t be a prince consort. Not to mention that you¡¯re unwilling, even if you¡¯re willing, I won¡¯t agree.¡± In the Great Zhou Dynasty, the son-in-law could not enter the dynasty as an official. This meant that Wei Ting would relinquish his position as a general and hand over his military power. ¡°You¡¯re someone Princess Hui An has taken a fancy to. Whoever dares to marry you will have to fight with her for the husband. Other than Princess Lingxi, there¡¯s no one else who dares to offend Princess Hui An.¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who was betrothed to Princess Lingxi before she was born.¡± Old Madam Wei said coldly, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s your Sixth Brother! But Sixth Brother is gone! As the only man in the Wei family, you, Wei Ting, should shoulder this marriage!¡± Wei Ting was silent. After a long time, he looked into Matriarch Wei¡¯s eyes and said shamelessly, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m impotent.¡± Matriarch Wei was speechless. ¨C Outside the door, Madam Jiang, Madam Lan, and Madam Chen lay at the door sneakily. They either pressed their ears against the crack or pressed their eyes into it. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± A stern voice suddenly came from behind. The three of them were shocked and stood up in unison. They turned around and greeted him awkwardly. ¡°Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law.¡± The person who spoke just now was Sister-in-law Chu. The person who came with her was Second Sister-in-law, Madam Li. Madam Chu was unsmiling. At home, other than Old Madam Wei, she was the most dignified. She asked, ¡°Is Little Seven back?¡± Madam Jiang whispered, ¡°He¡¯s talking to Grandmother inside.¡± Madam Chu glanced at the three of them, who clearly had strange expressions. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Your expressions are so strange.¡± Fourth Sister-in-law, Madam Lan, said with red eyes, ¡°Sister-in-law, Little Seven¡­¡± Madam Chu frowned. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Madam Lan choked. ¡°He¡¯s impotent¡­ No wonder he¡¯s not close to women even though he¡¯s so old¡­¡± Wei Ting, who had just opened the door and was ¡°impotent¡± was speechless. The sisters-in-law were extremely embarrassed. Wei Ting had a calm expression. He greeted his sisters-in-law generously and left calmly. Madam Lan wanted to cry even more. ¡°He even pretended to be strong¡­¡± In the darkness, Wei Ting staggered. Old Madam Wei called Madam Chu in and sent the others back to sleep. ¡°What do you think?¡± Old Madam Wei asked Madam Chu. Matriarch Wei did not hide details of the conversation between the grandmother and grandchild. Her daughter-in-law had a calm personality and was untainted by the secular world. It was Madam Chu who supported the backyard with her. Madam Chu said, ¡°Is Grandmother referring to Little Seven? Is he really¡­¡± Old Madam Wei said angrily, ¡°Hmph, only he can say such nonsense! Shameless little thing!¡± Madam Chu smiled. The corners of her lips were extremely faint as if she had never smiled. She said, ¡°Looks like Little Seven really doesn¡¯t want to marry Princess Lingxi. In my opinion, let¡¯s forget about this marriage.¡± Old Madam Wei said angrily, ¡°What can we do? Tie him up in the bridal sedan? Give him a bowl of knockout powder and send him to the bridal chamber. When he wakes up, do you believe that he can throw Princess Lingxi into the river?¡± Wei Ting would really do such a thing. Although he acted like a proper and especially humane flower in the countryside, there was no room for him to show off. Moreover, he was also holding it in front of the simple villagers. Wei Ting had always been merciless to the descendants of the aristocratic families in the capital. The young man was originally frivolous. Especially after the change in the Wei family, Wei Ting¡¯s saber and sword had been fed blood on the battlefield. When he returned to the capital, he looked more cold-blooded and vicious. Wei Ting was even more difficult to provoke. Old Madam Wei frowned. ¡°No, we can¡¯t spoil him like this. He¡¯s lawless! He won¡¯t marry just like that? How old is he? Does he want to be a bachelor for the rest of his life? Why doesn¡¯t he take a look at his market value? It¡¯s not his place to be picky.¡± Madam Chu said nothing. Little Seven¡¯s market¡­ was not bad. On the contrary, it was too good. Many women in the capital had their hearts broken for him, but who dared to snatch a man from the princess? Old Madam Wei called the secret guard who had followed Wei Ting back to the capital over. ¡°Little Seven really didn¡¯t provoke any indecent women outside, right?¡± The secret guard said, ¡°No, Young Master is very clean and never allows those indecent people to approach.¡± Old Madam Wei was quite satisfied. The secret guard said, ¡°Young Master only let one woman approach.¡± Old Madam Wei was stunned. ¡°What? What woman?¡± The secret guard said in a daze, ¡°Didn¡¯t Young Master tell you? He was chased in Qingzhou and was seriously injured. He was captured and became a lived-in son-in-law.¡± Madam Chu was shocked. ¡°Son-in-law?¡± The secret guard nodded and repeated the nonsense he had heard from Yuchi Xiu. ¡°Young Master was quite happy as a lived-in son-in-law. He¡¯s was happy living off a woman and doesn¡¯t even want to come back.¡± Madam Chu gasped! Old Madam Wei¡¯s walking stick hit the ground heavily. ¡°Wei Xi Chao!¡± Chapter 234 - 234 Dahu 234 Dahu At this moment, Su Xiaoxiao still didn¡¯t know that Wei Ting had been captured and brought back to the Wei family. She entered the pharmacy again. She guessed that it was because she had treated a critical patient that the pharmacy came to reward her again. She was looking forward to what medicine it would be this time. However, what puzzled her was that there were no medicine or health supplements on the table in the lounge at all. There was only an extremely ordinary pair of gloves. It was a little thicker than cotton gloves, a little thinner than insulation gloves, and its fingers were well-defined. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. She slept a lot during the day and was not sleepy at night. She woke up just after midnight. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the gloves by the pillow and chuckled. ¡°Is this for me to cook? Are you afraid of hurting my hand?¡± There was no need to make snacks for a while. She became very free in the morning. She kneaded the noodles first, steamed a pot of white steamed buns and cornmeal cornbread, roasted two sweet potatoes, and boiled a few eggs. She had almost finished the peanut butter and sesame sauce she had brought from the countryside on the way. Later, she had to go to the market to buy peanuts and sesame seeds. When Wei Ting returned, he would grind the sauce¡­ When the sweet potato was almost roasted, Su Xiaoxiao pulled it out of the stove with tongs. While waiting for the air to cool, she went to clean up the courtyard. Zhong Shan sent firewood again. Zhong Shan wanted to help clean up the courtyard. Su Xiaoxiao looked at his hunched back and gestured with sign language. ¡°No need, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Zhong Shan was slightly stunned as if he was very surprised that Su Xiaoxiao knew sign language. Not only was he mute, but he was also deaf. However, he knew how to read lips. As long as ordinary people did not call him from behind, they would not notice that he was deaf. As for speaking sign language, fewer people would use it with him. He didn¡¯t use it with others. He wrote when he needed to communicate. Although they were all expressions, sign language and writing had different meanings, especially for deaf people. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°I made a pot of snacks yesterday and left two boxes for you.¡± While Zhong Shan was still immersed in the shock of Su Xiaoxiao actually communicating with him in sign language, Su Xiaoxiao had already entered the house and taken out the snacks. Su Xiaoxiao handed the box to him and said, ¡°A box of sweet and savory food.¡± When Zhong Shan came out of the courtyard with snacks, his eyes were a little moist. While Su Xiaoxiao sat in the kitchen eating sweet potatoes, a round head poked in. ¡°Dahu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. ¡°Mother.¡± Dahu entered the kitchen. ¡°So early? Do you want to pee?¡± Su Xiaoxiao put down the sweet potato and wanted to take him to the toilet. He shook his head and handed the headband to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping anymore?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping anymore,¡± Dahu said in a childish voice. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and took the headband, letting him sit on her lap. Her fingers circled his soft hair and tied it up bit by bit. ¡°Why are you up so early?¡± she asked. ¡°Walking the foal,¡± Dahu said. Dahu was a responsible child. Every time he walked the foal, his two brothers would skive. He was the only one who persisted seriously. The foal that was more than two months old looked very strong. It was impossible to tell that it was once a premature foal. Seeing Dahu come over, it jumped up happily. Su Xiaoxiao accompanied Dahu to walk the foal. Dahu held the reins in one hand and half a sweet potato in the other. He nibbled on it with his glutinous rice-like teeth. It had only been a few days since she moved in, and Su Xiaoxiao was not familiar with the neighbors in the alley. However, it was strange that they knew Dahu! ¡°It¡¯s Dahu, right? He¡¯s here to walk a horse again.¡± An auntie who was sweeping leaves at the entrance of the courtyard said. Dahu greeted politely, ¡°Grandma Zhao.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Auntie Zhao smiled and said, ¡°How obedient. Eh? Who is this?¡± She looked at Su Xiaoxiao. Dahu puffed out his chest and said, ¡°My mother.¡± Auntie Zhao was dumbfounded. ¡°Ah¡­ This, this¡­ young mother¡­ is blessed.¡± She could just say that she was fat. Su Xiaoxiao greeted politely, ¡°Auntie Zhao.¡± ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Aunt Zhao nodded repeatedly. After that, they met a few neighbors. As expected, Dahu knew all of them and took the initiative to introduce his mother to them. Su Xiaoxiao was confused. How did he manage to identify all the neighbors in the alley within three days? Could this be the legendary socially awesome disease? Among the three little fellows, Erhu spoke the best. She had always thought that if there was really a popularity contest in the alley, it would be Erhu who would be crowned the winner. Dahu must have been hiding his strength. ¡°No one lives in this house.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for this house.¡± As Dahu walked, he introduced the neighbors to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°How do you know?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Maybe they were just going out to visit their relatives and will be back in a few days?¡± ¡°Grandma Zhao said so,¡± Dahu said. Su Xiaoxiao was even more stunned. She could not help but think of Dahu with a milky face, squatting on the ground and chatting seriously with the aunties and women¡­ How did Su Ergou watch the children? At the end of the alley, Dahu pointed at the house in the east and said, ¡°There¡¯s a nice sound.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Oh? Is there?¡± Dahu said, ¡°During the day.¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of sound Dahu was talking about, but she did hear an awful sound. Under a big tree not far away, a man in a green robe was holding the tree and retching. In his other hand was an old zither case. ¡°Do you know him?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Dahu. Dahu tilted his head and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him.¡± ¡°Wait for me here,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said and walked towards him. He did not smell of alcohol. If he was not drunk, he was retching due to an illness. ¡°You¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao was about to ask when his hand slipped and the case fell. There were a few angular rocks on the ground. If the case was smashed, it might break into pieces. He hurriedly went to scoop up the case, but he was a step too late. Just as the case was about to land, a pair of fair and chubby hands held it in time. ¡°Phew, I caught it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and looked at him. ¡°Where are you feeling unwell?¡± The other party didn¡¯t answer. He only glanced at Su Xiaoxiao and didn¡¯t even thank her. He took the zither case and staggered into the house in the east. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh, is Dahu¡¯s pleasant sound the sound of the zither?¡± ¡ª- Early in the morning. A luxurious carriage stopped at the east end of Pear Blossom Lane. The coachman lifted the curtain. Qin Yanran walked down with a zither. She raised her hand and gently knocked on the courtyard door. She had come a little early today and was worried that her teacher had not woken up. She was about to return to the carriage to wait when she realized that the courtyard door was not bolted. She knocked lightly and opened it. She entered the courtyard. She saw a young man in green under the corridor. The man sat on a rattan chair and wiped a zither with clean silk. She bowed and curtsied for the first time. The other party did not even look at her and carried the zither into the room. Qin Yanran frowned. Who was this man? She had never seen him before. Could this be the elusive eldest disciple under his master? Now that she thought about it, she had to call him senior brother. ¡°Yanran.¡± Master Zhang walked over from the corridor. Master Zhang was 30 years old this year and was once the Imperial Zither Master of the palace. He even taught the princesses how to play the zither. To be under his name, the Protector Duke had used many connections. Of course, if they were only banking on relationship and her aptitude and talent were not enough, he would not take her in as a disciple. Qin Yanran was the only female disciple he had taught other than the princesses. Her musical talent was even more outstanding than the royal princesses. ¡°Teacher.¡± Qin Yanran bowed. Zhang Qinshi said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the zither room. I¡¯ll come over later.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Yanran originally wanted to ask about her Eldest Senior Brother, but she thought better of it. ¡ª- After Su Xiaoxiao and Dahu slipped away, they went to the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. Physician Fu had been there for two days. It was time to rotate him back to rest. The Old Marquis must have been agitated during the day and had a high fever at night. Physician Fu gave him some fever medicine left behind by Su Xiaoxiao. The Old Marquis¡¯s pulse was much smoother than the first day, and his complexion visibly recovered. However, he could no longer get out of bed like the day before. If he was sick, he had to recuperate carefully. Otherwise, it was easy for everything to go down the drain. The Old Marquis went out yesterday not because he had improved to the point where he could go out, but purely because his willpower was strong and he dragged his sickly body over. If it were any other old man or woman, they would have long collapsed on the bed in death. Physician Fu was extremely sleepy. Su Mo arranged a room for him to stay next door to the Old Marquis. He did not have to run around. ¡°Sure,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Little Quanzi looked at Su Xiaoxiao strangely. This disciple often overstepped her boundaries and made decisions for his master. Su Mo¡¯s expression did not change at all. He instructed, ¡°Clean up the room next door.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Little Quanzi scratched his head and agreed. He went to tidy up the room in a daze. Physician Fu was so sleepy that his eyelids fluttered. He could sleep anywhere, but he was not picky. ¡°Shall we go to the study?¡± Su Mo said. The two of them went to the study. As soon as he sat down, a guard rushed over. He was about to enter when he saw Su Xiaoxiao in the room and paused. ¡°Come in,¡± Su Mo said. The guard bowed and cupped his fists. ¡°Eldest Young Master.¡± Su Mo asked, ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Seeing that his eldest young master was not hiding anything from that girl, the guard told him the clues he had found over the past few days. Chapter 235 - 235 Qin Canglans Arrival 235 Qin Canglan¡¯s Arrival It was about the Old Marquis being poisoned. Su Mo investigated from the residence. He asked his trusted guard to carefully investigate all the servants in the residence who had the chance to come into contact with the Old Marquis¡¯s food and drink. He did not find anything unusual, so he ruled out the possibility of the attack being committed in the residence. From this point, at least it meant that the interior of Marquis Manor was safe. The investigation turned toward the ingredients from outside the residence. The huge Duke Mansion had dozens of ingredients every day, and this did not include the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar rice that they bought regularly¡­ This was a huge project. Fortunately, the heavens did not disappoint. Finally, this morning, his trusted guard caught a butcher selling meat. ¡°It¡¯s a butcher surnamed Hu.¡± The trusted guard said, ¡°The Old Marquis likes to eat meat. He has been buying meat at his shop for the past few years and nothing has gone wrong.¡± Su Mo asked, ¡°Is there a problem with this butcher?¡± The trusted guard shook his head. ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing wrong with him. It¡¯s the dumpling leaf he used to penetrate the flesh that was soaked in poison. In order not to be discovered, the dosage was very small. It won¡¯t cause any harm if one eats it once or twice, but it¡¯s hard to say for a month or two.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone else poisoned?¡± The trusted guard replied, ¡°The Old Marquis only likes to eat the most tender rib meat. Every time, it would be prepared for the Old Marquis alone. The chefs in the residence occasionally steal a bite, but firstly, that would not account for much. Secondly, there are several chefs in our residence so the same chef does not eat it every time. However, they¡¯ve been a little dizzy recently. They just thought that they were too tired and didn¡¯t take it to heart.¡± It seemed that he had been poisoned over time. Su Mo asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the vendor selling dumpling leaves?¡± The trusted guard said awkwardly, ¡°I caught him¡­ but I didn¡¯t watch him closely. I wasn¡¯t careful and let him bite his tongue to commit suicide.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ordinary people can¡¯t bite off their tongues.¡± This was a trap specially set up for the Old Marquis, no, perhaps for the entire estate of the Marquis of Zhenbei. Su Mo was clearly not satisfied with this outcome. He was not angry and still looked gentle. However, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s sharp eyes noticed that the guard¡¯s forehead was starting to sweat. This eldest young master of the Su family was not as simple as he looked. ¡°However¡­¡± The trusted guard panted and was secretly glad that he did not stop. He continued to investigate. ¡°That person¡¯s name is Xiangzi. He came to the capital last October. At the end of the month, he came with a caravan. Then, he somehow broke up with the caravan and lived on the streets. Later on, he worked for a provision shop. The dumpling leaves were sold from that shop.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the shop for the time being. However, according to the waiter in the shop, Xiangzi has a lover in a big family. Once, the waiter bumped into him. Xiangzi threatened him not to tell anyone, or else he would be killed.¡± Su Mo frowned. ¡°Which big family?¡± The trusted guard hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°The Protector Duke¡¯s Estate.¡± ¡­ After the trusted guard left, Su Mo fell into deep thought. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Mo said with a serious expression, ¡°Last October, something big happened in the Marquis of Zhenbei.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him and gestured for him to continue. Su Mo said, ¡°Grandfather and Father had a big fight in the study. That day was Grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet and many guests came. Grandfather threatened to abolish Father¡¯s position as the heir. This news spread. Just as Grandfather broke off relations with Father, a ¡®vendor¡¯ came to poison Grandfather. I think this might not be a coincidence.¡± ¡°Why are they arguing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Mo said seriously, ¡°Father suggested that the ancestral shrine be moved to the capital. Grandpa didn¡¯t agree and threw a huge tantrum. Actually, it¡¯s just a matter of anger. How can father and son have overnight grudges? However, rumors are terrifying. In the aristocratic families, there are countless sisters, brothers, and father-son grudges.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh.¡± Su Mo glanced at her and said, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t discovered that my grandfather was poisoned in time, the worst outcome would have been that my grandfather is no longer around. All kinds of evidence pointing to my father killing his father to protect his title would have jumped out.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh.¡± Su Mo was speechless. Su Mo opened the small food box on the table and pushed it to her. ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the jar full of smashed walnuts and blinked strangely. ¡°Don¡¯t you like to eat this?¡± Su Mo asked. Su Xiaoxiao picked one up and flipped it around. Was this really a smashed walnut? Which person suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder did it? It was too complete! Su Xiaoxiao took a bite. ¡°How¡¯s Uncle¡¯s condition?¡± Su Mo asked. When they left yesterday, Su Cheng was still unconscious. They could tell that Su Cheng had been agitated. In order not to cause Su Cheng¡¯s agitation again, they decided to return to the residence first. Otherwise, with the Old Marquis¡¯s personality, he would have brought Su Cheng¡¯s family back. Su Xiaoxiao explained Father Su¡¯s situation concisely. Su Mo was silent for a long time before he said, ¡°It¡¯s good that he doesn¡¯t remember.¡± He could roughly guess what that painful memory was. Grandaunt used her life to stall the assassin in exchange for a chance of survival for her biological flesh and blood. It was very likely that Su Cheng had witnessed his mother being cruelly killed. He was only a six-year-old child at that time. This scene would be difficult for anyone to bear. Neither of them mentioned letting Father Su recover his memory. Restoring his memory was only painful and had no benefits. As for whether there would be any clues to find the murderers in Father Su¡¯s memory¡­ Were they dead? Or were they so incompetent that they needed to use a method that would torment Father Su to find clues? Su Xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to hurt Father Su, including herself. Father Su had already suffered too much. She didn¡¯t want him to be sad for the rest of his life. She would shoulder the grudge from his past. She would not let any of those people off. ¡ª- At Pear Blossom Lane, after Xiaohu and Erhu woke up, Dahu showed off to his two stinky brothers the sweet times when he and his mother walked the foal and ate roasted sweet potatoes together. The two brothers were jealous and ran to the door. Unexpectedly, after waiting for half a day, their mother did not return. The two of them felt aggrieved and were about to cry. Dahu said, ¡°Hehehe!¡± It was their fault for staying in bed. Erhu and Xiaohu were fierce. Their brother was so annoying today! ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t be angry. Grandpa will roast sweet potatoes for you.¡± Su Cheng went to the kitchen and roasted two big black sweet potatoes. Erhu and Xiaohu refused in their hearts, but seeing that their grandfather¡¯s face was blackened by the stove ash, they still reached out and took a roasted sweet potato¡­ Ugh. It tasted so bad¡­ Then, Su Cheng brought the three little ones to the alley. Qin Canglan had just returned from a trip. He happened to pass by Scholar Street and remembered that his granddaughter seemed to be learning the zither in Pear Blossom Lane. ¡°To Pear Blossom Lane,¡± he said to the coachman. Chapter 236 - 236 Father and Son Meet 236 Father and Son Meet The place where Qin Yanran learned the zither was the first house at the east end of Pear Blossom Lane. This was Qin Canglan¡¯s first time here, but the coachman was clearly familiar with the place. He parked the carriage at the side with ease. The melodious sound of the zither came from the courtyard. Qin Canglan did not know music, so the sound of playing the zither and cotton was no different to him. He waited in the carriage for a while. The coachman asked if he wanted to go in and ask, but he refused. He was a boor. It was not easy for him to have a talented girl at home. He had to treasure her and not disturb his granddaughter from learning the zither. However, the tune was really a little hypnotic. He felt sleepy and decided to come down for a walk. As soon as he got off the ground, he sensed a rustling sound. The general¡¯s intuition in him instantly made him wary. Over the years, he had made many enemies. Out of ten people, seven or eight probably wanted his life. Still¡­ It was not so easy to take his life! He touched the dagger at his waist and walked towards the slightly swaying tree. If Su Xiaoxiao was here, she would definitely recognize that this was the big tree where she had seen a man holding a zither and retching when she was walking the foal with Dahu in the morning. The commotion on the tree came from Dahu. Dahu had already walked the foal in the morning. Now, he did not want to walk it with his brothers a second time. He slipped away quietly. He was very curious about the tune coming from this house. Coincidentally, he had learned to climb trees. Qin Canglan looked at the swaying leaves above his head and snorted coldly. ¡°Sneaky! Who are you? Hand over your life!¡± He was extremely tall and burly. Even though he was old, his body was still tall and straight. Ordinary people might not even be able to jump up. He reached out and pushed it away. Then, he saw a sticky ball. The ball had a round face and big black grape-like eyes. His eyebrows were filled with heroic spirit, and there was a thin layer of sweat on the tip of his nose from climbing the tree. His small mouth was slightly open. Recently, he had been drooling because of his teething. Dahu was caught. He hugged the tree trunk and looked at him in a daze, like a round little Iron-eating Beast. Qin Canglan was stunned. His grip loosened. The branch he pressed down flicked and Dahu was sent flying! Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes flickered. He flew up and held Dahu, who was hugging his head in midair and curling up into a small ball. This child had such a strong survival instinct! Qin Canglan landed steadily with Dahu in his arms. To Qin Canglan¡¯s surprise, not only was the little guy in his arms not frightened to tears, but he also looked at him excitedly. It was as if he was saying: Again! Again! Qin Canglan suddenly smiled. ¡°You¡¯re quite bold.¡± If he was not so bold, he would not have climbed such a tall tree at such a young age. ¡°Where do you live?¡± Qin Canglan asked. Dahu did not answer him immediately. Instead, he blinked and looked down. Wow. So high. Qin Canglan said, ¡°Where do you live? I¡¯ll send you back.¡± Qin Canglan looked very fierce, the kind that could scare children to tears when he was serious. Dahu pointed at his house obediently. Qin Canglan frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to speak?¡± Dahu blinked. Qin Canglan had never been popular with children. When the children saw him, they were so frightened that they did not dare to speak. He stopped asking. He bent down and planned to place Dahu on the ground. Dahu curled his little feet up and refused to touch the ground. Qin Canglan was helpless and could only pick Dahu up again. Strange, wasn¡¯t this child scared silly by him? Few children dared to let him carry them. On the other hand, when Su Cheng returned home and realized that there was one less child, he was so frightened that his hair stood on end! Su Cheng still felt a lingering fear when he recalled the experience of the three of them escaping into the mountains to hide. However, Su Ergou had gone out to buy groceries again. There was no one at home to watch the house, and he could not leave Erhu and Xiaohu at home and go out to look for Dahu himself. Just as he was in a terrible fix, a tall and burly old man with white hair carried Dahu into the courtyard. It was a little inappropriate to call him an old man. Although this person had a white beard and white hair, his tall figure and steady footsteps could easily beat that of a young man. It was not an exaggeration to describe him as a treasured saber that had not aged. He was dressed like a martial artist and was wearing black boots. There was a ferocious saber with a totem hanging on his waist. He looked very fierce! Father Su calculated in his heart. He could only be a village tyrant in the countryside. So he was missing a set of equipment¡­ Father Su reluctantly looked away. He would make a set for himself later¡­ Father Su went to fetch Dahu. Dahu sighed like an adult and extended his hand to his grandfather. ¡°Where did you go just now? Did you run around again?¡± Father Su asked Dahu solemnly. Dahu¡¯s eyes darted around as he twisted his butt and ran to the backyard! Su Cheng gritted his teeth. ¡°This child! I¡¯ll tell your mother later!¡± Only Su Cheng and Qin Canglan were left in the courtyard. Su Cheng had always been clear about gratitude and grudges. Since he had sent Dahu back, he had to thank him no matter what. Su Cheng said seriously, ¡°Thank you for sending my grandson back.¡± Qin Cang trembled. ¡°Is that your grandson?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Su Cheng raised his eyebrows and raised his tabby face which he thought was extremely handsome but was actually covered in ashes. ¡°Although I look young, I¡¯m already 37 years old this year!¡± Country bumpkins got married early. They were fathers in their teens and grandfathers in their thirties. Qin Canglan paused. ¡°Thirty-seven. You¡¯re the same age as my son.¡± Su Cheng sized him up and said pertinently, ¡°Then you look a little anxious.¡± Qin Canglan was dumbfounded. Su Cheng asked, ¡°Are you a neighbor here?¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°I was passing by. My granddaughter is learning the zither nearby, so I came over to take a walk.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Cheng moved a small stool and sat down. He also handed him a small stool. ¡°My daughter also learned the zither for a few days when she was young.¡± Qin Canglan sat down on the small stool. It was already very comical for Su Cheng to sit in a small stool. He was more burly than Su Cheng and was like a hill pressing down on the stool. ¡°Is that so?¡± He tried to adjust to the stool. Su Cheng said, ¡°That¡¯s right. She was very talented and learned too quickly. The teachers couldn¡¯t teach her, so they expelled her.¡± Qin Canglan muttered,¡± Young man, you¡¯re bragging a little too much.¡± Su Cheng was indeed bragging. His fat daughter had never even touched it, let alone learn the zither. It was difficult for country bumpkins to fill their stomachs. How could she have the money to learn the zither? ¡°Eh? You like grapefruit too?¡± Qin Canglan noticed a grapefruit tree in the courtyard. Su Cheng waved his hand. ¡°Oh, I planted it blindly. I can¡¯t eat it. If I eat it, I¡¯ll have rashes all over my body.¡± Qin Canglan was stunned. ¡°What a coincidence. My son too!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Cheng did not care about his son. Su Cheng glanced at him and asked, ¡°You should have quite a big appetite, right?¡± Qin Canglan was thinking, ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± Su Cheng coughed lightly and picked up the small dustpan at the side. ¡°Thank you for saving Dahu. There¡¯s nothing to entertain you with. Try the sweet potatoes roasted at home.¡± He wanted Qin Canglan finish it so that he wouldn¡¯t have to eat it! Qin Canglan looked at the black lumps in the dustpan and seriously suspected that he had handed him a few pieces of charcoal. ¡°It¡¯s very delicious.¡± Su Cheng worked hard. Qin Canglan picked up a sweet potato. Su Cheng continued, ¡°Our family is not interested in wasting food.¡± Qin Canglan was someone who had eaten tree roots and Guanyin clay. He was not picky about food. Although it did look a little bad, it was a sweet potato after all. How bad could it be? Qin Canglan took a bite casually. In the next second, his body trembled, and a powerful energy rushed to the top of his head! Chapter 237 - 237 Coexisting Pleasantly 237 Coexisting Pleasantly Su Cheng¡¯s normal attempts at culinary feats were relatively unpalatable, but today, he performed exceptionally. Qin Canglan seemed to have been struck by lightning, which rolled across his body, and even every strand of white hair was burned. The last time he had eaten such bad food was when his first wife was alive. The big man looked like he could eat a lot¡­ Su Cheng calmly placed all the roasted sweet potatoes on his lap. Qin Canglan choked on the roasted sweet potato that was difficult to swallow. Not long after, Su Ergou returned with his burden. He went to the market to buy a basket of dried goods. There were peanuts, sesame seeds, some dried mushrooms, and yellow cauliflower. He originally wanted to buy dried plum vegetables, but he was late and they were all sold out. In the countryside, not many people liked dried plum vegetables, except when they were stuffed in Su Ji¡¯s dried plum vegetable pancakes. The other basket contained food for the foal. There were corn cobs, barley, and some tender grass and beans. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m back!¡± Su Ergou placed the burden on the ground and saw an additional man in the courtyard. The man had white hair and a beard. He looked about the same age as Old Master Su in the countryside, but he was much stronger and burly than him. ¡°Dad, we have a guest?¡± Su Ergou asked. ¡°Oh, Dahu sneaked out just now. It was this¡­ Grandpa who sent Dahu back.¡± Su Cheng suddenly realized that he did not know how to address him. Qin Canglan thought for a moment and said, ¡°My surname is Qin.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Cheng rubbed his hands. Why did he especially want to extort this person¡­ Qin Canglan did not know what Su Cheng was thinking. He looked at Su Ergou. Su Ergou was tanned and had pure black skin. Compared to those pink-headed young masters in the capital, Qin Canglan felt that a child like Su Ergou looked more pleasing to the eye. For some reason, he thought of Qin Yun. Qin Yun was about the same age as the child in front of him, but it was obvious that Qin Yun was much weaker. He had practiced martial arts since he was young. Not only had he learned not learned much, but his body was not strong either. He was afraid of the cold and heat. If he was not careful, he would fall ill. Su Ergou first placed the dry goods in the kitchen and brought a bucket over to make feed for the foal. He held a heavy bucket in each hand. It was obvious that he often worked. His arm strength was extremely good, and his lower body was stable. ¡°Are you going to feed the horses?¡± Qin Canglan asked. The Qin family¡¯s cavalry was very powerful. Qin Canglan had interacted with many horses. When he saw what Su Ergou was preparing, he deduced that it was the horse¡¯s feed. Su Ergou said, ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Canglan asked, ¡°Are there no alkaline straw and medick?¡± ¡°What?¡± Su Ergou had never heard of it. Qin Canglan said, ¡°These are two types of grass. Horses can become stronger after eating them.¡± As Su Ergou mixed the feed, he said, ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll look for it at the market next time.¡± It was probably not sold in the market¡­ This kind of grass was extremely rare in the capital. The Qin family had their own ranch that was especially used to raise warhorses in the military camp. While Qin Canglan was deep in thought, Su Ergou went to the backyard to bring the foal over. Qin Canglan glanced around and paused. ¡°This horse¡­¡± Su Ergou touched the foal¡¯s neck. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about it. It¡¯s very beautiful, right? My sister bought it. When she first bought it, it was thin and small. It was a premature horse cub. The villagers said that it couldn¡¯t be raised alive. Isn¡¯t this quite good!¡± The foal puffed out its chest and jumped twice valiantly. Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes moved slightly. This was a desert warhorse that was better than a Ferghana horse. ¡°Can I¡­ touch it?¡± Qin Canglan asked. The only thing that could appeal to a cavalry commander was a warhorse. ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Su Ergou patted the foal and brought it to Qin Canglan. The foal was very obedient. Qin Canglan touched its mane and bones. It was a purebred desert horse! Qin Canglan was excited. Such horses were very rare in the Great Zhou. There were a few in the Southwest Prince¡¯s Mansion, but it was said that they had all died in battle. In the Great Zhou, the most common warhorses were Mongolian horses and Ferghana horses. Mongol horses were resistant to the cold and had extremely strong survival and recovery abilities. When necessary, they could provide horse blood to the soldiers and were the most commonly used warhorses in the north. However, the Mongolian horse was relatively short, and its explosive power and jumping ability were not outstanding. The explosive power of a Ferghana horse was much stronger. Moreover, a Ferghana horse could travel a thousand miles a day and had astonishing endurance. The disadvantage was that it was not as cold-resistant as a Mongolian horse, which was also resistant to heat and was suitable for fighting in the desert. Moreover, the Ferghana horse was not tall and its carrying ability was poor. It was used more in light cavalry; it would be too difficult for it to support heavy calvary. Desert horses were the most comprehensive warhorses. They could support light or heavy cavalry. Most importantly, they had extraordinary calmness on the battlefield. ¡°This kind of horse¡­ should be very difficult to buy¡­¡± Qin Canglan said. Su Ergou said, ¡°It was originally not allowed to be sold. The mare was dead, and it was about to die. The people at the courier station decided to do some good. They sold it to my sister.¡± Qin Canglan nodded, but at the same time, he was very surprised. He had dealt with horses for many years and naturally understood that a foal could not survive without a mare. Other mares would only feed their young, and might even attack foals that were not their own. In addition, without the comfort of a mare, some foals would fast. It was a miracle to be able to keep it alive. ¡°It cost a lot of silver, right?¡± he asked. Even if it was a dying desert foal, it was¡­ Su Ergou said with heartache, ¡°That¡¯s right. It cost my sister 40 taels!¡± Qin Canglan almost choked to death on a sweet potato! ¡°What did you say? ¡± ¡°40, 40 taels? ¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not 400 taels? ¡± He, Qin Canglan, was willing to spend 4,000 taels to buy this horse! Su Ergou mixed the feed and brought the foal over to eat. Qin Canglan said, ¡°I think this feed is a little rough¡­¡± The foal probably wouldn¡¯t like it. In the next second, Qin Canglan saw the pony plunge into its small wooden food trough and eat! It was an obedient horse and was not picky! Qin Canglan¡¯s expression was indescribable. To Qin Canglan, who loved horses as much as his life, watching Su Ergou feed such a precious horse with rough feed was no less shocking than seeing the Minister of the Imperial Household feed the crown prince pig feed. Qin Canglan felt terrible! ¡­ On the other side, Su Xiaoxiao and Su Mo began to investigate the Protectorate. They mainly started from three aspects. One was that lover. This was a little difficult. The waiter did not see the other party¡¯s appearance clearly, so they could only take it slow. Secondly, he wanted to check if the Guardian Duke, Qin Canglan, was related to the accident back then. The third was Qin Che. When Qin Che came to the capital to acknowledge his kinship with the Duke¡¯s Protectorate, he was already 16 years old. It was impossible for him not to know. Unless he was an orphan and didn¡¯t remember what he had been through before he was six years old, it was impossible for him to be brainwashed into believing that he was the real Qin Che. In the former, he took the initiative to hide the truth. In the latter case, he was complicit. But no matter what, Qin Che had definitely lied. This was because Qin Che¡¯s original words to the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate were, ¡°I lost a jade pendant. Fortunately, this piece has always been on me.¡± Chapter 238 - 238 He Dreamed 238 He Dreamed After class, Qin Yanran came out with the zither. She saw her grandfather¡¯s carriage at a glance. The coachman bowed. ¡°Miss.¡± Qin Yanran asked, ¡°Did Grandpa ask you to pick me up?¡± The coachman said, ¡°Old Master came over personally.¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s eyes lit up. His grandfather doted on the siblings very much, but his grandfather was not good at expressing himself and could not do these warm actions. Qin Yanran enjoyed it. Just as she was about to get into the carriage and bow to her grandfather, she heard the coachman say, ¡°Old Master just saved a child and sent him home.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the child?¡± ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s in this alley. I didn¡¯t notice which family it was.¡± He could not stare at the Old Duke¡¯s back. Moreover, the Old Duke¡¯s footsteps were too fast. In the blink of an eye, he was gone. Since it was from the alley, it shouldn¡¯t take long. Qin Yanran got into the carriage and waited for her grandfather. Unexpectedly, she waited until her hands and feet were cold, but her grandfather did not come over. Qin Canglan was in the Su family¡¯s front yard, feeding the foal with Su Ergou. He completely forgot what he was here for. It was said among ten generals, nine would be reticent. That was because they had never met anyone with whom they could chat. Su Ergou was at the age of curiosity and was intoxicated by Qin Canglans stories. He dreamed of riding a tall horse one day. ¡°What do you want to know¡­ Come, let me tell you.¡± Qin Canglan spoke for a full two hours. He spoke about everything from the feeding of horses to the breed of horses, to the domestication of horses. In the end, for some reason, the topic changed to the battlefield. What horse was suitable for charging? What horse was suitable for raiding at night? Qin Canglan had also told Qin Yun about this, but the latter did not like to hear it. Su Cheng watched as the two of them talked about horses and treated him as air. His face darkened. Were they still eating sweet potatoes? Don¡¯t just talk! Hurry up and finish the charred black sweet potato! It was already two hours after Qin Canglan left the Su family. Su Cheng was grateful that he had taught Su Ergou how to feed the horse. As a thank-you, Su Cheng offered a thank-you gift: a pack of roasted sweet potatoes that were already cold. He had finally given them away! Qin Canglan returned to the carriage and realized that he had completely forgotten about Qin Yanran. He looked at Qin Yanran, whose lips were purple from the cold, and coughed awkwardly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait for me next time. Go back yourself.¡± Back at the residence, Qin Che had just returned. The three of them met at the door. An Imperial Physician followed behind Qin Che. Qin Canglan asked, ¡°Why did you invite the imperial physician?¡± Qin Che¡¯s eyes flashed. He did not dare to tell her that Qin Yun had been taught a lesson by Princess Jingning. He only said awkwardly, ¡°Yun¡¯er has caught a cold. I invited the Imperial Physician to take a look at him.¡± Qin Canglan frowned. This grandson¡¯s body was too weak. He should not have been spoiled like this. Look at the child in Pear Blossom Lane. He was as strong as a calf and had firm skin¡­ When Qin Che was young, he was also tough. He would go up out of the house every other day and climb trees. Perhaps he had suffered too much among the commoners. After returning to the capital, he was not as tough as when he was young. The young man in the alley looked good. Strange. Why did he keep thinking of the father and son in Pear Blossom Lane? Qin Canglan turned around and returned to his courtyard. Qin Che looked at his father¡¯s departing back strangely. He felt that his father was different from usual today¡­ He looked at the pale Qin Yanran and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± Qin Yanran felt wronged and told him about waiting for her grandfather in the carriage for more than two hours. Qin Che comforted her, ¡°Since your grandfather was gone for so long, he must have something urgent.¡± Qin Yanran nodded. She was a junior, so she naturally did not dare to say anything bad about her elders. ¡°Achoo!¡± She sneezed heavily. She seemed to have caught a cold. After dinner, Qin Canglan practiced boxing in the courtyard for a while. When the sweat on his body dried, he took a cold shower. Ever since the Imperial Physician instructed him to take care of his body, he had not taken a cold shower for months. It was because he was inexplicably frustrated today. He did not know what he was frustrated about. He was someone who took a cold shower in the middle of winter and did not feel cold. However, when he lay on the bed, the gout in his hand began to flare up. This was the consequence of not following the doctor¡¯s orders. Qin Canglan looked at his trembling hand in pain and cold sweat dripped down his forehead. In the eyes of outsiders, his body was still very strong. He could fight for another seven to eight years. Only he knew that he could no longer hold a sword steadily. If not for that, why would he have passed the position of Protector Duke to Qin Che so early? Actually, which of these generals did not exert their bodies too much when they were young and ended up with injuries and illnesses in their twilight years? The Imperial Physician prescribed him a bottle of painkillers. Because there were certain side effects and addiction, the Imperial Physician instructed him to take a packet only when the pain was unbearable. He had never taken it. He understood that medicine was 30% poisonous. But tonight, he actually couldn¡¯t take it anymore. There seemed to be strange pain in his hands. He took the medicine. The drug took effect quickly. The pain was alleviated, followed by drowsiness. He lay on the hard bed and quickly fell asleep. He never used to dream. But that night, he dreamed of his wife and the father and son in Pear Blossom Lane. ¡ª- In the Wei family, Matriarch Wei locked Wei Ting in the ancestral hall and made him kneel and repent in front of the ancestral tablets. Was Wei Ting such a well-behaved person? He turned around and climbed over the wall. Just as he climbed over the wall, she saw Madam Jiang and Madam Chen in sparring clothes. The former held a nine-section whip, while the latter held a red tassel spear and looked at her calmly. Wei Ting lay on the wall and sighed helplessly. ¡°There¡¯s no need¡­¡± Madam Jiang patted her palm with the whip and chuckled. ¡°Grandmother guessed that you wouldn¡¯t be honest! Do you want to run? Come on.¡± Wei Ting sighed again. ¡°Fifth Sister-in-law, you know that I won¡¯t fight with you and Third Sister-in-law.¡± Madam Jiang snorted. ¡°Cut the crap! Are you going to scram back obediently, or are the two of us going to beat you down!¡± Wei Ting held his forehead. ¡°Third Sister-in-law, Fifth Sister-in-law, are you serious¡­¡± Madam Chen was strong but had a silly personality. She looked at Madam Jiang. ¡°Are we serious?¡± Madam Jiang said seriously, ¡°Of course I¡¯m serious! Grandmother said that if we let him go today, she won¡¯t let you eat meat for three days!¡± Madam Chen stabbed the red tassel spear into the ground! Wei Ting was speechless. ¡°Grandmother!¡± Wei Ting shouted behind the two of them. The two of them subconsciously turned their heads. Wei Ting took the opportunity to support himself with one hand on the wall and jump up! Madam Jiang¡¯s ears twitched as she looked at him coldly. ¡°Rascal! You¡¯ve learned to cheat! Where are you running?!¡± She lashed out with her whip. Wei Ting kicked with the tip of his foot and met her whip. At the same time, Wei Ting flipped back in the air and knelt on one knee, landing steadily on the lawn. Madam Chen drew her spear and charged forward. The red tassel spear that weighed more than a hundred catties was as fast and agile as a flood dragon in her hand. Chapter 239 - 239 Arrival of the Fat Lass 239 Arrival of the Fat Lass In the blink of an eye, she exchanged more than ten moves with Wei Ting. Wei Ting said, ¡°Third Sister-in-law, let me go and I¡¯ll buy meat for you. Braised pork from River Gazing Restaurant!¡± Madam Chen paused. Madam Jiang whipped Wei Ting. ¡°Third Sister-in-law, don¡¯t listen to him! He¡¯s fooling you again! The last time, he said he would buy you pancakes, did he buy them for you in the end?¡± ¡°No.¡± Madam Chen frowned. ¡°Why not?¡± Wei Ting gritted his teeth. He had bought it, but his grandmother¡¯s people intercepted him midway. Madam Chen raised her red tassel spear again and called out to Wei Ting. This time, for some reason, Wei Ting did not dodge and his back was hit firmly. Madam Chen¡¯s goal was to stop Wei Ting from escaping, not to kill him. Therefore, she did not stab him with the spearhead. Instead, she tapped him. Even so, Wei Ting still grunted and spat out a mouthful of blood. Wei Ting fell to the ground. Their expressions changed drastically. Mdm Jiang threw away her whip and walked over. She squatted down and looked at Wei Ting in panic. ¡°Little Seven, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Ting lay on the ground on his side, one hand covering his heart and the other reaching for his injured back. He said with a pained expression, ¡°Fifth Sister-in-law, I think I¡¯m injured¡­¡± Mdm Jiang said in a daze, ¡°You, aren¡¯t scamming us again, right?¡± Wei Ting smiled weakly and was about to speak when he spat out another mouthful of blood. Madam Jiang was frightened. She turned to look at Madam Chen and said, ¡°Third Sister-in-law, how could you beat Little Seven up like this?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t use much strength. I just¡­ tapped him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know how strong you are? You slapped a bear to death!¡± These words were not nonsense. Back then, when the sons of the Wei family were still alive, they had once followed the emperor to hunt. Halfway through, the emperor encountered a bear. The inner court experts could not save him in time, so Madam Chen swung her rod and killed the bear on the spot. Madam Chen also realized that she was indeed a little strong. She scratched her head. ¡°What should we do?¡± Madam Jiang knelt on the ground and looked at Wei Ting, who was vomiting blood. She cried. ¡°Little Seven!¡± ¡°I, I, I¡¯ll get a physician!¡± Madam Chen threw the red tassel spear away and turned to leave. After taking two steps, she turned back and retrieved the red tassel spear. Madam Jiang cried. Suddenly, Wei Ting¡¯s slender finger moved and tapped her acupoints. Mdm Jiang was stunned! Wei Ting smiled. ¡°Sorry, Fifth Sister-in-law.¡± Madam Jiang was so angry that her eyes shot darts! ¡°Brat, how dare you tease me!¡± It was windy outside. Madam Chen and Madam Jiang came out to catch him. In order to be agile, they did not wear much. Wei Ting took off his cloak and covered Madam Jiang. ¡°Sorry, Fifth Sister-in-law. Third Sister-in-law will be here in 15 minutes at most. Please wait here for a moment.¡± With that, he did not forget to arrange Madam Jiang into a more comfortable sitting position. Madam Jiang¡¯s eyes chased after him fiercely. ¡°Brat, don¡¯t let me catch you, or I¡¯ll chop off your war flag!¡± ¡ª- Night fell. Su Mo sent Su Xiaoxiao back to the residence. Physician Fu stayed in the estate, but he did not need to stay by the bed. Su Mo arranged for a few trusted physicians to take turns on night duty. If anything happened, they would wake Physician Fu up in time. In the carriage, Su Xiaoxiao asked about the Protectorate. Su Mo answered them one by one. When they were about to reach Pear Blossom Lane, they met an acquaintance. ¡°Eh? Who¡¯s inside?¡± The man asked. Su Mo lifted the curtain. ¡°Second Grandpa, it¡¯s me.¡± He introduced him to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°He¡¯s my grandaunt¡¯s brother-in-law.¡± The younger brother of the old Guardian Duke, Qin Canlan, Qin Hai. Su Mo could not expose Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s identity to anyone related to the Protectorate for the time being. He got out of the carriage and bowed to the other party. Qin Hai must have noticed that there was someone in the carriage, but he could not ask further. After greeting them, he rode away. ¡°The old Protector Duke has a younger brother?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Mo lowered the carriage curtain. ¡°He¡¯s a concubine¡¯s son. Speaking of which, back then, when Uncle disappeared, we couldn¡¯t find him for many years. Everyone has almost concluded that Uncle has died. The Duke¡¯s Estate had to have a successor. Granduncle planned to pass the position of Duke to Qin Hai. Qin Hai was so frightened that he hurriedly split from the family.¡± Not everyone was ambitious and greedy for power. All these years, Qin Hai had been eating, drinking, and playing. He was much more carefree than Qin Canglan, who had his head tied to his belt at all times. Su Mo left after sending Su Xiaoxiao back to Pear Blossom Lane. Su Cheng was not around. He and the three little fellows had gone out to buy lamp oil. Su Ergou was boxing in his courtyard. It was a new set of fist techniques taught by the kind old man. When he heard the commotion in the courtyard, he quickly retracted his fist and ran to the central room. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Yes, have you eaten?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°I¡¯ve eaten,¡± Su Ergou said. ¡°Dad bought the buns.¡± The three little ones who were poisoned by the roasted sweet potatoes were determined not to let Father Su enter the kitchen again. Father Su had no choice but to go to the market to buy a few big meat buns. Su Ergou said, ¡°I left two for you. They¡¯re in the hot pot.¡± Su Xiaoxiao only took one and handed the other to Su Ergou. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Su Ergou refused. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You¡¯ll be hungry later.¡± This child was growing and had been especially hungry recently. Su Ergou hesitated for a moment before taking the bun. Su Xiaoxiao took a bite of the bun. ¡°Did you buy what I asked you to buy?¡± ¡°I bought it!¡± Su Ergou said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I bought it secretly and didn¡¯t let Dad see it. But Sister, why did you buy those clothes?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sat on the stool and stretched her chubby legs. She said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s to meet a person.¡± After eating the buns, Su Xiaoxiao returned to the house and changed into the night clothes that Su Ergou had bought. ¡°If Dad asks, say that I went to the Marquis Mansion.¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°Oh, Sister, be careful.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. The moon was dark and windy. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the map she had obtained from Su Mo and successfully found the location of the Protectorate. In front of him was a high wall with sharp broken tiles. If she flipped over it with her bare hands, she would be cut into a bloody mess. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly thought of the pair of insulation gloves rewarded by the pharmacy. No way¡­ Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows strangely and took out the gloves from the small first aid bag tied to her waist. She first tried the dagger that Wei Ting had given her It actually didn¡¯t cut. At first, Su Xiaoxiao despised it too much and didn¡¯t study its texture carefully. Now that she touched it, she realized that its texture was very strange as if it was formed by countless thin and small cold steel wires. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly smiled. Who said it was useless? Wasn¡¯t that useful? Su Xiaoxiao put on her gloves and took more than ten steps back. She ran, kicked the wall, and jumped up! Supporting herself on the wall covered in sharp debris, she jumped and fell behind the wall! Phew! The little fatty could also be very agile! Chapter 240 - 240 Your Son Is Fake 240 Your Son Is Fake Su Xiaoxiao roughly understood the structure of the Protectoratefrom Su Mo. She roughly knew that her current location was not far from the main kitchen of the residence. That was true. She could smell it too. It was the fragrance of roasted venison. It seemed that the food in the Protectorate was not bad. Thinking of Father Su, who had not eaten well in the countryside, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes flashed coldly. A patrolling guard walked past the courtyard wall. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t want her aura to be sensed and walked towards the noisy and busy kitchen. She hid behind a nearby rockery. At this time, ordinary families had long rested. Only the main kitchen of the Protectorate was still busy. A nanny in charge led the two maidservants into the kitchen in a hurry. As she walked, she instructed, ¡°Have you remembered what I instructed you to do? The Little High Duke doesn¡¯t eat anything fat. Remember to remove the oil on the ginseng soup.¡± ¡°Also, don¡¯t stew the bird¡¯s nest you bought last month for the young master anymore. Use the bird¡¯s nest you bought a few days ago.¡± ¡°Nanny, should we use blood swallows or¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s blood swallow! What kind of noble status does the Little High Duke have? Who are you mocking by giving him ordinary bird¡¯s nest?¡± ¡°Got it, Nanny.¡± The little maidservant lowered her head and obediently followed the housekeeper into the kitchen. Su Ergou had not eaten meat in the countryside for a long time. Being able to drink some soup made of lard and eat rice mixed with lard was a delicacy to Su Ergou. What was bird¡¯s nest? Su Ergou had never seen it before. Su Xiaoxiao stayed behind the rockery for a while. After confirming that the guards had gone far, she flashed out. Coincidentally, the supper in the kitchen was ready. One portion was for Qin Yun and the other was for Qin Che. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hesitate and followed the maidservant who brought Qin Che supper. The two maidservants did not know that they were being followed and whispered about the residence. ¡°Sigh, the Little High Duke is in trouble again. Fortunately, the High Duke suppressed it and didn¡¯t let it reach the Old Master¡¯s ears.¡± ¡°If the Old Master finds out, he will punish the Little High Duke. His body can¡¯t withstand the Old Master¡¯s whip.¡± ¡°The Old Master¡¯s whip couldn¡¯t hit the Little High Duke. Didn¡¯t the High Duke stop him every time? The High Duke would say that he didn¡¯t teach his son well. If he want to whip, he should whip the High Duke. The High Duke suffered among the commoners and his body was damaged. How could the Old Master bear to do it?¡± ¡°Fortunately, our Miss is sensible. With her help in the future, the Little High Duke won¡¯t suffer.¡± Speak of the devil. Qin Yanran walked over with her maidservant. The two maidservants were shocked and hurriedly bowed. ¡°Miss!¡± Qin Yanran glanced at the two of them and asked, ¡°Is it for my father?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± one of the maids said. Qin Yanran said, ¡°Give it to me. I¡¯ll send it over.¡± The two maidservants handed the food box in their hands to Qin Yanran¡¯s maidservant. After Qin Yanran left, the two of them discussed softly. ¡°Did you see the pearl bracelet on Missy¡¯s head just now?¡± ¡°What pearl? That¡¯s called Shark Pearl. It¡¯s from the South Sea! I heard that it costs a hundred taels of silver each! Our Duke bought a whole string for Miss without a word!¡± ¡°The Duke really dotes on Miss. Our Miss is so lucky.¡± ¡°She was born into an aristocratic family. How can her fate be bad? Not all the daughters of aristocratic families have this fortune.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Protector Duke is really rich.¡± ¡°You¡¯re new here, so there are many things you don¡¯t know. This isn¡¯t something that can be bought with money¡­ The Protector Duke is powerful and influential. It¡¯s not something that any family can compare to. Of course, only our Eldest Miss is worthy of such expensive shark pearls. If it were any other young lady, she would just be a poor imitation!¡± The two maidservants bragged that Qin Yanran was the only one in the world. Su Xiaoxiao actually had no feelings for Qin Yanran, but she was impatient to listen to this. She wanted to investigate Qin Che. However, there was only a small path here. The two maidservants blocked her way and did not leave, causing her to be unable to move. When someone from the kitchen came to rush them, Qin Yanran had long left. So which courtyard was Qin Che¡¯s? She could only figure it out as she walked. As she walked, she suddenly heard a few men talking ahead. ¡°The few of you, increase your guard tonight. Send more men to the side and back doors!¡± ¡°Brother Feng, why are we suddenly on high alert tonight? Is something big about to happen in the capital?¡± ¡°Is this something you can ask?¡± ¡°I know my mistake!¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned suspiciously. Strengthen security and send more people? What was the situation? Could it be that she had been exposed? No, if she was really exposed, they would be searching the residence carefully. The four guards walked in this direction. Su Xiaoxiao had no suitable place to hide. She could only turn around and climb into a quiet courtyard beside her. Just as she entered, Qin Yanran came over. Su Xiaoxiao frowned and flashed into a room. ¡°Is my grandfather around?¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s voice came from outside the door. The servant replied, ¡°Miss, Old Master has rested.¡± ¡°So early?¡± Qin Yanran asked. ¡°Where does my grandfather feel unwell? He usually practices martial arts at this hour.¡± The servant said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡± Old Master would not explain anything to servants like them. Qin Yanran was worried. ¡°I¡¯ll go in and see Grandpa.¡± The servant did not dare to stop her and moved aside. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m Yanran. I¡¯m coming in.¡± As soon as Qin Yanran finished speaking, she waited at the door for a moment and gently pushed it open. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyebrows twitched as she crawled under the bed. Sob, she was stuck before she could move half her body in. Su Xiaoxiao crawled out again and hid in the closet. The cabinet was also narrow¡­ and the door almost could not be closed. She would never admit that she was fat! She pulled the cabinet door closed with both hands. Qin Yanran walked around the screen and came to the bed. Qin Canglan slept very soundly under the effect of the medicine. Qin Yanran came to the bed. ¡°Grandpa, Grandpa.¡± She called out softly twice. Seeing that Qin Canglan was probably only asleep, she was slightly relieved. The back of her hand touched her grandfather¡¯s forehead. It wasn¡¯t hot. ¡°Phew.¡± She heaved another sigh of relief. In the closet, Su Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth. She muttered to herself,¡±It¡¯s time to leave, right? I can¡¯t hold the closet door closet anymore¡­¡± Qin Yanran sat down on the stool beside the bed. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless! This position was strenuous, and the cabinet was stuffy. No one understood the little fatty¡¯s pain. Qin Yanran finally left. Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly left the cabinet and pulled off the cloth covering her face, panting heavily. ¡°I¡¯m suffocating¡­¡± Wait. Qin Yanran was Qin Che¡¯s daughter. She called the man on the bed her grandfather. Was this person the Old Protector Duke? Interesting. She had accidentally entered the Old Protector Duke¡¯s room. Was he involved in the accident back then? It was rumored that the Old Protector Duke and his first wife were deeply in love, but the rumors were just rumors. Marriage was like drinking water, and the drinker would know if the water was cold or warm. After the daughter of the Su family passed away, Qin Canglan¡¯s mother found another wife for him. Qin Canglan had no children with his second wife and their relationship was cold. Later on, Qin Canglan¡¯s mother and his second wife passed away one after another. Qin Canglan did not remarry. Cold moonlight shone in. Su Xiaoxiao lifted the veil and looked at the frowning man on the bed. From his looks, he was very fierce. She tilted her head. Oh, did he take medicine? This breathing was clearly wrong for a general. Suddenly, Qin Canglan seemed to have sensed something and suddenly opened his eyes. Su Xiaoxiao never expected him to wake up so suddenly. A hundred ways to kill him flashed across Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mind¡­ ¡°Huayin¡­¡± Qin Canglan spoke in a daze. Qin Canglan¡¯s consciousness was chaotic. The effects of the painkillers made him dizzy. What was wrong with him tonight? Did he dream of Huayin time and time again? Su Xiaoxiao blinked. Qin Canglan raised his head with difficulty. ¡°Huayin¡­ is it really you?¡± Su Huayin was the name of the daughter of the Su family. Qin Canglan¡¯s old eyes flickered. ¡°Huayin¡­ are you here to pick me up?¡± Pick him up? Why? So they could go to Pear Blossom Lane to play cards? Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes darted around and she decisively used Wei Ting¡¯s move. ¡°You¡¯re dreaming.¡± With that, she raised her small fist and punched down! No! Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s fist stopped half an inch away from his head. Qin Canglan did not dodge at all. Even in a half-asleep state, a general would not lose his survival instinct to protect himself. Then there was only one explanation. If Su Huayin wanted to kill him, he would lie flat and let Su Huayin kill him. ¡°Don¡¯t sleep yet!¡± Su Xiaoxiao held his hand and said extremely seriously, ¡°I¡¯m sending you a dream. Your son is fake!¡± Chapter 241 - 241 Brother Ting Takes Action (2) 241 Brother Ting Takes Action (2) After leaving Qin Canglan¡¯s courtyard, Su Xiaoxiao encountered some trouble. Since the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate strengthened its guard, she could not leave. She still could not understand why the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate suddenly became more vigilant. Could it be that they had guessed that someone would come to spy on them tonight? Or did something happen that she didn¡¯t know about? Was she unlucky to have bumped into it? She remembered that the vendor who had poisoned the Old Marquis was dead. The peddler¡¯s lover was from the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate. In that case, the other party might have guessed that something had happened to Xiangzi and that they had probably been exposed. They would have expected people from the Marquis of Zhenbei to come to investigate secretly tonight¡­ ¡°In that case, it¡¯s not strange for them to strengthen their defenses.¡± Su Xiaoxiao found a relatively quiet corner, tugged at her gloves, and easily crossed the wall. As soon as she landed, a swift arrow flew over. She caught it with her bare hands and handsomely held the cold arrowhead. The guard who shot at her was stunned. Did this¡­ fat assassin actually grab the arrowhead with her bare hands? One had to know that the arrowhead was very sharp. Su Xiaoxiao turned around and threw the arrow at the guard. The guard was shocked and hurriedly used his bow to block. He was forced to take a few steps back! What terrifying strength! He shouted with a solemn expression, ¡°Guards! There¡¯s an assassin!¡± The guards of the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate rushed over and surrounded Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t waste her breath on anyone. She rolled up her sleeves and started working. Her body was much more agile than before. Every time the guard seemed to want to grab her, she would slip away from his palm like a loach. However, it was difficult for two fists to fight four hands. The disadvantage in numbers exhausted Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s stamina. Three guards sealed her front, left, and right. Another guard ambushed her from behind. In the blink of an eye, a hidden weapon shot over and hit the guard¡¯s wrist. The guard screamed and the sword in his hand fell to the ground. Su Xiaoxiao backhanded him and sent him flying like a sandbag. The person who helped Su Xiaoxiao out was another man in black. He didn¡¯t fight with the other party for long. He brought Su Xiaoxiao into the air and disappeared into the endless night. ¡°Chase!¡± There were cavalry guards in the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate. They spurred their horses and chased after the two of them. ¡°Su Mo?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The man in black paused in surprise and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. Su Mo said coldly, ¡°I should be the one asking you that.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Just talk. Don¡¯t slow down. Continue.¡± Su Mo hesitated. He wanted to ask the other party, ¡°Why do you think I slowed down?¡± The Protector Duke¡¯s Estate had the most elite cavalry of the Great Zhou. They were divided into three groups. One group of cavalry chased after Su Mo and Su Xiaoxiao, and the other two groups took a detour to outflank them. Su Xiaoxiao looked back from the eaves. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s still a strategy.¡± Su Mo said calmly, ¡°Do you think Qin Canglan brought out the cavalry?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Oh, is Qin Canglan very powerful?¡± Su Mo asked curiously, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you call him grandfather?¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t acknowledge him.¡± Su Mo trembled and almost fell from midair. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Su Xiaoxiao retracted her hand obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± She moved again! Su Mo was speechless. The advantage of cavalry was that they were fast, but their disadvantage was also quite obvious. For example, they could not enter narrow places. Su Mo abandoned the street and flew over the roofs of the rows of houses. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have chased after us.¡± With that, Su Mo brought Su Xiaoxiao to a house with closed doors and windows. He glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. This girl¡¯s physique was really good. If it were anyone else, they would have vomited. Su Mo looked around and narrowed his eyes. ¡°They should be guarding the nearby exit. I¡¯ll lure them away later. Walk forward from the east. Someone will receive you there.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed. Su Mo was stunned again. Shouldn¡¯t she be polite and ask, ¡°What will you do if I leave?¡± Despite his surprise, he did not need this girl to be polite; he really wanted her to escape. However, this girl¡¯s reaction¡­ was really too different. This was the first time he had met someone so straightforward. He was not used to it. Su Mo coughed lightly. ¡°Alright, be careful. If you¡¯re caught, just push it on me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded in a second. ¡°Okay!¡± Su Mo was speechless. Forget it. This was good too. It would be easier. Chapter 242 - 242 Brother Ting Takes Action (2) 242 Brother Ting Takes Action (2) If he really encountered those crying and indecisive people, it would easily ruin things. He turned to leave, but he was too late. The cavalry of the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate had actually taken a small path and entered! People came from both sides and it was impossible to lure them away. Seeing that a fierce battle was inevitable, the courtyard door behind the two of them suddenly opened. A slender jade-like hand grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist and pulled her in! Su Mo¡¯s expression changed. He drew his sword and rushed into the courtyard¡­ Clang! The courtyard door was closed. In the night, a handsome figure stood beside Su Xiaoxiao and held her wrist openly. Su Mo¡¯s gaze turned cold. He looked up and his gaze landed on that familiar handsome face. ¡°Wei Ting?¡± Su Mo was shocked. ¡°Let go of ¡­¡± Before he could say the word ¡®cousin¡¯, there was the sound of hurried hooves outside the door. The cavalry of the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate stopped at the door. Wei Ting looked at the closed courtyard door indifferently and gently rubbed the back of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand with his fingertips, as if he was silently comforting her. Su Xiaoxiao blinked. Wei Ting let go of her hand and gave Su Mo a look. Su Mo frowned and moved aside, blocking Su Xiaoxiao behind him. Wei Ting swaggered out. The courtyard door was open, perfectly covering the two of them. The cavalry was already prepared to get off the horse and charge in. When they saw Wei Ting, they paused again. Wei Ting was the youngest son of the Wei family and had a noble status. Not everyone had the chance to see his true appearance. But coincidentally, these cavalrymen were all lucky to have seen him during the royal hunt. The leader¡¯s surname was Feng. Guard Feng did not dismount or get on the horse. He maintained a neither up nor down posture. After a long time, he still came down. Because if he didn¡¯t come down himself, this master would definitely beat him down. Wait, didn¡¯t this master go to the temple to be a monk? Guard Feng cupped his hands as usual. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Lord Wei had returned to the capital. Sorry for not welcoming you.¡± Wei Ting sneered. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re qualified to welcome me?¡± Guard Feng was speechless. Wei Ting said sarcastically, ¡°In the middle of the night, instead of sleeping, you came to block my courtyard. Why? The Duke Protector¡¯s Estate can¡¯t sit still anymore. Are you going to assassinate me in the middle of the night?¡± Look at this hat! Guard Feng did not dare to cause trouble for his master and hurriedly cupped his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t dare. It¡¯s just a misunderstanding.¡± Wei Ting pointed at the cavalry behind him. ¡°Then tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡± Guard Feng said, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ chasing two assassins.¡± Wei Ting looked shocked. ¡°So you suspect that I¡¯m an assassin?¡± Guard Feng replied tentatively, ¡°No¡­¡± Guard Feng wanted to say, ¡°I doubt it, but can you not say that?¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°Then you suspect that I¡¯m hiding assassins? Sure, just come in and search!¡± As he spoke, Wei Ting turned around and said mockingly to the courtyard. ¡°Lai Fu, go to the palace and tell His Majesty that I¡¯m back, but someone is unhappy that I returned to the capital. They came to my private residence in the middle of the night in the name of capturing the assassin and gave me a big show of strength!¡± Su Mo looked around. Where was Lai fu? Su Xiaoxiao pinched Su Mo. Su Mo pulled his throat unwillingly. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯ll go now¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± Guard Feng hurriedly said, ¡°We made a mistake!¡± Guard Feng left with his subordinates. A cavalryman asked in confusion, ¡°Brother Feng, are we leaving just like that? Aren¡¯t we going in to search? What if the assassin is really hiding inside?¡± His words were not baseless. The Wei family and the Qin and Su families were enemies, to begin with. Perhaps the assassin tonight was sent by Wei Ting! ¡°No,¡± Guard Feng said thoughtfully. ¡°Anyone would cover up for the assassin tonight. The Wei family won¡¯t.¡± The cavalry of the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate left. Wei Ting returned to the courtyard. Su Mo took out his sword and swung it at Wei Ting¡¯s neck. Su Xiaoxiao took a step forward, pulled out the dagger at her waist, and broke Su Mo¡¯s sword! In order not to expose his identity, Su Mo naturally wouldn¡¯t carry his exclusive sword. He used an ordinary sword bought from the market. However, it was still very hard. Yet, it was actually cut off by this little girl? What was even more surprising was how protective the little girl was of Wei Ting. That dagger that could cut iron like mud¡­ Su Mo¡¯s pupils dilated. Wasn¡¯t this Old General Wei¡¯s weapon? Wei Ting actually gave it to this girl? ¡°You¡­¡± Su Mo composed himself. ¡°What¡¯s your relationship?¡± Wei Ting said with a faint smile, ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask her.¡± Chapter 243 - 243 Brother Ting Takes Action (3) 243 Brother Ting Takes Action (3) Su Mo looked at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°Does being husband and wife in name count?¡± Su Mo thought of the information his subordinate, who was disguised as a peddler, had found in the village. ¡°Are you that Mr. Wei?¡± When the peddler said that the Su family¡¯s girl had recruited a live-in son-in-law with the surname Wei, he did not guess it was the Wei family¡¯s youngest son. After all¡­ the youngest son of the Wei family was cultivating as a monk in the capital. It was impossible for him to appear in Qingzhou¡­ Su Mo looked at Wei Ting in shock. ¡°You¡¯ve never been in the capital¡­ How did you¡­¡± He looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Su Xiaoxiao tapped her fingers together. ¡°Well, he was injured. My father¡­ tied him up and made him my live-in son-in-law!¡± Su Mo was speechless. At that time, the Su family did not know their background, so everything was a coincidence. However, this coincidence was too much. Of all people, Su Cheng caught the youngest son of the Wei family. Do they know what relationship the Su and Qin families have with the Wei family? It was not an exaggeration to say that the possibility of the Wei family marrying these two families was lower than Wei Ting over his military power. Su Mo asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Do you not know his identity?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ yes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Su Mo glanced at Wei Ting coldly and said solemnly to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you clearly today. His name is Wei Ting, also known as Wei Xichao, and he¡¯s the youngest grandson of the Wu An General Wei Wei. The Wei family is enemies with our Su family and the Qin family, so it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t have anything to do with him!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was silent. Su Mo had not interacted much with Su Xiaoxiao, but he could tell that this girl was not an ordinary person. He wasn¡¯t sure his words could sway her. Or if the Qin and Su families were qualified to shake her. Just as he thought that this girl would ignore the grudges of the previous generation, Su Xiaoxiao raised her head bit by bit, her eyes condensing with a huge sadness. Her chubby hand hesitantly took out the handkerchief and flicked it in the air. In an instant, she seemed to have become someone else. Her hand that was holding the handkerchief covered her heart, and her expression became extremely sorrowful. She stared deeply at Wei Ting and was about to cry. ¡°The mountain has no ridges, and the world is united. I dare to fight you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like a rock, and I¡¯m like a reed. The rock can¡¯t be moved, and the reed is as tough as silk!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Speak human language.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned her face away and cried. ¡°We¡¯re not suitable. Let¡¯s not meet in the future!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Return my sons to me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around in a second and smiled. ¡°Hubby, let¡¯s go home!¡± Su Mo was speechless. It was late at night. In the carriage back, Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but feel sleepy. Wei Ting sat beside her and raised his head. He gently held her small head and let her lean on his shoulder. His gaze was as cold as ever. He held her hand and placed it on his lap. His fingertips caressed the back of her hand, and there was gentleness between his eyebrows. Su Mo looked away. The carriage arrived at Pear Blossom Lane. Su Ergou was dozing off in the central room, waiting for his sister. When he heard the commotion in the carriage, he instantly woke up. ¡°Sister!¡± He ran out and pulled open the courtyard door. Su Xiaoxiao opened her eyes slightly and got out of the carriage in a daze. Su Ergou looked at Wei Ting, who got out of the car with Su Xiaoxiao, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Brother-in-law?¡± ¡°Yes, why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± Wei Ting reached out and looked at Su Ergou, but his hand gently blocked the door frame. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s forehead brushed the back of his hand. Su Xiaoxiao entered the house. Father Su was not asleep either. He was waiting for his daughter at home. ¡°Daughter, you¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Yes, sleepy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao opened the door and threw herself facedown on the bed. Father Su went to the door. ¡°Eh? My son-in-law is back too. Why are you standing at the door? Aren¡¯t you coming in?¡± He looked at Su Mo, who had also gotten out of the carriage. ¡°Ah, you¡­ you¡¯re that¡­ Old Master Su¡¯s son, right?¡± ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Su Mo opened his mouth and said warmly, ¡°Uncle Su.¡± Su Cheng looked at him and then at Wei Ting. ¡°You know each other? Did you come together?¡± The two of them did not answer for a moment. This was not easy to answer. It would be a lie to say that they didn¡¯t know each other, but if they did, what if Su Cheng asked about their relationship, forcing them to divulge their age-old grudge? Fortunately, Su Cheng was not really interested. ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting late. I won¡¯t make you stay. Hurry up and go back. Don¡¯t let your family worry.¡± Su Cheng said to Su Mo and pulled Wei Ting in. ¡°The steamed buns are hot in the pot¡­¡± ¡°Go and see Erhu later. He shouted until his teeth hurt this afternoon¡­¡± ¡°Ergou¡¯s thing is broken again. It took me the entire night to repair¡­¡± ¡°Dad, go to sleep. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go to sleep¡­ I¡¯m so sleepy¡­ Remember to put out the fire on the stove. Otherwise, it¡¯ll burn through the bottom of the pot¡­¡± ¡°Got it, Dad.¡± ¡°Ergou, why are you dawdling? Hurry up and go back to your room to sleep!¡± Su Cheng shouted. ¡°Oh,¡± Su Ergou replied to his father and said to the stunned Su Mo, ¡°Young Master Su, I¡­ will close the door first.¡± Su Mo nodded. Seeing the door close in front of him, the conversation with Wei Ting in the carriage flashed across his mind. ¡°Do you know who she is?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Then why did you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to.¡± He had long known that the youngest son of the Wei family was unruly. All the etiquette rules were nonsense in his eyes. He just did not expect him to have the same attitude toward even the hatred of the family¡­ ¡°Wei Xichao, I hope you can really protect her well.¡± Chapter 244 - 244 Grandfather and Grandchild Meet 244 Grandfather and Grandchild Meet Qin Canglan took the medicine and slept until dawn. When he woke up, he sat in front of the bed in a daze. The servant called out twice outside the door, but there was no response. In the past, at this time, Qin Canglan would have already practiced swordsmanship in the courtyard for a while. The servant was worried. Thinking about how he had slept early last night and how strange it was, one could not help but worry that something had happened to him. The servant boldly pushed the door open and entered. ¡°Old Master!¡± Qin Canglan came back to his senses. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡­ you¡¯re fine.¡± The servant scratched his head in a daze. ¡°You woke up late. I was worried that you¡­ that¡­ pfft, my jinxed mouth!¡± The servant smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ll get the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Are we eating braised noodles or buns this morning?¡± Qin Canglan was uninterested. ¡°Anything is fine.¡± ¡°Aye, I understand.¡± The servant retreated. ¡°Wait.¡± Qin Canglan stopped him again. The servant bowed and said, ¡°Old Master, what can I do for you?¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Call the Imperial Physician Cen over.¡± The servant hurriedly said, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± Qin Canglan waved his hand. ¡°No, don¡¯t make it public.¡± If the children found out, there would be a lot of trouble. ¡°Yes.¡± The servant first went to the kitchen, before personally going to Imperial Physician Cen¡¯s house. His luck was good today. Imperial Physician Cen was not on duty in the palace, so he followed the servant to the residence. Qin Che went to court. Qin Yanran went to learn the zither while Qin Yun recuperated in the courtyard. The residence was quite quiet. When Imperial Physician Cen entered the room, Qin Canglan had already washed up. He had no appetite, so breakfast was still on the table. Imperial Physician Cen carried the medicine box in. Seeing that Qin Canlan¡¯s expression was not right, Imperial Physician Cen asked, ¡°Does your hand hurt again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my hand.¡± Qin Canglan frowned, not knowing how to explain. According to his personality, he would not believe such a strange thing. But that was Su Huayin¡­ His fat wife. Imperial Physician Cen asked in confusion, ¡°Then why did you suddenly ask me to come over¡­¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Qin Canglan coughed awkwardly. ¡°I took the painkillers you gave me last night.¡± Imperial Physician Cen was very surprised. ¡°You¡­ just took it?¡± He had always treated the Old Protector Duke for gout, so he naturally understood how serious the other party¡¯s condition was. The Old Duke¡¯s hand was not only due to gout, but it was also an accumulated condition. Therefore, ordinary people could not tolerate the pain. When the Old Duke said that it hurt a little, it was already bone-piercing. He thought that in ten days at most, the Old Duke would have to take painkillers. It had been three months¡­ ¡°Uh¡­ it hasn¡¯t expired, right¡­¡± Imperial Physician Cen muttered to himself. ¡°Does it work?¡± he asked. ¡°If you mean pain relief, yes,¡± Qin Canglan said fairly. Imperial Physician Cen heaved a sigh of relief. It had been three months but it had not expired. It seemed that there was no need to throw away the impending painkillers at home¡­ Qin Canglan asked, ¡°You said last time that there would be side effects if I took those painkillers. You told me to try not to consume it if I could.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Imperial Physician Cen said. ¡°Datura was added to the painkillers. The roots of this medicinal herb are poisonous. I didn¡¯t add a high dose, so it won¡¯t cause poisoning, but if it¡¯s taken for a long time, it will cause a certain level of addiction. It¡¯s not a big problem to take a small amount, but it might result in sleepiness. You¡¯ll feel weak and nauseous and lose your appetite.¡± Qin Canglan continued, ¡°Other than that, what else?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Imperial Physician Cen looked at Qin Canglan in confusion. Qin Canglan cleared his throat. ¡°For example¡­ will you see anything¡­¡± Imperial Physician Cen understood. ¡°Are you referring to an illusion?¡± ¡°Ah, I just¡­ had a dream!¡± Qin Canglan was also in a mess. ¡°I took your painkillers and dreamed at night! I used to¡­ not dream!¡± Imperial Physician Cen thought for a moment. ¡°I can¡¯t rule out this possibility. However, what did you dream of?¡± ¡°I dreamed of Hua Yin,¡± Qin Canglan said. Imperial Physician Cen was stunned. Imperial Physician Cen had known Qin Canglan for decades and was considered his friend. He knew this name too well. Qin Canglan sighed. ¡°I dreamed that Hua Yin wanted to kill me.¡± Imperial Physician Cen did not understand this direction. Qin Canglan continued, ¡°She even sent me a dream.¡± ¨C After Imperial Physician Cen left, Qin Canglan went to the horse farm. He got someone to prepare some foal feed. The servant who raised the horses said, ¡°I¡¯ll send it to your residence later.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Qin Canglan carried the feed into the carriage and personally went to Pear Blossom Lane. He came to the door and saw a small child standing behind the threshold, looking out. Perhaps it was because the child was too cute, but his mood suddenly became very good. ¡°Dahu!¡± He remembered that this was the little guy from yesterday. The child looked up at him adorably. ¡°I¡¯m Erhu.¡± Qin Canglan was stunned. Erhu turned around and ran to the backyard. Qin Canglan moved the feed into the front yard. A small child was squatting in the front yard and digging with a shovel. Qin Canglan smiled. ¡°So you¡¯re here, Dahu!¡± The child turned his head and said with a serious expression, ¡°I¡¯m Xiaohu!¡± Qin Canglan was speechless again. Qin Canglan did not find Dahu in the courtyard. That child¡­ could it be that he went there to climb trees again? It was very dangerous! He put down the feed and walked out. Qin Canglan was half right. Dahu had indeed gone there again, but he did not climb a tree today. The door was open, and the sound of a zither came from inside. He hesitated for a moment before entering. He followed the sound of the zither to the door of a room. The man sat on the spotless wooden floor and elegantly stroked a zither. Eh, it was the handsome uncle from yesterday. After the man finished playing, he looked up indifferently. Dahu said, ¡°You play so well.¡± The man did not say anything. He lowered his eyes and touched the strings. Dahu said again, ¡°Are you better?¡± The man still said nothing. ¡°Can I come in?¡± Dahu asked again. The man said, ¡°Whatever.¡± Dahu first observed the shoes at the door. After thinking for a moment, he took off his small shoes. He arranged his small shoes and clattered into the house in his clean footwear. He was very curious about that long, wonderful thing. However, he was in no hurry to look at the zither. Instead, he first took out a snack wrapped in brown paper from his small pouch and handed it to the man. ¡°My mother made it. It¡¯s delicious. You can eat it if you¡¯re sick.¡± It was a pastry made of loquat and honey. It moistened the throat and reduced heatiness. The man was so thin that his bones could be seen because he found it difficult to swallow all the food in the world. Seeing that he did not take it, Dahu was not discouraged. Instead, he placed it on the zither table at the side. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it here. You can eat when you¡¯re hungry. Then, I¡¯ll leave first!¡± The man looked at the child in confusion. It was as if he was surprised that he wasn¡¯t here for the zither. Why did he leave after giving him the snacks? Could it be that there was someone in this world who purely cared about him? The man said, ¡°You like to listen to the zither?¡± Dahu was stunned. This was the first time he knew that this thing was called a zither. ¡°I like it,¡± Dahu said in a childish voice. ¡°Sit down,¡± the man said. ¡°Oh.¡± Dahu obediently sat down opposite him. The man raised his hand and played the zither again. In another room, Master Zhang, who was teaching Qin Yanran, suddenly stopped and listened attentively. ¡°Teacher¡­¡± Qin Yanran was about to ask him what was wrong when she heard the sound of the zither coming from the room in the backyard. Extreme shock flashed across Master Zhang¡¯s eyes. ¡°He actually¡­ he actually¡­¡± Unlike the intermittent syllables that he had casually tuned previously, this time, it was a coherent tune. It was like heavenly music. Qin Yanran had always thought that she was extremely talented and played extremely well, but compared to the other party¡¯s zither music, she realized what true heavenly music was. The person playing the zither must be Master Zhang¡¯s eldest disciple. It was said that he had been under Zhang Qin¡¯s tutelage for ten years. It had only been less than half a year since she started learning. Thinking of this, Qin Yanran was no longer anxious. Nurturing such an outstanding disciple was a testament to Master Zhang¡¯s standards. She had made the right choice to acknowledge him as her master. She believed that in time, she would definitely become an outstanding talent in the zither. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that Dahu had gone to listen to someone play the zither again. When she returned home, she saw the two children, so she asked, ¡°Where are Uncle and Dahu?¡± Xiaohu immediately betrayed his brother. ¡°Uncle, pull qiu qiu! Dahu snuck out again to listen to that!¡± Listen to that? Were they referring to the zither? There was only one family playing the zither in the alley. Su Xiaoxiao went to the house in the east. Qin Canglan looked around the tree but could not find Dahu. He was worried that Dahu had fallen into someone¡¯s courtyard. He turned around and came to the door of the house. He bumped into Su Xiaoxiao, who was also looking for Dahu. Chapter 245 - 245 His Son (1) 245 His Son (1) Qin Canglan was not someone who would stare at a girl on the streets. However, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s figure was really eye-catching. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Huh. The little fatty. He subconsciously took a second look. Then he was stunned. This little fat girl¡¯s eyebrows¡­ were actually very similar to those of his deceased wife. To be honest, if they only looked a little similar, it would not be too unimaginable. However, Su Huayin was once a little fat girl. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± And this arrogant and world-weary tone¡­ Qin Canglan raised his head. Could he be dreaming again in broad daylight¡­ No, it was still different. As he sized Su Xiaoxiao up, Su Xiaoxiao also observed him seriously. Last night, Su Xiaoxiao barged into the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate at night. The house was dark, and Qin Canglan was lying in the tent without a trace of light. In addition, his aura when he was sleeping and when he was awake was completely different, so she did not immediately recognize Qin Canglan. Qin Canglan didn¡¯t recognize Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao was dressed like a Ninja Turtle last night. Her forehead was covered, and only her face was revealed. More importantly, Qin Canglan had taken the medicine last night and had always thought that he was dreaming. In Qin Canglan¡¯s opinion, he missed Su Huayin too much, so he dreamed of her. When he saw a fat girl, he felt that she looked like her. ¡°Ahem, I¡¯m looking for a child.¡± Qin Canglan took the initiative to speak. After saying that, he was quite puzzled. Why did he tell a little girl his whereabouts? Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, me too.¡± Wait. Something was wrong. As he was thinking, the sound of the zither in the backyard stopped. Although Qin Canglan did not know how to play the zither, he felt that the sound of the zither today was a little different from playing cotton. Soon, Dahu came out. It was the servant in the courtyard who saw Qin Canglan and Su Xiaoxiao at the door and went in to report to the man. Dahu guessed that his mother was coming. ¡°Mother.¡± He called out obediently. Qin Canglan glared. No kidding? This little girl¡­ was Dahu¡¯s mother? Had she reached the age of 15? Su Xiaoxiao looked young, but she was already 16 years old. ¡°Big great-grandpa.¡± Dahu turned around and called Qin Canglan again. It was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s turn to be surprised. Did Dahu know this person too? Su Xiaoxiao had left early and returned late yesterday and had yet to exchange information with her family, so she did not know that Qin Canglan had sent Dahu home. Dahu looked up and asked, ¡°Mother, can I continue to play?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Did you get the owner¡¯s permission?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Dahu nodded. Su Xiaoxiao could tell that Dahu was very curious about the music in the courtyard. Instead of letting the little fellow come secretly, it was better to let him do it openly. ¡°Okay, Mom will pick you up later.¡± Dahu bade the two of them farewell and entered happily. The three little ones were children who were abnormally sensitive to danger. The fact that Dahu liked to come here meant that the master inside was not a bad person. ¡°Do you want to come home with me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and politely invited Qin Canglan. She mainly wanted to know what had happened yesterday. Qin Canglan was stunned. ¡°Can, can I?¡± Before Su Xiaoxiao could answer, he said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll accept it!¡± It was so fast as if he was afraid that Su Xiaoxiao would go back on her word. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the additional feed in the courtyard and said, ¡°Ergou, did you buy new feed?¡± Su Ergou had just finished repairing Erhu and Xiaohu¡¯s slingshots when he replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it.¡± ¡°Ahem, I brought it,¡± Qin Canglan said. Su Ergou told her what happened yesterday. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Qin Canglan sat on a small stool that was incompatible with his size. He looked around like a big and clumsy bear. Strangely, he missed the young man from yesterday. Father Su was not around, nor was Wei Ting. Wei Ting entered the palace, and Father Su was at the market. Father Su discovered a market five miles away. The goods in that market were much cheaper than the things in the nearby market, but it closed quickly. The market was empty before noon. Therefore, he, who had been used to lying in bed for ten thousand years, forced himself to wake up early. Before dawn, he carried his burden to shop for things. In the countryside, if they wanted to eat vegetables, they could pick them from the fields. Although they did not farm, and only extorted¡­ ahem, it would not cost much. How was it like the capital? Three copper coins for a cabbage, two copper coins for a catty of radishes. The sweet potato leaves used to feed pigs in the countryside were even more expensive. They were actually five copper coins a catty. Chapter 246 - 246 His Son (2) 246 His Son (2) Father Su smacked his lips in pain. After buying the vegetables, he bought meat. Thinking of the three little fellows at home, he gritted his teeth and bought a stick of candied hawthorn. Originally, it took less than an hour to buy. The reason why he did not return was that he was blocked. The person blocking him was none other than the young servant who had kicked Xiao Hu on the street last time. His name was Wang Fugui. Wang Fugui¡¯s aunt was an old woman in the Protectorate. She had worked for 20 years and was now a nanny in the kitchen. She had some influence in the estate. Even Steward Zhang had to give her some face. Otherwise, Steward Zhang would not have given Wang Fugui a job. Of course, Wang Fugui was not here to stop Su Cheng. He was also here to buy. The Protectorate had a special supply channel, but those shops were expensive. In order to earn some money, he came here to buy cheap goods. He was not as picky as Su Cheng. After all, Su Cheng had learned farming from Madam Qian. He only wanted it to be cheap and did not know the quality. What he bought back were all rotten vegetables. He ended up being scolded by his aunt who asked him to return the money. He was holding back his anger when he happened to meet Su Cheng again. Then the two of them started fighting. Relying on the fact that there were many people, he blocked Su Cheng in the alley. ¡ª- Su Ergou brought the foal to the front yard and Qin Canglan taught him how to feed it with new feed. After feeding him, Su Cheng still did not return. Qin Canglan looked around. Erhu walked over and tilted his head to look at him. ¡°You don¡¯t look happy.¡± ¡°No.¡± Qin Canglan smiled and said, ¡°Are you¡­ Erhu or Xiaohu?¡± Dahu was not at home. Erhu said, ¡°I¡¯m Erhu.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re unhappy.¡± Erhu changed the topic in time. ¡°I have an ancestral stone. Do you want to touch it? You¡¯ll be happy if you touch it.¡± Last time, he said that bad luck was shrouding his listener and did not sell it. This time, Erhu changed his marketing strategy. ¡°Sure,¡± Qin Canglan said. How decisive. Erhu liked it. Erhu took out his small stone. ¡°I¡¯ll let you touch it. I won¡¯t give it to ordinary people.¡± Qin Canglan touched it seriously. Erhu nodded in satisfaction. After testing it, it was time to¡­ Unexpectedly, before Erhu could speak, Qin Canglan said, ¡°I can¡¯t touch your stone for nothing. This is for you.¡± With that, he plucked a golden bean from the ear of his jade pendant and placed it in Erhu¡¯s palm. Erhu, who had thought of a hundred ways to name his price was speechless. ¨C When it was almost noon, Father Su still did not return. Su Xiaoxiao knew that he had gone to the market in the east, so she decided to look for him. As she passed by a small alley, she heard an intense beating and the sound of fists hitting flesh. She frowned and walked over. Father Su was covered in blood. He sat on a man and threw hooks to his left and right, hitting the man until he was looking for his teeth on the ground. On the ground beside the two of them were a few bruised and swollen servants. They could not even get up. ¡°Dad?¡± Su Xiaoxiao called out. Seeing his daughter arrive, Su Cheng finally stopped. After getting up, he kicked Wang Fugui again. ¡°I¡¯ll let you off today! If you dare to court death again, I¡¯ll send you to see the King of Hell!¡± ¡°Dad, are you alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Su Cheng looked down at the blood on his body and said, ¡°It¡¯s not my blood. Sigh, look at these dirty clothes! They really can¡¯t take a beating!¡± Thinking of this, he turned back and kicked each of them! Seeing that Su Cheng was really fine, Su Xiaoxiao was relieved. ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Aye!¡± Su Cheng picked up the burden at the side. Fortunately, the vegetables were not spoiled. Otherwise, he would definitely take their lives! ¡°Dad, wait.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over. When Wang Fugui heard footsteps, he hugged his head and trembled. Su Xiaoxiao squatted down expressionlessly and plundered their money bags! The father and daughter walked back. This scene fell into a carriage across the street. Qin Che lifted the curtain and stared fixedly at the father and daughter who came out of the alley. For a moment, he suspected that he had seen wrongly. ¡°Father, what are you looking at?¡± Qin Yanran asked. Qin Che¡¯s mind was buzzing, so he didn¡¯t hear what Qin Yanran said. Qin Yanran followed her father¡¯s gaze and exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s her?¡± This time, Qin Che reacted. He turned to his daughter beside him. ¡°Do you know those two?¡± Qin Yanran recalled, ¡°That girl is the physician from Qingzhou that I mentioned to Dad.¡± Chapter 247 - 247 His Son (3) 247 His Son (3) Qin Che¡¯s fingers tightened. ¡°The doctor from Qingzhou who treated your uncle?¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°She¡¯s just a disciple. The person who really treated Granduncle is her master.¡± Qin Che¡¯s gaze landed on Su Cheng again. ¡°That man is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s her father, right? He looks a little like you.¡± Speaking of similarities, Qin Yanran looked at Su Cheng and then at Qin Che. She said in amusement, ¡°Dad, why do I feel that he looks a little like you?¡± The was no greater meaning for the speaker who had no intention; however, the listener read something into what was said. Qin Che clenched his fists. ¡°Did the Su family really bring them back from Qingzhou?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Qin Che took a deep breath. ¡°Why did they hire a physician from Qingzhou to treat your uncle and grandfather? There are so many imperial physicians in the capital¡­¡± Qin Yanran was deep in thought. ¡°I¡¯m curious too. Cousin said that their medical skills are brilliant. I think they might be famous local physicians. Granduncle has been receiving treatment for a long time, but they haven¡¯t improved. Cousin and the others might have been desperate.¡± Qin Che continued, ¡°Is that girl a disciple?¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°That¡¯s what Cousin said.¡± Qin Che pondered and said, ¡°I¡¯ve only seen physicians bringing their families out for consultations, but I¡¯ve never seen any disciple so ostentatious.¡± ¡°This¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s knowledge was limited. If she asked carefully, she could understand more, but why would she ask about a countryside girl? In Qin Yanran¡¯s opinion, she was not worth wasting this time. As for the grudge between Qin Yun and Su Ergou, she knew her brother. She would not stand up for him if he caused trouble himself. Qin Che said, ¡°Say it again¡­ What are their names?¡± Qin Yanran thought for a moment and said, ¡°Sister¡¯s name is Su Daya, and Brother¡¯s name is Su Ergou.¡± ¡°Su¡­¡± Qin Che closed his eyes coldly. Qin Yanran sensed Qin Che¡¯s abnormality and asked with concern, ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Qin Che said. ¡°Back to the residence.¡± On the way back to the residence, Qin Che saw the father and daughter enter Pear Blossom Lane with his own eyes. From the angle, he did not see which courtyard they entered. Thinking of something, Qin Che suddenly asked, ¡°Did your grandfather pick you up at Pear Blossom Lane yesterday?¡± Qin Yanran said aggrievedly, ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know where Grandpa went. I waited for a long time.¡± Qin Che¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Did your grandfather pick you up today?¡± Qin Yanran thought for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ Grandpa was just passing by yesterday¡­¡± How could her grandfather pick her up every day? Qin Che hurriedly instructed the guard to enter Pear Blossom Lane from the east. Qin Canglan was playing with the three little ones in the alley. The guard said that there was an urgent matter in the residence. Qin Canglan handed the child to Su Ergou and returned to the residence with the guard. Qin Che had been waiting in his courtyard for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s the urgent matter?¡± Qin Canglan asked. Qin Che said, ¡°Father didn¡¯t see any strange people today, right?¡± ¡°What strange person?¡± ¡°Ah, no.¡± Qin Che smiled. ¡°Recently, there have been a few thieves in the capital who have given the officials a headache.¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Hmph, do you think I¡¯m useless in my old age and can¡¯t even deal with a few thieves?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Qin Che personally brought tea to Qin Canglan. Qin Canglan frowned. ¡°Is this the urgent matter you mentioned?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qin Che smiled and said, ¡°Our residence hasn¡¯t been renovated for many years. A few days ago, it was raining heavily, and Yanran¡¯s room was leaking. Coincidentally, a desert horse came to the village. I want to invite Father to stay in the village for a few days. When the residence is renovated, I¡¯ll bring Father back.¡± Qin Canglan hesitated. With Qin Che¡¯s understanding of his father, whenever he heard that there was a horse, he could not even eat and could not wait to see the horse. Qin Canglan was indeed very tempted by the desert horse, but for some reason, he did not want to leave. Qin Che looked at Qin Canglan deeply and said in a low voice, ¡°Father, Uncle Zhao is sick¡­ very seriously.¡± Zhao Quan was a small soldier under Qin Canglan. He had risked his life with Qin Canglan. Among the initial batch of trusted subordinates, only Zhao Quan was left. Qin Canglan sighed. ¡°Prepare the carriage. I¡¯ll go see him.¡± Qin Che said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Why don¡¯t we leave tomorrow morning¡­¡± Qin Canglan waved his hand. ¡°No, let¡¯s move.¡± At his age, he was afraid that he could not send Zhao Quan off for the last time. Fifteen minutes later, Qin Canglan got into the carriage and left the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate. Looking at the carriage disappearing at the end of the street, Qin Che¡¯s eyes turned cold. When his father went to the village, he would realize that Zhao Quan was not so seriously ill. His father might return soon, but it did not matter. He already knew where that person lived. It was enough to get rid of him before his father returned! Perhaps he had misjudged, but so what? He would rather kill a hundred wrongly than let anyone off! ¡­ Dark clouds rolled in the sky, and Qin Canglan¡¯s hand hurt again. He was used to it. However, perhaps because he had used painkillers yesterday, the pain was especially intense after the effect. He rubbed his trembling wrist and subconsciously reached into his pocket to take out the painkillers. Along with the painkillers was an ordinary stone. Wasn¡¯t this Erhu¡¯s lucky stone? Why was it with him? After Erhu asked his mother how much the golden bean was worth, he resolved to give the lucky stone to Qin Canglan and stuffed it into his pocket while playing. Qin Canglan didn¡¯t know. He thought that it had accidentally fallen from Erhu¡¯s hands while playing. He remembered that Erhu treasured this small stone very much¡­ Even though in the eyes of adults, a stone was worthless, a child¡¯s care was different from an adult¡¯s. He remembered that Che¡¯er treasured an egg when he was two or three years old. He carried it everywhere and even hugged it when he slept. He said that he wanted to hatch it. One day, when he woke up, the little guy realized that the egg had shattered, and cried for three days. Thinking of Erhu crying, Qin Canglan smiled helplessly and said to the coachman, ¡°Turn around and go to Pear Blossom Lane.¡± Su Cheng had just taken a shower. When Qin Canglan pushed open the courtyard door, Su Cheng had just come out with dirty clothes. Qin Canglan saw him. This time, there was no stove ash or blood. Su Cheng¡¯s handsome face was clean. Qin Canglan¡¯s mind instantly went blank. By the time he reacted, he was already in front of Su Cheng. Su Cheng looked at him strangely. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Canglan looked at him without blinking. For some reason, he asked, ¡°Last time¡­ I forgot to ask your name. What¡¯s your name?¡± He was just asking for a name. Why did he make it so scary? If it was not because he had saved Dahu, Su Cheng would have beaten him up. Su Cheng said, ¡°My name is Su Cheng!¡± Qin Canglan controlled his trembling body. ¡°Su what?¡± Su Cheng said word by word, ¡°Su Cheng!¡± ¡°Qin Canglan, listen carefully. From today onwards, my son has nothing to do with you! His name is not Qin Che. He takes my surname, Su, and is called Su Cheng!¡± Chapter 248 - 248 Knowing the Truth 248 Knowing the Truth Su Cheng was confused. ¡°I know my name is good, but you don¡¯t have to do this. After all, you¡¯re from the capital. Can you act like you¡¯ve seen the world?¡± Qin Canglan did not know how he left Pear Blossom Lane. Spring rain began to fall. He walked awkwardly in the rain, oblivious to the oil-paper umbrella held above his head. ¡°Old Duke? Why are you here? It¡¯s raining heavily. Didn¡¯t you bring a servant?¡± The servant of the Marquis of Zhenbei held an umbrella for him. He was so tall that the servant had to stand on his tiptoes. ¡°Is your Marquis around?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The servant hurriedly said, ¡°Are you going to visit the Marquis? I¡¯ll get you a big umbrella first!¡± Qin Canglan did not say anything. He pushed him away and resolutely walked into the rain. The servant chased after him. ¡°Old Duke! Old Duke!¡± Boom! A deafening explosion resounded in the rainy sky. The servant felt that his eardrums had been blown apart. Lightning and thunder flashed. The world flickered, and even the ground seemed to be trembling. The servant did not dare to chase after him. It was important to entertain guests, but his life was more important! The servant hid in the pavilion. The rain suddenly became heavier. He could vaguely see a tall figure stumbling in the heavy rain. It was unknown if it was because the ground was too slippery or if he was in a daze. He fell heavily, the mud wrapping around him. He wiped his face and got up with both hands. Then, he slipped again. The servant did not count how many times the Old Duke had slipped. He could feel the embarrassment and urgency on the Old Duke. This man had protected Great Zhou for half his life; he was a general who seemed to be able to fight on the battlefield for his entire life. At this moment, he only had the hobble and hunch of an old man. The Old Marquis had just finished his medicine. Physician Fu took his pulse and blood pressure. He said that he was recovering well and could get out of bed in three to five days. Clang! The door was slammed open and a man covered in mud and rain barged in. He was taller and stronger than ordinary men. Coupled with his domineering aura, he scared the stethoscope out of Physician Fu¡¯s hand! The Old Marquis was very calm. He looked at Qin Canglan cunningly and said to Physician Fu, ¡°Go back to your room and rest for a while.¡± Physician Fu looked at the fierce Qin Canglan and stammered, ¡°Is¡­ is this really fine?¡± This person looked so fierce! ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go,¡± the Old Marquis said. Physician Fu could only go, but he was really worried about the Old Marquis. He did not return to his room but went to Su Mo¡¯s courtyard in the rain. The Old Marquis said to Little Quanzi, ¡°Clothes.¡± Qin Canglan panted. ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± The Old Marquis said, ¡°Leave.¡± Little Quanzi went out and only the two of them were left in the room. The two of them had known each other since they were young for decades. They had personally seen each other transform from inexperienced youths to veterans on the battlefield. They had witnessed each other¡¯s glory and experienced each other¡¯s difficulties. They watched as the other party aged bit by bit. When they suddenly looked back, their youth was already gone. They had also gone against each other and lived their own lives. But no matter what, as long as they could still breathe, they would always have a common bond¡ªSu Huayin. The Old Marquis said, ¡°You¡¯re in such a hurry to see me because you saw that child, right?¡± Generals were not as scheming as civil officials, but that did not mean that they were brainless. If he was really not shrewd at all, he could not lead the army to war with just a little brute force. ¡°You brought them to the capital?¡± Qin Canglan had asked Su Cheng where they were from and why they had come to the capital. The Old Marquis did not think that there was anything to hide. ¡°It was me,¡± he said. Qin Canglan frowned and said, ¡°Su Shuo, what do you mean by this? Finding two people similar to Qin Che and Hua Yin¡­ What are you trying to do!¡± The Old Marquis looked at him indifferently. ¡°Qin Canglan, are they really just similar? I could see Hua Yin¡¯s shadow the first time I saw them. Can you really not tell?¡± Qin Canglan raised his voice. ¡°That¡¯s why I asked you what you want to do!¡± The Old Marquis said, ¡°Qin Canglan, that child is your flesh and blood with Huayin.¡± The child he was talking about was Su Cheng. Regardless of whether Su Cheng was already a father or not, in their eyes, he was still the child from back then. ¡°Grandfather.¡± Su Mo¡¯s voice appeared outside the door. The Old Marquis glanced at Qin Canglan. Qin Canglan¡¯s back was facing the light, and his entire face was covered in shadows. Only the rain on his body could be heard dripping to the ground. ¡°Come in,¡± the Old Marquis said. Su Mo pushed open the door. A strong wind mixed with heavy rain poured in. Su Mo¡¯s clothes were also wet, and the hair at his temples stuck to his young and handsome face. When Physician Fu went to look for him and told him that a fierce and terrifying uninvited guest had come to the residence, Su Mo had more or less guessed it. The progress of the matter was not as expected. It was unknown which step accelerated the process. In short, it was much faster than the original plan. Fortunately, the Marquis of Zhenbei had made full preparations from the beginning. Qin Canglan said in a daze, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying? I don¡¯t remember having a second child with Huayin¡­¡± The Old Marquis sighed. ¡°Qin Canglan, you already have the answer in your heart, right? You¡¯re just here to verify it with me. Alright, Mo¡¯er, bring them in.¡± ¡°Yes, Grandpa,¡± Su Mo agreed respectfully. He turned around and said to the door, ¡°Come in.¡± Qin Canglan turned around and looked out the door. In the heavy rain, a grandfather and grandson entered in a sorry state. One of them was old, and the other was about the same age as Su Mo. The two of them were none other than Old Master Su and his eldest grandson, Su Dalang. Qin Canglan looked at the two of them in a daze. ¡°They are¡­¡± The Old Marquis said, ¡°The right pendant of Huayin is on you.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± After Qin Che returned to the residence, he gave him the jade pendant. The Old Marquis looked at Old Master Su and Su Dalang coldly. ¡°Since you are here, come and identify yourself. Is the jade pendant in the Old Duke¡¯s hand the one your Su family stole from Su Cheng back then and sold?¡± ¡­ The rain poured. The rain came in a hurry. The three children did not stay at home obediently and ran out to step on the puddles. Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou were making snacks in the kitchen while Su Cheng went to catch the three of them. Tsk! Dahu stepped into the small mud pit. Su Cheng took Dahu away. Erhu went to step on it again. When Erhu finished stepping, Xiaohu took his turn. After Xiaohu finished stepping, Dahu came back for seconds. Su Cheng was flustered. It was not easy for him to fish all three little fellows in. The eldest and the three little ones were drenched. The entire family was drenched. Which family didn¡¯t have brats? However, they had a nest of bears! Su Cheng helped the three of them change their clothes and dry their hair. His face was dark the entire time. However, the three children were not afraid of him at all. They shook their heads and made faces, extremely arrogant. Su Cheng said, ¡°Hmph, when your father comes back, I¡¯ll let him deal with you!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door. Su Cheng immediately threatened, ¡°Your father is back! Let¡¯s see how you escape today.¡± The three little fellows immediately covered their butts and went to the kitchen. Mother! Help¡­ Su Cheng opened the door with an umbrella. However, it was not Wei Ting who appeared in the heavy rain, but Qin Canglan. Qin Canglan ran all the way in the rain. Who knew how many times he fell? He was no longer a drenched chicken, but a drenched beggar¡¯s chicken. Su Cheng was surprised. ¡°Uh¡­ Uncle Qin? Why are you at my house so late?¡± His internal monologue was: I exerted a lot of self-control to resist extorting you. Don¡¯t come knocking on my door again¡­ Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes were red, and the corners of his bloodshot mouth trembled slightly. Su Cheng muttered, ¡°Do you think you are very scary?¡± What kind of look was that? It was as if he was going to eat him at any moment¡ª Su Cheng took a small step to the left. Qin Canglan¡¯s throat was swollen and painful. Hot tears flowed out of his eyes and mixed with the cold rain. He reached out shakily to Su Cheng and touched his face. It had been thirty years¡­ His child¡­ This was thirty years late¡ª Su Cheng¡¯s eyes darted around as he quietly grabbed the stick by the door. Su Cheng jumped up! ¡°Ha!¡± With this stern shout, Su Cheng hit Qin Canglan¡¯s head with his club, knocking him down! For Dahu¡¯s sake, he had tolerated this guy for a long time! This guy grabbed his wrist during the day. He had yet to settle scores with him, but now, in the middle of the night, he actually came to touch him¡­ Pervert! He, the dignified bully of Apricot Flower Village, had earned his reputation through his own ability! Su Xiaoxiao walked out. ¡°Dad, what happened?¡± Su Cheng pointed at the ground angrily. ¡°This old fellow! He touched my face and I knocked him out!¡± Su Xiaoxiao recognized Qin Canglan as he lay with his eyes closed. Wasn¡¯t this the old Protector Duke, Qin Canglan? Her father was the first person in the Great Zhou to dare to knock on Qin Canglan with a club. The grass on his grave was already two meters tall. Wait, what did her father say just now? Qin Canglan touched his face. Could it be that Qin Canglan had already¡­ Chapter 249 - 249 Reunion (1) 249 Reunion (1) This was the largest rain that the capital had welcomed since spring. The magnificent capital was enveloped in a violent storm, and even the palace guarded by the emperor was no exception. In the imperial study, Emperor Jing Xuan was reviewing the memorials. Bean-sized raindrops hit the door and windows, but Emperor Jing Xuan seemed to not notice. It was not until Eunuch Fu reminded him softly, ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s getting late. Rest for a while.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan rubbed his sore eyebrows. ¡°What time is it?¡± Eunuch Fu said, ¡°It¡¯s midnight.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Who was here just now?¡± Eunuch Fu smiled and said, ¡°Yumei from Qixiang Palace.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan frowned. ¡°Is Consort Xian in trouble again?¡± Eunuch Fu smiled. ¡°The thunder was loud and shocked Consort Xian.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go see Consort Xian later.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eunuch Fu waved at the young eunuch outside the door. The young eunuch understood and quickly went to Qi Xiang Palace to report. Emperor Jing Xuan looked tired. He looked at the mountain of memorials on the table and took another one. Eunuch Fu wanted to say something but hesitated. He walked forward and turned the wick brighter. Emperor Jing Xuan did feel that his vision was a little blurry. ¡°You¡¯re still the most considerate.¡± Eunuch Fu did not dare to take credit. Emperor Jing Xuan continued, ¡°Has Wei Xichao left?¡± Eunuch Fu said awkwardly, ¡°No, Lord Wei is kneeling in the side hall. Without your decree, he doesn¡¯t dare to leave.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan mocked indifferently, ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s kneeling?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ this¡­¡± Eunuch Fu laughed dryly. Generally speaking, one had to kneel and wait after angering the emperor, but was the youngest son of the Wei family an ordinary person? He was usually not human when he woke up. Emperor Jing Xuan said coldly, ¡°Get him in!¡± Not long after, Wei Ting was brought into the imperial study by the young eunuch. Wei Ting entered the palace early in the morning, but Emperor Jing Xuan ignored him for the entire day. Others had been left hanging for so long and were already trembling in fear. They did not know when the dragon might flare up on them. This fellow did not mistreat himself. He ate and drank as he should. Emperor Jing Xuan was angry when he saw him. ¡°You¡¯re quite bold. You dare to return to the capital without my decree!¡± Wei Ting cupped his hands. ¡°Your Majesty, my ancestor sent me a dream¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan interrupted him. ¡°Speak human language!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°I was wrong. I want to come back.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan snorted. ¡°Heh!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan could not understand. The Wei family, from Old General Wei to the sixth son, were all loyal and honest generals. Why did they become associated with shamelessness when it came to Wei Ting? Did this kid have any shame? Emperor Jing Xuan said with a dragon¡¯s might, ¡°Where¡¯s your backbone? Or have you finally agreed to marry my princess?¡± Wei Ting sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree. The princess¡¯s precious body¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t say that you¡¯re not worthy!¡± Wei Ting replied seriously, ¡°No, the princess is naturally worthy of me.¡± Listen, what kind of nonsense was this? It was as if Princess Hui An was not in his league! Eunuch Fu broke out in cold sweat. Lord Wei really dared to speak his mind. Wei Ting changed the topic. ¡°However, Your Majesty, I don¡¯t have any personal feelings for Princess Hui An. A forcefully twisted melon isn¡¯t sweet.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said in a low voice, ¡°If you marry Hui An and spend some time with her, you will naturally understand the virtues of Hui An!¡± Princess Hui An was the most beautiful princess in the royal family and was talented. The emperor did not believe that Wei Ting would be indifferent to such a beauty every day. Wei Ting did not argue further on this topic. Instead, he said seriously, ¡°Moreover, the northern bandits have not been eliminated, and the sea bandits have not been eliminated. I still want to serve Your Majesty for a few more years.¡± These words were just short of saying that he didn¡¯t want to hand over his military power. No one knew what Emperor Jing Xuan was thinking. In short, 15 minutes later, Wei Ting came out of the Imperial Study safely. The secret guard walked forward with an umbrella. ¡°Young Master, His Majesty didn¡¯t make things difficult for you, right? You¡¯ve been locked up inside for a day!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Correction, I stayed for a day.¡± The word ¡°locked¡± sounded very embarrassing, okay? The secret guard: ¡°Oh. Then, did His Majesty ask you to return to the temple?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°No.¡± The secret guard said in surprise, ¡°In that case, you don¡¯t have to be a monk anymore?¡± Wei Ting said arrogantly, ¡°Of course not. I¡­ renounce asceticism!¡± ¡°Brother Xichao!¡± Not far away, Princess Hui An, who was dressed in a lake blue beautiful palace dress, walked towards Wei Ting in the rain. The palace maid held an oil-paper umbrella for her. This scene was as beautiful as a painting. Chapter 250 - 250 Reunion (2) 250 Reunion (2) Wei Ting pressed his palms together. ¡°Amitabha. Benefactor, my Dharma name is Xuan Xin.¡± The secret guard was speechless. So was Princess Hui An. ¡ª- After Wei Ting left the palace, Princess Hui An returned to Qi Xiang Palace with grievances. She threw herself into Consort Xian¡¯s arms and said with tears in her beautiful eyes, ¡°Mother¡­ Father is too much¡­¡± Consort Xian hugged her delicate daughter and asked in amusement, ¡°How did your father go overboard?¡± In the entire world, only Princess Hui An dared to criticize the emperor like this. How could other princes and princesses say anything about the emperor? But the emperor happened to dote on Hui An¡­ Princess Hui An said aggrievedly, ¡°Brother Xichao has returned to the capital. I saw him in the palace just now¡­ but he hasn¡¯t renounced asceticism¡­¡± In Hui An¡¯s opinion, it must be his father who did not let Wei Ting renounce asceticism. She could not bear to blame Wei Ting, so she could only blame her father. Consort Xian¡¯s expression lightened. ¡°I thought it was something important.¡± Princess Hui An straightened up and looked at Consort Xian with a hurt expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t this important?¡± Consort Xian smiled perfunctorily. ¡°Yes, yes. When your father comes over later, I¡¯ll plead for you and ask your father to exempt Wei Ting from becoming a monk.¡± Princess Hui An snorted. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± She went to play happily again. Consort Xian asked, ¡°Where are you going in this rain?¡± Princess Hui An raised her chin and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to find Jingning!¡± She wanted to bully Jingning! Consort Xian had a headache. When had she ever taken advantage of Jingning? Jingning¡¯s birth characters were good, and His Majesty was already considering conferring her as the royal princess with national guardianship. Anything that was related to the word ¡°national guardian¡± was extraordinary. No matter how her daughter was doted on, she was just a doted princess. Jingning was different. If she was really conferred the title, she would be comparable to a duke. Consort Xian couldn¡¯t bear to see her daughter court death in front of Jingning again and again. She said to her daughter, ¡°Stop it. Your third brother is coming back soon.¡± ¡­ It was raining heavily in the capital. Far south, in Feng County, it was also drizzling. Young Master Xiang¡­ should be called Xiao Zhonghua now. He was wearing a silver-gray cloak and standing under the corridor of the courier station. His left arm was injured, and the bandage could be vaguely seen. Jing Yi walked over from the rain with a long sword in his hand. His blade dripped with blood and flowed all the way. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Xiao Zhonghua asked. ¡°No,¡± Jing Yi said. Xiao Zhonghua handed him a clean handkerchief. Jing Yi did not use it to wipe his face. Instead, he used it to wipe his sword. The sword was more important than the face. Xiao Zhonghua asked calmly, ¡°How many waves of assassins were there?¡± ¡°Thirteen,¡± Jing Yi replied. Xiao Zhonghua touched the wound on his arm. ¡°How ruthless¡­¡± Jing Yi said nothing. He knew that the youngest son of the Wei family was ruthless, but he did not expect him to be so ruthless. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it either. I underestimated him in the past.¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled faintly. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t stood in front of me last night, I wouldn¡¯t have only injured my arm. I might have died.¡± That sword had gone straight for Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s heart. Jing Yi used his body as a shield, and the other party changed his move at the last minute. In the end, he only scratched Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s arm. Xiao Zhonghua said casually, ¡°Wei Ting¡¯s assassin doesn¡¯t seem to want to hurt you.¡± Jing Yi frowned. ¡°Cousin¡­¡± Xiao Zhonghua raised his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to explain. I know very well what Wei Ting is up to. He wants to sow discord between us and make me misunderstand that you have a private relationship with him. Jing Yi, I¡¯ve said it before. You¡¯re the person I trust the most. I won¡¯t doubt you.¡± Jing Yi pondered and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t know why his people didn¡¯t kill me.¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a small trick. I won¡¯t fall for it. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± When Wei Ting came out of the palace, the rain was a little lighter. He got into the carriage. The secret guard said, ¡°Young Master, are you going back to the Wei family?¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Have I not settled the score with you for what you said to Grandmother?¡± The secret guard grabbed the reins. ¡°Aiya, it¡¯s so late. The Wei family¡¯s door must be closed. Let¡¯s go to Pear Blossom Lane!¡± When the carriage entered Pear Blossom Lane, an unfamiliar man in a raincoat and a bamboo hat came out. He had a long sword at his waist. He had covered himself tightly, but how observant was Wei Ting? He glanced at the emblem on his sword. Someone from the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate? ¡ª- At the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate. Qin Che was not sleepy at all. The kitchen had stewed tonic soup, but he could not even drink a mouthful. Chapter 251 - 251 Recognition (3) 251 Recognition (3) He paced around the house. Qin Yanran came to look for him twice, but he dismissed her perfunctorily. Qin Yun¡¯s attendant came once, but he did not see him. He had mobilized the most elite subordinates in the residence. Logically speaking, he would not fail. But why was he so uneasy? The servant pushed the door open. ¡°Master, Xu Qing is here.¡± Xu Qing was the subordinate he had sent out for the assasination. Qin Che hurriedly said, ¡°Let him in quickly!¡± Xu Qing entered the house. Qin Che instructed the servant, ¡°Close the door and don¡¯t let anyone approach.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The servant retreated, closed the door, and guarded it warily. Qin Che asked impatiently, ¡°Did you succeed?¡± Xu Qing took off his bamboo hat, revealing a ferocious scar on the right side of his face. ¡°No,¡± he said. Qin Che was stunned. ¡°How can that be? Aren¡¯t you¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t he the most powerful expert in the residence? Otherwise, it would be very difficult for him to become a guard in the residence with this incomplete appearance. It was not that the Protectorate judged people by their appearance, but that the Qin family was rich. They could hire any powerful guard, so why did they have to choose someone with a disabled appearance? Qin Che snorted coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t do it?¡± Xu Qing lowered his head and said, ¡°Xu Qing¡¯s life was given by Old Master. Xu Qing will only be loyal to Old Master in his life.¡± Qin Che said, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you do anything?¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°I didn¡¯t have a chance.¡± Qin Che looked at him strangely. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xu Qing paused and said truthfully, ¡°Old Master went to Pear Blossom Lane.¡± Qin Che¡¯s body swayed. ¡°W-what? Didn¡¯t my father¡­ go to the manor?¡± Xu Qing recalled, ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. When I rushed to Pear Blossom Lane to make a move, Old Master appeared in the rain.¡± Actually, Qin Canglan had gone twice, but when he returned Little Stone to Erhu for the first time, Xu Qing had yet to set off. Cold sweat broke out on Qin Che¡¯s forehead. ¡°Then, then?¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°Then, that man called Su Cheng knocked Old Master out.¡± Qin Che was dumbfounded. ¡ª- In the room with the oil lamp, Qin Canglan slowly woke up from his sleep. The general¡¯s physique was not exaggerated. He was really strong. After being hit by Su Cheng, he actually regained consciousness in less than an hour. He realized that he was lying in an unfamiliar house. He did not panic and calmly adapted to the light. Then, he turned around and saw three furry heads. For some reason, his heart softened. He was probably¡­ really old. The three of them sat on the ground and played with building blocks. Xiaohu was the first to notice that he had woken up. He tilted his head and glanced at him. ¡°Great-Grandpa is awake.¡± Dahu and Erhu turned their heads at the same time. Erhu ran out and pulled Su Xiaoxiao in. He pointed at Qin Canglan on the bed. ¡°He¡¯s awake.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched Erhu¡¯s head. ¡°Got it. Go play with Grandpa.¡± This was Su Ergou¡¯s room. Xiaohu came to Su Xiaoxiao and handed his head to her. He raised his small hand and patted the top of his head. ¡°Xiaohu wants it too.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched him in amusement. Dahu stood by the bed for a while. After confirming that Qin Canglan was really awake, he pointed at himself. ¡°Who am I?¡± ¡°Dahu?¡± Qin Canglan was actually not sure. The triplets looked too similar, and he could not tell them apart. Dahu nodded in satisfaction and extended two more fingers. ¡°How many are these?¡± Qin Canglan replied strangely, ¡°Two?¡± ¡®What kind of question is that?¡¯ ¡°Ok.¡± It seemed that he had not been beaten into a fool. Dahu was relieved. He turned around and walked towards Su Xiaoxiao, asking for a pat. Then, the three little ones went to Su Cheng¡¯s room. Su Mo had been here. Qin Canglan¡¯s expression was clearly not right when he left the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. Su Mo was worried that he would return to the Protectorate first, causing something to happen, so he followed him. With Qin Canglan¡¯s strength, there were less than five people who could tail him. It was because the matter was too big that Qin Canglan was on the verge of collapse. Fortunately, Su Mo was not an enemy. Had it been an assassin, he would definitely have succeeded. Su Mo told Su Xiaoxiao the ins and outs of the matter, so Su Xiaoxiao knew that Qin Canglan already knew Su Cheng¡¯s background. Su Xiaoxiao came to the bed and looked at Qin Canglan calmly. In comparison, Qin Canglan was not so calm. He saw Su Xiaoxiao and suddenly sat up. Su Cheng did not show any mercy. Qin Canglan felt that his head was almost shattered. He covered his forehead in pain, but he accidentally covered the big bump that Su Cheng had punched out, and this hurt even more. Moreover, it was accompanied by a certain retching reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°It¡¯s best to lie back down slowly.¡± She seriously suspected that her biological father had knocked Qin Canglan out with a slight concussion. Qin Canglan did not feel that he was in serious trouble. He lifted the blanket and wanted to get out of bed. Unexpectedly, as soon as he stood up, he felt the world spin. His legs went weak and he fell back onto the bed in a sorry state. Su Xiaoxiao opened the small medicine box and said solemnly, ¡°I told you not to move.¡± She took out a stethoscope and blood pressure gauge, tied Qin Canglan¡¯s arm, and measured his blood pressure. Qin Canglan looked at his arm and then at these strange things. He could not help but ask, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao hung up the stethoscope. ¡°Taking your pulse.¡± Qin Canglan did not understand what she meant. Qin Canglan stopped moving and obediently let Su Xiaoxiao¡­ take his pulse. ¡°You¡­ know medicine?¡± When he came out of the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate, he felt that he had not left quickly enough. Now, he regretted leaving early. He should ask the old monkey for more information¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t speak,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly. Qin Canglan immediately shut up. To be honest, he had not even been so obedient when receiving the Imperial Edict. Su Xiaoxiao took his blood pressure and listened to his pulse seriously. Qin Canglan secretly sized up Su Xiaoxiao. He glanced at her again. The little fat girl was cute. Like Hua Yin. Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°As a patient, you should not be so agitated.¡± How high was his blood pressure? Did he want to have a stroke at his age? Qin Canglan coughed lightly and took a deep breath, trying to calm the excitement in his heart. Su Xiaoxiao watched his blood pressure drop bit by bit. However, in less than three seconds, it flew even higher than before! Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. It couldn¡¯t be helped. His little fat granddaughter was too cute. Qin Canglan saw his fat granddaughter¡¯s expression darken and he suddenly looked like an old child who had done something wrong and was caught red-handed. He sat cross-legged on the bed and lowered his head, looking innocent. ¡°I-I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Chapter 252 - 252 Observation 252 Observation Su Xiaoxiao put away the stethoscope and blood pressure gauge and handed him a bowl of freshly brewed medicine. Qin Canglan hated drinking medicine. However, this was handed over by his granddaughter. It was most likely made by her. Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and poured the medicine into his mouth. Su Xiaoxiao took the empty bowl and reminded him, ¡°I need to observe your head injury for a night.¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You mean I can sleep here tonight?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. A concussion was not a small matter. He had to stay for observation. Su Xiaoxiao treated Qin Canglan as a patient. Therefore, from the beginning to the end, she was very calm. Qin Canglan could not calm down. When he suddenly found out that the son he had raised for many years was not his biological son, it was like being struck by lightning. His mind was still buzzing. He had to use a lot of restraint to maintain his composure. ¡°Well¡­¡± He opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. The old general who killed without batting an eyelid was at a loss in front of a little girl. Su Xiaoxiao packed her things and was about to leave when Qin Canglan made up his mind and stopped her. ¡°Daya?¡± She was called this, right? He had asked the old monkey. The elder sister was called Su Daya, and the younger brother was called Su Ergou. Coincidentally, they were actually the same age as Qin Yanran and her brother. Thinking of Qin Yanran and Qin Yun, Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes turned cold. If Su Cheng was the real Qin Che, then what was going on with the one in the residence? He thought about how everything he had done all these years was the result of a scheme; he had raised a stranger¡¯s child while his own flesh and blood wandered among the commoners, starving and freezing, as he lived like a beggar. He hated him deeply! He hated the person who schemed against him and hated himself! ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Qin Canglan looked at Su Xiaoxiao nervously. ¡°That¡­ that¡­ that¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± He stuttered! Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head. ¡°Where are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No!¡± He tensed solemnly and tried to sit up, but was defeated by the headache and dizziness. He said to Su Xiaoxiao anxiously and uneasily, ¡°I¡¯m your grandfather, your father, Su Cheng¡­ is my biological son!¡± He finally said it! Then he blushed. The last time he was so flustered was when he got married to Su Huayin. In the blink of an eye, most of his life had passed. He was afraid that if he didn¡¯t say anything, it would be too late. ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Qin Canglan was stunned. Little girl¡­ What did she mean? She, she knew long ago? The old monkey did not say! Qin Canglan cursed Su Shuo 70 to 80 times in his heart. Then, his gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face again. ¡°Can you¡­¡± Could she call him grandfather? Forget it. He had yet to digest the truth after such a big thing happened, let alone a little girl. He should give her more time. ¡°Your father¡­ and Ergou¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao understood what he wanted to ask. ¡°They don¡¯t know. My father doesn¡¯t remember what happened before he was six years old. If he remembers, his illness will flare up. It¡¯s very painful. When he wakes up, he forgets. Before I find a suitable treatment, you¡¯d better not agitate him.¡± ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡± Qin Canglan agreed with difficulty. An extremely strong sense of self-blame surged in his heart. A six-year-old child had lost everything overnight. He had gone from being the young master of the Duke¡¯s Estate to a cowherd in the countryside. How had he endured it? Qin Canglan¡¯s heart ached. His throat was swollen. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you all these years¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything else and prepared to leave with the small medicine box. ¡°By the way.¡± Qin Canglan took out a small stone from his pocket. ¡°This is Erhu¡¯s. He left it on me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the stone and left the room. Su Ergou went to Father Su¡¯s room to sleep. The three little ones were in her room, and so was Wei Ting. The three little ones had slept too much during the day and were not sleepy now. They somersaulted on the bed! ¡°Erhu, your stone.¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed him the small stone. Erhu said, ¡°I gave it to Great-Grandpa.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°He asked me to return it to you.¡± Erhu thought for a moment. ¡°Okay.¡± He happily accepted the stone! He decided that if there was a chance next time, he would give the big man a big one! The three little ones called him great-grandpa not because they knew Qin Canglan¡¯s identity. Su Cheng was a grandfather early and they had met people much older than him in the countryside. The little fellows called these people great-grandpa. Old Li was Great-Grandpa Li, and the village head was Great-Grandpa Guo. Qin Canglan relied on his unique appearance to successfully obtain the longest title¡ªBig Great-Grandfather. ¡°It¡¯s time to sleep,¡± Wei Ting said to the three brats. The three of them did not sleep. Su Xiaoxiao said to Wei Ting, ¡°Come out for a moment. I have something to tell you.¡± The two of them came to the door and left it ajar. The rain stopped. The air was filled with the smell of rain and soil. Su Xiaoxiao scratched her head. ¡°Um¡­ you should know who my father is.¡± ¡°Su Mo said so.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s expression was very calm as if what Su Mo had mentioned was not worth mentioning in his eyes. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Then, there¡¯s someone lying in Ergou¡¯s room. It¡¯s Qin Canglan.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Killing intent flashed across Wei Ting¡¯s eyes. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him unblinkingly. There was a huge grudge between them. ¡°Are you angry?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°No¡­¡± Wei Ting subconsciously retorted. He paused and said, ¡°I¡¯m not angry with you. The grudges of the older generation have nothing to do with you.¡± Ever since the little girl was born, she had never eaten a grain of rice from the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate and the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate. What did the grudge between the two families have to do with her? Su Xiaoxiao nodded. She didn¡¯t think it had much to do with her. She was a lonely soul from another world. She accepted Father Su and Su Ergou because they relied on one another. If the Qin family and the Su family were good, it would be the icing on the cake. If they were not, it was fine if she did not acknowledge them. No matter what, she would support this family. Under the night sky, Su Xiaoxiao looked at him quietly. ¡°Can I ask what grudge there is between the Wei family and the Qin and Su families?¡± Wei Ting hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, ¡°When the previous emperor was alive, he did not appoint a crown prince. The princes fought openly and secretly for that dragon throne. The Wei family was loyal to the eldest son of the previous emperor, Prince Nanyang, and the Su family was loyal to Prince Ruyang. At first, the Qin family did not stand on any side. After marrying the Su family, they also became supporters of Prince Ruyang.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It sounds like¡­ they each have their own plans.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s speech was definitely not like that of a village girl. This was something that Wei Ting would sigh about from time to time no matter how long he interacted with her. Although he had taught her some words, he had not taught her those so-called articles and principles. ¡°Who became the emperor later?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Prince Ruyang,¡± Wei Ting said. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°So the Wei family was on the wrong side?¡± ¡°Sort of,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°After Prince Ruyang ascended the throne, he had always wanted to take back the Wei family¡¯s military power.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Has he taken it back?¡± Wei Ting looked at the endless sky, and a dark glint flashed across his eyes. ¡°He took back some.¡± After all, they were old subordinates of King Nanyang. It was not surprising that the emperor had a grudge against the Wei family. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Was it distributed it to the Qin family and the Su family?¡± ¡°There¡¯s also the Leng family,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°The Leng family was on the same side as the Wei family. We can barely be considered to have kept the goodies to ourselves.¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°If it¡¯s just political disagreements¡­¡± ¡°More than that,¡± Wei Ting said. However, he did not say what grudges there were. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t force him. She could tell that he was not in a good mood. Tolerating Qin Canglan under one roof was already his greatest concession. ¡°Oh yes.¡± Wei Ting hesitated for a moment before telling him what he had just found out. ¡°The guard of the Protectorate has been here. He doesn¡¯t seem to be Qin Canlan¡¯s subordinate.¡± If he was Qin Canglan¡¯s subordinate, he would definitely be guarding near Qin Canglan. Wei Ting said, ¡°There¡¯s something else. Perhaps you need to know too.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Qin Canglan was originally going to stay at the manor outside the city today. It was Qin Che who asked him to go. For some reason, he came to Pear Blossom Lane.¡± After Wei Ting saw the unfamiliar guard, he asked the secret guard to secretly follow him and investigate the Protectorate. He found some traces of Qin Canglan¡¯s movements. Su Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment. ¡°He¡­ should be here to return Erhu¡¯s Little Stone.¡± Many things that could not be explained were now clear. It turned out that Erhu had led him here by chance. Wei Ting glanced at her and warned, ¡°Be careful. Perhaps Qin Che already knows of Dad¡¯s existence.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him meaningfully. ¡°You called him Dad quite smoothly.¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°You just called him Dad easily!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Chapter 253 - 253 Fighting Fake (1) 253 Fighting Fake (1) Wei Ting had a mission tonight and went out again in the latter half of the night. Su Xiaoxiao sighed again. After coming to the capital, Wei Ting had been much busier. ¡°My aesthetics attack in the morning is gone again¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao yawned and grabbed a little packrat to use as a pillow before falling asleep. Before dawn, Su Mo came over. Su Xiaoxiao was making breakfast in the kitchen. Seeing her, Su Mo was slightly surprised. ¡°You slept well last night.¡± After such a big incident, this girl could actually sleep? What kind of steel heart was this? ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. It was not like she could do anything with a man. How could she not sleep well? ¡°Is Uncle alright?¡± Su Mo asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t told my father,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Mo nodded. ¡°It won¡¯t be too late to tell him later when Uncle slowly adapts. How¡¯s Granduncle?¡± Su Xiaoxiao cut the tidied dough into strips. ¡°He stayed for the entire night. It¡¯s fine. The medicine I gave him contains calming ingredients. He probably won¡¯t wake up for another two to four hours. Have you eaten breakfast?¡± Su Mo rushed over and did not eat at all. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll make your share.¡± Su Mo¡­ did not refuse. Su Xiaoxiao spread out two scallion pancakes, filled them with a small plate of pickled radishes, and placed them on the small table in the kitchen. ¡°Do you want to eat in the central room?¡± she asked. The young master of the Marquis Mansion had never eaten anything in the kitchen, nor had he ever eaten the onion pancakes on the street. Su Mo revealed a rare stunned expression. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao and saw that she was busy at the stove again. ¡°You¡¯re not eating?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat this.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed at the steamed sweet potato that had just been served on the stove. ¡°I¡¯ll eat it later. I have to make breakfast for my family first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Su Mo sat down on the small stool. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. It won¡¯t taste good when it¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Did you do all of this alone? This is too tiring. I¡¯ll pick two maidservants for you tomorrow and send them over. How can I let you take care of the entire family alone?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps came from the courtyard. Wei Ting had returned. Wei Ting carried a bundle of firewood on his shoulder. On the way, he encountered Zhong Shan. The carriage Zhong Shan was using was broken, and it was difficult for the old man to carry it alone. Wei Ting took the firewood without a word. Wei Ting did not know that Su Mo was also there. He only saw him after entering the house. Su Mo was also surprised. He looked at Wei Ting¡­ To be precise, he looked at the bundle of firewood on Wei Ting¡¯s shoulder and seriously suspected that he had seen it wrongly. People who fought in wars could endure hardships, but the hardships on the battlefield were different from the hardships in life. Wei Ting did not start as the lowest-level servant. He was from the Wei family and had the halo of the Wei family¡¯s legitimate grandson. After entering the military camp, he was a regular army officer. Young Master Wei had probably never chopped firewood and carried water in his life. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted Wei Ting. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ting looked away from Su Mo and naturally put down the firewood. He quickly moved a small stool and sat down at the stove. Su Mo thought that he was going to do something, but he naturally took a piece of thick linen and spread it on his right leg. His slender jade-like hand grabbed a few thin sticks of firewood and pressed them against his leg. With a snap, the firewood broke. He dropped the folded firewood into the stove and flicked it with the poker. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, Su Mo would never believe that the dignified young master of the Wei family would actually start a fire and burn it¡­ so smoothly. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that this guy didn¡¯t fight and had changed his profession to become a cook. Su Xiaoxiao covered the pot and took off the apron she had made. She said to Wei Ting, ¡°Dahu and the others seem to have woken up. I¡¯ll go over and take a look. There¡¯s porridge cooking in the pot.¡± After she went out, Wei Ting really looked at the fire seriously. Su Mo and Wei Ting did not interact much. Even if they did, they were indifferent and did not talk much. Actually, according to his age, he was 22 this year, only a year older than Wei Ting. ¡°Um¡­ let me try,¡± he said to Wei Ting. Wei Ting generously moved the stool to the side and Su Mo sat down on a small stool. Wei Ting handed him the tongs and firewood, as well as the thick linen on his leg. He imitated Wei Ting and broke the firewood to put it into the stove. After putting it in, he used the tongs to stir it. However, not long after, the porridge in the pot stopped moving. Su Mo was puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s going on? The fire is quite big¡­¡± Wei Ting picked up the fire tongs indifferently and evenly pushed aside the firewood that was piled together. ¡°A person has to be solid, and a fire has to be empty.¡± Chapter 254 - 254 Fighting Fake (2) 254 Fighting Fake (2) ¡°You know this?¡± Su Mo was too surprised. Thinking of something, Su Mo asked in a complicated manner, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you relied on these¡­ abilities¡­ to please my uncle and cousin?¡± ¡°No,¡± Wei Ting said shamelessly. ¡°I relied on my looks.¡± Su Mo was speechless. Su Mo came today for serious business, but he almost forgot what he was doing after Wei Ting¡¯s flirtatious words. The three well-dressed little ones came to the backyard to wash up. When they smelled the fragrance, they came in for a walk. Su Mo had been here a few times. The three little ones knew him and called him Uncle Su obediently. Seeing that there was nothing delicious, they clattered out again. ¡°Are they really your sons?¡± Su Mo asked Wei Ting. ¡°Yes,¡± Wei Ting agreed calmly. ¡°Where¡¯s the children¡¯s mother?¡± Su Mo asked. He would not allow another woman to come out and fight with his cousin. Regardless of whether he had feelings for Su Xiaoxiao or not, this was the dignity of the heirs of the Su family. Wei Ting looked out. ¡°There.¡± Su Mo followed his gaze and saw Su Xiaoxiao, who had prepared a small basin for the three little ones. The three little ones rubbed their heads against her body and were extremely clingy. Su Mo took a deep breath. This guy refused to say. Forget it, he would investigate it himself. Wei Ting did not sleep the entire night. After burning the fire, he returned to the house to catch up on his sleep. He had his own room next door to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Mo could not understand. What exactly were these two¡­ On the other side, Qin Canglan woke up. Because he had taken the calming soup, he slept very soundly that night. When he woke up, his head no longer hurt and he no longer felt nauseous. The general¡¯s physique was really strong. Su Xiaoxiao put away the blood pressure gauge. ¡°You can go back.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Qin Canglan could not bear to leave. However, the matter had not been resolved. It was useless for him to stay here. He had to investigate what had happened back then. ¡°Can I¡­ go see your father and brother first?¡± Qin Canglan had never had such a humble moment. As if he was worried about being rejected, he added, ¡°I won¡¯t say anything!¡± Su Xiaoxiao closed the small medicine box. ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Canglan went to Su Cheng¡¯s room. The father and son were sleeping soundly. They usually looked fierce, but they were surprisingly benign in their sleep. Qin Canglan looked at them with a burning gaze for a long time until his throat hurt. Su Ergou opened his eyes in a daze and asked in a daze, ¡°Sister, are you selling pancakes?¡± Selling pancakes¡­ His biological grandson¡­ actually lived a life selling pancakes in the countryside¡­ Su Xiaoxiao walked in. ¡°We¡¯re not selling pancakes today. Go to sleep.¡± ¡°Oh, call me if you¡¯re selling them.¡± Su Ergou turned around and fell asleep again. Qin Canglan had his back facing the door. He held his thighs with both hands to support his swaying body. Su Xiaoxiao placed the folded clothes in the cabinet and looked at Qin Canglan¡¯s back. ¡°Breakfast is ready.¡± Qin Canglan raised his hand to wipe his red eyes and sniffed. He said in a normal tone, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡­ Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s culinary skills were extremely good. The buns she casually made smelled even better than the ones sold in the shops. However, the more this was the case, the more upset Qin Canglan felt. The children of the poor took charge early. If not for the fact that she was wandering among the commoners, why would she need to wash clothes and cook? Qin Yanran didn¡¯t even know how to peel corn cobs, but this girl could already do so much rough work. It took him a moment to find his voice. ¡°You guys¡­ lived the same way in the countryside.¡± ¡°No,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Qin Canglan was about to heave a sigh of relief when he heard Su Xiaoxiao say, ¡°The city is much more comfortable than the countryside. In the countryside, other than washing clothes and cooking, you have to go to the village entrance to get water, chop firewood on the mountain, and pick vegetables. When times are good, you feed pigs and raise chickens. When times are bad, you don¡¯t even have to feed pigs.¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s heart ached. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Later on, our family began to make snacks.¡± Qin Canglan asked in a daze, ¡°Were¡­ were you up so early too?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°It was much earlier than this. From midnight, I set up my stall at five o¡¯clock. In the dead of winter, Ergou and I stood at the entrance of Jin Ji with a tray hanging around our necks¡­ Jin Ji is the largest snack shop in our town. Ergou shouted, ¡®Selling pancakes¡­ Fragrant and sweet wife pancakes¡­¡¯. I¡¯m fat and can withstand the cold. Ergou is thin and wears thin clothes. The back of his hand and ears were covered in frostbite.¡± ¡°I asked Ergou if he likes to sell pancakes. Ergou said that he likes them because if he sells pancakes, he won¡¯t have to starve anymore.¡± Qin Canglan finally couldn¡¯t control himself anymore. Hot tears fell into the bowl. ¡­ Su Mo arranged for two carriages. Qin Canglan sat in the carriage in front, and he and Su Xiaoxiao sat in the second carriage. ¡°What you said just now¡­ is all true, right?¡± Su Mo said. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him in confusion and realized that he was referring to her ¡°reflections¡± to Qin Canglan at the dining table. She said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you investigate?¡± Su Mo said, ¡°I¡¯ve investigated.¡± However, hearing someone else¡¯s report was completely different from hearing it from her. Throughout the entire process, she did not complain or feel any grief or anger. However, the more she played it down, the more shocking it was. How much hardship had she experienced to be so calm when she mentioned it? Su Xiaoxiao told him the news that Wei Ting had found. Su Mo frowned slightly. ¡°You mean¡­ it¡¯s very likely that Qin Che has already discovered Uncle and deliberately found a cover to lure Granduncle away. Then, he sent someone over¡­ to investigate or¡­¡± To silence him. He did not say the last two words. There was no need for him to say anything. Su Xiaoxiao had also considered this possibility. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he attack?¡± Su Mo was puzzled. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Qin Canglan? Wasn¡¯t afraid that Qin Canglan would recognize him?¡± Su Mo nodded. ¡°Did you see what that person looked like?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°No. Wei Ting said that he had been wearing a bamboo hat to cover his face.¡± Su Mo pondered. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this matter isn¡¯t that simple.¡± ¡ª- At the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate, Qin Che sat in the study for the entire night. At dawn, a servant finally came to report that the Old Master had returned. Qin Che looked at the light coming in from the window and suddenly felt it was a little blinding. ¡°High Duke, High Duke?¡± The servant called out twice. Qin Che came back to his senses. ¡°What did you say just now?¡± The servant was shocked by Qin Che¡¯s sudden stunned gaze. He said nervously, ¡°Old¡­ Old Master is back. He¡¯s waiting for you in the study.¡± ¡°What should come is finally here¡­¡± Qin Che laughed crazily, scaring the servant until his face turned pale. What was wrong with the Duke today? Qin Che dusted his wide sleeves and stood up. He tidied his clothes in front of the bronze mirror. He smiled and asked the servant, ¡°Do I look rude like this?¡± The servant was confused. ¡°No, it¡¯s not rude. It¡¯s quite good!¡± Generally speaking, the High Duke would only pay so much attention to his appearance during court. The servant was nervous, but he did not dare to ask. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qin Che said with a smile. He walked confidently to Qin Canglan¡¯s study. The bump on Qin Canglan¡¯s forehead had yet to subside. It must have been knocked by Su Cheng. Qin Che bowed respectfully. ¡°Father.¡± Qin Canglan said to the servants in the room, ¡°All of you, leave!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Everyone obediently left. The last person did not forget to close the door for the two of them. Qin Canglan was not a person who liked to beat around the bush. This was probably a common trait of many generals. They were too straightforward and disdained to play tricks. Except for war. Qin Canglan sat down on the main seat and looked coldly at Qin Che¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t call me father. I already know.¡± Boom! A shocking explosion sounded in Qin Che¡¯s mind. Chapter 255 - 255 Qin Canglans Anger (1) 255 Qin Canglan¡¯s Anger (1) The sky cleared after the rain, and the capital was enveloped in a golden dawn. A luxurious carriage slowly drove into the palace city and stopped in front of Taihe Gate. The guard looked at the noble man who alighted from the carriage and hurriedly went forward to bow. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Xiao Zhonghua raised his hand calmly, and the guard was flattered. The princes had a noble status and usually ignored them. Only the Third Prince was so approachable. Xiao Zhonghua smiled and asked, ¡°I should be the first to pay my respects to Father and Mother, right?¡± The guard hurriedly said, ¡°Her Majesty has been unwell recently. His First and Second Highness have also entered the palace.¡± In Qixiang Palace, Consort Xian had just finished washing up and was sitting in front of the dressing table choosing earrings when she heard the palace maid report that the Third Prince had arrived. Consort Xian¡¯s eyes lit up. She casually took a pair of jade earrings and put them on. She went to the warm pavilion to see her son, whom she had not seen for months. Consort Xian was so excited that she choked. She sat on the chaise longue and held her son¡¯s face with both hands. Her heart ached as she said, ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight¡­ Was the journey very difficult?¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled. ¡°It wasn¡¯t too hard. I made Mother worry.¡± ¡°Have you been to see the empress?¡± Consort Xian asked. ¡°I have.¡± The empress was in the central palace. Even though Xiao Zhonghua was Consort Xian¡¯s biological son, he had no choice but to pay his respects to the empress first. This was a courtesy. ¡°Is my third brother back?¡± Princess Hui An said with a delicate voice as she gently tugged at her wide-sleeved flowing immortal dress and walked briskly into the warm pavilion. ¡°Third Brother! It¡¯s really you!¡± She ran over with a smile and sat between Concubine Xian and Xiao Zhonghua. She had been pampered since she was young. The emperor doted on her, and so did Consort. As her brother, it went without saying that Xiao Zhonghua treasured her. Consort Xian had not spent enough time with her son before her daughter pushed her away. What could she say? She had spoiled her. ¡°Hehe, Mother.¡± Princess Hui An did not forget to greet her mother. Consort Xian rolled her eyes at her. ¡°How old are you? You don¡¯t look like a princess at all.¡± Princess Hui An held Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s arm and said coquettishly, ¡°No matter how old I am, I¡¯m still Mother¡¯s daughter. I¡¯m Brother¡¯s sister, right, Third Brother?¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled dotingly. ¡°Why are you up so early today? Did you come specially to wait for Third Brother?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes flashed. Consort Xian chuckled. ¡°I think you want to sneak out of the palace to look for Wei Ting again, right?¡± Princess Hui An said stubbornly, ¡°Who said that? I¡¯m here to wait for Third Brother!¡± Consort Xian continued to undermine her daughter. ¡°Your third brother didn¡¯t say that he would enter the palace today!¡± Princess Hui An used all her wisdom. ¡°We¡­ we¡¯re siblings. Our hearts are connected!¡± Xiao Zhonghua chuckled softly. Princess Hui An said, ¡°Third Brother, did Father give you an especially important mission after you went out for so long this time? It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t say it. I can guess anyway!¡± Xiao Zhonghua was amused. ¡°What did you guess again?¡± Princess Hui An said coquettishly, ¡°I don¡¯t care. In any case, you must be Father¡¯s most valued prince! When you become the Crown Prince in the future, I¡¯ll be the Eldest Princess!¡± Consort Xian glared at her daughter. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. What if others hear it?¡± Princess Hui An snorted. ¡°Who will spread it? You? You? Or you?¡± The little palace maids and eunuchs who were pointed at by her were so frightened that their faces turned pale. ¡°You.¡± Consort Xian tapped her forehead. Xiao Zhonghua gently rubbed the top of her head. ¡°Brother brought you a gift and got someone to send it to your bedroom.¡± Princess Hui An hurriedly stood up. ¡°Really? I want to take a look!¡± The chattering sparrow finally left and the hall fell silent. Consort Xian dismissed the palace servants and held her son¡¯s hand. She said dotingly, ¡°Let Mother take a good look at you. I heard that you were very sick in Qingzhou before the new year.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°I was indeed sick. Fortunately, I met a powerful physician.¡± Consort Xian felt a lingering fear. Xiao Zhonghua comforted her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Mother, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°How can I not be worried when you say so?¡± Consort Xian¡¯s heart ached. Suddenly, she noticed her son¡¯s slightly stiff left arm. ¡°What happened to your arm?¡± She reached out and accidentally touched the wound. Xiao Zhonghua gasped weakly. Consort Xian¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Let Mother take a look!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small injury.¡± Xiao Zhonghua held Consort Xian¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s really fine.¡± Consort Xian asked angrily, ¡°Who did it?¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled as if nothing had happened. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m really fine. I¡¯ll handle it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Chapter 256 - 256 Qin Canglans Anger (2) 256 Qin Canglan¡¯s Anger (2) Consort Xian knew her son¡¯s personality. If he really refused to tell her, she would never be able to get anything out of him. Her son had been different from other princes since he was young. If anything happened, he would never come back to complain to her even if he was bullied. Consort Xian couldn¡¯t do anything to her son and could only exert strength elsewhere. ¡°How did Jing Yi protect you?¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled gently and said, ¡°Jing Yi has already done his best. If he hadn¡¯t taken the stab for me, I might have died.¡± Consort Xian exclaimed, ¡°Then¡­ is he alright?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious.¡± Consort Xian¡¯s expression softened a little. She pulled her son¡¯s hand and said earnestly, ¡°When you go out, I¡¯m on tenterhooks every day because I¡¯m afraid that something will happen to you¡­ Tell Mother the truth. Why did you go to Qingzhou?¡± Xiao Zhonghua lowered his head and smiled. ¡°Mother, Father sent me.¡± Consort Xian snorted. ¡°You were the one who volunteered!¡± Xiao Zhonghua sighed helplessly. ¡°My son¡­ went to look for the Commander¡¯s Seal left behind by Wu Anjun.¡± Consort Xian freed one hand and touched her temples. She said thoughtfully, ¡°Did Lord Wu An leave behind a Commander¡¯s seal? Didn¡¯t he hand it to the Imperial Court this morning?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°It¡¯s not the Imperial Court¡¯s Commander¡¯s Seal. It¡¯s an army that was secretly trained for King Nanyang back then.¡± Consort Xian asked strangely, ¡°Wu Anjun still has this trick up his sleeve? What does the Wei family want? Are they rebelling?¡± The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. ¡°No, you have to report it to your father quickly!¡± Xiao Zhonghua dissuaded, ¡°Mother, I didn¡¯t get the Commander¡¯s Seal and don¡¯t know where that army is. There¡¯s no evidence. If the Wei family bites me back, it will be disadvantageous to me.¡± Consort Xian said, ¡°You¡¯re your father¡¯s biological son. Your father will believe you.¡± Xiao Zhonghua pondered for a moment and analyzed, ¡°In order to resist Beiyan, the Wei family lost eight generals in battle. Their loyalty can be seen by the world. All the civil and military officials know, and the people of the world know. If Father is suspicious of the Wei family just because of his son¡¯s words, I¡¯m afraid he will be criticized by the censor and the people of Great Zhou.¡± Consort Xian sighed slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it through.¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled. ¡°Mother is also doing this for the Great Zhou Empire.¡± Consort Xian waved her hand. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about this. Since you¡¯re back, prepare for your marriage with Miss Qin. There¡¯s not much time left.¡± It was already late March. ¡°You must firmly grasp the military power of the Protectorate .¡± In the past, she did not know that Wu Anjun had a backup plan. Now that she knew, Consort Xian felt even more that she was going to join forces with the Duke Protector. ¡°The Protectorate and the Su family are in-laws. If we rope in the Protectorate, it¡¯s equivalent to roping in the Marquis of Zhenbei. Even if the Wei family really has ulterior motives, we won¡¯t be afraid in the future!¡± Xiao Zhonghua said nothing. Consort Xian said to the door, ¡°Feng Sheng.¡± A eunuch in his early thirties bowed and entered. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Consort Xian instructed calmly, ¡°Send the pair of gold jewelry in my storeroom to Miss Qin. Tell her that it¡¯s a gift prepared by the Third Prince for her.¡± Feng Sheng agreed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ After leaving the palace, Xiao Zhonghua rode the carriage back to his residence. When he passed by an embroidered building, he casually lifted the curtain and was surprised to see a familiar figure. ¡°It¡¯s her?¡± ¡°She came to the capital?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the clothes she had ordered for her family and paid. She carried the clothes into Su Mo¡¯s carriage. Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°The Marquis of Zhenbei?¡± ¡°Where are we going next?¡± Su Mo asked Su Xiaoxiao in the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Go see your grandfather. His dosage should be adjusted.¡± ¡­ In the study, Qin Canglan looked at Qin Che with burning eyes. This was the ¡°son¡± he had raised for twenty years. He had deceived the world and taken everything that belonged to Su Cheng. He lived a good life with a clear conscience and was even conferred the title of Protector Duke. ¡°Who are you? Why did you take Hua Yin¡¯s jade pendant and pretend to be my son back then?¡± ¡°Father, where did you hear the rumors that I was an imposter? How can I be an imposter? I¡¯m Qin Che! Your biological son!¡± Qin Canglan took off the jade pendant from his waist. ¡°This jade pendant¡­ was handed to me by you when you returned to the capital back then. You said that you lost the other piece and only kept this one by your side. No matter how difficult life was, you couldn¡¯t bear to sell it.¡± Chapter 257 - 257 Qin Canglans Anger (3) 257 Qin Canglan¡¯s Anger (3) Qin Che said seriously, ¡°Father, I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± Qin Canglan said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re lying! This jade pendant was clearly sold 30 years ago! Tell me the truth! Who gave it to you!¡± Qin Che looked wronged. ¡°Father, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand!¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°The Su family has already investigated clearly. You don¡¯t have to quibble forcefully. The Su family won¡¯t harm me, nor will they wrong Hua Yin¡¯s flesh and blood!¡± Qin Che said bitterly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the Su family is up to¡­ Or perhaps¡­ the Su family has been deceived by someone¡­¡± Qin Canglan said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not here to listen to your explanation today. I¡¯m just here to tell you that I know.¡± His words left no room for negotiation and practically sentenced Qin Che to death on the spot. Those who achieved great things would always have a decisiveness that ordinary people could not understand. The day before, they were clearly a loving father and son. In the blink of an eye, he could completely cut off twenty years of nurturing. Qin Che found it ironic. Qin Canglan stared at him fixedly. ¡°You were only 16 years old back then. It¡¯s not that I underestimate you, but you don¡¯t have the guts or ability to set up this trap alone. You also know some things about the Protectorate and understand Che¡¯er¡¯s habits. There must be someone behind you. You¡¯d better tell me honestly who that person is.¡± Qin Che clenched his fists. Qin Canglan continued, ¡°You might not know, but Huayin and I had an intense argument over some trivial matters. In a fit of anger, Huayin threatened to take the child away. From then on, he took her surname and she even gave him a name.¡± Qin Che lowered his eyes. ¡°I only remember a portion of what happened before I was six years old.¡± Qin Canglan ignored what he said. ¡°I should have asked you back then. Do you still remember the name your mother gave you?¡± Hearing this, Qin Che suddenly smiled. ¡°Father¡­ you think I¡¯m fake just because of a name? I remember so many things, but I forgot a name that wasn¡¯t useful at all!¡± Qin Canglan said angrily, ¡°Only the three of us know this name!¡± Qin Che mocked, ¡°So that person said this name? Who can guarantee that there are no ears that heard this? It might be spread by some servant!¡± Qin Canglan frowned. ¡°That person? From the moment I entered the house until now, I didn¡¯t mention that the real Qin Che had appeared.¡± Qin Che was stunned! Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes turned even colder. ¡°You¡¯ve seen him? Did you already know? You¡­ you deliberately sent me away yesterday?¡± Qin Che panicked. ¡°Father¡­¡± Qin Canglan stood up and walked towards him step by step. ¡°What did you want to do?¡± Qin Che retreated step by step. ¡°Father, listen to me. I¡­ Ah!¡± Qin Canglan grabbed his neck. At this moment, Qin Canglan was already a little strange. Or rather, from the moment he found out the truth, he was on the verge of collapse. Now, the string that kept his rationality snapped. Qin Che felt the aura of death. He could not believe that his father, who had been with him for 20 years, would really be ruthless to him. The rumors were right. Qin Canglan was indeed the most cold-blooded and ruthless King Yanluo of Great Zhou. ¡°Father¡­ you can¡¯t kill me¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m also your¡­ biological son¡­¡± ¡ª- The streets were a little congested today. The carriage was blocked on the road from time to time. Su Mo raised the curtain and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Do you want to go to the teahouse?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Mo lowered the curtain. The carriage was quietly blocking the way. It was noisy all around, and the carriage was so quiet that only breathing could be heard. Perhaps to break this strange silence, Su Mo said softly, ¡°I told you before that your grandparents have an extremely good relationship.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Mo hesitated and said, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you. I overheard it by accident, and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s true or not.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°When Granduncle was young, he used to¡­¡± At this point, Su Mo paused. Su Xiaoxiao spoke up for him. ¡°Have another woman?¡± It was really embarrassing for a man like him to criticize a girl. Su Mo braced himself and said, ¡°She was my grandfather¡¯s distant cousin. Her family fell and came to the capital to seek refuge with the Qin family. At that time, the Old Madam, your grandfather¡¯s mother, kindly took her in.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Then they got together?¡± Su Mo did not admit or deny it. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but I heard that Aunt¡¯s cousin suddenly fell ill and was sent to the village by Old Madam to recuperate. She never returned to the capital.¡± Chapter 258 - 258 Destined Daughter (1) 258 Destined Daughter (1) Su Mo continued, ¡°Granduncle is the only legitimate son in the family. Old Madam won¡¯t allow him to marry a distant cousin who doesn¡¯t match his family background.¡± ¡°So Old Madam broke them up?¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin thoughtfully. ¡°Qin Che and Qin Canglan look a little alike. Could it be that¡­ that cousin was secretly married to Qin Canglan back then? Is Qin Che her son?¡± ¡­ In the messy study, Qin Che lay on the ground in a sorry state. Qin Canglan stood at the side as if he had been struck by lightning. ¡°No, impossible¡­ You¡¯re not my son¡­ I don¡¯t have a son like you!¡± Qin Che wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His father¡­ was really ruthless¡­ If he was not Su Huayin¡¯s child, he would have no value in Qun Canglan¡¯s eyes¡­ ¡°Father¡­¡± Qin Che smiled sarcastically. ¡°Have you forgotten¡­ how you and my mother dated back then?¡± Qin Canglan gritted his teeth. ¡°Nonsense! When did I and your mother¡­ who is your mother?¡± Qin Che laughed until tears fell. ¡°Father, don¡¯t you even remember your cousin?¡± ¡°Ruan¡­ Xianglian? You¡¯re Ruan Xianglian¡¯s child?¡± Qin Canglan found such a person from his long-forgotten memories. Then he fell silent. Qin Che took in his reaction and smiled coldly. ¡°Father, you finally remember?¡± ¡°I¡­ She¡­ How could¡­¡± Qin Canglan frowned even more. ¡°Impossible¡­ This is impossible!¡± Qin Che¡¯s cold smile deepened. ¡°Father, have you forgotten about the night you slept with my mother?¡± Qin Canglan shouted, ¡°Shut up!¡± Qin Che said mockingly, ¡°Only Father can do it, but I¡¯m not allowed to say it as a son? Father, why do you think my mother was sent to the village to recuperate back then? Mother was pregnant with Father¡¯s flesh and blood! Grandmother was afraid of ruining Father¡¯s reputation, so she sent my mother to the village and locked her up for an entire year! Later on, my mother escaped with me, who was still in infancy¡­¡± ¡°Father married the high and mighty daughter of the Marquis¡¯s Estate, but my mother and I hid everywhere to live. We were afraid that we would be captured by Grandmother and imprisoned for the rest of our lives!¡± ¡°Do you understand what kind of life we had during those years, Father?¡± ¡°You and Su Huayin are husband and wife. Have you considered how pitiful my mother was?¡± This was the first time Qin Che had called his legitimate mother by her name, and it was not so difficult to call her that. ¡°Yes, I pretended to be Su Huayin¡¯s son and returned to the Qin family, but this was what the mother and son owed me! If it weren¡¯t for Su Huayin, you would have married my mother! I¡¯m your eldest son! I¡¯m the heir of the Duke¡¯s Estate!¡± Qin Canglan frowned. ¡°Is that what your mother told you? Where is she now? Find her. I want to confront her face to face and understand!¡± Qin Che lowered his eyes and muttered, ¡°My mother has already passed away¡­ If you want to see my mother, why don¡¯t you go underground to look for her¡­¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Qin Canglan fell back in anger. Qin Canglan did not expect such a variable to happen. Qin Che looked up at his father again. ¡°It was a coincidence to get that jade pendant. My mother spent all her assets and even sold the shop that had been open for a few years to buy it. My mother said that she had nothing left. I told my mother that I would earn it for her. Unfortunately, she passed away before she could enjoy life. Father, don¡¯t you think she was very pitiful?¡± Qin Canglan was furious. ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t know what nonsense your mother said to you. In short, we¡¯re not what you think! Even without Huayin, I wouldn¡¯t have married her!¡± Qin Che looked at him in disappointment, his eyes filled with endless grievance. ¡°So Father, if I didn¡¯t use this method, would you acknowledge me? Do you think I¡¯m willing to use someone else¡¯s identity? But if I didn¡¯t do this, I wouldn¡¯t even have the right to call you Father!¡± As he spoke, he roared and pounded his chest. Tears streamed down his face. ¡°Is this fair to me? To me? I¡¯m your son too¡­¡± ¡­ On the roof, Su Mo and Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expressions were solemn. After all this time, she did not expect such a turn of events. Was Qin Che actually Qin Canglan¡¯s son? Was he serious? From their angle, they could not see Qin Canglan¡¯s expression, but Qin Che¡¯s was clear. Chapter 259 - 259 Destined Daughter (2) 259 Destined Daughter (2) Qin Che was very agitated. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Would Qin Che kill Qin Canglan to silence him?¡± The corners of Su Mo¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Do you think anyone can kill Granduncle?¡± Putting aside whether Qin Che had the intention to kill or not, even if he did, his granduncle had already pulled herself out of the huge shock from yesterday. If he wanted to gain an advantage over him, Qin Che would have to have ten heads. Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh.¡± Su Mo asked, ¡°Are you concerned about Granduncle?¡± Su Xiaoxiao replied, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that he won¡¯t have time to make a will.¡± Su Mo was speechless. After Qin Canglan left the study, Su Mo used his qinggong and brought Su Xiaoxiao out of the Duke¡¯s Estate. Su Mo said, ¡°Go see my grandfather. He might know better than us about what happened back then.¡± The Old Marquis had recovered well. The poison had been completely removed, and his heart disease had been effectively controlled. Her diet was relatively light. The servants originally thought that it was harder to let the Old Marquis eat grass than ascend to the heavens. Unexpectedly, the Old Marquis ate with relish. The servants knew that the Old Marquis listened to the little fat girl the most. Su Mo told him everything he had heard in the Duke Protector¡¯s Estate. The Old Marquis was also very surprised. Su Mo asked, ¡°Grandpa, did Granduncle really have a cousin called Ruan Xianglian?¡± The Old Marquis recalled, ¡°Yes, her surname is Ruan. I¡¯m not sure if her name is Xianglian, so I didn¡¯t ask carefully. As for her relationship with Qin Canlan¡­ I¡¯ve been to the Qin family a few times and can tell that she does admire Qin Canglan very much. However, Qin Canglan doesn¡¯t have any feelings for her.¡± Anyone who was not a fool could tell if a woman had deliberately approached a man and if a man liked a woman. Madam Ruan did not get close brilliantly. Qin Canglan did not fancy her. Qin Canglan¡¯s mother also did not agree to her marriage to Qin Canglan. ¡°At Qin Canglan¡¯s birthday banquet, the brothers in the military camp went. A group of rough men drank wine like water and forced Qin Canglan to the ground. I also drank a lot. I was carried back.¡± Chapter 260 - Chapter 260: Destined Daughter (3) Chapter 260: Destined Daughter (3) Su Mo was not too surprised that she did not call him grandfather and called him by his name. ¡°Both,¡± he said. ¡°Do you think what Qin Che said is true?¡± Su Xiaoxiao finished eating a walnut and picked another. ¡°Are you referring to the fact that Qin Che is Qin Canglan¡¯s biological son? I don¡¯t know, but they do look alike.¡± This was also what Su Mo did not refute on the spot. He wanted to say that Qin Che was lying, but if Qin Che was not his grandfather¡¯s biological son, why did they look so similar? If not for that, Qin Che would not have succeeded in acknowledging his family back then. Even after ten or twenty years, a person¡¯s appearance could change, but there would be some trace of the past. Su Mo muttered, ¡°Could it be that Ruan Xianglian secretly planned the pursuit of Grandaunt and Uncle back then?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Whether she did it or not, Qin Che is the one with vested interests.¡± Qin Che stole his father¡¯s identity. It would have been fine if Qin Che didn¡¯t know. However, he had snatched everything that originally belonged to Father Su. He even shamelessly said that it was just to acknowledge his father. Who was he lying to? Su MO wanted to say, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious.¡± He glanced at this girl and realized that she was not anxious at all. That was true. This girl had never thought of climbing up to an aristocratic family. Her background seemed to have never been important to her. Moreover, putting aside these things, Qin Che was actually the one who should be anxious. Now that the legitimate direct descendant was back, Qin Che felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. Su Xiaoxiao returned to Pear Blossom Lane. ¡°Mother.¡± ¡°Mother.¡± Xiaohu and Erhu rushed out. Dahu was not around. He went to visit again. Recently, this guy had been leaving his brother alone. Su Xiaoxiao held the two little fellows¡¯ hands. ¡°What are you playing? Are you sweating?¡± Erhu said, ¡°A wooden horse!¡± Father Su was making wooden horses for the three little ones. The two of them rode opposite each other, and there were almost two big pits on the ground. ¡°Where¡¯s Dahu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Erhu said, ¡°Uncle Ling¡¯s house.¡± Xiaohu nodded. The man who could play the zither¡­ had the surname Ling? In the room, a man sat on the ground. Dahu tilted his head and looked at him, then at the snacks on the table. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat?¡± The man paused and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like to eat.¡± How could anyone not like to eat? Dahu did not understand. He scratched his head and took a cute step forward. ¡°My mother¡¯s snacks are especially delicious. You¡¯ll know after tasting them.¡± The man¡¯s bony fingertips gently fiddled with the strings. Dahu said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m a puppy if I lie to you.¡± The man refused, clearly not wanting to eat. Dahu patted his stomach. ¡°You have to eat more to be fair and fat like me.¡± The man looked at the little fellow¡¯s innocent face and his expression softened. ¡°I¡¯ll just take a bite.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Dahu nodded. The man hesitantly opened the paper bag and looked at a piece of yellow and orange pastry. He closed his eyes and took a bite, swallowing it with difficulty. He was already prepared to vomit. Unexpectedly, there was no discomfort. He looked at the snack in his hand in shock and took a second bite. On the other side, Qin Che returned to his courtyard in a daze. Along the way, the servants saw him like this and did not understand what had happened. ¡°He seems to have come out from Old Master¡¯s courtyard.¡¯ In the garden, two servants gossiped softly. ¡°Did he quarrel with Old Master?¡± ¡°Why did he argue like this? Didn¡¯t Old Master dote on the Duke very much?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Qin Yanran appeared behind the two of them with her maidservant. The two of them¡¯s hearts skipped a beat. They hurriedly turned around and bowed. ¡°Miss!¡± Qin Yanran glanced coldly at the two trembling people. ¡°The Duke¡¯s Estate is a place to do things, not a place to gossip.¡± One of the servants said, ¡°Yes, yes! We understand! We won¡¯t dare to do it again!¡± Qin Yanran frowned and did not argue with the two servants. She went to Qin Che¡¯s courtyard. Qin Che sat alone in the room in a daze, not allowing the servant to enter the room to serve him. The servant seemed to have seen his savior and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re finally here. If you hadn¡¯t come, I would have gone to call you.¡¯ Qin Yanran said, ¡°What happened to my father?¡± The servant said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. Just now, Old Master called the Duke over. When he came back¡­ the Duke was out of sorts.¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°You can leave.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The servant retreated. Qin Yanran entered the house. She looked at Qin Che, who was sitting on the chair in a daze, and asked in confusion, ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Che said tiredly, ¡°Yanran, you¡¯re here.¡± Qin Yanran asked the maidservant to guard the door while she came to Qin Che and carefully looked at his neck and face. ¡°Father, are you injured?¡± Qin Che didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he looked at the brocade box in her hand. ¡°What¡¯s that in your hand?¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°His Highness returned to the capital and brought me a gift.¡± ¡°His Highness¡­ Yes¡­ His Highness¡­¡± Qin Che finished in a daze, his eyes shining as he smiled. He held his daughter¡¯s shoulders with both hands. ¡°That master read your fortune. You were born with the fate of a phoenix. In the future, you will be a mother to the world¡­ Haha¡­ Hahaha¡­¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s heart went numb from her father¡¯s laughter. ¡°Father¡­ what¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t scare me¡­¡± Qin Che pulled himself together again. ¡°Father is fine¡­ Father won¡¯t admit defeat¡­ It wasn¡¯t easy for Father to get to where he is today¡­ Father will never give up everything he has!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the eldest son¡­ I¡¯ll be the eldest¡­ by the first wife¡­ I¡¯m qualified to inherit¡­ The Duke¡¯s Estate is mine¡­¡± Qin Yanran felt her blood run cold. ¡°Father¡­ I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Qin Yanran felt her blood run cold. ¡°Father¡­ I don¡¯t understand.. Qin Che smiled and touched his daughter¡¯s sideburns. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to understand. You just have to remember that you¡¯re the future Third Prince¡¯s wife. The Third Prince will inherit the throne. You¡¯ll be the empress. Father will definitely remove all obstacles for you and let you successfully become the daughter of the heavens!¡± She understood every word of her father¡¯s words, but when they were combined, Qin Yanran was confused. What eldest son? His grandfather only had her father as the only son. Her father should indeed inherit the Duke¡¯s Estate, but from his father¡¯s tone, it seemed that his grandfather had another son who wanted to fight with his father for the family assets¡­ Impossible. His grandfather only had a child with his grandmother, Su Huayin. ¡°Miss, the hair ornament Third Prince gave you is really beautiful!¡± The little maidservant held the brocade box and said with a smile. Qin Yanran looked up and realized that she had already walked back to her courtyard. She was not in the mood to admire the hairpin. For some reason, she felt uneasy.. Chapter 261 - Chapter 261: Stunning Everyone Chapter 261: Stunning Everyone The little maidservant advised, ¡°Miss, eat some honeydew. Consort Xian sent it to our residence as soon as Yunzhou sent it over. Consort Xian is really satisfied with Miss as her daughter-in-law!¡± Consort Xian was satisfied with Qin Yanran. Not only was Qin Yanran devastatingly beautiful, but she was also talented. Coupled with the fact that she was the beloved daughter of the Protectorate, she had always been called the Number One Daughter of the Capital. How could Consort Xian not be satisfied with this daughter-in-law? Other than Qin Yanran herself, the huge power behind her was what Consort Xian cared about the most. The military power of the Qin and Su families. After obtaining them, was she still worried that her son could not become the crown prince? Qin Yanran came to the zither table and sat down. ¡°I¡¯ll play the zither for a while. You guys can leave.¡± When she was upset, she would relieve her anxiety by playing the zither. She played a song she had recently learned, ¡°Longing.¡± She had a good sense of music and was talented. Master Zhang also praised her for playing well and being the best among all the disciples. However, the sound of the zither she had heard in Pear Blossom Lane subconsciously appeared in her mind. That Eldest Senior Brother had also played ¡°Longing¡±. Compared to his zither music, hers seemed to be forever lacking something. If she was the best, what would people say about Eldest Senior Brother? Qin Yanran played for a while and really couldn¡¯t calm down. She asked the maidservant to put away the zither and took a poetry book to lie on the chaise longue to read. As she read, she fell asleep. Perhaps her father¡¯s reaction today had frightened her, but she actually had a nightmare. She dreamed that her father¡¯s words were true. A man really came from somewhere and said that he was her grandfather¡¯s son. He asked her father to return everything in the Duke¡¯s Estate to him. Then, a woman came and snatched her identity as the young mistress and her marriage with the Third Prince¡­ That woman said that she was the real daughter of the heavens and the empress of the world. Qin Yanran woke up in shock. Su Xiaoxiao brought a box of new snacks to the house in the east to pick up Dahu. The person who opened the door for her was a servant. The servant looked at her in a daze and drooled when he smelled the fragrance of the oil in the box. ¡°You are¡­ Su Xiaoxiao said politely, ¡°I¡¯m Dahu¡¯s mother.¡± The servant quickly gestured. ¡°It¡¯s Dahu¡¯s mother. Please come in.¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed the threshold. The servant led her into a clean and simple room. There were no other furnishings in the room, only a zither, and two cushions. The servant said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Madam, sit for a while. My young master brought Dahu to the back to pick fruits.¡± Afraid that Su Xiaoxiao would be worried that her young master would run around with the children, the servant hurriedly added, ¡°It¡¯s our own orchard. It¡¯s not far.¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go ahead. I¡¯ll wait on my own.¡± Master Zhang returned from his trip and heard a melodious zither sound as soon as he entered the courtyard. It was Zheng. He¡­ played the zither? He even composed a new song. This tune was completely different from the ones he had heard before. It had an extremely strong rhythm and tempo, with a hint of killing intent that looked down on the world. It was like immortal music descending and shaking one¡¯s heart. He seemed to see a person and a sword under the city tower, fearless of thousands of troops! It was too shocking¡­ Master Zhang had goosebumps when he heard that¡­ Su Xiaoxiao entered the house. Father Su sat on the small stool and looked up at her. ¡°Did you come back alone? Where¡¯s Dahu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, he went to the orchard to pick fruits with the owner of that house. There¡¯s still meat stewing in the pot, so I came back first.¡± Father Su knew about that orchard and had passed by it a few times. The fruits inside were big and beautiful. How fragrant. He was very hungry. Thinking of something, Su Cheng suddenly said, ¡°Daughter, are you going on house calls recently?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Yes, not much. What¡¯s wrong, Dad?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°Well, didn¡¯t you make snacks these two days? I saw that I couldn¡¯t finish them anyway, so I brought them to the market with your brother to sell them. Then, cough, I accepted a small business.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was a little surprised. No wonder Su Ergou was half-awake and asked if she wanted to sell pancakes. So he had already sold them. ¡°What snack do you want?¡± she asked. Father Su said, ¡°Just¡­ wife cakes. Any filling is fine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°How many? Where are they sent?¡± ¡°200.¡± Su Cheng coughed lightly. ¡°Spring Breeze Restaurant.¡± Spring Breeze Restaurant was the largest brothel east of Scholar Street. The corners of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. She muttered, ¡°Dad, have the girls in the brothel taken a fancy to you again?¡± After my father sold pancakes, everyone was waiting to be her stepmother¡­ Su Xiaoxiao smiled and asked, ¡°How much?¡± Su Cheng extended two fingers. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Two taels?¡± In town, in order to fight for Su Cheng¡¯s pancakes, the girls had raised the price to 100 copper coins each. Su Cheng shook his head. It couldn¡¯t be 200 copper coins. The capital didn¡¯t have such prices. Su Xiaoxiao guessed. ¡°Twenty taels?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°200 taels.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Zhong Shan also brought an order today. He tasted the snacks Su Xiaoxiao gave him and gave some to his former companions. Everyone liked to eat them and asked where Zhong Shan had bought them. Zhong Shan said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t have time to do it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s time,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°It can be done tomorrow morning.¡± Soon, Dahu returned. It was the servant from that family who sent him back. When the servant saw Su Xiaoxiao, he smiled brightly. ¡°Madam, my young master likes your snacks very much. Can I trouble you to make another box tomorrow?¡± As he spoke, he took out a money bag and handed it to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong today? Are all the orders here?¡± Was he not opening for three years and eating for three years? After Dahu left, Ling Yun sat alone in the room to tune the zither. Strange, the zither that had been useless for a few years was actually accurate in pitch. Master Zhang walked over with a bowl of hot millet porridge. ¡°At least take a few bites,¡± Zhang Qinshi said. ¡°I ate,¡± Ling Yun said. Master Zhang smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± ¡°Really.¡± Ling Yun opened the snack box on the table. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Master Zhang smiled. ¡°Deng An ate it, right?¡± Deng An was the servant who served him. ¡°I ate it,¡± Ling Yun said. Master Zhang said, ¡°You¡¯re doing this again. In order not to eat, you deliberately tricked me that you ate it.¡± Ling Yun thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m a puppy if I lie to you.¡± Master Zhang was speechless. Coaxing him to eat was harder than ascending to the heavens. Master Zhang was used to it. He changed the topic and said, ¡°The new song you composed today is not bad.¡± Ling Yun looked at him strangely. ¡°You composed a new song?¡± Master Zhang said, ¡°It¡¯s you who composed a new song.¡± Ling Yun asked, ¡°Did I?¡± Master Zhang said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the song you played with the zither.¡± Ling Yun stroked the zither in front of him and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t play it.¡± Master Zhang was stunned.. Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Tormenting the Scumbag (1) Chapter 262: Tormenting the Scumbag (1) At night, Wei Ting returned travel-worn. Su Xiaoxiao never asked what he was doing outside. Today was different. He emitted a strong smell of blood. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s not my blood,¡± Wei Ting said. He must have killed someone then. Su Xiaoxiao continued to pick out the light and do needlework. The three little fellows were sleeping soundly on the bed. Wei Ting seemed to have returned to a time many years ago. His father had returned from the military camp, and his mother was mending their clothes in the room¡­ But now, his father and brother had died in battle, and his mother had moved into the temple hall. ¡°It¡¯s altered. Try it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao bit off the thread, put the embroidery needle away and stood up with the clothes. Wei Ting paused. ¡°For¡­ me?¡± ¡°Bought clothes for the whole family. Your cuffs are a little short. I let down the hem.¡± Seeing that he wasn¡¯t moving, Su Xiaoxiao came to him. ¡°Lower your head.¡± Wei Ting leaned forward slightly. Su Xiaoxiao covered him with the clothes and he cooperatively stuck his arm in. Su Xiaoxiao pulled his sleeve and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just right.¡± Wei Ting was a little stunned. After his father and brother passed away, his mother never took a needle and thread again, nor did she make clothes for others. ¡°Ugly,¡± he said, looking at the crooked stitching on his cuff. Su Xiaoxiao exploded. ¡°I altered your clothes for you, and you still despise them? If you have the ability, don¡¯t wear it! Take it off!¡± Wei Ting did not take it off for her. She jumped up and took it off! Wei Ting looked at her jumping up and down and couldn¡¯t help but laugh softly. ¡°You¡¯re still laughing? I caught you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed his lapel and pulled hard. Unexpectedly, she didn¡¯t pull the clothes off him. Instead, she pulled him over with the clothes. ¡°Hey¡­¡± She let out a low cry. Wei Ting bumped into her and knocked her onto the bed behind him. Wei Ting hugged her chubby waist with one hand and supported the bed with the other, pressing himself against her. This posture was too ambiguous. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but think of that time in the alley. The difference was that when she was presently pinned under him and they were even closer. Her small heart pounded. His handsome face was inches away, and his warm breath landed gently on her cheek with the gentleness of the night. Could he be hiding from someone this time? Su Xiaoxiao blinked at him. A man and a woman in the same room, together with three sleeping children¡­ The atmosphere was a little dizzying. ¡°Why¡­ are you pressing down on me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re arrogant.¡± Wei Ting had a cold expression. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you refused to take off your clothes?¡± Wei Ting narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯ve been planning tonight. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°Who has designs on you? If you say again, I¡¯ll implement it! I won¡¯t take the blame for nothing!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°You have designs on me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao turned her face away. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. If you don¡¯t get up, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll get serious.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the wall and counted fiercely. ¡°One!¡± ¡°Two!¡± Before she could finish, Wei Ting suddenly pressed down, tilted his head slightly, and covered her soft lips. ¡°Mother, what are you doing?¡± Xiaohu lay on the bed and raised his head in a daze. The two of them sat up with flushed faces. Su Xiaoxiao asked seriously, ¡°Do you want to pee?¡± Xiaohu was stunned for a moment before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll take him,¡± Wei Ting said. Wei Ting carried the little fellow to the backyard. Su Xiaoxiao rubbed her burning cheeks. Was Wei Ting going to kiss her just now? ¡°Ahem!¡± Calm down. There was nothing to get excited about. He was just a man. She was someone who had seen the world! Three seconds later. Su Xiaoxiao wrapped herself in the blanket and rolled over the bed. Over and over and over¡­ The next day, Su Xiaoxiao woke Su Ergou up and made 210 wife cakes. There were green bean filling, red bean filling, chestnut filling, and dried plum vegetable filling. 200 were goods for Spring Breeze Pavilion. She made another 50 Ergou pancakes with egg yolk meat floss filling and 50 chestnut cakes. Then, she picked two of each snack and put them into the box. This was what Young Master Ling had reserved. Zhong Shan came to get snacks. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Let Ergou send it for you.¡± Zhong Shan gestured. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble Young Master Su.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. Anyway, Ergou is going to Spring Breeze Restaurant to deliver goods.¡± Su Ergou patted his chest. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! Anyway, I¡¯m delivering goods.. It doesn¡¯t make a difference if I make two deliveries!¡± Chapter 263 - Chapter 263: Tormenting the Scumbag (2) Chapter 263: Tormenting the Scumbag (2) Zhong Shan wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he agreed. He gestured in sign language. ¡°Thank you.¡± Su Ergou brought snacks and got into Zhong Shan¡¯s carriage. Not long after, Su Mo arrived. Su Xiaoxiao left with him. ¡°I saw Ergou just now,¡± Su Mo said to Su Xiaoxiao in the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, he went to deliver.¡± Su Mo asked strangely, ¡°What gift?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Snacks.¡± Su Mo opened his mouth. ¡°You¡­ are still in the snack business?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Yes, why not?¡± Su Mo asked, ¡°Is there not enough money to spend?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°It has nothing to do with money. Humans can¡¯t stay idle.¡± Su MO sized her up. ¡°You¡­ shouldn¡¯t be free, right? If you¡¯re referring to Ergou.. have you considered¡­ sending him to school? The Su family has a family school. If Ergou doesn¡¯t want to enter the Su family¡¯s family school, it¡¯s fine. I can hire a teacher for him or send him to the academy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao felt like she had been hit in the head. She had forgotten that her brother could go to school! In the countryside, she did not consider letting Ergou go to school. It was because Ergou was old and his foundation was poor. There was no suitable academy to go to. Wei Ting was already qualified to teach him. Ergou had learned from Wei Ting for so long and could recognize a few words. It was indeed time to send him to study. Su MO said, ¡°If you don¡¯t object, leave this to me.¡± Su MO could already tell that although Su Cheng was the father, the real decision-maker in the family was this little fat girl. Su Xiaoxiao agreed. ¡°Okay.¡± After settling a big matter, Su Xiaoxiao was in a good mood. The two of them were here to visit Qin Canglan openly. The two families were in-laws. Su MO had come to the residence countless times, and the guards at the door never stopped his carriage. The carriage drove straight in and stopped near the gate. The two of them alighted from the carriage and walked towards Qin Canglan¡¯s courtyard. The servants in the residence knew Su MO and wondered why he had a little fat girl beside him. Although the servants were curious, they did not dare to ask. On the other side, Qin Che did not sleep the entire night. At dawn, he went to Qin Canglan¡¯s courtyard with a haggard expression. Qin Canglan had already woken up and was being served by a servant to put on the court clothes. Elders who had served two dynasties like him were old. When they did not go to war, they only held idle positions in the Imperial Court and did not need to go to court usually. Qin Che entered the house and his expression changed slightly when he saw the court clothes. He cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°Father.¡± The servant fastened Qin Canglan¡¯s belt and handed the black veil hat to him. Qin Canglan held his black veil hat and waved at the servant. The servant understood and left respectfully. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Qin Canglan asked indifferently. Qin Che said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m here to apologize.¡± Qin Canglan snorted coldly. Qin Che lifted his hem and knelt down in front of Qin Canglan. ¡°Father, I was indeed forced back then. It doesn¡¯t matter if you think I¡¯m twisting words or talking nonsense, but what I¡¯m about to say next is definitely not a lie!¡± ¡°The deceased is the biggest. I shouldn¡¯t criticize Grandmother, but it was indeed Grandmother who sent my mother to the manor back then. My mother thought that after giving birth to me, Grandmother would bring her back on my account. Who would have thought that Grandmother wouldn¡¯t even want me, her biological grandson?¡± ¡°The servants are used to worshiping the high and trampling on the low. Father can¡¯t imagine what kind of life we have. After escaping from the village, my mother brought me around, and was hungry and cold. My brother was already six years old when he disappeared. I wasn¡¯t even three years old¡­ I wasn¡¯t raised well in my mother¡¯s womb. After I was born, I was weak and sickly. I can¡¯t remember how many times I almost died of illness¡­¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes were cold, and he was not moved by his words. Qin Che said bitterly, ¡°I¡¯m not saying this to ask for Father¡¯s forgiveness¡­¡± Qin Canglan said coldly, ¡°Then why are you doing this? No matter how you and your mother have suffered, it has nothing to do with Hua Yin and Cheng¡¯er. Were you willing to kill Hua Yin and Cheng¡¯er just to return to the Qin family?!¡± ¡°Father!¡± Qin Che¡¯s eyes were filled with shock. ¡°You think we were the ones who caused the accident between my legitimate mother and brother back then?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Qin Canglan asked. Qin Che¡¯s eyes were filled with hurt. ¡°Father, I¡¯m only a year older than my brother. He was six years old when he was in trouble, and I was seven. At that time, we had only escaped from the village for less than two years.. We couldn¡¯t even take care of ourselves, so how could we have the ability to reach out to Qingzhou, which was thousands of miles away?¡± Chapter 264 - Chapter 264: Tormenting the Scumbag (3) Chapter 264: Tormenting the Scumbag (3) Qin Canglan mocked, ¡°You still know that it¡¯s Qingzhou!¡± Qin Che¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Father, it really wasn¡¯t us! I admit that I had difficulties when I pretended to be my younger brother. Mother¡¯s greatest obsession in life was to let me return to Father¡¯s side. Before Mother died, she held my hand and said that she couldn¡¯t accompany me anymore. She asked me to bring the jade pendant to Father¡­ Even if I don¡¯t have to be her son, she doesn¡¯t want me to be alone for the rest of my life¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I was selfish¡­ I lied¡­ I pretended to be my brother¡­ but I swear to God! I never thought of harming anyone! I thought my brother had passed away! I also saw someone about my age in the capital a few days ago¡­ He looked very much like my father¡­ I¡­ I boldly guessed that perhaps my brother was still alive¡­¡± ¡°Father! Trust me! I¡¯ve never framed my brother¡­¡± Clang. Something heavy hit the door outside. A trace of vigilance quickly flashed across Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Who is it!¡± Creak¡­ The door opened. Su MO and Su Xiaoxiao appeared at the door. Su MO cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°Granduncle.¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s gaze landed on the two children. When he saw Su Xiaoxiao, his eyes were less cold. Qin Che was extremely surprised. Su Mo¡­ that girl¡­ Why were these two here? ¡°Can we come in?¡± Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and asked. Qin Canglan nodded deeply. As Su Xiaoxiao walked, she looked at Qin Che¡¯s back and said, ¡°Eh? Who is he?¡± Qin Che didn¡¯t want to embarrass himself in front of the two juniors. He held the armrest of the chair and stood up. Unexpectedly, before he could steady himself, Su Xiaoxiao screamed, scaring him so much that he staggered and almost knelt on the ground again! ¡°Is¡­ is¡­ is it you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao covered her mouth with one hand and pointed at Qin Che with the other, her eyes filled with fear. Qin Che was confused. Qin Canglan placed his hands behind his back and frowned. ¡°Daya, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t answer Qin Canglan immediately. She looked straight at Qin Che. Her chubby body began to tremble slightly, and her eyes became more and more frightened. She retreated step by step, her shoulder knocking down the back of Qin Canglan¡¯s hand. She suddenly turned around and threw herself into Qin Canglan¡¯s arms with a frightened expression, sobbing. ¡°Grandpa! I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± She sobbed softly and did not forget to take her handkerchief. She did not pull it out after a long time. Er¡­ she had forgotten to bring it. She grabbed Qin Canglan¡¯s sleeve and wiped her nonexistent tears. Su MO couldn¡¯t bear to watch. Qin Canglan was immersed in the huge surprise of his granddaughter calling him grandfather. His entire body was light. Until Su Xiaoxiao howled. Qin Canglan shuddered and came back to his senses. He hurriedly patted the little fat granddaughter in his arms and asked, ¡°Grandpa is here. Don¡¯t be afraid¡­ Tell Grandpa, what happened?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sobbed. ¡°I don¡¯t dare to say¡­¡± Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°Tell me, I¡¯ll stand up for you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao stretched out her trembling finger and pointed at Qin Che in fear. ¡°Him!¡± Qin Che was stunned. Qin Canglan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Did he bully you?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sobbed. ¡°He got someone to bully my father¡­ blocked my father in the alley¡­ and smashed our burden¡­ When I went to look for Dad¡­ Dad was covered in blood¡­ boo hoo¡­. Qin Canglan held his breath. ¡°When did this happen?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sobbed. ¡°It¡­ it was the day you came to deliver the feed¡­¡¯ Qin Canglan sent feed to the foal and indeed did not see Su Cheng. He was quite regretful at that time, but it was not convenient for him to stay in someone else¡¯s house, so he left first. Speaking of blocking the alley, Qin Che had an impression. Su Cheng had indeed been blocked by a few servants of the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate and had indeed come out covered in blood. However, the person who was beaten up was not Su Cheng, but those useless servants, okay? The servants did not even touch a single strand of his hair. Instead, they were beaten up by Su Cheng until they looked for their teeth on the ground, and their silver was plundered! Qin Che clenched his fists and suddenly took a step forward. He pointed at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s nose. ¡°You¡¯re slandering me! That day, it was clearly you¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao cried at the top of her lungs. ¡°Waah! Grandpa¡­ he was fierce to me¡­¡¯ Qin Che gritted his teeth. ¡°Shut up!¡± Qin Canglan glared at him coldly. ¡°Shut up!¡± Su Xiaoxiao shrank into Qin Canglan¡¯s arms and continued to complain. ¡°That was how he was fierce to my father that day¡­ He asked someone to beat my father to death¡­ He said¡­ that it was his mistake that his son didn¡¯t beat Ergou and me to death in Qingzhou¡­ Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes were filled with killing intent. ¡°What? You were bullied in Qingzhou?¡± ¡°I just found out¡­ that Qin Yun is his son¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao learned it on the spot. If he could say that he just found out about Su Cheng¡¯s existence she could claim that she just found out about Qin Yun. Su Xiaoxiao continued to cry. The little fatty had enough in her diaphragm. ¡°Ergou was pressed to the ground by his son and whipped hard¡­ Young Marquis Jing saw it¡­ At that time, Ergou and I didn¡¯t know our background. We just didn¡¯t understand why Ergou was targeted¡­ We didn¡¯t offend them¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing?¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s expression was cold. He looked at Su Mo. ¡°Do you know all this?¡± Su MO thought to himself, ¡°I know. Qin Yun was beaten to a pulp by Su Ergou.¡± Su MO said in shame, ¡°It was the Su family who returned to the village to pay respects to their ancestors and invited my cousin and Ergou to make snacks. At that time, they had yet to be acknowledged and did not know their identities. I could not protect them well. Granduncle, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Su MO did not lie, but he did not tell the entire truth. Qin Canglan looked at Qin Che angrily. ¡°You still say that you didn¡¯t harm Cheng¡¯er. I only saw him a few days ago¡­ You even extended your reached into Qingzhou!¡± Qin Che was stunned. Was she so good at distorting the truth? Was she so good at making things up? ¡°Father, I¡¯m innocent! I really didn¡¯t! Yun¡¯er and that child only had an ordinary misunderstanding¡­ Yun¡¯er doesn¡¯t know who he is¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao choked. ¡°Then why did he see me in the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate¡­ and chase after me¡­ I¡¯ve never provoked him¡­ Boo hoo¡­ Boo hoo¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing?¡± Qin Canglan looked at Su MO again. Su MO took a deep breath and said slowly, ¡°Cousin went to treat Grandpa. Yun¡¯er¡­ indeed shouted at Cousin and even asked Grandpa to teach her a lesson.¡± However, in the end, Qin Yun was pressed to the ground by his cousin. Su Xiaoxiao covered her chest and cried. ¡°I¡¯m so aggrieved! I¡¯m so afraid! I¡¯m so sad!¡± Su MO, who had goosebumps, was speechless.. Chapter 265 - Chapter 265: Paternity Test (1) Chapter 265: Paternity Test (1) Qin Che almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Why was she aggrieved? What was she afraid of? Why was she sad? When did the siblings not press Qin Yun to the ground? Did they suffer a loss? Also, where did she learn to make things up at such a young age? Qin Che used all his wisdom but could not find a word to describe this little fat girl in front of him. In short¡­ in short, she was shameless! He was clearly about to stabilize his father, but this little fatty jumped out and interfered, causing all his previous efforts to be in vain! How despicable! Qin Che was so angry that he felt terrible. As he clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead were throbbing. Su Xiaoxiao pointed at him and said aggrievedly, ¡°Boo hoo¡­ Grandpa, look¡­ He seems to want to eat me¡­ I won¡¯t dare to come again¡­¡± Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°Nonsense. This is your house. You¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Duke¡¯s Estate. No one can bully you!¡± Qin Che was stunned on the spot. If this little fat girl was the eldest daughter of the Duke¡¯s Estate, what was Yanran? Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and hugged Qin Canglan¡¯s arm, looking like a little¡­ fat bird. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that, Grandpa.¡± Qin Canglan patted her round shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t take good care of you in the past, and I won¡¯t make the same mistake in the future. The Protector Duke¡¯s Estate is your home. You¡¯re the real master of the mansion. I won¡¯t let you suffer anymore.¡± Qin Che¡¯s heart was pierced by Qin Canglan¡¯s merciless words. Compared to physical punishment, Qin Che was really hurt by Qin Canglan¡¯s coldness and distrust. Qin Che thought that the two of them has spend time together for 20 years and had more or less developed some feelings for each other. Even if it was exposed one day, he would still have a place in his heart. However, at this moment, Qin Che realized that Qin Canglan had never doted on him. No matter how hard he worked, he could not compare to Su Huayin¡¯s son. Whether the other party was a fool or a madman, he did not care even if they attacked him. As for himself, he was just short of taking out his heart. Yet the other party was not even willing to take a look! How ironic! Su Xiaoxiao was possessed by Xiaohu in a second. She shook her head and said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him!¡± Qin Canglan scolded Qin Che, ¡°Get back to your courtyard! Without my instructions, you¡¯re not allowed to take half a step out of the courtyard!¡± Qin Che looked at Su Xiaoxiao resentfully and left unwillingly. As soon as he left, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression immediately changed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m leaving too. I still have something to do at home.¡± Qin Canglan was dumbfounded. Su MO cupped his hands at Qin Canglan. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± The two of them left the house one after another. Qin Canglan smiled helplessly. ¡°This girl.¡¯ In the small garden, Su MO said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°The door is over there.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued walking in the opposite direction. Su MO asked, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± Su Xiaoxiao wrapped a strand of white hair in a handkerchief and said, ¡°Qin Che¡¯s courtyard! ¡± Su MO looked suspiciously at the white hair in her hand. ¡°This is¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Qin Canglan¡¯s hair.¡± Alright, she wasn¡¯t calling him grandfather anymore. She was really quick to dispose of what she used. Su MO shook his head and said, ¡°Why do you want Granduncle¡¯s hair?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You will know when the time comes!¡± As they spoke, the two of them followed Qin Che to his courtyard. Qin Che had just sat down when two figures silently appeared at the door. His eyes turned cold. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Before his identity was exposed, Qin Che and Su MO had a good relationship, but who knew that the Su family would stab him in the back? At this moment, Qin Che found Su MO an eyesore. Su MO was cold and his respect and filial piety to Qin Che were all because of his status. Therefore, he did not care how Qin Che looked at him. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m here to gloat and add insult to injury.¡± Qin Che gritted his teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t be happy too early! Paper can¡¯t hide fire. One day, you¡¯ll reveal your true colors!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re referring to how Il wronged you today. Sigh, do you think the Old Duke couldn¡¯t tell that I was acting? Didn¡¯t he still chase you out?¡± Qin Che¡¯s eyes trembled. Su Xiaoxiao said arrogantly, ¡°He¡¯s just biased toward me and can¡¯t bear to expose me. What can you do to me?¡± Qin Che was trembling with anger! Killing someone was nothing, but this girl¡­ insisted on killing his heart! Chapter 266 - Chapter 266: Paternity Test (2) Chapter 266: Paternity Test (2) If Qin Che was unhappy, Su Xiaoxiao was happy. Su Xiaoxiao walked up to Qin Che and raised her chubby hand to pat his shoulder. ¡°The stolen wealth won¡¯t last long. Be prepared. The day of repayment has begun.¡± Qin Che reached out to slap Su Xiaoxiao. Su Mo had been wary of him. He flashed forward and grabbed his wrist! Su Xiaoxiao tucked a strand of hair into her sleeve and gently dusted her sleeves. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave first. I wonder if I can call you¡­ Protector Duke the next time I see you.¡± Qin Che was furious! ¡­ Sitting in Su Mo¡¯s carriage, Su Xiaoxiao was in a good mood. She opened the walnut jar. Well, there were new walnuts, and they were big and complete. She threw one into her mouth and hummed a tune rhythmically as she sucked it. Her head swayed, reminding Su Mo of the three children in the courtyard. As expected, after interacting with her for a long time, their small actions and expressions were synchronized. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that they were her biological children. Thinking of the three children, Su MO couldn¡¯t help but remember something serious. ¡°Cousin,¡± he said, ¡°the Protectorate and the royal family are engaged. It was decided when the late emperor was still alive. It was because my grandfather did not father a daughter that it was extended to the next generation.¡± If her cousin recovered her identity, wouldn¡¯t she have to be the Third Prince¡¯s consort? Compared to Wei Xichao, the Third Prince was indeed more acceptable to the two families. Su MO would not admit that he still did not dare to tell his family that the husband this girl had kidnapped was actually the youngest son of the Wei family. He was afraid that his grandfather would faint from the stimulation. Speaking of which, once their cousin became the prince¡¯s wife, it meant that they would be on the Third Prince¡¯s ship and would advance and retreat with him from now on. This was not about whether they wanted to participate in the competition for the throne, but after the marriage, some things could not be separated. However¡­ with this girl¡¯s personality, would she really be willing to accept this marriage? She seemed to have a good relationship with Wei Ting. Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Is the Third Prince handsome?¡± Su MO was speechless. ¡°Young Master!¡± The coachman suddenly spoke. Su MO asked, ¡°What is it?¡± The coachman lowered his voice and said, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± Su MO opened the curtain a crack and looked in the direction indicated by the coachman. Qin Che? If he remembered correctly, wasn¡¯t Qin Che grounded by his granduncle? Was he allowed to enter and leave freely so quickly? No, Qin Che was not wearing his own clothes. Qin Che had indeed disguised himself. If not for the fact that he had forgotten to wear a bamboo hat in the carriage and only put it on after coming out, the coachman and Su MO probably would not have discovered him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°It¡¯s Qin Che,¡± Su MO said to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°Yo, he can¡¯t sit still after such a short time.¡± Her acting skills were not wasted. ¡°Go down and take a look!¡± Su Xiaoxiao put down the walnut. Just as she was about to jump out of the carriage, Su MO hugged her waist. Su MO said, ¡°Be careful. The person beside Qin Che is called Xu Qing. He¡¯s a very powerful swordsman in the martial world.¡± Su Xiaoxiao lay on his arm like a fat salted fish waiting to be dried. She pointed at Xu Qing¡¯s waist. ¡°Isn¡¯t he carrying a sword?¡± Su MO brought her into the alley. ¡°It¡¯s just a smokescreen to hide his identity.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯ve investigated. You¡¯re related to the Qin family, but you actually investigated the Qin family. Did you realize that there was something wrong with the Qin family long ago?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Just as Su MO finished speaking, he hesitated. Su Xiaoxiao understood immediately. ¡°I understand. You¡¯re wary of everyone.¡± This eldest young master of the Su family was very shrewd. Su MO didn¡¯t continue this topic with Su Xiaoxiao. He chased after Qin Che and Xu Qing until they entered a gambling den. Then, he took two bamboo hats and put them on himself and Su Xiaoxiao. Qin Che and Xu Qing entered the casino and left through the back door. Su MO followed closely and didn¡¯t forget to explain to Su Xiaoxiao in a low voice, ¡°They¡¯re afraid of being followed and used the casino to shake off anyone who could be following them. Xu Qing is very cautious.¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Oh, and they entered the brothel.¡± The brothel was also a cover. They circled around and turned out the back door. Although Xu Qing was vigilant enough, he had to face Su Mo. There were many people in the brothel. A group of women surged forward. Su MO subconsciously grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist. He realized it and was about to let go when the girls bumped into him with smiles. His eyes narrowed as he pulled Su Xiaoxiao out of the brothel.. Chapter 267 - Chapter 267: Paternity Test (3) Chapter 267: Paternity Test (3) ¡°Over there!¡± He saw a corner of a shirt turning into the alley. Just as the two of them chased into the alley, they bumped into an old man who was fleeing with his head in his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t run! Accept your loss! Hand over the silver!¡± A few thugs chased after him with sticks. As he fled, he shouted, ¡°I, I, I¡­ I said I would return it to you next time!¡± ¡°Stop right there!¡± Seeing that those people were about to catch up, the old man and Su Mo bumped into each other. A few thugs suddenly smashed their sticks at his back. Su Mo raised his hand and gently pulled away one of the sticks. He waved his hand and easily knocked down the sticks of the others. Seeing that he was not to be trifled with, the few of them exchanged glances and turned to run. The old man let out a long sigh. Su Mo looked at him, took off his bamboo hat, and greeted, ¡°Second Master.¡± Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and recognized him. It was the second master of the Qin family, Qin Hai, whom she had met on the streets last time. At that time, Su Xiaoxiao was sitting in the carriage and was not sure if Qin Hai had seen her. Anyway, she had seen Qin Hai. Qin Hai smiled awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s you. Eh? This is¡­¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao was wearing a bamboo hat that covered her face. Su MO said, ¡°A cousin.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Qin Hai sized Su Xiaoxiao up and didn¡¯t ask carefully. He scratched his head and said awkwardly, ¡°I was unlucky today and lost all my money. But don¡¯t worry, they don¡¯t know who I am. I didn¡¯t reveal my identity¡­ Don¡¯t spread it. If my brother finds out that I went to the gambling den, he¡¯ll scold me again.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Su MO agreed. Qin Hai patted his shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s settled then. You must keep it a secret for me. I¡¯ll leave first. If I go back late, the wife at home will nag again¡­ Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and looked thoughtfully at Qin Hail s departing back. Su MO chased a few more steps forward. Unfortunately, he lost them. He turned around and saw that Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t follow him. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao recalled. ¡°The first time I went to the Duke Protector¡¯s Estate to investigate, the Protector¡¯s Estate increased their vigilance.¡± Su MO nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Su MO also realized this. Guard Feng did not look like he had gathered his people at the last minute. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering why the Duke¡¯s Estate suddenly increased its vigilance. Could it be that the vendor¡¯s death during the day alerted the enemy?¡± She was referring to the vendor called Xiangzi. Xiangzi poisoned the Old Marquis through the dumpling leaves. Su Mo¡¯s men found him and he seized the opportunity to poison himself during the interrogation. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°But that day, we saw someone on the way back to Pear Blossom Lane. It happened to be before I left for the Protectorate.¡± A name came out¡ªQin Hai. Su MO gasped. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you suspect¡­ But he didn¡¯t see you, nor did he know you¡­ and didn¡¯t know that you would investigate¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said unhurriedly, ¡°This is your personal judgment and speculation. Only he knows if he saw me or if he knows me. Only he knows that I might want to go to the Duke¡¯s Estate to investigate.¡± Su MO was completely shocked. He frowned and said, ¡°Qin Hai¡­ is a loafer. He¡¯s ignorant, incompetent, and doesn¡¯t do his job. He idles around all day¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°It seemed like a coincidence just now. We were clearly about to catch up to Qin Che. His appearance disrupted our plan.¡± Su MO was silent. Su Xiaoxiao lowered her head and began to look for something on the ground. ¡°You¡­¡± Su MO looked at Su Xiaoxiao in confusion. ¡°I found it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pinched a strand of hair on the ground and took out a clean handkerchief to wrap it. Su MO finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Why have you been picking people¡¯s hair all day?¡± Don¡¯t think he didn¡¯t see that she had also taken a strand of hair from Qin Che. Did this girl have some special fetish? After returning to Pear Blossom Lane, Su Xiaoxiao closed the door. It was rare that the pharmacy didn¡¯t take advantage of her and let her in smoothly. The base pharmacy had the highest-end medical equipment, and the results came out very quickly. Qin Che and Qin Canglan¡¯s biological relationship was established but did not support a parent-child relationship. Su Xiaoxiao was not surprised. Her gaze landed on the results of the comparison between Qin Che and Qin Hai. ¡°I see..¡± Chapter 268 - Chapter 268: Xiaohu’s Talent Chapter 268: Xiaohu¡¯s Talent Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to cook. Su Ergou had gone to deliver the goods and had not returned for the entire day. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that he had sent them to the palace. The three little ones were not there either. Dahu did not act on his own when he went to listen to the music today. Instead, he brought his two burdens in the form of his brothers. Xiaohu entered the house first. He also knew to take off his shoes first. He stomped into the house and looked at the thin man sitting on the futon. He politely called him uncle and tilted his head to point at the big thing in front of him. ¡°What is this?¡± Ling Yun glanced at the little guy. ¡°Zither, who are you?¡± Xiaohu patted his chest gently and said, ¡°I¡¯m Xiaohu.¡± Soon, Erhu also took off his shoes and entered the house. ¡°Who are you?¡± Ling Yun asked. Erhu¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°I¡¯m Dahu!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± Ling Yun exposed him at a glance. Erhu was dumbfounded. ¡°Eh?¡± He actually didn¡¯t manage to deceive him? Ling Yun said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no additional spiral on Dahu¡¯s forehead.¡± Dahu only had a spiral on his head. Erhu and Xiaohu had many hair spirals, and each of them had a winding spiral on their foreheads. Erhu scratched his head. This handsome uncle looked a little smart. Dahu placed the small shoes that had been thrown everywhere by his stinky brothers at the door. It was so tiring to be a big brother. His two stinky brothers were too unreliable. Ling Yun fiddled with the strings, making a crisp and pleasant sound. Xiaohu came up to him and asked in a childish voice, ¡°Can I touch it?¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± Ling Yun said. Dahu had touched it without any issues. Ling Yun felt that it was fine to let the other two touch it. Soon, he regretted it. Xiaohu imitated him very seriously and pulled the strings. Clang! Ling Yun shuddered and his hair stood on end! Xiaohu did not think that his playing was very unpleasant. On the contrary, he felt that it was quite pleasant. He felt he was really amazing! Xiaohu pulled again, then again. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! To people with absolute musical talent, the demonic sounds played by Xiaohu were simply fatal. ¡°That¡¯s not how it¡¯s played.¡± So this was called playing. Xiaohu learned a verb and asked, ¡°Then how do I play it?¡± Ling Yun had stopped taking in disciples a few years ago. He did not teach anyone zither skills in any form. However, this little fellow¡¯s playing¡­ was really unbearable. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly raised his head. He hooked his fingertips gently on the strings. ¡°Watch carefully. Here.¡± A pleasant voice sounded, like a breeze passing through a mountain stream, gentle and ethereal. Xiaohu nodded, indicating that he had learned it. He raised his small self-taught arm and followed suit, hooking his little finger. It was even worse. Xiaohu was immersed in his demonic sound. ¡°How fun! I have to come over every day from now on!¡± Ling Yun trembled.. In the evening, the three little ones skipped home. The person who came with them was Ling Yun¡¯s personal servant, Deng An. Deng An was holding a huge zither case. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him strangely, not understanding why he came to the door with a zither. Deng An smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°My young master said that Xiaohu.. Xiaohu is very interested in playing the zither¡­ Uh¡­ he has some talent. I¡¯ll give this Luanzheng to Xiaohu. He can play it at home when he¡¯s free.¡± ¡°There was no need to look for my young master to play.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said politely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Take it back.¡± Luanzheng was also a zither. It was not cheap. Deng An broke out in cold sweat. ¡°No, no, no. My young master and Brother Xiaohu hit it off. A good zither is a gift to a soulmate! You must accept it!¡± If he didn¡¯t accept, Young Master would peel his skin off! Su Xiaoxiao patted Xiaohu¡¯s head. ¡°Xiaohu, do you like to play the zither?¡± Xiaohu thought for a moment. ¡°1 like it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then let¡¯s acknowledge Uncle Ling as your master and learn the zither from him every day.¡± Xiaohu nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± Deng An was about to cry. After a few days, Yuchi Xiu and the man in white returned to the capital. The white-robed man went to the Wei family to report to Matriarch Wei. Yuchi Xiu found Wei Ting near Pear Blossom Lane. Wei Ting sat in the carriage with a cold expression. Yuchi Xiu asked the secret guard, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sir?¡± The secret guard said, ¡°He¡¯s probably not satisfied.¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Do you not want to work anymore?¡± The secret guard shrank his neck and gestured. In summary, their Master and the little fat girl had a difficult relationship and their treatment was demoted. They could still lie under the same blanket in the countryside, but he was now chased into the room next door. Yuchi Xiu lifted the curtain and sat down beside Wei Ting. ¡°No way, Lord, you haven¡¯t taken her down yet? Are you unable to do it?¡± Wei Ting glanced at him coldly. ¡°Is your head very hard?¡± Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°I don¡¯t know my head is hard, but I definitely have more methods to deal with women than you. If I were you, I would have done it long ago!¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°Is that so? Have you settled Su Yuniang?¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± A certain braggart choked fiercely. ¡°I have nothing to do with her. She was the one who molested me. I don¡¯t have any improper thoughts about her!¡± Wei Ting snorted. ¡°It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t.¡± If that girl knew that his killer had seduced Su Yuniang, she would definitely explode. ¡°Lord, do you want to get along with that girl or not? If you do, you have to do it as soon as possible. She¡¯s from the Qin family. Matriarch Wei won¡¯t agree to you being together. You have to sleep with her first. That way, Matriarch Wei will have to accept it even if she doesn¡¯t want to.¡± Yuchi Xiu had just learned about Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s background from the secret guard. He was happy to watch the show and did not mind the matter being blown up. Wei Ting was shameless, but he had never been loose in this aspect. He said coldly, ¡°Do I need you to come up with bad ideas?¡± Yuchi Xiu sighed and said earnestly, ¡°How is it a bad idea? I¡¯m doing this for your own good. Sir, don¡¯t be embarrassed. All men have their first time. If you¡¯re worried that she¡¯ll reject you, I¡¯ll teach you a way! Go buy a pot of wine and pretend to be drunk at night. Go to her room. If she doesn¡¯t chase you out, it means she has tacitly agreed to your approach. Take the opportunity! If she blames you the next day, say that you drank too much and don¡¯t remember. It won¡¯t be awkward!¡± The secret guard couldn¡¯t help but stick his head in through the curtain gap and ask suspiciously, ¡°Isn¡¯t this taking advantage of others?¡± Yuchi Xiu continued, ¡°What do you know? This is called emboldening! If that girl doesn¡¯t agree, she will definitely kick your young master out. Don¡¯t worry about her. She¡¯s not someone who can suffer a loss. You should worry about your young master. He will either be kicked out or squeezed into persimmons by that girl¡­¡¯ Wei Ting said with a cold expression, ¡°What nonsense is this? I¡¯m not listening. ¡± Fifteen minutes later, Wei Ting returned home with a jar of wine.. Chapter 269 - Chapter 269: The Truth (1) Chapter 269: The Truth (1) Qin Canglan also came over today. He originally wanted to enter the palace to meet the emperor, but after thinking about it, he felt that there were too many misunderstandings. He had to explain it to the little fat granddaughter. Su Xiaoxiao was acting so fiercely in the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate and thought that Qin Canglan was here to settle the score. Unexpectedly, Qin Canglan did not mention that she had framed Qin Che. ¡°Did your father go out with Ergou?¡± Qin Canglan asked. As Su Xiaoxiao kneaded the dough, she said, ¡°Oh, my father, Dahu, and the others went to play with the foal. Ergou went to buy flour.¡± Qin Canglan sat on the small stool behind the stove and added some firewood from time to time. He hesitated for a moment and said awkwardly, ¡°I came to tell you that I have nothing to do with Madam Ruan.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°You mean the night you were drunk?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Qin Canglan thought that he was straightforward enough, but he did not expect this girl to be even more straightforward than him. He frowned. ¡°The old monkey told you?¡± ¡°No!¡± Su Xiaoxiao decided not to sell out the Old Marquis. However, Qin Canglan was not stupid. Other than Su Shuo, there was no one else in the world who could tell her about these past events. Qin Canglan gritted his teeth in anger. He would cut off that Su fellow sooner or later! ¡°I did drink too much that night and fainted. When I woke up, I was indeed lying on her bed¡­ But I¡­ definitely didn¡¯t touch her.¡± He was a man and knew very well if he had touched a woman. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh.¡± Qin Canglan looked at her nervously. ¡°Do you¡­ believe me or not?¡± He didn¡¯t care how others wronged him. But he cared what the children thought. ¡°I believe you,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. This was the first person to say that she believed him. Qin Canglan was so touched that he almost cried. In the next second, he heard Su Xiaoxiao say seriously, ¡°A man can¡¯t have sex when he¡¯s drunk. If he can, it means that he¡¯s not ridiculously drunk. He must be conscious and remember what he did. If he doesn¡¯t remember anything when he wakes up the next day, he must have been drunk. In that case, how can he still keep it up?¡± ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± Qin Canglan choked until his face turned red. In the front courtyard, Wei Ting, who had just entered with a wine jar, paused. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Some people have watched too much drama. Do they really think men can do that when they¡¯re drunk? Those men were all pretending! They act with the help of alcohol and say, ¡®I drank too much last night. I didn¡¯t expect it to turn out like this. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be responsible for you¡¯!¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the kitchen knife and chopped it on the chopping board! ¡°If I meet such a man, I¡¯ll chop off his tool!¡± Wei Ting threw the wine jar out in a second¡­ Qin Canglan did not stay in Pear Blossom Lane for long. No matter whose son Qin Che was, he was not his. He could not allow Qin Che to continue occupying Su Cheng¡¯s identity. Now that the truth was unknown, there were still many things he needed to do. Su Xiaoxiao placed the kneaded dough into the alms bowl and woke up. ¡°I think you can go see Qin Hai.¡± Qin Canglan was puzzled. ¡°How do you know this name?¡± Su Xiaoxiao patted the flour on her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve met him twice. Although Qin Che isn¡¯t your son,¡­ he looks so similar to you. Have you never suspected anything?¡± Qin Cang trembled. ¡°You mean¡­¡¯ This year, there was especially a lot of rain in the capital in spring. It had just rained two days ago, and lightning began to flash and thunder at night. Qin Hai had just come out of the gambling den and had forgotten to bring an umbrella. Looking at the unpredictable weather, he frowned. He hurriedly ran towards his carriage. As soon as he lifted the curtain, a hole seemed to have been torn in the sky, and heavy rain fell. ¡°Fortunately, I ran fast!¡± He smiled proudly, dusted his wide sleeves, and sat down on the stool. Then, with a thud, he fell from the chair! ¡°Brother?¡± Damn it! Why was his brother in the carriage? It scared him to death! Qin Canglan was like a demon, his eyes gathering endless killing intent. ¡°You still know that I¡¯m your brother!¡± Qin Hai broke out in cold sweat and swallowed his saliva. He got up in fear and was far away from his brother. He almost sat outside. He asked nervously, ¡°Brother, what are you doing? Haven¡¯t you been feeling unwell recently¡­ recuperating in the residence? Why¡­ why are you¡­ here for me¡­ Qin Canglan said coldly, ¡°What have you done? You¡¯d better tell me the truth!¡± Chapter 270 - Chapter 270: The Truth (2) Chapter 270: The Truth (2) ¡°I¡­¡± Qin Hai looked in the direction of the gambling den and said awkwardly, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it, right? I just went to gamble twice. I swear that I¡¯ve really changed a lot in the past two years¡­ I haven¡¯t gone to the gambling den for a long time¡­ Just this once¡­ and you caught me!¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°I¡¯ll settle the score with you later! I came today to ask you what¡¯s going on with Ruan Xianglian and Qin Che!¡± Qin Hai¡¯s eyes flashed. Qin Canglan slapped the table. ¡°You don¡¯t dare to make a sound, right? Qin Hai! Do you want me to hand you over to the Emperor to deal with!¡± Qin Hai¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Brother!¡± Qin Canglan pointed at his nose and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you did it flawlessly. The dirty things you did back then have been discovered long ago!¡± Qin Hai¡¯s legs went weak and he knelt down in the carriage. He looked at Qin Canglan pleadingly. ¡°Brother¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­ I was confused¡­ That¡¯s why I¡­¡± Qin Canglan did not expect to be able to trick him so easily. Sometimes, the clues were clearly beside him, but he had been blindsided. At this moment, Qin Canglan did not know if he should blame himself or the instigator. He looked at Qin Hai in disappointment. ¡°You were really on good terms with Ruan Xianglian¡­ Qin Che is your flesh and blood, isn¡¯t he? How could our Qin family have such a bastard? Come with me to see the Emperor! Tell him what happened back then in front of the Emperor!¡± Qin Hai hugged Qin Canglan¡¯s thigh. ¡°Big Brother, I was wrong! Don¡¯t let me meet the emperor! I really know my mistake¡­ Big Brother, I beg you¡­¡± Qin Canglan clenched his fists tightly. ¡°Is it enough to admit your mistake? Although we¡¯re not from the same mother, I¡¯ve never treated you badly. After I lost my son, I even thought of passing the title of Protector Duke to you¡­ I never expected¡­ you to stab me in the back! Was it you who caused the accident between Huayin and Cheng¡¯er back then?¡± Qin Hai was stunned. ¡°Brother, what did you say? Qin Canglan said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re still not admitting it? For the sake of your son with Ruan Xianglian, you didn¡¯t hesitate to kill your sister-in-law and nephew. Qin Hai, has your conscience been fed to the dogs?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t harm Sister-in-law and Nephew!¡± Qin Hai knelt down and raised his finger. ¡°I swear to the heavens that I didn¡¯t want to harm Sister-in-law and Cheng¡¯er¡­¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°You didn¡¯t want to do it? But it was done?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Qin Hail s eyes turned red. He hugged his head and lay on the ground. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Qin Canglan hated it when a man was so submissive. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?!¡± Qin Hai choked and said, ¡°Back then¡­ Back then, Xianglian¡­ After she escaped from the manor with her child¡­ I couldn¡¯t believe that it was my son at first¡­ But he really looked too similar¡­ Big Brother, you insisted that you had never touched Xianglian¡­ I¡­ I was finally sure¡­¡± Qin Canglan paused and remembered that there was indeed such a conversation. He asked resentfully, ¡°Back then, you came to me and asked if I had touched Xianglian. So it was just to confirm if that bastard was your flesh and blood?¡± Qin Hai shrank his neck. Qin Canglan gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°What happened after that?!¡± Qin Hai did not dare to look at his brother¡¯s anger. ¡°Later¡­ I settled the mother and son down. Che¡¯er was still young at that time¡­ he didn¡¯t remember having called me father for two years¡­¡± Qin Hai was indeed not lying about this. Qin Che really didn¡¯t remember. ¡°Che¡¯er is my son¡¯s name¡­ ¡± Qin Canglan was furious. Qin Hai whispered, ¡°I was used to calling him that.¡± Qin Canglan really wanted to punch him to death. However, he remembered that he was not here to vent his anger but to find out the entire truth. He tried his best to suppress his emotions. ¡°What about Huayin?¡± Qin Hai lowered his head. ¡°Xianglian left after less than two years. She said that she was going back to her hometown with her son to visit her family. I gave her a sum of money.¡± ¡°A sum?¡± ¡°Ten..ten thousand taels.¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s veins twitched. ¡°You¡¯re quite generous!¡± Qin Hai did not have the guts to refute. ¡°After that, Xianglian never returned. I only contacted her once a year later. It was a letter from Qingzhou. It said that she¡­ was seriously ill and needed money for treatment. I¡­ I gathered more money for her¡­ and sent a few thousand taels over.. After another year¡­ I heard that something happened to Sister-in-law and Nephew in Qingzhou¡­¡± Chapter 271 - Chapter 271: The Truth(3) Chapter 271: The Truth(3) This matched the clues Qin Canglan had investigated. The group of people who assassinated Su Huayin and Su Cheng back then was clearly a group of bandits. They were the kind who were paid to carry out vices. He had once suspected that his enemy had hired someone to kill him. Unfortunately, that group of desperadoes died too quickly, and the clues were interrupted. He and the Su family continued to investigate, but they did not uncover anything. Qin Canglan was furious, and even his voice trembled. ¡°Since you suspect that Ruan Xianglian hired someone to kill them, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± Qin Hai cried, ¡°Brother¡­ I didn¡¯t guess it from the beginning¡­ I saw her many years later¡­ She brought Che¡­ that child over¡­ said that she wanted him to assume my nephew¡¯s identity¡­ I didn¡¯t agree¡­ She knelt down and begged me¡­ She said that the real Qin Che was already dead anyway¡­ The Qin family had no successor, and this title would fall to me sooner or later¡­ I owed them¡­ I didn¡¯t give them a status¡­ Why don¡¯t¡­¡± Qin Canglan continued for him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you pass the position of High Duke to your illegitimate son?¡± Qin Hai lowered his head. ¡°I asked her how she was sure that Qin Che was dead. She refused to tell me, so I guessed that the deaths of Sister-in-law and my nephew might be related to her. I thought of rejecting her, but she threatened me in every way and even said she would die in front of me. I¡­¡± He covered his face, too ashamed to face his brother. Qin Canglan said coldly, ¡°That bastard doesn¡¯t know his background?¡± Qin Hai braced himself and said, ¡°He knew when he was three or four years old. When he grew up a little, his mother told him that his father was Qin Canglan, the current Protector Duke. One day, she would send him back to his father¡¯s side. As for me, his mother told him that she had once saved me. He always thought that I wanted to repay Xianglian¡¯s kindness, so I took good care of him.¡± Qin Canglan snorted coldly. ¡°Hmph, then how do you explain that Su MO and Daya met you twice and you ruined everything!¡± Qin Hai said, ¡°Big Brother¡­ you mean the last two times, right? When I saw that child, I guessed that my nephew might not be dead. I wanted to persuade him to confess to you, so I got someone to go to the residence to remind him. As for the second time in the alley, I did intend to stop them.¡± Qin Canglan pointed at his nose. ¡°You¡¯re helping the wicked!¡± Qin Hai raised his head and looked at Qin Canglan in shame and helplessness. ¡°Brother, it doesn¡¯t matter if you hit me or scold me. I only have one son¡­ I can¡¯t watch him die¡­¡± Qin Canglan said sternly, ¡°Do you think Daya and Mo¡¯er were going to assassinate him?¡± Qin Hai said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s what he said. He asked me to help him stop them¡­¡± ¡°You believed him just because he said so? What kind of pig brain do you have!¡± Qin Canglan was simply angered to death by this stupid brother. The carriage stopped at Pear Blossom Lane. Qin Canglan shouted, ¡°Explain these things in front of Daya later!¡± Qin Hai was stunned. He lifted the curtain to take a look and realized that the carriage had unknowingly arrived at a quiet alley. Moreover, the coachman had long been replaced by Qin Canglan¡¯s men. Qin Hai was brought into the courtyard by Qin Canglan. The family went out to do their own things. On the way, they were all drenched in the rain. At this moment, Father Su was washing the three little fellows¡¯ hair and showering, while Su Ergou returned to the house to change. Because it was inconvenient to meet Qin Canglan, Wei Ting did not appear. He sat in the carriage again and secretly planned his next target. Su Xiaoxiao was arranging the herbs in the central room. ¡°Get in!¡± Qin Canglan kicked Qin Hails butt. Qin Hai staggered a few times and almost fell. He touched the bridge of his nose awkwardly and greeted resentfully, ¡°My¡­ my grandniece¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You recognized me in the carriage last time, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Hai admitted honestly. Su Xiaoxiao had guessed it, so she was not too surprised. She looked at Qin Hai. ¡°You¡¯re here for¡­¡¯ Qin Hai resigned himself to fate and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already confessed to Big Brother just now. Qin Che is my son.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Qin Hai was surprised. ¡°Huh?¡± What kind of words were those? If he wasn¡¯t sure, why would he acknowledge Qin Che? Su Xiaoxiao looked at Qin Canglan. ¡°You left before I could finish. Qin Che looks like you and Qin Hai.¡± When Qin Canglan faced Su Xiaoxiao, the killing intent in his eyes instantly disappeared. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I expected him to be Qin Hai¡¯s son.¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. I did a genetic test on you. You can understand it as¡­ another form of blood identification. The results show that Qin Che is related to you, but not as father and son. In layman¡¯s terms, neither of you is Qin Che¡¯s biological father.¡± ¡°What?¡± Qin Canglan and Qin Hai opened their mouths at the same time. Su Xiaoxiao flipped through the test report on the table and said seriously, ¡°Qin Che is your brother.¡± The two of them felt as though they were struck by lightning.. Chapter 272 - Chapter 272: Announcement to the World Chapter 272: Announcement to the World His half-brother. In the beginning, Su Xiaoxiao also guessed that Qin Hai was Qin Che¡¯s biological father. It was not until she received the test results from the pharmacy that she came to a realization. There was an explanation for many things that she could not figure out in the past. For example, why did Qin Che look like he was from the Qin family? Because he was. For example, why was Mother Qin so merciless to Ruan Xianglian and her son back then? It was not strange that she did not like Ruan Xianglian, but Qin Che was her biological grandson after all. How could she bear to send her biological grandson away? It would make sense if he was an illegitimate son born of a love rival. Mrs. Qin would wish she could kill that little bastard, right? Of course, the person Mother Qin wanted to kill the most was Ruan Xianglian. In order to stay in the Qin family, Ruan Xianglian used all kinds of methods. When she failed to seduce the young Qin Canglan, she slept with Mr. Qin, who was in his prime. It would be strange if Mrs. Qin could tolerate her. Ruan Xianglian caused Su Huayin¡¯s death and suffocated Mother Qin and Qin Canglan¡¯s second wife, but in the end, she could not witness the day her son brought her back to the Qin residence. It was retribution. Qin Canglan and Qin Hai supported each other and sat in the carriage back. The son he had raised for so many years was actually his younger brother. How could it be reasonable? To Qin Canglan, the greatest blow had already passed. In his heart, the most important things were his biological son and two precious grandchildren. At his age, half of his body was already in the grave. He did not know how many more years he could dote on them. He didn¡¯t want them to suffer anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll go into the palace for a while,¡± Qin Canglan said to the dejected Qin Hai. ¡°Go make up for the mess you caused yourself. Tell him his background from the beginning!¡± ¡°Why do you want me to say it?¡± Qin Hai had suffered a huge blow. He was not as decisive and arbitrary as Qin Canglan, nor had he ever had any thoughts about Ruan Xianglian. He had really admired that woman. He treated her as his sweetheart, but she slept with his father¡­ Woah¡­ Qin Hai wanted to burst into tears¡­ Su Cheng gave the three little ones a shower and returned to the house to wash up and change into clean clothes. Su Xiaoxiao helped the three of them put on their clothes. Dahu and Erhu were quite cooperative and Xiaohu slipped away. He ran to the other side of the bed. A cloth towel was tied around his waist, covering his shy butt. He ran across the bed. Children were really not afraid of the cold. It was late March, and the rain was pouring and the wind was strong, but the little children were sweating all over the bed. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed Xiaohu and wiped his sweat. When Wei Ting arrived home, Dahu and Erhu went to play with Su Ergou. Only the naked Xiaohu was caught by Su Xiaoxiao in her arms. ¡°Put it on yourself!¡± Wei Ting said solemnly. ¡°No!¡± Xiaohu turned around and threw himself into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arms, throwing his stinky father a butt. Su Xiaoxiao helped the little guy put on his clothes and sniffed. She asked Wei Ting, ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°But you smell of alcohol.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°Oh, someone accidentally spilled it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Really? Why don¡¯t I believe you?¡± Wei Ting asked coldly, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Su Xiaoxiao covered Xiaohu¡¯s ears with both hands and said to Wei Ting, ¡°I thought you wanted to use alcohol to commit certain acts. You wanted to sneak into my room in the middle of the night and do something to me!¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°How is that possible? If someone wants to do anything bad, it¡¯s you who wants to do something bad to me.¡± As he spoke, he seemed to increase the persuasiveness of his words. ¡°Look at how many times you took off my clothes in the countryside.¡± Su Xiaoxiao coughed. ¡°I think so.¡± Xiaohu raised his head strangely and looked at his mother, then at his father. He did not understand why his mother was covering his little ears. Su Xiaoxiao let go. ¡°Your ears are so beautiful.¡± Xiaohu tugged at his small ears in agreement and shook his head proudly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Xiaohu¡¯s ears are especially beautiful!¡± The corners of Wei Ting¡¯s mouth twitched. His gaze inadvertently swept across and landed on the open zither case. Inside the zither case was a Luanzheng that emitted an ancient aura. It looked familiar. ¡°Did you buy a zither?¡± he asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°A neighbor gave it to Xiaohu. He said that Xiaohu has the talent to play the zither. I think he probably wants to take Xiaohu as his disciple, right?¡± When Xiaohu heard his mother talking about him, he quickly jumped up and jumped around the bed to announce his sovereignty. ¡°My zither! My zither! My zither!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay. It¡¯s yours.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pulled him over again and helped him put on his pants. Xiaohu said in a childish voice, ¡°Mother, help me put away the zither. Mother can touch it. Dahu, Erhu can¡¯t touch it!¡± When he said the last sentence, he did not forget to wave his hand seriously. Su Xiaoxiao said in amusement, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll put it away for you.¡± If Dahu knew that he was so petty, he would peel him off again. Wei Ting looked away. He had probably seen wrongly. After all, no one in this world would casually give away the number one zither in the world, the Nine Phoenix, to a boisterous child as a greeting gift. There were Xiaohu¡¯s favorite ¡°pig balls¡± for dinner. He shook his head and ate a few. ¡°Are they delicious?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Xiaohu raised his head from the small bowl and said with enjoyment, ¡°They¡¯re fragrant!¡± After dinner, the rain stopped. The three little ones took advantage of the situation and rushed into the courtyard to tread water, like three little pugs who had jumped into a mud pit. Father Su came out to take a look and instantly broke down. He pressed his head with both hands and the dragon roared, ¡°I just bathed you!¡± In the Imperial Palace, late at night, Emperor Jing Xuan was still reviewing memorials in the imperial study. Eunuch Fu walked over with his horsetail whisk and bowed to ask softly, ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s getting late. Do you want to settle down?¡± ¡°Has the rain stopped?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked. ¡°It¡¯s stopped,¡± Eunuch Fu said. ¡°Looking at the weather, it might rain again later.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of rain this year.¡± Eunuch Fu hurriedly said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It didn¡¯t rain so much in the past.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan had a worried expression. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s also heavy rain among the commoners.¡± Spring rain was a good thing and was beneficial to farming, but it would not do if there was too much. It would flood good fields, and in serious cases, it might even cause floods. A young eunuch came over with a food box. Eunuch Fu took the food box and placed the snacks on the emperor¡¯s table. Emperor Jing Xuan did not indulge in food. He only ate 60 to 70% of his fill three times a day. Sometimes, he would eat supper if he was late. More snacks. Emperor Jing Xuan took a bite casually. This taste¡­ seemed different from what she had eaten in the past. He ate four pieces in a row, stunning Eunuch Fu. ¡°Which chef made it?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said. ¡°Reward.¡± Eunuch Fu said, ¡°It¡¯s not made by the imperial kitchen. It¡¯s from Kunning Palace. ¡± Emperor Jing Xuan paused. ¡°Empress?¡± The empress and Emperor Jing Xuan were a couple when they were young. After Emperor Jing Xuan ascended the throne, he conferred her the title of empress. However, she was not favored and had few children. She only had Princess Jingning. Emperor Jing Xuan sighed. ¡°We¡¯re going to Kunning Palace.¡± In Kunning Palace, the empress planned to rest. She asked the little palace maid beside her, ¡°Have you sent the snacks to Jingning?¡± ¡°I sent it,¡± the little palace maid said. Gao Dabao, who had just returned to report, was stunned. ¡°Is¡­ is it for Her Highness?¡± Oh my god! He had sent it to the imperial study! ¡°His Majesty has arrived¡­¡¯ ¡°Is His Majesty here?¡± In Qixiang Palace, Consort Xian heard the commotion outside the door and hurriedly touched the pearls on her temples. She was wearing thin ice silk pajamas with light makeup on her cheeks. Her eyebrows were lightly decorated, and her lips were slightly moist. At first glance, one would think that she was born beautiful. The young eunuch slowly went forward and reported, ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty is resting in Kunning Palace tonight.¡± Consort Xian¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What?! It¡¯s neither the first nor the fifteenth day of the lunar new year. Why did His Majesty go to Kunning Palace? Didn¡¯t that woman fall out of favor long ago?!¡± The young eunuch did not dare to breathe heavily. Consort Xian said coldly, ¡°Go to Kunning Palace and say that I¡¯m not feeling well. Report to the empress and allow me to invite an imperial physician.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The young eunuch hurriedly went. When the empress heard that Consort Xian was unwell, she hurriedly urged Emperor Jing Xuan to gp over and take a look. Unfortunately, the emperor was intercepted halfway. ¡°Your Majesty, the old Protector Duke requests an audience!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan pinched his sore eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s so late and it¡¯s raining heavily. Why is he here?¡± The eunuch said, ¡°I heard that he has something to report.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan frowned. ¡°Go to the imperial study. Tell Consort Xian that I¡¯ll visit her tomorrow.¡± In the imperial study, Emperor Jing Xuan saw Qin Canglan coming in the rain. Qin Canglan naturally had to pay attention to his appearance. His hem and shoes were drenched, but his clothes were not messy at all. The emperor asked amiably, ¡°Minister Qin, why did you enter the palace so late?¡± Qin Canglan flipped open his hem and knelt down.. He said, ¡°Your Majesty, my son¡­ has returned!¡± Chapter 273 - Chapter 273: Completely Exposed Chapter 273: Completely Exposed These words confused Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Has the Duke¡­ left the capital? If he¡¯s back, so be it. Is it worth you mobilizing so many people? It¡¯s just leaving the capital. If you didn¡¯t report it, I wouldn¡¯t be angry over such a small matter.¡± Generally speaking, such ministers with noble titles were not allowed to leave the capital on their own. However, it was not worth coming to apologize in the middle of the night, right? Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°What I mean is¡­ my real son with Huayin has returned. The current Protector Duke is not the real Qin Che!¡± As he spoke, he cupped his hands and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m guilty of confusing the direct bloodline of the Protectorate and causing Your Majesty to be deceived. Please punish me, Your Majesty!¡± ¡­ ¡°¡­That¡¯s what happened. I¡¯ve already said what I needed to say. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can¡¯t do anything about it. Go ask Big Brother yourself.¡± In the study, Qin Hai suppressed the anger in his chest and told Qin Che about his background. No one knew how much pain and struggle he had experienced. This was simply the most f*cked-up thing in his life. God must not like his idle and prodigal behavior, so he gave him a series of loud slaps. Qin Che looked at Qin Hai with eyes as cold as ice. There was already a trace of obsession in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. I don¡¯t believe a word you say!¡± Qin Hai said with a headache, ¡°What¡¯s the benefit of lying to you? Your mother and I¡­¡± Qin Che shouted, ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re not allowed to insult my mother! My mother only has my father as her husband and has never slept with any other man!¡± Qin Hai wanted to say something but hesitated. After a while, he waved his hand impatiently. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Do whatever you want. Anyway, the mission Big Brother gave me has been completed! What¡¯s there to reject? When Big Brother comes back, go look for him!¡± Qin Che clenched his fists tightly, his nails almost digging into his palms. The dim candlelight landed on one of his cheeks, reflecting a sinister light in his eyes. Qin Hai stood up and left. When he reached the door, he stopped and frowned at him. ¡°You should be content. After all, you¡¯re the flesh and blood of our Qin family!¡± If he was really a bastard outside, it would not be enough even if he died a hundred times! Thinking of how he had gone through an injustice for so many years, Qin Hai was extremely frustrated. ¡°What the hell is going on!¡± Qin Hai left in exasperation! The rain outside had clearly stopped, but for some reason, there was another flash of lightning. The strong wind extinguished the candles on the table, and the room flickered, making Qin Che look sinister. He was stunned for a long time before suddenly raising his arm and brushing away the porcelain and calligraphy on the table! His eyes were red as he roared, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­ I don¡¯t believe it! I don¡¯t believe¡­¡± At Qi Xiang Palace, Consort Xian sat on the chaise longue, holding a book in one hand and supporting her head with the other. She wanted to read a lot of poetry, but she would often feel sleepy after reading a book. With a loud bang, Consort Xian trembled in shock and the book in her hand fell to the ground. The palace maid quickly bowed and picked it up, before giving it to Consort Xian with both hands. Consort Xian couldn¡¯t be bothered to take it. At this moment, Nanny Gui, who had served her for many years, walked in with a bowl of freshly cooked rock sugar stewed bird¡¯s nest. Nanny Gui placed the bird¡¯s nest on the small table and took the poetry book handed over by the palace maid. ¡°You can leave.¡± ¡°Yes. ¡± The palace maid retreated respectfully. Nanny Gui placed the poetry book on the table, picked up the bird¡¯s nest, and handed it to Consort Xian. ¡°Your Highness, you don¡¯t eat much for dinner. Eat some bird¡¯s nest.¡± Consort Xian rubbed the flesh on her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m not eating anymore. I don¡¯t want to become fat. ¡± In order to maintain their figures, the women in the palace were all wary of food. It was common for them to starve. In Consort Xian¡¯s position, she had given birth to a prince and princess. Logically speaking, there was no need to serve with sex. However, Consort Xian was not convinced of her old age. When she saw the young concubines in the harem, she refused to lose to them. ¡°Why isn¡¯t His Majesty here yet?¡± Consort Xian muttered. Nanny Gui smiled. ¡°He¡¯ll come over. Perhaps it¡¯s raining outside and the roads are muddy and difficult to walk on, so he¡¯s walking a little slower.¡± ¡°What was the empress up to tonight?¡± Consort Xian had already found out that the empress had sent snacks to Emperor Jing Xuan first before he went to Running Palace. This was not like the Empress. It was also not like Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan and the Empress had long lost their relationship as husband and wife. Not to mention sending snacks, even if the empress personally washed Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s hands and cooked soup, Emperor Jing Xuan would not be moved. Nanny Gui said, ¡°Your Highness, the Empress is the central palace after all.¡± Consort Xian snorted. ¡°So what if she¡¯s in the central palace? She¡¯s not doted on and can¡¯t give birth to a son. She just has the empty title of the Empress! If not for her daughter¡¯s good birth characters, do you really think His Majesty cares about her!¡± Nanny Gui smiled helplessly and scooped a spoonful of bird¡¯s nest into her mouth. ¡°Your Highness, eat some.¡± In the end, Consort Xian couldn¡¯t help but taste the spoon handed to her by Nanny Gui. Then, she gently pushed the bowl aside and refused to eat anymore. At this moment, the eunuch who had been ordered to deliver the message brought the news that Emperor Jing Xuan had been intercepted. Consort Xian¡¯s eyes turned sharp. ¡°Which bitch is it this time?¡± Nanny Gui said, ¡°It¡¯s the old Protector Duke.¡± Hearing that it was not a woman from the harem, Consort Xian¡¯s expression softened a little. ¡°Is there going to be a war at the border again?¡± Qin Canglan had long stopped attending court. In Consort Xian¡¯s opinion, he would not be here unless there was a war at the border. Consort Xian smiled. ¡°If the old Protector Duke leads the army again, let the Third Prince go out with him and earn a military merit.¡± Military merit was the support of the people. Ordinary princes did not have the chance to receive military merit. As for her son¡¯s safety, Consort Xian was not worried at all. With Qin Canglan around, how could they really let the Third Prince go to the battlefield? While Qin Canglan went to charge into the battle, the Third Prince could just wait to receive his military merits. Consort Xian smiled happily. ¡°Liu Sande, send a bowl of ginseng soup to His Majesty and tell His Majesty that it¡¯s enough for the Imperial Physician to take care of me. Ask His Majesty not to worry.¡± Liu Sande returned from the imperial study with a strange expression. ¡°Your Highness, something happened!¡± Consort Xian asked indifferently, ¡°Why are you so flustered?¡± Liu Sande glanced at Nanny Gui. Nanny Gui was Consort Xian¡¯s trusted aide, so there was no need to keep things from her. Liu Sande told herm the news he had accidentally heard from the imperial study. Consort Xian sat up straight in shock. ¡°What did you say? The Protector Duke is not Qin Canglan¡¯s son? Then who is he? Where is the real Protector Duke?¡± Liu Sande braced himself and said, ¡°Who is he¡­ I didn¡¯t hear him clearly. In short, there seemed to have made a mistake back then. Now that the real Protector Duke is back, he¡¯s living in the capital.¡± He only went to deliver the ginseng soup and stood outside for a while, listening intermittently. Consort Xian was burning with anxiety. Her son was engaged to the Protectorate, but if that Qin Che was fake, wouldn¡¯t this marriage¡­ Consort Xian looked worried. ¡°What did His Majesty say?¡± Liu Sande said awkwardly, ¡°That¡¯s all I heard. Later on, Eunuch Fu brought the ginseng soup in. It was not convenient for me to stay any longer, so I could only leave first.¡± Nanny Gui advised, ¡°Your Highness, why don¡¯t you wait for a while? Perhaps tomorrow, there will be news from His Majesty.¡± ¡°Can you wait for such a thing?¡± Consort Xian stood up and paced around the house. ¡°No, I can¡¯t sit still. Sandezi, go to the Jing family and tell my father about this. Tell him to investigate the identity of the real Qin Che as soon as possible!¡± Liu Sande walked out of Qi Xiang Palace trembling. He was lucky. After taking a few steps, An Zi came over. An¡¯zi worked in the imperial study and had received Liu Sande¡¯s favor. An¡¯zi said, ¡°Eunuch Liu, I heard some news.¡± Fifteen minutes later, Liu Sande returned to Qixiang Palace and told them the information he had obtained. ¡°It was Marquis of Zhenbei who brought them back to the capital. The Su family returned to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors and happened to meet that family¡­¡± ¡°That person changed his name to Su Cheng. Back then, he wandered among the commoners and didn¡¯t remember who he was. He stumbled his way into adulthood¡­ He got married in the countryside and had a son and a daughter. They were about the same age as Miss Qin and the young master.¡± Consort Xian said coldly, ¡°What young master? That¡¯s all fake!¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes, yes!¡± Liu Sande was secretly miffed that he had forgotten to change his words. He hurriedly smiled and said, ¡°That commoner is the real Little High Duke.¡± Consort Xian said thoughtfully, ¡°You just said¡­ that the real Qin Che also has a daughter who¡¯s the same age as Qin Yanran?¡± Liu Sande said, ¡°Yes.¡± The two families were engaged. If that girl who grew up in the countryside was the real daughter of the Qin family, would she become her daughter-in-law? Consort Xian frowned slightly. ¡°Is a girl who grew up in the countryside worthy of my son?¡±. Chapter 274 - Chapter 274: Bully Xiaoxiao Chapter 274: Bully Xiaoxiao There was no business the next day. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t have to wake up early to make snacks, but her biological clock woke her up on time. She decided to put on her clothes and go to the backyard to train. Just as she walked out of the house, she saw Su Cheng, who was always asleep until late in the morning, sitting on the small stool, eating a piece of fruit in each hand. ¡°Dad, so early?¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted him in confusion. ¡°My daughter is up.¡± Su Cheng burped. ¡°Sigh, I can¡¯t sleep at the thought that these fruits will spoil if I don¡¯t eat them.¡± Beside him was a heavy basket filled with loquats that Dahu had picked from the orchard. They were sweet and juicy. Dahu had plucked a lot. Deng An had sent it over. However, the children at home were not interested in fresh loquats. Su Ergou did not like to eat them either, so there were many left. Su Cheng was someone who had experienced famine. He had grown up hungry and cold and could not stand wasting food. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say, ¡°Stop eating. We¡¯ll have to spend money to treat your stomach if you get sick. ¡± She thought for a moment and said to Su Cheng, who was clearly unable to eat anymore, but was still stuffing it into his mouth, ¡°Dad, leave some for me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Su Cheng burped again. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Can you give them all to me?¡± Su Cheng trembled. ¡°Are you going to throw it away?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°No, I¡¯ll make delicious food.¡± Su Xiaoxiao removed the skin and core of the washed loquat. The orange flesh was cut into small pieces and placed into two alms bowls. One alms bowl contained three spoonfuls of rock sugar, and the other only contained one and a half spoonfuls of rock sugar. She added a small amount of clear water and waited for the rock sugar to melt and marinate into the taste before cooking it in the pot. Because loquats were prone to oxidation and turning black, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t boil them in an iron pot. Instead, she took out a pair of purple sand jars. When the soup was simmered over a fire, the entire jar of loquats would be thick. Five catties of loquat would yield nearly two catties of jam. This way, the three little ones and Su Ergou would like to eat it. Su Xiaoxiao kept half of it and divided the other half into two small jars to send to the neighbors at the east end. It was Deng An who opened the door. Deng An was surprised to see Su Xiaoxiao. His first reaction was that she had brought Xiaohu to learn the zither from Young Master. He shuddered and hurriedly looked behind Su Xiaoxiao. He heaved a sigh of relief when he didn¡¯t see the little guy. At this moment, the sound of vomiting came from the house. An uncomfortable expression flashed across Deng An¡¯s face. He stole a glance at Su Xiaoxiao. Seeing that there was nothing wrong with the other party¡¯s face, he was slightly relieved. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Is your young master feeling unwell?¡± Deng An hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Young Master¡­ will be like this after eating something. ¡± Vomiting as soon as he ate? No wonder he was so thin. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Has your young master seen a doctor?¡± Deng An shook his head. ¡°Young Master said that he¡¯s not sick and refused to see a doctor.¡± It seemed that he was afraid of treatment. Su Xiaoxiao continued to ask, ¡°How long has your young master been in this condition?¡± Deng An said, ¡°A few years. I served Young Master two years ago. Young Master was already like this then.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Deng An continued, ¡°However, my young master can eat two or three of your snacks.¡± Even the children did not only eat two or three pieces. However, if one knew how difficult it was for their young master to eat something, they would understand how rare it was to eat two or three pieces of snacks and not spit them out. In that case, this jam came at the right time. Su Xiaoxiao handed the jam to Deng An. ¡°I made the sauce myself. Tell me what your young master wants to eat in the future.¡± Deng An smiled and took it. ¡°Then I¡¯ll thank you on behalf of my young master first!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I haven¡¯t thanked your young master for his appreciation of Xiaohu. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll send Xiaohu over to learn the zither.¡± Deng An staggered and fell forward¡­ Inside the house, Master Zhang came to visit Ling Yun. ¡°Why are you like this again? Aren¡¯t you already able to eat? I knew you were lying to me!¡± Zhang Qinshi handed him a cup of warm water. Ling Yun said nothing. Zhang Qinshi tidied up his room and turned around to ask, ¡°Where¡¯s your zither?¡± ¡°I gave it away,¡± Ling Yun said calmly. Zhang Qinshi felt as if he had been struck by lightning. ¡°What? That¡¯s Nine Phoenix! The number one zither in the world! You, you, you, you¡­ Who did you give it to? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s those three little fellows!¡± Ling Yun was silent. ¡°Really!¡± Zhang Qinshi gasped. ¡°What are you thinking? That¡¯s Nine Phoenix!¡± Ling Yun had no strength and lay lazily on the floor. He turned around and faced Master Zhang. ¡°It¡¯s just a broken zither.¡± Master Zhang fell back in anger! ¡°You prodigal¡­¡± He held back the last two words! On the other side, Consort Xian¡¯s family also found out the identity of Su Cheng¡¯s family overnight. It was not difficult to investigate this. Qin Canglan had already made up his mind. He would not protect the fake Qin Che, let alone let Su Cheng, Su Xiaoxiao, and Su Ergou live in anonymity. The Duke of Zhenbei was the same. He openly admitted that the person who came to the residence to treat the Old Marquis was the Old Marquis¡¯s biological granddaughter. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Su Xiaoxiao hadn¡¯t officially acknowledged it, the Old Marquis would have set up a hundred and eighty tables of banquets and the troupe would have sung for three days and three nights. Consort Xian sat on the chair sleepily and listened to Liu Sandei s detailed report. She yawned, ¡°Say again, what¡¯s the kid¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Su Daya,¡± Liu Sande said. Consort Xian frowned in disdain. ¡°Such an old-fashioned name sounds like a little country bumpkin. How does she look?¡± Liu Sande laughed dryly. ¡°Uh¡­ a little fat.¡± Consort Xian asked indifferently, ¡°How fat is a little fat?¡± Liu Sande opened his arms and made a measurement. Consort Xian gasped and woke up from her sleep. ¡®lHow much can she eat?¡± Liu Sande smiled awkwardly. ¡°She¡¯s a little plump.¡± Consort Xian¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain. ¡°Full-bodied? She¡¯s already as fat as a pig!¡± Liu Sande said, ¡°No, not really. I heard that she¡¯s quite good-looking¡­¡± Consort Xian¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain. ¡°Full-bodied? She¡¯s already as fat as a pig!¡± Liu Sande said, ¡°No, not really. I heard that she¡¯s quite good-looking¡­¡± Consort Xian frowned. ¡°How good-looking can she be when she¡¯s so fat! Do you believe those servants¡¯ words?¡± Liu Sande did not dare to continue. Consort Xian continued, ¡°Has she studied?¡± Liu Sande said, ¡°No.¡± Consort Xian asked, ¡°Has she learned the zither?¡± Liu Sande said, ¡°Never.¡± Consort Xian panicked. ¡°She has to learn one of the six arts!¡± Nanny Gui said, ¡°Your Highness, you grew up in the Imperial City. A mouthful of bird¡¯s nest is equivalent to a year¡¯s harvest for the commoners. I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know that the commoners who work in the fields can¡¯t eat enough every day.¡± Only she dared to say these words. Liu Sande did not even have the guts to fart. Consort Xian felt wronged. ¡°How can she be worthy of my son?¡± Thinking of something, Consort Xian said, ¡°Her character is at least upright, right?¡± Liu Sande gritted his teeth. Consort Xian said coldly, ¡°Hurry up and say it!¡± Liu Sande braced himself and said, ¡°I heard¡­ that she¡¯s¡­ a domineering female bully in the village.¡± Consort Xian was speechless!. Chapter 275 - Chapter 275: Taking Back Her Identity Chapter 275: Taking Back Her Identity After Qin Canglan told Emperor Jing Xuan everything, Emperor Jing Xuan did not sleep well for the entire night. Fortunately, there was no need for morning court assembly the next day. Eunuch Fu heard the commotion on the dragon couch and came to help Emperor Jing Xuan change his clothes and wash up. ¡°Your Majesty, is there something on your mind?¡± Eunuch Fu put on the dragon robe for Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan sighed. ¡°Why do you think Qin Canglan¡­ really dared to say it? Why didn¡¯t he hesitate?¡± From the timeline Qin Canglan had instructed, it was obvious that he had just confirmed Qin Che¡¯s identity and immediately entered the palace to meet him. This was not a happy occasion. On the contrary, it was a secret and scandal of the Protectorate. As the saying went, family scandals should not be exposed. There were many ways to punish Qin Che. It did not have to go to the imperial court. Eunuch Fu smiled. ¡°The old Duke Protector is a general with a straightforward personality.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan shook his head and said, ¡°He¡¯s not being straightforward. He¡¯s completely disregarding the reputation of the Protectorate. But it¡¯s true that he earned his military merits. Why would he need that false reputation?¡± Did Qin Canglan really not care about his reputation? Not necessarily. However, compared to the reputation of the Protectorate, he was more concerned about whether the children would suffer. He had to make his stand clear from the beginning, not giving anyone any room for negotiation. Even if Emperor Jing Xuan wanted to persuade him to think twice. Eunuch Fu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s also because he met a wise ruler like Your Majesty that he dares to be honest with you.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was amused by him. ¡°This mouth of yours! It¡¯s not that Qin Canglan trusts me. He¡¯s ruthless, really ruthless. He abandoned the ¡®son¡¯ he raised for twenty years¡­ Qin Che didn¡¯t just fake his identity. I conferred him the title of Protector Duke because he committed the crime of deceiving the emperor as Qin Canglan¡¯s legitimate son. I can sentence him to death. ¡± Eunuch Fu said, ¡°His Majesty won¡¯t do that.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Qin Canglan can turn against his son, but I can¡¯t do the same to him. Back then, Qin Feng and his son followed the late emperor to the south and attacked the north. Qin Canglan was still young, and Qin Feng was the one accompanying the late emperor most of the time. Qin Feng and the late emperor went through life and death together. Before the late emperor died, he still remembered him and arranged a marriage for the two families. I can¡¯t kill Qin Feng¡¯s youngest son.¡± Eunuch Fu said softly, ¡°Your Majesty is benevolent.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan mocked himself, ¡°I¡¯m just too benevolent. If I could have been as ruthless as Qin Canglan back then¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan did not finish. Eunuch Fu understood. If His Majesty had been as ruthless as Qin Canglan back then and immediately eliminated King Nanyang after ascending the throne, how could there have been a rebellion plotted by King Nanyang later? After washing up, Emperor Jing Xuan sat down and prepared to eat breakfast. Eunuch Quan was also a favorite of His Majesty. He placed the dishes on the table and began to pick up food for Emperor Jing Xuan. These dishes were naturally only presented after the young eunuch tried them. Emperor Jing Xuan did not have a good appetite. He was almost full after eating some silver fungus lotus seed soup. Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°I remember that Qin Canglan said that his son changed his name to Su Cheng?¡± Eunuch Fu hurriedly said, ¡°Yes.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was puzzled. ¡°He¡¯s not changing it back?¡± Eunuch Fu smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a name used by the commoners. After acknowledging his ancestors, he should change it back.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan nodded and said, ¡°Su Cheng has a daughter?¡± Eunuch Fu said, ¡°Yes. She¡¯s the same age as Qin Yanran and has a son. He¡¯s about the same age as Qin Yun. What a coincidence.¡± An intriguing glint flashed across Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s eyes. Eunuch Fuls eyes moved, and he understood in a second. If that fake Qin Che was not the real Duke Protector, Qin Yanran, as his daughter, would have a lower status. Emperor Jing Xuan had issued a decree for the Third Prince to marry the eldest daughter of the Duke¡¯s Protector. Qin Yanran was no longer the same. Logically speaking, this marriage should fall on Su Cheng¡¯s daughter. Eunuch Fu reminded, ¡°Your Majesty, that daughter of the Su family¡­ got married in the countryside.¡± Disappointment flashed across Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s eyes. As Eunuch Quan served the emperor food, he smiled and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I remember that Emperor Sage Ancestor¡¯s wife married someone among the common people and even had a daughter. However, after she entered the palace, she supported Emperor Sage Ancestor to expand his territory and settle down internally¡­ Emperor Sage Ancestor conferred her as Empress Virtuous Ren. It¡¯s also a legend in our Great Zhou.¡± Emperor Sage Ancestor was the founding emperor of the Great Zhou. This person had countless legends in his life. Marrying a woman who had been married as an empress was insignificant. Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s expression softened. Seeing that his words had touched the emperor¡¯s heart, Eunuch Quan was extremely happy. ¡°Emperor Sage Ancestor even brought Empress Virtuous Ren¡¯s daughter into the palace and made her a princess.¡± Chapter 276 - Chapter 276: Team Favorite (1) Chapter 276: Team Favorite (1) Along Pear Blossom Lane, Su Xiaoxiao lived next door to a family with the surname Zheng. The old man was in his seventies and did not sleep much. It was still dark, but he had already woken up and was walking in the courtyard. He vaguely heard the snort of a horse outside and felt strange. He quietly opened the door a crack and took a look. A tall man had his hands in his sleeves and was squatting under the wall opposite. At first glance, he thought that a big black bear was squatting. Old Master Zheng was so frightened that his soul almost flew out! This big black bear was none other than Qin Canglan, who had been waiting for half the night. After Qin Canglan came out of the palace, he went to the Protectorate to instruct Steward Cen on a few things. Then, he went to the Qin family¡¯s horse farm. He chose two high-grade Mongolian horses and came here without stopping. There was no need to wait here. He could go home and rest. It would not matter if dawn came. But he was unwilling. In the past, he was not a person who was afraid of the ravages of birth, aging, illness, and death. He was already old and did not feel that he had many days left. Ever since the children returned to the capital, he suddenly felt that his life was not enough. It was as if¡­ the past 30 years had been for nothing. He could not start over in the next 30 years, so even if he could take a look, just a look was precious to him. The alley was cold and damp after the rain, and the gout in his right hand acted up again. He had painkillers on him. He didn¡¯t want to fall asleep and held back from eating. Finally, at dawn, Su Xiaoxiao, who had finished making breakfast and snacks, planned to buy some vegetables at the market. The weather gradually warmed up. Vegetables were not easy to store and were usually bought early every morning. The moment the courtyard door opened, Qin Canglan stood up. ¡°Da, Daya¡­ Hiss¡ª¡± His feet were numb. Qin Canglan revealed a painful face. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him strangely. ¡°You¡¯ve been here for a long time? Why didn¡¯t you knock?¡± Qin Canglan grinned brightly. ¡°No, I just arrived!¡± It would be strange if he just came. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze swept across him and the two tall horses. ¡°Come in.¡± Qin Canglan limped into the courtyard and led the two horses in. The horse was prepared for Su Cheng and Su Ergou. He had observed that Su Ergou wanted to ride a horse last time. ¡°This is for you.¡± Qin Canglan took out a brocade box that had been covered for a long time. Su Xiaoxiao took it and opened it. There were three pairs of bracelets, one of tourmaline, one of seed suet jade, and the other of blood jade. Other people gave bracelets one by one, but he stuffed six into a box. The box could barely be closed. ¡°I wonder what you like¡­¡± Qin Canglan was a little uneasy. It was not difficult to guess what Su Ergou and Su Cheng liked. However, the little girl never seemed to be interested in anything. He could not read his fat granddaughter. He could only give her some greeting gifts according to the preferences of ordinary girls. Hua Yin liked jewelry like this back then. She said that if she wasn¡¯t with him one day, she could sell them for money¡­ Coincidentally, Su Xiaoxiao thought so too. Su Xiaoxiao accepted it without changing her expression and went to the kitchen to scoop a bowl of hot millet porridge for him. Qin Canglan looked at the porridge on the table and was so touched that he almost cried. It was just a box of bracelets, but his good granddaughter had made such a big bowl of porridge for him! Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°By the way,¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to buy groceries, and Qin Canglan said that he could take care of the house. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t wake Su Ergou up. Wei Ting was not around. He had gone out to cause trouble in the middle of the night. The three little fellows woke up first. When they woke up, they saw Qin Canglan sitting at the door with a small stool. The three of them did not treat him as an outsider. They carried their clothes and slipped out of bed, asking him to help them put on their clothes. After ruining two sets of clothes, Qin Canglan finally dressed the three little ones¡­ neatly. Okay, it was almost neat¡ªXiaohu¡¯s pants were on the wrong side. The three little ones only bullied Qin Canglan because he had just arrived and did not understand the market. They tricked Qin Canglan into feeding them. After feeding them twice, the three little ones waved their small hands in shock and ran away! Other people fed with spoons, and Qin Canglan fed with a ladle¡ª After Su Ergou woke up, he was dumbfounded to have his own horse. ¡°Is it really for¡­ for me?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s for you!¡± Qin Canglan smiled and slapped his shoulder. After slapping, Qin Canglan panicked! The last time he patted Qin Yun like this, the latter lay on the bed for ten days.. Chapter 277 - Chapter 277: Team Favorite (2) Chapter 277: Team Favorite (2) He wished he could chop off his claws. Didn¡¯t he know how heavy his hands were? Could Ergou take it? Just as he was feeling vexed, he saw Su Ergou jump up! ¡°I have a horse! I have a horse! I can ride a horse!¡± He ran around the courtyard without any internal injuries. Shock flashed across Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes, followed by great pride and satisfaction. This was his and Hua Yin¡¯s bloodline! How tough! ¡°Come! I¡¯ll teach you how to ride a horse!¡± He was happy and patted Su Ergou again. This time, he was a little excited and slapped Su Ergou to the ground¡­ Qin Canglan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Ergou!¡± Su Ergou fainted on the spot for two seconds before standing up. He was fine again. Su Ergou had a horse, and so did Su Cheng. His reaction was much calmer. ¡°In the past, when I was on an escort mission, I had also ridden horses. They were all high-grade warhorses. They were much stronger than your two horses.¡± As he spoke, he calmly sat in the saddle and held the reins with both hands. ¡°Look at your thin horse. How much can it run¡­ Woo!¡± The horse raised its front hooves and left the alley! Su Cheng howled until his voice changed. Qin Canglan brought his son and grandson to learn how to ride a horse. The three children puffed out their chests, indicating that they were also people with horses, a foal to be exact. Qin Canglan laughed and brought the three little ones and the foal along. In the afternoon, Su MO came over. The matter of Su Ergou entering school had been resolved. Su Ergou would enter school next month, so Su MO planned to bring Su Ergou to familiarize himself with the environment first. ¡°They¡¯ve all gone out to learn how to ride a horse,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Did they go out with Granduncle?¡± Su MO asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Su MO sighed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su MO smiled helplessly. ¡°Grandpa just instructed me to choose a few gentle horses this morning. He wanted to teach Uncle and Cousin how to ride after they recovered, but I didn¡¯t expect Granduncle to beat him to it.¡± ¡°By the way, Uncle and Cousin still don¡¯t know their background, right? When do you plan to tell them?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Wait until my father can accept that memory.¡± Acknowledging Qin Canglan would definitely trigger memories of Su Huayin. Her father was already suffering. She didn¡¯t want to add to his pain. At the mention of this, Su MO frowned slightly. ¡°The murderer behind Grandaunt¡¯s death back then should be Ruan Xianglian, but Ruan Xianglian is already dead. Who poisoned my grandfather?¡± ¡°Xiangzi had a lover in the Duke¡¯s Protectorate. I once suspected Qin Che, but after thinking about it carefully, I realized that it was wrong. Qin Che probably didn¡¯t know that we had brought the real Duke back. He didn¡¯t break up with the Marquis of Zhenbei. My grandfather was his solid backing. He wouldn¡¯t cut off his own arm.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Maybe what the vendor saw was just what others wanted him to see.¡± Su Mo frowned and said, ¡°Do you mean that Xiangzi¡¯s lover is not from the Protectorate at all? In fact, if you guess boldly, he doesn¡¯t have a lover!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°The vendor saw Xiangzi talking to the servant of the Protectorate with his own eyes and saw him enter the Protectorate. However, what the two of them talked about was all Xiangzi¡¯s own words.¡± Su MO¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Someone is framing the Protectorate!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°This is the most reasonable deduction at the moment. The Qin and Su families are united. If we drive a wedge between you, who will benefit?¡± Su MO pondered for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. The generals and civil servants might benefit from it.¡± The two families were too powerful. Military power was the most obvious on the surface, but other than military power, there were also businesses under the two families and a huge network in the royal court. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°In addition, we can¡¯t rule out enemies seeking revenge.¡± At the mention of enemies, the first person Su MO thought of was¡­ the Wei family. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who was busy arranging the herbs, and swallowed his words. The news that needed to be brought was delivered. There seemed to be no other reason to stay. Su Mo paused and suddenly said, ¡°Do you¡­ want to see Ergou¡¯s academy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Alright, wait a moment. I¡¯ll put away the herbs.¡± She carried a dustpan of herbs to the backyard. Su MO casually glanced around and saw a bowl of walnuts on the table. One by one, they were big and complete. Su MO retracted his gaze and did not move. Su MO continued to sit steadily. Su MO was very calm. Su MO reached out. When Su Xiaoxiao came out, she saw that the bowl of walnuts on the table was gone. She exclaimed, ¡°Do you see the walnuts here?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Su MO said without changing his expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it.¡± The two of them got into the carriage. Su Mo had placed ajar of walnuts in the most obvious position. The coachman couldn¡¯t bear to watch. Su Ergou would be in the Directorate. It was not easy to become a student in the Directorate. Locally, one had to be qualified to be recommended. Not everyone could enter the young masters of the aristocratic families in the capital. Spots were very scarce. ¡°How did Ergou enter?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su MO said calmly, ¡°I moved Fifth Brother¡¯s spot over to use it.¡± Su Yuan had a total of five sons. Su Xiaoxiao had seen three so far¡ªthe eldest son, Su MO, the second son, Su Qi, and the third son, Su Yu. Fourth and Fifth Brother had returned to their hometown with Old Madam Su to visit their relatives. It was said that they could only rush back next month. ¡°What about Fifth Brother?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Mo: ¡°Fifth Brother is older than you¡­¡± Su MO said calmly, ¡°He¡¯ll get in himself.¡± If he couldn¡¯t get in, he could get lost. Just because they were born into a military family, it didn¡¯t they didn¡¯t have to study. The internal examination in the capital was very serious. The descendants of military generals studied, and the descendants of civil servants practiced martial arts. There were actually many descendants of aristocratic families who were both skilled in civil and military domains.. Chapter 278 - Chapter 278: Date (1) Chapter 278: Date (1) But to say the most powerful¡­ Su Mo looked at the Scholar Tower of the Imperial College. ¡°It should be the youngest son of the Wei family.¡± The Scholar¡¯s Tower was originally not called the Scholar¡¯s Tower. It was just an ordinary bookstore. It was because the youngest son of the Wei family often read inside. After he became the top scholar in high school, this building was renamed the Scholar¡¯s Tower. The street that he had stayed on for a while before the exam also became Scholar Street. How glorious was a 17-year-old top scholar? When he was ten years old, he entered the palace to study with the Wei family. He was talented and dazzling, making all the princes and descendants pale in comparison. Even though the Wei family was once a subordinate of King Nanyang, and Emperor Jing Xuan had a grudge against the Wei family, he sincerely cherished Wei Ting. In Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s opinion, Wei Ting was different from the stubborn generals of the Wei family. He had the aloofness and talent of a scholar and was not easy to fight. He was a good seedling that he could carefully nurture. However, he did not expect something to happen to the Wei family. In order to save his father, brother, and grandfather, Wei Ting resolutely put on his armor. It was at that moment that Emperor Jing Xuan realized that he had misjudged all those years. How could the Wei family nurture a weak scholar? His youngest son, Wei Ting, was the one with the most hidden talent. From then on, Emperor Jing Xuan became guarded against Wei Ting. Su MO said earnestly, ¡°The Wei family has too many enemies. It might not be a good thing for you to be related to him.¡± ¡°Did he save his family?¡± This was what Su Xiaoxiao was concerned about. Su MO shook his head. ¡°When he received the news, it was already too late. The entire Wei family died in battle. Old General Wei¡¯s head was decapitated and hung on the city tower for more than a month. It was not until Wei Ting broke the snow pass and arrived at the city to take back the city that he took Old General Wei¡¯s frozen head.¡± ¡°I heard that Wei Ting personally sewed Old General Wei¡¯s head up.¡± It was snowing heavily. The young man, who had just turned 18, knelt alone in the snow and stitched his grandfather¡¯s corpse up. No one knew how much hatred and pain the young man had experienced at that moment. ¡°Some of his father and brother¡¯s corpses are seriously damaged, and some¡­ can¡¯t even be found¡­ After that, the youngest son of the Wei family seemed to have become a different person.¡± The world had seen many of his arrogant, despotic, and unruly appearances. They gradually forgot that he was once the high-spirited scholar who rode the streets and smiled. Su Xiaoxiao was silent. After a while, she asked softly, ¡°Has he¡­ ever been depressed?¡± ¡°No.¡± Su MO did not admire many people in his life, but he took his hat off to the youngest son of the Wei family. This person could die a heroic death and be severely injured, but he would never be depressed. Even if he only had his last breath, he had to stand upright, tall, and far. Above ten thousand people, he had to raise his head and breathe. He had once brazenly said that if he was sad, he would make everyone suffer. Su MO sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you this to share Wei Ting¡¯s past with you. I hope you can consider your relationship with Wei Ting carefully. Anyway, you¡¯re a fake couple. There¡¯s still room for redemption.¡± Su Xiaoxiao became vigilant. ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± Su MO hesitated for a moment before confessing truthfully. ¡°Su Yuniang sent a letter.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened. ¡°Yuniang wrote to you?¡± What kind of progress was this? Su MO pulled open the secret compartment under the table and took out a few letters. ¡°These are for you. The last one is for me. You can read it too.¡± What did he mean that she could read it too? Was that the point? Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and said with a serious expression, ¡°When did you two hook up? Tell me the truth!¡± Su MO choked. What kind of words were these? Before Su MO left, he quietly took Old Master Su and Su Dalang away. At the same time, he found Su Yuniang and left his contact information. He hoped that Su Yuniang would write to him if she remembered or obtained any clues related to the past. At the same time, if she wanted to contact his cousin, she could send it through him. That was all. Su Yuniang mainly wrote to Su Xiaoxiao and wrote one to Su MO on the side. She was worried that Su Xiaoxiao would be bullied in the capital, so she told Su MO in the letter that the couple was a fake couple. If Wei Ting treated Su Daya badly, he had to find a more handsome one for her. That girl was infatuated and only liked good-looking men. There were a few typos in the letter, but for Su Yuniang, it was already a huge improvement. Su Yuniang¡¯s letter to Su Xiaoxiao was much noisier. She wrote a lot, not minding that her handwriting was ugly. She wrote about matters from village to town, from the Su family to Jin Ji.. Chapter 279 - Chapter 279: Date (2) Chapter 279: Date (2) Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Mo. ¡°So Old Master Su was brought to the capital by you.¡± The Su family became street rats. The villagers scolded them three times a day, and the land that was originally given to them was all taken back by the village head. ¡°Liu Ping found a few craftsmen to realize the blueprint you left behind last time. He plowed the ground very quickly with it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been two months. One day, I heard her call me Mother.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. How could a two-month-old child call her mother? Su Yuniang could brag. ¡°I have good news for you. Jin Ji can¡¯t continue. I took advantage of the situation and bought Jin Ji.¡± ¡°When I wrote to you, your big Blackie had been barking at the side. I suspected that it was scolding you. I decided to reward it with two carrots tonight.¡± ¡°Blackie is that donkey.¡± She even gave the donkey a name. There was no literary writing in Su Yuniang¡¯s letter. It was all vernacular. It was not difficult for Su Xiaoxiao to imagine a certain rich woman¡¯s smug expression. ¡°Sister Wu and Liu Ping asked me to greet you. Sister Zhao and Xiaoyong greet you. Manager Sun greets you¡­ There are too many names. Think about it yourself. You don¡¯t have to reply to them.¡± It meant she had to reply to Yuniang. Little Wu became a chef and did many things that many women would not dare to do in their lives. She even took in three disciples. Her disciples were not as smart as her. She wanted to write to Su Xiaoxiao to tell her this. Su Yuniang said generously, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll help you write it. Whatever you want to say, I¡¯ll write it all in the letter. Two letters will cost money.¡± Little Wu thought that it made sense, so she said it for almost an hour. She would never have thought that Su Yuniang would write two words: hello. The Imperial College was indeed the largest academy in the capital. It occupied an extremely wide area and its buildings were antique. There were pavilions, carved beams, and painted buildings. Everywhere exuded the nobility of the Imperial City. In terms of the environment, Su Xiaoxiao was satisfied. It was not far. ¡°First of next month?¡± Su Xiaoxiao confirmed with Su MO again. ¡°It¡¯s the first day of the new year,¡± Su MO said. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the carriage.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and didn¡¯t refuse. It was rare for the weather to clear today. Qin Canglan brought Su Cheng and the others to ride horses on the horse farm. As they rode, they forgot the time. On the other hand, Wei Ting arrived home first. He went to the kitchen first. At this time, Su Xiaoxiao would most likely be cooking. However, today, there was no one in the kitchen. His eyes moved. Just as he turned around, he saw Su Xiaoxiao push open the door and come out of the house. She wore her hair in a simple bun and tied the pearl headband that Su Cheng had given her. The headband was very cheap, but her temperament was not cheap. It was surprisingly exquisite and beautiful on her head. Her facial features were exquisite, coupled with a pair of cold eyes, she always looked fierce in Wei Ting¡¯s eyes even though she had a cute, round face.. Like¡­ a proud little fat peacock. ¡°I¡¯m not cooking tonight. I¡¯m going out to eat.¡± A certain little fat peacock said. ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ting had no objections. He looked around and asked, ¡°Where are Dad and Ergou?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°They went out to play. They¡¯re not back yet. They should have eaten outside.¡± If they went out with Qin Canglan, they would definitely not go hungry. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the tiredness between his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Have you¡­ not slept all night? Do you want to rest for a while? I just ate. I¡¯m not too hungry.¡± Gulp¡­ Her disappointing stomach betrayed her little fat master in a second! What a traitor! Wei Ting¡¯s lips curled up. The two of them arrived at Scholar Street. Knowing that this street was named after the man beside her, Su Xiaoxiao felt different again. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Wei Ting asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m just taking a look.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± She thought that Wei Ting would say anything. After all, ordinary men would answer like this. Unexpectedly, Wei Ting said as if he knew everything, ¡°Roasted pork with rock sugar, sweet and sour fish, spicy chicken, and a bowl of walnut, osmanthus, and lotus root powder.¡± Su Xiaoxiao drooled. No way, why were they all her favorite dishes? Was he going to let her lose weight? Su Xiaoxiao had just weighed herself the day before. She weighed 145 catties. She lost the most weight in the first two months, at 20 catties a month. In the third month, she slowed down slightly. Otherwise, if she continued to lose weight so suddenly, her body would easily have problems. She subscribed to scientific weight loss and a reasonable diet. ¡°I¡¯m just teasing you,¡± Wei Ting said coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll take you somewhere.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get there.¡± Wei Ting brought Su Xiaoxiao to a lake in the capital. Green waves rippled as beautiful pleasure boats docked on the shore. Wei Ting chose a small pleasure boat called Pearl Pavilion. From the outside, the Pearl Pavilion was not too outstanding. It only had one floor. The Exquisite Pavilion and the Jade Pavilion on the left and right were both towering and taller than it. In addition, the other pleasure boats more or less carried a little wind and music. The pipa, zither, flute¡­ were endless. Only Pearl Pavilion was cold, like a small workshop seeking survival in the cracks. The boss was an uncle in his forties. His son helped him cook, and his wife served the guests and received orders. There were no hired waiters. The boss seemed to know Wei Ting. The moment he saw him, he immediately beamed. ¡°Young Master Wei, you¡¯re here?¡± Wei Ting nodded slightly and stepped onto the bow. Then, he turned around and extended his hand to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t expect him to be so gentlemanly and considerate. She had already stepped out domineeringly. Wei Ting¡¯s hand froze in midair, and so did her feet. The atmosphere was a little awkward. Her eyes darted around. ¡°Aiya¡­¡± She retracted her foot and leaned her chubby body on Wei Ting¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯m a little seasick. ¡± Wei Ting was speechless. The boss was speechless.. Chapter 280 - Chapter 280: Happy Chapter 280: Happy Wei Ting helped the ¡°sick¡± Su Xiaoxiao onto the ship. The two of them sat down by the window. The boss of the pleasure boat smiled and served tea. He said to Wei Ting, ¡°The bass is fattening now. The two of you came at the right time. Two big basses just arrived in the morning.¡± ¡°Bass is their signature dish.¡± Wei Ting placed the filtered tea beside Su Xiaoxiao and brought her cup to her. ¡°Steamed is the best. Stewed soup is not bad either.¡± The boss of the pleasure boat looked at Wei Ting¡¯s actions with surprise. Su Xiaoxiao rested her chin on her hands and watched Wei Ting make tea. ¡°Then let¡¯s have a steamed one.¡± He was good-looking and his hands were good-looking. It was pleasing to the eye. The boss of the pleasure boat smiled and glanced at the couple, unable to hide the smile in his eyes. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Wei Ting asked. The boss of the pleasure boat could not help but laugh. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Young Master Wei so happy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said strangely, ¡°Is he? How can I tell that he¡¯s happy? He keeps a straight face all day as if someone owes him money.¡± Wei Ting snorted. The owner of the pleasure boat did not disturb the two of them anymore and smiled as he prepared the food. Su Xiaoxiao had nothing to do. She walked around the pleasure boat and met the lady boss who was wiping the railing. The lady boss was a talkative woman and was more talkative than the boss of the pleasure boat. From her, Su Xiaoxiao learned that Wei Ting was a frequent guest of this pleasure boat. As long as Wei Ting was in the capital, he would come once or twice a month. Gradually, everyone knew that this pleasure boat was under the protection of the youngest son of the Wei family. No one dared to cause trouble anymore. Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed, ¡°What does it mean that no one dares to cause trouble again? Could it be that someone has caused trouble in the past?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the lady boss said with a smile. ¡°It happened a few years ago. My man and I aren¡¯t local to the Imperial City. We spent all the savings we had saved up over the years and bought this pleasure boat from someone else.¡± They came with beautiful expectations, but unfortunately, business was never as simple as it seemed. Without power or influence, it was almost impossible to snatch business from a bunch of people with connections. In particular, their dishes tasted really good and there were many repeat customers, so it made people even more jealous. Su Xiaoxiao thought of the days when she fought with Jin Ji in town. It was not difficult to imagine their situation. ¡°Once, a few guests came up to the pleasure boat and ordered a large table of good dishes. We were overjoyed and thought that there was a big business coming. In the end, halfway through, one of the guests collapsed. They insisted that our food was unclean and someone died after eating it. They raised their weapons and wanted to smash our pleasure boat.¡± ¡°What happened next?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The lady boss looked in the direction of the room. Wei Ting seemed to be drinking tea casually, but the lady boss had long noticed that his gaze had never left this little fat girl. The lady boss smiled and said, ¡°Young Master Wei was also on the boat at that time. He wasn¡¯t with those people. He was in the next room with a friend. He came out to help us out.¡± She said it casually, but the scene back then was not so easy. There was also a considerable force behind that group of people. Wei Ting was not afraid of them, but there was really no need to offend them for two unfamiliar commoners. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°He¡¯s very righteous!¡± Alright, she would give him respect outside. In the room, Wei Ting drank tea and smiled. Su Xiaoxiao learned from the lady boss that she was the first girl he had brought over. The lady boss had never seen any girl beside him. Su Xiaoxiao muttered to herself, ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no other woman. He already has three sons. ¡± The bass was steamed. Su Xiaoxiao returned to the room. The boss of the pleasure boat chose a larger bass. The fish scales, gills, and internal organs were removed very cleanly. He used yellow wine and ginger slices to remove the fishy smell. The taste of the soup was not strong, and it preserved the freshness of the fish to the greatest extent. Su Xiaoxiao took a bite and was stunned. Wei Ting picked up the tenderest fish belly and placed it in her bowl. Usually, at home, she would give the three children the fish belly. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t reject someone¡¯s feeding and buried her head in her food. The fish meat was really fresh. She couldn¡¯t tell that this guy was quite the food connoisseur. Not long after, the boss served another bowl of hot sour soup fishballs. Tiny ginger grains could be tasted in the fishballs. They were spicy. This milky white fishball was mixed with a small amount of fat and starch. The gravy was extremely tender. The only flaw was that it was a little greasy. However, with the spicy ginger grains and the white vinegar soup, the greasy taste was instantly gone. She could make a basin of such fishballs! The boss of the pleasure boat had seen many rich young ladies who refused to eat much. This was the first time he had met someone who really came to eat. He was excited. Not only did he steam fish cakes and slices of fish, but he also set up a grill and made a plate of grilled fish. ¡°Do you have vegetables?¡± Wei Ting asked. ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± The boss of the pleasure boat stir-fried two side dishes and cut the melons and fruits. In the end, he even served his unique secret fruit brew. This kind of fruit brew was very difficult to make. He only produced two small jars every year and did not sell them. He was not selling the fruit brew today. ¡°It¡¯s for the two of you,¡± he said with a smile. Wei Ting said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send it in the past?¡± The boss of the pleasure boat said awkwardly, ¡°Uh¡­ isn¡¯t Mrs. Wei here¡­¡± This was the first time Su Xiaoxiao had been called Mrs. Wei. She was stunned. ¡°Oh,¡± Wei Ting muttered vaguely. In the end, he did not mind that the boss of the pleasure boat was only willing to offer wine today. The fruit wine tasted sweet and greasy. When Su Xiaoxiao was on her third sip, Wei Ting took the wine cup. Su Xiaoxiao was dissatisfied. ¡°What?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°You can¡¯t drink anymore.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked in confusion, ¡°Why?¡± Wei Ting hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°You drank too much last time.¡± Su Xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°So what if I drank too much? Did I do anything to you?¡± Wei Ting said nothing. Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°No way¡­ Did I really do something to you?¡± She had no impression of it at all! After transmigrating, she had only drunk once, and she had been tricked by Su Yuniang then¡­ Wei Tings eyes flickered. Alright, Su Xiaoxiao had an answer. Su Xiaoxiao leaned back in her chair in disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s too much of a loss¡­ I¡¯m at a disadvantage¡­¡¯ Wei Ting was confused. ¡°What did you lose?¡± He was the one who was taken advantage of. Shouldn¡¯t he be the one at a disadvantage? Su Xiaoxiao said bitterly, ¡°When you eat something, you have to taste if it¡¯s salty or bland. I clearly did something to you, but I don¡¯t remember. Don¡¯t you think this is a loss? Wei Ting paused and silently returned her glass. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. The fruit brew made by the boss of the pleasure boat was not really strong wine. It was similar to old rice wine. Su Xiaoxiao was still as sober as before after three cups. The boss of the pleasure boat came over to ask how the two of them were eating. Su Xiaoxiao was extremely satisfied. Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°The fruit brew isn¡¯t good.¡± The boss of the pleasure boat was dumbfounded.. What was wrong? Wasn¡¯t your wife drinking quite well? Chapter 281 - Chapter 281: Saving Someone Chapter 281: Saving Someone Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The scenery on the lake was uniquely good. The two of them came to the deck to admire the lake and mountains in the capital. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the scenery in the capital was so beautiful.¡± She had been in the capital for half a month and the furthest she had been was the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate. Although the scenery of the mansion was also pleasant, it could not compare to the natural lake scenery. She rested her elbows on the railing and quietly enjoyed this moment of silence. Wei Ting stood beside her expressionlessly. Su Xiaoxiao leaned on the railing and took a step up. Wei Ting subconsciously moved closer to her. Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed, ¡°Wei Ting, look, there¡¯s fish!¡± Wei Ting replied indifferently, ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡®Was the fish we ate caught from the lake?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°I fished across the lake.¡± There were too many people here, and the fish had long been frightened away. If he wanted the fattest and most tender fish, he had to go to a place with fewer people to fish. Wei Ting looked nonchalant, but he responded to everything Su Xiaoxiao said, even if his tone was very cold. The wind blowing from the lake was mixed with coldness. ¡°Achoo!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sneezed. Wei Ting turned around and entered the room. At this moment, a loud thud suddenly came from not far away, followed by a panicked scream. ¡°Ah! Not good! Someone fell into the water!¡± ¡°Help!¡± The owner of the pleasure boat, who was halfway through killing the fish, also heard the commotion and quickly ran out with a kitchen knife. The chubby girl who had previously said sweetly that she was a little seasick lifted her skirt and stepped on the railing domineeringly. She jumped forward and smashed¡­ Uh no, jumped into the water! It was a young man who fell into the water. She grabbed the other party and threw him back onto the deck of the pleasure boat like a sack. Someone exclaimed. In her previous life, Su Xiaoxiao was extremely good at swimming, and so was this body. What held her back was the heavy clothes on her body, which had become several times heavier after soaking in water. On the pleasure boat, a kind-hearted person pointed at Su Xiaoxiao, who was swimming upstream in the lake, and shouted, ¡°Quick, quick, quick! Give that good man a helping hand!¡± Su Xiaoxiao, who thought she was a soft girl, was speechless. No one could be blamed for this. Little Su¡¯s small actions were too fast. Before everyone could see who it was, they heard a loud bang. A huge wave rose from the lake, causing the pleasure boat to sway. If Su Xiaoxiao hadn¡¯t thrown the young man into the boat, they would have thought that someone¡­ had fallen into the water. Su Xiaoxiao rejected the bamboo pole! Wei Ting really did not expect that a certain someone would fall into the water just as he went to the room to get a cloak. Fortunately, Wei Ting¡¯s strength was powerful. He tapped his toes and swept across the water like a sandgull, picking Su Xiaoxiao up. The two of them landed on the deck of the pleasure boat next door. ¡°Aiya! Someone died¡­¡¯ ¡°Is there a physician?¡± ¡°Young man! Wake up!¡± The kind guests on the pleasure boat surrounded the young lad who had been rescued. The young man¡¯s face was pale and he was unconscious. The boatman realized that something was wrong and hurriedly sent a waiter to the medical center to get a physician. However, the nearest medical center was also two miles away. Who knew if he could make it in time¡­ The boatman was worried. If a life was lost on his ship, how could he do business in the future? To the east, another pleasure boat slowly approached. It was different from the pleasure boats on the shore that were actually a few floating restaurants. This was a really luxurious ship that could travel freely on the entire lake. There were two floors, as if an exquisite small attic had been built on the ship. In a room on the second floor, Princess Hui An noticed the commotion on the other side. She rarely had the chance to leave the palace. Today, she had begged her brother for a long time before he agreed to bring her to the ship. ¡°Third Brother! Look! Something seems to have happened over there!¡± The news of Jingning teaching the young profligate in the capital a lesson had already spread to the palace. Everyone was secretly praising Jingning for being upright and punishing evil. She had the demeanor of the Great Zhou¡¯s first princess. Princess Hui An was very unconvinced. ¡°Did someone get bullied?¡± Hmph, she also wanted to help when she saw injustice! She was better compared to Jingning! Changping ran outside and craned his neck to take a look. ¡°I think someone is drowning¡­ They¡¯re calling for a physician¡­¡± They were accompanied by Imperial Physician Hu¡¯s grandson, Hu Hui. The Hu family had practiced medicine for generations. When it came to Hu Hui¡¯s generation, although the imperial examination was their main goal, they had been influenced at home since they were young and more or less knew a little. Usually, in the Directorate, if anyone had a headache or fever, they could get a prescription from Hu Hui without hiring a doctor. Xiao Zhonghua looked at Hu Hui. ¡°Do you know how to treat someone who drowned?¡± Hu Hui cupped his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve treated a few cases with Grandpa.¡± Princess Hui An immediately said, ¡°Then quickly save that person! Remember, I asked you to go!¡± Hu Hui bowed to her. ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said to Jing Yi, ¡°Take Young Master Hu over.¡± Jing Yi grabbed Hu Hui¡¯s shoulder and brought him to the pleasure boat. However, the two of them were a step late. Someone was already saving the drowning victim. Su Xiaoxiao knelt beside him. She was wet and her eyes were watery. She felt very uncomfortable. Ignoring the tears of pain in her eyes, she crossed her hands and pressed hard on the other party¡¯s chest. Hu Hui frowned. Seeing that the person administering resuscitation was a woman, his frown deepened. He strode over. ¡®What are you doing? Get out of the way!¡± Wei Ting looked at Hu Hui coldly. Hu Hui¡¯s eyebrows twitched! Lord¡­ Lord Wei?! Wei Ting was also a student of the Directorate in his early years. In terms of seniority, Hu Hui should call him senior. However, Wei Ting had long entered the court as an official. When Hu Hui saw him, he had to respectfully address him as Lord Wei or General Wei. On the other side, Jing Yi was also very surprised. However, he was not surprised by Wei Ting. After all, he had long known that Wei Ting had returned to the capital. He recognized Su Xiaoxiao, who was saving the drowning person. He stood rooted to the ground, his eyes filled with disbelief. Su Xiaoxiao was so focused on saving the patient that she did not notice Jing Yi coming over. Drowning was not the worst-case scenario. His heart had stopped. She let the patient lie flat on the deck, pulled open the patient¡¯s collar, took off the patient¡¯s belt, and knelt on both knees again, riding the patient. This posture¡­ attracted a wave of criticism from the surrounding people. ¡°I thought you were a man, but you¡¯re a girl.¡± ¡°The girl took off a man¡¯s pants in public and¡­ and even did such an unbearable thing in public. It¡¯s really humiliating!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s outrageous!¡± They seemed to have forgotten that Su Xiaoxiao had risked her life to save him. In ancient times, where reputation was greater than the sky and women had a low status, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s actions could be said to have challenged everyone¡¯s bottom line. The reason why no one went forward to tear her apart and throw her into the water was all because of Wei Ting. Everyone¡¯s discussion made Hu Hui come back to his senses. His expression turned solemn as he said to Wei Ting, ¡°Lord Wei! Hurry up and stop her! The patient drowned.. She¡¯ll kill someone like this!¡± Chapter 282 - Chapter 282: Protective Chapter 282: Protective Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting spoke. It was not directed at Hu Hui, but at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Do your thing.¡± Hu Hui was shocked. ¡°Lord Wei!¡± Wei Ting ignored him and did not even look at him. Wei Ting was famous for being arrogant in the capital. Hu Hui was not surprised that he treated him coldly. Surprisingly, he had been protecting that woman. Hu Hui did not think that the two of them knew each other. No matter how bad Wei Ting¡¯s reputation was in the capital, no one dared to say that he was a playboy. Moreover, even if he was really a playboy, he would not take a fancy to an inconspicuous fat girl. Seeing that he could not persuade Wei Ting, Hu Hui turned around and placed his hopes on Jing Yi. ¡°Young Marquis Jing! A human life is at stake. If we delay any longer, that person will really die!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how you save people from drowning!¡± Everyone present was afraid of Wei Ting, but Young Marquis Jing would not be. Young Marquis Jing was also a fearless person. However, something unexpected happened. Jing Yi didn¡¯t move. Hu Hui thought that his words were not convincing enough and continued, ¡°Grandpa and I have treated a few drowning patients. Grandpa said that if there are signs of unconsciousness after drowning, we have to think of a way to expel the water from the patient¡¯s stomach¡­ It¡¯s best to let the patient lie down and stand upside down. Although lying flat and pressing is one of the methods, the place she pressed is wrong!¡± Drowning was to expel the water from the stomach. This chubby girl had pressed on the heart. Moreover, she had taken off his clothes¡­ It was too immoral! Hu Hui did not even look at her. ¡°Who is this young master?¡± A middle-aged man in the crowd asked curiously. Not far away, a young scholar said, ¡°He¡¯s the young master of the Hu family, Imperial Physician Hu¡¯s biological grandson!¡± ¡°The grandson of an imperial physician? ¡°He¡¯s not an ordinary imperial physician. Imperial Physician Hu is the most experienced medical officer in the Imperial Hospital. I heard that he¡¯s about to take over the hospital!¡± The reputation of the Imperial Physician Hu was already well-known. Imperial Physician Hu was the cream of the crop in the medical world! His grandson¡¯s words would definitely not be wrong. This girl was really harming people! Hu Hui said, ¡°Young Marquis, you¡¯re not a doctor. You might not understand. Believe me¡­¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Jing Yi said. Hu Hui was stunned again, thinking that he had heard wrongly. Hu Hui stammered, ¡°Young Marquis Jing¡­ Jing Yi said coldly, ¡°I told you to shut up. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Hu Hui looked at him and then at Su Xiaoxiao, who had increased the pressure. ¡°But¡­ he¡¯s really going to die¡­ this girl¡­ she¡¯ll kill¡­¡± Before Hu Hui could finish, the patient lying on the deck suddenly opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he coughed violently! Everyone was dumbfounded. This, this, this, this person was really alive? Could he be a zombie?! Eh! Everyone felt their blood run cold and took three to four steps back! Su Xiaoxiao let out a long sigh. She was tired. She had already exhausted her stamina underwater and saved him after coming ashore. Her chubby body could not hold on anymore. Hu Hui looked at the patient who had completely recovered in disbelief, then at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°You¡­ you pressed that position¡­ How is that possible¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and glanced at Hu Hui. Hu Hui was stunned. He did not expect a fat girl to have such an exquisite and cute face. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hide anything and said to Hu Hui, ¡°Before you came, I had already cleaned his nose and mouth and pressed out the water in his stomach, but he drowned too badly and a cardiac arrest was triggered.¡± Su Xiaoxiao performed CPR on him, which was why Hu Hui saw this scene. Hu Hui said, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re talking nonsense! How can someone survive when their heart isn¡¯t beating? Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Cardiac arrest can¡¯t be used as a basis for determining death. ¡± Clinically, many patients with cardiac arrest could recover their heartbeats after resuscitation. Hu Hui was from a medical family and had never heard such a fallacy. They didn¡¯t get along. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her breath on him. The patient kept thanking her. Seeing his clothes and appearance, Su Xiaoxiao gave up the idea of asking him for consultation fees and stood up to leave. Suddenly, a clean handkerchief was handed over. No, there was one handkerchief from each side. Su Xiaoxiao looked left and glanced right. Uh¡­ ¡°Jingyi, you¡¯re here?¡± She smiled. Wei Ting¡¯s face darkened. Jing Yi said, ¡°Wipe it.¡± Hu Hui was dumbfounded. Was he seeing things? Had Young Marquis Jing and General Wei handed a handkerchief to a fat girl at the same time? Wait, she called Young Marquis Jing by his name¡­ They knew each other?! Su Xiaoxiao blinked. What a strange feeling. It was as if there was a fire in the backyard. bluvv1Y. To the left. Jing Yi¡¯s eyes darkened. To the right. Wei Ting¡¯s handsome face darkened. She took a deep breath and reached out with both hands to grab the two handkerchiefs. ¡°I¡¯m fat! One handkerchief isn¡¯t enough!¡± Wei Ting snorted coldly. ¡°Hmph.¡± Jing Yi took out another handkerchief and said softly, ¡°If it¡¯s not enough, I still have more.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s inner thoughts were: Aiyaya, the little puppy is still the obedient one! My heart is about to melt! Under Wei Ting¡¯s murderous aura, Su Xiaoxiao did not take the handkerchief from Jing Yi. She had long guessed that the two of them knew each other. Seeing them today, it was indeed so. Although the two of them did not communicate, she was not stupid. Jing Yi was clearly at odds with Wei Ting. The little boy had some story going on. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± Wei Ting said calmly. Hu Hui doubted his life again. With whom was he going home? Young¡­ Young Marquis Jing? Could it be that the two of them were actually in love and killing each other¡­ In the next second, his imagination dissipated. Su Xiaoxiao nodded and stood up reluctantly before following him. Looking at the two of them leave together, Hu Hui was dumbfounded. Back on the pleasure boat. Princess Hui An could not hide her excitement as she looked at the two of them. ¡°How is it? How is it? Did you save her?¡± Jing Yi said nothing. Hu Hui replied, ¡°He¡­ was saved.¡± Princess Hui An smiled. ¡°When I go back, I¡¯ll immediately report this to Father! I¡¯ll see how arrogant Jingning can be!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao Zhonghua noticed that something was wrong with the two of them. Hu Hui looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Jing Yi was too strange and his mood became very bad. Hu Hui hesitated for a moment before telling the truth about what had happened on the pleasure boat. ¡°We weren¡¯t the ones who saved her. It was¡­ It was a maidservant of the Wei family.¡± The women who could go home with Wei Ting had to be either a Madam or maidservant of the Wei family. How could that fat girl be the former? ¡°She¡¯s not a maid!¡± Jing Yi said coldly. Princess Hui An looked at Jing Yi strangely. Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s meaningful gaze landed on Jing Yi¡¯s handsome face. After a while, he took a sip of tea. ¡°Was Wei Ting around?¡± Hu Hui quickly said, ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Strange, how did Third Prince know? Princess Hui An quickly stood up.. ¡°I want to find him!¡± Chapter 283 - Chapter 283: Progress Chapter 283: Progress Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Princess Hui An went to look for him. However, when she arrived at the place of the accident, Wei Ting had already left. He was neither on the pleasure boat where the person was saved nor in the Pearl Pavilion next door. ¡°I¡¯m so angry!¡± Princess Hui An stomped her feet. The news of Wei Ting becoming a monk in the throne room could be said to have spread like wildfire in the capital. This time, he returned to the capital in a low profile, and not many people knew about it. The emperor did not immediately let him return to the court, probably to warn him. After this incident, Wei Ting¡¯s whereabouts could probably not be hidden anymore. After returning to Pear Blossom Alley, Wei Ting asked Su Xiaoxiao to return to her room to change her clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll boil the water.¡± With that, he turned and entered the kitchen. The weather in the capital was very strange. It didn¡¯t look cold. When she went into the water, she was so cold that she felt prickly. She was busy saving that man just now and did not care that she was cold. Only when she got into the carriage did she start to shiver. She took off her wet clothes and wrapped herself in a thick blanket. After Wei Ting boiled hot water, he made a brazier and sent it in. Su Xiaoxiao took a comfortable hot bath. Wei Ting went to make ginger soup. If Matriarch Wei knew about her grandson¡¯s series of actions, she would most likely be frightened silly. Did this spoiled brat actually know how to take care of others? It was Wei Ting¡¯s first time cooking ginger soup. It was a little burnt and the taste was not flattering. Looking at the blisters on his fingertips, Su Xiaoxiao sniffed and finished the ginger soup in her bowl. After she rested, Wei Ting returned to his room. In the middle of the night, Wei Ting was worried and came over to see her again. Su Xiaoxiao was still sick. When she was bedridden after that time on the mountain, she was poisoned, so strictly speaking, this was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s first illness after coming to this world. Her forehead was hot, and her face flushed, but her hands and feet were cold. Su Xiaoxiao wrapped herself tightly in the blanket and rubbed her forehead against Wei Ting¡¯s palm. ¡®Wei Ting, I¡¯m so cold.¡± Wei Ting frowned slightly and opened the cabinet. There were no more blankets, so he went next door, took his blanket, and covered Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Are you still cold?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded with a pale face. The little fat peacock, who was s valiant in the day, became listless. Wei Ting wrapped the blanket tightly around her. ¡°I¡¯ll get a physician!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in a low voice, ¡°No need. I¡¯m a physician myself. There¡¯s medicine in the first aid kit. Help me take it out.¡± ¡°Yes, this?¡± Wei Ting took out the first aid kit from the small basket. He often saw her taking medicine from here. It turned out to be called a first aid kit. Su Xiaoxiao replied weakly, ¡°There¡¯s a thermometer in the first pocket on the second floor. Give it to me.¡± Wei Ting used a thermometer and knew what it looked like. He took it out and handed it to her. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know, but she was shocked. It was 39-5 degrees. No wonder she felt weak. Wei Ting took out a small white tablet. ¡°Are you going to eat this?¡± When Xiaohu¡¯s canine teeth were in pain and caused a fever, he had taken this medicine. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Wei Ting asked, ¡°How many?¡± Su Xiaoxiao replied, ¡°Two.¡± Wei Ting took two pills, put the bottle back, and went to the kitchen to pour warm water. Su Xiaoxiao lay on the bed obediently and widened her black eyes. No one knew what she was looking at. Xiaohu was also like this when he was feverish. ¡°Medicine,¡± Wei Ting said. After a while, Su Xiaoxiao shook her head slowly. ¡°No.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°You¡¯re a doctor. Are you not taking medicine when you¡¯re sick?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m not anymore.¡± She was a patient. What kind of childish tone was this? She must have been confused by the fever¡­ Wei Ting sat down on the bed. ¡°What will it take for you to take the medicine?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said nothing. Wei Ting looked at her deeply. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to feed you mouth to mouth, do you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and looked at him in shock. ¡°So you want to feed me mouth to mouth?¡± Wei Ting wondered how it became what he wanted. In the end, Su Xiaoxiao sat up and took the medicine. She had taken the medicine, but she refused to sleep again. Her eyes were as wide as copper bells. Wei Ting looked at her strangely. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sleepy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Sleepy.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said stubbornly, ¡°I won¡¯t sleep.¡± Wei Ting was helpless. ¡°What¡¯s wrong this time?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°There¡¯s a calming component in the medicine. If I fall asleep, what if you plot against me? I definitely won¡¯t wake up.¡± It was already so late, but Father Su and the children were still not back. They were probably going to spend the night outside. Only the two of them were left in the house. Did this girl think he would take the opportunity to do something to her? Wei Ting sneered. ¡°I really want to do something to you. I can still do it if Father and Ergou are at home. Must I pick a time when you¡¯re sick? According to you, this medicine¡­ You would have already fallen asleep¡­ What¡¯s the point?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Who knows? Perhaps you like it.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao was so sleepy that she yawned and refused to close her eyes obediently. Wei Ting was also convinced. He extinguished the oil lamp on the table, lifted the blanket , and lay down. Su Xiaoxiao complained, ¡°You really can¡¯t wait!¡± Wei Ting stretched out his arm and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t wait to plot against you, so quickly fall asleep.¡± Su Xiaoxiao snuggled into his arms and leaned her head against his chest. She found a comfortable position and snorted. ¡°I knew it!¡± Wei Ting¡¯s lips curled up. Wei Ting hugged her and pressed his cold chin against her burning forehead. ¡°Sleep.¡± Su Xiaoxiao reached out her chubby claws and touched his tight eight-pack. She fell asleep in satisfaction. It drizzled again during the night. Jing Yi stood at the entrance of Pear Blossom Alley for a long time. Bai Ze came over with an umbrella and raised it above his head. ¡°Young Marquis, go back.¡± Jing Yi was drenched in the rain, and the rain slid down his handsome face. ¡°Bai Ze, why did she come to the capital?¡± ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Is Wei Ting planning to marry her?¡± They investigated the matters in the countryside and roughly figured out the ins and outs. Wei Ting was chased by the Third Prince¡¯s subordinates and was seriously injured. He was picked up by Miss Su¡¯s father, Su Cheng. Coincidentally, Miss Su had just been dumped by a scholar from the neighboring village. Hence, Su Cheng made Wei Ting his live-in son-in-law. Wei Ting needed to recuperate and avoid the pursuit of the Third Prince. He needed a cover-up identity and being the ¡°live-in son-in-law¡± of the Su family was the most appropriate identity. Bai Ze continued, ¡°Perhaps he brought Miss Su to the capital to repay the Su family for saving his life.¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he just bring her back to the Wei family?¡± Bai Ze sighed. ¡°Young Marquis, with Miss Su¡¯s status, she can¡¯t be the daughter-in-law of the Wei family.¡± It was already difficult to be a concubine, so she could only be a mistress.. Chapter 284 - Chapter 284: Discovered Chapter 284: Discovered Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Bai Ze¡¯s words were also a reminder to Jing Yi. Wei Ting¡¯s status was precious, but wasn¡¯t Jing Yi also a prodigy? His grandfather was the Marquis of Might, his biological aunt was Concubine Xian, and his father was the Minister of Rites. Although the Jing family was not a military family, Jing Yi had been gifted since he was young and was a rare talent. It was impossible for him to marry a woman from the common people. Not to mention that the woman had been married before¡­ After arriving home, Jing Yi greeted his grandfather as usual. Just as he reached the door of the study, he heard an unusual conversation coming from inside. ¡°Father, are you serious? ¡°How can the news your sister got someone to send from the palace early in the morning be fake?¡± ¡°This is too¡­ too surprising.¡± Jing Yi had no intention of eavesdropping on his elders¡¯ conversation. Since his grandfather and father had something to discuss, he planned to come back tomorrow. Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned around, he heard his grandfather say, ¡°That¡¯s right. Who would have thought that Qin Che wasn¡¯t the real Protector Duke? That Su Cheng from the countryside of Qingzhou is the real McCoy!¡± Jing Yi stopped in his tracks. ¡°Father, what should we do?¡± ¡°Your sister is also worried. Let me quickly find out what¡¯s going on with that Su Cheng. Could it be that Qin Canglan made a mistake? I¡¯ve already sent someone to the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate and the Marquisate of Zhenbei. The news has spread throughout both families. Qin Che is indeed not Qin Canglan¡¯s biological son and has already been chased out of the main courtyard by Qin Canglan. He has also handed over his token and golden seal. He can¡¯t keep his position as the Protector Duke!¡± ¡°Then¡­ what about the marriage between the Third Prince and the daughter of the Qin family?¡± ¡°If I knew what to do, I would have entered the palace long ago! But according to the investigation, the real Protector Duke also has a daughter, but she seems to have been married in the countryside.¡± Jing Yi was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao took a nap. When she woke up, her high fever had subsided and her clothes had been changed. She would sweat when her fever subsided. It was obvious that Wei Ting had changed it for her. Su Xiaoxiao lowered her head and pulled open her collar. He had even changed her undergarment¡­ This guy was good! Wei Ting was not in the room. Su Xiaoxiao touched the side of the bed and felt cold. Wei Ting was already up. Or rather, he¡¯d hardly slept all night. Su Xiaoxiao was in a daze from the fever. She sweated one moment and felt cold the next. It repeated until dawn. Wei Ting did not have time to rest. He had to prepare breakfast. At least he was aware of his culinary skills. Instead of continuing with the ingredients in the kitchen, he went out to buy beancurd and steamed buns. Just as he entered the house to see if Su Xiaoxiao had woken up, he saw a fat girl looking around on the bed with wide eyes. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± he asked. ¡°Blood from nosebleed!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly. Wei Ting was speechless. Wei Ting coughed lightly. Just as he placed the things on the table in the central room, the sound of hooves sounded outside. A carriage stopped outside the house. ¡°Daughter! We¡¯re back!¡± It was Su Cheng¡¯s excited voice. Yesterday, Qin Canglan brought Su Cheng, Su Ergou, and the three little ones out to ride horses. At first, he only planned to find a relatively quiet empty space nearby. Later, he realized that these few people were too noisy and could not use ordinary empty spaces. Hence. Oin Canglan brought her to the Oin familv¡¯s horse farm. There were too many good horses on the horse farm. Su Cheng and Su Ergou were dazzled by the selection, wishing they could try every horse. The three little ones did not stay idle. The pageboys on the horse farm brought them trained ponies and placed the children¡¯s saddles. The pageboys led them around the horse farm. The three little ones raised their chins smugly. The few of them had so much fun that they forgot the time. When the three little fellows began to look for their mother, it started to rain heavily again. They had no choice but to stay overnight in the ranch house. The three little ones missed their mother terribly. Su Cheng and Su Ergou also missed their Daya. The group rushed back without eating. The three little ones jumped down anxiously. Qin Canglan was shocked. He got off the horse before them and picked up the three little balls. The courtyard door opened. Qin Canglan put down the little packrat army and turned to see his precious granddaughter. Unexpectedly, their eyes met. Qin Canglan was shocked. ¡°Wei Ting?¡± Wei Ting was also stunned. He had heard Father Su¡¯s voice and came to open the door, but he had forgotten that Father Su and the others had gone out with Qin Canglan yesterday. Wei Ting knew of Qin Canglan¡¯s existence, but Qin Canglan did not know of Wei Ting. There was only his granddaughter at home and Wei Ting¡¯s sudden appearance here¡­ Wa Wei Ting here to assassinate his granddaughter? Qin Canglan¡¯s killing intent was bound to appear as he attacked Wei Ting! Wei Ting took a step back and avoided his killing move. Qin Canglan chased in and the two of them fought in the courtyard. Qin Canglan was serious. It had not been easy for him to reunite with his son¡¯s family. He would take the lives of whoever dared to hurt his precious granddaughter! Wei Ting focused on defense. In a flash, the two of them had exchanged more than ten moves. Qin Canglan said coldly, ¡°As expected of Wei Wei¡¯s grandson¡­ You have some ability. Next, I¡¯m going to be serious!¡± He sank his energy into his diaphragm and circulated his internal energy. Wei Ting¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. Qin Canglan was good. He had to attack this move head-on. Wei Ting turned his palm into a fist and faced Qin Canglan¡¯s killing move. In the blink of an eye, Su Cheng walked in strangely. ¡°Son-in-law, Uncle Qin, what are you two doing? Son-in-law? Qin Canglan froze in shock. Wei Ting wanted to retract his hand, but it was too late. He punched Qin Canglan¡¯s face¡­ Su Cheng was shocked and ran over in a panic. ¡°Son-in-law, are you alright?¡± He held Wei Ting¡¯s shoulder with both hands and looked up and down, extremely worried. Qin Canglan muttered, ¡°I think I was the one who was beaten up?¡± Qin Canglan refused and looked at Wei Ting. ¡°What did you call him?¡± Su Cheng said angrily, ¡°He called me Dad! I¡¯m his son-in-law! No! He¡¯s my son-in-law!¡± Look at how angry he was! Qin Cang¡¯s body trembled. ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s Daya¡¯s¡­ husband?¡± What the hell? Why was his grandson-in-law the brat of the Wei family? This can¡¯t be true! Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu ran in and called out to Wei Ting in a childish voice, ¡°Dad..¡± Chapter 285 - Chapter 285: Military Power Chapter 285: Military Power Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Cheng was very dissatisfied with Qin Canglan¡¯s actions of beating up his precious son-in-law. His face immediately darkened, indicating that the relationship he had built yesterday had disappeared. Qin Canglan clenched his fists. He was Su Cheng¡¯s biological father! When Steward Cen came to Pear Blossom Alley to pick Qin Canglan up, Qin Canglan was already so angry that he was autistic. He sat alone on the steps gloomily, like a lonely old man who had been abandoned. ¡°Old Master?¡± Steward Cen waved his hand in front of his eyes. Qin Canglan said, ¡°I¡¯m not blind.¡± Steward Cen lowered his hand. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re getting into the carriage?¡± Qin Canglan got into the carriage with a dark expression. Steward Cen got into the carriage behind him and looked at him in confusion. ¡°What are you¡­¡± Qin Canglan told him about seeing Wei Ting. ¡°¡­That rascal from the Wei family! ¡± Steward Cen was stunned. ¡°You mean¡­ Eldest Miss¡¯s husband in the countryside is the youngest son of the Wei family? Eldest Miss was married last December. At that time, wasn¡¯t the youngest son of the Wei family cultivating at the Dragon Temple?¡± Qin Canglan snorted coldly. ¡°Heh, cultivation was a cover. He went to Qingzhou!¡± Qin Canglan had already learned from Su Ergou about her granddaughter¡¯s marriage. Wei Ting was injured and was captured by Su Cheng to become a live-in son-in-law. The family still did not know Wei Ting¡¯s true identity. Steward Cen muttered, ¡°This family¡­ is really ambitious. For a son-in-law they picked up to come to the capital, have they never suspected that Wei Ting might have some impressive identity? Does Missy not know?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask her.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was sick, so Qin Canglan couldn¡¯t bear to interrogate her and came out first. Qin Canglan clenched his fists. ¡°I will never agree to this marriage!¡± Steward Cen coughed lightly. ¡°Well, I think¡­ you should acknowledge them first. In his heart, his son-in-law seems to be more important than you.¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, no one will think you¡¯re mute.¡± On the other hand, Emperor Jing Xuan had a headache for two days over the matter of the Protectorate. No matter what, he was still a future relative of the emperor. Did he have to make such a big deal out of it? However, since Qin Canglan was so determined, Emperor Jing Xuan could not pretend to be confused. Emperor Jing Xuan gave Qin Che a new name¡ªQin Jiang. Qin Che¡¯s name had been taken back. When Su Cheng entered the palace, Emperor Jing Xuan would give him Qin Che¡¯s identity, the golden seal, and the token of the Protector of the State. Of course, there were some details, such as Qin Jiang¡¯s punishment, that could not be rushed. After all, it was a crime of deceiving the emperor. Even if he took into account the relationship between the previous emperor and Qin Feng, However, while he could avoid death, he could not escape punishment. Whether he would be fired or demoted, Emperor Jing Xuan had to consider carefully. At the Protector¡¯s Estate. Qin Che¡­ should be called Qin Jiang now. Ever since he was chased out of the main courtyard, Qin Jiang had moved into the Qingfeng Pavilion, which was very far away from Qin Canglan¡¯s courtyard. That was once the courtyard Qin Feng used to practice martial arts. It could not be said to be very old, but it was indeed a little in disrepair. His background spread throughout the residence. In the past, those servants who curried favor with him hid far away. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave?¡± He sat in the dark house and looked at Xu Qing, who was carrying a food box. Xu Qing said, ¡°As I said, my life was given to me by the High Duke. I¡¯ll be loyal to him for the rest of my life.¡± Qin Jiang smiled. ¡°I¡¯m no longer the High Duke.¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°You¡¯re still my master.¡± ¡°Put it on the table,¡± Qin Jiang said. Xu Qing placed the chicken soup he had bought from outside on the table. Qin Jiang mocked, ¡°After this matter, I can be considered to have seen a lot. I¡¯m the Protector Duke and the master of the entire mansion. But how could Qin Canglan easily cripple me with just a word?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Xu Qing asked. Qin Jiang sneered. ¡°Because I don¡¯t have any real power. To be precise, I have military power. The old man is so sinister. On the surface, he passed the position of Protector of the State to me, but in fact, he still has military power firmly in his hands. I¡¯m just a target he pushed out and made everyone transfer their hatred to me.¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°I don¡¯t think Old Master thinks that way.¡± Qin Jiang said sinisterly, ¡°Heh, but he did it!¡± Xu Qing stopped talking. Qin Jiang opened the food box. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s good to see it clearly earlier. Have you found out the information I asked you to find out?¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°I found out.¡± After Xu Qing finished reporting in detail, Qin Jiang pondered for a long time before throwing his head back and laughing. ¡°I see¡­ Qin Canglan¡­ You didn¡¯t expect this, did you¡­ The heavens didn¡¯t kill me¡­ the heavens didn¡¯t kill me¡­¡± At Qi Xiang Palace, Consort Xian was sitting in front of the window and reading the poetry collection. She felt dizzy from reading. If she wanted to gain a foothold in the harem, she could not depend on only her looks and background. She had to know how to manage her image. Consort Xian¡¯s image was that of a talented woman with a scholarly aura. ¡°I¡¯m so sleepy.¡± Consort Xian threw the poetry book on the table in disdain. After a while, Liu Sande rushed over and whispered into Concubine Xian¡¯s ear. Consort Xian¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Really?¡± Liu Sande handed her the note. ¡°Your Highness, please take a look.¡± After reading it, Consort Xian¡¯s expression changed. She crumpled the note into a ball and said with a solemn expression, ¡°Go out of the palace and meet this Xu Qing!¡± Liu Sande agreed. ¡°Yes!¡± Consort Xian reminded, ¡°Be careful not to be discovered.¡± Liu Sande said, ¡°I will be careful.¡± xu Qing waited outside tne palace. As soon as Liu Sande¡¯s carriage left the palace, Xu Qing flashed in. He was so fast that Liu Sande could only see an afterimage. ¡°Continue driving,¡± Xu Qing said to Liu Sande through the curtain. Liu Sande calmly looked at the patrolling imperial guards walking towards him and secretly broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Are you¡­ Mr. Qin¡¯s men?¡± Xu Qing was too fast. Liu Sande really couldn¡¯t see his face clearly. Xu Qing went straight to the point. ¡°My master asked me to bring a few words to Concubine Xian. The eldest daughter of the common people has married, and her husband is Wei Ting. If Concubine Xian doesn¡¯t want the military power of the Qin and Su families to fall into the hands of the Wei family, my lord is willing to help her!¡± Liu Sande¡¯s hair stood on end! Heavens! What shocking secret had he heard? The real daughter of the Qin family was actually involved with the youngest son of the Wei family! Wasn¡¯t the youngest son of the Wei family a monk? Why did he go to Qingzhou¡­ and abduct the eldest daughter of the Qin family? ¡°That¡­¡± Liu Sande turned around, wanting to ask Xu Qing a few more questions, but there was already no one in the carriage! He was stunned. Qin Jiang actually had such an expert by his side! Liu Sande did not dare to delay. He bought a box of snacks from a nearby market and returned to the palace. He relayed what Xu Qing had said. Consort Xian could not remain calm anymore. She stood up and clenched her handkerchief, her beautiful eyes flashing with anger. Damn Wei Ting! Instead of her precious daughter, he went to marry a fat girl from the countryside! Did he want to obtain the military power of the Qin and Su families? Dream on! Chapter 286 - Chapter 286: Attack Chapter 286: Attack Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Emperor Jing Xuan was thinking about the contents of the imperial edict when he heard the young eunuch report that Concubine Xian wanted to see him. Emperor Jing Xuan frowned inadvertently. Eunuch Fu glanced at Emperor Jing Xuan without batting an eyelid. He deliberated for a moment and did not speak. The young eunuch lowered his body and waited outside, not daring to breathe. Emperor Jing Xuan doted on Concubine Xian very much. Usually, when Concubine Xian asked to see him, Emperor Jing Xuan would meet her directly. However, he was not in a good mood today. Emperor Jing Xuan sighed. ¡°Forget it. Let Concubine Xian in.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The young eunuch retreated. Not long after, Consort Xian arrived at the imperial study with a worried expression. Her every frown, smile, and even every look was carefully designed to ensure that Emperor Jing Xuan would look at her from any angle. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± She bowed tearfully. When Emperor Jing Xuan saw this, he knew that Concubine Xian was going to do it again. However, he did not think that it would really be something earth-shattering. He guessed that it was because he had gone to the Empress¡¯s palace and made Consort Xian jealous. The harem never lacked women, nor did it lack jealous women. However, the only person who had the guts to show her jealousy was Consort Xian. What Emperor Jing Xuan liked was Concubine Xian¡¯s straightforwardness. Occasionally, it was a little annoying, but overall, it was not a big deal. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked. Consort Xian said aggrievedly, ¡°Your Majesty, you still remember that I¡¯m not feeling well. Have you forgotten that you haven¡¯t been to my palace for a few days?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been too busy these past few days and neglected my beloved concubine. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Concubine Xian came to Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s side sweetly. Eunuch Fu gestured to the palace servants in the imperial study. Everyone understood and retreated one by one. Eunuch Fu could not leave. He had to serve Emperor Jing Xuan. Unless Emperor Jing Xuan ordered him to leave. Concubine Xian said, ¡°Your Majesty, I came today to tell you something.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan put down the memorial and glanced at Eunuch Fu. Eunuch Fu understood and immediately brought a stool over for Concubine Xian to sit beside Emperor Jing Xuan. Consort Xian said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to sit.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan smiled. ¡°What exactly is it that makes your beloved concubine so serious?¡± Consort Xian looked aggrieved and worried. ¡°Does Your Majesty think that I only know how to fight with women?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan smiled helplessly. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Concubine Xian said solemnly, ¡°Your Majesty, what I want to report is very important. I hope Your Majesty can forgive me first.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°My beloved concubine, feel free to say it. I won¡¯t punish you.¡± Concubine Xian said, ¡°Your Majesty, the news has spread both inside and outside the palace. Qin Che, who is the Protector Duke, is not Qin Canglan¡¯s true legitimate son.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s Qin Canglan¡¯s half-brother. I¡¯ve already issued a decree to name him Qin Jiang.¡± The Qin and Su families did not deliberately hide the news, so it was not strange for it to spread. It would be suspicious if Consort Xian said that she did not know. Concubine Xian continued, ¡°I also heard that Qin Canglan¡¯s son is called Su Cheng. He has a son and a daughter who are the same age as Qin Yanran and her brother.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked, ¡°Are you worried about Third Brother¡¯s marriage with the Protectorate?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m worried. I only have one son¡­ I can¡¯t wait to betroth the most outstanding woman in the world to him¡­¡± Consort Xian did not deny it. The more straightforward she was, the more she looked like she was not scheming. The more Emperor Jing Xuan doted on her. The Empress always had a watertight attitude, which made Emperor Jing Xuan unhappy. Emperor Jing Xuan was also having a headache over this marriage. He did not speak for a long time. Concubine Xian continued, ¡°Logically speaking, His Majesty has issued a decree for His Highness to marry the eldest daughter of the Protectorate, Miss Su, who grew up among the commoners.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan frowned and said, ¡°She got married in the countryside.¡± Consort Xian said, ¡°I¡¯m here for this. Your Majesty, do you know who her husband is?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked, ¡°Who?¡± Consort Xian said seriously, ¡°Lord Wu An¡¯s youngest grandson, Wei Ting!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was stunned. Concubine Xian complained, ¡°Your Majesty, I just heard about it. It turns out that the Wei family kid refused to marry Hui An because he took a fancy to the daughter of the Protectorate! Since he has a sweetheart, why didn¡¯t he say it directly? He even lied that he went to the temple to cultivate¡­¡± Consort Xian¡¯s words seemed to be complaining that Wei Ting was heartless, but she was actually exposing Wei Ting for lying to the emperor and Wei Ting¡¯s secret relationship with the Qin family. Emperor Jing Xuan frowned. ¡°Where did you hear that? Do you have evidence?¡± Consort Xian said firmly, ¡°If Your Majesty doesn¡¯t believe me, just call Wei Ting over and interrogate him! He was supposed to be cultivating well in the temple. He didn¡¯t return to the capital earlier or later. However, as soon as the Su family entered the capital to acknowledge their relatives, he followed them back. Your Majesty, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much of a coincidence?¡± Eunuch Fu was also shocked. That Miss Su¡¯s husband¡­ was actually the youngest son of the Wei family? The Qin family and the Wei family were mortal enemies! Why were they together? Besides, wasn¡¯t Wei Ting cultivating in the temple? If what Consort Xian said was true, then Wei Ting had not only committed the crime of deceiving the emperor. What did Wei Ting want to do by secretly winning over the Qin family and the Su family? Was it a rebellion? Emperor Jing Xuan immediately sent someone to the Wei family to invite Wei Ting into the palace. Wei Ting was not in the Wei family, but Yuchi Xiu was. Seeing that something was wrong, he immediately went to Pear Blossom Alley. Wei Ting tidied his clothes and entered the palace. Consort Xian did not leave. She was waiting to confront Wei Ting. Emperor Jing Xuan did not waste his breath and went straight to the point. ¡°Tell me honestly, did you stay in the temple before you returned to the capital? I can send someone to the temple to investigate, but once I investigate, you won¡¯t have any room to plead.¡± Wei Ting asked calmly, ¡°Why do you say that, Your Majesty?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said sternly, ¡°Someone said that you got married in Qingzhou. Your wife is the eldest daughter of the Protectorate.¡± Wei Ting pretended not to see Concubine Xian and asked with an unruly expression, ¡°May I ask Your Majesty, who did you hear it from?¡± Consort Xian snorted coldly. ¡°I was the one who told His Majesty! Wei Ting, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t admit it?¡± Wei Ting asked indifferently, ¡°What does Consort Xian want me to admit?¡± ¡°Stop pretending in front of His Majesty and me!¡± After Concubine Xian finished speaking coldly, she turned to look at Emperor Jing Xuan. ¡®Your Majesty, in order to prove the identities of Su Cheng and the other two to Qin Canglan, the Marquis of Zhenbei specially brought two witnesses from the village. We¡¯ll know if Wei Ting married anyone from their village!¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyes darkened. Emperor Jing Xuan pondered for a moment. ¡°Summon!¡± Ever since Old Master Su and Brother Su arrived in the capital, they had been placed under house arrest in the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. The two of them had been afraid for a long time that they would be killed by the people of the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. If they had known that Su Cheng¡¯s background was so powerful, they would not have secretly picked up Su Cheng¡¯s jade pendant back then. Forget it. What was the use of regretting now? ¡°You can leave now!¡± The servant of the Su family opened the door and threw their bags back to them. Su Dalang was in disbelief. ¡°Can we really¡­ leave?¡± The servant mocked, ¡°Why? Do you want to freeload for the rest of your life?¡± Su Dalang hurriedly said, ¡°No, no. We¡¯ll leave now!¡± Su Dalang was also a glorious figure in the village. When he came to the capital, he realized that he was just an ant on the ground. They could not even afford to offend the lowest-ranking servant in the residence. The two of them staggered out of the residence, preparing to ask for directions and see if they could find a cheap caravan to return with. The two of them had only taken a few steps when they were stopped by a carriage.. Chapter 287 - Chapter 287: Examination Chapter 287: Examination Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fifteen minutes later, the two of them were forcefully brought to a restaurant. The two of them entered the room at the left end of the corridor. Inside stood a man wearing a bamboo hat. His face was covered, so his facial features could not be seen clearly. Only his chin could be vaguely seen. Behind the man was a landscape screen. The two of them had never seen the world and thought that the man in the bamboo hat was someone who could make decisions. Old Master Su asked in a panic, ¡°May I ask why you brought us here?¡± At this moment, how could Old Master Su still be as noble as before? The edges of his body were smoothed. The man in the bamboo hat was none other than Qin Jiang¡¯s trusted aide, Xu Qing. Xu Qing sized up the two of them carefully and said, ¡°Are you from Qingzhou¡¯s Apricot Flower Village?¡± Old Master Su bowed slightly. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Su Dalang helped his grandfather up, feeling flustered and uneasy. Xu Qing asked coldly, ¡°Did the people from the Marquis of Zhenbei bring you to the capital?¡± Su looked at his grandfather, not knowing if he should answer. Old Master Su said, ¡°Yes.¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Xu Qing continued to ask, ¡°How many families in your village have the surname, Su?¡± Old Master Su answered honestly, ¡°Two families. Our old Su family has lived in Apricot Flower Village for generations. There¡¯s another small Su family that moved into the village more than ten years ago.¡± Xu Qing unfolded the portrait in his hand. ¡°Do you know this man?¡± Old Master Su looked at the portrait and hesitated. Xu Qing said in a low voice, ¡°If you want to live, tell me honestly. Do you know me or not?¡± Su Dalang was frightened and quickly said, ¡°I know him. His name is Su Cheng. He¡¯s from the Su family.¡± Xu Qing took out two other portraits. ¡°Which one is his daughter?¡± Old Master Su pointed. ¡°The fatter one.¡± There was no mistake. Xu Qing held two portraits in his hand. One was a portrait of Su Xiaoxiao, and the other was casually drawn. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± Su Dalang shrank his neck. ¡°S-Su Daya.¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°She has a husband?¡± Su Dalang was surprised. ¡°You mean Young Mr. Wei?¡± It was impossible for Xu Qing to answer him. He asked arrogantly, ¡°How did he marry Su Daya?¡± Brother Su whispered, ¡°He¡­ He was picked up by Su Cheng. Su Daya¡¯s marriage was terminated. Su Cheng went to the village to nab a son-in-law. He didn¡¯t nab one, so he picked someone up from the roadside.¡± To be honest, at first, they did not know that Wei Ting had been picked up by Su Cheng and thought that Su Cheng had gone to some village to kidnap him. It was only after Young Mr. Wei walked around the village that everyone slowly found out. ¡°Young Mr. Wei was seriously injured. He probably agreed to this marriage to repay her kindness.¡± Xu Qing nodded and opened the three portraits on the table. ¡°Which one of these portraits is Young Mr. Wei?¡± Brother Su glanced at Old Master Su, who closed his eyes in resignation. Su Dalang made up his mind and pointed at the middle one. Behind the screen, Qin Jiang observed their expressions through the gap without blinking. Xu Qing took a step back and looked at Qin Jiang calmly. Qin Jiang nodded slightly. This time, Xu Qing did not continue to interrogate them. Instead, he took out a bag of silver and poured it on the table. Looking at the white silver ingots, Old Master Su and Brother Su widened their eyes. Xu Qing said unhurriedly, ¡°Listen carefully. This person¡¯s name is Wei Ting. Before he was picked up by Su Cheng to be a live-in son-in-law, he came to your village to ask about Little Su¡¯s family. Moreover, he was not injured.¡± Brother Su was stunned. ¡°This¡­ Xu Qing threatened, ¡°Did you remember what I just said? If anyone asks, you should know how to answer, right? If you do it well, these silver will be yours. I¡¯ll even prepare a carriage for you to return to Qingzhou comfortably. But if you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you¡­¡± Xu Qing pulled out the sword at his waist. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you now, but I guarantee that you won¡¯t be able to walk out of the capital alive!¡± At the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. Su Xiaoxiao came over to change the Old Marquis¡¯ dressing and let the doctor rest for half a day. When the Old Marquis saw his dear granddaughter, the grandchildren at home instantly lost their fragrance. He did not care. His sister¡¯s was his. She was his biological granddaughter and he would not accept a retort! Su Qi and Su Yu stood in the courtyard and watched with jealousy as their grandfather asked about the little girl. He sent her this and that, wishing he could get the servants to empty the storeroom for the little girl to choose. Su Yu said, ¡°Second Brother, do you think Grandpa knows that the two of us are here?¡± Su Qi said, ¡°Go ask Grandpa.¡± Su Yu said aggrievedly, ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t ask?¡± His grandfather no longer had him in his eyes. He was not the Little Yuyu that his grandfather doted on the most! Su Qi crossed his arms and snorted. ¡°When Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother return, this girl will get a lesson she deserves!¡± The butler rushed over. ¡°Second Young Master, Third Young Master, are the heir and eldest young master here?¡± Su Qi asked, ¡°Why are you looking for my father and brother?¡± The butler said, ¡°Someone from the palace came.¡± Su Qi said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Su Yu hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± When the two brothers arrived at the entrance of the residence, they realized that Emperor Jing Xuan wanted to summon the grandfather and grandson from Apricot Flower Village. Su Qi said to Eunuch Quan, ¡°They¡¯ve already left!¡± Eunuch Quan was shocked. ¡°Left?¡± Was he going to return empty-handed? Su Qi nodded. ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve been gone for more than two hours.¡± Su Yu recalled, ¡°It seems to be more than that¡­ Eunuch Quan slapped his thigh. ¡°Oh no!¡± After more than two hours, they had probably left the capital. Just as he was burning with anxiety, Old Master Su and Brother Su walked over in a sorry state. Su Yu looked at the two of them strangely. ¡°Eh? Why are you back? What happened?¡± Su Dalang lowered his eyes and said, ¡®We¡­ Not long after we left, our money was snatched away¡­ We had no choice¡­ We could only return to the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate first¡­ We wanted to see¡­ if we can borrow some money to return to Qingzhou¡­¡± ¡°Qingzhou?¡± Eunuch Quan looked at the two of them. ¡°Are you the grandfather and grandson from Apricot Flower Village?¡± In the imperial study. The atmosphere was extremely cold. Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Where did you go when you were cultivating in the temple?¡± Wei Ting said nothing. He could not admit that he had left the temple not only because he would be charged with lying to the emperor, or any other crime. Instead, he didn¡¯t want to expose the three children. Under normal circumstances, when everyone found out that he had sons outside, they would at most sigh. It turned out that Wei Ting was not a gentleman. However, if this matter was related to cultivation, it was inevitable that people would think that he had planned it long ago. He had deliberately taken the initiative to go to the temple and fade away from everyone¡¯s sight, but he had actually secretly gone to Qingzhou. Did he have to go through so much trouble for three illegitimate children? The answer was no. Emperor Jing Xuan was suspicious by nature and would definitely investigate the backgrounds of the three children¡­ Chapter 288 - Chapter 288: Successful Counterattack Chapter 288: Successful Counterattack Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios That¡¯s right. The most terrifying thing in the entire matter was not the crime of deceiving the emperor, nor was it the crime of him ¡°colluding¡± with the Qin family. As long as he was still useful, Emperor Jing Xuan would not take his life. He had enough ways to clear his name. But the three children¡­ He could not let Emperor Jing Xuan notice the three children! Eunuch Quan entered with sweat all over his forehead and bowed respectfully. ¡°Your Majesty! I¡¯ve brought them!¡± Old Master Su and Brother Su were brought into the imperial study. On the way here, Eunuch Quan repeatedly reminded the two of them to follow the rules. They must not offend the emperor and remember to kowtow. The two of them were honest farmers. It was already scary enough to see the Marquis in the capital. Now that they had entered the palace and were about to meet Emperor Jingxuan¡­ Their legs were too weak to stand up, and they fell to the ground when they got out of the carriage. The eunuchs supported them for a long time. Eunuch Quan said all kinds of good and bad things. He knocked and reminded them before finally comforting the two of them. ¡°Come in and kneel,¡± Eunuch Quan reminded softly, his eyebrows filled with disdain. The two of them knelt on the ground and kowtowed! Emperor Jing Xuan raised his hand. The two of them did not dare to look up, so they naturally did not see it. Eunuch Quan glanced at them. The two of them were too nervous and only cared about kowtowing. Eunuch Fu said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to kowtow.¡± Only then did the two of them stop. They looked up curiously at the man on the dragon throne. Eunuch Quan coughed heavily. ¡°Ahem!¡± The two of them suddenly remembered Eunuch Quan¡¯s reminder¡ªdon¡¯t look directly at the holy face. Old Master Su and Eldest Brother Su hurriedly lowered their heads and trembled! Consort Xian covered her nose with a handkerchief in disdain. Country bumpkins stank! Old Master Su and Brother Su were so frightened that they broke out in a sweat. Eunuch Fu¡¯s expression did not change. When Eunuch Quan saw that they had provoked Consort Xian, he was so angry that he glared at the two of them! Wei Ting¡¯s expression was as calm as ever, and a cold glint flashed across his eyes. ¡°Your Majesty, quickly interrogate them, ¡± Concubine Xian said coquettishly. She really couldn¡¯t stand the unpleasant smell on the two of them. Jingxuan Emperor Dynasty Wei Ting looked at him deeply. ¡°Wei Ting, I gave you a chance.¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Concubine Xian urged. She had already brought the witness! She could not give Wei Ting a chance to admit his mistake! The military power of the Qin family and the Su family belonged to her son. How dare a young son of the Wei family snatch things from his son? What nonsense! Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s gentle gaze landed on Old Master Su and Brother Su. ¡°What are your names? Where are you from?¡± This was the emperor. The emperor¡¯s aura made the two of them almost unable to breathe. Old Master Su kowtowed again and said shakily, ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Su Gu. He¡¯s my eldest grandson¡­ Brother¡­ Brother Su¡­ We¡¯re from Apricot Flower Village in Qingzhou. ¡± ¡°From the same village as Su Cheng?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked. Old Master Su had heard Su Cheng¡¯s name for half his life. In the past, he only felt disdain. Now, he knew that he was not worthy. Old Master Su replied in fear and trepidation, ¡°Yes¡­ we used to live in a village¡­ After that¡­ they moved to the capital¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Do you know someone called Wei Ting?¡± Old Master Su forgot the rules again and looked up in a daze. ¡°Wei¡­ Mr. Wei? He¡¯s the only one in the village with the surname Wei.¡± Eunuch Quan winked. Do not stare at the emperor! How unruly! Emperor Jing Xuan did not mind. He paid attention to the etiquette of the imperial court, but that depended on the person. It was disrespectful for his subjects to not observe it but how could these country bumpkins understand this? Emperor Jing Xuan thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s him. Tell me about him.¡± Old Master Su stammered, ¡°He¡­ is the live-in son-in-law of the Su family¡­ Su Cheng¡¯s family!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan gestured for Old Master Su to continue. Old Master Su continued, ¡°Mr. Wei isn¡¯t from our village¡­ The first time I saw him was at the beginning of winter. He came to the village entrance and lingered. I asked him who he was looking for and he asked me if there was a family with the surname Su in the village. I said that my surname is Su. He said that it wasn¡¯t me. He said the family moved here more than ten years ago and the head of the family was probably in his thirties. When I heard that he was here to ask about the Su family, I didn¡¯t have a good expression.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Why?¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°The Su family doesn¡¯t have a good reputation in the village. Su Cheng has been an escort outside and knows many people. I didn¡¯t take it to heart. I didn¡¯t expect him to become the live-in son-in-law of the Su family a month later.¡± A thought-provoking glint flashed across Emperor Jing Xuand¡¯s eyes. ¡°You mean¡­ Wei Ting first investigated the Su family before coming to their house to be a live-in son-in-law?¡± Old Master Su hurriedly said, ¡°Mr. Wei didn¡¯t come personally. He was injured and was picked up by Su Cheng. Coincidentally, Su Daya¡¯s engagement was broken, so Su Cheng asked him to be his daughter¡¯s husband.¡± Consort Xian took advantage of the situation and said, ¡°Your Majesty! Listen! Wei Ting really has ulterior motives!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan frowned and said to the two of them, ¡°Look up.¡± Old Master Su and Brother Su raised their heads trembling, their eyes filled with panic. Emperor Jing Xuan narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± The two of them trembled! Emperor Jing Xuan said coldly, ¡°Men, drag them away and flog them a hundred times until they¡¯re willing to tell the truth!¡± Four powerful eunuchs immediately walked in and dragged the two of them out without a word. Old Master Su cried out, ¡°Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! I was forced¡­¡¯ Emperor Jing Xuan raised his hand indifferently. The eunuchs put him down. Old Master Su fell to the ground and trembled. ¡°I¡­ I was forced¡­ Those words¡­ were said by someone¡­ who threatened me¡­ I just left the Marquis of Zhenbei this morning¡­ I wanted to find a cheap caravan to return to Qingzhou¡­ Unexpectedly, I was captured¡­¡¯ ¡°That person gave me a pile of silver and taught me¡­ to say those words¡­ He even threatened me¡­ If I don¡¯t obey him¡­ he¡¯ll let me and my grandson die in the capital¡­¡¯ Emperor Jing Xuan asked suspiciously, ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing?¡± It was unknown where Su Dalang got the courage from, but he quickly said, ¡°Your Majesty! What my grandfather said is all true!¡± Consort Xian¡¯s expression changed. What was Qin Jiang doing? Couldn¡¯t he even control two farmers? He had revealed his true colors so quickly! Emperor Jing Xuan continued, ¡°What exactly is going on with that Mr. Wei?¡± Old Master Su broke out in a cold sweat and said, son-in-law that Su Cheng picked up. I¡¯m not lying never been to the village before¡­ He¡¯s never asked Emperor Jing Xuan pointed at Wei Ting. ¡°Look up. Concubine Xian¡¯s frown relaxed again. That was right. Even if she couldn¡¯t frame Wei Ting for deliberately approaching the Qin family, she could at least prove that Wei Ting had appeared in Qingzhou. Then Wei Ting would have committed the crime of deceiving the emperor! ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Old Master Su said. Consort Xian¡¯s body swayed. ¡°What did you say? You don¡¯t know him? Look carefully!¡± Old Master Su said in a daze, ¡°I-I saw it clearly¡­ I really don¡¯t know him.¡± Concubine Xian said seriously, ¡°He¡¯s Wei Ting! That Mr. Wei from your village!¡± Old Master Su looked at Wei Ting and shook his head. ¡°No, he¡¯s not. Mr.. Wei doesn¡¯t look like this!¡± Chapter 289 - Chapter 289: Perfect Resolution Chapter 289: Perfect Resolution Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Consort Xian pointed at Old Master Su¡¯s nose and said, ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Old Master Su looked wronged. ¡°I¡¯m not lying!¡± Wei Ting looked at Old Master Su meaningfully. Old Master Su knelt on the ground and looked at Emperor Jing Xuan, who was sitting on the dragon chair. ¡°Your Majesty! I¡¯m not lying! I really don¡¯t know him!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan fell into deep thought. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked suspiciously, ¡°Wait, I heard that Su Daya has three sons. If she only got married at the end of last year, where did her sons come from?¡± Wei Ting looked at Old Master Su again. Old Master Su said, ¡°Are you talking about Dahu and the others? They¡¯re not the biological children of the family. Su Cheng carried them back from outside and raised them under the names of Eldest Miss Su and Mr. Wei. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can send someone to the village to ask. The villagers know!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan continued, ¡°Isn¡¯t Mr. Wei actually Wei Ting?¡± Old Master Su said, ¡°I only Imow his surname is Wei. I don¡¯t know if his name is Wei Ting.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan frowned. Old Master Su explained, ¡°We country bumpkins don¡¯t have much knowledge. It¡¯s all nonsense. A live-in son-in-law who didn¡¯t grow up in the village. It¡¯s already good enough to have a title. No one asked for his name. Even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t know how to write it.¡± Eunuch Fu came from the countryside. When he was young, his family was poor, so he was sold to the palace to be a eunuch. He whispered to Emperor Jing Xuan, ¡°It¡¯s the same in my village.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan pondered for a moment. ¡°Where is this person?¡± Eunuch Fu said, ¡°I don¡¯t think he came to the capital.¡± ¡°The entire family is here. Isn¡¯t he coming?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan looked at Old Master Su again. Old Master Su hurriedly kowtowed. ¡°I was captured and brought to the Marquis of Zhenbei¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened after the Su family¡­¡± The two ordinary commoners had not made any big mistakes. He could not torture them immediately or what would the world think of him, the emperor? Emperor Jing Xuan pinched the space between his eyebrows and asked Eunuch Quan to bring them away. At this point, Consort Xian knew that there was no chance. What exactly was going on? Was Qin Jiang playing with her? She bit her lip. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuani said calmly, ¡°Where did you hear the news? Are you talking about Wei Ting or Mr. Wei?¡± What Consort Xian heard was naturally Wei Ting, but that old man just now swore that he did not know Wei Ting¡­ Seeing that Concubine Xian was silent, Emperor Jing Xuan sighed. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just that his surname happens to be Wei. Don¡¯t listen to rumors in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, I was rash.¡± Consort Xian bowed unwillingly. Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°All of you can leave.¡± Concubine Xian said softly, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve made chicken soup in my palace¡­¡± Concubine Xian gritted her teeth secretly. After entering the palace for so many years, she had been careful all the time and took every step to firmly grasp Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s heart. Now, she had angered Emperor Jing Xuan! ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Consort Xian bowed and left the imperial study weakly. After there was no one else around, she grabbed Liu Sande¡¯s arm tightly and stomped her feet in anger. Liu Sande gasped. He muttered in his heart, ¡°Goddess, ancestor, it hurt!¡± In the imperial study, Emperor Jing Xuan looked at Wei Ting indifferently. ¡°You too¡­¡± Before Emperor Jing Xuan could finish, Wei Ting cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan choked and glared coldly at Wei Ting. He waved his hand for Wei Ting to leave. After leaving the palace, Wei Ting got into the carriage. The secret guard said, ¡°Young Master, I saw the grandfather and grandson of the Su family enter the palace just now. Have they found your whereabouts?¡± Wei Ting snorted. ¡°Consort Xian.¡± The secret guard was puzzled. ¡°Consort Xian? Did Third Prince do it?¡± Wei Ting said thoughtfully, ¡°Xiao Zhonghua isn¡¯t that stupid. If he wanted to expose me, he would have done so long ago. There¡¯s no need to wait until now. Moreover, he only dares to expose that I was not in the temple and instigate a search. He doesn¡¯t dare to say that he saw me in Qingzhou.¡± ¡°If Xiao Zhonghua dared to expose that he had been to Qingzhou, he would expose that he was secretly looking for a Commander¡¯s Seal. At most, we would fight to the death.¡± The secret guard was stunned. ¡°His Highness¡­ didn¡¯t tell His Majesty about the Commander¡¯s Seal?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°He wants to pocket that army himself. Of course, he won¡¯t let his biological father know.¡± The secret guard sighed. ¡°Back in Qingzhou, you were accidentally bumped into by the Third Prince¡¯s men¡­ If it weren¡¯t for the fact that you were protecting the three young masters, Young Master¡­ you wouldn¡¯t have released the news of the Commander¡¯s Seal.¡¯ It was a coincidence to meet Xiao Zhonghua in Qingzhou. Not only did Wei Ting not expect it, but Xiao Zhonghua was also very surprised. It was true that Wei Ting had gone to Qingzhou to get the Commander¡¯s Seal and pick up the children. In order to protect the three children, Wei Ting chose to reveal the Commander¡¯s Seal. Xiao Zhonghua really thought that his only purpose in coming to Qingzhou was to take back the Commander¡¯s Seal left behind by his grandfather. Xiao Zhonghua did not care much about the three children. The reason why Xiao Zhonghua did not care was firstly that he had the military power to divert attention. Secondly, Xiao Zhonghua knew nothing about some things back then and could not suspect anything. ¡°Are the three young masters alright?¡± the secret guard asked. ¡°They¡¯re okay,¡± Wei Ting said. Since they had been ¡°picked up¡± by the Su family, it had nothing to do with him. Even if Emperor Jing Xuan saw the three little fellows in the future, he would not easily suspect them. While the secret guard heaved a sigh of relief, he was also very puzzled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Old Master Su identify Young Master?¡± Wei Ting flicked his wide sleeves. ¡°Why else?¡± The secret guard asked, ¡°Why?¡± He didn¡¯t know! Pear Blossom Lane. A troupe came in the day and sang for half a day. The three little ones did not sleep at all. When they heard that they would only return in the evening, they were excited from listening to the show and were running around the courtyard. Su Xiaoxiao had returned from the Marquis Mansion and was drying herbs in front. Although the three of them were naughty, they never destroyed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s things. Her herbs were very safe. Father Su and Su Ergou did not receive such treatment. Swoosh! Dahu went over. A dustpan of corn fell. Phew! Erhu went over! A whole string of chili dropped. Tsk! Xiaohu jumped up. Su Cheng exploded. ¡°My pickled vegetables!¡± Fortunately, he snatched it quickly. Xiaohu, who had jumped into the pickle jar was swiftly grabbed by Su Cheng. After drying the herbs, Su Xiaoxiao came over with formula milk. The three little ones immediately stopped being naughty and took the small milk bottle with both hands. They sat on the small stool and gurgled milk. They were especially obedient. When Wei Ting arrived home, the three little ones had already finished their milk and were caught by Su Cheng to take a shower. Su Ergou was feeding the horses in the backyard. Wei Ting walked over and looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who was drying herbs. He asked, ¡°Your idea? Or Su Mo¡¯s?¡± He was referring to Old Master Su making a fake testimony in the imperial study. Su Xiaoxiao said innocently, ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand.¡± It would be strange if Wei Ting believed her. It was definitely her idea if she looked like this. Wei Ting said, ¡°You deliberately let the Su family go first and let them fall into Qin Che¡¯s hands¡­ No, it was Qin Jiang. You made Qin Jiang think that he had seized a chance to turn things around. Su Dalang shouldn¡¯t know that the person who made a deal with Su MO was Old Master Su.¡± Wei Ting was not stupid. Since Xiao Zhonghua was excluded, only Qin Jiang was left. Qin Jiang¡¯s goal was not to kill him but to achieve his goal of seeding fears in Emperor Jing Xuan by exposing him, the Qin family, and the Su family. What was the thing that Emperor Jing Xuan was most afraid of? The Wei family¡¯s rebellion. Emperor Jing Xuan would never let the military power of the Qin and Su families fall into Wei Ting¡¯s hands. Thus, there were only two choices left. The first option was for Emperor Jing Xuan to break up this young couple and let Xiao Zhonghua marry the real daughter of the Qin family. The second option was that Xiao Zhonghua and Qin Yanran¡¯s marriage would not change. The military power would be handed over to Qin Jiang. After considering all the factors, Emperor Jing Xuan would choose the latter. However, Qin Jiang did not expect her and the Marquis of Zhenbei to beat him at his own game and clear all the suspicion. Wei Ting looked at her meaningfully. ¡®With Madam¡¯s brains, it¡¯s a pity not to be a strategist. Aren¡¯t you afraid that His Majesty will really send someone to the village to investigate?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°Investigate. With Yu Niang and Village Head around, I¡¯ll lose¡­ Hubby.¡± Since he called her Madam, she naturally had to call him Hubby in return. Courtesy demanded reciprocity. Wei Ting said, ¡°How bold.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Same to you.¡± No matter how bold a person was or how productive the land was, it would be over! This guy was not easy to deal with. Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and looked at him. ¡°So were you really a monk?¡± She had already heard from Su MO about his heroic act of becoming a monk. Wei Ting didn¡¯t blush. ¡°No.¡± He changed the topic. ¡°Why did you think of asking Old Master Su to say that Dahu and the others were picked up by your father?¡± He seemed to have never mentioned the backgrounds of the three little ones to her. Had she guessed something? Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°After crossing that path in front of the emperor, the sons will be mine from now on!¡± The corners of Wei Ting¡¯s mouth twitched. After all this¡­ was this girl just trying to snatch his sons? Wei Ting approached her step by step. Su Xiaoxiao was sunbathing when she suddenly felt a powerful aura surrounding her. She looked up in a daze. Wei Ting was already inches away. He placed a hand on the wooden stake beside her shoulder and leaned slightly toward her. Was this guy pressing her against the wall? As Wei Ting stared at her dangerously, his voice was cold and hoarse. ¡°Then how do you plan to explain the missing Mr. Wei. to His Majesty? Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Uh¡­ this¡­ In the house, Xiaohu sat in the bathtub and sang a little opera. ¡°The young widow went to visit the grave Ah My lover left early Ah Poor me I¡¯m dragging along three children Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Wei Ting was dumbfounded.. Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: The Power of the Three Little Ones (1) Chapter 290: The Power of the Three Little Ones (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Consort Xian returned to Qi Xiang Palace, she was so angry that she could not eat. ¡°What are you doing!¡± She scolded Liu Sande angrily. Liu Sande was wronged. ¡°Your Highness¡­ Qin Jiang¡¯s guard did tell me that¡­ I don¡¯t know how things turned out like this.¡± Concubine Xian said coldly, ¡°Useless!¡± It was unknown if he was scolding Qin Jiang or Liu Sande. ¡°Who made Mother unhappy? Xiao Zhonghua smiled and entered. Seeing her son, Consort Xian¡¯s anger finally subsided. She glared at Liu Sande, who was kneeling on the ground, and snorted. ¡°Hurry up and get out!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Liu Sande quickly got up and retreated. Nanny Gui brought the rest of the palace servants out. Xiao Zhonghua sat down beside Concubine Xian and asked gently, ¡°Mother, why are you so angry?¡± Consort Xian hesitated for a moment. ¡°Forget it, there¡¯s no harm in telling you.¡± She told her about Qin Jiang joining her. ¡°He kept saying that Wei Ting went to Qingzhou and even married the eldest daughter of the Protector Duke¡­ In the end, the people from the village came over and it wasn¡¯t Wei Ting at all! Your father is angry! He must be blaming me for causing trouble for no reason!¡± Thinking of this, Consort Xian felt extremely aggrieved. When Xiao Zhonghua heard this, he was shocked. As a prince, he had learned to hide his emotions since he was young. This was the first time he had been so blunt. ¡°Mother, who did you just say¡­ was Wei Ting¡¯s wife?¡± Concubine Xian said, ¡°She¡¯s Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter who wandered among the commoners¡­ What¡¯s her name¡­ Su Daya¡­ Wait, it¡¯s not Wei Ting! It¡¯s just someone with the same surname! ¡± She held her throbbing temples and gasped. ¡®My brain¡­ is almost dizzy.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said seriously, ¡°Mother, are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken¡­ The little fat girl from the Su family in Qingzhou¡¯s Apricot Flower Village¡­ is the eldest daughter of the Protector Duke?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her. Why?¡± At this moment, Consort Xian was in a fit of anger and did not notice that her son was addressing an unfamiliar woman with some familiarity. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already ask Liu Sande to tell you yesterday? Qin Che isn¡¯t Qin Canglan¡¯s biological son, and Qin Yanran isn¡¯t his biological granddaughter. His biological granddaughter is a country girl who grew up in the countryside. I thought you didn¡¯t react?¡± Liu Sande¡¯s original words were: Third Prince was very calm. In other words, the Third Prince did not care who his fianc¨¦e became. As a prince of a country, he knew very well that his marriage was a political marriage. Consort Xian could not guess her son¡¯s thoughts and thought that he had finally come back to his senses. It was right to be shocked. She gritted her teeth. ¡°Damn Qin Jiang! How dare you fool me!¡± Xiao Zhonghua knew better than anyone that Qin Jiang was not fooling Concubine Xian. Wei Ting was the young man from Apricot Flower Village. He just did not expect that Miss Su who treated his lung disease would be the eldest daughter of the Protector Duke. At night, Xiao Zhonghua went to the Jing family. In the study, Marquis Jing dismissed the servants. After Marquis Jing heard what happened, he said shrewdly, ¡°It seems that Qin Jiang fell for the trap of the Marquis of Zhenbei. He was too anxious. He¡¯s still young.¡± Qin Jiang was the father of two children. He was not young, but in terms of seniority, Marquis Jing was in the same generation as Qin Canglan and Su Shuo. He looked at Xiao Zhonghua again. ¡°What are your plans, Third Prince? Are you going to expose Wei Ting?¡± Xiao Zhonghua shook his head. ¡°Not only can¡¯t I expose him, but I also have to help him hide his whereabouts in Qingzhou. Otherwise, with his personality, ne Will det1n1telY drag me down witn nlm.¡± That kid was indeed capable of such a thing. Marquis Jing sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get the Commander¡¯s Seal.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°Grandpa, please continue to send people to keep an eye on him. We will find an opportunity.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Marquis Jing thought of something else and said with a solemn expression, ¡®What¡¯s going on with Wei Ting¡¯s marriage with that girl? Was he really trying to get close to the daughter of the Qin family?¡± Xiao Zhonghua thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Marquis Jing continued, ¡°In that case, that girl is Third Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e. What does Third Prince plan to do?¡± Xiao Zhonghua looked at the endless night and said in a low voice, ¡°The Wei family and the Qin family¡­ can¡¯t be unified through marriage.¡± Night fell. Pear Blossom Alley was filled with the fragrance of rice. The Su family also began to eat. ¡°I want jam,¡± Xiaohu said. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned to go to the kitchen.. Chapter 291 - Chapter 291: The Power of the Three Little Ones (2) Chapter 291: The Power of the Three Little Ones (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting shot him a cold look. ¡°Take it yourself!¡± Xiaohu trembled. His father was so fierce today. Xiaohu jumped off the chair resentfully and swung his head. ¡°The young widow is going to visit the grave Wei Ting trembled. ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re not allowed to listen to opera again!¡± Xiaohu felt aggrieved. What was wrong with listening to the show? He learned so much! Shouldn¡¯t his father praise him? Dinner was corn flour steamed buns and a mandarin duck pot. Father Su and Su Ergou had the heavy spicy soup base. Su Xiaoxiao and the three little ones had the mushroom soup base. Wei Ting was not picky. The family finished five catties of lamb chops, two catties of ribs, two catties of plum blossom meat, and a large plate of mushrooms and vegetables. Of course, there were also three dishes of their favorite lotus root and glutinous rice pearl balls. This was not enough. She added some noodles. The family was full. Su Ergou lay on a rattan chair in the backyard and bathed in the moonlight with the three little ones. Wei Ting went to the kitchen to boil water. Suddenly, a man in black flashed in. It was not a secret guard, but Yuchi Xiu. ¡°Sir, that bastard Xiao Zhonghua is going to plot against you!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the secret guard came. He did not come alone. Behind him was the white-robed man in the bamboo hat. The appearance of the white-robed man basically meant that Matriarch Wei had given an order. He said, ¡°Young Master, the Matriarch wants you to return to the residence immediately.¡± At the Wei family, Matriarch Wei did not eat in her courtyard today. Instead, she went to the small ancestral hall of the mansion. This place was decked with the memorial tablets of the Wei family¡¯s ancestors, which included Old General Wei, and the others. When Wei Ting and the white-robed man arrived at the small ancestral hall, Matriarch Wei had just finished serving the last incense. Matriarch Wei did not turn around and said calmly, ¡°Come here and offer incense to your grandfather and father.¡± Wei Ting entered as instructed. He raised his hands and respectfully took the lit incense from Matriarch Wei. He bowed to his grandfather¡¯s memorial tablet and inserted it into the incense burner. ¡°Your father¡¯s.¡± Matriarch Wei handed him a few more lit incense sticks. Wei Ting also offered incense to his father. ¡°Your six brothers¡¯.¡± Wei Ting also offered incense to his brothers. Only then did Matriarch Wei open her eyes and look at him. She said with a serious expression, ¡°Kneel.¡± Wei Ting knelt on the futon. The man in white hugged his sword and turned around, to guard the door in silence. Matriarch Wei said slowly and coldly, ¡°I heard some news. The Third Prince sent someone to secretly reveal it to me. Let¡¯s not talk about his motives for now. I only ask you, are you really entangled with the Qin family?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Grandmother, she¡¯s not from the Qin family.¡± Matriarch Wei said coldly, ¡°Yes, her surname is Su. She grew up among the commoners and has never received any kindness from the Qin family. She has never eaten a grain of rice from the Qin family. The grudges between the Wei and Qin families have nothing to do with her. Wei Xichao, is that what you want to say? Wei Ting said nothing. Matriarch Wei snorted coldly. ¡°I think you¡¯ve forgotten who killed your grandfather back then! If Qin Canglan hadn¡¯t deliberately delayed the provisions and reinforcements, would your grandfather have been captured by the people of Beiyan (Northern Yan)? Qin Canglan used Beiyan to get rid of your grandfather. Have you forgotten this score?!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Every injustice has its perpetrator and every debt has its debtor. I¡¯ll take revenge.¡± Matriarch Wei leaned on the four-python walking stick that was almost as tall as a person. ¡°What a good saying. Every injustice has its perpetrator and every debt has its debtor. Let me ask you, I¡¯ll have you kill Qin Canglan now. Are you going or not!¡± Wei Ting stood up and walked out without a word. Matriarch Wei¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What are you doing? Wei Ting said, ¡°Kill Qin Canglan.¡± ¡°Come back here!¡± Matriarch Wei shouted! Wei Ting obediently turned back. Matriarch Wei was furious. ¡°Can you kill him? Do you really think Qin Canglan is made of paper?¡± Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°Grandmother asked me to kill him. I won¡¯t hesitate even if I have to risk my life.¡± Matriarch Wei mocked, ¡°You make it sound nice, but you know that I won¡¯t really let you go!¡± Qin Canglan had fought with Lord Wu An for many years. Matriarch Wei knew better than anyone how dangerous he was. She looked at Wei Ting steadily and said solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you were fooling around in Qingzhou. If it were an ordinary country girl, it¡¯s not impossible to let you keep her in the room. However, if the women of the Qin family want to enter our Wei family, I advise you to give up!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± A childish voice suddenly came from the empty space outside the house. Matriarch Wei was stunned. ¡°It¡¯s a stone lion.¡± Yuchi Xiu said.. Chapter 292 - Chapter 292: The Power of the Three Little Ones (3) Chapter 292: The Power of the Three Little Ones (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Can I touch it?¡± Xiaohu asked. Yuchi Xiu said indecently, ¡°Sure. Anyway, you can touch whatever you want. It¡¯s fine even if you break it.¡± Matriarch Wei suddenly felt excited. At this moment, a small round head poked in. He first looked at Wei Ting and then at Matriarch Wei. His little head tilted. The threshold was a little high. He had to crawl in on his hands and knees. Halfway up, he suddenly remembered something and asked very politely, ¡°Can I come in?¡± Wei Ting looked at Matriarch Wei calmly. ¡°Grandmother?¡± Matriarch Wei¡¯s gaze landed on the child¡¯s face, and her eyes moistened. ¡°Come, come in! Come in quickly!¡± She threw away her walking stick and walked towards the child. She was so excited that she staggered. Wei Ting held her and sighed pretentiously. ¡°Is there a need to do this for a little brat?¡± Matriarch Wei glared at him. Wei Ting let go. The kid crawled in, sweating. She also raised her small sleeve and wiped her forehead. Matriarch Wei¡¯s heart melted. ¡°You¡­ you are¡­¡± The kid looked up and said politely, ¡°I¡¯m Dahu.¡± ¡°Da, Dahu? Good name¡­ good name!¡± Matriarch Wei reached out shakily, wanting to touch the child, but she was worried that she would scare him. When Erhu saw his brother enter, he climbed in too. When Matriarch Wei saw another little bean, she became even more excited. ¡°This is¡­ Erhu said crisply, ¡°I¡¯m Erhu.¡± Xiaohu turned around. His brothers had all disappeared. He stopped playing with the stone lion and came in to look for his brothers. He didn¡¯t climb as hard. He threw his small body against the door sill and rolled into it. Matriarch Wei was shocked, afraid that the little guy would break his body. Matriarch Wei quickly asked, ¡°This is Xiaohu, right?¡± Xiao Hu quickly got up from the ground and pattered to his father and brother¡¯s side. He patted his chest. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m Xiaohu!¡± ¡°Greet your great-grandma,¡± Wei Ting said. The three of them obediently greeted their great-grandmother. ¡°Aye!¡± Tears flickered in Matriarch Wei¡¯s eyes. How could she still have the dignity of a Matriarch at this moment? She was completely like a little old lady who could not walk after seeing her great-grandsons. ¡°Daddy, where is this?¡± Xiaohu looked up and asked. Wei Ting did not answer. On the other hand, Matriarch Wei said in a trembling voice, ¡°It¡¯s your home!¡± The three of them shook their heads. Dahu said, ¡°This isn¡¯t our home.¡± Erhu said, ¡°Our house is in Pear Blossom Alley.¡± Xiaohu echoed, ¡°Pear Blossom Alley!¡± Their mother was in Pear Blossom Alley, their grandfather was in Pear Blossom Alley, and their uncle was in Pear Blossom Alley. Everyone was in Pear Blossom Alley. Matriarch Wei hurriedly said, ¡°This is your house¡­ You guys come home¡­¡± The three of them retreated in unison and hid behind Wei Ting. maonu rmseu ms neau anu asKeu, ??vvno IS uns great-granumocner: IS sne not letting us go home?¡± Wei Ting patted the three of them on the shoulders. ¡°No. Go out and play for a while. Daddy will bring you home later. Yuchi Xiu!¡± Yuchi Xiu came over and brought the three little fellows out. Matriarch Wei realized that she had lost her composure just now. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and said, ¡°Let them return to the residence.¡± If she could tolerate it when she did not see them, how could she bear to send them away when she saw them? Wei Ting sighed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid they can¡¯t come back now.¡± Matriarch Wei frowned. ¡°Are you worried that the residence is not safe? I¡¯ll send more people¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Wei Ting told him about Concubine Xian looking for Old Master Su to testify about his whereabouts, but he turned Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s idea into his. Matriarch Wei¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wei Ting raised his head to look at the moon. ¡°What I mean is that¡­ she has already passed the path in front of the emperor. The sons are hers. If you want Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu to return to the Wei family, I can only marry her. I have to marry her in the name of the main wife. Otherwise, the Dahu and the others will be the sons of a concubine.¡± Matriarch Wei was speechless.. Chapter 293 - Chapter 293: Fighting for Favor Chapter 293: Fighting for Favor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The three little ones squatted in the courtyard to catch crickets. It was dark. No one knew how they saw the crickets. Xiaohu caught a big one and came over to show it off to his brothers. Unexpectedly, compared to Dahu and Erhu, the younger brother was still the younger brother. Xiaohu was unhappy and shook his head. ¡°Hmph, I won¡¯t catch it anymore! I¡¯ll go ride a horse!¡± The stone lion was too tall for him to climb up. He used his hands and feet, sweating profusely. It was Dahu and Erhu who came over. The two brothers supported his butt with all their might and pushed him up. Xiaohu rode the mighty and domineering stone lion in satisfaction and shook his head proudly. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, come over too!¡± Sometimes he addressed them as his brothers, sometimes by name. The small ancestral hall was remote and there were no unrelated people around. Other than the white-robed man, the secret guard, and Yuchi Xiu, there was only an old nanny who had served Matriarch Wei for many years. ¡°The young masters are so lively.¡± the old nanny said. The secret guard said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this in the past.¡± The old nanny looked at him in confusion. The secret guard deliberated for a moment and felt that the old nanny was one of them and could be trusted, so he told her about the young masters¡¯ past he had heard from Yuchi Xiu. ¡°At first, it was very tragic¡­ especially tragic¡­ They were as thin as monkeys¡­ They didn¡¯t say anything when they met people¡­¡± The three little ones were tired of playing and began to look for Su Xiaoxiao. The three of them walked in and grabbed Wei Ting¡¯s hand. ¡°I want Mother.¡± Wei Ting remained silent and looked at Matriarch Wei silently. Old Madam Wei said kindly to the three little ones, ¡°Sleep in Great-Grandma¡¯s room, okay? Great-Grandma¡¯s room has a lot of delicious food and fun things. Whatever you want, Great-Grandma will get it for you.¡± ¡°I want mother,¡± Dahu said. ¡°Mother,¡± Erhu said. Xiaohu was about to cry. Although they had fun during the day and were fine with anyone, they only wanted Su Xiaoxiao at night. Wei Ting had spent a lot of effort to bring them out tonight. ¡°Mother¡­¡± The three of them wanted Su Xiaoxiao, and there was a weak cry in their voices. Their little heads rubbed against Wei Ting¡¯s legs anxiously. Xiaohu began to scratch his head. Looking at the three of them¡¯s uncomfortable and aggrieved expressions, Matriarch Wei¡¯s heart ached. In the end, Matriarch Wei let Wei Ting leave with them. Looking at the disappearing figures in the night, Old Madam Wei did not retract her gaze for a long time. Nanny Li brought a cloak to Matriarch Wei¡¯s side. ¡°It¡¯s cold at night. Be careful not to catch a cold.¡± Nanny Li draped the cloak over Old Madam Wei. Matriarch Wei¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°The children are so strong, like calves.¡± Nanny Li said, ¡°I heard that when Young Master first found them, they almost died.¡± Old Madam Wei frowned. Nanny Li said, ¡°Young Master probably didn¡¯t want you to be sad, so he didn¡¯t tell you. When Young Master found them in a cellar, the wet nurse was already dead. The three of them were lying beside the corpse. I don¡¯t know how long they¡¯ve been hungry for, but they were only left with their last breath.¡± Old Madam Wei¡¯s heart clenched. Nanny Li said in a low voice, ¡°After coming out, the three young masters were stunned like three frightened quails. They were not strong and were only skin and bones. Their behavior¡­ was also different from ordinary children.¡± ¡°After Young Master was by their side for a while, they improved a little, but they only became normal after he found them a stepmother.¡± Old Madam Wei frowned. ¡°You mean that girl from the Qin family?¡± Nanny Li nodded. ¡°That¡¯s her.¡± Matriarch Wei snorted coldly. ¡°Hmph, did that kid deliberately get someone to fabricate these for you to hear? He wants to use you to blow the wind beside my ear! ¡± Nanny Li said, ¡°Matriarch, Fu Su is your person.¡± Fu Su was the secret guard driving the carriage beside Wei Ting. Old Madam Wei said with a dark expression, ¡°He has long sided with outsiders. If he was really on my side, would he have hidden that girl¡¯s background? If not for the Third Prince secretly letting me know, I wouldn¡¯t have known that my grandson had married the enemy¡¯s flesh and blood!¡± Nanny Li hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Third Prince has ulterior motives.¡± Matriarch Wei said without thinking, ¡°Of course, he doesn¡¯t have good intentions. There¡¯s no need for him to sow discord. The hatred of killing my husband is irreconcilable. I won¡¯t let my grandson marry the Qin family¡¯s girl for the sake of military power! I can¡¯t sacrifice my grandson!¡± Nanny Li muttered to herself, ¡°It¡¯s not a sacrifice. Young Master is quite willing¡­ Nanny Li sighed. ¡°What about the young masters? If we really let her marry someone else, will the young masters be given the surname of someone else and call someone else Dad?¡± Matriarch Wei¡¯s fatal point was hit. Early the next morning, Emperor Jing Xuan summoned Qin Canglan to the palace again. Qin Canglan sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Your Majesty had such an intimate relationship with me.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was speechless. Emperor Jing Xuan had called Qin Canglan over to discuss the matter of the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate. He first asked for some details about Su Xiaoxiao in the countryside, especially about Mr. Wei. Su MO had long sent Qin Canglan Old Master Su¡¯s ¡°confession¡±, so Qin Canlan naturally would not answer wrongly. Emperor Jing Xuan continued, ¡°Since she was married, why didn¡¯t you bring him along when you entered the capital? Could it be that¡­ your son doesn¡¯t want this son-in-law anymore?¡± Qin Canglan could only wish that were the case. He couldn¡¯t wait for Su Cheng to chase that kid from the Wei family out of the house. However, things did not go according to his wishes. He was the one who was chased out. Qin Canglan had a regretful expression. ¡°It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to take care of him, but he¡¯s sick and can¡¯t travel. He¡¯s recuperating in the countryside.¡± ¡°Is it that serious?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked. Qin Canglan sighed. ¡°Yes, he might go one day.¡± He really wanted to strangle Wei Ting to death. Seeing that the topic was getting heavier, Emperor Jing Xuan stopped. He changed the topic and said, ¡°I want to see your son.¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s mood fell. ¡°Your Majesty, my son once witnessed his biological mother¡¯s tragic death and can¡¯t recall that past until now. I don¡¯t want him to be agitated and have yet to acknowledge him.¡± If Emperor Jing Xuan was a tyrant, he could have invited Su Cheng into the palace. However, he was a wise ruler. It was not good to force this situation. Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Then it won¡¯t be too late to bring him to the palace for me to see after you have reunited.¡± Qin Canglan cupped his hands and said, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan glanced at him. ¡°You won¡¯t make me wait too long, right?¡± Qin Canglan paused and said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said. ¡°Your biological son is the Protector Duke. I won¡¯t withdraw this imperial edict. However, Su Cheng has grown up among the commoners. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s difficult for him to become an official in the court. What do you think?¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes moved as he cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Majesty is right.¡± After leaving the palace, Qin Canglan went to the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate and told the Old Marquis about the conversation in the imperial study. Emperor Jing Xuan spoke very vaguely, but Qin Canglan was not stupid. Generals just did not like to play tricks, but it did not mean that they were not capable of doing so. What Emperor Jing Xuan meant was that Su Cheng would be an idle Duke and not have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of his life. The military power would continue to be handed over to Qin Jiang. The Qin family had earned military power with blood and tears. Instead of handing it to others, it was better to hand it to his brother. After all, Qin Jiang was of the Qin family¡¯s bloodline. In addition, Qin Jiang had also been nurtured as the heir for many years. ¡°You agreed?¡± the Old Marquis asked. Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°Of course not! Even if Cheng¡¯er grew up in the countryside and has never learned the art of war, am I not still alive? I can teach him! If Cheng¡¯er refuses to learn, there¡¯s still Ergou! You don¡¯t know how fierce Ergou is!¡± The Old Marquis had only been to Pear Blossom Lane once and had not spoken much to Su Ergou. At this moment, he could not help but be jealous of Qin Canglan. When he recovered, he would definitely steal the children into the residence! He could teach them too! The Old Marquis asked, ¡°Did His Majesty agree?¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°His Majesty didn¡¯t agree.¡± The Old Marquis wondered if Qin Canglan spent a long time talking in vain and panicked. ¡°How did His Majesty decide?¡± Qin Canglan sighed. ¡°His Majesty said that at my age, it is unknown how many years I can teach Cheng¡¯er. I said that if I¡¯m gone, there¡¯s still you. If you¡¯re gone, there¡¯s still Su Yuan. In the end, someone can teach Cheng¡¯er. His Majesty said that he firmly believes in my abilities, but he¡¯s not sure if Su Cheng is a talent that can be taught?¡± The Old Marquis was unhappy. ¡°Why not? Cheng¡¯er was very smart when he was young!¡± Chapter 294 - Chapter 294: Domineering Brother Ting (1) Chapter 294: Domineering Brother Ting (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This competition seemed to be giving Su Cheng a chance, but it was actually preparing for Qin Jiang¡¯s return. After Qin Jiang¡¯s background spread, he would definitely be questioned by the world. However, if Qin Jiang could defeat Qin Canglan¡¯s legitimate son and prove with his strength that he was more qualified to inherit real power than Su Cheng, those who doubted him could only shut up obediently. After all, it was not that the emperor did not give his legitimate son a chance. It was because the legitimate son was disappointing. Even if he asked Zhuge Liang to teach him, he would not be able to do anything. The old marquis was puzzled. ¡°Why is His Majesty suddenly so biased towards Qin Jiang?¡± Qin Canglan frowned and said, ¡°The Mighty Marquis entered the palace to see His Majesty last night.¡± He was referring to Marquis Jing Shengming, Jing Yi¡¯s grandfather, and Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s grandfather. Qin Canglan continued, ¡°I guess he persuaded His Majesty to temporarily hand the military power to Qin Jiang.¡± ¡°Jing Shengming, that old fox!¡± The Old Marquis clenched his fists. ¡°What are your plans next? Are you really going to let Cheng¡¯er compete with Qin Jiang in a month? You should know that Cheng¡¯er has no chance of winning.¡± The Old Marquis did not ask what the competition was. unless Luey collipeueu 111 coomng, Du Elleng VVdS 110L Jldllgs 111dLC11. Qin Canglan said that Qin Jiang was weak. However, that comparison was made with himself. What kind of abnormal expert was Qin Canglan? How many people were not weak in front of him? Indeed, Qin Jiang¡¯s potential was not considered top-notch, but the efforts of the two estates were spent nurturing him for 20 years. No matter how talented Su Cheng was, it was impossible for him to catch up to him in a month. The Old Marquis asked, ¡°Must it be Cheng¡¯er?¡± Qin Canglan thought for a moment. ¡°Ergou is fine too. He¡¯s Cheng¡¯er¡¯s son. If he can defeat Qin Jiang, His Majesty should have nothing to say. But Ergou is only fourteen¡­ How can he be Qin Jiang¡¯s match?¡± The Old Marquis¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°Old Qin, we can¡¯t hand over our military power. ¡± Qin Canglan nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± If they handed it over, the Qin family would be the next Wei family. The Old Marquis closed his eyes. ¡°Try your best to teach Cheng¡¯er this month. If it really comes to that¡­ I¡¯ll pass on Fifth Brother to Cheng¡¯er!¡± On the way back to the capital, Fifth Brother sneezed fiercely! This was the second time in a month that he sneezed wildly. Was his family talking too much about him? Su Cheng did not know that he was about to be ravaged by two big shots. It was not dawn yet. With dark circles under his eyes, he went to the kitchen to help his daughter. Yesterday, another business came from Spring Breeze Restaurant. This time, it was not for Su Cheng¡¯s face. The snacks made by Su Xiaoxiao last time were really too popular. The girls of Spring Breeze Restaurant were still complaining that it was not Su Cheng who delivered the goods and were determined never to do his business again. Unexpectedly, they were slapped in the face a few days later. Su Xiaoxiao promised to supply 200 every day, starting at the beginning of April. Coincidentally, Su Ergou went to school on the first of April, so he naturally couldn¡¯t help Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Dad, why are you so early?¡± In the kitchen, Su Xiaoxiao, who was kneading dough, looked up and saw Su Cheng walking in with sleepy eyes. Su Cheng yawned. ¡°I¡¯ll make snacks with you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No need. It¡¯s only 200. I can do it. Go sleep.¡± Su Cheng shook his head like a rattle drum and patted his face to wake up. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep later.¡± He refused to leave no matter what, so Su Xiaoxiao could only agree to stay and help. Although he usually slacked off, that was because Wei Ting and Su Ergou were around. He could count on his son-in-law and son to do it. When he was the only helper left beside Su Xiaoxiao, he still worked hard. His face was dark from the stove ash. ¡°Eh? Didn¡¯t you only need to make 200?¡± He had just counted and they had made enough, but his daughter went to knead new dough. Su Xiaoxiao placed the kneaded dough into the alms bowl to raise it. ¡°Ergou is growing and gets hungry quickly. I¡¯ll make a few boxes of snacks for him.¡± Su Cheng¡¯s nose suddenly felt sour. The two children grew up without their mother¡­ his daughter was so sensible that it made one¡¯s heart ache. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know what Father Su was thinking. She cut a batch of dried plum vegetables. ¡°I made some for Dad too.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Cheng did not react. ¡°Why are you cooking for me? I don¡¯t have to worry about food at home.¡± His gaze landed on a few exquisite wooden bowls with lids. ¡°What are these Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°They¡¯re for Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu.¡± The little fellows liked to choose cutlery when eating, so Su Cheng did not take it to heart. After breakfast, Su MO and his two brothers came. Su Qi and Su Yu were also studying in the Directorate. When the two of them learned that Su Ergou was also going to enter the Directorate, they had to follow no matter what.. Chapter 295 - Chapter 295: Domineering Brother Ting (2) Chapter 295: Domineering Brother Ting (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The three little ones played in the courtyard. Su MO was a regular guest at home. The three little ones were familiar with him, but Su Yu and Su Qi were unfamiliar faces. They had only visited them once in the countryside and had never spoken to the three little ones. Therefore, the three little ones did not remember them at all. ¡°Who are you?¡± Erhu asked. ¡°Are you bad people?¡± Xiaohu asked. The two brothers were amused. Su Qi asked in amusement, ¡°Do we look like bad people?¡± Xiaohu tilted his head and sized them up seriously. Erhu said calmly, ¡°We can¡¯t tell.¡± After thinking for a moment, Erhu said, ¡°My Little Stone knows bad people.¡± Su Qi and Su Yu smiled at the same time. Su Yu smiled and said, ¡°Is that so? Let me see your stone.¡± Erhu took out his beloved stone. ¡°Here, touch it and it will know if you¡¯re a bad person.¡± Su Yu touched it. It was just an ordinary pebble. There was nothing special about it. The little guy was a little poor. Should big brother give him a real gem next time? No, he wasn¡¯t their brother. He was their uncle. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve touched it, how does it know if I¡¯m a bad person?¡± Su Yu said. Erhu said seriously, ¡°Bad people touch for free. They don¡¯t pay.¡± Su Yu was speechless. Regarding Su Ergou¡¯s education, Su Xiaoxiao informed him frankly that it was the people from the Marquis of Zhenbei who helped. Su Cheng was very enthusiastic about the people from the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate and treated the three brothers to the sweet potatoes he had roasted this morning. Su MO shared his sweet potatoes with his two younger brothers. Su Qi and Su Yu wanted to imitate Kong Rong giving in to his brothers. Su MO activated his eldest brother¡¯s pressure. ¡°An elder brother is like a father. You can¡¯t refuse a gift from an elder.¡± Hence, after being robbed by Erhu, the two brothers encountered Su Cheng¡¯s dark cuisine. It was really heartbreaking. On the other side, after being taught a lesson by Princess Jing Ning, Qin Yun, who had been lying in bed for almost half a month, finally recovered. Today was also the day he returned to school. Ever since his father lost Qin Che¡¯s identity, not only did Qin Jiang move out of the main courtyard, but he and Qin Yanran also moved to the West Mansion with their parents. Although it was also in the Protectorate, it was not on the central axis. The current courtyard was half the size of the former one, and there were fewer than ten servants. How could Qin Yun, who was used to living a good life, endure this grievance? It was either that the house was dark or that the food tasted bad. The servants did not spoil him either. He could choose not too eat or stay. Did he really think he was still a little prince? ¡°Hmph!¡± Qin Yun got into the carriage angrily. Even the carriage was no longer as spacious and bright as before. It was small and cramped. There was not even a piece of tiger skin on the stool, making his butt hurt. ¡°Dad, Sister.¡± He sat down opposite the two of them aggrievedly and began to complain about their neglect. Qin Jiang sat on a stool facing the carriage curtain, and the siblings sat on both sides. Compared to Qin Yun, who kept complaining, Qin Yanran was much more sensible. When she first found out about her father¡¯s background, she suffered a huge blow. She could not accept that she had changed from the high and mighty daughter of the Duke¡¯s Estate to the daughter of a bastard. She cried secretly for a few nights. Fortunately, her father had told her that their bitter days would be over soon. ¡°When Dad takes back the military power, the true heir of the Qin family will still be Dad! That legitimate son can only use his title!¡± Her father¡¯s words successfully comforted her. She believed that with her father¡¯s ability, he would never lose to a farmer who grew up in the countryside. The hardship in front of her was temporary. Before long, she would be the envied number one daughter of the capital again. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Directorate. ¡°Study hard,¡± Qin Jiang said to Qin Yun. Qin Yun muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to class¡­¡¯ Qin Yun was not a diligent person. Be it studying or practicing martial arts, he could always find various excuses to absolve himself. In the past, Qin Jiang might not have been able to be ruthless. Now that he felt a sense of crisis, Qin Jiang decided not to spoil him anymore. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to go. Pack your things and get lost in the countryside! Don¡¯t even think about coming to the capital for the rest of your life!¡± Qin Yun¡¯s face turned pale from fear. Qin Yanran mediated and said to Qin Yun, ¡°Go. I¡¯ll pick you up later.¡± Qin Yun picked up his book bag and left with a pale face. Looking at his son¡¯s red eyes when he got out of the car, Qin Jiang regretted it again. He blamed himself. ¡°Do you think I went overboard too?¡± Qin Yanran shook her head gently. ¡°Father is doing this for my brother¡¯s own good.¡± Qin Jiang nodded in relief. ¡°Father suffered too much when he was young, so I thought that I definitely couldn¡¯t let you and Yun¡¯er suffer anymore. I didn¡¯t expect that I would be too indulgent and spoil Yun¡¯er. Fortunately, you¡¯ve always been very sensible.¡± Qin Yanran said softly, ¡°Brother is just still young. When he¡¯s older, he¡¯ll naturally be sensible.¡± Qin Jiang sighed. ¡°I hope so. Teach him more in the future.¡± Qin Yanran agreed. ¡°I will, Father.¡± Qin Jiang said in satisfaction, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you to learn the zither.¡± Qin Yanran said nothing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Jiang sensed his daughter¡¯s low mood. Qin Yanran asked melancholically, ¡°Father, can I still marry the Third Prince? The servants are all saying that the Third Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e is that young lady from the commoners¡­ Qin Jiang said coldly, ¡°Nonsense! How can a wild girl who grew up in the countryside be worthy of the Third Prince? Only a talented and beautiful woman like my daughter is qualified to be a Princess Consort!¡± Qin Yanran bit her lip. ¡°But Father¡­¡± Qin Jiang said seriously, ¡°No buts. She¡¯s already married in the countryside and has three sons. The Third Prince won¡¯t even look at her! Don¡¯t worry, Dad will definitely obtain military power! I¡¯ll let you marry into the royal family in glory! ¡± Just as he finished speaking. Boom! The carriage was hit hard by something. Qin Jiang hurriedly lifted the small curtain at the back of the carriage and saw a handsome face. Wei Ting was dressed in black brocade clothes and was riding on a tall horse. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and he emitted the unruliness and arrogance of a demon king. Qin Jiang frowned. ¡°Wei Ting?¡± ¡°Yo.¡± Wei Ting sneered at Qin Jiang and casually grabbed a passing young man. He pointed with his horsewhip. ¡°Help me take a look. Is this the carriage of the Protectorate?¡± The young man nodded in shock. ¡°Uh¡­ Yes¡­ Yes!¡± Wei Ting let go of the young man and smiled arrogantly. ¡°Then I didn¡¯t hit the wrong person.¡± Could it be that this kid had seen his carriage and hit it? Qin Jiang said in a low voice, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Wei Ting held the horsewhip in his hand and gently knocked his shoulder. He said arrogantly, ¡°A good dog doesn¡¯t block the way.¡± Qin Jiang said coldly, ¡°The road is so wide. Who¡¯s blocking your path.. ¡® No, who the hell was a dog?! ¡°Wei Ting, don¡¯t be too arrogant. Do you really think the capital is¡­¡± Before Qin Jiang could finish, Wei Ting tightened his reins and rode his horse over! With a loud bang, dust flew. The horse¡¯s iron hooves broke through Qin Jiang¡¯s carriage. The horse pulling the cart was shocked and suddenly ran forward. Qin Jiang lost his balance and fell to the ground. ¡°Father!¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s face turned pale! She wanted to grab him, but it was too late. She watched as her father fell awkwardly into a pile of shattered wood¡­ The wooden pieces cut his flesh. However, this was not the most terrifying because in the next second¡­ Crack! Qin Jiang¡¯s ribs were broken.. Chapter 296 - Chapter 296: Brother Ting Tortures Scum Chapter 296: Brother Ting Tortures Scum Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The youngest son of the Wei family rode his horse on the streets and deliberately murdered the former Protector Duke! As soon as this news spread, it immediately caused a huge commotion in the capital. As soon as Emperor Jing Xuan got off the court, he received a report from the Imperial Capital. Ordinary cases would not be exposed to the Imperial Court, but wasn¡¯t this extraordinary? On one side was Qin Canglan¡¯s son¡­ No, his illegitimate brother, and on the other side was Lord Wu An¡¯s youngest grandson. The two of them were officials of the Imperial Court. Moreover, they were both at home for some reason that could only be understood but not explained. When the official brought them into the capital, the capital magistrate had a headache! Who was so blind to invite these two Buddhas? News of Qin Jiang¡¯s background spread throughout the capital. Logically speaking, since he was not the legitimate son of the eldest branch but Qin Feng¡¯s illegitimate son, his status should have plummeted. However, Emperor Jing Xuan seemed to want to hand over military power to him. This was something that could not be weighed. At any time, real power was better than an empty status. The capital magistrate could not afford to offend anyone. He made up his mind and came to look for Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan also had a headache. The Wei family was King Nanyang¡¯s old subordinate. He had always treated the Wei family coldly and never summoned Wei Ting easily. However, ever since Wei Ting returned from the temple, he entered the palace every other day and relied on causing trouble to become his ¡°favored minister¡±. Even in the court this morning, a few royalist officials who did not like the Wei family openly asked Wei Ting when he would return to the army¡­ Emperor Jing Xuan really wanted to draw a line with Wei Ting. He looked at Wei Ting and Qin Jiang impatiently. Qin Jiang¡¯s body was wrapped in thick gauze, and his face was bruised. He looked terrible. Emperor Jing Xuan asked with a headache, ¡°What¡¯s the reason this time?¡± Qin Jiang said bitterly, ¡°Your Majesty! Please uphold justice for me!¡± Wei Ting looked like a sloppy evil ruffian, but he was handsome. No matter how profligate he was, he still looked heroic. Emperor Jing Xuan asked, ¡°Did you do it?¡± ¡°Oh, it was me,¡± Wei Ting admitted generously. The capital magistrate watched the two of them fight from the side. He did not dare to say a word. Unlike the officials of other aristocratic families, he was born in the countryside and had no power or influence. It was not easy for him to reach this position. He did not want to die as soon as he took office. Emperor Jing Xuan asked sternly, ¡°What do you want to do? Kill an official of the Imperial Court on the streets?¡± Wei Ting smiled faintly. ¡°If I wanted to kill him, he would be a corpse by the time he is carried to His Majesty.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was speechless. These words were too arrogant. However, it was the truth. Wei Ting was a killing god in King Hulie¡¯s military camp. If he really wanted to take Qin Jiang¡¯s life, Qin Jiang would not have survived until now. Emperor Jing Xuan frowned and said, ¡°Then say something. Why did you do this to him?¡± ¡°He scolded me,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. I only kicked his carriage over. It¡¯s enough to save him some dignity.¡± Qin Jiang gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You only kicked over the carriage? My bones are broken!¡± Wei Ting said casually, ¡°I won¡¯t be injured if I fall from the carriage. Are you blaming me for being weak?¡± Qin Jiang fell back in anger! Therefore, there was a reason why Yuchi Xiu was arrogant. Qin Jiang clenched his fists and tried not to be led by the nose by Wei Ting. ¡°You just said that I scolded you. How did I scold you? What did I scold you about?¡± Wei Ting snorted, looking like he wanted to ignore Qin Jiang. Emperor Jing Xuan said in a low voice, ¡°Speak!¡± Wei Ting said unwillingly, ¡°He scolded me. A good dog doesn¡¯t block the way.¡± Qin Jiang was simply stunned! Wasn¡¯t this what Qin Jiang was scolded by Wei Ting for? Who was scolding whom? Also, was this considered calling himself a dog¡­ When he was ruthless, would he not even let himself off? Could he be any more shameless?! Qin Jiang exploded. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that! You said it!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°My subordinate heard it, Yuchi Xiu.¡± Yuchi Xiu, who was waiting outside the imperial study, flashed and arrived at the door. He looked at Qin Jiang and said expressionlessly, ¡°That¡¯s right, I heard you. That¡¯s what you said!¡± Bullshit. He wasn¡¯t even there. Qin Jiang gritted his teeth. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you!¡± Yuchi Xiu said righteously, ¡°I¡¯m a secret guard. If you see me, I don¡¯t have to work anymore! ¡± Qin Jiang was about to vomit blood. If the upper beam was not upright, the lower beam would be crooked. This master and servant were both shameless! Qin Jiang¡¯s lungs were about to explode. ¡°Your Majesty! I swear to the heavens that I definitely didn¡¯t say that¡­¡± Wei Ting said solemnly, ¡°I can also swear in my father¡¯s name.¡± Qin Jiang couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Your father is already dead!¡± Wei Ting looked at him with a hurt expression. ¡°So is Mr. Qin bullying me for being a fatherless child?¡± Qin Jiang choked. No¡­ What did this have to do with anything? How did this happen? And¡­ did he call himself a child? Wasn¡¯t he in his twenties? Wasn¡¯t he ashamed to say that he was a child? Wei Ting lowered his eyes and sighed melancholically. ¡°I know that our Wei family is not as good as before. Everyone wants to step on me. If he really fights with me, I respect him for being a man. What¡¯s so good about angering Wei Ting spoke clearly. If Qin Jiang wasn¡¯t the plaintiff, he would have believed him. Qin Jiang was so angry that his head was buzzing. ¡°Nonsense! I clearly didn¡¯t anger you! You were the one who came up and hit my carriage! As if one hit wasn¡¯t enough, you hit it a second time!¡± Wei Ting said innocently, ¡°Mr. Qin, if you hadn¡¯t angered me, I wouldn¡¯t have bumped into so many people on the streets, but you. Why would I have nothing to do? Or¡­ did Mr. Qin do something wrong to me recently that I want to take revenge on you?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Qin Jiang choked and blushed. Hearing this, what else did he not understand? Wei Ting was taking revenge! He had clearly guessed that he was behind Consort Xian testifying against him. But he couldn¡¯t admit it. Otherwise, compared to scolding and angering Wei Ting, he could not afford to be accused of colluding with the emperor¡¯s concubine. Qin Jiang was definitely going to suffer this loss. It was wrong for Qin Jiang to spout nonsense, and it was even more wrong for Wei Ting to beat someone up on the streets. Emperor Jing Xuan punished Wei Ting to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors for a month and fined him for half a year. Wei Ting looked a little aggrieved. ¡°I admit it. Can you not punish me?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked, ¡°Why? Are you short of money?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very short.¡± Wei Ting glanced at Qin Jiang without changing his expression. ¡°After all, I¡¯m not like Mr. Qin who can casually acknowledge a wild father.¡± Qin Jiang was speechless. After having a rib broken by Wei Ting, Qin Jiang was made to vomit blood. Qin Jiang was carried out. Emperor Jing Xuan did not want to see Wei Ting again. ¡°Stand down too!¡± he said in a low voice. Wei Ting refused to leave. ¡°Then my salary¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan suppressed his anger. ¡°No punishment!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan only wanted this little troublemaker to leave quickly! Out of sight, out of mind! Wei Ting had no intention of leaving. ¡°Your Majesty, you don¡¯t look too good.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan muttered, ¡°Isn¡¯t that because of you?¡± Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°Your Majesty is depressed. I should help you solve your problems.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I believe it?¡± An ominous feeling surged in Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s heart¡­ Wei Ting said, ¡°I learned some Buddhist scriptures in the temple. Let me read you a Buddhist scripture.¡± As he spoke, he naturally took out a wooden fish from his wide sleeve. Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s eyebrows twitched! Fifteen minutes later, Wei Ting swaggered out of the palace with the 3,000 taels of silver he had obtained.. Chapter 297 - Chapter 297: The Real and Fake Daughter Chapter 297: The Real and Fake Daughter Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Pear Blossom Lane. After Su Ergou went to school, Su Xiaoxiao took out three small book bags that she had sewn and hung them on the shoulders of the three little ones. There were no books in the book bag, only a box of snacks, a bottle of water, and a sweat towel she had cut herself. Today was also the day for the three little ones to learn from their master. ¡°Dad, we¡¯ll go out first. You don¡¯t have to lock the door later. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Su Cheng thought to himself that of course, he wouldn¡¯t lock the door. He wasn¡¯t not going out¡­ As soon as this thought flashed through his mind, Qin Canglan appeared at the door. The Old Marquis, who was pushed in a wheelchair, came over with him. ¡°Aye?¡± Su Cheng looked at Qin Canglan and then at Su Yuan¡¯s father, not understanding why the two of them were together. He scratched his head. ¡°Um, you guys¡­¡± Before he could ask clearly, the Old Marquis stood up from the wheelchair and came to Su Cheng with Qin Canglan. Each of them held one of Su Cheng¡¯s arms. Su Cheng glared. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The two of them dragged him into the carriage. The Old Marquis sat back in his wheelchair. He glanced at the empty courtyard and walked over to get the lunch box on the table before continuing to sit in the wheelchair. The snacks Su Xiaoxiao prepared for Su Cheng were finally useful. Su Xiaoxiao led the three little ones to the courtyard at the east end. Knock, Imock, knock. Su Xiaoxiao knocked on the door. It was Deng An who opened the door. Ling Yun was also there. It was unknown if he had just woken up or if he had not slept all night, but his long hair was loose and he looked a little sick. However, he was not really sick. It was just that he did not eat well all year round, so he was very weak. ¡°Mrs. Su!¡± Deng An was surprised. The title of Madam Su was a mistake. Deng An asked Dahu¡¯s name. Dahu said it was Dahu, but he asked what his surname was. His full name. Dahu thought for a moment. ¡°Su Dahu.¡± Su Cheng had indeed named the three little ones like this back then. One was called Su Dahu, one was called Su Erhu, and the other was called Su Xiaohu. However, everyone seemed to have neglected that surname. Only Dahu remembered it. Deng An tnougnt tnat su xlaoxlao¡¯s nusDana?s surname was su. ¡°Mrs. Su?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was even more surprised than Deng An. Deng An said, ¡°Is this¡­ wrong? Your husband¡¯s surname is Su. If I don¡¯t call you Madam Su, what should I call you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°My husband¡¯s surname is Wei.¡± Deng An was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao expressed her intentions to Ling Yun. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you accept one. Dahu and Erhu are also very talented.¡± Ling Yun looked at the three children standing in a row with a book bag on their backs. He was about to refuse. Su Xiaoxiao took out a large box of freshly baked snacks. ¡°Freshly made date bean cake and souffl¨¦.¡± Looking at the smooth, fragrant, and non-greasy snacks, Ling Yun¡¯s tongue was tied into a knot. He swallowed his rejection along with his saliva. Ling Yun, who had sworn not to take in any disciples in his life, finally sold his integrity for two boxes of snacks. When Master Zhang came out after washing up, he realized that Ling Yun had three more last disciples. Due to the commotion created by Wei Ting, Qin Yanran¡¯s arrival was also delayed. She arrived at Pear Blossom Lane an hour later than usual. After confirming that everything was fine, Su Xiaoxiao prepared to go home. The two of them bumped into each other at the door. The last time they met was at the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. At that time, Qin Yanran was the high and mighty daughter of the Duke¡¯s Protector and called the Old Marquis Grandpa, while Su Xiaoxiao was only the disciple of a doctor who lived among the commoners. The difference in their identities was like heaven and earth. However, who would have thought that in just half a month, that chubby little doctor girl would snatch everything that belonged to her and replace her to become the eldest daughter of the Protectorate? Qin Yanran¡¯s expression was extremely complicated. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s reaction was much fainter. She glanced at Qin Yanran with expressionless eyes, as if Qin Yanran was nothing to her. In fact, that was indeed the case. Compared to being tit for tat, being ignored was the most unacceptable. Qin Yanran stopped Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Wait.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned to look at Qin Yanran. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Yanran opened her mouth. ¡°You¡­¡± She was momentarily at a loss for words. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°You want to ask about the Old Marquis¡¯s condition?¡± A trace of embarrassment flashed across Qin Yanran¡¯s face. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes faded. ¡°Looks like not.¡± Then there was nothing to say. She was not familiar with Qin Yanran. Was there going to be a hypocritical acknowledgment? She didn¡¯t even acknowledge Qin Canglan. Would she recognize an unrelated Qin Yanran? Seeing her turn around and leave, Qin Yanran, who had never been ignored like this, suddenly felt aggrieved. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault!¡± She was born and raised in the Qin family and was raised as Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter. She knew nothing about the grudges of the previous generation. She had never framed anyone. Why did this rich young lady give her a hard time the moment she returned? The more Qin Yanran spoke, the more she felt that she had been wronged. ¡°We¡¯ve already moved out of our original courtyard and moved into the remote and cold West Manor. I¡¯ve been pointed at by the servants all day long¡­ Do you know how those people criticize us behind our backs?¡± ¡°Why should I know?¡± Su Xiaoxiao interrupted her calmly. ¡®What does your life have to do with me?¡± Qin Yanran choked. ¡°You¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t say that you¡¯re innocent. I¡¯m not obliged to sympathize with you, nor can I.¡± Was it aggrieved to move into the West Mansion? Her father ate tree bark, ate Guanyin clay, slept in the cowshed, and worked hard everywhere at a young age. Who would feel sorry for his grievances? Ergou grew up hungry and was very satisfied with any food he was given. ¡°You took a huge advantage and still have the cheek to cry in front of me. Who gave you the cheek?¡± Qin Yanran was dumbfounded! The daughters of the capital were full of twists and turns. If they did not say anything, it would seem that they were not knowledgeable enough. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s straightforwardness was like a sharp knife that cut through all her hypocrisy. Qin Yanran had never seen such a scene. She couldn¡¯t find her voice for a long time. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°You keep saying that it¡¯s not your fault, so why are you running to me now? Are you trying to tell me that I ¡®accidentally¡¯ hurt an innocent daughter like you? Should I feel guilty? Should I not be at peace? Why don¡¯t you go to heaven?¡± The daughters of the capital cherished their reputation very much. Wasn¡¯t she afraid that her reputation would be bad if word got out that she was so aggressive? Or was she from the countryside and only knew such vulgar words? Qin Yanran¡¯s face was pale. ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t talk to me like that¡­ I¡¯m your aunt!¡± That¡¯s right. Even if she was not the eldest daughter of the Duke¡¯s Protector, her seniority was still higher than hers! ¡°Mother!¡± The three little ones only heard Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s voice and came out to look for her again. Su Xiaoxiao touched their heads. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in class? Why did you run out?¡± Dahu said, ¡°I miss my mother.¡± Erhu said, ¡°Erhu misses mother too.¡± Xiaohu said, ¡°Xiaohu misses you the most!¡± Su Xiaoxiao burst out laughing. Qin Yanran looked at Su Xiaoxiao blankly. Su Xiaoxiao was no longer as cold as when she was facing her. She looked at the three children with pure gentleness. Wait, these little fellows were her sons? They were inside too¡­ going to class? Zhang Qinshi came out. Seeing the three children, he felt relieved. ¡°The few of you are not allowed to run around, understand?¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± Qin Yanran bowed obediently. Zhang Qinshi nodded. ¡°Yanran is here.¡± Qin Yanran asked, ¡°Zhang Qin, did you¡­ take in a few children as your disciples? Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t take in disciples casually?¡± Zhang Qinshi placed great importance on aptitude when taking in disciples. Many descendants of powerful families wanted to engage him as their master, but he rejected them. Moreover, he did not accept newbies. He had to have a few years of foundation. ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t accept them,¡± Zhang Qinshi said. Qin Yanran heaved a sigh of relief. Zhang Qinshi looked at a certain prodigal man under the corridor and said angrily, ¡°That person accepted it.¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°It¡¯s Senior Brother.¡± ¡°Senior Brother?¡± Zhang Qinshi frowned and glanced at Qin Yanran before saying, ¡°He¡¯s not your senior brother.¡± Qin Yanran was stunned. Zhang Qinshi said, ¡°He¡¯s my master.¡± Qin Yanran was in disbelief. She stammered for a long time and looked at the three little ones. ¡°Then they¡­¡± Zhang Qinshi said, ¡°They¡¯re my junior brothers and your three little Uncle-Masters They were her little Uncle-Masters. Wasn¡¯t their mother¡¯s seniority.. equivalent to her Grandmaster? Had¡­ she become that girl¡¯s grandchild?! Chapter 298 - Chapter 298: Meeting Jing Yi Again Chapter 298: Meeting Jing Yi Again Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao asked the three little ones to go in for class. The three little ones reluctantly entered the courtyard. ¡°Then, Mother is coming to pick us up,¡± Dahu said. Su Xiaoxiao said in amusement, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll come over after cooking.¡± They usually played around and did not ask her to pick her up. Indeed, things were different once they went to school. Su Xiaoxiao waved goodbye to her kindergarten children and went home to get her basket before going to the market to buy things. Qin Yanran was stunned on the spot for a long time. Su Ergou and Father Su would not be back for lunch, and Wei Ting would probably not be able to come back either. Only she and the three children would eat. She bought a chicken, two cabbages, and some dried plum vegetables and chestnuts. The quality of the dried plum vegetables was not as good as Aunt Fu¡¯s. After buying the ingredients, she went to the cloth shop again. There were not enough clothes for the family. Firstly, the clothes in the past were either old or small. Secondly, after coming to the capital, she did not have to work in the fields and could wear more comfortable materials. Last time, she bought spring clothes. Su Xiaoxiao wanted summer clothes today. The lady boss remembered her and welcomed her with a smile. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re here!¡± In Great Zhou, when a woman reached the age of 15, she could tie her hair up. She did not have to marry someone to tie her hair. Therefore, it was very difficult to determine if she was married from her hairstyle. Su Xiaoxiao looked young and the lady boss felt that she looked like a little girl, Actually, she was not wrong. She and Wei Ting were husband and wife only in name. No, the title of husband and wife was also in danger. ¡°Mr. Wei¡± was recuperating in the countryside. ¡°Do the clothes from last time still fit?¡± the lady boss asked with a smile. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°My husband¡¯s is a little short.¡± The lady boss stammered, ¡°Husband?¡± Was this little girl married? Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Do you have any lighter materials? I want to make a few summer clothes. ¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The lady boss came back to her senses and took a few bolts of satin and cotton from the house. ¡°They¡¯re all high-quality materials. They¡¯re breathable and comfortable, and they¡¯re not too expensive.¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to a few cloth shops. The lady boss of this shop was the most practical in doing business. Su Xiaoxiao carefully chose the materials for everyone. Su Ergou and the three little ones were still growing. They had to be bigger than now. They were also in the development stage and their height had increased a little. In addition, she was losing weight. In summer, she would lose about 120 pounds. She was not short, and her figure should be very well-proportioned then. ¡°I still can¡¯t lose weight too quickly. It¡¯s not good for my health.¡± The last time she fell sick, it reminded Su Xiaoxiao that she couldn¡¯t lose weight too quickly. At the same time, her metabolism decreasing rapidly meant that she had lost a lot of nutrition. Even with the health supplements in the pharmacy, she couldn¡¯t be too willful. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and didn¡¯t reduce the size. The clothes outside needed to be custom-made. There were also undergarments and footwear. The lady boss asked Su Xiaoxiao to choose freely and she gave her three pieces. Su Xiaoxiao went to the shelves to choose. A new assistant was clumsy. When he moved the goods from the back, he accidentally knocked over the shelves. The shelves in the back row pressed down on Su Xiaoxiao without warning. Su Xiaoxiao held the undergarment with both hands. It was too late to dodge. She turned around and planned to support the shelf with her hands. This angle was not good and her wrist might be injured. Seeing the shelf press against her palm, suddenly, a strong palm was one step ahead of her and firmly supported the shelf. Materials tumbled down the shelves. The owner of the hand flashed and stood in front of Su Xiaoxiao and the material hit him. When the lady boss heard the commotion, the ground was already in a mess. She didn¡¯t care about her fabric immediately. Instead, she looked at the two guests. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned to look at the young man in black who had blocked the shelves and fabric for her and said in surprise, ¡°Jing Yi? Why are you here? Are you injured?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jing Yi pushed the shelf back and placed it firmly. ¡°What about you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked behind him. ¡°You were blocking it. I¡¯m fine.¡± After confirming that the two of them were fine, the lady boss heaved a sigh of relief. She pulled out the young assistant and scolded him. As she scolded, she squatted down to clean up the mess on the ground. When Su Xiaoxiao went to support the shelf just now, her undergarment fell to the ground. She bent down to pick it up. ¡°Let me do it.¡± JingYi said. Jing Yi didn¡¯t know what those pink and tender materials were. He picked them up and realized that they were undergarments. His young and handsome face turned red to the ears. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but hold onto the shelf and laugh. Su Xiaoxiao was quite satisfied with those undergarments and bought them all. The lady boss had already said that she would give her three pieces. After the shelf incident, she gave her five pieces in one go without asking for a single copper coin. In addition, Su Xiaoxiao bought a few pairs of ready-made cloth shoes for the three little ones. The small basket was full. ¡°I almost forgot. Ergou has to prepare a set of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone at home for school.¡± She went to buy the four treasures again. Jing Yi carried her bag. As long as Su Xiaoxiao turned around, she could see a handsome and cold face. In the past, Su Xiaoxiao felt that Jing Yi and Wei Ting¡¯s personalities were very similar, but later on, she realized that was not the case. Wei Ting¡¯s coldness carried a trace of arrogance and unruliness, and Jing Yi¡¯s coldness was a little natural. Su Xiaoxiao rubbed her hands. The little boy was so cute. What Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know was that Jing Yi would only show his naturally silly side in front of her. In the alley, Wu Mu and Bai Ze followed their young marquis. Wu Mu touched his square face and said in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Young Marquis? Are you so obedient?¡± He felt that he almost did not know the Young Marquis! Ebony asked, ¡°When was the first time the Young Marquis killed someone?¡± Bai Ze said, ¡°Thirteen.¡± When protecting Xiao Zhonghua, he cut off the bandit¡¯s head. A talented general appeared in the Jing family. Jing Yi¡¯s arms were full without any impatience. Su Xiaoxiao finished shopping. Jing Yi sent her home and placed everything on the table. ¡°I almost forgot to return this to you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a clean handkerchief from her pouch. ¡°I¡¯ve washed it.¡± This was the handkerchief Jing Yi had handed her the last time she saved someone on the ship. Jing Yi asked, ¡°Have you always had it with you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I was thinking that if I met you one day, I could return it to you.¡± ¡°Actually, there¡¯s no need to return it,¡± Jing Yi said softly. He took it. There was a faint fragrance of soap on the handkerchief, the same smell as hers. He took the handkerchief. Su Xiaoxiao gave him another box of souffl¨¦ and date cake. After coming out of the alley, Jing Yi bumped into Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s carriage. He paused and got into the carriage. Princess Hui An was also there. Xiao Zhonghua asked, ¡°We went to visit Grandpa today. If you weren¡¯t around, where did you go?¡± ¡°I walked around casually,¡± Jing Yi said. Princess Hui An sniffed. ¡°What fragrant snacks! I want to eat them!¡± Jing Yi refused. Princess Hui An watched as Jing Yi protected the snacks in his arms and couldn¡¯t help but widen her phoenix eyes. ¡°Jing Yi!¡± ¡°Call him Cousin,¡± Xiao Zhonghua said to her. Jing Yi was 17 this year and Princess Hui An was 16. Princess Hui An curled her lips. ¡°Cousin.¡± Jing Yi hugged the snack box tightly. ¡°No.¡± Princess Hui An was speechless.. Chapter 299 - Chapter 299: Miracle Chapter 299: Miracle Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After sending Su Ergou to the Imperial College, Su MO went to the military camp. He had a mission today and had to go to the west city gate to welcome the officials who had returned from West Jin. After receiving him, he escorted the officials into the palace. The palace of the Great Zhou was divided into the previous dynasty and the harem. The harem was the residence of Emperor Jing Xuan and his concubines. Outsiders could not easily enter. The previous dynasty was huge. The Grand Council, the Inspectorate, the six departments, and other important offices of the Imperial Court were all there. Emperor Jing Xuan met a few officials who had returned from the imperial study trip. Su MO was also there. Su MO was the filial eldest grandson and eldest son at home. He was a loyal minister in the court. Emperor Jing Xuan thought highly of him and asked him to listen. In the past few years, West Jin had been cultivating and resting. They no longer fought with various countries. Peace was the most important. They also reduced taxes among the people and rewarded farming. The people lived well and handed in more taxes. The deficient treasury gradually filled up in the past two years. In addition, West Jin had also mined a few mineral veins. Emperor Jing Xuan sighed. The Great Zhou was originally a rich country, but the borders were continuously burned¡­ It was hard for the people to fight and waste their money, but if they did not fight, it would be difficult to rule the world. After discussing the heavy topic, the official who returned also talked about the local customs of West Jin. ¡°The women of West Jin are good at reading. Along the way, I saw several private schools for women.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was very curious. There was no lack of talented women in the Great Zhou. For example, the daughter of the Leng family and Qin Yanran from the Protectorate were all talented women who were famous in the capital. However, they were not going to a private school to study. Instead, they were inviting a teacher home or finding an expert to acknowledge him as their master. It was unknown if Emperor Jing Xuan had been provoked by Wei Ting recently, but he actually decided to set up a ¡°private school for women¡±. Although it was called a private school, it was actually more like a palace school. Lessons were taught in the Supreme Harmony Hall. The main students were the royal princesses, and the accompanying students were the daughters of ministers. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at Su Mo. ¡°Su MO, what¡¯s your cousin¡¯s name?¡± Su Daya¡¯s name appeared on the name list. Su Xiaoxiao paused in her chopping. She lifted the lid of the pot and looked at the chicken soup that was boiling. Then, she closed the lid. ¡°Why do I have to go too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also very puzzled.¡± Su MO sat in front of the stove and added a handful of firewood to the stove. He imitated Wei Ting¡¯s actions and used the fire tongs. As a person, he was honest. He remembered it from the last time. Logically speaking, Su Xiaoxiao had grown up in the countryside. Only those who were familiar with her knew if she was capable. In the eyes of ordinary people, she was illiterate and unpresentable. Was Emperor Jing Xuan making things difficult for her or the princess? However, on second thought, Emperor Jing Xuan would not go against a little girl. Then, there were only two possibilities. Firstly, it was a formality to show his deep love for Qin Canglan. As for whether she would be selected, Emperor Jing Xuan did not care. Secondly, Emperor Jing Xuan had not given up on Qin Canglan¡¯s lineage. He had made two preparations. The Qin family¡¯s military power had to return to the royal family no matter what. If Qin Jiang won a month later and Qin Yanran married into the royal family, everyone would be happy. However, if Su Cheng won, it would not be a bad thing for Su Cheng¡¯s daughter to marry the Third Prince with military power. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No way. Did they even want someone who has been married? Are your royals so not picky?¡± Su MO pondered and said, ¡°Emperor Taizu¡¯s empress is a woman from the commoners. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°So there¡¯s a precedent.¡± Su MO paused and said, ¡°That¡¯s just my personal guess. It might not be accurate. If you don¡¯t want to go, I¡¯ll think of a way to reject it for you.¡± After Su Xiaoxiao finished cutting the garlic sprouts, she said calmly, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go.¡± At noon, the three little ones finished their first lesson in music. The three of them greeted Ling Yun and the others extremely politely. ¡°Goodbye, Teacher!¡± ¡°Brother Deng An, goodbye!¡± ¡°Goodbye, Grandma Zhou!¡± Madam Zhou was the chef in the courtyard. The three of them clattered to the door and stuck their heads out to take a look. Indeed, they saw Su Xiaoxiao waiting outside. The three of them were so happy that they pounced at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Mother!¡± The three of them called her mother. Su Xiaoxiao touched their heads one by one and asked, ¡°Did you learn well and happily today?¡± The three of them said in unison, ¡°Happy!¡± That was true. The three of them spent a pleasant morning. In comparison, Ling Yun was very unhappy. When Dahu was alone, he was very quiet. He could sit obediently on the cushion and listen to him play the zither for an hour. The moment his two younger brothers arrived, Dahu¡¯s style instantly changed. The three of them played like cats and dogs. Ling Yun did nothing for the entire morning and ran around catching his little disciples. It was not easy for him to hold his three disciples down and teach them a finger technique. With a flick, Xiaohu caused blood to rush to the top of Ling Yun¡¯s head! Heavens! The three little monkeys could cause trouble! After half a day, Ling Yun was crippled. Master Zhang had just finished class. When he came to Ling Yun¡¯s side, he saw Ling Yun sitting cross-legged at the door. His eyes were empty, his clothes were messy, and his hair was in all directions. His face was filled with despair. Zhang Qinshi said, ¡°Uh¡­ have you been ruined?¡± Ling Yun was in a daze and did not say anything. ¡°It¡¯s bad. The three children broke me¡­¡± Master Zhang shook his head, bowed, and began to pack the things on the ground. Suddenly, Ling Yun said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Zhang Qinshi was shocked and suspected that he had heard wrongly. ¡°What¡­ did you just say?¡± Ling Yun wasn¡¯t sure either. He looked down at his stomach and felt it carefully. He said, ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯m hungry.¡± Ling Yun couldn¡¯t eat normally. However, when it was time to eat, he would force himself to stuff a few mouthfuls of food. He had long forgotten what hunger felt like. Even when he ate the snacks that Su Xiaoxiao sent, it was not because he was hungry, but because he could eat them and wouldn¡¯t spit out so much. Su Ergou also spent a happy and fulfilling day in the Directorate. Su Qi and Su Yu also went to school in the Imperial College and were not in the same class as him. At first, the two of them were worried that he would not be used to it. After class, they went to Su Ergou¡¯s class. Good lord, Su Ergou did not seem like an outsider. He was always at ease. He sat in his seat and ate the snacks Su Xiaoxiao had brought him. The souffl¨¦ was fragrant and soft. It was tender and soft. After taking a bite, it was so crispy that it fell to the ground. His classmates were almost dying of hunger¡­ A classmate swallowed and mustered his courage to pat him on the shoulder. ¡°Where did you buy your snacks?¡± ¡°Oh, my sister made it. 100 copper coins for one and 200 copper coins for three. Do you want a few? You can reserve it today and receive it tomorrow. There¡¯s a limited number. First come, first served!¡± Su Qi and his brother felt their lips twitch. So he was not here for class. He was here to do business in the Directorate! On the first day of school, Su Ergou successfully received an order of ten taels of silver for his family. It was good to study. Su Ergou liked to study! Chapter 300 - Chapter 300: Sister Control Chapter 300: Sister Control Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting was punished to reflect behind closed doors for a month. There were eunuchs staying in the residence to supervise. At night, Wei Ting did not return to Pear Blossom Lane. Although he did not return, he had to bring the things. The moon was dark and windy. Su Xiaoxiao had just coaxed the three little ones to sleep and planned to rest. Suddenly, a shadow flashed over from the sky and arrived in front of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s window like a ghost. He knocked on the window lattice. Su Xiaoxiao opened the window strangely. The figure had long disappeared, and there was a letter on the windowsill. She opened it and took a look. It was a thick banknote of 3,000 taels of silver and a note that cherished words like gold: Home use. Going out for a month. Don¡¯t miss me. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. She looked at the silent and windless courtyard and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Is it Little Black?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± A man¡¯s voice replied. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Yu Niang wrote a letter to someone called Little Black. Since you¡¯re not, forget it.¡± The man in black flashed to the window. At the Qin family. Qin Yanran returned to the west courtyard of the Protectorate. She had an extremely infuriating day. First, she was mocked by the young lady from the commoners, then there were three junior uncles for no reason. The junior uncles were even that woman¡¯s sons¡­ The three little fellows played in the courtyard, making her unable to calm down to practice the piano. She played a few wrongly. Master Zhang¡¯s dissatisfaction with her was almost written all over his face. But could she be blamed? Who wouldn¡¯t be disturbed by the children¡¯s noise? But then again, Master Zhang was 30 years old this year. The man called Ling Yun looked to be in his early twenties at most. How could he be Master Zhang¡¯s master? Zhang Qinshi was the most famous zither master in the capital. No one knew where his master came from. They only knew that back then, he had performed ¡°Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix¡± on the pleasure boat and was famous in the capital. From then on, many people came because of hos reputation. They almost broke through the threshold of Master Zhang. Some asked him for music, and some wanted to learn from him. Master Zhang did not take in disciples easily. Including herself, there were no more than five, and she was the only female disciple. Who was his master? ¡°It¡¯s called Ling Yun, but I¡¯ve never heard of this name¡­¡± Qin Yanran couldn¡¯t figure it out. Qin Yanran went to Qin Jiang¡¯s courtyard to rest in the morning. This was a habit she had always insisted on for so many years. At the courtyard door, she bumped into the exasperated Qin Yun. Qin Yun was clearly here for Qin Jiang¡¯s courtyard, but he was not here to pay his respects. It was more like he wanted to complain. ¡°Ah Yun,¡± Qin Yanran called out to him. Qin Yun called her sister gloomily. Qin Yanran asked, ¡°Your expression is very ugly. Did something happen?¡± Qin Yun complained, ¡°Why are you still talking! It¡¯s all your fault for making me go to the Imperial College!¡± Qin Yanran was slightly embarrassed. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I was too busy to pick you up.¡± Qin Yun was not here for this. He had long forgotten that Qin Yanran was coming to pick him up. He was angry because his friends in the past suddenly stopped currying favor with him. Then, he saw that guy called Su Ergou was actually in his class next door! Damn it! Qin Yanran advised earnestly, ¡°Father might be very busy recently. Don¡¯t disturb him with such trivial matters.¡± Qin Yun snorted. ¡°How is my matter a small matter? Could it be that only your matter is a big deal?¡± Qin Yanran frowned and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s what you mean!¡± ¡°Ah Yun!¡± Qin Yun ignored her and rushed in, but he was stopped by Xu Qing. ¡°Master is resting. Young Master and Miss can come back tomorrow.¡± Qin Yun said sternly, ¡°I want to see Father. Get out of the way!¡± Xu Qing did not move. Qin Yun mocked, ¡°You¡¯re just a guard dog! How dare you disobey my orders! Get lost! I want to see Father!¡± A cold glint flashed across Xu Qing¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ah Yun!¡± Qin Yanran tugged at Qin Yun. ¡°Stop fooling around!¡± Qin Yun broke free from her hand. The huge force made Qin Yanran stagger back. Xu Qing grabbed her arm to prevent her from falling to the ground in a sorry state. When she stabilized herself, Xu Qing retracted his hand expressionlessly. Qin Yanran touched her arm and looked at Qin Yun with a complicated expression. She said sternly, ¡°Go back!¡± Qin Yun looked at his angry sister and then at the cold Xu Qing. He gritted his teeth and turned to leave! Qin Yanran sighed with a headache and turned to look at Xu Qing. She asked worriedly, ¡°How are my father¡¯s injuries?¡± Xu Qing glanced at Qin Yanran. His gaze was different from ordinary guards, inadvertently emitting endless killing intent. Qin Yanran felt her heart tremble, but she stubbornly did not avoid his murderous gaze. Xu Qing looked away and said calmly, ¡°The imperial physician has taken a look and asked Old Master to recuperate.¡± In the end, he did not mention that he had vomited blood from being angered by Wei Ting in the imperial study. ¡°Has His Majesty dealt with Lord Wei?¡± ¡°He dealt with him; he had to reflect on his mistakes for a month.¡± Qin Yanran was in disbelief. Did Wei Ting only have to reflect on himself after injuring her father to this extent? Xu Qing said, ¡°Miss, you know that you¡¯ll enter the palace tomorrow to take part in the selection to study with the princess, right?¡± Qin Yanran nodded. ¡°People from the palace came.¡± Xu Qing said calmly, ¡°Miss, you should understand that this is your only chance to marry the Third Prince, right?¡± Qin Yanran was stunned. ¡®You mean¡­ it¡¯s fake to read to the princess and it¡¯s true to choose a consort for the Third Prince?¡± Xu Qing did not answer her question directly. Instead, he said, ¡°I heard that the young lady from the commoners also obtained a spot to enter the palace.¡± Qin Yanran said in shock, ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­ didn¡¯t she already get married in the countryside?¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no such precedent in our dynasty. I heard that not long after Miss was born, an enlightened expert did a reading for the Protectorate. The Eldest Miss of the Protectorate is born with the fate of a phoenix and would be a mother to the world. Is the Eldest Miss mentioned by that expert Miss or the real daughter of the eldest branch?¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s pupils dilated! It was dawn. Su Xiaoxiao got up to make snacks. Su Cheng did not return yesterday. He was too tired from practicing riding and archery and fell asleep in the courtyard of the horse farm. Qin Canglan sent a guard to give Su Xiaoxiao a message, telling her not to worry. Wei Ting was not around, Father Su was not around, and Su Ergou wanted to go to school. She had to let him sleep well. This time, there was really no one to help. However, a hundred snacks were not much. They were all out of the pot in about two hours. She called Su Ergou and the three little ones. Su Ergou rubbed his eyes and looked at the bright sky outside the window. Smelling the fragrance from the kitchen, he muttered, ¡°Sister, are you done with the snacks? Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°How many snacks are there?¡± Su Ergou frowned and said, ¡°No! You have to call me next time. Otherwise, I won¡¯t take on any business!¡± How could he let his sister be busy alone? Was he still the man of the family? Su Xiaoxiao looked at her fourteen-year-old brother and smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call you next time.¡± Su Ergou was worried and filled the water tank. After chopping the firewood and feeding the foal, he went to the table for breakfast.. Chapter 301 - Chapter 301: Entering the Palace Chapter 301: Entering the Palace Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Today, it was Su Qi and Su Yu who came to pick Su Ergou up. The two of them looked at the table that was filled with snacks and their lips could not help but twitch. This kid was really doing business¡­ Su Ergou went to move the snacks. The two of them hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it!¡± If Big Brother knew that they let this kid work, he would definitely slap them. After coming to the capital, the snacks were sold at a higher price, so the packaging was naturally better. Orders for quantities of less than five were wrapped in Ruo leaves, and orders for quantities of more than ten were placed in wooden boxes. The small wooden box was custom-made by someone hired by Zhong Shan. It was engraved with the emblem of Su Ji. It looked high-end and generous, and it was not expensive to make. Su Ergou seriously counted the snacks that Su Qi and Su Yu had moved into the carriage. Su Qi and Su Yu were a little confused. This situation¡­ was different from what they had imagined. Shouldn¡¯t he be a timid, trembling, and country boy who needed the protection of his two heroic cousins at all times? Why did he look like a little boss commanding the two of them to work? A hundred boxes of snacks were moved. Su Xiaoxiao took out two more boxes. ¡°Eh? There¡¯s more?¡± Su Qi said. ¡°For you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed the snacks to the two of them. Su Qi took it and smiled. ¡°Um¡­ actually, there¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. We eat it often. Don¡¯t make it next time.¡± Their grandfather was a foodie. The chef in the residence had been specially invited from Jiangnan. The snacks he made were better than those sold outside. It was not that they despised Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s culinary skills, but there was really no need to trouble her so much. There was no shortage of these two mouthfuls of food. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, okay.¡± She poked her hand into the compartment. Su Ergou stuck his head over. She tidied Su Ergou¡¯s clothes. The students of the Imperial College were wearing the same school uniform. It was white with a grayish-blue belt and sleeves. They looked refined and smelled like books. Su Ergou was not bad-looking, but he usually did dabble in literary arts and was tanned. Now, that he had changed into a scholar¡¯s clothes, he was quite eye-catching. Su Xiaoxiao was very satisfied. She thought of something and reminded him, ¡°There¡¯s still half of the water I brought for you yesterday. You have to finish it today.¡± Su Ergou agreed obediently. ¡°Got it, Sister.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°What do you want to eat tonight?¡± Su Ergou thought for a moment. ¡°Braised pork.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make it for you.¡± Su Qi and Su Yu got into the carriage. ¡°Sister, we¡¯re leaving!¡± Su Ergou waved goodbye. The three little ones ran out and waved. ¡°Goodbye, Uncle!¡± Su Ergou waved seriously. ¡°Goodbye, Dahu. Goodbye, Erhu. Goodbye, Xiaohu!¡± Su Qi and Su Yu: ¡°Is it so ritualistic?¡± After Su Ergou left, it was the three little ones¡¯ turn. Su Xiaoxiao tidied up their book bags and filled them with snacks, water bags, and small towels. The three little ones carried their small book bags and left valiantly! Su Xiaoxiao had to enter the palace today and did not know how many hours it would take. She told Master Zhang that Zhong Shan would pick up the children and bring them back in the afternoon. ¡°You mean you have something on in the afternoon?¡± Master Zhang asked. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going out for a while.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say that she had to enter the palace. Zhang Qinshi said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let them stay here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± Master Zhang smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll pick them up when you come back tonight?¡± Su Xiaoxiao pondered and said, ¡°Is this¡­ okay? Won¡¯t it be too much of a disturbance?¡± Zhang Qinshi hurriedly expressed, ¡°No, no, no!¡± He wanted her sons to disturb someone. Her sons had disturbed that person all morning and successfully made someone feel a little hungry. If they disturbed him for an entire day¡­ The doctor had once diagnosed that if Ling Yun could not return to eating normally, he would die of exhaustion one day. However, Ling Yun took the initiative to complain about hunger yesterday, allowing Master Zhang to see a trace of hope. So be it. It was better than Ling Yun dying. Ling Yun was exhausted by the three little ones yesterday and slept until dawn. He was puzzled himself. After all, he had not slept for a long time. ¡°Teacher!¡± Xiaohu stuck his head in. Ling Yun¡¯s temples throbbed! The fear of being dominated by Xiaohu¡¯s little demonic voice surged into his heart. Xiaohu said in a childish voice, ¡°Teacher, let me tell you a piece of good news. We¡¯ll accompany you for the entire day today!¡± Duang! Ling Yun fell! Zhong Shan came to Pear Blossom Lane. Su Xiaoxiao told him that the three little ones were staying at the teacher¡¯s house today. Zhong Shan was old. To be honest, she had no choice but to let him look after the three little fellows. Since Master Zhang and Ling Yun were willing to contribute, it couldn¡¯t be better. Zhong Shan gestured. ¡°Tell me if you have any instructions.¡± Su Xiaoxiao returned to the house and brought him a box of ointment that she had just boiled yesterday. She said, ¡°To recover from your waist injury, apply it every morning and night until it heats up.¡± Zhong Shan was stunned. Zhong Shan had never taken the initiative to tell Su Xiaoxiao anything. Be it his deafness or injury, Su Xiaoxiao had observed it herself. Zhong Shan took the medicine and his heart swelled. He said, ¡°I¡¯m just a servant.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°There are no servants here.¡± Zhong Shan¡¯s eyes were wet. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Grandmaster Hui Jue also wants me to take care of you.¡± Apart from asking Zhong Shan to serve them well, she also wanted them to help take care of Zhong Shan. Mistress Hui Jue was a person who valued relationships and righteousness. Regardless of whether Zhong Shan was a servant or not, in her eyes, they were all people she had to take care of. Zhong Shan turned around. When he was sure Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t see him, hot tears fell. Fifteen minutes later, Su Mots carriage arrived. He was here to bring Su Xiaoxiao into the palace. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s clothes were no different from usual. She was wearing a lake-blue high-waisted dress with a pipa shirt of the same color. Her hair was tied into a simple bun and she had tied a white pearl headband that Su Cheng had given her. However, her cute round face and exquisite facial features were pleasing to the eye. Her chubby figure made her look cute. It was just¡­ wasn¡¯t this outfit a little too plain. ¡°Are you¡­ sure you want to enter the palace dressed like this?¡± Su MO asked. Su Xiaoxiao looked down at her outfit. ¡°Isn¡¯t this outfit good?¡± ¡°Pretty good,¡± Su MO said. ¡°Get in.¡± Other daughters wished they could put the most expensive jewelry and materials on themselves, but this girl was so simple. From Su Mo¡¯s standpoint, he hoped that Su Xiaoxiao would be chosen. The Qin and Su families were royalists. Marrying the Third Prince, Xiao Zhonghua, was more in line with the Qin and Su families than marrying Wei Ting. However, looking at this girl¡¯s posture, she clearly hoped that she would fail. ¡°What¡¯s so good about Wei Ting?¡± Su MO did not understand. ¡°Sigh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed sadly. ¡°We can¡¯t say what¡¯s good about some people, but no one can replace them¡­ Okay, he¡¯s good-looking.¡± Chapter 302 - Chapter 302: Suppressing the Entire Scene Chapter 302: Suppressing the Entire Scene Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Yanran also arrived at the palace entrance under Xu Qings escort. Xu Qing lifted the curtain and handed her a footstool. She walked down the stairs slowly. She was wearing a light purple dress with wide sleeves. The thin veil around her waist was gently tied with a pearl ornament. Her shoes were inlaid with huge east pearls. They were spotless and extraordinary. However, the most eye-catching thing was her shark pearl hair accessory. She was already extraordinary-looking. It was not an exaggeration to say that she was a fairy. Many beautiful young ladies had already arrived at the palace entrance, but her appearance still suppressed the crowd and attracted everyone¡¯s attention. During this period of time, the news about the real and fake Duke Protector pushed Qin Yanran, the first daughter of the family, into the limelight. It would be a lie to say that no one was waiting to see her make a fool of herself. However, before one could laugh, news spread that Qin Jiang was going to fight for military power with Qin Canglan¡¯s son. On the surface, it was a battle for military power, but it was actually Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s attitude. Emperor Jing Xuan did not approve of the Protector Duke who had returned from the commoners. In this way, Qin Jiang still had a chance to turn things around. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s carriage arrived at the palace at about the same time. Her appearance also attracted everyone¡¯s attention. The daughters of the capital were thin and beautiful. They had never seen anyone so fat. Other than that, it was Su Mo. Su MO was the head of the four young masters in the capital. Countless girls secretly liked him. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± A young lady asked. Her companion whispered, ¡°Coming over with Young Master Su¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s that young lady from the commoners?¡± ¡°The biological granddaughter of the Old Duke?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Why is she here? Is a girl who grew up in the countryside qualified to be a princess¡¯s study companion?¡± Everyone whispered. Qin Yanran didn¡¯t seem to hear everyone¡¯s criticism of Su Xiaoxiao. She walked past the two of them. Su MO ignored Qin Yanran and did not even look at her. Qin Yanran clenched her handkerchief. Su MO said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Go in first. I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to wait. Who knows how long it will take?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have nothing on anyway.¡± Qin Yanran recalled that three years ago, she had also entered the palace to attend Princess Hui An¡¯s flower appreciation banquet. At that time, she was staying in the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. The Old Marquis asked Su MO to send her into the palace. He had no intention of disobeying the Old Marquis and sent her to the palace door. However, he did not ride in the same carriage as her. Instead, he rode beside her. In the end, he left two guards waiting there and left without looking back. In Qin Yanran¡¯s impression, Su MO had endless work. But just now, he actually said¡­ that he was free? ¡°Then¡­ okay,¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed. Qin Yanran had always felt that Su MO treated her extremely well and was an impeccable and perfect cousin. Compared to Su Mo¡¯s attitude towards Su Xiaoxiao, she realized that Su MO had only followed his elders¡¯ instructions in the past and fulfilled his responsibilities as a cousin. There was no need for anyone to instruct to be really good to someone. Su MO went to the carriage and waited patiently. The daughters entered the palace under the lead of the eunuchs and palace maids. There was still a considerable distance from where they were to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The Internal Affairs Department had arranged sedan chairs. When the daughters sat in the sedan chair, they would usually reward the eunuchs carrying the sedan chair. Therefore, this was considered a lucrative job. Everyone fought to carry the sedan chairs. It was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s turn, but no eunuch went forward. There was no other reason. Who could carry such a fat girl? She also looked like she had no money. If one¡¯s waist was broken, he would not be able to get a single copper coin! Su Xiaoxiao was isolated on the spot. The daughters covered their faces and snickered. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care. If no one carried the sedan chair, she would leave herself. She did not feel embarrassed or tired. At the same time, she could enjoy the scenery along the way. She followed behind the team. Not far away, a sedan chair made of golden cedar landed in front of a pavilion. Princess Jing Ning walked down from the sedan chair and casually glanced at the team. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡± The female official at the side said, ¡°Your Highness, those daughters are here to participate in the selection of study companions for the princesses.¡± Jing Ning had heard about Emperor Jing Xuan opening a palace school. After all, she was one of the princesses of the right age who needed to enter school. Princess Jing Ning said, ¡°I mean that girl. Why didn¡¯t she take a sedan chair?¡± She was dressed simply and did not look like a rich daughter, but she was even less like a palace maid. Therefore, Jingning judged that she should be one of the so-called study companions. Jingning was a princess, and there were some things she didn¡¯t understand, but the palace maids and eunuchs knew everything. After all, only servants understood the twists and turns of servants. The female official said truthfully, ¡°They most likely saw that the girl was too fat and dressed poorly, so they didn¡¯t want to take on a thankless job.¡± Princess Jing Ning frowned. Princess Jingning had been mocked since she was young for her overly mediocre appearance. Seeing the little fat girl suffer like this, she could not help but feel a trace of compassion. ¡°Call her over¡­ As she spoke, she paused. ¡°Forget it, go over!¡± The young ladies sat in a sedan chair all the way to the side hall. After getting off the palanquin, as expected, every eunuch carrying the palanquin received a generous reward. ¡°Eh? Have you seen that fat girl? I just saw her following behind. In the blink of an eye, she¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t lose her way, did she?¡± ¡°How can she lose her way? How stupid is she!¡± ¡°The palace is so big. If she lost her way, it¡¯s hard to get back! If we offend a noble¡­ That was death. The young ladies discussed again. Qin Yanran thought that she would become the center of attention, but she didn¡¯t expect everyone to be talking about Su Xiaoxiao. However, it was not a good thing. ¡°As expected of those from the countryside. If I were her, I wouldn¡¯t leave without someone carrying my sedan chair. I¡¯ll get someone to call their chief over! Let¡¯s see who dares not to lift it!¡± ¡°Who should she call? Can¡¯t you see that she doesn¡¯t even have a maidservant beside her?¡± ¡°Miss Qin, no matter what, she¡¯s still a member of your Qin family. Shouldn¡¯t you teach her how to become a daughter of a famous family?¡± Qin Yanran said softly, ¡°Miss Wang is right. When we return to the residence, I¡¯ll teach her the rules.¡± A young lady suddenly said, ¡°Stop talking! Princess Jingning is here!¡± Everyone turned around and saw a few powerful inner court experts carrying a golden-threaded nanmu sedan chair steadily over. The sedan chair¡¯s canopy was accompanied by a bright yellow color. This was a color that only the orthodox members of the harem were qualified to use. Other than the Empress Dowager and the Empress, only the Empress¡¯s Princess Jingning could use it. Even the princes were not allowed to overstep their boundaries. Everyone hurriedly fell silent and bent down to bow respectfully. The sedan landed. The curtain was gently lifted by the female official. A little fat girl walked out boldly. All the daughters who bowed to her were speechless.. Chapter 303 - Chapter 303: Xiaoxiao’s Strength Chapter 303: Xiaoxiao¡¯s Strength Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Why did she come in Princess Jingning¡¯s sedan chair?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! What right does a country bumpkin have?¡± ¡°Did Princess Jingning lend her the sedan chair because she couldn¡¯t bear to see her alone?¡± ¡°I think she most likely complained to Princess Jingning herself!¡± ¡°She¡¯s really lucky to meet Princess Jingning¡­¡± The discussion made Su Xiaoxiao the focus of everyone again. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Su Xiaoxiao, who was being pointed at, did not show any nervousness. It had to be known that many daughters of families who were entering the palace for the first time could not be as calm as her. ¡°Is she stupid?¡± A young lady asked softly. The others burst out laughing. A young lady who was quite familiar with Qin Yanran tugged at her sleeve. ¡°Miss Qin.¡± ¡°Why did she come in Princess Jingning¡¯s sedan chair?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! What right does a country bumpkin have?¡± ¡°Did Princess Jingning lend her the sedan chair because she couldn¡¯t bear to see her alone?¡± ¡°I think she most likely complained to Princess Jingning herself!¡± ¡°She¡¯s really lucky to meet Princess Jingning¡­¡¯ The discussion made Su Xiaoxiao the focus of everyone again. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Su Xiaoxiao, who was being pointed at, did not show any nervousness. It had to be known that many daughters of families who were entering the palace for the first time could not be as calm as her. ¡°Is she stupid?¡± A young lady asked softly. The others burst out laughing. A young lady who was quite familiar with Qin Yanran tugged at her sleeve. ¡°Miss Qin.¡± Qin Yanran raised her hand and gently touched the shark pearl on her head. The young lady asked, ¡°She¡¯s from your Qin family. Is she usually so silly?¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s expression froze as she said calmly, ¡°Miss Hong, please be careful with your words. ¡± Miss Hong curled her lips and went to talk to others. Qin Yanran had extraordinary looks and talent. She should have been the focus of today, but Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s appearance made everyone¡¯s eyes fall on her. Not long after, a palace nanny who looked experienced brought them to an open-air garden. The surroundings were filled with green plants and flowers. In the center was an emerald green lawn. There was already a table and futon on the lawn. The nanny dragged out her tone and said, ¡°Please take a seat.¡± Everyone found suitable seats and sat down. When it came to Su Xiaoxiao, there was only a single table in the last row. Su Xiaoxiao walked over and sat down. The little fat girl was alone again. Qin Yanran sat in the first row. Generally speaking, it took some courage to sit in this position. Qin Yanran¡¯s strength was outstanding and she was unafraid of any test, so she naturally dared to sit in the first row. On both sides of her were the daughters of the Leng family and the Jing family. Su Xiaoxiao looked up. The back of the heads was shining under the sunlight, making her dizzy. The first assessment was the written test. Choosing a companion for the princess was not as strict as the imperial examination. The main test was the basic skills of the daughters. The test paper was divided into two parts: silent book and poetry. The content of the silent book came from the four books and five scriptures. Every test paper was different, so there was no plagiarism. The poem was written with spring as the theme. There was no restriction on the use of words, but it had to be original. Su Xiaoxiao had learned a lot of words from Wei Ting in the countryside. On the way to the capital, she continued to learn from Physician Fu. Now, it was no longer a problem for her to read. After reading the densely packed test papers, she only sighed. It was not easy for the daughters of ancient times. After an hour, the eunuchs came over to collect the papers. ¡°How did you do?¡± a young lady asked. ¡°There are two questions that I didn¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°Only two questions? I don¡¯t know anything else¡­ Miss Wang, I think you filled them all.¡± The daughter of the Wang family smiled. ¡°I wrote it randomly.¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms. She was so familiar with the post-test scene. The second assessment was painting a peony that the eunuchs had moved over. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s performance was average. When others looked at paintings, she looked at them too. When others moved their brushes, she also moved hers. The invigilator in the corner had noticed her since the last round. However, he was in front at that time and was only switched to the back in the second round. He saw Su Xiaoxiao writing quickly and majestically. He thought to himself that this girl looked low-key and was most likely an expert. Then, he couldn¡¯t help but crane his neck to look at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s painting. Heavens! He staggered and almost fell! Next, they tested music and chess. Music was an instrument chosen by the daughters who were good at it. They played it live and the musicians of the palace recorded their results. The results were not announced on the spot. With Master Zhang¡¯s guidance, Qin Yanran¡¯s zither skills improved by leaps and bounds. Her song ¡°Otherworldly Flying Immortal¡± stunned everyone. The pipa of the daughter of the Leng family and the Luanzheng of the daughter of the Jing family also attracted the attention of the musicians. It was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s turn. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Can I play anything?¡± The palace nanny nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said seriously, ¡°Then, should I play cotton for everyone?¡± Everyone was speechless. After a day of assessment, the person who was the most outstanding in music was Qin Yanran. No one could see the results of the written test and painting, so they could not know. However, from their past reputation, Qin Yanran was in the top three even if she was not first. Among the top three places, the daughter of the Leng family should have a spot. Chess was decided by drawing lots. Qin Yanran drew the daughter of the Leng family. A few chess masters who had come to be the referees surrounded the two of them. Obviously, their game was the most anticipated. Su Xiaoxiao picked Miss Hong. Miss Hong did not take a girl who grew up in the countryside seriously. She said arrogantly, ¡®You can go first. I¡¯ll let you go first!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao casually picked up a black piece and placed it in the middle of the chessboard. Miss Hong sneered. ¡°Do you know how to play chess? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re in the countryside and have never seen what Go looks like?¡± The first step was usually to take the star position and occupy one of the four more valuable corners, followed by the side. Otherwise, why would there be a golden horn and silver lining? The place where this girl placed her piece was terrible. To be honest, her chess skills were not too superb. Previously, she was worried that she would draw a powerful opponent, but she did not expect to encounter this girl. Ha. She might as well draw a powerful one. It was unfair to win against such a person. Miss Hong despised her. She played a piece. Hmph, she would finish the country bumpkin within ten moves! Ten moves later. Su Xiaoxiao rested her chin on one hand. Miss Hong sneered and said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you playing anymore? If you don¡¯t know how to, I¡¯ll teach you and let you last a few more moves in my hands.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± They had not eaten for the entire day. Did these young ladies not need to eat? She was so hungry that she was panicking. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care anymore. She took out a snack from her pouch and ate it leisurely. Miss Hong said coldly, ¡°Hey! Are you here to play chess or eat? Can you be more serious? If you continue like this, you might as well forfeit!¡± Su Xiaoxiao tapped the chessboard with her other hand. Miss Hong looked down and was shocked. She was about to win just now. Why did this girl break out all of a sudden? ¡°How¡­ how did you¡­ get down here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Can¡¯t I go down here? Then I¡¯ll go somewhere else.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t back out!¡± said the eunuch beside them. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put the chess piece back. Miss Hong glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. She didn¡¯t even know the rules of chess. She had most likely hit the jackpot. The two of them continued to play. Every time Miss Hong saw that she was about to win, Su Xiaoxiao could break UUL. More and more chess games were decided. In the end, only her table, the daughter of the Leng family, and Qin Yanran¡¯s table were left. It was normal for the two of them to not be able to determine the outcome. After all, the two of them were experts at chess. But she was facing a girl who had grown up in the countryside! ¡°Hey, why isn¡¯t Miss Hong done yet?¡± ¡°Could it be that she can¡¯t even win against a little village girl? I didn¡¯t believe it when I heard that her chess skills were poor¡­¡± ¡°Shh, lower your voice. She¡¯s the legitimate daughter of the Qin family. It¡¯s not strange that Miss Hong can¡¯t win¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s soft mockery fell into Miss Hong¡¯s ears. She was furious and pointed at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s nose. ¡°You broke the rules!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked confused. ¡°What rule did I break?¡± Miss Hong said, ¡°Eat!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the invigilating eunuch. ¡°Is there a rule that you can¡¯t The eunuch said, ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡± It was mainly because they did not expect anyone to be able to eat¡­ On the other side, Qin Yanran and the daughter of the Leng family decided the victor. Qin Yanran narrowly won. The two of them stood up and bowed to each other. Only Miss Hong and Su Xiaoxiao were left. Miss Hong broke out in cold sweat. This was because she belatedly realized that although she seemed to have won all the way, she had actually been captured to death. How could this be? Didn¡¯t this girl not know how to play chess? Why did she still.. Su Xiaoxiao raised the black chess piece and found a place on the chessboard seriously. Miss Hong stared at her flaw and broke out in cold sweat. Don¡¯t go down there, don¡¯t go down there¡­ Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s piece paused above. Miss Hong almost fainted. ¡°Here!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s piece landed at the side. Miss Hong instantly recovered and locked her situation! ¡°White, win.¡± Miss Hong let out a long sigh. At this point, the last round of the assessment was over. The chess masters left one after another. They had mainly gone to watch Qin Yanran play with the daughter of the Leng family just now and paid very little attention to other chess games, especially Su Xiaoxiao and Miss Hong. When they passed by the two of them, a chess master casually glanced at them. When he was about to take a second look, the eunuch had already put away the chessboard. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± his companion asked. Master said, ¡°Ah, just now¡­ I seem to have seen an impressive chess game.¡± His companion asked the eunuch, ¡°Who was playing chess here just now?¡± The eunuch replied, ¡°Miss Hong and Miss Su?¡± His companion asked, ¡°Which Miss Su?¡± The eunuch said, ¡°That daughter of the Duke who grew up among the commoners who has yet to pay respects to her ancestors. She used her name from the countryside.¡± His companion looked at the chess master and smiled. ¡°Did you see wrongly? I¡¯ve never heard of Miss Hong¡¯s chess skills.¡± There was even less of a need to mention that daughter from the countryside. The chess master nodded. ¡°Perhaps.¡± Even he could not guarantee that he could play such a game.. Chapter 304 - Chapter 304: His Background Chapter 304: His Background Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When they came out of the palace, it was already dusk. The evening breeze carried a hint of coldness. Su MO stood quietly beside the carriage at the entrance of the palace in a silver cloak. The daughters walked out one after another and could not help but size him up. The eldest son of the Su family was well-versed in both civil and military matters. He was elegant like jade and came from a noble background. He was deeply valued by the emperor. Which girl in the world did not want to marry such a husband? The daughters blushed. Su Xiaoxiao slowly walked behind everyone. Suddenly, a young lady fell a few steps behind and took the initiative to strike up a conversation with her. ¡°Miss Qin, how did you do today?¡± ¡°My surname is Su,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Ah.¡± The young lady was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao had no intention of building a relationship with others and walked over calmly. Not long after, another daughter came over. ¡°Miss Su, this is your first time in the palace, right? You played well today. I heard that you almost won.¡± ¡°You seem to have been watching Qin Yanran¡¯s chess game the entire time, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her and noticed her red cheeks and flickering eyes. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Su MO again and understood. Could it be that they were trying to use her? Seven or eight daughters came over and chatted enthusiastically with Su Xiaoxiao. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that Su Xiaoxiao was some new favorite. Su Xiaoxiao came to Su Mo. The daughters greeted Su MO shyly. ¡°Young Master Su.¡± Su MO returned the greeting politely. He was not cold, but he was not too enthusiastic. He retained the self-restraint that a descendant of an aristocratic family should have. ¡°Get in,¡± Su MO said to Su Xiaoxiao. He turned around, lifted the curtain, and reached out to help Su Xiaoxiao into the carriage. Not far away, Qin Yanran saw that Su MO had no qualms about being close to Su Xiaoxiao. She could not help but clench the handkerchief in her hand. When she was Su MO¡¯s cousin, Su MO never crossed the line. Strictly speaking, this was not overstepping. The two families were relatives, to begin with. Su MO took care of Su Xiaoxiao as a sibling would and did not mix anything else. However, the more this was the case, the more Qin Yanran felt a huge difference. So Su MO could treat someone like this. He could ignore the rules, and his status, and be fearless of gossip. ¡°Miss, get in the car.¡± Xu Qing¡¯s voice came from behind. Qin Yanran looked at the Su family¡¯s carriage and muttered, ¡°Has Young Master Su been waiting outside the palace and never left?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Xu Qing said. Qin Yanran felt a little aggrieved. ¡°Is she that good?¡± Xu Qing did not answer. In the carriage, Su MO handed Su Xiaoxiao a water bag. Su Xiaoxiao was indeed thirsty. ¡°Thanks.¡± She took it and gulped it down. Su MO looked at her eating and drinking whenever she wanted and was never worried about destroying her image. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Is there no water in the palace?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°Yes, but is that for people to drink? It¡¯s for show, right?¡± She was only brought a small cup at a time. The other daughters only took a small sip to moisten their throats before putting it back. She drank them all, but it was not enough to quench her thirst. Su MO smiled. ¡°Drink slowly. There¡¯s more.¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed. ¡°Yes.¡± Su MO asked, ¡°What did you have to do in the selection?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°Qin, chess, calligraphy¡­ chess.¡± Su MO opened a jar of walnuts. ¡°How did you do?¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed a walnut. ¡°Not bad.¡± Su MO remarked, ¡°You¡¯re not telling the truth.¡± After Su MO sent Su Xiaoxiao back to Pear Blossom Lane, he went to deal with the official matters that had been delayed during the day. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything, but she understood. It was not that Su MO really had nothing to do. He was worried that something would happen to her the first time he entered the palace. This way, he could rush over immediately. Su Xiaoxiao picked up the three little ones. The three little ones had a very happy day. In the morning, they learned the zither, in other words, torturing their master and in the afternoon, they went to the orchard, in other words, torturing their master. In order to express their liking for their master, they went to their house to bring the foal over after returning from the orchard. Together with the foal, they continued to torture their master. ¡°Goodbye, Master!¡± ¡°Goodbye, Master!¡± ¡°Goodbye, Master!¡± The three little ones in the courtyard waved at Ling Yun. Ling Yun didn¡¯t even have the strength to slam the door. He was hungry¡­ He only wanted to eat.. Su Ergou had also returned from the Imperial College. Su Cheng had been captured by Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis to be locked up and trained. He still did not return tonight. Su Xiaoxiao seriously suspected that the two of them were fighting to be Su Cheng¡¯s father. Su Xiaoxiao stewed taro braised pork, steamed shrimp balls, fried chives and eggs, and stir-fried two plates of vegetables. The taro was smooth and tender. The three little ones liked it very much. Xiaohu held the bowl and chopsticks and raised his head. He said childishly, ¡°I still want to eat tomorrow!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked in amusement, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Xiaohu said seriously, ¡°Potato! Meat!¡± ¡°What about Dahu and Erhu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Dahu was basically not picky about food. Other than the bitter ones, he ate everything. ¡°Candied hawthorn,¡± Erhu said. Xiaohu hurriedly said, ¡°Xiaohu also wants candied hawthorn! Many, many, a hundred candied hawthorns!¡± Dahu nodded. He wanted a hundred too. Su Xiaoxiao said sternly, ¡°I want to ask about proper meals¡­ Don¡¯t go astray!¡± After dinner, the three little ones went to the courtyard to play while Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Su Ergou walked in, looking like he had something to say. ¡°Sister.¡± He said gloomily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked up at him and asked, ¡°Ah, did you receive a new order? How many? I¡¯ll do it tomorrow.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°Ah, there¡¯s an order. I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked softly. Su Ergou whispered, ¡°Just¡­ at the Directorate today, someone called me Little High Duke.¡± What was inevitable would eventually come. From the moment she decided to send Su Ergou to school, his background was destined to be exposed. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Do you want to be a Little High Duke?¡± Su Ergou asked, ¡°Am I still your brother after I become one? Am I still Dad¡¯s son? If not, I won¡¯t want to be a Little High Duke.¡± Su Xiaoxiao teased him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to make endless snacks and money?¡± Su Ergou shook his head like a rattle drum. ¡°If I¡¯m with Dad and Sister, I can go hungry.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t let you go hungry again.¡± Su Ergou said gloomily, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll eat less in the future. Don¡¯t give me to others. ¡± Did this little silly boy think that she was going to send him into someone else¡¯s house to be a son? Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. She finally understood why he had a dejected expression from the moment he entered. ¡°Ergou, it¡¯s time to tell you something.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you about Dad¡¯s background before because I still had some considerations. However, I realized that I might have been wrong. This decision shouldn¡¯t be made by me alone. I shouldn¡¯t have treated you as a child. You have the right to choose your family.¡± Su Ergou listened obediently and cried in fear. ¡°Sister, I¡­ I¡¯m really not our child, right? I was picked up from the streets?¡± Tears streamed down his face. He did not want to be the young master of a rich family.. He only wanted be with his sister and his father¡­ Chapter 305 - Chapter 305: The Scheming Brother Ting Chapter 305: The Scheming Brother Ting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao spent more than half an hour explaining Su Cheng¡¯s background and his relationship with the Qin and Su families to Su Ergou. Su Ergou said in a daze, ¡°So I¡¯m Dad¡¯s child and you¡¯re my biological sister?¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Yes.¡± Su Ergou wiped his tears. ¡°Oh, then it¡¯s fine.¡± He went out to play happily. He did not care if he had become the young master of the Protectorate. As Su Xiaoxiao washed the dishes, she looked at Su Ergou and the three little ones playing with the waterhole in the courtyard. ¡°Well, Peppa and three Little Georges.¡± Su Ergou stomped his foot, causing water to splash all over their faces. The three little ones were stunned! Su Ergou placed his hands on his hips and laughed. ¡°Hahaha! Hahahahaha! How is it? I¡¯m still the best!¡± Su Xiaoxiao remarked, ¡°Uh¡­ I was wrong. They were clearly four Little Georges.¡± After cleaning up the kitchen, Su Xiaoxiao boiled hot water and washed the three little ones clean. The three little ones cutely asked Su Xiaoxiao for three kisses before sleeping. It was also very tiring to torment their master. Coupled with the water battle with Uncle Ergou, the three of them were extremely tired. As soon as they touched the pillow, they fell asleep. Erhu was the most obedient in his sleep. Dahu spread his wings under the blanket, and Xiaohu¡¯s butt stuck up. His little face was on the pillow, and he was drooling. Su Xiaoxiao arranged the three of them, turned off the lights, and closed her eyes to sleep. Unexpectedly and yet reasonably, she entered the pharmacy. In February, the pharmacy rewarded her with a mouthful of immortal aura. After three months, there was no reward. Su Xiaoxiao thought that the pharmacy would never reward her monthly again. Who would have thought that it would come in on the second of April? Perhaps to make it up to her, the reward this time was a little sumptuous. She actually saw a bottle of black technology bone-strengthening pills on the table, as well as four big jars of goat milk powder that the three little ones and the pony had been drinking. The multivitamins and collagen could last more than half a year. It was not strange that there were no new supplies this time. ¡°Eh? What is this? A book?¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up a box-like dictionary on the table, but it was not a book. It was a box. Su Xiaoxiao opened it and took out a bottle of ointment. It was the dodgy-looking product again. It was dark and sticky. It looked strange and disgusting. Smelling the minty smell, Su Xiaoxiao dipped it in and smeared it on the back of her hand. It was very cool. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for. Take it first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao replenished some anti-inflammatory medicine and anesthetic and took a few boxes of blood pressure medicine, preparing to send them to Aunt Fu another day. At the Wei family, Wei Ting was punished to reflect behind closed doors. This time, there was a special guard. The person guarding him was a eunuch with the surname Yu. He was in his forties this year and was considered experienced in the palace. Otherwise, he would not have been sent to supervise Wei Ting. Wei Ting sat in front of the window in boredom. Eunuch Yu was like a statue growing in the house. Wei Ting flipped through the book in his hand and sighed. ¡°Eunuch Yu, why are you doing this? You¡¯ve been guarding me for a day and night. At least find someone to help you.¡± Eunuch Yu said, ¡°Someone will come tomorrow to help me. Lord Wei, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Wei Ting replied, ¡°Hey, Eunuch Yu, you¡¯re treating me like an outsider. Our relationship.. Eunuch Yu remarked, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with Lord Wei.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Eunuch Yu, look, the weather is good today, but I can only stay in my room. If I get sick from being suffocated¡­¡± Eunuch Yu said, ¡°I will hire an imperial physician for Lord Wei.¡± Eunuch Yu was stubborn. Wei Ting clicked his tongue and casually flipped open the romance book in his hand. ¡°Eunuch Yu, I remember that you once received my grandfather¡¯s favor, right?¡± Eunuch Yu paused. Wei Ting said, ¡®When Grandpa was alive, I heard him mention you.¡± ¡°Old General, he¡­¡± Eunuch Yu hesitated. Wei Ting was not lying. Old General Wei had indeed done Eunuch Yu a favor. That was not long after Eunuch Yu entered the palace and had just become a eunuch. He had yet to completely recover. When he was running an errand for a young mistress of the harem, he accidentally scattered the snacks that the other party¡¯s family had sent to the palace. If the higher-ups found out, he would be beaten up. It was unknown if he could survive. It was Lord Wu An, who was in his prime who told others that he had knocked down this little eunuch. It was unknown if he had broken anything. Lord Wu An was kind-hearted. How did he end up in such a miserable state? It was really a pity. ¡°Lord Wei, even if it¡¯s for Old General Wei¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t let you out.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t ask you to let me out. I just feel that the night is dark and windy. Let¡¯s spend time together¡­¡± Eunuch Yu trembled. ¡°Lord Wei, be careful with your words!¡± Was there a need to use such nonsense? How did he become your top scorer? Why wasn¡¯t he beaten to death by the examiner? Wei Ting smiled and said, ¡°It means what it means. Eunuch Yu, don¡¯t be nervous.¡± The four seasons begonia in the courtyard bloomed beautifully and was covered in the moonlight. It was really.. blooming. Eunuch Yu cleared his throat and said seriously, ¡°Lord Wei, settle down early.¡± Wei Ting sighed. ¡°I¡¯m a general. There¡¯s another person in the house, so I can¡¯t sleep. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll be in a daze in the middle of the night and kill Eunuch Yu as an assassin. Then, I won¡¯t be able to see him again.¡± Eunuch Yu was speechless. Wei Ting suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you guard the door, Eunuch Yu? Don¡¯t worry, the courtyard is guarded by my grandmother¡¯s men. Even if I want to slip away, I won¡¯t be able to.¡± Eunuch Yu did not believe him. Wei Ting looked at the sky sadly. ¡°Is there no trust between people anymore?¡± Eunuch Yu was unmoved. Wei Ting grabbed a handful of peanuts, casually pinched off the peanut shell, and threw the peanuts into his mouth. Perhaps because he was panting a little too hard, he choked on the peanut skin. He coughed violently. Seeing this, Eunuch Yu hesitated for a moment before walking forward. ¡°Lord Wei, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Wei Ting coughed so hard that he could not speak. Eunuch Yu did not really want to suffocate him to death. He quickly poured him a glass of water. ¡°Drink some water first.¡± Wei Ting was vigilant. He said with difficulty in a hoarse voice, ¡°Where did the water come from? Are you trying to drug me?¡± Eunuch Yu was wronged. ¡°Heaven and earth, why would I drug Lord Wei?¡± Wei Ting almost coughed out his lungs, but he refused to drink the water Eunuch Yu poured. ¡°I¡¯ll drink it for you to see, okay!¡± Eunuch Yu raised his head and took a sip. Just one sip. He collapsed. Wei Ting immediately stopped coughing and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eunuch Yu. Rest here for the night.¡± He moved him to the couch and pulled the blanket over him. In the past, he did not know how to do this. He could sleep on the ground himself, so he thought that everyone was the same. He went to the Su family and gradually learned a lot. He pulled open the door. And Matriarch Wei was blocking the door with a dignified expression. ¡°I knew you would play tricks!¡± Wei Ting did not panic. He said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll bring the three children over for you to see..¡± Chapter 306 - Chapter 306: Two-way Rush Chapter 306: Two-way Rush Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao came out of the pharmacy and tidied her first aid kit, planning to continue sleeping. Suddenly, a cold aura quietly arrived. She first touched the three children on the inside. At the same time, her other hand neatly pulled out the dagger under the mattress. The moment the figure approached, she stabbed! She was too fast. In an instant, the blade was already close to the other party¡¯s neck. Swoosh! The other party leaned to the side and grabbed her wrist firmly. ¡°You want to murder your husband?¡± A familiar voice sounded. Su Xiaoxiao was slightly stunned. She blinked and smelled a familiar aura on him. ¡°It¡¯s you? Why are you here in the middle of the night?¡± Wei Ting let go of her wrist. This girl was really fast. If it were any other assassin, they would have been skinned by her. However, when he saw that she was holding the dagger he had given her, he looked a little satisfied. The dagger his grandfather had given him was called the candle dragon. It was the most suitable for a sneak attack. ¡°I came to see¡­ my sons,¡± he said without changing his expression. After Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes adapted to the darkness, she could see his appearance in the night. ¡°Aren¡¯t you grounded?¡± she asked. ¡°Who said that?¡± Wei Ting asked. ¡°Blackie.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Blackie?¡± After Wei Ting asked, he realized who the reckless one was. He muttered quietly, ¡°Very good, Yuchi Xiu, you¡¯re finished.¡± How dare he make Wei Ting lose face in front of his wife? Yuchi Xiu¡¯s head could only be tied to his belt. ¡°Were you going to sleep?¡± Wei Ting asked as he looked at the blanket she had spread. It was earlier than usual. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Dad not around? Ergou, Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu are going to school again. They have to wake up early, so they naturally have to sleep early at night.¡± ¡°Then, sleep first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy anymore.¡± Wei Ting paused. Forget it, he would keep Yuchi Xiu¡¯s head for now. The night scenery in the capital was bustling. It was past midnight, but the streets were still busy and noisy. This was a commotion that could not be had in the countryside and town. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t like crowds in the past, but now, she felt that such mortal life was exceptionally rare. ¡°Scholar Street seems livelier than usual today,¡± she said, looking around. Wei Ting looked at the endless crowd. ¡°There¡¯s a small lantern festival ahead.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Is it a special day? Why is there a lantern festival?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°We¡¯ll know when we go take a look.¡± The capital had changed drastically. He had been away for a year, and some things were indeed not familiar. The two of them went to the east end of Scholar Street. It turned out that a poetry club had organized an event where one could obtain a lantern by writing poems, and guessing lantern riddles. There were many people participating, and there were even more onlookers. The scene was very crowded. A man squeezed towards Su Xiaoxiao. Wei Ting raised his arm and blocked the man. This posture looked like he was holding her in his arms. After blocking her, he changed positions with her and blocked the waves of people for her. No matter how many people bumped into him, he was as stable as a mountain. No one Imew that the youngest son of the Wei family actually hated being approached by strangers, let alone allowing them to bump into him. ¡°Are there any lanterns you like?¡± He asked Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao was used to Wei Ting interacting with her. His tone was suddenly gentle¡­ She scratched her head. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Wei Ting was stunned. ¡®What for?¡¯ Didn¡¯t he just ask her if she wanted a lantern? What kind of expression was that? Su Xiaoxiao looked at him warily. ¡°Do you want the family expenses back?¡± Wei Ting wondered, ¡°What does this have to do with family expenses?¡± He tried his best to be human. Why didn¡¯t anyone believe him? Wei Ting was about to defend himself when his ears twitched and he caught an extremely subtle movement. He quietly moved behind Su Xiaoxiao and blocked her with his tall body. He whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t look back. Go slowly east.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was not an ignorant little girl. When she heard his words, she instantly understood that they were being targeted. ¡°Are there many people?¡± she asked. Wei Ting glanced around. ¡°Five.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What o¡¯clock?¡± wei Ting: ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao corrected herself. ¡°Oh, which direction?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Two on the right and three on the left.¡± ¡°Then why did you¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao hesitated. Wasn¡¯t he afraid that others would stab him into a sieve when he exposed his entire back? The lights would be noisy. Wei Ting¡¯s extraordinary hearing carefully distinguished the unusual movements. Two people squeezed over and quietly pulled out their daggers. It was too easy to hurt the innocent if they attacked here. Wei Ting was not sure if the other party was coming for him or her. He grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist and squeezed to the front. The scholars who were guessing lantern riddles were shocked. ¡°Line up!¡± The clerk shouted. Wei Ting ignored him and grabbed Su Xiaoxiao into the poetry club. The clerk said, ¡°Hey! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, five more figures entered the Poetry Society with killing intent. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± The waiter realized that something was wrong and hurriedly chased after them. Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao had already passed through the poetry club and came to a quiet street from the back door. ¡°You stay here.¡± Wei Ting pushed Su Xiaoxiao into a small courtyard and walked out to fight with the five people chasing after him. The five of them were all dressed like ordinary commoners, but they attacked ruthlessly without any hesitation. They were clearly well-trained killers. A killer of this level was not cheap. Wei Ting really wanted to know which big idiot would pay a high price for his life in the martial world. Could his life be bought? The mastermind was simply overestimating himself! Wei Ting did not bring any weapons. He snatched one of their swords and kicked the wielder away. The other person attacked from behind. Wei Ting did not turn around at all. With a twist of his wrist, he changed the direction of his sword and suddenly stabbed back. That person was caught off guard and was stabbed through. Wei Ting pulled out his sword. With a flash, he cut off the wrists of the other two. In the blink of an eye, there was only one person left. Wei Ting pointed his sword at him. ¡°I hate dawdling the most. Tell me, who asked you to come?¡± The man retreated fearfully. As he looked straight at Wei Ting, his eyes were filled with fear. This fear was a little too much. Wei Ting smiled evilly and stabbed back. He stabbed the first killer whom he kicked away but came back to ambush him. However, at this moment, the sixth assassin appeared. He did not run toward Wei Ting. Instead, he flew towards Su Xiaoxiao in the courtyard. This happened too suddenly. Wei Ting only had a long sword in his hand. If he killed the person who attacked Su Xiaoxiao, he would not be able to protect himself. Without any hesitation. He shot out his sword and pierced through the sixth person¡¯s heart! At the same time, the assassin opposite Wei Ting raised his knife and slashed at Wei Ting¡¯s arm. Pfft¡ª The sharp blade entered his body. The sound of flesh and bone cracking came from the darkness. Wei Ting frowned. The next second, the assassin in front of him fell to the ground in a daze. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s dagger was stuck in his chest.. Chapter 307 - Chapter 307: Pill Testing Chapter 307: Pill Testing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This knife pierced into the other party¡¯s heart and killed him instantly. Even a general like Wei Ting, who had fought on the battlefield, could not help but sigh. It was really fast, ruthless, and accurate. Wei Ting pulled out the dagger and took out a handkerchief to wipe it clean. He turned the blade and aimed the tip at himself before handing the handle to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao came out. She took it and sheathed it. Wei Ting looked at her deeply. ¡°Your aim is not bad.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put away the dagger and clapped her hands. ¡°It takes one to know one.¡± Wei Ting had fought in a war and the discomfort of killing for the first time had long passed. The skills and calmness she displayed were not something a village girl could have. She had too many secrets. Every day Wei Ting spent with her, he would be more curious. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the people on the ground and asked, ¡°Did they come for me?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± The five of them surrounded Wei Ting, and the sixth person rushed toward Su Xiaoxiao. It was difficult to determine if they wanted to kill Su Xiaoxiao, so they had to deal with Wei Ting first; or in order to restrain Wei Ting, they had no choice but to injure Su Xiaoxiao as a hostage. ¡°Or it could be directed at me.¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Sir! Over there!¡± At this moment, the young man from the poetry club led a few officials over. This was a young man with a sense of justice. When he discovered that someone had attacked with a knife, he immediately reported it to the officials. There were officials patrolling nearby and they quickly caught up. ¡°The five of them chased after him with knives¡­¡± The young man was halfway through his sentence when he saw the assassin on the ground. He choked. Wei Ting had been punished by Emperor Jing Xuan to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors, so he naturally could not be caught red-handed. A second before the group rushed over, he wrapped his arm around Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s chubby waist and used his qinggong to bring her away. ¡°Is it these few people?¡± the leader asked. The young man said, ¡°Uh¡­ yes, I think so. ¡± The young man had only met them once and did not see their appearance clearly. He only remembered their clothes. The official said again, ¡°You said they were chasing two young men?¡± The young man answered honestly, ¡°A man and a girl.¡± The official continued to ask, ¡°Did you see what he looked like?¡± The young man recalled. ¡°No. Ah, that girl was quite fat.¡¯ After returning to Pear Blossom Lane, Wei Ting asked Yuchi Xiu if there was anyone suspicious. ¡°No.¡± Yuchi Xiu shook his head. He was completely vigilant when he watched the children. No martial arts aura could escape his perception. Wei Ting¡¯s expression softened. It seemed that Pear Blossom Lane was safe for the time being. There was a high chance that the assassin tonight was coming for him. Thinking about it, it made sense. She had not formed any grudges with anyone in the capital. If someone disliked her, it would be because of her status as the eldest daughter of the Qin family. The Wei family was the first to bear the brunt of being the Qin family¡¯s mortal enemy, but if the Wei family attacked, they would not kill Wei Ting. Second was Qin Jiang, and the possibility of Qin Jiang was not high at the moment. If Qin Jiang really wanted to play dirty, the first person he should deal with was Su Ergou. Military power was not obtained on the basis of one¡¯s daughter being elected as the Third Prince¡¯s consort. Conversely, the Third Prince¡¯s consort was appointed based on whose family obtained military power. As this thought flashed through his mind, Wei Ting frowned. ¡°Did you enter the palace for the selection today?¡± he asked Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Yes.¡± A cold glint flashed across Wei Ting¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t directed at Su Xiaoxiao. Instead, it was Emperor Jing Xuan, who knew that Su Xiaoxiao had been married in the countryside but still refused to give up on her. A study companion for the princesses? Ha. Su Xiaoxiao opened the first aid kit. ¡°Your hand is injured. I¡¯ll treat your injuries.¡± Wei Ting looked at the back of his hand. ¡°No need.¡± It was just a scratch. Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu would not need to be treated if they were injured to this extent. ¡°No, we have to treat it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s attitude was extremely firm. Wei Ting looked at the stubborn little girl and then at the almost invisible injury on the back of his hand. A trace of softness flashed across his heart. Was this girl¡­ so concerned about him? He stretched out the back of his hand. ¡°Then hurry up.¡± If she was a little slower, the wound would heal. Su Xiaoxiao took out the new ointment from the pharmacy, dipped a cotton swab in it, and applied it evenly on the back of Wei Ting¡¯s hand. Wei Ting looked at the dark and sticky ball with an indescribable expression. But thinking of her concern, he resisted the urge to complain. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Wei Ting felt it and said, ¡°It¡¯s a little cold.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± Wei Ting said. Su Xiaoxiao let the ointment sit for a while before taking out a new cotton swab to wipe it away. ¡°Eh? It¡¯s not effective?¡± It was the same as before the medicine was applied! Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin in thought. ¡°Isn¡¯t it for treating external injuries?¡± Wei Ting asked strangely, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what medicine you mixed?¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± She wasn¡¯t the one who mixed it. The pharmacy gave it to her. Wei Ting¡¯s touched blood turned cold. He looked at a certain someone coldly and gritted his teeth. ¡°So you were just testing the medicine on me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked and waved at Wei Ting. ¡°Goodbye!¡± Wei Ting returned to the Wei family with a dark expression. When he stepped into the courtyard and saw Matriarch Wei waiting bitterly in the room, his heart skipped a beat! Crap. He had forgotten about the three brats! The next day, Su Qi and Su Yu came to pick Su Ergou up. Su Ergou woke up early today to help Su Xiaoxiao. He had just finished boiling the beans when he heard a knock on the door and thought that his father had returned. He opened the courtyard door and saw Su Qi and Su Yu. He said in surprise, ¡°Eh? So early?¡± It was not dawn yet. Yesterday was much later than today. Su Ergou had already found out about his background and Su Xiaoxiao had told him that Su MO, Su Qi, and Su Yu were actually his cousins. Su Ergou sometimes felt that blood relations were very important. For example, he had to be his sister¡¯s brother and his father¡¯s son. However, sometimes, he felt that blood relations were not important. Take the Chen family as an example. His biological uncle and cousin did not treat their family very well. Su Ergou¡¯s attitude towards the two of them was as usual. ¡°Come in.¡± He brought the two of them into the central room. ¡°Sit for a while.¡± Under Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s guidance, he gradually learned to treat others well. When no one provoked him, he was a polite young man. Su Qi coughed lightly. ¡°Ahem, is your sister here?¡± Su Ergou looked in the direction of the backyard. ¡°She¡¯s making snacks in the kitchen. Are you looking for my sister?¡± Su Qi hurriedly said, ¡°Ah no, no, no, no. You¡¯re busy. You guys can keep busy.¡± Thinking of something, he asked, ¡°Is there anything we can help with?¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°You¡¯re late. We¡¯re done with the snacks.¡± Su Qi was embarrassed. ¡°That¡­ is really a pity.¡± Su Xiaoxiao packed the freshly baked snacks in a small wooden box. Su Qi and Su Yu helped carry the box into the carriage. In the end, Su Xiaoxiao gave Su Ergou a box of his exclusive snacks. Su Qi asked, ¡®What about ours?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in a daze, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t want them yesterday?¡± Chapter 308 - Chapter 308: Grand Empress Dowager Chapter 308: Grand Empress Dowager Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wasn¡¯t it a slap in the face? They did not expect their little cousin¡¯s snacks to be so delicious. At first, they thought that it was not much and even gave out a few. Now that they thought about it, they were really regretful! Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing else. I¡¯ll make it for you tomorrow.¡± Su Ergou hesitated for a moment and said to the two of them, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a little.¡± The two of them were overjoyed and got into the carriage with smiles. After arriving at the Directorate, the two of them looked at the small pieces of snacks in their hands and their smiles froze on their lips. What this kid said¡­ was really a little¡­ After lunch, Su MO brought the results of the princess¡¯s study. Su Xiaoxiao was chosen. This was not the result of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hard work, but it was expected. Wasn¡¯t it a slap in the face? They did not expect their little cousin¡¯s snacks to be so delicious. At first, they thought that it was not much and even gave out a few. Now that they thought about it, they were really regretful! Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing else. I¡¯ll make it for you tomorrow.¡± Su Ergou hesitated for a moment and said to the two of them, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a little.¡± The two of them were overjoyed and got into the carriage with smiles. After arriving at the Directorate, the two of them looked at the small pieces of snacks in their hands and their smiles froze on their lips. What this kid said¡­ was really a little¡­ After lunch, Su MO brought the results of the princess¡¯s study. Su Xiaoxiao was chosen. This was not the result of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hard work, but it was expected. The reason why she had to go was to try and see if she could be chosen even if she threw the game. As expected, Emperor Jing Xuan really did not care that she had married someone. Not to mention that she only had a husband in name, even if she did have a legitimate marriage, once her father obtained military power, Emperor Jing Xuan would still give her an imperial edict to betroth her. ¡°The royal family really knows how to play.¡± She flipped through the admission invitation that Su MO had brought. It was in gold foil and was engraved with the emblem of the royal family. It was stamped with the big seal of the Ministry of Rites. It was a proper official document. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Su MO said. ¡°When is the enrollment?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°You¡­ really want to go?¡± Su MO was surprised. She had gone to participate to confirm her guess. Now that her guess was confirmed, there was no need to get involved in this mess. ¡°You can only choose between Wei Ting and military power.¡± If she wanted Wei Ting, she had to reject the Third Prince¡¯s marriage. Then, Emperor Jing Xuan would definitely choose to let Qin Yanran marry into the royal family with military power. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°Only children make choices.¡± Su MO looked at her in shock. ¡°This is a dead end.¡± Su Xiaoxiao patted the gold leaf invitation in her hand. ¡°We¡¯ll know after we try.¡± If she tried, the success or failure would be 50% each. However, if she did not even try, she would not even have a chance of success. Madam Li had once said that it was not for the results that she fought. It was because she fought hard that there was a result. The thought flashed across her mind. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly realized that she hadn¡¯t thought of Madam Li for a long time. After Su MO left, the teacher in the palace came to visit. There were two main goals: to tailor clothes for Su Xiaoxiao and to teach her the rules of the palace. Su Xiaoxiao was not the only one who received such treatment. The other daughters also received an instructor nanny at their residences. The difference was that the daughters of those aristocratic families had learned etiquette since they were young and had entered the palace several times. They were quite familiar with the palace rules, and the instructors were just going through the motions. Su Xiaoxiao was confused and didn¡¯t even know the emperor¡¯s surname. The teacher was very disdainful. It was fine if she was fat, but she was from the countryside and knew nothing! The teacher took Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s measurements. ¡°What did you eat to eat yourself like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your rice anyway.¡± The teacher was speechless. To be fair, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s facial features were very exquisite. She was a beauty with thick facial features. These facial features were so beautiful that they were unattainable and easily made people feel distant. Coincidentally, she had a round face that carried a hint of cuteness. If not for the fact that she was fat, the teacher would probably think that she was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Who asked a woman of the Great Zhou to be so thin? No matter how beautiful her face was, her flesh would attract strange gazes. The teacher did not stay in Pear Blossom Lane for long. After getting the measurements, she gave a few perfunctory instructions and left. ¡°There¡¯s not even a reward. How unlucky! ¡± The teacher left the courtyard and prepared to step on the wooden stool to get into the carriage. Coincidentally, school was over for the three little ones. Without waiting for Su Xiaoxiao to pick them up, they ran home. Dahu ran the fastest like a small cannon. He couldn¡¯t stop in time and bumped into the carriage. The teacher missed a step and fell facedown. The next morning, after Su Ergou was brought to the Directorate by Su Qi and Su Yu, Su Xiaoxiao sent the three little ones to the house in the east. Su Xiaoxiao saw Master Zhang again. ¡°I might not be back until tonight.¡± Hearing this, Master Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s fine! Let them stay here! We¡¯ll take good care of them!¡± As he spoke, he looked down at the three children like a hungry wolf seeing its prey, making Su Xiaoxiao wonder if she had met a human trafficker. However, the three little ones were very happy to learn here. Master Zhang and T _incr Viln cynnd npnnlp Su Xiaoxiao touched their heads. ¡°You have to be good, understand?¡± Master Zhang muttered,¡± No, no, no. Don¡¯t be obedient. Torture Ling Yun to death and don¡¯t hold back.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± the three little ones agreed. ¡°Does your head still hurt?¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched Dahu¡¯s forehead, referring to Dahu accidentally hitting the carriage yesterday. The car panel had cracked, but Dahu was fine. How tough. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Dahu shook his head and thought for a moment before nodding. ¡°It hurts a little. Blow on it.¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao bent down and blew on it. Xiaohu squeezed over and patted his little head with his small hands. ¡°Xiaohu has to be blown too!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and blew on it. Naturally, Erhu could not fall behind. The three little ones could only go to school after they were satisfied. On the other side, Su MO had already arrived. Su Xiaoxiao got into his carriage and went to the palace. They arrived late. The other daughters had already entered the palace. A young eunuch with the surname Sun was waiting at the door. Su MO gave the other party a money bag. Eunuch Sun quietly put it in his sleeve and brought Su Xiaoxiao in with a smile. This time, there was still a sedan chair waiting, and no eunuch dared to malpractice again. Su Xiaoxiao sat in the sedan chair and swayed towards the location of the class¡ª Qilin Hall. Qilin Hall was only a wall away from the harem. When they approached Qilin Hall, the sedan chair suddenly stopped. Su Xiaoxiao lifted the curtain and saw the eunuch carrying the sedan chair and Eunuch Sun accompanying him. They lowered their heads and looked down as if they were avoiding someone. Su Xiaoxiao subconsciously looked in the direction of the harem. A phoenix carriage carried by eight eunuchs slowly walked past. A woman in luxurious palace clothes sat on the phoenix carriage. Su Xiaoxiao only saw a side profile before the phoenix carriage turned around and went deeper into the palace. From her side profile and figure, she could not be more than 30 years old. However, there was a hint of maturity in his unattainable aura. ¡°Who was that person just now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Eunuch Sun. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t think she shouldn¡¯t ask. Eunuch Sun had benefited from Su MO, so he had to do something. They started walking again. Eunuch Sun looked around and leaned close to the window. He whispered to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°That person just now was the Grand Empress Dowager.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned.. ¡°Such a young Empress Dowager?¡± Chapter 309 - Chapter 309: Arrival of the Big Boss Chapter 309: Arrival of the Big Boss Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Eunuch Sun touched the pouch at his waist. It was heavy and filled with gold. He hesitated for a moment before telling Su Xiaoxiao. It turned out that this Grand Empress Dowager was the niece-in-law of the previous emperor. The late emperor¡¯s brother had a total of three sons, the eldest of whom was also the legitimate son. Naturally, he would be appointed the position of Crown Prince. However, this legitimate son had been weak since he was young. He relied heavily on medicine and was powerless to govern. Before Emperor Jing Yuan passed away, he entrusted his son to his biological brother, the late emperor, and conferred the late emperor as the regent, who supervised the country on his behalf. After the Crown Prince ascended the throne as Emperor Jing Hui, he fell ill every other day. The enemy countries eyed the country covetously and kept starting wars at the border. At that time, the previous emperor, who was still the Regent, went out to conquer the north and south to calm the world. Emperor Jing Hui¡¯s body was weak and he did not leave behind a son or a daughter. He also refused to adopt a prince from the side branch. Before he died, he issued an imperial edict to let his uncle, the Regent, inherit the throne. The Grand Empress Dowager was the queen consort of Emperor Jing Hui. At that time, Emperor Jing Hui had already exhausted his life. She entered the palace to ward away the ill luck for him. Unexpectedly, Emperor Jing Hui died not long after. That year, she had just turned 13 years old. She was clearly a little girl who Imew nothing. She became the empress without even consummating her marriage and became the Empress Dowager. The previous emperor had been emperor for two years and had passed away. The fourth prince had ascended the throne and was the current emperor¡ª Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan had been in power for 17 years. The Empress Dowager was only in her early thirties. ¡°Grand Empress Dowager!¡± Accompanied by a delicate voice, a girl in a pink gauze dress ran out of the Qilin Hall. Because of her cry, the Empress Dowager¡¯s phoenix carriage stopped. Eunuch Sun continued to explain to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°That¡¯s Princess Lingxi. She¡¯s extremely doted on by the Grand Empress Dowager.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her and then at the Qilin Hall not far away. She asked, ¡°Is she also here to be a study companion of the princesses?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Eunuch Sun said. Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°I didn¡¯t see her take the exam yesterday.¡± Eunuch Sun smiled. ¡°Ah, Princess Lingxi doesn¡¯t have to take the exam. She has the spot given by the Empress Dowager.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, I understand.¡± Related family. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Princess Lingxi again. Since they were connected, she had to remember her appearance. At this moment, the Grand Empress Dowager turned around and smiled warmly at Princess Lingxi. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly paused. Her eyebrows¡­ She blinked, wanting to take a few more glances. Princess Lingxi had already circled to the front of the phoenix carriage, and the Grand Empress Dowager had also turned her head. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s figure in a daze. Did she miss Madam Li too much? Or could it be that she had not recalled her for too long and felt guilty? She even saw a hint of her in a stranger¡¯s facial features. The sedan chair stopped at the entrance of Qilin Hall. Eunuch Sun brought Su Xiaoxiao to the spacious and bright classroom. There were eight long tables in the classroom, four rows in total. No one sat in the first row. The tables at the back were very short. The young ladies sat on futons. Qin Yanran sat in the second row on the left. The daughter of the Leng family sat in the same row, but she was not at the same table as Qin Yanran. She sat on the right. Miss Hong, who played with Su Xiaoxiao last time, probably failed. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t see her. Su Xiaoxiao found an empty seat and was about to sit down when the young lady said, ¡°There¡¯s someone here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to another row and received the same answer. No one wanted to sit with her. Su Xiaoxiao turned around and went straight to the first row to sit at the long table on the left. Everyone gasped! She was in trouble. This fat girl from the countryside was in big trouble! She was really blind! Why didn¡¯t she think about the reason no one dared to sit in the first row? ¡°See? I told you she was stupid.¡± ¡°Shh, lower your voice.¡± ¡°What are you afraid of? She can¡¯t hear you.¡± The daughters in the back row whispered. Qin Yanran lowered her eyes and flipped through a poetry book she had brought over, seemingly not hearing anything. Not long after, Princess Hui An came over. Emperor Jing Xuan had specially instructed that after entering the palace, she would only be a student and could not call herself a princess. Even so, how many people did not treat her as a princess? Everyone fell silent. Princess Hui An glanced at the front row and saw an unfamiliar fat girl sitting there. She did not say anything and sat at the right table in the first row. Since ancient times, the left was respected. Princess Hui An knew very well that the position of the first on the left was Jingning. However, she wouldn¡¯t care if others dared to snatch the position from Jingning. How could the daughters know what she was thinking? They felt that that little fat girl was really lucky to avoid Princess Hui An¡¯s anger. The entire class was almost there when Princess Jing Ning arrived late. She came late for a reason. Her face was covered in acne again. She was ordinary-looking, to begin with, and with this face full of acne, it was simply unbearable to look at. She wore a veil and a forehead accessory, barely covering most of it, but she did not feel comfortable. Princess Hui An smiled gloatingly. ¡°Yo, you have bumps on your face again? How many times this year?¡± Princess Hui An had a flawless face and delicate skin. Even without applying lotions, her skin was so tender that water could be pinched out. Her status could not compare to Jingning¡¯s, so she attacked the latter¡¯s appearance. Princess Jing Ning glanced at her coldly. ¡°If you say another word, I¡¯ll slap your mouth!¡± Princess Hui An snorted. ¡°How dare you!¡± Princess Jing Ning walked forward. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I dare!¡± ¡°The teacher is here!¡± a young lady reminded. The two princesses stopped fighting for the time being. Princess Hui An rolled her eyes and looked away. Princess Jing Ning came to her seat. To her surprise, there was someone sitting in the seat. The table in the classroom could seat two people, but Jingning and Hui An were princesses. They each had a table. There was a tacit understanding. Princess Jing Ning recognized this bold little girl. She was the ¡°pitiful girl¡± who had been isolated yesterday. Was she sitting here¡­ expressing goodwill to her? Because she had lent her the sedan chair yesterday? Speaking of which, the little girl was quite pitiful. After all, she was the princess of a country. No matter how those people criticized her behind her back, she would not suffer at all on the surface. Unlike this little girl, who was bullied by a few eunuchs on her first day in the palace¡ª It was reasonable for her to seek Princess Jingning¡¯s protection. Princess Jingning, who lacked friends, automatically imagined Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s inner thoughts. The daughters who were waiting for Su Xiaoxiao to be taught a lesson watched helplessly as Princess Jingning sat down beside Su Xiaoxiao. She had no temper at all. Everyone was dumbfounded. The teacher came in with the book. Princess Jing Ning calmly opened the book on the table. ¡°I approve.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked confused. What did she approve? Was she talking to her? Chapter 310 - Chapter 310: The Big Boss’s Doting Chapter 310: The Big Boss¡¯s Doting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the morning, there was an Analects and Calligraphy class. The Master¡¯s surname was Jiang and he came from the Hanlin Academy. He was 42 years old this year and was a rather experienced Hanlin official. After he entered the classroom, all the students, including the two princesses, stood up and bowed to him. This was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s first bow as a student. She followed Princess Jingning¡¯s example. Princess Jingning thought to herself, ¡°She¡¯s even looking at me.¡¯ After Master Jiang gestured for everyone to sit down, they began the official lesson. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s special appearance and the fact that she was sitting in the first row made her look especially eye-catching. Master Jiang glanced at her and realized that her table was empty. Master Jiang frowned. ¡°Where¡¯s your book?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked around. There was an Analects book on everyone¡¯s table, except hers. She said, ¡°No one sent it to me.¡± The young ladies chuckled. Master Jiang frowned and said, ¡°You have to bring the book yourself! Didn¡¯t anyone tell you to bring the book?¡± ¡°No,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said truthfully. The Master from yesterday did not say anything. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Master Jiang did not believe it. He and the other Masters had already reported what they needed to prepare yesterday. Ever since the officials of the Ministry of Political Affairs contacted the Internal Affairs Department and saw that the other daughters had prepared, it was obvious that they had been informed. To him, it was obvious she had forgotten to bring it. She actually found a terrible excuse for herself. Master Jiang¡¯s impression of this new student was instantly discounted. ¡°Use mine.¡± Princess Jingning generously placed her book between the two of them. If it were anyone else who did this, they would have long been scolded by Master Jiang¡ªif you were capable and united, then go help her dress and eat! But the other party was a princess. Master Jiang swallowed his anger. ¡°Let¡¯s start class.¡± Thinking of something, he suddenly asked, ¡°Which one is Miss Su?¡± Su Xiaoxiao silently raised her chubby hand. ¡°Me.¡± Master Jiang was speechless. Master Jiang was teaching the Liren Chapter of the Analects of Confucius today. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful to be benevolent. How can you know if you choose not to be benevolent? Those who are not benevolent can¡¯t date for long or be happy. Those who are benevolent are benevolent, and those who know are benevolent. Those who chase benevolence can be good. There¡¯s no evil.¡± ¡°Which student knows what the next sentence is?¡± As he spoke, his gaze landed on Princess Hui An¡¯s eager face. ¡°Princess Hui An, please tell me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Princess Hui An was stunned. She did not understand why her name was suddenly called out. ¡°Those who chase benevolence can be good. There¡¯s no evil. Next sentence.¡± Master Jiang thought that she did not hear him clearly and repeated. Princess Hui An couldn¡¯t answer. She looked like she was listening attentively so Master Jiang still thought she Imew a lot¡­ ¡°Master, I know,¡± Princess Jingning said. Master Jiang was stunned. ¡°Uh¡­ Then, Princess Jingning, tell me.¡± Under such circumstances, only Princess Jingning had the confidence to answer the questions that Princess Hui An could not answer. How could those daughters dare to slap Princess Hui An¡¯s face? Princess Jingning stood up and replied unhurriedly, ¡°Wealth and nobility are human desires. If you don¡¯t obtain them with your Tao, you won¡¯t have anywhere to go. Poverty and cheapness are human evils. If you don¡¯t obtain them with your Tao, you won¡¯t have anywhere to go. If a gentleman is benevolent, is he evil to become famous? If a gentleman doesn¡¯t end up eating, he will go against his benevolence. If he makes a mistake, he will make a choice.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a kind person or an evil person. A kind person will not be unkind to an evil person. Is it enough to use my strength to be kind for a day? I¡¯ve never seen a person with insufficient strength. Master Jiang only asked her to say the next sentence, but she went ahead and said two paragraphs. It was a slap to Princess Hui An¡¯s face. Master Jiang did not expect her to memorize so much in one go. He pressed his hands in a daze. ¡°No, not bad. Princess Jingning, please sit.¡± Princess Hui An was so angry that her face turned green! The second lesson was calligraphy. There was no need to bring her own brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. The school had prepared it. Master Jiang taught them to write in italics. After saying that, he sent out a calligraphy piece for everyone to practice. He came down to walk around and observe how his students were writing. Princess Hui An¡¯s handwriting was indescribable. The corners of Master Jiang¡¯s mouth twitched. He finally understood that this royalty¡¯s seriousness was all for show. She was actually an idiot. He came to Princess Jingning¡¯s side again. Princess Jingning surprised him. Her handwriting was bold and powerful, retaining the beauty of a woman and the heroic spirit of a man. He nodded to himself, feeling very satisfied. As for Su Xiaoxiao, he did not pay attention to her at all. He looked at the others¡¯ words. These daughters had all been screened. Their comprehensive ability was outstanding, so their calligraphy was naturally not bad. Among them, Qin Yanran and Leng Zhiruo¡¯s calligraphy was the most outstanding. Princess Lingxi accompanied the Grand Empress Dowager in the harem for a long time. She only arrived late when the class was almost over. ¡°The Grand Empress Dowager is a little unwell. Princess Lingxi has been taking care of her for a long time and has delayed class.¡± Eunuch Tan, who was beside the Grand Empress Dowager, said. Master Jiang said politely that it was fine and let Princess Lingxi take a seat. There were two empty seats in the class. One was in the last row, and the other was beside Princess Hui An. Without thinking, Princess Lingxi sat in the last row. There was no other reason. Princess Lingxi and Princess Hui An were love rivals. What the two of them did not know was that their real love rival was sitting beside Princess Jingning at this moment. Her chubby hand was holding a brush as she scribbled on the calligraphy paper. Compared to doing business, school time passed too slowly. Finally, the morning class ended. The palace servants came to bring everyone to the Bright Moon Pavilion for lunch and a rest. After all, the Qilin Hall was under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. It was fine if the female students were teaching here, but it was a little impolite to sleep and rest in the hall. Everyone was assigned to their own rooms. The princesses could return to their rooms. Princess Hui An did not want to stay for lunch. She returned to Concubine Xian¡¯s Qi Xiang Palace, and Princess Jingning planned to return to Kunning Palace. ¡°Your Highness.¡± The little palace maid beside Princess Jingning handed her a brocade box. Princess Jing Ning asked, ¡°What is it?¡± The little palace maid said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Who gave it to you?¡± Princess Jing Ning asked. The little palace maid said, ¡°Miss Su asked me to send it to you.¡± ¡°Open it,¡± Princess Jingning said. ¡°Yes.¡± The little palace maid opened the brocade box, and a sweet fragrance wafted out. It was a wife cake and egg yolk pastry. Was her classmate expressing goodwill? Could it be¡­ that she wanted to eat with her? Princess Jing Ning imagined the scene of the little fat girl eating alone and being isolated and mocked by everyone. She was so aggrieved that she could not eat and teared up. She sighed. ¡°Forget it. Let her eat at my place.¡± Hence, Su Xiaoxiao, who had just sat down and was about to taste the food of the palace canteen, was ¡°strongly¡± taken away by Princess Jingning¡¯s palace servants. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. What was going on? Chapter 311 - Chapter 311: Treating the Princess (1) Chapter 311: Treating the Princess (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao really had no intention of going to Princess Jingning¡¯s place to freeload. She gave Princess Jingning snacks purely to thank Princess Jingning for lending her a sedan chair yesterday. Moreover, in order not to cause any beautiful misunderstandings, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t give it to her in person. Unexpectedly, Princess Jingning still read too much into it. Kunning Palace was the Empress¡¯s residence, but not everyone was qualified to see the Empress. Even Princess Jingning¡¯s classmate might not be summoned by the Empress. Of course, the Empress was not around today either. She had gone to the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom. The two of them ate in Princess Jingning¡¯s room. The palace maid brought over a basin and a towel for the two of them to wash their hands. After washing up, Princess Jingning hesitated for a moment before raising her hand to gently remove her veil. She was¡­ not good-looking. She had always known very well, but she did not like to expose her flaws in front of others. She regretted bringing her classmate over for a meal. She swore that if this little girl dared to show a trace of mockery, she would get someone to beat her up! Thinking of this, she looked at Su Xiaoxiao warily. Unexpectedly, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t look at her at all. Instead¡­ she stared straight at the food on the table¡­ She was just short of drooling. There was no choice. As a fatty, she got hungry quickly. ¡°Your Highness Jingning, can we eat now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked her. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes were clean and pure. For a moment, Princess Jingning wondered if she had not taken off her veil¡­ She hurriedly touched her face. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. After confirming that Su Xiaoxiao really didn¡¯t care about her appearance, Princess Jingning calmed down and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°No, let¡¯s eat.¡± The food in Kunning Palace was quite sumptuous. The food in school could not compare. Su Xiaoxiao was very hungry. She did not know the palace rules, but she had basic etiquette. After Princess Jingning moved her chopsticks, she began to eat. Princess Jingning had many close friends, commonly known as handkerchief friends. They were close to Princess Jingning and treated her well. Princess Jingning was not stingy with her kindness. It was not until one day when she accidentally heard them laughing at her behind her back that she realized that they were pretending to be good to her. If she was not the Empress¡¯s daughter or the Princess of the first wife, they would not be willing to speak to her at all. In Princess Jingning¡¯s opinion, Su Xiaoxiao was probably the same. The reason why she didn¡¯t reject Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s ¡°favor¡± was purely because Su Xiaoxiao was a little fatty and came from the commoners. She was neglected and was quite similar to her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be restrained¡­ Princess Jing Ning was about to remind Su Xiaoxiao not to follow the palace rules and eat boldly when she was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked up at her. Su Xiaoxiao had just bitten a glutinous meatball. Her cheeks were puffed up and she looked a little cute. The palace servants covered their faces and snickered. Princess Jingning cleared her throat. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You eat.¡± Su Xiaoxiao swallowed the meatball. ¡°Oh, you eat too. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Princess Jingning was speechless. Princess Jingning ate half a bowl more than usual for no other reason. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eating style made the food seem too delicious, and she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time to apply medication.¡± The little palace maid walked over with a bottle of ointment. The two of them had already finished eating. Princess Jingning called over a young eunuch. ¡°Take Miss Su to the room to rest.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the young eunuch agreed and bowed to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Miss Su, this way please. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned to look at Princess Jingning. ¡°What medicine are you applying?¡± The little palace maid hesitated. ¡®Is that something you can ask?¡¯ Princess Jingning hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°The medicine for the face.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a bottle of Bezoar Detox Pills from her small pouch. ¡°Try this.¡± This medicine was effective in clearing the heat and detoxification. It could be taken internally or applied externally. Princess Jingning clearly needed to clear her internal heat. It should be the right treatment. But the acne on her face¡­ Su Xiaoxiao thought of the new ointment in the pharmacy. She had packed it at home and was carrying a small bottle. She took it out and instructed, ¡°Take two yellow pills once a day. Apply the black ointment to the spot. Don¡¯t use it more than twice.¡± Princess Jingning looked at the medicine bottle on the table and hesitated. The little palace maid dissuaded her. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t use medicine recklessly.. Don¡¯t you remember that the last time you used a folk prescription, you almost destroyed your face?¡± Chapter 312 - Chapter 312: Treating the Princess (2) Chapter 312: Treating the Princess (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios That was last year. Princess Jingning¡¯s face had not recovered for a month. In her desperation, she found a prescription from the commoners. After using it, her entire face was swollen like a pig¡¯s head. In the end, it was Imperial Physician Hu who developed the correct ointment to reduce the swelling on her face bit by bit. Thinking of this, she felt a lingering fear. Su Xiaoxiao was very confident in the medicine in the pharmacy. It had treated Su Yuan¡¯s allergies, cured the Old Marquis¡¯ poison, and healed her wound. However, she could not force her to use it. Moreover, this medication was very precious. She had taken out so much in one go because Princess Jingning had treated her to a meal. This was all she had. After using it, this medicine was gone. Princess Jing Ning said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the medication. Go rest.¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to the next room to rest. The little palace maid opened the ointment in her hand. ¡°Princess, this is a new ointment personally brewed by Imperial Physician Hu. It¡¯s said to be more effective than before. I¡¯ll apply it for you.¡± ¡°1VRFL¡±vRrimgsyIicngnina Princess Jingning¡¯s face had not recovered for a month. In her desperation, she found a prescription from the commoners. After using it, her entire face was swollen like a pig¡¯s head. In the end, it was Imperial Physician Hu who developed the correct ointment to reduce the swelling on her face bit by bit. Thinking of this, she felt a lingering fear. Su Xiaoxiao was very confident in the medicine in the pharmacy. It had treated Su Yuan¡¯s allergies, cured the Old Marquis¡¯ poison, and healed her wound. However, she could not force her to use it. Moreover, this medication was very precious. She had taken out so much in one go because Princess Jingning had treated her to a meal. This was all she had. After using it, this medicine was gone. Princess Jing Ning said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the medication. Go rest.¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to the next room to rest. The little palace maid opened the ointment in her hand. ¡°Princess, this is a new ointment personally brewed by Imperial Physician Hu. It¡¯s said to be more effective than before. I¡¯ll apply it for you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Princess Jingning nodded indifferently. The little palace maid finished applying the ointment on Princess Jing Ning and retreated to let her rest. Princess Jingning lay on the bed and tossed and turned. Her face was itchy, making it difficult for her to fall asleep. Imperial Physician Huts medication had been effective the first few times, but it gradually stopped working. Today, it was said that he had changed the prescription, but she felt that other than feeling a little cool at first, it was soon similar to the old medication. ¡°It¡¯s so itchy.¡± Princess Jingning wanted to grab it, but as soon as she touched it, it hurt again. Princess Jingning felt extremely uncomfortable and anxious. Suddenly, her gaze landed on the small medicine bottle that Su Xiaoxiao had left behind. Princess Jing Ning opened the medicine bottle, poured out two pills, and ate them. This bottle of medicine was nothing, but the ointment was really¡­ black and sticky. It looked disgusting. Princess Jing Ning held back her disgust and dipped a small lump into the acne. It was very cooling. Then, she lay on the bed and fell asleep. She slept surprisingly comfortably. It was time for class. Two palace maids stood guard at the door, not knowing whether to call out or not. ¡°Sister Zi Yun, should we wake the Princess up?¡± ¡°The Princess hasn¡¯t been sleeping well these past few days. It¡¯s rare for her to sleep. Let the Princess sleep.¡± In the afternoon, there was a riding and archery class. The other daughters had brought riding clothes. Only Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t prepare them in advance. Seeing her come over in the morning clothes, the daughters could not help but sneer. Su Xiaoxiao had a calm expression and ignored everyone¡¯s mockery. There was an empty grassland southeast of the Qilin Hall. The palace servants had already brought the horses over. Princess Hui An had her own exclusive mount. It was a maroon Ferghana horse. It was not as tall as the warhorses in the military camp, but its speed and explosive power could not be underestimated. Princess Hui An first rode her horse a few times on the grassland, causing everyone to exclaim. ¡°Princess Hui An¡¯s horse is so beautiful!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s so fast! It¡¯s the strongest horse I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Ordinary people can¡¯t ride such a Ferghana horse.¡± ¡°I heard that Princess Hui An¡¯s riding skills were taught by the Third Prince.¡± ¡°No wonder she rode so well!¡± Qin Yanran listened to the discussion beside her, her eyes revealing a trace of yearning. When she became the Third Prince¡¯s consort¡­ she could also¡­ Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of elegant hooves. It was Princess Lingxi. She was not riding a horse prepared by the palace servants. She seemed to be taller than Princess Hui An¡¯s Ferghana horse. Su Xiaoxiao felt that Princess Lingxi¡¯s horse was a little familiar. It seemed to be of the same breed as her foal. Princess Lingxi¡¯s horse caught up to Princess Hui An¡¯s Ferghana horse. Princess Hui An frowned and waved her horsewhip. ¡°Giddyup!¡± Princess Lingxi also waved the whip in her hand. ¡°Giddyup!¡± The two of them actually raced on the grassland. The daughter of the Lu family was dumbfounded. ¡°Heavens, what horse is Princess Lingxi riding? She can actually catch up to Princess Hui An!¡± ¡°Big Food Horse.¡± The person who spoke was the daughter of the Leng family, Leng Zhiruo. She was just like her name. Her temperament was cold and unapproachable. ¡°What kind of horse is a Big Food Horse?¡± Miss Lu didn¡¯t know much about horses. Qin Yanran said, ¡°It¡¯s the most suitable horse for combat. I heard from my father that a Big Food Horse is more heat-resistant than a Mongolian horse and more resistant to the cold than a Ferghana horse. It¡¯s fast, explosive, and has a stable personality. It¡¯s suitable for facing enemies head-on and surprise attacks.. ¡° Chapter 313 - Chapter 313: Treating the Princess (3) Chapter 313: Treating the Princess (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hearing her say this, everyone suddenly remembered that the Protectorate had an invincible heavy cavalry. Everyone¡¯s attention immediately shifted from Leng Zhiruo to Qin Yanran. ¡°Miss Qin, your riding skills must be very good, right?¡± Miss Lu asked. ¡°Later¡­ can you teach me how to ride?¡± Although they were here to teach riding and archery, it was obvious that Princess Hui An could already ride a horse. Princess Jingning was not here, so there was no need to accommodate her. The teacher would teach according to Princess Hui An¡¯s standards. These daughters who did not know how to ride horses probably did not have much chance to learn from scratch. ¡°Miss Qin, can you teach me too?¡± The daughter of the Lin family leaned over. ¡°And me!¡± ¡°I want to learn too!¡± Qin Yanran smiled and said humbly, ¡°I actually only learned a little from Father¡­ Miss Lu said, ¡°Don¡¯t belittle yourself! You¡¯re the daughter of a wealthy family. Even if you only learned a little, it will still be much better than others!¡± Miss Lin said sarcastically, ¡°That¡¯s right, unlike some people who don¡¯t have any specialties. They clearly got last place, but they still insisted on getting in through the back door!¡± These words were just short of naming Su Xiaoxiao. Of course, Su Xiaoxiao knew that she had ¡°tested¡± last, but the school had not announced her results. How did Miss Lin know? Coincidentally, Miss Lin¡¯s father happened to be one of the marking officials yesterday. He was reading silent books and composing poems. This was the first time he had seen such ugly words. He almost tore the paper apart on the spot! After all, he was not taking the imperial examination and was not that strict. His name was not written on the paper. He looked at the words ¡°Su Daya¡± and his mind buzzed. She didn¡¯t get a single question right. When it came to poetry¡­ the title was not bad. However, when he finished reading it confidently¡­ his colleagues around him roared with laughter. He read it again before realizing that he had been scolded by an examinee! Lord Lin was furious. He was not the only one who was angry. In short, after reading the paper, the examiners were all fuming. They could not remember who the first place was at all. They only remembered someone called Su Daya¡­ One could not carve rotten wood! Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that her name had already become famous at Hanlin Academy. Otherwise, she would definitely understand why Teacher Jiang asked who Miss Su was before class. ¡°So she¡¯s last¡­ Then on what basis can she still be a princess study companion?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°The person who was pushed down by her is so pitiful¡­¡¯ Qin Yanran said, ¡°Miss Lin, stop joking. We all got into the accompanying school with our strength. I believe no one will do this.¡± Miss Lin glanced at Su Xiaoxiao and said to Qin Yanran, ¡°You¡¯re just too kind-hearted and don¡¯t know the dangers of the world. Some people will do anything to achieve their goals!¡± If they were to ask how their hostility towards Su Xiaoxiao came about, it actually had nothing to do with Su Xiaoxiao not getting last place. As the daughters of aristocratic families, they were born with a sense of superiority and looked down on girls from the countryside. Secondly, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s status was more important than theirs. After Lord Wu An died in battle, Qin Canglan was the most powerful general in the Great Zhou. He had real power and privileges. As Qin Canglan¡¯s biological granddaughter, one could imagine how high her status was. When Qin Yanran was the first daughter, she was really talented. They accepted it. But on what basis should the girl from the countryside suppress them? ¡°Miss Leng, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Miss Lin continued to pull people into her camp. The Leng family and the Wei family were best friends, so they naturally did not get along with the Qin family. This could be seen from the competition between Qin Yanran and Leng Zhiruo. ¡°It¡¯s time to choose a horse.¡± However, Leng Zhiruo was clearly not interested in this topic. She turned around and left. Qin Yanran said calmly, ¡°Miss Lin, if you want to learn how to ride a horse from Miss Leng¡­¡± Miss Lin hurriedly said, ¡°No, no! I wanted to learn from you!¡± She turned around. ¡°Eh? Where¡¯s the country girl?¡± They had been mocking her for half a day, but she did not listen at all.. Chapter 314 - Chapter 314: Fallen Chapter 314: Fallen Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao went to choose a horse. The horses were led by the eunuchs and stood on the grassland in boredom. From the appearance and spirit of the horses, these horses were much better than the horses she had seen in the horse market in town. Compared to the two horses that Qin Canglan brought over last time, they seemed to be a little inferior. It was enough to teach the daughters of the Gong Xue how to ride and shoot. Su Xiaoxiao casually turned around and stopped in front of a black horse. ¡°This horse doesn¡¯t carry enough weight. You¡¯re more suitable for the horse beside you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around. The person who spoke was the daughter of the Leng family, Leng Zhiruo. Teacher Jiang had asked her questions in class, and Su Xiaoxiao remembered her. Su Xiaoxiao nodded and listened to her suggestion. She came to the horse beside her. This horse was indeed stronger. Leng Zhiruo had already chosen a horse and flipped herself up onto the horse. ¡°Not enough explosive power, but novices don¡¯t need it either.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she took the horsewhip from the palace maid and shouted, ¡°Giddy up.¡± The horse left in the dust and began to run on the grassland. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her heroic back and suddenly remembered that the Leng family was also a military power family. Leng Zhiruo was the daughter of a general. Leng Zhiruo rode on her own and did not participate in the competition between Princess Hui An and Princess Lingxi. The other daughters also came to choose horses. Qin Yanran chose a horse for herself. Logically speaking, the palace maids had to adjust the saddles for the daughters. Leng Zhiruo didn¡¯t need anyone to do it for her, but no one came to do it for Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao recalled Leng Zhiruo adjusting the saddle and followed suit. Qin Yanran rode her horse over and looked down at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Your horse can¡¯t run fast.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her in confusion. Miss Lin smiled at Qin Yanran and said, ¡°Miss Qin, help me choose a horse! I don¡¯t know which horse is better?¡± Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao was ignoring her, Qin Yanran felt that she was asking for a rebuff and went to help Miss Lin and the others choose horses. Halfway through the selection, there was a situation between Princess Lingxi and Princess Huian. Princess Lingxi¡¯s horse accidentally bumped into Princess Hui An¡¯s horse. Frightened, Princess Hui An¡¯s horse galloped crazily in the grassland. Princess Hui An could not stop the horse and cried out in fear. Seeing this, Princess Lingxi panicked and tried to save Princess Hui An. However, the more she chased, the more frightened Princess Hui An¡¯s horse was. In the blink of an eye, the horse bumped into the ladies. Princess Hui An¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Ah! Move aside!¡± Qin Yanran spurred her horse to dodge. She had dodged, but the daughters behind her who were not good at riding would suffer. One of the horses was shocked and raised its front hooves. ¡°Ah!¡± The lady on the horse screamed in fear. Su Xiaoxiao reached out and grabbed her off the horse. However, her own horse was also frightened. Just as she put her down, her horse ran forward crazily. She clamped her legs on the horse¡¯s flank and gripped the reins tightly with both hands to prevent herself from falling off the horse. The scene was in chaos. Other than Leng Zhiruo and Qin Yanran, everyone else¡¯s horses were shocked to varying degrees. Leng Zhiruo urged her horse to chase after her. ¡°Princess Lingxi! Command your horse to stop running!¡± Princess Lingxi cried, ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t stop either¡­¡± The daughters who did not get on their horses hid far away and looked at the out-of-control racecourse in fear. Miss Wang covered her face and exclaimed, ¡°Not good! They¡¯re going to collide!¡± Princess Hui An and Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s horses collided with each other¡­ ¡°Get out of my way!¡± She couldn¡¯t dodge it. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold as she secretly calculated the angle and distance between her and Princess Hui An. She could only abandon the horse to save her life. She would probably break a few bones. She wondered if this noble princess could withstand a fall. Five steps, four steps, three steps¡­ At the critical moment, a figure in black flew over and sat on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s horse. He sat behind Su Xiaoxiao and grabbed the reins that Su Xiaoxiao was holding tightly. He shouted and suddenly turned the frightened horse around! Princess Hui An closed her eyes in fear and brushed past Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s horse! The danger did not stop. In front of Princess Hui An was a fence about the height of a person. Princess Hui An opened her eyes. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Hong Luan and Bai Ze exchanged glances. Hong Luan sprang and pounced on Princess Hui An from the horse. Bai Ze quickly hugged the horse¡¯s neck and was dragged forward for dozens of feet before sitting on the horse¡¯s back. If it was an ordinary horse, it would be fine to kill it. But this was a royal horse. He could not kill it. He could only think of a way to stop it. On the other side, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s horse was gradually controlled by Jing Yi. The young man had grown taller again. His arms had the strength of an adult man and he hugged Su Xiaoxiao tightly, stable and calm. ¡°Jing Yi.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned to look at him. The two of them were a little close. Jing Yi¡¯s ears turned slightly red as he said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not afraid,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°It¡¯s your hand¡­¡± Jing Yi had used too much strength just now. His palm was scratched and blood seeped out of the reins. ¡°You¡¯re injured,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Jing Yi did not pay attention to his injuries immediately. Instead, he looked at her dress. Seeing that he did not dirty her clothes, his expression softened. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said. He dismounted and reached out to help Su Xiaoxiao. Thinking of something, she took out a handkerchief and wrapped it around the blood on his palm. She was careful and carried the innocence and piety of a young man. Su Xiaoxiao was afraid of hurting him, so she gently held his wrist. Everyone looked at this scene in disbelief. She thought that this girl would not be able to avoid the danger just now. Even if she did not die, she would be crippled. Who would have thought that Young Marquis Jing would appear in time? Miss Lin said infatuatedly, ¡°The way Young Marquis Jing saved her¡­ is so handsome!¡± Young Marquis Jing had just turned 17 this year and was not old enough to be crowned. In the past, they only felt that Young Marquis Jing was still a child, but just now, he was filled with the aura and charm of an adult man. Everyone was shocked. It turned out that the young man could also give people a great sense of security. No one thought that Jing Yi had anything to do with Su Xiaoxiao. How could a wandering girl be qualified to make Young Marquis Jing bow down to her? It was Young Marquis Jing who was heroic and righteous. If it were anyone else, Young Marquis Jing would have saved them without hesitation. Only Qin Yanran knew that Jing Yi and Su Xiaoxiao knew each other. Back in Qingzhou, Jing Yi had helped Su Ergou. Today, he ignored Princess Hui An, who was closer to him, and saved Su Xiaoxiao. Look at Princess Hui An. Her forehead was bruised. Hong Luan helped Princess Hui An up. ¡°Princess.¡± Princess Hui An pushed her away angrily. ¡°Go away!¡± She had fallen badly. Not only did she have a headache, but her feet hurt too! She limped to Jing Yi and pointed at Su Xiaoxiao, complaining, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save me?¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°Hong Luan went to save you.¡± Princess Hui An exploded. ¡°I don¡¯t want a servant to save me! Look what he did to me!¡± JingYi paused and said, ¡°Your horse is too fast. If I were the one to save you, I would have made you fall too.¡± Princess Hui An was speechless. At this moment, Xiao Zhonghua came over. Jing Yi had entered the palace with him. It was only because of the emergency just now that Jing Yi used his qinggong first. When Princess Hui An saw him, the grievance in her heart surged as tears rolled down her face. ¡°Wuwu¡­ Third Brother¡­ Su Xiaoxiao looked at Xiao Zhonghua strangely. ¡°Third¡­ Brother? You¡¯re not Young Master Xiang?¡± The eunuch at the side shouted, ¡°How dare you! This is the Third Prince!¡± Chapter 315 - Chapter 315: Vomit Blood Chapter 315: Vomit Blood Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jing Yi¡¯s gaze was dangerous. The eunuch felt a chill run down his spine. Everyone bowed to Xiao Zhonghua, except Su Xiaoxiao, who looked at him meaningfully. Jing Yi was the Young Marquis. As his cousin, Young Master Xiang¡¯s background was not too bad. However, she did not expect him to be the rumored Third Prince. ¡°You girl¡­¡± The eunuch was about to scold her when he was stopped by Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s cold gaze. The eunuch shrunk his neck and bowed his head. Xiao Zhonghua said warmly, ¡°Sorry, I hid my identity when I was patrolling in Qingzhou. However, Zhonghua is indeed my name.¡± The eunuch suspected that he had heard wrongly. The Third Prince¡­ was actually apologizing to a little girl? Princess Hui An couldn¡¯t be bothered to complain for a moment and asked suspiciously, ¡°Third Brother¡­ do you know each other?¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled and said, ¡°I fell seriously ill in Qingzhou. It¡¯s all thanks to Miss Su¡¯s brilliant medical skills.¡± Princess Hui An was enlightened. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the civilian physician who cured my third brother?¡± Xiao Zhonghua continued, ¡°Miss Su has also treated Jing Yi¡¯s injuries. I was the one who asked Jing Yi to stop Miss Su¡¯s horse. Don¡¯t be angry with Jing Yi.¡± On the surface, he was asking Princess Hui An not to be angry with Jing Yi, but he was actually asking her not to be angry with Su Xiaoxiao. Jing Yi was Princess Hui An¡¯s cousin. So what if Princess Hui An was angry with him? She couldn¡¯t really do anything to Jing Yi. Su Xiaoxiao was different. If she was an eyesore to Princess Hui An, her days in the palace would be more difficult in the future. What happened today was caused by the competition between Princess Hui An and Princess Lingxi, but the teachers who did not arrive early had an undeniable responsibility. ¡°Who¡¯s the teacher?¡± Xiao Zhonghua asked. The eunuch in charge of the horse said, ¡®Your Highness, it¡¯s the lieutenant general. The general over there is the future general.¡± The physician arrived late. When he saw that Xiao Zhonghua and Jing Yi were also there, his expression changed in fear and he hurriedly bowed and apologized. ¡°Don¡¯t come tomorrow.¡± Xiao Zhonghua fired the lieutenant general. ¡°The two of you¡­¡± Xiao Zhonghua looked at Princess Hui An and Princess Lingxi. Everyone knew why the two of them fought. One wanted Wei Ting to be the Prince Consort, and the other wanted Wei Ting to be the County Consort. Ironically, Wei Ting would rather become a monk. Xiao Zhonghua asked solemnly, ¡°Do you know how dangerous it was just now? You almost injured someone?¡± Princess Hui An muttered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you fine?¡± Princess Lingxi echoed softly, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Princess Hui An suddenly felt that something was wrong. She turned around and glared at her. ¡°Yes, yes! I sprained my ankle!¡± Princess Lingxi mocked, ¡°You sprained someone else¡¯s ankle!¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s pretty face darkened. ¡°That¡¯s all because of you!¡± Princess Lingxi said disapprovingly, ¡°How did I harm you?¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t chased me, would my horse have gone crazy? ¡°Who asked you to have such bad riding skills? I caught up to you immediately! ¡± ¡°Who did you say is bad at riding?¡± ¡°Whoever agrees is the one!¡± The two of them fought again. One was the emperor¡¯s daughter, and the other had the support of the Empress Dowager. Neither was afraid of the other. Xiao Zhonghua had a headache. ¡°Where¡¯s Princess Jingning?¡± he asked the eunuch from the horse farm. The eunuch said, ¡°We went to Kunning Palace to ask. Princess Jingning seems to feel unwell and is resting in the bedroom.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°I¡¯ll go see her.¡± After such a big thing happened, the horses were frightened and no one dared to let the princess and the daughters ride it anymore. The riding and archery class was temporarily changed to Teacher Jiang¡¯s class. When Master Jiang passed by with a poem, Su Xiaoxiao was walking out with something. ¡°Class is about to start. Where are you going?¡± Master Jiang asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Master Jiang frowned. Su Xiaoxiao left Qilin Hall. JingYi was still there. ¡°Have you been waiting for a long time?¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked forward. Jing Yi shook his head. ¡°No. Are you done with your class so soon?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°Do you think I asked you to wait here until my class is over?¡± Jing Yi nodded. What kind of naturally silly little boy was this? It was not that the occasion was wrong. Su Xiaoxiao really wanted to hit his head. Su Xiaoxiao handed him the ointment in her arms. ¡°I¡¯m going to class. Apply it yourself. Thank you for today.¡± Jing Yi took the medicine. ¡°Cousin didn¡¯t instruct me.¡± He suddenly spoke. ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment before realizing what he was referring to. She smiled. ¡°I know.¡± In the classroom, Teacher Jiang first sent out a calligraphy piece for everyone to practice. He was called out by another teacher, probably to discuss tomorrow¡¯s lesson. Qin Yanran sat in the second row. Seeing that the teacher had gone out, the daughters surrounded Qin Yanran. Miss Lin asked, ¡°Miss Qin, did you hear what the Third Prince said to that little fatty just now?¡± When Xiao Zhonghua came to the racecourse, everyone bowed to him. Qin Yanran was at the front, closest to Xiao Zhonghua. As Qin Yanran studied the ink, she lowered her eyes and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it.¡± Miss Lin was disappointed. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear it even though you were so close? I saw Third Prince talking to her. Do you know her?¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s eyes moved. Another daughter said, ¡°She¡¯s a country bumpkin. How can she know the Third Prince?¡± Miss Lin thought that it made sense and stopped dwelling on this topic. She went to practice her calligraphy in peace. Qin Yanran couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time. She had heard it just now. Su Daya had long known the Third Prince and Young Marquis Jing in Qingzhou. She also treated the Third Prince¡¯s illness and Young Marquis Jing¡¯s injuries. The Third Prince¡¯s words were filled with protection for her. Qin Yanran was standing in front of the Third Prince, but the Third Prince did not seem to see her. Qin Yanran clenched the ink block in her hand. ¡°Miss Qin, Miss Qin, Miss Qin!¡± Miss Lin tugged at her sleeve. Qin Yanran came back to her senses and realized that her ink had spilled all over the table, staining the calligraphy she had just practiced. Princess Hui An was injured and would not attend class in the afternoon. She returned to Qi Xiang Palace. Seeing her beautiful daughter¡¯s forehead turn green from the fall, Consort Xian couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What happened? You¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you fought with Jingning again? When the two princesses were young, they fought whenever there was a disagreement. When they grew up, they restrained themselves a lot and only quibbled when they met. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Jingning¡­¡± Princess Hui An told her about Princess Lingxi chasing her on a horse. Consort Xian really had a headache. What kind of troublesome daughter did she give birth to? She was either fighting with Jingning or Guo Lingxi. Princess Hui An snorted. ¡®Why are you blaming me? She chased me!¡± Consort Xian said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be fine if you ignored her?¡± Princess Hui An said righteously, ¡°I¡¯m a princess. How can I lose to her?¡± Consort Xian mocked, ¡°Heh, why didn¡¯t you think that you couldn¡¯t lose to her when you read the four books and five scriptures?¡± Princess Hui An choked. ¡°¡­Who¡¯s your daughter? Why do you always speak up for others?¡± Consort Xian pressed her temples. ¡®Guo Lingxi is a popular person in front of the Empress Dowager. Don¡¯t provoke her! ¡± Princess Hui An was unhappy. ¡°I can¡¯t provoke Jingning, nor can I provoke a small princess. What¡¯s the point of me being a princess? Why don¡¯t I stop being a princess!¡± ¡°Stop being a?¡± A smiling man¡¯s voice came from the door. Consort Xian¡¯s heart trembled as she hurriedly bowed. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Father!¡± When Princess Hui An saw Emperor Jing Xuan, who doted on her the most, endless grievances surged in her heart. Her eyes turned red as she threw herself into Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s arms and sobbed. ¡°They all bullied me¡­¡± Other princesses did not dare to be so unruly in front of Emperor Jing Xuan, but it was Hui An¡¯s straightforwardness that made Emperor Jing Xuan feel that he was first a father in front of her and then the king of a country. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at his daughter in his arms and asked, ¡°Who bullied my Hui An?¡± Princess Hui An complained bluntly, ¡°Guo Lingxi! Third Brother! Jing Yi!¡± Consort Xian¡¯s temples twitched. Unfilial daughter! Why were her biological brother and cousin involved?! ¡°How did they bully you?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked in amusement. Princess Hui An said with tears in her eyes, ¡°Guo Lingxi chased me on a horse and made my horse go crazy. Third Brother and Jing Yi came and didn¡¯t save me. They ran to save an outsider¡­ In the end, I fell¡­¡± Consort Xian was furious. So there was a second half of this story? Why didn¡¯t she finish it all at once just now? After letting her say her piece, Consort Xian would lock Princess Hui An up! Is it your turn to defame your biological brother in front of your father?! Emperor Jing Xuan asked, ¡°Did you fall badly? Let me take a look.¡± ¡°It¡¯s serious! It hurts!¡± Princess Hui An took away the hand that was covering her forehead. The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. ¡°I hate Third Brother! I hate him to death! Father, don¡¯t like him either! He¡¯s a hypocrite! For the sake of his good reputation, he doesn¡¯t even care about his own sister!¡± Consort Xian was about to vomit blood.. To hell with the Wei family! To hell with the Leng family! The biggest obstacle on her son¡¯s path to the throne was this wretched girl! Chapter 316 - Chapter 316: Whose Son Chapter 316: Whose Son Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Emperor Jing Xuan did not know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°Why do I remember that your third brother dotes on you the most?¡± Princess Hui An snorted. ¡°If he dotes on me, why would he let Jing Yi save an outsider? Those two guards are not good at fighting. They made me fall!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan pinched her cheek. ¡°Tell me, which outsider is your third brother biased toward?¡± Princess Hui An said angrily, ¡°Isn¡¯t it that Miss Qin from the countryside? She hasn¡¯t changed her name. What¡¯s her name again?¡± Eunuch Fu glanced at Emperor Jing Xuan and saw that he seemed to be recalling his name. He said to Princess Hui An, ¡°Su Daya.¡± Princess Hui An hurriedly said, ¡°Yes! It¡¯s her! This name is so old-fashioned!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan looked thoughtful and did not say anything else. At five o¡¯clock, the day¡¯s class ended. The daughters left the Qilin Hall one after another. Su Xiaoxiao packed her things leisurely. Everyone in the classroom had left, but she was still packing her books. Suddenly, a tall figure enveloped her. ¡°Jing Yi¡­¡± She looked up and was halfway through speaking when she said, ¡°Your Highness.¡± Ordinary people would not come this way. The first person she thought of was Jing Yi. Xiao Zhonghua was not angry that he had been recognized. He smiled gently and said, ¡°Are you used to coming to the capital?¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Xiao Zhonghua had once invited her to the capital as a friend, but she had rejected him. She did not expect to come after going around in circles. Xiao Zhonghua said warmly, ¡°I asked Father to give you the spot in the palace school.¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered quietly, ¡°So you schemed against me behind my back!¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not taking credit or planning to do anything to you. It¡¯s just that since you¡¯re in the capital, it won¡¯t do you any harm to interact more with the people of the big families.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued to pack. Xiao Zhonghua continued, ¡°As for us¡­ ¡°Your Highness.¡± Su Xiaoxiao interrupted him. ¡°There¡¯s no us.¡± After leaving the palace, Su Xiaoxiao saw Su Mo¡¯s carriage. ¡°You didn¡¯t wait for a day again, did you?¡± She got into the carriage. Su MO said, ¡°I went to do something during the day and only came over when you finished school.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded in satisfaction. Su MO looked at her in amusement. ¡°What kind of little adult expression is Su Xiaoxiao said to herself, ¡°Little adult? I¡¯m an adult!¡± Su MO was 22 this year, only a year older than Wei Ting. One had to know that in her previous life, she had lived until she was in her thirties¡ª Wait. Wei Ting was 21. Was she an old cow eating young grass in a May-December relationship? That wasn¡¯t right. She had yet to eat it. Su Xiaoxiao frowned bitterly. Su MO was amused by her changing expression. ¡°What are you thinking about again?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Su Xiaoxiao dusted her wide sleeves and muttered calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll eat it sooner or later!¡± Su MO was speechless. What was this girl talking about? Su MO pushed a jar of walnuts in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s your first day of school. Are you used to it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed a handful of walnuts. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Su MO continued, ¡°I heard from Eunuch Sun that your horse was frightened.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to earn your money.¡± Eunuch Sun had to go all the way out of the palace to report her situation to him. Su MO couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t let him report it next time.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nibbled on a walnut. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it. Do as you please.¡± Su MO laughed and poured her a cup of tea. ¡°I found out something and was wondering if I should tell you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Is it related to Wei Ting?¡± This girl¡­ was really terrifyingly smart¡­ Fortunately, she was his sister, not an enemy. ¡°Yes,¡± Su MO said. ¡°One is a clue about my grandfather¡¯s poisoning, and the other is the background of the three children.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped drinking her tea and widened her clear eyes at him without blinking. Su MO asked for her opinion. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about my grandfather first?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Su MO continued, ¡°I¡¯ve been investigating for so long, and all the clues point to the Wei family. I¡¯ve mentioned the entanglement between the Qin, Su, and Wei families to you, but I don¡¯t think I told you what happened between them. Back then, Old General Wei, Lord Wu An, was surrounded by the Beiyan army and sent people to the Qin family¡¯s military camp a hundred miles away to ask Granduncle to send troops for support. Granduncle didn¡¯t go.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked in confusion, ¡°Why not?¡± Su MO shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. Granduncle refused to say much about what happened back then¡­ Granduncle might know. Now, do you understand how deep the hatred is between the Wei family, the Qin family, and the Su family?¡± He would persuade his sister to give up on Wei Ting every day. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t answer his question. She would always have her own logic and wouldn¡¯t be affected by the thoughts of others. She touched her chin and said thoughtfully, ¡°The two families are political enemies. Did Qin Canglan want to use Beiyan to get rid of Lord Wu An? This doesn¡¯t make sense. Lord Wu An Lord died in battle a few years ago, and the current emperor has been on the throne for 17 years. The emperor has already stabilized the throne. They are loyal to a monarch. Why is this? Or¡­ is this the emperor¡¯s intention? The emperor is afraid of the Wei family and wants them to decline?¡± Not only was this girl smart, but she was also bold. She dared to guess everything. Su MO said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can only ask Granduncle himself about the exact situation. It¡¯s useless for me to ask. He won¡¯t tell me. You can try.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and felt that it was feasible. ¡°What about the second piece of information you found?¡± she asked. She didn¡¯t indulge in useless things for too long and always maintained a terrifying calmness. The more Su MO interacted with her, the more he realized that she really had the potential of an outstanding soldier. Unfortunately¡­ she was a woman. He gathered his thoughts and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°The second news is about the background of Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu.¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao put down the walnut in her hand. Su MO said seriously, ¡°They¡¯re not Wei Ting¡¯s sons.¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°They are not Wei Ting¡¯s¡­ He never had a child with another woman.¡± Su MO was speechless. He suddenly regretted telling her this. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Then whose sons are they?¡± ¡°I suspect¡­¡± Su MO said.. Chapter 317 - Chapter 317: Jealous Chapter 317: Jealous Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At the Wei family, Wei Ting was grounded in the courtyard by Emperor Jing Xuan and Matriarch Wei. He leaned lazily on the couch with a book covering his face, looking lifeless. Eunuch Yu was carried to the next room to recuperate. The man in white and the bamboo hat guarded the door. This time, he was really not given any chance to leave. ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over, you¡¯re finished!¡± Yuchi Xiu rushed into the courtyard. The white-robed man blocked him with his sword. Yuchi Xiu glanced at him and said, ¡°Are you not letting me in? Or do you think I can abduct him under your nose? Are you admitting that you¡¯re lousy?¡± The man in white retracted his hand. Yuchi Xiu strode in and came to the simple bed. He stared straight at the book on Wei Ting¡¯s face and said, ¡°Lord, you¡¯re finished!¡± ¡°What¡¯s finished?¡± Wei Ting asked casually. Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°You¡¯ve been cuckolded!¡± Wei Ting ignored him. Yuchi Xiu said righteously, ¡°That girl met Xiao Zhonghua! They recognized each other! One knew that she was his fianc¨¦e and the other knew that he was her fianc¨¦, but they were still showing off their love in public! Xiao Zhonghua even picked her up from school! You¡¯re finished! Xiao Zhonghua poached from you!¡± Wei Ting took away the book covering his face and sat up. His eyes were cold. He came to the door with a cold expression. The man in white stopped him. ¡°The Matriarch has ordered that we can¡¯t let Young Master out.¡± Yuchi Xiu came to his side and whispered to him, ¡°His wife ran away with someone.¡± The white-robed man looked at Wei Ting sympathetically and let him pass. When Su Xiaoxiao returned from the palace, she first picked up the three little ones and the foal from Ling Yun and made dinner. Su Qi and Su Yu sent Su Ergou home and especially emphasized that they wanted snacks tomorrow, as much as Su Ergou! ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and asked, ¡°Do you¡­ want to stay for a meal?¡± Su Yu said, ¡°We¡¯re not used to eating outside.. An hour later. Su Yu hugged the tree in the courtyard with both hands as his legs were forcefully pulled out by his coachman. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving¡ª He hadn¡¯t eaten enough! The three little ones exhausted all their energy at Ling Yun¡¯s place. When they reached home, they were extremely obedient. After taking a shower, they fell asleep. Su Xiaoxiao went to Su Ergou¡¯s room. Su Ergou was practicing calligraphy on the table. His posture was a little clumsy, but his expression was very serious. Su Xiaoxiao placed the oil lamp on the table. Su Ergou¡¯s eyes lit up. He looked up. ¡°Sister? Why are you here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I saw that you were practicing calligraphy, so I brought you a lamp. Our family doesn¡¯t lack money anymore, so there¡¯s no need to save on lamp oil.¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°I can see.¡± ¡°Ergou, do you like to study?¡± ¡°I like it!¡± Studying allowed him to do business. Su Ergou cherished it very much, anc was more serious about his homework than in the countryside. As for whether he did well or not¡­ Anyway, the teacher never scolded him. It would be strange if the teacher dared to scold him. Wasn¡¯t he afraid that Canglan and the Old Marquis would chop him up? ¡°Sister, I miss Dad a little.¡± ¡°Tomorrow after school, we¡¯ll go see Dad.¡± Coincidentally, she also had something to verify with Qin Canglan. In the dead of night, the family rested. Su Xiaoxiao arranged the three litth fellows who were sleeping soundly and covered herself with the blanket be falling asleep. In her half-asleep state, she vaguely felt two sharp eyes staring at her. She suddenly opened her eyes. She saw a tall figure sitting on the edge of the bed with his arms crossed. E stared at her sinisterly for an unknown period of time. Su Xiaoxiao instinctively reached under the mattress. ¡°Heh, did you want your dagger again?¡± A certain someone kicked the dagger on the ground under the bed. Su Xiaoxiao was completely awake. She sat up and looked at him strangely. ¡°Why do you always come in the middle of the night?¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°You make it sound like you were here during the day.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh, so were you here for me?¡± Wei Ting refused to answer this question. He kept his arms crossed and glared at her warily, coldly, and angrily. Su Xiaoxiao was confused. What was wrong with this guy? Wei Ting asked coldly, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re going to marry Xiao Zhonghua?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°Who said that?¡± Why didn¡¯t she know that she was going to marry Xiao Zhonghua? Wei Ting said without hesitation, ¡°Yuchi Xiu.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. ¡°Who¡¯s Yuchi Xiu?¡± Wei Ting thought for a moment. ¡°Blackie.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was enlightened. After being sold by Su Xiaoxiao once, Yuchi Xiu was sold by his master again. It could be said to be especially miserable. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Where did he hear that I¡¯m going to marry Xiao Zhonghua?¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°You saw Xiao Zhonghua in the palace today.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Does seeing him mean that I¡¯m going to marry him?¡± Wei Ting snorted coldly. ¡°It¡¯s best if you¡¯re not. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re a married woman now!¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not true.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyes darkened, his gaze dangerous. ¡°Say it again!¡± ¡°Which part of us looks like a real couple?¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°Do you know what couples do when they¡¯re together?¡± Wei Ting recalled what the two of them had done together and felt that there were many things to speak of. However, the little girl did not seem satisfied. He was silent for a moment before looking at Su Xiaoxiao in a complicated manner. He said earnestly, ¡°If you mean that kind of thing, I can¡¯t give it to you now.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Su Daya!¡± ¡°Why are you so fierce? I¡¯m a physician. If you¡¯re sick, I have medicine that can treat you!¡± Wei Ting wanted to strangle her! ¡°Let me take a look at you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao reached out to take his pulse. Wei Ting misunderstood and thought that this girl was going to take off his pants again. After all, this was not the first time. He clasped her wrists with both hands. ¡°Stop fooling around!¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. She was serious. Why was the patient so disobedient? One wanted to grab, and the other struggled. Su Xiaoxiao lost her balance and fell back. Wei Ting was pulled by her and pressed onto the bed. To be precise, he fell on her warm body. Su Xiaoxiao was about to say something when she was suddenly stunned. Wei Ting¡¯s body froze. The night was as dark as ink. It covered his red ears. He let go of Su Xiaoxiao and sat up straight like he had been electrocuted. He pulled the blanket over his waist. The most terrifying thing was that the air suddenly froze. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him meaningfully and glanced at the place he covered. ¡°Well¡­ I was just saying. You don¡¯t have to prove it to me.¡± Wei Ting could not clear his name. He was here to pick a fight with her, but he was the one who embarrassed himself first. He could not tell for a moment if it was more tragic that she had misunderstood that he could not do it, or the situation before him.. Chapter 318 - Chapter 318: The Truth Back Then (1) Chapter 318: The Truth Back Then (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Alright, you¡¯re normal. I won¡¯t examine you anymore.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Could she stop talking? However, Su Xiaoxiao abided by the principle that if he was embarrassed, she would not be embarrassed. She sat up and blinked at him. ¡°Wei Ting, you like me a little, right? Are you jealous of Xiao Zhonghua?¡± Wei Ting had already regained his composure and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. I just hope you remember your identity! Your Su family provoked me first. I have the final say when we terminate our relationship!¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh.¡± She lay down calmly. Wei Ting stood up and left. He had already gone out and strode back. He stood in front of the bed like a god in the night and looked at her unfathomably. ¡°Close your eyes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips and closed her eyes to sleep. Wei Ting bent down and held her cheek with one hand, kissing her forehead. Su Xiaoxiao opened her eyes. Wei Ting explained coldly, ¡°What a husband and wife should do.¡± Su Xiaoxiao burst out laughing. ¡°Wei Ting, I also do this with Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu. If you really want to kiss¡­¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and turned around to face the three children inside. ¡°Next time.¡± With that, Wei Ting left with a cold expression. Su Xiaoxiao touched her kissed forehead and soft lips. ¡°Can I¡­ kiss you here next time?¡± ¡°Then next time¡­ should we go straight to third base?¡± ¡°Mother.¡± Xiaohu sat up in a daze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked the little fellow. ¡°Pee,¡± Xiaohu said. Su Xiaoxiao carried Xiaohu to the backyard to pee. ¡°Mother, are you smiling?¡± Xiaohu asked while nestled in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arms. ¡°Thinking about big pig trotters¡­ delicious.¡± ¡°Xiaohu wants to eat too.¡± That night, Xiaohu hugged Dahu¡¯s feet and ate pig trotters for the entire night. In Kunning Palace, Princess Jingning slept until the next morning. When she woke up, she was stunned by the scene in front of her. What happened? Why were there so many people in her bedroom? And they were all kneeling on the ground¡­ Taozhi, the personal palace maid, had been paying attention to Princess Jingning¡¯s movements. Seeing that she was awake, she cried tears of joy. ¡°Princess, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Princess Jing Ning looked at the room full of palace maids and eunuchs in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Taozhi went forward on her knees and only stood up when she reached the bed. She helped Princess Jingning sit up. ¡°Princess, you were unconscious for so long. You scared me to death!¡± ¡°I was¡­ unconscious?¡± Princess Jing Ning was surprised. She didn¡¯t feel like she was unconscious. Didn¡¯t she just sleep? ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked. ¡°Seven o¡¯clock,¡± Taozhi said in a choked voice. Princess Jing Ning was shocked. ¡°It¡¯s morning?¡± She clearly remembered that it was her lunch break¡­ Taozhi sobbed and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been unconscious for a day and a night. No matter how hard I called you, you couldn¡¯t wake up. The Empress called the imperial physician over and he performed acupuncture on you, but you were still unconscious¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Jingning, who refused to admit that she was sleeping like a pig, cleared her throat and said with a serious expression, ¡°I¡¯m awake now. It¡¯s fine. Get up.¡± Everyone stood up with relief. Taozhi said, ¡°I went to report to the Empress that you are safe. The Empress was worried for the entire night¡­ In addition¡­ Third Prince and His Majesty also came.¡± Fifteen minutes later, Aunt Mei came over with an imperial physician behind her. The imperial physician took Princess Jingning¡¯s pulse. ¡°Her Highness is fine.¡± Aunt Mei asked the palace servants to send the imperial physician out. Princess Jing Ning said, ¡°Open the windows. It¡¯s too dark.¡± The palace maid removed the screen and opened the window. Taozhi brought hot water over and Aunt Mei personally twisted a handkerchief to wipe Princess Jingning¡¯s face. Before the handkerchief could touch her face, Aunt Mei exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Your Highness, your face¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my face?¡± Princess Jing Ning¡¯s heart tightened. Could it be getting worse? ¡°Taozhi! Bring me a mirror!¡± She instructed. Taozhi brought over a small peachwood mirror. Princess Jing Ning looked in the mirror and exclaimed, ¡°My face¡­¡¯ Yesterday, her face was filled with acne, and a few of them had even gotten worse. Today, imost of them had actually disappeared. This face was not scary at all. ¡°Did you apply Imperial Physician Hu¡¯s medication?¡± Aunt Mei asked. Taozhi nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, Aunt Mei!¡± Aunt Mei smiled knowingly. ¡°Imperial Physician Hut s medical skills never disappoint.¡± Princess Jingning said, ¡°It was not Imperial Physician Hu..¡± Chapter 319 - Chapter 319: The Truth Back Then (2) Chapter 319: The Truth Back Then (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She remembered very clearly that after applying Imperial Physician Hu¡¯s medication, her skin only cooled for a while before it hurt and itched again. However, after taking the medicine given to her by her classmate, she felt much more comfortable. It was also because it was too comfortable that she slept well. Thinking of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s medicine, Princess Jingning recalled the snacks Su Xiaoxiao had given her. She looked at the missing snack box on the table and asked, ¡°Where are my snacks?¡± Taozhi said, ¡°Are you talking about the box on the original table? His Majesty ate it.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was originally here to visit Jingning. As he sat, he saw the snacks sent by Kunning Palace last time. Then, he accidentally finished them all. Not a single one was left for Jingning. Princess Jing Ning¡¯s face darkened. At Pear Blossom Lane, Su Xiaoxiao got up too. She recalled what had happened last night and was in a good mood. However, looking at the three little ones sleeping soundly at the side, she slapped her forehead. ¡°I let this guy flirt with me. I forgot to ask him if the three children are really his brother¡¯s flesh and blood. Indeed, beauty is a hindrance.¡± After Su MO said his guess yesterday, she asked Su MO not to tell Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis for the time being. Su MO agreed. However, it would only be for three days because three days later, the spy would definitely report to the Old Marquis. ¡°I should be able to see Wei Ting in three days, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to wake Su Ergou up. After the siblings finished making snacks, the three little ones were almost awake. Breakfast was mutton buns and mixed grain porridge. The mutton was fat and thin. The gamey smell was removed with spices. Accompanied by a mutton soup, the meat was fragrant, oily, salty, and fresh, with a hint of sweetness. The sweet potato was cut into pieces in the mixed grain porridge. The sweetness of the sweet potato was completely infused into the porridge. The porridge was thick, sweet, and soft. Just as the food came out of the pot, someone came to freeload. Su Qi and Su Yu revealed their white teeth. They were just short of carrying an alms bowl to solicit alms. The three little ones only finished brushing their teeth before the family came to the table for dinner. Su Qi and Su Yu did not expect their little cousin to make good snacks. The food was cooked well, and even the buns were more fragrant than those that were made by the chefs in the residence. Unlike the old bread they used to eat, the dough was soft when they took a bite. Extremely fresh soup burst out, and there was no gamey stench at all. This was mutton. They have never cared for mutton! The two brothers buried their heads in their buns and couldn¡¯t stop eating. After Su Ergou finished eating a bun, he reached out and touched nothing. He looked up in a daze at the empty steamer. Uh¡­ where were the buns? Su Qi and Su Yu were not satisfied. If not for the fact that the three little ones¡¯ buns were uniquely shaped like pigs, and they were too embarrassed to snatch them, the plates of the three little ones might have been empty. The Directorate had morning classes, so Su Ergou and the other two set off after dinner. The three little ones finished eating slowly. Su Xiaoxiao took off their clothes, washed their hands, and rinsed their mouths before sending them to Ling Yun¡¯s place. Although Princess Jing Ning was fine, her ¡°sleeping¡± for a day and night was really worrying. The empress sent someone to the palace to apply for a day off. Today was Teacher Jiang¡¯s class again. Master Jiang had long treated Su Xiaoxiao as rotten wood and did not attempt to sculpt her. Therefore, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s day was quite calm. After school, Su MO picked her up. Su Xiaoxiao got into the carriage. ¡°I want to visit my father with Ergou.¡± Su MO did not object. ¡°Okay.¡± In the evening, Su Mo¡¯s carriage arrived at the Qin family¡¯s horse farm. Although it was called a horse farm, it was not only a place to raise and train horses. It had a training ground with an armory and archery targets. It could be said to be an excellent place to practice martial arts. Su Cheng had just finished drawing the bow when he seemed to have lost control of his arms. Just as he was feeling depressed, Su Ergou ran over. ¡°Dad!¡± Su Cheng turned around and his eyes lit up. ¡°Daughter!¡± He whistled past Su Ergou. Su Ergou, who had been treated as air, was speechless. Su Cheng grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arm and felt extremely aggrieved. ¡°Daughter¡­ you¡¯re finally here to see Dad¡­ Dad misses you so much¡­ those two old fellows trapped me here and forced me to practice martial arts every day, not letting me go back¡­ I can¡¯t beat them¡­¡¯ At the mention of this, he was angry. It was fine if he could not defeat that big guy. That person in the wheelchair looked easy to bully, but in the end, he knocked him down with one move. He rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Daughter, look.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pinched his wrist. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re stronger.¡± Su Cheng was speechless. ¡°¡­I wanted you to see my injuries.¡± Su Cheng had been trained by Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis for a few days. He was tanned, and his skin was a light wheat color. However, as Su Xiaoxiao had said, he had become stronger and more energetic.. Chapter 320 - Chapter 320: The Truth Back Then (3) Chapter 320: The Truth Back Then (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao carefully checked his right hand. There was indeed a bruise on his wrist. It was caused by the Old Marquis. The Old Marquis¡¯s heart ached to death, but he did not dare to show it on his face. He continued to scold him fiercely. Other than the bruise, there was no discomfort in his wrist. ¡°Doesn¡¯t such high-intensity training hurt anymore?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore,¡± Su Cheng said. He was just showing off the bruises to his daughter. He didn¡¯t really mean to worry her. Su Cheng looked toward the grassland. ¡°Eh? Where¡¯s my son-in-law, Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu? They didn¡¯t come with you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No, Wei Ting brought them to class.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had originally planned to bring the three little fellows over. Just as she arrived at the entrance of the Lingyun family, she bumped into Yuchi Xiu. Old Madam Wei missed the little fellows. Yuchi Xiu came to bring the three children over for Old Madam Wei to take a look. Su Xiaoxiao naturally had no objections. However, if she were to say that they were brought back to Wei Ting¡¯s house, Father Su would definitely ask if his son-in-law had a family and wanted to meet them. Now that the two families were incompatible, it was better not to let her father go to the Wei family to die. ¡°I¡¯ll bring them over next time.¡± Su Xiaoxiao changed the topic. ¡°Dad, have you finished the medicine from before?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°I just finished eating before coming to the racecourse.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a small medicine bottle from the small basket. ¡°I have another bottle here. Remember to take it.¡± Su Cheng waved his hand. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. This medicine is expensive. Keep it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao insisted, ¡°It¡¯s for Dad.¡¯ She felt that not only did the black technology bone-strengthening pills in the pharmacy have healing effects, but they could also strengthen one¡¯s physique to a large extent. It must have something to do with her father being able to withstand such urgent and high-intensity training. Su Cheng couldn¡¯t dissuade his daughter and accepted the medicine. ¡°Xiaochuan.¡± He waved. A servant jogged forward. Su Cheng hesitated. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll hold it myself.¡± He had to hold the medicine his daughter had given him. Su Cheng realized that his daughter had lost weight again, and his son had grown taller. He asked about his son-in-law and three grandchildren and was slightly relieved to know that everyone was fine. ¡°Ergou, talk to Dad first. I¡¯ll go out for a while.¡± She was going to look for Qin Canglan, who was brushing the horses on the lawn. Although he was an old Protector Duke, there were some things he liked to do himself. He was very happy to see Su Xiaoxiao. However, when Su Xiaoxiao explained her intentions, his smile faded bit by bit. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s not sudden. I¡¯ve wanted to ask for a long time, but I haven¡¯t had the chance.¡± Qin Canglan asked curiously, ¡°What bewitching soup did the Wei family kid give you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It has nothing to do with him. I want to know it myself. If it¡¯s inconvenient for you to say it, pretend I never came.¡± How could he pretend that she had never been here? The little girl turned around and left, looking very much like what Su Huayin used to do in the past. Su Huayin always used this trick. It worked every time. He knew, but he was willing to jump in. ¡°Stop right there! ¡° He was helpless against Hua Yin and this little girl. He asked, ¡°How much have you heard about what happened back then?¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and looked at him again. ¡°Not much. It¡¯s just that Lord Wu An was surrounded by the Beiyan army and sent someone out in disguise to ask you for reinforcements, but you rejected him.¡± Qin Canglan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s true.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was a little surprised. ¡°Why did you refuse to send troops?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Qin Canglan stopped brushing his horse and smiled coldly. ¡°Wei¡¯s rebellion. He¡¯s in cahoots with Beiyan and was using a ruse. If I go, I¡¯ll be walking into a trap!¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°Really?¡± Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re my biological granddaughter. Why would I lie to you? Although I hate Wei Ting, I wouldn¡¯t use this method to discredit a dead person.¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh.¡± Qin Canglan asked, ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with you.¡± Qin Canglan was hurt. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Since Lord Wu An colluded with Beiyan, why was he killed by Beiyan in the end?¡± Qin Canglan snorted coldly. ¡°He wanted to kill me, so I naturally couldn¡¯t sit back and wait for death. I attacked the Beiyan army from behind and released the news that I wanted to cooperate with him from the inside. I wanted to make Beiyan think that he was faking his defection to the enemy, but he actually wanted to destroy Beiyan with me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pondered and said, ¡°So Beiyan killed Lord Wu An in a fit of anger?¡± She had once suspected that Emperor Jing Xuan could not bear to see the Wei family live well, but from the truth revealed by Qin Canglan, Emperor Jing Xuan had nothing to do with the Wei family¡¯s tragedy. She did not suspect that Qin Canglan was lying because there was no need. Qin Canglan snorted. ¡°If he hadn¡¯t colluded with Beiyan and was defenseless against Beiyan, why would he let Beiyan destroy his entire family so easily?¡± This was a disguised acknowledgment of the Lord Wu An¡¯s power. In the world, the only person who could fight him to a draw was the deceased Lord Wu An. Su Xiaoxiao corrected him. ¡°Not the entire family. Wei Ting is still here.¡± Qin Canglan said indifferently, ¡°He¡¯ll be gone soon.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°You want to kill him?¡± Qin Canglan said nothing. Su Xiaoxiao turned around and left. Again! Again! This girl was doing it again! She had Su Huayin¡¯s bad temper! ¡°If I don¡¯t kill him, will no one kill him?¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes darted around as he raised his hand and pointed. ¡°The old monkey wants to kill him!¡± The Old Marquis, who had just pushed the wheelchair over, trembled! ¡°Why are you pushing the blame on me?! Qin, I think you want to fight again!¡± Chapter 321 - Chapter 321: The Caring Dahu Chapter 321: The Caring Dahu Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao looked at Qin Canglan and then at the Old Marquis in the wheelchair. The Old Marquis felt a little uncomfortable under his granddaughter¡¯s gaze. However, this wheelchair was not very obedient. Its wheels were stuck in the grass pit. He stood up irritably and moved the wheelchair over. Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. In the house, Su Cheng was showing off his weapon to his son. ¡°Here, this is the Cloud Shattering Saber. It¡¯s much more powerful than the Pig Slaughtering Saber. With this slash, it¡¯ll shatter all sorts of things!¡± Su Cheng gestured. Su Ergou¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Dad, I want to play too.¡± Su Cheng hurriedly said, ¡°You can¡¯t play with it. You¡¯ll get injured.¡± He picked up another spear. ¡°A knife is inferior to a sword. A sword is inferior to a spear. Do you know where the power of a spear lies?¡± Su Ergou shook his head. ¡°Dad.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked in. ¡°Someone wants to kill your son-in-law.¡± Su Cheng stabbed the spear into the ground and asked fiercely, ¡°Who is it?!¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and looked at Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis. The two big shots looked at each other. Each raised his head and pointed at the other party. ¡°Him!¡± Su Cheng¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You want to kill my son-in-law?¡± The two of them denied it in a second. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s a misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t say that I wanted to kill him!¡± They were not two big shots born from the same mother. They had never had such tacit understanding when fighting a war. Qin Canglan muttered to himself, ¡°It¡¯s too scary. In my son¡¯s eyes, I¡¯m not even as good as a kidnapped son-in-law.¡± Old Marquis remarked, ¡°Uncle is inferior to son-in-law. Sigh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was satisfied. Indeed, her father had to be involved. Some things were easier said than done. From the standpoint of an observer, Su Xiaoxiao felt that things might not be so simple. For example, why did Lord Wu An rebel? If King Nanyang was still alive, it would barely make sense. However, seven years after Emperor Jing Xuan ascended the throne, King Nanyang was discovered conspiring to rebel. He was his biological brother. For the sake of the empress dowager, Emperor Jing Xuan did not announce King Nanyang¡¯s crimes to the world, but he secretly killed his entire family. To the public, he claimed that he was unfortunately infected with a plague. Could it be that Lord Wu An wanted to avenge King Nanyang? It seemed that she had to ask the Wei family about what happened back then. ¡°Grandpa!¡± ¡°Grandpa, Grandpa!¡± ¡°Grandpa!¡± Not far away, the soft voices of three children suddenly came. Su Cheng, who was standing at the door, mercilessly pulled the two big shots to the side. He threw the spear away and ran over to pick up the three children. Xiaohu was sandwiched in the middle and stuck out his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m bursting! I¡¯m bursting!¡± Su Cheng put the three little fellows down and squatted down to touch their heads. ¡°Did you miss Grandpa?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Dahu said obediently. ¡°Erhu misses you too!¡± Xiaohu patted his chest seriously. ¡°Xiaohu misses you the most!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Su Cheng was amused by the three little fellows. He looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡± Xiaohu complained, ¡°Sleeping in. Uncle Blackie sent him over.¡± Yuchi Xiu, who was outside the horse ranch: I¡¯m just wearing black clothes, not Uncle Black! Su Xiaoxiao was also surprised by the arrival of the three little fellows. She thought that Matriarch Wei would let them stay at home for the night. In fact, Matriarch Wei did try to keep them, but the three little fellows did not buy it. In the beginning, they were still playing well. When it was dark, they started to look for Su Xiaoxiao. Wei Ting could not coax them. Old Madam Wei had no choice but to get Yuchi Xiu and Fu Su to send them over. It had been a long time since they last saw each other. The three little ones also missed Su Cheng very much. The three of them leaned into Su Cheng¡¯s arms and actually forgot to look for their mother for a short time. Xiaohu pushed Dahu. ¡°Move aside. You¡¯re squeezing me.¡± Dahu did not indulge him and pushed him out. Dahu did not take the initiative to bully Xiaohu, but if Xiaohu wanted to bully him, there was no way. In front of Dahu, Xiaohu¡¯s strength was like a younger brother. However, although he could not win, he kept squeezing in. The two little fellows began to fight again. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Grandpa will hug you all!¡± Su Cheng stopped the two of them from fighting in time. Su Cheng looked at Xiaohu and sighed helplessly. ¡°Why do you keep squeezing when you can¡¯t win?¡± Xiaohu placed his hands on his hips and stomped his feet. ¡°When I grow up, I can win!¡± Erhu said, ¡°When you grow up, so would Dahu. You still can¡¯t beat him.¡± Dahu nodded. Xiaohu was furious. He stretched out his small arm and drew a big circle. ¡°I, I, I¡¯m bigger than him!¡± A child¡¯s temper came and went quickly. The two of them, who were fighting a second ago, squatted together to catch crickets in the next second. ¡°Dahu, I can¡¯t catch him,¡± Xiaohu said gloomily. ¡°Here you go.¡± Dahu caught a big one for his brother. ¡°I want one too,¡± Erhu said. Dahu began to catch crickets for his brothers. Su Cheng missed his daughter¡¯s food. The chef had just killed two sheep. Su Xiaoxiao decided to roast a whole sheep. The cook of the ranch helped Su Xiaoxiao set up a bonfire on the grassland. ¡°Do you have sesame?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The chef entered the kitchen and brought over a large jar of stir-fried white sesame. ¡°It¡¯s still lacking.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked the chef to watch the fire first. She went into the kitchen to stir-fry a sauce and make mixed sauce noodles later. The smell of roasted whole sheep and green onion oil mixed with sauce filled the entire horse farm. The three little fellows surrounded the bonfire and drooled as they stared at the roasted whole sheep. Su Ergou stared at them, afraid that if they were not careful, the three of them would rush forward and eat the uncooked sheep. Su MO stayed for dinner. It was quite lively by the bonfire. Qin Canglan sat alone on the grass field with the moonlight on his back. His tall body was enveloped by the night, and he looked a little lonely. Dahu walked over and tilted his head to look at him. ¡°Big Grandpa, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Canglan said nothing. ¡°Big Great- Grandpa, are you unhappy?¡± Dahu continued to ask. A complicated look flashed across Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes, but he still ignored Dahu. Dahu thought for a moment and took out a big cricket from his left pocket. ¡°Do you want the big cricket I just caught?¡± Seeing that Qin Canglan was unmoved, he took out another piece of crisp candy from his right pocket. Qin Canglan still did not reach out. Dahu asked him to play again, but he did not move. Dahu left dejectedly. Qin Canglan turned around and looked at the little fellow¡¯s lonely back, wondering if he had gone too far. He was just a child¡­ But he was a child of the Wei family¡­ Qin Canglan turned his head. Suddenly, footsteps came again. A small hand handed him a small milk bottle. ¡°For you to drink.¡± This was Dahu¡¯s favorite. He had never even given it to his master. What Qin Canglan did not tell Su Xiaoxiao was that his most capable subordinate, his brother who had risked his life with him, had died at the hands of Lord Wu An and the Nanyang King. Dahu was still young and did not know much about the grudges of adults, but he felt the huge sadness of Qin Canglan. He placed the milk bottle on the ground and imitated his mother. He reached out and touched Qin Canlan¡¯s cheek. ¡°Big great-grandpa, don¡¯t be sad..¡± Chapter 322 - Chapter 322: Credit (1) Chapter 322: Credit (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dahu left. Qin Canglan was sitting a little far from the small courtyard. In the night, one could vaguely see dancing flames. Su Ergou and Erhu were playing and laughing. Dahu fell. The little milk bottle was thrown out. It hurt. He got up and blew on his knees himself. He limped over and picked up the small milk bottle. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± He shook his head. Wiping his tears, he continued walking. Suddenly, a broad palm lifted him up and carried him into a strong embrace. Dahu stared blankly at the other party¡¯s cold and blurry outline in the night and asked, ¡°Big Great-Grandpa, aren¡¯t you sad anymore?¡± The night wind on the grassland was very cold, and Dahu¡¯s body was a little cold. Qin Canglan unbuttoned his cloak and wrapped it tightly around the little fellow. ¡°Great-grandpa has been sad about too many things in his life.¡± ¡°Why are you sad? Dahu will be sad if he misses Mother.¡± After saying that, Dahu recalled carefully. ¡°It¡¯s sad to be locked up. It¡¯s also sad to be hungry.¡± Those painful memories had gradually blurred in his mind. Dahu could only occasionally recall incomplete scenes. Qin Canglan was a little stunned. Had the little guy been locked up before? And starved? ¡°Who locked you up?¡± His eyes darkened. It better not be Wei Ting. Otherwise, he would definitely beat that kid to death! Dahu scratched his head. He couldn¡¯t remember. Qin Canglan looked at the helpless little fellow. For some reason, he thought of Su Cheng. He took Dahu¡¯s hand off his head. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. Don¡¯t think about it anymore. Great-grandpa promises you that no one will lock you up in the future.¡¯ ¡°Yes!¡± Dahu nodded. ¡°Big Great-Grandpa, will you still be sad in the future?¡± Qin Canglan carried him towards the bonfire. He was in darkness, but facing the light. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s fine if Great-Grandpa is sad. Great-Grandpa only hopes that the person he protects won¡¯t be sad again.¡± Dahu seemed to understand. Qin Canglan looked at him and said, ¡°Does Dahu like Mother?¡± Dahu nodded heavily. ¡°I like her!¡± Qin Canglan continued, ¡°Will Dahu always protect Mother? If he doesn¡¯t let Mother be bullied, your father can¡¯t bully her either.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Dahu clenched his fists solemnly. ¡°Dahu will protect Mother! No one is allowed to bully her! No one!¡± Qin Canglan smiled. ¡°You have to keep your word.¡± Dahu nodded repeatedly! Qin Canglan looked at the vast and ethereal starry sky above him. The Imperial Inspector said that if the general star was displaced, a general would definitely die. Perhaps he would be able to find Hua Yin soon. Before that, what else could he do for the children? ¡°Dahu, do you want to practice martial arts?¡± ¡°What¡¯s martial arts?¡± ¡°Learning kung fu.¡± ¡°Can I protect Mother after learning martial arts?¡± ¡°Then you have to learn like me, or at least like your father.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s stronger, Dad or Big Grandpa?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m the powerful one! Your father, that brat¡­¡¯ Qin Canglan¡¯s sadness was drowned in his complaints about Wei Ting. On the other side, the lamb was almost done roasting. The fat of the mutton sizzled out and was roasted into a crispy skin. Then, it was sprinkled with dried and stir-fried sesame seeds. It was so fragrant that Su MO, the number one young master in the capital, swallowed his saliva without caring about his image. The three little ones hugged a lamb leg each and gnawed on it with their glutinous teeth. The family surrounded the bonfire. Su Xiaoxiao brought out the mixed sauce noodles. Every noodle was wrapped in a salty, fragrant, and oily sauce. When they slurped it in, their souls sublimated! After dinner, Su Cheng lay on the lawn with Su Ergou and the three little ones to air their stomachs. After eating and drinking his fill, he was really proud of his life! Su MO brought two horses over and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Do you want to take a walk over there?¡± ¡°Are you going on a horse?¡± Su Xiaoxiao stared straight at the two horses, her eyes shining. Su MO held back his laughter. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to ride, I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Of course, I know how to ride!¡± She came to the two horses and casually picked one. Su MO led the other horse diagonally in front of Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°We have to check the saddle first. If it¡¯s too loose, it will be dangerous. If it¡¯s too tight, the horse will feel uncomfortable. This level is just right.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about that? Who doesn¡¯t know how to do it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao followed suit and adjusted the saddle. Su MO slowly got on the horse. Leng Zhiruo got on the horse a little quickly. Su Xiaoxiao only saw a rough outline, but Su Mo¡¯s actions were much clearer.. Chapter 323 - Chapter 323: Credit (2) Chapter 323: Credit (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She quietly imitated Su Mo¡¯s posture and got on the horse. Indeed, it was stable and relaxed. Su MO held the reins tightly. ¡°Grab here and clamp your legs around the horse¡¯s abdomen.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°I said I know how to ride!¡± The corners of Su MO¡¯s lips curled up. Instead of using the horsewhip, he gently flicked the reins. ¡°Giddyup!¡± The horse began to move slowly. Su Xiaoxiao followed behind him and observed his movements without blinking. Su MO rode very slowly. Su Xiaoxiao followed him unhurriedly. Gradually, Su MO rode faster. Su Xiaoxiao held the reins tightly. ¡°Giddyup!¡± Su MO continued to accelerate. Su Xiaoxiao also accelerated. The overall situation was not too fast. When Su MO turned the corner, he told Su Xiaoxiao the key to pulling the reins, ¡°The tacit understanding between humans and horses often takes time to get used to, but a really powerful cavalry only needs a password.¡± With that, Su MO shouted, ¡°Giddyup!¡± The horse raised its front hooves and left! Su Xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t be shaken off easily. She circled the reins with a determined gaze. ¡°Giddyup!¡± She had a hard time chasing after him at first. But gradually, she became faster and faster, and her cooperation with the horse became better. As soon as Su MO turned around, she caught up! In the next second, she rushed past Su MO like a knife cutting open wind blades! Su MO was a little surprised. Even though he deliberately suppressed the horse¡¯s speed, it was already fast enough for a newbie who had just learned to ride a horse, yet she could catch up. One had to know that even his brothers at home did not have such aptitude. Su Xiaoxiao rode until she forgot the time. When she returned to the small courtyard, Xiaohu and Erhu had already fallen asleep. Dahu was still holding on, his small body swaying. ¡°Mother.¡± Dahu stretched out his small arm to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao hugged the little guy. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Only then did Dahu fall asleep in peace. On the way back, Su Ergou fell asleep. Su Xiaoxiao carried Dahu. Su MO carried Xiaohu and Erhu. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°When will my father compete with Qin Jiang?¡± Su MO said, ¡°The first of next month.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Are they competing in martial arts?¡± Su MO nodded. ¡°Martial arts is one of them. In addition, there¡¯s also riding and archery. I¡¯ve asked my grandfather. Uncle¡¯s aptitude is excellent, and Qin Jiang is injured. In terms of martial arts, Uncle has the advantage. His odds for riding and archery are both 50%. Art of war is Qin Jiang¡¯s forte.¡± ¡°As long as my father wins two rounds, he can obtain military power?¡± ¡®Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao patted Dahu¡¯s back thoughtfully. The next day, Su Xiaoxiao went to the palace academy. Chapter 324 - Chapter 324: Credit (3) Chapter 324: Credit (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Miss Wang asked, ¡°Miss Hu, do you still have the medication your father developed? Can I buy a bottle from you?¡± Hu Biyun smiled gently. ¡°We¡¯re classmates. It¡¯s too distant if we talk about money. I¡¯ll go back and ask Father. If there¡¯s any, I¡¯ll give you a bottle.¡± Miss Wang held her arm affectionately. ¡°Miss Hu, you¡¯re the best.¡± Lin Ruyue said, ¡°Miss Hu, can you give me a bottle too?¡± Hu Biyun smiled and said, ¡°If there¡¯s more at home, of course, there¡¯s no problem. Does anyone else want it?¡± ¡°Me too!¡± The most famous daughter today was Hu Biyun. Princess Jingning had only heard about this when she arrived at Gong Xuecai. Princess Jingning frowned. She kept feeling that her face had not improved because of Imperial Physician Hu¡¯s medication, but she did not have evidence at the moment. After all, before using the medication that the little girl had given her, she had applied Imperial Physician Hut s new medication. The little girl must have felt wronged. She had taken such good medicine to curry favor with her. Who would have thought that the credit would be wrongly directed? It was her mother who announce¡­ She could not openly slap her mother¡¯s face without sufficient evidence. She could only make it up to the little girl in other ways. Hence, Su Xiaoxiao received Princess Jingning¡¯s invitation again at noon. Looking at the two of them leave together, Qin Yanran frowned slightly. In order to make the little girl happy¡­ In fact, Princess Jingning was 17 years old this year and was only a year older than Su Xiaoxiao. Princess Jingning did not go to Kunning Palace. Instead, she chose the pavilion of the Tai Liquid Pool for lunch. The wind was gentle and the sun was bright. The Tai Liquid Pool was sparkling. Not far away, there was a gorgeous peach forest. Smelling the fragrance of the flowers and listening to the music was a different kind of enjoyment. Princess Jingning took off her veil and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Sit.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the musician sitting at the side and thought to herself that the princess was so imposing. This was an ancient version of a music restaurant. The food today was also quite special. It was sea bass brewed with peach juice and accompanied by sweet and delicious peach blossom pancakes. It was sweet but not saccharine, and there was not much oil. Su Xiaoxiao ate quite well. Princess Jingning really did not understand how someone could eat with so much enjoyment. She clearly did not eat in a vulgar manner, but her cheeks were puffed up and her small mouth was oily, making the food seem especially appetizing. She ate half another bowl of rice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take Imperial Physician Hu¡¯s matter to heart. Father has long wanted him to be the Court Commissioner. This matter is just speeding up the progress.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her in confusion. Princess Jingning blamed herself even more. Her credit had clearly been snatched away, but this girl did not even dare to say anything. Sigh, what kind of pitiful person was this? ¡°Your medication¡­ is very effective.¡± This was the truth. When she went to the palace school today, she only wore a veil and not a forehead accessory. Her entire forehead was exposed. Hui An¡¯s eyes widened. She probably did not expect her to recover so much overnight. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the acne on her face. Oh, so that bottle of sticky black ointment had this effect. Oh, so that bottle of sticky black ointment had this effect. Princess Jingning continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat the snacks yesterday. My father ate them.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring you another box tomorrow.¡± Princess Jingning didn¡¯t care if it was snacks or not. She mainly wanted to give the little girl a chance to continue currying favor with her. After dinner, Princess Jingning returned to Kunning Palace to rest while Su Xiaoxiao returned to the Bright Moon Pavilion. Halfway there, there was a small interlude. Su Xiaoxiao took a shortcut to the peach garden and unexpectedly bumped into the Grand Empress Dowager sitting idly in the peach garden. The Grand Empress Dowager was dressed in a noble purple muslin palace dress. She had her hair combed into a lily bun and was wearing a dazzling purple-gold hairpin. Such a bright outfit exuded an otherworldly immortal aura in the garden. Not far away, two or three palace servants were picking peach blossoms with baskets. She read quietly. There were a few Buddhist scriptures beside her. What she was reading should be Buddhist scriptures. She was so focused on reading that she did not notice anyone coming over. Su Xiaoxiao stared at her eyebrows seemed similar to Madam Li¡¯s. Madam Li did not read Buddhist scriptures. She did not even like to read. She was just pretending to be a business elite who had returned from overseas. Madam Li released a talented poem on the Internet every few days because she had a professional writing team. The memories of Madam Li suddenly became clear again. Hiss¡­ Su Xiaoxiao caught a faint movement in her ears and instantly regained consciousness. At this moment, a poisonous snake with its tongue out came to the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s feet.. Chapter 325 - Chapter 325: Face-Slapping by Brother Ting (1) Chapter 325: Face-Slapping by Brother Ting (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold. She took out the dagger at her waist and shot it at the poisonous snake! The tip of the knife nailed the poisonous snake to the ground, together with the hem of the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s dress. The sudden sound and pull shocked the Grand Empress Dowager. She turned to look at her skirt and trembled in fear! She gasped and gave a low cry. Not far away, the palace servant who was picking peach blossoms hurriedly turned around and walked over. When they saw the poisonous snake nailed to the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s skirt, they screamed in fear. ¡°Protect! Protect!¡± ¡°Protect the Empress Dowager!¡± The few of them shouted for protection, but they were helpless against a poisonous snake. They were flustered and the scene was extremely chaotic. Su Xiaoxiao walked over calmly. ¡°Who is it?!¡± a eunuch asked sternly. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him and came to the Grand Empress Dowager. The eunuch took out a small peach from the flower basket and pointed at Su Xiaoxiao fiercely. ¡°Move aside!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the intimidating little peach fruit and shook her head. She squatted down, took out her dagger, and grabbed the poisonous snake. ¡°Can I borrow a medicine bottle?¡± She tilted her head and asked. The Grand Empress Dowager looked at her in a daze and nodded. Seeing that his master had agreed, the eunuch took out an empty bottle. He handed it to Su Xiaoxiao carefully. ¡°Is¡­ is it dead?¡± he stammered. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the snake in her hand and said, ¡°Oh, no, he¡¯s still breathing.¡± ¡°Aiya!¡± The eunuch jumped back in shock. Su Xiaoxiao killed the poisonous snake and took out its gallbladder to put into the medicine bottle. The entire process was smooth and unchanging, leaving the palace servants dumbfounded. ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡± The eunuch who was so frightened just now came back to his senses and mustered his courage to ask Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a student at the palace academy. I just had lunch with Princess Jingning in the pavilion over there.¡± By explaining her identity and the reason for entering the harem, she could save unnecessary trouble to a large extent. When he heard that she was with Princess Jingning, he did not suspect that she had released the snake just now. Or rather, even if he was suspicious, it was not good for him to detain her and interrogate her. Su Xiaoxiao handed the snake¡¯s carcass forward. ¡°Snake meat is very nourishing. Do you want it?¡± The palace servants shook their heads like dice! The Empress Dowager also shook her head. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it away.¡± The palace servants nodded like chickens pecking at rice. Hurry up and take it away! Su Xiaoxiao took two steps and paused. She tilted her head and asked the Grand Empress Dowager, ¡°It¡¯s also a piece of physical evidence. Are you sure you don¡¯t want it?¡± The Grand Empress Dowager understood what she was referring to and shook her head slightly again. ¡°No need. There¡¯s a lot of grass here. It¡¯s damp and dense. It¡¯s not strange for there to be poisonous snakes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao felt that it was quite strange because the poisonous snake had gone straight for the Grand Empress Dowager. ¡°Take it away.¡± The Grand Empress Dowager said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Thank you for today. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Su Xiaoxiao.¡± Su Xiaoxiao accidentally said her real name. It was all the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s fault for looking too similar to Madam Li, making her forget her current identity for a moment. ¡°My official name is Su Daya,¡± she added. The corners of the palace servants¡¯ mouths twitched. Her family was really willful when it came to naming. Su Xiaoxiao left. She turned around and looked at the Grand Empress Dowager, who was surrounded by the palace servants. Her expression was filled with faint sadness and loneliness. She suddenly felt that the Grand Empress Dowager was quite pitiful. In the afternoon, there was a riding and archery class. After the accident the day before, many guards and experts were sent over. The students were no longer allowed to choose their horses. Instead, they were allocated; there was no exception made for the two princesses. In addition, because the previous teacher had been removed by Xiao Zhonghua, everyone was guessing who the teacher would be this time. When the new teacher rode to the horse farm, everyone present was dumbfounded. The man was dressed in dark blue clothes. He had a cold expression and a tall figure. He had an imposing appearance and a devastatingly beautiful face. There was a hint of arrogance between his eyebrows. Who else could it be but Wei Ting? Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Eh?¡± Princess Hui An and Princess Lingxi could not take their eyes off him. The two of them were extremely excited. ¡°Brother Ting!¡± Princess Hui An mounted her horse and immediately galloped toward Wei Ting. Not to be outdone, Princess Lingxi raised her whip and chased after him.. Chapter 326 - Chapter 326: Face-Slapping by Brother Ting (2) Chapter 326: Face-Slapping by Brother Ting (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. Princess Jingning snorted disdainfully. The only woman in the entire capital who was indifferent to Wei Ting¡¯s beauty was probably Princess Jingning. Many young ladies present also blushed slightly. Su Xiaoxiao looked at everyone in a complicated manner. Could they be more focused? Two days ago, they were still infatuated with Su MO, but it seemed they liked Wei Ting now. However, although they liked him, who dared to snatch him from the princess and county princess? They only dared to feast their eyes. Speaking of which, why was Wei Ting here? Could he really be their new riding and shooting teacher? Su Xiaoxiao was also puzzled. Wasn¡¯t this fellow grounded by the emperor for a month? It had only been a few days, but the emperor had already released him! Emperor Jing Xuan did not want to release it either, but Wei Ting asked Eunuch Yu to bring the emperor a handwritten letter. In the handwritten letter, Wei Ting reflected deeply on his actions of colliding with Qin Jiang. As a minister, he should share His Majesty¡¯s worries. He heard that the palace academy had just fired a riding and shooting teacher. He was willing to use the Wei family¡¯s hundred-year reputation as a guarantee to recommend a riding and archery genius stronger than Qin Canglan to His Majesty. Emperor Jing Xuan approved. When Emperor Jing Xuan saw Wei Ting appear in front of him, he felt terrible! Could he really¡­ have some shame? He had to be true to his word. Emperor Jing Xuan could not change his mind and slap his own face. Hence, this scene happened. Princess Hui An and Princess Lingxi did not have the chance to rush in front of Wei Ting as they were stopped by the inner court experts who followed closely. Emperor Jing Xuan had ordered that horse racing was to be prohibited. The two of them returned to the crowd in exasperation. Wei Ting rode his horse to everyone and stopped in front of Su Xiaoxiao. His gaze did not land on Su Xiaoxiao. Everyone thought that he had casually chosen a spot. Wei Ting was not a noble young master who valued reputation. He was famous for his bad temper. He did not even give the princess face, let alone these daughters of aristocratic families. As soon as he got on the horse, the daughters obediently got on. Su Xiaoxiao leisurely checked the saddle. Lin Ruyue burst out laughing. ¡°Miss Su, Master Wei asked you to get on the horse. Are you deaf?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she realized that Leng Zhiruo had not gotten on the horse. Wei Ting rode on a tall horse and said with a dignified expression, ¡°You didn¡¯t check the saddle before getting on the horse. Other than Miss Su and Miss Leng, everyone else is not qualified. Horse stance for an hour!¡± Everyone was dumbfounded Princess Hui An called out sweetly, ¡°Brother Ting Wei Ting said, ¡°Add 15 minutes.¡± Princess Hui An was speechless. Princess Lingxi smiled proudly and looked at Wei Ting. ¡°Cousin!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Add an hour.¡± Princess Lingxi was speechless. Wei Ting was a very serious teacher in class. Su Xiaoxiao was not a serious student. When she rode past Wei Ting, she whispered, ¡°Brother Ting Wei Ting trembled and almost fell off the horse! The young ladies finished practicing the horse stance one after another and came to class. Looking at the valiant, dignified, and cold Master Wei on the horse, everyone was afraid. Su Xiaoxiao felt an inexplicable itch in her heart. Did these people know how much he doted on her in private? Of course¡­ his mouth was a little lacking. Speaking of which, Su Xiaoxiao thought of what he had said to her before he left the night before. Would today count as the next time¡­ Su Xiaoxiao subconsciously touched her lips. Princess Jingning rode her horse to a stop beside her and asked, ¡°What happened to your mouth?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Su Xiaoxiao lowered her hand. Wei Ting¡¯s riding and archery class had substance. He did not treat the students as pampered princesses or daughters. They would not be specially treated on the battlefield just because they were women. There were no men or women under the butcher¡¯s knife. At first, Princess Hui An thought that it was good for Wei Ting to teach them how to ride and shoot. This way, she could see Wei Ting every day. At first, Princess Hui An thought that it was good for Wei Ting to teach them how to ride and shoot. This way, she could see Wei Ting every day. Now, she wished Wei Ting had never come. Qin Yanran had been riding a horse since she was young. To be honest, even she felt that it was difficult. However, when she looked at Su Xiaoxiao not far away, she realized that her aura was not chaotic at all. That was true. She didn¡¯t do the horse stance. How tired could she be on horseback? If she was like her, she would definitely have a more stable aura. Leng Zhiruo panted slightly. She raised her sleeve to wipe her sweat and looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who was practicing over and over again on the racecourse, with confusion in her eyes. Finally, after class, the daughters¡¯ backs ached. They felt that their legs, arms, and butts were no longer theirs. Due to the punishment of the horse stance, they were delayed for some time. They only practiced riding and did not learn archery. Qin Yanran felt that there was no need to learn. She also felt that she had lost face in front of Su Xiaoxiao today and wanted to get it back through archery. She nocked the bow and shot it cleanly at the rake, hitting the red bullseye. Her lips curved. The daughters at the side were stunned. Was Miss Qin human? After being ravaged by Master Wei for the entire afternoon, she still had the strength to shoot. And she shot so accurately! Miss Qin smiled at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°You¡¯ve never shot an arrow in the countryside, right? Do you want me to teach you?¡± Wei Ting rode his horse over indifferently. ¡°Miss Qin, you¡¯re so capable. You even dare to teach my student.¡± ¡°Master Wei.¡± Qin Yanran hurriedly turned around and bowed. Wei Ting took an arrow from the quiver held by the palace servants and gently plucked the feathers on the tail with his slender fingers. Then, he waved his hand without looking at the target at the side. With a swish, the arrow tore through the air and hit Qin Yanran¡¯s arrow accurately. It cut it open from the tail and stabilized at the center of the target. Qin Yanran¡¯s mind buzzed. The others had goosebumps. He didn¡¯t use a bow and shot it with his bare hands¡­ How much strength and foolproof accuracy did he have? Wei Ting¡­ was too terrifying. Qin Yanran was showing off in front of him. She was simply asking for humiliation! Was Wei Ting shooting Qin Yanran¡¯s arrow? No, he was shooting at Qin Yanran¡¯s face! Chapter 327 - Chapter 327: The Children’s Background (1) Chapter 327: The Children¡¯s Background (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Yanran didn¡¯t know how she left the grassland. Was Wei Ting supporting that girl? Why? As a member of the Qin family, shouldn¡¯t she be hated by Wei Ting like Qin Yanran? No, she was Qin Canglan¡¯s biological granddaughter. Wei Ting should hate her even more. Qin Yanran couldn¡¯t figure it out. Everyone returned to the classroom to pack their books. As expected, Su Xiaoxiao slowly packed her items and was last. When she left the palace, there was only a carriage left at the door, parked where Su MO usually parked. When the coachman saw her, he hurriedly bowed to her and turned to get a footstool. ¡°Eh? Did you change the carriage?¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over and realized that the coachman had also changed. It was an unfamiliar face. She didn¡¯t think too much about it and stepped onto the stool to get into the carriage. As soon as she sat down, her wrist was grabbed and pressed against the wall of the carriage. A certain someone questioned in a low voice, ¡°Who allowed you to shout those messy names in class?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought this was too exciting. After all, this was the entrance of the palace. Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°What name? Can¡¯t you understand? Why don¡¯t you help me recall?¡± Wei Ting did not fall for it. He let go of her wrist coldly and sat up. ¡°Where¡¯s Su MO? How did you send him away?¡± Wei Ting only chuckled, clearly not wanting to discuss another man with her. ¡°Wei Ting, how did you become a riding and shooting teacher?¡± ¡°Guess.¡± He did not want to say it anymore. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t force him. Anyway, the next time Blackie came, she would ask him. However, she really had a few things to verify with Wei Ting. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Wei Ting, why are you waiting for me here? Are you¡ª¡± At this point, she lengthened her tone and looked at him meaningfully. Wei Ting¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Can you stop thinking about¡­ those things?¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°What things? I haven¡¯t asked.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped teasing him and voiced the doubts that had been buried in her heart for the past two days. ¡°Whose sons are Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu?¡± She changed the topic a little too quickly. Wei Ting was stunned. ¡°You don¡¯t want to say?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. In the past, Su Xiaoxiao might not have spoken about it at all, but now, their relationship had improved. She would want to know more. ¡°What did Su MO tell you?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s words were spot-on. When smart people talked, they never needed those roundabout probing. He could guess that Su MO had told her. Su Xiaoxiao was not surprised. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°He said they¡¯re children of the Wei family. Wei Liulang¡¯s.¡± Wei Ting was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re my sixth brother¡¯s children.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s their mother?¡± If she remembered correctly, Wei Liulang of the Wei family did not seem to be married. Wei Ting paused and said, ¡°Prince Nanyangis daughter. Su Xiaoxiao asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Nanyang King¡¯s bloodline die from the plague ten years ago?¡± This was what was said to the outside world. In fact, it was because he had secretly rebelled and was discovered by Emperor Jing Xuan, Wei Ting did not explain that they did not die of the plague. He believed that she would know the real cause of their deaths. He only continued, ¡°When my grandfather arrived, everyone¡¯s coffin was buried. Because they died of the ¡®plague¡¯, they were seen as impure and could not be buried in the imperial mausoleum, so they casually found a graveyard. My grandfather heard a faint commotion in the graveyard. He dug out the coffin¡­ It was King Nanyang¡¯s youngest daughter.¡± ¡°My grandfather brought her back to the Wei family and raised her in the residence as a maidservant. He considered saying that she was a distant relative, but as soon as something happened to the Nanyang Prince¡¯s Mansion, King Nanyang¡¯s old subordinate had a relative about the same age as the young princess. Who couldn¡¯t tell that something was wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. In that situation, the identity of a maidservant was the least eye-catching. Wei Ting continued, ¡°The young princess was too agitated and suffered from aphasia. Grandpa handed her to Grandma, and Grandma personally raised her by her side. Other than Grandpa, Grandma, and my father, no one else knows her identity. Even my sixth brother doesn¡¯t know. As for me, I only found out last year.¡± ¡°Grandmother is a very cautious person. In the seven years that the young princess has been at home, no one has seen through her.¡± ¡°But sometimes, fate plays tricks on us. We were already very careful, but we were still discovered.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How did that happen?¡± Wei Ting frowned. ¡°Four years ago, she was not feeling well and secretly left the residence to get medicine behind my family¡¯s back. When she walked into an alley, her veil was knocked off. The person who bumped into her happened to be a servant who had been chased out of the house by the Prince of Nanyang. That person recognized her..¡± Chapter 328 - Chapter 328: The Children’s Background (2) Chapter 328: The Children¡¯s Background (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°She knew that her identity had been exposed. In order not to implicate the Wei family, she escaped alone. When the secret guards beside Grandmother rushed to the scene, they only found a bag of fallen herbs on the ground.¡± ¡°They were for stabilizing one¡¯s pregnancy.¡± This way, it was not difficult to explain why she did not invite a doctor in the residence but went out for a consultation. She might have sensed that she was pregnant herself. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and asked, ¡°She and your sixth brother¡­¡± Wei Ting said slowly, ¡°Sixth Brother went to the border a month ago. Grandmother didn¡¯t say that she had disappeared and only wrote to ask Sixth Brother what was going on. Sixth Brother said that they had long been engaged. He didn¡¯t care that she was a little mute girl. He won¡¯t marry anyone but her in his life. He said that he would marry her gloriously when he came back from winning the war.¡± ¡°It was not that Grandmother couldn¡¯t tell that the two of them had feelings for each other. She knew that this marriage is impossible. In order to sever Sixth Brother¡¯s thoughts about the young princess, she made the decision to arrange a marriage for Sixth Brother and the Guo family.¡± The Guo family¡­ This surname was a little familiar. The Guo family¡­ This surname was a little familiar. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What happened next?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Later on, the young princess hid everywhere with the fetus in her stomach and gave birth to Dahu and the others. For nearly three years, she was pursued countless times. Later on, there was one time when she really couldn¡¯t hide anymore. She carried a child made of straw and jumped off the cliff.¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°One?¡± Wei Ting explained, ¡°On the way to escape, she once saved a wet nurse. She used some methods to make those who were chasing after her think that she had only given birth to one child. The other two were the wet nurse¡¯s children. Their faces had always been dirty to prevent them from being recognized as triplets. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Had the wet nurse been taking care of them since then?¡± Wei Ting nodded. ¡°The wet nurse didn¡¯t know what to do, so she could only lock them up.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It could be a month, two months, or more¡­¡¯ When they found the wet nurse, she was already dead. They interrogated the killer and found out that the young princess had been killed a few months ago. No one knew how long it had been since the three children saw the light. When they were first carried out, the three of them were in a daze and did not react to the outside world. They were afraid of the sunlight. Su Xiaoxiao thought of the first time she met the children. At that time, they had already recovered a lot. ¡°You took good care of them,¡± she said. ¡°You too,¡± Wei Ting said. It was rare for the two of them not to retort each other. Wei Ting said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Sixth Brother didn¡¯t know that he had three children in the world until he died in battle.¡± Throughout the entire process, Wei Ting did not say a word of sadness or shed a tear. His fingertips trembled slightly. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything and gently held his hand. ¡°Eh? I think I heard Little Seven¡¯s voice!¡± ¡°Really? Where?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s body trembled and he pulled himself out of his sadness in a second! Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°Eh, that voice is¡ª¡± Wei Ting took a deep breath. ¡°My fifth sister-in-law.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°No wonder it sounds familiar. The other person¡­¡± Wei Ting closed his eyes. ¡°My grandmother.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Old Madam Wei got someone to stop the carriage. Madam Jiang jumped off the ground. Madam Jiang married into the Wei family five years ago. She was actually only a year older than Wei Ting, so her words were really an exaggeration. She came to Wei Ting¡¯s carriage and sized up the coachman. ¡°You don¡¯t look familiar.¡¯ The coachman said politely, ¡°Madam, what can I do for you?¡± Madam Jiang snorted. ¡°Cut the crap and let Little Seven out!¡± The coachman looked puzzled. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Madam Jiang got into the carriage and lifted the curtain. The carriage was empty. There was no one there. She muttered, ¡°Impossible¡­ I clearly heard Little Seven¡¯s voice¡­ I won¡¯t hear wrongly¡­¡± Old Madam Wei lifted the curtain and looked at the bustling streets. She shouted indifferently, ¡°Fu Su!¡± A figure descended from the sky. He had just landed on one foot when he suddenly realized that he had been exposed. If he was nearby, didn¡¯t that mean that Young Master was also there? He couldn¡¯t place his other foot or not. He just stood there on one foot. In the alley, Wei Ting, who was holding Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist, raised his hand to cover his eyes. His grandmother was more experienced after all¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll look for you another day.¡± With that, he walked out of the alley helplessly. ¡°Grandmother.¡± He stood by the carriage and greeted Matriarch Wei through the window. Old Madam Wei glanced at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to be a riding and shooting teacher?¡± ¡°Class is over.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you return to the residence after class?¡± Wei Ting smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t I¡­ here to pick you and Fifth Sister-in-law up? ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Madam Jiang jumped down from Wei Ting¡¯s carriage. ¡°You didn¡¯t know we would come here!¡± ¡°Fifth Sister-in-law¡­ Old Madam Wei Ting interrupted him. ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± Wei Ting decisively changed the topic. ¡°Grandmother, why did you leave the residence?¡± Matriarch Wei did not leave the residence easily. Old Madam Wei said coldly, ¡°Can¡¯t I come out for a walk?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Old Madam Wei said, ¡°I think you just don¡¯t want to return to the residence!¡± Wei Ting covered his chest in hurt. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m sincere. Why do I always let others treat me like a mule?¡± Old Madam Wei instructed the secret guard, ¡°Fu Su, bring Little Seven back to the residence!¡± The secret guard whispered to Wei Ting, ¡°Young Master, let¡¯s go.¡± Wei Ting and Fu Su got into the carriage back to the residence. Old Madam Wei and Madam Jiang¡¯s carriage continued forward. As Wei Ting turned around to look at the departing carriage from the window, a trace of contemplation flashed across his eyes. When Su Xiaoxiao arrived home, Physician Fu had been waiting in the central room for a long time. Beside him sat a middle-aged man in his early forties. Physician Fu was actually about the same age as him, but Physician Fu looked anxious and had experienced many vicissitudes. ¡°Miss Su.¡± Physician Fu waved at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao walked over. Physician Fu introduced, ¡°Broker Li.¡± Protector Li cupped his hands politely. ¡°Miss Su.¡± The last time Su Xiaoxiao went to the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate, she had discussed her future plans with Physician Fu. Su Xiaoxiao thought that she could open a medical center in the capital, but Physician Fu was thinking about Aunt Fu and said that he would consider it. However, now that he had brought a broker, he should have thought it through. ¡°Sit down for a while.¡¯ After Su Xiaoxiao finished speaking, the two of them watched as she took out a bag made of cowhide from her homemade book bag. She opened the bag and emptied it. Broker Li screamed in fear. ¡°Snake¡ª¡± Physician Fu walked over with interest. ¡°Silver Ring Snake? It¡¯s quite fat. Where did you catch it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°In the palace.¡± Physician Fu was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao finished dealing with the snake and gallbladder and went to Ling Yun. When the three little ones heard that she was going out, they hugged her legs and wanted to be with her. ¡°I can¡¯t even see Mother during the day,¡± Xiaohu wheedled. Although he was very happy to be in class, he only wanted to be with his mother after class. Su Xiaoxiao scratched his head in amusement and brought the three little fellows along. On the way back, she kissed them one by one. The three of them covered their red faces and were extremely shy. ¡°Mother, why did you kiss us?¡± Erhu asked. Su Xiaoxiao bent down and touched his head. She said softly, ¡°It¡¯s just that suddenly, I really want to kiss you..¡± Chapter 329 - Chapter 329: Domineering Chapter 329: Domineering Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When doing business in town, she did not have money and could only start by setting up a stall. Now, including the consultation fee of the Marquis of Zhenbei and the household expenses that Wei Ting had asked Blackie to send over, she had a small start-up capital on hand. She should be able to rent a decent shop in the capital. Broker Li chose five shops according to their needs. Among them, there were two on Scholar Street, one big and one small. The little one was originally a tavern. The boss did not manage it well and was urgently transferring it. The big one was an old pharmacy that had been open for more than ten years. Its original business was indeed good, but last year, a medical center by the name of Benevolence Hall opened next door and much of its business was snatched away. Last month, the pharmacy almost caused the death of a patient. Fortunately, Benevolence Hall saved her in time. Otherwise, a life would have been lost. ¡°It couldn¡¯t go on either,¡± Broker Li said. The first shop they looked at was this pharmacy. The pharmacy had a total of two floors. The first floor was the lobby and pharmacy, and the second floor was the accounting room and other rooms. There was also a spacious backyard and two transparent back rooms. ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­¡± Physician Fu said. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. The first time she entered, she felt very satisfied. The walls and ground were very clean, and the lighting was excellent. The medicine cabinet was ready-made, and the functions of the room could be changed, but there was almost no need to make a big fuss. They could open for business immediately after renting it. Most importantly, it was close to Pear Blossom Lane. ¡°Is this the nearest one?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Broker Li. Broker Li said, ¡°Yes, there¡¯s also a shop nearby on Long Stream Street. It¡¯s only a mile more than here. It was a wine cellar. They felt that the place was not big enough and rented a shop in East City. They stopped maintaining the old shop. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How is the size compared to this shop?¡± Broker Li said, ¡°The wine cellar is even larger. There¡¯s a big house on the ground. It¡¯s on the first floor, similar to a pharmacy, but it lacks a back room.¡± Su Xiaoxiao calculated in her heart. ¡°How much is this shop?¡± Broker Li took out the booklet and flipped through it. He asked, ¡°Do you¡­ want to rent or buy it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao hummed. ¡°Are you selling this shop too?¡± Broker Li smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s originally their own house. If you want to buy it, the timing is not bad. With such a big mistake, the market here is not good. The price can be lowered.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Just tell me how much.¡± Broker Li reached out and made an eight. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°800 taels?¡± The three little ones ran around the lobby. Xiaohu imitated her. ¡°800 taels! 800 taels!¡± Broker Li shook his head in embarrassment. Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°It¡¯s not 80, is it?¡± Broker Li muttered, ¡°You really dare to think about it¡­¡± Broker Li coughed lightly. ¡°8,000.¡± Crack! Physician Fu opened the medicine cabinet and pushed it back. He turned around and said to Broker Li, ¡°What shop costs 8,000 taels? It¡¯s too expensive! We¡¯re not buying it!¡± Broker Li smiled and said, ¡°If you really want it, the price can be negotiated.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rent like?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Ah, did she really not want to buy it anymore? Broker Li was stunned for a moment before replying, ¡°If you rent it, it¡¯s 100 taels a month. You have to pay 3 months in advance.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°100 taels isn¡¯t cheap either. Are other shops selling at this price?¡± Broker Li said, ¡°This is about the price of the shops on Scholar Street. The ones on Long Stream Street can be cheaper by 20 to 30 taels, but the location is not so good and the sizes are not so big.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him. ¡°Are you saying that you get what you pay for?¡± Broker Li smiled. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Physician Fu walked over and pulled Su Xiaoxiao aside. He whispered, ¡°I think it¡¯s too expensive. If nothing happened to this shop, how much would it cost? Why don¡¯t we go to another shop to take a look? If there¡¯s really no other way, let¡¯s change the broker.¡± Su Xiaoxiao felt that Broker Li was not bad. He was smart and not cunning. The price he quoted was not much different from the market rates she had learned over the past few days. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a look elsewhere.¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed and said to the three little ones, ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, we¡¯re leaving.¡± The group left the shop and Broker Li locked the door. Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and glanced at Benevolence Hall next door. ¡°Is this the medical center with the popular business?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Broker Li put away the key. ¡°Benevolence Hall has opened several in the capital. The earliest one has been open for 30 years. It¡¯s considered an old name.¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh..¡± Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: Domineering Chapter 330: Domineering Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The group walked towards another shop on Scholar Street. No matter how big or small the tavern was, it couldn¡¯t satisfy Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Can you still walk?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked the three little ones. The three little ones nodded. ¡°I can walk!¡± So the group went to Long Stream Street again. They looked at the wine cellar first. The moment they opened the door, the smell of strong alcohol assaulted their noses. Xiaohu covered his nose exaggeratedly. ¡°It stinks!¡± Erhu stuck out his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m going to faint!¡± Broker Li was amused by the children. He was not worried that the children¡¯s reaction would affect today¡¯s business because the wine cellar was not suitable at all. He dared to bet that the girl would not choose. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Physician Fu. ¡°What do you think?¡± Physician Fu cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem, let¡¯s go to the next shop.¡± The remaining two shops were still open. One was in the tea business, and the other sold cloth. It was indeed cheaper than the pharmacy, but it was a little far from home. In addition, the layout was not suitable and hard to illuminate. Su Xiaoxiao asked Physician Fu, ¡°Which shop do you like the most?¡± Physician Fu looked at Broker Li, who was teasing the three little ones not far away, and said in a low voice, ¡°The price of the tea shop is the most suitable.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Put aside the price.¡± Physician Fu thought to himself, ¡°Is she so arrogant now? ¡°The first one.¡± he said truthfully. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Alright, the first one it is.¡± No, was it that good? Was, was this a decision? The rent was 100 taels a month! How many patients did he have to see to cover the cost? Physician Fu practiced medicine in town and treated the poor more often. He usually could not make ends meet. Not to mention a hundred taels, it was already Amitabha if he could earn seven to eight taels a month. In his opinion, even if the consultation fees and medicine fees in the capital could be more expensive than the ones in town, he would not earn more than 100 taels. ¡°Is¡­ is this bad? The medical center is next door¡­ Are we snatching business?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Benevolence Hall also snatch the business of the pharmacy when they opened the medical center?¡± Physician Fu was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao walked over and said to Broker Li, ¡°Ask the owner of the pharmacy out. Let¡¯s negotiate a price.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was a decisive person. If she could resolve it today, she would definitely not delay it until tomorrow. After bidding with the owner of the pharmacy for two hours, they finally bought the shop for 6,000 taels. She took 60% of the 2,000 taels of silver that Su MO gave her. The other 40% was for Physician Fu. She added the 3,000 taels of silver that Wei Ting gave her. Before she left, Su Yuniang gave her 1,000 taels of silver and there was the money she had earned from making snacks over the past few days. Su Xiaoxiao finished calculating. ¡°I¡¯m still short of 600 taels.¡± Physician Fu took out the consultation fee that Su Xiaoxiao had given him without a word. A total of 800 taels were given to Su Xiaoxiao. Just as both sides were about to sign the contract, there was a small interlude. Qin Yanran was here. She appeared with the daughter of the Court Commissioner, Hu Biyun. She saw Su Xiaoxiao in the lobby of the pharmacy. ¡°I¡¯ll go say hello,¡± she said to Hu Biyun. ¡°I¡¯ll go say hello,¡± she said to Hu Biyun. Hu Biyun frowned slightly. The two of them were classmates in the palace academy and were aunt and niece in private. If anyone had to greet them, it should be Miss Su. People from the countryside really did not know the rules. Hu Biyun was not interested in why Su Xiaoxiao appeared in a closed pharmacy. ¡°What? You want to buy this shop and open a medical center?¡± Qin Yanran exclaimed. ¡°Who is this girl?¡± Broker Li asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know her well,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly. She took the pen and was about to sign it. Qin Yanran dissuaded, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing? Don¡¯t take the money Uncle gave you and spend it outside¡­¡± Physician Fu frowned. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Qin Yanran mockingly. ¡°How do you know the money was given to me?¡± Qin Yanran asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Where did you get the money yourself?¡± Physician Fu was famous for his good temper, but at this moment, he couldn¡¯t help but flare up. ¡°Miss Qin, please be careful with your words!¡± He had seen with his own eyes how this little girl had started from setting up a stall and walked step by step to where she was today. She had worked hard to earn all her money! Qin Yanran said earnestly, ¡°Doctor Fu, you treated the Old Marquis¡¯s illness. I admit that your medical skills are brilliant, but I still have to advise you not to fool around with her.¡¯ At the door, Hu Biyun slowly said, ¡°Miss Qin, I think you should stop talking. She doesn¡¯t appreciate it at all. It¡¯s useless for you to say anything. Some people just won¡¯t turn back until they hit a wall.¡± Qin Yanran sighed. ¡°We¡¯re family after all. I don¡¯t want to see her suffer.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Do you not want to see me suffer, or can¡¯t wait for me to suffer?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m doing this for your own good¡­¡± Qin Yanran shook her head helplessly and said to Broker Li and the owner of the pharmacy, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, but Miss Su grew up in the countryside. This is her first time in the capital¡­ The two of them muttered, ¡°So she¡¯s a country girl¡­¡± Hu Biyun said arrogantly, ¡°In the entire capital, there¡¯s no pharmacy or medical center that dares to open near our Benevolence Hall. Otherwise, how do you think this pharmacy closed down? Or do you think that Benevolence Hall¡¯s business is good and there are so many patients that you can¡¯t see the end of them, so you want to pick up some that we leaked?¡± The two of them chattered. Su Xiaoxiao was a little impatient. She frowned slightly and a trace of coldness appeared in her eyes. She looked at Hu Biyun. ¡°Benevolent Hall, from the Hu family?¡± ¡°Which Hu family?¡± Physician Fu asked. Qin Yanran was surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t you know about the Hu family headed by Court Commissioner Hu?¡± Physician Fu was stunned. He turned to look at Hu Biyun. ¡°Is your father¡­ Hu Jiusheng?¡± Hu Biyun raised her chin and said, ¡°It¡¯s my father.¡± Physician Fu¡¯s eyes were filled with shock. He grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist. ¡°Excuse me!¡± He pulled Su Xiaoxiao to the backyard. He looked at the three little ones squatting on the ground and playing with stones and whispered to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Let¡¯s not take this shop.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Physician Fu said, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, that must be Hu Jiusheng!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Which Hu Jiusheng?¡± Physician Fu clenched his fists and tried his best to control his emotions. He said with a complicated expression, ¡°My father¡­ used to be in the Imperial Hospital. Back then, because he had committed some mistakes and was afraid of attracting a fatal disaster, he faked his death and left the capital. Hu Jiusheng was my father¡¯s favorite student. My father mentioned this person to me more than once and said that if I was half as talented as him, his medical skills would not have to be passed on to outsiders. The Benevolent Heart Hall is his family¡¯s¡­ We can¡¯t win!¡± Actually, there was something else he didn¡¯t say. Hu Jiusheng was not a kind person. Back then, he was the one who reported it, causing his father to have no choice but to fake his death and leave the capital. He didn¡¯t care, but he didn¡¯t want to implicate Miss Su. As Su Xiaoxiao looked at Physician Fu deeply, her gaze landing on his clenched fist. ¡°Oh.¡¯ The two of them returned to the lobby. Qin Yanran looked at the two of them and said, ¡°Have you decided?¡± Broker Li and the boss of the pharmacy closed their eyes in disappointment. Oh no, it was ruined again. This shop¡­ could not be sold again¡­ Su Xiaoxiao took the stamp, dipped her fingertip, and pressed her fingerprint. Qin Yanran¡¯s eyes flashed. Hu Biyun looked at the boss of the pharmacy at the side and then at Su Xiaoxiao. She said mockingly, ¡°The He family is an old name. They only lasted for a year. Miss Su, I bet you won¡¯t last more than half a year.¡± ¡°Half a year? That¡¯s too long.¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up the contract calmly. ¡°Three months.¡¯ Hu Biyun chuckled. ¡°You do know¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Hu Biyun and said word by word, ¡°In three months, your Benevolence Hall will disappear from this street!¡± Chapter 331 - Chapter 331: Xiaoxiao’s Attack Chapter 331: Xiaoxiao¡¯s Attack Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao said ruthless words in front of everyone. It was really shocking, but no one believed her. Even Physician Fu, who was convinced by her medical skills, did not think that she could destroy Hu Jiusheng¡¯s Benevolence Hall in three months. Qin Yanran looked regretful. ¡°Why are you doing this? Don¡¯t say things in anger. Apologize to Miss Hu. I believe Miss Hu is magnanimous and won¡¯t argue with you.¡± Hu Biyun snorted and said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Miss Qin. I¡¯m really calculative. I¡¯ll wait for her to make our Hu family¡¯s Benevolence Hall disappear from Scholar Street!¡± ¡°Miss¡­¡± Although the boss of the pharmacy was anxious to sell his shop, he was not a sinister person. He advised, ¡°Don¡¯t go against the Hu family. You won¡¯t be able to win.¡± Broker Li remained silent. Just now, when he heard that the two of them had treated a certain marquis, he was secretly delighted. He had met a noble this time, but who knew that the two of them would offend the Hu family? Alright, there was no need to persuade her. Three months later, he was waiting to do their business. They were either selling or renting. On the way back, Physician Fu hesitated a few times. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°What did your father do for him to have to leave the capital back then?¡± He should have kept the matter about his father to himself. But for some reason, he had an inexplicable trust in her. He said, ¡°More than ten years ago, my father went to Zhaoyang Hall to take the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse. The night he returned, his expression was not right. I asked him what was wrong, and he said that he was fine, but he was too tired. However, a few days later, my father ¡®consumed poison¡¯ and committed suicide. My mother and I brought my father¡¯s coffin back to the village and let him rest in peace. My father was a physician, so he naturally made himself look no different from a dead person. After avoiding many checks, we successfully arrived in Qingzhou.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Other than you, is Grandmaster Huijue the only one who knows about this?¡± Physician Fu said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s all thanks to her secret help that we can settle down in Qingzhou.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°I¡¯ve always been curious. What¡¯s Grandmaster Hui Jue¡¯s identity? She seems very powerful.¡± Physician Fu shook his head. ¡°I actually don¡¯t know her identity in the mortal world. Although I have a father who is an imperial physician, my aptitude is slow and I didn¡¯t enter the Imperial Hospital. I don¡¯t have many opportunities to see the world. My mother must know, but she didn¡¯t tell me. Perhaps she wants to protect me. It¡¯s not a good thing to know too much.¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed with the last point. But she didn¡¯t agree that his aptitude was low. In this world, some people became famous at a young age, while others were late bloomers. They could not be generalized. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°You just said that Hu Jiusheng betrayed your father?¡± Physician Fu recalled, ¡°That day, Hu Jiusheng was supposed to take the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse. He ate something bad, so my father went in his place.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°So your father¡­ took the blame for Hu Jiusheng?¡± Physician Fu sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s considered taking the blame. My father originally planned to lie that he didn¡¯t manage to diagnose anything, but Hu Jiusheng told the administrator at that time that my father had always had the habit of writing medical cases. My father knew that he couldn¡¯t avoid it, so he decided to fake his death and leave the capital.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°What did he find that caused him to leave the capital?¡± Physician Fu had a complicated expression. ¡°I only found out after peeping at the medical case before my father destroyed it. The page didn¡¯t record who the patient was or the time, but I know that it¡¯s from Zhaoyang Hall. There are only two words written on the entire paper.¡± . Happy pulse. When they arrived home, the three little ones were hungry and wanted to eat big meat buns. Su Xiaoxiao went out to buy them. When Su Xiaoxiao walked back with a large bowl of meat buns, she was accidentally bumped by a woman who rushed forward. With Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s weight¡­ it was impossible for her to be knocked down, but the other party staggered forward and fell. Su Xiaoxiao freed a hand and helped her up. She didn¡¯t look at Su Xiaoxiao and thanked her in a low voice. Then, she wrapped her cloak tightly around her and hurried forward. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her back strangely. Was she seeing things just now? Why did that person look a little like¡­ the Grand Empress Dowager? However, the Grand Empress Dowager would not appear alone on the streets in the palace. The woman hurriedly ducked into an alley. She put on the hood on her cloak and looked back warily as she walked. When she arrived at the entrance of the alley, she saw a gray figure and immediately shrank back in fear. She returned the way she came and entered a ready-made clothes shop. The lady boss greeted her warmly. ¡°Madam, do you want to pick the materials or buy ready-made clothes?¡± The woman turned around and said distractedly, ¡°Pick the materials.¡± The lady boss smiled and said, ¡°There are a few new high-grade brocades in our shop. Madam, wait a moment. I¡¯ll show them to you.¡± The woman grunted. The lady boss turned around and went to the shelf to get clothes. Suddenly, a sharp dagger pressed against the woman¡¯s back. The woman stiffened. The gray-robed man covered the dagger with his wide sleeve and helped her out with his other hand. The lady boss turned around with the material. ¡°Miss, these two¡­ Eh? Where are they?¡± The woman was brought into a quiet alley and pushed into an abandoned courtyard. The man casually pushed her to the ground. The others scurried out of the house. One of the scar-faced men glanced at her and rubbed his hands lustfully. ¡°Where did you get such a handsome woman, Fifth Brother?¡± The man glanced at her coldly. ¡°She¡¯s not someone you can touch.¡± The scar-faced man said aggrievedly, ¡°Can¡¯t I touch her a couple of times?¡± The man said coldly, ¡°If you want me to chop off your hand, just try.¡± The scar-faced man took two steps back. The man instructed, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while. The few of you, watch her. Don¡¯t let her escape.¡± The scar-faced man said, ¡°Got it, Fifth Brother. Go ahead.¡¯ The man turned around and left the house. After making sure that he was far away, the scar-faced man squatted down beside the woman. His wretched gaze landed on the woman, then he raised her chin. ¡°Old Zhou, Fifth Brother said that we can¡¯t touch her!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me touching her? It¡¯s not like I can break her body¡­ But¡­ she doesn¡¯t look like a young lady anymore¡­ She should have lost her virginity long ago¡­ I¡¯ll play a few rounds first¡­ The rest is yours¡­¡± The woman was really beautiful. Her face was like jade, and her temperament was otherworldly. The wide robe could not hide her exquisite figure. Which man could reject such a stunner? The few of them fell silent. The scar-faced man picked the woman up and kicked open the door, ignoring her struggles. He threw her roughly onto the messy bed. He leaned forward. The woman looked at him in fear, tears falling from her eyes. In the courtyard, the three of them looked at each other. ¡°Will anything happen?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to taste that woman?¡± ¡°What if Fifth Brother blames us?¡± ¡°How can he fall out with a brother who risked his life for him over a woman?¡± There was the sound of a fall from the house. The woman wanted to escape, but the scar-faced man pressed her back. The three of them smiled evilly and looked back at the closed door. In the next second, a cold dagger was pressed to one of their necks. The man felt a chill on his neck. ¡°You.. He didn¡¯t have a chance to speak. Su Xiaoxiao cut his throat. It was too late when the other two realized that someone had broken in. Su Xiaoxiao turned the hilt of her knife, and the cold light reflected by the blade flashed across their eyes. The two of them fell to the ground before they could even resist. Su Xiaoxiao kicked open the door and walked forward. She grabbed the scar-faced man¡¯s collar and was about to slit his throat. She looked at the terrified woman on the bed, turned the hilt of her knife, and hit the top of his head with her elbow. The scar-faced man¡¯s eyes rolled back and he fell unconscious. Su Xiaoxiao threw him to the ground like a sack. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the woman on the bed. She was not seeing things. She was indeed the Grand Empress Dowager. Su Xiaoxiao arrived in time. The Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s clothes were intact but her cloak was torn off. Su Xiaoxiao walked over and picked up the cloak to cover her trembling body. She looked at Su Xiaoxiao with teary eyes. Perhaps it was because she had taken off her palace clothes, but after changing into a cloth gown, she seemed to be an ordinary civilian woman. Although this was ridiculous, Su Xiaoxiao felt that she was not looking at the Grand Empress Dowager, but a frightened deer. Su Xiaoxiao tied the ribbon of her cloak and couldn¡¯t help but coax her. ¡°Grand Empress Dowager, it¡¯s fine.¡± The Empress Dowager said nothing. Su Xiaoxiao remembered that there was another man who seemed to be the leader of this group. His martial arts and vigilance were incomparable to the four perverts. Su Xiaoxiao said to her, ¡°Let¡¯s leave here first.¡± The Grand Empress Dowager nodded slightly. Su Xiaoxiao brought her out of the house. Just as they left, the man returned. As he looked at the courtyard full of corpses, anger flashed in his eyes. ¡°They all had their throats slit¡­ When did such an expert come to the capital?!¡± Chapter 332 - Chapter 332: Social Butterfly Dahu Chapter 332: Social Butterfly Dahu Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After leaving the house, Su Xiaoxiao picked up the hot alms bowl on the stone table and left the house with the Grand Empress Dowager. Su Xiaoxiao walked in front. The Grand Empress Dowager followed wordlessly and didn¡¯t give any orders. Neither did she ask Su Xiaoxiao to send her back to the palace. Was this not a solution? Was she going home with her? This was the Empress Dowager¡­ Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and stopped in her tracks. She turned to look at her. In the palace, although she did not order people around, she carried her identity as the Empress Dowager and gave off a cold, distant, and high-and-mighty feeling. It was unknown if she had been too frightened, but her face was slightly pale, making her look weak and pitiful. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Shall I¡­ send you back to the palace now?¡± The Empress Dowager fell silent again. Fine, she most likely sneaked out. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t ask her why she left the palace. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. The Grand Empress Dowager looked at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s back and her eyes flickered. In the end, she followed. The two of them arrived at a clean small courtyard. Su Xiaoxiao pushed open the courtyard door and said to her, ¡°Go in.¡± The Grand Empress Dowager was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao wondered, ¡°What kind of expression is this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Did you think I was sending you back to the palace just now?¡± The Grand Empress Dowager nodded slightly. The Empress Dowager was someone everyone curried favor with in the palace, but if she secretly left the palace, she would be in big trouble. Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°Sigh, I don¡¯t have a carriage. Won¡¯t we have to walk to the palace? The buns I bought are already cold.¡± The three little fellows were still waiting to eat the steaming meat buns. The Grand Empress Dowager looked at the alms bowl in her arms and was speechless. Thinking of something, Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°By the way, it¡¯s not good to refer to you as the Grand Empress Dowager outside.¡± ¡°Bai.¡± She paused and said softly, ¡°Bai Xihe.¡± Physician Fu had never seen the Grand Empress Dowager. Su Xiaoxiao told him that this was a patient she had met on the way. As the medical center had yet to open, there was nothing inside, so she could only bring her home for treatment. Physician Fu did not suspect anything. The three little ones smelled the fragrance of the meat buns and ran over. ¡°Mother!¡± The Grand Empress Dowager looked at the three children and then at Su Xiaoxiao. She was speechless with shock. The three of them quickly saw the additional stranger in the house. The Grand Empress Dowager was too young and did not look like someone in her early thirties at all. No one would doubt that she was 20 years old. The three of them tilted their heads and sized her up cutely. Dahu asked, ¡°Mother, is this Aunt?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at the Grand Empress Dowager.¡± Madam Bai. ¡® Dahu said, ¡°Oh, Aunt Bai.¡± Su Xiaoxiao marveled at Dahus¡¯ social skills. The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t put on airs in front of the children. In fact, ever since she left the palace, Su Xiaoxiao realized that she didn¡¯t put on any airs at all. The three little ones kept calling her Aunt Bai, and the Empress Dowager¡¯s face did not turn red. Neither did her heart beat faster. Su Xiaoxiao remarked that she didn¡¯t live in the palace for more than ten years for nothing. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu.¡± Su Xiaoxiao introduced the three little ones to the Grand Empress Dowager one by one. Then, she said to the three of them, ¡°Go wash your hands and eat buns.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve washed them!¡± Xiaohu raised his small hand and said. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and placed the alms bowl on the table in the central room. ¡°Take it yourself.¡± The three of them each took a big meat bun. ¡°Mother will eat too.¡± He wanted to feed her the first bite. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I¡¯ll eat later. Get one for Aunt Bai and Grandpa Fu.¡± Dahu said, ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± Xiaohu fought for it. ¡°I¡¯ll take it!¡± The battle began again. In the end, Physician Fu and Bai Xihe each obtained two big meat buns. One was from Dahu, and the other was from Xiaohu. Su Xiaoxiao brought her to her room. ¡°I¡¯ll cook.¡± Bai Xihe said in a daze, ¡°Didn¡¯t you buy buns?¡± Su Xiaoxiao assessed that the Grand Empress Dowager didn¡¯t know anything about food. Su Xiaoxiao to the kitchen. Bai Xihe sat on the edge of the bed with the meat bun and began to size up the room carefully. It was not big, but it was clean and tidy. There were not many things that daughters used for home, such as embroidered baskets, embroidered racks, and so on. However, there were many children¡¯s toys. She looked down at the big meat buns in her hand, picked one up, and took a small bite. Ever since she entered the palace, she had never eaten anything from the common people. Creak¡ª The door was pushed open a small gap and a round head poked in. ¡°Aunt Bai.¡± Bai Xihe looked at the little guy in a daze. ¡°Erhu?¡± Erhu was extremely surprised. It was rare to see an adult who could distinguish them so quickly. Erhu was here to deliver buns. He was the most scheming of the three little ones. He did not fight with his brothers and maintained the image of a gentleman. Then, he quietly came over and offered his services. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Bai Xihe was too beautiful, and the children liked her very much. Of course, they still liked their mother the most. Bai Xihe said, ¡°I can¡¯t finish it.¡± Erhu said, ¡°You can keep it for tomorrow.¡± How dare you let the Empress Dowager eat overnight food? Little fellow, you¡¯re very bold¡ª Bai Xihe smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll eat tomorrow.¡± Just as Erhu left, Dahu came over. He was holding a plate in his hand. Seeing the bun in her hand, Dahu instantly knew that Erhu had been here. He didn¡¯t say anything and just handed the plate to Bai Xihe. ¡°Aunt Bai, you can put the buns on the plate.¡± Bai Xihe was worried that she could not finish three big meat buns. She could not help but feel that the little guy in front of him was too considerate. ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± She put the buns on the plate. Dahu placed the plate on the bedside table and climbed into bed. He sat beside her with a serious expression, like a little adult. ¡°Aunt Bai, where are you from?¡± Bai Xihe said, ¡°I¡¯m from Tongzhou.¡¯ ¡°Where¡¯s Tongzhou?¡± Dahu had never heard of this place. Bai Xihe looked out of the window. ¡°It¡¯s very, very far away. If you take the carriage and go west, you¡¯ll be there in about two months.¡± Dahu nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s so far.¡± They had only been gone for a month from their hometown. ¡°How old are you?¡± Bai Xihe asked. ¡°Three years old,¡± Da Hu said. Bai Xi had limited contact with children, but she felt that other three-year-old children did not seem to be so sensible and obedient. How could she know that the three little fellows were not even three years old? Dahu asked, ¡°Aunt Bai, do you have a baby too?¡± Su Yuniang had a baby, Little Wu had a younger daughter, and Little Madam Zhao had a son. Dahu felt that those who were called Auntie all had babies. Bai Xihe was stumped. After a moment, she said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± It would never happen in this life. Dahu thought for a moment and said generously, ¡°1t¡¯s okay. I have two younger brothers. I can give you one.¡± Bai Xihe was speechless.. Chapter 333 - Chapter 333: Surprise Chapter 333: Surprise Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Cheng stayed at the horse ranch for a few days and accepted the bombardment of the two big shots. Finally, today, he caught three moves from Su Shuo. They had made a bet before. If he caught three moves from Su Shuo, they would let him back for the night. Su Shuo kept his promise. Su Cheng rode his horse and couldn¡¯t wait to return to Pear Blossom Lane. These days, he had not been a sandbag for the two of them for nothing. He had a salary of ten taels a day. If he performed well, it would be twenty taels. Otherwise, why would he be willing to stay there? He had already earned a hundred taels! He had bought a pair of real jasper flower beads for his daughter. He was going to give her a surprise later! When he reached the entrance of the alley, he dismounted and led the horse to the door. He looked inside first. After confirming that no one was in the front yard, he quietly led the horse in. The horse snorted. He hurriedly gestured with his index finger. ¡°Shh shh shh¡ª¡± The foal was eating feed in the courtyard. When it saw Su Cheng return, it jumped excitedly in front of him. Su Cheng was frightened, afraid that he would be discovered if he made too much noise. Then, the surprise would be gone. Su Cheng whispered, ¡°Be good, don¡¯t scream, don¡¯t scream.¡± The foal thought to itself that it had never screamed in its life! Su Cheng comforted the foal, tied up his horse, and tiptoed to the backyard. Dahu had already come out of the room. The three little fellows were eating sausages in the kitchen. Su Cheng looked into the kitchen. When he did not see his daughter, he thought that her daughter should be in her room. Actually, Su Xiaoxiao was in the woodshed picking some easy-to-burn hay. Su Cheng sneaked to the door and quietly pushed open a small crack to see if his daughter was there. Bai Xihe sensed a commotion. She had just experienced a dangerous situation and was abnormally sensitive. She didn¡¯t know that Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s family had returned. After all, someone who was furtive didn¡¯t seem like a good person. Perhaps¡­ that person had caught up¡­ Bai Xihe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She felt for a stick by the bed. Step by step, she moved behind the door and raised the stick with both hands. When Su Cheng took out the white jasper flower beads and jumped into the house, Bai Xihe smashed it at him! Su Cheng¡¯s body stiffened. In the next second, his eyes rolled back and he stuck out his tongue, falling to the ground. He never expected that he, Su Cheng, would be beaten up one day. It was really the karma of the heavens! Dinner was steamed pork ribs, crucian carp tofu soup, lily egg soup, cured meat fried rice, and two stir-fried side dishes. Su Ergou, Su Qi, and Su Yu had gone out and had yet to return. Physician Fu was picked up by the Old Marquis¡¯s guard. The family sat at the dining table in the central room and ate. Su Cheng¡¯s head was wrapped in gauze as he sat on the stool with a bruised face. ¡°What happened to Grandpa?¡± Xiaohu asked. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Su Cheng. ¡°Let Grandpa say it himself.¡± Su Cheng cleared his throat and said gloomily, ¡°Grandpa fell.¡± He couldn¡¯t say that he had been hit by a woman. If word got out, would he still have his reputation as Bully Su? Erhu couldn¡¯t bear to look at him. ¡°You fell so badly.¡± Dahu imparted his experience. ¡°You have to wrap your head.¡± Su Cheng was speechless. Bai Xihe did not come to the table to eat. It was not that she had hit her savior¡¯s father. She was embarrassed¡­ Alright, she was indeed a little embarrassed. She was not deliberately avoiding the awkwardness. It was mainly because she was stuffed after eating a big meat bun. At the dining table, Su Xiaoxiao told Su Cheng about the shop. ¡°¡­Sorry, I didn¡¯t discuss it with Dad first.¡± Su Cheng waved his hand. ¡°You can decide on your own business. I don¡¯t know¡­ How much does the pharmacy cost?¡± ¡°6,000 taels.¡± Duang! Su Cheng fell! After dinner, Su Xiaoxiao returned to her room. She didn¡¯t urge Bai Xihe to leave, nor did she ask what her plans were. She just sat down at the table, took a pen and paper, and began to draw. Although the shop did not have to be modified, she planned to separate the two rooms into four small rooms. She also had to deal with the threshold. ¡°Thank you for today,¡± Bai Xihe said. ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t understand. ¡°It was the same last time,¡± Bai Xihe said again. Including that time in Peach Garden, Su Xiaoxiao had saved Bai Xihe twice. Su Xiaoxiao looked up. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re welcome.¡± She continued to bury her head in the drawing. Bai Xihe had been in the palace for many years. She had the noblest status, but she lived the life of a sparrow in a cage. She had long given up on everything. However, this little girl who inadvertently entered her line of sight aroused her curiosity. What kind of person was she? Bai Xihe couldn¡¯t help thinking. But soon, Bai Xihe realized that she shouldn¡¯t be curious about anyone. After all¡ª She lowered her eyes and said softly, ¡°Can you¡­ send me to the White Cloud Tea House on Long Stream Street? I haven¡¯t left the palace for a long time and don¡¯t remember the way.¡± Long Stream Street was not far from Pear Blossom Lane. Su Xiaoxiao remembered that when she went to look at the shop today, she had indeed passed by a White Cloud Teahouse. ¡°Okay, wait a moment.¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to Su Cheng to greet him and inform him that she was going to send the patient back. Father Su was a little worried about his daughter, but the three little fellows were sleepy and Ergou was not at home. He had to watch them. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. It¡¯s very close. It¡¯s on Long Stream Street.¡± The security on Long Stream Street was good. Su Cheng often saw patrolling guards, so he didn¡¯t stop her and asked Su Xiaoxiao to return early. Bai Xihe put on her hood. Su Xiaoxiao paused and said, ¡°Use my cloak.¡± That person had seen Bai Xihe¡¯s cloak before. If he bumped into her, he would recognize it at a glance. Bai Xihe changed into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s cloak. It was a little wide and smelled of clean soap. It was inexplicably reassuring. Su Xiaoxiao sent Bai Xihe to the White Cloud Tea House. Bai Xihe went to the second floor and entered the innermost room. Princess Lingxi was anxious and finally saw that familiar face. Princess Lingxi felt relieved and went forward to bow with a choked voice. ¡°Madam¡­ Madam, are you alright? I was scared to death when I didn¡¯t see you!¡± Bai Xihe¡¯s voice regained a trace of the coldness of the Grand Empress Dowager. ¡°There was an accident. It¡¯s been resolved.¡± Princess Lingxi blamed herself and asked, ¡°What accident? It¡¯s all Lingxi¡¯s fault for not protecting you well!¡± Bai Xihe said, ¡°It has nothing to do with you. I got separated myself.¡± Princess Lingxi wiped her tears. ¡°The palace door is about to close. Let me send you back to the palace.¡± Bai Xihe looked through the window at the dark alley. In the darkness, Su Xiaoxiao silently turned around and disappeared into the endless night. Su Qi and Su Yu didn¡¯t send Su Ergou back until midnight. Su Ergou was exhausted and fell asleep. Su Xiaoxiao said to Su Qi and Su Yu, ¡°I still have to ask you to bring Ergou out for dinner tomorrow night. However, don¡¯t play so late.¡± The two of them said in unison, ¡°Are you not free tomorrow night too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. They could not freeload again.. The two of them were shocked! Chapter 334 - Chapter 334: Flattered Chapter 334: Flattered Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Cheng spent the night at home and woke up before dawn the next day. Su Xiaoxiao went to the backyard and saw her youthful and handsome father practicing martial arts in the open space. She couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled. ¡°Dad, why are you up so early?¡± Su Cheng retracted his fist and scratched his head. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve been up early these few days. I seem to be used to it. Sleep a little longer. I¡¯ll go out to buy breakfast later. You don¡¯t have to cook.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t sleep anyway.¡± Su Ergou knew that she might be very busy in the next few days, so he suspended the Directorate¡¯s order business. She did not have to do much today. It did not take much effort. She made mung bean cake and Ergou pancakes with meat floss filling. Breakfast was millet porridge and chives egg pancakes. During dinner, she talked about finding a craftsman. ¡°I want to partition the back room. I¡¯ve drawn the blueprint. I need a lot of partitions. Let¡¯s find a carpenter first.¡± Dahu suddenly looked up. ¡°Mother, for the carpenter, you can look for Grandpa Liu!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Which family is it?¡± Dahu counted on his fingers. ¡°Walk towards Master¡¯s house. Third house!¡± Su Cheng said in surprise, ¡°Aiya, Dahu knows how to count!¡± ¡°Xiaohu knows too!¡± Xiaohu said firmly. Su Cheng was amused. ¡°How much can Xiaohu count?¡± Xiaohu said confidently, ¡°100!¡± Su Cheng smiled and said, ¡°Xiaohu is so powerful! Tell Grandpa.¡± Xiaohu began to count himself, Dahu, and Erhu. ¡°One, two, three, a hundred!¡± Su Cheng was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao was amused by Xiaohu. She smiled and replied to Dahu, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember. Then I just need to find another blacksmith.¡± Dahu looked up again. ¡°You can look for Grandpa Zhang!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°Which family is Grandpa Zhang from?¡± Dahu pointed to the west. ¡°Go that way. First house.¡± It was the house that was handed over to Scholar Street. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I pass by his house every day and don¡¯t hear the sound of hammering. Are you sure he¡¯s a blacksmith?¡± Dahu said with extreme certainty, ¡°Grandpa Zhang knows how to forge. His iron shop isn¡¯t here.¡± The little fellow knew a lot. Thinking of something, Su Cheng pondered and said, ¡°You and Physician Fu can¡¯t handle the business on your own. Do you have to hire a few servants?¡± Dahu said crisply, ¡°We can ask Grandma Zhou!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s chubby body trembled. Who else did he know? After breakfast, Su Cheng returned to the ranch to continue being a sandbag. Before leaving, he secretly stuffed all his belongings into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s book bag. When Su Xiaoxiao saw the crumpled banknotes and silver coins of different sizes, her heart burned. He didn¡¯t spend a single copper coin from the money she gave him. Needless to say, the money he earned himself was all here. In an instant, the banknotes and silver coins in her hand were as heavy as a thousand catties. At this moment, she suddenly felt that getting rich was no longer enough. She wanted to make a name for herself in the capital and bring her father to the peak of her life. Su Qi and Su Yu arrived late and there was no more breakfast. Fortunately, there were still snacks made by Su Xiaoxiao. The two of them brought Su Ergou to the Imperial College happily. Su Xiaoxiao sent the three little ones to Ling Yun. Then, Su Mo¡¯s carriage arrived. Su Xiaoxiao remembered what happened yesterday and asked, ¡°How did Wei Ting lure you away yesterday?¡± Su MO said, ¡°He said he has something to talk to you about.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Su MO said seriously, ¡°Compared to him breaking into your room in the middle of the night and letting him talk to you in the carriage at the entrance of the palace, I¡¯m more at ease.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Do you know¡­ what car sex is?¡± Su MO looked confused. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t tell Su MO about her chance encounter with the Grand Empress Dowager. After she got out of the carriage, she went straight into the palace. Princess Jingning came early today. After two days of medication, the acne on her face was almost invisible. She was still wearing a veil. She was not good-looking and usually wore it. However, from her smooth forehead, it was not difficult to see that she had recovered. It had only been two days. This was too magical! When Princess Jingning entered the classroom, she realized that the left table in the first row was already occupied. Naturally, no one dared to occupy her seat. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s seat was occupied. Actually, the teacher did not specify a seat. Everyone sat casually, except for the two princesses. Hu Biyun looked at Princess Jing Ning¡¯s much cleaner forehead and praised her father¡¯s medicine in her heart. Therefore, she had some confidence in befriending Princess Jingning. ¡°Princess.¡± She smiled and was about to get up to bow when she heard Princess Jingning say coldly, ¡°Who allowed you to sit here?¡± Hu Biyun was stunned. Princess Jing Ning said coldly, ¡°Get up!¡± Hu Biyun lost face in public. When Su Xiaoxiao walked into the classroom, the atmosphere was strange. Everyone looked at her with complicated expressions. She didn¡¯t mind and sat beside Princess Jingning as usual. Princess Jing Ning did not chase her away. The young ladies looked at each other. They were still guessing that Princess Jingning chased Hu Biyun away because she was in a bad mood today. Now, they all understood that Princess Jingning was simply angry that Hu Biyun had snatched that country girl¡¯s position. What was going on? How did a country girl curry favor with Princess Jingning? ¡°Here, I just made it this morning. It¡¯s hot.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a box of snacks from her book bag. An alluring fragrance instantly spread out. Everyone subconsciously swallowed. Princess Jing Ning took the box. ¡°Someone sat in your seat just now.¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Huh?¡± Princess Jing Ning continued, ¡°I chased her away.¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Oh.¡± Princess Jingning thoughts were: I¡¯m doting on you! Hurry up and be flattered! There was a music class in the morning. Yesterday, Teacher Jiang had informed everyone in advance to bring the zither. Su Xiaoxiao naturally brought one with her. It was Xiao Hu¡¯s. She had asked the little guy¡¯s permission. The table in the classroom was not long enough. The location of the class was chosen on the corridor outside. The palace servants had already set up the zither table and futon. Everyone took out the Luanzheng. Princess Jingning and Princess Hui An¡¯s Luanzheng had origins. They were two of the three famous zhengs of the Zhou Country. Qin Yanran¡¯s Luanzheng was not bad either. Lin Ruyue said, ¡°Miss Qin, your Zheng is so special¡­ Could it be Liuying?¡± Qin Yanran smiled. ¡°It¡¯s Liuying.¡± Liuying was a famous zither in the Western Jin Dynasty. Although she could not compare to what the two princesses had, it was outstanding among the young ladies. Even Princess Lingxi¡¯s zither was inferior to Liu Ying. On the other side, Su Xiaoxiao also took out the Luanzheng. As soon as it was placed, someone burst out laughing. Lin Ruyue asked gossipily, ¡°Miss Li, Miss Wang, what are you laughing at?¡± The daughter of the Li family said, ¡°Someone actually brought a broken zither.¡± There was indeed a knife wound at the end of this zither. It was as if it had been slashed by a sharp blade. Princess Jingning had gone to the toilet and was not there now. Otherwise, everyone might not have the guts to ridicule her like this. Qin Yanran looked at the zither and her eyes moved slightly. Soon, she shook her head and smiled. ¡°This Luanzheng¡­ looks a little like the legendary Nine Phoenix.¡± The Nine Phoenix was the number one zither in the seven countries. Compared to it, the quality of the three famous zithers of the Zhou Country was akin to scamming people above their level. Its owner was Nalan Yun, the zither master known as the Zither Immortal. He was the most talented zither child in hundreds of years. He became famous at the age of seven and was known across the seven countries at the age of ten. It was rumored that he was from Northern Yan, and some said that he was from Western Jin. His identity was mysterious, and his whereabouts were mysterious. Ever since he was invited to the royal family of Western Jin three years ago to present a song, he had disappeared. Some said that he had gone into seclusion, while others said that he was dead. In short, very few people had seen him, and not many had seen Nine Phoenix. Qin Yanran had only seen Nine Phoenix in the portrait. Lin Ruyue sneered. ¡°You actually brought a fake zither over!¡± Everyone looked at Su Xiaoxiao strangely. That¡¯s right. No one thought that this Luanzheng was real. Chapter 335 - Chapter 335: The Real and Fake Nine Phoenix Chapter 335: The Real and Fake Nine Phoenix Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Yanran said earnestly, ¡°Where did you buy the zither? Were you deceived?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone instantly imagined Su Xiaoxiao being greedy but ended up being scammed. Lin Ruyue smiled mockingly. ¡°Someone wanted to buy the Nine Phoenix, but she didn¡¯t know what was good for herself and bought a fake one. Didn¡¯t you think that the Nine Phoenix could be obtained casually?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Princess Jingning¡¯s voice suddenly appeared behind everyone. The back of everyone¡¯s heads turned cold. They immediately stopped mocking Su Xiaoxiao and returned to their seats. Princess Jingning sat down beside Su Xiaoxiao. There were only two zither tables in the corridor. Princess Jing Ning and Su Xiaoxiao sat in the first row. When Princess Hui An arrived, there was only the second row left. Princess Hui An didn¡¯t think that Su Xiaoxiao had snatched her seat. After all, one of the seats in the first row was definitely Jingning¡¯s. After all, Jingning was the legitimate princess. As for the seat beside Jingning, hmph, she wouldn¡¯t sit there even if she was beaten to death! She didn¡¯t really want to sit behind Jingning. Qin Yanran helped her out at the right time. ¡°Princess Hui An, come here and sit.¡± She gave her seat in the third row to Princess Hui An. She sat behind Princess Jingning. She heard Princess Jingning instruct the little palace maid beside her, ¡°Go to the storeroom and get a zither.¡± Taozhi was about to agree when Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. My zither is quite good.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so good about it? It¡¯s all broken.¡± Princess Jing Ning paused. She probably felt that the little girl did not want to trouble her, so she said, ¡°I¡¯ll exchange with you.¡± Qin Yanran suspected that she had heard wrongly. What kind of bewitching potion did this little fat girl give Princess Jingning? She actually made Princess Jingning take the initiative to exchange her zither with her! However, what was even more shocking was yet to come. ¡°No, thank you.¡± That girl actually rejected her! ¡®Why?¡± Princess Jingning thought to herself. There was no need to be embarrassed. She was qualified to be arrogant because of her favor. Su Xiaoxiao said bluntly, ¡°1 don¡¯t know if Xiaohu agrees to you touching his zither.¡± Princess Jingning was speechless. The teacher of the music class was a great musician from the palace. His surname was Gao, and he was proficient in music. He was good at the zither, luan zither, and flute. He was an outstanding teacher. He also noticed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s Luanzheng. However, like everyone present, he had never seen the real Nine Phoenix, but he had seen many imitation zithers. This imitation was very clumsy. It was old and tattered, and even the paint had fallen off. There was also a knife mark on the end of the zither. It could not be more fake. Master Gao snorted coldly and did not want to look at her anymore. Most of the daughters of the palace school had some foundation in music. For example, Qin Yanran was good at the zither, Hu Biyun was good at the luan zither, Miss Wang was good at the flute, and so on. However, the palace academy was mainly for the two princesses. The others were only accompanying students. If the princesses did not know music, they had to learn from the beginning. Teacher Gao started with the structure of the Luanzheng and the five notes of the pentatonic scale. Princess Hui An was confused. The music she played was comparable to Xiaohu¡¯s. She had inherited Consort Xian¡¯s beauty and brains. Princess Jingning was also a beginner in Luan Zheng, but the comprehension she displayed insta-killed her idiot of a sister. Qin Yanran had the foundation of the zither and learned it quite quickly. The two students that Master Gao was most satisfied with were Qin Yanran and Princess Jingning. Princess Hui An was an existence that gave Master Gao a headache, but she was a princess, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and teach her. Next was Leng Zhiruo. Her Luanzheng was also a mess. ¡°Do you know how to do it?¡± Princess Jingning asked Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Yes.¡± Princess Jing Ning looked at her suspiciously. ¡®Really? Why do I think you don¡¯t?¡¯ Today, there were most theories and they did not study music scores seriously. They were at the stage where everyone played the same tune when Teacher Gao instructed. The zither music mixed together and was not obvious for a moment. ¡°Is the Grand Empress Dowager still healthy?¡± While resting, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly asked Princess Jingning. Princess Jing Ning looked at her in confusion. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about the Grand Empress Dowager?¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t say that she was here to confirm if the Grand Empress Dowager had returned to the palace safely last night. She told her what had happened in the peach garden during the day. Hearing that there were poisonous snakes, Princess Jingning frowned. She had grown up in the palace since she was young. How could she be brainless? She was not an idiot like Hui An. Someone was clearly plotting against the Grand Empress Dowager. ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯ve heard some rumors¡­¡± Princess Jingning looked around. The young ladies who had gone to the toilet together returned one after another. Princess Jingning did not continue. She only said, ¡°I saw her in the pavilion this morning. She looks fine. The old lady shouldn¡¯t be too frightened.¡± This was a respectful address, but the Grand Empress Dowager was actually a few years younger than the Empress. Su Xiaoxiao stroked the strings. ¡°Oh.¡± In the afternoon, it was Master Jiang¡¯s class. The first class was the Analects of Confucius, and the second class was the Classic of Poems. It was another ordinary day. After school, Su MO came to pick Su Xiaoxiao up. Seeing that the Eldest Young Master only had eyes for a little girl from the countryside, the daughters were extremely jealous. Hu Biyun was also very jealous. The Hu family was not a very prominent family. It was only with the recommendation of the Third Prince that the Hu family obtained a spot to participate in the selection. She lived up to everyone¡¯s expectations and got into the palace academy. Her father also lived up to everyone¡¯s expectations and became the Court Commissioner of the Imperial Hospital. Recently, the betrothal candidates had almost broken through the threshold of the Hu family. However, she paid heed to none of those young masters. Of course, she also understood that a family like the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate was not something the Hu family could reach. Unless¡­ Su MO took a fancy to her himself. Hu Biyun suddenly regretted falling out with Su Xiaoxiao yesterday. If she roped her in, could she¡ª Su Mo¡¯s carriage left. The curtain was lifted by the wind. Hu Biyun saw the man in the clouds handing a jar of walnuts to the little fat girl with a smile in his eyes. After arriving home, Su Xiaoxiao followed Dahu¡¯s instructions and went to the third house east. The courtyard door was open. Su Xiaoxiao stood outside the door and asked, ¡°Excuse me, is anyone there?¡± A man about Su Cheng¡¯s age yawned and slowly walked out. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Uncle Liu.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re Dahu¡¯s mother, right?¡± The other party seemed to have woken up instantly. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°¡­I am.¡± The other party smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Liu Sihe. You can call me Old Liu! Are you looking for a carpenter?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Liu Sihe smiled and said, ¡°Dahu came over at noon to greet me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought that the child was going to become a demon at socializing! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I need to make a plaque. In addition, I want to build some furniture and two wooden walls.¡± Liu Sihe said professionally, ¡°Do you have blueprints for the furniture and wooden walls?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a folded blueprint from her pouch, unfolded it, and handed it to him.. Chapter 336 - Chapter 336: Opening Chapter 336: Opening Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t like to talk nonsense. She liked to interact with such you¡­ draw these yourself?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Liu Sihe praised, ¡°What a novel design. I heard that you¡¯re opening a medical center. What is the plaque going to say?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The Number One Hall in the World.¡± Liu Sihe remarked to himself, ¡°Girl, you¡¯re very arrogant.¡¯ Liu Sihe was a straightforward and efficient person. He did not flatter himself or exchange unnecessary pleasantries. The conversation between the two sides lasted less than 15 minutes. ¡°I¡¯ve remembered everything you said. Is there anything else you want?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Will it be completed in a few days?¡± ¡°Seven days.¡± ¡°Only seven days?¡± This was a lot of things. Liu Sihe smiled and said, ¡°If I¡¯m not done in seven days, I won¡¯t charge you! Go ahead!¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t like to talk nonsense. She liked to interact with such no-nonsense people. In addition, the price Liu Sihe offered was far lower than her budget, saving her a lot of expenses. After leaving the Liu family, she went to the house that was connected to Scholar Street in the west. Grandpa Zhang, whom Dahu was talking about was a muscular blacksmith called Zhang Erzhu. He was a few years older than Father Su and was a little serious. It was so cold but he was only wearing a linen shirt; his thick arms were exposed to the air. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s first reaction was: Are all blacksmiths so strong these days? When Su Xiaoxiao explained her intentions, Zhang Erzhu was not shocked. This was because Dahu had also come to greet him. ¡°I want to make some cutting tools.¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed him the blueprint. ¡°I heard that the capital has strict control over iron tools. I want to make a lot of these cutting tools. Should I report it to the authorities?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Zhang Erzhu said calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve never made these types of knives before. I have to remodel them. You can come back ten days later to take them.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How much deposit do I need to pay first?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to pay the deposit.¡± Zhang Erzhu was also extremely straightforward. ¡°As for how much it is, we won¡¯t know until we¡¯re done, but it shouldn¡¯t be more than five taels.¡± Five taels? It had to be known that other than salt, the Imperial Court had always controlled iron. Iron was very expensive in ancient times. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Seeing Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s shocked expression, Zhang Erzhu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Two taels then.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. He was cutting his own price making it impossible for the other party to do so¡­ Su Xiaoxiao went to Old Madam Zhou¡¯s house last. She was next door to her house. The reason he put her last was that this business might take the longest. ¡°It¡¯s Dahu¡¯s mother, right?¡± Old Madam Zhou invited Su Xiaoxiao into the central room with a smile and poured a cup of hot tea. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly felt that she was famous in the alley¡­ Old Madam Zhou was a little old. The neighbors in the alley seemed to call her Old Madam Zhou regardless of seniority. ¡°What kind do you want to choose? What kind of work do you do?¡± Old Madam Zhou asked with a smile. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I want a coachman and four medicinal assistants. It¡¯s best if there are two female medicinal assistants. It doesn¡¯t matter if they know medicine or not. I can teach them. In addition, I need a chef and a long-term cleaner. ¡± Old Madam Zhou said, ¡°Everything else is fine, but the female medicine assistants¡­ ¡± In the Great Zhou, there were very few women who practiced medicine. When girls went out to work, they were mostly maidservants and embroiderers¡­ She said, ¡°I¡¯ll try. Come to my place tomorrow morning to take a look.¡± The next day, Su Xiaoxiao came to Old Madam Zhou¡¯s house early in the morning. Hearing Old Madam Zhou¡¯s tone yesterday, she would only try and might not be able to find all of them. However, when Su Xiaoxiao looked at the courtyard full of men, women, and children, she suddenly suspected that Old Madam Zhou had some misunderstanding about the concept of ¡°trying¡±. Among this group of people, Old Madam Zhou recommended a coachman, Ah Zhong. He was in his twenties and looked handsome. Old Madam Zhou said, ¡°Although he¡¯s young, he¡¯s quite experienced and very familiar with the streets and alleys of the capital.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Ah Zhong a few questions. The young man was neither arrogant nor impatient. He spoke clearly and was strong enough. When it came to Old Madam Zhou, the price was not cheap. A coachman was five taels. This was the introduction fee for Old Madam Zhou. As for the coachman¡¯s salary, Su Xiaoxiao would have to settle it with the coachman. Su Xiaoxiao pinched her purse and her heart ached. The medicine boy was a smart young man called Xiao Wei, who was 17 years old. He had been a shop assistant in another medicine shop in the past and knew a few things about herbs. Old Madam Zhou said, ¡°Brother Wei, you¡¯ll follow Madam in the future.¡± Hearing this ¡°Brother Wei¡±, Su Xiaoxiao almost choked on her tea. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t choose another male medicine boy, but the two girls caught her eye. One was a 12-year-old girl called Ying¡¯er. She had a round face and a small canine tooth on both sides when she smiled. There were freckles on her cheeks. She was a spirited girl. The other was Du Juan, who was two years older than Ying¡¯er. She had an oval face, delicate eyebrows, and could read. Old Madam Zhou said, ¡°She was originally a young lady from an official¡¯s family. Her family committed a crime and was bought by the Education Bureau. She¡¯s young and the Education Bureau is raising her.¡± In other words, in a year or two, she would have to sell herself to receive customers. Su Xiaoxiao came to her and asked calmly, ¡°You used to be the daughter of an official. If I buy you, would you be able to bear with the suffering of a servant?¡± Du Juan knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Madam, I was a concubine¡¯s daughter and am not favored at home. As long as you don¡¯t let me become a prostitute, I¡¯m willing to be your slave!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Brother Wei, Ying¡¯er, and Du Juan about the price. Old Madam Zhou stretched out her finger. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Ten taels?¡± Old Madam Zhou said, ¡°A hundred taels.¡± This granny was a little dark¡­ However, soon, Su Xiaoxiao understood why they were more expensive than Ah Zhong. They were slaves and had to sign a death contract. If they wanted to leave in the future, they had to redeem themselves from Su Xiaoxiao. Moreover, their salary was lower than the others. She could not even give it to them. The chef and the cleaner were a middle-aged couple. They also cost ten taels each. These ten taels bought three years of their work, just like Ah Zhong. The next few days were calm. Su Xiaoxiao went to school and did the snack business of the directorate. Seven days later, Liu Sihe was done. Su Xiaoxiao went to look at the plaque he had made. It was black with gold words and looked dignified and domineering. It was even more perfect than Su Xiaoxiao had imagined. However, it seemed a little heavy. It was unknown what wood it was made of. Liu Sihe saw the little girl looking at the plaque left and right and thought that she was worried about the quality of the plaque. He patted his chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll guarantee that it won¡¯t rot for a hundred years!¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought, What wood won¡¯t rot for a hundred years¡­ It can¡¯t be golden cedar¡­ She was thinking too much. How could a small carpenter in the neighborhood have such expensive wood? Liu Sihe called a few brothers and moved the furniture and wooden boards to the medical center. What needed to be placed was placed and what needed to be installed was installed. In the afternoon, the shop changed drastically. The plaque would be hung up on the day of the opening. Su Xiaoxiao kept it in the accounts room first. Two days later, Zhang Erzhu also made the tools. He really only accepted two taels from Su Xiaoxiao. Physician Fu found someone to calculate an auspicious day¡ªthe 18th of this month was suitable for opening. However, the night before the opening, something happened to the hall.. Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: Business Comes Chapter 337: Business Comes Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Because they were opening the next day, everyone packed at the medical center for the entire day until late at night. Just as they were about to close, a woman came over with a man in his early twenties. ¡°Doctor! Doctor! Save my son!¡± Physician Fu had just finished checking the medicine cabinet when he heard Madam¡¯s call. He hurriedly walked over. ¡°Let me take a look!¡± The woman looked at her injured son and choked. ¡°I heard that your Benevolence Hall¡¯s medical skills are brilliant, so I came over. Doctor, you must treat my son!¡± If Su Xiaoxiao or Manager Sun were here, they would treat the patient first. No matter if they were from the Benevolent Hall or not, they did not hear those words! However, Physician Fu was an honest person. When he heard this, he said, ¡°Benevolence Hall is next door. We just opened¡­¡± The woman interrupted him. ¡°What? You¡¯re not from Benevolence Hall?¡± She left and looked at the plaque. The plaque was not hung yet, but it was not Benevolence Hall. Annoyed, she helped her injured son away. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Physician Fu wanted to remind her that the patient was seriously injured and not to drag him so forcefully. However, the woman had already left without looking back. ¡°What happened?¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over from the backyard with a dustpan of dried herbs. Physician Fu said, ¡°A patient just came to look for Benevolence Hall and found us. I think he¡¯s injured.¡± Benevolence Hall was already closed. The doctor was about to get into the carriage when the woman quickly stopped him. ¡°Doctor! You¡¯re a doctor of the Benevolence Hall, right? Save my son! My son fell from the carriage! He can¡¯t move his arm!¡± This doctor was also capable. He was from the side branch of the Hu family business and was chosen to come to the main branch because of his good medical skills. He was a few years older than Physician Fu and had a little beard. He looked older and more trustworthy. The coachman said, ¡°If it¡¯s not serious, come back tomorrow¡­ The woman scolded, ¡°How is it not serious? Can¡¯t you see that my son can¡¯t move his arm?¡± Her voice attracted the vendors and passersby on the street. Everyone surrounded them curiously. Doctor Hu frowned and controlled his temper. He said in a broad tone, ¡°Madam, calm down and let me take a look.¡± With that, he got off the footstool. Only then did the woman¡¯s expression improve. ¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡± Doctor Hu asked the coachman to carry the oil lamp while he treated the other party on the spot. He asked, ¡°Where are you feeling unwell?¡± The man said, ¡°I fell off the carriage. My entire body hurts. I can¡¯t move my arm. ¡± Doctor Hu gently held his right arm. ¡°Is it this arm?¡± The woman was shocked. ¡°Doctor, be gentle!¡± Doctor Hu smiled. ¡°I know what to do.¡± There were more and more onlookers. Doctor Hu shook his right arm slightly. ¡°You still can¡¯t move?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Where else does it hurt?¡± ¡°It hurts everywhere.¡± ¡°What about the head?¡± ¡°My head doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± looked at his clothes. They were still intact. Other than a scratch on the back of his hand, there was no other bleeding. Doctor Hu said gently, ¡°Your arm is dislocated. I¡¯ll reattach it for you. It will hurt a little. Bear with it.¡± When the man heard that it would hurt, he was immediately afraid. Doctor Hu patiently comforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It won¡¯t be long.¡± The man turned pale with fear. Doctor Hu pressed his shoulder with one hand and held his arm with the other. He shook it twice. Just as the man¡¯s heart was almost in his throat, he connected it back! The man shouted. He thought it would hurt, but it didn¡¯t. He was stunned. ¡°Aye?¡± Doctor Hu smiled and said, ¡°See if you can move?¡± The man tried to move. ¡°Eh? I can move it! My arm can move! Mother! I can really move! Hiss¡ª¡± He moved a few times and suddenly gasped. ¡°It hurts, it still hurts a little.¡± The woman was worried again. ¡°Doctor¡­ this is¡­¡± smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s normal for there to be a slight pain. After recovering, you have to recuperate for half a month. Try not to move your arm during this half a month.¡± The woman was relieved. The surrounding citizens clicked their tongues in praise. ¡°As expected of Benevolence Hall. My next-door neighbor was in the same situation as him. He has been in pain for a few months! He hasn¡¯t recovered yet! He even has some illnesses!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you find a doctor?¡± ¡°I did! That doctor can¡¯t do it. If he came to Benevolence Hall, he wouldn¡¯t have to suffer that sin!¡± ¡°But of course, the Hu family owns the Benevolence Hall. The Hu family has a Court Commissioner!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come to Benevolence Hall to treat my illness in the future.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when you can afford it!¡± This was the truth. Benevolence Hall was not a place where Bodhisattvas operated. There was a price to pay for saving the dying and helping the injured. The doctors in the hall had brilliant medical skills, and the consultation fee was more expensive than that of other medical centers. This woman was clearly not short of money. She immediately took out a silver ingot and handed it to Doctor Hu. did not reach out to take it. The coachman took it. ¡°Thank you, doctor! Thank you, doctor!¡± The woman thanked him repeatedly and pulled her son¡¯s hand to leave. Suddenly, a cold voice stopped her. ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t leave.¡± Everyone turned around. The woman looked at the little fat girl walking over from behind the crowd and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Physician Fu also squeezed out. The woman recognized him. ¡°It¡¯s you! You¡¯re from next door¡­¡± The old pharmacy next door closed down and a new pharmacy came. Many commoners who often walked this street knew. ¡°What do you want?¡± the woman asked angrily. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her son and said to her, ¡°Your son¡¯s injuries are very serious and need resuscitation.¡± The woman¡¯s face darkened. ¡°My son is fine. What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°If we don¡¯t save him, he won¡¯t survive tonight.¡± The woman said angrily, ¡°You, you, you¡­ what are you saying? You¡¯re cursing my son! Are you blind? Can¡¯t you see that my son is lively? The doctor of the Benevolence Hall has already treated my son¡¯s injuries! I think you¡¯re running an illegal shop! You¡¯re here to smash his signboard!¡± Doctor Hut s expression turned ugly. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao and said coldly, ¡°If you want to snatch business, you can¡¯t do it like this. This young master¡¯s arm has already been reinstated. Don¡¯t spread rumors here.¡± A peddler chuckled and said, ¡°The doctor of the Benevolence Hall has already said that he¡¯s been cured. Where did they get the guts to question the medical skills of the Benevolence Hall?¡± Another peddler mocked, ¡°He just wants to cheat some money!¡± The woman snorted. ¡°I won¡¯t fall for a black-hearted pharmacy like yours!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, her son raised his hand to his chest and fell down with a pained expression. Everyone gasped! ¡°Son!¡± the woman screamed. Doctor Hu also had a look of disbelief. It was just a dislocation and his head was not injured.. Why was this happening? Chapter 338 - Chapter 338: Dimensional Strike Chapter 338: Dimensional Strike Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At first, everyone was speaking up for the Benevolent Heart Hall. No one expected the situation to take a turn for the worse. Everyone was dumbfounded. The woman sat on the ground and looked at her son, who was in pain, helplessly. Her eyes were red as she complained, ¡°Doctor! Didn¡¯t you say that my son is fine? How did he become like this?¡± After all, Doctor Hu had many years of medical experience. He quickly calmed down and quickly recalled the diagnosis and treatment process for the other party. He was sure that he had done nothing wrong. The woman panicked and cried at Doctor Hu, ¡°Why are you standing there? Come and save my son!¡± Doctor Hu also wanted to save him, but he could not! At this moment, Su Xiaoxiao strode over and said calmly to the woman, ¡°Madam, please make way. Your son¡¯s situation is very critical.¡± The woman couldn¡¯t scold Su Xiaoxiao anymore. She looked at Physician Fu in fear. ¡°What¡­ what happened to my son?¡± She thought that Physician Fu was the real doctor. Physician Fu frowned and said, ¡°It should be internal injuries.¡± ¡°Madam?¡± Su Xiaoxiao reminded her again. The woman was at a loss. She hoped that the doctor of the Benevolence Hall would treat her son, but the doctor of the Benevolence Hall stood there as if he had become stupid. Was she really going to hand her son¡¯s life to an unknown doctor? Su Xiaoxiao had already put on her gloves and said seriously, ¡°If you don¡¯t move away, your son¡¯s situation would really be hopeless!¡± The woman was intimidated by a little girl¡¯s aura and obediently moved aside. Su Xiaoxiao knelt down beside the patient. The woman suddenly grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist. ¡°Wait, why is it you? Isn¡¯t he here to save my son?¡± Physician Fu was stunned. How could he explain that Miss Su¡¯s medical skills were better than his? Su Xiaoxiao said indifferently, ¡°There¡¯s no need for my master to treat such a small illness.¡± ¡°What? Is this girl actually a physician?¡± ¡°Is there really a physician taking in a female disciple these days?¡± ¡°Can women treat illnesses? What medical center? I won¡¯t go to their place to treat illnesses in the future!¡± The people of Great Zhou were not too conservative, but they were not as open as the the people of Western Jin. After all, Western Jin had an empress, and the current crown prince was also a princess. In Great Zhou, it was extremely rare for women to practice medicine, and their status was very low. The most common profession for a woman was the midwife. Wasn¡¯t letting a midwife save a critical patient a joke? Doctor Hu flicked his sleeves angrily. ¡°You¡¯re really too ridiculous!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you treat it?¡± Physician Fu mocked. He was very gentle, but after Doctor Hu provoked Miss Su, he was not so easy to talk to. ¡°Move away,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to the woman. It was not loud, but the woman¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She retracted her hand resentfully. Su Xiaoxiao unbuttoned the other party¡¯s clothes and lowered her head to listen to him. Her fingertips walked across his ribs. A girl took off a man¡¯s clothes in public and stuck to his body¡­ Shameless! This woman could not be married off! Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care about everyone¡¯s strange gazes. She flipped her fingers took out a disposable needle, and stabbed it into the other party¡¯s chest! ¡°Ah¡ª¡± The woman did not expect her to stab her son with a needle. What was she doing? Was it murder?! A vendor shouted, ¡°Heavens! Murder!¡± The woman pounced at Su Xiaoxiao. Physician Fu strode forward and stopped the woman. The woman struggled on the ground and punched and kicked Physician Fu. ¡°You killed someone! You killed someone! Someone! Help! Murder!¡± ¡°What nonsense!¡± Doctor Hu also rushed over to stop Su Xiaoxiao. At this moment, the man on the ground who could not breathe suddenly took a deep breath. Then, he began to breathe heavily and opened his tired eyes. A passerby pointed at the man and shouted, ¡°Look! He¡¯s alive!¡± Everyone looked at the man on the ground and saw that the man who had lost consciousness just now had really woken up. Doctor Hu was stunned. This girl¡­ used a method to kill someone. How did she wake him up? Su Xiaoxiao pinched the needle with one hand and pressed his shoulder with the other. ¡°Don¡¯t be agitated and don¡¯t move.¡± The man looked at Su Xiaoxiao with cold sweat. He knew better than anyone that he was really about to die just now¡­ The woman didn¡¯t hear her. She was immersed in her fierce resistance. ¡°You killed my son! You killed my son¡­ beasts¡­ you bastards¡­¡± A young man couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and shouted at her, ¡°Auntie! Your son is awake! ¡± ¡°My son¡­ what?¡± The woman was stunned and craned her neck to look behind Physician Fu. His son happened to look at her. Their eyes met. The woman was excited. ¡°Son¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao pulled out the needle and said to the man, ¡°One of your ribs is broken and injured your lungs, causing a pneumothorax. The danger of the first step has been resolved, but you still need follow-up treatment to prevent your condition from worsening.¡± The man nodded slightly. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Whether you stay in Benevolence Hall for treatment or go to our Number One Hall is up to you.¡± The man was about to speak weakly when Doctor Hu said first, ¡°Nonsense! Why didn¡¯t he say that he had a fracture?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡°He said that his entire body hurt. Didn¡¯t you hear him?¡± Everyone¡¯s discomfort and sensitivity to pain were different. Under the influence of many injuries and psychological factors, they might not be able to accurately determine the pain point. Such a situation was rare, but it was not impossible. If the doctor was more careful, he would be able to discover it after unbuttoning his clothes and touching his bones carefully. Doctor Hu choked. ¡°He, he fell from the carriage. Of course, he hurt all over! His situation at that time was not like what you said! If he really broke his bones and stabbed his lungs, he would not have been able to last until here!¡± He realized that this was his only chance to salvage his reputation. As long as he proved that this girl¡¯s diagnosis was wrong and deliberately emphasized the patient¡¯s condition, they would be labeled a scam! Su Xiaoxiao took off her gloves indifferently. ¡°You¡¯re right. His condition at that time was indeed not so bad. At first, he only had a broken rib, and you didn¡¯t notice it in time. You thought that he was injured by a collision, so it¡¯s normal for it to hurt. When you restored his right arm, you caused second damage to his ribs, so you stabbed his lungs and caused the pneumothorax. This was also the reason why he suddenly couldn¡¯t breathe and fell to the ground.¡± If someone wanted to court death, there was no stopping them. Everyone was enlightened. So that was how it was! The dignified Benevolence Hall had actually almost caused someone to die. If not for this little fat girl, the consequences would be unimaginable! Doctor Hu felt like he had been hit by a stick, and his head buzzed. Why did he have to ask? Chapter 339 - Chapter 339: Famous Overnight Chapter 339: Famous Overnight Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The surrounding commoners looked at Su Xiaoxiao. Just now, they had been questioning her and had nothing good to say. Was this a slap in the face? ¡°No wonder she wanted to stab him just now. She was giving him blood.¡± ¡°In that case, the young lady¡¯s medical skills are quite brilliant.¡± ¡°What¡¯s their medical center called again?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would never go to their place to get treatment?¡± ¡°Ahem, did I say that?¡± The woman also reacted. She knew it. Her son had been fine on the way here. He could stand and walk, but he could not move his arm. However, after being treated by this useless doctor, he immediately fell to the ground and fainted, almost suffocating¡­ The woman was furious and scratched at Doctor Hu. ¡°You harmed my son!¡± Doctor Hu hurriedly dodged. ¡°I didn¡¯t! She was talking nonsense! Don¡¯t be deceived by her! I¡­¡± The woman scratched at him again! Thinking that he had almost killed her son, the woman was merciless. Doctor Hu fled. Su Xiaoxiao pressed the bleeding point of the patient¡¯s wound. ¡°Have you thought about it?¡± The man asked weakly, ¡°What¡¯s your surname?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°My surname is Su.¡± The man said softly, ¡°Physician Su, please treat me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and looked at the woman who was chasing after her. ¡°Madam?¡± ¡°Damn it! Don¡¯t let me see you again!¡± The woman put her shoes back on and turned to her son, looking at Su Xiaoxiao awkwardly. She had scolded her so fiercely just now and felt a little embarrassed now. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t let her off. She said calmly, ¡°If Madam has no objections, I¡¯ll get someone to carry your son in.¡± The woman said resentfully, ¡°Ah, yes, yes, thank you.¡± On the other side, Little Weizi and Chef Cao had already prepared the stretcher. Seeing Su Xiaoxiao nod at the two of them, the two of them quickly carried the stretcher over. Although they had not opened for business for the past few days, Su Xiaoxiao would teach everyone the most basic first aid measures every night. Because there were not enough people, Chef Cao and his wife, Madam Yang, were no exception. The two of them took one end each. Little Weizi: ¡°One, two, three, go!¡± The two of them quickly carried him up. No one had ever seen such a¡­ board. For a moment, it was strange. ¡°It¡¯s not a board. Is it made of cloth?¡± ¡°It seems a little harder than a cloth.¡± ¡°There are quite a lot of good things.¡± Everyone spoke until Su Xiaoxiao and the others entered Number One Hall. Su Xiaoxiao asked Little Weizi and Chef Cao to carry him to the room on the first floor. The furnishings in the wing were simple. Two narrow beds, two nightstands, two stools, a large closet, and a few rows of strange hanging rods at the top. Gone. The woman looked around the room strangely and thought to herself that this new medical center was really poor. She could not even afford decent furniture, and the bed was so small¡­ Ying¡¯er and Du Juan had already made the two beds. Little Weizi and Chef Cao carried him to a bed. The next question was, how were they going to move him to the bed with the stretcher? After all, Ah Zhong was not around tonight¡­ Physician Fu immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Du Juan, give me a hand.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked forward and placed the patient on the bed. The man was speechless. His mother was speechless. Everyone was speechless. On the other hand, after Doctor Hu was scratched and fled into the did not immediately return to his residence. Instead, he went to the Hu fa and explained what had happened today. Their Benevolence Hall had been operating in the capital for so many yea had never caused any trouble. If something really happened, they had to t of a way to resolve it in time. Tonight¡¯s matter was strange. In front of so many commoners, it had the reputation of Benevolence Hall. Hu Jiusheng and his brother, Hu Haitao, sat at the head of the reception h Hu Haitao was the boss of Benevolence Hall, but everyone knew very well Hu Jiusheng was the real boss. Hu Jiusheng¡¯s son, Hu Hui, was also there. The Hu family had joined the Jing family. With the connections of the Jim family, Hu Hui had private interactions with Xiao Zhonghua. Doctor Hu exaggerated the incident. He glossed over what the patient sai( about being in pain all over, and added that he had asked him if he had ch pain. ¡°He said it didn¡¯t hurt. Who would have thought?¡± Doctor Hu looked aggrieved. ¡°He couldn¡¯t describe his condition clearly and delayed my diagnosis. I said that I would go to the Benevolence Hall to take a closer look at him. They said that it was too late and that they had to treat him quickly so that they could go home¡­¡± Hu Jiusheng and Hu Haitao frowned. Hu Jiusheng asked, ¡°You said that the doctor from the pharmacy next door saved him?¡± Doctor Hu cleared his throat and said, ¡°A¡­ medical woman. She¡¯s chubby and strong. She might have injured him!¡± Hu Hui asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the patient had fallen to the ground first before the people from the medical center next door approached?¡± Doctor Hu choked. The Hu family was not stupid. They were in public. Unless the neighboring pharmacy wanted to be jailed, how could they injure someone on the streets to treat him? This was a major mistake. Regardless of whether the patient had clearly described his condition, it was negligent of him to miss a diagnosis and misdiagnose, causing a second injury. ¡°You just said that she was fat¡­¡± Hu Hui thought of the day he rode the pleasure boat to the lake with the Third Prince, Young Marquis Jing, and Princess Hui An. He had also encountered a little fat girl with brilliant medical skills. ¡°Could it be her?¡± Hu Hui muttered. Hu Jiusheng looked at his son. ¡°Hui¡¯er, who do you think it is?¡± Hu Hui said to his father, ¡°I mentioned it to Father. Last time, a girl saved someone who was drowning on the pleasure boat. The patient lost his pulse for a while, so she pressed it a few times and woke him up! But isn¡¯t she a maidservant of the Wei family? Why is she in the pharmacy next door? Could it be that¡­ the Wei family owns the pharmacy next door?¡± Hu Jiusheng called the family steward over. ¡°Go investigate.¡± The steward agreed. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± In the medical center, Su Xiaoxiao treated the patient¡¯s injuries and let him take the medicine. The patient did not feel so uncomfortable and fell asleep. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the sleeping patient. ¡°Someone has to keep an eye on him tonight. ¡± ¡°I¡¯ll watch,¡± Little Weizi said. Su Xiaoxiao said to the woman beside the bed, ¡°Madam, your son needs to be observed at the medical center for a night. He can only go back tomorrow after the situation stabilizes.¡± The woman had seen her son saved by her with her own eyes and changed her opinion of her a lot. How could she have any objections? She held Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and said excitedly, ¡°Doctor, go ahead and treat him.. It¡¯s fine if he stays for ten days to half a month! My son lives here!¡± Chapter 340 - Chapter 340: Torturing the Scumbag (1) Chapter 340: Torturing the Scumbag (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao and Physician Fu left the room. It was not convenient for Physician Fu to ask in front of the patient. Now that they were the only ones left in the hall, he voiced his doubts. ¡°How did you tell that his ribs were broken?¡± Su Xiaoxiao recalled, ¡°When the doctor of Benevolence Hall asked him where he hurt? Although he said that he hurt all over, his hand subconsciously touched his chest.¡± Physician Fu asked, ¡°So you determined that his chest was fractured?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head slightly. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to conclude based on this alone. After the doctor of Benevolence Hall reattached his arm, he showed shallow and fast breathing. Shallow and fast breathing is commonly seen in cases of asthma, pneumonia, chest fluid, and pneumothorax. Coupled with my previous observation of him, I concluded that he had a pneumothorax, and it¡¯s very likely that his ribs were broken and his lungs were injured.¡± Hearing this, Physician Fu was filled with admiration. He sighed. ¡°It was so noisy. You actually recognized his breathing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s not based on listening, but on observation. The length and depth of everyone¡¯s breathing can be determined by the rise and fall of their chest and abdominal cavity, as well as their body language.¡± This was really¡­ observant. Of course, such a thing had to be determined by talent. Some doctors might not have Miss Su¡¯s detailed and precise insight after practicing medicine for ten or twenty years. Chef Cao made supper and called everyone up to eat. After working for half the night, everyone was indeed a little hungry. Su Xiaoxiao first went to see the three little ones sleeping soundly in Madam Yang¡¯s room. The three little ones looked for her at night. No one could coax them, so she didn¡¯t go back, and neither did they. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Madam Yang. Madam Yang hurriedly said, ¡°Look at what Boss is saying. I didn¡¯t do anything. The three children are very obedient.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re not familiar with you yet¡­¡± When there were more familiar in the future, she would deeply experience the vigorous energy of the three little ones. Chef Cao came over and asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Boss, should we send some to that madam?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Go ask her if she wants it. ¡°Aye!¡± Chef Cao went. That madam was in a worse state than them. She had not eaten dinner and was already starving. When she heard that there was food, she was not picky and asked the chef to bring her a bowl. Chef Cao made chicken soup noodles and vegetable balls. They were both easy to digest. Su Xiaoxiao asked Ying¡¯er to call Little Weizi over. Everyone gathered around the table for supper. To be honest, just two hours ago, they were worried if their medical center had any business. After all, the Benevolence Hall was next door. Wasn¡¯t opening their shop beside it courting death? Unexpectedly, before they opened, the first customer came. Although the patient was at the entrance to Benevolence Hall, it was their Number One Hall that saved the patient! ¡°Boss is so awesome!¡± Ying¡¯er said with a smile. Su Xiaoxiao was the boss, and Physician Fu was the second boss and Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s master. This was their identity to the outside world. Su Xiaoxiao teased her. ¡°You¡¯re not panicking anymore?¡± Ying¡¯er chuckled. ¡°Not anymore!¡± The boss was very powerful. Their medical center would definitely be able to treat many patients in the future! Su Xiaoxiao was going to the Palace School the next day. The opening and subsequent treatment of the patient were handed over to Physician Fu. Ah Zhong was not around, so Little Weizi helped Su Xiaoxiao carry the children back. After arriving home, Su Xiaoxiao went to Su Ergou¡¯s room to take a look before returning to her room to sleep. She entered the pharmacy again. Su Xiaoxiao had almost figured out the pattern. The pharmacy would reward her once at the end of the month. If she treated a critical patient, the pharmacy would also reward her once. The reward was occasionally delayed, but it would not exceed three days. This time, it was a bottle of digestive enzymes developed by the base. This medicine¡­ seemed a little useless¡­ The next morning was Teacher Jiang¡¯s class. In her previous life, it was not a problem for her to stay up for three days and three nights, but who asked this body to not sleep well? She endured the first lesson muddle-headedly. During class, she rested her forehead on the table and slept for a while, but she could not wake up. When Master Jiang returned to the classroom and saw this scene, he was furious. It was fine if she was at the bottom every day, but she actually fell asleep in his class! Master Jiang picked up the ruler beside him and was about to slap Su Xiaoxiao. Princess Jingning unleashed her aura and glared at Master Jiang coldly. Give it a try?! Master Jiang was speechless. At noon, Princess Jing Ning brought Su Xiaoxiao to the Taili Pond Pavilion in the harem for lunch.. Chapter 341 - Chapter 341: Torturing the Scumbag (2) Chapter 341: Torturing the Scumbag (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She didn¡¯t like to bring Su Xiaoxiao back to Kunning Palace. It was not that Su Xiaoxiao was not qualified, but that Kunning Palace was too cold. The more she interacted with it, the more she did not want to bring Su Xiaoxiao to that impersonal palace. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care. She did not curry favor with the empress. Wouldn¡¯t she just eat wherever she went? The only request she had mentioned was that there were too many dishes and it was a serious waste. Today, the imperial kitchen made wild bass soup, stewed chicken with small mushrooms, fermented eggplant, and stir-fried cabbage. It was really delicious. However, as Su Xiaoxiao ate, she fell asleep with a thud. Princess Jingning wondered, ¡°What did you do last night?¡± ¡°Miss Su, Miss Su.¡± Taozhi called out twice. Princess Jingning said softly, ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t disturb her. Let her sleep. Go get my cloak.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Taozhi returned to Kunning Palace and carried a cloak over, carefully covering Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Take away the food.¡± Princess Jingning said. She had no appetite eating alone. Princess Jingning sat in the pavilion for a while with her book. Su Xiaoxiao slept soundly. The palace servants¡¯ jaws dropped. Miss Su was the first person in the world to dare to make the legitimate princess wait like this. Not long after Princess Jingning sat down, Aunt Mei came over from the palace. She said that the empress had asked Princess Jingning to go to Yong Shou Palace with her to visit the Empress Dowager. ¡°She was frightened by the wind at night and coughed a little.¡± Aunt Mei said. Princess Jingning couldn¡¯t reject this. She kept the Taozhi at the pavilion. An hour later, Su Xiaoxiao woke up. Taozhi let out a long sigh. If Miss Su didn¡¯t wake up, she wouldn¡¯t know what to do. Should she wake Miss Su up for class or let Miss Su continue sleeping¡ª Taozhi thoughtfully fetched a basin of water and placed a clean towel. Su Xiaoxiao thanked her and washed her face, looking much more energetic. Taozhi sent Su Xiaoxiao to the Palace Academy to study. Su Xiaoxiao knew the way, but since Princess Jingning had instructed Taozhi to guard her, Taozhi had to do it beautifully and finish it. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t refuse. This time, the two of them did not walk through the peach garden. Instead, they slowly walked along the pool toward the exit of the harem. When she passed by the small pond near the Bright Moon Pavilion, she met a few daughters who were admiring fish outside. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care at first until she heard herself. ¡°That countryside girl is too much! How could she do such a crazy thing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. To think that I thought she was just from the countryside and didn¡¯t know the rules. She¡¯s ultimately not a bad person. I didn¡¯t expect her to actually injure the patient and forcefully bring the patient to her medical center for treatment! How is this different from being a bandit? Is no one going to care?¡± Lin Ruyue snorted. ¡°How can we care about such things? Unless the patient reports it to the officials himself, we can¡¯t do anything!¡± Miss Wang smiled. ¡°Everyone, stop talking. When Miss Hu comes over later and hears us discussing Benevolence Hall, she will be sad.¡± Lin Ruyue sighed. ¡°The Benevolence Hall is so pitiful. How did they end up with such a scoundrel?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Miss Wang coughed heavily. Lin Ruyue was in a good mood and didn¡¯t notice Miss Wang¡¯s hint at all. She continued, ¡°I heard that her mother passed away a long time ago. A eldest daughter like her has no mother. No wonder she didn¡¯t learn¡­¡± Before she could finish, Su Xiaoxiao walked over with a cold expression. Miss Wang hurriedly tugged at her sleeve. ¡°Ahem!¡± Lin Ruyue sensed something and turned around. A trace of guilt and embarrassment flashed across her eyes. However, she would not show weakness in front of a country girl. She bluffed and said, ¡°Did I say something wrong? You had no mother¡ªAh!¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t waste her breath on her. She grabbed her collar and threw her into the water! This scene stunned everyone. In the past, they had ridiculed this girl a lot. This girl always looked indifferent. They thought she had no temper¡­ Lin Ruyue did not know how to swim and struggled in the water for a long time before she was saved by the eunuchs and palace maids at the side. Lin Ruyue sat on the grass wetly and wanted to curse, ¡°Su, are you crazy?¡± However, when she met Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze, she choked. Now that class was approaching, Princess Hui An came over from Qi Xiang Palace. She saw movement here and walked over with the palace maid. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Lin Ruyue instantly seemed to have seen a life-saving straw.. Her eyes turned red as she cried to Princess Hui An, ¡°Princess, Miss Su pushed me into the water! Please mete out justice for me!¡± Chapter 342 - Chapter 342: Torturing the Scumbag (3) Chapter 342: Torturing the Scumbag (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This girl was close to Princess Jingning, and Princess Hui An and Princess Jingning had always been at odds. If there was an opportunity to suppress Princess Jingning, Princess Hui An would definitely not let it go easily, right? Su was dead meat! Princess Hui An raised her chin arrogantly and questioned Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Why did you push Miss Lin into the water?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Princess Hui An. Lin Ruyue struck while the iron was hot, not giving Su Xiaoxiao a chance to defend herself. ¡°She was domineering in the capital. I was just stating the facts just now, but she pushed me into the water in anger?¡± Princess Hui An asked, ¡°Why is she domineering?¡± Lin Ruyue complained, ¡°In order to snatch the business of Benevolence Hall, their medical center deliberately injured the guests of Benevolence Hall!¡± Princess Hui An placed her hands on her hips and said, ¡°Is there actually such a thing? Miss Su, you¡¯re too much!¡± Seeing this, Taozhi thought to herself that there was trouble. Her master was not around, and no one here could suppress Princess Hui An. Miss Su was doomed¡­ Taozhi¡¯s hearing was not as good as Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s, so she really didn¡¯t hear the conversation between the ladies just now. She did not understand why Miss Su suddenly attacked Miss Lin. But she believed in Miss Su¡¯s character. She rushed forward and said, ¡°Princess Hui An, there must be something going on¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Princess Hui An would not give Jingning¡¯s palace maidany courtesy. Princess Hui An said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Hurry up and apologize to Miss Lin and beg for her forgiveness! Otherwise, I¡¯ll definitely punish you severely today!¡± ¡°The Grand Empress Dowager has arrived¡­¡± Accompanied by the eunuch¡¯s voice, a bright yellow phoenix carriage slowly walked towards everyone. Princess Hui An and the daughters hurriedly turned around and bowed respectfully. Su Xiaoxiao looked up at the figure in the gauze curtain. She had not seen the Grand Empress Dowager since that day. In the phoenix carriage, the Grand Empress Dowager said coldly, ¡°What happened?¡± Princess Hui An told him what had happened. She did not add fuel to the fire or distort it maliciously. She repeated what Lin Ruyue said. The Grand Empress Dowager didn¡¯t ask Su Xiaoxiao. Instead, she looked at the daughters other than Su Xiaoxiao and Lin Ruyue. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± She was asking everyone for testimony. Lin Ruyue was not afraid. They couldn¡¯t stand that girl like her, so they wouldn¡¯t speak up for her! As soon as this thought flashed through her mind, an inconspicuous young lady slowly walked out. ¡°Grand¡­ Grand Empress Dowager, I¡­ have something to say.¡± ¡°Whose house are you from?¡± ¡°The Lu family,¡± Lu Ying said. The trusted eunuch beside the phoenix carriage whispered, ¡°Two daughters of the Lu family came to participate in the election. One is from the original wife, and the other is from the second wife. This one is from the second wife.¡± The Grand Empress Dowager raised her hand calmly. Her trusted eunuch bowed and retreated. ¡°Miss Lu,¡± the Empress Dowager said. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Lu Ying bit her lip and said, ¡°Miss Lin hurt Miss Su with her words.¡± Lin Ruyue frowned! Lu Ying pinched her handkerchief to embolden herself and continued, ¡°Miss Lin said that Miss Su lost her mother since she was young and is the eldest daughter of a widower. She has a mother but no mother to raise her¡­ She lacks upbringing! ¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone¡¯s scalps began to tingle. It was over. It was really over. Why didn¡¯t they speak up for that girl just now? Did they really want to protect Lin Ruyue more? It was because¡­ they did not dare to say these words! Everyone knew that the Grand Empress Dowager had lost her mother at a young age and her father at the age of ten. She had no choice but to join her distant cousin, the Guo family. Didn¡¯t Lin Ruyue¡¯s scolding of that girl hit the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s sore spot? Chapter 343 - Chapter 343: Backing Her Up Chapter 343: Backing Her Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone was terrified. Bai Xihe was not angry. Her tone was clear and calm, like the wind blowing from a mountain stream. ¡°To raise a daughter like Miss Lin, Captain Lin is really well ¨C mannered. ¡± Her voice was clearly not angry, but it made everyone¡¯s hearts tighten. Lin Ruyue finally realized that she was in trouble. She never dreamed that she would provoke the Grand Empress Dowager. In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through her mind. However, compared to saving herself, she was still thinking about how things had developed to this point. She had often mocked that girl from the countryside in the palace school. The other party never took it seriously, so she became even more unrestrained. If that girl had fought with her from the beginning, perhaps she would not have been so smug¡­ ¡°Grand¡­ Grand Empress Dowager¡­¡± She looked at the woman in the phoenix carriage pleadingly, hoping that the other party would forgive her for the sake of the Lin family. Unfortunately, she was going to be disappointed. Bai Xihe said calmly, ¡°Little Yunzi.¡± The eunuch beside the phoenix carriage bowed. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao recognized him as the eunuch who had used a peach as a weapon to stand in front of the grand Empress Dowager in the peach garden last time. So his name was Little Yunzi. Little Yunzi said, ¡°What instructions do you have, Empress Dowager?¡± ¡°I remember. Miss Lin is a student of the Palace Academy?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Little Yunzi replied. Bai Xihe said, ¡°In that case, it¡¯s not appropriate for me to interfere. Go to the Palace Academy and tell them the truth about what happened today. There¡¯s no need to ask me how the Palace Academy will deal with it.¡± On the surface, these words were handed over to Palace Academy. However, the problem was that the Grand Empress Dowager had personally made an appearance. Was it certain that she did not want to ask? Lin Ruyue panicked. She knelt on the ground and pounced at Bai Xihe. ¡°Grand Empress Dowager¡­ Grand Empress Dowager¡­ ¡± The thin veil of the phoenix carriage was gently blown by the breeze. Bai Xihe Yu was sitting on the soft futon and her expression was unchanged. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her steadily and thought of how frightened she had been outside the palace that day. They were really¡­ two different people. Bai Xihe left. In this deep palace, she could stand aloof from the world, but she could not show her vulnerability to anyone. If she had been careless, she would have long been a pile of bones under the palace wall. However, what she did not expect was that people would still see her most vulnerable side. Thinking of this, Bai Xihe closed her eyes with a complicated expression. The Palace Academy had two teachers in charge, also known as the Great Masters. One was Lord Zuo from the Ministry of Rites, and the other was Lord Liao from the Hanlin Academy. They managed the Palace Academy together. When they saw Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s favorite come over, the two of them were so shocked that they almost wore their official hats crooked. If the Empress or Empress Dowager had sent someone over, they would think it was normal. Why did the Grand Empress Dowager, who never interfered in the harem, interfere in the matters of the Palace Academy? It was not until Little Yunzi finished that the two of them understood what was going on. After Little Yunzi left, the two of them looked at each other and sighed. Lord Zuo of the Ministry of Rites said, ¡°Old Niao (pee), what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Liao!¡± Lord Liao corrected him. Lord Zuo waved his hand. ¡°Sigh, why are you still fussing about this at a time like this?¡± Hanlin officials loved to nitpick! Lord Liao had a headache. If the Grand Empress Dowager really didn¡¯t want to interfere, she wouldn¡¯t have asked someone to come over personally. However, Miss Lin¡¯s background¡­ was not low. The four great military families of Great Zhou were the Wei family, the Qin family, the Su family, and the Leng family. Correspondingly, there were also four civil servants¡¯ families: the Wang family, the Jing family, the Guo family, and the Lu family. In recent years, because of several incidents, the Lu family¡¯s status was not as good as before. It was faintly on the verge of being replaced by the Lin family. Among them, Captain Lin was the cousin of the Empress Dowager. This was very awkward. On one side was the Grand Empress Dowager, and on the other was Captain Lin and the Empress Dowager. What could they do to not offend both sides? ¡°It¡¯s impossible not to offend someone. Choose one,¡± Lord Zuo said resignedly. The Empress Dowager was the emperor¡¯s biological mother. In terms of connections, she was naturally better. However, back then, when the late emperor inherited the throne from his nephew, it attracted many criticisms. In order to stop everyone from talking, the late emperor did not dare to slight the Empress Dowager at all. Emperor Jing Xuan carried out his father¡¯s dying wish and treated the Grand Empress Dowager well. The Grand Empress Dowager had done a beautiful job. She could clearly get the daughter of a small family to get out of the Palace Academy with a decree, but she had to push it to them and let them be the source of injustice for offending the Empress Dowager and Captain Lin. Speaking of which, Lin Ruyue had indeed gone overboard. Since the matter had already spread, it was inevitable that people would suspect that the Palace Academy was unfair if she was not severely punished. Even the reputation of the two princesses would be affected. In the end, the two of them decided to expel Lin Ruyue. Lin Ruyue waited in the classroom with trepidation. She knew that she had caused a huge disaster this time and would definitely be punished, but she did not expect to be expelled from the palace school. Why? It was just because she scolded that girl for not having a mother. ¡°I wasn¡¯t disrespecting the Grand Empress Dowager! I was scolding that girl¡­ In the small garden outside the classroom, she cried. Not a single daughter came to comfort her. Who asked her to provoke the Grand Empress Dowager? Everyone could not wait to avoid suspicion. ¡°Miss Hu! Miss Hu!¡± In her panic, she saw Hu Biyun walking towards her. Hu Biyun had also heard about this from the palace servants. She was about to turn around and pretend not to hear it when Lin Ruyue rushed to her. Lin Ruyue grabbed her wrist. ¡°Miss Hu! Imperial Physician Hu has been a popular person with His Majesty and the Empress recently. Help me plead for leniency! Tell them not to expel me from the palace school¡­¡± Hu Biyun brushed away Lin Ruyue¡¯s hand without a trace and said with a regretful expression, ¡°Miss Lin, I want to help you too, but my father is busy with the Imperial Hospital¡­ The Empress Dowager¡¯s phoenix body is incompatible¡­ My father hasn¡¯t returned to the residence for a few days. It¡¯s difficult for me to even see him¡­ Forgive me for being unable to help.¡± How great honor was it to be able to treat the Empress Dowager? It was unknown if Hu Biyun was rejecting or showing off. Lin Ruyue looked at her in disappointment. ¡°You just don¡¯t want to help me, right?¡± Hu Biyun opened her mouth. ¡°Miss Lin¡­¡± Lin Ruyue said excitedly, ¡°I reprimanded that girl to stand up for you! You were the one who told me that that girl used tricks to snatch your Benevolence Hall¡¯s business, so I stood up for you! Why are you doing this to me?¡± Hu Biyun said in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t beg you.¡± Lin Ruyue shouted, ¡°Hu Biyun!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to class, Miss Lin. Excuse me.¡± With that, Hu Biyun entered the classroom without looking back. The Lin family had risen rapidly, but Lin Ruyue was just a daughter of a concubine! Chapter 344 - Chapter 344: Protective Family (1) Chapter 344: Protective Family (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lin Ruyue was dealt with. This was the first serious incident in more than half a month since the Palace Academy started school. Lin Ruyue was originally the daughter of a concubine in the family. She relied on her talent to enter the palace school. If everything went smoothly, her status as a princess¡¯s companion would increase her net worth. However, with this incident, her reputation was ruined. It would be difficult to say that she could be married to a good family in the future. Everyone could not help but be shocked. It was said that accompanying a ruler was like accompanying a tiger. One had to be careful in the palace. Su Xiaoxiao was also in the wrong today. No matter how unreasonable Lin Ruyue was, she shouldn¡¯t have pushed her into the water. She was punished to copy the Analects. This punishment¡­ was honestly considered light. ¡°Why do you think she¡¯s so lucky?¡± a young lady muttered. Everyone knew why the punishment was so painless. From the beginning to the end, the Grand Empress Dowager did not scold her. This meant that the Grand Empress Dowager agreed with her actions. Of course, no one thought that the Grand Empress Dowager was protecting Su Xiaoxiao. In everyone¡¯s opinion, the Grand Empress Dowager was just too angry at Lin Ruyue, so she would not punish Su Xiaoxiao for teaching Lin Ruyue a lesson. As for the Grand Empress Dowager doing this, wasn¡¯t she afraid that the world would laugh at her for being unfair? They were clearly all wrong. Could it be that because Su Xiaoxiao had ¡°pleased¡± her, she had pardoned the other party¡¯s sins? The Grand Empress Dowager had no husband, no children, and no mother. When one had nothing to ask for, they naturally had nothing to fear. No matter what happened, she had no desires. The relationship between the royal court and the harem was intertwined. Any seemingly inconspicuous matter might have countless interests hidden behind it. Strictly speaking, it was not a small matter for the Lin family¡¯s daughter to be expelled. The Empress Dowager would definitely ask. The Empress Dowager would not go against the Grand Empress Dowager, but in order to give the Lin family an explanation, would she find a reason to punish that little girl? After school, the two princesses went to Yongshou Palace to greet the Empress Dowager. Princess Hui An glanced at Princess Jingning coldly. ¡°Why are you so close to Princess Jing Ning¡¯s eyelashes trembled as she said without changing her expression, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been hesitating about telling you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Princess Hui An asked angrily. Princess Jing Ning said seriously, ¡°Lin Ruyue¡­ once said bad things about you. She said that you¡­ have big breasts and no brains¡­ you¡¯re an idiot.¡± Princess Hui An was speechless! Fifteen minutes later, Princess Hui An stormed into the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom. Princess Jingning stood at the door and listened to her stupid sister complain about Lin Ruyue indignantly. She was like an angry little fighting chicken. ¡°I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care! If Grandmother lets her come back, I won¡¯t come to Eternal Life Palace again!¡± ¡°Why ask her to come here to explain? She definitely won¡¯t admit it! She lied to me at Ming Yuexuan in the afternoon!¡± ¡°Jingning told me! She definitely won¡¯t lie to me!¡± Jingning never lied. That was indeed the case before today. Su Xiaoxiao left the palace and got into Su Mot s carriage leisurely. Su MO looked at her calm expression. If not for the fact that he had a spy, Eunuch Sun, he would never have guessed that this girl had fought with someone in the palace. That didn¡¯t seem right. It was a one-sided thrashing by the little girl. Su MO said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Tell you what?¡± Su MO looked at her like an elder brother. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°There¡¯s indeed such a thing.¡± She slowly placed the book bag on the table. ¡°The master punished me to copy the Analects.¡± Su MO asked, ¡°What happened? Have you eaten the cause and effect?¡± This matter did not end so easily. Su Yuan worked in the Ministry of War, and opposite him was the office of the three dukes. It was almost time to leave the palace. Captain Lin packed up and planned to leave. Just as he reached the door, a subordinate came to report, ¡°His Majesty has summoned you to the imperial study.¡± Captain Lin held an important position and it was normal for him to be summoned. He did not think too much about it and immediately went. When he arrived at the imperial study, he realized that Su Yuan was also there. The Lin family had been in their camp since Emperor Jing Xuan was still Prince Ruyang, and so had the Su family. Because of this, the two families were still considered harmonious in the officialdom. In addition, the Lin family originally wanted to get married to the Su family, and Su Yuan agreed. However, Su MO and his second daughter were not compatible, so this marriage could only be dropped. His eldest daughter was already married. His third daughter, Lin Ruyue, was compatible with Su Mo. However, Lin Ruyue was a concubine¡¯s daughter. As the heir of the Marquis of Zhenbei, Su MO naturally would not marry a concubine¡¯s daughter.. Chapter 345 - Chapter 345: Protective Family (2) Chapter 345: Protective Family (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Captain Lin bowed to Emperor Jing Xuan and greeted Su Yuan, ¡°Minister Su.¡± They did not become in-laws, but they did not become enemies. Who knew that Su Yuan would ignore him? Captain Lin looked confused. Emperor Jing Xuan said calmly, ¡°Captain Lin, Minister Su has made a complaint against you.¡± Captain Lin was even more confused. He didn¡¯t seem to have offended Su Yuan, right? What was Su Yuan going to do with him? If anyone were to receive a complaint, it would be the Leng and Wei families! Seeing Captain Lin¡¯s expression, Emperor Jing Xuan knew that he had not heard about Lin Ruyue. Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Minister Su, you didn¡¯t teach your daughter well and offended the Grand Empress Dowager.¡± Captain Lin was really baffled. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± he asked in surprise. Su Yuan snorted coldly. ¡°Captain Lin, why don¡¯t you go home and ask your good daughter?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan actually had a headache. It was not easy for Wei Ting to stop causing trouble. He was now serving as a teacher in exchange for not being grounded. Then, Su Yuan caused trouble again. As the king of a country, what nonsense did he have to deal with all day long? Eunuch Fu observed his expression. Seeing that Emperor Jing Xuan had no intention of stopping him, he told him what had happened near the Bright Moon Pavilion. ¡°That¡¯s what happened!¡± Su Yuan said. Su Yuan refused to mention that Su Xiaoxiao had pushed Lin Ruyue into the water for personal reasons. He said righteously, ¡°My niece really couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and was afraid that your daughter would say something that would kill her, so she helped her in a moment of desperation!¡± Captain Lin was speechless. Did she help by pushing his daughter into the water? Was he sure this was a favor? Not a lesson? How could anyone distort the truth like this these days? Su Yuan only emitted one message¡ªMy niece is too kind. Hurry up and thank her! Captain Lin was about to vomit blood. He really did not know that Lin Ruyue had caused such huge trouble in the Palace Academy. Actually, anyone with discerning eyes could tell that Lin Ruyue was scolding the daughter of the Protector Duke who had returned from the commoners, but she had bumped into the Grand Empress Dowager. The Grand Empress Dowager was indeed furious. This was a little confusing. It was impossible to absolve Lin Ruyue. It would be akin to challenging the Grand Empress Dowager. Although the Empress Dowager did not have any real power, she was a cover for the royal family. Back then, when the late emperor inherited the throne from his nephew, it attracted countless doubts. The late Emperor¡¯s lineage did not dare to let the Grand Empress Dowager suffer any grievances. At least on the surface, they did not dare to. Captain Lin braced himself and took the blame. ¡°I¡­ have failed to teach my daughter¡­ I¡¯m willing to be punished!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said seriously, ¡°You shall be fined half a year¡¯s salary. In addition, you don¡¯t have to worry about supervising the Divine Bow Camp for now. You should spend more effort teaching your children.¡± It did not matter if his salary was fined or not, but supervising the Divine Bow Camp was a lucrative job! Moreover, the Lin family had been gaining momentum in the past two years. They had a chance of replacing the Lu family as one of the eight great families thanks to his supervisory work at the Divine Bow Camp. Wasn¡¯t this all for naught?! Emperor Jing Xuan asked indifferently, ¡°Why? Do you think my punishment is too heavy?¡± Captain Lin cupped his hands and knelt down. ¡°I don¡¯t dare. I¡¯m willing to be punished!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan continued, ¡°Minister Su, I¡¯ll leave the Divine Bow Camp to you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Yuan was stunned. Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Why? Are you unhappy?¡± Su Yuan hurriedly bowed and said, ¡°Thank you for your high regard, Your Majesty. I¡¯m flattered!¡± He was only here to seek justice for his little niece. How did he receive a fat job in retain? Captain Lin returned to the residence angrily. ¡°Call Third Miss over!¡± Lin Ruyue had suffered a lot today and was waiting for her father to come back and seek justice for her. When ordinary people heard that their parents wanted to see them after causing trouble, their first reaction would definitely be guilt. Lin Ruyue¡¯s mind was strange. She actually felt that she could complain to her father. Su Daya and Hu Biyun were both bad people! ¡°Father¡­ Her eyes turned red and she was about to complain. Captain Lin slapped her. ¡°Evil creature!¡± After the Old Marquis was bedridden, Su MO spent much more time in the military camp than before. He did not come from the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate to pick Su Xiaoxiao up every day. He came from the military camp. After sending Su Xiaoxiao back to Pear Blossom Lane, he returned to the military camp. The difference was that he did not come out to train tonight. The soldiers felt strange. The eldest young master, who had trained harder than anyone else, suddenly became lazy. ¡°Is he not in the military camp?¡± ¡°Yes, I saw Eldest Young Master come over with my own eyes. If you don¡¯t believe me, look. The lights in his tent are on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I even delivered food to Eldest Young Master tonight!¡± ¡°Did something happen¡­¡± The few of them hurriedly went to Su Mo¡¯s tent. Listening to his breathing, he was alive. Looking at the shadow¡­ he was definitely not dead. The few of them squeezed their heads through the gap in the curtain curiously. Then, the rough men were all dumbfounded. Their eldest young master was actually sitting obediently in the tent¡­ copying books one by one?! Su Xiaoxiao went home for dinner and went to the first hall with her three cute tails. The three little ones went to the backyard to play obediently. They were very clingy to Su Xiaoxiao, but they never disturbed her when she was doing things. The lobby was a little cold, and the atmosphere was a little strange. On the first day of the opening, the consultation fee was not charged and the medical fee was halved. Coupled with the wave of publicity last night, logically speaking, even if today¡¯s business did not explode, it would not be so deserted. ¡°What happened?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The others did not dare to say anything and only lowered their heads, looking guilty and ashamed. ¡°Let me explain.¡± Physician Fu sighed. ¡°When we first opened, there were indeed many guests. A few of them were introduced by the onlookers last night, but at noon, a patient suddenly ran over and said that our Number One Hall¡¯s medicine had spoiled his son¡¯s stomach. He caused a commotion for a long time, and the guests were all frightened away. That¡¯s not all. The patient our Number One hall treated yesterday¡¯s mother stood up for us, but she was blamed. People said that we were in cahoots. They said she was acting to smear the reputation of Benevolence Hall.¡± ¡°Ah Zhong immediately went to report to the officials. When the officials came over, they slipped away. But the customers¡­ have long been chased by them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being useless.¡± Physician Fu lowered his head in self-reproach. ¡°If you were here today, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be like this.¡± He had seen Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s ability. No one could play tricks in front of her. Physician Fu was a kind, upright, and outstanding doctor, but he was not a shrewd businessman. Otherwise, back in town, with his medical skills, as long as he knew some marketing and competition, he would have long snatched all the business of Hui Hui Hall. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Su Xiaoxiao. She had been careless. She should have found a shopkeeper in advance. If she didn¡¯t go to school, she could be the shopkeeper¡ª ¡°I¡¯ll go to Grandma Zhou¡¯s house tonight and ask her to introduce a shopkeeper.¡± Physician Fu sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to find a shopkeeper. If we meet someone capable, just the price alone won¡¯t be able to move them. Our new medical center doesn¡¯t have any fame or status. No powerful shopkeeper is willing to come over.¡± He knew these principles. He was right. A good shopkeeper was hard to come by. Just as everyone was at a loss, a familiar voice suddenly sounded at the door. ¡°Excuse me, are you hiring a shopkeeper here?¡± Everyone looked over. Who was this person? Su Xiaoxiao said in a daze, ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± Chapter 346 - Chapter 346: Official Confrontation Chapter 346: Official Confrontation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Physician Fu also recognized him. He was extremely surprised. ¡°Manager Sun?¡± Physician Fu had seen Manager Sun a few times in town and knew that this person was originally the shopkeeper of Jin Ji. Later on, he was fired by Jin Ji and became the shopkeeper of Su Ji. Wasn¡¯t he in town taking care of Su Ji? Why did he come all the way to the capital? After not seeing him for a few months, Manager Sun had still changed a little. It was obvious that the middle-aged man¡¯s stomach was gone. Although he looked a little tired, he looked more energetic. Manager Sun carried a bag and walked into the house with a smile. He cupped his hands at Physician Fu. ¡°Doctor Fu, long time no see. How have you been?¡± ¡°How have you been?¡± Physician Fu was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head and looked at Manager Sun, who had appeared out of thin air. ¡®Why are you here?¡± Manager Sun said in a tone, ¡°Why? Am I not welcome?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Well¡­ let me think.¡± Manager Sun¡¯s face darkened. Little Weizi was a smart little medicine boy. He could tell that both parties knew each other and quickly went forward to take the other party¡¯s bag. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you since you came from afar. Give me the bag.¡± Manager Sun glanced at him and handed him the bag. ¡°Yo, young man, not bad. ¡± Little Weizi chuckled. Manager Sun looked around. ¡°A new medical center? Not bad. It¡¯s even bigger than Su Ji.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk upstairs,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Manager Sun followed. Su Xiaoxiao said to Physician Fu, ¡°Master, come here too.¡± Physician Fu followed the two of them upstairs. The three of them sat down in the accounting room. Du Juan and Ying¡¯er served tea and snacks. Manager Sun was surprised again. ¡°Yo, you even hired maidservants?¡± Su Xiaoxiao corrected him. ¡°They¡¯re not maidservants. They¡¯re medicinal assistants or medicine girls.¡± ¡°Female medicinal assistant?¡± Manager Sun glanced at the two of them thoughtfully. ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t scare my medicine girls,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said protectively. Manager Sun¡¯s face darkened again. Du Juan and Ying¡¯er held back their laughter and went downstairs. Manager Sun gulped down a few large cups of tea and finally recovered. He told her the reason why he came to the capital. ¡°¡­Jin Ji has completely courted death. Su Ji¡¯s business is thriving. There¡¯s nothing for me to worry about. I¡¯ve decided to put aside my achievements and reputation and come to the capital to continue helping you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao hit the nail on the head. ¡°You actually couldn¡¯t get along with Yuniang, right?¡± Manager Sun choked. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡± To be honest, it was not that they could not get along, but the two of them had different opinions on many issues. Moreover, the two of them had strong personalities. Su Yuniang was as strong as Su Xiaoxiao, but she did not have Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s strong fists to protect her. In that case¡­ Manager Sun was more or less unconvinced. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him strangely. ¡°So you deserve a beating?¡± ¡°Cough, cough, cough! How, how, how, how, how can you speak like this?¡± Manager Sun cleared his throat and said seriously, ¡°The common saying is right. A mountain can¡¯t tolerate two tigers unless it¡¯s a male and a female!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Aren¡¯t the two of you a male and a female?¡± Manager Sun was speechless. Manager Sun and Su Yuniang did have some disagreements, but this was not the main reason why he came to the capital. He and Su Yuniang were both people who could take charge. It was enough for Su Ji to have one of them. On the other hand, Su Xiaoxiao might need someone more. Su Yuniang¡¯s daughter was still young. She could not travel far, so Manager Sun was the one who came. On this matter, the two of them had surprisingly unanimous opinions. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I replied to your letter and Yuniang¡¯s.¡± Manager Sun waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Yuniang will send it to me when she receives it.¡± Far away in Apricot Flower Town, Su Yuniang thought, Heh, what nonsense! Manager Sun continued, ¡°I¡¯ve said enough. Let¡¯s talk about you. How have you been since you came to the capital? You¡¯ve lost so much weight. I almost didn¡¯t dare to acknowledge you just now.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s current weight was only more than 130 catties. Compared to those daughters who cherished their thinness, she was still considered a little fatty. However, as long as one had seen her weigh 200 catties, one could understand that she had completely changed. Her appearance was also much more exquisite, so Manager Sun did not evaluate her. ¡°We¡­ are alright,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Manager Sun wouldn¡¯t allow her to patronize him like this. Manager Sun stopped asking her and asked Physician Fu. Physician Fu cherished his words more than Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°We¡¯re indeed alright.¡¯ Manager Sun thought that it was no wonder he couldn¡¯t cause trouble! Su Xiaoxiao and Physician Fu were not people who could chat with others. Manager Sun was Buddhist. He would ask Ergou later. Thinking of something, Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Speaking of which, since you didn¡¯t receive my letter, how did you know I was here?¡± Manager Sun said, ¡°I know that you¡¯re a doctor in the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. I got someone to ask about the whereabouts of the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. I was just asking when I heard that a medical center was opened here and they fought with the Benevolence Hall for business. In the end, they were dealt with miserably by the Benevolence Hall.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°You added the last two sentences yourself, right?¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Manager Sun said seriously, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not wrong.¡± Physician Fu said guiltily, ¡°It was my fault.¡± Manager Sun hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart. I don¡¯t mean to blame you! You¡¯re a doctor who treats people seriously. How can you beat those who play dirty tricks? Alright, leave these messy things to me in the future. No matter what kind of monster the Benevolence Hall is, in my hands, there¡¯s only one path¡ªdeath!¡± At Benevolence Hall, Second Master Hu was sitting in the accountant¡¯s office drinking tea. At the side, Shopkeeper Wu chuckled and said, ¡°Boss, I went to take a look just now. All the customers in the first hall have left! If this continues, they will close in a few days!¡± Second Master Hu took a sip of tea in satisfaction. ¡°You did well.¡± Shopkeeper Wu hesitated and said, ¡°However¡­ I heard that the little girl from the first hall is a little related to the Wei family?¡± Second Master Hu snorted coldly. ¡°No, Big Brother got someone to ask around. The Wei family doesn¡¯t have a fat maidservant. Hui¡¯er must have made a mistake. That girl has nothing to do with Wei Ting.¡± Manager Wu smiled and said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯m relieved.¡± Second Master Hu said calmly, ¡°That girl has some ties with the Qin family. She¡¯s the granddaughter of the old Protector Duke.¡± ¡°What?¡± Manager Wu was shocked. Second Master Hu said, ¡°Look at how frightened you are. The old Protector Duke is already old and doesn¡¯t have many years left. His Majesty asked his son to compete fairly with Qin Jiang for military power. His son grew up among the commoners. How can he be Qin Jiang¡¯s match? My niece is on good terms with Qin Jiang¡¯s daughter. In the future, we¡¯ll be in the same boat.¡± Shopkeeper Wu relaxed. Second Master Hu said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid of a countryside girl. What methods do you have? Just use them and don¡¯t kill anyone.¡± Manager Wu said confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss. I know my limits.¡± Second Master Hu said coldly, ¡°This time, we originally planned to buy the He family¡¯s shop at a low price. Unexpectedly, the Number One Hall appeared halfway!¡± Manager Wu smiled and said, ¡°They can only blame themselves for overestimating themselves. They even dared to snatch the Hu family¡¯s business.. When they can¡¯t run it like the He family, we¡¯ll lower the price and buy it!¡± Chapter 347 - Chapter 347: Sister Protector Chapter 347: Sister Protector Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Manager Sun stayed in the medical hall. Other than Ah Zhong, Physician Fu and the others also stayed in the medical hall. The backyard and the back room were separated by Su Xiaoxiao into two separate courtyards. The big one had a kitchen, and Chef Cao and Madam Yang lived there. The small one was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s courtyard. There were two rooms inside. One was hers, and the other was occupied by Ying¡¯er and Du Juan. She did not live there often, but as long as it was her courtyard, no one would dare to barge in. Little Wei lived on the first floor, while Physician Fu and Manager Sun lived on the second floor. Manager Sun rushed on without stopping. He was exhausted and had long rested. He had to rest well and deal with the Benevolence Hall. Manager Sun¡¯s arrival was a timely opportunity for Su Xiaoxiao. She could free up her energy to do more things. She also asked Su Ergou to take over the snack business again. It was not only a matter of Benevolence Hall targeting the Number One Hall, but she was also targeting Benevolence Hall. The position of Benevolence Hall was really good. If she could buy it in the future, she would open a snack shop for Ergou! The next day, the second and third sons of the Su family, who had eaten their fill, brought their little cousin, Su Ergou, to school in satisfaction. Su Xiaoxiao sent the three little ones to Lingyun. Usually, it was Deng An or Master Zhang who opened the door. It had been a few days since she last saw Ling Yun. Now that she saw him today, she felt that he had changed a lot. How should he put it? He was still skinny. After all, he was only skin and bones. It was unrealistic for him to grow fat and white all at once. However, the depression in his cheeks and eye sockets was not as serious. More importantly, Su Xiaoxiao saw him eating. He held an egg pancake in his hand and frowned as he nibbled on it in disdain. He didn¡¯t vomit.. Did his anorexia improve a little? She thought so. He didn¡¯t even feel like throwing up now¡­ Just as this thought flashed through her mind, his body suddenly trembled. He clutched his chest and hurriedly ran to the backyard, vomiting. Su Xiaoxiao heard Master Zhang¡¯s furious roar. ¡°Egg pancakes? How dare you eat egg pancakes? Who allowed you to eat this?! Can you withstand this?!¡± Su Xiaoxiao heard Master Zhang¡¯s furious roar. ¡°Egg pancakes? How dare you eat egg pancakes? Who allowed you to eat this?! Can you withstand this?!¡± In the past, when Ling Yun refused to eat, Master Zhang was anxious. Now that he was eating blindly, Master Zhang was even more anxious. ¡°I was hungry.¡± ¡°Do you eat indiscriminately when you¡¯re hungry?¡± ¡°The porridge wasn¡¯t enough.¡± Master Zhang Qinshi was incredulous. The power of the three little ones was too strong. Ling Yun could not withstand it for an hour just by eating porridge. Su Xiaoxiao understood. He hadn¡¯t eaten normally for a long time, so his digestive system had become weaker. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered the digestive enzyme she got from the pharmacy. Eh, wasn¡¯t this useful? Su Xiaoxiao went home and gave the digestive enzyme to Ling Yun. Experience told her that the pharmacy¡¯s health supplement was definitely not just one effect. This bottle of digestive enzymes might be able to treat all kinds of problems in his stomach. ¡°Take it after dinner. One pill at a time.¡± This time, the pharmacy didn¡¯t let her guess the effect and gave her the instructions. She should be grateful. Ling Yun looked at the small porcelain bottle that Su Xiaoxiao handed over and frowned. ¡°Medicine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for digestion,¡± Su Xiaoxiao replied. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take medicine!¡± Ling Yun refused stubbornly. Su Xiaoxiao silently took out a box of osmanthus yam cakes that had just been baked this morning. Ling Yun was silent. After getting into Su Mo¡¯s carriage, Su Xiaoxiao blinked in shock at Su MO, who had two huge dark circles under his eyes. ¡°What were you doing last night?¡± Su MO took out a stack of paper and handed it to her with an ashen face. Su Xiaoxiao took a look. ¡°The Analects of Confucius?¡± Su MO said calmly, ¡°Weren¡¯t you punished to copy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to accept my punishment¡­ Su MO snorted. ¡°Wei Ting has never copied books for you, right?¡± He couldn¡¯t even copy books. She couldn¡¯t accept such a man! He would advise his sister to give up on Wei Ting every day. After arriving at the palace school, Su Xiaoxiao handed the Analects of Confucius to Master Jiang. Master Jiang saw that the handwriting was not Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s. A rotten tree couldn¡¯t be carved! He was too lazy to ask and let Su Xiaoxiao go back to her classroom. The classroom was a little lively today. There was no other reason than the two students from Gong School quarreling. One of them was Hu Biyun. Oh, this was new. Didn¡¯t this daughter of the Hu family like to stir up trouble behind others¡¯ backs and reap the benefits herself? Had she personally gone into battle and changed her strategy? The person she was arguing with was a daughter of the Lu family, Lu Hui. There were two daughters of the Lu Family who took the exam, and both of them were chosen. Lu Hui was the eldest daughter of the first wife, and Lu Ying, who stood up for Su Xiaoxiao during Lin Ruyue¡¯s incident, was the daughter of the second wife. It was worth mentioning that during the first riding lesson, the young lady who was saved by Su Xiaoxiao from Princess Hui An¡¯s horse was the second daughter of the Lu family, Lu Ying. No wonder she took the risk of offending the Lin family to speak up for Su Xiaoxiao. However, she rarely interacted with Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°It¡¯s my sister¡¯s face.¡± Lu Ying whispered. Su Xiaoxiao turned around and saw Lu Ying standing beside her. She spoke carefully as if she was afraid that others would see that she was whispering. Lu Hui wore a veil on her face and a Hua Sheng head accessory on her forehead, just like Princess Jingning. ¡°Oh, what happened to her face?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Lu Ying whispered, ¡°She had a pimple. After applying the ointment Miss Hu gave her, her face has gotten worse.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How serious is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Lu Ying glanced at Holly weakly. When she saw that Lu Hui wasn¡¯t looking at her, she seemed to gather her courage and said, ¡°Her face is covered in rashes. It¡¯s extremely swollen.¡± That was indeed quite serious. Even when Princess Jingning¡¯s face was covered in acne, it wasn¡¯t swollen. Princess Jingning¡¯s skin was now as good as a peeled lychee. However, because she always wore a veil in class, the daughters of the palace school were unaware of the changes in her skin. Lu Hui and Hu Biyun were in a heated argument. Hu Biyun said coldly, ¡°I was kind enough to give you the medication, but you turned the tables on me! This kind of ointment can¡¯t even be bought in a queue outside! If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have given it to you!¡± Lu Hui gritted her teeth. ¡°How am I playing the blame game? Your medicine has ruined my face!¡± Hu Biyun said sarcastically, ¡°How is it my medicine that broke your face? So many people used it, but nothing happened to them! Who knows if you ate something or applied some rouge powder that you shouldn¡¯t have!¡± Lu Hui said excitedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t! I applied it before I fell asleep last night. I washed my face and applied it directly. I didn¡¯t use rouge or powder! I didn¡¯t eat anything random!¡± Hu Biyun said coldly, ¡°Your face is obviously allergic! The illness enters through your mouth. If you say that you didn¡¯t take it, who can prove it?! My father worked hard to develop this new medicine. No matter how many people covet it, they can¡¯t buy it. If you don¡¯t want it, return it to me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the skin around her eyes and forehead. Hu Biyun was right. It looked like an allergic reaction. ¡°Here¡¯s your medicine!¡± Lu Hui said she couldn¡¯t beat her and threw the pill bottle on the floor in anger. The bottle rolled to Lu Ying¡¯s feet. Lu Ying bowed and picked it up. ¡°Can I see it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Lu Ying handed her the ointment. Su Xiaoxiao opened it and smelled it. ¡°I see.¡± Chapter 348 - Chapter 348: Face Slapping Chapter 348: Face Slapping Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Your sister¡¯s condition was indeed caused by this ointment.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lu Ying was stunned. On the other side, because of the temporary truce, Lu Hui also heard Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s words. She was not familiar with Su Xiaoxiao, but at this moment, only Su Xiaoxiao was on her side. The others all looked like she was being unreasonable. She immediately clenched her fists. ¡°Hu Biyun, did you hear that? There¡¯s something wrong with your ointment! ¡± Hu Biyun mocked, ¡°Heh, who doesn¡¯t know that her family opened a medical center next to my second uncle¡¯s Benevolence Hall? She¡¯s busy snatching our Hu family¡¯s business, so of course she¡¯ll say that. I advise you not to fall for it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao casually weighed the medicine bottle in her hand. ¡°Honeysuckle, forsythia, wild chrysanthemums, mint, black ginseng, barley rice, and rice. Your Hu family¡¯s ointment is made from these herbs, right?¡± Hu Biyun was shocked! ¡°How did you Imow¡­ you¡­ you stole our Hu family¡¯s recipe?! ¡± Su Xiaoxiao gave her the disdain of a king. ¡°Is there a need? Won¡¯t you know after smelling it? Or could it be that Miss Hu, as the biological daughter of Commissioner Hu, can¡¯t even identify a few medicinal herbs?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Hu Biyun was caught off guard by Su Xiaoxiao. She could identify some medicinal herbs. The medicinal herbs had their own taste, but sometimes when mixed together, the medicinal smell would surge, integrate, and change. Therefore, very few people¡­ could ¡°sniff out¡± a complete prescription. But she couldn¡¯t admit it now. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t she be at a disadvantage? Hu Biyun said proudly, ¡°I can identify it, but I can¡¯t guarantee that you can do it too.¡± Su Xiaoxiao threw her a small medicine bottle. ¡°Then smell what herbs I used for this bottle of medicine.¡± Hu Biyun took a sniff and said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s¡­ rhubarb, ginseng, chicken bone fragrance, musk¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°Miss Hu, you¡¯ve been smelling it for so long. Can¡¯t you tell that this isn¡¯t medicine at all?¡± Hu Biyun¡¯s expression suddenly changed! All the young ladies in the classroom looked at Hu Biyun in disbelief. Was what Miss Su said true? Hu Biyun couldn¡¯t even recognize the medicine?! Then she had just said the name of the herbs in a serious manner¡ª Hu Biyun said angrily, ¡°Are you toying with me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not fooling you. I¡¯m giving Miss Hu a chance to prove her strength. Otherwise, how could you make Miss Lu admit defeat obediently?¡± Everyone burst out laughing. Was there anyone who could be so arrogant after being slapped in the face? They had come to see the little fat girl make a fool of herself, but for some reason, they were amused by her cunningness. The chubby girl was not stupid. On the other hand, Miss Hu seemed to be in a miserable state. Hu Biyun gritted her teeth. ¡°Just because you say so?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled, ¡°You can find an imperial physician to appraise it and see if this medicine is gold sore medicine. Not to mention finding trouble with the imperial physician, your father is the Court Commissioner. I believe that you still have this bit of influence.¡± Hu Biyun choked. She was about to slam the medicine bottle on the table beside her. Su Xiaoxiao reminded her, ¡°Be careful, this is Princess Hui An¡¯s table.¡± Hu Biyun had been deprived of the chance to smash the medicine bottle. She had nowhere to vent her anger and was about to turn into a toad! No matter how calm she was in the face of Lu Hui¡¯s accusations, she was in a terrible mood when she was slapped in the face by Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°You, you, you¡­ Stop being unreasonable here! Even if you tell us the Hu family¡¯s prescription, it doesn¡¯t prove that her face condition was caused by our Hu family¡¯s medicine!¡± Hu Biyun came back to her senses. She had been angered by this girl that she was confused. She was actually led by the nose by this girl! The crux of the matter was not how good this girl was at identifying medicinal herbs, but that there was definitely nothing wrong with their Hu family¡¯s ointment! Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t in a hurry to answer her. Instead, she looked at Lu Hui. ¡°Miss Lu, do you feel uncomfortable coming into contact with flowers every spring? Lu Hui quickly said, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. There¡¯s actually a little of it all year round, and spring is the worst. I never raise flowers in my yard, or I¡¯ll sneeze and have rashes.¡± ¡°This is because Miss Lu is allergic to pollen,¡± Su Xiaoxiao explained patiently. ¡°The Hu family¡¯s prescription has wild chrysanthemums and honeysuckle. Ordinary people will be fine after applying it, but Miss Lu, who is allergic to pollen, will be affected.¡± Lu Hui was enlightened. ¡°No wonder my entire face was swollen when I applied She glared at Hu Biyun coldly, ¡®What else do you have to say!¡± Hu Biyun said stubbornly, ¡°Then why are the others fine?¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and said calmly, ¡°If you¡¯re referring to the daughters here, I think it¡¯s because not everyone is allergic to pollen. Secondly, they might not have used your medicine at all.¡± This medicine was used to remove acne. Who would apply it on their face for no reason? Shouldn¡¯t they wait until they had acne before applying it? Everyone felt awkward. They had indeed not used it yet. The ointment was left at home to eat dust. Hu Biyun was so angry that her heart ached. At this moment, Princess Jingning came to class. Seeing her walk into the classroom, Hu Biyun felt like she had grabbed onto a life-saving straw. ¡°Princess Jingning used my father¡¯s medicine! Her face has recovered! This proves that my father¡¯s medicine is fine!¡± This was a completely different concept. Su Xiaoxiao never said that the Hu family¡¯s medicine was problematic for everyone. She only pointed out that it contained allergens and was not suitable for people like Miss Lu who was allergic to pollen. Princess Jingning frowned as she looked at Hu Biyun. Hu Biyun asked excitedly, ¡°Princess Jingning, you¡¯ve used my father¡¯s medicine, right?¡± Princess Jingning replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Hu Biyun¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Then you¡­¡± Princess Jing Ning continued, ¡°I applied it once, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± Hu Biyun was puzzled. Qin Yanran¡¯s carriage had some problems today, so she arrived late. She entered the classroom and realized that the atmosphere today was not right. Hu Biyun sat in the last row. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts. Su Xiaoxiao was still sitting beside Princess Jingning. Princess Hui An and Princess Lingxi did not come. Many young ladies were secretly sizing up Su Xiaoxiao; their eyes were filled with curiosity and inquiry. When Su Xiaoxiao turned around, they were like little rabbits who had been caught. They quickly covered their faces with books. However, when Su Xiaoxiao turned around, they peeked at her curiously. She was just a little late. What happened? Why did so many young ladies¡­ look at that girl differently? In the afternoon, there was a riding and archery class. After Wei Ting¡¯s demonic training, the young ladies¡¯ riding skills improved by leaps and bounds. Even the few young ladies who had never ridden a horse could ride freely. Today, he mainly wanted to teach archery. He did not want to teach horse riding. He had to wait until they had perfected their riding and archery skills before he could begin to combine riding and archery. Wei Ting wore a white teacher¡¯s robe and stood on the grass field with a cold expression.. Chapter 349 - Chapter 349: Beating Up the Hu Family Chapter 349: Beating Up the Hu Family Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The young ladies lined up in a row, with a young eunuch standing beside each of them. After Wei Ting finished explaining the basics, he supervised the young ladies¡¯ practice. Princess Jingning and Princess Hui An hated each other and were unwilling to stand together, but no one dared to squeeze between them. Except¡­ Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao had been drawing her bow. Princess Jingning glanced at her and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you use an arrow?¡± Princess Hui An snorted. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know how to use it!¡± Princess Jingning glanced at her coldly. ¡°Do you know how to do it?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± Princess Hui An shot an arrow and successfully missed the target. The young ladies were too embarrassed to laugh at her because other than Leng Zhiruo, Qin Yanran, and Guo Lingxi, none of the other young ladies could hit the target. Princess Jingning was a princess who was well-versed in both civil and military matters. Her horsemanship and archery skills were quite outstanding. The more Princess Hui An looked at it, the angrier she became. She wished she could throw away the bow in her hand! Wei Ting walked over and stood between Princess Hui An and Su Xiaoxiao, slightly behind. ¡°Hold the bow steady.¡± He said lightly. Princess Hui An was delighted. ¡°Ting¡­ Cough cough, Master Wei, are you talking to me?¡± She didn¡¯t dare to call him Brother Ting anymore. If she did, her legs would become thick after squatting for an hour! Wei Ting did not answer. Instead, he looked at the target in front of him; it was unknown whose it was. Su Xiaoxiao tightened her grip on the bow. He said, ¡°Take the arrow.¡± ¡°Brother Ting must be talking to me!¡± Princess Hui An instantly changed her mind. She did not throw the bow anymore. She wanted to learn archery! She drew an arrow from her quiver and nocked it on her bow. Su Xiaoxiao nocked an arrow. Wei Ting said, ¡°Your right elbow is too high.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh. Princess Hui An frowned strangely and obediently adjusted her elbow. Wei Ting said solemnly, ¡°Aim at the bullseye and listen to the wind. The wind will affect the direction and speed of the arrow. You have to be accurate.¡± Princess Hui An stammered, ¡°How, how do I calculate this?¡± The wind could neither be seen nor touched. Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°Fire!¡± With his order, Su Xiaoxiao and Princess Hui An shot their arrows at the same time. Due to Wei Ting¡¯s personal guidance, Princess Hui An even used all her strength to beat up Jingning. There was a dull thud as an arrow struck the bullseye directly in front of her. The arrow was so powerful that half of it pierced through the bullseye. Princess Hui An stared at the target in a daze. ¡°This, this, this was shot by me?¡± Why did it seem a little wrong? How did she suddenly become so strong? ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Wei Ting said. Princess Hui An blinked. Forget it, she must have shot it! Or what? The only person who drew the bow with her was the chubby girl beside Princess Jingning. If it wasn¡¯t her, could it be the chubby girl? Hmph, she didn¡¯t even aim her arrow correctly. It would be strange if she could hit the bullseye! Princess Hui An was bursting with confidence and shot another arrow. However, she missed again. All afternoon, she had only shot that arrow. How infuriating! Ever since Hu Biyun was slapped in the face by Su Xiaoxiao in public, she had become much quieter in the academy. Of course, it could also be due to the fact she no longer had Lin Ruyue as her helper. It was rare for Su Xiaoxiao to be able to enjoy the quietude. Because of Manager Sun¡¯s arrival, the medical hall quickly stabilized the situation. In terms of management methods, Manager Sun was a professional. The tricks that Benevolence Hall had used were all leftovers of his. Buying shills? Not bad! They were not the only ones who can buy it! Back then, when Jin Ji had just established itself in town, its reputation was still unknown. He bought dozens of shills every day who took turns queuing at the door. After a few days of queues, Jin Ji became famous. Naturally, if they didn¡¯t have some true ability, this plan wouldn¡¯t last long. But Miss Su¡¯s medical skills were not mixed with water! Manager Sun went all out! Not to mention that he was competing maliciously and it was Benevolence Hall who started it first, then don¡¯t blame him for using extraordinary methods. On one hand, he had bribed someone to receive treatment. On the other hand, he had also bribed a waiter to spread the news in the teahouse and praised the Number Hall¡¯s medical skills! In short, it was all over! In addition, he spread the news that Su Xiaoxiao had treated the Old Marquis. He could even brag if it was fake. When it was real, he had to brag to death! ¡°Even the imperial physicians couldn¡¯t treat the Old Marquis¡¯s illness. We treated him first! If you don¡¯t believe me, ask the Old Marquis personally the next time he comes over.¡± He did not care if the Old Marquis would come. ¡°You mean that your Number One Hall¡¯s medical skills are better than the imperial physicians? ¡°Of course! If the imperial physician can treat it, our Number One Hall can treat it. If the imperial physician can¡¯t treat it, my Number One Hall can still treat it. If our Number One Hall can¡¯t treat it, the Imperial Physician Hospital definitely can¡¯t treat it!¡± One word¡ªcrazy! Physician Fu sat in the lobby with his temples throbbing. Was it really alright for Manager Sun to brag like this? The doctor whispered to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Does he¡­ know your identity?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought about it, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I didn¡¯t tell him and neither did Ergou.¡± Recently, everyone had been busy and the two of them had yet to meet the higher-ups. The doctor felt terrible. ¡°He didn¡¯t know that the Old Marquis was your granduncle, but he still dared to rub against him?!¡± What kind of genius was this?! Needless to say, Manager Sun¡¯s hard work really helped the Number One Hall get a lot of patients. In the Benevolence Hall, Second Master Hu¡¯s face was ashen. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the Number One Hall would close down in three days? Go down and take a look! Their customers are increasing!¡± Shopkeeper Wu hurriedly said, ¡°Those patients¡­ They spent money to buy them¡­ Didn¡¯t we do this before? It¡¯s an old trick.¡± Second Master Hu said coldly, ¡°You mean to say that the steward of the court is a shill? The nephew of the Yellow Gate Assistant Minister is a shill? The boss of the White Jade Winery is also a shill?¡± Shopkeeper Wu was embarrassed. Second Master Hu said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what method you use. Kill the Number One Hall!¡± Shopkeeper Wu said, ¡°Boss, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t know if I should say.¡± ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°The Number One Hall is in the limelight now. If we send people to cause trouble again, I¡¯m afraid everyone won¡¯t believe us easily.¡± Second Master Hu looked at him coldly. ¡®You mean¡­ you¡¯re going to leave Number One Hall be?¡± Shopkeeper Wu hurriedly said, ¡°I definitely don¡¯t mean that. Think about it, whose reputation did the Number One Hall mainly borrow?¡± Second Master Hu was deep in thought. ¡°Support? No, Marquis of Zhenbei!¡± Shopkeeper Wu smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. They claimed that they treated the Marquis of Zhenbei. Regardless of whether it¡¯s true or not, let¡¯s just pretend that it¡¯s true. So what? Our master is treating the Empress Dowager¡¯s phoenix body in the palace. Once the Empress Dowager recovers, how can our limelight not overshadow theirs? When the time comes, we¡¯ll spread the news that the Old Marquis hired someone else to treat him. He only gave this credit to the Number One Hall on account of his niece. Second Master Hu thought about it carefully. That made sense. ¡°But why do I feel a chill on my back?¡± Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: Talent Awakening Chapter 350: Talent Awakening Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yongshou Palace. The bedroom was filled with a strong medicinal fragrance. The Empress Dowager sat at the head of the bed with a pale face. The thin blanket covered her waist and abdomen. Emperor Jingxuan stood by the bed with a solemn expression. Court Commissioner Hu carefully checked the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse and stood up. Emperor Jing Xuan asked, ¡°How is it?¡± Court Commissioner Hu replied respectfully, ¡°From her pulse, the Empress Dowager¡¯s vital energy and blood are both deficient. Coupled with her heavy worries and overthinking, she was also frightened by the wind a while ago, so she fell sick.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been saying these things for a few days, and I¡¯m already tired of hearing them. I just want to know when the Empress Dowager¡¯s illness will improve.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll change a new prescription for the Empress Dowager. Illness comes like a landslide, and illness disappears like silk. If the medicinal effect is too strong, it means that the side effects are also great. It¡¯s harmful to the body, Your Majesty.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan took a deep breath and pinched his aching forehead, forcing himself to calm down. ¡°Stand down,¡± he said. ¡°Yes.¡± Court Commissioner Hu took a few steps back before turning around. He raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat on his forehead and immediately went to the Imperial Hospital to write a prescription. Emperor Jing Xuan came to the stool in front of the bed and sat down. He ordered the palace servants, ¡°You can leave.¡± Eunuch Fu glanced at Granny Xi, who was beside the Empress Dowager. Nanny Xi said to the Empress Dowager, ¡°Your Majest?t, I shall eat outside.¡± The Empress Dowager nodded slightly. Granny Xi and Eunuch Fu left with the palace servants. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at the sickly Empress Dowager with a complicated expression. ¡°The Court Commissioner said that Mother is worried and overthinking. I¡¯ve been busy with work recently and neglected Mother. It¡¯s my fault.¡¯ The Empress Dowager did not say anything. She just turned her face to the side indifferently. Emperor Jing Xuan sighed. ¡°Mother, are you planning to never forgive your son? It¡¯s been ten years. He¡¯s your son, but am I not? Would you feel better if I was the one who was killed?¡± The Empress Dowager was still staring stubbornly at the wall. The Empress Dowager was still staring stubbornly at the wall. ¡°Mother, take care of yourself. I¡¯ll visit you another day.¡± With that, Emperor Jing Xuan stood up and left Yong Shou Palace. The night was as dark as ink. Emperor Jingxuan walked on the quiet winding path. Eunuch Fu was holding a lantern for him. Emperor Jingxuan said self-deprecatingly, ¡°The death anniversary of the Prince of Nanyang is approaching again. It¡¯s like this every year.¡± Eunuch Fu did not dare to reply. King Nanyang was the eldest son of the late emperor, and Emperor Jingxuan was the fourth son of the late emperor. Both of them were born to Consort Hui, who was now the Empress Dowager. The two brothers joined forces and defeated the empress and the legitimate prince. Then, they fought against each other. Emperor Jing Xuan sneered and said, ¡°I occasionally wonder if Mother would be estranged from Eldest Brother for my sake if I lost. I know what she is thinking. She thinks that Eldest Brother is the eldest son and should be more qualified than me to inherit the throne. Do you know what she once said to Eunuch Fu said embarrassedly, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said sarcastically, ¡°She told me that if the one who inherits the throne is the King of Nanyang, he will definitely not kill me! Do you believe Eunuch Fu paused and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡± It did not matter if he believed it or not. What Emperor Jingxuan wanted to hear was that he did not believe it. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at the boundless night sky and a malicious glint flashed in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it either! If the Prince of Nanyang won, I would have ended up like him! The winner is the king, and the loser is the bandit. Why does Mother blame me?!¡± Eunuch Fu did not dare to reply. Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go back to the palace.¡± Eunuch Fu asked, ¡°Which palace is His Majesty going to tonight?¡± In the past, when Emperor Jingxuan was most frustrated, he liked to go to Concubine Xian¡¯s palace. Concubine Xian was a beautiful flower. She knew how to resolve Emperor Jingxuan¡¯s worries. However, tonight, after a moment of silence, Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Go to Kunning Palace to see the Empress.¡± Eunuch Fu said to himself,¡± Are you sure you¡¯re going to see the Empress? Not to enjoy Princess Jingning¡¯s snacks?¡± In the blink of an eye, it was the end of April. The day of Su Cheng and Qin Jiang¡¯s competition was gradually approaching. Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis seized every opportunity to train Su Cheng. To shorten the gap of twenty years in one month sounded like a fantasy. However, Su Cheng¡¯s talent really made the two of them raise their eyebrows. From the beginning, he could not even defeat one move. Now, he could withstand ten moves from Qin Canglan. Although he was a little crafty, there was nothing wrong with deception in war. If he caught it, he caught it. As his performance became more and more outstanding, Su Cheng¡¯s salary also increased from 10 taels a day to 20 taels a day. The highest amount he earned 50 taels a day. Su Cheng was very satisfied. He felt that after a year or so, he might be able to buy a house for his daughter in the capital. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Cheng¡¯er recovered too quickly?¡± The Old Marquis stared at Su Chengwen, who was practicing archery on the grass field. Qin Canglan asked, ¡°Is it fast?¡± The Old Marquis thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s faster than when we were young.¡± Qin Canglan said proudly, ¡°Of course! Like father, like son! Don¡¯t you know whose son he is!¡± The Old Marquis glanced at him with a complicated expression. ¡°The thought of such a good seedling being delayed in the countryside for 30 years makes me want to kill you.¡± At the mention of this, Qin Canglan instantly lost his confidence. He coughed resentfully. ¡°Alright, at most, you can teach him more on my behalf in the future. He¡¯s still young and can take on a big responsibility.¡± The Old Marquis asked strangely, ¡°Why do you want me to teach your son?¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes flashed and he said seriously, ¡°You¡­ Didn¡¯t you teach him well? Besides, you didn¡¯t hit him as hard as I did. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll break him.¡± The Old Marquis snorted coldly. ¡°I almost thought you were giving your last words.¡± Su Cheng¡¯s side was progressing smoothly, but two nights before the competition, something happened to Su Ergou. He was gone! After Su Qi and Su Yu finished today¡¯s class, they went to Su Ergou¡¯s class to find him to go home with them. Their workload was heavier than Su Ergou¡¯s, and they ended the class an hour later. Su Ergou would usually wait for them in the classroom while doing his homework. However, when the two of them went to the classroom today, they unexpectedly missed. ¡°Did he go to the toilet?¡± Su Yu asked. ¡°Then let¡¯s wait.¡± Su Qi said. After waiting for half an hour, Su Ergou did not come over. Su Qi went to the toilet to look for him. Su Yu continued to wait at the door of the classroom in case Su Ergou returned and missed them again. However, Su Qi searched all the toilets in the directorate, but he didn¡¯t see Su Ergou. ¡°Second Brother.¡± Su Yu asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Ergou?¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Qi shook his head. Su Yu said strangely, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. Ergou is very obedient. He will wait for us. They had been in school together for nearly a month. Su Ergou never ran around. Occasionally, he would go to the toilet but he would be back soon. The two of them simultaneously sensed that something was wrong. ¡°Second Brother¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic.¡± Su Qi forced himself to calm down. It was fine if they were noisy usually, but at critical moments, they could not be in a mess. Su Qi frowned and said, ¡°How about this, you go and find Master Cen. I remember that he was teaching Ergou¡¯s class this afternoon. I will go to the dormitory and ask Ergou¡¯s classmates. We will meet at the main entrance of the Directorate.¡± Su Yu agreed, ¡°Okay!¡± Chapter 351 - Chapter 351: Beating Qin Yun Up Chapter 351: Beating Qin Yun Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Directorate was not small. It was already fifteen minutes later when the two of them met up with the classmates at the entrance. This was even using their fastest speed. Unfortunately, there were no clues on the teacher¡¯s side. After class, Teacher Cen returned to his room as usual. Su Yu asked, ¡°Second Brother, is there any news from his classmates?¡± Su Qi answered, ¡°No, they all left. Before they left, Ergou was doing his homework in the classroom. Ergou is like this every day. No one thought anything would happen. Did the teacher say anything strange about Ergou in class today?¡± Su Yu shook his head. ¡°I asked. No.¡± ¡°Ask the servant guarding the door.¡± Su Qi said. Fortunately, the servant had an impression of him. ¡°Is it the young master who is always nibbling on a pancake?¡± The servant asked. The two of them nodded blankly. The reason why the servant had an impression of Su Ergou was entirely due of Su Ergou¡¯s eating habits. The child¡¯s pancakes were fragrant and the way he ate was even more fragrant. It made the group of servants guarding the door crave it. ¡°Have you seen him?¡± Su Qi asked. ¡°He went out,¡± the pageboy said. ¡°When did he leave?¡± Su Qi asked. ¡°Probably¡­¡± The servant scratched his head. ¡°When their class just ended. I was quite puzzled. Isn¡¯t he usually with the two young masters? Why did he leave first today?¡± Su Yu said worriedly, ¡°Second Brother, Ergou has been gone for nearly an hour!¡± Su Qi took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°I know¡­ I know¡­ Don¡¯t panic¡­¡± Su Qi looked at the servant again. ¡°Did he leave alone?¡± ¡°No, there was someone else,¡± the pageboy said. ¡°Who is it?¡± Su Yu asked anxiously. ¡°He¡¯s quite young. He¡¯s about the same age as him and looks¡­¡± The servant didn¡¯t know how to describe him. However, the two of them had a bold guess. Su Yu looked at Su Qi and asked solemnly, ¡°He¡¯s about the same age as Ergou¡­ Could Second Brother be¡­ Qin Yun?¡± Su Qi¡¯s expression was solemn and he didn¡¯t say anything. If Su Ergou really left with Qin Yun, then things would not be simple. If Su Ergou really left with Qin Yun, then things would not be simple. Firstly, the two of them had already formed a grudge. Secondly, Su Cheng and Qin Jiang were fighting for military power. No matter how one looked at it, the two of them were in a situation where they would fight to the death. ¡°That Zhang guy!¡± Su Yu suddenly pointed not far away. The ¡°Zhang guy¡± he was referring to was one of Qin Yun¡¯s former scoundrel friends. Because he wanted to play dirty tricks on Su Ergou, he was scammed by the three little ones and was taught a harsh lesson by Princess Jingning. Su Yu had an impression of this person. ¡°He used to be very close to Qin Yun. I saw them together several times!¡± Without another word, Su Qi stepped forward and grabbed Young Master Zhang¡¯s collar. Young Master Zhang was shocked. ¡°Who are you¡­ Second Young Master Su?¡± He recognized him. Su Yu did not have the time to waste on him. He roughly pulled him two steps forward. ¡°Let me ask you, did Qin Yun take Su Ergou away? Young Master Zhang said in a panic, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Su Qi said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re Qin Yun¡¯s friend. How could you not know?¡± Young Master Zhang said aggrievedly, ¡°I stopped interacting with him a long time ago¡­¡± It was the truth that they did not interact. Ever since he was beaten up by Princess Jingning, his family had warned him not to cause trouble at home again. He had become much more obedient recently. ¡°You don¡¯t want to tell the truth, right? Okay.¡± Su Qi gritted his teeth and raised his fist to punch him. Young Master Zhang was scared half to death. He hugged his head and squatted down, shouting in shock, ¡°I heard them saying they were going to the small bamboo house!¡± Su Yu frowned. ¡°What small bamboo house?¡± Young Master Zhang said with trepidation, ¡°It¡¯s just a half-repaired attic¡­ It¡¯s said that someone died¡­ It¡¯s half-repaired¡­ There are rumors that it¡¯s haunted¡­¡¯ Su Qi pushed her forward. ¡°Lead the way!¡± Young Master Zhang straightened his wrinkled clothes and muttered, ¡°Who did I offend¡­ Su Yu kicked his butt. ¡°If you dawdle any longer, I¡¯ll cut you!¡± Who wouldn¡¯t be arrogant? The Su brothers were not to be trifled with in the Directorate, okay? Young Master Zhang staggered and almost fell to the ground. After stabilizing himself, he rubbed his butt and walked forward while winking at the servant. Su Qi threatened, ¡°If you don¡¯t want your eyeballs, I¡¯ll dig them out for you.¡± Young Master Zhang hurriedly looked forward, not daring to play any tricks! On the way there, the two of them asked Young Master Zhang about the whole story. It turned out that on the first day Su Ergou entered the Imperial College, he had been targeted by Qin Yun. Qin Yun had suffered a setback at Su Ergou¡¯s hands and had long held a grudge against him. Having discovered that Su Ergou had also come to the Imperial College and had taken over his identity, becoming the true High Duke of the Protectorate, he was about to explode with jealousy. More than once, he had secretly said that he wanted to teach Su Ergou a lesson. However, Princess Jingning¡¯s scolding was too ruthless. Young Master Zhang and the rest did not dare to stand up for Qin Yun. Hence, Qin Yun made new friends. The status of those people was inferior to that of Young Master Zhang and the others. In the past, Qin Yun looked down on them, but now, all the young masters of large clans with some status were waiting to see what would happen. They would not easily take sides between Qin Yun and Su Ergou. Qin Yun had no choice but to make do with this group of people as his lackeys. For the past few days, Qin Yun had been planning how to deal with Su Ergou. ¡°What do they plan to do?¡± Su Qi asked. If his eldest brother was not around, he would be the elder brother. He suddenly became much calmer. Young Master Zhang said gloomily, ¡°They asked Qin Yun to bring Su Ergou to the small bamboo house. They probably want to teach him a lesson there. Isn¡¯t that place haunted? It¡¯s best if they lock Su Ergou up for the entire night so he will go crazy from fear!¡± Su Yu berated, ¡°Who are you calling crazy?!¡± Young Master Zhang shrunk his neck. ¡°I-I¡¯m just guessing what they¡¯re thinking.¡± Young Master Zhang was right. That was indeed the plan. The only thing he did not guess was that when Qin Yun went to look for Su Ergou, he did not tell Su Ergou how many people there were in total. He said that he wanted to fight Su Ergou one-on-one. Su Ergou did not pester Qin Yun. In addition, he was only fourteen years old and was at the age where he was full of vigor and vitality. Not to mention Qin Yun wanting to teach him a lesson, he had long wanted to do so! When he arrived at the so-called small bamboo house, he realized that it was already surrounded by five to six of Qin Yun¡¯s scoundrel friends. They were all students from the Imperial College. Qin Yun snorted coldly and said, ¡°Su Ergou, you won¡¯t be able to escape today! In the past, you whipped me. In a while, I¡¯ll beat you back ten times, a hundred times!¡± The group of people did not care about morals and rushed toward Su Ergou. They still did not understand how powerful Su Ergou was. Su Ergou could beat up a few hooligans on the streets. How could these tender-skinned Imperial College students be his match? The fourteen-year-old bully had shown them the power of a young man. Su Ergou had beaten a group of people to the ground, so Qin Yun naturally could not escape. Su Ergou beat him up until he cried for his parents. If things had only progressed to this point, it would not have been a big deal. However, just as Su Ergou was beating Qin Yun up, the half-built bamboo building behind him collapsed. Countless wooden sticks and bamboo poles rolled down from the beams, instantly pressing everyone down.. Chapter 352 - Chapter 352: Siblings’ Heart Connection Chapter 352: Siblings¡¯ Heart Connection Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The few of them were pressed to the ground by countless wood and bamboo sticks. They screamed and wailed continuously. However, because this area was remote and had the reputation of being haunted, almost no one passed by even in broad daylight. Therefore, it was useless to howl. Qin Yun was scared out of his wits. As he pushed against the weight on his body, he shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°The few of you! Hurry up and save me! Hurry up! I¡¯m about to be crushed to death!¡± It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to save him, but they couldn¡¯t even protect themselves! They were also completely suppressed! Who would have thought that this small bamboo building would collapse just like that? The small bamboo building was originally built as a three-story building. The shelves were built high, so one could imagine how terrifying it would be if all the materials collapsed. One of the students soon lost feeling in his leg. ¡°Liu Shen, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± His companion beside him said to him. His expression changed. ¡°Where, where is the blood?¡± His companion turned to him and said, ¡°Leg¡­ your leg is bleeding!¡± Liu Shen was scared to death. His leg was bleeding, and he was completely unaware¡­ Not only was this not comforting at all, but it also filled his heart with fear! He began to cry loudly, ¡°Someone¡­ help!¡± Su Ergou was the only one who did not cry for his parents. It was not that he was not afraid. After all, he was only a fourteen-year-old youth. How could he see through life and death? However, he¡¯d been stumbling around since he was young, and he knew best that shouting in this sort of situation wouldn¡¯t be of any help, and it would instead exhaust his physical strength. His chest hurt from the pressure, and his waist and abdomen gradually felt numb. He could only move his arms. However, he could not move the layers of wood on his body. Finally, Su Qi, Su Yu, and the others arrived. There were a total of four people ¡ª two brothers, Young Master Zha,ng and a coachman. The few of them were stunned when they saw the ¡°ruins¡± in front of them. Su Yu was shocked. ¡°How could this be?¡± Su Qi¡¯s expression turned solemn. He heard the wails and howls of Qin Yun and company, but he did not hear Su Ergou¡¯s voice. Young Master Zhang stammered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡­ It¡¯s none of my business¡­ I didn¡¯t do it¡­ Su Yu glared at him. The two brothers walked around the ruins. Su Yu shouted, ¡°Ergou! Ergou, can you hear me?¡± When Qin Yu heard Su Yu¡¯s voice, his dim eyes regained their luster. ¡°Third Cousin! It¡¯s me! Save me, Third Cousin!¡± Su Yu could not be bothered with him! Just as he was about to step on a piece of wood, Su Qi raised his arm and grabbed him. ¡°Be careful! Don¡¯t step on it!¡± As he spoke, he gestured for Su Yu to look to the side. Su Yu¡¯s gaze followed the piece of wood under his feet and extended all the way up. It was not difficult to discover that all the wood and bamboo poles were intertwined. As the saying went, a slight move would affect the entire body. If he was not careful, it might cause a second collapse. He broke out in a cold sweat and carefully avoided the piece of wood. The two of them continued to call Ergou. Young Master Zhang also shouted. He was a bastard, but he had never thought of taking Su Ergou¡¯s life. Moreover, at this juncture, if he did not help save him, he would be beaten to death by the Su brothers. Su Yu grabbed Su Qi¡¯s wrist. ¡°Second Brother, there seems to be movement at the bottom. They¡¯re too noisy and can¡¯t hear clearly.¡± Su Qi immediately said coldly, ¡°All of you, shut up! If anyone dares to howl again, no one will be saved!¡± Everyone obediently shut up. Su Yu added, ¡°Ergou, I¡¯m not talking about you. Continue shouting.¡± Su Ergou, who didn¡¯t want to call out was silent. Su Ergou¡¯s chest was pressed down, and it was difficult for him to breathe or make any sound. He used his knuckles to tap the bamboo pole with his hand bit by bit. Su Qi and Su Yu lay on the ground and listened. Su Yu was the first to hear the commotion. He pointed and said, ¡°Second Brother! Over there!¡± Su Ergou was pressed at the bottom, not far from Qin Yun. This was not surprising. When the small bamboo house collapsed, Su Ergou was beating up Qin Yun. They had found Su Ergou¡¯s location, but what came next was an even more serious problem. How should they save Su Ergou? Young Master Zhang kindly moved the topmost piece of wood, planning to save a student who was pressed to the ground. Just as he was about to succeed, he slipped and the wood pressed down, hitting a bamboo pole instead. Screams came from the students below. Su Qi said sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly!¡± Young Master Zhang was so frightened that he slowly put down the log and retreated to the side with a pale face. Su Qi said to the coachman, ¡°Go inform my brother. He should be at the entrance of the palace at this time.¡± ¡®Yes!¡± ¡°Third Brother, inform Grandfather.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The coachman and Su Yu did not take the carriage. Instead, they unloaded the carriage and rode a horse each. They split up. Young Master Zhang said shakily, ¡°I¡¯ll go find someone too.¡± He had really gone to look for someone, not to flee. His father was from the Ministry of Works, so he should know how to save them. Su Qi stood at the side and talked to Su Ergou to keep him awake. Su Ergou did not need to respond to his every sentence. He just needed to tap the bamboo pole with his knuckles every once in a while. Su Xiaoxiao and Su MO had just left the palace when they bumped into the coachman who came to look for them. The coachman did not wait for the horse to stop. He almost fell off the horse. ¡°Eldest Young Master! Young Miss! Something bad has happened to Young Master!¡± The two of them did not sit in the carriage anymore. They left on a horse each! The Imperial Palace was completely different from here. They did not know that such a thing would happen. The horse Su MO used to drive was mainly stable, and its explosive power and speed were not too fast. Even so, the two of them still left the coachman far behind. They arrived at the scene of devastation. Su Xiaoxiao frowned as she looked at the pile of ruins. ¡°Where¡¯s Ergou?¡± She asked. ¡°Big Brother! Cousin!¡± When Su Qi saw Su MO, he finally found his backbone. He said to the duo, ¡°Ergou is suppressed at the bottom. Qin Yun is beside him while the others are at the other end.¡± At this moment, Qin Yun also heard Su Mo¡¯s voice. He seemed to have seen a life-saving straw. ¡°Eldest Cousin! Eldest Cousin, save me! Save me quickly!¡± The fact that he could still shout so loudly showed that although he was also suppressed, it was not serious. ¡°Third Brother went to inform Grandfather. In addition, the people from the Ministry of Works should be here soon.¡± After Su Qi finished speaking, he lowered his head in shame. It was because he did not take good care of Ergou that Ergou got into this trouble. Su MO looked at the collapsed building with a complicated expression. ¡°Ergou, can you hear me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. It was the sound of Su Ergou knocking on the bamboo pole. Su Xiaoxiao carefully lay down. The siblings¡¯ gazes met in the intersecting gap. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°I see you. Are you in pain?¡± Su Ergou knocked again. It hurt. He wanted to say, ¡°Sister, Ergou is in so much pain..¡± Chapter 353 - Chapter 353: Full Rescue Chapter 353: Full Rescue Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao was in pain too. Her heart felt like it was being pricked by needles. In her previous life, she had never felt this way. She looked at the young man who was pressed under the ruins. That was her younger brother. He was someone who would rather starve himself so she could eat her fill. He was also someone she had to protect with all her might in this life. ¡°Ergou, don¡¯t sleep, talk to your sister.¡± Soon, the people from the Ministry of Works arrived. Coincidentally, Young Master Zhang met his father on the way. When he found out that the people from the Ministry of Works happened to be erecting a building nearby, he hurriedly told him about the collapse of the small building. The Ministry of Works was divided into four divisions: the Works vision, the Land Division, the Administration Division, and the Water Division. Young Master Zhang¡¯s father was a physician in the Works Division. The physician here was not a common doctor, but an official in charge of the Ministry of Works. The grade was not high at the fifth rank. However, it had real power. Lord Zhang said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we report this matter to the Imperial Capital? It was caused by a fight. It¡¯s a murder case.¡± The division of responsibilities between the various government offices in the capital was very clear. They were not allowed to casually reach into other government offices. This was basic official etiquette. Young Master Zhang said, ¡°But that place has collapsed! It¡¯s fine for the people from the Imperial Capital to arrest them, but how would they understand if they were to touch those logs?¡± He hugged his father¡¯s arm and wheedled, ¡°Father, my biological father, I beg you. Hurry up and bring someone to take a look. If you¡¯re late, they¡¯ll be crushed to death¡­¡± Lord Zhang called over a low-ranking official. ¡°Go to the Imperial Capital and report the matter. Also, say that it was an emergency and the attic collapsed. Our Ministry of Works has also gone to the scene to repair it.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The low-ranking official accepted the order and left. Lord Zhang said to his son, ¡°There are many ways to become an official. You can¡¯t do whatever you want. Do you understand? You have to consider all aspects!¡± Young Master Zhang pretended to understand. ¡°Got it, Father! Let¡¯s hurry up and save them!¡± When they arrived at the scene, the situation was not optimistic. Due to the fact that Qin Yun was courting death, the moment he heard that the people from the Ministry of Works were here, he felt that he no longer had to rely on others. He shouted wildly and even moved his body a few times. His actions caused the pressure in the attic to change. The already unstable foundation suddenly collapsed. Everyone fell into a dark pit, and the wooden planks and bamboo poles on their bodies fell down. The pit was filled with screams. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes trembled. ¡°Ergou!¡± Su Ergou let out a painful groan. His chest was pinned by a broken plank, the head end of which pressed against his chin, forcing his entire head back, his throat pulled into a straight line, and his windpipe stretched to its limit. The diastolic tension of the trachea was not as good as that of the blood vessels. It was so tense that it only needed a violent swallow to tear the trachea. Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly reminded, ¡°Ergou! Don¡¯t move! Don¡¯t swallow your saliva!¡± Su Ergou looked at Su Xiaoxiao in fear. He felt terrible¡­ Su Xiaoxiao looked coldly at Qin Yun on the other side and did not hide her killing intent. ¡°Qin Yun, listen up. If you move again, I¡¯ll kill you right now before anyone can save you!¡± In such a collapsed scene, the obstacles had to be removed one by one. Su Xiaoxiao calculated the best path, but no one in the Ministry of Works believed her. The Ministry of Works had its own ideas. ¡°You can¡¯t touch this pillar! You¡¯ll hurt my brother!¡± This pillar was pressing down on a horn below. It was this horn that stabilized the wooden board on Su Ergou¡¯s body. Once the power of the horn was unbalanced, the wooden board would fall fiercely towards Su Ergou¡¯s chin, and his windpipe would be torn apart on the spot. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt your brother,¡± the people Ministry said. ¡°Yes, it will!¡± Su Xiaoxiao told him about the horn and the wooden board. The people from the Ministry of Works looked around but did not see Su Ergou at all. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t rely on her eyes to see. She determined Su Ergou¡¯s location through his breathing and calculated the length and angle of each piece of wood to determine his current situation. Not to mention that no one in the Ministry of Works could do such a shocking calculation, even if they found an arithmetic officer from the Hanlin Academy and took out an abacus, they might not be able to calculate it in such a short period of time. The people from the Ministry of Works felt that she was talking nonsense. Su MO looked at Su Xiaoxiao deeply and said to the people from the Ministry of Works, ¡°Do as my sister says.¡± Lord Zhang sighed. ¡°Eldest Young Master Su.. Su MO pulled out his sword and pressed it against his neck. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Do as my sister says!¡± Lord Zhang¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Young Master Su, are you going to attack the imperial court¡¯s officials?¡± Young Master Zhang hurriedly advised, ¡°Let¡¯s talk things out! Let¡¯s talk things out!¡± Lord Zhang asked, ¡°If something happens, can Master Su bear the responsibility?¡± Su MO said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll bear the consequences alone. If I¡¯m not qualified, the Marquis of Zhenbei will bear the consequences!¡± It was matter of life and death¡­ Young Master Su did not believe that the Ministry of Works had so many experienced officials. Instead, he believed in a little girl¡­ Lord Zhang said earnestly, ¡°Young Master Su, it¡¯s not that I want to go against you, it¡¯s just that¡­ not only are there people from your Su family, but there are also people from the Qin family¡­¡± If something really happened, even if Su MO said that he wanted to take responsibility, he would still be held accountable. ¡°What if I agree?¡± Xiao Zhonghua walked over with a solemn expression. It wasn¡¯t strange for Jing Yi to be with him. The strange thing was that Wei Ting had also come. Seeing the unrelated people appear together, Lord Zhang suspected that he had seen wrongly. Wei Ting didn¡¯t even look at Lord Zhang and walked to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s side. ¡°Where is Ergou?¡± He asked. Su Xiaoxiao pointed at Ergou. Wei Ting listened attentively to Su Ergou¡¯s breathing. His sharp gaze swept across the layers of layers. He calculated in his mind and nodded. ¡°That log really can¡¯t be moved.¡± Hearing Wei Ting¡¯s words, Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s expression was both surprised and complicated. Although he was unwilling, he had to admit that Wei Ting was definitely not mistaken. Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s status as a prince came in handy. Lord Zhang did as he was told and had his people bring over ropes and tools. Under Wei Ting¡¯s command, they moved the wooden planks, bamboo poles, and other heavy objects one by one. Jing Yi was highly skilled in martial arts and had great strength. When he encountered difficult opponents or tricky opponents, he would personally take action. The sky darkened bit by bit, making it more difficult to save her. Xiao Zhonghua ordered people to light torches around them. However, the flames could only illuminate the surface and they could not see the scene in the pit at all. Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao did not panic at all. This was because the two of them had already memorized every piece of wood, every wooden board, and the location of every broken bamboo pole in their minds. The first student to be rescued was bleeding profusely and had lost all feeling in his legs. He was already unconscious. The people from the Ministry of Works quickly sent him to a nearby medical center. Soon, the second, third, fourth¡­ The five students were all rescued, leaving only Su Ergou and Qin Yun behind. Lord Zhang asked in embarrassment, ¡°Who do we save first¡­¡± ¡°Su Ergou.¡± The few of them said in unison. Lord Zhang was dumbfounded. No, it was fine if the little girl and Eldest Young Master Su wanted to save Su Ergou. After all, they were family. What was up with Lord Wei and Young Marquis Jing? The wooden board on Su Ergou¡¯s body was not easy to move. Someone needed to go down and hold the wooden board. Otherwise, wherever he moved, the wooden board would slip and tear Su Ergou¡¯s windpipe. A new problem arose. Who could get down there? Chapter 354 - Chapter 354: Midnight Ambush Chapter 354: Midnight Ambush Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The gap between the wood was too small. Wei Ting and Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s figures were not suitable, and neither was Su Xiaoxiao. There were a few thin officials in the Ministry of Works, but they had long exhausted their stamina. It was impossible for them to support that thick wooden board. ¡°I¡¯ll go down.¡± Jing Yi stepped forward without hesitation. He was 17 years old this year. The young man was thinner than an adult man. In order to minimize the friction and collision between the wooden boards, Jing Yi took off his robe and underwear. He was only wearing a pair of long pants. His ears were slightly red and he didn¡¯t dare to look at Su Xiaoxiao. Wei Ting took a rope and handed him the other end. ¡°I¡¯ll hold on. You go down.¡± Jing Yi nodded and didn¡¯t refuse Wei Ting. As no log here could withstand the force, and the ground could not withstand the vibration of his iumD. he could onlv lower himself bit bv bit through the rope. It was pitch-black below. He followed Su Ergou¡¯s breathing and found his location. Su Ergou was bleeding. Jing Yi could smell the strong smell of blood. He reached out and touched the sticky blood. His movements became even more careful. He found a suitable place to stay. Next, he only needed to lift the wooden board and put the rope on it. Then, Su Ergou would be saved. The wooden plank was much heavier than everyone had imagined. The reason was that the bottom was made of iron nails and iron plates, and it was impossible to see from above. At this time, Jing Yi was also glad that he had come down. If it were those people from the Ministry of Works, even if they didn¡¯t use up all their strength, they wouldn¡¯t be able to move it at all. Su Xiaoxiao knelt on the side and looked down. ¡°Jing Yi, be careful of Ergou¡¯s windpipe. He is at his limit.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jing Yi used one hand to push the port of the wooden board to stop it from pressing down on Su Ergou¡¯s chin. His other hand slowly lifted the wooden board. Finally, the weight on Su Ergou¡¯s chest disappeared. He got a long-lost breath. ¡°Jing Yi, how is it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Jing Yi answered, ¡°The wooden board is up. Ergou seems to be bleeding. We have to go up as soon as possible.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Put the rope on the wooden board.¡± Jing Yi nodded even though the people above could not see it at all. The space below was very narrow, and he could not press down on Su Ergou. His movements were limited, so the requirement for strength was greater. Fortunately, his strength and martial arts were good. He successfully tied the rope that had been circled to the wooden board. ¡°That¡¯ll do!¡± he said to Wei Ting. Wei Ting tightened his grip on the rope. The most dangerous wooden board was fixed, and the wooden board and bamboo pole could be moved away. The people from the Ministry of Works continued to move the items. Su Xiaoxiao found a rope and prepared to go down. She wanted to see if Su Ergou had any fractures or other injuries that could not be moved at will. Then, she would decide which method to use to get Su Ergou up. Wei Ting frowned and said, ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary foundation. An ordinary foundation isn¡¯t so deep. Be careful.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. She wrapped the rope tightly around her waist and asked for an oil lamp from the Ministry of Works. Wei Ting had already grabbed a rope in his hand. No one in the Ministry of Works could free up their hands. They could not count on that weak Young Master Zhang. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Xiao Zhonghua walked over and extended his hand. Su Xiaoxiao handed him the other end of the rope. ¡°Fu su.¡± Wei Ting ordered. The secret guard flashed out. Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s lips twitched. The secret guard grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s rope and put her down bit by bit. He approached Wei Ting and whispered, ¡°Young Master, is it really good to expose me like this?¡± Wei Ting said indifferently, ¡°Grab your rope.¡± The secret guard replied, ¡°Oh.¡± Young Master was really not giving Xiao Zhonghua any chance to perform. Su Xiaoxiao crawled through the gaps between the wood again and again. She was extremely glad that she had lost weight. If she was still that 200 -pound fatty, she would probably not be able to crawl out no matter what. ¡°Be careful.¡¯ When she landed, Jing Yi helped her up. Although the wooden board was suspended, for the sake of caution, Jing Yi still used one hand to support the wooden board. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Behind Jing Yi was a long groove. He took a step back. Su Xiaoxiao knelt down in front of Su Ergou and placed the oil lamp on the side. She touched Su Ergou¡¯s forehead. ¡°Ergou, can you hear me?¡± Su Ergou responded weakly. Su Xiaoxiao gently touched his throat again. His throat had been pulled for too long, and he could suffer from a throat spasm. After being pushed against the wooden board for so long, his chin was broken and swollen. Because he couldn¡¯t swallow for a long time, he drooled a lot. Su Xiaoxiao took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped him clean. The back of his head was injured. Su Xiaoxiao tore off the sleeve of her undershirt and bandaged it for him before going back to stitch it up. In addition, because his chest had been pressed for too long, there were large contusions even though there were no fractures. There were also several cuts on his legs. He had maintained this posture for too long, and his body was stiff. When he recovered a little, he could hang him up with a rope. Su Ergou looked at his sister weakly, his eyes turning red. Su Xiaoxiao held his hand and caressed his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here.¡± Su Ergou continued to look at her. Su Xiaoxiao understood. ¡°Brother-in-law is here too.¡± Su Ergou¡¯s forehead moved slightly as he pressed against his sister¡¯s palm, like a child waiting for salvation. Jing Yi looked at the siblings without saying a word. Most of the wood had been removed. Next was the heaviest and thickest wooden plank that Jing Yi was holding. Wei Ting began to pull the wooden plank. Su Xiaoxiao untied the rope around her waist, took off her robe, wrapped it around the rope, and tied it to Su Ergou. Everything was going smoothly, but at this moment, something unexpected happened. A group of masked men in black holding swords suddenly appeared around them. Without a word, they slashed at everyone present. The first to bear the brunt was a low-ranking official from the Ministry of Works. He had just worked with his colleagues to pull up a broken beam. His shoulder was injured, causing him to slip out of his grip. THUD! The beam slammed into the wooden board hanging over Su Ergou¡¯s body! Su Xiaoxiao rushed over and used her body to protect Su Ergou. The wooden board did not fall. Wei Ting grabbed it tightly! Swish! Swish! Two arrows flew through the air and aimed at Wei Ting¡¯s heart and the rope in his hand. Wei Ting stomped his foot, and a piece of wood flew into his hand. With a twist of his fingertip, the wooden piece split into two. He waved his hand and shot the wooden piece out. Two arrows were hit and deviated from their direction. Fu Su, who was at the side, was also ambushed by the arrows. He had no choice but to put Su Ergou down first. Su MO said to Wei Ting, ¡°There are archers in the forest. I¡¯ll deal with them! ¡± Su Qi said, ¡°Big Brother! I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Jing Yi looked up and said, ¡°Wei Ting, I can take it. Let go!¡± Wei Ting took a deep look at Jing Yi in the pit and released the rope. Bai Ze and Hong Luan appeared. ¡°Young Marquis!¡± Blood oozed out of Jing Yi¡¯s shoulder from the wooden board. He said to the two of them, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me! Protect Cousin!¡± This was a difficult battle. The other party had a large number of people, and all of them were well-trained. It was obvious that they were not ordinary rassassins. If it was just Wei Ting and a few experts, it would not be difficult to break out of the encirclement. However, there were so many people from the Ministry of Works present, and none of them knew martial arts. Someone approached the foundation, grabbed a rock, and smashed it down. The wooden board was hit hard, and Jing Yi felt a sharp pain in his chest. A fishy taste rose in his throat. He steadied himself and didn¡¯t move. That person smashed a few more rocks and was about to throw a torch down when he was kicked away by Wei Ting! At this moment, Su Xiaoxiao felt that something was wrong. The floor beneath her feet¡­ was cracking! The angle of the wooden plank was rather tricky. One end was pressed against a wooden stake beside Qin Yun, while the other end was placed against Jing Yi¡¯s neck. The place where Jing Yi was standing happened to be an upright groove. The wooden plank could not be moved from left to right. It could only move up and down. It was impossible to move up because there was still a lot of wood that had not been moved. Su Ergou and Su Xiaoxiao were right below. The cracks on the floor became more and more severe. Except for the small area where Jing Yi was standing, it was difficult for more people to be in the same place. No one knew what dangers lay below¡­ Jing Yi made a prompt decision. ¡°You and Ergou come up to the wooden plank!¡± ¡°No way!¡± The wooden plank was already very heavy. With her and Su Ergou, not to mention whether Jing Yi could withstand it or not, if he was not careful, Jing Yi¡¯s feet would crack. Jing Yi said seriously, ¡°If the two of you fall down, I will also call. My internal strength is very good. I can withstand it. You two come up!¡± Crack! The hole cracked under Su Ergou¡¯s body, and the ground collapsed with a bang. Su Xiaoxiao quickly grabbed Su Ergou and grabbed the wooden plank with her other hand. Chapter 355 - Chapter 355: Beating Qjn Yanran Up Chapter 355: Beating Qjn Yanran Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A rotten stench rose from below, and Jing Yi almost vomited. Su Ergou, who was already feeling terrible, threw up. Su Xiaoxiao also felt uncomfortable with this stench. She even felt suffocated. Her body¡¯s reaction made her palms sweat. Fortunately, she had put on the pair of gloves from the pharmacy before coming down. They were anti-slip, hard, and saved energy. On the ground, the battle between the two sides continued. There were too many of them, and Bai Ze and Hong Luan were gradually entangled. A masked expert quietly approached Xiao Zhonghua from behind. He raised his sword and slashed at Xiao Zhonghua. With a flash of the sword, Xiao Zhonghua reacted too late. The other party¡¯s sword struck the top of his head. At the critical moment, an even faster and sharper longsword flew over in the air and suddenly shot into the other party¡¯s heart. The man in black screamed and fell to the ground. Xiao Zhonghua looked at the person who saved him in disbelief. Wei Ting did not have the time to chat with him. He pulled out another long sword from the corpse by his feet and continued to join the battle. The name of the youngest son of the Wei family was not just for show. Wherever he went, the men in black fell one after another. There were only a few men in black left, and they could not help but want to retreat. Coincidentally, the sound of horse hooves could be heard not far away. It was the imperial guards. They rode their horses into the crowd and dealt with the last few assassins cleanly. Xiao Zhonghua frowned. The imperial guards dismounted and bowed to Xiao Zhonghua. ¡°Your Highness!¡± He cupped his hands at Wei Ting. ¡°Lord Wei!¡± Xiao Zhonghua explained, ¡°Lord Wei also heard that something happened in the Ministry of Works, so he came to take a look. We met halfway.¡± In other words, Wei Ting was not with him. Xiao Duye looked at the mess of corpses on the ground. He frowned and looked at the imperial guards at the side. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to leave one alive?!¡± The leader of the imperial guards cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°I was afraid that they would hurt the Third Prince, so I was a little too heavy-handed. Please punish me, Your Highness!¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°Forget it, Big Brother. It¡¯s not their fault.¡± Xiao Duye placed his hands behind his back and snorted coldly, ¡°Third Brother is pleading for mercy on your behalf. This time, I¡¯ve let you off. If there¡¯s a next time, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Wei Ting ignored them and turned around to look for Su Xiaoxiao. The current situation was that Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t grab the rope or tie it to Su Ergou. Jing Yi couldn¡¯t move either. Wei Ting took a rope and tied it to himself. ¡°Young Master! Let me go down!¡± Fu Su stopped him. Wei Ting took a new bundle of rope and handed the other end of both ropes to Fu Su. Then, he went down without a word. The stench below was nauseating. His expression didn¡¯t change. He first tied a rope around Su Xiaoxiao and then carried Su Ergou over. ¡°Fusu, pull the rope.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Fu Su pulled Su Xiaoxiao up. The second person to be dragged up was Su Ergou. Just as Fu Su was slowly pulling the rope, a mechanism suddenly appeared on the side wall and a flying knife flew towards Su Ergou¡¯s head. It was impossible to block it. Wei Ting suddenly reached out to protect Su Ergou¡¯s head. His palm was pierced by the flying knife. Fu Su¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Young Master!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Pull him up.¡± The third was Jing Yi. Wei Ting was not in a hurry to come up. He wanted to go down and take a look. Fu Su was really impressed. Young Master, go ahead and court death. The matriarch would fly into a rage again. ¡°Torch.¡¯ Wei Ting said indifferently. Fu Su helplessly threw a torch at him. Wei Ting caught it steadily. Fu Su said worriedly, ¡°Be careful, Young Master. Don¡¯t burn the rope!¡± ¡°Put it down,¡± Wei Ting said. Fu Su lowered it bit by bit. Due to the ground collapsing, many pieces of wood had fallen. Under these broken pieces of wood, Wei Ting actually saw white dead bones. More than one. They were either sitting, lying down, or curled up. It was as if they had suffered immense torture when they were alive. Qin Yun was the last to be rescued. His situation was not much better. When the second floor collapsed, many pieces of wood fell. He was hit and fainted on the spot. Qin Yanran arrived around the same time as the people from the Imperial Capital. A fights among the students actually involved a shocking murder case. The Imperial Capital felt that they were about to lose their reputation. Qin Yanran, on the other hand, had gone to Benevolence Hall to buy a thousand-year-old ginseng for Qin Jiang. She had bumped into a patient who was being treated there and only found out that something had happened to Qin Yun after asking around. The scene was bustling with activity. There were people tending to their injuries and investigating cases. Qin Yun was lying alone at the side, covered in blood. No one cared about him. ¡°Ah Yun!¡± Qin Yanran walked over quickly and knelt on one knee. She shook Qin Yun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ah Yun, it¡¯s me! Wake up¡­ Don¡¯t scare me¡­ Wake up, Ah Yun¡­¡± Qin Yun did not react. Qin Yanran was burning with anxiety. She wanted to call for a doctor, but when she turned around, she saw Su Xiaoxiao bandaging a junior official¡¯s wound. She walked over with a cold expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see my brother¡¯s injuries? Why didn¡¯t you treat him?¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued to bandage the injured official. The patient had lost a lot of blood. If she did not stop the bleeding, the consequences would be unimaginable. Qin Yanran gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you! My brother¡¯s injuries are very serious! Don¡¯t use your position to take revenge!¡± The lowly official knew that his status was low and could not compare to the Oin family¡¯s flesh and blood. He also advised, ¡°Miss Su, go and take a look at Young Master Qin first. I¡¯m fine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°You injured your artery. How can it not be a problem? I¡¯m only bandaging you now. I still have to go to the clinic to stitch it up later.¡± She finished bandaging and moved on to the next one. Wei Ting¡¯s hand injury had yet to be treated. The blade was stuck in his palm. He said that he was a general and would not die from such a small injury. He wanted her to save others first. ¡°Su Daya!¡± Qin Yanran reached out to grab Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao slapped Qin Yanran hard across the face! Qin Yanran was stunned! ¡°You should be glad that I¡¯m very busy now and don¡¯t have the time to find trouble with you siblings!¡± After a wave of assassinations, these officials and low-ranking officials who did not know martial arts suffered heavy casualties. Every moment delayed was a life. Su Xiaoxiao knelt down on one knee and supported the leg of a young official.. She pressed the bone back, ¡°Scram!¡± Chapter 356 - Chapter 356: Baby Ergou Chapter 356: Baby Ergou Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Yanran didn¡¯t expect Su Xiaoxiao to be so rude to her. Her relationship with Su Xiaoxiao was awkward and they didn¡¯t get along. She knew that. Even so, she did not expect Su Xiaoxiao to really attack her. Wasn¡¯t this girl afraid of her bad reputation spreading and being despised by everyone in the capital? The daughters of the capital cared a lot about their reputation. Even if they didn¡¯t like the other party, they couldn¡¯t make a move easily. Otherwise, if they were known as fierce daughters, it would be difficult for them to find a good in-law in the future. She said the name through gritted teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone too far? I just wanted you to save my brother. It¡¯s fine if you didn¡¯t save him, but why¡­¡± A trace of coldness flashed across Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you know? Your brother courted death and harmed so many people. In the end, you still have the cheek to ask me to save him? Qin Yanran, where did you get your cheek to do so Her words were always so direct, not giving Qin Yanran any respect. This wasn¡¯t the first time Qin Yanran had experienced her venomous tongue, but she was still so angry that she almost couldn¡¯t recover. She turned her head and looked around, trying to get everyone to notice Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s rude behavior. Unfortunately, everyone was busy with their own things and no one paid attention to her at all. Qin Yanran looked coldly at the chubby girl who came from the countryside and felt a strong sense of humiliation. If not for her, she would still be the high and mighty daughter of the Protector Duke. If not for her, she would still be the Third Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e. If not for her, her grandfather would still love her as much as usual¡­ It was her. She had stolen everything from her! Now, she was here to harm her and Qin Yun! Did she have to be so ruthless?! Her heart was too vicious! Su Xiaoxiao ignored Qin Yanran¡¯s emotional fluctuations and continued to bandage the wounded. She did not have enough herbs on hand, so she could only give the patients a simple hemostatic treatment before getting someone to send them to the medical center. Not long after, Qin Canglan rushed over without stopping. He was not at the racecourse today. He and the Old Marquis had brought Su Cheng to challenge the mechanism array. Su Yu had spent a lot of effort to find them. When Qin Yanran saw Qin Canglan riding his horse over in a valiant and domineering manner, her eyes could not help but flicker. In the past, her grandfather had protected her and Ah Yun the most. Whoever touched a strand of their hair, her grandfather would seek justice for them. She felt wronged. ¡°Grandfather¡­¡± Unexpectedly, Qin Canglan did not even look at her. He got off the horse, threw the reins casually, and rushed towards Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Daya!¡± He stepped forward, agitated. ¡°Are you all right? Are you hurt?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was squatting on the ground and bandaging the patient¡¯s thigh. When she heard this, she lowered her head and looked at the blood all over her body. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not me. I¡¯m not injured.¡± Qin Canglan heaved a sigh of relief and asked again, ¡°Where¡¯s Ergou? Yu¡¯er said that the bamboo house collapsed and he was pinned down.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed to the east. ¡°Over there.¡± Qin Canglan followed the direction of her finger and saw Su Ergou lying on the ground and Wei Ting who was guarding Su Ergou. Wei Ting was only wearing a thin inner robe. At this moment, half of his outer robe was spread under Su Ergou and the other half was covering him. Su Ergou was lying down and he was sitting. Wei Ting¡¯s uninjured hand was placed on Su Ergou¡¯s forehead. Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes darkened as he quickly walked over. He did not want to look at Wei Ting, but Wei Ting had the ability to not be drowned in the crowd. No matter how dark it was, or how many people there were, or how worried Qin Canglan was, he could not help but notice him. Wei Ting¡¯s face was covered in dust. There were a few abrasions on his forehead and neck. His plain white undergarment was stained with a lot of blood. It was unknown if it belonged to someone else. The way he guarded Su Ergou, as well as Su Ergou¡¯s imperceptible dependence on him, made Qin Canglan deeply jealous! Qin Canglan sat down on the other side of Su Ergou and glared at Wei Ting. ¡°Take it away!¡± Wei Ting removed his hand from Su Ergou¡¯s forehead. Su Ergou opened his eyes and was relieved to see that Wei Ting was still around. The injured Ergou was also a baby that needed comfort. Qin Canglan was a boorish man who didn¡¯t know how to take care of others. He imitated Wei Ting¡¯s actions and placed his big, thick bear paw on Su Ergou¡¯s forehead. Then, Su Ergou was knocked unconscious. Qin Canglan was speechless. Xiao Duye brought the imperial guards to the vicinity to eliminate the remaining assassins, while Xiao Zhonghua sent Jing Yi back to the Jing family. At this moment, the two princes were not around. Qin Yanran wandered around Qin Yun for a while but did not attract Qin Canglan¡¯s attention. She gritted her teeth and got the coachman to move the unconscious Qin Yun onto the carriage. Until she left, Qin Canglan did not even look at her. In fact, Qin Canglan did not do it on purpose. He really did not see her and Qin Yun. Otherwise, he would have beaten him up no matter what. Qin Canglan cleared his throat in embarrassment, ¡°Ergou¡­ will he be alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao came over to take a look. ¡°One more slap and there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± Qin Canglan was like a big stupid bear that had done something wrong. He had nowhere to put his hands and feet. Su Xiaoxiao said to Wei Ting, ¡°Let me see your hand.¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°Are they all bandaged up?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°They¡¯re all bandaged. The rest are minor injuries.¡± Only then did Wei Ting take out his injured hand. Qin Canglan glanced at it inadvertently, and then he froze. Wei Ting¡¯s slender palm was pierced by a sharp knife, and blood was still dripping. Was this kid injured? Then he was still so calm just now as if nothing had happened. From the looks of it, the blood on his body was all his? He Imew that assassins had come here just now. However, with this kid¡¯s martial arts, he shouldn¡¯t have been stabbed like this, right? Su Xiaoxiao said as she bandaged Wei Ting¡¯s wound, ¡°There¡¯s a big hole under the foundation. When Ergou was rescued, it triggered the mechanism. This knife should have stabbed into Ergou¡¯s head.¡± Qin Canglan choked. He was about to mock this kid for being flashy when he suddenly couldn¡¯t say anything. Wei Ting was injured because of his precious grandson. It could be seen how critical the situation was at that time. If this blade were to really pierce into Su Ergou¡¯s head, he would definitely die on the spot. Not even an immortal could save him. Qin Canglan looked at Wei Ting again with a complicated look in his eyes. In the carriage. Xiao Zhonghua personally opened the medicine bottle and sprinkled the healing powder on Jing Yi¡¯s badly mutilated left shoulder. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± he asked. Jing Yi gritted his teeth. With a pale face and cold sweat, he said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Xiao Zhonghua sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve never cried out in pain since you were young.¡± Jing Yi didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°The First Prince is back.¡± Xiao Zhonghua continued to apply medicine for him. JingYi frowned and said, ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s gaze was cold as he said, ¡°Yes, what a coincidence..¡± Chapter 357 - Chapter 357: Surgery Chapter 357: Surgery Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting¡¯s injuries were too serious. Su Xiaoxiao decided to go back to the medical center to operate on Wei Ting. Su Qi had followed Su MO to chase after the archers in the forest. He had yet to return, so Qin Canglan was not worried about their safety. With Su MO around, he would not let anything happen to his brother. Wei Ting and Fu Su were in a carriage. Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou took one carriage while the others rode horses. Before getting on the carriage, Qin Canglan cleared his throat and said to Wei Ting in a seemingly unintentional manner, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Dahu and the others. The old monkey and Cheng¡¯er have gone to Pear Blossom Alley.¡± When Su Yu brought the news to the three of them, the first thing Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis thought of was to save Su Ergou. Only Su Cheng said, ¡°They¡¯ve all rushed to save Ergou. No one is looking after the children. Without the adults at home, the Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu will be afraid.¡¯ Was Su Cheng not worried about Ergou? It wasn¡¯t that. However, he was not only a father, but also the grandfather of the three little fellows. In his heart, he had long treated the three little fellows as his own grandchildren. Ergou could be saved, but the children could not be left unattended. While Wei Ting was risking his life to protect Su Ergou, Su Cheng was also doing his best to protect Wei Ting¡¯s sons. Wei Ting nodded slightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Qin Canglan sat on the tall horse, pulled the reins and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll accept you just like that. I still don¡¯t like you in some ways.¡± Wei Ting: ¡°Oh, just some.¡± Qin Canglan glared at him. ¡°A lot! Incomparably!¡± This shameless guy! After getting on the carriage, Fu Su drove the carriage in front. He turned around and whispered to Wei Ting behind the curtain, ¡°Young Master, I was scared to death just now. Qin Canglan rode his horse over. I thought he was going to slap you to death.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Fu Su said, ¡°But this is good too. You saved his grandson. He should want to kill you less in the future.¡± Wei Ting muttered, ¡°Can you look forward to me being better?¡± Yuchi Xiu didn¡¯t come today. He was sent by Wei Ting to protect the three little ones. Wei Ting thought that if he and Su Xiaoxiao went back late, he would let Yuchi Xiu bring the three little ones to the Wei family for a night. This was a last resort. Knowing that Su Cheng had returned, Wei Ting was not worried at all. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t you think what happened today is very strange?¡± Fu Su said in a low voice. ¡°That haunted house¡­ so it¡¯s really haunted. There are so many corpses. I wonder how many wandering ghosts are out at night.¡± At the thought of this, Fu Su felt his hair stand on end. ¡°And the child¡¯s skeleton¡­ It¡¯s too scary¡­¡± ¡°Young Master, who do you think did it?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± This was a major case. To date, no one in in the capital had heard of such a number of murders or missing persons. There was no clue yet. ¡°This is the biggest case in the past ten years, right?¡± Fu Su said. ¡°There are so many dead people¡­¡± When they left, more than twenty sets of bones had been moved. It was said that there were still more below. The people from the Imperial Capital would be busy tonight. Fu Su¡¯s thoughts were very jumpy. One second, he was talking about the case, and the next, he was talking about tonight¡¯s assassination. ¡°Young Master, there was a chance to kill Xiao Zhonghua today. Why did you save him?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°If I don¡¯t save him, an assassin will immediately jump out tomorrow and accuse me of being the mastermind.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Fu Su suddenly understood. ¡°So tonight was a trap for Young Master?¡± Wei Ting said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s a trap set up for Xiao Zhonghua and me. No matter what happens to either of us, the other will become the mastermind. If both of us die, everyone will be happy.¡± There was another point that Wei Ting did not mention. Jing Yi saved his wife and brother-in-law below. In return, he would also protect his cousin¡¯s life. Therefore, she didn¡¯t owe Jing Yi a favor, he would return it. Fu Su did not think so deeply. He only felt that there was something strange about tonight¡¯s incident. ¡°The First Prince appeared at such a coincidence and even killed the few of them who were left alive the moment he arrived¡­ Wei Ting snorted. ¡°Which of Emperor Jingxuan¡¯s sons is obedient?¡± Number One Hall was especially busy today. Half of the injured people at the scene of the accident today went to Benevolence Hall, and the other half came to Number One Hall. Physician Fu, Little Weizi, and the others were so busy that their feet didn¡¯t even touch the ground. Even Manager Sun, a layman who didn¡¯t know anything about medicine, took on the task of boiling water and other miscellaneous tasks. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Number One Hall. Ah Zhong went in to get a stretcher and carried Su Ergou to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s courtyard with Chef Cao. Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said to Wei Ting, ¡°Come to my courtyard too.¡± When Little Weizi, who was getting medicine for the patient, heard this, he looked at his boss and the young man in a daze. ¡°The room is full.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°You and Ergou will stay in the same room. I will treat your injuries.¡± Little Weizi said to himself, ¡°That¡¯s right, the room is full.¡± He did not suspect anything and continued to dig into the medicine. ¡°Treat Ergou first.¡± Wei Ting said. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao washed her hands and disinfected them. She put on sterile gloves and opened the first aid kit. She took out saline and cotton swabs and disinfected the wound on the back of Su Ergou¡¯s head. Su Ergou slowly woke up. ¡°Sister¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out the anesthetic. ¡°The wound is a little long. I¡¯ll stitch it up for you. Don¡¯t be afraid. It won¡¯t hurt.¡± Wei Ting walked over and held Su Ergou¡¯s hand. Su Ergou closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. After Su Xiaoxiao gave Su Ergou a local anesthetic, she started to suture. Her movements were clean and efficient. There were a total of three stitches, and the suture was completed in a short while. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Wei Ting. Wei Ting turned his face away and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m a general. I don¡¯t need stitches for such a small injury.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a new anesthetic and hit the nail on the head. ¡°You¡¯re actually afraid, right?¡± This was not the first time Su Xiaoxiao had treated his injuries. When he was picked up by Su Cheng to be his live-in son-in-law, he was already seriously injured. However, at that time, he was not conscious and did not have a deep understanding of the specific treatment process. Looking at the syringes and needles on the plate, his scalp went numb! ¡°Heh, how is that possible¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Wei Ting¡¯s body tensed up. It was a little troublesome to treat Wei Ting¡¯s injuries. Su Xiaoxiao wanted to draw her scalpel, but she had to be careful not to hurt the nerves in his hands. Otherwise, once his right hand was crippled, his career as a general would end. Su Xiaoxiao was fully focused. She grabbed his palm with one hand and the hilt with the other. She pulled it out without hesitation! She still had to suture when she needed to. In the end, Lord Wei could not escape the fate of being pressed down and stitched up. After treating the injury on her hand, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly took out another needle. Wei Ting¡¯s body trembled. ¡°Is there more to come?¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised the syringe and said, ¡°To prevent infections.¡± After being pierced, this kind of deep closed wound was most suitable for the growth of anaerobic bacteria. Wei Ting: ¡°I don¡¯t do injections.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Take off your pants!¡± Chapter 358 - Chapter 358: Progress Chapter 358: Progress Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chef Cao cooked a pot of dumplings and scooped two bowls for Little Weizi to send to Su Xiaoxiao. As soon as Little Weizi reached the door, he heard his boss say unyieldingly, ¡°Take off your pants!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking it off.¡± The other party refused. The boss threatened, ¡°Are you going to do it yourself, or should I take it off? If I take it off, it will be more merciless. My hands are heavy, so I might take off too much at once.¡± Little Weizi felt terrible. He felt that his worldview had been severely impacted! Their cute little boss turned out to be a¡­ pervert?! No wonder she wanted to bring the patient back to her room. It turned out that she wanted to take advantage of him¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a boss!¡± Today, these two bowls of dumplings could not be delivered no matter what. Xiao Weizi returned to the hall in shock. Qin Canglan gave the little alchemist a strange look. ¡°What happened?¡± Could it be that Ergou¡¯s injuries had changed? Xiao Wei Zi stammered, ¡°Boss took off his pants¡­¡± Qin Canlan was puzzled. Qin Canglan went to the small courtyard. ¡°Are you going to take it off?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯d rather die than take it off.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stepped on the stool with one foot and said aggressively, ¡°It seems that you won¡¯t give in if I don¡¯t give you a hard time!¡± What kind of female hooligan was this? Qin Canglan¡¯s expression was indescribable. Could it be that¡­ his granddaughter had been ¡°bullying¡± Wei Ting all along? Was Wei Ting the one who had been raped? Their shadows were cast on the window paper by the candlelight. Su Xiaoxiao was a bully. She pulled someone¡¯s belt¡ª Qin Canglan could not bear to look at it. When Su Xiaoxiao finished dealing with Wei Ting and Su Ergou¡¯s injuries and came to the hall, Qin Canglan couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°He was injured because of Ergou. Take it easy¡­ You can bully him after he recovers.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. There were too many patients at the clinic tonight, and the doctor was too busy. Su Xiaoxiao did not even have time to take a breather before she went to treat other patients. Looking at her busy little figure, Qin Canglan felt extremely emotional. Huayin had once wanted to do something that she could not do, but the little girl had done it. But at the same time, he felt an indescribable sadness. The children of the poor take charge early. How much had she suffered to become so independent? After Su Yu returned, he first went to Pear Blossom Alley to report to the Old Marquis and Su Cheng. The two of them immediately carried the sleeping children over. The Old Marquis¡¯s entered the house first. In his arms¡­ He lowered his head and counted the spiral on the child. One. This was Dahu Erhu and Xiaohu were with Su Cheng and Su Yu respectively. The two of them were not as fast as him, as he had used his Qinggong to come over. He shot a strange glance at Qin Canglan, who was sitting on the steps at the door. He couldn¡¯t wait to go in and see Su Ergou. Just as he took a look, he retreated with a shocked expression and said to Qin Canglan, ¡°Why is that kid from the Wei family here?¡± Qin Canglan gave him a speechless look. The Old Marquis seemed to have woken up from a dream. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s Cheng¡¯er¡¯s son-in-law. I forgot.¡± Wei Ting and Su Ergou were both on IV drips. Su Ergou had fallen asleep. Although Wei Ting had lost too much blood and his vitality had been greatly damaged, he still maintained the vigilance that a general should have. It was the Marquis of Zhenbei who came in just now. Half a year ago, Qin Canglan and the Marquis of Zhenbei were the people he could not let down his guard against the most. But now¡ª He closed his eyes gently. The Old Marquis carried Dahu and sat down beside Qin Canglan. ¡°Is Ergou alright?¡± Qin Canglan shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no danger to his life for the time being.¡± The Old Marquis asked, ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no danger to his life for the time being? Qin Canglan said, ¡°He had a few stitches on his head and his chest was squeezed. There are no obvious fractures, but we cant rule out a slight fracture.¡± These were Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s exact words. The Old Marquis was heartbroken. ¡°Fortunately, we have Daya.¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen his injuries. They are in a very dangerous area. In the past, there were soldiers in the military camp who were injured in the same place as Ergou. They couldn¡¯t be saved.¡± Although it was just a few simple stitches, the infection rate was actually very high. How many soldiers did not die in war or training, but in incurable pain? Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°Daya is doing something very impressive.¡± When he first heard that the lady was opening a medical center, he did not approve of it. The reason why he did not object was that he owed Daya a lot and did not have the right to object.The other reason was that he could not bear to do so. But today, he saw those fatal injuries that were easily treated by his Daya. He suddenly felt that in the near future, his granddaughter might change the fate of many Great Zhou soldiers. The Old Marquis had personally experienced the little girl¡¯s medical skills. He had long seen that the little girl¡¯s medical skills were actually above that of a physician. Physician Fu¡¯s attitude towards the little girl was not like a master¡¯s attitude towards his disciple. The little girl seemed to be hiding some secret. However, since the little girl did not say anything, he did not ask. Mo¡¯er should have noticed it too. He did not mention anything either. To them, it was enough that the little girl had Huayin¡¯s bloodline. No matter how big the little girl¡¯s secret was, the Estate of Zhenbei would do their best to protect her. Thinking of something, the Old Marquis asked again, ¡°What about Wei Ting? What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Su Yu only said that his cousin had returned and did not mention Wei Ting¡¯s condition. He had hung those strange bottles on Wei Ting and Ergou before. He knew that they were hung by the sick. Qin Canglan told him about Wei Ting saving Su Ergou. The Old Marquis was in disbelief. ¡°¡­ pierced through by the entire thing?¡± Qin Canglan held his right wrist and nodded. ¡°The right hand was stabbed.¡± Wei Ting often used his right hand. To a general, this hand was more important than his life, because once a general lost it, he would no longer be able to hold the sword in his hand. The Old Marquis fell silent. Su MO and Su Qi returned to the medical center in the latter half of the night. After chasing the archers in the dark, they first returned to the scene of the incident. The bones were still being dug up. The magistrate told them the whereabouts of Qin Canglan, Su Xiaoxiao, and the others. They immediately rushed over. The two of them were covered in blood. It was obvious that they had experienced a terrifying battle. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± the Old Marquis asked. Su MO said, ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury. It¡¯s fine. Where are Ergou and Daya?¡± ¡°Daya is treating the injured in the room. Ergou is inside.¡± The Old Marquis said and pointed to the room behind him. The two brothers did not understand why their grandfather and granduncle chose to sit on the steps outside instead of staying in the house. But they couldn¡¯t say anything. Su Yu went in to see Ergou. Today¡¯s incident was caused by Qin Yun¡¯s provocation. No one expected that it would involve so many things, from the corpses hidden under the attic to the ambush by assassins in the middle of the night¡­ No matter how he thought about it, it felt very strange. Su MO recalled, ¡°Those assassins seem to be here for Wei Ting and the Third Prince.¡± This was very intriguing. Su MO took out a token from his pocket and handed it to the two of them. ¡°I wanted to leave him alive, but he escaped. This is the token that fell from his body.¡± ¡°Ine person wno can escape rrom your nanas IS not an oramary assassin.¡± ¡®1 ne Old Marquis took the token and handed it to Qin Canglan after reading it. Qin Canglan rubbed the Luan totem on the token and frowned.. ¡°This is¡­¡± Chapter 359 - Chapter 359: Father Su’s Wrath! Chapter 359: Father Su¡¯s Wrath! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The dragon chair in the throne room was never clean. Back then, Prince Nanyang and Prince Ruyang were biological brothers from the same mother. They both ended up fighting to the death. These princes today were not born from the same mother. They would only fight more fiercely than the previous generation. Su MO was puzzled. ¡°His Majesty is in his prime. Isn¡¯t it too early to fight now? Aren¡¯t they afraid that His Majesty will be furious when he finds out?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was still young, and his sons were fighting. Why? Were they cursing their father to meet the previous emperor as soon as possible? The Old Marquis said, ¡°For such matters, as long as one of them can¡¯t sit still, the other brothers will also become impatient.¡± Su MO looked at the token in Qin Canglan¡¯s hand and studied it carefully. ¡°So who was the first to be unable to sit still?¡± At the Protectorate, Qin Yun was sent back to his courtyard. His injuries were extremely serious. Originally, Qin Yanran planned to go straight to the Benevolence Hall, but when she arrived, she realized that the Benevolence Hall was filled with people. She had no choice but to bring him back to the residence. Qin Jiang heard the news. Ever since Wei Ting broke his ribs, he had been recuperating in his residence and did not ask about his children. He did not expect that there would be such a problem for his son after not keeping an eye on him for a month. Looking at his son covered in blood, Qin Jiang was furious. ¡°Who did this?¡± Qin Yanran sobbed, ¡°Su Ergou¡­ Su Daya¡­¡± Half of Qin Yun¡¯s injuries were caused by Su Ergou, while the other half were caused by the wood. However, in Qin Yanran¡¯s opinion, the main culprit was Su Ergou, and Su Daya had to bear responsibility because she had left him in the lurch. Qin Jiang immediately called for a long-time attendant. ¡°Take my invitation and go to the palace to invite Imperial Physician Hu!¡± He left. Qin Jiang asked Qin Yanran, ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Qin Yanran told her father what she had heard from the students in the directorate and some of the injured officials. ¡°Little brother, he¡­ has repeatedly suffered losses at Su Ergou¡¯s hands. After Su Ergou went to school, he stole his little brother¡¯s identity as a little prince. Those who were originally on good terms with him all stopped interacting with him. Little brother was indignant, so he called Su Ergou out and planned to teach him a lesson. I think that little brother only wanted to scare Su Ergou, not really do anything to Su Ergou. However, Su Ergou was ruthless to little brother. ¡± ¡°Later, that abandoned pavilion collapsed and my brother and Su Ergou were buried under it. They only saved Su Ergou and deliberately delayed until they finally brought my brother up¡­ ¡°My brother¡¯s injuries were so serious, but no one treated him. I went to beg Su Daya to treat my brother, but she slapped me¡­¡± Tears fell from her eyes. She didn¡¯t mean to lie. She just thought that this was the truth. Qin Jiang was so angry that his fists cracked. It was said that when people left, the tea would turn cold. He hadn¡¯t even left yet, and all of them were already bullying his children! ¡°Three days later¡­ Three days later is the day Su Cheng and I will fight for military power¡­ I will make him pay the price for his son!¡± As the father and daughter were talking, there was suddenly a commotion outside. ¡°You can¡¯t go in there!¡± ¡°Get that little bastard out here!¡± It was Su Cheng¡¯s voice. When Su Yu went to look for Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis, he only said that Su Ergou was pressed under the collapsed pavilion. After Su Cheng left, he told Qin Canglan that Qin Yun had brought him out. However, Su Cheng was not stupid. He went to the Number One Hall to visit his son and casually exchanged a few words with the injured people from the Directorate. ¡°Qin Yun? Which Qin Yun?¡± Su Cheng asked. The two supervisors looked at him strangely. One of them said, ¡°Qin Yun from the Protectorate!¡± Su Cheng only knew that the Marquis of Zhenbei had a relative who seemed to be a little prince. He did not associate this Qin Yun with that Qin Yun. He asked around for the location of the Protector of the High Duke¡¯s Public House, and then came the matter. Logically speaking, ordinary people would not be able to break into the Protectorate. But was he an ordinary person? He was Qin Canglan¡¯s biological son! The other servants didn¡¯t know Su Cheng, but how could Steward Cen, who often went to the racecourse, not know him? Steward Cen did not stop him, nor did he allow the guards to hurt him. Su Cheng was so focused on avenging his son that he did not notice Steward Cen. He grabbed a servant and asked where Qin Yun¡¯s courtyard was. The servant looked at Steward Cen and obediently pointed the way. Hence, Su Cheng barged into Qin Yun¡¯s courtyard as though he had entered an uninhabited land. The servants in Qin Yun¡¯s courtyard were all his trusted aides, but they could not stop Su Cheng. Su Cheng grabbed a large saber and entered the courtyard with a murderous aura. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and take a look. Stay in the house.¡± After Qin Jiang finished instructing Qin Yanran, he stood up with a dark expression. Qin Yanran hurriedly said, ¡°Father, be careful!¡± Qin Jiang snorted coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t care about a barbarian who grew up in the countryside!¡± Qin Jiang came to the corridor. The servants in the courtyard who did not know martial arts had all been beaten to the ground by Su Chengg. Every injustice had its perpetrator and every debt had its debtor. Su Cheng did not kill this group of servants, but this fellow in front of him was not necessarily the case. ¡°Who are you?¡± He felt very annoyed when he looked at him! He really wanted to beat him up! Qin Jiang said coldly, ¡°You broke into my son¡¯s courtyard and you¡¯re asking me who I am?¡± Su Cheng pointed his saber at him. ¡°Oh, that little bastard is your son! No wonder you look so annoying! If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam would be crooked. You¡¯re not a good person to raise such a little bastard!¡± Qin Jiang narrowed his eyes dangerously. Su Cheng said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s the father¡¯s fault for not teaching his son. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson first before going to teach that little bastard a lesson!¡± Recently, Su Cheng had been bombarded by Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis. Not only was he a punching bag, but he also had to be an accompanying student. His literacy had increased. ¡°It was your son who beat up my son today!¡± From the beginning to the end, Su Cheng did not say that he was here to seek revenge for Su Ergou, nor did he mention that he was Su Ergou¡¯s father. He felt that there was something wrong with the other party¡¯s words, but he was in a fit of anger and could not react for a moment. Su Cheng said, ¡°Of course! It doesn¡¯t matter whose son it is!¡± Qin Jiang said coldly, ¡°Then how dare you come and cause trouble? If you want to find someone, I should be the one looking for you!¡± Su Cheng said arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯m right here. Look for me!¡± Qin Jiang was speechless. Su Cheng did not care so much. His son¡¯s injury was caused by that little bastard Qin Yun. It was his son¡¯s good fortune that he did not die. It was not a reason for him to forgive that little bastard! Su Cheng didn¡¯t waste his breath on Qin Jiang and slashed at him with his saber. Xu Qing flashed out and drew his sword to block Su Cheng¡¯s saber. With a crisp clang, sparks flew between the weapons. Xu Qing felt his forearm go numb. His eyes widened in disbelief. When Su Cheng beat someone up in the alley, he clearly did not have such skills! It had only been a month since they last met, but Su Cheng was already so terrifying! Chapter 360 - Chapter 360: Beating Up Chapter 360: Beating Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Qing had no doubt that if this person had grown up in the Protectorate, under the joint nurturing of the Qin and Su families, he would have become a powerful expert. This was putting aside the fact that not all generals were fierce and brute force was not everything on the battlefield. Whether one was resourceful or not was the key to leading troops into battle. As Qin Jiang watched the two of them fight, a trace of surprise flashed across his eyes. It was not that he did not know that Qin Canglan and Su Shuo had been personally teaching Su Cheng for the past month. However, in his opinion, Su Cheng had been delayed in the countryside for 30 years and had long missed the best opportunity to practice martial arts. Now, no matter how hard he tried, it was useless. He suddenly realized that he might have been wrong. Su Cheng inherited Qin Canglan¡¯s excellent aptitude. He had extraordinary talent. Most of the gaps in this world were not created by hard work. What really determined the outcome¡­ was talent. Of course, it would be a lie to say that Su Cheng did not work hard. During his years as a cowherd, he did all kinds of work to fill his stomach. In order not to be bullied, he learned all kinds of tricks. Therefore, even if he did not receive the true nurture of Qin Canglan and Old Marquis Su like Qin Jiang, Su Cheng¡¯s foundation was not wasted. Qin Jiang subconsciously touched the bandage wrapped tightly under his clothes. Three days later¡­ he had to win. If Su Cheng was so troublesome, then¡­ He gave Xu Qing a look. Today, it was Su Cheng who came knocking on his door. If he wanted to kill him, he could not let his guard down. Even if he made a fuss to Emperor Jing Xuan, Qin Canglan would have nothing to say! Xu Qing understood Qin Jiang¡¯s hint. If he wanted Su to suffer an injury that could not be seen from the outside, it would be best if it was an imperceptible internal injury. Xu Qing received Su Cheng¡¯s sword. His eyes flashed as he changed his move. He no longer purely defended, but began to take the initiative to attack. Su Cheng suddenly realized that this kid¡¯s martial arts had become higher. Was the other party so good at fighting? Xu Qing¡¯s martial arts had always been reserved. Su MO had investigated him. He was a saber artist, but in order to disguise his identity, he had always used a sword that he was not very good at. No one had ever seen him use a saber, so they did not know how powerful this person was. Xu Qing blocked Su Cheng¡¯s path with his sword. He raised his left hand and slapped Su Cheng¡¯s chest! This palm strike would definitely injure Su Cheng¡¯s internal organs! ¡°Aiya¡­¡¯ Su Cheng suddenly fell to the ground without a care for his image. Xu Qing was stunned, and the wind from his palm struck empty air. What kind of move was this¡­ Before Xu Qing could finish his sentence, Su Cheng stabbed him in the back. This was also an extremely ugly move. To put it bluntly, it was a sneak attack, and it was a little ugly. However, it was precisely because of this that Xu Qing fell for it. Damn! What kind of f*cking fighting style was this?! Xu Qing looked at the small knife on his right leg and started to doubt his life. He was Great Zhou¡¯s Protector Duke, Qin Canglan¡¯s legitimate son. Why did he use such a despicable move? He was really a dog! Su Cheng raised his long legs. ¡°I¡¯ll kick you!¡± He kicked the dumbfounded Xu Qing away! The servants in the courtyard could not bear to watch. Xu Qing¡¯s martial arts skills were not inferior to Su Cheng¡¯s. He had never seen such an unpredictable fight. For a moment, his mind and body could not react. He fell heavily at Qin Jiang¡¯s feet. Qin Jiang frowned and stepped forward to ask, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Xu Qing¡¯s body stiffened. He looked at Qin Jiang in pain and gritted his teeth. ¡°Master, you stepped on the knife.¡± Qin Jiang looked down and saw that his foot had just stepped on the handle of the knife that Su Cheng had stabbed into Xu Qing¡¯s thigh. This was equivalent to giving Xu Qing a second stab, and it was on his original Qin Jiang quickly raised his foot. Xu Qing coldly pulled out the knife and stood up. He ignored the blood that gushed out and looked at Su Cheng with a sinister gaze. ¡°You piss me off.¡± He threw away the sword in his hand and pulled out the saber at his waist. ¡°I¡¯m getting serious. ¡± ¡°Xu Qing, don¡¯t hurt him too badly. Don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Qin Jiang was not thinking for Su Cheng. However, if he made it too obvious and Emperor Jing Xuan asked, it would be difficult to explain. Xu Qing said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not too much to break one of his arms, right?¡± Qin Jiang thought that Xu Qing¡¯s fracture was a fracture, but he did not expect Xu Qing to slash down with his saber. Qin Jiang¡¯s eyebrows twitched! Was he going to cut off Su Cheng¡¯s arm?! He would be questioned! ¡°Xu Qing!¡± It was too late for Qin Jiang to stop him. Xu Qing¡¯s movement technique was unbelievably fast, and his saber slashed down heavily at Su Cheng¡¯s right arm. Clang! A long sword suddenly appeared under Xu Qing¡¯s saber! Su MO forced Xu Qing back with a single strike. He turned around and firmly protected Su Cheng behind him. Qin Jiang heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Xu Qing! What are you doing!¡± He shouted. Xu Qing wanted to attack again, but when he heard this, he glanced coldly at Su Mo. He held his knife and stepped on the blood on the ground to return to Qin Jiang¡¯s side. Su Cheng¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Young Master Su, you¡¯re here?¡± Young Master Su? Qin Jiang frowned. Su Mo¡¯s gaze swept across Qin Jiang and Xu Qing. He turned to Su Cheng and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back first. I promise you that I will definitely take revenge for Ergou.¡± Qin Yun had caused Su Ergou to become like this. Qin Canglan and the Senior Marquis had long wanted to drag Qin Jiang and his son out to beat them up. Needless to say, that little girl¡¯s eyes were filled with killing intent. But now was not the time. When the competition was over, they would seek justice for Ergou. ¡°Ergou woke up and is looking for Father.¡± Su MO added. When he heard that his son was looking for him, Su Cheng decided to let that little bastard off first and teach him a lesson next time! Qin Jiang frowned thoughtfully as he watched the two of them gradually disappear into the night. ¡°Just now, did Su Cheng call Su MO Young Master Xu Qing was silent for a moment before answering, ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Jiang was puzzled. ¡°Strange, why does Su Cheng call him that?¡± No one would address their juniors as Young Master. This was clearly the address of an outsider. Qin Jiang muttered to himself, ¡°Could it be that¡­ Su Cheng still doesn¡¯t know his identity? Qin Canglan didn¡¯t tell him?¡± But that didn¡¯t make sense. Qin Canglan couldn¡¯t wait to expose the truth to Emperor Jing Xuan. He couldn¡¯t wait to let Su Cheng return immediately. Why didn¡¯t he tell Su Cheng Qin Canglan couldn¡¯t wait to expose the truth to Emperor Jing Xuan. He couldn¡¯t wait to let Su Cheng return immediately. Why didn¡¯t he tell Su Cheng about his background? Xu Qing said nothing. He did not request to leave to treat his injuries. Qin Jiang gathered his thoughts and turned to look at him. He asked, ¡°What happened just now?¡± Xu Qing cupped his fists and said, ¡°I was so angry that I forgot my limits. Please punish me, Master.¡± Qin Jiang said coldly, ¡°Fortunately, Su MO appeared. Otherwise, if you cut off Su Cheng¡¯s arm in front of me, the consequences wouldn¡¯t be something we could bear!¡± Xu Qing lowered his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The Imperial Physician that he had invited had arrived. It was not Chief Physician Hu. Chief Physician Hu was treating the Empress Dowager and could not leave the palace. It was an Imperial Physician surnamed Li. Qin Jiang turned around and left. Without looking back, he said, ¡°Let Imperial Physician Li treat your injuries later.¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°Thank you, Master..¡± Chapter 361 - Chapter 361: Memory Recovery Chapter 361: Memory Recovery Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Su Cheng and Su MO left Qin Yun¡¯s courtyard, they walked towards the east gate. Su Cheng was anxious to see Su Ergou and walked in front. Su MO put away his sword and followed behind him silently. His visit to the residence today reminded him of something. The competition was in three days, but they had yet to tell his uncle about his background. Could it be that he had to compete with Qin Jiang in a muddle-headed manner? This was not going to work. Because when that day really came, even if they kept their mouths shut, the people present would not have any scruples. What if Uncle found out about his background from someone else and triggered his childhood memories? Would he fall into a coma again? What should he do? Should he stop everyone from talking, or find a suitable time to tell Uncle before that? Su Mo¡¯s head hurt. He narrowed his eyes. Su Cheng was gone! Su MO hurriedly looked around and realized that they had unknowingly arrived at his grandaunt¡¯s courtyard when she was alive. Su Cheng stood at the door in a daze, looking at the tightly shut courtyard door with a blank expression. Su MO opened his mouth. ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Su Cheng pushed open the courtyard door. Su MO paused. The furnishings in the courtyard had not been changed. It was the same every day for thirty years. Steward Cen would bring people to sweep, trim the flowers, and repair the roof when necessary. But they would not move anything without permission. The swing set in the front yard was already stained with rust, and the stone table stools at the side were also showing signs of erosion. The crabapple flowers bloomed beautifully, but they were not fragrant. The koi tish in the small pond changed batch after batch but the number and size were the same as thirty years ago. There was a small waterwheel on the edge of the pond. Su Cheng walked over and shook the controller. The waterwheel rattled to life. His memories seemed to be spinning as strange images flashed through his mind. A three-year-old child squatted beside the waterwheel and shook it with all his might. ¡°Mother, the waterwheel is so fun! ¡± The woman lay on the rattan chair and leisurely nibbled on a snack. ¡°Stop playing. Come and rest for a while. Look at how sweaty you are.¡± The little boy said, ¡°But I¡¯m not tired! I still want to play!¡± The scene changed. The little boy was four years old. He ran over and said to the woman sitting on the rattan chair eating fruits, ¡°Mother, why isn¡¯t Father back yet?¡± The woman glanced at him speechlessly. ¡°Your father just left, okay?¡± The little boy tilted his head. ¡°But I think he¡¯s been gone for a long time.¡± ¡°Son, who¡¯s the most beautiful woman in the world?¡± ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Che¡¯er!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± The little boy was picked up by a burly man in armor. The man smiled. ¡°Did you listen to your mother at home today?¡± The little bean nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes! I¡¯m very obedient!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t make your mother angry? ¡°No, no! My mother is the most beautiful and kindest woman in the world. Why would she be angry with her own son?¡± ¡°Rascal! Did you break my bracelet again?! How many bracelets have you broken this month?¡± The woman grabbed the feather duster and rushed out. ¡°I¡¯m going to smash your butt today!¡± The little bean trembled. ¡°Okay, she¡¯s a little angry.¡± The scene changed. The sky was dark and gloomy. It was no longer that warm and lively courtyard. On the mountain path, they encountered a pursuit. He was pushed into the cold lake by the woman. The sword pierced through the woman¡¯s body. ¡°Mother!¡± He fell to the bottom of the lake in pain and despair. Su Cheng had a splitting headache. He covered his head and fell to the ground. Su Mo¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Uncle¡­ Uncle¡­ Uncle!¡± ¡°What did you say? Su Cheng fainted?¡± Qin Jiang had just come out of Qin Yun¡¯s room when he heard the servant¡¯s report. The servant replied, ¡°Yes, I saw it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°How did this happen?¡± Qin Jiang muttered. When Su Cheng left, he was still full of energy. It couldn¡¯t be Su MO who knocked Su Cheng out. cun Jiang asKea, ¡°wnat nappeneac wnere you ramtf¡± The servant shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only saw that person enter Grand Madam¡¯s courtyard from afar. When he came out, he had already fainted. Young Master carried him out of the residence.¡± Su MO would not let anything happen to him. He had also entered Su Huayin¡¯s courtyard before, so there was no danger. So¡­ why did Su Cheng faint? Could it be¡­ Coupled with the way Su Cheng addressed Su MO, Qin Jiang had a bold guess. Su Cheng did not know his background, not because Qin Canglan and the others did not want to tell Su Cheng, but because Su Cheng could not accept Su Huayin¡¯s death. Su Cheng couldn¡¯t take the shock. ¡°Ha, haha!¡± ¡°Heaven help me! Heaven help me!¡± As long as he used his background to provoke Su Cheng, would he have to worry about Su Cheng not falling? ¡°Qin Canglan, I don¡¯t care how you and Su Shuo nurture Su Cheng. I¡¯ve found Su Cheng¡¯s Achilles heel!¡± ¡°I will definitely win the competition in three days!¡± ¡°The military power is mine!¡± Su MO brought Su Cheng back to the medical center. Su Xiaoxiao had just finished the last round of suturing. The patient¡¯s injuries were not serious. He could go back and remove the stitches in five days. Little Weizi sent them to the carriage. Su MO brought Su Cheng to a room on the second floor. There were wards for patients on the first and second floors, but the first floor was full. Su Xiaoxiao went upstairs to take Su Cheng¡¯s pulse. While waiting for his pulse, Su MO told her about Su Cheng accidentally entering his grandaunt¡¯s courtyard. ¡°He should have recalled the past.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stuffed his father¡¯s arm back under the blanket. ¡°It looks fine from his pulse. He¡¯ll be fine after a nap.¡± Su MO was relieved. ¡°Are you done here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Almost.¡± Su MO asked, ¡°Do you need me to send you back to Pear Blossom Lane?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll rest at the clinic tonight. You¡¯ve been busy all night. Go back early.¡± Su MO nodded. After leaving the medical center, Su MO looked at the obscure sky and asked, ¡°Where is Fifth Brother?¡± The secret guard who acted as the coachman replied, ¡°Reporting to Eldest Young Master, he¡¯s arrived in Qing City.¡± Su MO said indifferently, ¡°Send a messenger pigeon to our people in Qing City and ask Fifth Brother to arrive in three days.¡± The secret guard said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, you want¡­¡± Su Mo¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°Qin Jiang¡­ must have discovered something tonight. If he uses Uncle¡¯s weakness to deal with Uncle, Uncle can only lose.¡± The secret guard scratched his head. ¡°But¡­ are we really going to let Fifth Young Master be adopted by the Duke? Wouldn¡¯t that hurt Fifth Young Master¡¯s heart too much?¡± Su MO said indifferently, ¡°No eggs are intact when the nest is overturned. Once my granduncle¡¯s lineage collapses, the Su family will not be far from destruction. This is not only for Uncle, but also for the entire Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. Besides, why would he be sad? He¡¯s the one who doesn¡¯t want to be the Marquis¡¯ Estate¡¯s young master the most, right?¡± Uh¡­ Fifth Young Master had probably gone too far.. Chapter 362 - Chapter 362: Doting On Grandchild Chapter 362: Doting On Grandchild Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao returned to her courtyard. There were two rooms in her courtyard, one for Du Juan and Ying¡¯er, and one for her. There were many patients tonight. Du Juan and Ying¡¯er were already on night duty, so they gave up their room. Ying¡¯er went to change a new set of blanket and pillow. She realized that her boss was slightly obsessed with cleanliness. Although it was not directed at her and Du Juan, it was her duty to take good care of her boss. Su Xiaoxiao went to see Su Ergou first. Qin Canglan stayed by the bed. As the Old Marquis had yet to recover, Su Xiaoxiao forcibly persuaded him to return to the residence. ¡°That kid left.¡± Qin Canglan said. He was referring to Wei Ting. Su Xiaoxiao replied, ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t drive him away.¡± Qin Canglan had proven his innocence. No matter what, he was injured because of Ergou. He would not drive him away. Su Xiaoxiao nodded and walked to the bed. ¡°How is your father?¡± Qin Canglan asked. ¡°Same as last time,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Qin Canglan felt guilty. If he had not been careless back then, Huayin would not have been killed and Cheng¡¯er would not have been stranded among the people. Su Xiaoxiao touched Su Ergou¡¯s forehead. ¡°Ying¡¯er and the rest will come to patrol the night. You don¡¯t have to guard here.¡± ¡°I want to guard for a while.¡± Qin Canglan said. After a pause, he muttered, ¡°The three little guys don¡¯t sleep well.¡± He was afraid that they would kick Ergou. When Qin Canglan said this, he lowered his head and grabbed his thick fingers like a resentful big stupid bear. Su Xiaoxiao laughed. It was very, very light. Qin Canglan was stunned and turned to look at her. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll carry Dahu and the others over. You sleep with Ergou.¡± Qin Canglan cleared his throat and whispered, ¡°¡­ My sleeping posture is even worse.¡± Su Xiaoxiao carried the three sleeping little ones next door and asked Little Weizi and Ah Zhong to set up a small bamboo bed for Qin Canglan. It was an extended bamboo bed. Qin Canglan lay down and the bamboo bed was gone, and half of his leg was hanging in the air. Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. Qin Canglan did not go to bed obediently. After Su Xiaoxiao fell asleep, he quietly walked out of the courtyard and went to the second floor of the lobby like a thief. He sat in front of Su Cheng¡¯s bed until dawn. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t rest until dawn, so she woke up late the next day. Students were not allowed to enter the Palace Academy late and leave early in the palace, so Qin Canglan entered the palace. There were no court sessions on this day, and it was rare for Emperor Jing Xuan to sleep early. He wanted to sleep. However, Eunuch Fu woke him up. Eunuch Fu reported sheepishly, ¡°Your Majesty, the old Protector Duke requests an audience.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan ignored him. After a while, Eunuch Fu returned and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the Marquis of Zhenbei requests an audience.¡± The two elders had long stopped attending court. Occasionally, they would see him after he left the court. They would never disturb his sleep early in the morning. However, they asked to see him at the same time. Jing Xuan Emperor wondered if something big had happened. He forced himself to be sleepy and dragged his exhausted body to the imperial study to meet the two of them. ¡°My dear ministers, what happened?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s expression was very serious. The Old Marquis cupped his hands. ¡°Your Majesty, there was an accident in the western suburbs of the capital last night. I believe you¡¯ve heard about it.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan wanted to say that he had not¡­ The Old Marquis: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you haven¡¯t heard about it.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan thought that the Old Marquis¡¯ next sentence was¡ªI¡¯ll tell you. The Old Marquis said, ¡°I¡¯m not here for this.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was dumbfounded. The Old Marquis said solemnly, ¡°My grandniece was also at the scene. She¡¯s been busy all night. I¡¯m here to apply for leave for her.¡± The corners of Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°What about Minister Qin?¡± He looked at Qin Canglan. Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m also here to apply for leave for my granddaughter.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was speechless. Did two veterans of the battlefield wake him up early in the morning just to let their little girl sleep in?! Where was their regard for him?! Do the two of them have any awareness of being officials?! Also, do they know how scary it was for the two of them to enter the palace together? He thought the country was going to war at the border! Emperor Jing Xuan was furious and cursed in his heart! Emperor Jing Xuan mercilessly threw the two of them out. The two old things were so angry early in the morning that it was impossible for them to go back to sleep. ¡°Isn¡¯t the eldest back?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked. Eunuch Fu hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, His First Highness entered the palace last night to pay his respects to you. You should rest. His First Highness asked me not to disturb your rest. He will come to visit you again today.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Let him enter the palace.¡± Eunuch Fu replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan paused and said, ¡°Ask Third Brother to come too.¡± Eunuch Fu bowed. ¡°Aye, Your Majesty.¡± The scene of the crime in the cellar was too shocking. Some were complete skeletons, while others had been destroyed for various reasons and needed a coroner to reconstruct the bones. The coroner performed an autopsy on the spot and reconstructed the bones. He was busy until the next morning. Seeing that the number of onlookers was gradually increasing, the officials got someone to transport the bones back to the government office first. In the end, the news still spread. ¡°Have you heard? That half-built attic is really haunted!¡± ¡°You believe that?¡± ¡°My uncle saw it with his own eyes! The bones dug out by the officials of the yamen were all over the ground. There were countless of them! There were dead people everywhere. How could it not be haunted?¡± In the teahouse, everyone was discussing fervently. Some believed it, and some didn¡¯t. The scene was extremely intense. Compared to this shocking case, the assassination last night did not cause such a huge commotion. After all, the assassination happened at night and not many people saw it. ¡°Why did the officials suddenly go there?¡± In the teahouse, a merchant asked. A young man said, ¡°It¡¯s said that two students from the Imperial College fought and destroyed the attic. They were pressed under the ruins and the officials rushed to save them. In the end, they dug out those bones. Many officials were injured. The Benevolence Hall is filled with injured people!¡± ¡°How did they get hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± ¡°Is it haunted¡­¡± Some things became ridiculous as they spread. Su Xiaoxiao knew nothing about this. She slept until noon. In her daze, she felt something furry rubbing against her cheek. She raised her hand and touched it. One, two, three little heads. ¡°Mother!¡± Dahu rubbed his head against her palm and called out. Xiaohu also went to rub against it. Xiaohu couldn¡¯t nudge her, so he decisively grabbed her other hand and placed it on his little head. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but smile. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the three cute little fellows. She greeted them in a lazy and hoarse voice. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu.¡± The three of them lay beside her pillow and looked at her adorably. The curtains in the room were drawn, and the light was very dim. However, from the bright gaps, one could tell that it was getting late. Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to school today?¡± ¡°School¡¯s over!¡± Da Hu said. ¡°Only half a day of school today,¡± said Er Hu. ¡°Yeah!¡± Xiao Hu said. Although the three little fellows did not see their mother before they went to bed, when they woke up, they found themselves lying on the same bed as their mother. Their mood was instantly cured. They were extremely excited the entire day, but they were very obedient and did not wake their mother up. Su Xiaoxiao looked at their sparkling eyes and could feel the joy in their hearts. Su Cheng protected their emotions and young hearts very well. Who said that her father was a brute? He was so thoughtful and considerate. Su Xiaoxiao touched their little heads one by one and smiled unconsciously. Xiaohu sat cross-legged and pointed at his little head. He said seriously and worriedly, ¡°Uncle Ergou, there is blood!¡± Su Ergou¡¯s head was wrapped in gauze after the stitches. Perhaps he had touched the wound during the night, causing blood to seep out. Xiaohu frowned and said bitterly, ¡°Uncle Ergou hurts!¡± Xiaohu was the youngest, and his language abillity was the latest to awaken. Often, his two brothers would finish speaking before it was his turn. Then, he could only agree. This time, he finally said everything before his two brothers. Su Xiaoxiao got up, washed up, and went next door to see Su Ergou. Physician Fu had already finished the IV drip for Su Ergou and changed the dressing on his wound. The injury on the back of his head was the most serious. There were no signs of infection for the time being, and the other abrasions and scratches were not serious. It was just that his back and chest had been pressed down for too long, and a large area of soft tissue contusions had appeared. It was not obvious yesterday, but today, it was a shocking sight. Su Xiaoxiao had the urge to chop up Qin Yun. ¡°Sister.¡± Su Ergou woke up. ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll make it for you,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Su Ergou wanted to shake his head, but just as he shook his head, the back of his head twitched in pain. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Su Xiaoxiao held him down. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Ergou obediently lay on his side and did not move. ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t want to eat. Don¡¯t cook anymore.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched his forehead. It wasn¡¯t hot. She relaxed a little. She glanced at Su Ergou and said, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t cook. I¡¯ll let Master Cao cook. What do you want to eat?¡± Su Ergou replied ¡°Sour soup dumplings.¡± It was a good thing to have an appetite. Su Xiaoxiao went to the back room and asked Chef Cao to make a bowl of vegetable dumplings for Su Ergou. She didn¡¯t ask to add the sour soup. It was better to have something light to recuperate from. The three little ones also hoped that their uncle would get better soon. Dahu contributed his personal stash of sweets, and Erhu gave away his little lucky stone. Xiaohu¡­ Xiaohu had nothing. He was so poor. No, he had brothers! Two brothers! He was really the smartest little tiger in the world! He lay on the bed and said, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ll give Dahu and Erhu to you.¡± Su Ergou was speechless. A moment later, Xiaohu to received his brothers¡¯ care package. Xiao Hu covered his little butt and limped out of the house, feeling extremely aggrieved. Why was he beaten up just like that? Boohoo.. Chapter 363 - Chapter 363: Jingning Strikes Chapter 363: Jingning Strikes Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the other side, Qin Yun was in a terrible state. Imperial Physician Li came to protect the Protectorate in the middle of the night, but he had not left until now. Qin Jiang had not slept the entire night, and his eyes were dark. He looked at his unconscious son on the bed and clenched his fists as he asked Imperial Physician Li, ¡°What happened? Why isn¡¯t Yun¡¯er awake yet?¡± Imperial Physician Li was also quite puzzled. ¡°The injuries have been treated and the places that should be stitched up have been stitched up. There are no fractures. Logically speaking, he should have woken up.¡± Qin Jiang frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Imperial Physician Li sighed, ¡°Lord Qin, your son¡­ may have injured his internal organs¡­¡± Qin Jiang asked, ¡°Are you referring to internal injuries?¡± Last night, he had wanted Xu Qing to injure Su Cheng¡¯s internal organs. In the end, Su Cheng was not injured, but his son was! Imperial Physician Li said, ¡°This is just one of the guesses¡­¡¯ Qin Jiang¡¯s expression turned even uglier. ¡°Are there other injuries?¡± Imperial Physician Li hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Your son might have¡­ hit his head.¡± Qin Jiang said coldly, ¡°Imperial Physician Li, please explain yourself!¡± Imperial Physician Li sighed and laid his cards on the table. ¡°I¡¯m helpless too. Lord Qin, please find someone else.¡± With that, Imperial Physician Li took his medicine box and left. Qin Jiang punched the wall! ¡°Father.¡± Qin Yanran had just returned from the Palace Academy. Actually, she had not slept all night, but she did not dare to take leave, and no one went to apply for leave for her. With a haggard face, she said softly, ¡°Father, go and invite Imperial Physician Hu again.¡± Qin Jiang frowned and said, ¡°Imperial Physician Hu is treating the Empress Dowager¡¯s illness. Are you asking me to snatch the doctor from the Empress Dowager?¡± Qin Yanran explained, ¡°I¡¯ve asked around in the palace. Imperial Physician Hu was on duty last night. He should be resting in the imperial hospital at this hour.¡± ¡°Is the information accurate?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Qin Jiang quickly sent someone to the palace and found a eunuch he was familiar with from the Internal Affairs Bureau. He asked someone to send his invitation to Imperial Physician Hu to the Duke¡¯s Estate. Imperial Physician Hu had intended to go. As soon as he stepped out of the Imperial Hospital, she was stopped by Taozhi, who was Princess Jingning¡¯s palace maid. ¡°Imperial Physician Hu, where are you going?¡± Taozhi asked. Imperial Physician Hu said politely, ¡°I have something on. I¡¯m going out of the palace.¡± Taozhi said, ¡°Aiya, I came at the wrong time. Her Highness is about to invite Imperial Physician Hu to Kunning Palace.¡± Imperial Physician Hu quickly asked, ¡°What happened to Princess Jingning?¡± Taozhi sighed disconsolately. ¡°Her Highness has a headache. She didn¡¯t intend to trouble the imperial physician at first, but who knew that His Majesty would come to Kunning Palace? His Majesty said, how could she have such a problem at such a young age? Hurry up and call the imperial physician to take a look.¡± Emperor Jingxuan was mentioned. If Imperial Physician Hu refused to go, wouldn¡¯t he be embarrassing Emperor Jingxuan? Imperial Physician Hu was not so stubborn and could only reject Qin Jiang. Knowing that Imperial Physician Hu had been intercepted by Princess Jingning, Qin Jiang was furious but did not dare to say anything. What was he going to do? Was his son¡¯s life is more precious than a princess¡¯s? Only Qin Yanran felt that something was wrong. During class during the day, Princess Jingning was clearly fine¡­ Could it be that¡­ Princess Jingning did it on purpose? At the Wei family, Wei Ting had just returned from the palace. Emperor Jing Xuan had already learned about what happened last night from Xiao Duye and Xiao Zhonghua, so he summoned Wei Ting to the palace to ask about it. Wei Ting and Xiao Zhonghua arrived at the scene together. His words were the same as Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s. Emperor Jingxuan instructed him to recuperate well before letting him leave. As soon as Wei Ting entered the room, he felt a murderous aura assault his face. His wide sleeves and long hair surged without any wind. He composed himself and wavered between going in and escaping for a moment. In the end, he chose to face it bravely. He smiled. ¡°Grandmother.¡± Matriarch Wei sat on a chair, holding a walking stick that was almost as tall as a person. She glanced at him coldly. ¡°You still know how to come back?¡± Wei Ting glanced at Fu Su, who was hanging his head like a little quail. He knew that this fellow had sold him out again. Wei Ting decided not to hide it anymore. He lifted his wide sleeves and openly revealed his bandaged hand. Seeing his right hand in that state, Matriarch Wei¡¯s eyes darkened! ¡°Wei Xichao! Do you want to die?!¡± Matriarch Wei gritted her teeth. Wei Ting came to Matriarch Wei¡¯s side and hooked a small stool over with one leg. He sat down and placed his hand on the Dowager Duchess¡¯s leg, saying shamelessly, ¡°Grandmother, Little Seven is in so much pain.¡± ¡°It hurts!¡± Chapter 364 - Chapter 364: Jingning Strikes (2) Chapter 364: Jingning Strikes (2) Matriarch Wei flung his hand away. Wei Ting¡¯s hand hit the armrest and he let out a cry of pain. Matriarch Wei panicked and hurriedly grabbed his wrist. ¡°What happened to your hand? Did you hit your wound? You¡­ Don¡¯t you know how to dodge?¡± Wei Ting said helplessly, ¡°If I dodge, how can Grandmother calm down?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Matriarch Wei would really be angered to death by this unfilial grandson! When Matriarch Wei learned from Fu Su that Wei Ting had injured his right hand, she felt like she had been struck by lightning. Among the men in the Wei family, only Wei Ting was left. If anything happened to him, the entire Wei family could only wait for their downfall. Who would have thought that he would humiliate himself like this? He did not cherish his life! ¡°Is it worth it for an outsider?!¡± Wei Ting thought about it seriously. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem worth it¡­ I¡¯ve already lost a hand. If she¡¯s still an outsider, I¡¯ll suffer too much¡­ Matriarch Wei was speechless. This matter could not be clarified. Wei Ting had never listened to anyone since he was young. He had more thoughts than his brothers. He only pretended to be obedient on the surface, but in reality, he was the most difficult to control. No one could do anything when he made up his mind. Matriarch Wei looked at his bandaged hand and asked in a low voice, ¡°Does it really still hurt?¡± ¡°It hurts.¡± Wei Ting said. Matriarch Wei snorted coldly. ¡®You¡¯re already a father, yet you¡¯re still complaining about pain? Aren¡¯t you ashamed? Endure the pain! You asked for Wei Ting sighed. ¡°Sigh, weren¡¯t you the one asking?¡± Matriarch Wei ignored him! Wei Ting deliberately placed his injured claw in Matriarch Wei¡¯s hand. Matriarch Wei shook her head weakly and glared at him, pretending that nothing had happened. Wei Ting¡¯s lips curled up as he got down to business with Matriarch Wei. ¡°Grandmother, did you arrange this assassination?¡± Matriarch Wei said coldly, ¡°Wei Xichao, are you rebelling?¡± Wei Ting smiled. ¡°I was just joking. I know it¡¯s not you.¡± Matriarch Wei mocked, ¡°If I arrange for the assassination, I¡¯ll have broken your arm no matter what!¡± Look at this ancestral vicious tongue. Wei Ting looked at his injured hand and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s all thanks to such a serious injury. Otherwise, our Wei family might really have been stabbed in the back.¡± If Wei Ting wasn¡¯t injured or seriously injured, people might suspect that he was injured on purpose. They might say that, in fact, he was the one who arranged for the assassination to kill Xiao Zhonghua. However, his right hand might be crippled. No one could use the ruse of self-injury to this extent. Matriarch Wei also felt that something was amiss. Wei Ting continued, ¡°Grandmother, there¡¯s something I haven¡¯t found a chance to ask you.¡± Matriarch Wei said, ¡°Speak.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°The Marquis of Zhenbei was poisoned by someone, and the clues point to the Protectorate. This¡­ has nothing to do with you, right?¡± Matriarch Wei said angrily, ¡°So what if it¡¯s related? Qin Canglan killed your grandfather. The Qin and Su families are in cahoots. There¡¯s nothing wrong with me taking revenge on them!¡± Wei Ting looked at her hesitantly. ¡°You didn¡¯t really do it, did you?¡± Matriarch Wei¡¯s lips moved. She turned away. ¡°I wanted to do it. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t succeed.¡± Wei Ting secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You almost lost your granddaughter-in-law, do you know that?¡± Matriarch Wei said, ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m not¡­¡¯ Wei Ting counted with his fingers. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xlaohu.¡± Matriarch Wei swallowed the last word with a dark expression. ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± She returned to the topic that had just been interrupted. Wei Ting said, ¡°The Marquis of Zhenbei was poisoned. At first, the clues pointed to the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate, but later on, Su MO investigated and actually found out about our Wei family.¡± Matriarch Wei said, ¡°Hmph! I didn¡¯t poison him!¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°That means that someone is sowing discord between our families. There are two possibilities. The first is that he¡¯s purely here to sow discord among the three parties. The second is that he only wanted to sow discord between the Qin and Su families at the beginning. Seeing that the relationship between the two parties is too strong and can¡¯t be broken, he framed our Wei family and wanted to make our relationship with the Qin and Su families worse.¡± Matriarch Wei said coldly, ¡°Is there a need to sow discord between the Wei family and the Qin and Su families? They¡¯ve long fought to the death!¡± Wei Ting seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why is there a need to do this? Unless¡­ the other party knows that I have a deep relationship with the eldest daughter of the Qin family and wants to stop us from turning from enemies to friends.¡± Matriarch Wei frowned. ¡°Grandmother, have you seen this?¡± Wei Ting took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. He clumsily tried to open it with one hand for a long time. Matriarch Wei took the paper with a dark expression. On the paper was a Luan Token. Wei Ting said, ¡°Su MO obtained the token from an assassin last night.¡± Matriarch Wei carefully examined the totem on the token, but she could not figure it out after a long while. Suddenly, she turned the paper upside down. The next second, her expression froze. Su Xiaoxiao left Su Ergou¡¯s room and went to the lobby. The patient¡¯s condition was still stable, and Physician Fu told her not to worry. However, Su Cheng did not wake up. Physician Fu told her to go up and take a look. She went upstairs, and the three little tails followed her. The three of them entered Su Cheng¡¯s room. ¡°Grandpa, why aren¡¯t you waking up yet?¡± Xiaohu asked. ¡°Grandpa is tired.¡± Dahu said. ¡°Tired of what?¡± Xiaohu asked. ¡°Tired¡­ he¡¯s tired! He¡¯s tired of taking care of you!¡± Erhu said. Xiaohu put his hands on his hips and said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s not tiring to carry Xiaohu! It¡¯s tiring to carry you! It¡¯s tiring to carry Dahu!¡± Dahu muttered, ¡± What did I do now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took Su Cheng¡¯s pulse. There was nothing wrong with his pulse, and his temperature and blood pressure were normal. As such, Su Xiaoxiao could only think of one possibility¡ªhe could not accept Su Huayin¡¯s death and subconsciously refused to wake up. The competition for military power was in two days.. If he still could not wake up on that day¡­ Chapter 365 - Chapter 365: Recognition Chapter 365: Recognition Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Yuan had been busy supervising the Divine Bow Camp and was not in the capital. He only received the news in the afternoon. He rushed to the medical center without stopping. ¡°How¡¯s Ergou?¡± He walked into the hall and asked the Physician who was prescribing medicine for someone. The doctor pointed to the backyard and said, ¡°He¡¯s out of danger for the time being. He¡¯s in Daya¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Thank you, Physician Fu.¡± Su Yuan immediately looked for Su Ergou. Su Ergou felt like he had nothing to live for after being drooled on by the three little ones. He thanked Su Yuan for saving him from the fire and water, mainly water. Su Yuan saw that Su Ergou¡¯s head was wrapped in gauze and his body was covered in gauze. His heart ached. ¡°How did Su Qi and Su Yu take care of you His two sons were dead meat! Su Ergou said, ¡°It has nothing to do with them. I was the one who left with Qin Yun.¡± Su Yuan said coldly, ¡°That¡¯s because they didn¡¯t look after you! I¡¯ll teach them a lesson later!¡± Su Ergou said, ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t teach Second Cousin and Third Cousin a lesson.¡± The word ¡®Uncle¡¯ broke Su Yuan¡¯s defense. He was so excited that his body and mind were trembling. ¡°Ergou¡­ what¡­ what did you just call me?¡± Su Ergou didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with how he addressed him, but Su Yuan¡¯s expression made him doubt himself. Su Ergou thought for a moment. ¡°Cousin¡­ Uncle?¡± Su Yuan immediately said, ¡°No, just Uncle!¡± What cousin? Aunt¡¯s son was his biological brother! Su Ergou obediently addressed him as Uncle, which made Su Yuan overjoyed. Su Yuan looked at the strong-looking Ergou and liked him no matter how he looked at him. He was much more pleasing to the eye than the few brats at home. ¡°Uncle.¡± The three little ones followed suit. Su Yuan shuddered. ¡°You don¡¯t call me uncle! You call me Big Grandpa!¡± The three little ones: ¡°Big Grandpa!¡± ¡°Aye, good boys.¡± Su Yuan smiled and patted their heads. ¡°Did I forget something¡­¡± The three little fellows were Wei Ting¡¯s sons¡­ No, the three of them had already crossed the path in front of His Majesty. They were Daya¡¯s sons, so they belonged to the Su family. It had nothing to do with Wei Ting anymore. Yes, he had grandsons. How nice! Su Yuan started to tease the little boys. After teasing the Dahu, he would tease Erhu; when he was done with Erhu, he would tease Xiaohu, making the three little ones dizzy. Su Ergou had a look that said, ¡± Hello? There¡¯s a patient here?¡± Su Ergou was in good spirits. Therefore, even though he was seriously injured, his situation was still optimistic. What worried everyone was Su Cheng. Even at night, he showed no signs of waking up. Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis came over with solemn expressions. The two elders sat in front of the bed while Su Yuan stood at the side. He did not say anything. ¡°What did Mo¡¯er say?¡± the Old Marquis asked. Su Yuan said, ¡°Mo¡¯er went out of the city to pick up Fifth Brother. If he¡¯s fast, he can arrive tomorrow night.¡± The morning of the day after tomorrow was the day of the official competition. Qin Jiang was a scheming person. That day, Su Cheng called Su MO Young Master in the courtyard and later fainted in Su Huayin¡¯s courtyard, Qin Jiang had probably already guessed something. Giving Su Cheng one of the boys from the Marquis of Zhenbei was the only way. Su MO definitely wouldn¡¯t work. He was the eldest son, and there had never been a reason for him to be adopted. Second Brother and Third Brother were not suitable either. The safest way was to choose one from between the fourth and fifth. Fourth Brother¡­ The Old Marquis and Su Yuan frowned at the thought of him. In short, Qin Jiang had been Qin Canglan¡¯s son for twenty years and the Old Marquis¡¯s nephew for twenty years. He knew the situation of the Marquis of Zhenbei like the back of his hand. He impatiently judged that Old Fifth was the best candidate to replace Su Cheng, so he would definitely think of ways to stop Old Fifth from returning to the capital. At night, the officials of the Imperial Capital came to the medical center. ¡°Excuse me, is Miss Su here? We want to take her to the Imperial Capital for questioning.¡± ¡°Who are you taking to the Imperial Capital for questioning?¡± Su Yuan¡¯s deep voice sounded at the top of the stairs. The officials looked up. Three big shots walked down from upstairs. Qin Canglan said, ¡°Repeat what you just said.¡± The Old Marquis said, ¡°Speak louder. The Old Protector Duke and I are old, so we can¡¯t hear clearly.¡± The officer almost peed his pants! He was here to bring the witness for questioning, but why did he feel that if he really did, the grass on his grave would be two meters tall by next year? He trembled and said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m here to ask if¡­ is Miss Su around. If she is, we can come and ask about the crime scene last night.¡¯ Qin Canglan brushed his clothes and said indifferently, ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s more like it!¡± The officer who felt that he had saved his own skin said to himself, ¡°My life is too difficult¡­ Su Xiaoxiao was one of the witnesses last night. When the base collapsed for the second time, she and Su Ergou were the first witnesses in the basement. Su Ergou was seriously injured and was unconscious. Su Xiaoxiao was awake. The officer was asking Su Xiaoxiao about the situation as a routine procedure. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you didn¡¯t see it,¡± the official said softly. Their duty was to collect as many clues as possible, but they might not be able to gain anything every time they asked. This was how solving cases was. They were already used to it. Su Xiaoxiao recalled carefully. At that time, it was too dark below, and she really did not see anything. But she smelled it. She closed her eyes and tried to recall. The thick, putrid corpse aura was nauseating. But in between¡­ there was a faint¡­ fragrance. ¡°Fragrance?¡± The official felt his hair stand on end. He said with an accent, ¡°They¡¯re all corpses. Why would there be corpse aura in their sacs?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said confidently. This body was abnormally sensitive. It was afraid of pain and heat, and didn¡¯t tolerate hunger. It often made Su Xiaoxiao suffer unspeakably. However, it had an advantage. It was too sensitive, so its five senses were sharper than those ordinary people. The officer wrote it down. The testimony of an eyewitness was not something that small fries like them could decide. The higher-ups would determine its authenticity and value. ¡°What kind of fragrance is it?¡± he asked. Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve never smelled that fragrance before. But if I smell it again, I¡¯ll definitely be able to recognize it.¡± The official wrote it down truthfully. ¡°Excuse me, may I ask your brother?¡± What if there was a clue? Su Xiaoxiao nodded. The official went to the courtyard to see Su Ergou. Unfortunately, Su Ergou was indeed confused at that time and could not provide any valuable clues. After the officer left, Wei Ting came over. He appeared behind Physician Fu like a ghost. Physician Fu had just finished replenishing the medicine cabinet. When he turned around, he was shocked to see a living person standing in front of him! ¡°Lord¡­ Lord Wei?¡± Doctor Fu had lived in the Marquis of Zhenbei Estate and Pear Blossom Alley for so long, so he naturally knew Wei Ting¡¯s identity. Now, only Manager Sun, Little Weizi, and the others were still in the dark. ¡°Physician Fu.¡± Wei Ting also greeted him. ¡°I¡¯m here to change the dressing.¡± Physician Fu said, ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll go get Daya.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Change it for me. Don¡¯t trouble her. Let her catch her breath.¡± He sounded especially like a considerate husband. Physician Fu did not suspect anything. He brought Wei Ting to the room and took out the various herbs that Su Xiaoxiao had brought from the pharmacy. He disinfected Wei Ting¡¯s sutures, applied ointment, and wrapped the gauze again. ¡°Thank you.¡± Wei Ting thanked him and stood up to leave. As soon as he reached the door, he saw a certain fat peacock holding an IV drip and a needle, looking at him playfully. ¡°Where are you going, Lord Wei?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s hair stood on end as he tried not to look at the needle. ¡°I have something urgent to do tonight. I¡¯ll come back later.¡± Without another word, Su Xiaoxiao grabbed a certain someone¡¯s collar and dragged the disobedient patient back to the ward with a cold expression.. Chapter 366 - Chapter 366: Visit Chapter 366: Visit Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The wise and mighty Lord Wei was pressed onto the bed and obediently received an injection. Lord Wei¡¯s face darkened. Physician Su thought for a moment. ¡°Reward you with a kiss?¡± Lord Wei said coldly, ¡°One is not enough.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then, three?¡± Lord Wei snorted and barely agreed. In the next second, Su Xiaoxiao brought Dahu, Xiaohu, and Xiaohu in. One, two, three, enough kisses! Wei Ting was speechless. When it was almost midnight, Xiao Zhonghua came to the clinic. He was traveling incognito. No one in the medical hall knew his identity, but Wei Ting recognized him. Wei Ting had just finished his IV drip and came out. He looked at him with interest. ¡°It¡¯s so late. What¡¯s the matter, Third Prince?¡± It was as if he was asking her why he had come to his house. Xiao Zhonghua frowned. In the end, he did not argue with Wei Ting. Instead, he said seriously, ¡°Something happened to Jing Yi.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s shoulder had been injured by the wooden board last night, and he had already applied ointment on it. This kind of injury was not rare for young generals, and they thought that it could be healed with nourishment. Nothing happened before noon, but in the afternoon, Jing Yi¡¯s injuries took a turn for the worse. During dinner, his fever did not subside and he fell into a coma. The Jing Family went into the palace to invite Imperial Physician Hu. Imperial Physician Hu had just been released by Princess Jingning, but unfortunately, he was called over by the Empress Dowager. When Xiao Zhonghua heard the news, he immediately rushed to Number One Hall. Su Xiaoxiao brought her first aid kit. Xiao Zhonghua helped Su Xiaoxiao lift the curtains of his carriage. ¡°Fu Su,¡± Wei Ting said calmly. Fu Su drove a carriage over from the middle. He was driving the carriage of the medical hall, and the driver, Ah Zhong, was driven away by him. Xiao Zhonghua looked at Wei Ting coldly. Wei Ting raised his brows. ¡°Physician Su has his own carriage, so there¡¯s no need to trouble Your Highness.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Wei Ting speechlessly and got into her carriage. Wei Ting also boarded the carriage. Xiao Zhonghua asked, ¡°Why are you going?¡± Wei Ting said shamelessly, ¡°I¡¯m going to visit Young Marquis Jing. I¡¯m also a general of the Great Zhou Dynasty like Young Marquis Jing. We should care about each other. Moreover, we were assassinated together last night. We fought with our lives on the line. I won¡¯t feel good if I don¡¯t visit.¡± Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s mouth twitched. Did they risk their lives together? It was more of wanting each other¡¯s lives, right? Never argue with Wei Ting. No one could win, and no one was thicker-skinned than Wei Ting. Xiao Zhonghua boarded the carriage expressionlessly. The group arrived at Family Jing. When Jing Shengming and the Marquis of Weiwu saw Xiao Zhonghua bringing Wei Ting and a chubby girl over, they couldn¡¯t help but look surprised. Just this month, Jing Shengming, who was over 60 years old, passed the title to his son. The current the Marquis of Weiwu was Jing Yi¡¯s father. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± The Marquis of Weiwu looked at Xiao Zhonghua in confusion. Xiao Zhonghua looked at Su Xiaoxiao and introduced her to the two of them. ¡°Grandpa, Uncle, this is Physician Su. Her medical skills are brilliant. She was the one who cured my lung disease back in town.¡± It was rare for a woman to practice medicine, but since she was brought over by Xiao Zhonghua, the two of them had to give her respect. The two of them looked at Wei Ting. It was fine if she was a physician. After all, she was here to treat Jing Yi¡¯s injuries. What was with this youngest son of the Wei family? Wei Ting strode forward and said without changing his expression, ¡°I¡¯m here to offer my concern to Young Marquis Jing.¡± Jing Shengming was speechless The Marquis of Weiwu was also dumbfounded. Su Xiaoxiao carried the first aid kit into the house. Jing Shengming and the Marquis of Weiwu wanted to follow them in, but Wei Ting stopped them outside. The two of them looked at him in disdain. What was wrong with this person? He came to their house for no reason and blocked their way for no reason¡ª Xiao Zhonghua lightly coughed. ¡°Physician Su doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed when treating patients.¡± Jing Shengming finally reacted. He invited Xiao Zhonghua to the study room. ¡°Is Physician Su¡­ that lass from the Qin Family?¡± Xiao Zhonghua knew that he could not hide it from his grandfather. He sighed and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Jing Shengming said in shock, ¡°Wei Ting married her in the countryside? So she¡¯s your¡­¡± ¡°Grandfather,¡± Xiao Zhonghua said softly, ¡°The day after tomorrow is the competition between Qin Jiang and Su Cheng.¡± Jing Shengming fell silent. The wooden board that Jing Yi carried on his shoulder last night was not clean. He had only cleaned up the visible debris, but there were still many residual germs in the wound, which caused his wound to be slightly infected. Su Xiaoxiao first took out saline and iodophor and carefully cleaned his wound. He did not need to suture, so she did not inject anesthesia. ¡°Call out if it hurts,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± Jing Yi said with his pale lips. Su Xiaoxiao would still clean the wound even if he was in pain. It would be fatal if she didn¡¯t disinfect it. No matter how good the ointment was, it was useless. After cleaning up, Su Xiaoxiao applied the ointment to him. She did not make this herself. It was from the pharmacy. There was only one small tube, and she had only used a little for Wei Ting and Su Ergou. When the ointment was applied, it felt cold and instantly soothed the pain in his wound. ¡°How is Ergou?¡± Jing Yi asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°His condition is much better than yours.¡± Although Ergou¡¯s injuries were worse than Jing Yi¡¯s, Ergou was not infected and recovered quickly. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Jing Yi said weakly. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come to the clinic yesterday? Do you look down on my medical skills?¡± Jing Yi hurriedly said, ¡°No¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t want to trouble you.. There were too many injured people last night. If he went over as well, it would increase her burden. In this world, there were people who could harden one¡¯s heart, such as Qin Yanran and Qin Yun. There were also people who made people¡¯s hearts soften, such as Ergou and Jing Yi. ¡°Jing Yi, why are you so nice to me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t a fool. How could she not realize that Jing Yi was special to her? However, after thinking about it, she couldn¡¯t remember what she had done to make Jing Yi suddenly like her. It was true that she had reattached his arm the first time they met. However, they had met several times since then, and Jing Yi did not show any ¡°preference¡± for her. It was as if one day, Jing Yi¡¯s attitude toward her had suddenly changed. Jing Yi paused. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to tell me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Snacks,¡± Jing Yi said. ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him in confusion. Jing Yi said in a low voice, ¡°The New Year¡¯s gift you gave me¡­ That box of snacks tastes like what my sister made.¡± Jing Yi had an older sister. However, his sister was sacrificed by her family and married a man who could not give her happiness. She lived through two extremely painful years and died when she gave birth. At that time, he thought that if he could be stronger, he would not have to sacrifice his sister. He would snatch what the family wanted! Later on, he really became stronger, but his sister could never come back.. Chapter 367 - Chapter 367: Couple’s Night Chat Chapter 367: Couple¡¯s Night Chat Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao left some ointment and anti- inflammatory medicine for Jing Yi. She also prescribed a prescription to warm his blood. When Jing Shengming and the Marquis Weiwu saw that Jing Yi¡¯s mental state was indeed better than before, they couldn¡¯t help but be secretly surprised. The other party looked so young, but she actually had such medical skills. Looking at the departing figures of the group, the Marquis of Weiwu suddenly said, ¡°Father, don¡¯t you think she looks familiar?¡± Jing Shengming was deep in thought. ¡°Maybe she looks like Qin Canglan?¡± While waiting outside, the Marquis of Weiwu learned Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s identity from his father. The Marquis of Weiwu was puzzled. ¡°But Qin Canglan isn¡¯t that good-looking.. ¡°Why are you staring at a little girl?¡± ¡°Father, you misunderstand. I don¡¯t mean anything else.¡± Marquis Weiwu was really wronged. Thinking of something, the Marquis Weiwu said, ¡°She grew up among the commoners. How did she learn medicine?¡± Jing Shengming said, ¡°I heard that she took a doctor in town as her master.¡± Marquis Weiwu asked, ¡°Is the doctor in town skilled in medicine? Why did he take a country girl as his disciple? Father, don¡¯t you think that girl is a little strange?¡± Jing Shengming looked at the disappearing figure in the night and didn¡¯t say anything. After leaving Family Jing, Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s coachman drove the carriage over. Xiao Zhonghua looked at the two of them and wanted to say something but hesitated. He placed one foot on the footstool and suddenly turned around. He said to Wei Ting, ¡°Thank you for last night.¡± With that, he got into the carriage. The carriage left. Su Xiaoxiao asked curiously, ¡°Why would he thank you?¡± When they were assassinated last night, Su Xiaoxiao had already gone down to save Su Ergou. She didn¡¯t know that Wei Ting had saved Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s life. Wei Ting told him about the assassination. ¡°I see.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°However,¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked again, ¡°was the assassination a coincidence?¡± Wei Ting said in a low voice, ¡°Maybe I just happened to appear with Xiao Zhonghua. This is a rare opportunity. If they didn¡¯t make a move, there won¡¯t be a next time.¡± As they spoke, the two of them got into the carriage. Wei Ting lifted the curtain and placed one hand on the door frame. The top of her head brushed past his palm. When she sat down, he lowered the curtain and sat beside her. Fu Su drove the carriage in the direction of the medical center. ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to treat Jing Yi¡¯s injuries,¡± Wei Ting said seriously. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re suddenly so kind? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll attract people outside?¡± Wei Ting said casually, ¡°Heh, that¡¯s a kid who hasn¡¯t even grown his hair!¡± Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. ¡°You heard what he said to me just now, right?¡± Wei Ting said lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t have the habit of eavesdropping.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Yes, you didn¡¯t eavesdrop. You listened openly. Who asked you to have good hearing, right?¡± Wei Ting remained silent with a serious expression. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him in amusement. Wei Ting changed the topic decisively, ¡°The poisoning of the Marquis of Zhenbei has nothing to do with the Wei family. It was someone else.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°Oh, how could your Wei family hold back from killing the two families?¡± Wei Ting naturally could not say that they had wanted to do it but failed. He coughed lightly and said seriously, ¡°Our Wei family is open and aboveboard, so we naturally disdain to do such a thing.¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Oh.¡± Wei Ting looked at her coldly. ¡°What kind of expression is that?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°By the way, you just said that when you planned to leave a few of the assassins alive last night, the Eldest Prince arrived with the imperial guards and killed them.¡± Coming back to the main topic, Wei Ting¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that the Eldest Prince is very suspicious?¡± Wei Ting nodded. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Who is he trying to kill? You and the Third Prince, or one of you?¡± Wei Ting paused for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s best to kill both of us at the same time. If he really could only kill one, he will kill Xiao Zhonghua and frame the Wei family.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought about it and said, ¡°Killing Xiao Zhonghua and framing the Wei Family¡­ Not only can he get away with it, but he can also get rid of a stumbling block on the path to the throne. Most importantly, it would give the Emperor a reason to deal with the Wei Family.¡± Su Xiaoxiao rubbed her double chin, ¡°The Crown Prince really knows what his father is thinking.¡± The Wei family had made great contributions to the country. Emperor Jing Xuan had long wanted to take back the Wei family¡¯s military power, but almost all the sons of the Wei family had died in battle at the border. With such contributions, the sun and moon could bear witness. If Emperor Jing Xuan wanted to touch the Wei family, he would definitely be doubted and spurned by the entire world. There might even be a very dishonorable stroke in the history books. If Emperor Jing Xuan wanted to leave his name in history, he could not be reckless. What could discredit the Wei family more than assassinating a prince? Wei Ting said, ¡°There was another survivor. He¡¯s an archer in the forest. We let him escape for the time being.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Is he also on the Crown Prince¡¯s side?¡± Wei Ting frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wei Ting told her the news he had obtained from Matriarch Wei. ¡°The token that fell from that person belonged to a sect that had long disappeared. Back then, it was my grandfather who personally led his troops to eradicate it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Does the Imperial Court bother about the martial world?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Normally, we don¡¯t bother. However, that sect was blind. They actually kidnapped the imperial envoy sent by the Imperial Court to provide disaster relief and even took away the silver.¡± ¡°Oh, then they are courting death.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought about it and said, ¡°If the Eldest Prince colludes with them, wouldn¡¯t it be a taboo for the Emperor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Wei Ting tapped his fingertips on the table twice. ¡°When we catch that assassin, there will be a good show to watch.¡± Su Xiaoxiao only knew two princes. One was the Third Prince, Xiao Zhonghua, and the other was the Eldest Prince, Xiao Duye. Judging from the current situation, neither of them was simple. Wei Ting¡¯s eyes were deep as he said, ¡°The reason why the emperor hasn¡¯t appointed a crown prince until now is to prevent his sons from killing each other like he did back then. Unfortunately, that dragon throne is made of blood. No one can sit on it cleanly.¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed. Su Xiaoxiao thought of something and said, ¡°Do you think¡­ the corpses under the pavilion are related to the Eldest Prince?¡± In any case, she did not believe that the Eldest Prince happened to pass by. Wei Ting pondered for a moment and said, ¡°The case is still in the preliminary investigation stage. At the moment, there¡¯s no concrete evidence to prove that it¡¯s related to the Eldest Prince.¡± If there were, it would be too terrifying. With so many corpses, it was unknown what kind of shocking bloody case it was. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What did you see down there?¡± Wei Ting recalled, ¡°Skeletons¡­ countless skeletons¡­ sitting or lying¡­ some curled up¡­ some lying on their stomachs¡­ in different postures.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It sounds like they once lived in the cellar. They weren¡¯t carried in after they died.¡± Wei Ting narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°I had the same feeling the first time I saw it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sniffed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Ting looked at her strangely. Su Xiaoxiao leaned over, grabbed his clothes, and sniffed him. Then, she lifted the curtain and sniffed outside. ¡°Wei Ting, do you smell that?¡± Wei Ting asked strangely, ¡°Smell what?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Fragrance, the fragrance in the cellar.¡± Wei Ting frowned. ¡°Was there a fragrance in the cellar?¡± He could only smell the aura and stench of the rotting corpses. ¡°Stop the carriage!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously. Fu Su hurriedly stopped the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao opened the curtain and jumped off the carriage. Wei Ting hurriedly followed. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s steps were much faster than when she was in the countryside, and her movements became especially agile. She entered a study room. The owner of the study room asked her if she wanted to buy books or calligraphy, and she quickly went out the back door. The boss was confused. Finally, another person came. The boss¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Sir¡­¡± Wei Ting also left. Su Xiaoxiao entered an empty alley and frowned. ¡°I lost him.¡± Wei Ting looked up. ¡°We didn¡¯t lose him.¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Huh?¡± Wei Ting used his Light-body Technique and leaped onto the roof.. He grabbed a sneaky figure and unceremoniously threw him down! Chapter 368 - Chapter 368: The Competition Begins (1) Chapter 368: The Competition Begins (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Ouch¡ª¡± That person screamed and fell to the ground! Ignoring the pain, he got up and wanted to escape, but Wei Ting had already landed steadily in front of him. He looked at Wei Ting in horror, then turned back to look at the little fat girl walking towards him. ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡± He stammered. ¡°Is it him?¡± Wei Ting asked Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao sniffed and nodded. ¡°Yes. Wei Ting¡¯s cold gaze landed on the other party. The other party was frightened out of his wits and knelt on the ground. ¡°Hero¡­ You¡­ What did you lose¡­ I¡¯ll return it to you¡­ Please don¡¯t kill me¡­ I won¡¯t dare to do it again¡­¡± With that, he unbuttoned his shirt and poured out a large pile of things from a large pocket tied to his chest. ¡°It¡¯s a thief.¡± Wei Ting said to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao leaned over and sniffed him. Then, she reached out and grabbed his right hand, pulling out a clean handkerchief from his sleeve. There were a few gold bars wrapped in the handkerchief. The thief¡¯s expression changed. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be able to find his hidden pocket¡ª Su Xiaoxiao opened the handkerchief and kept the gold bar without changing her expression. The thief was speechless. So they were in the same industry. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Is this handkerchief yours?¡± The thief shook his head. ¡°No.¡¯ Wei Ting threatened, ¡°If you dare to lie, I¡¯ll cut off your tongue.¡± The little thief hurriedly said, ¡°I swear to the heavens that I won¡¯t dare to lie to the two of you!¡± ¡°Where did you get the handkerchief?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Did you steal it too?¡± The thief nodded weakly. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Where did you steal it?¡± The little thief whispered, ¡°On a girl¡­ I don¡¯t know her¡­ I saw that she was beautiful¡­ My heart¡­ I admired her¡­ so I stole her handkerchief¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued to ask, ¡°What does she look like?¡± The thief whispered, ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t explain¡­ She was wearing a veil¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Where?¡± The thief said, ¡°By the lake. There are many pleasure boats by the lake.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wei Ting and asked, ¡°Where did we eat last time?¡± Wei Ting asked for more details and confirmed that it was in that area. However, the clothes described by the thief were just clothes worn by ordinary girls. They were caught on the streets and did not have any outstanding characteristics. As for this handkerchief, it was the most common material on the market. Nine out of ten cloth shops could buy it. Wei Ting handed the thief to a nearby official and sent Su Xiaoxiao back to the medical center. Another day passed, and Su Cheng still had not woken up. ¡°Tomorrow is the competition.¡± Qin Canglan said. ¡°Old Marquis!¡± A black-clothed guard flashed in and cupped his hands at the Old Marquis. ¡°Qin Jiang hired a group of Jianghu assassins who are headed towards Qing City.¡± The Old Marquis was not surprised at all. ¡°Old Qin, what did I say? This Qin Jiang is restless, right?¡± Qin Canglan asked, ¡°Mo¡¯er also went to Qing City, right?¡± The Old Marquis nodded. ¡°He went to pick up Fifth Brother.¡± Qin Canglan asked strangely, ¡°Can¡¯t Fifth Brother deal with a few assassins?¡± The Old Marquis sighed. ¡°Yes, he can deal with them, but if Mo¡¯er doesn¡¯t look after him, who knows where he¡¯ll run off to? That kid is the biggest headache in the family.¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Fourth the most troublesome one?¡± The Old Marquis retorted ¡°You can choose not to speak.¡± After Su MO received Fifth Brother, he bade farewell to his grandmother and the others and returned to the capital with Fifth Brother. At first, everything went smoothly. At dawn the next day, they encountered the assassins sent by Qin Jiang. The news of the competition between Su Cheng and Qin Jiang had been released a month ago. Everyone was looking forward to it. One of them was Qin Canglan¡¯s own flesh and blood, and the other was the fake son that he and the Duke of Zhenbei had nurtured for twenty years. Who was more qualified to inherit the military power of the Protectorate? The tournament had a total of three days. The first day was a martial arts competition, the second day was horse riding and archery, and the last day was the art of war. The competition was held in a martial arts arena in the palace, not far from the Qilin Hall. Emperor Jing Xuan went to court first. ¡°Today¡¯s the day of competition. If you don¡¯t have something to report, you can leave the court.¡± The ministers tactfully left the court. Thus, Emperor Jing Xuan led the mighty group of ministers to the arena. The high-ranking officials were given seats by Emperor Jing Xuan. The rest of the officials could only stand by and watch. Emperor Jing Xuan did not force them to stay here, but this concerned the military power of the Qin family. To be honest, there were not many officials who were not curious. The princes had also arrived. The academy had a three-day holiday, and Princess Jingning also came to watch the battle.. Chapter 369 - Chapter 369: The Competition Begins (2) Chapter 369: The Competition Begins (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Jingning, come to Father,¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said to Princess Jingning with a smile. Princess Hui An was not interested in fighting and killing, but when she heard that Jingning had gone, she also came to join in the fun! Unfortunately, there was no place for her next to Emperor Jing Xuan. She stomped her feet and sat down next to Xiao Zhonghua. At the next table was First Prince Xiao Duye. Xiao Duye smiled and took a sip of tea. He asked Xiao Zhonghua, ¡°Third Brother, who do you think will win today?¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled. ¡°What do you think, Big Brother?¡± Xiao Duye smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve just returned to the capital, so I don¡¯t know much about the Protector Duke. I heard that Third Brother met him in Qingzhou. Third Brother must know his strength better than me.¡± Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s smile did not change. ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re being too serious. I was just recuperating in Qingzhou. I didn¡¯t get to know anyone.¡± Xiao Duye shook the cup in his hand. ¡°I heard that it was the daughter of the Protector Duke who treated Third Brother¡¯s illness. It seems that Third Brother and Miss Su are really fated.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said with a pleasant expression, ¡°Big Brother has only returned to the capital for three days. I didn¡¯t expect you to have investigated your younger brother so clearly.¡± Xiao Duye¡¯s smile froze. ¡°How can it be called an investigation? It¡¯s just something that has already spread.¡± He finished his tea and stopped talking to Xiao Zhonghua. On the emperor¡¯s left were the princes and princesses, as well as their relatives, and on his right was the minister of the humerus. Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis were already seated. There was a table beside the two of them, and the two futons were empty. The Old Marquis asked in a low voice, ¡°Is Cheng¡¯er still unconscious?¡± He had rested in the Duke Mansion last night, and Qin Canglan had come directly from the medical center. Qin Canglan said without batting an eyelid, ¡°He¡¯s not awake yet. Where¡¯s Fifth Brother? Isn¡¯t he here yet? The competition is about to begin.¡± The Old Marquis frowned. ¡°This hour¡­ he should be here¡­¡¯ Not long after, Qin Jiang brought Qin Yanran and Xu Qing over. The two of them bowed to Emperor Jing Xuan and sat ten steps away from Qin Canglan. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at Qin Canglan and asked, ¡°Is Qin Che not here yet?¡± He was talking about Qin Che, not Su Cheng. Qin Canglan stood up, cupped his hands and said, ¡°Please wait a moment, Your Majesty.¡± However, after fifteen minutes, Su Cheng still did not appear. The Old Marquis stood up and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I have something to report.¡± ¡°Speak!¡± ¡°Cheng¡¯er¡­ suddenly met with an unforeseen event and was unable to rush over to participate in the Grand Competition. Can his son take his place?¡± ¡°His son?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan looked down. ¡°Qin Jiang, do you have any objections?¡± Qin Jiang stood up and bowed, ¡°Your Majesty, forgive me for being blunt, but Su Cheng¡¯s son has just turned fourteen this year and has never gone to school or learned martial arts. It would be unfair for me to win against him. I heard that the Duke of Zhenbei intends to pass one of his grandsons to Su Cheng. Why don¡¯t we let Su Cheng¡¯s adopted son take his place?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked. Did Qin Canglan and the Marquis of Zhenbei have such a plan? To pass on the bloodline of the Duke Mansion to the Qin Family? Wasn¡¯t this a little¡­ ¡°Is that true?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked the Old Marquis. The Old Marquis replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already given my youngest grandson to Cheng¡¯er.¡± ¡°This is nonsense!¡± Princess Hui An muttered, ¡°How can you pass on your own son to someone else? Isn¡¯t this cheating? If you can¡¯t win, you got external help. It¡¯s too unfair to Qin Jiang!¡± Xiao Zhonghua did not say anything and just drank the tea in his hand. It was unfair to compare Su Cheng, who had grown up among the commoners, with Qin Jiang. However, after hearing Qin Jiang¡¯s words, it seemed like Su Cheng¡¯s side had also taken a huge advantage. The Old Marquis¡¯ face darkened. Although they had made this plan, it didn¡¯t sound so good when Qin Jiang said it in such a sarcastic manner. Most importantly, that was not the point. Qin Jiang dared to accept Fifth Brother so openly. Either Qin Jiang had full confidence in defeating Fifth Brother, or Qin Jiang had full confidence in stalling Fifth Brother. Fifth Brother was the most disobedient child in the family, but he was also the most talented in martial arts. Therefore, compared to the first situation, the Senior Marquis felt that the latter was more likely. What did Qin Jiang do to Fifth Brother?! Could it be that he had sent more than one wave of assassins? Did he have other backup plans? Of course, Qin Jiang had other backup plans. However, his backup plan was broken through by Su MO and the youngest so of the Su family. Qin Jiang had only received the messenger pigeon before entering the palace Although they had avoided man-made disasters, they had not avoided natur disasters. There had been heavy rain in Li County for days. The landslide had destroyed the bridge and the official road had been submerged.. Su MO and t] youngest son of the Su family could not come! Chapter 370 - Chapter 370: The Competition Begins (3) Chapter 370: The Competition Begins (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Even God was helping him! A guard from the Marquis of Zhenbei came over from behind and reported in a low voice to the Old Marquis and Qin Canglan, ¡°Masters, something bad has happened to Eldest Young Master and Fifth Young Master on the way¡­¡± Their expressions changed. Emperor Jing Xuan said lightly, ¡°Since Qin Jiang has no objections, let¡¯s do as the Count of Zhenbei says and let Su Cheng¡¯s son compete on his behalf¡­ The adopted son is fine too. Bring him up.¡± How would they do that? He was gone! It was over, it was over. No matter how much one planned, one could not predict a natural disaster. What should they do? ¡°My two beloved ministers, the time has come. If Su Cheng refuses to fight, then I will judge Qin Jiang as the winner.¡± ¡°Father, is there only one round?¡± Princess Jingning asked. Emperor Jing Xuan was quite gentle with his daughter. ¡°Three rounds, but if he doesn¡¯t come¡­¡± Princess Jing Ning said, ¡°Father, this is the first round. Two wins out of three.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan accepted Princess Jingning¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Then let¡¯s wait for another 15 minutes. If Qin Jiang doesn¡¯t appear after 15 minutes, the second round will also be decided.¡± There was no longer any suspense. Natural disasters blocked people on the road. It was impossible for them to arrive in fifteen minutes. It seemed like they were going to lose today¡¯s competition. It was a pity that Qin Jiang was injured by Wei Ting. Originally, he did not have the advantage. If he even won in the weakest aspect, the subsequent situation would be very disadvantageous to Su Cheng. Time passed bit by bit. The officials began to whisper. ¡°Why isn¡¯t the youngest grandson of the Marquis of Zhenbei here yet?¡± ¡°Are you unhappy? ¡°He¡¯s clearly the son of the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s legitimate wife. If he is suddenly adopted by an uncle he¡¯s never met before, I¡¯m afraid no one will agree easily¡­¡± ¡°The youngest grandson of the Marquis of Zhenbei has always been unruly. At home, he always gives the Marquis of Zhenbei and Minister Su a headache.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t Su Cheng come personally? I understand that he can¡¯t win, but he has to come and take a look. A man shouldn¡¯t be a coward!¡± ¡°Something happened to him. I heard that he was frightened! When he heard that he was going to compete with Qin Jiang, he was so frightened that he didn¡¯t dare to get out of bed¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­ If he¡¯s really such a cowardly rat, wouldn¡¯t it be too rash to give military power to such a good-for-nothing?¡± ¡°So, let¡¯s hope that Qin Jiang wins¡­¡± Qin Yanran couldn¡¯t help but be overjoyed when she heard everyone¡¯s discussion. The gloominess of the past few days had finally culminated to this moment. Su Cheng did not even dare to leave the house. How could such a good -for-nothing be worthy of being her father¡¯s opponent? The flesh and blood of a good-for-nothing could only be a good-for-nothing. She touched her cheek. That girl had slapped her. She would return it sooner or later! ¡°Boring!¡± Princess Hui An frowned gloomily. If she had known earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have followed Jingning to join in the fun. Eunuch Fu glanced at the hourglass beside him. Fifteen minutes passed, but he pretended not to see it. On the other side, Eunuch Quan, who was serving tea, saw that he was silent and realized that his chance had come. Eunuch Quan said obsequiously, ¡°Your Majesty! Fifteen minutes is up!¡± Princess Jingning glared at him. Qin Jiang was overjoyed. So what if Wei Ting had broken one of his ribs? In the end, Su Cheng had no way of competing with him! Xiao Duye picked up his teacup and leaned toward Xiao Zhonghua. ¡°Third brother, big brother congratulates you in advance.¡± Xiao Zhonghua sipped his tea expressionlessly. Emperor Jing Xuan also lost his patience. He glanced at the empty seat next to Qin Canglan and said indifferently, ¡°The second round.. Before he could finish speaking, a strong voice sounded not far away. ¡°Protector Duke requests an audience¡­¡± Qin Jiang trembled. Who wanted to request an audience? Protector Duke? He straightened up strangely and turned his head to look in the direction he had come from. He saw a man wearing silver armor and carrying a large saber on his shoulder walking towards the arena in a mighty and domineering manner. Who else could it be but Su Cheng? The current Su Cheng was not the commoner he had seen on the streets, nor was he the father who had been furious in the middle of the night a few days ago. He had put on a cold armor. He looked like a general on the battlefield. His temperament had changed drastically. If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, Qin Jiang wouldn¡¯t have believed it. Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting also came over. The two of them did not talk. They just ¡°coincidentally¡± bumped into each other at the entrance of the palace. The three of them bowed to Emperor Jing Xuan. This was the first time Emperor Jing Xuan had seen this father-daughter pair who wandered among the commoners. The little girl was chubby and had exquisite facial features. She was round and cute, but her eyes were very cold. Although she grew up in the countryside, she did not have the slightest bit of pettiness. Her actions were dignified, calm, and elegant, and she had a rare heroic spirit. Su Cheng was indeed Qin Canglan¡¯s biological son. He was much more like Qin Canglan than Qin Jiang, and he also had some traces of the Marquis of Zhenbei. His nephew was like his uncle. Emperor Jing Xuan asked, ¡°Are you Qin che?¡± Chapter 371 - Chapter 371: The Return of the King! Chapter 371: The Return of the King! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Cheng said, ¡°My name is now Su Cheng.¡± ¡°All good.¡± Emperor Jingxuan did not care. In any case, he could not defeat Qin Jiang. What did it matter if his surname was Su? He was just a nominal Protector Duke. Emperor Jingxuan said indifferently, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, let¡¯s begin. I want to remind you that before you appear, I¡¯ve already determined that Qin Jiang won a round.¡± Su Cheng asked, ¡°How many rounds are left?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan: ¡°Two rounds.¡± Su Cheng asked again, ¡°Two out of three rounds?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s face turned cold. Everyone was thinking that he was the first person who dares to catch Emperor Jing Xuan and question him. Eunuch Fu smiled and said, ¡°Protector Duke is right. It¡¯s two out of three rounds.¡± Su Cheng raised his eyebrows and looked askance at Qin Jiang. ¡°Where are the rules? What if I beat him to death?¡± Everyone snickered. Would he beat Qin Jiang to death? Was he sure he didn¡¯t get the order wrong? Qin Jiang would have beaten him to death! No one believed that Su Cheng could win. Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Don¡¯t kill anyone.¡± These words were directed at Qin Jiang because, in Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s opinion, Su Cheng was no match for Qin Jiang no matter what. Qin Jiang cupped his hands and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ting walked to Xiao Duye¡¯s side and sat down. ¡°Your Highness, you don¡¯t mind, right?¡± Xiao Duye smiled. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to sit with Lord Wei.¡± There was an empty table on Qin Canglan¡¯s right. Su Xiaoxiao walked over and sat down. Eunuch Fu was worried that Su Cheng did not know the rules of the martial arts competition, so he had specially instructed him. Blades and swords had no eyes, so injuries were inevitable. However, he could not take a person¡¯s life. If he suppressed the other party to the point of being unable to fight back, or if he was expelled from the arena, it would be considered a victory. Su Cheng swaggered onto the arena. He pointed his saber at Qin Jiang. ¡°Qin Jiang, come up if you have the guts!¡± Qin Jiang smiled coldly. ¡°Su Cheng, Su Cheng, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know that my injuries have already healed, right?¡± ¡°There is a path to heaven, but you chose to barge into hell. Since you¡¯re courting death, don¡¯t blame me for embarrassing you in public!¡± ¡°Qin Canglan, open your eyes wide and see clearly how much stronger your abandoned son is than your own son!¡± Qin Jiang also went up to the arena. There were no guardrails around the arena, so it was easy to fall. As for who would be the one to fall, no one knew. Princess Hui An said proudly, ¡°Hmph! That Su Cheng is dead meat!¡± Xiao Zhonghua looked at his sister. ¡°Do you have a problem with him?¡± Princess Hui An rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Who asked his daughter to get along with Jingning?¡± Xiao Zhonghua didn¡¯t know what to do with his unruly sister, so he stopped arguing with her. Below the arena stood a young eunuch holding a gong. Eunuch Fu waved his hand at the other party, who rang the gong. The competition began! Qin Jiang¡¯s weapon was a long spear, while Su Cheng¡¯s weapon was a large saber. In terms of the power of the weapon, an inch longer was stronger, and an inch shorter was more dangerous. Qin Jiang had the advantage. Moreover, Qin Canglan was most proficient in spear techniques. Qin Jiang had inherited his skills. Everyone deduced that in less than ten moves, Su Cheng would definitely lose! Qin Jiang used the first move of his spear. It was a diagonal thrust. His movements were swift and violent, as fast as lightning and as agile as a swimming dragon. Su Cheng raised his saber, and the blade met Qin Jiang¡¯s spear head-on. ¡°He caught it!¡± The Assistant Minister of War was surprised. Not only did he catch it, but he also seemed to have caught it quite easily. Qin Jiang was also stunned. That day, Su Cheng injured Xu Qing mostly because Su Cheng played dirty tricks. Xu Qing had only been careless and had fallen for Su Cheng¡¯s trick. He did not think that Su Cheng had any true ability. Another official wondered, ¡°Did Mr. Qin go easy on him on purpose?¡± The third official said, ¡°After all, he¡¯s his nephew. He can¡¯t be ruthless, right?¡± ¡°Daya, what¡¯s the situation with your father?¡± Qin Canglan asked Su Xiaoxiao softly. Su Xiaoxiao looked in the direction of the arena. ¡°He woke up this morning. I told him that he had a martial arts competition with Qin Jiang today. I asked him if he was coming, so he came.¡± Qin Canglan asked suspiciously, ¡°He didn¡¯t ask anything?¡± For example, why did he have to compete with Qin Jiang? Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Her father was very calm today. In the arena, Qin Jiang used his second move against Su Cheng. He turned around in the air and slashed at Su Cheng with great force. Most of the spear¡¯s attacks were thrusts, but it was precisely because of this that this move often exceeded the opponent¡¯s expectations and was impossible to guard against. Clang! Su Cheng¡¯s saber was placed horizontally above his head, firmly blocking his spear. Everyone was surprised. He caught it again! Was Qin Jiang still going easy on him? That should be enough, right? Qin Jiang attacked five times in a row, each move more ruthless than the last. Su Cheng was still at ease. Everyone gradually sensed that something was wrong. ¡°Isn¡¯t Qin Jiang going overboard?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going easy¡­¡± ¡°But Su Cheng caught it very easily. Qin Jiang didn¡¯t seem to have used much strength¡­¡± As the saying goes, the experts know the ropes, while the laymen watch the show. Qin Canglan and the others could naturally see that Qin Jiang was serious, but he could not resist Su Cheng¡¯s astonishing talent. ¡°That Su Cheng¡­ seems to have some skills.¡± ¡°So what if he does? Can¡¯t you see that he¡¯s the one being attacked? Other than defending, he doesn¡¯t even have the chance to attack. He probably only learned these few moves. It¡¯s enough to save his life, but it¡¯s still impossible for him to defeat Qin Jiang. Sooner or later, he¡¯ll be knocked off the stage by Qin Jiang!¡± After ten moves, Su Cheng switched from defense to offense and slashed Qin Jiang¡¯s spear with a large saber. The moment Qin Jiang resisted with his spear, Su Cheng kicked Qin Jiang in the chest! Qin Jiang was ruthlessly kicked away and fell heavily on the edge of the arena. Seeing that he was about to roll off the stage, he pushed his spear off the stage and used the momentum to send himself back to the arena. This scene made everyone¡¯s hearts jump to their throats. Were they seeing things just now? Was Qin Jiang almost knocked off the stage just now? Was it a coincidence? Did he lose his footing? Did that country bumpkin, the Protector Duke, get lucky? Qin Jiang flipped in the air and landed on his feet to stabilize himself. His ribs had just healed, and after the impact, they began to ache again. He glared at Su Cheng maliciously. He did not expect Su Cheng to have such strength. Those two old fellows¡­ must have risked their lives to teach Su Cheng, right? All these years, they had hidden skills from him and taught Su Cheng everything¡­ Qin Jiang would never admit that his talent was inferior to that of Su Cheng! Su Cheng hooked his finger at him provocatively. ¡°Qin, come here.¡± Qin Jiang glared angrily and gritted his teeth as he attacked Su Cheng. This time, the two of them fought head-on and used their killer moves. The saber and spear collided, restraining each other. Qin Jiang said sarcastically, ¡°Su Cheng, do you remember who you are? Do you know how Su Huayin died? She died tragically under the enemy¡¯s sword to protect you, you little coward¡­¡± In the end, Qin Jiang used the most disgusting method. He wanted to stimulate Su Cheng¡¯s memory and make him faint on the spot! Su Cheng¡¯s body froze. Qin Jiang smiled smugly. However, in the next second, he could no longer smile. Su Cheng¡¯s eyes became extremely dangerous, and his entire body emitted a cold and powerful killing intent. ¡°You. Are. Not. Qualified. To. Mention. My. Mother.¡± Su Cheng slashed his spear in half! Chapter 372 - Chapter 372: Beating Qin Jiang Up (1) Chapter 372: Beating Qin Jiang Up (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios How much force was needed to break a spear? The officials present looked at the scene in front of them in disbelief. It would be too far-fetched to say that Qin Jiang was going easy on the other party. ¡°No way¡­ Su Cheng¡­ Did he really grow up in the countryside?¡± ¡°His moves are not inferior to Qin Jiang¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by not inferior to Qin Jiang¡­ He broke Qin Jiang¡¯s spear¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a move. It¡¯s the strength and angle.¡± The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War said, ¡°The reason why he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to attack after he went on stage was that he was looking for flaws in Qin Jiang¡¯s weapon and move. ¡± It was only then that they understood. From beginning to end, Qin Jiang did not go easy. Instead, it was Su Cheng who lured Qin Jiang into making a move step by step, maximizing his restraint. In the end, he even deliberately revealed a flaw to lure Qin Jiang into saying something and distracted him. It seemed to be disorganized, but in fact, he was taking every step carefully. Su Cheng¡­ was not a boorish man. Qin Jiang looked at the broken spear and could not believe that it was Su Cheng¡¯s doing! Why was this happening? He had just mentioned Su Huayin. Why didn¡¯t Su Cheng react? Shouldn¡¯t he have fainted from the stimulation? And¡­ What did he mean by that? ¡°You are not qualified to mention my mother!¡± Did Su Cheng¡­ knew that Su Huayin was his mother? Had Su Cheng regained his memory? Too many doubts flashed through Qin Jiang¡¯s mind. His thoughts were uncontrollably chaotic. He tried his best to remain calm, but Su Cheng would not give him this chance. Su Cheng¡¯s long blade once again slashed towards him. There were no fancy tricks, nor were there any so-called saber techniques, fist techniques, sword techniques, internal cultivation techniques¡­ Qin Jiang thought that the Old Marquis and Qin Canglan were biased. They taught Su Cheng everything he had learned in a month¡­ How could Qin Jiang have expected that the two of them had not taught Su Cheng any moves in this month? Su Cheng was being beaten up. However, if Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis could not kill Su Cheng, a lower-level martial artist like Qin Jiang could forget about it! Qin Jiang felt the change in Su Cheng¡¯s aura. It seemed that from the moment Su Huayin was mentioned, the anger in Su Cheng¡¯s body burned. Qin Jiang used his broken spear to block. However, after blocking it twice, his arms began to feel slightly numb. What terrifying strength! Did Su Cheng take some medicine?! Qin Yanran looked at her father who was being forced back step by step on the arena, and she frowned with worry. ¡°Xu Qing, will my father be alright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± Xu Qing said. ¡°What do you mean? Could it be that my father will lose to Su Cheng?¡± ¡°Master has lost his weapon.¡± Without a weapon, it was equivalent to losing an arm. Of course, absolute strength was enough to make up for this gap. If Su Cheng was fighting Qin Canglan at this moment, not to mention losing his weapon, even if he restrained his arm, Qin Canglan would be invincible. The problem was that Qin Jiang did not have Qin Canglan¡¯s terrifying strength. ¡°Can¡¯t he use another weapon?¡± Qin Yanran asked. Xu Qing said, ¡°Yes, in the next round.¡± Qin Yanran was dumbfounded Su Cheng was ruthless. The situation on the arena had a shocking reversal. Every slash he made forced Qin Jiang to take two steps back. In the beginning, Qin Jiang suppressed Su Cheng and attacked. Now, Su Cheng was chasing Qin Jiang and beating him up. In fact, Qin Jiang was in a much more sorry state than Su Cheng. At the very least, Qin Jiang was still worried about the accuracy of his moves. Su Cheng did not care about such nonsense. What was the use of considering if the moves were good-looking or not? He only wanted results. In the end, he suppressed Qin Jiang and beat him up like a sandbag. ¡°It¡¯s over, Qin Jiang!¡± He jumped up and kicked Qin Jiang in the head, sending him off the stage! The officials stood up. The venue fell silent! ¡°Is¡­ is it Qin Jiang?¡± an official asked. His colleague at the side widened his eyes and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, right? Anyway, the person standing on the stage isn¡¯t him.. Qin Jiang, who had been practicing martial arts in the Protectorate for twenty years, had actually lost to Su Cheng, who came from the countryside! What a shocking joke! After exiting the arena, he was eliminated. The young eunuch beside him rang the gong. Princess Hui An snorted coldly. ¡°Useless thing! You can¡¯t even defeat a farmer!¡± Under the veil, Princess Jingning¡¯s lips curved slightly. ¡°Father, Qin Jiang lost.¡± Although Emperor Jing Xuan had made two preparations, he was leaning towards Qin Jiang winning. He frowned impatiently. In front of the civil and military officials, it was not good to slap his own face. He could only say in a low voice, ¡°For the second round, Qin Che wins..¡± Chapter 373 - Chapter 373: Beating Qjn Jiang Up (2) Chapter 373: Beating Qjn Jiang Up (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Old Marquis was overjoyed and revealed a smile. ¡°I knew it. Cheng¡¯er won¡¯t lose!¡± Qin Canglan muttered, ¡°Then why did you adopt Fifth Brother to Cheng¡¯er¡­¡± The Old Marquis coughed lightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t Cheng¡¯er faint? You didn¡¯t object! ¡± The two elders saw Su Cheng¡¯s improvement. However, it was still a little difficult to win against Qin Jiang. Su Cheng¡¯s performance today was extraordinary. It was as if there was a ball of fire in his heart that ignited an extraordinary fighting spirit. Qin Jiang earnestly requested to change weapons. Emperor Jing Xuan approved. ¡°I¡¯m going to the toilet,¡± Qin Jiang said to the eunuch guarding the arena. Su Cheng placed the saber on his shoulder and sneered in disdain, ¡°You cowards have too much sh*t and urine!¡± Qin Jiang was dumbfounded. Qin Jiang went to the toilet, and Su Cheng couldn¡¯t just stand there alone on the tournament stage. He jumped down with his saber and walked in front of Su Xiaoxiao. He asked as if he was showing off, ¡°How was my fight?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him with clear eyes. ¡°Father is very powerful.¡± Heh, a compliment from his daughter was better than a hundred compliments from others! Su Cheng was filled with fighting spirit again! Xu Qing followed Qin Jiang to the toilet. After confirming that there was no one around, Qin Jiang frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s useless to stimulate Su Cheng¡¯s memory! When you fought with Su Cheng that day, did he also use such strength?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Xu Qing said. Qin Jiang said coldly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? I could have strengthened my defenses!¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°I thought Old Master could tell.¡± Qin Jiang was speechless. In terms of martial arts attainments, he was inferior to Xu Qing. Xu Qing could tell what he might not be able to. But he couldn¡¯t admit it either, could he? ¡°One more match,¡± Qin Jiang said. Two out of three rounds. They each won one round. The third round was the key. ¡°Master.¡± Xu Qing took out a thumb ring from his pocket and handed it to him. Puzzled, Qin Jiang asked, ¡°This is¡­¡± Xu Qing put the ring on his thumb and pressed his index finger against it. Swoosh! A silver needle shot out and nailed into the tree in front of him! Xu Qing took off the thumb ring. ¡°There are two silver needles left inside.¡± Qin Jiang frowned. ¡°You want me to use a hidden weapon on Su Cheng during the martial arts competition?¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°They did not say you¡¯re not allowed to use it.¡± Qin Jiang hesitated. ¡°This¡­¡± Xu Qing explained, ¡°This hidden weapon is non-poisonous. It¡¯s just applied with a little substance that can instantly make the other party lose his strength. In addition, it can penetrate armor.¡± Qin Jiang asked again, ¡°Will it be an unfair victory?¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°Winner takes all.¡± That was true. Compared to an unfair victory, losing to Su Cheng was the most humiliating. Qin Jiang took the jade thumb ring and put it on his left thumb. After Qin Jiang returned from the toilet, he went straight to the tournament stage. Su Cheng also planned to go over. Su Xiaoxiao paused and stopped him, ¡°Father¡­¡± A few minutes later, the gong rang, and the third round of the competition officially began. This time, Qin Jiang did not use a spear, but a sword. He realized that Su Cheng was good at close combat, and his spear did not have the advantage in a face-to-face battle. His long sword was more suitable for restraining Su Cheng¡¯s large saber. Qin Jiang¡¯s spear technique was taught by Qin Canglan, and his master for swordsmanship was the Old Marquis. With Qin Jiang¡¯s physique, he was more suitable to wield a light longsword. In the second round, he did not use a long sword. Firstly, he felt that he did not need it. Secondly, he hoped to use the martial arts that Qin Canglan had taught him to defeat Su Cheng. Unfortunately, he had miscalculated. Unfortunately, he had miscalculated. Qin Jiang looked at Su Cheng coldly. ¡°I won¡¯t give you any more chances in thi: round.¡± Su Cheng said arrogantly, ¡°Do I need you to give me a chance? Have you forgotten who kicked you down?¡± Qin Jiang¡¯s face darkened. The corners of Wei Ting¡¯s lips curled up imperceptibly as he continued to sip his tea. Xiao Duye asked with a faint smile, ¡°Lord Wei, who do you think will win this round?¡± Wei Ting said indifferently, ¡°What do you think, Your Highness?¡± Xiao Duye smiled and said, ¡°As for me, I feel that the two of them have a fifty-fifty chance of winning. Su Cheng¡¯s talent is obviously stronger than Qin Jiang¡¯s. Unfortunately, he was delayed for thirty years in the countryside. The gap between him and Qin Jiang can¡¯t be made up in a short month.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Your Highness, let¡¯s make a bet. Su Cheng will win.¡± Xiao Duye said in amusement, ¡°Bet?¡± Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°Five thousand taels.¡± Xiao Duye smiled faintly and said, ¡°Let me make it clear first. I don¡¯t entertain any credit here. If you want to bet, take out the banknotes first.¡± Wei Ting paused and turned to the side. Without changing his expression, he said, ¡°Your Highness, can I borrow some silver to spend?¡± Xiao Zhonghua was speechless. The gong sounded, and the third round began. After the previous round, no one dared to say that Qin Jiang was going easy on Su Cheng.. Chapter 374 - Chapter 374: Beating Qin Jiang Up (3) Chapter 374: Beating Qin Jiang Up (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It could not be said that Su Cheng had gone crazy today. As soon as he went on stage, he quickly took control and suppressed Qin Jiang to attack vigorously. Qin Jiang had never seen such an unorthodox way of fighting. Every move was so ugly, and it was impossible to resist. In the second round, the two of them were still going back and forth. In this round, Su Cheng simply did not give Qin Jiang a chance to make a move. This was his hatred of the other party for killing his mother and hurting his son! It was the unquenchable anger in Su Cheng¡¯s heart! ¡°Cheng¡¯er, he¡­¡± The Old Marquis looked at the bloodthirsty Su Cheng and suddenly seemed to understand something. Qin Canglan¡¯s expression also became complicated and agitated. He secretly clenched his fists. Su Cheng kicked Qin Jiang in the chest, causing him to fall ten steps on the stage and his clothes to be torn! Qin Jiang spat out a mouthful of blood. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth and glared coldly at Su Cheng. Su Cheng kicked him in the chest again! ¡°Father!¡± Qin Yanran turned pale. Qin Jiang rolled and avoided Su Cheng¡¯s foot. Then, he slashed with his sword. If he could not dodge in time, one of his legs would definitely be cut off! Su Cheng knelt on one knee and stabbed down with his long saber! Clang! The tip of the saber accurately landed on Qin Jiangs blade. With a crisp sound, Qin Jiang¡¯s sword was also shattered by Su Cheng¡¯s saber! Everyone was dumbfounded. No kidding? Again?! Was Qin Jiang¡¯s weapon useless, or was Su Cheng¡¯s weapon too useful? The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War said, ¡°He used Inch Force just now. It looked inconspicuous, but he could instantly unleash ten times the strength.¡± The Inch Force was very fast and ordinary people could not tell. A certain civil official at the side asked, ¡°So it¡¯s not about the weapon, but Su Cheng¡¯s own strength? Is he really that powerful?¡± The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War nodded solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. We¡¯ve all underestimated this Su Cheng. I remember that he was a martial arts genius when he was very young. Unfortunately, he disappeared at the age of six¡­¡± Indeed, a father tiger would not have a dog for a son. Qin Canglan was the number one divine general of Great Zhou, so his son was naturally not bad. Twenty years ago, when the sixteen-year-old Qin Jiang returned as Qin Canglan¡¯s legitimate son. His talent was much inferior, so everyone thought that he had wasted ten years among the commoners and wasted his excellent foundation. From the looks of it, there was nothing wasted. He was a dragon, not a worm. Su Cheng used the simplest and crudest fighting method to show everyone his astonishing strength and reaction speed! Speaking of which, was Qin Jiang really that bad? No. In Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes, he had injured his body when he was young, so it affected his martial arts aptitude. But that was Qin Canglan¡¯s abnormal standard. Strictly speaking, he had the best aptitude among ordinary people. Su Cheng had top-notch aptitude. That was all. Su Cheng gave Qin Jiang a kick. The more impressive Qin Jiang was when he went on stage, the more miserable he looked now. Many officials on the grass field could not bear to watch anymore. What happened to crushing Su Cheng? This was simply being used as a punching bag by Su Cheng! Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡°The snacks today are not bad. Reward,¡± Princess Jingning said. Eunuch Fu smiled awkvvardly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll remember it.¡± As Su Cheng beat him up, he suddenly felt extreme joy turn into sorrow. His feet slipped and he fell. Slurp! He fell flat on his face. The long saber in his hand flew out and coincidentally landed at Qin Jiang¡¯s feet. This was really a gift! Qin Jiang grabbed his long saber and slashed at Su Cheng with a murderous aura. ¡°Go forward! Go forward! Go forward!¡± The officials shouted in low voices. Su Cheng stared at Qin Jiang for a second, then turned around and ran! Qin Jiang was speechless. So was everyone else. ¡°Stop right there!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Su Cheng ran around the tournament stage. How could Qin Jiang outrun him? Qin Jiang chased after him with his saber, but he couldn¡¯t catch up. He was furious with Su Cheng. Xiao Duye frowned. He had bet 5,000 taels on Qin Jiang winning. Just now, when Su Cheng¡¯s weapon was in Qin Jiang¡¯s hands, he was excited about the chance to turn defeat into victory. Who would have thought that¡­ Su Cheng, this scoundrel, would not take the blow at all! Was there such a competition? Could he be more shameless? Su Cheng ran! Qin Jiang gave chase! Finally, Qin Jiang couldn¡¯t chase anymore. He used the knife to support his body and panted. On the other hand, Su Cheng¡¯s face was not red and his heart was not racing. It looked like he could still run a hundred and eighty laps. If this continued, he would be exhausted. Qin Jiang touched the jade thumb ring. Wei Tings eyes turned cold. The Old Marquis said, ¡°Wait, what¡¯s in Qin Jiang¡¯s hands?¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Hidden weapon!¡± Swoosh! Qin Jiang shot a silver needle at Su Cheng. The silver needle pierced through Su Cheng¡¯s armor and brushed past his shoulder blade! Sil C.hengwas stunned Fuck! What was that? ¡°Qin Jiang used a hidden weapon!¡± An official stood up in shock. Wasn¡¯t that too sinister? Could hidden weapons be used in such an open competition? Of course, there were also people who agreed with Qin Jiang¡¯s actions. After all, it was not made clear from the beginning that he could not use hidden weapons. The Old Marquis gritted his teeth. ¡°Despicable!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan did not speak. It seemed like he had tacitly agreed. Princess Jingning frowned. Su Cheng did not have a weapon in his hand, and he had distanced himself from Qin Jiang. It was the best time for Qin Jiang to launch a sneak attack. Qin Jiang did not give Su Cheng any chance to react and shot the third silver needle in the jade thumb ring at him. This angle was extremely tricky. Su Cheng could not dodge in time. After a scream, he clutched his chest and fell. The scene fell silent again. The entire field was silent. Su Cheng, who had been confident of winning just now, collapsed just like that. Qin Jiang dragged his tired legs and walked towards Su Cheng step by step. Su Cheng looked at him in extreme pain. It seemed that the drug had taken effect. Qin Jiang smiled satisfactorily and evilly as he knelt down on one knee beside Su Cheng. ¡°Su Cheng, you still lost in the end.. Halfway through his sentence, Qin Jiang froze. Su Cheng, who was on the ground, suddenly raised his hand and stabbed the hidden weapon in his palm into Qin Jiang¡¯s neck! Chapter 375 - Chapter 375: Complete Victory Chapter 375: Complete Victory Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Jiang¡¯s expression changed! Su Cheng was pretending. He was not hit by the hidden weapon just now! It was not strange for Su Cheng to be cunning. Previously, he had plotted against Xu Qing like this! What really made him feel strange was¡­ he clearly saw Su Cheng fall for it! Could it be that¡­ Su Cheng caught his hidden weapon with his bare hands? That was a hidden weapon that could even penetrate armor! At this moment, Qin Jiang realized that Su Cheng was wearing an inconspicuous pair of silver gloves. At first, he did not pay much attention to it because many soldiers would also put protective gear on their hands when they wore armor. Most of them were leather sheaths and a small piece of iron in their palms. He only thought that Su Cheng was the same. But he was obviously wrong. This pair of gloves was no ordinary protective gear. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Su Chenz glared at him. Before going on stage, Su Xiaoxiao stopped Su Cheng and asked him to put on a pair of gloves. Su Cheng felt that it was troublesome and didn¡¯t want to wear it, but since his chubby daughter had requested it, he obediently put it on. He did not expect the gloves to be so useful. Seeing that Qin Jiang was staring at his gloves without blinking, Su Cheng raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you envious? You can¡¯t have it!¡± Before Qin Jiang could speak, Su Cheng smiled evilly. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s all? Qin Jiang.¡± Qin Jiang¡¯s temples throbbed! Su Cheng flipped over and pressed Qin Jiang onto his body. He raised his foot, aimed at his right leg bone, and stomped down hard! Was Qin Jiang going to become a cripple from this kick?! The officials who were staring at the arena gasped in shock. Many of them even stood up subconsciously! Su Cheng was too ruthless! This was taking Qin Jiang¡¯s life! How much hatred did he have? Was it worth it? Of course, it was a crime. Qin Jiang¡¯s actions were not innocent. Regardless of whether Su Huayin¡¯s death had anything to do with him or not, Ruan Xianglian was his biological mother and he was the one who benefited, so he was not innocent. Moreover, after Su Cheng entered the capital, his actions were truly unforgivable. ¡°Father¡­¡± Qin Yanran cried out in shock. ¡°Aiya!¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes widened. Xu Qing¡¯s figure flashed as he used his Light-body Technique to fly toward the arena. Wei Ting waved his forearm and threw the empty teacup in his hand, hitting Xu Qing¡¯s acupoints squarely. Xu Qing¡¯s figure froze in the air before he flipped and landed on the ground. Wei Ting said indifferently, ¡°Guard Xu, this is a martial arts competition. No one can interfere.¡± Xu Qing said coldly, ¡°Lord Wei, you schemed to help Su Cheng. Could it be that the two of you have some shameful relationship?¡± Wei Ting smiled faintly and pinched the banknotes he borrowed from Xiao Zhonghua on the table with his fingertips. ¡°I spent five thousand taels to bet on Su Cheng winning. His First Highness spent five thousand taels to bet on Qin Jiang winning. You¡¯re helping Qin Jiang like this. Is it because you have a shameful relationship with His First Highness?¡± Xu Qing¡¯s face darkened. Xiao Duye frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know him!¡± In the arena, Su Cheng¡¯s foot landed. In order to avoid this stomp of death, Qin Jiang had no choice but to spread his legs. That posture¡­ was unbearable to look at. However, what was even more unbearable to look at was yet to come. The drug began to take effect. Qin Jiang¡¯s body gradually became clumsy, and Su Cheng continued to stomp him. Not only did he want to step on his legs, but he also wanted to step on his balls! Qin Jiang¡¯s body trembled. Gosh! When fighting with respectable people, the moves they used were pleasing to the eye, but once they encountered a scoundrel like Su Cheng, they could only be led astray by Su Cheng. Qin Jiang hid on the tournament stage without a care for his image. He got up and was trampled. He got up again and was trampled again. He looked like a toad that had been driven away to plow the ground. ¡°Pfft One of the officials could not help but burst out laughing. It was not that Qin Jiang¡¯s martial arts were too weak, but that he had never met an opponent like Su Cheng. All his moves were useless. In fact, there was not much martial arts left in his body. Su Cheng could completely kick him down. However, Su Cheng seemed to want him to be in a sorry state in front of everyone. Just as Qin Jiang thought that he had lost all his dignity in this life, Su Cheng attacked again. He snatched back his saber and knocked Qin Jiang down with one move. He aimed at Qin Jiang¡¯s stomach and slashed! ¡°Qin Che! Don¡¯t kill anyone¡­¡± Eunuch Fu reminded him loudly. Endless panic rose in Qin Jiang¡¯s heart. He somersaulted backward and fell off the stage! In order to save his life, he forfeited. Not only did he give up this round of victory, but he also gave up the dignity he had worked so hard to build over the years. One would rather die standing than live kneeling. This was the iron rule of the Qin family¡¯s army. Qin Jiang had lost a lot of dignity! Qin Yanran hoped that her father could live, but when her father really used such a disgraceful method to save his life, her face burned again. She lowered her head, not daring to meet the gazes of others. Qin Jiang had lost¡­ He had lost completely! The scene fell into a strange silence for the third time. In fact, from the moment Su Cheng truly displayed his might, everyone already understood that Qin Jiang probably wouldn¡¯t be able to win today. However, no one had expected Qin Jiang to jump off the stage by himself. This was too¡­ The officials looked at each other and stole glances at Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. Qin Jiang felt wronged. He didn¡¯t mean to fall off the stage. The onlookers were far away and didn¡¯t know how dangerous it was just now. He just followed his instincts and dodged. Su Cheng did it on purpose! Su Cheng had calculated the angle and distance. If he did not dodge, he would die. If he did, he would fall off the stage. ¡°Good!¡± Qin Canglan clapped! The Old Marquis and Su Xiaoxiao also applauded. Cheng¡¯er was awesome! Father was awesome! Wei Ting also clapped. ¡°Your Highness, thank you for letting me win.¡± Xiao Duye¡¯s expression was as interesting as his father¡¯s. ¡°Father, it¡¯s time to announce the results,¡± Princess Jingning reminded. Emperor Jing Xuan reluctantly announced the result, ¡°Qin Che wins.¡± With that, he stood up and left without looking back. Anyone could tell that he was angry. Su Cheng carried his large saber and swaggered over. Other than his own family and Wei Ting, who had won five thousand taels, no official present dared to go forward to congratulate him. This was because everyone could tell that Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s true target was Qin Jiang. If Su Cheng won the competition, it would be a slap to Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s face. If Emperor Jing Xuan was angry, would Su Cheng have a good time? ¡°I still have something on in the afternoon. I¡¯ll get going first.¡± ¡°Me too. There¡¯s a lot of paperwork to deal with.¡± ¡°Ah, it seems that I have to investigate the previous case again¡­ The officials found dignified excuses to leave. Princess Hui An came to Qin Yanran¡¯s seat and said angrily, ¡°Qin Yanran, what¡¯s wrong with your father? He can¡¯t even defeat a country bumpkin like Su Cheng! How useless! If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have come!¡± Princess Hui An left angrily. Princess Jingning greeted Su Xiaoxiao and said to Su Cheng, ¡°Congratulations, Protector Duke.¡± Su Cheng asked his daughter in a daze, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Princess Jingning, my classmate,¡± Su Xiaoxiao introduced. Su Cheng immediately became enthusiastic. ¡°You¡¯re Daya¡¯s classmate. Come over to my house to play when you¡¯re free!¡± Princess Jingning was stunned. ¡°Okay..¡± Chapter 376 - Chapter 376: Riding and Archery Competition Chapter 376: Riding and Archery Competition On the other side, Xiao Zhonghua also came over to greet them. Su Cheng sized him up. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Third Prince.¡± Su Xiaoxiao introduced again. Su Cheng thought for a moment and his expression suddenly became serious. He stretched out a hand and made a stopping gesture. ¡°Don¡¯t come home to play! His son-in-law would be jealous! Xiao Zhonghua was speechless. The victory on the first day could be said to be a good start. Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis were incomparably proud that their Cheng¡¯er had proven his strength in front of everyone. They also felt complicated because Cheng¡¯er¡¯s performance today was different from usual. It should be said that it was fiercer and more murderous. In terms of the martial arts competition itself, this was not a bad thing. However, when combined with Su Cheng¡¯s situation, it could not help but make people suspect that Su Cheng had suffered another blow. The Old Marquis gave Qin Canglan a look. Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°Cheng¡¯er, I¡¯ll send you back.¡± The group left the palace and boarded the carriage back to the medical center. Su Xiaoxiao and the Old Marquis were in the same carriage, while Qin Canglan and Su Cheng were in the same carriage. All along the way, Su Cheng was rather silent, and he was like a completely different person from his fierce and domineering appearance in the arena. Qin Canglan wanted to say something but hesitated. The carriage swayed along the long street, and the sound of traffic could be heard from time to time. ¡°Cheng¡¯er¡­¡± Qin Canglan finally spoke, ¡°You¡­ have you recalled everything?¡± Su Cheng lowered his eyes, his body shrouded in a layer of gloom. ¡°Mm,¡± he replied softly. Qin Canglan had guessed it, but hearing him admit it himself still made his heart tighten. He had imagined the scene of father and son reuniting countless times, but at this moment, he realized that he had a thousand words to say, but he actually had no way to say them. He lowered his head in shame. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cheng¡¯er.¡± He was to blame for what happened back then. He was the one who failed to protect his wife and child, causing his wife to be killed and his son to wander among the commoners. This separation lasted for thirty years. His son had grown up, and he was old. His life had been rushed through decades, but he had missed it. Su Cheng said, ¡°I want to be alone for a while.¡± When Su Xiaoxiao returned to the clinic, Su Cheng had just come out of Su Ergou¡¯s room. He sat in a corner of the courtyard, holding the right pendant he had worn since he was young. The setting sun cast a long shadow on him. Su Xiaoxiao walked over and walked down the bench beside him. ¡°Father.¡± Su Cheng raised his hand to wipe the corners of his eyes and said nonchalantly, ¡°My daughter is back. Ergou is fine. I just went to see him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and didn¡¯t say anything. She just accompanied him quietly. Su Cheng lowered his head and touched the jade pendant in his hand. He casually asked, ¡°Do you still remember what happened when you were young?¡± ¡°I remember a little,¡± Su Xiaoxiao replied. ¡°Then do you still remember your mother?¡± Su Cheng asked. ¡°I remember.¡± Su Xiaoxiao searched her memory about Madam Chen. ¡°Mother was very beautiful and very capable. She likes to wash my hair and Ergou¡¯s. After washing, half of my hair will be bald.¡± Su Cheng was speechless. He said softly,¡±Daughter, it¡¯s hard for me to long for her like this¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned to look at him. Her eyes were clear and gentle. ¡°What about Father¡¯s mother? What was she like?¡± ¡°Very fierce.¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°Always trying to beat me up with a feather duster.¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°That¡¯s because you liked to cause trouble when you were young, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Did she beat you up?¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Cheng shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s my father¡¯s fault for not teaching me. She beat him up.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. Su Cheng continued, ¡°My father has always wanted me to be a promising person. She always said that if you want to be successful, you should be successful yourself. My son can just be himself.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°What an open-minded mother.¡± Su Cheng whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to forget her anymore.¡± The scene of her tragic death pained him. However, the days they spent together were his most precious memories as Qin Che. He wanted to remember her as his son. The competition on the second day changed. It was supposed to be martial arts on the first day of the tournament, riding and archery on the second day, and the art of war on the third day. However, the art of war was temporarily moved to the following morning, where it was jointly supervised by the Ministry of War and the Hanlin Academy. As the Minister of War, Su Yuan did not participate in the invigilation and subsequent reading of the papers to avoid suspicion. He did not enter the palace. Instead, he went to the Divine Bow Camp outside the capital. The written test was Qin Jiang¡¯s forte. He completed the paper very easily. Su Cheng grabbed the brush in frustration and finished writing bitterly. He also handed the scroll over with a dark expression. Qin Jiang knew that Su Cheng did not study in the countryside. Even if he had regained his memory, with the superficial knowledge he had learned before he was six years old, it was impossible for him to understand the art of war. Su Cheng¡¯s defeated expression also confirmed all of this. In order to ensure the fairness of the competition, the officials of the six departments were invited to review the papers layer by layer. The final results were submitted to the three dukes for review. There had to be no objections among the three dukes before the results of the examination were announced. But this was already very unfair. If one could rely on one¡¯s talent to train one¡¯s muscles and bones when practicing martial arts, the art of war was an actual real book of knowledge. One had to know how to read and write! It was difficult for Su Cheng to fill his stomach in the countryside, so where would he get the spare money to study? Everyone could tell that Emperor Jing Xuan was biased, but who could say anything? Emperor Jing Xuan could have directly snatched the military power for Qin Jiang, but he insisted on setting up a competition. He had put in a lot of effort. In the afternoon, Qin Jiang and Su Cheng continued to compete in riding and archery. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Are you worried that Big Brother and Fifth Brother will arrive at night?¡± Su Yu muttered. Today was the Imperial College¡¯s holiday, and Su Qi and Su Yu had also come. Emperor Jing Xuan did not say it on the surface, but who could not guess that he was worried that something would happen if he delayed? Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s bias towards Qin Jiang was too obvious! The Old Marquis and Qin Canglan did not speak. How could they not see through Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s thoughts? Emperor Jing Xuan wanted to take back the Qin family¡¯s military power, but he did not want to bear the infamy of killing a donkey after it was done. Hence, he used Qin Jiang as a raft. ¡°How are they going to compete in the afternoon?¡± Su Qi asked. The Old Marquis pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Logically speaking, riding and shooting are target shooting, but looking at His Majesty¡¯s behavior, I¡¯m afraid there will be developments.¡± The Old Marquis had guessed correctly. The riding and archery in the afternoon was actually hunting. Emperor Jing Xuan asked the guards to release a white-tailed fox into the forest. Whoever caught it would be the winner of this round. Su Yu was puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, right? Qin Jiang is not Uncle¡¯s match. If he really enters the forest, isn¡¯t he afraid that Uncle will beat him up?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Emperor Jing Xuan announced that in order to pre-empt the sudden attack of ferocious beasts in the forest and to prevent any deaths on both sides, there would be imperial guards accompanying them. Su Yu snorted. ¡°No wonder.¡± One of the imperial guards followed Qin Jiang, while the other followed Su Cheng. The gong sounded and the four of them entered the forest of the Royal Hunting Ground. Su Qi¡¯s expression suddenly became strange. ¡°Second Brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Yu asked. On Su Qi¡¯s right was Su Yu, and on his left was Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him. Su Qi looked at the imperial guard beside Qin Jiang and muttered, ¡°That person¡¯s back¡­ looks a little familiar¡­¡± Chapter 377 - Chapter 377: A Small Battle Chapter 377: A Small Battle Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao took out the dagger at her waist. ¡°My father¡¯s dagger fell off. Please give this to my father.¡± Su Qi took the dagger and strode towards the entrance of the hunting ground. ¡°Uncle! ¡± Su Cheng tightened the reins. The others also habitually looked back. Su Qi saw that person¡¯s face clearly. After handing the dagger to Su Cheng, he returned to his seat. The Old Marquis and Qin Canglan were called over by Emperor Jing Xuan. Wei Ting was not there either. He was there to supervise the marking of the papers. Su Yu said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Second Brother? You don¡¯t look right.¡± Su Qi clenched his fists and said with a serious expression, ¡°The imperial guard beside Qin Jiang¡­ was¡­ the archer who hid in the forest that night!¡± Su Yu was stunned. ¡°You mean the expert who escaped from Big Brother?¡± Su Qi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Su Yu confirmed again, ¡°The was the one who assassinated the Third Prince and Wei Ting?¡± Su Qi said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s him! He covered his face that night, but I remember his figure and eyes¡­ There¡¯s a small scar on his right eyelid¡­ I can¡¯t be wrong! Oh no, Uncle is in danger!¡± Su Yu was a little confused. ¡°Second Brother¡­ I don¡¯t understand.. Su Xiaoxiao explained patiently, ¡°Wei Ting and Xiao Zhonghua were assassinated. The Eldest Prince arrived with the imperial guards and killed the last few survivors. At that time, the archer in the forest escaped. If that archer was also from the imperial guards, it proves that the Eldest Prince¡¯s appearance that night was not a coincidence. The assassination was arranged by him!¡± She and Wei Ting had long guessed this, but Su Yu did not think too deeply about it. Su Qi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Su Yu was still puzzled. ¡°But what does this have to do with whether Uncle is in danger?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No matter who wins tonight, the Emperor intends to hand the military power to Xiao Zhonghua through marriage. How would the Eldest Prince be willing to let his younger brother obtain military power? He will definitely stop it.¡± Su Yu seemed to understand a little. ¡°How would he stop it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Kill them both.¡± Su Yu¡¯s face paled in shock. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°This, this, this¡­¡± Su Yu lowered his voice and said, ¡°Is he so bold? This is under His Majesty¡¯s nose!¡± His Majesty¡¯s nose!¡± Su Qi said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s right under our noses that no one will suspect him. Besides, if he¡¯s not bold, how can he be the emperor?¡± In this world, the timid would starve to death while the bold would die from overeating. Su Qi and Su Xiaoxiao looked at Xiao Duye, who was chatting happily with Emperor Jing Xuan. The siblings exchanged glances and stood up at the same time. Su Yu asked, ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to report the Eldest Prince?¡± Su Qi shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no evidence. It¡¯s useless even if we report it. At most, the Eldest Prince will stop the operation and blame us.¡± Su Yu probed tentatively, ¡°Then.. Su Qi said, ¡°We have something to do and have to leave.¡± Su Yu panicked. ¡°Hey, Second Brother! Daya! You guys¡­ bring me along!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to him, ¡°Stay here and find a chance to tell Xiao Zhonghua.¡± Su Yu asked softly, ¡°Is he reliable? Will he help Qin Jiang and use the Eldest Prince to kill Uncle?¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Su Qi said. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, you guys¡­¡± Su Yu wanted to shout, but he did not dare to be too loud. He could only watch as the two of them left. The royal hunting ground was not in the palace. There were no impenetrable walls around it, but there was a natural barrier. It was not easy to sneak in. ¡°Although my martial arts aren¡¯t as good as Big Brother¡¯s, in terms of familiarity with the terrain, Big Brother isn¡¯t as good as me.¡± Su Qi smiled. He brought Su Xiaoxiao to the other side of the forest. It was a seemingly calm lake. ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯ll sneak in from below.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°You know how to swim?¡± Su Qi asked. ¡°A little.¡± Su Xiaoxiao. She said a little, but as soon as she got into the water, she left Su Qi far behind like a fish. Su Qi remarked, ¡°Your definition of a little bit is more than a little bit different from mine.¡± After Su Cheng entered the forest, he immediately began to search for the white-tailed fox. However, the forest was so big. Where could he find a little fox? Wasn¡¯t this deliberately torturing him? ¡°Has His Majesty always been like this?¡± He asked the imperial guard beside him. The imperial guard did not reply. ¡°Do you think I can fool them if I find a similar one?¡± The imperial guard still did not answer. ¡°If I search for ten days to half a month, will it still count after I go out?¡± The imperial guard tightened his grip on the reins. ¡°If I can¡¯t find it, that guy shouldn¡¯t be able to find it either. If he finds it and I rob him, will it be mine?¡± The imperial guard was about to lose control. Su Cheng sighed. ¡°You¡¯re so young. Why are you mute?¡± The imperial guard who was trying his best to control his rampage was speechless. Su Cheng rode his horse in the forest for a while and unexpectedly bumped into Qin Jiang. Su Cheng raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Yo, isn¡¯t this the defeated opponent?¡± Qin Jiang sneered. ¡°Su Cheng, don¡¯t be smug. The prey is mine. I¡¯ll definitely win today!¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll follow you.¡± Qin Jiang was stunned. Su Cheng gave him a look that signaled him to leave quickly. ¡°Go ahead and look. Why aren¡¯t you looking anymore?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still waiting to rob you!¡± Qin Jiang gritted his teeth. Su Cheng followed closely. If Qin Jiang went east, he would go east too. If Qin Jiang went west, he would go west too. Finally, Qin Jiang couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Can you stop following me!¡± Su Cheng asked, ¡°Did they say that I¡¯m not allowed to follow you?¡± Qin Jiang was so angry that he fell backward. He was not leaving! He dismounted and found a big tree to sit under. Su Cheng also slowly sat down opposite him. It was lunchtime. Qin Jiang had never thought of eating in the forest. He only brought a water bag. Su Cheng was different. His daughter had prepared lunch for him! Su Cheng untied his bag from the saddle and took out the food box. After opening it, he revealed a glossy braised chicken drumstick, two yellow and orange minced pork buns, two pieces of dried meat sprinkled with sesame seeds, and four oily and fragrant wife biscuits. He even drank fruit wine! Su Cheng ate heartily. Qin Jiang swallowed hard. Was he here to hunt or to have a picnic?! Qin Jiang wasn¡¯t hungry at first, but Su Cheng was eating too happily, making him hungry. Su Cheng picked up a wife cake. ¡°Do you want to eat it?¡± Qin Jiang gulped. ¡°I¡­¡± Su Cheng: ¡°Even if you want it, I won¡¯t give it to you!¡± Qin Jiang was dumbfounded. After eating and drinking his fill, Su Cheng asked Qjn Jiang, ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving? Qin Jiang said angrily, ¡°If you want to leave, go by yourself.¡± Su Cheng: ¡°Then I won¡¯t leave either.¡± Qin Jiang was speechless and frowned coldly. He actually had a way to chase after that white-tailed fox, but he had to shake off Su Cheng. However, Su Cheng was like a plaster¡­ Qin Jiang had a headache! ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Su Cheng asked impatiently. Qin Jiang was about to say that he wasn¡¯t looking at him when he looked up and realized that Su Cheng wasn¡¯t talking to him. Su Cheng was staring at the imperial guard beside him.. Chapter 378 - Chapter 378: Brother Ting’s Means Chapter 378: Brother Ting¡¯s Means Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Jiang¡¯s gaze swept across the imperial guard. This person had not spoken since he entered the forest. For some reason, Qin Jiang vaguely felt that his gaze was a little too cold. However, when he thought of the other party¡¯s identity and duty, Qin Jiang felt relieved. To put it bluntly, Qin Jiang had been protected too well by Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis all these years. He had learned some skills, but he lacked the instinct to sense danger. Su Cheng had crawled out of the pile of dead people in the year of the famine. At that time, the craziest thing was to eat one¡¯s son. He was not anyone¡¯s son. If anyone caught him, he would die. In order to survive, he had no choice but to train his beast-like crisis instincts. He might not be able to tell who had ill intentions toward him, but he could sense it. There was something wrong with this imperial guard. ¡°Hehe, isn¡¯t that because you¡¯re annoying? Qin Jiang retorted sarcastically. Su Cheng raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s better to be hated than useless. Speaking of which, is it because there are still traces of the medicine left in your body? Is that why you don¡¯t even have the strength to hunt today?¡± At the mention of this, Qin Jiang¡¯s expression quickly darkened. He was forced to use a hidden weapon in the arena. In the end, not only did he not injure Su Cheng, but Su Cheng snatched it away and injured him. He had lost all his face in front of so many people! Qin Jiang¡¯s hatred and jealousy towards Su Cheng could be said to have reached an extreme. If not for the two imperial guards guarding him, Qin Jiang would probably have had a life and death battle with Su Cheng on the spot. Su Cheng did not take Qin Jiang¡¯s words to heart. He was a person who bore grudges, but he would not be easily angered by a few words. He was more concerned about the imperial guard beside Qin Jiang. Su Cheng took out the dagger that his daughter had asked Su Qi to give him and played with it in his hand before putting it back into the scabbard at his waist. He planned to get up and leave. At this moment, a white figure flashed past not far away at an extremely fast speed. Su Cheng turned his head sharply and saw a white tail burrowing into the grass. It was the white-tailed fox! To be honest, this white-tailed fox did not match its name at all. It was clearly white all over, and there was a hint of red on the tip of its tail. Su Cheng felt that it should be called White Fox or Red-tailed Fox. This was his mission today. If he took it down, he would be able to defeat Qin Jiang. He swiftly mounted his horse. Qin Jiang had also discovered the prey. He hurriedly got on his horse and chased after the white-tailed fox. Qin Jiang was experienced in hunting. He was confident that he could take down the White-tailed Fox before Su Cheng did. However, he did not expect that Su Cheng¡¯s horse would suddenly charge at his horse! His horse was frightened. It raised its front hooves and turned to the side! Qin Jiang gritted his teeth and pulled the reins. Although he managed to stop it in time, Su Cheng managed to shake him off because of the delay. Qin Jiang watched with killing intent as Su Cheng rode away. If he was not mistaken, that horse just now¡­ was Qin Canglan¡¯s mount! Qin Canglan! He had been his son for twenty vears, but he had never ridden his mount! Su Cheng had only been back for a month and Qin Canglan had already given his mount to him! Why? They were both sons of Qin Canglan, but why was Qin Canglan so biased! He hated it! Not only did he hate Su Cheng, but he also hated Qin Canglan to the core! He hated Qin Canglan even more! He wanted to obtain military power and ruthlessly trample Su Cheng under his feet. He wanted Qin Canglan to widen his eyes and see what would happen to the son he was biased toward¡­ He would not let any of them have an easy time! Qin Jiang, who was burning with anger, spurred his horse and chased after Su Cheng. So what if he had Qin Canglan¡¯s mount? Su Cheng¡¯s riding skills were not as good as his, and his familiarity with the terrain was not as good as his¡­ The imperial guard behind him looked coldly at Qin Jiang and Su Cheng, who had entered the depths of the forest. He mounted his horses expressionlessly. ¡°Look! There are hoof prints here.¡± Su Qi pointed at a wet patch of soil under the tree and said, ¡°Why do the footprints seem to have parted ways? They¡¯re heading south and southeast. Which one is Uncle¡¯s?¡± Su Cheng was the uncle of the brothers, but the brothers all said that word at the same time. ¡°Southeast.¡± Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°How do you know?¡± Su Qi was puzzled. Su Xiaoxiao pointed at the hoof prints on the ground, ¡°There are some with the deepest hoof prints here.¡± Su Qi suddenly understood. ¡°Ah, I understand. Uncle is riding Granduncle¡¯s horse today. That horse is stronger than ordinary horses, and the hoof prints are the deepest.¡± This little cousin was very observant. Su Qi said, ¡°From the hoof prints, the two teams have separated. Uncle is safe for the time being.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pondered, ¡°No, it would be disadvantageous if they split up.¡± When the four of them were together, it was inconvenient for the archer to attack. However, if they separated, he would first kill Qin Jiang, then kill Su Cheng and another companion¡­ Perhaps the worst possibility was that the two imperial guards were in cahoots. In that case, Su Cheng would really be unable to defeat four people with two punches. An expert who could escape from Su MO was not someone Su Cheng, who had only learned martial arts for a month, could deal with. Hearing Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s analysis, Su Qi felt a chill run down his spine. After all, the imperial guards were under the First Prince¡¯s jurisdiction. If he could plant a trusted aide, he could naturally plant a second one. Previously, Su Qi had hoped that Qin Jiang would die. Now, he hoped that Qin Jiang could live and at least help his uncle bear some damage. Otherwise, it would be too disadvantageous for his uncle to fight two against one! He frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Hurry up and chase after them!¡± On the other side, Su Cheng caught up with the White-tailed Fox. However, the White-tailed Fox was abnormally cunning. Su Cheng almost caught it a few times, but it escaped from his hands. Qin Jiang was actually not far away. He could hear the movements of Su Cheng and another imperial guard. Qin Jiang felt that the imperial guard behind him was getting further and further away. He turned around and said, ¡°If you can¡¯t keep up, don¡¯t follow! I¡¯ll meet you here later!¡± The other party subconsciously reached for his waist. ¡°Got it.¡± Qin Jiang turned around. Was it an illusion? That person just now¡­ was holding a bow? Qin Jiang rode his horse a few steps and looked back suspiciously. Who knew that the imperial guard was no longer on the horse? Qin Jiang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In the next second, a shadow enveloped him. He looked up, and the imperial guard appeared on the branch above him. When did the other party use his Light-body Technique? He actually did not notice it at all! Wait, that wasn¡¯t the point. The point was why the other party¡ª The imperial guard held his sword and stabbed at the Baihui acupoint above Qin Jiang¡¯s head! Qin Jiang rolled and fell from his horse. The imperial guard¡¯s sword stabbed Qin Jiang¡¯s mount, and it let out a painful roar. Su Cheng frowned strangely. What happened? Why did he hear¡­ a horse¡¯s scream? Qin Jiang knew that Su Cheng was not far away. After falling to the ground, he immediately wanted to call out to Su Cheng, but the other party was too fast and kicked his mute acupoint! ¡°Aiya! The prey has escaped!¡± The moment Su Cheng was distracted, the little thing crawled into the grass again. Should he chase after his prey or go to Qin Jiang¡¯s position to take a look? Did something happen to that guy? Would he be blamed if something happened? Su Cheng did not care if Qin Jiang lived or died, but he could not let Qin Jiang¡¯s death affect his results. Su Cheng was usually noisy and carefree. When it came to serious matters, he had his own judgment. He thought about it and decided to check on Qin Jiang first. Just as he tightened the reins and turned around, the imperial guard beside him moved. The imperial guard silently followed behind Su Cheng, his large hand silently reaching for the dagger at his waist. ¡°You¡­¡± Su Cheng turned around. The imperial guard shot out flying daggers at Su Cheng! Su Cheng¡¯s eyebrows twitched! However, the flying dagger did not hit Su Cheng. Instead, it flew past Su Cheng¡¯s head and shot straight at the other imperial guard who was slashing at Su Cheng with his sword! Clang! The other party blocked the flying dagger with his long sword, but because of this, he missed the best opportunity to assassinate Su Cheng. ¡°Gosh!¡± Su Cheng¡¯s body shook. He also realized that he had almost been killed. He hurriedly spurred his horse a few steps forward and pulled out the large saber on his saddle. The imperial guard that had assassinated Su Cheng flipped a few times in the air and landed steadily on the ground in front of the two of them. Su Cheng looked at him and then at the imperial guard beside him. This guy had saved him just now. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked. The imperial guard beside him said indifferently, ¡°Leave first and chase after your prey. Leave this to me. Don¡¯t worry¡­¡± Su Cheng rode off on his horse! A certain imperial guard was dumbfounded. A guard¡¯s face was ashen as he finished his sentence. ¡® ¡­about me.¡± The other imperial guard watched as Su Cheng left. His face sank as he looked at his companion. ¡°You¡¯re not Imperial Bodyguard Cheng. Who are you?¡± A certain someone sneered and raised the corners of his lips. He adjusted the human skin mask on his face, pulled out his long sword, turned around, and tossed his head. He said arrogantly¡­ ¡°You mortals are not worthy of asking for the name of God!¡± The guard was rendered speechless. Was this person seriously ill? Chapter 379 - Chapter 379: Final Victory (1) Chapter 379: Final Victory (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The guard looked at the back of someone¡¯s head like he was a fool and had the urge to hammer him to death. It took an enormous effort to bring his thoughts back to the present. ¡°Do you think you can stop me easily?¡± ¡°Stop you? Ha, I can crush you with one hand!¡± Swoosh! The imperial guard¡¯s movement technique was extremely fast. He flashed behind Yuchi Xiu and stabbed his sword into Yuchi Xiu¡¯s back. Yuchi Xiu was stunned. Yuchi Xiu turned his head and looked at the armor he had pierced through. He frowned in displeasure. ¡°I really like this armor! You¡¯ve angered me!¡± The guard was stunned. This person¡­ was not injured? Yuchi Xiu¡¯s arm stretched backward, and his fingertips clamped onto his longsword. With a light bend, he broke the blade. The imperial guard immediately used his Light-body Technique to retreat ten steps. He came to the saddle and retrieved his bow. He was best at archery. No one could survive his arrows! He quickly nocked an arrow and shot it at Yuchi Xiu! On the other hand, Su Cheng had chased after the white-tailed fox and encountered a savage who had scurried out from behind a tree. Su Cheng was so scared that his hair stood on end. He thought he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. He pulled his horse and was about to step down¡­ ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± The other party said in a panic. Su Cheng tightened his grip on the reins and turned to the side. After stabilizing himself, he stared fixedly at the unkempt man covered in mud and leaves. ¡°Uh¡­ Qin Jiang?¡± Qin Jiang let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Su Cheng sized him up with an indescribable expression. ¡°How did you end up like this? By the way, I saw the imperial guard beside you just now. Did you order him to kill me?¡± As he spoke, Su Cheng¡¯s expression gradually became serious. Qin Jiang stared at him speechlessly. ¡°If I could order the imperial guard around, would I have ended up like this? I almost got killed too, okay? If I didn¡¯t run fast¡­ He stopped mid-sentence. He must not lose face in front of Su Cheng. ¡°Did you jump into a cesspit?¡± Su Cheng asked. ¡°It¡¯s a mud pit!¡± Qin Jiang corrected him angrily. It was not an ordinary mud pit. It was a mud pit under the miasma. At a glance, it looked like a swamp. It was for this reason that the imperial guard did not jump down with him. Otherwise, he would have died long ago. ¡°How did you escape?¡± Qin Jiang looked at Su Cheng in confusion. He clearly remembered that the imperial guard was charging towards Su Cheng. Su Cheng snorted. ¡°Heh, how can a mere imperial guard be my match? I can beat him down with a single punch!¡± Nothing could affect his bragging! Qin Jiang hit the nail on the head. ¡°It¡¯s the imperial guard who was traveling with you, right? You¡¯re really lucky!¡± There were two imperial guards in total, but he was assigned to the one with ill intentions. How could there be so many coincidences in the world? It was just that someone had prepared meticulously in advance. Qin Jiang and Su Cheng knew nothing about Wei Ting¡¯s arrangements. Without a horse, Qin Jiang wanted to snatch Su Cheng¡¯s. However, before he could make a move, another wave of assassins appeared. This time, it was not just one, but a real wave. Qin Jiang said seriously, ¡°Su Cheng, it¡¯s best if we join forces to deal with them.. ¡® Su Cheng snorted. ¡°Deal with your grandpa! You can keep them!¡± Su Cheng clamped his legs on the horse¡¯s belly and left! Qin Jiang was furious! The assassins who appeared were all masked. There were at least ten of them. They were determined to kill him and Su Cheng! Why did the other party do this? Could it be that¡­ the other party also wanted the Qin family¡¯s military power? Other than this, Qin Jiang couldn¡¯t think of any other possibility. Although Qin Canglan was still alive, he was already in his twilight years. When he was old, his heart would also become weak. At this moment, if Qin Canglan lost his son again, he would definitely not be able to withstand the blow. The other party had wanted to target Qin Canglan and destroyed the Protectorate. As he pondered, a few assassins raised their long swords and called out to him. The others used their Light-body Technique to chase after Su Cheng. He originally thought that Su Cheng would be stopped, but a strange scene happened. An arrow shot from the depths of the dense forest and shot straight into the heart of the leader, shooting him down from midair. Immediately after, three more arrows were shot out, and the three assassins were shot down from the sky. Qin Jiang was shocked. Was there still an archer lying in an ambush in the forest? Such precise archery¡­ even he could not compare to it. Could it be someone from the Divine Bow Camp?! Chapter 380 - Chapter 380: Final Victory (2) Chapter 380: Final Victory (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After his companion was killed, two more assassins gave chase. The other person followed the direction of the arrow to search for the archer hiding in the dark. However, he did not even have the chance to see the other partys appearance before his head was pierced by an arrow! Looking at the assassin who flew out and fell to the ground, Qin Jiang¡¯s hair stood on end! When did the Divine Bow Camp¡­ produce such a ruthless archer? Su Cheng ran wildly ahead. He knew that someone was chasing after him. He turned around. One was missing. He turned around again and saw that there were fewer of them. When he turned around for the third time, all the assassins chasing him had disappeared. It was¡­ quite confusing. After dealing with the last two assassins, Qin Jiang was also injured. He sat on the ground, panting. Behind a vine in the distance, an ice-cold arrow was aimed at him. Suddenly, a well-defined hand gently pressed on the arrow. ¡°We can¡¯t kill him. If Qin Jiang dies, Uncle will look very suspicious. At that time, there might even be witnesses who will jump out and insist that Uncle instructed them to assassinate Qin Jiang. His Majesty doesn¡¯t want Uncle to obtain military power. No matter how Uncle proves his innocence, His Majesty will use this opportunity to convict Uncle.¡± The bow and arrow slowly descended. In the next second. The big bow was suddenly raised. The arrow left the bowstring and hit Qin Jiang¡¯s thigh! Qin Jiang let out a miserable scream. ¡°Ah!¡± Su Cheng, who had already gone far away, looked at the startled birds in the forest. ¡°Oh, why do I seem to hear Qin Jiang¡¯s scream again? ¡°If something happens to Qin Jiang, will they suspect me?¡± ¡°But there are so manv of them. If thev kill me too. won¡¯t I lose the chance to be suspected¡­ Forget it, I¡¯ll save my life first!¡± Several tents were set up at the entrance of the hunting ground. In the largest tent, Emperor Jing Xuan was testing military tactics on sandtable with Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis. This was the entertainment of Emperor Jing Xuan and the generals. It was more interesting than playing chess. The princes, Princess Jingning, and Princess Hui An watched the battle from the side. Princess Hui An felt bored and yawned repeatedly. A figure flashed past the door. Princess Jingning gave Tao Zhi a look. Taozhi understood and walked out with the empty fruit plate. Not long after, she entered the tent and reported to Princess Jingning in a low voice. Princess Jingning said to Xiao Zhonghua, ¡°Third Brother, I want to eat oranges.¡± Princess Hui An snorted coldly and said, ¡°If you want to eat oranges, get someone to pick them yourself. Why are you asking my Third Brother?¡± Third Brother was hers! Xiao Zhonghua looked at Princess Jingning without batting an eyelid and said with a smile, ¡°Coincidentally, Hui An likes it too. I¡¯ll go pick some for you.¡± These words sounded like they were picked for Princess Hui An. Princess Hui An enjoyed it and let go of Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s arm. Xiao Zhonghua left the tent and saw Su Yu, who seemed to be passing by. ¡°Is it for the Duke of Zhenbei? The Duke of Zhenbei is deducing the sand table with my father. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll remind him to take the medicine.¡± After Xiao Zhonghua finished speaking, he took the medicine bottle from Su Yu. Su Yu looked at the patrolling imperial guards and said, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± After Su Yu left, a young eunuch carried snacks into the tent. Xiao Zhonghua looked at him meaningfully. Not long after, Xiao Duye came out with an ugly expression. Seeing Xiao Zhonghua at the door, Xiao Duye¡¯s expression stiffened slightly. In the next second, Xiao Duye smiled and said, ¡°Third Brother, why are you standing outside?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said warmly, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be going in soon. Why did you come out?¡± Xiao Duye¡¯s smile did not change. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just thinking that something might have happened to Lord Qin and the Protector Duke after going in for so long. I plan to bring people in to look for them.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said gently, ¡°I¡¯ll go with Big Brother.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need, Third Brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go report to Father.¡± After Xiao Zhonghua finished speaking, he entered the tent without waiting for Xiao Duye¡¯s reply. ¡°Father has agreed.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said to Xiao Duye after he came out. Xiao Duye put on a fake smile and said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to trouble Third Brother to come with me.¡± Princess Jingning walked out. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll go too.¡± Xiao Duye said seriously, ¡°Jingning, don¡¯t mess around. The forest is a hunting ground. It¡¯s very dangerous.¡± Princess Jingning said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m just going in to hunt a little rabbit. My two brothers can protect me, right?¡± Xiao Duye¡¯s mother was a Jade Concubine. She was one grade lower than Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s mother and was currently attached to the Empress. Furthermore, the power of her maternal family was not outstanding.. Chapter 381 - Chapter 381: Final Victory (3) Chapter 381: Final Victory (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In short, Princess Jingning must not be harmed under Xiao Duye¡¯s nose. Otherwise, the Empress would kill Concubine Yu. Of course, she would also take her anger out on Xiao Zhonghua and Concubine Xian. ¡°Me too, me too!¡± Princess Hui An was determined not to let Jingning take the lead. If Princess Jingning could do it, she would do it! Xiao Duye secretly clenched his fists. ¡°Mother said that you can¡¯t enter the hunting ground. Have you forgotten that you were injured during the last hunt?¡± Xiao Zhonghua adhered to the principle of not bringing Princess Hui An into the forest and coaxed his sister nicely. Princess Jingning was not in a hurry. She waited calmly and occasionally mocked Princess Hui An, telling her not to embarrass herself. Princess Hui An was so angry that she almost fought with her. ¡°Third Brother, you decide!¡± ¡°Brother, come and be the judge.¡± Princess Hui An brought out Xiao Zhonghua, and Princess Jingning brought out Xiao Duye. After a while, the matter of entering the forest was delayed. Just as Princess Hui An was about to complain to Emperor Jing Xuan, the young eunuch at the entrance rang the gong. This meant that the riding and archery competition had ended and someone had come out. It was Su Cheng who came out. He was wearing shining armor and riding a tall horse, like a victorious general on the battlefield. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on his handsome face, casting a golden and cold light. He gripped the reins tightly in his right hand and held the long saber in his left. There was a man across the saddle. When they got closer, everyone realized that it was the unconscious Qin Jiang. Xiao Duye¡¯s eyes flashed. Xiao Zhonghua asked, ¡°Lord Protector, what¡¯s going on?¡± Su Cheng said with a solemn expression, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Please allow me to report to His Majesty.¡± In the tent, Emperor Jing Xuan summoned Su Cheng. Su Cheng first took off the cloth bag hanging on the saddle and showed everyone the white-tailed fox he had captured alive. The white-tailed fox¡¯s leg was covered with a seal, so it could not be faked. Su Cheng had undoubtedly won this match. Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis were so excited that they almost burst into tears¡ªCheng¡¯er had defended the Qin family¡¯s military power! The officials were shocked and speechless. Su Cheng, the descendant of the Qin family who grew up in the countryside, had actually completely defeated Qin Jiang. Not only was his martial arts superior to Qin Jiang¡¯s, but his horsemanship was also superior to Qin Jiang¡¯s. There was only one Art of War left that had yet to be announced, but Su Cheng, who had won two rounds in a row, had already locked on to victory. What was this talk about him being a farmer, a cowherd, and a country bully? This man was clearly radiant! ¡°Father¡­¡± Princess Jingning reminded Emperor Jing Xuan softly. Emperor Jing Xuan regained his awareness and composed himself. He did not immediately announce the final result. Instead, he asked, ¡°What happened to Qin Jiang? Why was he injured? Did you hurt him?¡± The accusation was too obvious. Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis¡¯ expressions darkened. Princess Jingning lowered her eyes and did not speak. Su Cheng replied without changing his expression, ¡°Your Majesty, Qin Jiang was not injured by me, but by an assassin.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan frowned and asked, ¡°Assassin? Where did the assassin come from?¡± Su Cheng sighed and said, ¡°An assassin sneaked into the Imperial Guards. He was the one who followed Qin Jiang. Not long after we entered the forest, he ambushed Qin Jiang. Then, he ambushed me. Fortunately, Guard Cheng beside me sacrificed himself to protect me. I only suffered light injuries.¡± With that, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a bloody right arm. The expressions of Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis changed! After showing off, Su Cheng pulled up his sleeves. He was afraid that he would be exposed if he was a second late. Emperor Jing Xuan asked coldly, ¡°Where are the two Imperial Guards?¡± Su Cheng said sadly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to get rid of this imperial guard. Who knew that another group of masked assassins would come? I lured away a portion of them. Qin Jiang dealt with two of them. As for the rest¡­ Imperial Bodyguard Cheng died with them. Their corpses are in the forest.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said to Xiao Duye and Xiao Zhonghua, ¡°Go find them.¡± The two of them agreed. ¡°Yes!¡± The two of them led a group of people and found everyone¡¯s corpses according to the route Su Cheng had pointed out. Two of them were wearing armor. One of them was an archer from the forest that night, and the other was a real Imperial Bodyguard Cheng. In addition, there were more than ten corpses of men in black. Xiao Duye looked at the corpses on the ground in disbelief and muttered, ¡°How could this be¡­¡± Xiao Zhonghua looked at him in confusion. ¡°Brother, what are you talking about?¡± Xiao Duye composed himself and said, ¡°I¡­ I say, who did it? How did this happen? Since we found the corpse, let¡¯s hurry back..¡± Chapter 382 - Chapter 382: Overwhelming Strength (1) Chapter 382: Overwhelming Strength (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Emperor Jing Xuan was furious that such an accident had happened during the riding and archery competition. Qin Jiang was unconscious and no testimony could be retrieved from him. According to Su Cheng, the traitor of the imperial guards had killed Qin Jiang¡¯s horse, snatched Qin Jiang¡¯s bow and arrow, and shot Qin Jiang while he was escaping. Then, after killing the traitor, Imperial Bodyguard Cheng took back his bow and arrow and shot the group of assassins in black. ¡°Lord Protector, these are all your one-sided words,¡± an official from Xiao Duye¡¯s camp said. Su Cheng raised his eyebrows. ¡°So you think I injured Qin Jiang and killed two imperial guards and so many assassins? You don¡¯t really think I have this ability, do you? Although I¡¯m indeed very powerful, look carefully. Two imperial guards died from sword wounds. My weapon is a saber! Also, my archery skills aren¡¯t that accurate¡­ Otherwise, why would I capture my prey alive¡­¡± When Emperor Jing Xuan heard this, his eyes were so cold that they could freeze a hundred fish. If he had known that Su Cheng¡¯s weakness was archery, would he have let Qin Jiang win through a simple contest instead of doing such complicated things? ¡°Maybe you know how to use a sword¡­¡± the official said. Xiao Zhonghua said unhurriedly, ¡°Assistant Minister Zhao, killing the imperial guards is a capital offense. There¡¯s no enmity between the Protector Duke and the imperial guards. If he really did it, what¡¯s his motive? Was he asking to be dragged back to be beheaded? If he really wanted to kill, he should have killed Qin Jiang, right? After all, the person who occupied his identity all these years was Qin Jiang. Since he killed two imperial guards, why did he let Qin Jiang The Assistant Minister of Revenue, Official Zhao, successfully choked. Su Cheng had no reason to attack the imperial guards. Of course, it could also be said that he wanted to attack Qin Jiang, and the imperial guards stopped him from being killed. And after the imperial guards died? Why did he keep Qin Jiang alive? Moreover, they had all seen how powerful Su Cheng¡¯s martial arts were. He was indeed above Qin Jiang, but to say that he could seriously injure Qin Jiang alone, kill two imperial guards, and shoot ten assassins to death¡­ They would not believe it. Emperor Jing Xuan did not believe it either. If he believed it, wouldn¡¯t he be admitting that Su Cheng¡¯s talent was more powerful than Qin Canglan¡¯s? It was not clear if they could find evidence to convict Su Cheng in the end, but the military power was probably Su Cheng¡¯s. ¡°Father, it¡¯s time to announce the results,¡± Princess Jingning reminded softly. From the beginning, Emperor Jing Xuan had been playing dumb. He was unwilling to face the results of the investigation. Princess Jingning¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but everyone could hear her clearly. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve got the prey and we¡¯ve recovered the body. Isn¡¯t it time to announce the results?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s face darkened as he looked unwillingly at the white-tailed fox in Su Cheng¡¯s bag. Su Cheng seemed to have read Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s mind. He did not give Emperor Jing Xuan a chance to show off. He said seriously, ¡°You didn¡¯t say that we have to kill it with arrows. You only said that we just have to hunt it down!¡± More importantly¡­ who would hunt with their bare hands? This was really unexpected. Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Riding and archery competition¡­ Qin Che wins!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan gritted his teeth. Many officials were so happy that they clenched their fists! It was very strange. They clearly did not think highly of Su Cheng in the beginning and did not even look forward to his win. However, Su Cheng¡¯s counterattack in the past few days was too exciting. Even if they did not participate in the competition between the two families, they could not help but want to cheer for Su Cheng. Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s cold gaze swept across the crowd. The officials straightened their expressions and returned to their usual expressionless faces. Only Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis were still grinning from ear to ear. They had no choice. Su Cheng was too hardworking! Their old faces were glowing! ¡°Don¡¯t be happy too early. There¡¯s still one more match that hasn¡¯t come to fruition.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said calmly. As soon as he said this, Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis¡¯s smiles froze and they looked at Emperor Jing Xuan strangely. The others were also surprised. There was another one¡­ Was he referring to the art of war? Su Cheng had already won two of the three matches. It didn¡¯t matter if he won or lost in the art of war, right? Emperor Jing Xuan put on an innocent tone. ¡°You have to win all three rounds to qualify for military power. Why? Didn¡¯t I say it? Fude Quan?¡± Eunuch Fu understood that he had to take the blame again. He bowed and said, ¡°His Majesty asked me to pass the message. I forgot¡­ It¡¯s my fault. Please punish me, Your Majesty!¡± As he spoke, he knelt down in fear. How many people in the bureaucracy were not smart? How could they not tell that Emperor Jing Xuan was deliberately making things difficult for Su Cheng? Chapter 383 - Chapter 383: Overwhelming Strength (2) Chapter 383: Overwhelming Strength (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If Qin Jiang had won two rounds in a row, Emperor Jing Xuan would not have let out a fart. Cough cough, this is too much. They couldn¡¯t be so disrespectful to His Majesty, even in their hearts¡­ But then again, Emperor Jing Xuan did not do a good job. Su Cheng was Qin Canglan¡¯s biological son. He was originally qualified to inherit everything, but someone else had impersonated him for twenty years. It was already miserable enough for him to be stranded among the commoners and grow up stumbling. Now, he had to take back what belonged to him in such an unfair way. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to win, but Emperor Jing Xuan did it again. Some neutral officials could not stand it anymore. This Su Cheng was really miserable. Too miserable. But what could they do? Oppose Emperor Jing Xuan? There were some things that they could fight for, but there were some things that they could not. It was the same for Emperor Jing Xuan. There were some things that he could be shameless about but not for others. In this world, no one could be always stubborn. It all depended on who grasped the ingenious balance first. Emperor Jing Xuan slowly picked up his teacup and gently stirred the tea leaves with the lid. He asked, ¡°Is the result out?¡± Eunuch Fu quickly sent someone to ask. Not long after, the young eunuch returned and reported the results of the military strategy examination. Emperor Jing Xuan suspected that he had heard wrongly. ¡°Say it again. Whose paper is better?¡± The young eunuch trembled. ¡°Su¡­ Su Cheng¡­¡± Seeing the emperor¡¯s gloomy face, he did not know what he had done wrong. He could only make wild guesses and change his words, ¡°Qin Che! Qin Che¡¯s exam responses were more outstanding! ¡± He said Qin Che twice in a row. It seemed that it was indeed not Qin Jiang. At this moment, Qin Jiang, who was placed on the ground, slowly woke up. The first thing he heard when he woke up was that Su Cheng had defeated him in the military strategy exam. His blood and Qi surged, and his vision went dark as he fainted again! This time, the Ministry of War and the Hanlin Academy reviewed the papers together. After that, the three dukes reviewed the results. The degree of importance and rigor was not inferior to those of the imperial examination. Not only that, Wei Ting even swaggered over to the location. Naturally, Emperor Jing Xuan did not ask him to go. He was so thick-skinned that no one could chase him away. Emperor Jing Xuan still did not want to believe it, so he asked someone to bring their exam papers over. He glanced at the name on the paper and immediately wanted to scold him for making a mistake. After all, Su Cheng¡¯s big and clumsy handwriting was worlds apart from Qin Jiang¡¯s handwriting. How could he win? Emperor Jing Xuan had personally come up with this test question. It was not based on the memorization of all kinds of military books by rote. Instead, they had to express their opinions on a battle of the navy. They had a navy of 1,000 men and 20 warships against an enemy of 10,000 men and 200 warships. They only had one night. At dawn, the enemy would capture the island. The cliffs on three sides of the island were a natural barrier that prevented the enemy from going ashore. Only the east side allowed the enemy to go smoothly ashore. Qin Jiang gave two strategies. The first was to defend the east bank to death, using the terrain to block the enemy in the water and use the smoke to request reinforcements from the nearby navy. It would take two days for the nearby navy to arrive, and the various defensive measures of Qinjiang¡¯s formation could last for three to five days. It could be said to be a very successful defense. His second strategy was to sacrifice 30% of his forces to break out with the ships, in exchange for maximum evacuation at the least cost. He even described clearly how to arrange troops, how to set up formations, and how to launch a surprise attack. If they had to forcefully break out of the encirclement, this was indeed the method with the least casualties. Emperor Jing Xuan was very satisfied. As expected of someone who had been in the Qin family¡¯s army for 20 years. His train of thought was clear and his use of the art of war was very mature. Then, he looked at Su Cheng¡¯s exam paper¡ª Emperor Jing Xuan frowned. ¡°He handed in a blank paper?¡± The Hanlin Academy scholar whispered, ¡°¡­It¡¯s on the back.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan flipped the paper over. What greeted his eyes were not dense words, but paintings with clear lines. Compared to words, it was more intuitive and clear at a glance. A battle filled with smoke seemed to leap onto paper. As night fell, the soldiers on the island began to modify the ship overnight under the command of their commander. At 1:00 p.m., twenty warships would enter the night in an orderly manner. The soldiers on the warships would beat the war drums, and their robes fluttered in the sea breeze like life-threatening ghosts. The enemy¡¯s alarm would ring. They did not expect the other party to launch a night attack. This was simply courting death! The night blocked their vision, but the enemy could accurately determine the direction of the warship through the beating of drums. ¡°Fire!¡± Countless swords shot over. The drumbeats gradually weakened, followed by the sound of the soldiers falling into the water. ¡°We hit them! Charge! We must kill them all tonight! Leave no one alive!¡± The enemy warships swarmed forward. However, when they got closer, they gradually realized that something was wrong. It was too quiet. Everyone on the ship seemed to be dead! No, they were all standing, but why¡­ didn¡¯t they counterattack? When they saw that the scarecrow standing on the ship was not a real soldier, they finally realized that they had been tricked. On all the warships, only the soldiers who were beating the drums were real. And now¡­ those soldiers had long been shot by them¡­ No, those people were not shot into the water by them. They jumped into the water themselves. However, the enemy still did not understand the meaning of the other party¡¯s actions. At this moment, a burning arrow sped over from afar and pierced through a wooden barrel on the warship. The wooden barrel lit up with a bang! The kerosene on the 20 ships exploded and burned on the surface of the sea. The entire enemy warship fell into a sea of flames. They won without expending a single soldier! If he wasn¡¯t a general, who could be? Like Emperor Jing Xuan, the grading officer first looked at Qin Jiang¡¯s paper. At that time, he felt that no one could surpass him, but after reading Su Cheng¡¯s paper, everyone seemed to have experienced it personally. His blood was boiling! Emperor Jing Xuan clenched his fists and could not say a word for a long time. The exam papers were sent down for the officials to read. After the officials finished reading, their admiration for Su Cheng reached its peak. There were two reasons. The first was that this method was indeed unexpected and could be said to be perfect. The second was that everyone¡¯s expectations for Su Cheng were too low. Even if Su Cheng only scored three out of ten, they would still be surprised and amazed. However, Su Cheng scored nine out of ten. How could this not make people applaud? Emperor Jing Xuan said in a deep voice, ¡°Did you really answer this yourself?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°That¡¯s right! If you don¡¯t believe me, I can draw it for you again. Eunuch, can you lend me a pen and paper?¡± Eunuch Fu looked at Emperor Jing Xuan nervously. Emperor Jing Xuan said coldly, ¡°No need!¡± He stood up and glared coldly at the unconscious Qin Jiang.. ¡°Qin Che, victory!¡± Chapter 384 - Chapter 384: Siblings Chapter 384: Siblings Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On a carriage on the official road, Su Xiaoxiao and Su Qi had just wiped the last bit of mud off their hands with a handkerchief. Su Cheng picked up the carriage in large strides, lifted the curtain, and entered with a grin. ¡°Daughter!¡± He also saw Su Qi. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here too.¡± He wasn¡¯t as enthusiastic about Su Qi. After all, she was not his chubby daughter. Su Qi greeted politely, ¡°Uncle¡­ Uncle.¡± His ncle has regained his memory, right? Could I address him as his uncle now? Why was he so nervous? Su Cheng coughed lightly, not knowing if he had agreed. Su Cheng sized up the two of them and asked, ¡°Daughter, where did you two go? Why are you all wet? Did you fall into the water?¡± Su Qi secretly glanced at a certain chubby girl. She did not fall. She dove. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Oh, Su Qi fell into the river. I pulled him up.¡± Su Qi, who had been thrown into the river was speechless. ¡°Achoo!¡± Su Qi sneezed. The water in April was very cold. Why was this little girl fine? Su Cheng handed Su Qi a handkerchief. Su Qi was so touched that tears streamed down his face. His uncle really doted on him! Su Cheng warned, ¡°Cover your mouth and nose. Don¡¯t infect my daughter.¡± Su Qi was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Father, is the result out?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°It¡¯s out!¡± ¡°Who¡­ who won?¡± Su Qi asked nervously. It was a sure thing, but for some reason, he was worried that Emperor Jin Xuan would play tricks. His worries were not unreasonable. Emperor Jing Xuan had resorted to trickery, but he had not won. Su Cheng explained the small episode of the military strategy examination. Su Qi frowned. ¡°As expected! I knew things wouldn¡¯t go so smoothly¡­¡± He thought of something and looked at Su Cheng in confusion. ¡°But Uncle, you can¡¯t even read. Can you understand that test paper? Did you really do it yourself?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I understand? I¡­ I can read!¡± A certain someone said without confidence. At this moment, Wei Ting¡¯s carriage passed by. The officials left one after another. At this moment, there were too many people and eyes, so he did not come over to greet them. Lord Wei, who had hidden his achievements and reputation, sat in his carriage. ¡°It was Wei Ting, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Cheng looked up at the sky. ¡°What did you say? I don¡¯t understand.¡± He could still survive! Wei Ting had indeed cheated in the military strategy examination this time. He had personally snuck into the palace and peeked at the examination paper in advance. However, the final test was not the one that Wei Ting had seen. However, Father Su was not stupid. He did not know much about the art of war and did not know how to write. But he was smart. If he couldn¡¯t write it, couldn¡¯t he draw it? It was not about beauty. It was fine as long as it could be understood. In the past, when he was on an escort mission, this was how he communicated with others. He improvised and mastered it. This was probably the legendary talent. Qin Jiang was too calculative about gains and losses, while Su Cheng was bold enough to not be limited in his thinking. Outside the hunting ground, the princes and princesses also boarded the carriages one after another. ¡°Third Brother,¡± Princess Hui An called out. Xiao Zhonghua smiled and said gently, ¡°Wait for me in the carriage. I¡¯ll go talk to Big Brother. ¡± Princess Hui An obediently got into the carriage. Xiao Zhonghua walked to Xiao Duye¡¯s carriage and said, ¡°Big Brother.¡± Xiao Duye¡¯s expression turned ugly. As one of the commanders of the imperial guards, he was naturally punished by Emperor Jing Xuan for such a huge mistake. It was expected that he would be punished when Su Cheng and Qin Jiang both survived, but it was unexpected that they survived. ¡°I want to congratulate Third Brother for being valued by Father.¡± Xiao Zhonghua comforted him, ¡°Big Brother, don¡¯t be dejected. I believe that Father was just angry for a moment and took his anger out on you. When Father¡¯s anger dissipates, he will naturally let you resume your position.¡± It would have been better if he hadn¡¯t said this, but once he did, Xiao Duye¡¯s face turned even darker. If Su Cheng had not won, Emperor Jing Xuan would not have been so angry, and his punishment would not have been so severe. Strictly speaking, the commander of the Guards Legion Corps was Lord Fu, and he was just an assistant. If something happened, he would not be the first to be targeted. However, he was stripped of his official hat along with Commander Fu. It could be seen how upset Emperor Jing Xuan was with Su Cheng. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Third Brother?¡± Xiao Duye asked indifferently. Xiao Zhonghua said gently, ¡°No, I just saw that Big Brother¡¯s expression was very bad, so I came to comfort you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go investigate the case.¡± What happened in the forest had to be investigated. Emperor Jing Xuan had already handed it over to the Court of Judicial Review and asked Xiao Zhonghua to go to the Court of Judicial Review to help investigate the case. Xiao Duye felt even more stifled. He had just been fired, but his brother had been promoted¡ª However, Xiao Zhonghua did not seem to notice the coldness in his eyes. He smiled gently and got into his carriage. Xiao Zhonghua and the minister of the Court of Judicial Review went to the Protectorate. Qin Jiang was already awake and knew that he had lost to Su Cheng. He didn¡¯t even have time to lament his misfortune before he was interrogated by Xiao Zhonghua and the minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He wanted to slander Su Cheng, but he could not. beside him who had rebelled and suddenly started to hunt him down. He hurriedly fled, and Imperial Bodyguard Cheng beside Su Cheng held back the traitor. However, there were some discrepancies at the back. ¡°Su Cheng said that he lured some of them away? Heh, he was the one who abandoned me and fled first! ¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°So, no assassins went after him?¡± Qin Jiang choked and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Zhonghua: ¡°How many went?¡± Qin Jiang: ¡°About five or six.¡± Xiao Zhonghua: ¡°How many did you kill?¡± Qin Jiang: ¡°Two.¡± Su Cheng was right. The court minister glanced at Qin Jiang and thought to himself, ¡°You just can¡¯t stand Su Cheng. He clearly helped you lure the assassin away, but you still slandered him for abandoning you and escaping.¡± ¡°By the way, how¡¯s the archer? Is he alright?¡± Qin Jiang asked. Xiao Zhonghua and the minister of the Court of Judicial Review looked confused. ¡°What archer?¡± Xiao Zhonghua asked. ¡°Archers from the Divine Bow Camp.¡± Qin Jiang said, ¡°He helped deal with many assassins, but¡­ he also shot an arrow at me¡­¡± At this point, Qin Jiang could not figure it out. Why did the archer shoot him? If he wanted to kill him, he was still alive¡­ After he was hit by the arrow, he quickly fainted and did not know what happened after that. ¡°There were no archers.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°The person you mentioned who shot the assassin should be Imperial Bodyguard Cheng. After dealing with the traitor of the Imperial Guards, he rushed over to save you and Su Cheng.¡± Qin Jiang muttered, ¡°Was it Imperial Bodyguard Cheng? But his archery¡­ doesn¡¯t seem like something a mere imperial guard can have.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°As for why he shot you, he probably missed. He wanted to shoot the assassin.¡± Qin Jiang wanted to say that that person¡¯s archery was so precise, he could not have missed. However, other than this, he could not think of any other possibility. From the beginning to the end, he did not consider that he was Su Cheng¡¯s accomplice because he knew that there was no such powerful archer who served Qin Canglan and Su Shuo. It couldn¡¯t be that the two of them were personally involved. What a joke. They were accompanying Emperor Jing Xuan to deduce the sand table. After leaving the Protectorate, Xiao Zhonghua was about to get into the carriage to return. After a pause, he said to the minister of the Court of Judicial Review, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Lord Tong to send someone to the Divine Bow Camp and ask if there were any archers secretly sent to the hunting ground.¡± The minister cupped his hands. ¡°Yes, Third Prince.¡± At the Wei family, Wei Ting was obediently copying books in his room. Matriarch Wei had order it. This was the price of getting into trouble. His right hand was injured, but his left hand was still functional and writing crooked text. He had to brace himself and copy. Yuchi Xiu¡¯s figure flashed as he entered the room. ¡°Is it done?¡± Wei Ting asked. Yuchi Xiu grabbed a peach and sat on the chair without a care for his image. I he nibbled on it, he said, ¡°Is there anything I can¡¯t do?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was right about one thing. Imperial Bodyguard Cheng was indee( Xiao Duye¡¯s chess piece. However, Wei Ting had been staring at Xiao Duye the entire time. He had noticed Xiao Duye¡¯s little trick and had asked Yuchi Xiu to kill Imperial Bodyguard Cheng in advance and disguise himself as him. ¡°Ice money. ¡± Yuchi Xiu said. The coroner of the government office was not to be trifled with. Bodyguard Cheng died at noon. In order to prevent the coroner from finding out the tim of his death, Yuchi Xiu had prepared a large amount of ice to freeze the corps This method was taught by Wei Ting. ¡°I owe you,¡± Wei Ting said. Debt was not a burden. Yuchi Xiu said unhappily, ¡°You clearly just won five thousand taels from Xiao Duye!¡± Wei Ting thought about it and seemed to think that his words made sense, so he opened the money bag, pulled out a copper coin from it, and placed it in Yuchi Xiu¡¯s hand. Yuchi Xiu was stunned. Yuchi Xiu clenched his fists. Stingy, huh? No pay? Alright, then he wouldn¡¯t tell Wei Ting that that girl entered the forest today! Actually, even Su Cheng didn¡¯t know that Su Xiaoxiao had gone in. He thought that those assassins were killed by Yuchi Xiu alone. Of course, Su Cheng didn¡¯t know from the start that Yuchi Xiu had disguised himself as a guard. He saw Yuchi Xiu disposing of the corpse. To be honest, that scene was a little awkward. The ending was good. Su Cheng was very loyal. When he found out that Yuchu Xiu was sent by his son-in-law, he even helped Yuchi Xiu arrange the corpse. Yuchi Xiu helped Su Cheng disguise an injury. The two of them discussed their plan to deal with the aftermath and addressed many loopholes. They regretted not meeting sooner. When he was with Su Cheng, Yuchi Xiu felt that he was a wise man. Both of them were shining with wisdom. When facing Wei Ting, Yuchi Xiu often felt that he was a retard¡­ ¡°Hmph!¡± Yuchi Xiu left without looking back! He wanted to find his soul brother! Chapter 385 - Chapter 385: Ending (1) Chapter 385: Ending (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Protector Duke¡¯s Estate, West Courtyard. Qin Jiang was lying unconscious on the bed. The servant had changed his clothes, and pots of blood were brought out of the room. Qin Yanran, who was watching from the corridor, was terrified. Not long after, the imperial physician that Xu Qing had gone to get arrived. The imperial physician entered the room to treat Qin Jiang¡¯s injuries and brought out a few pots of blood. Qin Yanran¡¯s heart clenched into a ball. When the door finally opened, Qin Yanran went forward and asked, ¡°Imperial physician, how are my father¡¯s injuries?¡± The imperial physician looked at her with a complicated expression and shook his head helplessly. ¡°Lord Qin¡¯s right leg was pierced by an arrow. I¡¯ve already taken the arrow out for him, but¡­ ¡°But what?¡± Qin Yanran asked anxiously. The imperial physician sighed. ¡°But Lord Qin¡¯s injuries are too serious. Even if his wounds heal, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult for him to recover.¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s eyes trembled, ¡°This means¡­¡± The imperial physician said truthfully, ¡°Lord Qin¡¯s right leg might be crippled. In the future, he will have to rely on crutches to walk.¡± In short, he would be a cripple in the future. Qin Yanran felt as if she had been hit in the head. Her body swayed and she almost fell down the stairs. Fortunately, Xu Qing quickly pulled her back. His large palm grabbed her cold arm. Xu Qing paused and hurriedly pulled his hand back. Qin Yanran was suffering from a huge blow and lost all sense of her surroundings. She only looked at the imperial physician pleadingly and almost broke down as she said, ¡°Imperial physician¡­ are you joking? How can my father¡¯s leg be crippled? He only suffered an arrow wound¡­ My father is a martial artist¡­ He has suffered many injuries in the past¡­ Once¡­ I remember that he went hunting with my grandfather once¡­ He fell from the back of a horse¡­ His entire arm had such a long cut¡­¡± As she spoke, she stretched out her fingers to gesture. ¡°There was a lot of blood¡­ but he recovered¡­ My father will be fine¡­ right?¡± The imperial physician sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I tried my best.¡± With that, he carried his first aid kit and left helplessly. Qin Yanran¡¯s tears fell. His brother¡¯s fate was unknown. His father had just lost his military power, and now he was about to lose a leg¡­ ¡°How did this happen¡­ How did this happen?¡± She held onto the pillar beside her, covered her face, and broke down into tears. Xu Qing looked at her. After a long time, he handed over a clean handkerchief. Qin Yanran caught a glimpse of the handkerchief from the corner of her eye and raised her head in a daze. After a while, she took the handkerchief in her hand distraughtly. Just as she was about to wipe her tears, she suddenly heard Xu Qing say indifferently, ¡°If I were you, I would quickly move out of the Protectorate.¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as she looked at him in confusion. ¡°Why?¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°It¡¯s better to move out yourself than to get chased out.¡± Qin Yanran frowned. ¡°Who wants to chase us out?¡± Xu Qing said indifferently, ¡°What do you think, Miss?¡± Qin Yanran was stunned. After a while, she clenched her fists. ¡°Do they really want to be so ruthless? We¡¯ve already returned the identity they wanted¡­ They¡¯ve also taken away their military power¡­ What¡¯s there to be dissatisfied about?¡± Xu Qing did not answer. Qin Yanran sobbed, ¡°I¡¯m going to look for Grandfather!¡± Xu Qing reminded him, ¡°Miss¡¯s grandfather is Qin Feng, who has passed away. Qin Canglan is your uncle.¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s heart suffered another heavy blow. It turned out that a person¡¯s kindness could really be like an addictive poison. Qin Canglan¡¯s care and love for her made her unable to accept that everything had turned into bubbles. Every day, she prayed that she had only had a nightmare. When she woke up, she would still be the daughter of the Protector Duke and the treasure in Qin Canglan¡¯s hands. ¡°What did I do wrong again? Why doesn¡¯t he want me?¡± Qin Yanran couldn¡¯t let go of her heart. She felt extremely wronged. Xu Qing hit the nail on the head and said, ¡°From the beginning to the end, he only loved Su Huayin¡¯s bloodline.¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s heart was torn apart. She tasted the pain of death. She sobbed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go look for the Third Prince¡­¡± Xu Qing stopped her. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? The Third Prince only has that fat girl in his heart. ¡± Qin Yanran suddenly raised her voice and glared at him coldly. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Xu Qing¡¯s expression did not change at all. ¡°The Third Prince has known that fat girl since Qingzhou. She cured the Third Prince¡¯s evil illness. The Third Prince is grateful to her for saving his life and gradually fell in love with her..¡± Chapter 386 - Chapter 386: Ending (2) Chapter 386: Ending (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Yanran shook her head and said in agitation, ¡°Impossible! You¡¯re lying! You¡¯re lying!¡¯ Xu Qing said unhurriedly, ¡°Master also knows, but he just doesn¡¯t want Miss to be sad, so he has always kept his mouth shut about Miss.¡± Qin Yanran bit her lip and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡¯ Xu Qing said, ¡°Miss, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can go to the Third Prince to verify it.¡± Qin Yanran laughed mockingly. ¡°How do I verify it? Ask him if he has another woman in his heart?¡± Xu Qing said indifferently, ¡°If Miss asks this, the Third Prince will naturally not answer. However, Miss can tell the Third Prince a secret.¡± Qin Yanran paused. ¡°What secret?¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°That girl¡­ was married to Wei Ting in the countryside. Su Cheng colluded with the Wei family and had ulterior motives. Ask the Third Prince to quickly report this matter to His Majesty in case something bad happens!¡± After Xiao Zhonghua left the Protectorate , he immediately came to visit Jing Yi. Jing Yi¡¯s fever had subsided, and the infection of his wound had been effectively controlled. However, he still needed to recuperate and could not get out of bed for the time being. After checking on Jing Yi, Xiao Zhonghua left the Jing family. Just as he was about to get into the carriage, Qin Yanran walked out from the carriage opposite his. She was wearing a cloak and a hat that covered her figure and appearance. ¡°Your Highness!¡± She called out to Xiao Zhonghua. Xiao Zhonghua stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. He said in surprise, ¡°Miss Qin?¡± He looked behind her and looked around warily. He asked in a normal tone, ¡°It¡¯s so late. Is Miss Qin here to look for me?¡± Qin Yanran replied, ¡°Yes, I have very urgent news to report to the Third Prince.¡± ¡°Please speak,¡± Xiao Zhonghua said. They were standing about ten steps away from the gate of Family Jing. It was neither far nor close. She swept her gaze across the guards guarding the door and then looked at the coachman beside her. She said in a low voice, ¡°I just heard about it. Su Daya¡­ actually, she had already privately agreed to marry the youngest son of the Wei family in the countryside.¡± A cold light flashed in Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s eyes. Qin Yanran said sincerely, ¡°I know, I shouldn¡¯t have said this at this juncture. It makes it seem like I¡¯m deliberately obstructing the Third Prince¡¯s marriage with Su Daya¡­ But I swear to God, I¡¯m definitely not doing this for my own selfish desires. I really, really just learned the news¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Miss Qin.¡± Xiao Zhonghua interrupted her. His tone was as gentle as ever. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you heard the news, but I can tell you clearly that Miss Su and Wei Ting are not friends.¡± Qin Yanran opened her mouth, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Xiao Zhonghua said seriously, ¡°Wei Ting has been cultivating at the Dragon Temple for the past year. There are monks in the temple as witnesses. He has never been to Qingzhou, let alone seen Miss Su. Miss Su was my physician. I can testify to this!¡± Qin Yanran returned to the carriage in a daze. The carriage drove into a secluded alley. Xu Qing slowly walked out from the shadows. He came to the car window. ¡°The Third Prince didn¡¯t believe Miss¡¯s words, right?¡± Qin Yanran pushed open the small window and said, ¡°Xu Qing, were you lying, or was the Third Prince covering for her?¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°I might be able to lie, but Old Master won¡¯t. When Old Master wakes up, Miss can personally verify it with him.¡± Qin Yanran smiled bitterly, ¡°Why would the Third Prince protect her and Wei Ting?¡± Xu Qing said sarcastically, ¡°The Third Prince isn¡¯t protecting Wei Ting, he¡¯s just protecting her. Although this is a good opportunity to pull the Wei family down, in order to protect his sweetheart, the Third Prince is really willing to pay any price.¡± She had lost her grandfather who doted on her and the identity she was proud or. NOW, even ner nance was leavmg ner. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this¡­ I can¡¯t accept this!¡± Su Xiaoxiao, Su Cheng, and the others returned to the medical center. Qin Canglan was also there. The Old Marquis and Su Qi left the capital to pick up Su MO and Fifth Brother. The three little ones had already left school. Xiao Weizi brought them to the medical center. The three of them stood at the door in unison and looked at the carriages coming and going. Their cute appearances overwhelmed the passersby. Finally, Qin Canglan rode his horse and escorted a carriage over. Seeing Qin Canglan, the three little ones knew that Su Xiaoxiao and Su Cheng had also returned. ¡°Big great-grandfather!¡± The three little ones panted as they ran over. The carriage stopped. The three of them climbed up eagerly. The coachman didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°Young masters, let me get a stool first.¡± ¡°Xiaohu can climb up!¡± Xiaohu climbed ineffectively for a long time. Su Cheng lifted the curtain and came out, scooping the little guy onto the carriage. ¡°Grandpa! Grandpa!¡± Dahu and Erhu also wanted it. Su Cheng also pulled them up. ¡°Mother!¡± The three of them entered the carriage and sat down next to Su Xiaoxiao. Xiaohu didn¡¯t sit next to her; he just climbed onto Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s lap. That was nice. He closed his eyes in enjoyment. His mother¡¯s arms were so comfortable! Dahu and Erhu gave knowing glances to each other. They were going to beat Xiaohu up. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and patted their heads. The three of them sat for a while, swinging their legs, and got off the carriage in satisfaction. Physician Fu was changing the patient¡¯s dressing in the ward. Shopkeeper Sun had gone out to run some business. Little Wei Zi and Du Juan were busy getting medicine for the patients in the hall. Ying¡¯er was running errands upstairs and downstairs. Everyone was busy with their routines. The group went to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s courtyard. Su Ergou¡¯s IV drip was almost finished. Ying¡¯er came over at the right time to see if she should change Su Ergou¡¯s dressing. ¡°Boss?¡± Ying¡¯er looked at Su Xiaoxiao in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded slightly. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll change the dressing later.¡± ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± Ying¡¯er went out. She brought over a pot of hot tea and a plate of cut fruits before going to work. Su Ergou fell asleep on the bed. Qin Canglan and Su Cheng brought the three little ones into the house to see him. They did not disturb him and tiptoed out again. As soon as they left, Su Ergou opened his eyes.. Chapter 387 - Chapter 387: Kiss (1) Chapter 387: Kiss (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao looked at him in anger and amusement. ¡°Were you pretending to be asleep?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Su Ergou chuckled. Dahu, Ergu, and Xiaohu tormented Ling Yun in school. After school, they tormented Su Ergou. After Su Ergou¡¯s face was covered in countless healing saliva, he finally learned to close his eyes and pretend to be dead. ¡°Sister! Did Father win?¡± Ergou asked impatiently. Su Xiaoxiao sighed. Su Ergou¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he lost?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t speak. Su Ergou was extremely sad. He had won yesterday, but he had lost today¡ª It was not that he cared about the royal power and wealth, but he was a little unwilling to let the bad guys win. He clenched his fists. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Sister. It¡¯s alright even if we lose. At most, I¡¯ll sell more pancakes in the future and be able to support you and Father. When I grow up, I¡¯ll go and fight with him! I¡¯ll take back our things!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Ergou and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Silly brother, Dad won.¡± It was a beautiful win. Their father had taken back what belonged to him. At night, the family sat in the central room and ate. Chef Cao had also heard the good news and specially cooked a large table of good dishes. The family sat down to eat. Chef Cao¡¯s best dish was the Big Bone Sauce. The three little ones and Su Ergou liked it very much. Su Xiaoxiao wanted to lose weight and didn¡¯t eat it. ¡°Come, Dahu¡¯s, Erhu¡¯s, Xiaohu¡¯s.¡± Su Cheng picked a piece that was easy to chew for each of the three little ones and placed a big piece in Su Ergou¡¯s bowl. ¡°Father, you eat too.¡± As soon as Su Ergou finished speaking, he saw Qin Canglan coming out of the kitchen with a bowl. There was a very beautiful bone in the bowl. Qin Canglan placed the bone in front of Su Cheng. Su Cheng looked at him in confusion. Qin Canglan coughed lightly and said, ¡°You dote on your son, so do I.¡± Bully Su, who had been shameless for ten thousand years, suddenly felt a little embarrassed. Qin Canglan sat down beside Su Cheng. As he put food into Su Cheng¡¯s bowl, he whispered, ¡°I even hid three big pieces.¡± Su Cheng was speechless. Qin Canglan really wanted Su Cheng to call him father. However, Su Cheng had not called him father for thirty years. He could not bring himself to do it now. Su Cheng felt awkward. Qin Canglan was not awkward. Not only did he put food in Su Cheng¡¯s bowl, but he also peeled prawns and oranges for Su Cheng. After dinner, he even pulled him onto the horse¡¯s back and brought him out to shop. Su Ergou¡¯s injuries were no longer serious. He could recuperate at home. Su Xiaoxiao brought him and the three little ones back to Pear Blossom Alley. After she bathed the three little ones, they somersaulted on the bed and fell asleep. Just as she was about to rest, her vision blurred and she entered the pharmacy. Indeed, the reward for March had yet to be given. Based on past experience, the pharmacy¡¯s late delivery meant compensation. Moreover, she had treated so many patients during this period of time. These were also rewards. Su Xiaoxiao opened her eyes in anticipation. As expected, the tables in the lounge were already filled. Alright, it was a little exaggerated to say that it was filled up, but it was indeed more than ever. There was a bottle of San Wu¡¯s small yellow pills, a bottle of multivitamins, and a bottle of collagen peptide. These were just used up. The supplies came at the right time. There was also a box of bone strengthening granules. She had given him bone-strengthening pills previously but her father had yet to finish them. Moreover, his hand had completely recovered now, so there was no need for another box. However, the bone-strengthening pills in the base¡¯s pharmacy were good stuff. Since the pharmacy had given it to her, she naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse. Finally¡­ ¡°Eh? What is this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up the palm-sized medicine bottle on the table. It looked a medicine bottle, but it could not be opened. It was said to be something else, and it emitted the smell of mint and medicine. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll accept it first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put the things into the first aid kit and went to the various medicine areas to replenish prescription drugs such as anti-inflammatory drugs and anesthetics. She had just come out of the pharmacy when Wei Ting came over. Before she could pack the medicine, Wei Ting looked at the table full of strange medicine and suspected that his eyes were playing tricks on him. ¡°There was¡­ nothing here just now.¡± Wei Ting pointed at the table. ¡°Just now.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression. ¡°Really?¡± Wei Ting expressed his doubts. ¡°Yeah!¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t allow him to doubt her. ¡°What are you doing here so late at night?¡± Su Xiaoxiao changed the topic in time. Wei Ting said lightly, ¡°Just passing by.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, I thought you were here to see me.¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Ha, you¡¯re thinking too much..¡± Chapter 388 - Chapter 388: Kiss (2) Chapter 388: Kiss (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come earlier or later? Why did you have to wait for Dahu and the others to fall asleep before coming over? Did I really think too much? Lord Wei?¡± Wei Ting snorted coldly. ¡°I was delayed by something.¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°Forget it. Since you¡¯ve put in a lot of effort, I won¡¯t take off your cold front. Let me see your injuries.¡± Wei Ting extended his right hand. Su Xiaoxiao opened the gauze. The wound showed no signs of inflammation, but the addition of a hideous wound on this originally jade-like hand was not something to be happy about. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± She asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± He said. Su Xiaoxiao brought the medicine over and disinfected it with iodine before applying antibacterial ointment. ¡°I won¡¯t let you keep this scar.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Wei Ting did not care. As a man, if there was a scar, so be it. In his opinion, it was really nothing. Su Xiaoxiao thought of the small medicine bottle and an idea came to her. When Wei Ting saw her cunning look, he narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°You want to test the medicine on me again!¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°No, no, definitely not.¡± She silently put the small medicine bottle back. After bandaging Wei Ting, Su Xiaoxiao took the medicine on the table. Wei Ting came at the right time. She had something to ask him. During this period of time, She was busy with the competition and put aside the grudge between Qin Canglan and Lord Wu An. Now that the matter of military power had come to an end, it was time to resolve the doubts in her heart. ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying that Qin Canglan didn¡¯t send reinforcements because he thought that my grandfather was colluding with Northern Yan?¡± Wei Ting looked at Su Xiaoxiao in confusion. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Wei Ting said, ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve heard this.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± This time, Su Xiaoxiao was full of doubts. Wei Ting said, ¡°After my grandfather¡¯s accident, my grandmother personally questioned Qin Canglan in front of Emperor Jing Xuan why he didn¡¯t send troops. Qin Canglan said that the Wei family colluded with Northern Yan and even wanted him to send troops to reinforce them. He insisted the Wei family was trying to make him walk into a trap.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. ¡°Was there such a thing?¡± Wei Ting continued, ¡°But Qin Canglan couldn¡¯t produce any evidence of my grandfather¡¯s betrayal.¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao roughly understood. ¡°So, the Wei family thinks that Qin Canglan deliberately didn¡¯t send troops and even accused the Wei family of treason?¡± Wei Ting nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Su Xiaoxiao scratched her head. ¡°This grudge¡­ is really big. In the past, your two families¡­ didn¡¯t suspect that someone was behind it?¡± Wei Ting muttered, ¡°The two families are mortal enemies. Who would believe that their mortal enemies are innocent?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The Wei family and the Qin family were loyal to different camps. This was not wrong, but in the process of serving their respective lords, they had done too many harmful things to each other and formed too many irreconcilable grudges. How could it be written off just by saying that it was their own business? But now, he had become the son-in-law of the Su family and she had become the mother of the three Wei children. There was an inseparable bond between them. Thinking about it this way, fate was really magical. ¡°You should thank my father for capturing you.¡± ¡°You finally admit it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. You misheard me.¡± ¡°Hell!¡± Wei Ting did not need an injection today. He just needed to take medicine. Su Xiaoxiao gave him anti-inflammatory medicine and divided it in a porcelain bottle. She told him how to use it and how much to use it. ¡°One pill at a time in the morning and two at a time after dinner.¡± Wei Ting put away the medicine bottle and prepared to leave. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who was sitting at the head of the bed and repairing the slingshot for the three little ones. His eyes moved and he said, ¡°About what I promised you last time¡­¡¯ ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him in confusion. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Seeing that a certain someone had dropped the ball at the critical moment, Wei Ting simply pounced on her. He raised his uninjured left hand and gently covered her eyes. Immediately after, Su Xiaoxiao felt a warm breath approach her. It was soft and carried a hint of late spring warmth as it quickly touched the corner of her lips.. It was really just once. Before Su Xiaoxiao could taste it, Wei Ting had already stood up. Su Xiaoxiao touched her lips in disbelief. Is this¡­ what they meant by Zhu Bajie eating a ginseng fruit? It felt like they had kissed, but it also felt like they had not kissed. It was gone before she could react? ¡°I can only give you this for now,¡± Wei Ting said seriously. ¡°As for the rest¡­ just imagine it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was thinking, ¡°As someone with a husband, I have to imagine it for myself.¡± What was this? Painting pancakes to satiate hunger? Speaking of which, were the ancients so conservative? Then how long would it take to get to third base? Su Xiaoxiao looked at a certain someone in shock. ¡°Wei Ting¡­ based on your progress¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to wait until you¡¯re in your seventies or eighties before doing that with me? Don¡¯t you mind that my beauty is past its prime?¡± Wei Ting paused and said, ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You won¡¯t wait that long?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°I won¡¯t despise you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. Su Xiaoxiao decisively chased a certain scumbag out. There were so many handsome men in the world. Why should she hang around this one? Life is too short, enjoy it in time! Su Xiaoxiao angrily moved her pillow and was about to sleep when she unexpectedly found an envelope under her pillow. When she opened it, there was a stack of heavy banknotes, a total of five thousand taels. There was a note attached to the banknote¡ªFamily expenses. ¡°This guy¡­ when did he place it there?¡± When he kissed her? ¡°Don¡¯t think that money is enough. I¡¯m still not very happy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao accepted the banknotes and crawled into the blanket. up a little bean and gave it a fierce hug. Xiaohu woke up and asked with his messy hair, ¡°Mother, are you Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Xiaohu tilted his head.. Chapter 389 - Chapter 389: Exposed (1) Chapter 389: Exposed (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The night market in the capital was much livelier than in town. Su Cheng had been locked up in the horse ranch to practice martial arts these days and the number of times he went out could only be counted on one hand. Therefore, he was still curious about the night scenery in the capital. Although he had regained some of his childhood memories, 30 years had passed. Things had changed. There were people coming and going on the streets, and it was inconvenient to ride a horse. The two of them led the horse slowly forward. Qin Canglan walked ahead. His son was already old, but he still subconsciously wanted to protect him as a child. As he walked, he introduced to Su Cheng, ¡°Do you still remember this shop? It used to sell sugar water. When you were young, you had to come over every day to drink a bowl. Later on, your teeth hurt, and your mother didn¡¯t allow you to come over anymore. You still secretly asked me to bring you over.¡± At the mention of Su Huayin, his heart inevitably ached, but he was willing to reminisce. Su Cheng looked at the cloth shop and had no impression of it. The two of them continued walking. ¡°There¡¯s a martial arts school over there. When you first passed by, you even rushed in and fought with someone.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Was he so impressive and awesome when he was young? Su Cheng asked in a daze, ¡°Then did I win?¡± Qin Canglan smiled and said, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the legitimate son of the Qin family. Who would dare to beat you up? Qin Canglan could not even bear to lay a finger on his son. However, it was this prodigy who had been born with a golden spoon that actually suffered greatly among the commoners. Qin Canglan could bear the pain to reminisce about Su Huayin, but he did not dare to imagine how much bullying and beating Su Cheng had suffered all those years. His beloved son¡­ ¡°I have an impression of this shop.¡± Su Cheng stood in front of the old noodle shop. ¡°It has good bean juice.¡± This was the first noodle shop the family had eaten at since arriving in the capital. Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou were not used to the taste of bean juice. Before Su Cheng recovered his memory, he already felt that it was very delicious and had a nostalgic taste. Qin Canglan hurriedly said, ¡°You must be hungry after shopping for so long. Go in and eat supper!¡± had a big appetite, and Qin Canglan was not inferior. The entire family was made up of people who worked hard. ¡°Sure,¡± Su Cheng said. He remembered that his daughter liked to eat this restaurant¡¯s braised meat very much. He would bring two servings back for her later. ¡°Give me the horse,¡± Qin Canglan said. Such a small shop did not have a horse shed or a servant who led the horse. He had to find a place to lead the horse to. There was a good tavern nearby. With some money, he could find someone to watch the horses. Qin Canglan led the two horses to the tavern. Su Cheng found a table near the street and sat down. He asked for two bowls of braised noodles, two bowls of bean juice, and two catties of braised meat. As soon as the waiter left, he saw a familiar figure across the street. It was a woman in a cloak. She was walking in a hurry. The night wind lifted the hood of the cloak slightly, revealing half of her face. ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t that my daughter¡¯s patient? Last time, my daughter even brought her home¡­¡¯ It was just a doctor-patient relationship. Although Su Cheng recognized her, he had no intention of going forward to greet her. However, quickly discovered something else. She was being followed! A medium-sized man followed behind her. Su Cheng was a martial artist. At a glance, he knew that the other party was an expert. He followed her sneakily and sized her up from time to time. No matter what, she was his daughter¡¯s patient. Su Cheng could not sit back and do nothing. He followed decisively. When the man followed the woman into the alley, Su Cheng jumped down from the roof and knocked him out! Bai Xihe heard the commotion behind him and subconsciously turned around. Su Cheng hurriedly raised his hand and said to her, ¡°Madam Bai, you¡¯re being followed, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already dealt with him!¡± Bai Xihe looked at Su Cheng and then at the guards protecting her in the dark. She was speechless. At this moment, another guard quietly came over. He did not know Su Cheng. Seeing that Su Cheng had knocked out his companion and thought that Su Cheng was up to no good with Bai Xihe, he secretly drew his sword and slashed at Su Cheng. Bai Xihe was about to stop him. looked at the shadow on the ground and turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll hit!¡± The second guard was also stunned. Su Cheng threw away the stick and dusted his hands. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re safe!¡± Bai Xihe was speechless. ¡°Cheng¡¯er, Cheng¡¯er!¡± Qin Canglan came over. When Bai Xihe heard Qin Canglan¡¯s voice, she hurriedly pulled down the hood of her cloak and lowered her head to hide behind Su Cheng.. Chapter 390 - Chapter 390: Exposed (2) Chapter 390: Exposed (2) ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Qin Canglan looked at the two unfamiliar men on the ground and asked Su Cheng, ¡°Is someone looking for trouble with you?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not looking for trouble with me. They¡¯re looking for this¡­¡± Su Cheng turned his head and realized that Bai Xihe, who was originally standing beside him, had moved behind him. He didn¡¯t think too much about it. She thought that she did not know Qin Canglan and was a little afraid. Su Cheng said, ¡°They followed her. She¡¯s Daya¡¯s patient.¡± Qin Canglan might be wary of unfamiliar men, but it was fine if a weak woman hid. With his fierce appearance, there were indeed very few weak women who did not hide from him. Moreover, the other party was Daya¡¯s patient, so Qin Canglan did not suspect anything. ¡°Madam,¡± he said, ¡°where are you going? Let¡¯s send you back, or I¡¯ll report to the officials. Go to the noodle shop opposite and sit. I¡¯ll get the officials to send you back later.¡± How could Bai Xi meet an official? However, she did not dare to speak, afraid that Qin Canglan would recognize her voice. Su Cheng said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. He¡¯s not a bad person. He¡¯s¡­¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes flickered, looking forward to hearing the words ¡°my father¡±. He heard Su Cheng say, ¡°The head of the Qin family, the old Protector Duke, he won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Bai Xihe remained silent. Su Cheng thought that she was frightened. After thinking for a moment, he asked, ¡°It¡¯s so late¡­ Did you come to Scholar Street¡­ to look for Daya for a consultation?¡± Bai Xihe¡¯s eyes flashed as she nodded. ¡°Then why don¡¯t I send you back first?¡± Su Cheng scratched his head. ¡°Aiya, I want noodles and braised meat¡­ Qin Canglan said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get the food. It¡¯s more important for her to see a physician. Go find Daya first.¡± Bai Xihe nodded again in tacit agreement. Qin Canglan went to the noodle shop and found the waiter to report to the officials. He sat in the lobby and waited for noodles, bean juice, and braised meat. Su Cheng sent Bai Xihe back to Pear Blossom Lane. Seeing the Empress Dowager appear at home again, Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. Why did her dear dad pick up a big boss again? Bai Xihe was in a hurry to return to the palace, but with Su Cheng¡¯s interruption, the palace door had already closed. She could not go back tonight. Su Xiaoxiao had been studying in the palace for so long, so she naturally knew when the palace door was closed. However, she didn¡¯t know if Bai Xihe had other plans. ¡°Do you need me to send you somewhere else today?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Bai Xihe shook her head slightly. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then¡­ stay at my house?¡± Bai Xi looked at Su Xiaoxiao innocently. Su Xiaoxiao wondered if it was an illusion. Why did she feel that the Empress Dowager was like a pitiful little girl with nowhere to go? Bai Xihe stayed in Pear Blossom Lane. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°My father and Ergou live in the front row. Only Dahu, I, and the others are in the second courtyard.¡± Originally, there was Wei Ting, but that guy had just left and it was impossible for him to come over tonight. Su Xiaoxiao carried the sleeping three little ones to Wei Ting¡¯s room. She and the three little ones slept in this room, and Bai Xihe slept in her room. The bedding had just been changed today, but considering her personal habits, she still changed it clean again and took out a new pillow. ¡°Leave a lamp,¡± Bai Xihe said softly. ¡°Are you afraid of the dark?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Bai Xihe said nothing. Su Xiaoxiao stopped asking. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring you a new one. You can¡¯t adjust the wick of this one. The oil will be gone after burning it for a while.¡± After Su Xiaoxiao brought the new oil lamp over, she carried the old oil lamp next door. Bai Xihe lay on the soft bed and smelled the clean soap fragrance from the bedding and the faint milk fragrance in the room. Her mood gradually calmed down. There were not many words, no curious inquiries, or overly friendly reception. Everything was just right. It made Bai Xihe forget her identity for a short time. She fell asleep peacefully like an ordinary person. She didn¡¯t dream the entire night. The next morning, Bai Xihe woke up to a childish sound. ¡°Sihu, you can¡¯t be picky.¡± ¡°Sihu isn¡¯t picky about food.¡± ¡°It¡¯s picky. It doesn¡¯t even eat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a puppy. Of course it doesn¡¯t bite bones!¡± ¡°But I want it to gnaw on bones.¡± It was Xiaohu and Erhu. The Sihu the two of them were referring to was the foal which was already three and a half months old . Xiaohu gave it a name, Sihu. Xiaohu was feeding Sihu the bone. Sihu was a horse who was not picky with food, but he did not know how to chew on bones. Xiaohu said, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Bai Xihe was dressed neatly. When she pushed open the door and came to the small courtyard, Xiaohu was holding a big bone and demonstrating to the foal how to chew the bone seriously. Erhu went to the side to play with his little stone. Dahu was adopting a horse stance under the tree. It was taught by Qin Canglan. Qin Canglan said that as long as he persisted in the horse stance for three months, he would officially teach him martial arts. Seeing the three cute children early in the morning, her mood was quite cured. Su Xiaoxiao was making breakfast in the kitchen. Smoke rose from the chimney. Bai Xihe felt that this was like the smoke of the market and suddenly felt that time was peaceful. Su Cheng and Qin Jiang¡¯s competition was originally scheduled to last for three days, and the Palace Academy was also on vacation for three days. Unexpectedly, Emperor Jing Xuan accelerated the process and finished the competition in two days. Hence, she decided to visit Su Xiaoxiao at Su Cheng¡¯s invitation. Ordinary people did not dare to invite the princess to their house, and the princess would not accept the invitations of ordinary people. Between the two of them, one dared to invite and the other dared to come. It was Su Cheng who opened the courtyard door. He warmly welcomed Princess Jingning in. ¡°Daya! Your classmate is here!¡± To Su Cheng, Princess Jingning¡¯s identity was her fat daughter¡¯s classmate. When Bai Xihe in the backyard heard this, she was not flustered. After all, there were so many daughters of the Palace Academy and not many had seen her true appearance. She was really not worried about being recognized. Then, she saw Princess Jingning. Princess Jingning also saw her. Their eyes met. A bolt of lightning sounded above their heads at the same time! Chapter 391 - Chapter 391: Happy Pulse Chapter 391: Happy Pulse Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Even in her dreams, Bai Xihe did not expect that the classmate Su Cheng mentioned was Princess Jingning. After all, who would refer to a princess like that? Princess Jinging never expected to see the Grand Empress Dowager here. After all, which dynasty¡¯s Empress Dowager would leave the palace privately? She even appeared at her classmate¡¯s house! She was really not mentally prepared at all! ¡°Aunt Bai, why aren¡¯t you combing?¡± In order to play with the beautiful aunt, Erhu actually pulled out the bun Su Cheng had tied for him and asked Bai Xihe to tie it again. Princess Jingning¡¯s delicate body trembled. Aunt Bai? ¡°Fairy Sister!¡± After doing the horse stance, Dahu recognized Princess Jingning and ran toward her. Bai Xihe was also shocked. Fairy Sister? The sky above the two of them was no longer a bolt from the blue. It was filled with rumbling thunder, and lightning. Su Xiaoxiao walked over with a spatula and looked at the dumbfounded Princess Jingning, then at the frozen Grand Empress Dowager. She thought to herself that it was over. This was the scene of a large-scale demolition. However¡­ what was with Dahu calling Princess Jingning a Fairy Sister? Fifteen minutes later, the three of them sat in the study of the second courtyard. Before entering, Su Xiaoxiao had already successfully learned from the three little ones that they had scammed Qin Yun and the others. Su Xiaoxiao solemnly thanked Princess Jingning for upholding justice. Princess Jingning¡¯s heart could be said to be in turmoil again and again. The three children were actually adopted sons of the little girl¡¯s family. This was really¡ª Indeed, compared to tne appearance ot tne Grand Empress Dowager at someone¡¯s house, her chance encounter with the three little children was not too surprising. ¡°Grand Empress Dowager, why did you leave the palace incognito?¡± There were some things that Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t ask, but that didn¡¯t mean that Princess Jingning wouldn¡¯t ask either. This concerned the royal family, so she had to understand it clearly. ¡°I¡­ will leave for a while?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°No need,¡± Bai Xihe said. She returned to her cold demeanor in the palace and said calmly, ¡°My brother secretly returned to the capital. I left the palace to see him, but it was too late and I couldn¡¯t go back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know much about Bai Xihe. She hadn¡¯t heard that she had a younger brother. She only knew that her family had fallen. Her parents had passed away early and had joined her distant relative, the Guo family. It was Princess Lingxi¡¯s house. Princess Jingning continued, ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re here?¡± Bai Xihe said, ¡°I sprained my ankle and happened to bump into Physician Su.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had met Bai Xihe twice in the palace. The first time was in the garden when Su Xiaoxiao killed the poisonous snake that ambushed Bai Xihe. The second time was near the Bright Moon Pavilion. Bai Xihe dealt with Lin Ruyue, who had an argument with Su Xiaoxiao. Princess Jing Ning looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Is that so?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed like this.¡± Bai Xihe relaxed slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back to the palace,¡± Princess Jingning said. Bai Xihe nodded slowly. In the courtyard, Erhu asked, ¡°Aunt Bai, Sister Fairy, are you leaving?¡± The three little ones only expressed their reluctance. She had clearly just arrived and had not played for long. Bai Xihe stretched out her hand, wanting to pat Erhu¡¯s head. Just as she reached into the air, she saw Princess Jingning¡¯s gaze from the corner of her eye and calmly retracted her hand. Erhu asked, ¡°Aunt Bai?¡± Bai Xihe left. Xiaohu and Dahu were also at a loss. They didn¡¯t understand why Aunt Bai, who had been playing with them just now, suddenly became so strange. Princess Jingning said to the three of them, ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, I¡¯ll visit you another day.¡± The three little ones looked at her reluctantly. Princess Jingning bent down and touched the three little heads one by one. ¡°I¡¯ll invite you to my house another day, okay?¡± The three little ones nodded cutely. ¡°Okay!¡± Xiaohu stretched out his little finger. ¡°Pinky promise!¡± Princess Jingning smiled and made a pinky promise with him, Dahu, and Erhu. The two of them arrived at Princess Jingning¡¯s carriage. Princess Jing Ning gestured. ¡°Please.¡± Bai Xihe got into the carriage with a cold expression. Princess Jingning also sat up Princess Jingning¡¯s carriage did not need to be checked. It went straight into the palace. About half an hour later, her carriage came out again and slowly turned into East Street before stopping beside another carriage. ¡°Come on up.¡± She pushed open the carriage window and said. In that carriage, Su Xiaoxiao got out and smiled at her before getting into her carriage. ¡°I knew you would follow me,¡± Princess Jingning said calmly. Su Xiaoxiao handed her a box of steaming snacks. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat much at my house just now. I specially made it for you.¡± Hearing that it was specially made for her, Princess Jingning¡¯s ugly expression finally improved. She took the snack, took a piece, and tasted it gently. It was a pancake filled with taro mashed with potatoes. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The texture was thick and sweet, but not greasy. It was a taste that Princess Jingning liked. ¡°You seem to be very concerned about the Grand Empress Dowager.¡± Princess Jingning suddenly spoke. ¡°Ah, no,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°I came because I was worried about you. I was afraid that this matter would implicate you.¡± Her expression was sincere. Princess Jingning enjoyed it. She put down her snacks and said to her, ¡°It¡¯s not like I brought the Grand Empress Dowager out of the palace. It won¡¯t implicate me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t ask further. Princess Jingning said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t let anyone find out that she left the palace incognito. I¡¯ll keep her secret.¡± It was not for the Grand Empress Dowager, but because she did not want to implicate this little girl. Su Cheng had just won the competition and obtained military power. He was already at the center of the storm. At this moment, he might give others something to use against him for colluding with the Grand Empress Dowager. Who knew what trouble it would cause? It was impossible for Su Xiaoxiao not to feel Princess Jingning¡¯s kindness. She had given 30% of her regard to her, but she had paid 100% in return. She was ashamed. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about.¡± Princess Jingning said, ¡°You mean the younger brother of the Grand Empress Dowager.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t tell you,¡± Princess Jingning said. ¡°The Grand Empress Dowager has a younger brother. After her parents passed away, her younger brother was adopted and she had nowhere to go. The rumors outside say that she came to the capital to seek refuge with the Guo family, but that¡¯s not the case. She¡¯s not distantly related to the Guo family. Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for the Guo family to only take her in and not her younger brother.¡± Su Xiaoxiao listened attentively. Princess Jingning continued, ¡°Back then, Prime Minister Guo went to a place to investigate a tax silver case and met the Grand Empress Dowager who sold herself to bury her father. Minister Guo bought her back. He originally wanted her to be ordered around as a maidservant, but Bai Xihe became more and more outstanding and was calculated to have an extremely elite birth date. Therefore, the Guo family adopted her as a girl in their residence and announced to the public that she was a distant relative.¡± ¡°As for her brother¡­ after he heard that his sister became the Grand Empress Dowager, the entire family rushed over to join her. The Guo family treated that family politely at first, but later on, they gradually realized that that family was causing trouble everywhere in the name of the Grand Empress Dowager. Her brother even snatched a commoner¡¯s daughter and killed someone. The Guo family ran around everywhere trying to resolve the issue. Although the death penalty is exempted, he couldn¡¯t escape punishment. Her brother was exiled. Returning to the capital without permission is a capital crime.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°I see.¡± From the looks of it, Bai Xihe had left the palace previously to see her brother. The Guo family knew about this. Princess Jingning reminded, ¡°If you encounter such a thing again in the future, don¡¯t fight it alone, and you¡¯re not allowed to take her in again. She¡¯s a big problem!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°There¡¯s a story?¡± Realizing that she had misspoken, an awkward expression flashed across Princess Jingning¡¯s face. However, if she did not explain the matter clearly, with this little girl¡¯s fearless personality, she would not realize the seriousness of the problem. She hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind and revealing the secrets of the royal family. ¡°A beauty like Bai Xihe was born to marry into an emperor¡¯s family because only an emperor¡¯s family can protect such beauty. Unfortunately, even an emperor can¡¯t protect Bai Xihe¡¯s beauty.¡± This story¡­ was getting more and more exciting¡­ Princess Jingning asked with a solemn expression, ¡°Do you know why King Nanyang rebelled back then?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s for Bai Xihe?¡± Princess Jing Ning said, ¡°It was for her.¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°Wait, this gossip is a little big. Let me digest it.¡¯ Assuming that Princess Jingning¡¯s information was accurate and that King Nanyang had indeed rebelled for Bai Xihe, what was Bai Xihe¡¯s attitude towards King Nanyang? In terms of status, there was an insurmountable gap between the two of them. If they really wanted to be together without hesitation, it would probably be even harder than usurping the throne. Su Xiaoxiao thought of the happy pulse that Imperial Physician Fu had diagnosed in Zhaoyang Hall back then. Whose pulse was it? Was it the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s? If it was the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s, who was the man who made her secretly get pregnant? Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Princess, forgive me for asking, but does your father have feelings for the Grand Empress Dowager?¡± Chapter 392 - Chapter 392: The Royal Family’s Secret Chapter 392: The Royal Family¡¯s Secret Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Princess Jingning said, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked and said without changing her expression, ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡± With Princess Jingning¡¯s status, she should be admonishing Su Xiaoxiao. Such a royal secret was not something a little girl like her could be curious about. She swallowed the words. Forget it. This girl was so bold. She had been spoiled by her. Princess Jingning looked helplessly at a certain bold little girl and said, ¡°In my father¡¯s heart, the imperial power is the most important. He won¡¯t touch anyone or anything that can threaten his throne.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°Oh.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan actually did not have any improper thoughts about Bai Xihe. She was not used to him suddenly not being melodramatic. Princess Jingning glanced at her and said jealously, ¡°You¡¯re very concerned about the Grand Empress Dowager.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Am I?¡± Princess Jing Ning said, ¡°Yes.¡± Which person who grew up in the palace did not have the ability to read someone from their body language? Oh, except for that idiot Hui An. The way the little girl looked at the Grand Empress Dowager was different from how she looked at other strangers. Princess Jing Ning¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want her as your backer?¡± She muttered, ¡°Girl, am I unable to protect you? ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to herself, ¡°Why do I feel like there¡¯s a fire in the backyard¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly said, ¡°No!¡± Princess Jingning was not easy to fool. She was a smart woman, and he could not casually brush her off. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and decided to reveal something. ¡°Princess, the Grand Empress Dowager looks like an old friend of mine.¡± Princess Jing Ning was curious. ¡°Which old friend?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°My mother.¡± Her mother in her previous life. Princess Jing Ning knew Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s background. Her mother had passed away when she was very young. She and her brother had been raised by Su Cheng. Thinking of this, Princess Jing Ning couldn¡¯t bear to blame her. ¡°Your mother must be a great beauty,¡± Princess Jingning said. Bai Xihe had an ethereal charm. Those who could look like her must be beautiful. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t deny this. Because in her impression, Madam Li was indeed a great beauty. The two of them sat in the carriage for a while. Princess Jingning apologized for rushing back to the palace on her first visit and said that she would definitely invite her and the three little ones to the palace as guests next time. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and thought to herself that it was enough to invite her. It was better for the three little ones not to enter the palace. It would be a different story if Princess Jingning¡¯s biological father, the emperor, bumped into them. After bidding farewell to Princess Jingning, Su Xiaoxiao went to the medical center. The officials and the students who were injured at the event location of the small attic accident a few days ago recovered one after another. Other than two seriously injured patients who were still receiving treatment, the others had all returned. The patients in Benevolence Hall were unhappy. ¡°I say, what¡¯s wrong with your Benevolence Hall? Are your medical skills good enough? Others have already recovered, but why does our leg still hurt so much?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. My colleague went home yesterday. I can¡¯t walk today. I clearly remember that he was more injured than me¡­¡± ¡°Could it be that you deliberately delayed treating us and want us to pay for a few more days of medicine?¡± When Second Master Hu heard this, he was furious and called Shopkeeper Wu over. ¡°What happened?¡± Manager Wu said, ¡°Don¡¯t they know how injured they are? The doctors of our Benevolence Hall are brilliant. When the government office sent the patients over, they gave us all those who were seriously injured and sent those with light injuries to Number One Hall. Of course, their patients recovered quickly!¡± Second Master Hu glared at him. ¡°What about those two who were about to He was referring to the two seriously injured patients still receiving treatment in the Number One Hall. Manager Wu was embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s just the two of them. The others are all lightly injured. The two of them haven¡¯t recovered yet.¡± Second Master Hu frowned and said, ¡°Keep an eye on Number One Hall!¡± Manager Wu looked troubled. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t.¡± Ever since Manager Sun came next door, none of the spies they sent could successfully enter Number One Hall. The other party¡¯s eyes were very vicious. He spotted them accurately! ¡°Second Uncle! Second Uncle, I want to eat sugar-fried chestnuts!¡± A seven-year-old fatty rushed in. The little fatty lay on the ground and rolled around. ¡°I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care, I want it! I want to eat sugar-fried chestnuts!¡± Shopkeeper Wu looked at Imperial Physician Hut s youngest son and suddenly had an idea. ¡°Boss, I have it!¡± Second Master Hu asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Manager Wu smiled sinisterly. ¡°The way to sneak into the Number One Hall!¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to see two seriously injured patients. The two of them had passed the critical period and their wounds had healed well. The fractures no longer hurt. In three days, they would be able to go home to recuperate. ¡°Ying¡¯er, have you seen my master?¡± ¡°Organizing the herbs in the storeroom!¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to the storeroom on the first floor. It had rained a few days ago, so some herbs were not kept properly and were damp. He was removing them one by one. ¡°Master,¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted. Physician Fu felt guilty for having her call him Master, but Su Xiaoxiao did not feel any psychological burden, so he could only bite the bullet and agree. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you to rest for a day. Why are you at the medical center again? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to come?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± Physician Fu said, ¡°Tell me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°When did your father diagnose the happy pulse of Zhaoyang Hall?¡± Physician Fu did not expect her to ask this. His father had passed away many years ago, and he would not be as sad as before when he occasionally mentioned it. He was just puzzled. She seemed to be paying attention to this matter. Physician Fu recalled, ¡°In the winter of the second year of Jing Xuan, His Majesty had just ascended the throne and his foundation was not stable. The palace was very busy, and so was the Imperial Hospital.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ about fifteen years ago?¡± Physician Fu said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Was the Prince of Nanyang in the capital that year?¡± Physician Fu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Yes. the Prince of Nanyang had yet to move to his fief at that time.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sorted out the clues she had. Su Xiaoxiao sorted out the clues she had. In the winter of the second year of Jing Xuan, Zhaoyang Hall diagnosed a happy pulse. The following spring, the Prince of Nanyang moved to his fief and began to plan a rebellion. In the fifth year of Jing Xuan, the Prince of Nanyang failed to rebel and was exterminated by Emperor Jing Xuan in the name of the ¡°plague¡±. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Have you heard of the rebellion of the Prince of Nanyang?¡± Physician Fu pondered and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it, but¡­ His Majesty didn¡¯t post the imperial announcement to the world. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. Assuming that the person diagnosed with the happy pulse was Bai Xihe, the child in her stomach might belong to the Prince of Nanyang. If so, the Prince of Nanyang was rebelling for her and the fetus in her stomach. If not, there were two situations. One was that the two of them were in love. Bai Xihe had been forced by another man. In view of the fact that Bai Xihe was in the harem, the only man who had a chance to force her was Emperor Jing Xuan. In order to save her from trouble, the Prince of Nanyang raised his army and rebelled. The other situation was that the Prince of Nanyang had um he found out that Bai Xihe was pregnant with Emperor Jing blood, King Nanyang could not calm the jealousy in his hea the emperor himself to snatch Bai Xihe. However, Princess Jingning had already made it clear that only had the throne in his heart and did not have any other Xihe. In short, it was impossible for Emperor Jing Xuan to touch In that case, if Bai Xihe was pregnant, the child could only of Nanyang. Unless¡ª Chapter 393 - Chapter 393: Three Little Bullies! Chapter 393: Three Little Bullies! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Thinking of that possibility, Su Xiaoxiao felt that she had to verify it. Su Xiaoxiao knew very well that the reason why she paid attention to Bai Xihe was not because of who Bai Xihe looked like, but because there was an invisible pusher behind the Wei family and the Qin family. Anything related to the Prince of Nanyang and the Wei family might hide a clue. As she was thinking, Madam Yang¡¯s scream came from outside. ¡°Aiyo! What are you doing! Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu! Are you alright?¡± Dahu and the others were here? Su Xiaoxiao immediately went to the back door of the medical center with Physician Fu. The front door of the medical center was on Scholar Street, and the back door was a long alley facing an entire row of walls. The alley was narrow and the carriage could not stop. There were not many pedestrians passing by here, and the three little ones would occasionally go to the back alley to play. They had just finished school. Su Xiaoxiao had only moved back to Pear Blossom Lane last night. Ah Zhong had forgotten for a moment and thought that he would bring the three little fellows to the medical center like a few days ago. At that time, Su Xiaoxiao was changing the patient¡¯s dressing. The three little ones considerately didn¡¯t disturb her and played at the back door. The three of them took small stones and scribbled on the ground. Halfway through, a fatty came over. The little fatty was about the size of Niudan. He was holding a box of fried fruits in his arms and eating them. The three children, who had only learned to be normal, started observing the boy who looked like Niudan. When they suddenly saw a little boy about Niudan¡¯s age, the three of them were a little stunned. The three of them sized up him curiously. They probably wanted to see a trace of Niudan in him. However, the little fatty was not an idiot. He was Imperial Physician Hu¡¯s biological son, the legitimate son of the Hu family. ¡°You¡¯re those three brats!¡± The little fatty pouted. ¡°You look identical. Are you triplets? My second uncle asked me to play with you!¡± His face was filled with the words: You¡¯re so young. I despise you. ¡°It¡¯s not Niudan,¡± Dahu said. ¡°Well, no,¡± Erhu said. ¡°Playing with Niudan,¡± Xiaohu said. The three of them only wanted to play with Niudan and not this person. The little fatty walked over reluctantly and looked down at the three little ones who had lowered their heads to scribble again. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Drawing? It¡¯s so ugly! Can¡¯t your family even afford paper and pens?¡± The three little ones ignored him and continued to scribble. The little fatty was ignored and was very unhappy. He grabbed a few fruits and threw them at one of the children. It was Dahu who was hit. Xiaohu was angry. He ignored that the other party was older than him and rushed forward to punch him. ¡°Don¡¯t bully Dahu!¡± The little guy¡¯s fist was quite heavy. The chubby boy¡¯s thigh hurt. In a fit of anger, he reached out to push Xiaohu. He was seven years old. It was easy for him to push down a child who was less than two or three years old. However, he did not expect Xiaohu to dodge. The little fatty went to push again, and Dahu bumped into him like a small cannon. The seven-year-old fatty was sprawled out and stunned! The little fatty was unreasonable at home. He was the youngest and everyone gave in to him. In addition, the children of the servants in the residence were afraid of him. If they were bullied by him, they could only swallow their anger. His personality was very unpleasant. Unfortunately, he had bullied the wrong person this time. They were the three little bullies who had made half of the children in the village cry on their first day in the village. Could they be bullied by a little fatty? Dahu fell beside the little fatty. In order not to let the little fatty catch Dahu, Erhu grabbed the fried fruit on the ground and threw it at him. The little fatty cried out. Xiaohu also picked up the fried fruit and threw it. It was just that he was weak and missed. Madam Yang brought the washed vegetables in. Coincidentally, the water in the pot boiled. She took a ladle and scooped water. Halfway through, she heard the child¡¯s cries. She was shocked and thought that something had happened to the three children. She ran out to take a look. Uh¡­ It seemed different from what she had imagined.. The little fatty¡¯s wail finally attracted the attention of the Benevolence Hall. Shopkeeper Wu and Second Master Hu hurriedly walked out. Shopkeeper Wu was the one who paid attention to the little fatty approaching the three little ones. Shopkeeper Wu knew that there were triplets next door, so he wanted the little fatty to play with them. After getting used to it, he would ask him to bring a maidservant or older servants and children over to ask for information. In order to dispel Number One Hall¡¯s wariness, he specially convinced Second Master Hu to let the little fatty go himself. The triplets were not even three years old. At most, they would not be able to play together. Anyway, the little fatty would not suffer a loss. But he suffered. ¡°Little Master!¡± ¡°Ji¡¯er!¡± Shopkeeper Wu and Second Master Hu¡¯s expressions changed drastically. The two of them hurriedly rushed forward and wanted to slap the three little ones away. Madam Yang picked up the shoulder pole on the ground and swung it at him. ¡°Ouch!¡± Shopkeeper Wu took a solid hit. The three little ones ran behind Madam Yang. Although Madam Yang was only a woman, she was quite bold and strong. One pole after another, she beat Shopkeeper Wu and Second Master Hu up! Manager Wu said sternly, ¡°You crazy woman! What are you doing!¡± Madam Yang grabbed the shoulder pole and said without showing any weakness, ¡°A crazy woman is still better than you two gutless men! You¡¯re dozens of years old, yet you¡¯re bullying three children! What ability do you have! Pfft!¡± Manager Wu exploded. ¡°Which eye of yours saw us bullying them!¡± They had reached out to hit the children just now, but they didn¡¯t hit them. On the other hand, what did these three little things do to their young master? Second Master Hu picked up the little fatty. The little fatty had never suffered such grievances in his life. He cried in Second Master Hu¡¯s arms. Second Master Hu, who could not withstand the weight: Can you come down before crying? After taking a few hits, Shopkeeper Wu finally grabbed Madam Yang¡¯s shoulder pole. He was about to press her to the ground. Suddenly, a fat figure strode over and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying. He slammed into the wall behind him and fell to the ground with a thud. One of his front teeth flew out! ¡°Stop!¡± It was Hu Biyun. She was the one who brought her brother to the medical center today. She had just bought a box of snacks for her brother. She did not expect something to happen to him in such a short time. ¡°Second Sister¡ª¡± The little fatty threw himself into her arms. ¡°They hit me!¡± Hu Biyun asked, ¡°Who hit you?¡± The little fatty raised his hand and pointed at the three children beside Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°They¡­ are triplets¡­¡± At this moment, many patients of the Benevolence Hall and the people from the other shops also came out to watch the commotion. Hu Biyun looked at her wailing brother and her heart ached. She glared at Su Xiaoxiao coldly. ¡°Miss Su, you¡¯d better give me an explanation!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three little ones. Xiaohu pointed at himself and then at the fried fruit on the ground. ¡°He pushed Xiaohu and threw the fruit. Dahu hurts!¡± Everyone understood that it was the little fatty of the Hu family who pushed one of them first and even threw fruits at them before they retaliated.. Chapter 394 - Chapter 394: Protecting Her Children Chapter 394: Protecting Her Children Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiaohu continued to say vividly, ¡°Dahu¡­ his head hurts! Erhu¡­ his hand hurts!¡± What Xiaohu wanted to express was that the fatty had pushed him. In order to protect him, Dahu had hit him with his head. In order to protect Dahu, Erhu had picked up fruits and thrown them at him. The fruits were so prickly¡­ However, what the surrounding commoners understood was¡ªnot only did this child throw fruits at people, but he also hit one child¡¯s head and another child¡¯s hand. Good lord, he was only seven years old. Could he bully others so easily? Look at how wronged the three little fellows were? The little fatty of the Hu family was furious. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense! It was you¡­ You bumped into me! You knocked me down! You even hit me!¡± He couldn¡¯t tell which one had hit him. The three little fellows looked identical, and so did their hair and clothes. It was blinding. Xiaohu placed his hands on his hips and stomped his feet. ¡°No, you hit me first! ¡± Su Xiaoxiao tugged at her sleeve indifferently and said, ¡°Miss Hu, my sons are only two years old. Do you really think they can knock down such a big child?¡± Everyone nodded. That¡¯s right. The little fellows looked less than three years old. How did they knock down a seven-year-old fatty? It was obvious that this little fatty was bullying the three little fellows. When the adults came out, he would play the blame game when he could not win. Speaking of which, many people present knew this young master of Benevolence Hall. They knew that he was the youngest legitimate son of the Hu family. His family had spoiled him and he was very delicate. He liked to bully others, cry, and lie. Feeling everyone¡¯s questioning gazes, Hu Biyun was extremely embarrassed! She had also heard from Qin Yanran that Su Daya had adopted a few sons in the countryside. Su Cheng¡¯s daughter could not get married and would not have anyone to rely on in the future. When she was old, there would be no one to send her off, so she raised three sons from outside. She had also heard that Su Daya had a live-in son-in-law in the countryside. However, ever since they found out about their background, Su Cheng and his daughter looked down on a farmer from the countryside. When they entered the capital, they did not bring him along at all and left him in the countryside on the grounds that he was recuperating. It seemed that Su Cheng and his daughter wanted to find a rich husband in the capital again. How shameless! Hu Biyun tried to anger Su Xiaoxiao with her eyes, but she was disappointed. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t take her seriously at all. She gritted her teeth and slowly walked up to Su Xiaoxiao. She said coldly, ¡°Su Daya, don¡¯t be smug. So what if your father defeated Qin Jiang? After obtaining military power and losing your soul, you will pay the price for your stupidity one day.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her indifferently, her emotions unchanged. ¡°Are you done?¡± Hu Biyun was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s voice was very calm, but her eyes were filled with terrifying danger. ¡°Look after your brother. My sons are young, but I might not be so gentle.¡± Hu Biyun thought of how this girl had thrown Lin Ruyue into the water and felt a chill run down her spine. Su Xiaoxiao picked up the shoulder pole on the ground and brought the three little ones back to the backyard of the medical center with Madam Yang. ¡°Sister-in-law Cao, are you alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Madam Yang. Facing Shopkeeper Wu and Second Master Hu, Madam Yang actually picked up the shoulder pole and fought with them. This courage was impressive. Madam Yang hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. They¡¯re such bastards. They even want to attack the children¡­¡± She thought of something and said, ¡°Boss, I didn¡¯t cause you any trouble, right?¡± She didn¡¯t care when she rushed up. After fighting, she realized that one of them was the shopkeeper of the Benevolence Hall, and the other was the owner of the Benevolence Hall. Their Number One Hall was already on bad terms with the Benevolence Hall. If the Benevolence Hall caught them with something¡ª ¡°No,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°I have to thank you this time. Otherwise, Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu would have suffered. You don¡¯t have to worry about Benevolence Hall. Manager Sun will settle it.¡± With Manager Sun taking action, it was still uncertain who would have something on who. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Madam Yang was relieved. ¡°Take a look at the children. I saw them fall just now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao brought the three little ones back to her courtyard. Ah Zhong and Chef Cao had gone out to buy groceries. Little Weizi and the others were busy in front and did not know that something had happened in the backyard. Otherwise, Little Weizi would have rushed up to fight them. Physician Fu came over to see the three little fellows. Xiaohu and Erhu were fine, but Dahu¡¯s knees were bald. Physician Fu¡¯s heart ached. How painful would it be for such a young child to fall? ¡°Let me do it,¡± he said to Su Xiaoxiao. As the saying went, the mother¡¯s heart would hurt when the child¡¯s body was injured. He was afraid that Su Xiaoxiao would be sad. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao brought over a cotton swab and iodophor. Xiaohu and Erhu also came over. ¡°Dahu, blow for you.¡± Xiaohu wheezed at Dahu¡¯s knee. He wheezed on his left knee, and Erhu wheezed on his right knee, one on each side. They drooled on Dahu. Dahu enjoyed the treatment that was previously meant for Uncle Ergou and decided not to blow air for Uncle Ergou anymore. Su Xiaoxiao still had to educate them about what had happened today. Although they were not at fault and it was Hu Biyun¡¯s brother who provoked them first, there were some things that they had to pay attention to. She asked solemnly, ¡°Have you thought about what to do if you can¡¯t win?¡± ¡°Run!¡± Xiaohu said. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Dahu¡¯s skin was solid. It was only a little scratched. Soon, it did not hurt anymore. He jumped down to the ground with a whoosh and ran to play with his brothers. Su Xiaoxiao went to the Marquis Wuwei¡¯s Estate to check on Jing Yi. Jing Yi was recovering well. The infection on the wound had completely disappeared, and his wound was healing rapidly. At this rate, he would recover in a few days. ¡°Can I practice swordsmanship now?¡± Jing Yi asked. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°No! You have to endure this month at least.¡± Did this child pretend that he had never been injured when his fever subsided? Jing Yi was disappointed. ¡°Oh.¡± He had been in bed for a few days and felt terrible. Su Xiaoxiao took out a box of snacks for him. ¡°New flavor, hawthorn cake.¡± Jing Yi took the snacks and his eyes lit up again. Su Xiaoxiao packed her medicine box and prepared to leave. Jing Yi asked, ¡°Are you¡­ leaving? Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Your injuries are fine. I¡¯ll come back in three days for a follow-up.¡± Jing Yi lowered his eyes, his gaze a little resentful. He touched the snack box in his arms and suddenly said, ¡°There¡¯s been progress on the hunting ground case. Do you want to hear it?¡± Since it was related to Su Cheng, Su Xiaoxiao naturally had to listen. She sat back down on the stool beside the bed. Jing Yi was a little energetic. ¡°Those assassins lying in ambush in the forest and that guard surnamed Cheng came from a sect organization in the martial world ¡ªWhite Lotus Society.¡± ¡°White Lotus Society?¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered. This sect was very famous in her previous life. It had really existed in history. She did not expect it to exist here. The White Lotus Society she knew was once a legitimate religion. It originated from Buddhism, observed its tenets and did not kill. It only slowly changed after it was passed down. She wondered what the White Lotus Society here was like. Jing Yi continued, ¡°In addition, there¡¯s some progress on the case of the corpses under the attic.¡± Su Xiaoxiao queried, ¡°Oh?¡± Chapter 395 - Chapter 395: Evicted Chapter 395: Evicted Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Looking at her like this, Jing Yi felt that she was not like his sister. When his sister heard these things, she would ask him to stop talking in fear. However, Su Xiaoxiao had the rare bravery of a woman in the world. He said, ¡°It was also done by the White Lotus Society. That place was once a stronghold of the White Lotus Society. The corpses buried in the cellar were all believers of the White Lotus Society. Rumor has it that the White Lotus Society has a tradition of making offerings¡­ The Imperial Capital thinks that those dead people might have offered to be sacrificed voluntarily.¡± Voluntary sacrifice? This White Lotus Society was a big evil sect! ¡°How did the White Lotus Society come about? How many years has it been in the Great Zhou?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Jing Yi thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how it came about. It just¡­ suddenly happened. It seemed to have been preaching for about ten to twenty years. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao was deep in thought. She had heard from Wei Ting that the archer was from a martial arts organization that had been destroyed many years ago. Perhaps the White Lotus Society was built by the remnants of that martial arts organization. Back then, that martial arts organization was destroyed by Wei Ting¡¯s grandfather, Lord Wu An. The other party must hate Lord Wu An and the Wei family to the core. Thinking of Wei Ting¡¯s repeated assassinations and the pusher behind the hatred between the Wei and Qin families, Su Xiaoxiao felt that this White Lotus Society was very suspicious. At the Protectorate. Qin Canglan had just brought Su Cheng to the military camp. Next month, Su Cheng would be handed his military power. Before that, he hoped to let Su Cheng familiarize himself with the environment. He did not force Su Cheng to move back to the Protectorate. Su Cheng needed to slowly adapt to his identity, so he could not be anxious. When he returned to the courtyard, he got someone to call Steward Cen to the study. ¡°How¡¯s Qin Jiang?¡± Qin Canglan asked. Steward Cen said, ¡°The imperial physician took a look. He said that¡­ his injuries are too serious. His right leg is probably going to be crippled.¡± Qin Canglan said nothing. Steward Cen probed, ¡°Old Master, are you sad?¡± Qin Canglan glanced at him coldly. ¡°Are you crazy or am I crazy?¡± Steward Cen smiled awkwardly. ¡°I spoke too much.¡¯ From the moment Qin Jiang framed Su Cheng, he was no longer innocent. Unless Qin Canglan was crazy, he would never sympathize with Qin Jiang. Qin Canglan thought for a moment and said, ¡°Get them to move out!¡± Originally, on account that they were of the Qin family¡¯s bloodline, he had left them a place to stay in the Western Campus. Unexpectedly, each of them was more restless than the other. Qin Yun was even more so at a young age and had dealt with Ergou time and time again. This time, someone almost died. If Wei Ting had not sacrificed his hand, Ergou¡¯s head would have been pierced. None of these troublemakers could stay in the residence. Steward Cen was not surprised by this decision. The old Duke Protector was not a cold-blooded and heartless person, but he was definitely not a soft-hearted person. If one dared to attack the young masters, he would be chased out. Manager Cen was about to agree when the servant reported that Qin Yanran had come. Qin Canglan¡¯s expression was hidden in the shadows and was difficult to read. Steward Cen looked at him carefully and asked, ¡°Shall I¡­ send her away?¡± Qin Canglan said calmly, ¡°Let her in.¡± Manager Cen waved at the servant. The servant understood and led Qin Yanran into the study. Qin Yanran was dressed plainly and her hair accessories were simple. She slowly bowed to Qin Canglan. ¡°Yanran is here to bid farewell to Grandpa.¡± Qin Canglan said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not your grandfather.¡± Qin Yanran didn¡¯t seem to have heard Qin Canglan. She lowered her eyes and said softly, ¡°We¡¯re moving out of the residence. Thank you for raising us all these years¡­ farewell!¡± With that, she slowly knelt down and kowtowed three times to Qin Canglan. Looking at her departing back, Steward Cen was at a loss. ¡°Master, she¡¯s¡­¡± Qin Canglan said calmly, ¡°Ignore her. Let her go.¡± ¡°Then¡­ should we send someone to keep an eye on them?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Qin Yanran did not take too many things with her. She dismissed the servants in the courtyard and only left a few trusted aides who took care of them. Then, she sat in a carriage to leave the residence. Xu Qing placed her box away and was about to leave. ¡°Sit down,¡± Qin Yanran said. Xu Qing hesitated for a moment before sitting down opposite Qin Yanran. He reached out and gestured for the coachman outside to leave. The carriage slowly drove out of the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate. The sky was completely dark, and the carriage was pitch-black. Xu Qing asked, ¡°Do you want me to hold the lamp?¡± Qin Yanran did not answer him. Instead, she said lightly, ¡°Xu Qing, after leaving this mansion, I¡¯ll no longer be the eldest daughter of the Protector Duke. Are you sure you¡¯re still following us?¡± Xu Qing said, ¡°Master saved my life. I will be loyal to him for the rest of my life. Qin Yanran asked, ¡°What about me? Will you be loyal to me too?¡± In the darkness, her clear beautiful eyes stared straight at Xu Qing. Xu Qing¡¯s eyes moved. He stood up and knelt on one knee. ¡°I¡¯m willing to go through fire and water for Miss!¡± After the three-day vacation, the Palace Academy resumed class. Su Xiaoxiao arrived late, and most of the daughters in the classroom had already arrived. Everyone gathered around Miss Wang¡¯s table and whispered. ¡°Have you heard? The competition between Qin Jiang and the Duke Protector has ended.¡± ¡°Three days have passed. Of course, it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Do you know who won?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Qin Jiang! That Su Cheng grew up in the countryside. How can he compare to Qin Jiang, who was raised in the Duke¡¯s Estate for twenty years?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re really wrong! Su Cheng won!¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How can Su Cheng win against Qin Jiang? Two out of three rounds. Which two aspects did he win? ¡°He won the martial arts, riding and archery, and art of war!¡± Gasps sounded in the classroom. Obviously, everyone was very surprised by this outcome. Miss Wang, who was packing her books, said in confusion, ¡°If Qin Jiang loses, Miss Qin will be pitiful in the future¡­ Will she still come to class?¡± This question successfully stumped everyone. That was right. The fact that Qin Yanran was not Qin Canglan¡¯s biological granddaughter already made her status awkward. Now that her father had lost his power, how could she stand in the capital in the future? The eldest daughter of the Lu family, Lu Li, said softly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you¡­ heard? Something¡­ happened to Miss Qin.¡± In the imperial study, Xiao Duye knelt on the ground with a solemn expression. Xiao Zhonghua and the other two princes stood at the side with solemn expressions. Emperor Jingxuan sat behind the desk opposite them with a furious expression. He looked coldly at Xiao Duye, who had his head lowered, and said sternly, ¡°What did you do?¡± Emperor Jingxuan was not a temperamental emperor. On the contrary, he was rarely angry. To be able to force him to this extent, it was obvious how angry he was. Indeed, it was also because he had been unhappy recently. The imperial study was silent. Eunuch Fu came to the door with a pot of tea. When he heard the emperor¡¯s anger, he closed his eyes and decided not to go in first. ¡°She¡¯s your third brother¡¯s fianc¨¦e!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was about to explode. Xiao Duye lowered his head aggrievedly. ¡°I¡­ I had no choice¡­¡± Emperor Jingxuan snorted.. ¡°You had no choice? Was there no one on the shore?¡± Chapter 396 - Chapter 396: Marriage Chapter 396: Marriage Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The scene of the incident was on a pleasure boat by the lake. There were many tourists there, so it was impossible not to have a third person. Xiao Duye explained, ¡°Yes, but no one dared to go down. It¡¯s not good to swim underwater. Time was tight, and a life was at stake. I didn¡¯t think too much about it, so I jumped into the water to save her¡­ When I saved her¡­ I realized that the woman who committed suicide¡­ was actually Miss Qin¡­¡± Seeking death? This information attracted Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s attention. Qin Jiang lost the competition. Was Qin Yanran so suicidal? Xiao Duye wished he could take out his heart. ¡°Father, believe me. I really didn¡¯ do anything unruly to Miss Qin¡­ Fourth and Fifth Brother are also here. Father you can ask them!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s gaze landed on the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince. The fourth prince said, ¡°Father, after Big Brother saved Miss Qin, he handed her over to the servants.¡± The Fifth Prince nodded, confirming that this was indeed the case. Emperor Jing Xuan calmed down and said in a low voice, ¡°The few of you, retreat first!¡± Xiao Duye stood up and turned to leave with his brothers. Emperor Jingxuan spoke again. ¡°Third Brother, stay.¡± Xiao Duye glanced at Xiao Zhonghua. Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°Yes, Father.¡± After the few of them left the imperial study, Emperor Jingxuan asked Eunuch Fu to summon Qin Yanran into the palace. Qin Yanran fell into the water last night, and her face was still a little weak and pale today. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± She bowed respectfully and even spoke weakly. Emperor Jing Xuan pressed his eyebrows and asked, ¡°I heard that you committed suicide last night?¡± Qin Yanran lowered her eyes and said softly, ¡°Your Majesty, I didn¡¯t commit suicide.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked calmly, ¡°Are you saying that the Eldest Prince is lying?¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°His Eldest Highness didn¡¯t lie either. He just misunderstood me. I just moved out of the Duke¡¯s Protectorate yesterday. There were many things to buy in my new residence. On the way back, I wanted to bring a pot of fresh fish soup back to nourish my father and brother. Unexpectedly, I fainted and fell into the water while waiting for the fish soup on the pleasure boat.¡± Move out of the residence? Many things to buy? Fainted and fell into the water? This meant that she was in a hurry to move and came out before she was ready. She was most likely tired from fainting. Thinking of the series of changes she had suffered, it was not an exaggeration to say that she had fallen from the clouds into the mud. Emperor Jing Xuan asked with a complicated expression, ¡°Did Qin Canglan chase you out?¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°Uncle¡­ Uncle didn¡¯t. I felt that I was too ashamed to stay in the Duke¡¯s Estate, so I took the initiative to bring Father and Brother out.¡± Emperor Jingxuan asked suspiciously, ¡°You made your own decision? Are your father and brother¡­ seriously injured?¡± Qin Yanran was depressed. ¡°He¡¯s still unconscious.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan frowned. Qin Yanran hurriedly said, ¡°Your Majesty, please don¡¯t blame Uncle. I did want to move out myself.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan snorted coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to speak up for Qin Canglan. I know his personality very well! If you didn¡¯t leave, he will have chased you away. By doing this, you saved some face.¡± Qin Yanran didn¡¯t refute. Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s gaze landed on Qin Yanran¡¯s weak body. He suddenly felt that it was not easy for this daughter who had been abandoned by her family. What happened back then was not her fault. She had never caused trouble to frame anyone like Qin Yun. She was well-behaved and did not fight for things. In the end, she was still implicated by her father and brother. She could not even stay in the mansion she had grown up in. ¡°I often hear the teacher praise you,¡± Emperor Jingxuan said. ¡°The teachers overpraised me,¡± Qin Yanran said calmly. Emperor Jing Xuan cut to the chase. ¡°What do you think about last night?¡± The people of this dynasty were more open-minded than the previous dynasty, but the barrier between men and women was still serious. She had a physical relationship with the Eldest Prince in public, so it was inevitable that she would be criticized if she married the Third Prince. The Eldest Prince¡¯s reputation was not pleasant either. There were only two choices in front of her¡ªbecome the Eldest Prince¡¯s person or become a nun. Qin Yanran looked ashamed. ¡°The Eldest Prince was focused on saving me, but he was implicated by me. It was my fault. I don¡¯t know how to atone for my sins, but please give me some time. When I recover from taking care of my father and brother, I will find a nunnery and accompany the ancient Buddha for the rest of my life.¡± It seemed that she had no intention of pestering the Third Brother. Emperor Jingxuan glanced at Xiao Zhonghua. From the beginning to the end, this son did not plead for Qin Yanran. Emperor Jingxuan knew what to do. Emperor Jingxuan¡¯s gaze landed on Qin Yanran¡¯s pale face. ¡°The Eldest Prince already has a main consort. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to be a secondary consort.¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s expression froze for a moment. Emperor Jingxuan asked, ¡°Why? Are you unwilling?¡± Qin Yanran kowtowed. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± After walking out of the imperial study, a breeze blew past her face, blowing up her slightly loose hair. Her face was still pale, but her eyes were filled with determination. ¡°Su Daya, I will definitely take back everything that belongs to me!¡± ¡°Look! Miss Qin is here!¡± In the palace, a young lady discovered Qin Yanran outside the door. The classroom instantly fell silent. Everyone sized up her curiously. She didn¡¯t enter the classroom immediately. Instead, she walked towards Su Xiaoxiao, who was washing her brush in a small pond at the side. Su Xiaoxiao saw her reflection in the water and ignored it. She continued to wash the brush. Qin Yanran was no longer like before, easily angered by the other party¡¯s neglect. ¡°Did you think I¡¯d be under your feet for the rest of my life? But I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to marry the Eldest Prince as his secondary consort.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget that the daughter of the Duke¡¯s Protector is engaged to the Third Prince. If I get married, who do you think will get that engagement?¡± ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t have snatched my father¡¯s military power. I would have married the Third Prince on your behalf. Wouldn¡¯t it be the best of both worlds if you and Wei Ting lived together? You can¡¯t have both. You were too greedy. You forced me.¡¯ ¡°Do you want to guess what His Majesty is talking about with the Third Prince in the Imperial Study?¡± Chapter 397 - Chapter 397: Entering the Palace Chapter 397: Entering the Palace Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After all the unrelated people left, only Emperor Jingxuan and Xiao Zhonghua were left in the imperial study. Among Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s many sons, his eldest son, Xiao Duye, had the most real power¡ªthe Associate Imperial Guard, and his second son, Xiao Jinyan, had the highest official position. He was the imperial envoy of Youzhou, and his third son, Xiao Zhonghua, was not the most valued. The reason why he arranged a marriage for him with the Qin family was that the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince were already married. He could not let the daughter of the Protector Duke be the Secondary Consort of the Prince with military power. As for his younger brothers, it was either their mother¡¯s family background was not good enough or they were too young to be suitable. In the eyes of outsiders, Xiao Zhonghua knew how much Emperor Jing Xuan doted on him. He would not think that his father liked him so much just because this marriage landed on him. To put it bluntly, his father just had no choice. Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Although it was an accident that something like this happened to Qin Yanran and your brother, you¡¯ve suffered.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said nothing. If he were to say that he did not feel aggrieved at all, he would seem angry. Xiao Zhonghua had already guessed what Emperor Jingxuan wanted to say to him. If it was her¡ª Emperor Jing Xuan said calmly, ¡°Your wedding date with the Qin family was originally scheduled for May. It¡¯s already April¡­¡± Xiao Zhonghua said seriously, ¡°Father, she¡¯s already married in the countryside. Father, do you want me to marry a married woman?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said indifferently, ¡°If you have someone you like, just take her as your secondary consort.¡± ¡°Father¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty!¡± Eunuch Quan walked over anxiously. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong! The Empress Dowager¡­ fainted!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What!¡± The Empress Dowager suddenly had an emergency and was unconscious. Many imperial physicians, led by Hu Jiusheng, gathered in Yongshou Palace to urgently discuss treatment plans. Emperor Jing xuan entered the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom with a dignified expression. Looking at the withered Empress Dowager on the phoenix bed, Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s aura was extremely cold. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t they say that the Empress Dowager has improved?¡± The imperial physicians fell silent. Hu Jiusheng emboldened himself and cupped his hands. ¡°Your Majesty, after I changed the prescription for the Empress Dowager, her illness has indeed improved¡­¡± Emperor Jingxuan said in a low voice, ¡°Then why did she suddenly faint?¡± Hu Jiusheng was also puzzled, but he could not show it. Otherwise, people would doubt his medical skills. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°This¡­ please allow me to take the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse carefully.¡± Emperor Jingxuan suppressed the anger in his heart and agreed to Imperial Physician Hu¡¯s request. Hu Jiusheng took his pulse with a troubled expression. ¡°How is it?¡± Emperor Jingxuan asked. Hu Jiusheng braced himself and said, ¡°Empress Dowager¡­ was overthinking¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s voice darkened. ¡°Overthinking again. Can¡¯t you say anything else?! You¡¯re the imperial physician. I called you here to ask you to treat the Empress Dowager¡¯s illness, not to brush me off with a sentence!¡± The emperor was abnormally agitated. Imperial Physician Hu was really a little wronged. In a few days, it would be the death anniversary of Prince of Nanyang. The Empress Dowager would usually fall ill at this time. It was all because she missed the Prince of Nanyang. As the saying went, it was a disease of the heart and mind. The Empress Dowager was indulging in the pain of losing her eldest son. What could they, as imperial physicians, do? If one had to ask why she had survived in the past but could not be treated this time, it was because the Empress Dowager was aging and her body was not as strong as before. It would become more and more dangerous every year. Emperor Jingxuan knew that the Empress Dowager was suffering from a mental illness, so he was even angrier. He was the one who killed the Prince of Nanyang. He was the one who caused the Empress Dowager to suffer from heartache. Other than missing her eldest son, the Empress Dowager hated her youngest son every day. ¡°I don¡¯t care what method you have. If you can¡¯t treat the Empress Dowager, bring your heads to see me!¡± With that, Emperor Jingxuan flicked his sleeve and left. ¡°What should we do?¡± An imperial physician asked softly. ¡°Court Commissioner, do you have any ideas?¡± Another imperial physician asked. Hu Jiusheng muttered to himself, ¡°If only I had a way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not that our medical skills are not good. It¡¯s really¡­¡± An imperial physician was halfway through his sentence when Hu Jiusheng glared at him and he tactfully swallowed his words. Hu Jiusheng returned to the Imperial Hospital and took out a yellowed handwritten letter from a pile of old medical books. This letter was left behind by Imperial Physician Fu back then. It recorded many acupuncture techniques for difficult illnesses. He carefully studied it for an hour and discovered that one of the acupuncture techniques might be able to relieve the Empress Dowager¡¯s symptoms. However, this acupuncture technique was dangerous. Imperial Physician Fu had written it clearly¡ªif one was unwell, it might backfire. ¡°There¡¯s no other way now. If I can¡¯t treat the Empress Dowager, I¡¯ll die anyway.¡± Hu Jiusheng¡¯s strength was that he was bold and dared to try. He went to Yongshou Palace and used Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s acupuncture. Fifteen minutes later, the Empress Dowager really woke up slowly. When she woke up, she felt hungry and actually ate half a bowl of porridge. This made the palace servants extremely happy. She had an appetite. This meant that she was getting better! Hu Jiuzheng heaved a sigh of relief. Their heads were finally saved. However, before he could be happy for long, the Empress Dowager¡¯s situation changed drastically in the evening and she suddenly lost her hearing! The Empress Dowager was awake, but she could not hear anything. She was also dizzy and nauseous. The entire Imperial Hospital panicked. Hu Jiusheng panicked even more. He had expected that this acupuncture technique had failed. It was not that his technique was bad, but this acupuncture technique was not effective for everyone. If there were side effects, it would be irreversible. As Emperor Jing Xuan looked at the imperial physicians kneeling on the ground, killing intent flashed across his eyes. ¡°Your Majesty, the Third Prince requests an audience,¡± Eunuch Fu reported in a low voice. ¡°Why is he here?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan did not want to see him. ¡°It seems to be for the Empress Dowager¡¯s illness,¡± Eunuch Fu said. Emperor Jingxuan said impatiently, ¡°Let him in.¡± The young eunuch brought Xiao Zhonghua into the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom. Xiao Zhonghua did not waste his breath and went straight to the point. ¡°Father, I want to recommend a physician.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked, ¡°A common physician?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°Yes, this physician¡¯s medical skills are brilliant. She¡¯s not inferior to a imperial physician. She might be able to treat my grandmother¡¯s illness. ¡± Emperor Jing Xuan did not believe in common doctors. After all, the best medical skills were in the Imperial Hospital. But now, the Imperial Physician Hospital was helpless¡ª Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Who?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said seriously, ¡°The daughter of the Protector Duke, Su Daya.¡± At the entrance of Yongshou Palace, Xiao Zhonghua bumped into Princess Jingning, who had come to attend to the illness with the Empress. ¡°Mother.¡± Xiao Zhonghua bowed respectfully. The Empress nodded and walked into the Eternal Life Palace. ¡°Third Brother.¡± Princess Jingning stopped him. ¡°I heard that you were terminally ill in Qingzhou. It was Miss Su who treated you.¡± Xiao Zhonghua nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Princess Jing Ning asked coldly, ¡°Then do you know that if she can¡¯t treat Grandmother, Father will vent his anger on her? Father was just worrying about not having an excuse to deal with Su Cheng when you gave him something to use against him..¡± Chapter 398 - Chapter 398: Team Pet Chapter 398: Team Pet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiao Zhonghua looked at the vast starry sky above his head. ¡°But if she¡¯s cured, Father will owe her a favor.¡± Princess Jingning did not understand. Why would he want her father to owe the little girl a favor? She wanted to ask a few more questions, but Xiao Zhonghua had already turned around and disappeared into the night. She frowned. ¡°Princess.¡± Taozhi put a cloak on her. ¡°Go in. It¡¯s windy outside.¡± Princess Jingning looked at Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s thin back thoughtfully. ¡°My third brother¡­ Whose side is he on?¡± Su Xiaoxiao spent a day in the palace school following the rules. The news of Su Cheng winning the military power competition spread in the Palace Academy. She could feel the change in the way the daughters looked at her. The two daughters of the Lu family even took the initiative to come over and talk to her. After school, a few more daughters planned to come and greet Su Xiaoxiao. Hu Biyun sneered and said, ¡°Have you forgotten about isolating her in the past? 1 vveLe you, 1 vvucuull L nave Lile lace LU LUSH LU CUIu UULL¡¯. A daughter surnamed Liu said, ¡°Miss Hu, watch your words!¡± Hu Biyun mocked, ¡°Did I say something wrong? Didn¡¯t you isolated her?¡± The few of them choked. To be honest, their impression of Su Xiaoxiao had long changed. It was not because Su Cheng had won the competition that they wanted to be friends with her. The last time she helped Lu Hui deal with Hu Biyun¡¯s mockery, everyone already felt that she was not as useless as the rumors claim. Moreover, she was chubby and cute. They really wanted to feed her! Miss Liu said, ¡°You¡¯re just jealous of Miss Su!¡± Another daughter echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re jealous that her medical skills are better than yours!¡± Hu Biyun snorted. ¡°My father is a Court Commissioner at the Imperial Hospital. My medical skills were learned from my father. She only learned a little from a village man. Do you really think she¡¯s so powerful! ¡± ¡°But last time, you couldn¡¯t even smell the medicine¡­¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Hu Biyun blushed. Su MO had yet to return to the capital. The coachman who picked Su Xiaoxiao up today was arranged by Su Mo. The coachman sent Su Xiaoxiao to Pear Blossom Lane before leaving. Su Xiaoxiao went to pick up the three little ones. They had been busy for the past few days. It was either Ah Zhong or Little Weizi who came to pick them up. They had not enjoyed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s transportation for a long time. The three little ones only saw Su Xiaoxiao at the door and cried out excitedly. They flapped their arms and pounced into her arms. The three little fellows had grown taller and heavier. Su Xiaoxiao almost didn¡¯t catch them. ¡°Three little weights.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in amusement. The three of them sucked in her fragrant scent, filling up the entire day¡¯s longing. Su Xiaoxiao asked softly, ¡°Did you listen to Master obediently today?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The three of them nodded. ¡°Dahu listened to him!¡± ¡°Erhu was also obedient!¡± ¡°Xiaohu was the most obedient!¡± Dahu and Erhu looked at him. Wasn¡¯t he the most disobedient? Who smeared Master¡¯s flute with a pool of saliva? ¡°Mother.¡± Xiaohu placed his small book bag on the ground and rummaged through it. He took out a long flute and handed it to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed, ¡°Eh, what a beautiful jade flute.¡± Xiaohu patted his chest and said proudly, ¡°Master gave it to me! Master gave it to Xiaohu! He doesn¡¯t have it! He doesn¡¯t have it either!¡± Dahu and Erhu looked at him speechlessly. Was that because you played the flute into a funeral trumpet and almost sent your master to the heavens?! ¡°How¡¯s your master recently?¡± She wondered if he had been eating the digestive enzyme she gave him last time. Coincidentallv_ T .in? Viln_ who had finallv gent off the three little hilllieq walked out to take a breather. As soon as he reached the corridor, he heard Xiaohu say, ¡°You¡¯ve gained weight!¡± Ling Yun staggered! Evil disciple! The three little ones were especially happy today. They followed their mother and skipped home. Just as they reached the door, a carriage stopped in front of the three of them. A familiar figure jumped down. It was Changping, whom she had not seen for a long time. Changping was Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s long-time follower. He had met Su Xiaoxiao many times in Qingzhou. The two of them did not get along well, and it was still the same. Changping pouted unwillingly and said, ¡°My master invites you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao entered the house. Changping, who had said the invitation in vain, was speechless. Changping looked at the three little ones again. The three little ones also swung their heads and entered without looking back! Changping muttered, ¡°No way? I¡¯m actually despised by three babies? Haven¡¯t they gone a little overboard?¡± The three little ones worked together and pushed the door closed with a bang! Changping was speechless. Changping curled his lips aggrievedly and obediently lowered his posture before knocking on the door. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Xiaohu asked. ¡°I¡¯m looking for¡­ Physician Su,¡± Changping said. Xiaohu continued, ¡°Why are you looking for my mother?¡± Changping deliberated over his words and said, ¡°A Guiren (noble) is very sick. My young master asked your mother to make a house call.¡± As soon as Changping finished speaking, he heard Xiaohu run a few steps and say in a childish voice, ¡°Mother, he s inviting you to treat a Gui Zhe De Ren (kneeling person)!¡± Changping¡¯s legs went weak! ¡°Little ancestor, don¡¯t take my life¡­¡± Su Cheng was not at home, and Zhong Shan was taking care of Su Ergou in the house. Su Xiaoxiao spoke to the two of them. Zhong Shan told her not to worry. He would wait for Su Cheng to return before leaving. Su Xiaoxiao said to the three little ones, ¡°The three of you have to watch Uncle. Don¡¯t let him run around, understand?¡± The three of them nodded. They would guard their uncle! Su Xiaoxiao got into Changping¡¯s carriage. She first went to the medical center to get the first aid kit. When she came out, Hu Biyun, who had come to Benevolence Hall, saw her. Hu Biyun frowned slightly. Wasn¡¯t that the guard beside the Third Prince? Where was she going in the Third Prince¡¯s carriage? Could it be that she was going to meet the Third Prince in private? Due to the urgency of the matter, Changping brought her to the Yong Shou Palace. Just now, the palace maid had served the Empress Dowager medicine. The Empress Dowager did not drink it and knocked over the medicine bowl, causing it to splatter all over the ground. Emperor Jing Xuan and the empress, tha Jing Ning calculated the time of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arrival and persuaded the two of them to change their clothes in the side hall. As soon as the two of them left, Su Xiaoxiao entered the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom with Changping. Princess Jingning came out from behind the screen and pulled Su Xiaoxiao aside. She whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you receive my note?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What note?¡± Princess Jingning looked at Changping. Changping¡¯s eyes flashed.. Chapter 399 - Chapter 399: Showing Off Chapter 399: Showing Off Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Changping lowered his head guiltily and silently took out a crumpled note. Princess Jingning glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re tired of living!¡± ¡°The Third Prince asked me to do this¡­¡± Changping decisively sold his master. Su Xiaoxiao opened the note and saw that it was from Jingning. ¡°Don¡¯t come.¡± Princess Jingning said earnestly, ¡°My grandmother is very sick, and your father has just obtained military power. He¡¯s a thorn in my father¡¯s side. At this juncture, if there¡¯s any mistake, you¡¯ll die.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s not a dead end. At most, I¡¯ll end up with a trump card or a crime.¡± Princess Jingning frowned and said, ¡°You knew, but you still dare to come?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I definitely have to come. If I don¡¯t come, how will I know if I can treat the illness?¡± Princess Jingning said regretfully, ¡°I¡¯ve really spoiled you!¡± The eunuch in charge of the Yong Shou Palace walked over and said calmly to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Physician Su, please.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and went to the Empress Dowager¡¯s bed. Princess Jingning called Taozhi over. ¡°Ask Little Zhuozi to leave the palace and look for my grandfather.¡± Taozhi asked, ¡°Princess, why are you looking for the Grand Tutor?¡± Princess Jing Ning said, ¡°Tell him to quickly find a few powerful divine physicians among the commoners. The sooner, the better!¡± What if that girl couldn¡¯t cure her grandmother¡­ It should be said that there was an 80% chance that she couldn¡¯t be treated.. At the very least, she had to make some preparations. She did not want her father to really behead that girl. The Empress Dowager had just lost her temper and exhausted her strength. Now, she lay weakly on the phoenix bed. The eunuch in charge bowed and said respectfully, ¡°Empress Dowager, Physician Su is here.¡± The Empress Dowager was deaf and could not hear. The eunuch in charge wrote with a brush instead. When he was done, he brought it to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager did not even look up. She smelled the ink fragrance and said only one word, ¡°Get lost!¡± The eunuch in charge smiled awkwardly. The Empress Dowager had asked them to get lost, but His Majesty had allowed Physician Su to treat her¡­ The eunuch in charge continued to write. The Empress Dowager still did not open her eyes. ¡°I said to get lost¡ªcough, cough, cough¡­¡± The Empress Dowager was agitated and coughed violently. She was already weak, to begin with. With such a cough, she almost lost half her life. Su Xiaoxiao placed the medicine box on the stool and walked over with ease. She grabbed the Empress Dowager¡¯s wrist. The Empress Dowager opened her eyes. ¡°How dare you!¡± The eunuch in charge and the two little palace maids serving him were also shocked. The fat girl had offended the Empress Dowager! Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t move. If you move again, I¡¯ll only knock you out with an injection!¡± The Empress Dowager could not hear her at all. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed a pen and paper and wrote in a flamboyant manner, ¡°Move, I, will, inject, you!¡± The Empress Dowager really did not move. However, it was not because she had seen Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s words. She stared fixedly at the little fat girl in front of her and was in a daze. ¡°Su Huayin¡­¡¯ The eunuch in charge was 40 years old this year and had never seen Su Huayin, but he had heard of this person and knew that she was the late Madam Duchess. He bowed and wrote with a pen and paper, ¡°This is Physician Su.¡± The Empress Dowager looked at Su Xiaoxiao and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with Su Huayin?¡± Su Xiaoxiao wrote, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you behave well.¡± The Empress Dowager was speechless. Everyone was speechless. Fifteen minutes later, after careful observation, smell, and questioning, Su Xiaoxiao had a preliminary inference about the reason for the Empress Dowager¡¯s deafness. ¡°Empress Dowager, please turn your head.¡± She demonstrated. The Empress Dowager looked resistant, but she still turned her head accordingly. Right on the heels of that, an extremely strong dizziness assaulted her. Su Xiaoxiao held her in time. Su Xiaoxiao took off the jade pendant around her neck. This piece of jade was soaked in water and worn a lot. It had already recovered its original imperial green luster. She held the rope from which the pendant was suspended and slowly waved the jade pendant in front of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager stared at the jade pendant, her pupils suddenly strange. It was an eye shock. This could confirm the diagnosis. Su Xiaoxiao put away the jade pendant and said to Princess Jingning, who was waiting at the side, ¡°The Empress Dowager has earstones.¡± ¡°Earstones?¡± Princess Jingning did not understand. Su Xiaoxiao explained patiently, ¡°It can be understood that something in the Empress Dowager¡¯s ear has left its original position.¡± In that case, Princess Jingning understood. ¡°Is it serious?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s not serious with me around.¡± The eunuch in charge winced at her lack of humility. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Ordinary earstones rarely cause deafness. The Empress Dowager¡¯s situation is relatively special.¡± Princess Jingning¡¯s heart skipped a beat again. ¡°Then¡­ can it be treated?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Princess Jingning hurriedly instructed, ¡°Hurry up and get a pen and paper. Let Physician Su prescribe a prescription!¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood up and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to take medicine. She¡¯ll be fine in a while.¡± Everyone suspected that they had heard wrongly. The Empress Dowager was dizzy, vomiting, and deaf. Was she sure she didn¡¯t need to take medicine? There was a special reset method for earstones. It only needed to be done once to expel the earstones with the help of gravity. Su Xiaoxiao got someone to bring over a bamboo bed and let the Empress Dowager sit on it. Her hands were very busy and she could not write. If she did, the Empress Dowager would probably not understand, such as what a 45-degree angle was¡­ She might as well do it. Everyone watched as she grabbed the Empress Dowager¡¯s head and twisted her hands to the left like she was twisting a chicken¡¯s neck. Then, she quickly tilted Empress Dowager to the back. Everyone was shocked! Was this girl trying to murder the Empress Dowager?! Princess Jing Ning tightened her grip and broke out in a cold sweat. If not for her absolute trust in Su Xiaoxiao, she would probably have given the order to capture the assassin! Su Xiaoxiao asked the Empress Dowager to lower her head from the edge of the bed to the left. Half a minute later, she slowly turned the Empress Dowager¡¯s head to the right. Everyone¡¯s hearts were in their throats. She was the first person to dare to twist the Empress Dowager¡¯s phoenix neck like a chicken¡¯s! Next was to turn the Empress Dowager¡¯s body to the right. Her hand hugged the Empress Dowager¡¯s head. To keep her head still, she could only use her legs. Everyone¡¯s eyes were about to pop out! She actually used her legs to manipulate the Empress Dowager! Was she not here to die? This girl was good as dead! The eunuch in charge clenched his fists and almost blurted out. Princess Jingning warned, ¡°Shut up!¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued her treatment. This body¡¯s flexibility and flexibility were really good. Otherwise, she would really not be able to roll the Empress Dowager over. Then, she kicked the Empress Dowager¡¯s calf down. The eunuch in charge trembled! Princess Jingning¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°This is all I can do for you. If you continue to be impudent, I won¡¯t be able to protect you¡­¡± Fortunately, this was the last position. Half a minute later, Su Xiaoxiao slowly helped the Empress Dowager sit up. ¡°Alright, Empress Dowager. How are you feeling?¡± Endless killing intent surged in the Empress Dowager¡¯s eyes as she glared fiercely at the little fat girl in front of her. ¡°You still have the cheek to ask me how I feel? You¡¯re so disrespectful to me. I want to punish you to death!¡± Princess Jingning said, ¡°Grandmother, can you hear me?¡± The Empress Dowager was stunned.. Chapter 400 - Chapter 400: Slapping Emperor Jing Xuan ‘s Face Chapter 400: Slapping Emperor Jing Xuan ¡®s Face Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hu Jiusheng was reading medical books at the Imperial Hospital. These books were all left behind by Imperial Physician Fu back then. Imperial Physician Fu was a physician who had spent his life saving lives. He had left behind many precious experiences and did not have the time to take them away because of the sudden incident back then. His medical books and handwritten notes were all taken by Hu Jiusheng. Hu Jiusheng was also a talented person. Supported by Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s medical books, his medical skills advanced by leaps and bounds, as he conquered many difficult illnesses, and successfully stabilized himself in the Imperial Hospital. He believed that this time, he would definitely find a way to treat the Empress Dowager. ¡°There will definitely be¡­ definitely¡­¡¯ He hurriedly flipped through the medical books. Suddenly, Imperial Physician Zhang rushed in. ¡°Treated, cured, cured¡­ cured!¡± He stammered. Hu Jiusheng and the other imperial physicians looked up at him in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s cured?¡± Hu Jiusheng asked. Imperial Physician Zhang¡¯s forehead was covered in bean-sized sweat. He was not tired from running over, but excited from witnessing a miracle. His chest heaved as he panted. ¡°The Empress Dowager¡­ the Empress Dowager¡¯s ear disease has been cured!¡± Everyone looked at him suspiciously. An imperial physician surnamed Li said, ¡°lmperial Physician Zhang, this joke isn¡¯t funny.¡± Imperial Physician Zhang hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s true! I was in Yongshou Palace just now and heard it with my own ears! The Empress Dowager has earstones and has already recovered her hearing through resetting!¡± Hu Jiusheng happened to turn to this page. Dizziness¡ªear disease. Although it did not say the words ¡°earstone¡±, the symptoms recorded were generally the same as what the Empress Dowager had displayed. However, this page was not finished. There were only symptoms and no way to deal with it. Imperial Physician Li did not believe it. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°You just said¡­ it was cured using a reset method? Who reset the Empress Dowager? Was it Imperial Physician Zhang?¡± Everyone laughed. It was not entirely their fault. It was just that Imperial Physician Zhang usually liked to brag and always praised his medical skills. In fact, he was only at the bottom in the Imperial Physician Hospital. Imperial Physician Zhang was anxious. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me¡­ Sigh! It¡¯s true this time! I didn¡¯t lie to you!¡± He did not know how to gain others¡¯ trust. Coincidentally, Imperial Physician Zhu came over from Yongshou Palace. Just now, one of them had stayed behind to guard the Eternal Longevity Palace. Imperial Physician Zhang hurriedly pulled Imperial Physician Zhu over. ¡°Old Zhu, tell them, can the Empress Dowager hear you?¡± Imperial Physician Zhu nodded. ¡°Ah, yes. Her hearing has recovered. Not only that, but her dizziness has also disappeared. She¡¯s no longer nauseous and vomiting.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the lobby of the Imperial Hospital fell silent. Imperial Physician Zhu was an honest person. Like a monk, he did not lie. Everyone¡¯s expressions changed. ¡°What, what¡¯s going on?¡± Imperial Physician Li asked in a daze. Hu Jiusheng also looked at Imperial Physician Zhu in surprise. Imperial Physician Zhu said, ¡°It¡¯s the girl recommended by the Third Prince. She cured the Empress Dowager¡¯s ear disease.¡± ¡°Is it that medical woman?¡± Imperial Physician Li asked. In the Great Zhou, women who practiced medicine were called medical women. They could not be called physicians. Xiao Zhonghua and the others called Su Xiaoxiao Physician Su more or less because they had some friendship. However, as the medical authority of the Great Zhou, the imperial physicians would never recognize her. Imperial Physician Zhu said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her.¡± ¡°How¡­ how is this possible?¡± Another imperial physician surnamed Wan muttered. He was not the only one who thought so. All the men in the room felt that it was unbelievable. Even a large group of legitimate imperial physicians could not find the problem with the Empress Dowager. Yet a little physician girl from the commoners easily cured the Empress Dowager the moment she arrived! Imperial Physician Zhang said, ¡°It¡¯s true! Even f you don¡¯t believe me, you have to believe Old Zhu. If you don¡¯t even believe Old Zhu¡¯s words, you can go to the Yongshou Palace to take a look yourself!¡± Imperial Physician Li asked, ¡°That doctor girl¡­ what¡¯s her background? Chief Physician Hu, is that a doctor of your Benevolence Hall? Did you recommend her to the Third Prince?¡± It was not a secret that Hu Hui was close to the Third Prince. Imperial Physician Wan teased, ¡°Are you stupid? If it was from the Benevolence Hall, why didn¡¯t he recommend her himself? Must he go through the Third Prince?¡± Hu Jiusheng frowned. His Benevolence Hall had medical women who were mainly in charge of delivering babies and some women¡¯s hidden gynecological illnesses. With his status, it was impossible for him to recommend them to the princes of a country. In addition, his daughter, Hu Biyun, knew a little about medicine. ¡°If it¡¯s not from Benevolence Hall, then what¡¯s her background?¡± Imperial Physician Li asked for the second time. He was most concerned about this. Imperial Physician Zhu thought for a moment and said, ¡°1 heard that the people from Yongshou Palace call her Miss Qin in private, but the Third Prince¡¯s attendant calls her Physician Su.¡± Everyone was stunned. Imperial Physician Zhu continued, ¡°Oh, right, she seems to have opened a medical center in the capital. It¡¯s next door to the Benevolence Hall.¡± He had also heard about it from the Third Prince¡¯s attendant and the palace maids. Hu Jiusheng frowned. ¡°You mean the Number One Hall?¡± Hu Jiusheng knew about the Number One Hall. His biological brother had managed the Benevolence Hall for many years. This was the first time he had failed at the hands of a peer and had even failed several times. ¡°What¡¯s the background of the Number One Hall?¡± Imperial Physician Li wanted to get to the bottom of her background. Imperial Physician Zhu was not sure about more. Imperial Physician Hu called a medicine boy to inquire. It was not a secret. It was not difficult to ask. The medicine boy said, ¡°Her father is Su Cheng, the biological son of the old Protector Duke. She acknowledged a physician as her master in town. His surname is Fu.¡± Fu¡­ Hu Jiusheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. On the other side, Emperor Jing Xuan and the Empress returned to the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom after changing their clothes. ¡°Your Majesty, Physician Su is Jingning¡¯s classmate. If she can¡¯t treat Mother¡¯s illness, I hope Your Majesty can be lenient to her on account of her young age.¡± The Empress had never asked for anything from Emperor Jing Xuan. If not for Princess Jingning begging her, the Empress would not have asked. Speaking of which, Princess Jingning followed the Empress¡¯s personality and did not like to beg. It was rare for her to beg, so the Empress agreed. Emperor Jing Xuan said solemnly, ¡°This concerns Mother¡¯s phoenix body. I can¡¯t be lenient just because I want to. If that¡¯s the case, will I have to agree to anyone in the world who wants to treat the Empress Dowager in the future? Moreover, I can¡¯t punish them if they¡¯re not capable of curing? Hmph, for overestimating themselves, they have to pay the price for their actions.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Emperor Jing Xuan paused. The Empress Dowager, who was originally tortured by the illness, was sitting quietly on the phoenix bed, with Princess Jingning carefully serving dinner. It was a bowl of red date barley porridge. The red dates were picked out, leaving a hint of sweetness in the porridge. A little fat girl sat at the side and was searching for something in the medicine box. The palace servants felt as if they had been pardoned. There was no longer any fear on their faces. Emperor Jing Xuan suddenly felt his face hurt! Chapter 401 - Chapter 401: Miracle Physician Xiaoxiao Chapter 401: Miracle Physician Xiaoxiao Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Emperor Jing Xuan took a deep look at Su Xiaoxiao, who was looking for medicine. He strode towards the Empress Dowager. ¡°Mother.¡± The Empress Dowager ate the porridge indifferently. Emperor Jing Xuan felt a little embarrassed, but he had gotten used to it over the years. On the other hand, Princess Jing Ning bowed. ¡°Father.¡± She also bowed to the Empress behind him. ¡°Mother.¡± The Empress Dowager glared at Princess Jingning. Princess Jingning quietly continued to feed the porridge. Eunuch Fu quietly approached Emperor Jing Xuan and reported softly, ¡°The Empress Dowager can hear. She won¡¯t feel dizzy anymore and can eat.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he hoped that the Empress Dowager could be cured, but on the other hand, he did not want the person who treated her to be this girl. After all¡ª ¡°After all, your father agreed so readily. It¡¯s not that he trusts her or thinks highly of Xiao Zhonghua. It¡¯s because if she can¡¯t be treated, your father can punish her with the death penalty and use her life to coerce Su Cheng to hand over his military power.¡± After Emperor Jing Xuan left, the Empress whispered to Princess Jingning. Princess Jing Ning agreed. The Empress looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who was checking on the Empress Dowager behind the screen. ¡°This girl¡¯s medical skills are surprising.¡± Princess Jingning puffed out her chest proudly. She said, ¡°Mother, go back to Kunning Palace. I¡¯ll accompany Grandmother tonight.¡± The Empress knew that she was accompanying her classmate, so she did not expose her. She nodded and left with the palace maids. Halfway through, a young eunuch hurriedly welcomed her and reported, ¡°Her Majesty, His Majesty¡­ has gone to Qixiang Palace.¡± Qixiang Palace was Consort Xian¡¯s residence. Emperor Jingxuan had not been there for a while. The empress said indifferently, ¡°Got it.¡± Seeing that she was so calm, Auntie Mei couldn¡¯t help but worry for her. ¡°Your Highness, it wasn¡¯t easy to make Consort Xian lose favor. We can¡¯t let her be doted on anymore! Think of a way to get His Majesty to come to Kunning Palace, right?¡± The Empress said calmly, ¡°Hasn¡¯t he come enough recently?¡± The Empress Dowager lay on the bed and watched as Su Xiaoxiao wrapped a strange cloth around her arm. She even used her internal energy to make the cloth swell¡ª Actually, it was not internal strength. It was the sphygmomanometer that inflated the airbag. The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t understand, so she thought it was internal energy. Then, she saw the little girl stick a cold little thing into her clothes and touch her chest. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t be too impudent!¡± She gritted her teeth. Doctor Su said seriously, ¡°This is a checkup. Don¡¯t move. Take a deep breath and inhale¡­. The Empress Dowager glared at her as she took a deep breath. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Breathe¡­ The Empress Dowager glared and exhaled. After repeating this several times, Su Xiaoxiao put away the stethoscope. It took the Empress Dowager a long time to calm down. She said calmly, ¡°Girl, you haven¡¯t told me what your relationship with Su Huayin is.¡± Su Xiaoxiao opened the medicine box and placed the stethoscope inside. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s my grandmother.¡± The Empress Dowager was slightly stunned. ¡°Your father is Su Cheng? You¡¯re the girl who grew up among the commoners?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Unexpectedly, even the Empress Dowager had heard of her. Was she famous in the palace? The Empress Dowager studied Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s round face. ¡°You really look.. like your grandmother¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Does the Empress Dowager know my grandmother?¡± The Empress Dowager did not continue. She looked at Su Xiaoxiao with a complicated expression and said, ¡°Leave. Don¡¯t come to treat me in the future. You won¡¯t be able to treat me.¡± The Empress Dowager was exhausted and rested after eating the porridge. Princess Jingning walked into the room with Taozhi behind her. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± she said. ¡°Go get something to eat.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao followed her to the side hall next door. Princess Jingning left Taozhi and the eunuch in charge to take care of the Empress Dowager. The two of them sat down on stools. The young eunuch serving them opened the food box and brought out a few steaming dishes. ¡°You eat too, ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Princess Jingning. ¡°I¡¯ve eaten,¡± Princess Jingning said. After a pause, she said to the young eunuch, ¡°Give me a bowl of soup.¡± The young eunuch scooped a bowl of black chicken soup for her. Princess Jingning took a sip and asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°How¡¯s my grandmother¡¯s condition?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°To be honest, the situation isn¡¯t good.¡± Princess Jing Ning wondered, ¡°I thought she could already hear? She¡¯s no longer dizzy and vomiting.¡± Su Xiaoxiao explained, ¡°Ear stone disease is a sudden illness. What really is really making the Empress Dowager sick is irreversible aging and overthinking..¡± Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: Miracle Physician Xiaoxiao (2) Chapter 402: Miracle Physician Xiaoxiao (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was similar to depression in her previous life, but it was not completely the same. Princess Jingning said, ¡°The imperial physician also said that it¡¯s a mental illness.¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Mental disease is one of the reasons. Physical discomfort will aggravate her heart disease to a certain extent.¡± This was the first time Princess Jingning had heard such a thing. ¡°In that case, can my grandmother still be saved?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I need to see her medical history and case before making a detailed treatment plan.¡± Princess Jingning said, ¡°That¡¯s not difficult. The Imperial Hospital has records.¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused and said calmly, ¡°In addition, I hope you can tell me the reason for the Empress Dowager¡¯s heartache if it¡¯s convenient.¡± Princess Jingning did not suspect anything and said helplessly, ¡°In a few days, it will be the anniversary of Prince Nanyang¡¯s death. Every year, around April, the Empress Dowager will fall ill. Her condition seems to be the most serious this year. Actually, as long as she survives April, she will feel better.¡± Prince Nanyang¡¯s entire family was destroyed in April. When the news returned to the capital, the cries in the Yongshou Palace rang for the entire night. The Empress Dowager had not seen Emperor Jing Xuan for an entire year. The first time the mother and son met the next year, the Empress Dowager slapped Emperor Jing Xuan hard. Emperor Jing Xuan wanted to announce the crime of the Prince of Nanyang¡¯s rebellion to the world, but the Empress Dowager threatened him with death. ¡°You¡¯ve already killed your brother, but you still don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough. You still want to leave behind eternal infamy and let him be despised by later generations! Why don¡¯t you kill me too!¡± The news of Prince Nanyang¡¯s rebellion was hidden just like that. The world was so big. There were many people who knew and even more commoners who did not know. At first, there were still people asking around. As time passed, no one paid attention to the truth about Prince Nanyang¡¯s family. Only the Empress Dowager would forever remember the pain of losing her son and grandchildren. Su Xiaoxiao muttered thoughtfully, ¡°Prince Nanyang¡¯s Mansion¡­¡± Prince Nanyang¡¯s Mansion had a young princess. The imperial physicians packed their things and left the palace. Hu Jiusheng also sat in the carriage back to the residence with a dark expression. ¡°Wait.¡± Halfway there, he called out to the coachman. ¡°Go to Benevolence Hall.¡± The coachman asked, ¡°Master, which Benevolence Hall?¡± Their Benevolence Hall had opened a few branches in the capital. ¡°At Scholar Street,¡± Hu Jiusheng said. Half an hour later, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Benevolence Hall. The coachman brought over a footstool, and Hu Jiusheng alighted from the carriage expressionlessly. Hu Biyun was checking the herbs in the storeroom. When she heard that her father was coming, she quickly put down her work and went to the accountant on the second floor. ¡°It¡¯s so late. Why is Big Brother here?¡± Second Master Hu gave up his chair and respectfully made a pot of tea for Hu Jiusheng. Hu Jiusheng could not sleep after drinking tea at night. ¡°Dad.¡± Hu Biyun walked in. Hu Jiusheng nodded. Manager Wu looked at the three of them and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll go downstairs to help.¡± Only the Hu family was left in the room. Hu Biyun said, ¡°Dad, are you here to get the herbs? Do you need any rare herbs for the Empress Dowager¡¯s illness?¡± Hu Jiusheng frowned and said nothing. Hu Biyun and Second Master Hu gradually realized that something was wrong. Second Master Hu asked, ¡°Brother, what happened?¡± Hu Jiusheng did not answer him. Instead, he asked, ¡°Is there a physician with the surname Su next door? Someone from the Protectorate?¡± Hu Biyun frowned and said, ¡°Dad, why are you suddenly asking about her?¡± Hu Jiusheng looked at his daughter. ¡°Do you know her?¡± ¡°A classmate from the palace,¡± Hu Biyun said indifferently. She hated Su Xiaoxiao to the core and didn¡¯t want to mention her at all. Hu Jiusheng asked, ¡°Then do you know that she knows medicine?¡± Not only did she know, but she had also been played by her. Hu Biyun didn¡¯t mention it. It was embarrassing. Hu Biyun said, ¡°The Qin family opened the Number One Hall next door for her.¡± In Hu Biyun¡¯s opinion, it was impossible for Su Xiaoxiao to take out such a large sum of money herself. Qin Canglan must have given her money for this. Hu Jiusheng said, ¡°When I was downstairs just now, I saw that there were more patients next door than in Benevolence Hall.¡± Second Master Hu said awkwardly, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be deceived by them. They¡¯re all shills. Not many of them are real patients.¡± Hu Jiusheng said calmly, ¡°Is that so?¡± Second Master Hu said, ¡°Of course! Our Benevolence Hall is the largest medical center in the capital. Big Brother, you¡¯re the Court Commissioner of the Imperial Hospital. Which medical center can continue operating next door to us? No matter how much they buy, it¡¯s useless. As time passes, their half-baked medical skills won¡¯t be able to fool anyone!¡± Hu Jiusheng looked at him coldly. ¡°You mean¡­ the medical skills that cured the Empress Dowager¡¯s ear disease¡­ are half-baked medical skills?¡± Second Master Hu was shocked. Hu Biyun turned pale. ¡°Father¡­ they¡­ entered the palace to treat the Empress Dowager?¡± Hu Jiusheng said, ¡°It¡¯s not them. It¡¯s that little doctor girl.¡± Hu Biyun clenched her fists. ¡°Su Daya is just a disciple of a town doctor. What right does she have to treat the Empress Dowager?¡± Yes, what right did she have? But she had treated and cured the Empress Dowager. Hu Jiusheng was not here to publicize Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s glorious deeds. He asked, ¡°I heard that her master¡¯s surname is Fu. What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Fu¡­ I¡¯m really not sure about that.¡± Second Master Hu scratched his head and glanced down the window. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s him!¡± Physician Fu went to the cloth shop opposite to exchange silver for some copper coins and was walking back. As if sensing an unfamiliar gaze, he raised his head and glanced at the second floor of the Benevolence Hall. Hu Jiusheng also happened to come to the window. Their eyes met. Hu Jiusheng¡¯s mind suddenly buzzed. Fu Sheng! Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s biological son! Was that girl his disciple? ¡°Did you make a mistake?¡± Hu Jiusheng definitely did not believe that Fu Sheng could teach such an outstanding disciple, let alone that Fu Sheng had the guts to return to the capital. Second Master Hu said, ¡°There¡¯s no mistake. He¡¯s that girl¡¯s master.¡± Hu Jiusheng clenched his fists tightly. How was this possible? If he could not treat the Empress Dowager, what right did Fu Sheng¡¯s disciple have? Fu Sheng¡¯s medical skills were clearly inferior to his! It seemed that that girl had cured the Empress Dowager¡¯s ear stone disease by chance! Chapter 403 - Chapter 403: The Shy Dahu Chapter 403: The Shy Dahu Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Su Xiaoxiao returned home, it was already late. The three little fellows were actually still awake. Dahu was catching crickets for Xiaohu, and Erhu was squatting by the basin soaking his small stones. Su Ergou was recuperating, but he fell asleep in his room. Dinner was cooked by Su Cheng. It was already disgusting, but he made too much all of a sudden. At this moment, Qin Canglan was sitting in the kitchen eating sweet potatoes that the family could not finish. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu.¡± Su Xiaoxiao closed the courtyard door and greeted the three little fellows. Dahu caught a cricket and pounced over. ¡°Mother! Look at the cricket I caught!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the big and fierce cricket and smiled. ¡°Dahu is so powerful.¡± ¡°Xiaohu is also powerful!¡± Xiaohu was not to be outdone. He walked over with a jar of crickets. ¡°Look! There¡¯s a lot!¡± ¡°I caught them!¡± Dahu said. Xiaohu said, ¡°You gave them to Xiaohu. They¡¯re Xiaohu¡¯s!¡± He was quite unreasonable. Erhu ran over. ¡°Mother!¡± The three little tiger heads rubbed against her arms, making her heart soften. Su Xiaoxiao touched their heads and bent down to lift Dahu¡¯s pants to look at his injuries. The wound was healing well. It was already scabbed over. ¡°Does it hurt today?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Dahu shook his head. Children were not as sensitive to pain as adults. When they went crazy, they forgot everything. Su Xiaoxiao went to see Su Ergou again. During the day, Physician Fu came to change Su Ergou¡¯s dressing and bandaged it extremely well. ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so big. Why can¡¯t you even eat sweet potatoes?¡± Qin Canglan and Su Cheng¡¯s conversation came from the kitchen. Qin Canglan sat on the small stool like a tall bear with a black thing in his bear paw. His expression was a little indescribable. An hour ago, he said that there were only two sweet potatoes left¡­ ¡°Dad.¡± Su Xiaoxiao entered the kitchen. Su Cheng¡¯s eyes lit up as he put down the spatula. ¡°Daughter! You¡¯re back! Have you eaten dinner? Are you hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve eaten,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Qin Canglan also smiled. ¡°Daya!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Grandpa.¡± Qin Canglan staggered and fell forward. The black sweet potato fell out of his hand. He hurriedly grabbed it. The disobedient sweet potato jumped a few times in his hand, causing him to almost flip the stove. ¡°W-What did you just call me?¡± Qin Canglan, who had grabbed the sweet potato, looked at Su Xiaoxiao in disbelief. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Grandpa.¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s aura instantly reached 2.8 meters! His granddaughter called him grandfather! He was a grandfather! Although it was not Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s first time calling him grandfather. Oin Canglan was not a fool. How could he not tell that Su Xiaoxiao was just putting on a show when she called him grandfather in the Duke¡¯s Estate? This time, she was sincere! Qin Canglan couldn¡¯t stop smiling. If not for a pair of ears blocking the way, the corners of his mouth would have reached the back of his head. Su Cheng pursed his lips. Thinking of something, Qin Canglan said, ¡°By the way, Daya, I heard that you entered the palace to treat someone. Were you treating the Empress Dowager?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°It¡¯s her.¡± Qin Canglan was silent for a moment before suddenly sighing. ¡°Back then, your grandmother¡­ was friends with her. The two of them had a good relationship. Unfortunately¡­ Sigh, fate makes fools of people. They broke up in the end.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Break up?¡± Qin Canglan sighed. ¡°She hoped to support her eldest son, Prince Nanyang, to inherit the throne, so she even looked for your grandmother. However, our Qin and Su families supported her second son, Prince Ruyang.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Can I ask why the Qin and Su families didn¡¯t support Prince Nanyang?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the late emperor¡¯s decree.¡± Qin Canglan did not think that his granddaughter should not ask this. ¡°Before his death, the late emperor asked someone to give a secret decree to me and the Marquis of Zhenbei at the distant border to appoint Prince Ruyang as the new emperor.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was deep in thought. At Yongshou Palace, the Empress Dowager slowly woke up. The eunuch in charge hurriedly bowed and asked softly, ¡°Empress Dowager, are you awake?¡± The Empress Dowager glanced at Princess Jingning, who was lying by the bed, and waved at the eunuch in charge. The eunuch in charge understood and lowered his voice. ¡°The princess has been guarding your bed. She just fell asleep.¡± The Empress Dowager raised her hand. The eunuch in charge helped her slowly sit up. ¡°What about the child?¡± the Empress Dowager asked. ¡°Did you say¡­ Physician Su?¡± The eunuch in charge brought a pillow and placed it behind the Empress Dowager¡¯s back. He poured a glass of warm water and said, ¡°She just left.¡± The Empress Dowager leaned against the thick pillow and took the teacup. She took a sip and sighed. ¡°She really looks like Huayin.¡± The eunuch in charge smiled and said, ¡°I entered the palace late and have never seen the old Madam. However, looking at Physician Su¡¯s physiognomy, she seems to be more blessed than other young ladies.¡± The Empress Dowager handed him the teacup. ¡°Just say that she¡¯s fat.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± The eunuch in charge was embarrassed. The Empress Dowager paused and said, ¡°She¡¯s much thinner than Huayin when she was young.¡± The eunuch in charge choked. How fat was the old Duchess when she was young¡­ The Empress Dowager looked at the cabinet on the dressing table. The eunuch in charge understood and immediately went forward. He opened the cabinet door and took out an exquisite painting box. He brought the drawing box to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager slowly opened the lid of the box and took out a scroll. The eunuch in charge placed the box away and turned the oil lamp brighter. The Empress Dowager carefully unfolded the painting. The painting was a beautiful pavilion with four peerless women sitting in it. The woman in purple played the zither, the woman in white raised her chess piece, and the woman in red played with the red tassel spear. She was valiant and heroic. Only a chubby little girl in blue at the side crossed her legs and leisurely ate a big drumstick. The eunuch in charge secretly took a look. The purple-clothed woman playing the zither must be the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was good at playing the zither, and Princess Jingning took after her. That fat girl must be the old Madam Su Huayin. Physician Su was indeed like her. As for the other two women who played chess and wielded red tassel spears¡­ the eunuch could not guess for a moment. He had been by the Empress Dowager¡¯s side for ten years. In these ten years, he had never seen the Empress Dowager get too close to any women. In short, the people in the portrait had either passed away, such as the old Madam Su Huayin, or they had distanced themselves from the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager¡¯s dry and wrinkled hand brushed across the person in the portrait inch by inch. Things had changed, and there was no going back. At dawn, Su Xiaoxiao woke up early. Dahu also got up and did the horse stance in the courtyard. The little guy had been very hardworking recently. Su Xiaoxiao walked over and bent down to give Dahu a reward kiss. Dahu¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Haha!¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Children were so fun. On the other side, Hu Jiusheng also woke up early and went straight to the Imperial Hospital. The imperial physicians had also arrived. Everyone bowed to him. Hu Jiusheng asked, ¡°At Yongshou Palace¡­ Is Physician Su still treating the Empress Dowager? Imperial Physician Zhang was the first to arrive and told him the news he had heard. ¡°No, Physician Su left the palace last night.¡± Imperial Physician Li said unhappily, ¡°The Empress Dowager is so seriously ill, but she left just like that? How ridiculous!¡± Chapter 404 - Chapter 404: The Empress Dowager Knew the Truth Chapter 404: The Empress Dowager Knew the Truth Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Imperial Physician Wan chuckled and said, ¡°She¡¯s a little girl who grew up among the commoners. Do you expect her to be like an imperial physician?¡± Imperial Physician Li said unhappily, ¡°Is she coming or not? If she¡¯s not coming, tell me. Should we continue to go to the Yongshou Palace to ask for a safe pulse?¡± Everyone looked at Hu Jiusheng. Hu Jiusheng sat down in his seat and flipped open a medical table. He said seriously, ¡°Of course, we have to ask for the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse. Everyone, don¡¯t let your guard down. The Empress Dowager¡¯s illness still needs to be treated by our Imperial Hospital. Ear stone disease is just an urgent illness that suddenly appeared in the Empress Dowager, but what really made the Empress Dowager lie in bed is her old illness. This is the most important thing. ¡± Imperial Physician Wan hurriedly echoed, ¡°The Court Commissioner is right. That girl only treated her ear stones. The Empress Dowager is still bedridden¡­ I don¡¯t see anyone from the Yongshou Palace coming to get medicine¡­ That girl is most likely helpless against the Empress Dowager¡¯s illness, right?¡± Another imperial physician said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Is she only good at ear stones? Yet another imperial physician said, ¡°In my opinion, it was a coincidence, right?¡± Everyone was talking at once. In the end, they didn¡¯t believe that Su Xiaoxiao had treated the Empress Dowager with her exquisite medical skills. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, but I haven¡¯t heard of her entering the palace. She probably won¡¯t come, right?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t treat it. Of course, she won¡¯t come and embarrass herself!¡± ¡°That¡­ I heard it was the Empress Dowager¡¯s idea.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The Empress Dowager said that Physician Su can¡¯t treat her illness and asked her not to come.¡± ¡°The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t say such things to our Imperial Hospital, right? Even the Empress Dowager can tell that her medical skills aren¡¯t exquisite! She just happened to stumble onto a cure and doesn¡¯t have any medical skills!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Imperial Physician Zhu coughed heavily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Old Zhu¡­¡± Imperial Physician Zhang looked in the direction Imperial Physician Zhu was pointing and choked. It was true that one could not talk about people during the day and ghosts at night. Why did this girl appear just as he was talking about this girl? ¡°How long has she been here?¡± Imperial Physician Zhang covered his mouth and asked. Imperial Physician Zhu gritted his teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while. She¡¯s been standing there since you said that she stumbled onto a cure.¡± Imperial Physician Zhang instantly blushed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Imperial Physician Zhu continued to say with stiff lips, ¡°I gave you a look. All of you were blind. What can I do?¡± They were all qualified imperial physicians. Putting aside their medical skills, it was really awkward to gossip behind someone¡¯s back. Su Xiaoxiao smiled calmly. ¡°Good morning, imperial physicians.¡± Everyone was embarrassed. ¡°Morning, morning.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I made some medicinal cuisine this morning. I came late and made everyone anxious.¡± Imperial Physician Zhang gave a fake smile. ¡°No, no. Doctor Su, are you here to get medicine? Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m here to take the Empress Dowager¡¯s medical case and ask everyone about the Empress Dowager¡¯s medical history.¡± Imperial Physician Zhang turned to look at Hu Jiusheng. He was the current Court Commissioner. He had the final say in this matter. Hu Jiusheng said indifferently, ¡°Can¡¯t you diagnose what illness the Empress Dowager has? Do you still need to see our medical case? Besides, can you understand it?¡± He had heard from Bi Yun that this girl¡¯s homework in the palace was a mess. She could not even write a few words. ¡°If she can¡¯t understand it, I¡¯ll read it for her!¡± Princess Jingning walked in with a dignified expression. Hu Jiushengs expression changed. He hurriedly stood up and bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Princess Jingning!¡± The others also cupped their hands and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Princess Jingning!¡± Princess Jingning glanced at Hu Jiusheng indifferently. ¡°The medical case.¡± Hu Jiusheng frowned and braced himself to find the Empress Dowager¡¯s medical case. He handed it to Princess Jingning. Princess Jingning said in a tone, ¡°Give it to Physician Su.¡± Hu Jiusheng gritted his teeth and brought the medical case to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Some people don¡¯t have high medical skills and are quite arrogant.¡± Hu Jiusheng¡¯s face darkened. After the two of them left, the Imperial Physician Court fell silent for a long time. No one dared to say anything. Everyone was not stupid. They could tell that the girl was giving Court Commissioner Hu an opening gambit just now and establishing a superior aura over him. When she said that ¡°some people¡¯s medical skills are not high and they¡¯re quite arrogant¡±, she was clearly mocking Court Commissioner Hu. ¡°Court Commissioner Hu, does she have a grudge against you?¡± Imperial Physician Li couldn¡¯t help but speak. Hu Jiusheng said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t know her at all. How can there be a grudge? She doesn¡¯t take the entire imperial hospital seriously!¡± Everyone thought about it and felt that it made sense. Hu Jiusheng said seriously, ¡°The ignorant child is young and frivolous. Don¡¯t take it to heart. We should think about how to treat the Empress Dowager¡¯s illness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Empress Dowager still depends on us in regard to her illness.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t even know how to take a pulse and has to look through our medical cases. Why would His Majesty let such a quack treat the Empress Dowager?¡± Imperial Physician Wan muttered, ¡°I heard¡­ that she was recommended by the Third Prince.¡± Imperial Physician Li asked, ¡°Why did His Highness recommend her?¡± Imperial Physician Wan said, ¡°Qin Jiang¡¯s daughter is going to be the Eldest Prince¡¯s secondary consort.¡± Everyone was first shocked, then came to a realization. The Qin family and the Third Prince were engaged. The original Third Princess Consort was Qin Yanran. Now that Qin Yanran had already agreed to be the Eldest Prince¡¯s secondary consort, who else could marry into the Third Prince¡¯s residence other than the girl who grew up among the commoners? The Third Prince was paving the way for the future Princess Consort¡­ Unfortunately, she could not treat the Empress Dowager at all. At Yongshou Palace, the Empress Dowager saw Su Xiaoxiao again. The Empress Dowager frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to come?¡± Su Xiaoxiao opened the medicine box and took out a stethoscope and a blood pressure gauge. ¡°Did the Empress Dowager sleep well last night?¡± The Empress Dowager turned her face away and ignored her. The eunuch in charge coughed lightly and said, ¡°She slept for six hours. It¡¯s better than a few days ago.¡± The Empress Dowager glared at the eunuch in charge. The eunuch in charge shrank his neck and subconsciously leaned toward Princess Jingning. Princess Jingning said, ¡°Grandmother, you look much better today.¡± The Empress Dowager said calmly, ¡°Stop bewitching me.¡± Princess Jingning said helplessly, ¡°Alright, I look much better.¡± The Empress Dowager glanced at her. Princess Jingning did not wear a veil in Yong Shou Palace. If one didn¡¯t look, they wouldn¡¯t know. Upon closer inspection, one would realize that Princess Jing Ning¡¯s complexion had changed greatly. The acne on her face had disappeared, leaving no acne marks. Her skin had become delicate and smooth, and her facial features were still ordinary, but they were much more pleasing to the eye. Princess Jingning said softly, ¡°I used Doctor Su¡¯s medicine to treat my face. Grandmother, you¡¯ve seen Doctor Su¡¯s medical skills. Let her treat you.¡± The Empress Dowager said coldly, ¡°I said that I won¡¯t be treated!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Princess Jingning, ¡°Princess, can I treat the Empress Dowager alone?¡± Princess Jingning looked at Su Xiaoxiao and then at the Empress Dowager. This did not make sense. However, since the little girl made such a request, she must have her own reasons. In the end, Princess Jingning chose to trust Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Eunuch Cheng, I made some tonic soup for the Empress Dowager. Follow me to get it.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The eunuch in charge slipped away extremely quickly, afraid that he would be retained by the Empress Dowager if he was a second slower. The Empress Dowager said sternly, ¡°Girl, do you want to use force on me like yesterday? Believe it or not, I¡¯ll really punish you with the death penalty!¡± Su Xiaoxiao gently placed the medicine box on the table and slowly opened it. As she took out the stethoscope, she said calmly, ¡°I want to tell the Empress Dowager a story.¡± The Empress Dowager sneered. ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Once, in an aristocratic family, there were brothers from the same mother. They were not the legitimate sons of their father. One was the eldest son of a concubine, and the other was the fourth son of the same concubine. They had many siblings at home, but they only had one family business. Their father was also very melancholic about who to leave it to.¡± The Empress Dowager paused. ¡°The biggest opponent was Father¡¯s legitimate son. They joined forces to pull him down. At this moment, a new problem arose. Who was more qualified to inherit the family business? The biological mother liked the eldest son, but the father liked the fourth son. In the end, the fourth son won and chased the eldest brother out of the family. The eldest brother was indignant and made a comeback a few years later. Unfortunately, not only did he fail to take back the family business, but he was almost wiped out by the fourth son.¡± Su Xiaoxiao hung the stethoscope around her neck and sat down beside the Empress Dowager with a blood pressure gauge. ¡°Can the Empress Dowager understand what it means?¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s pupils constricted. Su Xiaoxiao put on her stethoscope. The Empress Dowager¡¯s thoughts raced as she reached out and grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arm tightly. ¡°You¡­ what do you know!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said unhurriedly, ¡°I know a lot. For example, someone in the coffin lived.¡± The Empress Dowager widened her eyes in disbelief. She said with a trembling voice, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t believe you¡­ Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then pretend I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± A conflict flashed across the Empress Dowager¡¯s eyes, and her body trembled slightly. ¡°If you dare to lie to me, I¡¯ll cut you into pieces!¡± Chapter 405 - Chapter 405: Smart Xiaohu Chapter 405: Smart Xiaohu Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°She¡¯s out, she¡¯s out!¡± At the entrance of the Yongshou Palace, Imperial Physician Zhang hurriedly took a few steps back and turned around, pretending not to be peeping. He had come with two other imperial physicians to ask for the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse. They knew it. How could treating the Empress Dowager be so smooth? Even their Imperial Hospital had hit a wall everywhere. It was unknown how much bad luck they had with the Empress Dowager. This girl must have been chased out by the Empress Dowager! ¡°Physician Su, take care.¡± The eunuch in charge sent her to the door. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Eunuch Cheng, please wait. Later, please send someone to the Number One Hall to get the medicine. I¡¯ll get someone to prepare the herbs. ¡± The eunuch in charge smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Physician Su.¡± Imperial Physician Zhang and the others looked at each other. Did they hear wrongly? The people from Yongshou Palace were going to the Number One Hall to get medicine? Wait, didn¡¯t the Empress Dowager get all her medicine from the Imperial Pharmacy? How could she use medicine from outside? No, that was not the point. The point was that the empress dowager had actually agreed to take the medicine. Everyone looked at Su Xiaoxiao in disbelief. Su Xiaoxiao reminded him, ¡°In addition, I made the medicinal cuisine myself. It¡¯s helpful to the Empress Dowager¡¯s condition.¡± The eunuch in charge said amiably, ¡°I will remind the Empress Dowager to eat.¡± ¡°How is it?¡± Princess Jingning walked forward and asked. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°The Empress Dowager is very kind and cooperative!¡± Princess Jingning muttered, ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re referring to the same Empress Dowager? News of Su Xiaoxiao treating the Empress Dowager spread like wildfire. More and more patients came because of the reputation, and many of Benevolence Hall¡¯s business was snatched away. Shopkeeper Wu stood at the door and looked out at the entrance of the Number One Hall. Manager Sun introduced Su Xiaoxiao to others in high spirits. Shopkeeper Wu said angrily, ¡°She hasn¡¯t been treated yet, but they really dare to say it! When did Eldest Master publicize for treating so many nobles?¡± This was the crux of the problem. Hu Jiusheng was an imperial physician. His starting point in becoming famous was high. It was not a big deal to treat the nobles in the palace. Su Xiaoxiao was different. She was Qin Canglan¡¯s long-lost granddaughter. She had grown up among the commoners and had suffered a lot. Her starting point could not be lower. If everyone¡¯s expectations for her were calculated from one to ten, she would at most be one. However, she had achieved ten. This contrast would make one¡¯s jaw drop. ¡°It¡¯s not just the Empress Dowager. You know about the Marquis of Zhenbei, right? His illness was also treated by our boss. If you don¡¯t believe me, go and ask around. There¡¯s also the Third Prince and Young Marquis Jing of the Marquis Wuwei¡¯s Estate. Our boss has treated them all!¡± Manager Sun already knew Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s background and was determined not to let go of any opportunity to make a name for the medical center. He did not mention Princess Jingning. It was Su Xiaoxiao who instructed him. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t want Princess Jingning¡¯s appearance to become everyone¡¯s topic of conversation. Second Master Hu was so angry that he stomped his feet. He glared at Shopkeeper Wu and said, ¡°Think of something! If this continues, all the patients in our Benevolence Hall will really be snatched away!¡± Manager Wu scratched his ears and cheeks. ¡°Thats what I¡¯ve been trying to do!¡± Wei Ting came over to Pear Blossom Lane today. He used to come at night, and it was rare for him to appear in the day. The three little ones looked at him with unfamiliarity. ¡°Call me Dad,¡± he said. Xiaohu placed his hands on his hips and stomped his feet. He said solemnly, ¡°Do you still remember that you¡¯re our father? You don¡¯t do anything and don¡¯t return home. Mother was so busy! Is there anyone like you as a father?¡± The little guy spoke much more nimbly than before. Wei Ting said in amusement and anger, ¡°I come at night. You were asleep.¡± Xiaohu crossed his arms. ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Wei Ting laughed and scratched Xiaohu¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m your father even if you don¡¯t believe me. Quick, call me father!¡± Xiaohu raised his chin. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. If Mom doesn¡¯t want you anymore, Xiaohu can change fathers!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. When Su Xiaoxiao arrived home, Wei Ting was tidying up his clothes. ¡°There you are. Eh? Are you staying?¡± If he didn¡¯t stay, his sons would have to change their father¡ª Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°You came to my room to sleep?¡± Her hair and fragrance were on the pillow. Before Su Xiaoxiao could speak, he said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to miss me like this.¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered,¡± Why do I suddenly want to chase you out?¡± When Wei Ting came over, Su Ergou was the happiest. He missed his brother-in-law very much. Of course, there was another reason. Su Cheng was not around. Otherwise, he would probably be the happiest. ¡°Where¡¯s Dad?¡± Wei Ting asked. ¡°He went to the racecourse to practice martial arts,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Qin Canglan did not relax his training of Su Cheng just because Su Cheng defeated Qin Jiang. On the contrary, he was even stricter and made Su Cheng work harder as if he was anxious to teach Su Cheng everything he had learned in his life. ¡°You went to the palace to treat the Empress Dowager?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao hummed. ¡°Did you rush over in broad daylight because of this?¡± Without waiting for Wei Ting to speak, she raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so worried about me.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Wei Ting took a book and sat down by the window. Su Xiaoxiao opened the medicine box, grabbed his bandaged right hand, and told him about the secret decree that the late emperor had given to Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis. When Wei Ting heard this, he thought for a moment and said, ¡°The previous emperor also gave my grandfather a secret decree back then to let him elect Prince Nanyang to the throne.¡± ¡°Two secret decrees¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°It was impossible for the late emperor to establish two new rulers at the same time. Which secret decree is real? ¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Xiaohu ran in. ¡°Does Sihu wants to eat candied hawthorn?¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°Who is Sihu?¡± ¡°Brother,¡± Xiaohu said. ¡°It¡¯s been four months.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s body trembled! During the few days he was not at home, the little brats even had a younger brother! ¡°Sihu can¡¯t eat it,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Xiaohu¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°Then, Dahu wants to eat candied hawthorn!¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Only Dahu wants to eat it?¡± Xiaohu thought for a moment. ¡°Erhu wants to eat it too!¡± Su Xiaoxiao teased him, ¡°Then only Xiaohu doesn¡¯t want to eat it?¡± Xiaohu blinked cutely. ¡°But if Mother insists on buying it for Xiaohu, Xiaohu can eat it too.¡± Su Xiaoxiao laughed. He was a brat! After changing Wei Ting¡¯s dressing, Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting went out to buy candied hawthorn for the three little fellows. In order not to be recognized, Wei Ting wore a jade mask. Even though this person¡¯s face was covered, he was still as cool as jade. Su Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment before putting on a veil. Wei Ting looked at her unique chubby figure. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much point in you wearing a veil.¡± The two of them spent half a tael of silver to buy six sticks of candied hawthorn. ¡°The price of sugar has increased again,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°In the past, it was 40 to 50 copper coins a stick.¡± The two of them walked back. Wei Ting said, ¡°The battle in the southwest has started.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. ¡°Have they really fought?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s just a group of rebels. They¡¯ve already been eliminated. It¡¯s just that the southwest is rich in sugar, and the price of sugar has been affected.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Since ancient times, war had hurt the people. Wei Ting continued, ¡°Fortunately, it didn¡¯t affect the salt shipment in the southwest this time.¡± Sugar was not a necessity for ordinary people. Salt was. If the price of salt rose, who knew what chaos it would bring. Su Xiaoxiao listened attentively. Suddenly, a carriage bumped into her! Chapter 406 - Chapter 406: Beating Qjn Yanran Up Chapter 406: Beating Qjn Yanran Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios No sooner said than done, Wei Ting grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist and pulled her to the other side. The carriage sped away. Wei Ting¡¯s eyes turned cold. He flew up and kicked the coachman off the horse! At the same time, he held the reins with one hand and suddenly turned around, stopping the carriage. A three-year-old child eating candied hawthorn on the street looked at the carriage parked half a step in front of him in a daze, confused. The woman who had bought a thimble at the stall turned around and saw this scene. She was frightened out of her wits and hurriedly held on to her son. The coachman who fell to the ground probably did not expect to be so unlucky. He got up and ran! ¡°Are you running off now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao stomped the other party to the ground. The other party screamed and spat out a mouthful of blood! He begged for mercy in fear. ¡°Miss, spare me! Miss, spare me¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re riding a horse on the streets in broad daylight. Why? Are you trying to kill me for money?¡± After Su Xiaoxiao finished speaking, she realized something and frowned. ¡°Wait, how do you know that I¡¯m a girl?¡± She had clearly ambushed him from behind just now. Unless he had eyes on the back of his head, he would definitely not be able to see if he was a man or a woman. ¡°I¡­¡± The man choked and stammered. Su Xiaoxiao asked coldly, ¡°You bumped into me on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± The man¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°No¡­ no, Miss¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I couldn¡¯t pull the horse¡­ Please be magnanimous¡­ ah¡ª Su Xiaoxiao suddenly increased the strength of her foot, almost breaking his ribs. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell the truth, I¡¯ll trample you into a vegetable.¡± The man gritted his teeth. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ but Miss wants my life¡­ Is there any law under the emperor¡¯s feet!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sneered. ¡°Talk to me about the law? Why don¡¯t you ask around who I am? I¡¯m¡­ Halfway through her sentence, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly had an idea and a strange smile appeared on her lips. ¡°The accompanying maid of the Eldest Prince¡¯s new secondary consort! My Master is the law!¡± The man looked at Su Xiaoxiao in shock. Su Xiaoxiao slapped his head. ¡°What are you looking at!¡± The man said to himself,¡± Look at you lying through your teeth!¡± ¡®l¡¯ne man was aDout to speaK wnen su xlaoxlao slappea mm again, causing mm to see stars. The commoners whispered. ¡°So you¡¯re from the Eldest Prince¡¯s residence. You¡¯re too much!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s so arrogant and treats human lives like grass. He¡¯s really far inferior to the Second and Third Prince!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Eldest Prince to be such a person¡­¡¯ ¡°Could it be an imposter?¡± Wei Ting pretended to walk over and asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°I¡¯ve frightened you. His First Highness ordered me to send you back to the residence. Did anything happen to you?¡± The surrounding commoners stared at Wei Ting. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the guard of the Eldest Prince¡¯s residence¡­¡± ¡°Did you see his skills just now? Other than the royal guards, who else can be so powerful?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said arrogantly, ¡°He dirtied all the candied hawthorn I bought for my Miss. If I don¡¯t teach him a lesson, my Miss will probably be bullied when she enters the manor in the future! Kill him!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Wei Ting pulled the man into a nearby alley. Some commoners planned to follow and watch. Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and said casually, ¡°Why? Do you want to be punished too?¡± Everyone dispersed in fear. There were only the three of them left in the alley. Su Xiaoxiao stepped on his chest and asked domineeringly, ¡°Tell me! Who instructed you to do it?!¡± The man looked at Su Xiaoxiao in pain. Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°You¡¯re not going to say it, right?¡± She slowly increased her strength. The man¡¯s veins were bulging. Take your foot away¡­ You¡¯re stepping on me until I can¡¯t breathe¡­ What can I say¡­ The man used all his strength to say two words. Su Xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°It¡¯s Qin? Qin what? Qin Yanran?¡± The only person with the surname Qin who had a grudge against him was Qin Jiang. Qin Jiang and Qin Yun were seriously injured and could not cause trouble for the time being. In that case, only Qin Yanran was left. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold as she stuffed the candied hawthorn into Wei Ting¡¯s hand. ¡°Go home first. I¡¯ll settle it myself.¡± At Baofang House, a jewelry shop, Qin Yanran was choosing jewelry with the maidservants. ¡°His First Highness is so good to you. He specially reserved the entire Baofang House for you to choose from.¡± ¡°Our Miss is the number one talent in the capital. She should have been the main consort. It¡¯s His Highness¡¯s blessing to be able to marry our Miss as his secondary consort!¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°Qiao¡¯er, you can¡¯t say this casually. If anyone hears it, you¡¯ll be beheaded.¡¯ ¡°Yes,¡± Qiao¡¯er agreed. Xiao Duye¡¯s main concubine was an elite. Unfortunately, her looks and talent were slightly inferior and she was not favored. Qiao¡¯er smiled and said, ¡°On the day you pass through the door, Miss will definitely stun everyone below the hall!¡± The corners of Qin Yanran¡¯s lips curled up as she said, ¡°I want all of these. Wrap them up.¡± The three of them left Baofang House and were about to get into the carriage when a chubby hand suddenly reached over from behind and grabbed the back of Qin Yanran¡¯s neck, dragging her into another carriage. ¡°Miss!¡± The two maidservants¡¯ expressions changed. The two of them got into their carriage and chased after her, but they only caught an empty carriage. Their young lady had long disappeared. In the quiet alley, Su Xiaoxiao mercilessly threw Qin Yanran to the ground. Qin Yanran cried out in pain, ¡°Who are you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao threw a sack over her and picked up the stick in her hand. Chaos, Staff, Shadowless! The snowflake-like rod landed, and Qin Yanran was beaten until she doubted her life! In the alley, the man finally caught his breath and finished what he had not been able to say. ¡°Yes, this¡­¡± He wanted to say, ¡°Here¡¯s what happened.¡± Unfortunately, he had only said two words before the other party left. Wei Ting found Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao raised her stick. ¡°What?¡± Wei Ting coughed lightly. ¡°I think you beat up the wrong person¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Qin Yanran suffered an undeserved calamity and was beaten up. When the two maidservants found her, she was already unrecognizable and had become a pig head. They had agreed to stun His Highness on their wedding night. Now, there was probably only shock left¡­ On the way back, Su Xiaoxiao tidied her clothes and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m a lady! It was a special situation!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Oh, did you have fun beating her up? ¡°I did¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped in time and glared at him. She snorted proudly. ¡°I said it was a special situation!¡± Wei Ting suppressed the corners of his lips. ¡°So it was Benevolence Hall?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Wei Ting said, ¡°Yes, a shopkeeper surnamed Wu spent money to buy someone from the underworld.¡± Su Xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°But I¡¯m already wearing a veil. How can he recognize Wei Ting sized her up. ¡°Even if you were covered in a sack, it seems it wouldn¡¯t affect others from recognizing you..¡± Chapter 407 - Chapter 407: Father and Son Fighting Chapter 407: Father and Son Fighting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao reached out and gestured for him to stop. ¡°You don¡¯t have to interfere. I¡¯ll do this myself! A woman can¡¯t rely on a man!¡± Heh, was she sure she didn¡¯t want to keep all the fun to herself? Wei Ting casually took out a few banknotes. ¡°Since women can¡¯t rely on men, the family expenses this time¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the banknote and said solemnly, ¡°Look at you. You spend all the money you have. I have to save it for you!¡± The two of them returned to Pear Blossom Lane first and gave the candied hawthorn to the three little ones. ¡°One for Dahu, one for Erhu, one for Xiaohu, one for Sihu, one for grandfather, and one for Uncle. Mother won¡¯t eat them.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was on a diet and never touched candied hawthorn. ¡°Where¡¯s mine?¡± Wei Ting asked. ¡°There¡¯s no more,¡± Xiaohu said. ¡°Sihu won¡¯t eat it. Give it to me.¡± Wei Ting already knew that Sihu was that foal. ¡°Sihu, do you want to give it to Daddy?¡± Xiaohu turned to look at Wei Ting. ¡°Sihu said no.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Xiaohu said righteously, ¡°Sihu said it, but you didn¡¯t hear him!¡± ¡°Little brat, you just want to take the two sticks of candied hawthorn for yourself, right?¡± Wei Ting teased him and insisted on eating Sihu¡¯s stick of candied hawthorn. In the end, he successfully made Xiaohu cry. Xiaohu lay on the ground with his butt raised high. He buried his face in his palms and cried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Cheng hurriedly ran out. Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry about him. Let him cry.¡± ¡°How can that do?¡± Su Cheng said. ¡°You have to take medicine if you cry. Medicine is very expensive.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Wei Ting said, ¡°Dad, Daya doesn¡¯t seem to be feeling well. Go take a look. I¡¯ll coax Xiaohu.¡± Su Cheng hesitated for a moment. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t let Xiao Hu cry on the ground! He¡¯ll catch a cold! He¡¯ll cough when he feels a chill!¡± Wei Ting agreed. ¡°Got it, Dad.¡± Su Cheng went to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s room. Wei Ting looked at a crying little fellow with a faint smile, picked up a small cushion, and threw it beside him. The ground was hard, and the back of his hand hurt. Xiaohu thought for a moment, got up, lay on the mat, and continued to cry. He was halfway through crying when he turned around. Eh, there was no one in the courtyard! He quickly picked up the cushion and brought it into the house. He lay beside Su Cheng and Su Xiaoxiao and continued to cry! Su Cheng and Su Xiaoxiao were speechless. Benevolence Hall. Manager Wu paced around the accounting room. A waiter hurried over. ¡°Shopkeeper! ¡± Manager Wu looked around and pulled him in. He closed the door and whispered, ¡°How is it? Is that girl injured?¡± Shopkeeper Wu¡¯s original intention was not to kill anyone. He was not so bold. His goal was to injure Su Xiaoxiao so that she could not continue to enter the palace to treat the empress dowager. The shop assistant said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. That guy is gone!¡± Manager Wu was shocked. ¡°What?¡± The shop assistant said awkwardly, ¡°I guess¡­ could he have taken our money and run away?¡± Manager Wu was so angry that he slapped his forehead. ¡°How did you do it? The person you found is so unreliable!¡± The shop assistant touched his head which was in pain from the slap and stammered, ¡°I was just guessing¡­ It might not have really failed¡­ Perhaps¡­¡± Manager Wu looked at the chubby figure downstairs. ¡°Everyone is here!¡± Su Xiaoxiao entered the Number One Hall and asked Du Juan, who was helping her guests get medicine, ¡°Is Manager Sun here?¡± Du Juan pointed upstairs. ¡°In the accounts room.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°Get Little Weizi to come up too.¡± Du Juan said, ¡°Alright, Boss!¡± She was a little busy today. Not only did Du Juan have to get the herbs, but she also had to run errands for Su Xiaoxiao. She accidentally knocked over a bag of herbs. Physician Fu happened to pass by and frowned. ¡°Du Juan, herbs are very precious. You¡¯ve already scattered the medicine for the third time!¡± Du Juan explained, ¡°My¡­ boss asked me to call Little Weizi¡­¡± Physician Fu said, ¡°But you can¡¯t be flustered.¡± The patient¡¯s family urged, ¡°Are you going to prepare the medicine? Du Juan hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll get you another set!¡± ¡°Du Juan! I asked you to call Little Weizi, but you didn¡¯t?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s dissatisfied voice came from upstairs. Du Juan said aggrievedly, ¡°I, I forgot! I¡¯ll go now!¡± ¡°Hey! You haven¡¯t gotten my medicine yet!¡± ¡°Mine too! We¡¯re all waiting!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve waited so long. What¡¯s going on?¡± Little Weizi went upstairs. A moment later, Little Weizi shouted downstairs, ¡°Du Juan, make a pot of tea!¡± Du Juan, who was extremely busy, was so anxious that her eyes turned red. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Du Juan was a medical assistant and a maidservant. She was busy. When she was making tea, she accidentally scalded her hand. When she brought it up, she was scolded by Manager Sun for being slow and could not compare to the 12-year-old Ying¡¯er. Du Juan felt wronged. She sat alone on the threshold of the back alley and cried. ¡°Yo, isn¡¯t this Du Juan? A servant from the Benevolence Hall walked over with a dustpan. Du Juan quickly wiped her tears and sat up straight as if nothing had happened. The servant smiled and sat down beside her. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m not sent by Benevolence Hall. I¡¯ve cleaned several shops. Are you short of people here?¡± Du Juan sniffed and shook her head. Her voice was a little choked. ¡°No, Sister-in-law Cao sweeps it every day. Occasionally, Ying¡¯er and I help do something.¡± The servant asked curiously, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a medical assistant? Why are you still helping to clean? Du Juan said, ¡°When I¡¯m too busy, I do more work.¡± The maidservant¡¯s heart ached for her. ¡°Sigh, the medical ladies of Benevolence Hall never do those dirty and tiring work. They only care about delivering babies and treating women. Eh? What happened to your hand?¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± Du Juan covered her hand with her sleeve. The maidservant pulled Du Juan¡¯s hand over. ¡°Aiyo, you¡¯re scalded? Why didn¡¯t you apply some ointment? The First Hall is a big medical center after all. You won¡¯t be stingy with some scald ointment, right? It¡¯ll be bad if there¡¯s a scar on a girl. You¡¯re so beautiful. You¡¯ll definitely be able to marry into a good family in the future.¡± Du Juan said nothing. ¡°Just wait.¡± The servant placed the dustpan down and entered Benevolence Hall. Not long after, she took out a box of scald cream. ¡°Here, my nephew has used it before. It works.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Du Juan whispered. The maidservant advised, ¡°If you¡¯re not happy, go somewhere else to work. You¡¯re good-looking and hardworking. Where can you find work?¡± Du Juan lowered her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m a girl who has signed a death contract. I can¡¯t leave unless I can save enough money to redeem myself¡­ But that¡¯s a lot of money¡­ I probably won¡¯t be able to save it even if I work my entire life.¡± The servant¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°What if¡­ someone is willing to redeem you?¡± Du Juan wiped her tears. ¡°Aunt Tong, stop joking. Who would be willing to redeem me?¡± Aunt Tong patted her hand. ¡°Actually, this isn¡¯t difficult.¡± At the accountant¡¯s office. Su Xiaoxiao scrabbled for walnuts in the jar. Without Su MO around, the walnuts that others peeled did not look good. She frowned and threw one into her mouth bitterly. Creak¡ª The door was pushed open. Little Weizi walked in. ¡°Did the fish take the bait?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Little Weizi chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss!¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed another walnut. ¡°BenevolenceHall, I originally planned to give you three months, but who asked you to court death? Then don¡¯t blame me for closing the net in advance! Hohohoho!¡± Manager Sun muttered, ¡°You¡¯re really smiling sinisterly¡­¡± Wei Ting stayed here tonight and bathed the three little ones. The three little ones looked disgusted. They wanted her mother to wash them. Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°You¡¯ll be three years old in two months. You¡¯re not children anymore. You can¡¯t let your mother bathe you again.¡± Xiaohu exploded. ¡°A three-year-old is still a baby!¡± Dahu tilted his head. ¡°You wanted your mother to bathe you at seven years old.¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°Who said that?¡± Dahu said, ¡°Great-grandma.¡± Wei Ting coughed lightly. ¡°She¡¯s spouting nonsense. I didn¡¯t.¡± Dahu continued to expose dirt. ¡°You even peed on the bed once when you were four years old. I stopped wetting the bed when I was two years old!¡± Wei Ting gritted his teeth, ¡°That¡¯s because I drank too much green bean soup!¡± ¡°Unfilial son¡­ How much of your father¡¯s dark history did you dig up!¡± No matter what, Wei Ting was now an adult. His fists were hard, so he had the final say. In the end, the three little ones, who were two years and ten months old, were still ruthlessly stripped of their right to have their mother bathe them. They turned into three soulless salted fish and allowed their father to put them around. When Su Xiaoxiao arrived home, the three little ones were sitting cross-legged on the bed. They looked like three small Maitreya Buddhas. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The three little ones pressed their palms together. ¡°Amitabha.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless.. Chapter 408 - Chapter 408: Brother Ting Takes Action Chapter 408: Brother Ting Takes Action Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After coaxing the three little fellows to sleep, Su Xiaoxiao went to the next room. ¡°Wei Ting, Dahu and the others are so strange today.¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°What¡¯s strange? They¡¯ve just grown up. They said that you don¡¯t have to bathe them in the future. They¡¯re big children.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him skeptically. Didn¡¯t his conscience hurt from scheming against three-year-old children? ¡°How¡¯s the medical center?¡± Wei Ting immediately changed the topic. Su Xiaoxiao sat down opposite him. ¡°Is there anything I can¡¯t do? Just wait. There will definitely be a big show in at least three days!¡± Su Cheng¡¯s voice came from the courtyard. ¡°Daughter, we¡¯re almost out of lamp oil at home. I¡¯ll go out and buy some lamp oil!¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood up and said, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll go buy it!¡± Wei Ting indicated that he would go too. Su Cheng thought for a moment and let the couple go. The lamp oil shop on Scholar Street was closed. The other lamp oil shop was a little far away. Su Cheng had been training hard recently. Su Xiaoxiao was glad that she and Wei Ting had come out to buy it. Halfway there, a carriage came up to them. Perhaps remembering the accident just now, the two of them subconsciously looked at the carriage. There was a masked woman sitting in the car. Wei Ting was not interested in strange women, but Su Xiaoxiao took a few more glances. ¡°No way¡­ She ran out again?¡± ¡°You know that person?¡± Wei Ting asked. The carriage had already brushed past and turned into another street. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and didn¡¯t answer Wei Ting immediately. Instead, she asked, ¡°Do you know why Prince Nanyang rebelled back then?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°To take back the throne.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Then, have you¡­ heard of the rumors about Prince Nanyang and the Grand Empress Dowager?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°To take back the throne.¡± ¡°My master, Physician Fu, is Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s son. Back then, something happened to Imperial Physician Fu because he diagnosed a happy pulse in Zhaoyang Hall. ¡± Wei Ting did not know about this. Wei Ting frowned slightly. ¡°Happy pulse? Prince Nanyang¡¯s flesh and blood?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If it¡¯s the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s happy pulse, it can only be Prince Nanyang¡¯s.¡± Wei Ting pondered for a moment. ¡°Could the person in the carriage just now be the Grand Empress Dowager?¡± Er¡­ did he connect the dots so quickly? How dare he make such a bold guess? As expected of her husband! The couple exchanged a look. Wei Ting said, ¡°Lamp oil¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll buy it next time!¡± Wei Ting used his movement technique and chased after the carriage with Su Xiaoxiao. The last time Bai Xihe said that she left the palace to look for her brother, Su Xiaoxiao was a little suspicious. However, she didn¡¯t pursue the matter in front of Princess Jingning. This time, she could finally figure out who made her risk her life time and time again to leave the palace. Wei Ting landed on a roof with Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°They seem to have realized that they were followed and are taking a detour.¡± Su Xiaoxiao bent down. The two of them lay dormant on the roof for a long time. They drove southeast after feeling safe. Wei Ting learned his lesson and followed from afar. The carriage stopped in front of a house. Bai Xihe alighted from the carriage wearing a cloak. The courtyard door opened from inside, and Bai Xihe walked in. However, at this moment, something unexpected happened. Su Cheng had appeared! Speaking of which, his appearance was also a coincidence. There was originally only half a pot of lamp oil left at home. It was fine and should last until tomorrow morning, but he accidentally spilled it. His daughter and son-in-law had not returned after so long. They had most likely gone gallivanting¡­ It was only right for the young couple to date more. It would be worrying if they didn¡¯t. He instructed Su Ergou to keep an eye on the children and come out to buy lamp oil. He took a shortcut and happened to bump into her. Bai Xihe¡¯s two coachmen were the two guards he had knocked out last time. The two of them secretly followed Bai Xihe and were taught a lesson as lechers. This time, seeing the two of them appear with Bai Xihe, logically speaking, he should reconsider their relationship. However, Su Cheng¡¯s thinking was different from ordinary people. ¡°I didn¡¯t teach you enough last time, but you came again! Madam Bai, don¡¯t be afraid!¡± Su Cheng jumped up and threw a punch at the two of them! These two were not Su Cheng¡¯s match, but someone was. In the courtyard, a shadow flashed out with a powerful and terrifying aura and struck Su Cheng¡¯s face! Bai Xihe immediately said, ¡°Stop!¡± It was too late. The other party¡¯s technique was too fast and could not be stopped. If this palm landed on Su Cheng, it would definitely break all the meridians in his body. Wei Ting flew down and met the other party¡¯s attack with a palm! The two guards vomited blood from the shockwaves. Wei Ting immediately pulled Su Cheng back while the expert protected Bai Xihe with his body. Su Cheng broke out in a cold sweat. He looked at the guard who had vomited blood from the aftershock of the internal force and clicked his tongue. ¡°Wow, so terrifying. Son-in-law, are you alright?¡± Wei Ting shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The expert was about to attack Wei Ting again when Bai Xihe said coldly, ¡°Biwu, stand down!¡± The black-clothed expert silently retreated to Bai Xihe¡¯s side. Bai Xihe looked at Wei Ting and then at Su Cheng as a complicated and surprised expression flashed across her eyes. But soon, she calmed down. She said calmly, ¡°Son-in-law?¡± Su Cheng introduced, ¡°That¡¯s right, Madam Bai. He¡¯s my son-in-law. That man in black is your guard. It¡¯s a false alarm!¡± Su Xiaoxiao held her forehead and sighed. This was not a false alarm. It was a large-scale exposure scene! Fifteen minutes later, Su Xiaoxiao, Wei Ting, and Bai Xihe sat in the central room of this courtyard. Su Cheng was not around. He had gone to the courtyard to spar with Bi Wu. He was a little indignant. .That¡¯s what happened. We got married in the countryside.¡± Su Xiaoxiao told him about her relationship with Wei Ting. After all, at this point, if she said that she had nothing to do with Wei Ting, she would be treating Bai Xihe as a fool. Bai Xihe paused. ¡°So Consort Xian didn¡¯t make a false report in regard to Wei Ting the other day.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t care about anything else in the harem.¡± Bai Xihe said calmly, ¡°If I really didn¡¯t care about anything outside, I would have died countless times.¡± ¡°True. The palace was a ruthless place. Simple people could not survive. The exception would be those with backing, such as Princess Hui An. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her steadily. ¡°What about you? What¡¯s your relationship with the owner of this house? That child is only 14 years old. It¡¯s impossible for him to be your brother.¡± There was no need to worry that the other party would betray her. There was a 14-year-old youth living here. He looked a little similar to Bai Xihe. Bai Xihe was silent. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°With all due respect, 15 years ago, Zhaoyang Hall had a good pulse. This child¡¯s age happened to match.¡± Bai Xihe¡¯s pupils dilated. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Grand Empress Dowager, was that child Prince Nanyang¡¯s back then?¡± Bai Xihe clenched her fists under her wide sleeves. She said. ¡°Whose is it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. A conflicted look flashed across Bai Xihe¡¯s eyes.. Chapter 409 - Chapter 409: The Truth Back Then Chapter 409: The Truth Back Then Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Emperor Jingxuan¡¯s, ¡± Bai Xihe said. Su Xiaoxiao nodded and thought for a moment. She looked at Bai Xihe and said, ¡°The happy pulse isn¡¯t yours, right?¡± Bai Xihe was shocked again and looked at Su Xiaoxiao in a daze. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I once thought that other than Prince Nanyang and Emperor Jingxuan, there was no one else who had the guts to touch you. However, Emperor Jingxuan probably won¡¯t touch you, so if you¡¯re pregnant, it can only be Prince Nanyang¡¯s. On the other hand, if the child isn¡¯t Prince Nanyang¡¯s, the person who¡¯s pregnant definitely won¡¯t be you.¡± Bai Xihe was surprised and Su Xiaoxiao sighed softly. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s the child of my personal female official.¡± Fifteen years ago, Emperor Jing Xuan was drunk and accidentally came to Zhaoyang Hall to visit Bai Xihe¡¯s female official. Although the women in the entire palace belonged to the emperor, there were two places where the women could not be touched. One was the Empress Dowager¡¯s Yongshou Palace and the other was the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s Zhaoyang Hall. If Emperor Jingxuan was a tyrant who did things his own way, it would naturally not matter. However, his persona was that of a wise ruler, so he could not commit such a foolish thing. Therefore, Imperial Physician Fu had to die. Bai Xihe did not die because she was the Grand Empress Dowager, the last fig leaf for the late emperor who was said to have plotted to snatch the throne from his nephew. She had to live safely to stop the crowd. As for that female official¡ª Bai Xihe said, ¡°I once went out of the palace to recuperate for a year, hoping that she could secretly give birth to the child. Unfortunately, it was difficult to give birth. She died in childbirth with the baby.¡± The female official was Bai Xihe¡¯s trusted aide. After entering the palace, she accompanied her. Their master-servant relationship was deep, and Bai Xihe sincerely hoped that the mother and son would be safe. Bai Xihe had even found a family to adopt the child. In the end, she could not resist fate. ¡°Then this child¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao was referring to the young man in the courtyard. At this point, there was no need for Bai Xihe to hide it. ¡°My brother¡¯s flesh and blood. My brother was sentenced to exile. Before he left, he entrusted me to take good care of Yan Zhi. Not long ago, my brother contacted me through the Guo family. He escaped from the exile and hid his identity in Youzhou. He asked me to think of a way to send Yan Zhi and her son over to reunite with him. However, this child has been sick recently¡­ The matter of leaving the capital has been delayed¡­ Su Xiaoxiao came to the next room. A woman two years older than Bai Xihe was feeding the young man on the bed medicine. The woman was the Yan Zhi that Bai Xihe was referring to. She was older than Bai Xihe¡¯s brother by three years, and there were traces of time at the corners of his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m a physician.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Madam asked me to come over and take a look. ¡± Yan Zhi¡¯s hand trembled, and the medicine spilled. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze landed on Yan Zhi¡¯s face. Yan Zhi lowered her head in fear. The young man said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t blame my mother!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything.¡± The young man choked and lowered his head in embarrassment. Fifteen minutes later, Su Xiaoxiao came over from the next room and said to Bai Xihe, ¡°Yan Zhi doesn¡¯t want to leave. She tampered with his son¡¯s medicine and prolonged his illness.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°Your nephew knows, but Yan Zhi doesn¡¯t know that he knows.¡± Yan Zhi could not leave her stable life in the capital and did not want to rely on an exiled criminal. The young man silently endured his mother poisoning him again and again. This was Bai Xihe¡¯s family matter. How Bai Xihe wanted to deal with it was not something she and Wei Ting could interfere with. Wei Ting did not say a word from the beginning to the end, like a towering tree that silently protected a certain little fat peacock. In the courtyard, Su Cheng finally successfully knocked Bi Wu down with all kinds of shameless moves. He used his hands and feet to lock him down. Bi Wu did not resist. Of course, it was very likely that the other party could not be bothered to resist. He was tired of playing with Su Cheng. ¡°Daughter!¡± Su Cheng had the burden of a father. As soon as his fat daughter came out, he immediately let go of Bi Wu and ended this unsightly spar. ¡°Are you done treating him?¡± he asked. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Her nephew¡¯s illness is fine. He¡¯ll recover after taking a few pills.¡± Su Cheng scratched his head. ¡°Oh, is she alright? She looked very sad just now.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go back, Dad.¡± ¡°Deal! The family returned to Pear Blossom Lane. The oil at home was gone, so Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao went out to buy it. Just as they were about to rest, Bai Xihe came. It was Su Cheng who opened the door. Su Cheng asked, ¡°Madam Bai, it¡¯s so late. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Ah, are you here to get medicine for your nephew?¡± Bai Xihe opened her mouth and suddenly covered her lower abdomen. She fell to the ground in pain. ¡°Madam Bai! Madam . Su Cheng looked at Bai Xihe, who was curled up in pain and was at a loss. However, at the thought that she was his daughter¡¯s patient, he still helped her in. ¡°The lamp oil at home is gone. It¡¯s quite dark. Sit for a while. My daughter and son-in-law will buy the lamp oil back later.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Bai Xihe said weakly. Su Cheng said, ¡°How can you be fine? You¡¯re in so much pain¡­ Are you injured?¡± Bai Xihe said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m not injured.. ¡°Then you¡­¡± Su Cheng was halfway through his question when he understood something. He cleared his throat and turned to go to the kitchen. A cooking fire rose in the kitchen, its flames illuminating the narrow space. Bai Xihe casually glanced at the man who was busy at the stove and slowly lowered her eyes. The night was very dark and the night wind was gentle. About half an hour later, Su Cheng brought her a bowl of steaming brown sugar ginger tea with a few red-skinned peanuts and red dates. Bai Xihe had severe menstrual cramps and drank brown sugar water in the palace, but no one would use so many ingredients. It was not that one could not afford to add those items, but most did not think of adding them at all. ¡°Is it Physician Su¡¯s prescription?¡± she asked. Su Cheng looked at the sugar water in her hand. ¡°You¡¯re talking about this? It¡¯s not a prescription. It¡¯s just that Daya¡¯s mother used to be like you. Every month¡­ ahem, her tummy hurts. She only drank brown sugar water, but she found it greasy and added ginger. She also found it spicy. Later on, I added some red dates and red-skinned peanuts, and she liked to drink it.¡± Su Cheng was a culinary idiot who could roast sweet potatoes into dark cuisine, but the brown sugar ginger tea stewed for his wife had an unforgettable taste. Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting returned home after buying lamp oil and realized that Bai Xihe was also there. The two of them were very surprised. They looked at her and then at Su Cheng. Su Cheng said, ¡°Madam Bai isn¡¯t feeling well, so she came to look for you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sniffed. ¡°Dad, did you make brown sugar water?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Madam Bai¡­ Ah, you bought the lamp oil, right? I¡¯ll go hold the lamp!¡± He carried a jar of lamp oil in his hand and left without looking back! Bai Xihe looked at Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting indifferently. ¡°You¡­ actually want to know my relationship with Prince Nanyang, right? Alright, I¡¯ll tell you..¡± Chapter 410 - Chapter 410: Sleeping Together Chapter 410: Sleeping Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting lit the oil lamp. The dim yellow light flickered on the three of their faces. The central room was silent. Bai Xihe lowered her eyes, her expression calm and cold. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t rush her, but she didn¡¯t wait long. Bai Xihe said softly, ¡°Prince Nanyang and I are innocent, whether you believe it or not.¡± The room was silent again. ¡°Daughter! Eh? It¡¯s on!¡± Su Cheng walked over with an oil lamp and looked at the almost dry oil lamp. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s use this one. That one will be extinguished in a while.¡± He placed the oil lamp in his hand on the table and took it to the kitchen to add oil. After the small interlude, the atmosphere between the few of them seemed to liven up. ¡°Have you liked Prince Nanyang?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked bluntly. Bai Xihe laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°With my status, am I qualified to say that I like him?¡± Ever since she entered the palace at the age of 13, she clearly knew that she was destined to have no love in her life. Perhaps it was even earlier, on the day she was treated as an adopted daughter by the Guo family, her fate was beyond her control. She would not hope for those dangerous things. Prince Nanyang might be the husband that all the women in the world dreamed of, but as a heartless person, it was impossible for her to be attracted to any man. ¡°Rumor has it that Prince Nanyang created a rebellion for me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t expect her to mention this. ¡°Why do men always put the blame on women when they do things? What does Prince Nanyang¡¯s rebellion have to do with me?¡± After saying that calmly, she stood up expressionlessly and left the central room without looking back. Su Xiaoxiao watched her walk to the backyard and muttered, ¡°What a pitiful person.¡± Wei Ting looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Has the day finally arrived when you pity others?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not heartless. I¡¯m such a kind person¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t even continue to brag about this. She cleared her throat. ¡°It¡¯s not sympathy. She doesn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s sympathy. She was sentimental, that¡¯s all.¡¯ Wei Ting went to close the door of the central room. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the closed central door and then at the brightly lit backyard. Her chubby hand scratched her head. ¡°Wei Ting, I keep feeling that something is wrong.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Wei Ting did not tell her and carried the oil lamp to the backyard. Su Xiaoxiao followed him. As she walked, the door to her room closed with a bang. She woke up from a dream! This was her room! Yet Bai Xihe lived in it! She came to the door in disbelief. ¡°Madam Bai¡­¡± Bai Xihe said, ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡± You didn¡¯t come to me to tell us about your relationship with the King of Nanyang, right? You¡¯re here to freeload, right!¡± Bai Xihe stayed in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s room, so Su Xiaoxiao could only go to Wei Ting. ¡°Dahu and the others¡­¡± Wei Ting¡¯s meaning was obvious. The three brats were not coming over? Su Xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°If you have the ability, knock on the Empress Dowager¡¯s door!¡± Wei Ting naturally could not knock. ¡°Has she been here?¡± he asked. Looking at Bai Xi and her familiar appearance, it was obvious that this was not the first time. Su Xiaoxiao said gloomily, ¡°She lived there twice by a freak combination of factors. The second time, she bumped into Princess Jingning.¡± The corners of Wei Ting¡¯s mouth twitched. What kind of luck is this? Su Xiaoxiao felt that she had been tricked by Bai Xihe. She sat cross-legged on tne Dea ana nuggea tne pillow witn a Ditter expression. Wei Ting walked over slowly. ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked angrily. Wei Ting looked at her indifferently. ¡°This is my bed. Why do you think I¡¯m here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao moved to the side. Wei Ting turned off the oil lamp and began to take off his clothes. Because she couldn¡¯t see, her hearing was infinitely magnified. The sound of breathing and the friction of clothes carried a faint ambiguity. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s throat was suddenly a little dry. She curled her lips and muttered, ¡°You actually turned off the lights before taking off your clothes, making it look like I¡¯ve not seen it before¡­ Wei Ting did not say anything and leaned down. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s chubby body stiffened. Wei Ting walked over to her and slowly lay on the inside of the bed. She liked to sleep outside. She thought that something would happen to her, and her heart raced. In the end, nothing happened¡­ ¡°You seem disappointed.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s magnetic voice came from the darkness. As he lay flat on his back, his tone was calm. Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s disappointed. I don¡¯t want to touch you at all.¡± Wei Ting closed his eyes calmly. ¡°That¡¯s best.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glared at a certain someone, swung the pillow, and lay down angrily. She reached for his blanket. ¡°1 don¡¯t have¡ª¡± Swoosh. He casually threw a blanket over and covered Su Xiaoxiao from head to toe. Su Xiaoxiao pulled down the blanket and revealed her head. Her face was ashen as she finished her unfinished words. ¡°¡­ blanket.¡± Soon, even breathing came from Wei Ting. His scent lingered at the tip of her nose, making Su Xiaoxiao feel that it smelled very good. Su Xiaoxiao called out to him, ¡°Wei Ting.¡± No reaction. She blinked and moved quietly to his side. She moved again. She shifted again. She moved! Finally, they were close. In the darlmess, she widened her black eyes and blinked. Then, she secretly stretched out two fingers and walked them toward him. Swish. Her fingers squeezed the corner of his blanket. She pursed her lips and tugged gently. Huh. It didn¡¯t budge. She changed places and continued to pull, but she still couldn¡¯t move at all. Did this guy¡­ wrap the blanket around himself? Was there a need to be so wary of her? He made it seem like she would do something to him¡­ Su Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes, wrapped herself in the blanket, and rolled away from him! A moment later, she rolled back and lifted the blanket. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him without blinking. If he did not let her take advantage of him, she would insist on taking advantage of him! Su Xiaoxiao smiled evilly and approached him bit by bit. ¡°You want to be thrown down?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shivered and slipped on her elbow, falling towards him. Pop. It was Wei Ting¡¯s slender hand that accurately pressed her forehead. Su Xiaoxiao lay down with a dark expression and pulled the blanket over her head before falling asleep! ¡®My Lord!¡± Yuchi Xiu uncovered a tile on the roof. Wei Ting looked at the sleeping Su Xiaoxiao and covered her with the blanket. ¡°What¡¯s up? He asked coldly. Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°Old Madam wants to see her great-grandsons.¡± Wei Ting thought of Bai Xihe next door. He paused and said, ¡°Not tonight.¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll go back and report.¡± Yuchi Xiu had just covered the tile and removed it again. He looked in through the hole and said, ¡°Sir, haven¡¯t you always slept together in the countryside? Why did you split the blanket? Does she despise you?¡± Wei Ting looked at someone with a dark expression. ¡°Do you want to die?¡± Yuchi Xiu continued to court death. ¡°Or are you getting more and more unable to control yourself? You¡¯re worried that if she touches you, you¡¯ll¡ª¡± Swoosh! Wei Ting coldly shot out a hidden weapon and Yuchi Xiu¡¯s hair stood on end! Chapter 411 - Chapter 411: The Empress Dowager’s Protection Chapter 411: The Empress Dowager¡¯s Protection Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yuchi Xiu dodged in time and was almost shot into a one-eyed man by the hidden weapon! ¡°No kidding? You¡¯re serious! You¡¯re murdering a Halfway through, Yuchi Xiu felt that something was wrong and stopped in time. He was so angry that he imitated Xiaohu¡¯s words. ¡°Acting guard!¡± Wei Ting took out a second hidden weapon. ¡°My left hand is not very accurate.¡± ¡°You almost shot me blind. Were you trying to cut me open on the spot?¡± Yuchi Xiu couldn¡¯t afford to offend him. He went off. He decisively went to look for Su Cheng. Wei Ting snorted calmly. Yuchi Xiu resigned himself to fate and turned back to fill in the tiles. Su Xiaoxiao had a good sleep. When she woke up the next day, Bai Xihe had already left. Wei Ting and Su Cheng also got up. Last night, not only did he compete with Biwu and practice his skills, but he also discussed the art of war with Yuchi Xiu and trained his intelligence. The two of them were very happy! ¡°Daughter, you¡¯re up?¡± Su Cheng retracted his half-finished fist technique. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re so early?¡± Su Cheng scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been waking up early recently. By the way, Madam Bai said that she was leaving first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Oh, got it.¡± Su Cheng was puzzled. ¡°She gets sick every other day and always comes for consultation alone. Where¡¯s her family? Where¡¯s her husband?¡± ¡°She¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t tell her father that Bai Xihe was the Grand Empress Dowager, so she could only say, ¡°Her husband passed away.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Su Cheng could not continue. After breakfast, Su Xiaoxiao entered the palace to do a follow-up for the Empress Dowager. Because she had become a physician of the Yongshou Palace, she had successfully skipped class from the palace. She suddenly felt that it was not bad to treat the Empress Dowager. Princess Jingning and Princess Hui An came in the morning and were sent to the palace to attend classes by the Empress Dowager. There was no other reason. Princess Hui An fought with Princess Jingning whenever she saw her. The Empress Dowager had a headache from the commotion. Fortunately, what somebody couldn¡¯t know or see couldn¡¯t hurt them. Su Xiaoxiao took the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse. The Empress Dowager¡¯s illness was accumulated over time. As the saying went, illness came and went like a mountain collapsing. The Empress Dowager¡¯s illness could not be rushed. If the medicine was too strong, it would easily destroy her body. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s treatment plan for the Empress Dowager was to detox before nourishment. It was not about inducing diarrhea, but to remove the liver fire, clear the blockage in her body, and nourish it bit by bit. She might have been in a relatively weak state for the past few days, but the quality of sleep and appetite would improve. ¡°Did the Empress Dowager sleep well last night?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Such words were naturally answered by the eunuch in charge. The eunuch in charge said politely, ¡°It¡¯s similar to the night before. She slept for nearly six hours. When she woke up, she said that she was hungry.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°What did the Empress Dowager eat last night and this morning?¡± The eunuch in charge said, ¡°She ate half a bowl of barley porridge last night and a bowl of silver fungus soup this morning. She couldn¡¯t eat so much in the past. ¡± The Empress Dowager had been ill for a long time and did not have a good appetite. Her digestive function had decreased, and she felt bloated after taking a few bites. Thinking of something, the eunuch in charge smiled and asked, ¡°Physician Su, do you still have the medicinal cuisine from yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed outside. ¡®Your people took it for a poison test.¡± The items that entered the Empress Dowager¡¯s mouth had to be tested with silver needles before a special eunuch tested the poison himself. Only then could they be sent to the Empress Dowager. The same went for medicine. The eunuch in charge smiled and said, ¡°Physician Suls medical skills are brilliant. I didn¡¯t expect your culinary skills to be so good. The Empress Dowager is very happy¡­¡¯ The Empress Dowager glared coldly at the eunuch in charge. The eunuch in charge lowered his head resentfully. Not long after, Emperor Jing Xuan arrived. He had brought Hu Jiusheng to take the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse. There¡¯s no nees. The Empress Dowager said impatiently, ¡°One physician is already annoying enough. Do you want to annoy me to death with another?¡± Emperor Jingxuan glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°If Mother doesn¡¯t like Physician SCI¡­¡± The Empress Dowager said calmly, ¡°Well? Can the Imperial Hospital treat me?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan choked. The Empress Dowager blamed him for killing King Nanyang¡¯s family and kept going against him on everything. If he didn¡¯t like it, the Empress Dowager insisted on keeping it. If he liked someone, the Empress Dowager wouldn¡¯t give him any respect. Emperor Jing Xuan was no longer surprised. He didn¡¯t think that the Empress Dowager was biased towards Su Xiaoxiao. She was most likely taking this opportunity to embarrass him. ¡°Empress Dowager, the medicine is ready.¡± A little palace maid served the steaming medicine. Hu Jiusheng frowned. ¡°Is the Empress Dowager drinking medicine? But¡­ there¡¯s no record of the Imperial Hospital making medicine. May I ask Eunuch Cheng where these medicine came from?¡± The eunuch in charge glanced at Su Xiaoxiao and said, ¡°I got it from Doctor Su¡¯s medical center.¡± ¡°What? The herbs outside the palace?¡± Hu Jiusheng was very surprised. ¡°If you want to get the herbs, why do you have to go so far? Could it be that the herbs outside the palace are better than those in the Imperial Hospital?¡± ¡°Bring it over!¡± The Empress Dowager was so annoyed by these people that she took the medicine bowl in her hand and finished it without leaving a single drop. Emperor Jing Xuan and Hu Jiusheng were dumbfounded. How difficult was it to feed the Empress Dowager medicine in the past? He wished he could open her mouth and pour it in. What kind of bewitching technique did this girl use to make the Empress Dowager take the initiative to drink the medicine? Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you acupuncture later.¡± The Empress Dowager agreed calmly. ¡°Yes.¡± Hu Jiusheng gasped. Had he heard wrongly? The Empress Dowager hated needles the most! She had never cooperated with any imperial physician like this¡ª The Empress Dowager asked casually, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Emperor have to deal with the court affairs or review the memorials?¡± Emperor Jingxuan said with a complicated expression, ¡°Mother, rest well. I¡¯ll come over later.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan left with Hu Jiusheng. Su Xiaoxiao opened the medicine box and took out the silver needles. The Empress Dowager said, ¡°Girl, do you hate that imperial physician very much?¡± ¡°Did I make it obvious?¡± She had not said a word just now. ¡°Hmph.¡± The Empress Dowager took the tea from the palace maid and rinsed her mouth. ¡°If I don¡¯t even have such judgment, how could I have become the Empress Dowager?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought of Bai Xihe. The women in the harem were not simple. To think that she had thought that Bai Xihe was an innocent deer the first two times. Last night, she realized that she was a cunning fox. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh.¡± There was nothing else. Ordinary people would not miss such a good opportunity. How could Su Xiaoxiao not know that this was a good opportunity to suppress Hu Jiusheng? Moreover, the Empress Dowager had taken the initiative to mention this. Since the Empress Dowager asked, she was giving Su Xiaoxiao a ladder. It was not a big deal for Su Xiaoxiao to climb up the ladder. However, Su Xiaoxiao had a bigger goal in her heart. The Empress Dowager¡¯s favor was very precious. It was not worth it to waste it on Hu Jiusheng. The Empress Dowager instantly understood. Having nothing to ask for was the greatest request. She suddenly had an ominous feeling. This girl was going to cause a huge mess in the future and let her clean up the aftermath¡ª Su Xiaoxiao raised the silver needle and smiled.. ¡°Empress Dowager, it¡¯s time for the needle!¡± Chapter 412 - Chapter 412: Torturing Scum Chapter 412: Torturing Scum Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Eunuch Cheng, is the Empress Dowager really allowing that commoner physician to treat her?¡± In the small kitchen of Yongshou Palace, a little palace maid asked curiously as she brewed medicine for the Empress Dowager. The others looked at him. The eunuch in charge said arrogantly, ¡°Are you blind? Without the Empress Dowager¡¯s permission, can you still obediently brew medicine here? In addition, in the future, show some respect to her. What physician girl from the commoners? She¡¯s the physician of the Number One Hall, the daughter of the Protector Duke! ¡± Another palace maid wondered, ¡°Why did a rich young lady become a medicine woman¡­ Uh¡­ physician¡­ female physician!¡± The medical woman had a low status in Great Zhou and usually did not treat men. She only delivered babies and treated some indescribable gynecological hidden illnesses. Not to mention men, even women thought that the medicine woman was lowly. Sometimes, women were the ones who looked down on women the most. The eunuch in charge actually sighed. How did a young lady become a physician? He heard that she had grown up among the commoners and her family was poor. She probably had no choice, right? ¡°Stop talking nonsense. These things are not something you can say! If I hear you discussing Physician Su again, watch your skin!¡± ¡°Yes! Eunuch Cheng!¡± The Empress Dowager was a difficult patient, but as long as she targeted her weakness, her level of cooperation was much higher than Wei Ting¡¯s. At the very least, she would not find all kinds of excuses not to inject. She was a ruthless person. ¡°Empress Dowager, how do you feel?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± the Empress Dowager said calmly. The eunuch in charge gave Su Xiaoxiao a look. This meant that it was quite good. After Su Xiaoxiao performed acupuncture on the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager¡¯s head was not so heavy, and her blood flow seemed to be smoother. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°This acupuncture technique is passed down from my master¡¯s family.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your master?¡± ¡°Fu Sheng.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Fu Sheng?¡± ¡°Imperial Physician Fu Kun¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Fu Kun¡­¡± The Empress Dowager muttered,¡± Ah, him? I have some impression of him. His medical skills are not bad, but unfortunately, he passed away early. He had faked his death and lived in town for many years. However, there was no need to argue with the Empress Dowager about this. The Empress Dowager said indifferently, ¡°Are you recommending a physician to me? Why? When a person achieves the Dao, his chickens and dogs will soar to the heavens? Don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. I haven¡¯t even seen a trace of the person!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°You can only see the person when you¡¯re well!¡± The Empress Dowager snorted coldly. ¡°You¡¯d better not be lying to me. Otherwise, even if you cure me, I won¡¯t appreciate it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her hand. ¡°I know, I know.¡± At noon, Su Xiaoxiao accompanied the Empress Dowager for lunch at Yongshou Palace. The Empress Dowager was eating the medicinal cuisine she had stewed. The Empress Dowager did not have a good appetite and did not like the smell of medicine. Ordinary medicinal cuisine could not enter her mouth. Halfway through her meal, the Empress Dowager glanced at the eunuch in charge. The eunuch in charge understood and hurriedly asked with a smile, ¡°Physician Su, what is your medicinal cuisine made of? It smells so good.¡± Su Xiaoxiao explained patiently, ¡°It¡¯s stewed with Huaishan and the five grains. Huaishan is good for the stomach, the spleen, and the lungs. The five grains can nourish the blood and qi. The Empress Dowager¡¯s spleen and stomach are not good. If she doesn¡¯t recuperate, she won¡¯t be able to absorb any medicine.¡± The eunuch in charge was enlightened. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Doctor Su¡¯s explanation was easy to understand; she was unlike those imperial physicians who always talked about unfathomable medical theories, making them at a loss. In the afternoon, Su Xiaoxiao played chess with the Empress Dowager for a while. The Empress Dowager looked at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s unconventional moves and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Girl, who taught you chess?¡± ¡°A friend,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. The Empress Dowager muttered, ¡°It does seem a little like an old friend of mine.¡± After coming out of the Yongshou Palace, Su Xiaoxiao bumped into Hu Jiusheng, who was on duty. Ever since he found out that Su Xiaoxiao was Fu Sheng¡¯s disciple, Hu Jiusheng had disliked her. He didn¡¯t look at Su Xiaoxiao and walked forward. Su Xiaoxiao walked over with a faint smile. ¡°Court Commissioner Hu, don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave. You look like you¡¯re afraid of me. Why? Have you done something wrong?¡± Hu Jiusheng stopped and glanced at her coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± ¡°Yo, are you angry?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sneered at him and said lightly, ¡°You know best if you did it or not, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about!¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll make things clearer. You know about what happened back then, right? Did you deliberately ask Imperial Physician Fu to take the pulse on your behalf?¡± Hu Jiusheng¡¯s expression changed fiercely! Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes dangerously. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s true. Hu Jiusheng, the heavens are watching¡­ Ah, no, I¡¯m watching.¡± Su Xiaoxiao approached him step by step. ¡°There¡¯s a price to pay for deceiving your master and killing your ancestors.¡± With that, Su Xiaoxiao left without looking back. Hu Jiusheng stood rooted to the ground alone, breaking out in a cold sweat. ¡°Court Commissioner Hu!¡± A young man¡¯s voice woke Hu Jiusheng up. He regained his consciousness and realized that he had unknowingly walked to the bridge by the pond. He turned around and looked at the other party before hurriedly cupping his hands and bowing. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Xiao Duye walked over elegantly and looked at him with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Chief Physician Hu?¡± Hu Jiusheng cupped his hands and said, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m thinking of a prescription. Sorry for embarrassing myself.¡± Xiao Duye asked, ¡°Are you worried about my grandmother¡¯s illness?¡± Hu Jiusheng braced himself and said, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Xiao Duye sighed faintly. ¡°What a pity. It¡¯s useless no matter how worried you are. My imperial grandmother didn¡¯t give you a chance to treat her at all. Speaking of this, I¡¯m puzzled. Aren¡¯t you Third Brother¡¯s man? Why did he abandon you and choose a physician from the commoners?¡± The eunuch at the side said, ¡°Your Highness, you forgot that the Qin family is engaged to the Third Prince.¡± Xiao Duye looked enlightened. ¡°So Third Brother is paving the way for my future third sister-in-law? It¡¯s really a pity that Court Commissioner Hu has nowhere to show his ambition and is a stepping stone for others.¡± These words hit Hu Jiusheng¡¯s heart. However, he could not admit it. Otherwise, once he was labeled as colluding with the prince, he would probably anger Emperor Jing Xuan. Xiao Duye smiled. ¡°Court Commissioner Hu, since Third Brother doesn¡¯t cherish you so much, why do you continue to work for him? Why don¡¯t¡­¡± Tap, tap, tap! A horse sped over and slammed into Xiao Duye! Everyone, including Xiao Duye himself, did not have time to react. In the next second, Xiao Duye was sent flying by the horse and fell into the pool! The eunuch shouted, ¡°Your Highness!¡± Wei Ting rode his horse and paced back and forth on the wooden bridge. He looked at Xiao Duye, who was struggling desperately in the water, in surprise. ¡°Aiya, it¡¯s His First Highness. I¡¯m sorry, the horse lost control.¡± ¡°Who allowed you to run wild in the palace¡­.¡± Gulp. Before he could finish, Xiao Duye sank. Someone! He didn¡¯t know how to swim! Chapter 413 - Chapter 413: The Arrogant Brother Ting Chapter 413: The Arrogant Brother Ting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the Imperial Study, Emperor Jingxuan was reviewing the memorials. Eunuch Quan walked over anxiously. ¡°Your Majesty! Bad news! Something happened to His Highness!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked calmly, ¡°What can happen to him?¡± He had just left the Imperial Study and should not have left the palace yet. Eunuch Quan said anxiously, ¡°His First Highness was knocked into the water by Lord Wei!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. It was Wei Ting again! Fifteen minutes later, the initiator, Wei Ting, and the victim, Xiao Duye, were brought to Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at the Demon King Wei Ting and then at the trembling Xiao Duye. His teeth hurt. He gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°What happened this time?!¡± ¡°Oh, the situation is like this,¡± Wei Ting said unhurriedly. ¡°Today, I went to the palace to teach the two princesses and all the daughters how to ride and shoot. Who would have thought that a horse would go crazy? In order not to let the crazy horse hit the students, I could only ride the horse out first.¡± Eunuch Fu whispered, ¡°There was indeed a crazy horse.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan frowned. ¡°Why do crazy horses always appear? Did Hui An fight with Lingxi again?¡± Eunuch Fu smiled awkwardly. Wasn¡¯t that so? Princess Hui An fought with Princess Jingning in the palace, went to the Palace Academy, and fought with Princess Lingxi. In short, she did not stop. Emperor Jing Xuan pinched his aching glabella. Wei Ting continued to sigh and said, ¡°It was purely an accident to bump into His Highness¡­ It¡¯s mainly because I didn¡¯t expect His Highness to not know how to swim. Otherwise, I would have bumped into Court Commisioner Hu instead.¡± Hu Jiusheng, who was outside the door, trembled. Xiao Duye also trembled. This matter was a little infuriating. After Xiao Duye fell into the water, his personal eunuch and the surrounding palace servants immediately wanted to go into the water. Wei Ting stopped them and asked one by one, ¡°Do you know how to swim?¡± ¡°Are you good at swimming?¡± ¡°Do you have the kind of skills that can save someone and not drown yourselves?¡± Everyone looked at one another. Wei Ting said leisurely, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? His Highness is strong. There¡¯s no need for you to save him.¡± Then, he let Xiao Duye drink a few catties of dirty water in the pool. He drank so much that his eyes rolled back, and was on his last breath by the time Wei Ting made a move to pull him up. He raised his bandaged right hand. ¡°If Your Highness had said that you didn¡¯t know how to swim, I would have jumped into the water immediately to scoop him up even if my wound was infected.¡± Xiao Duye was furious. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at his eldest son suspiciously. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a good swimmer?¡± Wei Ting had an incredulous expression. ¡°That¡¯s right, Your Highness. Your swimming skills are so bad that you almost drowned. How did you save Miss Qin that day?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s stern gaze landed on his eldest son¡¯s face. Xiao Duye¡¯s eyes flashed. Just as he was about to explain, he spat out a mouthful of water. Wei Ting patted his shoulder and comforted him. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s just a crime of deceiving the emperor. You¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s biological son. His Majesty definitely can¡¯t bear to punish you heavily.¡± ¡°Miss! Miss!¡± Qin Yanran was sitting in front of the dressing table applying ointment when the maidservant stumbled in. Qin Yanran frowned. ¡°Why are you so flustered? In the future, you¡¯ll be a servant of the Lord¡¯s Estate. How can you be so unruly?¡± The maidservant lowered her head aggrievedly. ¡°I¡­ I have something urgent to report.¡± Qin Yanran said, ¡°Speak!¡± The maidservant said, ¡°His First Highness¡­ has been removed from his position as Commander of the Imperial Guards!¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What!¡± The maidservant said in a low voice, ¡°Your Majesty¡­ His Majesty realized that the person who saved you that day was the Eldest Prince¡¯s eunuch and not him¡­ In a fit of anger¡­ His Majesty removed his position in the hall¡­ and¡­ he even punished the Eldest Prince to be grounded for a month¡­¡± Qin Yanran stood up. ¡°Grounded for a month? What about the banquet?¡± Secondary consorts were also concubines. Although they could not be like the main consort, they still had to hold a banquet. The maidservant bit her lip and did not dare to continue. The Eldest Prince had already been grounded, so how could there be a banquet? She could only be brought into the residence in a sedan chair¡­ This was also Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s punishment for Qin Yanran. She knew that the person who saved her was not the Eldest Prince himself, but she had deceived him with the Eldest Prince. How could Emperor Jing Xuan not be angry? Qin Yanran was so angry that her heart hurt and her eyes turned black. ¡°Who did it? How did this matter get exposed?¡± The maidservant said fearfully, ¡°It¡­ it seems to be Lord Wei.¡± Qin Yanran gritted her teeth. ¡°Wei Ting!¡± Wei Ting had knocked the Eldest Prince into the water, so it was impossible for Emperor Jing Xuan not to punish him. The question was how to punish him? He had never returned to the Imperial Court to work, so he could not be dismissed even if he wanted to. Emperor Jing Xuan wanted to punish him by removing him from his teaching position in the Palace School, but Wei Ting¡¯s nonchalant expression made Emperor Jing Xuan dispel this thought. ¡°Your salary will be fined half a year¡¯s salary!¡± Wei Ting¡¯s face darkened. After coming out of the Imperial Study, Wei Ting weighed the money bag in his hand and smiled. ¡°Fortunately, I was prepared.¡± Did he pull Xiao Duye out of the water for nothing? Wouldn¡¯t he have to collect some money for his savage work? ¡°Wei Ting!¡± Xiao Duye walked out angrily. He pushed away the eunuch who was supporting him and came to Wei Ting with a cold expression. ¡°You did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± Wei Ting put away the money bag and looked at him casually. He smiled. ¡°Eldest Prince, it¡¯s good that you know some things. Why say it out loud?¡± ¡°You!¡± Xiao Duye hurriedly looked around. Wei Ting tidied his wet clothes. ¡°Stop looking. Only you and your trusted eunuch heard it. No one will believe it if word gets out.¡± Xiao Duye was furious. ¡°Wei Ting!¡± Wei Ting smiled faintly. ¡°Your Highness, I hold grudges.¡± With that, he left arrogantly. Xiao Duye was so angry that he doubted his life. How could there be such an arrogant person in the world? Was he really not afraid of death?! On the other side, Su Xiaoxiao left the palace. When she lifted the curtain, she actually saw the number one young master of the Imperial City that she had not seen for a few days. ¡°It¡¯s Cousin.¡± Su MO corrected. She was actually older than him but¡­ Su Xiaoxiao sat down beside him. There was a jar of peeled walnuts on the table. Su Xiaoxiao carried it over and dug inside with her chubby fingers. Each one was full and in a complete shape. She grabbed one and threw it into her mouth, narrowing her eyes in satisfaction. Su MO actually did not understand what was so delicious about walnuts. How could she eat them so happily? ¡°I haven¡¯t congratulated Uncle for defeating Qin Jiang,¡± Su MO said. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a small matter. Why were you gone for so long? Did anything happen?¡± Su MO said, ¡°The heavy rain caused a landslide and destroyed the bridges and official roads, as well as a few villages. We¡¯re fine, but the local villagers suffered. They just sowed seeds and they were all flooded.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Were there heavy casualties?¡± Su MO shook his head. ¡°There aren¡¯t many casualties. This is probably a blessing in disguise. Grandpa is still delivering disaster relief locally. He asked me to return to the capital to see your situation first.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Fifth Brother?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked again. Su MO paused. ¡°He escaped.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Su MO sighed helplessly. ¡°Fifth Brother is like this. He never wants to stay at home. It¡¯s useless to hit him.¡± He had two brothers at home who made him worry the most. One was the fourth, and the other was the fifth. They were twins, but their personalities were poles apart. One was too quiet, and the other was too noisy. They did not behave like normal children. Su MO continued, ¡°In addition, we were delayed there for a few days. Actually, there¡¯s another reason. We discovered a sect¡¯s nest. Grandpa plans to wait for an opportunity to destroy it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°White Lotus Society?¡± This time, it was Su Mo¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°You know?¡± Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about your actions. I just heard something about the White Lotus Society a few days ago. The corpses under the attic were believers of the White Lotus Society.¡± Su MO frowned. ¡°Is that so?¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed another walnut. ¡°Xiao Zhonghua found out. It should be right.¡± Su MO looked at her with a complicated expression. ¡°You and the Third Prince¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°I have nothing to do with him. Jing Yi told me.¡± Su MO was amazed that this girl was already familiar with people from the Marquis of Weiwu¡¯s Mansion¡­ Su MO looked at the entrance of the palace and asked, ¡°The school hasn¡¯t ended yet. Why did you come out early?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ve been on leave for the past few days. I don¡¯t have to go to class. ¡± Su MO asked curiously, ¡°Why did you take leave? Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°To treat the Empress Dowager.¡± Su MO wondered, ¡°Did I really only leave for a few days?¡± After returning to Pear Blossom Lane from the palace, Su Xiaoxiao went to get a few herbs while Su MO went to the opposite side to buy candied hawthorn for the three children. Hu Biyun happened to be buying candied hawthorn for her brother. Seeing Su MO, her heart skipped a beat and her eyes panicked. She tucked the hair behind her ear, lowered her eyes, and bowed gently. ¡°Young Master Su.¡± Su MO nodded calmly and did not speak to her. ¡°Four sticks of candied hawthorn.¡± ¡°Alright, Young Master. It¡¯s half a tael of silver.¡± The price of sugar has risen again. Su MO was a young master of the Marquis¡¯s Estate, so he naturally did not pay attention to the price. He paid the money, took the candied hawthorn, and turned to leave. ¡°Wait.¡± Hu Biyun stopped him and walked forward with a red face. She held a snow-white handkerchief with both hands and said softly, ¡°Young Master Su, you dropped your handkerchief.¡± Su MO did not move. Seeing this, the coachman quickly ran over and took the handkerchief from Hu Biyun. ¡°Thank you, Miss.¡± Hu Biyun mustered her courage and looked at Su MO shyly. However, Su MO did not give her a look from the beginning to the end. He walked toward Su Xiaoxiao, who had come out of the first hall. The coachman hurried after him. He held the handkerchief. ¡°Young Master, this¡­¡± Su MO said expressionlessly, ¡°Throw it away..¡± Chapter 414 - Chapter 414: Happy Tidings Chapter 414: Happy Tidings Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the backyard of the medical center, Du Juan and Ying¡¯er were collecting herbs that had been drying all day. Physician Fu went to the front courtyard to take a look. Chef Cao and Madam Yang were cooking in the kitchen. There were only the two of them in the courtyard. Suddenly, a branch shook quickly on the wall of the Benevolence Hall. Du Juan hurriedly said to Ying¡¯er, ¡°The hall is a little busy. Little Weizi can¡¯t prepare the herbs alone. Go and help. I can prepare the herbs alone.¡± ¡°Can you do it?¡± Ying¡¯er asked. Du Juan said, ¡°It¡¯s not raining. It¡¯s fine if I slow down.¡± Ying¡¯er thought for a moment and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go prepare the herbs? I¡¯ll collect the herbs.¡± Du Juan lowered her head. ¡°I prepared the wrong one a few times¡­ I was scolded badly¡­ I don¡¯t dare to get the medicine anymore¡­ You should go.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Ying¡¯er went to the lobby. Du Juan looked around and picked up a dustpan to the back door. When she passed by the kitchen, she glanced in and no one noticed her. She came to the back alley and entered the Benevolence Hall through the back door. Shopkeeper Wu was already waiting in the corner. ¡°Did you make any progress today?¡± Manager Wu asked. Du Juan said, ¡°Boss came to get some herbs to make medicinal cuisine for the Empress Dowager.¡± Manager Wu asked, ¡°You¡¯ve already taken it home?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Du Juan said in a low voice. ¡°Boss prepared the medicine herself and took it away after preparing it. I didn¡¯t have a chance to touch the herbs, but¡­¡± Manager Wu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°But what!¡± Du Juan said, ¡°She left a prescription and asked Doctor Fu to brew an ointment for her. She¡¯ll come and get it tomorrow morning. Manager Wu said thoughtfully, ¡°She¡¯s getting it tomorrow morning¡­ Looks like it¡¯s for the Empress Dowager. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have asked her master to personally brew the ointment.¡± Du Juan did not comment. She could not interrupt. Manager Wu instructed, ¡°Think of a way to get that prescription.¡± Du Juan said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t get the prescription. These special prescriptions are usually not placed in the lobby. They¡¯re directly stored with the accountant on the second floor. I can¡¯t enter.¡± Manager Wu thought of how confidential the prescription was. He frowned. ¡°Then keep an eye on Imperial Physician Fu and see what herbs he used¡­ Du Juan said, ¡°He won¡¯t allow me to keep an eye on him.¡± Manager Wu was impatient. ¡°This won¡¯t do, and that won¡¯t do. Do you still want to redeem yourself? Do you really think the Number One Hall is a good place to stay in? Think about it, you were an official¡¯s daughter back then. Are you really willing to be reduced to a lowly medicine girl?¡± Du Juan bit her lip. Manager Wu said coldly, ¡°Or¡­ can¡¯t you bear to attack the Number One Hall?¡± Du Juan struggled. ¡°Boss¡­ treats me well¡­ Although she has a bad temper sometimes¡­ she doesn¡¯t mean any harm.. Manager Wu sneered. ¡°If you¡¯re unfaithful once, you won¡¯t be used a hundred times. Du Juan, I¡¯ve never forced you. Everything was voluntary. Don¡¯t tell me you think your boss will still trust you as usual after I tell her about your collusion with me?¡± Du Juan clenched her handkerchief. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Boss!¡± Manager Wu smiled and said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not asking you to do anything too evil. I just want to teach that girl a small lesson. Don¡¯t worry, this matter won¡¯t hurt her. At most, it will make her retreat. I promise you that after you finish this last thing for me, we¡¯ll forget about each other from now on. You take the silver you deserve, and I¡¯ll disappear from your sight.¡± A hint of conflict appeared in Du Juan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you keep your word?¡± Manager Wu said, ¡°Of course.¡± Du Juan took a deep breath and went all out. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Manager Wu returned to the accountant¡¯s room on the second floor. Second Master Hu sat on the chair and took a sip of tea. ¡°Is it done?¡± Manager Wu smiled and said, ¡°How can I not do anything?¡± Second Master Hu said angrily, ¡°You¡¯ve already failed several times!¡± Manager Wu promised, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry. This time, it will definitely be foolproof! ¡± Second Master Hu asked, ¡°Did you use that medicine?¡± Manager Wu said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Second Master Hu was a little hesitant. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too risky? Big Brother said that the effect of this medicine is unstable¡­ If it¡¯s too strong¡­ If we really cause something to happen to the Empress Dowager¡­¡± Manager Wu hurriedly said, ¡°No, Boss? Didn¡¯t Eldest Master say so? The masters in the palace have precious statuses. As long as it enters the mouth, it has to be carefully checked. First, there are silver needles to test the poison, and then there are special eunuchs to test the poison themselves. They will be found out before they can reach the Empress Dowager!¡± Second Master Hu asked, ¡°What if¡­ what if they are not able to detect it?¡± Manager Wu said, ¡°If they can¡¯t find out and our master has the antidote, wouldn¡¯t it be a coincidence for our master to obtain the Empress Dowager¡¯s attention again?¡± Second Master Hu frowned. ¡°Will this really not kill someone?¡± ¡°No!¡± Shopkeeper Wu patted his chest and promised. Second Master Hu was persuaded and nodded. ¡°That girl has repeatedly ruined my Hu family¡¯s business. It¡¯s time to teach her a lesson.¡± Manager Wu smiled sinisterly. ¡°Conspiracy to murder the Empress Dowager is a capital crime. Second Master, just wait for the happy tidings from the palace! In less than three days, the Number One Hall will be ours!¡± The next day, Su Xiaoxiao entered the palace with the ointment. Hu Jiusheng packed up and was about to enter the palace. Just as he was about to get into the carriage, he bumped into Second Master Hu, who was setting off for the Benevolence Hall. Second Master Hu was in high spirits when he encountered a happy occasion. He was all smiles. ¡°Brother!¡± Hu Jiusheng looked at him strangely. ¡°What¡¯s making you so happy? Second Master Hu smiled and said, ¡°After today, that annoying Number One Hall will close down!¡± Hu Jiusheng was puzzled. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Second Master Hu told him about using Du Juan to drug the Empress Dowager. Hu Jiusheng¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You¡¯re confused!¡± Second Master Hu looked aggrieved. ¡°Brother! I¡¯m doing this for our Benevolence Hall! If that girl really cures the Empress Dowager, her medical center will trample on the Benevolence Hall! We can¡¯t lose to a little girl from the countryside!¡± Hu Jiusheng expected better from someone and said, ¡°But you can¡¯t do such a thing to the Empress Dowager!¡± He stopped talking nonsense with his brother, got into the carriage, and entered the palace as quickly as possible. Then, he went to the Yongshou Palace under the pretext of asking for his pulse. He casually stopped a palace maid holding a medicine bowl. ¡°Is Physician Su here?¡± The palace maid said, ¡°She¡¯s here. She¡¯s treating the Empress Dowager inside.¡± Hu Jiusheng continued, ¡°Has the Empress Dowager taken her medicine?¡± The palace maid asked, ¡°What medicine are you talking about? She has already drunk the medicine. There¡¯s also an ointment that needs to be heated before it can be used. It seems to be able to be taken internally and applied externally.¡± Hu Jiusheng heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Where¡¯s the ointment?¡± ¡°In the little kitchhen¡ªhere, it¡¯s here!¡± The palace maid pointed at a young eunuch who had brought the medicine. Hu Jiusheng looked at the bowl of ointment. He only needed to pretend to accidentally knock it over to prevent a disaster. Just as he was about to do this, he suddenly heard a familiar voice. ¡°Is the Empress Dowager feeling better?¡± It was, it was Fu Sheng! Why was he here?! Hu Jiusheng felt terrible. He asked the palace maid, ¡°Did Physician Su not come alone?¡± ¡°Oh, she also brought a physician. It¡¯s said that he¡¯s her master and is extremely good at acupuncture.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little looser than yesterday,¡± the Empress Dowager said. ¡°Your acupuncture skills are not inferior to your father¡¯s.¡± ¡°Empress Dowager, you¡¯re too kind. I¡¯ll come back tomorrow to perform acupuncture on you.¡± Hearing this, Hu Jiusheng¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Court Commissioner Hu, is there anything else?¡± the palace maid asked him. Hu Jiusheng looked at her and then at the young eunuch who entered with the ointment. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He said calmly. He did not do anything as he watched the young eunuch brush past him. The imperial physicians were busy with their work at the Imperial Hospital. There were many nobles in the palace and they had to invite many people every day. Everyone was actually very busy. ¡°Court Commissioner, Court Commissioner!¡± Imperial Physician Zhang waved his finger in front of Hu Jiusheng. Hu Jiusheng came back to his senses. ¡°Ah, I was thinking of a prescription just now. Imperial Physician Zhang, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Imperial Physician Zhang said, ¡°There¡¯s almost no more China Root and snow lotus. This is the shopping list. Please take a look.¡± How could Hu Jiusheng take it in? He took it and glanced at it before handing it back to Imperial Physician Zhang. Seeing that he was acting strange, Imperial Physician Zhang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Administrator, are you feeling unwell today? You look very pale.¡± Chief Physician Hu rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand and said nonchalantly, ¡°No, I read too late last night and didn¡¯t sleep well.¡¯ Imperial Physician Zhang said, ¡°Then go back and rest early. We¡¯re at the Imperial Hospital.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Hu Jiusheng took out a medical book and flipped through it. He was distracted, his mind filled with the aftermath of the ointment consumption. He had modified that medicine according to Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s prescription. It was originally a prescription to fight poison with poison, but after he modified it, the medicinal effect was not stable. It might be very poisonous, or it might not be poisonous. The effects varied from person to person. If it was not poisonous¡­ he would have drugged her for nothing. If it was a strong poison¡­ it was too dangerous¡­ Would she not be able to be saved with the antidote? He could end up being the murderer who murdered the Empress Dowager.. Thinking of this, he felt a lingering fear. He was impulsive after all. He shouldn¡¯t have let jealousy and guilt swallow his rationality¡­ What should he do now? ¡°Not good!¡± Imperial Physician Wan walked in with a terrified expression. Hu Jiusheng stood up. ¡°Did something happen to Yongshou Palace?¡± Imperial Physician Wan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Hu Jiusheng said with a trembling voice, ¡°What happened to the Empress Dowager? Imperial Physician Wan said, ¡°It¡¯s not the Empress Dowager, it¡¯s His Majesty! His Majesty ate the Empress Dowager¡¯s ointment and vomited blood and fainted!¡± Chapter 415 - Chapter 415: Investigating the Truth Chapter 415: Investigating the Truth Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Emperor Jing Xuan lay in a pool of blood in Yongshou Palace. The palace maids and eunuchs were in a mess. Eunuch Fu also panicked. He had served Emperor Jing Xuan for many years and had never seen such a scene. Emperor Jing Xuan was in his prime and had always been strong. How could he fall and vomit blood just like that? The imperial physician arrived very quickly. The Empress, Consort Xian, and the other concubines also arrived. Emperor Jingxuan lay on the bamboo bed in the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom. Although it was called a bamboo bed, it was actually very soft and luxurious. After all, it was where the Empress Dowager had her treatment. As soon as Consort Xian entered the house, she tugged at her handkerchief and cried. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± The Empress Dowager frowned. The other concubines also surrounded him, took a handkerchief, and began to wipe their tears. The only calm person was the Empress. The Empress glanced around and said to the Empress Dowager, ¡°Mother, we¡¯ve frightened you.¡± At this moment, the difference between the Empress and the concubines was obvious. While everyone was crying and worried about Emperor Jing Xuan, she was the only one who cared about the overall situation and prioritized the Empress Dowager¡¯s phoenix body first. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± the Empress Dowager said wearily. The Empress looked at Su Xiaoxiao in front of the phoenix bed and the few imperial physicians in the bedroom and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± The imperial physicians looked at each other. Imperial Physician Li said, ¡°Empress, we followed His Majesty to take the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse. His Majesty¡­ ate some ointment made by Physician Su. Not long after, he spat out blood¡­ He fell to the ground and couldn¡¯t get up. His symptoms¡­ seem to indicate poisoning. ¡± ¡°Physician Su?¡± The Empress looked at Su Xiaoxiao suspiciously. Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands and looked innocent. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you test the poison?¡± the Empress asked. These words were clearly directed at the palace maids and eunuchs of the Yongshou Palace. The eunuch in charge said, ¡°The silver needles were tested but nothing was revealed. Little Hezi tried them, but¡­ but perhaps he ate little and didn¡¯t show it at that time, so he¡¯s a little dizzy now.¡± The Empress pondered and said, ¡°In that case, it¡¯s not poisonous.¡± If it was poison, Little Hezi would have a serious reaction on the spot. It was not like the silver needles were not effective. Then the question was, how did His Majesty end up like this since the ointment was not poisonous? ¡°How much did His Majesty eat?¡± the Empress asked. The eunuch in charge fell silent. Eunuch Fu cleared his throat and said awkwardly, ¡°He¡­ finished¡­ a jar.¡± The empress asked, ¡°How big a jar?¡± Eunuch Fu silently carried the empty jar over. The Empress looked at the medicine jar that was almost half the size of her head and her temples throbbed! The little person in her mind quickly fell! It was fine if he usually snatched Jingning¡¯s snacks in Kunning Palace, but now, he did not even let go of the ointment. The Empress almost couldn¡¯t maintain her motherly aura. She took a deep breath and said to Eunuch Fu, ¡°Didn¡¯t you going to persuade him?¡± Eunuch Fu cried out in his heart. He also wanted to persuade him. Who would have thought that His Majesty would finish the jar of ointment in the time it took him to go to the imperial kitchen? He had never realized that His Majesty liked medicine so much! The empress naturally could not blame the empress dowager. She looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Since Physician Su is a doctor, didn¡¯t you tell His Majesty the dosage of the ointment? If His Majesty didn¡¯t eat so much, perhaps the poison wouldn¡¯t be so serious.¡± The Empress Dowager said in a low voice, ¡°She went to brew medicine for me.¡± The Empress bowed and said politely, ¡°Mother, I heard that there¡¯s a doctor who came with Doctor Su. May I know where that doctor is?¡± The Empress Dowager said calmly, ¡°He¡¯s already gone.¡± There were only two doctors in the Number One Hall. Physician Fu immediately returned after performing acupuncture on the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager¡¯s words were very protective of the Number One Hall, so the Empress could not use force. Moreover, Su Xiaoxiao was Princess Jingning¡¯s friend. However, this was a serious matter. In front of so many people, she needed to investigate the matter clearly and give everyone an explanation. The Empress said seriously, ¡°Doctor Su, did you personally brew the ointment?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said truthfully, ¡°I asked my master to make it.¡± The Empress was slightly stunned. ¡°Your master?¡± Eunuch Fu hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s Physician Fu, who just left.¡± The empress continued, ¡°What illness is the ointment used to treat?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Dispel toxins and dissipate heat. Dispel wind.¡± The Empress probed ¡°For the Empress Dowager?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Yes.¡± Imperial Physician Li suddenly pointed at Su Xiaoxiao and complained, ¡°I understand. You must have wanted to harm the Empress Dowager. Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager didn¡¯t use it and instead poisoned His Majesty by a freak combination of factors!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him strangely. ¡°Why did my master and I want to murder the Empress Dowager? What benefits does this do for us? Privately, we have no grudge against the Empress Dowager. To heal the Empress Dowager is equivalent to building a living signboard for the Number One Hall. I can¡¯t wait for the Empress Dowager to recover, so how can I harm her?¡± These words successfully made Imperial Physician Li shut up. Imperial Physician Wan said, ¡°Then, you want to harm His Majesty!¡± Imperial Physician Li was enlightened. ¡°That¡¯s right! You hate His Majesty for being biased towards Qin Jiang¡¯s family time and time again. You were furious, so you thought of a way to take revenge on His Majesty! ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said unhurriedly, ¡°This jar of ointment is for the Empress Dowager. I didn¡¯t press His Majesty¡¯s neck and force him to eat the ointment.¡± The Empress Dowager said in a low voice, ¡°I gave it to the emperor. Are you trying to say that I murdered my own son?¡± Su Xiaoxiao boiled a large jar and divided it into two small jars. One of them was heated. The Empress Dowager had just had breakfast and could not eat. Seeing that Emperor Jingxuan had been a little heaty recently, she let him have it first. The Empress Dowager did not expect Emperor Jingxuan to consume so much. The Empress said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°No matter what, this bottle of medicine was brewed by your First Hall. Everyone who has come into contact with it or has the chance to come into contact with it has to be detained at the Dali Temple for interrogation!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Father!¡± It was Princess Jingning and Princess Hui An. The person who called her mother was Princess Jingning, and the one who called her father Princess Hui An. When they suddenly heard that Emperor Jing Xuan had been poisoned in class, the two of them immediately skipped class. The two of them heard the Empress¡¯s last words. Princess Jingning said seriously, ¡°Mother, forgive me for being blunt. It¡¯s not appropriate to make the matter of Father being poisoned public. I¡¯m afraid it will cause panic among the people. Why don¡¯t we send someone to investigate?¡± Princess Hui An pointed at Su Xiaoxiao angrily. ¡°She already poisoned Father, but you¡¯re still speaking up for her!¡± Princess Jingning said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense without evidence! It¡¯s true that the medicine was brewed in the Number One Hall, but after entering the Yongshou Palace, it¡¯s not like no one else has touched the ointment.¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you suspecting that the people from Yongshou Palace poisoned Father?¡± Princess Jingning looked away. ¡°I didn¡¯t suspect anyone. I just raised all the possibilities. ¡± Princess Hui An was furious. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Hui An!¡± Consort Xian stopped her daughter. ¡°Alright, stop arguing!¡± The Empress Dowager said in a deep voice. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s dragon body is related to the country and empire. Just do as Jingning says and get someone to come and question those involved. Don¡¯t arrest anyone for no reason!¡± The Empress immediately went with the flow. ¡°Mother is right.¡± The Empress dowager continued, ¡°Has Third Brother been investigating a case at Dali Temple recently?¡± When Consort Xian heard that her son had been called out, she hurriedly stood up and replied, ¡°Yes, Empress Dowager.¡± The Empress Dowager waved her hand. ¡°Then we¡¯ll leave it to Third Brother and the Dali Temple to investigate.¡± Consort Xian was delighted. ¡°His Highness will definitely live up to your trust. He will definitely get to the bottom of it!¡± The Eldest Prince was grounded, and the Second Prince was not in the capital.. The fourth and fifth brothers were not of much use¡­ Now, they could only count on her son! Chapter 416 - Chapter 416: The Three Little Ones Captured A Thief (1) Chapter 416: The Three Little Ones Captured A Thief (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The eunuch in charge, Eunuch Cheng, personally went to the Dali Temple to deliver the Empress Dowager¡¯s decree. The investigation was left to Xiao Zhonghua and the Dali Temple, but Emperor Jingxuan¡¯s dragon body still depended on the doctors. Princess Jingning said in a businesslike manner, ¡°Physician Su, please treat my father.¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Imperial Physician Li stopped him. Princess Jingning looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Imperial Physician Li, why not?¡± Imperial Physician Li said seriously, ¡°His Majesty was poisoned by Physician Su¡¯s ointment. Before Physician Su is cleared of suspicion, she should retreat and not approach His Majesty.¡± The other imperial physicians also agreed with Imperial Physician Li¡¯s suggestion. They could already tell that the Empress Dowager and Princess Jingning were biased towards Su Xiaoxiao. However, this concerned His Majesty¡¯s dragon body. If anything really went wrong, the Imperial Hospital could not bear the responsibility. Not to mention that her treatment had nothing to do with the Imperial Hospital. If she couldn¡¯t treat him. In the end, they still had to save him. They did not want her to be careless and worsen His Majesty¡¯s condition. Or if she was really the murderer, she would wait for an opportunity to poison His Majesty again. Princess Hui An said coquettishly, ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t let her treat Father! She will definitely harm Father again! Grandmother! Get someone to arrest her!¡± The Empress Dowager said, ¡°She¡¯s my physician.¡± Princess Hui An frowned and said, ¡°But she¡­¡¯ ¡°Ahem!¡± Consort Xian tugged at her daughter again, indicating for her to shut up. The Empress Dowager said with dignity, ¡°The Empress and the imperial physician will stay. Consort Xian, the few of you go back first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Consort Xian led everyone out of the Yongshou Palace. Princess Hui An complained, ¡°Mother! Why didn¡¯t you let me finish!¡± Consort Xian tapped her forehead. ¡°Are you stupid? She¡¯s your future sister-in-law. If anything happens to her, your third brother will lose his power!¡± Princess Hui An muttered, ¡°How can she be my sister-in-law?¡± Consort Xian said, ¡°His Majesty has already issued a decree to confer Qin Yanran as your brother¡¯s secondary consort and choose a day to enter the Eldest Prince¡¯s residence. She¡¯s the only daughter of the Qin family left, and her father just won military power a few days ago.¡± Princess Hui An pursed her lips indignantly. ¡°But she harmed Father¡­¡± Consort Xian said softly, ¡°Eldest Brother is grounded and is not around. Your third brother is the only one in the capital. If anything happens to your father, your third brother will be the emperor!¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Mother, what nonsense are you talking about? How can anything happen to Father? He will definitely be safe!¡± Consort Xian couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with her daughter and waved her hand perfunctorily. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. He¡¯ll be safe! Don¡¯t get involved blindly. Don¡¯t scold Physician Su whenever you see anyone, and you¡¯re not allowed to say that she¡¯s the murderer. Whether she¡¯s the murderer or not isn¡¯t important. If your third brother ascends the throne, his empress must be innocent!¡± Princess Hui An muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t like her to be my sister-in-law¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was carried back to his bedroom. The imperial physicians also went. As the Court commissioner, Hu Jiusheng was naturally among them. He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the hospital to get some medicine. You guys go over first.¡± He was not really going to get the medicine, but to get someone to inform Benevolence Hall. He vaguely felt that things were not simple. How could it be so coincidental that the emperor consumed the ointment? Coincidentally, that girl went to the small kitchen to brew medicine for the Empress Dowager. Could it be that the girl had dug a hole for Benevolence Hall to jump into? ¡°Master.¡± The medicine boy poured him a cup of tea. He quickly wrote a letter. ¡°Deliver it to Second Master personally. You have to be fast!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± About an hour later, Second Master Hu received Hu Jiusheng¡¯s handwritten letter. After reading it, his expression changed. Manager Wu hurriedly said, ¡°Boss, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Second Master Hu said, ¡°Big Brother said¡­ it¡¯s a trap!¡± Manager Wu was at a loss. ¡°What trap?¡± ¡°Look for yourself!¡± Second Master Hu handed the letter to Shopkeeper Wu. Manager Wu glanced at it briefly and said in confusion, ¡°This, this letter doesn¡¯t explain it clearly. It only says that there¡¯s a trap and wants us to quickly destroy the evidence. The officials will come to investigate later¡­ What does the investigation have to do with our Benevolence Hall? What¡¯s going on?¡± Second Master Hu said with a serious expression, ¡°Time must be tight and Big Brother wasn¡¯t able to write it in time! However, Big Brother must have his reasons for giving such instructions! Hurry up and deal with the evidence!¡± The witness was Du Juan, and the physical evidence was powder. At the critical moment, Second Master Hu¡¯s intelligence suddenly went online.. ¡°Hide that girl first! Don¡¯t let the officials find her! If the officials ask, we¡¯ll say that she fled!¡± Chapter 417 - Chapter 417: The Three Little Ones Captured A Thief (2) Chapter 417: The Three Little Ones Captured A Thief (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Manager Wu agreed. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°When necessary¡­¡± Second Master Hu made a throat-slitting gesture. Actually, he could have dealt with Du Juan last night. However, they were not sure if their plan would succeed this time. What if the Empress Dowager did not take the medicine or Du Juan did not put it in? If they kept the cuckoo, they could commit the poisoning a second time. Manager Wu immediately contacted Du Juan and asked around, only to be told that the medical assistant from the Number One Hall did not go to the medical center today. Oh no, that girl had run away! Manager Wu gritted his teeth and hurriedly went to deal with the physical evidence. However, how should he deal with it? Burn it? There would be an odor and residue. If he were to pour it away¡­ where would he do it? He had heard of a case where someone poured the herbs into the latrine pit. In the end, the constables found out. Putting it into other medicine? No, it was still possible to be discovered.. Upstairs, Second Master Hu pushed open the window and urged the courtyard, ¡°The Third Prince is here! Hurry up!¡± ¡°Hurry¡­ hurry¡­¡± Manager Wu made up his mind and pocketed a few bags of medicine before leaving Benevolence Hall from the back door. He threw the medicine further away. This should be foolproof! He mustered his strength and walked three streets in one go before finally arriving at a deserted orchard. He sneakily threw the medicine bag over the wall and turned to leave! However, just as he moved, the medicine bag was thrown over again. He subconsciously looked up and saw three cute little heads on the wall. Manager Wu¡¯s body trembled! Why was it them? Xiaohu said, ¡°Your things fell into Master¡¯s orchard!¡± Erhu shook his head and sighed. ¡°Why were you so careless?¡± Dahu criticized, ¡°I¡¯ll return it to you. Be careful next time! ¡± What was there to pay attention to? He was here to throw it away! There was an 80% chance that he could not throw it away here. Shopkeeper Wu picked up the medicine bag on the ground and left! The officials of the Dali Temple had already begun to arrest him. It was unknown if they were arresting Du Juan or him. Once a person felt guilty, it was easy to panic. ¡°Forget it, I shall hide first!¡± He hid under a broken cart covered in rags with the medicine bag. ¡°The rest of you, follow me!¡± The officials split up and did not come over. Manager Wu heaved a sigh of relief. Suddenly, one, two, and three round heads stuck in. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xiaohu asked. Erhu and Dahu blinked at him. Manager Wu wanted to die. ¡°Go! Hurry up and leave!¡± He waved his hand and chased them away softly. The three of them did not leave. ¡°Why are you hiding here?¡± Erhu asked. The three little ones only knew Shopkeeper Wu. Last time, there was a conflict with the little fatty. Shopkeeper Wu rushed out to protect his master, but he was beaten up by Madam Yang with a shoulder pole. The three little ones labeled Shopkeeper Wu as an adult who did not pose a threat. Shopkeeper Wu racked his brains to send the three plagues away. ¡°Shall we play a game? He said with a smile, ¡°Walk over there and face the wall. You¡¯re not allowed to peek. Count to ten. You have to count loudly. Come and find me after you¡¯re done!¡± Xiaohu waved his hand and said, ¡°Xiaohu doesn¡¯t know how to count to ten. Xiaohu only knows how to count to a hundred!¡± ¡°Dahu knows,¡± Erhu said. Dahu nodded. The corners of Manager Wurs mouth twitched. ¡°All¡­ all right!¡± The three of them obediently came to the wall and covered their eyes with their small hands. Dahu began to count seriously. ¡°One, two, three, four¡­¡± Shopkeeper Wu carefully climbed out and tiptoed a few steps before disappearing! He turned into a small alley and confirmed that the three of them were not chasing him. He patted his chest and heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°I was scared to death¡­ I was scared to death!¡± ¡°Found you!¡± A demonic voice suddenly appeared behind him. Shopkeeper Wu turned around and looked at the cute three little ones. He was about to collapse! ¡°Look over there too!¡± It was an official! Manager Wu was scared out of his wits. In his panic, he looked at the three children in front of him and suddenly had an idea. ¡°You sent yourself to me. Don¡¯t blame me.¡± He took out the medicine packets. There were exactly three packets, one stuffed into each person¡¯s hand. Manager Wu smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ve found me. This is your reward. It¡¯s my turn to look for you next! I¡¯ll close my eyes and count to ten. Go back and find a place to hide!¡± The three of them thought about it and felt that it was feasible. This person was quite loyal. After playing with them for so long, he would not argue with them about the little fatty. Dahu said, ¡°Then close your eyes first.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll close it, I¡¯ll close it!¡± Shopkeeper Wu closed his eyes weakly, leaving a slit. ¡°You have to close them all! No peeking!¡± Erhu said. ¡°Yeah!¡± Xiao Hu said. Manager Wu gave a fake smile and closed his eyes tightly. He was delighted to hear the footsteps gradually fading away. When he opened his eyes, the three little ones had already run away. ¡°Great, just wait for the officials to find the medicinal powder on you! Even if you say that I gave it to you, I¡¯m not afraid!¡± ¡°Who would believe the words of a few brats? Who didn¡¯t know that there was a grudge between the two families? Perhaps it was instigated by your adults!¡± As this thought flashed through his mind, Shopkeeper Wu revealed a smug smile. However, as the saying went, extreme joy easily turned into sorrow. In his carelessness, he did not notice the steps ahead. He missed a step and rolled down. ¡°Uh-ah¡ª¡± Crack! His leg was broken¡­ In the next second, three round heads blocked his vision. Xiaohu tilted his head. ¡°You¡¯ve found us!¡± Manager Wu was about to cry! ¡°I don¡¯t want to find you¡­¡± Manager Wu¡¯s head tilted and he fainted.. Chapter 418 - Chapter 418: Captured In One Go Chapter 418: Captured In One Go Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ling Yun reported to the officials, who came very quickly and took him away. When Shopkeeper Wu was woken up by a basin of cold water, he realized that he was already kneeling in the court of the Dali Temple. The Dali Temple usually handled cases involving officials or relatives of the emperor. As a commoner, it was a blessing to be able to attend the court of the Dali Temple. The minister of the Dali Temple was in charge of this case and sat in the court. Xiao Zhonghua sat humbly at the side, not putting on any airs as a prince. The minister of the Dali Temple slammed the wooden door. ¡°Wu Fugui! How dare you! How dare you murder the Empress Dowager and His Majesty!¡± Shopkeeper Wu was dizzy. ¡°Sir¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± The minister said solemnly, ¡°You still dare to quibble? Someone! Give me the physical evidence!¡± The official presented a few packets of medicinal powder he had taken from him. He had originally stuffed these packets of medicinal powder to the three little fellows as a ¡°reward¡±. However, after Ling Yun came over, he took them out and threw them back at him. What kind of messy and dirty thing was worthy of being given to his disciples? Shopkeeper Wu tried his best to quibble. ¡°This, this isn¡¯t mine! Someone harmed me! The people from the Number One Hall harmed me!¡± The minister of the Dali Temple did not start the meeting for no reason. He said coldly, ¡°You still dare to be stubborn at the brink of death. Alright, I¡¯ll let you die in peace! Show me the physical evidence!¡± This time, the official presented a tray of herbs. Shopkeeper Wu was dumbfounded. The minister said, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the physician to identify all the herbs needed to refine this bag of powder. Only your Benevolent Heart Hall has bought a large amount of saffron! The Number One Hall and the nearby medical centers don¡¯t have this ingredient at all!¡± How could Shopkeeper Wu have expected the Court of Judicial Review to find a flaw here? This was equivalent to the saying¡ªOne could not escape the long arms of the heavens. Shopkeeper Wu did not think about how these officials had passed the heavy screening to become officials. How could they be stupid? Moreover, those who could enter the Dali Temple not only had to be knowledgeable, but they also had to have the talent to solve cases. Shopkeeper Wu¡¯s methods were completely insufficient in front of the minister of the Dali Temple. Soon, Second Master Hu was brought up. He gave Shopkeeper Wu a look and asked him to bear the responsibility alone. He would take care of Shopkeeper Wu¡¯s family. Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°Lord Zhao, can I say a few words?¡± The minister hurriedly cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Highness, please speak. ¡± Xiao Zhonghua said unhurriedly, ¡°Conspiring to murder the Empress Dowager and the Emperor of a country is a capital crime. Lord Zhao, please investigate strictly. Don¡¯t wrong any good person, and don¡¯t let any evil person off.¡± How could the minister not understand that these words were meant for Shopkeeper Wu? He stood up cooperatively and bowed. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do it impartially! We shall execute if we have to. Exterminate the whole family if we have to!¡± The conversation between the two of them frightened Shopkeeper Wu. If they were going to be exterminated, his entire family would have to go to the execution ground with him! No way! It couldn¡¯t be like this! He did not want to die, and his family could not die! Xiao Zhonghua knew the principle of pairing a carrot with a stick. ¡°However, if you assist in the investigation and report it, we can be lenient. The death penalty can be spared.¡± Shopkeeper Wu could no longer hold it in. ¡°Your Highness! I¡¯m innocent! He instructed me to do it!¡± Second Master Hu was shocked. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Shopkeeper Wu said excitedly, ¡°Your Highness! I¡¯ll confess everything! I only hope that Your Highness can spare me!¡± Shopkeeper Wu told him the story of how he bribed Du Juan to poison her. ¡°Boss has long disliked the Number One Hall and has caused trouble for it many times. This time, I heard that the Physician of the Number One Hall went to treat the Empress Dowager¡­ Boss was worried that the Number One Hall would become famous after the Empress Dowager was cured, so he thought of a dirty trick to frame the Number One Hall.¡± Second Master Hu was furious. ¡°You¡­ This was clearly your idea! When I didn¡¯t agree to harm the Empress Dowager, you said that the poison can¡¯t reach the Empress Dowager¡¯s mouth. There are silver needles and a little eunuch who can taste it!¡± Shopkeeper Wu said bitterly, ¡°Second Master! You¡¯ve wronged me! When did I say that? Even if I had a hundred guts¡­ I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± The two of them started fighting. Shopkeeper Wu mentioned a medical assistant called Du Juan. The minister of the Dali Temple sent someone to escort her to the Dali Temple. About an hour later, the official returned to report. ¡°Sir, Du Juan committed suicide!¡± Hu Jiusheng was brewing medicine for Emperor Jing Xuan in the Imperial palace. The medicine boy walked over in a panic. ¡°Master, something happened to Second Master!¡± Due to Shopkeeper Wu¡¯s accusation and the presence of certified physical evidence, Second Master Hu was sent to death row. However, Second Master Hu did not expose Hu Jiusheng. Otherwise, once others found out that Hu Jiusheng knew that the ointment had been contaminated with poison but did not stop it in time, he would be questioned. Hu Jiusheng¡¯s hand that was holding the silver needle trembled slightly. ¡°Master, what should we do?¡± The medicine boy asked softly. Hu Jiusheng¡¯s heart was in a mess. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious¡­ Let me calm down¡­ After all, Second Master Hu was his biological brother and the owner of the Benevolence Hall on the surface. If anything really happened, the entire Hu family would be implicated. ¡°The most important thing now is to quickly cure His Majesty¡¯s poison¡­ Only by curing His Majesty could he plead for mercy for his brother. Fortunately, he had the antidote. Hu Jiusheng took a deep breath and calmed the panic in his heart. He melted the antidote into a bowl of warm tonic and sent it to Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jingxuan was delirious and could not take the medicine. Hu Jiusheng first performed acupuncture on him to let him regain a trace of consciousness. Then, Eunuch Fu fed him the antidote spoon by spoon. Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s expression slowly improved. The black aura between his eyebrows faded, and his black nails had a hint of redness. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°This medicine is so bitter¡­¡± Hu Jiuzheng heaved a sigh of relief that he could speak. However, before he could finish heaving a sigh of relief, Emperor Jingxuan suddenly spasmed and spat out a mouthful of black blood. Eunuch Fuls expression changed drastically. ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty!¡± Emperor Jingxuan fell heavily onto the dragon bed. Eunuch Fu touched Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s neck and knelt in front of the dragon bed. He lay on the ground and wailed, ¡°Your Majesty¡ª Hu Jiusheng was stunned and fell to the ground. ¡°How could this be¡­ It¡¯s clearly the antidote¡­ It¡¯s the antidote¡­¡± ¡°What antidote?¡± Princess Jingning appeared coldly behind her. Hu Jiusheng looked at the lifeless Emperor Jing Xuan and panicked. He did not bow to Princess Jingning. Instead, he curled up and hugged his head, muttering to himself. ¡°It¡¯s the antidote¡­ I brewed it according to the prescription¡­ I tried it¡­ It¡¯s the right antidote for the illness¡­ That¡¯s what the book says¡­ I didn¡¯t poison Her Majesty¡­ It wasn¡¯t me¡­ The antidote I gave¡­ can cure¡­¡± Princess Jingning looked at him deeply.. ¡°Guards! Arrest Court Commissioner HUI!¡± Chapter 419 - Chapter 419: Domineering Xiaoxiao Chapter 419: Domineering Xiaoxiao Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Empress Dowager! Empress Dowager!¡± The eunuch in charge, Eunuch Cheng, quickly entered the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom. Because he was in a hurry, he tripped on the threshold. If Su Xiaoxiao hadn¡¯t held him in time, he would have been bruised. ¡°Thank you, Physician Su!¡± The eunuch in charge thanked him and walked to the Empress Dowager¡¯s phoenix bed. The Empress Dowager had been disturbed for the entire morning and finally had some peace. Seeing him shout like this, she could not help but frown. ¡°What now?¡± she asked in a low voice. The eunuch in charge choked and said, ¡°His Majesty¡­ passed away!¡± The empress dowager¡¯s hand trembled, and the medicine in the bowl spilled. In the Purple Mansion Hall, Eunuch Fu and the palace servants were crying. Imperial Physician Hu had already been dragged down, and the hall was very chaotic. Princess Jing Ning looked at Emperor Jingxuan, who had long lost his pulse, and clenched her fists tightly. She turned around and was about to instruct Taozhi to go to Yongshou Palace. A muffled shout came from outside. ¡°All of you, retreat! Where¡¯s the emperor?¡± ¡°Grandmother¡­¡± Princess Jingning looked at the door. The first to enter was Su Xiaoxiao, who was carrying a first aid kit. The Empress Dowager sat on the phoenix carriage and fell a few steps behind. The palace servants of the Purple Mansion Hall didn¡¯t know Su Xiaoxiao, so they stopped her along the way. If not for the Empress Dowager¡¯s personal arrival, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to reach this place. ¡°Daya.. Princess Jingning looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who had suddenly barged in. Moonlight chased after her and she had a cold and solemn expression. ¡°Where¡¯s the patient?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Princess Jingning hurriedly said, ¡°Behind the screen!¡± Eunuch Fu walked out from behind the screen. ¡°Here! Here! Physician Su!¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over with the small first aid kit. Coincidentally, the imperial physicians arrived. ¡°Stop!¡± Imperial Physician Wan shouted. Su Xiaoxiao ignored him. He chased after her and was about to stop Su Xiaoxiao when Princess Jingning shouted coldly, ¡°Back down!¡± Imperial Physician Wan was stunned. ¡°Princess Jingning! His Majesty is in danger¡­ Don¡¯t let evil people take the opportunity to hurt His Majesty! I¡¯ll treat His Majesty now!¡± ¡°I said, stand down!¡± Princess Jing Ning released her aura and stood in front of the screen, like a goddess protecting the mountains and rivers. Imperial Physician Li said earnestly, ¡°Princess Jingning, stop fooling around. Hurry up and let us take a look at His Majesty! Otherwise, if we miss the best opportunity, His Majesty might really be hopeless!¡± Princess Jingning refused. She was not an ordinary princess. She was Emperor Jingxuan¡¯s only legitimate daughter. When she was one month old, she was recognized by the Imperial Astronomer¡ªher fate was related to the Great Zhou Empire. If she lived, Great Zhou would prosper. If she died, the Great Zhou would decline. Touching her would affect the luck of the entire royal family. No one in the hall dared to fight her head -on. Imperial Physician Wan looked at Eunuch Fu beside the screen. Eunuch Fu was Emperor Jingxuan¡¯s trusted aide. If he shouted for protection, he believed that the experts in the dark would definitely step forward. He gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡­ listen to the princess.¡± When Eunuch Quan saw this scene at the door, he knew that his chance had come. Eunuch Fu had been suppressing him for many years. He had clearly come to the Purple Mansion Hall earlier than him, but he had never been as favored as him. Eunuch Fu actually stopped the imperial physician from saving His Majesty. If the princes found out¡­ Eunuch Quan¡¯s eyes flashed as he retreated sneakily. Imperial Physician Li said with a solemn expression, ¡°Princess Jingning! If anything should happen to His Majesty¡­¡± Princess Jingning said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll bear it alone!¡± Everyone was shocked. Imperial Physician Zhu, who had always been down-to-earth, could not help but say, ¡°Princess Jingning, do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± If a physician from the common people really caused His Majesty¡¯s death, it had nothing to do with Princess Jingning, but the situation was different if Princess Jing Ning personally vouched for her. Princess Jing Ning was trusting that girl with her life¡­ Eunuch Fu also seemed to be seeing Princess Jingning for the first time in a different light. In the past, he only thought that she was the legitimate master and had a precious fate. It was only right for her to be high up in the air. However, tonight, he saw that she was not inferior to a prince. But¡­ His Majesty no longer had a pulse¡­ Could Doctor Su really revive him? Su Xiaoxiao put down the medicine box and placed one hand on the emperor¡¯s carotid artery. She checked the emperor¡¯s breathing with the other. Then, she stepped onto the dragon bed and knelt on the emperor¡¯s right. She crossed her hands and pressed them on the emperor¡¯s chest. The pressure could not be too great. It was easy to break his ribs, but it could not be too small. Otherwise, it would not have the effect of cardiac resuscitation. A little palace maid accidentally knocked down the screen. Everyone saw this strange and terrifying scene. This was much more terrifying than twisting the Empress Dowager¡¯s neck. She was going to press Emperor Jingxuan to death! ¡°How dare you!¡± Imperial Physician Wan stepped forward. ¡°Stand down!¡± Princess Jingning pulled out the long sword on the shelf. ¡°Whoever dares to approach the dragon bed, don¡¯t blame me for being blind!¡± The imperial physicians were stunned. At this moment, Consort Xian and Princess Hui An had also arrived. The two of them were also shocked! Consort Xian was furious. Although she thought that her son would ascend the throne after His Majesty passed away, His Majesty could not be killed by her future daughter-in-law! What was going on? Consort Xian wanted to stop her, but she glanced at the Empress Dowager¡¯s phoenix carriage parked in the courtyard and held back. ¡°Mother, look at her!¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s mouth was covered by Consort Xian. The Empress arrived around the same time as the princes. Even Xiao Duye, who was supposed to be grounded, came. The Eldest Prince¡¯s residence was still a distance away from the empress, so he naturally did not move after the news of Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s ¡°death¡± spread. When Emperor Jing Xuan vomited blood and fainted after taking the ointment in the morning, he had already entered the palace. He bowed to the Empress Dowager first. ¡°Grandmother!¡± ¡°Is Grandmother here too?¡± Hearing his words, Hui An turned around and saw the Empress Dowager in the dark. The Empress Dowager said nothing. The Empress saw her biological daughter in the hall threatening the imperial physicians with a long sword. Her temples throbbed again. ¡°Jingning, what are you doing? Put down your sword!¡± Xiao Duye also entered the bedroom with a serious expression. He extended his hand to Princess Jingning. ¡°Jingning, give the sword to Big Brother. Don¡¯t hurt yourself!¡± Princess Jingning did not move. The Empress and Xiao Duye frowned, then looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who was constantly pressing the emperor on the dragon bed. Xiao Duye said coldly, ¡°Stop!¡± The Empress¡¯s lips moved. Princess Jingning pointed her sword at Xiao Duye. ¡°No one is allowed to go over!¡± Xiao Duye frowned. ¡°Jingning, you¡¯re crazy! You¡¯ll kill Father! She¡¯s just a physician from the commoners! You should let the imperial physician treat Father!¡± Princess Jingning said word by word, ¡°I believe her.¡± Beads of sweat appeared on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s forehead. Although this small body had lost dozens of pounds, she was still a little fat. When she moved casually, she would sweat profusely. She had already pressed more than a hundred times, but Emperor Jingxuan¡¯s heart still did not beat. Could it be that¡­ there was really no other way? Xiao Duye said righteously, ¡°Jingning, although we¡¯re not from the same mother, I¡¯ve always treated you as my closest sister. I can do whatever you want, but this time, I can¡¯t let you fool around!¡± This was a great opportunity for him to make a contribution. If his father was saved, he would be the number one contributor. If Father died, he would not be the one who killed him. It was that girl who delayed the best time to treat him. And that girl was from the Qin family, and the Qin family was engaged to Third Brother. Through that connection, the ministers in the court would definitely take their anger out on Third Brother! ¡°Sorry, Sister!¡± The Empress¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt Jingning!¡± However, Xiao Duye had already attacked. Princess Jingning did not know martial arts. She could only scare these imperial physicians with her sword. Xiao Duye was not afraid of her. Xiao Duye coldly bent towards her wrist. Swoosh! A silver needle shot at him! Xiao Duye¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly let go and took a step to the side. The silver needle suddenly shot into the pillar behind him and sank into it! It was obvious that if he had not dodged just now, his chest would have been pierced by it! Xiao Duye looked coldly at the person who ambushed him. Su Xiaoxiao hooked her toes and a wooden stool flew up. Then, she turned around and kicked the wooden stool towards Xiao Duye¡¯s chest! The stool was so big that it was not as easy to dodge as silver needles. Xiao Duye hurriedly crossed his arms to block! To his surprise, he was actually forced back a few steps by the wooden stool! What terrifying strength! He stabilized himself in a sorry state and looked at Su Xiaoxiao in disbelief. Where was the wild girl from the countryside? Where did such skills come from? Su Xiaoxiao protected Princess Jingning behind her and looked at Xiao Duye coldly with killing intent. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ touch her!¡± Chapter 420 - Chapter 420: Protective Xiaoxiao Chapter 420: Protective Xiaoxiao Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s move of beating up Xiao Duye was simply awesome! Everyone seemed to see the young Qin Canglan. Of course, Qin Canglan was not so good-looking. It was clearly a woman¡¯s body, but there was a young man¡¯s heroic spirit between her eyebrows. This was what it meant to be not inferior to men. The hall was silent. Compared to everyone¡¯s surprise, a trace of killing intent flashed across Xiao Duye¡¯s eyes. He was about to attack again, and this time, not show mercy. Coincidentally, at this moment, a cough came from the dragon bed. His heart trembled! Eunuch Fu was the closest to the dragon bed. He scrambled over and looked at the coughing Emperor Jing Xuan, crying with joy! ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Your Majesty, you¡¯re fine¡­ You¡¯re alive¡­ You don¡¯t have to die¡­ Just based on this word, Eunuch Fu would be punished, but no one cared about this now. Everyone¡¯s gaze landed on Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan was coughing and raised his hand weakly. His chest probably felt too uncomfortable¡­ Eunuch Fu hurriedly grabbed Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s wrist and choked with excitement. He looked at everyone with tears in his eyes. ¡°His Majesty has a pulse¡­ Yes¡­ His Majesty is alive¡­¡± Everyone heaved a sigh of relief that Emperor Jing Xuan had revived. Whether it was sincere or not was another matter. On the surface, they had to celebrate. Consort Xian took out her handkerchief and wiped her eyes. She held Princess Hui An¡¯s hand and pounced over. ¡°Your Majesty! You scared me to death!¡± On the phoenix carriage, the Empress Dowager put down the prayer beads in her hand and said calmly, ¡°Back to the palace.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going in to take a look?¡± the eunuch in charge asked softly. The Empress Dowager glanced at him coldly. The eunuch in charge hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°Yes, go back to Yongshou Palace. You¡¯re still sick. You shouldn¡¯t be outside.¡± He uttered,¡±After all this time, why do I feel that you¡¯re not worried about your biological son, but about that little girl?¡± The imperial physicians had mixed feelings. On the one hand, it was the blessing of the entire dynasty that His Majesty had been saved. They should be glad about this. However, on the other hand, this proved that the girl¡¯s medical skills were really brilliant. Could she really be lucky twice? ¡°Could it be¡­ that Eunuch Fu made a mistake? His Majesty didn¡¯t lose his pulse¡­¡± Imperial Physician Li asked in confusion. This was a society where men had a prejudice against women, let alone the imperial physicians who stood at the top of medical skills judging a little physician girl from the countryside. If he really lost his pulse, they would not be able to treat him, let alone her. Eunuch Fu was unhappy. ¡°Sirs, you can suspect that I¡¯m not a man¡­ I¡¯m indeed not¡­ but I can still feel His Majesty¡¯s pulse. His Majesty¡¯s pulse had indeed disappeared! It was Physician Su who brought His Majesty back to life!¡± The imperial physicians fell silent. They had no grudge against Su Xiaoxiao. The reason why they questioned her repeatedly was because of secular prejudice, but it was not only targeted at Su Xiaoxiao. The one who was really dissatisfied was Xiao Duye. He had been humiliated just now. Before he could regain his dignity, his father had been saved bv this girl! If he attacked again, be in the wrong! The last time he was so aggrieved was when he encountered Wei Ting! This girl¡¯s ability to anger people to death¡­ was comparable to Wei Ting¡¯s! ¡°Are you alright?¡± Princess Jingning asked Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Did he touch you?¡± Xiao Duye frowned. What kind of arrogant tone was this? So what if he touched her? Could it be that she could chop off his hand? Su Xiaoxiao did have this intention. However, Xiao Duye did not touch Princess Jingning. Su Xiaoxiao took the sword from Princess Jingning¡¯s hand and neatly sheathed it neatly with a wave of her hand! Everyone uttered, ¡°Not good, we got bowled over by how dashing she was¡­¡± Xiao Duye clenched his fists coldly. He couldn¡¯t even snatch it. Yet when she wanted it, Princess Jingning just gave it to her¡­ Who was her brother? Consort Xian held Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s hand and said with tears streaming down her face, ¡°Your Majesty, Physician Su saved you!¡± She had to give her future daughter-in-law a good impression! Emperor Jing Xuan had no strength and quickly fell asleep again. Consort Xian¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Physician Su! His Majesty¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Xiao Duye coldly and pulled Princess Jingning¡¯s wrist away. Princess Jingning looked at the chubby hand on her wrist and thought to herself she had spoiled Su Daya. The latter even dare to tug her wrist¡­ However, she did not break free and obediently let her pull her wrist. The two of them came to the bed. Su Xiaoxiao let go of Princess Jingning and opened Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s eyelids to look at his pupils. She placed three fingers on Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s pulse. She said, ¡°Set up the screen and wait outside.¡± ¡°Did you hear that? All of you, retreat!¡± Consort Xian was arrogant as if she was the future Empress Dowager. She suddenly met the Empress¡¯s gaze and smiled. ¡°Sister, please move too.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her. ¡°And you.¡± Consort Xian was speechless. Other than Princess Jingning and Eunuch Fu, everyone else was cleared out. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Eunuch Fu, please help His Majesty up.¡± ¡°Yes, Physician Su!¡± Eunuch Fu stepped on it and helped the unconscious Emperor Jing Xuan sit up. Princess Jingning asked, ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± If she kept her in her father¡¯s bedroom, she must have a use for her. Su Xiaoxiao took out a porcelain bottle from the small medicine box and looked at the soft bed opposite. ¡°Just sit there.¡± Princess Jingning queried, ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s windy outside.¡± Princess Jing Ning was stunned. In the capital in April, the night wind was cold. Consort Xian and Princess Hui An came out in a hurry. Their clothes were thin, and they shivered in the cold wind. The last time, she obtained a new bottle of Bezoar Detox Pill from the pharmacy. It was useful tonight. Eunuch Fu asked softly, ¡°Doctor Su, what you gave His Majesty¡ª¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s an antidote pill. It can cure many poisons and also treat allergies. The Marquis of Zhenbei and his son have both consumed it.¡± Hearing that Su Shuo and Su Yuan had taken it, Eunuch Fu felt much more at ease. It was not that he doubted Physician Su¡¯s medical skills. He was just freaked out by Hu Jiusheng and had lingering fears. Eunuch Fu looked at the unconscious Emperor Jing Xuan and asked, ¡°But¡­ why hasn¡¯t His Majesty woken up after taking the medicine?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Not so soon.¡± The poison in Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s body was much fiercer than the slow poison in the Old Marquis¡¯s body. He would not wake up for three to five days. Just as well. She would him suffer a little. ¡°Once every morning and night, two pills at a time.¡± Su Xiaoxiao poured ten antidotes into a new small porcelain bottle and handed it to Eunuch Fu. ¡°I¡¯ll see the Empress Dowager tomorrow morning before coming over.¡± Eunuch Fu took it with both hands. ¡°Then tonight¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao closed the medicine box. ¡°Just arrange for an imperial physician to be on night duty. It won¡¯t be anything serious. If there¡¯s anything, look for me at Pear Blossom Lane.¡± The two of them left the hall. Consort Xian immediately welcomed them. She looked at the two of them and rushed into the hall. She cried in a second. ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty!¡± Xiao Duye also walked forward and looked at Princess Jingning gently. ¡°I was too worried about Father¡¯s safety just now. Did I scare you? I apologize to you. Don¡¯t be angry with me.¡± Princess Jingning frowned and said nothing. Xiao Duye smiled and took off his cloak.. The palace maid had just sent the cloak over. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Big Brother will send you back to Kunning Palace.¡± He put a cloak over Princess Jingning with a doting expression. Suddenly, Su Xiaoxiao reached out, grabbed the cloak, and threw it coldly back into Xiao Duye¡¯s arms! ¡°No need.¡± With that, Su Xiaoxiao pulled Princess Jingning away without looking back.. Chapter 421 - Chapter 421: Thunderous Means Chapter 421: Thunderous Means Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao pulled Princess Jingning away without looking back. Xiao Duye was left alone in the wind. Su Xiaoxiao did not give Xiao Duye any respect, but she was the attending physician of the Empress Dowager and Emperor Jing Xuan. She really had the right to be arrogant. Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s life was saved. Because Su Xiaoxiao had given him an antidote pill, it completely confirmed Hu Jiusheng¡¯s ¡°crime of poisoning.¡± In a woodshed in the palace, Hu Jiusheng shouted that he had been wronged. ¡°I didn¡¯t poison His Majesty¡­ I was detoxifying His Majesty¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ I might have made a mistake in the dosage¡­¡± The main judges were Xiao Zhonghua and the minister of the Dali Temple. Princess Jingning was also there. When Emperor Jingxuan got into trouble yesterday, Xiao Zhonghua and the minister of the Dali Temple were investigating the White Lotus Society¡¯s case outside the capital. They only returned to the capital at dawn. As soon as they heard that Emperor Jingxuan had been poisoned, the two of them traveled without stopping and entered the palace. The minister of the Dali Temple was good at solving cases, but he was not proficient in medical science. He thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­¡± ¡°Invite the imperial physician over!¡± Princess Jingning interrupted him. What a joke. It was not dawn yet. He was not allowed to disturb her sleep! The minister¡¯s scalp went numb. Uh¡­ was it an illusion? Why did he feel that Princess Jingning was a little angry? ¡°Changping,¡± Xiao Zhonghua said calmly. Changping understood and went to the imperial hospital to call a few imperial physicians over. There was Imperial Physician Zhu, Imperial Physician Li, Imperial Physician Wan, and Imperial Physician Li. The group carefully identified the poison found on Shopkeeper Wu¡¯s body and checked the ¡°antidote¡± brewed by Hu Jiusheng. Imperial Physician Zhu said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed all poison, but¡­ it¡¯s hard to say if it¡¯s fighting poison with poison. I¡¯ve never seen this method.¡± The other three imperial physicians expressed the same opinion. Using poison to fight poison was indeed a treatment method, but not all poisons were suitable for this approach. There was the possibility he had failed to poison him once and added poison to him. Hu Jiusheng understood that if he could not prove that this method was correct, he would only die. Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and revealed his trump card. ¡°¡­It¡¯s Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s prescription back then¡­ It¡¯s recorded in the medical skills he left behind!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the medical book?¡± ¡°At the Imperial Hospital.¡± Xiao Zhonghua asked Changping to search and found it. However, there was more than one book. There was a thick stack of medical books, medical cases, and personal notes. They were all personally written by Imperial Physician Fu. Imperial Physician Zhu and the others were stunned. Imperial Physician Fu had died suddenly back then. When they packed his things for him, they did not discover this. They only thought that Imperial Physician Fu had brought them home and handed them to his son to take away. Unexpectedly, it fell into Hu Jiusheng¡¯s hands! Imperial Physician Li opened a notebook. ¡°Ten Thousand Golden Pills¡­ Isn¡¯t this the divine medicine that treated Matriarch Cheng¡¯s stroke last time? He said that he developed it himself!¡± Imperial Physician Wan also flipped to a prescription. ¡°Old Prince Rong has drunk the Seven Bitter Tea. It has cured many years of headache and insomnia. Court Commissioner Hu also said that it¡¯s his prescription¡­¡± ¡°And this.¡± Imperial Physician Li made a new discovery. One after another, they found out the truth behind the cures Hu Jiusheng claimed to have developed or inherited from his family. It turned out that they were all Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s hard work. Most of them were original prescriptions, and he had improved a small number himself. Some were improved well, and some went south uncontrollably. For example, the poison that Emperor Jingxuan had been poisoned with this time was the latter. This medicine was originally used to treat rheumatism. It was slightly poisonous and the effect varied from person to person. It was still in the testing stage and was very risky. Imperial Physician Fu had never used it on a patient. Hu Jiusheng changed the prescription slightly and the antidote accordingly. It seemed to be the right illness, but the medicinal effect was not stable. Half of it was Hu Jiusheng¡¯s fault, and the other half was Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s bad luck. The imperial physicians did not dare to say this. The minister questioned, ¡°Since you know that your antidote is risky, why did you give it to His Majesty? Are you testing the medicine on His Majesty?¡± Hu Jiusheng¡¯s mind was in a mess. ¡°I¡­ I tried it with a chicken¡­ The chicken lived¡­¡± ¡°Chicken? Do you think His Majesty is a chicken?¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that¡­ I¡­ I was eager to save him!¡± Hu Jiusheng couldn¡¯t explain himself. He looked at the imperial physicians, hoping that they would stand up for him. However, the imperial physicians no longer wanted to speak up for him. Having taken the fruits of others¡¯ labor for himself, his position was built on Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s hard work. What depraved character and morals! They had finally seen his true colors! What bullsh*t medical talent. Imperial Physician Fu was really blind to take in such an ingrate as his disciple! ¡°Yes, I did take my master¡¯s prescription for myself, but so what? At least it means that I didn¡¯t poison His Majesty! I was detoxifying His Majesty! ¡± Princess Jingning said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t avoid the main point. You¡¯re only talking about the antidote. What about the poison in the ointment?¡± Hu Jiusheng gritted his teeth and said, ¡°My brother poisoned the ointment. I admit that he¡¯s guilty, but what has this got to do with me? You can scare Shopkeeper Wu, but don¡¯t bully me for not knowing the laws of the Great Zhou!¡± The punishment of executing nine families had long been abolished by the previous Emperor. Unless they supported the army and established themselves, they would not implicate their families. ¡°Is that so?¡± Accompanied by a young man¡¯s voice, a person dressed as a servant was kicked in. The servant was none other than Court Commisioner Hu¡¯s medicine boy. The person who kicked him was Su Mo. Su MO was still holding a basin of covered ashes. There was burned paper in the ashes, but it was not finished. A few remaining words could be vaguely seen. ..There¡¯s a trick.. Destroying evidence¡­¡± After the imperial physicians identified it, they confirmed that it was Imperial Physician Hu¡¯s handwriting. Hu Jiusheng felt terrible. This was the note he asked the medicine boy to bring to Second Master Hu! Was Second Brother Hul s brain filled with sh*t? He couldn¡¯t even burn a note clean! Actually, it had long been burned clean. Wei Ting had forged this. The content was forced out of the medicine boy. Of course, the medicine boy was not sure about the subsequent actions. The medicine boy confessed honestly, ¡°Yesterday morning before Old Master left, he met Second Master. Second Master said that he got someone to poison Physician Su¡¯s ointment. They wanted to teach her a lesson!¡± In other words, he knew. When he arrived at Yongshou Palace, the ointment had just been heated up and Emperor Jing Xuan had yet to eat it. He had every chance of stopping it. It was fine if others did not care. He was the brother of the perpetrator and an official of the Imperial Court. He was obligated to do his job! To a certain extent, his actions already constituted murder! The minister of the Dali Temple went to grab the gavel. Uh, this was not the court. He had made a grab in vain. He slapped his thigh! ¡°Hu Jiusheng! What else do you have to say!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else to say. I¡¯ll say it for you!¡± ¡°Conspiracy to murder His Majesty should be executed according to the law! ¡± ¡°Guards! Detain the criminal, Hu Jiusheng, and bring him to the Dali Temple! Behead him!¡± Chapter 422 - Chapter 422: All ‘s Well That Ends Well Chapter 422: All ¡®s Well That Ends Well Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao had left the palace late yesterday and slept even later. She had overslept in the morning. After getting up, she first tidied her first aid kit. She saw the black medicine bottle that the pharmacy had rewarded her with the last time. It was said to be medicine, but she had never opened it once. Xiaohu walked in and pointed at the thing in her hand. ¡°Mother, what is this? A black egg?¡± Needless to say, this thing looked like a black duck egg. ¡°Yes¡­ Mother doesn¡¯t know either,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Xiaohu, can you touch it?¡± ¡°Here. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao gave him the little black egg. Xiaohu grabbed it and opened the medicine bottle. Then, he poured it into his mouth without a word. Su Xiaoxiao wanted to stop him, but it was too late. Xiaohu swallowed the entire bottle of pills. In the next second, a terrifying thing happened. Xiao Hu actually grew up in an instant! Su Xiaoxiao jolted and sat up. ¡°Xiaohu!¡± Uh¡­ it was a dream. She was scared to death! She wiped the cold sweat off her forehead and looked around. As expected, she found the reason for the dream about Xiaohu. The little fellow was lying beside her like a little salted fish. The three brothers had gotten up. Dahu was doing the horse stance, Erhu was okaying with the stones, and Xiaohu had nothing to do after walking around. He couldn¡¯t teach Sihu how to chew bones so he simply gave up and returned tc the house to start his life as a salted fish. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re awake?¡± Xiaohu said. Now that his mother was awake, he would not spoil it. ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched his head. ¡°Have you eaten breakfast?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t eat,¡± Xiaohu said. ¡°I ate noodles. Grandpa bought them.¡± Breakfast was breakfast, and noodles were noodles. He could tell the difference very clearly. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Everything we eat in the morning is called breakfast.¡± Xiaohu asked in confusion, ¡°Why is not called break noodles?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. Su Ergou, who had been recuperating for a few days, also got out of bed and went to the backyard. ¡°Dahu, how¡¯s your horse stance?¡± ¡°Uncle!¡± Dahu greeted him seriously. Su Ergou patted his shoulder. ¡°Do it well.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Dahu nodded. Su Ergou came to the water tank and looked at Erhu, who was squatting on the ground. He asked, ¡°Erhu, what are you doing? ¡°Soaking stones,¡± Erhu said. ¡°Uncle, why are you up? Su Ergou sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been lying down for a few days and was about to mold, so I came out for a walk.¡± Erhu looked at him and said, ¡°Does your head still hurt?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore,¡± Su Ergou said. He looked at the small basin in front of him. ¡°Whv did vou soak so manv stones?¡± ¡°The stones look better after soaking,¡± Erhu said. ¡°You always see my sister soak her jade¡­¡± Su Ergou muttered. Erhu picked up a small pebble. ¡°Uncle, I like this small stone the most.¡± Su Ergou pointed at the other two pieces doubtfully. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you liked this the most last month? And this is your favorite last month. Which one do you like the most?¡± Erhu said seriously, ¡°I like them all!¡± He loved every little stone! He was not being indiscriminate. He wanted to give all the little stones in the world a home. Su Ergou was speechless. Wei Ting went out early in the morning, so Su Xiaoxiao naturally didn¡¯t know that he had gone to forge physical evidence. After sending the three little ones to Ling Yun, Su Xiaoxiao went to the medical center. The Benevolence Hall next door was filled with people, but they were not here to treat illnesses. They were here to watch the show. The owner of Benevolence Hall had been captured, and Court Commissioner Hu had been arrested. The officials of the Dali Temple were searching for more evidence. Su Xiaoxiao only glanced at them indifferently before going upstairs. In the accounting room, Manager Sun was discussing the medicinal herbs with Physician Fu. Seeing her come over, Manager Sun¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Little Su is here!¡± After they became familiar with each other, the way they addressed each other changed. ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and greeted the two of them. ¡°Manager Sun, Master.¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost done here,¡± Physician Fu said. He had to enter the palace with Su Xiaoxiao to perform acupuncture on the Empress Dowager. ¡°You can come in now!¡± Manager Sun shouted outside the house. A girl dressed as a medical assistant entered with the tea and bowed to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Boss.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Du Juan.¡± Indeed, she was Du Juan, who had faked her death yesterday. Du Juan took off the veil on her face and smiled. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you this time.¡± Du Juan had never betrayed Su Xiaoxiao, nor had she been targeted by Physician Fu or anyone else. Everything was just for outsiders to see. Du Juan hurriedly said, ¡°Du Juan¡¯s life belongs to the boss. It¡¯s Du Juan¡¯s duty to serve the boss.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out the contract she had bought from Old Madam Zhou. ¡°You died for me once. You¡¯ll be free in the future. However, Du Juan¡¯s identity is gone. It¡¯s been hard on you.¡± Du Juan smiled and shook her head. ¡°Du Juan isn¡¯t my real name. After I was sold to the Education Bureau, they changed my name to Du Juan. There¡¯s nothing to miss about this identity. Speaking of which, I have to thank the boss.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your real name?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Du Juan said, ¡°Yunxiu, Zhang Yunxiu.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°From now on, you¡¯re Zhang Yunxiu. I¡¯ll think of a way to settle the household register.¡± Du Juan¡­ should be called Yunxiu now. Yunxiu bowed excitedly. ¡°Thank you, Boss!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If you have other plans¡­¡± Yunxiu hurriedly shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any, Boss! I want to stay in the Number One Hall. I like this place. I like Boss, Ying¡¯er, and Sister-in-law Cao¡­ Everyone treats me very well¡­¡± It was really very good. Even Manager Sun, who always liked to put on airs, was actually very protective of everyone. Thinking of something, Yun Xiu lowered her head. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ I¡¯m someone who has ¡®died¡¯ once after all. Will I cause trouble for the Number One Hall?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°You usually wear a veil. No one has seen your true face. They only know that you¡¯re the older medicine girl and Ying¡¯er is the younger medicine girl. I¡¯ve announced to the public that a new medicine girl is here, so no one will suspect anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Yunxiu¡¯s eyes lit up. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Call Little Weizi and the others over. I have something to announce.¡± ¡°Yes. Other than the three big bosses, only Little Weizi knew about Yunxiu¡¯s fake betrayal. Yunxiu thought that Su Xiaoxiao wanted to confess this to everyone. Unexpectedly, Su Xiaoxiao announced everyone¡¯s new identities. Fu Sheng was the second boss. Manager Sun was the third boss. ¡°Ah, is this okay?¡± Physician Fu had never thought that he would become the second boss. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you invest money in this medical center back then?¡± Physician Fu scratched his head. ¡°Ah, yes, but¡­¡¯ He had brought it for her to spend, not to buy business shares for himself¡­ Manager Sun couldn¡¯t stop smiling. After enduring for so long, he had finally become the boss! Chapter 423 - Chapter 423: Fall of Benevolence Hall Chapter 423: Fall of Benevolence Hall Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He patted Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s shoulder excitedly. ¡°Little Su, I didn¡¯t misjudge you. You¡¯re indeed loyal!¡± Physician Fu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°If you want to speak, speak. Don¡¯t touch my disciple! ¡® Although the others were not the boss, they would receive dividends twice at the end of each year. Everyone was stunned. Ying¡¯er and Yunxiu were not experienced in the world, but the Cao couple, Ah Zhong, and Litttle Weizi had worked for many bosses. No boss would give their servants dividends. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°There are no servants in the Number One Hall, only workers. Everyone, work hard. The Number One Hall won¡¯t treat you badly.¡± Chef Cao was a seven-foot-tall man. He was so excited that he wiped his tears. ¡°It¡¯s right to follow the boss!¡± Madam Yang was also very excited. The boss had already given them a higher salary than elsewhere. If they added the dividends, they could live a good life! She would bring her son over from the countryside next year! Everyone was very happy. Even Ah Zhong, who was not good with words, downed a cup of wine for the first time. Then, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t allow him to send her into the palace. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I reject your intention to drink and drive!¡± As long as Su MO was in the capital, he would arrange a carriage for Su Xiaoxiao. He usually came personally. Today, he had to deal with Imperial Physician Hu, so he arranged for another carriage to come. Su Xiaoxiao and Imperial Physician Fu entered the palace in a carriage. On the way to the Yongshou Palace, the two of them bumped into a few imperial physicians. They had just come out of the woodshed and already knew what Hu Jiusheng had done. They also found out that Physician Su¡¯s master was Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s son, Fu Sheng. ¡°Physician Su, Physician Fu¡­ Imperial Physician Zhu took the lead and greeted the two of them. The few of them were a little embarrassed. They had questioned the little physician many times, but reality proved that her medical skills were not fake. In addition, they were holding some medical books and handwritten notes that Imperial Physician Fu had left behind. They did not know how to deal with it. The few of them exchanged glances. Imperial Physician Zhu said, ¡°Doctor Fu, these books belong to your father. They should be returned to their rightful owner.¡± A trace of reluctance flashed across everyone¡¯s eyes. Physician Fu flipped through the medical books with a complicated expression. They were his father¡¯s notes. He could almost imagine how his father had recorded his hard work on lonely nights. His eyes burned. But he shook his head and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Take them.¡± Everyone looked at him in shock. ¡°My concept of treatment is different from Father¡¯s. Father¡¯s method might not be suitable for me.¡± He actually nad a tew medical cases lett benlnd Dy ms tatner. It was not mucn. If it were ten years ago, he might have needed them urgently. But now, he had already found his own medical path. Looking at Physician Fu and Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s departing backs in daze, the imperial physicians came back to their senses for a long time. They had worked with Imperial Physician Fu before and had heard him mention his son more than once. ¡°Sigh, Sheng¡¯er¡¯s aptitude is not as good as Jiusheng¡¯s. He¡¯s slow in recognizing medicinal herbs and acupoints. I¡¯ve taught him the medical theory in the medical books once, and Jiusheng has learned it. Sheng¡¯er always forgets¡­¡± Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s words were still vivid in their minds. Everyone sighed. Imperial Physician Fu wanted to teach his son, but unfortunately, he met the smarter Hu Jiusheng. Perhaps Imperial Physician Fu did not expect it himself. His son, who was not thought highly of¡­ was a real divine doctor. After Physician Fu finished his acupuncture for the Empress Dowager, she was much better. The Empress Dowager looked at Physician Fu and said slowly, ¡°I remember that your father was not good at acupuncture. Who did you acknowledge as your master after leaving the capital?¡± Physician Fu shook his head. ¡°No. The medical case my father left behind gave me a lot of inspiration.¡± The Empress Dowager waved her hand. ¡°Alright, your father¡¯s hard work has been taken by Hu Jiusheng. What can he leave for you? Fu Sheng had figured it out himself. ¡°Are you willing to come to the Imperial Hospital?¡± The Empress Dowager extended an olive branch to Fu Sheng. This was a supreme honor to anyone. However, after pondering for a moment, Fu Sheng stood up and cupped his hands. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Empress Dowager. I¡­ am unwilling to enter the palace.¡± After acupuncture for the Empress Dowager, Fu Sheng left for the medical center while Su Xiaoxiao continued to stay in the palace. There was also another patient, Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan developed a low fever at night and woke up for a while in the morning. According to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s instructions, Eunuch Fu gave Emperor Jingxuan two pills. Emperor Jingxuan¡¯s low fever subsided and he fell asleep again. ¡°He didn¡¯t eat anything. Will something happen?¡± Eunuch Fu asked worriedly. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Emperor Jing Xuan and said, ¡°Eunuch Fu, please guard outside and don¡¯t let anyone in.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Eunuch Fu trusted Su Xiaoxiao and left. Su Xiaoxiao opened the first aid kit, took out a drip, and hung it up for Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan could not eat, so she had to nourish him. While sitting by the bed and waiting, Su Xiaoxiao took out the small black medicine bottle. It had been a few days, but she still had not figured out what illness this was for. ¡°I can¡¯t open it even if I try¡­¡± After coming out of the Purple Mansion Hall, Su Xiaoxiao asked Eunuch Fu if the Empress was in Kunning Palace. ¡°She should be here at this time,¡± Eunuch Fu said. ¡°Doctor Su, do you want to see the Empress? I¡¯ll get someone to lead the way for you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No need. I Imow how to get there.¡± She had sent Princess Jingning back from the Purple Mansion Hall last night. The Empress was looking at the accounts when she heard someone report that Physician Su was here. She put down the account book in her hand. ¡°Let her in.¡± ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± the Empress asked Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao nodded honestly. ¡°Tell me, is it about His Majesty? Su Xiaoxiao nodded again. ¡°What happened to His Majesty? ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said as she took out a piece of paper from her pouch. ¡°This is the bill for the Purple Mansion Hall and Yongshou Palace. Please pay the consultation fee, Your Majesty.¡± The Empress was speechless. Xiao Zhonghua and the minister of the Dali Temple were extremely efficient. In the morning, Hu Jiusheng was imprisoned. In the afternoon, the officials of the Dali Temple came to investigate the Benevolence Hall. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Hu Biyun jumped down from the carriage. She had not been feeling well recently and had taken two days off from school. It was only then that she found out that something had happened to her father and Second Uncle. She quickly stepped forward and blocked the door of the Benevolence Hall. She looked coldly at the officials who were planning to stick seals on the door. ¡°Who allowed you to be impudent in the Benevolence Hall!¡± The leader of the officials said unsmilingly, ¡°This is an order from the minister of the Dali Temple. We have been ordered to investigate Benevolence Hall. Please don¡¯t obstruct us from handling the case.¡± Hu Biyun said sternly, ¡°My father and my second uncle were wronged! They were framed! Instead of catching the real culprit, you came here to wrongly accuse a good person! Is this how your Dali Temple handles cases?¡± The commoners surrounded them. An auntie tugged at the young man beside her in confusion. ¡°What happened to Benevolence Hall?¡± The young man said, ¡°Benevolence Hall tried to kill the current emperor. The boss has been sentenced to prison and it seems he will be executed!¡± ¡°What about the Court Commissioner?¡± an old man asked. ¡°He¡¯s involved too!¡± the young man said angrily. ¡°It¡¯s a capital crime to murder His Majesty. The Hu family is finished this time!¡± Hu Biyun pointed at his nose and said, ¡°Nonsense! My father and my second uncle didn¡¯t do such a thing!¡± Chapter 424 - Chapter 424: Meeting Parents Chapter 424: Meeting Parents Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The young man was not afraid of her and retorted, ¡°They didn¡¯t do it just because you said so? There are so many physicians, so why did you only arrest your family¡¯s? Hu Biyun bit her lip and said indignantly, ¡°It was the Number One Hall who framed my father and my second uncle!¡± Manager Sun waved his fan and walked over casually. ¡°Yo, I don¡¯t like to hear Miss Hu¡¯s words. What do you mean by our Number One Hall framing you? Your father personally brewed the poison, and your second uncle bribed someone to administer the poison. Your family¡¯s medicine boy has already confessed. There are witnesses and evidence. If you¡¯re not convinced, go to the Dali Temple and beat the drum!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Hu Biyun flushed in agitation. ¡°That medical woman is a spy sent by your family!¡± Manager Sun mocked, ¡°Even if what you said is true, you have to take the bait, right? If not for your malicious intentions, who would force your father to refine poison and your second uncle to drug the Empress Dowager¡¯s ointment?¡± This person was used to avoiding the important points. This was not the case at all! Hu Biyun couldn¡¯t win against Manager Sun and was so angry that she trembled! A waiter said, ¡°Miss, Benevolence Hall can¡¯t continue. Our salary¡­ Are you the one who will settle it for us?¡± A patient also said, ¡°And the consultation fees for us patients¡­ We spent money to seek treatment. Your Benevolence Hall has been sealed. Who will compensate us for our money? ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Hu Biyun was quickly surrounded by the staff and patients of Benevolence Hall. However, she did not have much silver with her, so she could only escape first. When she finally shook off the group of people and returned, the door of the Benevolence Hall was completely sealed. ¡°How could this be¡­ How could this be¡­¡± ¡°Sister.¡± Hu Hui¡¯s voice appeared behind her. Hu Biyun turned around and looked at him with a choked voice. ¡°Brother¡­ Benevolence Hall has been sealed.. ¡°I know.¡± Hu Hui suppressed the swelling pain in his throat. ¡°Come home with me first.¡± She wiped her tears and said, ¡°Father and Second Uncle were wronged.. Hu Hui said nothing. She grabbed Hu Hui¡¯s arm. ¡°Brother¡­ can you beg the Young Marquis?¡± Hu Hui was Jing Yi¡¯s friend. He had relied on Jing Yi to get to know Xiao Zhonghua. Hu Hui said desolately, ¡°I¡¯ve looked¡­¡± Hu Biyun hurriedly said, ¡°What did the Young Marquis say?¡± ¡°He brought it on himself. He couldn¡¯t blame anyone. The Young Marquis believed her and did not believe that she would frame anyone.¡± Hu Biyun continued, ¡°Where¡¯s the Third Prince?¡± Hu Hui said sadly, ¡°The Third Prince personally tried this case. If he wanted to help, the Third Prince would have helped long ago.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­ I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t save Father!¡± Hu Biyun did not give up. She was unwilling to accept her fate! She went to look for her classmates and her old friends, but unfortunately, no one was willing to see her. It had started to rain heavily. She stumbled through the rain. Suddenly, a carriage stopped beside her. The curtain was lifted, and a graceful girl got out with an oil-paper umbrella. ¡°Miss Hu?¡± She asked softly. Hu Biyun could barely open her eyes from the heavy rain. She looked at her in a sorry state. ¡°Miss Lin?¡± This person was Lin Ruyue, who had been expelled from the Palace Academy not long ago. Lin Ruyue said in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s really you¡­ I thought so just now¡­ But¡­ how did you end up like this?¡± Hu Biyun¡¯s heart ached. She walked forward and pulled Lin Ruyue¡¯s sleeve with her wet hand. ¡°Miss Lin, can you help me? Let the Grand Commandant go to His Majesty and plead for mercy on my father¡¯s behalf¡­¡± Lin Ruyue¡¯s father was the Grand Commandant of the current dynasty and was deeply valued by the emperor. A while ago, because of Lin Ruyue¡¯s collision with the Grand Empress Dowager, he was admonished for having failed to teach his daughter and lost the right to supervise the Divine Bow Unit. However, he still had a say in front of Emperor Jing Xuan. Lin Ruyue chuckled. ¡°Kneel down and beg me.¡± Hu Biyun looked at her in disbelief. Lin Ruyue mocked, ¡°Why? You¡¯re not willing? Didn¡¯t you want to save your father? You can¡¯t even kneel and beg. I think your filial piety is only so-so.¡± Hu Biyun squeezed her fingers and knelt down in humiliation. ¡°I beg you¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ Lin Ruyue laughed exaggeratedly. ¡°When I was expelled from the Palace Academy by the Grand Empress Dowager, I asked you to find your father to plead for me. What did you say? You said that your father was very busy and couldn¡¯t see anyone. Then, I said that I was fighting for justice for you, so I reprimanded that girl. What did you say?¡± Lin Ruyue bent down and whispered into Hu Biyun¡¯s ear, ¡°You said you didn¡¯t ask me to.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Hahahaha!¡± After Lin Ruyue mocked Hu Biyun, she left happily! Su Xiaoxiao earned a lot of money in the palace. She carried her full box of consultation fees and left the palace in satisfaction. She saw the jade-like man beside the carriage at a glance. He was really eye-catching. His looks were almost comparable to Wei Ting¡¯s. Su MO looked at her in amusement. ¡°Why are you so happy? She handed the brocade box in her arms to Su Mo. ¡°Here, consultation fee.¡± Su MO opened it and took a look. He said with an exaggerated expression, ¡°There¡¯s so much. Looks like you¡¯re very powerful.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was not humble at all. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m a divine physician!¡± Su MO couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He opened the curtain and let her get into the carriage. The two sat down. As expected, there was another jar of freshly peeled walnuts on the table. What was worth mentioning was that although Su Xiaoxiao ate every day, she restrained herself and didn¡¯t eat much. She usually didn¡¯t eat more than five. Even so, Su MO always peeled more and fed it to her. And there were new ones every day. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed a walnut and ate it. Su MO poured her a glass of water. ¡°The evidence of Hu Jiusheng¡¯s crimes has been found. The news that he plagiarized Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s work has also spread. His reputation has been ruined.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s cheeks puffed up. ¡°He deserved it. Who asked him to frame Imperial Physician Fu back then?¡± ¡°Frame Imperial Physician Fu?¡± Su MO did not know that there was such a thing. Su Xiaoxiao deliberated for a moment. Since the joyous pulse was not Bai Xihe¡¯s, there was nothing she could not say to Su Mo. Wait, this idea was very dangerous. Why couldn¡¯t she tell him Bai Xihe¡¯s secret? Could it be that in her heart, Bai Xihe was closer to her than Su MO? Impossible. She did not want to get close to that cunning woman! Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips in disdain. Su MO saw the rich expression flash across her face and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± Su Xiaoxiao returned to the topic and told him the secret that Emperor Jing Xuan had slept with Bai Xihe¡¯s personal female official. ¡°Imperial Physician Fu faked his death and left the capital because of this. It should have been Hu Jiusheng who went to ask for her pulse. This is f*cking¡­ ¡°Cough!¡± Su MO coughed. His sister had to be soft and cute. She was not allowed to curse. ¡°Cowardly thing.¡± She was about to finish. Su MO was speechless. After Su MO sent his sister back to the medical center, he went to the Divine Bow Camp to look for Su Yuan. Su Xiaoxiao carried her small treasury and leisurely entered the lobby. The medical center was quiet today. Everyone worked quietly and did not even dare to breathe loudly. An old Matriarch sat in the lobby, casually drinking tea. However, her aura was powerful, and no one within a hundred feet survived! Su Xiaoxiao looked at her strangely and propped her arm on the counter. ¡°Who¡¯s this that¡¯s so arrogant?¡± Manager Sun pinched his throat. ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hear him clearly. Manager Sun desperately winked. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, yes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was confused. Matriarch Wei said indifferently, ¡°He said, Matriarch Wei..¡± Chapter 425 - Chapter 425: The Whole Family Went Into Battle Chapter 425: The Whole Family Went Into Battle Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao was petrified for three seconds. Manager Sun muttered to himself, ¡°To think that you would have such a day.¡± Manager Sun gloated for a moment before starting to sympathize with her right on the heels of that. He cleared his throat and covered his mouth with the account book. He whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t help you this time. Good luck.¡± Who asked her to kidnap the young son of the Wei family home to be a live-in son-in-law? Even the heavens did not have the guts¡­ Su Xiaoxiao straightened her expression. Calm down, don¡¯t panic. She was just a Matriarch. Manager Sun muttered under his breath, ¡°You¡¯d better not get into a fight!¡± The rest of the medical center could not bear to watch anymore. Their boss, who usually did not change her expression even if Mount Tai collapsed, had now¡­ become a little fat goose. Su Xiaoxiao came to Matriarch Wei with a serious expression. ¡°Matriarch, welcome. Sorry for not welcoming you.¡± Everyone covered their eyes in unison. What Matriarch? Call her Grandmother! Also, what kind of expression was that? She was meeting the parents, not her sworn brother. If one didn¡¯t know, one would think that she was going to take out her saber in the next second and swear a blood oath with the other party! Old Madam Wei snorted indifferently. ¡°You¡¯re Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°You can say that.¡± Old Madam Wei dragged out her tone. ¡°What do you mean by that? If you are, you are.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°In terms of bloodline, I do have a biological relationship with the old Protector Duke. However, my brother and I haven¡¯t paid respects to our ancestors or entered the Qin family tree, so strictly speaking, I haven¡¯t officially acknowledged our roots and ancestors.¡± Acknowledging one¡¯s roots and ancestors was a big deal. They had to choose an auspicious day. The date calculated by the Imperial Astronomer was in June. Old Madam Wei sized Su Xiaoxiao up. Old Madam Wei did not like thin young ladies who fell when the wind blew. One was more pleasing to the eye if one was fat. An awkward silence followed. Having lived for two lifetimes, she had never seen her would-be in-laws and lacked experience in this aspect. Su Xiaoxiao could only improvise. ¡°Matriarch, did you come to the Number One Hall today to see a physician? Old Madam Wei rolled her eyes at her. No¡­ Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I understand. You¡¯re here to see Wei Ting.¡± Old Madam Wei glared at her with a dark expression. Not really¡­ Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°Are you here to see me?¡± Old Madam Wei was speechless. ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± Manager Sun coughed violently. He risked being beaten to death by Matriarch Wei¡¯s walking stick and pulled Su Xiaoxiao aside. ¡°She¡¯s here to see her great-grandsons!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao coughed lightly and returned to Matriarch Wei¡¯s side without changing her expression. ¡°Dahu and the others haven¡¯t finished school yet. Why don¡¯t you go to the house first?¡± Nanny Li handed the walking stick to Matriarch Wei and smiled. ¡°Matriarch, give me the tea.¡± Old Madam Wei took the walking stick and handed the teacup to Nanny Li. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Nanny Li gratefully. No words could express her gratitude! The group left the medical center. Little Weizi, Ah Zhong, Yun Xiu, Ying¡¯er, and Chef Cao gathered and stood on their tiptoes to look out the door. ¡°Can the boss do it?¡± Little Weizi asked. Manager Sun nodded seriously. ¡°Her demeanor was quite normal.¡± The corners of Ah Zhong¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Is this normal?¡± It was completely different from usual! If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, they probably wouldn¡¯t have dared to admit it! Manager Sun said enigmatically, ¡°What do you know? This is already very good.¡± That girl was really going to anger Matriarch Wei to death. At the door, Su Xiaoxiao politely sent Matriarch Wei to the carriage. ¡°Please get in.¡± Old Madam Wei said to her, ¡°Come up too.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was also careless. If Matriarch Wei asked her to do it, she would really do it. When she lifted the curtain, she was dumbfounded. There was one, two, three, four, five¡­ Madams in the carriage. They all looked at her in unison. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s scalp went numb! Facing five men was nothing. At most, they would fight. With so many women¡­ it would be difficult to put up a resistance. Old Madam Wei sat down in the middle and introduced them one by one. ¡°Wei Ting¡¯s sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, third sister-in-law, fourth sister-in-law, and fifth sister-in-law.¡± The five of them nodded at Su Xiaoxiao in unison. Their postures were the same, even the angle was the same. Madam Chu said, ¡°My surname is Chu. I¡¯m Little Seven¡¯s sister-in-law.¡± She was dignified and had the demeanor of a mistress of the family. She was the most similar to Matriarch Wei. Madam Li said, ¡°My surname is Li. I¡¯m Little Seven¡¯s second sister-in-law.¡± Her voice was very soft and her temperament was cold. She was the only one among the five who was slightly weak. Madam Chen said, ¡°I¡¯m Third Sister-in-law. My surname is Chen.¡± This strong woman occupied the largest area and was the most energetic. It was obvious that she was skilled. Madam Lan said, ¡°I¡¯m Madam Lan, Fourth Sister-in-law.¡± She looked gentle and obedient, but there was cunning in her eyes, making Su Xiaoxiao think of Erhu. Madam Jiang raised her chin and said, ¡°My surname is Jiang. I raised Little Seven!¡± The four sisters-in-law looked at her! She¡­ was about the same age as Little Seven¡­ When other people met their in-laws, they met a pair. In her case, she met a nest. Su Xiaoxiao broke down inwardly and smiled. ¡°Hello, everyone. My surname is Su, and my name is¡­ Xiaoxiao.¡± She accidentally said her real name. Everyone sized her up with indescribable expressions. How¡­ was she small? The carriage was a little crowded, mainly because Su Xiaoxiao and Madam Chen occupied too much space. Nanny Li was in another carriage and slowly followed behind. Today, only Zhong Shan and Su Ergou were at home. Su Ergou was bored and poured the feed of Sihu in the front yard. Hearing the sound of the carriage, he hurriedly looked up at the door. Su Xiaoxiao jumped out of the carriage. He grabbed the shovel that he couldn¡¯t put down in time and quickly walked over. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re back? You¡¯re so early today!¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered to herself, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be so early either, but isn¡¯t this to entertain my in-laws?¡± ¡°Your brother-in-law isn¡¯t back yet?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Su Ergou replied, ¡°No. When Brother-in-law went out this morning, he said that he would be back later.¡± Coming back later¡­ that was good. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. Su Ergou¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Sister, your smile is so scary¡­ Eh? Who is that?¡± Matriarch Wei also alighted from the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao reached out to help her and said to Su Ergou, ¡°Old Madam Wei.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Seeing her sister help her up, Su Ergou was especially polite. ¡°Hello, Old Madam Wei.¡± With that, he leaned close to his sister¡¯s ear and asked in a low voice, ¡°Who¡¯s Matriarch Wei?¡± Old Madam Wei was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao whispered, ¡°Your brother-in-law¡¯s grandmother.¡± Su Ergou was enlightened. He straightened his back and shouted sincerely, ¡°Hello, Grandmother!¡± Old Madam Wei almost missed a step! Soon, the five of them alighted from the carriage. The five of them were dressed very plainly, and their buns were simple. There was nothing fancy about them. Their movements were neat. Su Ergou¡¯s mind buzzed.. He was face blind¡­ Chapter 426 - Chapter 426: Blessed Chapter 426: Blessed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao asked Su Ergou to pick up the three little ones from school. Old Madam Wei asked, ¡°Are they enlightened?¡± If she remembered correctly, the three little fellows were still more than a month away from turning three years old. Children from ordinary big families would only be enlightened when they were five to seven years old. Except for Little Seven. He was born with extraordinary intelligence and was different from other children. Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t sure if this was considered enlightenment. In a broad sense, enlightenment seemed to refer to learning the Thousand Characters, the Four Books, and the Five Classics, but the three little fellows were learning the zither from Ling Yun. ¡°Where¡¯s the teacher?¡± Matriarch Wei asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s a neighbor in the alley. Dahu and the others are learning the zither from him.¡± Hearing that they were learning the zither and that she had casually found a neighbor to teach, Old Madam Wei frowned. Su Ergou went to pick up the three little ones. Su Xiaoxiao, Old Madam Wei, and the others entered the courtyard. She bumped into Zhong Shan, who was about to go home. Old Madam Wei paused. Zhong Shan also paused. He bowed and silently bowed before hunching out of the courtyard. Matriarch Wei turned to look at him. Su Xiaoxiao said strangely, ¡°You know him?¡± Old Madam Wei nodded indifferently. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ve seen him somewhere.¡± This answer was too careless. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t buy it. Zhong Shan was under Mistress Hui Jue. Wei Ting knew her, and it was very likely that Matriarch Wei knew her too. In fact, it was a more reasonable guess that Matriarch Wei and Grandmaster Hui Jue knew each other. Wei Ting only knew Grandmaster Hui Jue because of his grandmother. However, Matriarch Wei¡¯s reaction just now was a little strange. Since she knew him, why didn¡¯t she acknowledge him? Why was she so cold to Zhong Shan? Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it. Old Madam Wei began to sized up the courtyard. The space was not big, but it was clean and tidy. There was a black foal in the courtyard. It was very beautiful. ¡°Is this a big food horse?¡± Old Madam Wei was very surprised. Big food horses were rare in the Great Zhou, but when she thought about how her grandfather was Qin Canglan, she felt that perhaps Qin Canglan had thought of a way to get it from somewhere. The last person to recognize it as a big food horse was Qin Canglan. She did not expect Matriarch Wei to know horses. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a big food horse.¡± ¡°A premature one?¡± Matriarch Wei asked again. ¡°You can tell that?¡± It was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s turn to be surprised. After her careful feeding, the pony had grown very strong and was almost no different from a normal horse. Ordinary people naturally could not tell, but Matriarch Wei was not an ordinary person. When she accompanied her husband on his expeditions back then, many generals in the capital had yet to be born. Old Madam Wei recalled, ¡°Little Seven¡¯s grandfather raised a big food horse when he was young. Like this horse, it was born prematurely.¡± ¡°What happened next?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Old Madam Wei said calmly, ¡°He died in less than two months. A premature warhorse can¡¯t be raised.¡± Generally speaking, they would die within a few days of being born. If they lived a little longer, it would be less than a month. It was already a miracle that Lord Wu An raised the foal to two months. Su Xiaoxiao touched the foal. ¡°Sihu is three months old.¡± It could actually be raised for three months¡­ A trace of surprise flashed across Old Madam Wei¡¯s eyes. She walked closer to take a closer look. However, Sihu mercilessly turned around and threw her a proud butt! Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands and said, ¡°Sihu is angry with you. You said it can¡¯t be raised.¡± Old Madam Wei was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to boil water and make tea. Her sister-in-law, Madam Chu, sat with Matriarch Wei in the central room. The others stayed in the courtyard to admire Sihu. Fifth Sister-in-law Jiang pinched Sihu¡¯s horse ears. ¡°What horse is this? It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Second Sister-in-law, Madam Li, said softly, ¡°I heard from Grandmother just now that it¡¯s a big food horse.¡± Fourth Sister-in-law, Madam Lan, said in surprise, ¡°A big food horse is even more precious than a ferghana horse.¡± Sihu enjoyed it and jumped happily in the courtyard. Old Madam Wei said, ¡°Alright, stop fooling around. Come in.¡± The four of them reluctantly entered the central room. The few of them felt that there was not much chance to go out, so they inevitably could not stay idle. Although they barely nailed themselves to the chair under Matriarch Wei¡¯s pressure, their eyes darted around. Old Madam Wei said in a low voice, ¡°Just say what you want to say.¡± Mdm Jiang cleared her throat and asked in a low voice, ¡°Did Little Seven¡­ really become her live-in son-in-law?¡± Old Madam Wei muttered, ¡°Is it too late to regret now?¡± Old Madam Wei said to Nanny Li, ¡°Let¡¯s go pick up the children.¡± ¡°Yes. Nanny Li handed the walking stick to Matriarch Wei. The few of them also stood up. Matriarch Wei said, ¡°Wait here.¡± ¡°Yes, Grandmother.¡± The few of them complied obediently. After Matriarch Wei and Nanny Li left, Madam Jiang stood up and came to the back door of the central room. From here, she could see Su Xiaoxiao busy in the kitchen. Madam Lan also walked over. ¡°Fifth Sister-in-law, what are you looking at?¡± ¡°Looking at her,¡± Mdm Jiang said. Madam Jiang turned to look at Madam Chen. ¡°Third Sister-in-law, do you want to take a look?¡± Madam Chen said, ¡°Oh, I want to.¡± The three of them leaned against the door and looked at the little fat girl. Madam Li gradually couldn¡¯t sit still on the chair. She stole a glance at her sister-in-law, Madam Chu. When Old Madam Wei was not around, Madam Chu was the head of the family. Seeing that her sister-in-law had no intention of stopping her, she quietly walked over to take a look. Mdm Jiang was puzzled. ¡°So Little Seven¡¯s type is like this?¡± No wonder he rejected Princess Lingxi and Princess Huian. The two of them were so thin that they did not have any flesh. How could they be as round and smooth as this little girl? Madam Lan asked, ¡°Do you think Cousin Lingxi is better looking or her?¡± ¡°They¡¯re both good-looking,¡± Madam Jiang said, ¡°but her stomach is round and she can eat more.¡± It was a blessing to be able to eat. Madam Jiang stared at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s butt again. ¡°Her butt is big and she can give birth! Second Sister-in-law¡¯s butt is big!¡± Madam Li, who was the only one among the five who had given birth, said, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Madam Li said, ¡°You should say that she is accumulating wealth.¡± The three of them were surprised. They turned around and said in unison, ¡°Second Sister-in-law, you¡¯re here too?¡± They continued to observe Su Xiaoxiao. Madam Li continued, ¡°There are pearls in her earlobes.¡± Madam Jiang said in admiration, ¡°Second Sister-in-law knows! As expected of the descendant of a Feng Shui master!¡± Madam Li said slowly, ¡°I¡¯ll draw a talisman for you another day.¡± Madam Jiang hurriedly said, ¡°Uh¡­ that¡¯s not necessary.¡± She looked at the silent Madam Chen. ¡°Third Sister-in-law, what do you think?¡± Third Sister-in-law, Madam Chen, was the best at martial arts and the least good with words. She scratched her head. ¡°Ah, why are you asking me?¡± Mdm Jiang said, ¡°Because your opinion is also very important.¡± Madam Chen said, ¡°Oh, then I think.. she¡¯s quite good.¡± Madam Lan pursed her lips. ¡°What¡¯s so good about it?¡± Madam Chen said honestly, ¡°She¡¯s fleshy and can take a beating.¡± Everyone was speechless. ¡°She¡¯s nothing much. I still prefer Cousin Lingxi!¡± Madam Lan snorted and returned to her seat. She looked at the dignified and quiet Madam Chu.. ¡°Sister-in-law, what do you think?¡± Chapter 427 - Chapter 427: Domineering Sister-in-law Chapter 427: Domineering Sister-in-law Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Before Madam Chu could speak, Su Xiaoxiao brought out the tea. Madam Jiang, Madam Chen, and Madam Li quickly returned to their chairs and sat upright, as if nothing had happened. Su Xiaoxiao arranged the tea. ¡°Sisters-in-law, have some tea.¡± Madam Lan said, ¡°You haven¡¯t married.¡± Hmph, what sister-in-law? Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°Wei Ting is my family¡¯s live-in son-in-law.¡± First kill! Madam Lan said critically, ¡°The tea isn¡¯t much. In the Wei family, we all drink Longjing before the rain. Do you know Longjing before the rain?¡± Su Xiaoxiao hummed. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be Longjing before the rain. It¡¯s morning Long Jing, from the Empress Dowager.¡± Madam Lan was speechless. Second kill! Before Su Xiaoxiao could take out the triple and quadruple kills, Madam Chen said, ¡°Fourth Sister-in-law, I think the tea is quite delicious. It¡¯s sweet and has a milky fragrance. Seventh Sister-in-law, what kind of tea is this? It¡¯s different from the ones I drank in the past.¡± Everyone coughed heavily. ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± Madam Chen was at a loss. Madam Jiang tugged at her sleeve and whispered, ¡°Why did you call her that? We agreed to do an opening gambit to suppress her. Otherwise, Little Seven won¡¯t be able to stand straight at her house in the future. You don¡¯t want Little Seven to be bullied, right?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Madam Chen was enlightened. She placed the teacup on the table and said against her conscience, ¡°Your tea doesn¡¯t taste good.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, tears flowed down her face. At this moment, the footsteps of a few children came from outside the courtyard. ¡°Dahu! Erhu! Xiaohu!¡± It was the Matriarch¡¯s excited shout. The five young madams trembled. She had been holding a walking stick all year round. They didn¡¯t expect her to be so energetic. ¡°Great-grandma!¡± ¡°Great-grandma!¡± ¡°Great-grandma!¡± Hearing the three childish voices, even the eldest young madam, Madam Chu, could not sit still. The four of them looked at her in unison. Madam Chu straightened her expression and was about to speak. ¡°Dahu and the others are back, ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said as she looked out the door. cucuull L IL anymn..nc¡­ Her sister-in-law¡¯s pressure was useless! The four of them stood up and rushed out. Madam Chu took a deep breath and followed. Old Madam Wei and Nanny Li held the three children¡¯s hands and entered the courtyard. Old Madam Wei had thrown away her walking stick and was pulling one on each side. Nanny Li held one and held her walking stick with her other hand. ¡°Are you happy that Great-Grandma came to see you?¡± Matriarch Wei asked kindly. ¡°Happy!¡± Dahu said, bouncing. ¡°Erhu is also happy.¡± ¡°Xiaohu is the happiest!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Matriarch Wei laughed out loud. ¡°Come and meet your aunts.¡± Old Madam Wei pointed at the five people in the courtyard and introduced them one by one. ¡°Aunt, Second Aunt, Third Aunt, Fourth Aunt, Fifth Aunt.¡± The children did not understand what Auntie meant, but they would understand after a few years. The three little ones were very obedient and greeted the five aunties in a childish voice. The five of them were stunned by the three children. Were they the children of Little Six and the young princess? They were too cute! Mdm Jiang was about to cry. ¡°It¡¯s really like when Little Six was young¡­¡¯ Everyone looked at her speechlessly. She made it sound like she had seen Little Six when he was young¡­ However, the children¡¯s eyebrows and round heads were indeed very similar to Little Six¡¯s. Their faces and noses were like those of the little princess. Thinking of Little Six, who had died on the battlefield without a corpse, they felt sad. Thinking of how the four of them had suffered in the countryside¡­ they felt a little uncomfortable. Madam Lan said, ¡°Think of something happy! Think of something happy!¡± ¡°Aunt, Second Aunt, Third Aunt, Fourth Aunt, Fifth Aunt, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Dahu tilted his head and asked. ¡°Nothing.¡± Chu smiled warmly. ¡°You¡¯re Dahu, right?¡± Dahu was surprised. ¡°Eh? How did Aunt know?¡± Madam Chu said, ¡°Because you resemble Big Brother the most.¡± Dahu puffed out his chest proudly. They heard that the little fellows had wandered among the commoners and suffered a lot. They thought that they would see a few skinny little monkeys. Unexpectedly, they saw three strong tiger heads. They were playful, lively, and active. After the three little ones greeted the aunties, they went to look for Su Xiaoxiao. It was obvious that they were very clingy to Su Xiaoxiao. If Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t treat them well, they wouldn¡¯t be so clingy. Dahu asked seriously, ¡°Mother, can I bring Great Grandma, Nanny Li, Aunt, Second Aunt, Third Aunt, Fourth Aunt, and Fifth Aunt to visit our house?¡± LcauH1b a DU AICtUXICIU cucuull L help but laugh. ¡°Of course.¡± Dahu brought his two brothers and enthusiastically guided them. This was a house in a second-level courtyard. It was not big in the capital, but the layout was cosy. The courtyard was almost filled with children¡¯s things. It was obvious at a glance if the family doted on their children. ¡°Who are you sleeping with tonight?¡± Madam Li asked. ¡°Sleeping with Mother,¡± Dahu said. Erhu added, ¡°Sometimes, we sleep with Uncle and Grandpa.¡± Madam Lan asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡± ¡°Him.¡± Xiaohu looked disgusted. ¡°He¡¯s not at home every day. I wonder what he¡¯s doing outside. Did he forget that he has sons?¡± Everyone looked at Matriarch Wei. Old Madam Wei coughed awkwardly and said seriously, ¡°We won¡¯t detain him in the residence anymore. Just let him come back.¡± On the other side, Su Cheng returned to Pear Blossom Lane with a sore back after today¡¯s training. He returned a little early today. The sky was not dark yet. He dismounted and slung the whip over his shoulder. ¡°Daughter! I¡¯m back!¡± At the thought of seeing his fat daughter, his fatigue and soreness instantly disappeared without a trace. He pushed open the courtyard door in high spirits. The women in the courtyard looked at him! He shuddered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Wrong place.¡± He quickly retreated and closed the courtyard door. He glanced at the door. That wasn¡¯t right. There was no mistake. This was his house. There were also a few marks on the door that Xiao Hu had dug out. He frowned strangely and pushed the door open again. He looked at the room full of powerful women and asked, ¡°Who are you? At this moment, Qin Canglan also got off the horse. Seeing Su Cheng freeze on the spot, he could not help but ask, ¡°Cheng¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he recognized the women of the Wei family in the courtyard and his expression changed drastically. ¡°Chenger, be careful!¡± He grabbed Su Cheng behind him! The women of the Wei family were much more terrifying than the men of the Wei family. The men of the Wei family at least followed some rules. The women of the Wei family hit the Qin family whenever they saw them. The last time Qin Jiang bumped into them with more than ten guards, he was beaten up. Although Qin Canglan did not hit women, a woman from the Wei family was worth ten men. He could not let his son be beaten up by them! As soon as his killing intent appeared, the women of the Wei family were instantly vigilant. Madam Chen did not bring any weapons, but there were ready-made ones in the courtyard that Su Cheng used to practice martial arts. She kicked and hooked with one foot, and a long saber flew into the sky and landed steadily in her hand! Madam Li turned her fingertip and pinched out three pear blossom needles! Madam Chu looked like she had not moved, but she had already gripped the sleeve arrow in her hand tightly. ¡°Move aside. I¡¯ll do it¡­¡± Su Cheng walked out from behind Qin Canglan. He swaggered forward with the horsewhip. Bang! One move. Just one move. Su Cheng was sent flying by the back of Madam Chen¡¯s saber. In the air, Su Cheng tilted his head and stuck out his tongue, hanging from the branch. ¡°Well, I think you should do it.¡± Su Cheng tilted his head.. He was dizzy! Chapter 428 - Chapter 428: Brother Ting Is Here Chapter 428: Brother Ting Is Here Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Cheng originally had excellent martial arts aptitude and had never wasted his brawn all these years. After coming to the capital, he was even taught by Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis. His improvement could be said to be rapid. However, such a boor was sent flying by Madam Chen. Madam Chen did not have the intention to kill. She used the back of the saber. If it was a blade, what would happen? A tiger father would not have a dog for a son. The Wei family had no weak daughters. ¡°How dare you hurt my son! Take this!¡± Qin Canglan could not let his son be beaten up under his nose for nothing. The women of the Wei family had never fought Qin Canglan, but as the saying went, the youth knew no fear. No matter who you were, it was over! Madam Chen waved the saber in her hand and slashed at Qin Canglan. Madam Lan threw out the nine-section whip in her hand and sealed Qin Canglan¡¯s left path. Madam Jiang used her Cold Blade Soft Sword to block Qin Canglan¡¯s right path. As for Madam Li¡¯s silver needles, they were even more dangerous. Three of them shot out at the same time and went straight for Qin Canglan¡¯s three death acupoints! Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise. Did Lord Wu An save the entire dynasty in his previous life? His grandsons were gone, but there were a few granddaughters-in-law who could surpass his sons in terms of martial arts. However, Qin Canglan¡¯s reputation as the Great Zhou God of War was not an exaggeration. He had obtained it through real battle merits. Qin Canglan rose into the air and dodged their attacks. He stepped on Madam Chen¡¯s saber and bent it with the tip of his foot, breaking it from Madam Chen¡¯s hand. He put the tip of his foot on the back of his saber and slammed it toward Madam Chen! Madam Chen blocked the hilt with her arms and forced this terrifying force back more than ten feet! ¡°Third Sister-in-law!¡± Madam Jiang¡¯s expression changed. To be able to force Third Sister-in-law back to this extent, he really lived up to his name! Qin Canglan did not use any killing moves. He only used the back and hilt of his saber. As for the attacks of the others, he avoided them as much as he could and did not really fight them to the death. Qin Canglan¡¯s martial arts were already difficult to match, but these people could deal with so many of his moves, which was enough to show how powerful they were. At this moment, Qin Canglan¡¯s right hand suddenly felt a sharp pain, and his body froze for a moment! Maam Chu acutely sensed this change and shot out the sleeve arrow in her hand! ¡°Be careful!¡± Su Cheng, who was hanging on a branch, shouted! No sooner said than done, a figure descended from the sky and stood in front of Qin Canglan, grabbing the sleeve arrow! Madam Chu broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Little Seven!¡± In fact, Madam Chu had never thought of killing Qin Canglan. The sleeve arrow was not aimed at a fatal spot. However, the position where Wei Ting rushed out was very dangerous. If he did not catch it, his heart would be pierced. Wei Ting returned the sleeve arrow to Madam Chu and smiled cynically. ¡°Sister-in-law, five against one, that¡¯s too much.¡± Wei Ting returned the sleeve arrow to Madam Chu and smiled cynically. ¡°Sister-in-law, five against one, that¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s five against two!¡± Madam Jiang corrected him and pointed at the tree above his head. ¡°There, there¡¯s still one hanging on the tree.¡± Su Cheng smiled awkwardly but handsomely. ¡°Son-in-law.¡± Wei Ting used his qinggong to save his father-in-law. In the central room, Su Xiaoxiao silently put down the bow and arrow in her hand and said calmly, ¡°I m going to cook.¡± The corners of Old Madam Wei¡¯s mouth twitched. This girl actually dared to draw the bow in front of her. How bold! She had misjudged the little fat goose in the medical center¡­ According to Fu Su, Wei Ting was a live-in son-in-law who had been kidnapped by Su Cheng. The Wei family was worried that the two of them did not have a good relationship. Now that she saw it, she realized that it did not seem to be the case. Su Cheng called Wei Ting more often than he called him his biological son. ¡°Ergou, entertain them,¡± Wei Ting said to Su Ergou. Su Ergou said, ¡°Alright! Brother-in-law!¡± Fine, his relationship with her brother-in-law was not bad. Fine, his relationship with her brother-in-law was not bad. Su Ergou came to the five women and said politely, ¡°Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law, Fourth Sister-in-law, Fifth Sister-in-law, sit in the room!¡± The five of them were speechless. Alright, he could call them whatever he wanted. After all, he had already addressed Matriarch Wei as Grandmother. He really did not treat himself as an outsider. Su Xiaoxiao was braising meat. The three children surrounded the stove, waiting to eat the meat. Wei Ting entered the house and said something to her. She nodded. ¡°It would be a waste not to take the opportunity.¡± It was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the two big bosses to gather. If they really asked both parties out on a normal day, both of them would probably feel awkward and not want to come. Today was a coincidence. Wei Ting invited the two of them to the study. The two of them sat on opposite chairs, but Wei Ting did not. He was junior and stood in the middle. The three of them formed a triangular formation, and a murderous aura spread throughout the study. Wei Ting was the first to speak. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to explain some things?¡± Old Madam Wei snorted. ¡°I have nothing to say to the Qin family!¡± Wei Ting looked at Matriarch Wei helplessly. ¡°Grandmother.¡± Old Madam Wei snorted. ¡°Our Wei family didn¡¯t poison the Marquis of Zhenbei!¡± The clues Su MO found pointed to the Wei family. Su MO told Su Xiaoxiao and naturally told the Old Marquis and Qin Canlan. ¡°Daya told me,¡± Qin Canglan said calmly. ¡°Although I don¡¯t believe it, if Daya wants me to believe it, there¡¯s no harm in me believing it.¡± Wei Ting looked at him helplessly again. ¡°Grandpa¡­ ¡± This address of ¡°grandfather¡± made Qin Canglan feel very comfortable. Qin Canglan actually believed it, but he had to show off and give his precious granddaughter a good impression! He was also very scheming! Old Madam Wei chuckled. ¡°Believe it or not! Do you think our Wei family cares? So what if our Wei family really poisoned your Qin and Su families? It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Many people had no temper when they were young, but when they got older, they would become as stubborn as children. They had to be coaxed. Wei Ting sighed. ¡°Grandmother, didn¡¯t I say that what happened back then was a misunderstanding?¡± Old Madam Wei said coldly, ¡°Misunderstanding? Who misunderstood? Did I misunderstand him, or did he misunderstand your grandfather? He keeps saying that your grandfather is colluding with the people of Northern Yan. Do you have evidence?¡± Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°How is there no evidence? I intercepted a secret letter from Lord Wu An to the Prince of Rong! His Commander¡¯s Seal is on it! I can¡¯t read much, but I can recognize this!¡± Wei Ting emphasized, ¡°Commander¡¯s Seal, Grandmother, Commander¡¯s Seal. Grandpa doesn¡¯t easily leave this thing.¡± Matriarch Wei shouted, ¡°Shut up!¡± Qin Canglan continued, ¡°Also, the person who sent the letter is Lord Wu An¡¯s trusted secret guard! I¡¯ve seen him a few times!¡± Old Madam Wei questioned, ¡°Which secret guard? What does he look like? What¡¯s his name?¡± Qin Canglan waved his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know his name! His appearance¡­ I didn¡¯t see him clearly. There¡¯s an inch-long scar on his neck and a soybean-sized mole on his left wrist. These characteristics are very hidden. His sleeves and collar can basically be covered. I only realized it after seeing him a few times.¡± Old Madam Wei mocked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know that my husband has such a secret guard?¡± Chapter 429 - Chapter 429: Confession Chapter 429: Confession Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Canglan sneered. ¡°How do I know? Why don¡¯t you know? Your husband is hiding it from you. You have to ask him!¡± Old Madam Wei was exasperated. ¡°You¡­¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Grandmother, didn¡¯t Grandpa secretly train an army back then? You might not have seen the secret guards there.¡± Old Madam Wei stomped her walking stick in anger. ¡°Wei Xichao! Whose side are you on! ¡± Wei Ting silently took two steps toward Matriarch Wei. ¡°Yours.¡± Qin Canglan coughed. Wei Ting silently took another step toward him. Old Madam Wei glared at her grandson in disdain. ¡°There¡¯s a saying about how daughters can¡¯t be kept when she¡¯s old, but you!¡± Qin Canglan said proudly, ¡°This is called mother having no control over your son!¡± It was not easy for the Great Zhou God of War, who could not read a basket of words, to say such a common saying. them shot out at the same time and went straight for Qin Canglan¡¯s three death acupoints! Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise. Did Lord Wu An save the entire dynasty in his previous life? His grandsons were gone, but there were a few granddaughters-in-law who could surpass his sons in terms of martial arts. However, Qin Canglan¡¯s reputation as the Great Zhou God of War was not an exaggeration. He had obtained it through real battle merits. Qin Canglan rose into the air and dodged their attacks. He stepped on Madam Chen¡¯s saber and bent it with the tip of his foot, breaking it from Madam Chen¡¯s hand. He put the tip of his foot on the back of his saber and slammed it toward Madam Chen! Madam Chen blocked the hilt with her arms and forced this terrifying force back more than ten feet! ¡°Third Sister-in-law!¡± Madam Jiang¡¯s expression changed. To be able to force Third Sister-in-law back to this extent, he really lived up to his name! Qin Canglan did not use any killing moves. He only used the back and hilt of his saber. As for the attacks of the others, he avoided them as much as he could and did not really fight them to the death. Qin Canglan¡¯s martial arts were already difficult to match, but these people could deal with so many of his moves, which was enough to show how powerful they were. At this moment, Qin Canglan¡¯s right hand suddenly felt a sharp pain, and his body froze for a moment! Maam Chu acutely sensed this change and shot out the sleeve arrow in her hand! ¡°Be careful!¡± Su Cheng, who was hanging on a branch, shouted! No sooner said than done, a figure descended from the sky and stood in front of Qin Canglan, grabbing the sleeve arrow! Madam Chu broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Little Seven!¡± In fact, Madam Chu had never thought of killing Qin Canglan. The sleeve arrow was not aimed at a fatal spot. However, the position where Wei Ting rushed out was very dangerous. If he did not catch it, his heart would be pierced. Wei Ting returned the sleeve arrow to Madam Chu and smiled cynically. ¡°Sister-in-law, five against one, that¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s five against two!¡± Madam Jiang corrected him and pointed at the tree above his head. ¡°There, there¡¯s still one hanging on the tree.¡± Su Cheng smiled awkwardly but handsomely. ¡°Son-in-law.¡± Wei Ting used his qinggong to save his father-in-law. In the central room, Su Xiaoxiao silently put down the bow and arrow in her hand and said calmly, ¡°I m going to cook.¡± The corners of Old Madam Wei¡¯s mouth twitched. This girl actually dared to draw the bow in front of her. How bold! She had misjudged the little fat goose in the medical center¡­ According to Fu Su, Wei Ting was a live-in son-in-law who had been kidnapped by Su Cheng. The Wei family was worried that the two of them did not have a good relationship. Now that she saw it, she realized that it did not seem to be the case. Su Cheng called Wei Ting more often than he called him his biological son. ¡°Ergou, entertain them,¡± Wei Ting said to Su Ergou. Su Ergou said, ¡°Alright! Brother-in-law!¡± Fine, his relationship with her brother-in-law was not bad. Su Ergou came to the five women and said politely, ¡°Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law, Fourth Sister-in-law, Fifth Sister-in-law, sit in the room!¡± The five of them were speechless. Alright, he could call them whatever he wanted. After all, he had already addressed Matriarch Wei as Grandmother. He really did not treat himself as an outsider. Su Xiaoxiao was braising meat. The three children surrounded the stove, waiting to eat the meat. Wei Ting entered the house and said something to her. She nodded. ¡°It would be a waste not to take the opportunity.¡± It was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the two big bosses to gather. If they really asked both parties out on a normal day, both of them would probably feel awkward and not want to come. Today was a coincidence. Wei Ting invited the two of them to the study. The two of them sat on opposite chairs, but Wei Ting did not. He was junior and stood in the middle. The three of them formed a triangular formation, and a murderous aura spread throughout the study. Wei Ting was the first to speak. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to explain some things?¡± Old Madam Wei snorted. ¡°I have nothing to say to the Qin family!¡± Wei Ting looked at Matriarch Wei helplessly. ¡°Grandmother.¡± Old Madam Wei snorted. ¡°Our Wei family didn¡¯t poison the Marquis of Zhenbei!¡± The clues Su MO found pointed to the Wei family. Su MO told Su Xiaoxiao and naturally told the Old Marquis and Qin Canlan. ¡°Daya told me,¡± Qin Canglan said calmly. ¡°Although I don¡¯t believe it, if Daya wants me to believe it, there¡¯s no harm in me believing it.¡± Wei Ting looked at him helplessly again. ¡°Grandpa¡­ ¡® This address of ¡°grandfather¡± made Qin Canglan feel very comfortable. Qin Canglan actually believed it, but he had to show off and give his precious granddaughter a good impression! He was also very scheming! Old Madam Wei chuckled. ¡°Believe it or not! Do you think our Wei family cares? So what if our Wei family really poisoned your Qin and Su families? It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Many people had no temper when they were young, but when they got older, they would become as stubborn as children. They had to be coaxed. Wei Ting sighed. ¡°Grandmother, didn¡¯t I say that what happened back then was a misunderstanding?¡± Old Madam Wei said coldly, ¡°Misunderstanding? Who misunderstood? Did I misunderstand him, or did he misunderstand your grandfather? He keeps saying that your grandfather is colluding with the people of Northern Yan. Do you have evidence?¡± Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°How is there no evidence? I intercepted a secret letter from Lord Wu An to the Prince of Rong! His Commander¡¯s Seal is on it! I can¡¯t read much, but I can recognize this! ¡± Wei Ting emphasized, ¡°Commander¡¯s Seal, Grandmother, Commander¡¯s Seal. Grandpa doesn¡¯t easily leave this thing.¡± Matriarch Wei shouted, ¡°Shut up!¡± Qin Canglan continued, ¡°Also, the person who sent the letter is Lord Wu An¡¯s trusted secret guard! I¡¯ve seen him a few times!¡± Old Madam Wei questioned, ¡°Which secret guard? What does he look like? What¡¯s his name?¡± Qin Canglan waved his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know his name! His appearance¡­ I didn¡¯t see him clearly. There¡¯s an inch-long scar on his neck and a soybean-sized mole on his left wrist. These characteristics are very hidden. His sleeves and collar can basically be covered. I only realized it after seeing him a few times.¡± Old Madam Wei mocked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know that my husband has such a secret guard?¡± Chapter 430 - Chapter 430: Biological Flesh Chapter 430: Biological Flesh Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At Pear Blossom Lane, Su Xiaoxiao sat in the central room and counted the boxes left behind by Matriarch Wei. Although she said that she was here to see her great-grandson, she had also bought gifts for the whole family. The gilded wooden knife was Dahu¡¯s. The emerald amber agate was Erhu¡¯s. The hammer set was Xiao Hut s. The jewelry was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s. The four treasures of the study were Su Ergou¡¯s. In addition, there was Su Chengs. It was a jar of high-grade tea leaves. Su Cheng liked to drink tea. It was unknown which fellow had told Matriarch Wei. ¡°You?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wei Ting. Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± There were some gold ornaments in the jewelry. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed a handful and distributed it to the three little ones. The three little ones only had the habit of hoarding small change. They immediately returned to the house and dug out their small bags. They packed in the little gold ornaments and hid them back! Su Xiaoxiao wore jewelry all over her head like a shining golden peacock. Then, she looked at Wei Ting sympathetically. ¡°Aiya, you¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t have anything. How pitiful.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Heh, childish.¡± Su Cheng boiled hot water and grabbed the three little ones to take a bath. Ever since they couldn¡¯t be bathed by Su Xiaoxiao, the three little ones weren¡¯t interested in taking a bath. As soon as one of them was caught, the other jumped out and refused to cooperate. ¡°Ergou!¡± Su Cheng called Su Ergou over and finally washed the three children clean. When they were with Master Ling Yun, it was them who played with Master. When they were with the five aunties, it was the aunties who played with them. The three little ones were exhausted and fell asleep. Su Xiaoxiao covered the three of them with the blanket. Wei Ting had also taken a shower. He walked over with his long hair draped over his shoulders, his body carrying the clean fragrance of a bath. For a moment, Su Xiaoxiao felt that summer was coming. Su Xiaoxiao sized him up. If she couldn¡¯t eat him, she could at least take a look! ¡°Are you¡­ sleeping here tonight?¡± she asked. Wei Ting gave her a cold look. ¡°In your dreams.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°You took a shower and came to my room with disheveled hair. Your behavior can be defined as seduction!¡± Wei Ting sneered. ¡°Is that so? Then are you planning to submit yourself to Su Xiaoxiao looked down. Damn! The button was open! She hurriedly buttoned up. She lost weight quickly everywhere except her chest and butt. She glared at Wei Ting bitterly. ¡°You got off easy!¡± Realizing what she was referring to, Wei Ting¡¯s ears turned slightly red. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. ¡°Get down to business,¡± he said. If they didn¡¯t get down to business, there was a risk that they would get down on each other accidentally. He told her about the conversation in the study. ¡°A mole.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°He knows you very well and has a chance to get your grandfather¡¯s Commander¡¯s Seal¡­ Do you have anyone to suspect?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Not at the moment.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s been so many years. Perhaps we could still deduce some clues from his reaction back then. It¡¯s not certain if that person is still with you now.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°At least he¡¯s still in the capital.¡± Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s most likely this mole who poisoned the Old Marquis!¡± Wei Ting agreed. ¡°It¡¯s most likely him.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°Looks like we have to continue digging deeper.¡± ¡°Wei Ting,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and voiced her doubts. ¡°Today¡­ I saw your grandmother and five sisters-in-law. Where¡¯s your mother?¡± ¡°My mother¡­¡± Wei Ting hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°She has never been close to anyone. Later on, something happened to my grandfather and my father and brothers. She moved to a courtyard in the west of the residence and ate vegetarian food and chanted Buddhism. She no longer interacted with anyone. During festive seasons, my sisters-in-law and I will visit her. She doesn¡¯t meet us every time. Grandmother and my sisters-in-law have always been in charge of the matters in the residence, mainly Sister-in-law.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was silent for a long time. ¡°It sounds like your mother is a person who stands aloof from worldly affairs, but as long as she¡¯s human, she will have seven emotions and six desires. Losing her husband and sons must have been a huge blow to her. Everyone¡¯s reaction after suffering a blow is different. Some will break down, some will suppress it, and some will have¡­ confused memories like my father before.¡± Wei Ting looked into the darkness. ¡°I don¡¯t know. When I was young, I saw that other mothers were very close to their children, so I ran to her. I also wanted to be close to her. However, the way she looked at me was always filled with distance and coldness. She hasn¡¯t hugged me since I can remember.¡± Su Xiaoxiao really pitied Wei Ting now. In her previous life, although Madam Li did not dote on her much, she still worked hard to act like a loving mother and filial child with her. She was a public figure after all. She could not lose her persona. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Is she like this with your other brothers?¡± Wei Ting recalled, ¡°She wasn¡¯t too close to my brothers, but she was the most cold to me. At first, I thought that it was because she didn¡¯t like her son to practice martial arts, so I hid my talent in martial arts. I studied hard and became a 17-year-old high school top scholar. I thought that I was finally a son she was satisfied with. In the end, she still only looked at me coldly.¡± Su Xiaoxiao widened her eyes. ¡°Could you have been picked up?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°I hope so too, but I¡¯m indeed my parents¡¯ biological son.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pulled her ear. ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°That¡¯s why I envy you sometimes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I envy myself too.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao got back to the topic. ¡°Your grandmother dotes on you too. You also have five sisters-in-law. Although it¡¯s a little unbearable, they¡¯re sincere with you.¡± Wei Ting frowned. ¡°Why is it unbearable with my sisters-in-law?¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood up and stepped on the stool domineeringly. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re arguing, right? I can¡¯t say anything bad about your family, right? That¡¯s how the conflicts between a couple came about!¡± Of course, Wei Ting would not argue with her. They couldn¡¯t argue either. As long as the two of them were a little louder¡ª ¡°Daughter! Son-in-law! What¡¯s wrong?¡± It would be like this. Su Cheng rushed in with a butcher knife. Su Xiaoxiao held her forehead. ¡°Dad, did you bring a knife to my room in the middle of the night to chop me or him up?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about this.¡± Su Cheng smiled awkwardly. ¡°I was chopping preserved pork ribs just now and forgot to put this down.¡± Su Xiaoxiao still maintained the domineering posture of a bandit standing on a stool, while Wei Ting leaned back in his chair weakly, looking like he had been ravaged by her and was unable to resist. Su Cheng coughed lightly and said, ¡°Daughter, my son-in-law¡¯s hand hasn¡¯t recovered yet. Take it easy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao wondered, ¡°What did I do now? He caught the sleeve arrow with his bare hands today. His hands were clearly very good! ¡°Um, I¡¯ll go chop the ribs.¡± Su Cheng left! Chapter 431 - Chapter 431: Her Little Great-grandsons Chapter 431: Her Little Great-grandsons Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Once their interest in arguing was interrupted, it would be difficult to continue. However, she was still interested in other things. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him meaningfully and gently tapped his abdomen. His abs instantly tightened. Su Xiaoxiao hummed and pressed her fingertips. It was so tight and felt so good. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Wei Ting asked coldly. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a physician and you¡¯re a patient. What do you think I should do?¡± As she spoke, her fingertips climbed up to his muscular chest. Wherever her fingertips passed, there was a numbing feeling. Wei Ting¡¯s throat slid and his body instantly tensed. Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°Lord Wei, your heart is beating so fast.¡± Wei Ting immediately grabbed her restless chubby hand, hugged her soft waist, and turned around. The two of them instantly changed positions. Wei Ting grabbed her wrist and pressed her down on the chair, looking at her deeply. Su Xiaoxiao blinked. Was he¡­ going to third base? Wei Ting¡¯s lips were dry and his breathing was slightly hurried. The atmosphere was extremely ambiguous. Su Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and closed her eyes. Wei Tings gaze burned her skin inch by inch. ¡°Sleep early.¡± After saying that coldly, he stood up and left the room without looking back. Su Xiaoxiao widened her eyes in disbelief. Was that it? Wei Ting returned to the next room and closed the door behind him, his entire body enveloped in the shadows. After a long time, he let out a long breath. In the kitchen, Father Su chopped the cured pork ribs and filled a jar for Qin Canglan. They had marinated the cured pork ribs in the countryside. With their speed of eating, it was a miracle that they could eat them until now. However, there was not much left. The last three were gone. Su Cheng instructed, ¡°Cook it in water for half an hour. You can steam it in the pot. If you want it to be bland, steam it for an hour.¡± Qin Canglan took the jar and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll remember it. I¡¯ll go back first and pick you up tomorrow morning.¡± Su Cheng hummed awkwardly. His expression was calm, but he watched him leave. When Qin Canglan turned around to look at him, he looked up at the sky in a second. Qin Canglan smiled. Just as he got on the horse, Su Xiaoxiao walked out. ¡°Grandpa,¡± Su Xiaoxiao called out to him. Qin Canglan quickly turned around. ¡°Daya.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at his right hand. ¡°Is your hand uncomfortable?¡± Qin Canglan was stunned and subconsciously asked, ¡°How did you know? Did the old monkey tell you? Didn¡¯t the old thing promise me not to tell?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I saw it when you fought with Wei Ting¡¯s sisters-in-law just now.¡± Only then did Qin Canglan remember that there was indeed that moment just now. His hand hurt as if it was pricked by needles, and his breathing was delayed for a moment. ¡°Let me take a look,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Qin Canglan said indifferently, ¡°Martial arts practitioners more or less have some problems. It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°We still have to take a look,¡± Su Xiaoxiao insisted. Qin Canglan hesitated for a moment before handing his hand to Su Xiaoxiao. As Su Xiaoxiao took his pulse, she asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you look for a physician when you were sick? Are you afraid of treatment? Or do you think I can¡¯t treat you Qin Canglan sighed. ¡°This illness can¡¯t be cured.¡± His hand was both sick and injured. It had been accumulated over the years. It was inevitable for a general at his age. ¡°It¡¯s gout,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°entering a chronic period.¡± It was indeed impossible to treat gout. He could only relieve it with medicine and control his diet to reduce the onset of gout. If the patient was obedient, the prognosis could be very good.. There were gout pills at home. Su Xiaoxiao went to get two bottles for him. ¡°Take two pills three times a day. The pills are a little big, but you can chew and swallow them. ¡± ¡°Three times a day, two pills a time¡­¡± Qin Canglan tried his best to remember. ¡°And this.¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed him another bottle of divided pellets. ¡°This is¡­¡± Qin Canglan did not understand what this was. There was clearly no smell of herbs. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Bone strengthening pills to treat injuries. With your injuries, you can take six pills twice a day.¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s scalp went numb. ¡°Four bottles? So many.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s all here.¡± Father Su had completely recovered and no longer needed bone strengthening pills. She originally thought that Wei Ting would need them, but from the strength he used to catch the arrow with his bare hands today, his hand should be fine. With a little rehabilitation, he could recover to her original state.. Chapter 432 - Chapter 432: Her Little Great-Grandsons (2) Chapter 432: Her Little Great-Grandsons (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If he knew its curative effect, Qin Canglan probably wouldn¡¯t have complained about it. As she had only given it to Father Su, the clinical data was limited. Su Xiaoxiao was not sure if the bone-strengthening pills could treat Qin Canglan¡¯s gout. It would be best if it could. If not, it could at least strengthen his body and heal his old injuries. Early the next morning, Su MO came to pick Su Xiaoxiao up. Su Qi and Su Yu also came over. They were here to visit Su Ergou and tutor him. Su Ergou was recovering well and did not have to lie on the bed. Since he was idle, he might as well take advantage of the last few days of recuperation to make up for his homework. ¡°But don¡¯t you have class?¡± Su Ergou asked in confusion. Second Cousin Su Qi said, ¡°Dad said that it¡¯s more important to tutor you.¡± Su Ergou was speechless. Wei Ting went out after breakfast. Xiaohu placed his hands on his hips. ¡°See, see. I told you he doesn¡¯t stay home!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pinched the little fellow¡¯s cheek in anger and amusement. ¡°Are you not used to it?¡± ¡°What?¡± Xiaohu asked. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°You¡¯re not used to Dad not being by your side.¡± Xiaohu turned his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± After Wei Ting brought the children to his side, he accompanied them day and night. When he came to Apricot Flower Village, Wei Ting was seriously injured and stayed at home to recuperate. The little guy was not used to it. Su Xiaoxiao explained to the little guy that his father was out on serious business. Xiaohu asked what serious business was and successfully stunned Su Xiaoxiao. However, Wei Ting had indeed gone to do serious business. Regarding the Wei family¡¯s mole, he had to find him no matter what. It was too slow to follow the clues. He had to lure the snake out of the hole. Su Xiaoxiao entered the palace. The Empress Dowager had obediently taken medicine these few days. Coupled with Imperial Physician Fu¡¯s acupuncture, her complexion was much rosier and she had strength. She could even walk out of Fushou Palace. Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s poison was almost cured. When he found out that Su Xiaoxiao had treated him, Emperor Jing Xuan felt his face hurt. ¡°Your Majesty, His Eldest Highness requests an audience,¡± Eunuch Fu reported. Although Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s face hurt, the person who saved him that night was Su Xiaoxiao. Xiao Duye had once stopped Su Xiaoxiao from treating him. What did this eldest son want? Did he want to kill his father? Thinking about how he usually doted on his eldest and second son the most, his eldest son had done such a heart-wrenching thing. Emperor Jing Xuan could not be bothered to see him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell him to be grounded in the residence to reflect? Who allowed him to leave the residence? Go back to the residence!¡± Compared to Xiao Duye¡¯s situation, Princess Jingning, who drew her sword and did not allow anyone to stop Su Xiaoxiao from saving Emperor Jing Xuan, comforted Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan became even more convinced that this daughter was related to the luck of the entire dynasty. If she was good, the royal family would prosper. If she lost, the royal family would fall. Emperor Jing Xuan asked the cabinet to draft an imperial decree to confer Jingning the title of the royal princess. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Eunuch Fu entered again. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Emperor Jingxuan asked. Eunuch Fu said awkwardly, ¡°Someone from Fushou Palace came and said¡­¡¯ He did not dare to continue. Emperor Jing Xuan was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°It¡¯s 18th, right?¡± Eunuch Fu grimaced. ¡°Yes.¡± April 18th was the anniversary of the death of Prince Nanyang¡¯s family. Emperor Jing Xuan said indifferently, ¡°If she wants to burn paper, so be it. I don¡¯t want to ask anymore.¡± The palace prohibited burning paper money, even by the Empress Dowager. Eunuch Fu didn¡¯t move. Emperor Jing Xuan said in a low voice, ¡°Why? Does she still want to pull me along to burn paper money for Prince Nanyang? Eunuch Fu said, ¡°No, the Empress Dowager wants to go to the temple and light a lamp for Prince Nanyang.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan clenched the pen in his hand. The Empress Dowager traveled incognito. This was Emperor Jingxuan¡¯s condition. Emperor Jingxuan did not allow anyone to burn incense for Prince Nanyang openly. The Empress Dowager did not argue with Emperor Jing Xuan. The mother and son reached a delicate balance and consensus. Su Xiaoxiao was also among them. The Empress Dowager was not in good health. There had to be a physician when she went out. Even Emperor Jing Xuan could not say anything. The carriage arrived at the Dragon Temple. Wei Ting became a monk here. However, the person who had once stayed in the temple was a guard disguised as Wei Ting. ¡°We¡¯re here, Matriarch.¡± The eunuch in charge lifted the curtain and helped the Empress Dowager out of the carriage. The Dragon Temple was not like the nunnery in Qingzhou, which was halfway up the mountain, but it still required one to climb dozens of steps. The eunuch in charge hurriedly wanted to carry her. The Empress Dowager waved her hand, her eyes a little excited. ¡°No need. I can walk!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The eunuch in charge looked hesitantly at Su Xiaoxiao, who had also gotten out of the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Yes,¡± the eunuch in charge agreed and extended an arm. The Empress Dowager held his wrist and walked up the steps. It was only a few dozen steps, but to her, it felt like she had walked for decades. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. The Empress Dowager took a deep breath. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine. I can still walk.¡± After entering the Dragon Temple, Su Xiaoxiao saw a figure at the corner of the corridor. Who else could it be but Deng An? Deng An was Ling Yun¡¯s servant. He gestured at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao understood and said to the Empress Dowager, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the meditation room first. We¡¯ll light the lamp later.¡± Although the Empress Dowager was anxious to light the lamp, she was exhausted, so she did not reject Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s suggestion. Su Xiaoxiao helped the Empress Dowager to a meditation room at the end of the east. The Empress Dowager stopped in her tracks. Su Xiaoxiao pushed open the door. What greeted her eyes were three sticky children. The Empress Dowager was immediately stunned. Her gaze landed on the three identical children, and blood suddenly surged in her chest. Her voice choked. These three children¡­ three children¡­ Su Xiaoxiao said to the Empress Dowager, ¡°They¡¯re Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, your great- grandsons.. ¡° Chapter 433 - Chapter 433: Two-faced Couple (1) Chapter 433: Two-faced Couple (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The word ¡°great-grandsons¡± petrified the Empress Dowager on the spot! When Su Xiaoxiao told the Empress Dowager the story of that rich family, she could tell that someone in the Nanyang Manor had survived. However, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t reveal who had survived. The Empress Dowager guessed everyone in the Nanyang Prince¡¯s Mansion, but she never expected it to be her little great-grandsons. There were even three of them! ¡°Isn¡¯t it just one?¡± she asked blankly. Su Xiaoxiao helped the Empress Dowager into the house. ¡°I¡¯m guarding outside the door.¡± The eunuch in charge suppressed his shock. Su Xiaoxiao closed the door. The Empress Dowager could no longer hide her excitement. She grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand with trembling hands. ¡°Whose¡­ whose flesh and blood is it?¡± Her great-grandsons belonged to the princess. The Nanyang Prince¡¯s Mansion had two princesses. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The young princess¡¯s.¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s eyes were wet. ¡°It¡¯s Min¡¯er! Min¡¯er¡­ the last time I saw her¡­ she was still a child¡­ She¡¯s been weak since she was young¡­ She doesn¡¯t return to the capital often¡­¡± In the blink of an eye, Min¡¯er¡¯s sons were already so old. The Empress Dowager was no longer lifeless. Her eyes were shining with joy and tears of excitement. She walked over shakily and knelt down to hug the three children. She was already exhausted. It was a miracle that she didn¡¯t fall. She hugged them tightly as if she was hugging her last attachment to the world. Hot tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her face. The three little ones were only a little confused. They blinked their big black eyes, not understanding what was wrong with this old woman. Xiaohu said, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re hugging me so tightly. I can¡¯t move.¡± When the Empress Dowager heard the children¡¯s voices, she realized that she had lost her composure and quickly let go of them reluctantly. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. She touched the faces of the three of them one by one and choked. ¡°Did Great-Grandmother hurt you?¡± The three of them shook their heads. Dahu tilted his head. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Erhu also asked, ¡°Are you very sad?¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s tears fell uncontrollably. As she wiped her tears, she smiled and choked. ¡°Great-grandmother isn¡¯t sad. Great-grandmother is happy.¡± Xiaohu scratched his head and asked, ¡°What is Great-grandmother?¡± The title they had heard the most was Great-Grandma. They were very unfamiliar with the title of Great-grandmother and did not know what it meant. The Empress Dowager did not know how to explain it to the little fellows. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s someone who dotes on you as much as Great-grandma.¡± The three of them nodded and obediently addressed her Great-grandmother. The Empress Dowager¡¯s heart almost melted. No one could imagine how she had endured all these years. At this moment, her heart finally did not hurt so much.. The Empress Dowager stroked the heads of the three of them. ¡°Good, so obedient!¡± Su Xiaoxiao helped the Empress Dowager up to sit on a chair. The Empress Dowager looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Min¡¯er?¡± ¡°Mother, sit too!¡± Dahu moved a small stool over and placed it beside Su Xiaoxiao. The Empress Dowager was stunned again. Xiaohu also moved a stool over. ¡°Sit on Xiaohu¡¯s! Don¡¯t sit on Dahu¡¯s!¡± Xiaohu was fighting for favor all the time. The Empress Dowager looked at Su Xiaoxiao in disbelief. Su Xiaoxiao said nothing. The Empress Dowager understood at once. Sorrow came from her heart. She said with a trembling voice, ¡°Is it that Min¡¯er¡­ she¡¯s already¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression was calm. The three little ones ran over and snuggled into her arms, letting her touch their heads. She touched them one by one and the three little ones shook their heads happily! She said softly, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell the Empress Dowager in detail when we return to the palace.¡± The Empress Dowager understood everything. Her Min¡¯er was no longer around.. Her heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. The three little ones walked over and looked at her seriously. Dahu said, ¡°Great-grandmother, do you want to pat our heads too?¡± The Empress Dowager sobbed. Dahu stretched his little head in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ll let you touch me. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Erhu and Xiaohu also stuck their heads out for her to touch. The Empress Dowager looked at the three cute and obedient children and finally broke free from the huge grief and despair. She touched their round heads and smiled through her tears. ¡°Alright, Great-Grandmother won¡¯t cry anymore.¡± Outside the door, the eunuch in charge secretly wiped his tears. The Empress Dowager had long been disheartened all these years. If not for the Imperial Hospital and palace servants watching her closely, she would have long been buried. Now, there was finally a glimmer of hope. The Empress Dowager had the happiest day in ten years. She was not so sa even when she went to light the lamp for the Nanyang King¡¯s family.. Chapter 434 - Chapter 434: Two-faced Couple (2) Chapter 434: Two-faced Couple (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She held Dahu and Erhu¡¯s hands while lazy Xiaohu was held in the eunuch¡¯s arms. Xiaohu jumped down and pointed at the big and bright lights. ¡°What is this?¡± The Empress Dowager said kindly, ¡°It¡¯s a long light.¡± Xiaohu only understood the light. There were also lights at home, but they were not so big. The Empress Dowager said to the three little ones, ¡°Go and light one too.¡± The eunuch in charge brought three long lamps. Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu followed suit. The Empress Dowager asked the eunuch in charge to set up a futon and said to the three little ones, ¡°Come, kowtow to your grandfather.¡± The three little ones were confused and turned to look at Su Xiaoxiao not far away. Su Xiaoxiao nodded slightly. The three little ones kowtowed clumsily. It was dark. It was time for the Empress Dowager to return to the palace. The Empress Dowager couldn¡¯t bear to part with the three children and hugged them tightly. Deng An came over and knocked on the door. ¡°Physician Su, my young master is preparing to leave the mountain.¡± For the safety of the three little ones, Su Xiaoxiao asked Ling Yun to bring them to the temple. The Empress Dowager¡¯s eyes revealed deep reluctance. ¡°Empress Dowager,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said softly. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± The Empress Dowager looked at the three little fellows sleeping soundly on the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll take one last look.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°As long as you live well, you will have a chance to meet again in the future.¡± The Empress Dowager nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s still a chance in the future¡­ I want to live. I want to protect them as they grow up. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt them!¡± Su Xiaoxiao and Deng An carried the three little ones into Ling Yun¡¯s carriage. Ling Yun looked at the three traitorous disciples in disdain. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the conditions you agreed to.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Ten boxes of snowflake pastries and five boxes of wife cakes. I¡¯ll send them to you tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Ling Yun closed the curtain and left with his three disciples. The Empress Dowager also got into the carriage back to the palace. The Empress Dowager desperately wanted to know what all of this was about. How did Minter escape back then and settle down all these years? Who was the child¡¯s father? Where was he now? How did Su Xiaoxiao meet the three children and become their mother? Just as she was about to speak, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly pressed her wrist. ¡°EmDress Dowager. no matter what haDDens later. don¡¯t come out of the carriage.¡± ¡°What?¡± As soon as the Empress Dowager finished speaking, an arrow shot toward the convoy! The horse was shocked and let out a shrill roar. The imperial guard on the horse fell. The leader of the guards drew his sword. ¡°Assassins! Protect the Empress Dowager!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, another wave of arrows shot over. Right on the heels of that, more than ten masked men in black darted out of the forest on both sides. The two sides fought fiercely. There were many assassins, and the guards were gradually at a disadvantage. The Empress Dowager sat in the carriage with a cold expression, but there was no panic or fear. She could be an ordinary Grandma in front of her children, but in front of the enemy, she only had one identity. That was the Empress Dowager of the Great Zhou! Swoosh! The curtain was cut open by the assassin! The assassin stabbed at the Empress Dowager fiercely. The Empress Dowager glared at him coldly. Even in the face of death, there was no panic or embarrassment in her eyes. At the critical moment, Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the other party¡¯s wrist and knocked down his long saber. She then kicked him mercilessly! He hit two of his companions, and the three of them fell to the ground and vomited blood. Su Xiaoxiao left the carriage and stood on the outside seat domineeringly. If one came, she would kick one. If two came, she would kick a pair. The assassins took turns, but none of them could gain an advantage from her. Perhaps the assassins realized that she was a difficult character and gave up on attacking her. Instead, they fought with the group of imperial guards. The guards were gradually losing. What was worse was that another wave of assassins rushed out of the forest. This wave of assassins was much stronger. One of them flew towards Su Xiaoxiao and tied her up with a whip. Then, his long saber slashed at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s head. No sooner said than done, a tall and muscular figure descended from the sky. He parried that person¡¯s long saber with a sword and did a backflip. The tip of his foot kicked that person¡¯s chin and he fell to the ground on the spot. ¡°Are you okay?¡± the man asked. Su Xiaoxiao said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Hurry¡­ protect the Empress Dowager.¡± Wei Ting nodded calmly and flicked his sword to cut off the whip on her body. He said coldly, ¡°Go to the carriage and wait. I¡¯ll deal with them.¡± Su Xiaoxiao instantly turned from a female bandit to a pitiful person. She covered her chest and stared at him deeply. ¡°Thank you, Young Master¡­¡± The imperial guards were thinking: Something feels wrong. Seeing Wei Ting arrive, the guards heaved a sigh of relief. With Lord Wei around, they would not die under the assassins¡¯ swords. Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°To capture bandits, capture the leader first. Yuchi Xiu, go deal with that person with the golden saber!¡± Yuchi Xiu said carelessly, ¡°Which one? That shorty?¡± Fu Su trembled. ¡°You¡¯re the shorty!¡± ¡°Your entire family is short! ¡± After Wei Ting and Yuchi Xiu dealt with the few leading assassins, the assassins ran away without a leader. The leader of the imperial guards walked forward and cupped his hands at Wei Ting. ¡°Thank you for saving us, Lord Wei! ¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Are the Empress Dowager and that palace maid alright?¡± ¡°Palace maid?¡± The leader of the Imperial Guards said in a daze, ¡°You mean the fat girl just now? She¡¯s Physician Su! Has Lord Wei never seen her?¡± Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°Once during the competition between Qin Che and Qin Jiang, but I didn¡¯t take a closer look.¡± The leader of the imperial guards was enlightened. ¡°I see. I was wondering why Lord Wei would save the someone from Qin family.¡± Two hours later, the news that the youngest son of the Wei family had saved the daughter of the Qin family exploded in the capital Chapter 435 - Chapter 435: The Empress Dowager Knows the Truth Chapter 435: The Empress Dowager Knows the Truth Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the Purple Mansion Hall, Emperor Jingxuan was reviewing memorials. Eunuch Quan rushed to the door. ¡°Your Majesty, I have something to report!¡± Ever since Emperor Jingxuan was poisoned last time and Eunuch Fu had contributed by siding with Princess Jingning to protect him, Eunuch Quan had almost become invisible beside Emperor Jing Xuan. Now that he finally had some news, he naturally had to show his face to Emperor Jingxuan. ¡°What is it?¡± Emperor Jingxuan asked. Eunuch Quan walked in and bowed. ¡°The Empress Dowager was assassinated!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Is the Empress Dowager injured?¡± Eunuch Quan hurriedly said, ¡°I heard that Lord Wei arrived in time. The Empress Dowager is fine.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was relieved and said calmly, ¡°Leave.¡± Eunuch Quan was stunned. Was that it? Shouldn¡¯t he send him to welcome the Empress Dowager at the entrance of the palace? Or should he wait for the Empress Dowager to return to Yongshou Palace before reporting to His Majesty? Eunuch Fu glanced at him indifferently. Eunuch Quan left unwillingly. Emperor Jing Xuan picked up the memorial that he had been halfway through reading. ¡°Summon Wei Ting.¡± Wei Ting escorted the Empress Dowager back to the palace. When he heard that Emperor Jing Xuan had summoned him, he immediately came. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Wei Ting bowed. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at the blood on his clothes and shoes and asked calmly, ¡°I heard that the Empress Dowager was assassinated. You appeared in time and chased away the assassin. Do you recognize him?¡± Wei Ting shook his head. ¡°No. That group of assassins was very cunning. Seeing that they couldn¡¯t defeat us, they fled on their own. I was worried that it was a decoy strategy to lure the tiger away from the mountain, so I didn¡¯t dare to chase after them rashly.¡± Emperor Jingxuan asked, ¡°Why did you appear nearby?¡± Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°I met a senior brother of the Dragon Temple at the entrance of a medicine shop in the evening. I heard from him that Abbot Yuan was sick, so I went with him to visit him. Halfway there, I heard the Imperial Guards shout, ¡®Protect the Empress Dowager.¡±¡® Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s expression did not change at all. ¡°I heard that you even saved Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s handsome face darkened. ¡°It was too dark and I didn¡¯t see clearly¡­ I thought she was the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace maid¡­ If I had known¡­ He didn¡¯t finish the sentence. However, with the regretful expression on his face, anyone could guess that he did not want to save the Qin family at all. Emperor Jing Xuan asked Wei Ting to go back first and called the commander of the Imperial Guards over. ¡°Have you found out who did it?¡± he asked. The commander of the imperial guards knelt down and begged for forgiveness. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ the clues are gone¡­¡¯ Emperor Jing Xuan frowned. ¡°What do you mean by no clues?¡± The commander of the Imperial Guards braced himself and said, ¡°After Lord Wei and his subordinates repelled the assassins, the two of them escorted the Empress Dowager back to the palace first. We carried the corpses of the two assassins onto the horse and planned to bring them back to see if there were any clues on their corpses. But¡­ but that group actually turned back and snatched the corpses away¡­¡± In a dark alley, a carriage turned sharply and stopped. The person in the carriage rolled down with a plop. Then, he jumped up and pointed at a black-clothed and masked coachman. ¡°Hey! Yuchi Xiu! Do you know how to drive a carriage!¡± Yuchi Xiu said arrogantly, ¡°It¡¯s your fault for not being able to sit steadily!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that because you didn¡¯t untie me? ¡°Can¡¯t you loosen it yourself?¡± Of course, Fu Su could loosen it himself. This kind of lousy rope could not tie him up, but he was not home yet. He had to put on a show! Fu Su was a loyal secret guard and would definitely obey his master¡¯s orders. Yuchi Xiu was different. He was used to being sneaky and lazy. If he could be lazy, he would be lazy. Wei Ting couldn¡¯t even see him, so what was the point of acting? ¡°I¡¯m leaving!¡± Yuchi Xiu threw the horsewhip into Fu Su¡¯s hands and swaggered away. Fu Su looked at a certain someone in disbelief. ¡°Hey! Where are you going!¡± Yuchi Xiu had long disappeared. Fu Su turned to look at the carriage. The other corpse in the carriage also easily broke the rope with his internal strength. He casually tore off his black night clothes, revealing a clean white shirt. Then, he put on the white bamboo hat and left without looking back. Fu Su gritted her teeth. ¡°Only you know how to leave, right? I¡¯ll leave too! I don¡¯t care anymore!¡± With that, he threw the whip on the ground and pulled his head in another direction. Ten seconds later. He walked back with a dark expression, picked up the horsewhip, and drove the carriage back resentfully. Su Xiaoxiao entered the palace again early the next morning to take the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse. After being assassinated last night, Wei Ting escorted the Empress Dowager back to the palace. When they passed by Scholar Street, Su Xiaoxiao went home. As there was an ¡°outsider¡± like Wei Ting, the two of them did not have any private interactions. The Empress Dowager had been holding it in all night and was about to have a problem. ¡°Eunuch Cheng, please bring everyone out first. I¡¯m going to treat the Empress Dowager.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t like to be disturbed when she was treating illnesses. This had always been her habit, and it was the same for treating Emperor Jingxuan. No one suspected anything and followed Eunuch Cheng out of the bedroom. The Empress Dowager sat on the phoenix bed and let Su Xiaoxiao take her pulse. She said calmly, ¡°Tell me, what happened last night?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked innocent. ¡°What do you mean? The Empress Dowager snorted coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me. I¡¯ve eaten more salt than you¡¯ve eaten rice! When I was scheming, your parents weren¡¯t even born!¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. Alright, she was indeed not as old as the Empress Dowager in her previous life and this life. Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°You can tell?¡± The Empress Dowager looked disgusted. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m blind with your acting skills?¡± However, she was about to be blinded by this girl¡¯s harsh acting skills. The Empress Dowager said calmly, ¡°You arranged the assassin, right? How dare you! You actually dare to assassinate the Empress Dowager of a country!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed helplessly. ¡°Sigh, Empress Dowager, actually, I have my difficulties.¡± The Empress Dowager said coldly, ¡°Everyone says that!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Really. Didn¡¯t you want to ask about the father of Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu yesterday? Where did the young princess live all those years? In the Wei family.¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her and said, ¡°The father of the three children¡­ is Wei Ting. ¡± The empress dowager sat up straight in shock. ¡°Wei Ting?!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Wei Ting is the nominal father of the three children. They are the children of the young princess and the sixth son of the Wei family.¡± Su Xiaoxiao told him about the young princess being saved by the Wei family. Although she had already accepted it in her heart, the Empress Dowager¡¯s heart still ached when she knew the entire truth. The Wei family did not do anything wrong with the young princess, be it hiding the news that the young princess was alive from her or breaking up the marriage between the young princess and the Wei family¡¯s sixth son. If it were her, she would do the same. Old General Wei and Matriarch Wei only hoped that everyone would survive safely. She was useless. She could not protect her son or her daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything about this. It was hard to say that the Empress Dowager did not do her best back then. Perhaps she had expected her youngest son to be so ruthless.. Chapter 436 - Chapter 436: Marriage Chapter 436: Marriage Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Empress Dowager sighed. ¡°If I didn¡¯t want to die this time, would you not have let me see the three children?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and nodded honestly. ¡°Your personality really takes after your grandmother¡­¡± The Empress Dowager smiled bitterly and paused. She thought of something and asked, ¡°However, what¡¯s going on with you and Wei Ting? How did Dahu and the others become your sons? ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Outside the bedroom, Eunuch Cheng bowed respectfully to Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at him and then at the closed door. He asked in a low voice, ¡°Where¡¯s the Empress Dowager? Eunuch Cheng said, ¡°Physician Su is treating the Empress Dowager inside.¡± Of course, Emperor Jing Xuan knew about Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s bad habit of coming to treat people. However, he could not stop her. If he did, he would be unfilial in not letting the Empress Dowager be cured. ¡°How long has she been in there?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked. ¡°Not long ago. she just went in,¡± Eunuch Cheng said without changing his expression. Actually, she had been in for almost an hour. After what happened yesterday, the Empress Dowager must have many questions for Physician Su. Eunuch Cheng hoped Emperor Jin Xuan would not barge in¡­ Eunuch Cheng broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager was tired from the journey yesterday and was frightened. I¡¯m afraid today¡¯s treatment will take a few hours. Why don¡¯t you¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll wait here.¡± Eunuch Cheng was anxious. No one knew how long Physician Su would have to talk to the Empress Dowager. If she did not come out, His Majesty would definitely be worried about the Empress Dowager¡¯s illness. Once he was worried, he would barge in¡ª ¡°Why isn¡¯t she out yet? Is the Empress Dowager very sick? Fuquan, call the imperial physician¡ª¡± Before Emperor Jing Xuan could finish, the door opened. Su Xiaoxiao walked out with the first aid kit. ¡°How¡¯s the Empress Dowager?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked sternly. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°She¡¯s a little tired. It¡¯s fine. She just needs to rest for a few days.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was worried and entered the bedroom to visit the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was a little pale and her eyes were a little swollen. Thinking of how she had gone to reminisce about King Nanyang yesterday, it was inevitable that she would cry. Emperor Jing Xuan did not suspect anything. However, he felt a little upset. He could not compare to a person who had been dead for ten years. The Empress Dowager sat against the soft pillow behind her. ¡°I heard that Emperor Jing Xuanhas already gone to court?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan sat down by the bed. ¡°The court has just resumed today.¡± The Empress Dowager continued, ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest for a few more days?¡± A trace of surprise flashed across Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mother, are you concerned about me?¡± The Empress Dowager mocked, ¡°Emperor Jing Xuan already controls the world? Do you still need my concern?¡± After Eunuch Cheng handed over a plate of melons and fruits, he retreated ten steps away. Eunuch Fu also tactfully retreated to a safe area. Emperor Jing Xuan picked up an orange and slowly peeled it. ¡°Mother was frightened last night. I¡¯ll investigate this matter thoroughly and find the assassin!¡± The Empress Dowager said calmly, ¡°I heard that during the competition between Qin Jiang and Qin Che, assassins also appeared. There were even rebels who infiltrated the imperial guards.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. It was done by a sect among the people.¡± At this point, Emperor Jing Xuan paused. Could it be that the assassination last night was also done by the White Lotus Society? After the Empress Dowager finished throwing the blame, she stopped while she was ahead. ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s all thanks to Wei Ting last night. When does Emperor Jing Xuan plan to reinstate him?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan continued to peel oranges. ¡°He chose to become a monk himself.¡± The Empress Dowager said tiredly, ¡®Why be angry with a child?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan paused and said, ¡°I have my own decisions on this matter.¡± The Empress Dowager waved her hand. ¡°Forget it, I won¡¯t ask about the imperial court. Since you¡¯re here, I have something to discuss with you.¡± The Empress Dowager had not said so much to Emperor Jing Xuan for a long time. Emperor Jing Xuan was stunned. The Empress Dowager glanced at him. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to hear it? Then I¡¯ll make my own decision.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was flattered. Their relationship had been frozen for ten years. He thought that he would never see the Empress Dowager look at him in the eye. He took a deep breath and said slowly, ¡°Mother, please tell me.¡± The Empress Dowager said, ¡°You know the little girl of the Qin family, right? It¡¯s not Qin Yanran.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan frowned. ¡°Grandmother, are you talking about Su Daya?¡± The Empress Dowager said, ¡°It¡¯s her. Before she saved you, I promised her a favor. Now that the strange poison in your body has been cured, it¡¯s time for me to fulfill the promise I gave her.¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s words sounded simple, but they were actually very meaningful. Su Xiaoxiao had also treated the Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager did not promise Su Xiaoxiao anything because of this. On the other hand, on the night when Emperor Jing Xuan was in danger, the Empress Dowager promised grace in order to let Su Xiaoxiao treat Emperor Jing Xuan. The grace of an Empress Dowager was not a small matter. Emperor Jing Xuan had mixed feelings. ¡°I thought¡­ Mother would never forgive me.¡± The Empress Dowager closed her eyes and said helplessly, ¡°You killed your biological brother¡¯s entire family. You killed my son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter. I will never forgive you in my life.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Then why did Mother¡­ The Empress Dowager lowered her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± The hall fell into a strange silence. Eunuch Fu and Eunuch Cheng did not dare to breathe loudly. In the end, Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°What does she want?¡± The Empress Dowager said, ¡°Wei Ting.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan choked! The Empress Dowager said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m also very shocked. You and I know well about the relationship between the Qin and Wei families. What will happen if they get married?¡¯ Emperor Jing Xuan was puzzled. ¡°Why did she.. The Empress Dowager mocked, ¡°Why does she like Wei Ting? Just ask how many women in the world don¡¯t like Wei Ting?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan could not refute this. After all, even Princess Hui An wa: under Wei Ting¡¯s spell. The Empress Dowager continued, ¡°She said that Wei Ting saved her last She had nothing to repay him with and could only marry him.¡± The corners of Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s mouth twitched when he thought of th little fat girl. ¡°This isn¡¯t repayment. It¡¯s revenge, right?¡± The Empress Dowager rolled her eyes at him and resisted the urge to slap Il She said indifferently, ¡°She grew up in the countryside and doesn¡¯t have mu feelings for the Qjn family.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Wei Ting won¡¯t agree¡­¡¯ The Empress Dowager snorted coldly. ¡°Why? I¡¯m the Empress Dowager. I arranged a marriage for him. How can he disobey the decree?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Whether he resists the decree or not is another matter. How do you plan to explain to Hui An? If Hui An finds out that Mother didn¡¯t arrange a marriage for her but for an outsider, what will Hui An think? Moreover, the Wei family is loyal. Wei Ting is the only son left. We really shouldn¡¯t make things difficult for him.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan made it sound dignified. To put it bluntly, he did not want the two families to be married. The Empress Dowager¡¯s expression softened. Actually, if it was for anyone else, Emperor Jing Xuan would not interfere, but it was the Qin and Wei families. The Empress Dowager snorted. ¡°How do you know that I must be making things difficult for him? Perhaps he would also agree to marry that girl.¡¯ Emperor Jing Xuan smiled. ¡°Mother, Wei Ting doesn¡¯t even like Hui An. Why would he like a fat girl who grew up in the countryside?¡± The Empress Dowager said calmly, ¡°Emperor, you can¡¯t be too certain.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Mother, if you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll prove it to you.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was also a decisive person. The next day, he summoned Wei Ting to the throne room. He wanted Wei Ting to reject the marriage in public in front of the civil and military officials. ¡°Dear ministers, before you submit the memorial, I have something to asl Ting. ¡± Everyone looked at each other. Emperor Jing Xuan said seriously, ¡°Last night, you saved the Empress Dow and a daughter of an aristocratic family. Is that true?¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°I saved the Empress Dowager. As for others, I don¡¯t them.¡± He knew it. Wei Ting did not take that little fat girl seriously at all. Emperor Jing Xuan smiled and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. You saved Qin Canglan¡¯s biological granddaughter. Although she grew up among the commoners, she¡¯s the true daughter of the Protector Duke. The two of you well-matched in terms of social status and fate. Perhaps it¡¯s fate. I¡¯m intel in arranging a marriage for the two of you. I wonder if you can¡­ Wei Ting lifted the hem and knelt on one knee. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty! Emperor Jing Xuan was speechless.. Chapter 437 - Chapter 437: Actor Brother Ting Chapter 437: Actor Brother Ting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Emperor Jing Xuan did not expect Wei Ting to do this to him. How could he do this? Why was Wei Ting thanking him? Where was his backbone? Had it been eaten by a dog? Emperor Jing Xuan was too shocked to say a word for a long time. To be honest, the civil and military officials were also very shocked. They were also stunned. What happened? His Majesty seemed to have given him a marriage, but it also seemed that he had not. The key was that Wei Ting did not refuse! Did he thank His Majesty for his kindness? Before His Majesty could finish, he thanked him! What the hell¡ª The entire court was silent. The Empress Dowager did not come today, but in order to let the emperor prove it to her, she sent Eunuch Cheng. Eunuch Cheng was guarding outside the throne room. He couldn¡¯t bear to watch, really. ¡°You¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan took a deep breath and finally found his voice.¡± There¡¯s no need to force yourself like this. You¡¯re a hero of the Great Zhou. Your grandfather was an elder of two dynasties. The Wei family is loyal¡­ ¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Wei Ting interrupted Emperor Jing Xuan, his tone aggrieved. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a monk anymore.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan gritted his teeth. ¡°When did I let you become a monk?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°The last time.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan choked. Wei Ting continued to choke him. Naturally, he had to control his aggrieved and helpless tone. ¡°The last time His Majesty bestowed a marriage on me, I didn¡¯t agree, so His Majesty punished me to become a monk.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan fell back in anger! Was he the one who punished him? Didn¡¯t this kid agree to it himself? ¡°Wei Ting, you don¡¯t even like myprincess. Do you want to become a monk?¡¯ ¡°I accept the decree. ¡± Then this kid ran to be a monk! Emperor Jing Xuan could not reason with him. He was so angry that his head hurt! Wei Ting pushed his shamelessness and blame to the limit. ¡°I won¡¯t dare to do it again. I¡¯ll do whatever Your Majesty says. If Your Majesty agrees to my marriage, I¡¯ll get married happily.¡± So was this his fault? Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s head buzzed. He raised his hand and pinched his sore eyebrows. He asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Su Yuan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Su Yuan held the ceremonial tablet and took a step forward. Emperor Jing Xuan asked calmly, ¡°What do you have to say?¡± Su Yuan thought about it seriously. ¡°One has to keep his word.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was speechless. Emperor Jing Xuan still did not give up. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. ¡°I¡­ suddenly remembered something. Did Su Daya get married in the countryside?¡± This matter had long spread in the capital. With the villagers of Apricot Flower Village as witnesses, Su Daya and Qin Canglan admitted it. Su Yuan said calmly, ¡°Oh, they¡¯ve already divorced.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan, who was sent flying by the punches, was speechless. Qi Xiang Palace. ¡°Consort! Princess!¡± Liu Sande hurriedly walked over. It was a holiday in the palace school today. It was rare for Princess Hui An not to go to class, so she came over to eat breakfast with Consort Xian. Consort Xian frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you so flustered?¡± Liu Sande glanced at Princess Hui An and said bitterly, ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty arranged a marriage for Wei Ting!¡± Princess Hui An stood up with bright eyes. ¡°He arranged a marriage for Brother Ting? Is Brother Ting going to marry me?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ This¡­¡± Liu Sande had a bitter expression on his face. ¡°The marriage partner is not the princess.¡± Princess Hui An glared. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me? Was it that little b*tch, Guo Lingxi?¡± Consort Xian¡¯s face darkened. ¡°How can a dignified princess speak like that? Do you have the etiquette of a royal family member?¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes turned red with grievance. She sat down and cried. ¡°But Mother¡­ Father betrothed him to someone else¡­ Consort Xian asked, ¡°Did His Majesty really matchmake Princess Lingxi and wei Ting?¡± Liu Sande said awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s not Princess Lingxi. It¡¯s Miss Qin.¡± Consort Xian muttered, ¡°Qin Yanran? No, Qin Yanran is already the Eldest Prince¡¯s secondary consort¡­ Are you talking about that fat girl who grew up among the commoners?¡± She was the wife her son liked. The Qin family¡¯s military power was all on her! If he married her, his son would be the most powerful competitor for the throne! Liu Sande said, ¡°Yes.¡± Consort Xian¡¯s eyes rolled back and she fainted. A teahouse in the market opened. Due to the remote terrain, there were not many customers in the shop. At this moment, in a room at the end of the second floor, Matriarch Wei and Qin Canglan sat opposite each other. Behind the two of them stood their trusted aides¡ªGranny Li and Steward Cen. Old Madam Wei said arrogantly, ¡°Let¡¯s make it clear first. The two children¡¯s marriage is to lure out the mastermind. They have no choice. Don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡± Qin Canglan sneered. ¡°I should be the one saying this to your Wei family. Your kid is staying at my granddaughter¡¯s house and refusing to leave. I think he¡¯s enjoying freeloading.¡± Matriarch Wei mocked, ¡°Heh, I wonder who crossed the path of Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu in front of His Majesty. If not for the sake of letting the children acknowledge their roots and ancestors, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to this marriage! ¡± Qin Canglan sneered. ¡°You make it sound like our Qin family cherishes it! Today in the throne room, it seems that your son personally agreed when His Majesty hasn¡¯t even finished speaking. I wonder how impatient he is! ¡± Old Madam Wei choked. ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ isn¡¯t that because he¡¯s afraid that something will happen if he delayed it?¡± Young brat, couldn¡¯t he be more reserved and wait for His Majesty to finish? He had embarrassed his grandmother! ¡°Don¡¯t forget, there¡¯s still the Imperial Astronomer.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan had been tricked by the Empress Dowager and Wei Ting, so he had accidentally ¡°betrothed¡± the two of them. He was the emperor, so he naturally would not slap his face in public. But what if the two of them were not compatible? There was a reason for this marriage to be canceled. ¡°June 15th,¡± Qin Canglan said. ¡°What?¡± Matriarch Wei was stunned. Qin Canglan took out their horoscopes. On them were the words ¡°A match made in heaven¡± and the personal seal of the Imperial Astronomer. ¡°The auspicious day of the Imperial Astronomer, ¡± he said. Old Madam Wei picked up the horoscopes and said in disbelief, ¡°You¡­ have dealings with the Imperial Astronomy? He had never heard of it. Qin Canglan said, ¡°If you mean that kid, yes.¡± The Principal was not young. He was the same age as Emperor Jing Xuan. Only Qin Canglan had the age and qualification to call him a kid. ¡°When he was young, he did a stupid thing. I was the one who got his back. I ma ror mm: Old Madam Wei was puzzled. Gongsun Zheng had been pure-hearted all his life. He did not fight for fame or fortune and had no desires. She could not think of anything stupid such a person could do. Qin Canglan showed off. ¡°In short, without me, there would be no Inspector Gongsun.¡± There would also not be the Empress. The good news spread to the Wei family. Madam Jiang pulled Madam Chen and happily went to Madam Chu¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Sister-in-law!¡± Madam Jiang smiled and greeted her. ¡°Second Sister-in-law and Fourth Sister-in-law are also here.¡± Madam Li smiled. ¡°Fifth Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law.¡± Madam Lan nodded. Madam Jiang smiled and said, ¡°Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, Fourth Sister-in-law, have you heard the news? His Majesty has arranged a marriage for Little Seven and Seventh Sister-in-law!¡± Madam Lan said sarcastically, ¡°Didn¡¯t you call her by her name last time? Why did you call her Seventh Sister-in-law after not seeing her for a day?¡± Madam Jiang pushed the blame on Madam Chen in a second. ¡°I¡­ I followed Third Sister-in-law!¡± She was definitely not bribed by meat! Chapter 438 - Chapter 438: Xiaoxiao Strikes Chapter 438: Xiaoxiao Strikes Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Madam Chen was stunned. ¡°Ah, oh, I think I¡¯ve called her that before.¡± Madam Chu said, ¡°I just said to get someone to call you. Since Little Seven¡¯s marriage has been decided, we plan to visit Mother and tell her this good news.¡± Madam Jiang muttered softly, ¡°Will Mom be happy? Madam Li quietly patted her hand and signaled her to shut up. Madam Jiang coughed lightly. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± The group went to the small courtyard in the west of the residence. This place was far from the central axis of the residence. It was in a quiet area near a small orchard. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they smelled the refreshing fragrance of peaches. Madam Jiang exclaimed, ¡°Mother planted peaches again this year! ¡± Under a peach tree in the courtyard, a plainly dressed Madam was picking peaches. ¡°Mother.¡± Madam Chu stepped forward and bowed, reaching for the basket in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Madam Wei gave her the basket. Her movements were light and slow, and her expression was calm. ¡°Mother.¡± Madam Li also greeted her and went forward to help pick peaches. Madam Chu turned around and looked at Madam Jiang and Madam Chen. ¡°What are the two of you waiting for? Come and pick peaches.¡± ¡°Coming, Sister-in-law.¡± Madam Jiang pulled Madam Chen¡¯s sleeve and came to the peach tree to pluck it silently. Lord Wei had planted four peach trees in the courtyard. This year, there were many peaches and they could not fit them in one basket. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Come and sit,¡± Madam Wei said. The few of them walked over and sat around the stone table. There were only four stone stools. Madam Chu, Madam Li, and Madam Chen sat down while Madam Lan and Madam Jiang stood. After all, the two of them were the fourth and fifth. Madam Wei lived alone with only a maidservant by her side. Over the past few days, the maidservant¡¯s mother had fallen ill, so Madam Wei asked her to go back and accompany her mother. Madam Chu said softly, ¡°Mother, your place is too cold. I¡¯ll choose another smart servant.¡± Madam Wei did not answer. She picked up a peach branch and removed a small worm from it. Madam Jiang sweated. She had plucked it and pulled off the peach branch. Madam Wei said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s neither a festival nor a big day today. Why are you here?¡± Madam Chu said, ¡°Little Seven is getting married.¡± Madam Wei¡¯s expression was still indifferent. ¡°Is that so?¡± Madam Chu continued, ¡°With the eldest daughter of the Protector Duke.¡± Snap. The peach branch in Madam Wei¡¯s hand broke. Su Xiaoxiao was too busy yesterday and only sent the snacks to Ling Yun today. Ling Yun¡¯s face darkened and he said nothing. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°To apologize, I made two more boxes of almond pastries.¡± Ling Yun said coldly, ¡°Only two boxes? Do you think I¡¯m a beggar?¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Three boxes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°I was about to say five boxes¡­¡¯ While Su Xiaoxiao was delivering snacks, she took Ling Yun¡¯s pulse and asked about his diet. Ever since he took the digestive enzyme, his symptoms of indigestion had decreased a lot and he almost stopped vomiting. However, things that were too difficult to digest were still not suitable for him to eat. The snacks Su Xiaoxiao made for him were all made with reduced sugar oil. Seeing that there was finally some flesh on his sunken cheeks, Su Xiaoxiao felt relieved. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Ling Yun sensed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze and asked coldly. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°You were too thin in the past. You¡¯re a little normal now. You seem quite handsome.¡± Ling Yun hugged the snack and gave her a disdainful look which seemed to say, who would care about this? He entered the house expressionlessly. Fifteen minutes later, chattering sounds came from inside. ¡°Teacher, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Idiot, Master is looking at himself in the mirror!¡± ¡°Xiaohu wants to look too! Also, Xiaohu is not an idiot. Dahu is an idiot!¡± In the afternoon, Su MO came over. He had just finished training in the military camp and came to see Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou. Su Ergou was sitting in his room, forced by his two cousins to make up for his lessons. He had a headache. Su Xiaoxiao had just finished brewing an ointment and scooped a spoonful for Su MO to try. ¡°How is it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°It¡¯s sweet and has the fragrance of red dates and peanuts. It¡¯s delicious,¡± Su MO said. ¡°What is this for?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s for replenishing insufficient qi and blood during the menstrual period!¡± Su MO was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao sent the brewed ointment to the Number One Hall and was going to meet Broker Li. Su MO sent her there. In the carriage, Su MO asked her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to the palace to study. I thought you would be free, but you¡¯re even busier than before.¡± This girl seemed to always have endless things to do. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s so boring to be idle.¡± Su MO paused and said seriously, ¡°Even then, you can¡¯t stir up a torturous wedding with Wei Ting.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°How can this be called torture? I¡¯m just trying to lure the snake out of its hole!¡± Su MO hit the nail on the head. ¡°You¡¯re doing this for Wei Ting, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Who cares for those two mouthfuls of flesh¡ªcough, no, I¡¯m really thinking about the big picture.¡± She definitely did not want to tie Wei Ting to the bed, tear his clothes, touch his abs, and treat him like this! Su MO was speechless. ¡°Isn¡¯t this risky?¡± Su MO asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s risky.¡± However, this was a risk they were all willing to take. She, Wei Ting, Matriarch Wei, and Qin Canglan were all in on it. Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. Eh, she seemed to be missing her double chin. ¡°That mole already knows that Wei Ting and I have been betrothed. What do you think he will do?¡± Su MO analyzed, ¡°He will definitely jump out and ruin your marriage with Wei Ting. There are only two ways. Either sow discord between the two families and let them take the initiative to break off the engagement, or let the two families be forced to terminate the marriage. The reason for the termination is none other than that something happened to someone, so you and Wei Ting have to be especially careful next¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he frowned. ¡°Someone¡¯s following us.¡± Su Xiaoxiao tocused. ¡°Behind!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su MO nodded. Su Xiaoxiao lifted a corner of the curtain at the back window. A figure quickly flashed into the shop on the street. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°You took the bait so quickly?¡± The carriage turned into an alley. Su MO got out of the carriage. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you some osmanthus cake.¡± ¡°Hurry up and come back!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said loudly. Su MO left generously. After confirming that Su MO had walked far away, a sneaky figure quickly entered the alley. Su Xiaoxiao leaned against the pillow and narrowed her eyes. That person quietly got up the carriage and slowly raised the curtain with the weapon in his hand. Now! Su Xiaoxiao opened her eyes in a second and hooked the other party to the floor of the carriage with her chubby feet. She threw the weapon in his hand. He quickly picked up a small stool at the side and threw it at Su Xiaoxiao! How could Su Xiaoxiao let him succeed? She slapped the stool away, then took a big step forward and sat down, grabbing his hands behind his back. He lay on the floor, his thin body taking the weight he couldn¡¯t take. Su Xiaoxiao quickly took off his mask. Seeing his face, Su Xiaoxiao was stunned.. ¡°It¡¯s you? Chapter 439 - Chapter 439: Caught Out Chapter 439: Caught Out Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su MO walked over and lifted the curtain. He asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Do you know him?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°He¡¯s a little eunuch beside Princess Hui An. He¡¯s appeared a few times in the palace school.¡± It was not too frequent. Compared to the young eunuch, Princess Hui An preferred to bring the young palace maid out. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze landed on the weapon that the young eunuch had dropped. Only then did she realize that it was not an impressive weapon. It was just a rolling pin. ¡°Princess Hui An asked you to come?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked coldly. The young eunuch remained silent. Su Xiaoxiao pressed his head to the floor. ¡°Tell me! Where¡¯s Princess Hui An?!¡± In the Heaven-grade room on the second floor of Xiangyun Pavilion, Princess Hui An was sipping tea in boredom. She had secretly run out of the palace and taken her third brother¡¯s token. Now, she was dressed like a palace maid. However, she was naturally beautiful. Even though she was wearing the clothes of a palace maid and a veil, she could not hide her elegance. When the waiter came to serve tea, he couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances at her. Princess Hui An said fiercely, ¡°What are you looking at! If you continue looking, I¡¯ll dig out your eyeballs!¡± The shop assistant shrunk his neck in fear and hurriedly put down the tea before leaving. Princess Hui An muttered unhappily, ¡°What¡¯s going on? He¡¯s been gone for so long¡­ Creak¡ª The door was pushed open. Su Xiaoxiao walked in with a calm expression. Behind her was the dejected young eunuch. Princess Hui An glanced around and immediately sat up straight. She said with a straight face, ¡°I asked you to capture someone. Why did it take so long? Also! Don¡¯t you know how to tie him up with a rope!¡± The person was tied up, but it was not Su Xiaoxiao who was tied up, but Princess Hui An¡¯s eunuch. The young eunuch walked out from behind Su Xiaoxiao. Seeing that his hands were tied and his head was lowered, Princess Hui An¡¯s expression changed. ¡°How could this be? Su Daya! What did you do to my people!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said indifferently, ¡°I should be the one asking Princess Hui An this. In broad daylight, under the feet of the world, Princess Hui An actually instigated a eunuch to commit murder in my carriage. Does Princess Hui An have no respect for the law?¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°Who¡­ who attacked you? I just have something to say to you, so I got someone to call you over!¡± Princess Hui An choked. She crossed her arms, turned her face away, and rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, you weren¡¯t caught.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If you have something to say, say it. I¡¯m not as free as the princess.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Princess Hui An was furious. Her mother had said that her words were unpleasant. She should really let her mother hear how vulgar this girl was! Princess Hui An looked at Su Xiaoxiao proudly with a cold expression. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, I won¡¯t beat around the bush with you. If you give up your engagement with Wei Ting, I can agree to one condition! Or I¡¯ll owe you a favor! ¡± Su Xiaoxiao almost laughed. ¡°Is your favor very impressive? Princess Hui An¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯m a princess!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked indifferently. Princess Hui An had never seen such an arrogant person in her life! She frowned and said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t be ungrateful! It seems like you want to do this the hard way! It¡¯s best if you listen to me when I speak to you patiently! Otherwise, once I get angry, it won¡¯t be something you can withstand!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°So all these years, the princess has used her royal status to force her love rivals back?¡± Princess Hui An snorted. ¡°So what if I did? Go on the streets and ask if there¡¯s any reckless woman who dares to snatch my husband!¡± After saying that arrogantly, she muttered softly, ¡°Other than Guo Lingxi.¡± Guo Lingxi had the support of the Grand Empress Dowager, and even her father protected her. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the sky and sighed. She was a little sleepy. She originally thought that she had caught a big fish, but it turned out to be an unruly princess. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Princess Hui An said fiercely, ¡°If you don¡¯t agree¡­ the consequences will be very serious!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Oh? How serious is it?¡± Princess Hui An threatened, ¡°I¡¯ll make you unable to stay in the capital!¡± Su Xiaoxiao left. Princess Hui An stomped her feet in anger and pointed at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°You, you, you, you¡­ I haven¡¯t finished speaking! Who allowed you to leave!¡± ¡°Stop right there!¡± ¡°Come back!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to marry Wei Ting!¡± ¡°You¡­ ¡® Su Xiaoxiao was already far away. After returning to the carriage, Su MO put down the peeled walnuts. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that there would be a problem with Princess Hui An, but to be safe, I went to take a look.¡± Su Xiaoxiao hugged the walnut jar. ¡°Has she always been like this?¡± Su MO said, ¡°As far as I know, you¡¯re the first person to anger her to this extent. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up a walnut. ¡°Then I¡¯m really amazing.¡± Su MO laughed. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry. Princess Hui An is just a little unruly and willful. She¡¯s not vicious.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°A dignified princess will always have a few powerful guards around her. If she really wanted to get rid of me, she wouldn¡¯t have sent just a little eunuch to capture me.¡± Su MO said, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. This expression on her face was like a greedy little fat squirrel suddenly looking like a fox. Su MO was a little mesmerized by her cuteness and asked in amusement, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m wondering if that person doesn¡¯t know that Wei Ting and I were betrothed?¡± Su MO thought for a moment and said, ¡°It has long spread in the capital. As long as he¡¯s in the capital, he will definitely hear about it. However, this matter is very important. In order not to alert the enemy, he might want to think about it at length.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I was anxious. It¡¯s only the first day.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she pulled another walnut. Unexpectedly, her hand slipped and the walnut fell. She quickly bent down to pick it up, but she saw the rolling pin on the stool. ¡°Oh, I forgot to return the rolling pin to Princess Hui An.¡± She picked up the walnut and the rolling pin. In an instant, she sensed that something was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su MO asked. She put the walnut jar back on the table and weighed the rolling pin in her hand. Seeing this, Su MO took the rolling pin. ¡°It¡¯s so heavy. There seems to be something inside.¡± He turned it around and looked at the rolling pin in his hand. He saw an extremely slender crack in the middle. Just as he was about to break the rolling pin along the crack, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly grabbed the rolling pin and threw it out! With a crack, the rolling pin cracked. More than ten long needles shot out, and one of them shot into the carriage. Su MO suddenly slammed the table and shook one hand, sending the walnut jar flying. He backhanded the walnut jar. The long needle hit the walnut jar. With a bang, the jar shattered, and walnut kernels scattered all over the ground. Su MO blocked Su Xiaoxiao with his body. After the commotion stopped, he stood up and asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the broken nuts on the ground and pouted. She said in pain, ¡°My walnuts¡­¡± Su MO was speechless. The two of them alighted from the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao checked the long needles. ¡°They¡¯re poisonous.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°The rolling pin fell from the young eunuch¡¯s hand, and the young eunuch was sent by Princess Hui An¡­ Could it be that Princess Hui An wants to kill me? No, if she had the intention to kill me, she wouldn¡¯t have had that reaction just now. ¡± ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with that little eunuch!¡± ¡°Princess Hui An is in danger!¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty!¡± Eunuch Quan stumbled in and fell to the ground. Emperor Jing Xuan was annoyed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong this time? Eunuch Quan choked. ¡°Princess¡­ Princess Hui An is missing! Tao Hong has also been knocked unconscious¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said coldly, ¡°Make yourself clear!¡± How could Eunuch Quan explain it clearly? He quickly looked at the imperial study. ¡°Tao Hong is at the door. She knows!¡± The little palace maid called Tao Hong was brought into the imperial study. She knelt on the ground and cried as she told him about Princess Hui An secretly leaving the palace. On the way back to the palace, someone suddenly barged into the carriage and knocked me out. When I woke up¡­ the princess was gone¡­ and so was Little Zhuozi¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan felt dizzy. Hui An was his most doted daughter, more doted on than a few princes¡ª Emperor Jing Xuan was furious. ¡°Who allowed you to bring the princess out of the palace? Other than you, who else knows about her leaving the palace?¡± Tao Hong sobbed. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s also Physician Su! The princess sent Xiao Zhuozi to capture her and even threatened¡­ If she doesn¡¯t cancel her marriage with Lord Wei, she won¡¯t be able to stay in the capital!¡± Eunuch Quan was shocked.. ¡°Ah, could it be¡­ that Princess Hui An threatened her and in a fit of anger¡­ she kidnapped Princess Hui An?¡± Chapter 440 - Chapter 440: Counterattack Chapter 440: Counterattack Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Eunuch Fu glared at Eunuch Quan. He really did not like his nonsense. Emperor Jing Xuan already had a grudge against Su Cheng and his daughter. Now that Princess Hui An was missing and Su Daya was suspected of committing a crime, Eunuch Quan¡¯s words hit the nail on the head. He immediately summoned Qin Canglan into the palace. ¡°Daya would never do such a thing! Kidnap the princess? If my precious granddaughter doesn¡¯t like anyone, she would beat them up on the spot. Why would she need to kidnap them secretly? Isn¡¯t this taking off her pants and farting? It¡¯s unnecessary!¡± Qin Canglan definitely believed in his granddaughter. Why would she kidnap her? She would just beat her up! Emperor Jing Xuan was so angry that he fell back. What did he mean by beating up whoever she disliked on the spot? Hui An was his daughter and the princess of a country. Yet in Qin Canglan¡¯s opinion, she could beat her up if she wanted to. Emperor Jing Xuan was numb from being angered by Wei Ting. Before the dizziness passed, he was choked by Qin Canglan and was really about to vomit blood. Consort Xian had also heard about Hui An¡¯s disappearance and came to the Imperial Study in tears. Her tears this time were real. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Your Majesty, you have to quickly find Hui An¡­¡± ¡°I will. My beloved, go back to the palace first.¡± Consort Xian lay in Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s arms and cried until she was out of breath. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ I heard¡­ Did Su Daya do it?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan opened his mouth. ¡°This¡­¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Hmph, Your Highness, be careful with your words! I also feel sad for Your Highness that Princess Hui An is missing, but what has this got to do with my granddaughter?¡± Consort Xian said, ¡°Hui An quarreled with her and disappeared!¡± Qin Canglan chuckled and said, ¡°I heard that that little eunuch has also disappeared. He might have kidnapped the princess! Consort Xian, there¡¯s a traitor beside you. Instead of reflecting on your mistake, you pushed the blame to someone else. Doing this can only make you miss the right clues and make Princess Hui An get further and further away!¡± Consort Xian¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You¡­¡± To a mother who had lost her child, Qin Canglan¡¯s words were undoubtedly heartbreaking. However, he was definitely not deliberately talking fast. He had come to this conclusion after careful analysis. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked. In terms of military power, Emperor Jing Xuan was indeed a little unhappy with Qin Canglan, but there was no doubt about the Qin Canglan¡¯s ability. Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°Your Majesty, Princess Hui An has a total of two palace servants. Why is Tao Hong the only one who hasn¡¯t disappeared? If the target is the princess, only the princess will be kidnapped. There is no need to kidnap another eunuch.¡± Consort Xian said in a daze, ¡°Perhaps¡­ they want to leave someone to serve Hui An?¡± Qin Canglan said calmly, ¡°Consort Xian, the other party has already committed kidnapping. Do you expect them to care if there¡¯s anyone serving Princess Hui An?¡± Consort Xian choked. Qin Canglan cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I dare to guess that Princess Hui An was abducted by that little eunuch!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan looked at Qin Canglan steadily. ¡°Although that¡¯s the case, it still can¡¯t wash away the suspicion of your granddaughter. Find Hui An. Otherwise, I will punish her for hurting a princess!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan did not want to publicize Princess Hui An¡¯s disappearance, but the news still spread. Soon, it spread through the streets, alleys, and various teahouses. ¡°Have you heard? Something happened to Princess Hui An! She was kidnapped by the eldest daughter of the Qin family!¡± ¡°Why did she kidnap Princess Hui An?¡± ¡°Princess Hui An liked Lord Wei and originally wanted to recruit Lord Wei as her son-in-law. Who would have thought that His Majesty would arrange a marriage for Lord Wei and Miss Qin? The princess ran to find trouble with Miss Qin in a fit of anger. Who knew that Miss Qin was not a good person and actually captured the princess on the spot!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± A middle-aged man walked over and stopped everyone in the teahouse from talking. The storyteller looked at him unhappily. ¡°Who are you?¡± Manager Sun waved the folding fan in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m your uncle!¡± Su MO and Su Xiaoxiao went to the Dali Temple and handed the fragment of the rolling pin and the poisonous needle hidden inside to Xiao Zhonghua and the minister. Xiao Zhonghua said with a serious expression, ¡°That little eunuch is called Little Zhuozi. He arrived at Qi Xiang Palace two years ago. He can speak and is smart. Hui An likes him.¡± Su MO said, ¡°A little eunuch doesn¡¯t have the guts to do anything to the princess. There must be someone behind him.¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ related to the White Lotus Society?¡± the minister asked. Recently, they had been investigating the White Lotus Society¡¯s case. However, ever since they found out that the victims in the cellar were believers of the White Lotus Society, there were no new clues. The minister of the Dali Temple was about to go numb. Now, everyone looked like they belonged to the White Lotus Society. Xiao Zhonghua frowned. If it was really the White Lotus Society, it meant that the White Lotus Society had already developed their power into the palace. Su MO said seriously, ¡°Hurry up and find Princess Hui An and clear my sister¡¯s name.¡± Xiao Zhonghua and the minister of the Dali Temple hurriedly brought people to search. The Imperial Capital and the imperial guards were also mobilized. Su MO said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back first.¡± The two of them got into the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Do you think it was that mole?¡± Su MO pondered and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I don¡¯t think the mole will be so impatient to attack you on the first day of your bethrothal to Wei Ting. However¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao finished for him. ¡°But if Princess Hui An happens to come looking for trouble with me, this will be a godsend opportunity to deal with me.¡± To put it bluntly, the mole might have wanted to take it slow, but who could resist taking a bite of the fat meat that came knocking on their door? Princess Hui An disrupted the mole¡¯s rhythm and lured him to attack Su Xiaoxiao in advance. Su Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°Looks like I was his first target. That¡¯s right. I look easier to deal with.¡± Compared to Wei Ting, Qin Canglan, and Matriarch Wei, she seemed to be more like a pushover who was easy to bully. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. In order to wash away the dirt on Su Xiaoxiao as soon as possible, Su MO also went to look for Princess Hui An. Just as he left, Su Xiaoxiao walked out. ¡°Dad, let me ride your horse!¡± ¡°Slow down! This horse is very fast!¡± Su Cheng shouted outside the house as he washed the three little ones¡¯ hair. Su Xiaoxiao got on the horse. Phew, Master Wei had taught her well. She casually took out a map of the capital. ¡°Princess Hui An took this path back to the palace. She disappeared here.¡± After memorizing the route, Su Xiaoxiao put the map away. She rode her horse to the location of Princess Hui An¡¯s incident. This place had already been investigated by the officials. There was nothing left. As Su Xiaoxiao rode on the horse, the moonlight lengthened her shadow. Her face was hidden in the dark, but her eyes were cold. ¡°Come out.¡± She said calmly. No one appeared. She spurred her horse a few steps into the alley. Suddenly, Su Xiaoxiao looked up. A huge net fell from the sky Chapter 441 - Chapter 441: Saving the Beauty Late at Night Chapter 441: Saving the Beauty Late at Night Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the room that emitted a strong damp and moldy smell, Princess Hui An finally broke free from the rope in her hand. She removed the cloth ball that was stuck in her mouth and went to untie the rope around her feet. However, her feet were tied too tightly. She could not untie them for a long time. Exasperated, she got up and skipped behind the door, pounding on the locked door. ¡°Someone! Let me out!¡± ¡°How dare you! Do you know who I am? You even dare to capture me. Are you tired of living! ¡± ¡°Let me go quickly!¡± ¡°Did you hear that!¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s throat was hoarse, and her palm hurt. However, no one came over. As night fell, darkness swallowed the entire room. She sat down in the corner, afraid and aggrieved. Tears fell. ¡°Father¡­ Hui An is afraid¡­ Come and save Hui An.. ¡°Mother¡­ Third Brother¡­ Where are you?¡± ¡°Wuwu¡­ Hui¡¯an wants to go home¡­¡± She cried uncontrollably. She regretted it. If she had known that she would be kidnapped, she would not have sneaked out of the palace¡­ After crying for an unknown period of time, she was exhausted and fell asleep hugging her knees. In her half-asleep state, she heard the sound of the lock being unlocked. She looked up with a start. Creak¡ª The door was nnshed onen Cold moonlight shone in. Right on the heels of that, a masked man in black walked in with a stack of clothes. He glanced at Princess Hui An coldly. Princess Hui An stood up in fear and looked at him warily. ¡°Who are you?¡± The man in black threw the clothes in his hand at Princess Hui An¡¯s feet. ¡°Change into them.¡± Princess Hui An looked at the clothes on the ground and frowned. She looked up at him. ¡°Where did you take my Little Zhuozi and Tao Hong? I¡¯m warning you! You¡¯re not allowed to hurt them!¡± The man in black snorted. ¡°You can¡¯t even protect yourself. You should worry about yourself!¡± Princess Hui An asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? Why did you capture me? If you let me go, I can give you many benefits! Be it money or power, as long as you ask!¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± The man in black snorted disdainfully. ¡°If you can¡¯t change on your own, so I can only find someone to help you. Let me make it clear first. There are no eunuchs and women here.¡± ¡°You!¡± Princess Hui An crossed her arms and glared at him coldly. ¡°Get out!¡± The man in black turned and left the house. Princess Hui An changed into the man¡¯s clothes on the ground in humiliation. ¡°Come out when you¡¯re done,¡± the man in black said calmly. Princess Hui An bit her lip and slowly walked out. Princess Hui An was good-looking. Even though she was disguised as a man, she was still unbelievably beautiful. The man in black seemed to be dissatisfied. He reached out and pulled out the hairpin on her head, and her black hair fell like a black waterfall. Princess Hui An¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The man in black casually threw her a wooden hairpin. ¡°Put your hair up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how!¡± Princess Hui An said. She was a princess. She had never combed her own hair. The man in black said, ¡°Then I can only shave it for you.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Princess Hui An hurriedly hugged her head and glared at him angrily. She grabbed the hairpin in disgust and awkwardly tied it for a long time before barely tying it into a loose bun. The man in black took out his dagger again and scraped a handful of wall ash on her face with the scabbard. Princess Hui An slapped away his dagger. ¡°How dare you touch me? You¡¯re tired of living!¡± The man in black had already finished applying the ash. He whistled as a carriage drew up. The man in black escorted Princess Hui An into the carriage. He sat beside Princess Hui An and pressed the dagger to her waist. ¡°You¡¯d better not scream, or I¡¯ll kill you with a sword.¡± Princess Hui An turned her face away. The carriage continued forward and took many turns. Along the way, they encountered a few soldiers searching. The coachman only knew that there was a smallpox patient sitting inside and even lifted the curtain for the soldiers to see. The man in black rolled up his sleeve, revealing the ¡°smallpox¡± on his arm. The soldiers were so frightened that they hurriedly let the carriage leave. On the other side, Su Xiaoxiao was covered in a big net. There was knockout potion in the net. She struggled a few times and lay on the horse, unconscious. Two men in black walked over. ¡°Has she fainted?¡± one of them asked. Another person said, ¡°There¡¯s so much medicine. Even an ox would collapse from suffocation, let alone a woman.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not an ordinary woman. She¡¯s Qin Canglan¡¯s biological granddaughter.¡± ¡°So what? She grew up in the countryside and doesn¡¯t know martial arts. To put it bluntly, she¡¯s just a weak woman who doesn¡¯t have the strength to truss a chicken. Alright, cut the crap. Hurry up and take her away.¡± The two of them carried Su Xiaoxiao into the carriage. ¡°Uh¡­ she¡¯s quite heavy!¡± The carriage drove towards a house in the wilderness. They were almost there when a muffled sound came from the carriage. The man in black driving the carriage said, ¡°Are you dozing off again? I¡¯m warning you, the person you caught this time is no small matter. Nothing must go wrong!¡± With that, there was no reaction from the carriage. The man in black stopped the carriage and opened the curtain speechlessly, only to see his companion staring at him in fear. The man in black was stunned. He looked at his companion and then at the floor. The little fat girl lying here was already gone¡­ His eyebrows twitched as he hurriedly drew his sword and slashed at the shadow beside his companion. A hand wearing silver silk gloves easily caught his blade. His expression changed. In the next second, Su Xiaoxiao snatched the sword. With a flash of the sword, blood was shed! Su Xiaoxiao jumped out of the carriage and stepped over the corpse with her sword. There were several men in black guarding the courtyard. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and took a long way to the side. She climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard. Actually, she was not sure if she could find Princess Hui An here. Princess Hui An was the bait, but the bait might not be imprisoned with the target. She searched the rooms one by one. As expected, there was no sign of Princess Hui An. Suddenly, a man¡¯s angry conversation came from the furthest hut. ¡°Are you crazy? Who allowed you to do this?¡± This voice¡ª Su Xiaoxiao quietly walked towards the house and squatted down outside the window. Right on the heels of that was a middle-aged man¡¯s voice. ¡°Your Highness, why are you so agitated?¡± The Eldest Prince¡­ It seemed that it was undoubtedly Xiao Duye. Su Xiaoxiao held her breath and continued to listen. Xiao Duye said coldly, ¡°The corpse in the cellar has been exposed. Xiao Zhonghua and the Dali Temple found out that it was your White Lotus Society¡¯s doing. Instead of restraining yourselves and hiding from the limelight, you actually reached into the palace again! If you want to die, hurry up. Don¡¯t drag me down!¡± From the sound of it, the corpse under the attic was done by the White Lotus Society, but it was not instigated by Xiao Duye. The middle-aged man sneered and said, ¡°Your Highness, you absolved yourself. Could it be that you¡¯ve forgotten about the competition?¡± Xiao Duye was furious. ¡°You still have the cheek to mention this. You said so well back then that you would definitely help me get rid of Qin Jiang and Qin Che.. In the end? The two of them are living well! I was almost exposed!¡± Chapter 442 - Chapter 442: Xiaoxiao Strikes Chapter 442: Xiaoxiao Strikes Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The middle-aged man was silent for a moment before saying in a gentler tone, ¡°Our White Lotus Society has indeed overlooked this matter. Next time, I¡¯ll choose a more powerful expert to give to His First Highness.¡± Xiao Duye said gloomily, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve already been fired by Father and am no longer Vice Commander of the Imperial Guards. I can¡¯t insert anyone even if I want to.¡± The middle-aged man smiled and asked, ¡°Does Your Highness want to be reinstated?¡± Xiao Duye looked at him suspiciously. ¡°What do you mean? The middle-aged man said unhurriedly, ¡°Your Highness, the entire capital thinks that Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter is behind Princess Hui An¡¯s disappearance. In order to clear her name, that girl will definitely come out to look for Princess Hui An.¡± ¡°Her?¡± Xiao Duye expressed his doubts. The middle-aged man smiled. ¡°Your Highness still doesn¡¯t understand her.¡± Xiao Duye couldn¡¯t help but remember the night Emperor Jing Xuan was poisoned. Su Xiaoxiao had forced him back a few steps. Although he was unwilling to admit it, that little fat girl was indeed a little different. ¡°So?¡± Xiao Duye asked. The middle-aged man said, ¡°So we¡¯ll catch her.¡± Xiao Duye said casually, ¡°If you capture her, can I be reinstated to my position? There¡¯s no evidence at the moment if she kidnapped Hui An. My father said that he wanted to punish her, but it was just an excuse to control the Qin family. My father won¡¯t really do anything to her. Moreover, she once saved my father.¡± The middle-aged man smiled again. ¡°I¡¯m not referring to His Majesty. Your Highness, you might not know, but Su Daya and Wei Ting have already been married in the countryside.¡± Xiao Duye asked strangely, ¡°The countryside? What countryside?¡± The middle-aged man said tirelessly, ¡°The person who cultivated at the Dragon Temple was the fake Wei Ting. The real Wei Ting went to Qingzhou and was chased by Xiao Zhonghua there. After that, he was seriously injured and was saved by Su Cheng. He became their live-in son-in-law.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Xiao Duye did not believe it. The middle-aged man smiled and said, ¡°Otherwise, does Your Highness really think that Wei Ting agreed to this marriage in the throne room today because he was afraid of His Majesty¡¯s dragon might? Wei Ting has resisted the decree once or twice. What¡¯s wrong with one more time?¡± Xiao Duye hesitated. ¡°That being said.. The middle-aged man continued, ¡°Your Highness should understand that our White Lotus Society¡¯s information has never been wrong.¡± This was true. The believers of the White Lotus Society were all over the world, so gathering information was easy. Xiao Duye frowned. ¡°But why did Wei Ting go to Qingzhou? Why was he chased by Third Brother?¡± Hearing Xiao Duye call Xiao Zhonghua Third Brother, the middle-aged man changed his address. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why the Third Prince chased after Wei Ting. There must be an unspeakable secret between them. Otherwise, the first thing the Third Prince would do when he returned to the capital would definitely be to report Wei Ting.¡± Xiao Duye muttered, ¡°Concubine Xian¡­ once testified against Wei Ting and Su Daya. She said that Wei Ting had been to Qingzhou and was married to Su Daya. In the end, she was denied by a pair of grandparents in the village.¡± The middle-aged man said casually, ¡°They¡¯re just two villagers. It¡¯s not difficult to control them.¡± Xiao Duye felt that this gossip was a little strange. He couldn¡¯t digest it for a while. ¡°So it¡¯s true that the Qin and Wei families¡­ have long colluded? They had such a huge feud¡­ aren¡¯t they going to care?¡± The middle-aged man said earnestly, ¡°Your Highness, there are no eternal enemies in this world. There are only unchanging interests.¡± Xiao Duye fell silent. A moment later, he asked, ¡°So you plan to capture Su Daya?¡± ¡°Your Highness is smart.¡± The middle-aged man looked at Xiao Duye with admiration. ¡°That girl should be on the way. With her around, do you think Qin Canglan and Wei Ting will walk into a trap?¡± Xiao Duye asked calmly, ¡°What does this have to do with my recovery? Don¡¯t tell me you want me to kill Wei Ting and Qin Canglan? Not to mention whether I can kill them or not, even if I kill them, I¡¯ll be in trouble for nothing!¡± The middle-aged man smiled confidently and said, ¡°Your Highness, is this credit enough for you to catch Wei Ting colluding with the White Lotus Society and successfully saving Princess Hui An?¡± ¡°What about Qin Canglan?¡± Xiao Duye asked. The middle-aged man smiled playfully. ¡°He also discovered Wei Ting¡¯s secret and was killed by him.¡± ¡°Stop! Stop quickly! I¡¯m going to vomit! Urgh¡­¡¯ Princess Hui An held the wall of the carriage with one hand and covered her chest with the other. Perhaps it was because it was too bumpy, but her stomach was churning badly. The man in black ignored her. ¡°I really can¡¯t take it anymore¡­ It¡¯s so uncomfortable¡­ Let me rest for a while¡­ Tell the carriage to stop for a while¡­ urgh¡­¡± Princess Hui An covered her mouth tightly. It was too uncomfortable¡­ really too uncomfortable¡ª The man in black frowned at her. Finally, he said to the coachman, ¡°Stop for a moment.¡± The coachman pulled the carriage to the side of the road. Princess Hui An couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She lifted the curtain and vomited out of the carriage in a sorry state. She did not eat much today and was about to vomit bile. She vomited until she collapsed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take the carriage anymore¡­¡± The man in black said coldly, ¡°Are you done vomiting? We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Princess Hui An grabbed the door frame. ¡°Let me vomit for a while more¡­¡± Princess Hui An actually didn¡¯t have much left to vomit, but she really didn¡¯t want to continue enduring the pain of the bumpy ride. She would stall for as long as she could. She pretended to retch. The man in black saw that something was wrong and was about to ask the coachman to continue driving. The coachman said, ¡°I¡¯ll go relieve myself.¡± The man in black said, ¡°Go further away.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± The coachman glanced at Princess Hui An. ¡°It¡¯s troublesome to bring a woman. ¡± He went to the forest to relieve himself. The man in black waited for a while, but when he did not return, he frowned and wondered if he should call him. At this moment, the coachman¡¯s scream came from the forest. ¡°Ah!¡± The man in black¡¯s eyes turned cold. He grabbed a rope and tied Princess Hui An to the carriage. Then, he quickly pulled out his sword and went to the forest. Princess Hui An was exasperated. ¡°You bastard! Let go of me! Let go of me!¡± After the man in black entered the forest, he saw the coachman whose heart had been pierced by an arrow. His expression darkened as he looked around warily. ¡°Who is it? Come out quickly!¡± Birds flew past the forest, startling a string of leaves. Since the other party was an archer, he could not be completely exposed under his nose. He used the tree as a cover and was vigilant of movements in all directions. At this moment, an arrow tore through the air and shot straight at the spot between his eyebrows. He dodged to the side! The arrow brushed past his ear and shot into the tree behind him! He raised his hand and touched the tip of his painful ear. It was warm blood. ¡°You actually shot me. Very good!¡± In the carriage, Princess Hui An screamed, ¡°Ah! Ahhh! Go away¡­¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the carriage left. The man in black could not be bothered to deal with the archer. He used his qinggong to chase after the carriage. Behind a locust tree by the road, Princess Hui An looked at the departing carriage and the man in black and whispered, ¡°Are you really leaving? She turned to look at Su Xiaoxiao, who was holding the bow and arrow behind her, and raised her proud chin. ¡°Your archery is not bad. You¡¯re only slightly inferior to me..¡± Chapter 443 - Chapter 443: The Qjn Family’s Iron Cavalry (1) Chapter 443: The Qjn Family¡¯s Iron Cavalry (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao replied, ¡°Heh.¡± Princess Hui An asked in confusion, ¡°Speaking of which, why are you here? Isn¡¯t it dangerous for you to run out alone in the middle of the night?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Since you knew it was dangerous, why did you sneak out of the palace?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I¡­¡± Princess Hui An muttered, ¡°¡­want to teach you a lesson?¡± She said the last sentence without confidence. She wanted to teach someone a lesson, but in the end, that person saved her. How embarrassing. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Was this girl¡­ not going to take the opportunity to ridicule her? Princess Hui An was stunned. She looked at Su Xiaoxiao and said, ¡°Um¡­ Su Xiaoxiao asked calmly, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Princess Hui An bit her lip gently.¡± I can¡¯t walk. ¡® Su Xiaoxiao continued walking without looking up. Princess Hui An covered her aching upper abdomen and followed Su Xiaoxiao angrily. ¡°I really can¡¯t walk anymore¡­ I didn¡¯t eat anything at night¡­ I cried for so long just now¡­ and vomited¡­¡± The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she became. Tears streamed down her face again. She squatted on the ground and cried. ¡°If you hate me, why did you save me? Why don¡¯t you let me be captured by them¡­ Boohoo¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Even Xiaohu can¡¯t cry as much as this girl! Su Xiaoxiao turned back to her. Princess Hui An said angrily, ¡°Leave! Leave! Why did you come back? Just let me be taken away.. Su Xiaoxiao reached out and handed her something. Princess Hui An turned her face away and cried. ¡°I don¡¯t want your handkerchief!¡± ¡°It¡¯s candy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao. Princess Hui An was stunned. She looked up at the candy in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand with tears in her eyes and swallowed. She asked, ¡°Are you trying to poison me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Yes, do you dare to eat it?¡± Princess Hui An sniffed and said aggrievedly, ¡°Being a full ghost¡­ is better than being a hungry ghost¡­¡¯ Princess Hui An ate three pieces in one go. ¡°What candy is this? It smells good. I¡¯ve never eaten it in the palace.¡± ¡°Peanut nougat.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it, but it tastes good. Is it a specialty of Qingzhou?¡± She remembered that the little fat girl had grown up in Qingzhou. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Bought it in the capital? Which shop?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her. ¡°You talk a lot. Do you have strength now?¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes flickered. Su Xiaoxiao carried the bow and arrow on her back. ¡°If you have the strength, leave. When that person finds out that the carriage is empty, he will know that he was lured away.¡± Princess Hui An hurriedly stood up in fear. The two of them walked forward. However, the man in black still caught up. Su Xiaoxiao looked at his light body movements and narrowed her eyes. It was good to have qinggong. She wanted to learn it too. The man in black blocked their way. Princess Hui An flashed behind Su Xiaoxiao! The man in black sized up Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Are you Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter?¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed her sword. ¡°Cut the crap. Bring it on.¡± The man in black said disdainfully, ¡°Little girl, I admire your courage, but you¡¯re not my match. Hand over the princess and follow me back obediently. I can consider sparing your life.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said arrogantly, ¡°It¡¯s not big, but you¡¯re quite arrogant.¡± When the man in black realized what dirty words this girl had said, his face darkened. ¡°You!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Princess Hui An asked softly. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Young ladies shouldn¡¯t ask.¡± Princess Hui An was speechless. The man in black flew into a rage out of humiliation and drew his sword to attack Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said to Princess Hui An, ¡°Stand here and don¡¯t walk around!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Princess Hui An nodded obediently. Su Xiaoxiao went up with her sword. The weapons collided, causing a series of sparks. The man in black did not expect this little girl to catch his move. His eyes turned slightly cold. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked calmly. However, in fact, her arm was slightly numb. This man in black was much stronger than the two just now. This move of his looked heavy, but he only used less than 50% of his strength. After all, he wanted to capture her alive. Soon, the man in black slashed down for the second time. When Su Xiaoxiao fought with the other two, their swords were not as sharp as the man in black¡¯s sword. During the third exchange, she vaguely felt that this sword was about to be broken. The man in black smiled and kicked Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s lower body. Su Xiaoxiao pressed down and used the momentum to flip sideways, pulling out the dagger at her waist.. Chapter 444 - Chapter 444: The Qjn Family’s Iron Cavalry (2) Chapter 444: The Qjn Family¡¯s Iron Cavalry (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She flipped over his head. The moment she landed on the ground, the blade pierced his back! The man in black¡¯s face twisted in pain. He turned around and slashed. Clang! His sword was broken! ¡°How is this possible?¡± He looked at the other dagger in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand in disbelief. ¡°What weapon is this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of knowing!¡± On the other side, as Princess Hui An watched the two of them fight nervously, her heart in her throat. The man in black was injured, but he still looked like he could fight. What should she do? ¡°Princess!¡± When Princess Hui An heard a familiar voice, she turned around and said in surprise, ¡°Little Zhuozi! Why are you here?¡± Xiao Zhuozi panted and said, ¡°They captured me. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to escape. After escaping, I¡¯ve been searching for Your Highness! ¡± Princess Hui An glanced behind him. ¡°Where¡¯s Tao Hong? Where is she?¡± Little Zhuozi¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure. Perhaps she¡¯s imprisoned elsewhere. Princess, let¡¯s hurry back to the palace!¡± Princess Hui An said, ¡°No, Miss Su is still there. I have to wait for her.¡± Little Zhuozi said, ¡°Princess!¡± Princess Hui An insisted, ¡°1 can¡¯t leave her behind!¡± Little Zhuozi said awkwardly, ¡°But¡­ you don¡¯t know martial arts. It¡¯s a hindrance to stay here. Why don¡¯t you find a safe place to hide first?¡± Princess Hui An said solemnly, ¡°She risked her life for me. What kind of person am I if I hide on my own!¡± Xiao Zhuozi had a headache. ¡°I¡­ I mean¡­ Miss Su seems to be very skilled. She will definitely be fine.¡± Princess Hui An looked at Little Zhuozi as if he was a fool. ¡°Since she¡¯s very skilled, shouldn¡¯t we follow her even more? You and I don¡¯t know how to fight. What if we encounter assassins?¡± Little Zhuozi was speechless. Princess Hui An was extremely stupid in the palace, but her brain was working well now. Since the soft approach didn¡¯t work, he could only use the hard approach. Xiao Zhuozi unnoticeably took out a handkerchief that had been applied with knockout medicine. ¡°Princess, sorry.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said, what do you think is over there?¡± Princess Hui An turned around in the direction he was pointing. A trace of coldness flashed across Little Zhuozi¡¯s eyes. He reached out from behind Princess Hui An and suddenly raised the handkerchief. At the critical moment, a dagger flew through the air and hit his shoulder! He was sent flying by the huge force and fell heavily to the ground. His head hit a stone on the road and he died on the spot. Princess Hui An heard the commotion and turned around in shock The medicine that Little Zhuozi had scattered on the handkerchief fell to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s knockout medicine!¡± said Su Xiaoxiao. Xiao Zhuozi had taken out a handkerchief that had been applied with knockout medicine. ¡°Princess, sorry.¡± ¡°How, how did this happen? Her legs went weak as she grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist tightly. It was as though she was holding onto a life-saving straw. ¡°Hui An! ¡± Xiao Duye rode his horse over from the night. Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Brother!¡± Xiao Duye tightened his grip on the reins and hurriedly dismounted before the horse could stabilize. He strode towards Princess Hui An. He held Princess Hui An¡¯s shoulder and looked at her worriedly. ¡°Hui An! Are you alright?¡± Princess Hui An threw herself into his arms and wailed, ¡°Brother!¡± Xiao Duye was Concubine Yu¡¯s son, and Concubine Yu¡¯s backer was the Empress. The relationship between Kunning Palace and Qi Xiang Palace had always been tense, so Xiao Duye and Princess Hui An were not too close. But no matter what, Xiao Duye was Princess Hui An¡¯s elder brother. After experiencing such a terrifying thing, Princess Hui An¡¯s heart was extremely fragile. Seeing that her brother was so anxious to look for her, she could not help but feel a little dependent. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you anymore.¡± As Xiao Duye comforted his sister, he took off his cloak and put it on Princess Hui An. Princess Hui An asked with tears in her eyes, ¡°Big Brother, why isn¡¯t my third brother here?¡± Xiao Duye said softly, ¡°The few of us came out to look for you. Your third brother went elsewhere. You haven¡¯t said if you¡¯re alright?¡± Princess Hui An cried, ¡°My feet are so sore, and my hands hurt¡­ They tied me up with ropes and didn¡¯t give me food¡­ They even forced me to change into such ugly clothes¡­¡± Princess Hui An had grown up surrounded by stars. Before today, she had never suffered at all. She had only been fighting losing battles with Princess Jingning, but those were fights between the two of them. She could not defeat Jingning. Xiao Duye¡¯s eyes were filled with heartache. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back to the palace now. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll seek justice for you. By the way, where¡¯s Little Zhuozi?¡± A guard from the Eldest Prince¡¯s residence said, ¡°Your Highness, Little Zhuozi is here! He¡­ he¡¯s dead!¡± ¡°What?¡± Xiao Duye¡¯s expression changed. He glanced around and seemed to see Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Physician Su?¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over as if no one was around. She bent down and pulled out the dagger on Little Zhuozi¡¯s shoulder. She took out a clean handkerchief and wiped it. Xiao Duye said angrily, ¡°You killed Little Zhuozi!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°So what if I did?¡± He had given her a stage, and she had gamely acted on it. Princess Hui An hurriedly said, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t misunderstand. It was Little Zhuozi who wanted to drug me. Miss Su did it to save me¡­ Although I don¡¯t understand¡­ why Little Zhuozi did that¡­ I have been so good to him¡­ Why did he treat me like this¡­¡± Compared to being captured by an assassin, Little Zhuozi¡¯s betrayal dealt her a greater blow. Although Princess Hui An had grown up in the palace, Emperor Jing Xuan, Concubine Xian, and Xiao Zhonghua protected her extremely well. She had grown up smoothly and had never experienced mutual deception. Even if she fought with Jingning, it was done openly. Xiao Duye asked, ¡°Did you see Little Zhuozi drug you with your own eyes? Or did she tell you?¡± Xiao Duye interrupted Princess Hui An. ¡°If she told you, it¡¯s very likely that she threw out the medicine when she killed Little Zhuozi and lied that Little Zhuozi drugged you!¡± Princess Hui An said seriously, ¡°No!¡± Xiao Duye reminded, ¡°Hui An, she¡¯s Jingnings friend.¡± Princess Hui An snorted. ¡°So what? She saved me tonight. Moreover, Jingning won¡¯t harm me!¡± ¡°She only knows how to hit me.¡± Princess Hui An said bitterly in her heart. Xiao Duye said earnestly, ¡°Hui An, people¡¯s hearts are unpredictable. You dont understand. Alright, Big Brother will settle the matters here. Go back to the palace first.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Princess Hui An decisively came to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Brother, I won¡¯t allow you to take her away!¡± Xiao Duye clenched his fists. First, it was Jingning, and now it was Hui An. What kind of bewitching potion did this girl give his sisters, or did she know how to control people¡¯s hearts? Xiao Duye said seriously, ¡°Men, bring Princess Hui An away.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A cavalryman dismounted and came over. Princess Hui An said, ¡°Brother!¡± Xiao Duye said with a complicated expression, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sorry. When I go to Father later, I¡¯ll naturally apologize to him!¡± With that, he looked at Su Xiaoxiao coldly. ¡°Take her down!¡± More than ten cavalrymen swarmed forward and surrounded Su Xiaoxiao. At this moment, hurried hoofbeats suddenly surged from behind, shaking the entire ground. The cavalry panicked. Xiao Duye frowned and turned around in confusion. A group of black heavy cavalry wearing cold armor and holding sharp spears came from the King of Hell¡¯s palace with a murderous aura! A cavalryman exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s the Qin family¡¯s iron cavalry!¡± Chapter 445 - Chapter 445: Domineering and Protective Chapter 445: Domineering and Protective Although they were also called cavalry, in front of the most powerful Qin family cavalry of the Great Zhou, they were not even qualified to carry shoes. After all, this was a legendary army that had defeated 100,000 soldiers of the Northern Yan with 20,000 iron cavalry. Who could compete with them?! The cavalry that Xiao Duye brought originally looked quite majestic. Now that the Qin family¡¯s army arrived, they were instantly reduced to ashes. The mountain path was rugged, but the Qin family¡¯s iron cavalry was not chaotic at all. The sound of horse hooves and the friction of armor intersected, producing a murderous aura! The night wind seemed to have stopped. Xiao Duye¡¯s cavalry swallowed, and beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads. Xiao Duye¡¯s situation was not much better. He looked at Qin Canglan, who was like a dark night Asura, and then at the 3,000 armored horses behind him. Smelling the rust and blood that seemed to have come from the battlefield, his scalp went numb. He didn¡¯t understand how this could happen. Didn¡¯t they say that Qin Canglan would definitely come forward alone to die? Why did he bring so many troops? What did the White Lotus Society do?! In fact, the White Lotus Society¡¯s initial plan was indeed to let Qin Canglan die alone. They were also completely confident that Qin Canglan would definitely do as they said. Because¡ª After the two men in black from the White Lotus Society kidnapped Su Xiaoxiao, they took off Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s headband and handed a map that had been drawn to another companion, asking him to bring the thing and a sentence to Qin Canglan. That person went to the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate first. ¡°My Old Master isn¡¯t here!¡± ¡°He won¡¯t be back tonight either!¡± Steward Cen said truthfully. That person went to Pear Blossom Lane next. It was Xiaohu who opened the door. Xiaohu looked at the stranger at the door and asked, ¡°Who are you looking He asked calmly, ¡°Is Qin Canglan around?¡± Xiaohu tilted his head. ¡°Who¡¯s Qin Gunnan?¡± He frowned. ¡°The old Protector Duke.¡± Xiaohu looked at him in a daze. ¡°Old Pot of Puke? What is that?¡± He was wearing a full-face mask, and his voice was a little muffled. In addition, Xiaohu was already confused when he heard things. After a long time, he did not understand what he was talking about. After a long time of whistling in the wind, he could not do it. When Zhong Shan came over from behind, Xiaohu went to the house to play. He handed the letter with the headband and map to Zhong Shan and instructed coldly, ¡°Tell Qin Canglan to come alone. Otherwise, we shall kill that girl!¡± With that, he adjusted the mask on his face and left murderously. That was the crux of the problem. Zhong Shan was deaf. He relied on reading lips to communicate with others. What was Zhong Shan reading if this person slapped a big mask on his face; ? Zhong Shan did not know that he had spoken at all. Zhong Shan did not even know who this letter was for. He ¡°heard¡± Xiaohu say to Dahu and Erhu, ¡°That person is here to borrow the pot. He wants the old pot.¡± Zhong Shan gave the letter to Su Cheng. When ordinary people saw such a letter, their first reaction would be that the owner of the headband had been kidnapped. Su Cheng¡¯s thinking was a tad warped, to say the least. He slapped his thigh. ¡°I know! Daya must have gotten someone to send this over! She¡¯s telling us that that group of people is hiding in this mountain and wants us to quickly bring people to meet her! If we¡¯re late, that group of people will run away!¡± Qin Canglan turned around and set off with 3,000 iron cavalry! One dared to say it, and the other dared to believe it. The 3,000 iron cavalry approached. Qin Canglan raised his hand indifferently, and the three thousand iron cavalry stopped in unison. The entire mountain fell silent. The wind that whistled through the mountain stream was like a ghost that made one shiver. Xiao Duye looked at the Qin family¡¯s iron cavalry that was still emitting a powerful killing intent and truly felt substantial pressure. As for Qin Canglan, although he was already past sixty years old, his Divine General aura was even more terrifying than the entire army. Xiao Duye¡¯s back broke out in cold sweat. This was too different from the plan¡­ Three thousand cavalry¡­ would devour those people from the White Lotus Society until nothing was left.. His gaze quietly landed on Su Xiaoxiao. If this girl did not escape and was still a hostage in the hands of the White Lotus Society, so what if 30,000 came, let alone 3,000? However, this hostage was gone¡­ Behind Su Xiaoxiao, a sinister-looking cavalryman slowly pulled out the dagger from his sleeve. Xiao Duye was in front of Su Xiaoxiao, so he could naturally see it at a glance. However, Qin Canglan was directly opposite Su Xiaoxiao, so he should not be able to see her¡­ As long as he held this girl hostage, everything would¡­ The cavalry raised his dagger and stabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s neck. Qin Canglan waved one arm and a spear shot through the air, emitting a piercing sound like a malicious ghost. It pierced through the cavalryman¡¯s head and nailed him to a thick tree ten steps away! Brains were oozing out! Princess Hui An screamed and turned around to hug Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arm, burying her head in her shoulder. Xiao Duye and the others were also stunned. They knew that Qin Canglan was powerful, but they had never seen him kill enemies with their own eyes. Their reverence for Qin Canglan came mostly from Qin Canglan¡¯s military achievements and rumors. As for the rumors, they were more or less exaggerated. Now, they finally understood that the rumors were exaggerated when it came to others. When it came to Qin Canglan, he was simply too humble. Xiao Duye admitted to himself that he would definitely not have the courage to shoot that spear had he been in Qin Canglan¡¯s. This was because the cavalry was almost completely blocked by Su Xiaoxiao, only revealing half of his head. As long as it was an inch higher, Su Xiaoxiao would be the one shot through. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s reaction shocked Xiao Duye. The cavalry couldn¡¯t see the spear because it was blocked by Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao could definitely see it. Ordinary people would instinctively dodge, but she didn¡¯t even blink. If she moved, the cavalry would definitely sense something amiss and might be able to dodge. So was this girl scared silly, or did she believe that Qin Canglan would not fail? Qin Canglan looked at Xiao Duye meaningfully and said domineeringly, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll deal with your people for you.¡± Xiao Duye looked at Qin Canglan with a deep gaze. After a while, he nodded slightly and said calmly, ¡°Thank you, Old Protector, for cleaning up my mess.¡± Qin Canglan said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± He rode his horse towards Su Xiaoxiao. A man and a horse entered the encirclement of many cavalrymen alone. The cavalry of the Eldest Prince¡¯s residence immediately scattered like ghosts who had seen the King of Hell. Seeing that his people were so meek in front of Qin Canglan, Xiao Duye felt a little embarrassed. He sneered and said, ¡°Old Protector Duke, aren¡¯t you afraid of causing panic among the people by bringing so many cavalry out in the middle of the night?¡± Qin Canglan smiled faintly. ¡°Is that so? Along the way, the commoners have said that they feel especially at ease to see the Qin family¡¯s iron cavalry guarding the Imperial City with their own eyes.¡± The corners of Xiao Duye¡¯s mouth twitched. Qin Canglan did not get off the horse and bow. He was wearing the Divine General armor bestowed by the late Emperor and did not need to bow to any member of the royal family. When he brushed past Xiao Duye, he said condescendingly, ¡°I only have this one granddaughter. If anyone dares to bully her, I¡¯ll bring the Qin family¡¯s 100,000 iron cavalry and raze his nest to the ground!¡± Xiao Duye was stunned. Qin Canglan turned his horse around and looked at the uniform cavalry. He said sternly, ¡°Generals, listen up!¡± The Qin family¡¯s iron cavalry dismounted valiantly. They held spears and looked at Qin Canglan with determination. Qin Canglan said domineeringly, ¡°From today onwards, anyone who wants to hurt my granddaughter has to step over the corpses of the Qin family army! ¡± The Qin family cavalry held the spears in their hands tightly and took a step back in unison, kneeling on one knee. ¡°We¡¯ll protect Miss to the death!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll protect Miss to the death!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll protect Miss to the death!¡± Chapter 446 - Chapter 446: Grandfather and Grandchild Torturing Scum Chapter 446: Grandfather and Grandchild Torturing Scum Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shouts resounded throughout the entire forest. Xiao Duye clenched his fists and panted. He was clearly on the opposite side, but why couldn¡¯t he help but feel his blood boil.. He even had the urge to enlist and kill the enemy. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Qin Canglan and the Qin family cavalry behind him who had sworn to protect her. She was also a little shocked. Was this the Qin family¡¯s army? The strongest iron cavalry in Zhou Country. She seemed to understand why someone wanted to cut off the relationship between the Qin, Su, and Wei families. They were the pillars of Great Zhou, the power of the emperor of the dynasty, the iron wall of Jinxiu River, and the faith and reliance of the people in the world. Qin Canglan ignored Xiao Duye and returned Su Xiaoxiao and Princess Hui An to the carriage that he had prepared in advance. Princess Hui An had been tormented for a few hours and was already exhausted. Now that the Qin family army had arrived, her tense nerves relaxed and she grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand to fall asleep. Qin Canglan asked Su Xiaoxiao with concern, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say that she had been caught on purpose. She only said that she had followed the two men in black. Those two people¡¯s skills were average, but there was a very powerful expert among the men in black escorting Princess Hui An. Qin Canglan said, ¡°It should be a shadow guard.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a shadow guard?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Qin Canglan explained, ¡°It¡¯s an expert from the White Lotus Society. It¡¯s equivalent to a secret guard of an aristocratic family. You¡¯re not injured, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I was going to be injured. ¡± In the last move, she stabbed the other party in the chest, and the other party¡¯s sword slashed at her arm. Although it was not fatal, with her physique that was afraid of pain, she would be in so much pain if she was really cut. Su Xiaoxiao recalled, ¡°Someone shot a hidden weapon and knocked down his sword.¡± Qin Canglan was slightly stunned. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°This.¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed a small dart to Qin Canglan. Qin Canglan took it and took a look. He said, ¡°It¡¯s a swallowtail dart. It¡¯s named because it looks like a swallowtail.¡± ¡°Is this kind of dart very common?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°It¡¯s not rare.¡± Qin Canglan touched the swallowtail dart in his hand. ¡°But this texture doesn¡¯t seem to be ordinary copper and iron.¡± su xlaoxlao said, ¡°¡®l¡¯ney weren¡¯t sent DY uranapaf¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone with such a swallowtail dart beside me, nor does the old monkey¡¯s family. Could it be from the Wei family? Ask Wei Ting later.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Xiao Duye had been alone in the cold wind for a long time. He thought that Qin Canglan would call him into the carriage. After waiting for a long time, Qin Canglan did not call him. He was furious. It seemed that tonight¡¯s plan was going to be ruined. However, at least he had brought Hui An back. It could be considered a credit. He walked towards the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said, ¡°In addition, there are rebels from the White Lotus Society hidden on this mountain.¡± Qin Canglan said coldly, ¡°Then I¡¯ll immediately lead troops to exterminate them!¡± Qin Canglan did not ask about the number of rebels at all. With 3,000 cavalry, even if there were 30 ,ooo rebels, they could be wiped out all at once! Moreover, this mountain could not hide so many rebels. Hearing this, Xiao Duye stopped in his tracks. Qin Canglan asked, ¡°Do you Imow where they¡¯re hiding?¡± Su Xiaoxiao replied, ¡°I know, but the cavalry has caused such a huge commotion. I think they should have already been alerted. I wonder if they have escaped.¡± Qin Canglan said firmly, ¡°They won¡¯t escape.¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Why?¡± Qin Canglan raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°In the Great Zhou, only the Qin family has heavy cavalry. From the commotion, we know that the Qin family¡¯s iron cavalry is here. No one in the world is faster than the Qin family¡¯s iron cavalry. Unless they want to be captured, they will definitely not move or find a safe place to hide.¡± Xiao Duye was shocked. Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°Hide¡­ Then should we search the mountain?¡± Qin Canglan smiled and patiently imparted his experience to his granddaughter. ¡°Searching the mountain will spread the troops. Coupled with the fact that it¡¯s late at night, it¡¯s very easy to be ambushed.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Qin Canglan said domineeringly, ¡°That¡¯s easy. Set fire to the mountain!¡± ¡°Go get a pot of water for me.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After instructing one of his cavalrymen, Xiao Duye said to the carriage, ¡°Old Protector Duke!¡± Qin Canglan lifted the curtain and looked out of the carriage. ¡°What instructions do you have, Your First Highness?¡± Xiao Duye asked in a normal tone, ¡°I¡¯m thinking that it¡¯s already so late and Hui An has been found. Should we go back?¡± Qin Canglan said calmly, ¡°Your Highness, please return to the palace first. I still have to eliminate the rebels.¡± Xiao Duye was stunned. ¡°Rebels? What rebels?¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°The White Lotus Society.¡± Xiao Duye looked extremely surprised. ¡°Are there people from the White Lotus Society here? Who did you hear it from?¡± Qin Canglan said indifferently, ¡°The White Lotus Society seems to be the Third Prince¡¯s case. Are you sure you want to interfere?¡± The corners of Xiao Duye¡¯s mouth twitched as he maintained the aura of a prince. ¡°I was just curious and asked casually. However, the old Protector Duke doesn¡¯t seem to be in charge of this case, right?¡± Qin Canglan cupped his hands at the sky. ¡°Thanks to the late emperor¡¯s trust, I can kill the rebels first and report later!¡± Xiao Duye looked at his armor that had been bestowed by the previous emperor. This armor was equivalent to a noble sword and indeed had this privilege. He understood that he could not stop Qin Canglan. He was just stalling for time. On the surface, his subordinates went to get water, but in fact, they went to inform the White Lotus Society. Qin Canglan was right. No one was faster than the Qin family¡¯s iron cavalry. However, what Qin Canglan did not know was that there was actually a waterway on the mountain. As long as the people of the White Lotus Society crossed the bridge before the Qin family¡¯s iron cavalry and destroyed the bridge, the Qin family¡¯s army would not be able to catch up. Xiao Duye said, ¡°Can I ask the old Protector Duke how he plans to eliminate the rebels?¡± Qin Canglan dusted off the nonexistent dust on his armor. ¡°Forgive me for not being able to comment!¡± Xiao Duye smiled. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t stop you. Old Protector Duke, you just have to eliminate the rebels. I¡¯ll bring Hui An back to the palace.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Princess Hui An is asleep.¡± Xiao Duye said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring her down.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡°Your Highness doesn¡¯t have a carriage. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll freeze the princess.¡± Xiao Duye looked at Qin Canglan. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Old Protector Duke to send me and Hui An over.¡± Qin Canglan looked up at the sky. ¡°My granddaughter is also in the carriage. It¡¯s inconvenient for her to travel with His Highness. After all, I don¡¯t want my granddaughter to be someone¡¯s secondary consort.¡± He was mocking him for marrying Qin Yanran as his secondary consort. Xiao Duye was about to be angered to death. He squeezed out a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ride a horse. How about letting Miss Su and Hui An take the carriage?¡± Princess Hui An rubbed her eyes in a daze. ¡°It¡¯s so noisy.. What are you doing?¡± Xiao Duye¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Hui An, you¡¯re awake? Big Brother will send you back to the palace.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not awake!¡± Princess Hui An hugged Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arm tightly and closed her eyes to pretend to be dead! Chapter 447 - Chapter 447: All Wiped Out! Chapter 447: All Wiped Out! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the end, Xiao Duye could not take his biological sister away. Both of his credits for tonight were gone. He was furious, but at least he had bought time for Guardian He and the others. As long as there was life, there was hope. The night was as dark as ink. The cavalryman who left under the pretext of fetching water used his qinggong to shuttle through the rows of trees. Qin Canglan was right. The people from the White Lotus Society were indeed hiding in an incomparably safe place. If not for the fact that Xiao Duye was one of them, it was impossible for him to know this hiding place. The cavalry came to a canyon and pushed aside the vines outside the stone, entering a crack in the stone. Behind the crack was a different world. It was actually a small courtyard filled with peach blossoms. ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± A man in black asked warily. The cavalry took out the token at his waist. ¡°His First Highness has something to tell you.¡± The man in black said. ¡°Sneak.¡± The cavalry was about to speak when a hidden weapon flew over and hit the man in black¡¯s shoulder! The man in black fell heavily to the ground. The other men in black in the courtyard hurriedly pulled out their swords warily! One of them shouted, ¡°Who is it!¡± The cavalryman also turned around in shock. In the narrow gap, a young man in sky-green brocade clothes walked out arrogantly with his hands behind his back. The man had a jade-like face and exquisite facial features. He was as beautiful as an immortal who had descended to the mortal world, but he had a pair of abnormally cold eyes. Behind him was a black-clothed swordsman and a gray-clothed secret guard. The leader of the men in black glared at them warily. ¡°Who are you?!¡± As he spoke, he placed his left hand behind his back and gestured to the people behind him. Wei Ting smiled cynically. ¡°You don¡¯t even know me. You¡¯re ignorant.¡± The man in black choked. ¡°You!¡± Wei Ting went forward alone and patted the shoulder of the stunned cavalryman. He smiled and said, ¡°Alright, your mission is completed. Go back and tell your Highness that I, Wei Ting, will remember today¡¯s favor.¡± The man in black was shocked. ¡°Wei Ting? You¡¯re Wei Ting?¡± The 17-year-old top scholar of the new subject abandoned his studies and joined the martial arts at the age of 18. Was this the youngest son of the Wei family, who turned the tide under the tragic situation of his grandfather and father dying in battle and defeated Northern Yan? The man in black gripped the sword in his hand tightly. No wonder he dared to barge into their stronghold with only two people at his side. If he was Wei Ting, he would indeed have the guts. One of the guards beside him was probably Yuchi Xiu, who was ranked second on the assassin rankings of the six countries. This was troublesome¡­ Wait, how did Wei Ting say he found him just now? His Eldest Highness? The man in black¡¯s expression changed and he looked fiercely at the cavalry. ¡°Your master betrayed us!¡± ¡°No¡­ My master¡­¡¯ There was no way the cavalry could react anymore. In the carriage, Qin Canglan¡¯s conversation with Miss Su was deliberately told to the Eldest Prince. The goal was to let the Eldest Prince send someone to inform the White Lotus Society. This way, Wei Ting, who was hiding in the dark, could follow them all the way here. The Eldest Prince had been schemed against! Unfortunately, it was too late to explain! ¡°Traitor!¡± The man in black slashed at the cavalry. Wei Ting grabbed him and used his qinggong to retreat. Then, he smiled gently at him and said, ¡°Go, leave this to us.¡± The completely petrified cavalry was speechless. The leader of the men in black gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Brothers, attack!¡± Wei Ting sighed. ¡°Tsk, I don¡¯t like blood. Then let¡¯s give someone a taste of their own medicine.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand and threw a bag into the air. Then, he casually pinched a leaf and used the leaf as a blade to shoot at the bag. The leader of the men in black sniffed and hurriedly covered his mouth and nose with his arm. ¡°It¡¯s knockout medicine! Hold your breath!¡± ¡°Hold your ass!¡± Yuchi Xiu threw an iron fist over! The leader of the men in black was sent flying on the spot! He was a Shadow Guard of the White Lotus Society and was definitely skilled. Unfortunately, he was against Yuchi Xiu¡ªthe second strongest assassin in the six countries. Fu Su was also prepared to attack. Yuchi Xiu smiled evilly. ¡°Shorty, don¡¯t interfere. They¡¯re all mine!¡± Usually, he was not allowed to kill this or that. He was about to suffocate to death! He was a killer. What kind of killer was he if he didn¡¯t kill people? Tonight, he could finally kill to his heart¡¯s content! Fu Su pulled out his sword and said fiercely, ¡°If you call me short again, believe it or not, I¡¯ll slash you!¡± Yuchi Xiu said innocently, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look like I can call you a big guy.¡± Fu Su was speechless. Wei Ting and the other two had taken the antidote in advance. The knockout medicine was ineffective against the three of them, but it was a devastating blow to the people of the White Lotus Society. Therefore, even though they had many people, they quickly fell under Yuchi Xiu and Fu Su¡¯s swords. Of course, killing was not an option. Wei Ting wanted all of them alive. He wanted to extort a confession through torture. Yuchi Xiu was furious. After all this time, he still couldn¡¯t kill anyone! ¡°Your¡ªGrandpa¡ª¡± He punched the three rebels of the White Lotus Society. On the other side, the leader of the men in black was kicked away by Fu Su and fell at Wei Ting¡¯s feet. With Fu Su and Yuchi Xiu fighting the enemies bravely, Wei Ting was happy to leave everything to others. It was unknown where he got a pot of wine and two small wine glasses. He sat leisurely on the stone stool and glanced at a certain man in black leisurely before handing him the wine glass in his hand. ¡°Would you like a drink?¡± The leader of the men in black covered his painful chest and glared fiercely at Wei Ting. ¡°Do you really think you can succeed? Our protector has long escaped!¡± He had been gesturing to the people in the house from the beginning. They would hold Wei Ting and the other two while the two shadow guards would escort Guardian He away. After fighting for so long, Guardian He had already fled far away! Wei Ting took a sip of wine and pointed with his finger. ¡°You mean him?¡± The leader was stunned and turned his head in the direction Wei Ting was pointing. Under the half-moon, the man in white grabbed a middle-aged man and descended from the sky. The moment he landed, he knelt on one knee and smashed the other party to the ground! The middle-aged man immediately spat out a mouthful of blood! The leader of the men in black was shocked. ¡°Guardian He!¡± The man in white let go and stood up coldly, stepping on the man in black expressionlessly. Wei Ting had gained a lot on this trip. Not only did he destroy a nest of the White Lotus Society, but he also captured more than 20 disciples alive and a guardian. This was the first time the Imperial Court had caught a guardian -level rebel of the White Lotus Society. At this moment, Xiao Duye knew nothing about the White Lotus Society. He was still glad that he had delayed Qin Canglan for so long. Calculating the time, it should be enough. Xiao Duye smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I should return to the palace. If the old Duke wants to set fire to the mountain, so be it.¡± Qin Canglan said calmly, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not burning it anymore.¡± Xiao Duye was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any torches.¡± Xiao Duye was speechless.. Chapter 448 - Chapter 448: The Mole in the Wei Family Chapter 448: The Mole in the Wei Family Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Canglan withdrew his troops just like that. 3,000 armored horses escorted Su Xiaoxiao back to Pear Blossom Lane. If not for the fact that he was afraid of disturbing the people in the middle of the night, he would have made it look like the emperor had returned. After that, it was much easier to send Princess Hui An off. ¡°All of you can go back.¡± It was enough for him to escort her alone, plus a coachman from the Public House. ¡°Master, is this really fine?¡± the coachman asked. Qin Canglan glared at him. ¡°What do you know? It¡¯s very expensive to fight once!¡± Did he think the soldiers followed them out to blow up the streets for nothing? They had to pay the army! Princess Hui An returned to the palace safely. In the Imperial Study, Emperor Jing Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Consort Xian had not slept the entire night. She hugged her lost daughter and cried uncontrollably. ¡°Hui An¡­ Mother¡¯s Hui An¡­ In the palace, concubines could not call themselves mother, nor could they let the princes and princesses call them mother. They only had one mother, and that was the Empress. However, at this moment, no one cared about this. No matter how Consort Xian set up her persona in the harem, her feelings for the two children were real. ¡°How did you end up like this? Were you bullied?¡± Consort Xian held her daughter¡¯s disheveled face with her messy hair. Countless ominous guesses flashed across her mind. Hui An said tiredly, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m tired. Can we talk tomorrow?¡± She, who loved to complain, could not say a word now. It was obvious that she was really exhausted. Consort Xian hurriedly said, ¡°Alright, alright, alright! Mother will bring you back to rest. Your Majesty¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan nodded. He also had many questions for Hui An, but he couldn¡¯t bear to see her so tired. Eunuch Fu got someone to prepare a soft sedan chair and sent Consort Xian and Princess Hui An back to Qi Xiang Palace. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at Qin Canglan, who was dressed in divine armor, and sighed. ¡°Thank you, Minister Qin, for saving my Hui¡¯an.¡± Qin Canglan cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Majesty, this matter is not my credit.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan replied, ¡°Oh?¡± Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°It was my granddaughter who sneaked into the tiger¡¯s den alone and saved the princess. I only went to receive her.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan looked at him doubtfully. ¡°Your granddaughter?¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°That¡¯s right. When Princess Hui An wakes up tomorrow, His Majesty can ask her.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan naturally had to ask, but for Qin Canglan to say this, it was most likely true. ¡°I thought¡­ she was a physician.¡± Qin Canglan smiled. ¡°This girl has been bold since she was young and learned some martial arts from her father in the countryside.¡± Although he said it humbly, the pride in his eyes could not be hidden. As long as Qin Canglan thought of how calm his precious granddaughter was when he shot that traitor with a spear, endless pride surged in his chest. In this world, even men were probably not as bold as her. As expected of his granddaughter! Emperor Jing Xuan did not continue this topic and asked, ¡°Have you found out who did what happened today?¡± Qin Canglan said in a normal tone, ¡°Ah, His Highness went to investigate.¡± In the small courtyard at the back of the mountain. The guards of the Third Prince¡¯s residence were tying up the rebels of the White Lotus Society on the ground. Xiao Zhonghua walked towards Wei Ting under the peach tree. Wei Ting was tasting the wine. When he saw him come over, he smiled faintly. ¡°The White Lotus Society has brewed very well. Remember to ask for the recipe for the wine when you interrogate them.¡± Xiao Zhonghua used to be the gentle Third Prince, but there was no need to pretend in front of Wei Ting. After all, they had fought a few times. ¡°Are you sure you want these people to be handed to me?¡± Xiao Zhonghua asked. Wei Ting said, ¡®What else? Did I ask you to come over and drink with me?¡± Xiao Zhonghua looked at Wei Ting meaningfully and did not say anything else. He turned around to survey the event location. Yuchi Xiu stood under the peach tree with a sword in his arms. He curled his lips and said, ¡°Are you addicted to being a hands-off shopkeeper? Why did you call Xiao Zhonghua over?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it good for someone else to investigate the case? Must you butt and rack your brain out?¡± Yuchi Xiu snorted. ¡°I think you¡¯re just lazy! Xiaohu learned it from you!¡± Lazy babies snoozed every day! But how old was Xiao Hu? And how old was Wei Ting? He didn¡¯t know how to teach him well! In the carriage back, Changping asked in confusion, ¡°Your Highness, could Wei Ting be up to something? To think he didn¡¯t want such a huge contribution and gave it to the Third Prince for free? Would he be so kind?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not being kind,¡± Xiao Zhonghua said. ¡°The Wei and Qin families have been in the limelight recently. Su Cheng¡¯s inheritance of military power has already angered Father. Now that the Qin and Wei families are in-laws¡­ Father is even more afraid. At this juncture, retreating bravely is the right thing to do.¡± At the mention of this, Changping felt indignant for His Highness. Originally, the eldest daughter of the Qin family was His Highness¡¯s fianc¨¦e, but His Majesty betrothed her to Wei Ting. What was going on? Xiao Zhonghua thought of how Emperor Jing Xuan had flushed with agitation in the throne room and closed his eyes slightly. ¡°This matter is in the past. There¡¯s no need to mention it again.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Changping agreed gloomily. Thinking of something, Changping said, ¡°Your Highness, I heard that His First Highness also went to look for Princess Hui An tonight. Why didn¡¯t Wei Ting give him the credit?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°Big Brother touched Su Cheng.¡± He and Wei Ting targeted each other and did not harm others around them. Wei Ting had never cared about himself. Changping scratched his head. ¡°But in this way, His First Highness will hate Your Highness even more.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said calmly, ¡°Letting me bear a portion of Big Brother¡¯s hostility is one of Wei Ting¡¯s goals.¡± Changping frowned. ¡°Then Your Highness still¡ª¡± Xiao Zhonghua held the warm teacup in his hand and said indifferently, ¡°Brother and I were fighting for that position to begin with. It doesn¡¯t matter if Wei Ting helps to encourage us or not. Everyone takes what they need and lives according to fate.¡± When Wei Ting arrived home, his family had already rested, leaving Su Xiaoxiao still burying her head in arranging the herbs. Wei Ting went over to help her and told her about destroying the White Lotus Society¡¯s nest. ¡°More than twenty disciples, including three shadow guards and a guardian.¡± This was the first time the Imperial Court had caught a guardian-level rebel. The credit could not be said to be small. Xiao Zhonghua received this credit. Xiao Duye was probably going to explode from anger. Su Xiaoxiao felt that this was good. Not only did it deal a blow to Xiao Duye, but it also prevented Jing Yi from being sandwiched between them. ¡°Is the royal court officially purging the White Lotus Society this time?¡± she asked. Wei Ting nodded and said, ¡°In the past, the Imperial Court had never paid much attention to the martial arts organizations and sects. However, the White Lotus Society¡¯s provocative actions have already angered Emperor Jing Xuan. Next, the Imperial Court will officially attack the White Lotus Society.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°There seem to be many believers of the White Lotus Society among the commoners.¡± Wei Ting nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t something that can be done overnight. It¡¯s really tricky to distinguish between ordinary believers and rebels with ulterior motives.¡± Therefore, it was better to give such a tricky credit to Xiao Zhonghua! Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Do you think¡­ this operation was done by the White Lotus Society or the Wei family¡¯s mole?¡± ¡°You suspect that the mole is from the White Lotus Society?¡± Wei Ting was deep in thought. ¡°That¡¯s not ruled out.¡± At the Wei family, the moon was dark and windy. Two sneaky figures quietly approached the second door. Just as they were about to take a step out, they were bumped into by someone. ¡°Third Sister-in-law? Fifth Sister-in-law? Where are the two of you going in the middle of the night?¡± Madam Chu asked doubtfully. Madam Jiang pulled down the black cloth covering her face in embarrassment. ¡°Sister-in-law, our faces are covered like this. Why did you still recognize us?¡± Madam Chu glared at the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s just the two of you. I would know you even if you turn to dust!¡± Madam Chen scratched her head foolishly. ¡°We want to look for Seventh Sister-in-law,¡± Madam Chen said honestly. Madam Chu sighed. ¡°She¡¯s already back. There¡¯s no need to look.¡± Madam Chen said, ¡°Oh.¡± Madam Jiang asked, ¡°But Sister-in-law, you came back so late. Did you go out to do something?¡± Madam Chu said, ¡°Mother suddenly felt a little uncomfortable at night. I went to the pharmacy to get some medicine. You came at the right time. Come with me to see Mother.¡± Madam Jiang was stunned. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Looking at her sister-in-law walking over, Madam Jiang frowned. ¡°Third Sister-in-law, can I say that I have a stomachache?¡± Madam Chen looked at her worriedly. ¡°Does your stomach hurt?¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± Madam Jiang stomped her feet bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to Mom¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± Madam Chen did not understand. Madam Jiang whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you think¡­ Mother is a little scary? Every time I go to her place, I feel nervous. She actually doesn¡¯t like us disturbing her. Don¡¯t you see that she¡¯s not happy every time?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Madam Chen looked confused. Madam Jiang looked at her insensitive third sister-in-law and resigned herself to fate. She pulled off the black cloth on her head. ¡°Sigh, forget it. You won¡¯t understand even if I tell you. Go see Mother.¡± The three of them went to Madam Wei¡¯s courtyard. The peaches in the courtyard were well-knotted and emitted an alluring peach fragrance. Madam Wei sat at the head of the bed and coughed softly. Madam Chu came to the bed and poured a glass of warm water for her. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the kitchen to boil the medicine. Mother, drink some water first.¡± Madam Wei took a sip and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯S not a serious illness. There¡¯s no need to take medicine. Go back.¡± Madam Jiang asked in confusion, ¡°Mother, where are you feeling unwell?¡± They had come to visit during the day. Madam Wei was clearly fine at that time. Madam Wei said weakly, ¡°She has a headache and a cough. Perhaps she got a shock from trimming the peach branches in the afternoon.¡± Madam Chu looked around and asked, ¡°Ping¡¯er isn¡¯t back yet? Why don¡¯t I get Chunhong to come over and take care of you for a few days?¡± Madam Wei lowered her eyes and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m not used to being taken care of..¡± Chapter 449 - Chapter 449: Fighting for Favor Chapter 449: Fighting for Favor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The news that the rebels of the White Lotus Society had been captured by Xiao Zhonghua and brought back to the Dali Temple spread to the Eldest Prince¡¯s residence. Xiao Duye finally understood that he had been tricked by Wei Ting and Qin Canglan. Originally, he still had a trace of doubt about Guardian He¡¯s words. Now, he completely believed the fact that the Qin and Wei families had long colluded. ¡°Damn it!¡± He slammed his fist on the table. ¡°Have they all joined Xiao Zhonghua?¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°Your Highness.¡± His trusted guard stood beside him and asked worriedly, ¡°Will the White Lotus Society sell Your Highness out?¡± Xiao Duye said with a dark expression, ¡°Only Guardian He knows my identity. I¡¯ve always been wearing a mask, and no one else has seen my face. If they really want to sell me out, I shall just deny it.¡± His trusted guard said, ¡°Guardian He¡­ ¡± Xiao Duye said firmly, ¡°He won¡¯t betray me.¡± In the torture chamber of the Dali Temple, Guardian He was tied to an iron chair. Xiao Zhonghua looked at him calmly. ¡°His surname is He. He¡¯s the guardian of the White Lotus Society. I heard that there are a total of eight guardians in the White Lotus Society. I wonder what rank Guardian He is?¡± Guardian He snorted disdainfully. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said calmly, ¡°You were betrayed by Big Brother. I¡¯m sure you know this.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Guardian He laughed mockingly. ¡°Your brother betrayed us and gave you the credit? Third Prince, are you naive or am I stupid?¡± Xiao Zhonghua did not look flustered at all. ¡°Because that¡¯s the only way to clear his name and prevent your White Lotus Society from suspecting him. Look, didn¡¯t you fall for it yourself?¡± Guardian He¡¯s smile froze. Xiao Zhonghua coaxed, ¡°As long as you cooperate obediently, I might be able to spare you and your subordinates.¡± Guardian He said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your effort! The people of the White Lotus School are not afraid of death! If you want to kill or torture me, do as you please!¡± Xiao Zhonghua looked at him with a sharp gaze. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re stubborn. I don¡¯t believe you won¡¯t relent after the torture at the Dali Temple. Or¡­ does my brother have something on you?¡± Guardian He clenched his fists. Guardian He clenched his fists. Su Xiaoxiao woke up late the next day. The three little fellows had already gone to school, and Su Cheng was cultivating in the courtyard. Su Xiaoxiao yawned and walked out. ¡°Dad, aren¡¯t you going to the military camp today?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go later!¡± Su Cheng was worried about his fat daughter and wanted to stay at home for a while. Seeing Su Xiaoxiao looking around, he said, ¡°Son-in-law went out.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m not looking for Wei Ting.¡± Su Cheng thought for a moment. ¡°Oh, Dahu and the others went to school, and Ergou went to the Directorate.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was surprised. ¡°Ergou went to class?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°Your brother is fine long ago. Don¡¯t worry about him!¡± The truth was that Su Ergou was being pressed by his two cousins for tutoring all day long. He was so tutored that he hurriedly packed his bags and started to go to the Directorate at the first opportunity. Su Mo¡¯s carriage stopped at the door. Su Cheng took a look and asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Are you still going to the palace today?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Sending medicinal cuisine to the Empress Dowager.¡± After a period of recuperation, the Empress Dowager¡¯s complexion had improved a lot, and her legs were stronger. It was precisely because of this that she could not interrupt the treatment. She had to strike while the iron was hot and recuperate her body in one go. Su Xiaoxiao ate a corn cob and loaded the cooked medicinal cuisine. When she returned to the house to get the medicine box, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of the swallowtail dart on the table. ¡°Oh, I forgot to ask Wei Ting if he knows this.¡± When Su Xiaoxiao arrived at Yongshou Palace, the Empress Dowager was walking in the courtyard with Eunuch Cheng¡¯s help. As she walked, she didn¡¯t forget to glance at the door. Eunuch Cheng saw through it but did not expose it. After walking back and forth a few times, Su Xiaoxiao finally appeared. ¡°Empress Dowager, you¡¯re up.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over with the food box and medicine box. The little palace maid went forward and helped Su Xiaoxiao carry the first aid kit and food box. The Empress Dowager said, ¡°Look at the time.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I woke up late today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about you.¡± The Empress Dowager sighed. ¡°Forget it, why are you here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I have to come every day.¡± ¡°I will take the medicine. You don¡¯t have to watch,¡± the Empress Dowager said as her gaze swept across the food box. ¡°It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t eat the medicinal cuisine for a day.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine too.¡¯ The Empress Dowager glanced at her and hit the nail on the head. ¡°I think you just don¡¯t want to go to the palace to study.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°How can that be? I¡¯m concerned about the Empress Dphoenix body.¡± The Empress Dowager snorted and turned to enter the bedroom. ¡°I heard that you saved Hui An.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± Qin Canglan and Wei Ting also contributed a lot. It was definitely not her alone. The Empress Dowager sat back on the phoenix bed. Eunuch Cheng opened the food box and the Empress Dowager said, ¡°I¡¯ll eat later.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eunuch Cheng covered the food box again. Su Xiaoxiao took the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse and took her blood pressure. ¡°You¡¯re recovering well. Persist in taking medicine. You can take more walks like today.¡± The Empress Dowager glared at her. ¡°You want to tire me to death!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. Look, she even had the strength to be fierce. Eunuch Cheng chuckled. The Empress Dowager instructed, ¡°You guys retreat first.¡± ¡°Yes, Empress Dowager.¡± Eunuch Cheng brought the palace servants out. The Empress Dowager¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What were you thinking? Don¡¯t you know that the White Lotus Society is a tiger¡¯s den? Dozens of corpses were dug up under the cellar where your brother was hurt. They were all from the White Lotus Society! Don¡¯t tell me you havent heard of them?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of them¡­ The Empress Dowager was even angrier. ¡°Then how dare you infiltrate the White Lotus Society alone? I think you don¡¯t want to live!¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Empress Dowager, are you concerned about me?¡± The Empress Dowager said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m concerned about my few great-grandsons. I didn¡¯t want them to lose their mother at such a young age! And Jingning, that girl almost left the palace to look for you and was stopped by me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh.¡± The Empress Dowager was speechless. The Empress Dowager was not an ordinary old lady. She was someone who had experienced the change of the throne. Her husband and son had both become emperors. No one would believe that she was stupid and naive. She looked at Su Xiaoxiao with a complicated expression. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao tucked her in. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Empress Dowager, Liu Sande requests an audience.¡± Eunuch Cheng¡¯s report came from outside the door. ¡°Why is he here?¡± The Empress Dowager frowned. ¡°Let him in.¡± Liu Sande bowed in fear. ¡°Empress Dowager.¡± The Empress Dowager said impatiently, ¡°Cut the crap. Why did Consort Xian ask you to come?¡± Liu Sande smiled awkwardly. ¡°Consort Xian didn¡¯t ask me to come over. It¡¯s¡­ Princess Hui An.¡± As he spoke, he glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Princess Hui An isn¡¯t feeling well and wants to invite Physician Su to Qixiang Palace.¡± Eunuch Cheng gasped. Good lord, was she fighting with the Empress Dowager for the physician? In Qixiang Palace, Princess Hui An was wearing a long white dress decorated with blue gauze. She was lively and fairy-like, so beautiful that one could not take their eyes off her. Of course, her beauty was real, and her arrogant expression was not fake. She sat on the bed with the blanket covering her waist. ¡°Princess, shall we do without this jewelry? It¡¯s too much,¡± the little palace maid said. After what happened with Little Zhuozi, Consort Xian changed all the palace servants around Hui An. This one was new. ¡°Mirror,¡± Princess Hui An said calmly. Another little palace maid walked forward with a bronze mirror. Princess Hui An took a look and frowned. ¡°Take it apart and change the headband! This is so ugly!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The two of them were about to tidy her hair when the young eunuch outside suddenly shouted, ¡°Eunuch Liu is back!¡± Princess Hui An hurriedly looked at the pile of jewelry on the blanket and urged, ¡°Go, go, go! Hurry up and leave! Take them all away!¡± The palace maids hurriedly removed the things. Princess Hui An adjusted the tassel on her hair and crossed her arms. She raised her chin and said arrogantly, ¡°Have you brought her here? I¡¯m not seeing any ordinary physician. If not for the fact that the physicians at the Imperial Hospital happened to be busy taking the pulses of Father, Mother, and the concubines, I wouldn¡¯t have let a little girl treat my injuries!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, there was no movement at the door. She coughed lightly again. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and come in. Do you want me to welcome you personally?¡± The other party came in. Princess Hui An saw a beautiful figure from the corner of her eye and looked at the sky. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± She extended a noble jade-like hand. ¡°Take my pulse.¡± ¡°You look very energetic. There¡¯s no need to take your pulse.¡± A demonic voice sounded above Princess Hui An¡¯s head. Princess Hui An was so frightened that her small body trembled and she almost fell off the bed. She stabilized herself and turned her head in disbelief. ¡°Why, why is it you?!¡± Princess Jingning said expressionlessly, ¡°Are you disappointed to see me?¡± Princess Hui An clenched her fists angrily. ¡°Where¡¯s that girl?¡± ¡°She has something on and left the palace.¡± Princess Jingning asked Su Xiaoxiao to leave the palace. Just as Liu Sande finished sending the message, there was news at the palace entrance. The Old Marquis, Matriarch Su, and the others had returned to the capital. Su MO was waiting at the palace entrance. Princess Jingning happened to come to Yongshou Palace to visit the Empress Dowager, so she asked Su Xiaoxiao to hurry back to reunite with her family. Princess Hui An jumped up in anger. ¡°Did you do it on purpose?¡± Princess Jingning said to solve a big issue with little effort, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that you only found a common doctor when there¡¯s no one left in the Imperial Hospital? Coincidentally, Imperial Physician Zhu has finished asking for Mother¡¯s pulse. Why don¡¯t you let him treat you?¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± Princess Hui An was furious.. Chapter 450 - Chapter 450: Family Reunion Chapter 450: Family Reunion Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao and Su MO went to Pear Blossom Lane to pick up the three little ones. It was almost noon when they arrived at the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. The entire family gathered in the Old Marquis and Matriarch Su¡¯s courtyard and were busy going through the gifts and specialties they had brought back from Yunzhou. In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient. It took Matriarch Su more than half a year to return from her parents¡¯ house. Matriarch Su was a kind-looking old lady. Her face was rosy and she had a smile on her face. She looked very easy to get along with. Su Yuan¡¯s wife, Madam Tao, was a gentle and virtuous woman. Her ancestral hometown was also in Yunzhou. Later on, her father entered the capital and became an official, so the family moved to the capital. ¡°It¡¯s Daya, right? Come over quickly and let Grandaunt take a look.¡± Matriarch Su smiled and waved at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao walked over and called her grandaunt. Matriarch Su pulled Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and asked her to sit down beside her. The old woman¡¯s hand was a little rough and warm. Su Xiaoxiao was very unfamiliar with this direct intimacy from an elder and was a little at a loss. Matriarch Su looked at her, and her eyes turned red. ¡°She really looks like Huayin¡­ When Matriarch Su married into the Su family, Su Huayin had yet to get married. Their relationship was very close, and Su Huayin respected her sister-in-law more than her biological brother. When she was young, Matriarch Su and Su Shuo bickered a lot. Every time, Su Huayin would stand firmly on her sister-in-law¡¯s side. After Su Huayin was killed, Matriarch Su took many years to recover from her grief. Matriarch Su couldn¡¯t help but cry. ¡°Why are you crying in front of the children?¡± the Old Marquis said majestically. A man still had some dignity in front of others. It was hard to say if he would kneel on the washboard when he returned to the house. Matriarch Su quickly wiped her tears and called her daughter-in-law over. ¡°This is your aunt, the mother of Mo¡¯er and the others.¡± Su Xiaoxiao obediently called her aunt. ¡°Hey!¡± Madam Tao sat down on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s other side and pulled her other hand. She said excitedly, ¡°Mo¡¯er mentioned you on the way back to the capital. Child, you¡¯ve suffered all these years.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her two chubby hands that had lost their freedom and smiled. The elders cared too much¡­ She couldn¡¯t take it¡­ When Madam Tao married into the Su family, Su Huayin had already married into the Qin family. The two of them did not interact much, but a daughter was a rare species in the Su family. Mdm Tao looked at the cute little fat girl and had the urge to kidnap her home to be her daughter. The two elders held Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and asked her how she got on in the countryside and whether she was used to it after coming to the capital. Su Xiaoxiao was surrounded by the enthusiasm of the elders and felt dizzy. Fortunately, at this moment, the three little ones who had been brought to pee by Su MO came to save her. This was the first time the three little ones had visited their relatives openly after coming to the capital. Although they had gone to the Wei family a few times in the past, it was always done sneakily in the middle of the night. The three little ones seemed a little reserved. They did not enter immediately. Instead, they leaned against the door and poked their three round heads in. Madam Tao looked at the door. The little heads immediately retracted. Madam Tao thought that she had seen it wrongly and continued to talk to Su Xiaoxiao. The little heads popped out again. Madam Tao looked again. The little heads disappeared again. Madam Tao was stunned. Su MO carried the three little fellows in in amusement. Looking at the three identical children, Madam Tao and Matriarch Su were stunned. It was not only the two of them, but the servants who were busy in the house also widened their eyes and stood rooted to the ground in shock. Heavens! Triplets! Su MO held one in each hand and one of them was held by the guard. The three of them shrunk their feet and did not touch the ground. Their faces were cute and blank, like three little bear cubs who had been caught. ¡°Aiya!¡± Madam Tao let go of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and quickly walked towards the three little fellows. She pinched the three little fellows¡¯ faces one by one. So soft! The three little ones lowered their heads shyly. Madam Tao was mesmerized by their cuteness. She had given birth to five sons, but none of them were so cute! She really wanted to stuff the five of them back into her stomach and recreate them! Madam Tao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You¡¯re Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu, right?¡± The three little ones called out tacitly, ¡°Aunt.¡± Madam Tao was stunned at first, but then she covered her face with a handkerchief and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not an aunt. I¡¯m not that young. I¡¯m your Grandaunt.¡± The three little ones said, ¡°Aunt.¡± Madam Tao¡¯s face turned red. The corners of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. Madam Tao took good care of herself, had a harmonious family, and was in a good mood. Naturally, she looked younger than her peers. However, Su Cheng was also young. The little brats had already called him Grandpa. She wondered whom they had learned their ingratiating skills from. The three brats broke free from Su MO and the guard and transformed into little gentlemen in a second. They went outside to pluck three beautiful flowers and offered them to Madam Tao. Madam Tao couldn¡¯t stop smiling. She felt light as if she was stepping on a cloud. At the door, the two snow-robed youths watched this scene with their mouths agape. One of them said hesitantly, ¡°Should we remind Mother that those are the peonies she bought for 5,000 taels of silver? I accidentally knocked off a leaf last time, and she chased after me along an entire street and beat me up¡­¡± After the children saw Madam Tao, they went to greet Matriarch Su. Their calls of ¡°Great-Grandma¡± made Matriarch Su dizzy. When she returned to her maiden home this time, her sister-in-law had already carried a few great-grandchildren. However, Mo¡¯er and his brothers were not in a hurry at all. She wanted a little baby so much that she was going crazy! At the mention of her grandchildren, she looked at the door. ¡°Hey, where did those two brats go?¡± Xiaohu tilted his head and asked, ¡°What are brats?¡± Matriarch Su trembled and hurriedly said, ¡°Great-Grandma was wrong. It¡¯s Uncle! Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle!¡± Xiaohu digested it seriously. ¡°Oh.¡± At this moment, Su MO brought his two brothers over and said to the three little ones, ¡°Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle are here.¡± Xiaohu greeted, ¡°Brats!¡± Su Xuan and Su Li were speechless. Su Xiaoxiao finally saw the fourth and fifth brothers Su MO mentioned. The two of them were a pair of twins and were 17 years old this year. Fourth Brother, Su Xuan, was a quiet and handsome man. In terms of looks, he took after Madam Tao. Fifth Brother, Su Li, was the Little Demon King of the Su family. He looked more like Su Yuan, but his personality was worlds apart. He was the kind of person who would expose the roof if he did not hit the roof for three days. He had just run away a few days ago and was captured by the Old Marquis. The corners of his mouth were still green. He calmly came in front of Su Xiaoxiao and pretended to shake casually. A small snake fell to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s feet. Su Xiaoxiao calmly glanced at the little snake and continued to drink her tea. Su Li¡¯s mouth fell open. No kidding? Was she so bold? He had frightened the Guo sisters in his hometown this way. They were all crying. He caught the little snake and put it away in his sleeve. He said indifferently, ¡°Was it your brother who took my place in the Directorate?¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± Su Li decisively reached out to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°What?¡± Su Li extorted, ¡°The spot is gone. I have to take the exam myself. If I can¡¯t get in, I would be cut off by Old Master! Don¡¯t tell me you think it¡¯s easy to get into the Directorate? It¡¯s very hurtful! On account of us being relatives, 100 taels!¡± ¡°Only¡­ a hundred taels?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in a daze. Su Li¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°Ahem, I was wrong. 500 taels!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh.¡± Su Li smiled evilly. It turned out that his little cousin was so easy to extort. He would extort her a few more times in the future. Su Xiaoxiao turned to look at Su MO, who was helping Xiaohu prepare the wooden horse. She said innocently, ¡°Cousin, Fifth Cousin asked me for money. 5,000 taels.¡± Su Li was speechless.. Chapter 451 - Chapter 451: Drunk Chapter 451: Drunk Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Damn! When did he ask her for 5,000 taels? She was really spreading rumors! He would need to deflect those rumors until his legs broke! ¡°You lying woman!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pouted and squeezed out the non-existent tears. She said aggrievedly, ¡°Cousin, Fifth Cousin is fierce to me¡­ I¡¯m so afraid¡­¡¯ Su Li jumped! What was she afraid of? She didn¡¯t even blink when a poisonous snake fell by her feet just now! ¡°Brother! She was pretending! When I frightened her with the snake just now¡­¡± Su MO was immersed in the joy of being called cousin. Hearing this, his eyes turned cold. ¡°You even used a snake to scare her?¡± Su Li¡¯s eyes widened in fear. ¡°No¡­ I¡­¡± He could not defend himself. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and smiled at him. He pointed over. ¡°Brother, look at her!¡± Su MO looked at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression changed in a second. Su Li¡¯s lungs were about to explode! Su MO moved his joints and cracked his fingers. Su MO dragged Su Li to the cultivation room and let his brother, whom he had not seen for a long time, feel the care of his elder brother. After a while, Su MO clapped his hands and walked out of the house. Su Li leaned against the wall and slumped to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of dust. Suddenly, Su MO turned back and knelt on one knee in front of him, unbuttoning his clothes. Tears welled up in Su Li¡¯s eyes. He knew that¡­ Big Brother still cared about him¡­ and would come to check on his injuries¡­ Su MO took out his banknotes. For his sister. Su Li was speechless. In the evening, Su Qi, Su MO, and Su Ergou returned from the Directorate. Qin Canglan and Su Cheng also received the news and rushed over from the military camp after training. The family ate happily. A few juniors accompanied Matriarch Su to the pond for a walk to digest her food, while the Old Marquis and Qin Canglan went to the study. The Old Marquis told him about destroying the White Lotus Society¡¯s nest in the town. ¡°They were just some ordinary citizens. There aren¡¯t many rebels, so they were released. How¡¯s the situation in the capital?¡± Qin Canglan explained what had happened recently. The Old Marquis frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect His Eldest Highness to really collude with the White Lotus Society.¡± During the competition between Su Cheng and Qin Jiang, there were rebels from the White Lotus Society in the ranks of the Imperial Guards. However, at that time, there was no conclusive evidence to prove that the Eldest Prince knew that they were from the White Lotus Society. He could not rule out the possibility that the Eldest Prince wanted to find a few trusted aides and accidentally let the people from the White Lotus Society in. However, last night, Daya heard the conversation between the Eldest Prince and Guardian He¡­ The Old Marquis sighed. ¡°His Majesty has high hopes for this eldest son.¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°After all, he¡¯s the first son. Don¡¯t you have high hopes for Mo¡¯er?¡± The Old Marquis nodded. His Majesty did not have a legitimate son. The eldest son was the most respected. Xiao Duye had an extraordinary status in his heart. Thinking of this, the Old Marquis said, ¡°It¡¯s probably very difficult to convict the Eldest Prince with Daya¡¯s one-sided words.¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°The Third Prince has gone to collect evidence. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a hurry to expose the Eldest Prince. If we keep him and cast a long line to catch a big fish, we might be able to capture more important figures of the White Lotus Society. Of course, this depends on whether the Third Prince can keep his composure.¡± The Old Marquis looked at the sky and sighed. ¡°In two months, His Second Highness should be returning to the capital, right?¡± Would Xiao Zhonghua defeat the First Prince first, or should he wait for the Second Prince to return and leave the First Prince to wear down the Second Prince? The latter was uncertain because it was hard to guarantee that his two brothers would not join forces to get rid of him first. Siblingship did not exist in the royal family. The battle for the imperial power was always so bloody and cruel. Thinking of something, the Old Marquis¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°However, what¡¯s going on with Daya and Wei Ting¡¯s marriage? Do you really like that kid?¡± Qin Canglan coughed lightly. ¡°How is that possible? My granddaughter is so outstanding. How is that kid worthy?¡± The Old Marquis said with a dark expression, ¡°Then why did you agree?¡± Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°Isn¡¯t this to catch the Wei family¡¯s mole? Ever since he poisoned you, that guy has been hiding¡­ In order to provoke him as soon as possible, this is a temporary solution!¡± The Old Marquis said, ¡°Heh, I don¡¯t believe you.¡± The family stayed in the Duke¡¯s Mansion until late at night. Just as Su Xiaoxiao was about to rest, Ah Zhong came. ¡°Boss, a patient¡¯s family came to the medical center to invite us for a house call, but Physician Fu hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Su Xiaoxiao followed him with the first aid kit. This was a patient with a cold. The patient was a little old and would become dangerously ill with a small sickness. Moreover, having a cold was not a small illness in ancient times. Su Xiaoxiao gave the patient fever medicine and prescribed three sets of Chinese medicine, asking the family to follow them back to the medical center to get the medicine. On the way back, Su Xiaoxiao stopped Ah Zhong. ¡°Ah Zhong, stop for a moment.¡± Ah Zhong stopped the carriage by the side of the road. Su Xiaoxiao looked up at the open window upstairs and said to Ah Zhong, ¡°Send the patient back to the medical center to get medicine first.¡± ¡°Okay, boss.¡± Ah Zhong drove the carriage away. Su Xiaoxiao entered the tavern and went to the room on the second floor. She closed the window with a bang. ¡°Who?¡± A certain someone by the window looked at Su Xiaoxiao drunkenly. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you, Miss Su.¡± Su Xiaoxiao dimmed the wick. ¡®Why are you out of the palace again? Are you still sitting by the window drinking because you¡¯re afraid that others won¡¯t notice?¡± Bai Xihe said drunkenly, ¡°Open the window.¡± ¡°Not opening it.¡± ¡°Let me take a look again. I won¡¯t be able to see it in the future.¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused and asked, ¡°Has your nephew left?¡± Bai Xihe smiled bitterly. ¡°Yes, he left. He left tonight. I left the palace to send him off for the last time. He was alone¡­ Do you know why? His mother left him after all¡­ He actually¡­ didn¡¯t want to leave the capital¡­ But I don¡¯t know¡­ how long I can live¡­ If I die¡­ no one in the capital will protect him¡­¡¯ This woman was not telling the truth. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t want to believe her for a while. It was obvious that after drinking for so long, she felt that there were more or less a few heartfelt words in the lie. Su Xiaoxiao pushed the window open slightly. ¡°It can only be opened this big.¡± Bai Xihe didn¡¯t look. She poured herself another glass of wine, spilling most of it. ¡°Miss Su, do you want to have a drink with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like to drink.¡± She refused to admit that she could not hold her liquor well. Bai Xihe supported her head with one hand and couldn¡¯t hold the glass steadily. ¡°You¡¯ve drunk too much, ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Bai Xihe put down his wine glass in silence. Chapter 452 - Chapter 452: Mother-in-law Meets Chapter 452: Mother-in-law Meets Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know how to comfort her. She wanted to close the window, but she accidentally saw a woman. This person¡¯s face¡­ was a little familiar. ¡°Who are you looking at?¡± Bai Xihe staggered over and looked down carefully. ¡°Eh¡­ Madam Wei?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blocked her with her body. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Bai Xihe couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and leaned on her shoulder. ¡°Madam Wei.. ¡°What Madam Wei?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Bai Xihe pointed at the figure on the street and said drunkenly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know her? Wei Ting¡¯s mother¡­¡± That person was Wei Ting¡¯s mother? No wonder she felt that she looked familiar. Wei Ting looked very similar to her. But why did she come out alone in the middle of the night? Madam Wei got into a carriage. There was no Wei family emblem on the carriage. It was rented from the car dealership. ¡°Daughter!¡± It was Su Cheng. ¡°Eh? Madam Bai is here too? Wow, she drank? How much did she drink? Why is she so drunk?¡± Su Xiaoxiao helped Bai Xihe back to the chair. ¡°Dad, help me look after Madam Bai first. I¡¯m going out for a while!¡± ¡°Hey, Daughter! Daughter!¡± Su Cheng did a cheap trick to quickly stop homer to no avail. He looked at Bai Xihe, who was drunk on the chair, and did not know what to do. Forget it. His daughter asked him to help watch over her. He would just watch for a while. Although Su Cheng was a bully, he never flirted outside. It could be said that he was an extremely good man. He found a chair and sat worlds apart from Bai Xihe. He selfishly felt that this seat was very clean. Fifteen minutes later, the waiter went upstairs. ¡°Master, our restaurant is closing. Why don¡¯t you and Madam come back another day?¡± Su Cheng said steadily, ¡°She¡¯s not my Madam!¡± Bai Xi said drunkenly, ¡°Husband¡­ check¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Cheng took out money. His body trembled! It was dark and the restaurant was closed. Bai Xihe had nowhere to go. Su Cheng couldn¡¯t really abandon her by the roadside, so he could only brace himself and bring her downstairs. Bai Xihe was so drunk that she couldn¡¯t walk or wanted to leave. ¡°I can bring you back, but you¡¯re not allowed to call me that again! You¡¯re not allowed to call me husband!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Bai Xihe nodded obediently. Su Cheng carried Bai Xihe back to Pear Blossom Lane. It was Qin Canglan who opened the door. Seeing that his son had actually carried a woman back, he could not help but be shocked. ¡°My daughter-in-law?¡± Su Cheng hurriedly denied it. ¡°No!¡± Bai Xihe raised her flushed face and nodded heavily on Su Cheng¡¯s back. ¡°Father¡­¡± Su Cheng was speechless! On the other side, Su Xiaoxiao chased after Madam Wei¡¯s carriage and turned onto the street at the east end. A person¡¯s legs were not faster than a carriage. She relied on her familiarity with the terrain to shuttle through the small path. ¡°I had wanted to learn qinggong. I have to hurry.¡± Su Xiaoxiao ran until her legs almost broke and finally caught up before the carriage disappeared completely. The carriage stopped. Su Xiaoxiao leaned against the wall and panted. This kind of high-intensity exercise was still very testing of the body. Madam Wei alighted from the carriage. At this moment, she had an additional cloak on her. The hood of the cloak was tightly covered, and she looked like she didn¡¯t want to be recognized. Su Xiaoxiao frowned strangely. She chased after Madam Wei and saw that she had actually entered a gambling den. ¡°That¡¯s strange. What is she doing in the casino in the middle of the night?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the casino and then at the carriage that was silently parked in the alley. Without any hesitation, she walked towards the casino. She did not know that she would enter the gambling den in advance and did not have the time to change her clothes. Although there were women who came to gamble, her unrestrained outfit was still too eye-catching. Everyone looked at her strangely. Su Xiaoxiao walked in calmly. A burly man walked over and stopped her. He said fiercely, ¡°Girl, this is a gambling den, not a place you should come.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡± The burly man crossed his arms and refused to give way. He had seen many such things. It was most likely that men had come here to gamble and the women at home had come looking for their husbands. Their gambling den was open for business. They could not let their customers¡¯ interest be disturbed. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and changed her words. ¡°I¡¯m here to gamble.¡± The burly man snorted and looked at her in disbelief. Su Xiaoxiao turned around and came to a gambling table. After the dealer finished shaking the dice, he slapped it on the table. ¡°Beg big or small! Leave after you¡¯ve placed your bet!¡± There was a man sitting here whose eyes were red. He was hesitant about which to buy. Su Xiaoxiao tapped his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll help you buy it? If you win, you¡¯ll give me half.¡± The man was stunned and frowned at her. ¡°Who are you?¡± The gambler at the side said, ¡°Where did this girl come from? Don¡¯t get in the way! Hurry up and leave!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and looked at the man. ¡°I¡¯ll bet on big. I guarantee you¡¯ll win.¡¯ The man said, ¡°I¡¯ve already bet on big three times in a row. How can this round be big?¡± ¡°Big,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said firmly. The man was very conflicted, but perhaps because he had lost almost all his assets, he had to make a Hail Mary effort and mustered his courage to believe Su Xiaoxiao this time. ¡°Big!¡± He bet the last ten taels of silver. The others shook their heads in disdain. Most of them bought small. The dealer gripped the lid. ¡°It¡¯s open, it¡¯s open¡ª The man said, ¡°Big! Big! Big!¡± Everyone said, ¡°Small! Small! Small!¡± The dealer opened the bet. ¡°Three sixes, big!¡± The man was overjoyed. ¡°I won! I won!¡± He grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Little brother! No¡­ girl¡­ I won!¡± ¡°Continue,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Hey!¡± The man sat back in his chair excitedly. ¡°Are you buying it big this time?¡± ¡°Big,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly. Su Xiaoxiao won all five rounds. In the end, all the gamblers gambled with her. In this way, the dealer would lose. The dealer broke out in cold sweat. In the gambling den, the dealer took up seven to eight percent of the bet. However, tonight, they met their match. The casino manager walked over and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The dealer whispered, ¡°There¡¯s an expert.¡± ¡°Did he cheat?¡± the steward asked. The dealer shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡± The steward looked at Su Xiaoxiao meaningfully. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him calmly and then at the burly man who had stopped her just now. She smiled and said, ¡°Can I go in and look for someone now?¡± The corners of the burly man¡¯s mouth twitched. The steward said with a fake smile, ¡°Miss, please go ahead.¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up a bag of silver on the table and left coolly. She entered the backyard of the gambling den. She remembered that Madam Wei had come here just now, but she didn¡¯t know which room Madam Wei had entered. This was a large-scale gambling den. There were some ordinary betting tables in the lobby, and there were separate bets in the rooms. They were usually used to receive distinguished guests. ¡°Madam, why don¡¯t we talk next door?¡± An unfamiliar man¡¯s voice came from the room. Su Xiaoxiao took a step back and entered another room behind her. She had just hidden behind the curtain when the door creaked open. Madam Wei and a man in luxurious clothes walked in. Madam Wei came to the window and was about to pull open the curtain when she failed.. Chapter 453 - Chapter 453: Discovery Chapter 453: Discovery Madam Wei tugged again, but she still couldn¡¯t move it. Just as sne was aDOut to 100K aown to see tne curtam was namea DY nails, tne man in the room said, ¡°Madam, please sit.¡± Madam Wei let go of the curtain and sat down at the table. The man in luxurious clothes was young and looked to be in his early thirties. He was not very handsome, but he was still considered upright. Su Xiaoxiao imagined a big show¡­ No, this was very wrong. That was her future mother-in-law. It was forbidden to imagine! The man poured Madam Wei a cup of tea and asked gently, ¡°Madam Wei, why are you visiting my gambling den late at night?¡± So he was the boss of the gambling den. Su Xiaoxiao blinked and continued to listen attentively, as she observed the two of them through the gap in the curtain. Madam Wei did not drink tea and said indifferently, ¡°Stop beating around the bush. Hand her over.¡± Boss Lin smiled. ¡°Madam Wei asked me to hand someone over as soon as she arrived. Is it convenient for me to ask who I need to hand over?¡± Madam Wei said, ¡°My maidservant.¡± Boss Lin looked surprised. ¡°Oh? Why is Madam Wei¡¯s maid at my gambling den?¡± Madam Wei said coldly, ¡°If you continue to beat around the bush, I won¡¯t be polite.¡± Boss Lin smiled and said, ¡°Madam Wei, calm down.¡± Fortunately, Madam Wei¡¯s patience was limited. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my breath on you. Either hand her over or¡­¡± Boss Lin opened the folding umbrella in his hand. ¡°Or what? How does Madam Wei plan to deal with me? Are you going to let your son destroy my gambling den?¡± Su Xiaoxiao really wanted to know how Madam Wei treated Wei Ting in front of others. Unexpectedly, Madam Wei did not say anything and looked at him indifferently. Boss Lin smiled. ¡°I was just joking. Madam Wei, please don¡¯t take it to heart. A maidservant came to the gambling den today. Her name is Ping¡¯er.¡± ¡°It¡¯s her,¡± Madam Wei said. Boss Lin looked at the door. ¡°Someone, invite Miss Ping¡¯er over.¡± The servant guarding outside left in response. Not long after, he walked over with a young maidservant. The maidservant was young, only 16 or 17 years old. She was wearing patched clothes, her hair was messy, and there was a wound at the corner of her mouth. Madam Wei¡¯s gaze swept across her maidservant. Boss Lin¡¯s tone darkened. ¡°Which blind person did this to Miss Ping¡¯er?¡± The servant said innocently, ¡°Boss, she was like this when she came. We didn¡¯t even touch a finger of hers!¡± Boss Lin looked at Ping¡¯er. ¡°Miss Pinger?¡± Ping¡¯er hid beside Madam Wei. Madam Wei took out a stack of banknotes and threw them on the table. ¡°Indenture.¡± She said. Boss Lin smiled meaningfully and waved at the servant behind him. The servant sighed and took the indenture from his pocket to place it on Boss Lin¡¯s palm. Boss Lin said in a low voice, ¡°Why are you giving it to me? Give it to Madam Wei!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The servant handed the indenture to Madam Wei. Ping¡¯er hesitated for a moment before taking it shakily. Madam Wei stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Madam Wei.¡± Boss Lin stopped her. Madam Wei asked calmly, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Boss Lin smiled. ¡°If Madam Wei wants a maidservant, just send someone to say it. There¡¯s no need to visit her personally. In addition, there¡¯s no need for this money. If we had known she was Madam Wei¡¯s maidservant, we would have treated her politely and sent her to the residence.¡± Madam Wei ignored him and left with Ping¡¯er without looking back. The servant muttered, ¡°Boss, are we letting him go just like that¡­ That bastard owes our casino a lot of money¡­ It¡¯s already letting him off easy by only selling a sister to repay his debt¡­¡± Boss Lin looked at Madam Wei¡¯s back as she gradually disappeared into the night. He waved his fan and muttered, ¡°What do you know? This person is not someone we can afford to provoke.¡± ¡°Boss.¡± Another servant hurriedly entered the house and whispered a few words in his ear. Boss Lin frowned. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± the servant said. Boss Lin said unhappily, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± The servant explained, ¡°You only came back tonight¡­¡¯ Boss Lin slapped the folding fan on the table. ¡°What did Old He do? He was captured by the Imperial Court so easily¡­¡± Old He¡­ The Imperial Court¡­ Guardian He? Was this gambling den¡­ a den of the White Lotus Society?! After Boss Lin and the servant left, Su Xiaoxiao walked out from behind the curtain. The steward went forward. ¡°Boss Lin, a girl just came in¡­¡± ¡°Get lost! ¡± Boss Lin was so annoyed. He couldn¡¯t be bothered with a bullsh*t girl! The steward sighed. ¡°Aye, yes.¡± He turned around and saw Su Xiaoxiao standing under the corridor. ¡°Miss, did you find the person you wanted to see?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Oh, I saw wrongly. That person isn¡¯t here. I¡¯ll leave first! ¡± The steward said politely, ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°Miss! Miss!¡± The gambling man rushed over with red eyes and grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s shoulder tightly. ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve lost everything! Help me win it back!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him indifferently. ¡°Let go.¡± The man said anxiously, ¡°Miss! As long as you help me win it back, you get 60% and I get 40%! No! You get 70% and I get 30%! You get 70% and I get 30%, right!¡± ¡°Not interested,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said and pushed him away. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me¡­¡± The man pounced on Su Xiaoxiao. The steward gave the burly man a look. The burly man rushed forward and pressed him to the ground, his hands behind his back. The man struggled desperately. ¡°Miss! Miss, help me gamble again¡­¡± After Su Xiaoxiao left the gambling den, Madam Wei¡¯s carriage had long disappeared. She frowned in confusion. From their conversation, Boss Lin and Madam Wei knew each other. And Boss Lin was from the White Lotus Society. What about Madam Wei? Was she related to the White Lotus Society? At Pear Blossom Lane, the Su family was in chaos. Bai Xihe sat on a chair on the east side of the central room, and Qin Canglan sat opposite her. Bai Xihe nodded drunkenly. ¡°Father¡­¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s temples throbbed. He pulled Su Cheng over. ¡°Son, why do I feel that¡­ she looks a little familiar? Don¡¯t tell me you kidnapped her from the palace?¡± Su Cheng said gloomily, ¡°What palace? It¡¯s from a restaurant and this is not a kidnapping! ¡± What was going on? Su Cheng had never been so speechless in his life! Qin Canglan looked at the drunk Bai Xihe who called him father-in-law. ¡°Are you really not from the palace?¡± The more he looked at it, the more he felt she looked like someone¡­ Su Cheng waved his hand and said firmly, ¡°No! She¡¯s Daya¡¯s patient! She¡¯s been to the house a few times! I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about from the palace, but she¡¯s definitely not!¡± ¡°Phew!¡± Qin Canglan felt relieved. It was good that it was not that person in the palace.. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t he have to rebel on his son¡¯s behalf? Chapter 454 - Chapter 454: Devoted Father Chapter 454: Devoted Father Su Cheng¡¯s thinking was strange, and Qin Canglan¡¯s was not inferior. If it were anyone else, their first reaction would be either to break their son¡¯s legs or quickly send Grand Empress Dowager back to the palace. Qin Canglan, on the other hand, was wondering if he should rebel on his son¡¯s behalf. Of course, he was just thinking blindly. It was impossible for him to really rebel for a woman. How could there be such a coincidence in the world? Could his son really touch a woman who was the Grand Empress Dowager? Qin Canglan asked, ¡°By the way, what¡¯s her surname?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°His surname is Bai.¡± Duang! Qin Canglan fell! Su Xiaoxiao called her Madam Bai. At first, Su Cheng thought that her husband¡¯s surname was Bai. Later on, the three little ones kept calling her Aunt Bai. He felt that her surname should be Bai too. Su Cheng turned around. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Canglan lay on the ground with his limbs spread out, looking like he had nothing to live for. Having such a troublesome son, he really wanted to die! When Su Xiaoxiao arrived home, Qin Canglan had already left in despair. Bai Xihe also rested in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s room. She was so drunk that Su Cheng had to press the three tiger heads into three tiger skins and decisively carried the sleeping Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu to his own room. Not long after Su Xiaoxiao arrived home, Wei Ting returned. Wei Ting pushed open the door and saw Su Xiaoxiao sitting on the edge of the bed wiping her freshly washed hair. His eyes flickered as he asked coldly, ¡°Why are you in my room?¡± Su Xiaoxiao wiped her hair and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Not only am I here, but I also want to sleep¡­ Wei Ting¡¯s gaze swept across the snow skin exposed at her collar. He composed himself and said coldly, ¡°How many times have I told you? You have to control yourself.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao threw the towel on him. ¡°It¡¯s the Grand Empress Dowager. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have come!¡± Wei Ting said nothing. The towel in his arms was wet, carrying the water vapor and fragrance of her hair, making one¡¯s heart skip a beat. Realizing what he was thinking, Wei Ting immediately threw the towel back into her hand. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him and snorted. She didn¡¯t argue with him and continued to dry her hair. ¡°By the way, Wei Ting, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± Wei Ting came to the table and gently placed a basket on it. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the flowers and plants in the basket and asked in confusion, ¡°Did you go buy flowers?¡± ¡°They were picked in the mountains,¡± Wei Ting said. Su Xiaoxiao was even more puzzled. ¡°Why did you pick so much¡­ grass? Wei Ting said, ¡°My mother¡¯s birthday is coming up. She likes to plant things. I went to pick some that she doesn¡¯t have in her courtyard. We¡¯ll see if we can plant them alive.¡± So it was for Madam Wei. As Wei Ting sorted out the flowers and plants in the basket, he asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have something to tell me just now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°Ah, nothing. I suddenly don¡¯t remember.¡± Wei Ting glanced at her. ¡°What memory do you have?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked up at the sky. ¡°That¡¯s your memory!¡± After a pause, she looked at Wei Ting again. He looked indifferent to everything, but at this moment, he was extremely serious. Su Xiaoxiao asked softly, ¡°But Wei Ting, don¡¯t you blame your mother for being so cold to you?¡± Wei Ting was silent for a moment. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Then why did you¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped mid-sentence. ¡°She¡¯s my mother.¡± Wei Ting said. Bai Xihe slept with the Su family for the night. When Su Xiaoxiao got up, she had already left. Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°You slipped away so quickly!¡± Dahu woke up early as usual. Surprisingly, Erhu and Xiaohu, who always liked to stay in bed, also woke up. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three little fellows who came to look for her with clothes and pinched their faces. ¡°You¡¯re up so early.¡± Xiaohu¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°Grandpa is snoring. How noisy.¡± Su Cheng usually did not snore. He had probably been tortured by Bai Xihe last night. Wait, something was wrong. He was exhausted taking care of the drunk Bai Xihe. Su Xiaoxiao dressed the three of them. Thinking of something, she brought him to the front yard and whispered to the three of them, ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu, if I treat you badly, will you be angry with me? Will you not like me?¡± Xiaohu asked with a confused expression, ¡°Why would you treat Xiaohu, Dahu, and Erhu badly?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m just giving an example.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be angry.¡± The three of them shook their heads in tacit understanding. ¡°Really? If I ignore you, will you still like me forever?¡± The three of them nodded. Dahu said seriously, ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t like Dahu, but Dahu will still like Mother very much.¡± Erhu stood on his tiptoes. ¡°Erhu likes Mom too.¡± Xiaohu jumped up. ¡°Xiaohu likes Mother the most!¡± After saying that, the three of them squeezed into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arms and looked at her uneasily. They didn¡¯t understand why their mother wouldn¡¯t like them all of a sudden. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three hurt little ones and quickly explained, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you. I¡¯m just making an analogy. Do you understand? It¡¯s just a hypothesis. It¡¯s fake!¡± In order to prove her love for her son, Su Xiaoxiao gave the three little ones a big kiss each. Only then did the three of them relax. They covered their faces with their hands and ran away shyly! Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three excited little ones and touched her chin, falling into deep thought. ¡°So¡­ does Wei Ting think so too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s early in the morning. What are you muttering about?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s voice suddenly appeared behind her. Su Xiaoxiao was shocked. She turned around and glared at him fiercely. Wei Ting looked at her indifferently. ¡°What did you do to be so scared? Did you secretly take advantage of me again last night?¡± ¡°Me? Taking advantage of you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed at herself and then at him and sneered. ¡°Pfft! How ridiculous!¡± She returned to the house without looking back, picked up her first aid kit, and left! Wei Ting narrowed his eyes dangerously. Very good. It seemed that she had taken a lot of advantage! Su Xiaoxiao went out while Wei Ting went to the kitchen to make breakfast. The three little ones looked at him in disappointment. ¡°Why is it you?¡± Xiaohu asked. Wei Ting snorted. ¡°Why can¡¯t it be me?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Mother?¡± Erhu looked out. Wei Ting said, ¡°She went out.¡± Dahu was surprised. ¡°She didn¡¯t bring you?¡± Why did these words sound like¡ªthe man had gone out without Madam? These brats were really getting more and more lawless. Don¡¯t force him to unleash the power of a father! ¡°What do you want to eat in the morning?¡± he asked with extreme dignity. Dahu raised his hand. ¡°Whatever. Anyway, nothing you cook is delicious.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. My culinary skills are still better than your grandfather¡¯s, okay?¡± Erhu looked helpless. ¡°Let¡¯s make do with two bites.¡± Xiaohu let out a long sigh. ¡°Life is not easy. Xiaohu sighs.¡± With that, the three little ones placed their hands behind their backs and walked around the alley in an old-fashioned manner. Wei Ting was speechless.. Chapter 455 - Chapter 455: Buying a Shop Chapter 455: Buying a Shop Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t go to the palace immediately today. Instead, she went to the medical center first. Ah Zhong was wiping the carriage in the backyard. When he saw her, he hurriedly asked, ¡°Boss, when I went to look for you after bringing the patient¡¯s family to get the medicine yesterday, the restaurant was already closed. Did you walk back yourself?¡± ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Ah Zhong continued, ¡°If this happens again in the future, wait for me at the door. I¡¯ll be quick.¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed. Ah Zhong muttered, ¡°Boss is acting strange today.¡± ¡°Boss! You¡¯re so early today!¡± Yinger walked out with a bowl of noodles. ¡°Do you want noodles?¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her stomach. She had come out in a hurry and forgot to eat breakfast. ¡°Send a bowl to my room,¡± she said. Ying¡¯er smiled and said, ¡°Alright! This bowl is Sister Yun Xiu¡¯s. She doesn¡¯t eat spicy food. Boss eats spicy food!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Yun Xiu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Although Ying¡¯er was the youngest, Yun Xiu usually did not order Ying¡¯er to do things for her. Ying¡¯er whispered, ¡°She is having her period. Her abdomen hurt all night.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Su Xiaoxiao followed Ying¡¯er to their room. Yun Xiu sat at the head of the bed with a pale face. When she saw Su Xiaoxiao enter the room, she was shocked. ¡°Boss?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her pale face. ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± Yun Xiu nodded in pain. Su Xiaoxiao took her pulse. Her body was fine, and her blood circulation was not smooth. Su Xiaoxiao remembered the ointment she made the last time and handed it to her. ¡°Three times a day, one spoonful at a time.¡± Yun Xiu looked at the medicine jar that Su Xiaoxiao took out of the small medicine box and asked, ¡°Boss, this is¡­ Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said, ¡°The ointment to regulate insufficient qi and blood during the menstrual period. It tastes very good. I¡¯ve already found someone to try it!¡± ¡°Little Su! Little Su, are you here?¡± Manager Sun¡¯s happy voice came from the courtyard. Su Xiaoxiao put down the ointment and walked out. Coincidentally, Ying¡¯er came over with a bowl of spicy soup noodles. ¡°Aiya, Manager Sun, be careful! It¡¯s very hot!¡± Manager Sun waved his fan and successfully dodged the spicy soup noodles. Ying¡¯er was surprised. ¡°Wow!¡± Manager Sun waved his fan proudly. Look at him, he was getting younger. Therefore, people had to be happy every day. The saying that smiling can take ten years from one¡¯s age was really not an exaggeration. ¡°Manager Sun,¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted. ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve eaten,¡± Manager Sun said. The two of them went to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao lowered her head and slurped her noodles. Chef Cao¡¯s culinary skills were not bad. The noodles were very strong, the soup was spicy, and Chef Cao even thoughtfully filtered the oil. Manager Sun asked, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to the palace today?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go later. I have something to do.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at his new fan. ¡°It¡¯s the seventh one this month, right?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Manager Sun cleared his throat. ¡°I have to showcase my identity!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°With a fan?¡± In her impression, Shen Chuan loved to fan himself the most. From the first time she saw him until they parted in the prefecture city, she had never seen him missing a fan. However, Shen Chuan was very loyal and only used one. Speaking of Shen Chuan, she wondered how he had been recently. The last time she replied to Su Yuniang and the others, she had also written one to Shen Chuan. She wondered if he had received it. Manager Sun laid out his cards. ¡°Alright, I admit that I¡¯ve bought too many fans recently. Didn¡¯t I just take a fan? Is it fresh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought of the gambler she had met last night and suddenly felt that collecting fans was a good hobby. Manager Sun asked, ¡°By the way, why did you come over so early in the morning?¡± Su Xiaoxiao slurped a mouthful of noodles. ¡°Buying a shop.¡± After the Hu family¡¯s incident, the Benevolence Hall was sealed and could not be opened anymore. It was better to take over the Benevolence Hall now. Manager Sun nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Take his life while he¡¯s down!¡± Uh¡­ that didn¡¯t seem the right way to put it. Wasn¡¯t it striking the iron while it was hot? ¡°Speaking of which, the speed at which Benevolence Hall closed down is faster than I imagined. Thinking back to when we were in town, it took a lot of effort to fight a small Jin Ji. This Benevolence Hall¡­ collapsed just like that¡­ I still haven¡¯t realized it¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You said it was town.¡± There were not many nobles in town, and both sides had limited connections. Jin Ji could only trip them up. This time was different. The Hu family had committed suicide and reached out to the Empress Dowager of the country. That was the royal family. Moreover¡­ it was not considered fast. Hu Jiusheng had secretly harmed Imperial Physician Fu more than ten years ago. All that was missing was a chance to expose him. Of course, the Hu family¡¯s matter also reminded them. The capital was a place where a brick could smash a few nobles to death. Although the Number One Hall was glorious now, they had to be careful. Once they took a wrong step, it might be a disaster. Soon, Broker Li came over. Back then, when he sold this pharmacy to Su Xiaoxiao, Li Baoran knew that he had to come back soon. However, to his surprise, it was not Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s Number One Hall that went out of business, but the Benevolence Hall next door. He had been a broker for many years, but he did not expect to make a mistake. Su Xiaoxiao asked if the Benevolence Hall next door had any intention of renting its premise. Broker Li looked troubled. ¡°Yes, but¡­ it¡¯s already been bought.¡± Manager Sun was stunned. ¡°So soon! Who is it? Who dares to buy Benevolence Hall?¡± Something big had just happened to the Benevolence Hall. Logically speaking, it would not be sold so quickly. Broker Li said truthfully, ¡°I originally thought that it would be quite difficult to sell. After all¡­ you know the Hu family¡¯s situation better than me. It¡¯s spreading like wildfire in the capital. Who would dare to buy his shop? But last night, someone from the Hu family came and asked me to go over as a broker. They want to sell the shop.¡± At this point, Broker Li glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°I said that Miss Su from the Number One Hall has taken a fancy to it. At that time, I wanted to help Miss Su protect this shop. You mentioned it to me. If Benevolence Hall wants to sell it one day, I¡¯ll have to look for your first.¡± Manager Sun frowned and said, ¡°Does that person not know my Little Su or something? Don¡¯t you know that the owner of the Number One Hall is the biological granddaughter of the old Protector Duke? The grandniece of the Marquis of Zhenbei?¡± Broker Li naturally already knew Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s background. ¡°I specially told him. He said that he knew.¡± Manager Sun said in confusion, ¡°Why is he still so arrogant? He even dares to snatch the shop that the eldest daughter of the Qin family likes!¡± Li Baoren said awkwardly, ¡°He said that his master¡­ is Princess Lingxi..¡± Chapter 456 - Chapter 456: Arrogant Xiaoxiao (1) Chapter 456: Arrogant Xiaoxiao (1) Manager Sun said disdainfully, ¡°Princess? Is the princess very impressive? Is she as powerful as my Little Su? My Little Su is not only those identities just now. She also saved the Empress Dowager and the current Emperor! She¡¯s only a county princess. She actually snatched the shop that my Little Su likes!¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Broker Li looked at Manager Sun awkwardly and said, ¡°That Princess Lingxi is Prime Minister Guo¡¯s granddaughter, a popular person in front of the Grand Empress Dowager.¡± Prime Minister Guo was the head of the four major civil servants. His status in the royal court was not inferior to Qin Canglan¡¯s. His granddaughter was really qualified to compete with the eldest daughter of the Qin family. After hearing Broker Li¡¯s introduction, Manager Sun was at a loss. ¡°No, isn¡¯t Qin Yanran the number one daughter in the capital? Later on, Qin Yanran¡¯s background was exposed, and the number one daughter became my Little Su. Why did Miss Guo appear?¡± Broker Li smiled dryly and said, ¡°Miss Guo was personally conferred the title of county princess by His Majesty, so she naturally won¡¯t fight with the daughters for the title.¡± In other words, the first daughter was given to Qin Yanran because she, Guo Lingxi, did not want it anymore. Otherwise, it would have nothing to do with the eldest daughter of the Qin family. Manager Sun was unhappy. Broker Li cupped his hands and said apologetically, ¡°Physcian Su, Manager Sun, I¡¯m sorry about the shop next door. I¡¯ll pay attention to a few more shops for the two of you. Don¡¯t worry about the price. It¡¯s definitely lower than the market price! ¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao called Little Weizi over and asked him to send Broker Li out. Manager Sun said gloomily, ¡°Are we letting him go just like that? This guy went back on his word. He promised to leave the shop to us!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said rationally, ¡°By keeping it, he means not introducing it to others. However, if the Hu family wants to sell it to others, he can¡¯t do anything.¡± The Hu family had a grudge against Number One Hall. If there was a second choice, the Hu family would not want to sell the shop to the Number One Hall. Manager Sun was puzzled. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. After such a thing happened to the Hu family, other than us, who else cares about that shop?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°She doesn¡¯t care about the shop.¡± Manager Sun was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t continue. It was neither earlier nor later. Princess Lingxi had butted in to buy the shop at this time and specially picked up what she liked¡ª ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Su Xiaoxiao packed her things and stood up to walk towards the door. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not done yet! Why did she snatch our shop?¡± Su Xiaoxiao had already gotten into the carriage. Manager Sun pondered and said, ¡°No, I have to ask around! ¡± Su Xiaoxiao had not been to Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s place for a few days. She did not expect to see him at Yong Shou Palace today. Coincidentally, it was time to treat Emperor Jing Xuan. Su Xiaoxiao took Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s pulse. The remaining poison in Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s body had been cleared, and his pulse had returned to normal. He could stop the medicine. Su Xiaoxiao asked for the six unfinished yellow pills. Looking at her stingy actions, Emperor Jing Xuan was confused. It was just six pills. Was there a need? ¡°Emperor Jing Xuan is busy every day. If there¡¯s nothing else, go deal with the government.¡± The Empress Dowager ordered him to leave. Emperor Jing Xuan felt a little jealous. His relationship with the Empress Dowager had just eased a little over the past few days, but the moment this girl arrived, the Empress Dowager chased him away. Emperor Jing Xuan glared at Su Xiaoxiao and left. ¡°You guys retreat too,¡± the Empress Dowager instructed. ¡°Yes.¡± Eunuch Cheng left with the palace servants. Only the Empress Dowager and Su Xiaoxiao were left in the bedroom. The Empress Dowager changed her high and mighty attitude and urged anxiously, ¡°Quick! Show it to me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a brocade box from the small basket. The Empress Dowager couldn¡¯t wait to open it and take out a few messy graffiti. Su Xiaoxiao pointed at the graffiti and said, ¡°This is drawn by Dahu. This is drawn by Erhu. The top one is Xiaohu¡¯s.¡± Xiaohu insisted on placing his painting at the top. The Empress Dowager looked at the graffiti that they had drawn and her eyes surged with joy. ¡°Dahu drew it really well! Erhu also drew it well! Aiya, Xiaohu¡¯s bird¡­ is very vivid. They¡¯re really talented!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said dryly, ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ imaginative.¡± The Empress Dowager held the three little ones¡¯ graffiti and couldn¡¯t bear to put it down. Suddenly, she remembered something and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you went to the Palace Academy to study, right?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yes,¡± Su Xiaoxiao replied casually. The Empress Dowager said generously, ¡°Then go. There¡¯s a palace examination today. Don¡¯t be delayed.¡± Su Xiaoxiao remarked,¡± Is it really good for you to bite the hand that feeds you?¡± Chapter 457 - Chapter 457: Arrogant Xiaoxiao (2) Chapter 457: Arrogant Xiaoxiao (2) Su Xiaoxiao lazily went to Qilin Hall. Everyone was surprised to see her. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss Su?¡± Lu Ying walked over and looked at her in a daze. ¡°Have you lost weight?¡± The others also realized that although she was wearing fewer clothes because of the warm weather, her face had also shrunk. ¡°Miss Lu,¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted. Lu Ying asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have to treat the Empress Dowager today?¡± Everyone knew that the reason why she took leave was to treat the Empress Dowager and His Majesty. His Majesty had recovered, but the Empress Dowager still needed to recuperate carefully. ¡°I¡¯m done treating them today,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°I¡¯m here for the exam.¡± Lu Ying said, ¡°You came at the right time. The teacher went to get the exam paper.¡± Princess Jingning took leave today and only Princess Hui An came. When Princess Hui An saw Su Xiaoxiao, her eyes flickered. She crossed her arms and sat down in her seat. She glanced at Su Xiaoxiao and said indifferently, ¡°Come over and take my pulse.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t move. Princess Hui An was furious. ¡°I¡¯m calling you! Who allowed you to sit at Jingning¡¯s side the moment you arrived?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Do I have to sit beside Princess Hui An?¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°That¡­ that naturally won¡¯t do. I won¡¯t sit with you!¡± Soon, Teacher Jiang came over with the exam paper. He glanced at Su Xiaoxiao, whom he had not seen for a long time. Without saying anything, he calmly distributed the examination papers. The contents of the exam were mostly from the Analects of Confucius and the Classic of Songs. They were all content that had been taught in class, and the difficulty was not high. Everyone began to answer the questions. Only Princess Hui An was helpless and crazy. She didn¡¯t know a single question! Damn it! Two hours later, Master Jiang put away the scroll. He left with the exam papers. Everyone also packed their things and prepared to go to Bright Moon Pavilion for dinner. Su Xiaoxiao slowly tidied up her book bag. People passed by one after another. Suddenly, an ink block fell, hitting her shoulder and rolling all over her. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the ink block at her leg and turned to look at the person who had thrown it at her. The other party looked down at her without any guilt or realization of dirtying Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s clothes. ¡°Guo Lingxi, why are you blocking the way? Move aside!¡± Princess Hui An wanted to come out. The young ladies in the classroom looked over. Princess Lingxi said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Su. I didn¡¯t hold it firmly and dropped the ink.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything and silently took the ink off her body. Everyone looked at each other. Anyone who was not a fool could tell that Princess Lingxi did it on purpose. They had already guessed that such a day would come when His Majesty betrothed Wei Ting to Miss Su. However, they thought that Princess Hui An would bully this girl first. However, Princess Hui An did not show much hostility today. Instead, Princess Lingxi attacked this girl first. This girl didn¡¯t say a word¡­ Where was her aura when she attacked Hu Biyun in the past? Had she fed it to the dogs? Or did she understand that she could not afford to offend Princess Lingxi? That was true. She was a princess and her status was above hers. She was also doted on by the Grand Empress Dowager. Usually, even Princess Hui An could only fight her to a draw. She was definitely going to suffer this loss. Princess Lingxi smiled mockingly. However, an unbelievable scene happened next. Su Xiaoxiao picked up the inkstone on the table, aimed it at Princess Lingxi¡¯s head, and poured it down calmly. Everyone was stunned. What had this girl done? Had she splashed ink on Princess Lingxi? Even Princess Hui An did not dare to be so arrogant. Where did she get the guts?! Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s movements were slow and arrogant. To be honest, if Princess Lingxi really wanted to dodge, she could definitely dodge. The problem was that Princess Lingxi did not expect the little girl to be so bold. When Su Xiaoxiao placed the inkstone above her head, Princess Lingxi was still wondering what this girl was doing¡ª By the time she reacted, she had already turned into a black fish. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Princess Hui An belatedly pushed away Guo Lingxi, who was blocking the aisle. Guo Lingxi coldly shook off her hand. ¡°Guo Lingxi! How dare you¡ªEh? Ha! What happened to your face?¡± Princess Hui An glanced around and saw the inkstone in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand. ¡°Did you splash it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded indifferently and placed the inkstone back on the table. Princess Hui An smiled gloatingly. ¡°Guo Lingxi, to think you¡¯ll have such a day!¡± The two people she hated the most were Jingning and Guo Lingxi. ¡°Why did you splash her?¡± Princess Hui An asked. Su Xiaoxiao wiped the ink off her body. Princess Hui An was enlightened. ¡°Did Guo Lingxi bully you?¡± ¡°My princess was careless!¡± Princess Lingxi¡¯s maidservant came over. She took a clean handkerchief and wiped Princess Lingxi a few times. She turned around and looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Miss Su, my princess accidentally dropped a piece of ink. Moreover, she has already apologized to you. Why are you so rude?¡± Princess Hui An said mockingly, ¡°Accidentally? Who would believe you? In my opinion, she¡¯s just jealous and wants to find trouble with her!¡± The maidservant asked, ¡°How would you know, Princess? Could it be that you¡¯ve been looking for trouble too?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Princess Hui An jumped up in anger. ¡°It¡¯s not your place to question me! If you dare to say another word, I¡¯ll smash your mouth!¡± Princess Lingxi said coldly, ¡°When is it your turn to discipline my maidservant?¡± Princess Hui An placed her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯m a princess! I don¡¯t care what¡¯s wrong!¡± She had been unhappy with Guo Lingxi for a long time! Princess Lingxi chuckled. ¡°So what if you¡¯re a princess?¡± Princess Hui An pointed at her nose and said, ¡°My father is the emperor! I¡¯m more powerful than you!¡± ¡°Forget it, Princess. There¡¯s no need to argue with Princess Hui An for a servant like me. Princess Hui An has also been deceived. The two masters are fighting to the death. She might be secretly happy.¡± ¡°Who did you say was secretly happy? Did you take my words to roll off like water off a duck¡¯s back?¡± Princess Hui An hated such sarcastic people the most. Moreover, she had already warned her. If she dared to say another word, she would smash her mouth. How dare she say that! Princess Hui An slapped her angrily. The maidservant was stunned. Princess Lingxi¡¯s beautiful face darkened. She pulled out the whip at her waist and struck Princess Hui An without any explanation! Su Xiaoxiao raised her hand and grabbed her whip. Princess Hui An was so frightened that her face turned pale and she immediately flashed behind Su Xiaoxiao. She grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s shoulder and revealed half her head in a mixture of fierceness and cowardice.. ¡°Beat her up!¡± Chapter 458 - Chapter 458: Xiaoxiao’s Fury Chapter 458: Xiaoxiao¡¯s Fury Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Teacher Jiang returned to the classroom. He was here to get the books. There were too many exam papers just now, so he could only place a few books in the classroom first. He saw Princess Lingxi and Su Xiaoxiao confronting each other at a glance. The two of them were covered in ink. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s clothes were dirty, and Princess Lingxi was dirty from head to toe. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that she had fallen into the ink pool. ¡°What are you two doing!¡± He said sternly, ¡°Stop it now!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Princess Lingxi indifferently and let go of the whip in her hand. Princess Lingxi retracted her whip. She thought that everything would end here, but in the next moment, Princess Lingxi suddenly swung her whip at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Princess Hui An exclaimed. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold. She grabbed the end of the whip and pulled it over. She grabbed the handle and whipped it back. Whoosh! Princess Lingxi was slapped firmly and took a few steps back. If she hadn¡¯t blocked it with her arm, she would have been hit in the face. The strength of the whip looked fine on the sleeve, but in fact, her entire arm was numb. Su Xiaoxiao was ruthless. Princess Lingxi looked at Su Xiaoxiao in disbelief. Su Xiaoxiao asked calmly, ¡°Are you still up for it?¡± Princess Lingxi glared at her coldly. Princess Hui An stuck out her tongue at Guo Lingxi. ¡°Serves you right! ¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Teacher Jiang was angry. ¡°Miss Su, forgive when possible. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone too far?¡± Princess Hui An was unhappy. She pointed at Princess Lingxi and said, ¡°She attacked first! If anyone is going overboard, it¡¯s her!¡± Teacher Jiang didn¡¯t argue with Princess Hui An. Instead, he looked at Su Xiaoxiao coldly. ¡°It¡¯s enough to snatch the whip. Why hurt someone?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If I were the one who was hit, would Teacher Jiang still say that?¡± Teacher Jiang frowned. Su Xiaoxiao threw the whip into the pen pool outside, grabbed the book bag on the table, and turned to leave. Master Jiang said sternly, ¡°Everyone, copy the Analects ten times!¡± Su Xiaoxiao left without looking back. ¡°Hey! Wait for me! No, stop right there!¡± Princess Hui An chased after her. She did not have to clean up the mess herself. The palace maids and eunuchs would bring back the book bag for her later. ¡°What did you eat growing up? You walked so quickly¡­¡± Princess Hui An panted as she chased after her. ¡°I haven¡¯t recovered from my injuries!¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped in her tracks. Princess Hui An walked over with a bitter expression and glared at Su Xiaoxiao. She said angrily, ¡°Forget it this time. I¡¯ll intercede for you with Father and not let him punish you. However, I have a condition. In the future, you have to go to Qi Xiang Palace to ask for my pulse every day!¡± ¡°Why would your father want to punish me?¡± ¡°You hit Guo Lingxi. Who else should he punish but you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Your father never liked me.¡± ¡°No.¡± Princess Hui An sighed. ¡°Even if I hit Guo Lingxi, Father would still say a few words about me. Didn¡¯t you realize that¡­ my fight with Guo Lingxi has always been 50-50?¡± She actually knew 50-50. For the first time, Su Xiaoxiao seriously sized up this princess. It had to be said that the heavens really treated this princess well. She was good-looking, had a beautiful figure, and fair skin. She was an out-and-out stunner. Princess Hui An glared at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I Imow I¡¯m better-looking than Jingning!¡± Other than this face, there was probably nothing else on her that could compare to Jingning. Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°Why does your father dote on Guo Lingxi so much?¡± Princess Hui An snorted and said, ¡°My father doesn¡¯t dote on her. Who dotes on other people¡¯s daughters? If my father wants to dote on someone, it has to be me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then why are you always bullied by Guo Lingxi?¡± Princess Hui An choked. ¡°When did I get bullied by her? It was a draw! A draw, do you understand? I was giving in to her!¡± She would never admit that she could not win! Su Xiaoxiao suddenly pitied her. She couldn¡¯t defeat Jingning in the palace, and she couldn¡¯t defeat Guo Lingxi outside the palace. The former had a status. Although the latter¡¯s status was slightly inferior, with a backer and her brain being better than Princess Hui An¡¯s, she had probably made Princess Hui An suffer a lot. Princess Hui An curled her lips and said, ¡°Guo Lingxi is the Grand Empress Dowager¡¯s family. The Grand Empress Dowager has always doted on her. My father respects the Grand Empress Dowager very much, so I have to give in to Guo Lingxi.¡± ¡°Also, her brother is good friends with my eldest and second brothers. Her brother is very powerful.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°He¡¯s as powerful as Brother Ting. If he finds out that you hit his sister, you¡¯ll be in a terrible state. Fortunately, he¡¯s not in the capital now. You should worry about the Grand Empress Dowager. I can¡¯t say anything about her, nor can Jingning!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Have you been taught a lesson by her brother?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m a princess. He wouldn¡¯t dare to bully me, but there was once such a thing. A young lady touched Guo Lingxi¡¯s beloved dog. The next day¡­¡± A trace of creepiness flashed across Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes. Guo Lingxi was splashed with ink, so she naturally could not go out with ink all over her body to embarrass herself. Her maidservant went to Zhaoyang Hall. Zhaoyang Hall sent a sedan chair to fetch her to Zhaoyang Hall to wash up and change into clean clothes. Bai Xihe sat in the courtyard drinking tea and basking in the sun. Princess Lingxi came out after washing up. ¡°Auntie.¡± Bai Xihe nodded. ¡°Sit.¡± Princess Lingxi sat down on the stone stool beside her. Little Yunzi served a cup of flower tea and said with a smile, ¡°Princess, this is the dried flower that the Grand Empress Dowager personally dried. Try it.¡± Princess Lingxi picked up the teacup and took a sip. Her voice was low and soft. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Bai Xihe glanced at her and asked, ¡°Were you at odds with Princess Hui An again?¡± Princess Lingxi lowered her eyes and said nothing. The maidservant at the side said aggrievedly, ¡°It¡¯s not Princess Hui An. It¡¯s the daughter of an aristocratic family.¡± Bai Xihe took a sip of bland flower tea. ¡°What kind of daughter can bully your master?¡± The maidservant complained, ¡°Grand Empress Dowager, you might not know this, but that Eldest Miss of the Qin family, who has just been acknowledged, is very arrogant. She relied on the support of the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate and the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate to do whatever she wants in the palace and doesn¡¯t take anyone seriously. Today, she even attacked the princess, splashed ink, and whipped her.¡± As she spoke, she grabbed Princess Lingxi¡¯s left arm and rolled up her sleeve. ¡°Grand Empress Dowager, look. The princess¡¯s arm is swollen! ¡± Bai Xihe looked at the red and swollen whip mark on Princess Lingxi¡¯s arm. ¡°Did she really hit you?¡± Princess Lingxi nodded and rolled down her sleeves. ¡°Why did she hit you?¡± Bai Xihe asked. Princess Lingxi said nothing. The maidservant choked and said, ¡°The princess accidentally dropped the ink on her. The princess apologized to her, but she didn¡¯t listen. In front of everyone, she grabbed the inkstone and humiliated the princess in public! She even instigated Princess Hui An to go against the princess! You Imow that Princess Hui An has always been at odds with the princess. How can she stand such instigation?¡± ¡°Grand Empress Dowager, you¡¯ve doted on the princess since she was young.. Now that she¡¯s been bullied to this extent, you must stand up for the princess!¡± Chapter 459 - Chapter 459: The Big Boss’s Protection Chapter 459: The Big Boss¡¯s Protection Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Father! Father!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was reviewing the memorials when Princess Hui An ran over angrily. The eunuch at the door stopped her. She glanced at him coldly. ¡°How dare you! How dare you stop me! Do you want to die!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan put down the memorial and gave Eunuch Fu a look. Eunuch Fu personally welcomed Princess Hui An in. ¡°Father!¡± Princess Hui An pouted and walked around the desk to Emperor Jing Xuan. She grabbed his sleeve aggrievedly. ¡°Father, you have to stand up for Hui An¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan looked at her in amusement. ¡°Did you quarrel with Jingning again?¡± Hui An had most likely lost to Jingning. Princess Hui An said, ¡°It¡¯s not Jingning. Jingning didn¡¯t even go to the palace school today! She took leave!¡± Last night, the Empress was not feeling well, so Princess Jingning stayed up all night. Naturally, she could not get up this morning. Emperor Jing Xuan had already ordered the imperial physicians to go to Kunning Palace to take a look. The empress was fine and could rest for a few days. Emperor Jing Xuan asked, ¡°Then what decision do you want me to make for you?¡± It was as if he could stand up for Hui An if Jingning bullied her. In fact, as a father, he often could not interfere in the fight between the two children. Princess Hui An complained, ¡°Guo Lingxi hit me! She whipped me!¡± ¡°She whipped you? Where did she whip you?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan sat up straight and sized up Princess Hui An. Princess Hui An gestured with her finger and said, ¡°She just short of whipping me.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan glared at her. Princess Hui An said angrily, ¡°Father, Guo Lingxi is really too much. It¡¯s fine if she bullied me without a word, but she actually instigated a maidservant to contradict me! I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and taught her a lesson on her behalf, so she whipped me! Father! You didn¡¯t see it at that time. If someone hadn¡¯t blocked it for me, my face would have been beaten into a pig¡¯s head!¡± It was Guo Lingxi again. This girl either fought with Jingning or was unhappy with Guo Lingxi. Didn¡¯t the two of them compete privately last time and almost hurt someone in the end? Why didn¡¯t these two girls learn? They pinched each other when they saw each other. Emperor Jing Xuan followed her words and asked, ¡°Who blocked it for you?¡± Princess Hui An raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°That little girl from the Qin family.¡± ¡°Which¡­¡± Emperor Jing Xuan paused and frowned.¡± Su Daya? ¡® Princess Hui An said, ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± ¡°Then?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan asked. Emperor Jing Xuan was speechless. Princess Hui An hurriedly held her father¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Father, Father! It was Guo Lingxi who whipped me first!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan looked at her speechlessly. ¡®You mean that the little girl of the Qin family whipped her back for you?¡± Princess Hui An thought for a moment. ¡°¡­Yes! She¡¯s so loyal to me and listens to everything I say!¡± It was really difficult for her to say two idioms in one breath but she managed Emperor Jing Xuan asked calmly, ¡°Isn¡¯t she Jingning¡¯s friend?¡± Princess Hui An blinked. ¡°In the past, yes. Now, she¡¯s relying on me! For me, she offended Guo Lingxi! From now on, she¡¯s all mine!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan held his forehead. ¡°She¡¯s following your horse¡¯s lead.¡± Princess Hui An whispered, ¡°But Father, I¡¯m not a horse.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was speechless. The news that Su Xiaoxiao had beaten up Princess Lingxi quickly spread in the harem. The Empress Dowager was admiring her precious great-grandson¡¯s talent painting when she heard a report. ¡°Physician Su beat up Princess Lingxi.¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s face darkened. In Zhaoyang Hall, Princess Lingxi¡¯s maidservant had finished complaining and was waiting for the Grand Empress Dowager to deal with Su Xiaoxiao. Suddenly, the palace servant reported, ¡°Eunuch Cheng from the Yongshou Palace is here.¡± Eunuch Cheng was the Empress Dowager¡¯s trusted aide. Usually, there was almost no movement between the two palaces. Bai Xihe pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Let him in.¡± Princess Lingxi looked at the door. Eunuch Cheng slowly walked in with a small medicine bottle and bowed respectfully to Bai Xihe before bowing to Princess Lingxi. Bai Xihe asked, ¡°Eunuch Cheng suddenly came to my Zhaoyang Hall. Does the Empress Dowager have any instructions?¡± Eunuch Cheng said, ¡°When the Empress Dowager heard that Princess Lingxi was injured, she was extremely worried and specially ordered me to send medicine.¡± Bai Xihe gave Little Yunzi a look. ¡°Got it. Lingxi is a naughty child. She¡¯s embarrassed herself in front of the Empress Dowager.¡± Little Yunzi went forward and accepted the medicine. Princess Lingxi frowned. Eunuch Cheng smiled and said, ¡°No wonder¡­ The Empress Dowager said that Physician Su didn¡¯t hold back. She will discipline her well. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back to serve the Empress Dowager first. Physician Su is going to perform acupuncture on the Empress Dowager later. I have to stand guard.¡± Bai Xihe said, ¡°Little Yunzi, send Eunuch Cheng off.¡± Little Yunzi sent Eunuch Cheng out. Princess Lingxi looked at Bai Xihe. Bai Xihe sighed softly. ¡°As you can see, the Empress Dowager personally supported Miss Qin. If I insist on punishing her, I¡¯ll be going against the Empress Dowager.¡± The maidservant was indignant. ¡°But she¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Princess Lingxi berated. The maid lowered her head and swallowed her words. Bai Xihe said helplessly, ¡°The Empress Dowager has been sick for many years, and it¡¯s especially dangerous this year. Miss Qin¡¯s medical skills are brilliant, and the Empress Dowager is still counting on her to treat her phoenix physique. At this juncture, it¡¯s not convenient for me to touch her.¡± Princess Lingxi said softly, ¡°Got it, Auntie.¡± She sat over and leaned into Bai Xihe¡¯s arms. She said dependently, ¡°Mother is sick and can¡¯t take care of us. Auntie watched me and Brother grow up. In Lingxi¡¯s heart, Auntie is just like Mother. Auntie, don¡¯t dislike Lingxi. Lingxi won¡¯t cause trouble for Auntie anymore.¡± Bai Xi sighed softly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you. Don¡¯t think too much.¡± On the way out of the palace, the maidservant muttered, ¡°Princess, don¡¯t you think that the Grand Empress Dowager is a little strange today?¡± Princess Lingxi asked, ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡± The maidservant said, ¡°The Grand Empress Dowager seems very tired.¡± Princess Lingxi said, ¡°Her nephew left the capital last night. She probably didn¡¯t sleep the entire night.¡± The maidservant sighed. ¡°No wonder the Grand Empress Dowager was not in the mood to stand up for you today. The Grand Empress Dowager was not like this in the past. She hated to see you suffer the most. Princess, do you still remember how you rolled down the steps when you were eight years old? That was the first time the Grand Empress Dowager was angry at His Majesty.¡± Princess Lingxi recalled, ¡°Why don¡¯t I remember? It was at the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday. His Majesty brought me over to play. I was frightened by the Second Prince, who was pretending to be a ghost, and lost my footing and fell down the steps.¡± The maidservant said, ¡°His Majesty punished His Second Highness very badly, so I don¡¯t understand why the Grand Empress Dowager doesn¡¯t mind when it comes to that girl?¡± Princess Lingxi¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that it¡¯s inconvenient to argue? Auntie dotes on me. She won¡¯t dote on others..¡± Chapter 460 - Chapter 460: Untitled Chapter 460: Untitled Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Princess Lingxi came out in a sedan chair arranged by the Grand Empress Dowager. Halfway through, she bumped into Princess Hui An pulling Su Xiaoxiao to talk. ¡°I¡¯ve already settled Father¡¯s matter for you! ¡± Princess Hui An said arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯m very capable! I¡¯m much more capable than Jingning! So in the future, you have to curry favor with me!¡± Thinking of something, Princess Hui An muttered, ¡°However, why didn¡¯t the Grand Empress Dowager punish you? Didn¡¯t Zhaoyang Hall summon you over for questioning?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the little palace maid beside her gently tugged at her sleeve. ¡°Princess, Princess Lingxi is here.¡± Princess Hui An sneered and said, ¡°So be it! Why, do you want me to pick her up! I¡¯ve given her face!¡± As she spoke, she glanced down another path. Guo Lingxi came in a sedan chair of Zhaoyang Hall. She knew the young eunuch who accompanied her. His name was Little Yunzi. It was said that he was the trusted aide of the Grand Empress Dowager. At this moment, Guo Lingxi opened the curtain at the side and looked at Princess Hui An and Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao was still wearing her dirty clothes, as if she didn¡¯t care about her image at all, and her expression was as calm as ever. On the other hand, Princess Hui An rolled her eyes angrily. ¡°So what if you have the support of the Grand Empress Dowager! Hmph!¡± Guo Lingxi looked at Su Xiaoxiao deeply. She lowered the curtain and her eyes were cold as she touched her swollen arm. After bidding farewell to Princess Hui An, Su Xiaoxiao left the palace. Su MO¡¯s carriage had been waiting for a long time. When the coachman saw her come out, he quickly brought a footstool and opened the curtain for her. When Su Xiaoxiao sat up, she realized that it was not Su MO who came to pick her up. ¡°Why is it you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely and sat down opposite him. Su Li said gloomily, ¡°Do you think I want to come? It¡¯s all because my brother insisted on me coming!¡± Su Xiaoxiao folded her sleeves. ¡°Did he ask you to¡­ get bullied by me?¡± Su Li¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Hey! What are you saying! If you hadn¡¯t tricked me yesterday, would Big Brother have punished me? It¡¯s good that I came to pick you up! Return the banknotes to me! It wasn¡¯t easy for me to save them all, but Big Brother plundered them all for you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°No.¡± Su Li gritted her teeth in anger. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the big bump on his forehead. ¡°Yo, were you beaten up?¡± Su Li gritted her teeth. ¡°How dare you say that!¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and leaned against the pillow comfortably. ¡°Is it related to me? Su MO beat you up? That¡¯s not right. Didn¡¯t you get injured after he beat you up yesterday?¡± Su Li clenched her fists and roared, ¡°It was your sons!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. ¡°My sons beat you up? Can¡¯t you even defeat three children?¡± ¡°You schemed against me and even looked down on me!¡± Su Li had been causing trouble for others for 17 years. He had caused the entire family to be in a tizzy. This was the first time he had fallen into the hands of a little girl. He was so angry that his lungs hurt. Su Li exploded and said, ¡°Your sons picked my mother¡¯s peonies! My mother didn¡¯t notice it yesterday in her excitement. When she came here this morning, she saw that all the peonies were gone and insisted that I pick them! When I said that your sons picked them , she scolded me for wronging your sons! She chased me and beat me up across two streets!¡± He was so angry! Su Xiaoxiao collapsed with laughter. Guo Lingxi and Su Xiaoxiao came out around the same time. Her carriage was beside the Su family¡¯s carriage. Hearing Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s laughter, Guo Lingxi and the maidservant¡¯s expressions turned ugly. The maidservant said disdainfully, ¡°I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s laughing at! Those from the countryside don¡¯t know the rules. Who in the capital is as unrestrained as her!¡± Su Li roared, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to laugh! Shut up!¡± Su Xiaoxiao laughed all the way. After Su Li sent her to Pear Blossom Lane, he went decisively to the Directorate. This sister was not cute. He was going to cause trouble for Su Ergou! Everyone in the family had gone out, except for Zhong Shan. Zhong Shan handed Su Xiaoxiao two letters. Su Xiaoxiao took it and smiled. ¡°These are the replies from Grandmaster Hui Jue and Aunt Fu.¡± Grandmother Hui Jue had written to her, and Aunt Fu had written to Physician In the letter, Grandmaster Hui Jue told her that she and Aunt Fu were fine. The monthly season of the nunnery had opened, and the wild fruits at the back of the mountain were heavy. The little nuns often sneaked out to pick fruits, but unfortunately, they were not as big as Su Ergou¡¯s. ¡°So she knew everything?¡± The little nuns thought that no one had discovered that they got Su Ergou to pick fruits. Grandmaster Hui Jue asked Su Xiaoxiao about her situation in the capital and asked her not to neglect her chess skills. In the end, she asked her to take good care of Zhong Shan. Su Xiaoxiao went to her room to reply to Grandmaster Hui Jue, planning to send it out with Physician Fu¡¯s reply to Aunt Fu. She was about to go to the medical center and bring the letter to Physician Fu when someone came. ¡°Third Sister-in-law? Fifth Sister-in-law? It was Madam Chen and Madam Jiang. Su Xiaoxiao looked behind the two of them. ¡°Are you the only two here?¡± Madam Jiang smiled brightly. ¡°Yes, just the two of us! Your third sister-in-law and I came to see you!¡± Madam Chen nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not here to eat meat.¡± Madam Jiang was speechless. And so was Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to stew a pot of asparagus red braised pork. It was soft, oily, salty, and fragrant. Coupled with the crispy and smooth taste of the asparagus, it was so delicious that one couldn¡¯t stop eating. Madam Chen finished three bowls of rice in one go. Madam Jiang was much more reserved and only finished two and a half bowls. Su Xiaoxiao picked up some kimchi she had made to relieve their boredom. ¡°Is this a radish?¡± Madam Jiang took a bite. It was sour and sweet, and a little numbing and spicy, but it was not the spicy taste that she usually ate. It tasted very strange. ¡°There are also green peppers and beans.¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up some for the two of them. They had just eaten so much meat that they felt very good. After eating, they were indeed a little tired, but a few mouthfuls of pickled vegetables made them feel refreshed. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t entertain the two of them for nothing. She never did a losing business. ¡°Third Sister-in-law, Fifth Sister-in-law, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Tell me,¡± Madam Jiang said. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Among the women of the Wei family, I¡¯ve only not seen Wei Ting¡¯s mother. What kind of person is she?¡± ¡°You want to ask about your mother-in-law?¡± Madam Jiang held back her craving and put down her chopsticks. ¡°Is it inconvenient to say?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°Forget it, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. I originally steamed cured meat and wanted you to bring it back¡­¡¯ Madam Jiang wiped her drool. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t say! Anyway, you¡¯re about to get married. We¡¯ll be a family in the future, right, Third Sister-in-law?¡± Madam Chen nodded in a daze. ¡°Yes, a family.¡± She told them some of Madam Wei¡¯s habits, such as living alone in the west courtyard and not interacting with the people in the residence. They only visited her during New Year and holidays. ¡°Has Mother always been like this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Madam Jiang really did not want to say anything. She could only blame herself for eating too much. Madam Jiang waved her hand. ¡°Forget it, forget it. There¡¯s no harm in telling you. I heard it from Second Sister-in-law and the others. Mother wasn¡¯t like this in the past. She and Father once raised a case together..¡± Chapter 461 - Chapter 461: The Real Madam Wei Chapter 461: The Real Madam Wei Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Really?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked curious. Madam Jiang said, ¡°I married into the Wei family late. I heard all of this. Second Sister-in-law and the others also heard it. After all, it was a long time ago. Before Mother gave birth to Xiao Qi, she had a good relationship with Father and was very good to her sons.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°Wei Ting said that his mother is indifferent to all his brothers, but he vaguely feels that she¡¯s the most cold to him.¡± Madam Jiang sighed with heartache. ¡°Everyone was afraid that Little Seven would be sad, so they deliberately said that. They said that Mother had always been like this and was not close to anyone. They told him not to take it to heart.¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Did something happen when Madam Wei gave birth to Wei Ting? Why did her attitude change so much?¡± Madam Jiang said truthfully, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. Sister-in-law doesn¡¯t Imow much about that year. She only knows that Mother gave birth to Little Seven in Lingnan that year.¡± ¡°Lingnan?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was at a loss. Madam Jiang said, ¡°Mother is from Lingnan. That year, Mother happened to return to the countryside to visit her family. She stayed at her maiden home for more than half a year and only returned to the capital after giving birth to Xiao Su Xiaoxiao pondered and said, ¡°Her personality changed drastically after that?¡± Mdm Jiang nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Postpartum depression? Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. This time, Madam Jiang and Madam Chen did not come empty-handed. Madam Chen gave Su Xiaoxiao a big saber and Madam Jiang gave Su Xiaoxiao a long sword. As expected of a female general, the greeting gift was so mighty and domineering. After the two of them left with a jar of cured meat, Yuchi Xiu came over. As soon as he entered the house, he quickly closed the door and pulled off the human skin mask on his face. Su Xiaoxiao had grabbed her shovel and was about to slap it down. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± She retracted the shovel. ¡°Why are you sneaking around in the middle of the ¡°Murder.¡± Yuchi Xiu touched his handsome face. ¡°It¡¯s a personal grudge. I can¡¯t expose my identity.¡± If anyone recognized him, they would suspect that Wei Ting had instigated him to go. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the human skin mask on the stone table and asked thoughtfully, ¡°Will no one notice if you wear this?¡± ¡°Be careful. Of course not.¡± Yuchi Xiu sat down on the stone stool. ¡°That¡¯s how Wei Ting deceived everyone at the temple. If no one pretended to be him, guess how he went to Qingzhou?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°He didn¡¯t expose himself even after pretending for a year?¡± Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°When we first went, there were indeed a few times when we almost exposed ourselves. Later on, that guard moved to the most secluded meditation room and reduced his interactions with others. He meditated behind closed doors all day long and didn¡¯t see anyone. He didn¡¯t say much when he saw them and just bluffed his way through.¡± Su Xiaoxiao fell into deep thought. In the afternoon, Madam Jiang and her four sisters-in-law sat in the garden drinking tea. Suddenly, a servant reported, ¡°Someone claiming to be the Seventh Young Madam is outside.¡± Madam Jiang choked. Madam Lan said in amusement, ¡°What Seventh Young Madam? Little Seven isn¡¯t married yet.¡± Madam Li said, ¡°It¡¯s a bethrothal. Soon.¡± Madam Chu asked, ¡°What does that person look like? Did she say her surname?¡± The servant said, ¡°Young Madam, it¡¯s a fat girl. She said her surname is Su.¡± Madam Lan muttered, ¡°Why is she here?¡± Madam Chu asked a servant to bring Su Xiaoxiao in. Madam Lan said angrily, ¡°Our Wei family is not an unruly family. You haven¡¯t married yet! Don¡¯t ruin our Wei family¡¯s reputation!¡± Madam Jiang said, ¡°Fourth Sister-in-law, how can you say that? Seventh Sister-in-law is one of us. She will have to marry Little Seven sooner or later. Our family isn¡¯t like that.¡± Generals had rules, but it definitely did not include the fact that women had to stay indoors. All of their women could enter and leave the Wei family freely. Since they could go out, Seventh Sister-in-law could naturally visit. Anyway, Madam Jiang thought so. ¡°Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law, Fourth Sister-in-law, Fifth Sister-in-law,¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted them one by one. Other than Madam Lan¡¯s slightly ugly expression, the others treated her quite kindly. Madam Chu asked, ¡°Are you here to visit Grandmother?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m here to see Madam Wei.¡± Madam Lan said calmly, ¡°You¡¯ll see her after we you are married. How can there be someone who wants to see her mother-in-law before the wedding?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in her usual tone, ¡°I heard that Madam Wei caught a cold. I¡¯m a physician, so I specially came over to take a look.¡± ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± Madam Chu asked. Madam Jiang silently lowered her head and pulled Madam Chen, asking her to lower her head and reduce her presence. Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°I heard from Wei Ting¡¯s subordinate. ¡± Madam Chu said, ¡°Ah, Mother has indeed been feeling unwell for the past two days¡­ Come with me.¡± Madam Chu had already gotten medicine for Madam Wei, but she did not reject Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s good intentions. Instead, she brought Su Xiaoxiao to Madam Wei¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Should we go?¡± Madam Li asked. Madam Lan peeled a peach. ¡°If you want to go, Second Sister-in-law can go yourself. I¡¯m not going.¡± She looked at Madam Jiang and Madam Chen, who could not sit still anymore. ¡°Are Fifth Sister-in-law and Third Sister-in-law going? Are you very familiar with Miss Qin? Or have you met in private?¡± Madam Jiang sat back on the stool in a second and wiped the oil from her mouth. ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯ve never seen her in private!¡± Madam Chu said, ¡°This is Mother¡¯s courtyard. Mother likes silence. There¡¯s only one maidservant in the courtyard.¡± Ping¡¯er? As Su Xiaoxiao was thinking, she saw the little girl who had been redeemed by Madam Wei from the gambling den last night. Ping¡¯er didn¡¯t know Su Xiaoxiao. She put down the broom and came over to bow to Madam Chu. ¡°Young Madam.¡± ¡°Is Mother around?¡± Madam Chu asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Ping¡¯er said. ¡°In the house.¡± Madam Chu brought Su Xiaoxiao up the steps. Unlike the lively and heroic Madam Jiang and Madam Chen, Madam Chu was dignified and proper. Her actions were elegant and she had the temperament of an aristocratic wife. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m here to see you,¡± Madam Chu said from the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Madam Wei¡¯s slightly cold voice came from inside. ¡°Miss Su is here too,¡± Chu said. Madam Wei was sitting in the room arranging flowers. There were many flowers on the table and a lustrous jade vase. As Madam Wei built the flower branches, she looked up at the two of them. ¡°Sit.¡± Madam Chu sat down. ¡°Miss Su, sit too.¡± After Su Xiaoxiao sat down, Madam Chu introduced her to Madam Wei. ¡°Mother, Miss Su is Little Seven¡¯s fianc¨¦e. ¡± Click. Madam Wei cut off a piece of jasmine. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her and said calmly, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re not feeling well, so I came to take a look at you.¡± Madam Wei placed the cut flower branch aside. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Madam Chu said, ¡°Mother, Miss Su is a physician. We can be at ease if we let her take a look.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood up, opened the medicine box, took out a pulse pillow, and placed it on the table. ¡°Madam Wei, I¡¯ll take your pulse.¡± Madam Wei hesitated for a moment and placed her wrist on the pulse pillow. Su Xiaoxiao took her pulse. ¡°She¡¯s indeed cold and depressed.¡± She raised her hand and touched Madam Wei¡¯s face. Madam Wei looked at her warily. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Oh, touching the bones and pressing the acupoints is similar to taking your pulse.¡± With that, she took the opportunity to touch the back of Madam Wei¡¯s ear to tear it down.. Chapter 462 - Chapter 462: Appraisal Result Chapter 462: Appraisal Result Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Madam Wei frowned and instinctively leaned back to grab Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand. Madam Chu was a little puzzled when she saw this. Madam Wei said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not used to this kind of diagnosis. You should take my pulse.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take your pulse.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and grabbed her wrist again to take her pulse. After leaving the west courtyard, Madam Chu asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°How¡¯s Mother¡¯s health?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said truthfully, ¡°She¡¯s a little weak. Overall, she¡¯s fine. Madam Wei¡¯s diet is quite light, right?¡± Madam Chu said, ¡°Mother is very careful with her food. She mainly eats vegetarian food and eats little meat and fish.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡®You can let Madam Wei drink a cup of soy milk every day and let her bask in the sun.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Madam Chu asked if she needed to take medicine. The two of them walked back. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to take medicine. I¡¯ll make some black ointment and send it over later.¡± Madam Chu said softly, ¡°Thank you, Seventh Sister-in-law.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small matter.¡± It felt good to be called Seventh Sister-in-law. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s quite hard for Madam Wei to give birth to seven children.¡¯ Chu said, ¡°It¡¯s six.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was slightly stunned. Could it be that Wei Ting was not her biological son? Was that why Madam Wei was the coldest to him? Madam Chu smiled gently. ¡°Second Brother is a bastard son.¡± ¡°Miss, stop running! I won¡¯t be able to catch up!¡± Accompanied by the shout of a maidservant, a small figure darted out of the bushes and bumped into Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t give way because if she did, the person who would be knocked down would be Madam Chu. The little girl exclaimed and held her dizzy head. She looked up at Su Xiaoxiao in a daze. Madam Chu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± When the little girl saw Madam Chu, she immediately pounced into her arms. ¡°Aunt!¡± Madam Chu hugged her and introduced her, ¡°Your Seventh Aunt.¡± She then said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Xiyue, you¡¯ll be seven years old in the second half of the year.¡± Wei Xiyue was a little shy and buried her head in Madam Chu¡¯s arms. She looked thinner than her peers. The collision with Su Xiaoxiao just now was not as painful as Dahu¡¯s small cannon. A maidservant in pink chased after her, panting. ¡°Young Madam¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t know Su Xiaoxiao, but seeing that she was with Madam Chu, she still bowed politely. ¡°Bring Xiyue to play.¡± Madam Chu handed her niece to her. ¡°Bring Xiyue to play.¡± Madam Chu handed her niece to her. She held Wei Xiyue¡¯s hand and left. Madam Chu smiled and said, ¡°Xiyue is the only child in the family. She¡¯s cold and cheerless. I really hope you and Seventh Brother can get married as soon as possible. That way, the residence will be more lively.¡± ¡°Fourth Sister-in-law! Return the peach to me! I picked it! The largest one!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to return it, so be it! Come and snatch it if you have the ability! ¡± In the garden, Madam Lan teased Madam Jiang and started fighting. The people in the residence were not surprised. Madam Li calmly drank her tea while Madam Chen buried her head in her peach. Suddenly, Madam Lan hit Madam Li, causing Madam Li¡¯s tea to splash all over her. ¡°The two of you! You¡¯re too much!¡± Then, Madam Li joined in the beating. Madam Jiang said, ¡°Fourth Sister-in-law, let¡¯s work together to deal with Second Sister-in-law first before settling our old scores!¡± Madam Lan said, ¡°Okay!¡± Madam Li gritted her teeth. ¡°Third Sister-in-law, why are you still eating? Come over quickly!¡± Madam Chen was stunned. ¡°Huh? Why are you here?¡± Madam Li said, ¡°Beat them up! They¡¯re rebelling!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Madam Chen finished the last bite of peach. ¡°Which one should I beat up first?¡± In a chaotic battle, the birds were frightened away. Madam Chu coughed lightly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to greet them. I¡¯ll send you out of the residence.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Do they do this often?¡± Wasn¡¯t this too cruel? ¡°No,¡± Chu said. ¡°They usually use weapons.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. After leaving the residence, Su Xiaoxiao got into the carriage of the medical center and said to Ah Zhong, ¡°Back to Pear Blossom Lane.¡± The wheels began to turn. Su Xiaoxiao took out a strand of hair from her wide sleeve and carefully wrapped it in a clean handkerchief. She had touched Madam Wei¡¯s cheek and behind her ear just now. She was certain that Madam Wei was not wearing a human skin mask. However, in the spirit of suspicion, she still took a strand of Madam Wei¡¯s hair. After returning to Pear Blossom Lane, she went straight to Wei Ting¡¯s room. There were strands of hair on the pillow, but she did not know which was Wei Ting¡¯s and which was hers. This was the bad thing about ancient people. Their hair was long. As Su Xiaoxiao picked, her heart burned. ¡°Seriously, the hair is so messy. I wonder how intense it was at night.. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s voice suddenly sounded behind her Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s chubby body trembled. She looked at her indescribable butt and got out of bed calmly. ¡°Nothing. There¡¯s a lot of hair on the pillow. I was clean it up!¡± Wei Ting looked at her suspiciously. ¡°What are you up to now?¡± ¡°I said I was just cleaning up! It¡¯s up to you to believe me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao brushed past him angrily and didn¡¯t forget to push him angrily. Wei Ting dusted his sleeves. ¡°How ridiculous!¡± Su Xiaoxiao returned to her house and closed the door. She took out the broken hair she had taken from Wei Ting. This time, the pharmacy did not make things difficult for her and allowed her to enter successfully. Actually, Su Xiaoxiao gradually figured out a pattern. As long as she treated more patients, she could increase her chances of entering the pharmacy. Su Xiaoxiao took their hair for identification. While waiting for the results, she suddenly wondered if she could return to her original world if she pushed open the door of the pharmacy. Su Xiaoxiao quickly walked towards the door. However, just as she pushed it open, her eyes flashed and she left the pharmacy. She looked at the familiar house and sighed. It seemed that she could not go back. An hour later, there was an appraisal result on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s table. Creak¡ª The door was pushed open. Yuchi Xiu flashed in. ¡°Why is it you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. This guy had been showing up in front of her a little too often recently. Yuchi Xiu strode over and sat on the stool opposite her. ¡°Hey, did you investigate Madam Wei just now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him warily. ¡°Were you following me?¡± Yuchi Xiu quibbled, ¡°Why would I follow you? I¡­ just went back to the Wei family.¡± Su Xiaoxiao slapped the table and said fiercely, ¡°You still say it¡¯s not stalking!¡± Yuchi Xiu shrunk his neck guiltily. ¡°Alright, alright. I did follow you. I¡¯m just curious why you suddenly came to the Wei family. I¡¯m so bored that I can only find something to do for myself. But why did you investigate Madam Wei? Could it be that you suspect that Madam Wei is a mole of the Wei family?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Yuchi Xiu was deep in thought. ¡°Speaking of which, Madam Wei¡¯s attitude towards Sir is indeed very suspicious. What mother in the world treats her son so coldly? Sometimes, I even wonder if Sir is her biological son.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°What?¡± Yuchi Xiu was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the test results on the table. ¡°She¡¯s Wei Ting¡¯s biological mother..¡± Chapter 463 - Chapter 463: Mother and Son Chapter 463: Mother and Son Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the evening, it started to rain in the capital. Wei Ting did not hold an umbrella when he went out. His clothes were drenched by the spring rain. He was carrying a small basket in his arms that was covered tightly by his wide sleeves. ¡®Young Master, you¡¯re back?¡± The servant guarding the door was about to bow when Wei Ting hurriedly walked over. The servant was at a loss, but he thought of something and came to a realization. Wei Ting went to the west courtyard of the mansion in the rain. The rain gradually became heavier, and the sky turned completely dark. Wei Ting carefully protected the flowers in his arms and knocked on the courtyard door. It was Ping¡¯er who opened the door. Ping¡¯er was wearing a raincoat and could barely open her eyes from the heavy rain. ¡°Young Master, why are you here?¡± ¡°I picked some flowers and plants for Mother,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Is Mother around?¡± Ping¡¯er looked at the flowers and said to Wei Ting, ¡°Madam has rested. Young Master, give it to me.¡± ¡°So early¡­¡± Wei Ting muttered. A hint of disappointment subconsciously flashed across his eyes. Because this time, it was no different from previous years. ¡®Young Master?¡± Ping¡¯er looked at him. Wei Ting slowly handed over the basket of flowers. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside for a while. Call me if Mother wakes up.¡± Ping¡¯er wanted to say something but hesitated. She accepted the flowers and closed the courtyard door. The rain began to fall harder, clanging against the eaves and the ground, sending up three feet of water. Ping¡¯er carried the flowers and plants that were wet from the rain into the room and said guiltily, ¡°When Young Master sent them over, not a drop of rain was on them. I carried them over for a short while¡­ They were all wet¡­¡± Madam Wei sat in the house and focused on trimming the branches. ¡°Madam¡­¡± Ping¡¯er gently placed the basket on the table. ¡°Young Master said that he¡¯s waiting outside. If you¡¯re ¡®awake% I can call him in.¡± Madam Wei did not say anything and cut a leaf. Ping¡¯er continued, ¡°Madam, the rain is so heavy. Young Master will be drenched. Let Young Master in.¡± Madam Wei said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. It¡¯s up to him how long he wants to be drenched.¡± Ping¡¯er bit her lip. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll send an umbrella to Young Master¡­¡± Madam Wei slapped the scissors on the table. ¡°I said to ignore him!¡± The heavy rain drenched Wei Ting¡¯s body. He stared miserably at the closed courtyard door, like an abandoned child. He heard her words and they stabbed into his heart like a sharp knife. Old Madam Wei was planning to rest in her courtyard. When one was old, one had no choice but to admit defeat. It was fine if they did not sleep for most of the night when they were young. Now that it was dark, they were sleepy. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± At the door, Nanny Li sent away a servant and turned to Matriarch Wei¡¯s bed. ¡°Matriarch, Young Master went to Madam.¡± Old Madam Wei sighed with a complicated expression. Nanny Li looked out of the window. ¡°It¡¯s raining so heavily¡­¡¯ Old Madam Wei said, ¡°Call him back!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Nanny Li agreed. Just as she turned around, Old Madam Wei said again, ¡°Forget it, you can¡¯t get him back. Let him stand. He¡¯ll leave after his heart is poured out.¡± Nanny Li sighed. At Pear Blossom Lane, Su Xiaoxiao was baking herbs that were wet from the rain in the woodshed. Fortunately, they were only a little wet. When they dried, it did not affect the medicinal effect. ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± The three children clattered home in their raincoats. The three of them looked around before finding Su Xiaoxiao in the woodshed. ¡°Mother!¡± The three of them couldn¡¯t wait to show Su Xiaoxiao their raincoats and bamboo hats. ¡°Does it look good?¡± Erhu asked. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three cute little dumplings and burst out laughing. ¡°They look good. Who bought them?¡± ¡°Teacher!¡± Xiao Hu said. What happened was that it was raining. Ling Yun asked Deng An to send them back with an umbrella. When they saw Deng An wearing the raincoat, they expressed that they did not want to use an umbrella and wanted to wear the raincoat themselves. However, how could there be a two-year-old child¡¯s raincoat at home? He could only let Deng An buy them. Deng An really bought them. Dahu bounced around like an energetic Tigger. Xiaohu imitated him and fell. ¡°So heavy!¡± Then, Xiaohu could not get up. Su Xiaoxiao went to cook. The three of them first ate a few pieces of date cake to fill their stomachs before running out to show off their little raincoats. When Su Cheng returned home, the three of them had already finished showing off and were stepping on the waterhole in the courtyard. Seeing the three dirty mud dolls, Su Cheng broke down on the spot. Su Ergou did not return to Pear Blossom Lane today. He went to the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate. He was there to return Su Li¡¯s things. ¡°When Fifth Cousin left just now, he left this behind.¡± Su Ergou handed a small jade pendant to Madam Tao. Madam Tao pulled Su Ergou to sit down and looked at the jade pendant in her hand. It was indeed Fifth Brother¡¯s. Madam Tao smiled and said, ¡°So that kid went to look for you. Then I¡¯m relieved. He hasn¡¯t been seen for the entire day. I was afraid that he would go out and cause trouble for me again!¡± ¡°How can that be? Fifth Cousin is a good person.¡± This was the first time Madam Tao had heard someone praise her son. She could not help but be surprised. ¡°Does Ergou like Fifth Cousin? ¡°I like him!¡± Su Ergou nodded. ¡°Fifth Cousin bought me food and even brought me out to play to earn money.¡± When she heard the first part, Madam Tao still felt that it was normal. What was with the last part, ¡°Earn money¡±? ¡°Earn, earn what money?¡± Madam Tao asked in a daze. ¡°Oh, this.¡± Su Ergou took out a large handful of silver and a stack of crumpled banknotes from his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s much more profitable than selling snacks. If I had known that this was so profitable, I wouldn¡¯t have worked so hard in the countryside.¡± Madam Tao vaguely felt that something was wrong and asked Su Ergou how he earned it. Su Ergou said, ¡°Push nine.¡± Madam Tao was speechless! Su Li was extremely unlucky today. He had suffered at the little girl¡¯s hands and originally wanted to get back at Su Ergou. His cage was already prepared, and he was just waiting for Su Ergou to crawl in. UnexDectedlv. Su Ergou cot luckv and touched touched heavenlv cards everv time he was dealt a hand! It was not easy for them to obtain a heavenly card, but Su Ergou obtained a supreme treasure! Su Li and a group of scoundrels lost terribly. He wanted to kill Su Ergou, but in the end, he was slaughtered by Su Ergou. Now, he had already lost the trust of his buddies. They all said that he had deliberately found his cousin to challenge him. They would cut ties with him in the future. Su Li felt so wronged! However, everything was not over. When he returned to the residence in the heavy rain, he was greeted by a beating from Madam Tao. Oh, he was so miserable, really¡­ After dinner was ready, Su Xiaoxiao looked out the door. ¡°Eh? Why isn¡¯t he back?¡± Yuchi Xiu walked over and stretched out his claws to grab the meat on the plate. ¡°You mean Lord? He won¡¯t be back tonight.¡± Su Xiaoxiao slapped his hand away with her chopsticks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Has he returned to the Wei family to stay?¡± Yuchi Xiu touched the back of his hand that had been slapped red and glared at someone. ¡°Yes, he went home, but it¡¯s not what you think.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°He went to see Madam Wei, but Madam Wei probably won¡¯t see him.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the pouring rain and hesitated for a moment. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Yuchi Xiu¡¯s collar. Yuchi Xiu bared his fangs and brandished his claws. ¡°Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing? You woman who shot my butt! You¡¯re not allowed to touch me again!¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you¡ª¡± ¡°Once¡ªI¡¯ ¡°Twice¡ªI¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll shout three. If you pull me again, I won¡¯t be polite to you¡ª¡± ¡°Three¡ªah¡ª¡± Chapter 464 - Chapter 464: Revealed Chapter 464: Revealed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Madam Wei¡¯s courtyard was connected to an entire peach garden. If one went out the back door, one could not see the end. The rain was pouring, and the smell of soil mixed with the fragrance of peaches was a little sweet. ¡°Ouch!¡± Yuchi Xiu fell to the ground with a few big peaches. He turned around and glared at a certain fat girl. ¡°Woman! I¡¯m warning you to be gentle! Otherwise¡­ I¡¯ll eat your peach!¡± Su Xiaoxiao specially picked a few of the largest ones. If she was any more impudent, he would bite them one by one! It was really a particularly ferocious threat! Yuchi Xiu chuckled. ¡°What can you do to me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll draw your nude photo and send it to Yuniang!¡± Yuchi Xiu looked confused. ¡°What¡¯s a nude photo?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him meaningfully. Yuchi Xiu felt a chill in his lower abdomen and immediately clamped his legs! ¡°What a strong wind.¡± Ping¡¯er was cleaning the branches that Madam Wei had cut when she suddenly felt a cold wind. She said to Madam Wei, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll go see if the back door was blown open by the wind.¡± Madam Wei nodded. Ping¡¯er got up and left the room. Thinking that the back door was not far and there was a shed in the aisle, she did not wear a raincoat and only held an oil paper umbrella. ¡°The wind really blew the door open. Strange. I clearly put the bolt in the door.¡± Ping¡¯er muttered in confusion and walked forward to close the two back doors. Just as there was only one small gap left, two wet hands suddenly reached in and blocked the door. Ping¡¯er was shocked. ¡°Ah!¡± The door was slowly opened. Amidst the lightning and thunder, a chubby figure walked in with an indifferent expression. Ping¡¯er¡¯s first reaction was that she had seen a ghost. When the other party took off her bamboo hat, Ping¡¯er was shocked. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss su?!¡± The cold wind blew through the window. Ping¡¯er lowered her head and walked in trembling. ¡°Come in and close the door,¡± Madam Wei said. Ping¡¯er slowly crossed the threshold. Madam Wei was about to ask what was wrong when she glanced around and saw two shadows on the ground. She slowly placed the cut flowers into the vase. ¡°Go boil a pot of water to make tea. ¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ping¡¯er turned around and went to the kitchen to boil water. Su Xiaoxiao left the raincoat and bamboo hat at the door and walked in before sitting down opposite Madam Wei. She was not used to sitting cross-legged on the futon. Madam Wei did not look at her and continued to trim the flowers. Su Xiaoxiao was not the kind of person who would feel embarrassed if one ignored her. She was always at ease. There was also a pair of scissors on the table for Ping¡¯er. Little Fatty Su picked it up as if no one was around, chose a peony, and cut it. Madam Wei¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and took another peony. She also cut it. Madam Wei¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly, and she gradually couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. Just as Su Xiaoxiao picked up the third flower, Madam Wei finally said, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the orchid in her hand and said indifferently, ¡°Madam Wei, why do you think I¡¯m here?¡± Madam Wei looked at the branches that Su Xiaoxiao had cut randomly and endured it. She said, ¡°No matter what you¡¯re here for, give up.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Madam Wei, I actually don¡¯t understand. You have pity for a maidservant, so why are you so cruel to your own son?¡± Madam Wei paused and her gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. She frowned and said, ¡°The person hiding behind the curtain in the casino the night before¡­ was you?¡± ¡°It was me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao admitted generously. Madam Wei said nothing. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Wei Ting didn¡¯t ask me to follow you. No matter how suspicious Madam Wei is, Wei Ting has never suspected you. I¡¯m different.¡± Madam Wei said, ¡°So you didn¡¯t come to the residence today to take my pulse, but to test me? Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Madam Wei continued, ¡°Are you happy with the results of your test?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shrugged. ¡°A little. You¡¯re Wei Ting¡¯s biological mother, and Wei Ting is your biological son. That¡¯s a lot.¡± A trace of mockery flashed across Madam Wei¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is this worth testing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao put down the orchid and chose another rose. ¡°Madam Wei, to be honest, my original intention was to confirm if you were the mole of the Wei family.¡± Madam Wei paused. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°But later on, I thought about it. Whether you¡¯re Wei Ting¡¯s biological mother or not, it¡¯s unlikely that you¡¯re a mole. If you¡¯re a mole, in order not to be discovered, you have to at least pretend to care about the children and act like a biological mother. As for reducing contact to avoid accidentally exposing yourself, that¡¯s easy. There are many ways to alienate them and not let them misunderstand. For example, if you¡¯re sick, you can¡¯t pass the illness to them. Isn¡¯t that reasonable and not suspicious?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re a mole, your actions are like telling everyone: Come and suspect me! Isn¡¯t that ridiculous?¡± Madam Wei said, ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m doing the opposite to make you think that it¡¯s impossible for me to do this.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°That makes sense. However, the secret letter that Old General Wei ordered someone to bring back before he died has always been with Wei Ting. You never saw Wei Ting after the incident with the Wei family¡¯s man. How did you get the secret letter from him?¡± Madam Wei said calmly, ¡°Have you forgotten that we paid our respects to Old General Wei and Wei Ting¡¯s father and brothers together?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Oh, where¡¯s the secret letter?¡± Madam Wei said expressionlessly, ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao rested her chin on one hand and looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Madam Wei, there¡¯s no secret letter at all. I was talking nonsense.¡± Madam Wei¡¯s pupils dilated. Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re not a mole.¡± Madam Wei held the scissors tightly and cut a branch. ¡°The flowers are planted well,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said as she looked at the vase in front of her. At this moment, Ping¡¯er walked over with the brewed tea. Su Xiaoxiao said to Ping¡¯er, ¡°Take the vase and go outside to tell Wei Ting that your Madam accepted his gift. Your Madam gave this to him.¡± Ping¡¯er looked at Su Xiaoxiao in a daze and then at Madam Wei. Su Xiaoxiao pulled out the dagger at her waist. ¡°It¡¯s useless even if you threaten me,¡± Madam Wei said calmly. ¡°Who said I was going to threaten you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao spun the dagger and pulled it out. With a slash of the blade, a series of sparks appeared on the metal scabbard. ¡°Your peach forest is not bad. If I burn it, I don¡¯t know if your heart will ache.¡± ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve already plucked the largest peaches in advance.¡± Madam Wei looked at Su Xiaoxiao coldly. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s bully aura was fully released. ¡°Oil. No matter how heavy the rain is, it will burn!¡± Madam Wei said calmly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll kill you?¡± Chapter 465 - Chapter 465: Real Mole Chapter 465: Real Mole Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao lowered her diaphragm and shouted, hitting the window. The wind from her palm seemed to contain a huge amount of internal force, and the window lattice fluttered open. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°If you think you can kill me, just try.¡± Fifteen minutes later, the door to the west courtyard creaked open. Ping¡¯er held the oil-paper umbrella and gave the flowers that Madam Wei had personally planted to Wei Ting. After leaving the Wei family, Su Xiaoxiao sat under the tree and counted peaches. ¡°My father¡¯s, Ergou¡¯s, Dahu¡¯s, Erhu¡¯s¡­¡± Yuchi Xiu resigned himself to fate and held an umbrella for her at the side. He asked speechlessly, ¡°You¡¯re really bold. You even dare to threaten your future mother-in-law. If Lord finds out¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Then you¡¯re an accomplice!¡± Yuchi Xiu was dumbfounded. ¡°How did I become an accomplice?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You slapped her just now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you asked me¡­¡± Yuchi Xiu realized that he had been tricked. This girl was clearly dragging him down on purpose! ¡°Despicable!¡± ¡°Thank you for letting me win.¡± Yuchi Xiu gritted his teeth in hatred. ¡°However, is it really fine for you to tell Madam Wei about the mole like this?¡± He thought that she suddenly asked him to bring her to the Wei family to persuade Wei Ting to come back. He did not expect her to search Madam Wei¡¯s orchard without a word. How bold was this girl¡¯s style? Moreover, it was completely unpredictable. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Do you think she really doesn¡¯t know that there¡¯s a mole in the Wei family?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yuchi Xiu was confused. Su Xiaoxiao recalled her short confrontation with Madam Wei in the house. ¡°She¡¯s not a simple woman. She discovered me long ago, earlier than I thought¡­ Perhaps when I went to take her pulse in the afternoon, she already recognized me as the person hiding behind the curtain last night.¡± Yuchi Xiu shook his head. ¡°How could she recognize you? You pulled the curtain back then, and she didn¡¯t see your face!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Scent.¡± ¡°Air¡­ scent?¡± Yuchi Xiu didn¡¯t understand. He still preferred to chat with Su Cheng. Just like Wei Ting, the little girl always made him feel that his brain was not enough. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I just noticed that other than her hobby of arranging flowers, she also likes to dry the petals and make them into spices. There are more jars of spices in the house than my family¡¯s medicine jars. Spice experts are very sensitive to smells and can completely distinguish fragrance and people.¡± Yuchi Xiu subconsciously sniffed his body. There was only the smell of sweat. It was so smelly¡­ He stuck out his tongue and retched. About a century later, Yuchi Xiu finally digested a little of the content. ¡°Wait, according to you, she recognized you in the afternoon but didn¡¯t expose you on the spot?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Her composure is terrifying, right? This is definitely not something that can be cultivated overnight. No matter how much such a person likes something, she can pretend to be very disgusted, right?¡± Yuchi Xiu looked at the sky. After using all his wisdom, he finally understood a little of the truth of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s words. ¡°Are you trying to say that¡­ she actually cares about Lord and deliberately pretended to distance herself from him? Why did she do that?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the big and red peach in her pocket and said in a low voice, ¡°Because she wants to protect him, and also because she¡¯s been living under the surveillance of the mole.¡¯ The two of them squatted by the roadside and spoke. A carriage sped past, almost splashing mud on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. Yuchi Xiu hurriedly used the oil paper umbrella to block it. After the carriage passed, Yuchi Xiu muttered unhappily, ¡°If you don¡¯t have eyes next time, I¡¯ll remove your wheels!¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned to look. ¡°Eh? It¡¯s a carriage heading for the Wei family. It¡¯s so late. Who¡¯s back?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not the Wei family¡¯s carriage. It¡¯s the Guo family¡¯s.¡± Yuchi Xiu recognized the coachman. Su Xiaoxiao asked curiously, ¡°The Guo family? Why is the Guo family here in the middle of the night?¡± Could it be that the Guo family had come to demand an explanation because she had whipped Guo Lingxi? No, they had yet to marry. If they really wanted an explanation, they would go to the Qin family. At the very least, it would be the Su family. ¡°They¡¯re here to see Madam Wei.¡± Seeing Su Xiaoxiao looking at him in confusion, Yuchi Xiu¡¯s aura instantly increased. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Lord and Guo Lingxi are cousins, and Guo Lingxi¡¯s mother is Madam Wei¡¯s cousin!¡± Su Xiaoxiao had an epiphany. ¡°Oh, so they are cousins.¡± Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°The two sisters married into the capital from Lingnan. One married into the Wei family, and the other into the Guo family. They were once a legend in the capital.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°How so?¡± Yuchi Xiu liked Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s inexperience! He hugged her and said with a sense of accomplishment, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the two beauties of Lingnan. The two of them were top-notch great beauties in Lingnan when they were young!¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought of Wei Ting¡¯s appearance and didn¡¯t doubt Yuchi Xiu¡¯s words. ¡°Are the sisters close?¡± she asked. Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°Of course. Madam Guo comes to the Wei family to visit Madam Wei every month. In the first few years, she came herself. Later on, her body was weak and she often recuperated at home, so she asked the servants to visit Madam Wei. Madam Wei will occasionally visit her. In the past few years, after Madam Wei moved to the west courtyard, she rarely left the courtyard. It¡¯s almost the Guo family who comes to visit.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Is this why Madam Wei decided on Wei Liulang and Guo Lingxi¡¯s marriage?¡± Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°Their marriage was not decided by Madam Wei. In fact, Madam Wei objected to this marriage for a while.¡± The rain in the capital lasted for three days. On this night, all the city gates were closed, but a carriage suddenly drove over from the west city gate. The carriage stopped at the city gate. The coachman looked up at the guards on the city tower and said, ¡°Open the city gate!¡± The guard ignored him. The coachman took out the token at his waist. The other party naturally could not see it from this distance, but it did not stop the coachman from taking advantage of the situation. ¡°The Prime Minister¡¯s token is here. Open the city gate!¡± Hearing that it was the Prime Minister¡¯s token, the guard was stunned for a moment before hurriedly going downstairs to confirm. When he confirmed that the legitimate son of the Prime Minister was sitting in the carriage, the guard called himself blind and respectfully invited him into the city. The Palace Academy was scheduled to hold the riding and archery examination the day after the written test, but because of the heavy rain, classes were suspended for three days, and Guo Lingxi idled at home for three days. Just as she was about to fall sick from boredom, the maidservant ran into the house excitedly. ¡°Princess! Eldest Young Master is back!¡± Guo Lingxi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Would Big Brother lie to you?¡± Following a hearty man¡¯s voice, a tall young man strode in. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. He was handsome and looked a little similar to Guo Lingxi, but he was more cold and heroic than her. ¡°Brother!¡± Guo Lingxi pounced into Guo Huan¡¯s arms like a skylark.. Chapter 466 - Chapter 466: Big Brother’s Return Chapter 466: Big Brother¡¯s Return Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Men and women sat at different tables when they were seven years old, but this pair of siblings had a good relationship and would not deliberately avoid arousing suspicion. Not to mention that Guo Huan was a few years older than Guo Lingxi and had always doted on her. In Guo Lingxi¡¯s heart, her brother was someone closer to her than her father. Guo Huan held his sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let Big Brother see if our little princess has become more beautiful.¡± Guo Lingxi was an unruly and unreasonable princess in front of others, but in front of Guo Huan, she was an extremely obedient and cute sister. Guo Lingxi said coquettishly, ¡®You went for so long before coming back!¡± Guo Huan said helplessly, ¡°I also wanted to return early. There were too many things to do and I knew that you were anxious. In order to rush back to see you early, I rushed through the night and left the imperial court¡¯s carriages behind.¡± Guo Lingxi asked worriedly, ¡°Then, are you exhausted?¡± Guo Huan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine if Big Brother is a little tired.¡± Guo Lingxi¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Has Big Brother gone to greet Grandpa and Father?¡± Guo Huan said, ¡°No, I came to see you first.¡± Guo Lingxi held his arm and smiled in satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ll go over with Big Brother later! Big Brother, come and sit!¡± The siblings sat down on the chaise. The maidservant handed over a basin and a towel. Guo Huan washed his hands and dried them with a towel. Another maidservant served fruits, snacks, and tea. Guo Huan casually picked up his teacup and took a sip. He asked Guo Lingxi, ¡°Did you cause any trouble during the six months when Big Brother was not in the capital?¡± Guo Lingxi said, ¡°What trouble can I cause?¡± Guo Huan smiled. ¡°Why did I hear that you almost knocked someone down during a horse race with Princess Hui An?¡± Guo Lingxi curled her lips and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t my horse that almost hit someone. It was hers. She¡¯s not as good as others and can¡¯t even ride a horse well. You can¡¯t blame me!¡± Guo Huan scratched the bridge of her nose with his index finger. ¡°Don¡¯t bully Princess Hui An.¡± Guo Lingxi said jealously, ¡°She¡¯s a princess. I¡¯m just a small county princess. How can it be my turn to bully her?¡± Guo Huan smiled and placed the teacup back on the tray held by the maidservant. He pulled his sister¡¯s hand, but he accidentally touched Guo Lingxi¡¯s wound, causing her to gasp in pain. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He looked at Guo Lingxi¡¯s forearm. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Guo Lingxi covered her arm and remained silent. ¡°Let Big Brother take a look.¡± Guo Huan rolled up Guo Lingxi¡¯s sleeve and looked at the whip marks on his forearm that had yet to fade. ¡°What happened? Who hit you?¡± His tone was very calm, but the maidservant at the side broke out in cold sweat. Guo Lingxi¡¯s eyes turned red as she sniffed aggrievedly. ¡°Grandpa doesn¡¯t let me tell anyone¡­¡¯ That day, after Princess Hui An went to the Imperial Study to complain about Guo Lingxi, Emperor Jing Xuan immediately summoned Prime Minister Guo into the Imperial Study and questioned how he had taught his granddaughter to dare to whip the princess in public. He even said that she wanted to hit Miss Su despite knowing that Miss Su was the Empress Dowager¡¯s physician. Why? Did she want to beat the Empress Dowager¡¯s physician to death and make her incurable? The few accusations made Prime Minister Guo¡¯s heart tremble. When he returned home, he scolded his granddaughter fiercely. Guo Huan said softly, ¡°Tell Big Brother more.¡± Guo Lingxi said aggrievedly, ¡°The eldest daughter of the Qin family¡­ She whipped me¡­¡± Guo Huan muttered, ¡°The Qin family¡­ the little girl that His Majesty betrothed to Wei Ting?¡± Guo Lingxi was stunned. ¡°Brother, you know?¡± ¡°I heard a little on the way here,¡± Guo Huan said. ¡°Why did she whip you?¡± Guo Lingxi said in a low voice, ¡°I dropped the ink on her. I wanted to teach her a small lesson. Who asked her to overestimate herself and snatch my fianc¨¦!¡± Guo Huan stroked the back of his sister¡¯s head and asked softly, ¡°Then she whipped you?¡± Guo Lingxi muttered, ¡°Not only that, but she also splashed ink on me.¡± Guo Huan¡¯s voice was indifferent. ¡°Is that so?¡± Guo Lingxi choked and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s fine if she whipped me. The pain will pass, but¡­ at the thought that Brother Ting will marry her¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± She threw herself into Guo Huan¡¯s arms, tears falling. Guo Huan hugged his sister¡¯s shoulder and comforted her softly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wei Ting won¡¯t marry anyone else. I promise you.¡± At Pear Blossom Lane, Su Xiaoxiao was having her period. She had been a little sleepy these few days, so Wei Ting did not wake her up. He woke up early and went to the shop to buy breakfast for the family. Ever since he received the flowers from Madam Wei, he walked with gusto. The three little ones also got up and stood in the backyard. Erhu also learned the horse stance from Dahu. Xiaohu did not follow suit. He secretly went to his stinky father¡¯s room. Stinky Daddy had recently brought back a vase of flowers from outside. They were so beautiful, but they were not allowed to touch them. This was how children were. The more they were not allowed to touch, the more they wanted to touch them. He moved a small stool over, stepped on it, and carried the vase down. Although three days had passed, because of the proper care, this vase of flowers was still tender and beautiful. Xiaohu carried the vase to look for Sihu. ¡°Sihu, look, flowers!¡± Sihu sniffed with its extremely sensitive horse nose. Then, Sihu ate the flowers in one bite! Xiaohu had taught Sihu for a month, but Sihu had not learned how to chew bones. Who would have thought that the Sihu would learn how to chew flowers without being taught? Xiaohu was stunned! When Wei Ting returned after buying the buns, Xiaohu hurriedly put the vase back. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Wei Ting caught him red-handed. Xiaohu shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s gaze landed on the bare flower branches, and his eyes turned cold. ¡°Why are the flowers gone?¡± Xiaohu waved his hand. ¡°It wasn¡¯t eaten by Sihu!¡± Wei Ting clenched his fists. ¡°Heh, then who ate it?¡± Xiaohu¡¯s eyes darted around as he pointed at the backyard. ¡°Dahu!¡± Dahu, who was always framed by his troublesome brother, was speechless. It would be strange if Wei Ting believed him. Very good, he had only gone out to buy buns, but the little brat had already destroyed the flowers his mother had given him. If he did not teach him a lesson, he would not learn his lesson! Wei Ting rolled up his sleeves. Xiaohu seemed to already feel the pain in his butt. He ran out! ¡°Grandpa! Grandpa!¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless to call for your Grandpa. I¡¯ll beat you up today!¡± It was rare for Su Cheng to rest for a day. He lay on the bed and slept soundly. Xiaohu could only change his position and run into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s room with all his strength. He climbed onto the bed. ¡°Mother! Mother! Save me!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked in a daze. ¡°Dad wants to hit me!¡± Xiao Hu complained. Su Xiaoxiao hugged the little guy. ¡°Why is he hitting you?¡± Xiaohu said aggrievedly, ¡°The flowers are gone. Sihu ate them.¡± ¡°You fed your father¡¯s flowers to Sihu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shuddered and woke up completely. ¡°Son, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but I can¡¯t help¡­¡± In the end, Wei Ting did not barge in. He said coldly at the door, ¡°Come over and get beaten up yourself!¡± Xiaohu threw himself under the blanket. ¡°Xiaohu, don¡¯t get beaten up! Xiaohu, don¡¯t let your butt hurt!¡± Now that he knew the pain, why did he do that beginning? Among the three little fellows, Xiaohu was the most rebellious. If Wei Ting had told Xiaohu not to take his hand from the flowers if he touched them. Xiaohu might not even touch a leaf. Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll help you this time.¡± The trouble was too big and could not be appeased with ordinary methods. She could only use his ace in the hole, a trump card¡ªa honey trap! Su Xiaoxiao tucked her hair to one side and tugged at her clothes, revealing a delicate¡­ round collarbone. If she didn¡¯t make his nose bleed later, she would write her name backvvard. She came to the door of Wei Ting¡¯s room and hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath. She stretched out her chubby arm and pushed open the door! Bang! There was a loud bang. Something huge was slapped into the wall. ¡°Eh? Where¡¯s Wei Ting?¡± Chapter 467 - Chapter 467: Actress Xiaoxiao Chapter 467: Actress Xiaoxiao Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Imperial Capital was clear, and the Palace Academy resumed the riding and archery examination. A while ago, Wei Ting applied for leave several times because of his injuries. Today, he had also returned to teach and invigilate. The two of them sat in the Wei family¡¯s carriage and headed toward the palace. Su Xiaoxiao handed Wei Ting an ice cube wrapped in a handkerchief. ¡°That melted. Swap it.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s face darkened. He changed the ice and continued to apply it to his forehead. ¡°Apply it on your nose too,¡± Su Xiaoxiao stammered. Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Laugh if you want.¡± ¡°Why would I want to laugh? My heart aches,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said as she took out her handkerchief and covered her mouth. ¡°Wuwuwuwu¡­ Wei Ting was speechless. He really did not expect that when he stood at the door and was about to open the door for her, this girl would push him into the wall as if she was rushing to the battlefield. He couldn¡¯t even be dug out¡­ How could a girl be so strong¡­ His nose was bleeding all over the ground. If not for his innate strength, he would have long been injured. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him innocently. ¡°I wanted to give you a surprise. I had already taken off my clothes¡­¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°I think your clothes were very intact.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. No, was his tolerance already so high? Was revealing her collarbone no longer considered a restricted level in this guy¡¯s eyes? Men learned bad things very quickly. Su Xiaoxiao sat up straight in a second. It was ruined. She didn¡¯t care. Anyway, the deed was done. He couldn¡¯t beat Xiaohu up anymore. Wei Ting snorted. Heh, he knew it! The carriage stopped at the entrance of the palace. The coachman reported softly, ¡°Young Master, we¡¯re here.¡± Wei Ting placed the ice cubes back on the table. ¡°You can actually continue to take leave,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°I¡¯m a physician. I can give you a diagnosis and say that you need to continue recuperating.¡± Wei Ting glanced at her coldly. ¡°Wait.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped him. ¡°The collar is crooked.¡± The breeze blew the curtain to the side. She sat sideways and raised her hand to straighten his clothes. The Guo family¡¯s carriage stopped beside the Wei family¡¯s carriage. Guo Lingxi came over when she saw the Wei family¡¯s carriage. She wanted to talk to Wei Ting, but just as she lifted the curtain, she saw an indecent scene in the carriage. Wei Ting, who never got close to women, was sitting upright in the carriage, letting Su Xiaoxiao fiddle with his collar. From Guo Lingxi¡¯s angle, she could not see Wei Ting¡¯s expression, but she could see Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes curved and her lips curled up, looking happy. ¡°Did you do it on purpose?¡± Wei Ting asked coldly. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Su Xiaoxiao admitted openly and continued to pinch his collar. ¡°Who asked her to provoke me? I¡¯m a vengeful person!¡± ¡°Childish!¡± Although he said that, he didn¡¯t move and let Su Xiaoxiao use him as a tool until¡­ Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand became more and more impudent. Wei Ting pressed her restless chubby hand. He did it to stop her from touching him, but in Guo Lingxi¡¯s eyes, he took the initiative to hold her hand and respond to her. Guo Lingxi felt her heart skip a beat. Guo Lingxi had once jumped into the river in front of Wei Ting. At that time, Wei Ting was indifferent and left without looking back. Princess Hui An jumped the city wall for Wei Ting and he didn¡¯t even blink. Guo Lingxi had once thought that a cold and heartless man like Wei Ting would not bow down to any woman. Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Enough is enough.¡± What was wrong with the collar? It was about to be torn apart by this girl! Wei Ting stood up and left. Su Xiaoxiao hugged his wrist and said coquettishly, ¡°No, no, no. I don¡¯t want to get out of the carriage yet¡­¡± Wei Ting¡¯s body trembled, and his temples throbbed! Su Xiaoxiao cried. ¡°Last time at the palace school, someone whipped me. I was so afraid¡­ Bang! Guo Lingxi kicked open the curtain and left the carriage angrily! Su Xiaoxiao shook off his hand in a second. ¡°Alright, you can leave.¡± Wei Ting, who had been thrown away after being used, was speechless. Before the riding and archery examination began, Su Xiaoxiao went to Yongshou Palace to take the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse and told her about Xiaohu causing trouble for Wei Ting and his flowers. The Empress Dowager did not say anything, but she ate half a bowl more millet porridge than usual. After leaving the Yong Shou Palace, Su Xiaoxiao went to the grassland near the Qilin Hall. The riding and archery examination was separated. The riding examination tested the students¡¯ riding technique, and the archery examination tested their archery technique. For the young ladies who had only learned for more than a month, there were no requirements for the riding technique. After all, the daughters practiced riding and archery to strengthen their bodies, and the Imperial Court did not expect them to fight. The young ladies had all arrived and were all gathered together, exclaiming from time to time. Su Xiaoxiao walked over strangely. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing her come, Lu Ying introduced her warmly. ¡°Princess Lingxi has a new mount. It¡¯s a big food horse.¡± ¡°Big foot?¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°Huh?¡± Lu Ying was stunned. ¡°Oh, a big food horse.¡± Su Xiaoxiao reacted. Their family¡¯s Sihu seemed to be this breed. At the side, Lu Hui said enviously, ¡°Princess Lingxi will definitely win today.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had once helped Lu Hui avoid Hu Biyun¡¯s slander. The Lu sisters had an extremely good impression of Su Xiaoxiao. Lu Ying said, ¡°I heard that Princess Lingxi¡¯s brother brought it back from the west city. It¡¯s even faster than a ferghana horse.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s not that exaggerated, right?¡± The speed of a ferghana horse was shocking. Princess Jingning had a ferghana horse, and so did Princess Hui An. The latter had never ridden it again after that scare. Princess Lingxi rode her new mount which ran on the horse farm. It had to be said that it was indeed a rare horse. Its explosive power and endurance were very shocking. Lu Ying was right. This horse could even outrun the horses in the Palace Academy with its eyes closed. Princess Lingxi knew that she would definitely win and looked at Su Xiaoxiao disdainfully. ¡°In front of Brother Ting later, see how I defeat you!¡± Suddenly, someone shouted, ¡°Look, another big food horse is coming!¡± Everyone looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a guard walking over with another big food horse. This horse was strong and proud, comparable to Princess Hui An¡¯s big food horse. Everyone was stunned. It was already very rare to see two big food horses today. This was really an eye-opener! ¡°Is that the Guo family¡¯s guard?¡± ¡°It seems to be. I saw him talking to Princess Lingxi just now.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the Guo family too generous? Two big food horses!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Young Master Guo has returned to the capital.¡± Princess Hui An looked strangely at the guard who was walking over her. ¡°What?¡± The guard cupped his hands and said respectfully, ¡°Young Master Guo asked me to send this horse to Princess Hui An.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡± Princess Hui An said without thinking. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over. ¡°I don¡¯t like it!¡± Princess Hui An said disdainfully. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°This horse is quite good. It¡¯s even better than your ferghana horse the last time. It¡¯s also very docile and won¡¯t be easily frightened.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was no longer the rookie who knew nothing about horses. They raised Sihu and Su Cheng¡¯s horse at home. She wondered if Sihu could be so awe-inspiring when it grew up. Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That good?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a rare horse.¡± Princess Hui An said to the guard, ¡°Come back! I want this horse!¡± The guard happily offered the horse to Princess Hui An. Now that the matter was settled, he felt he would be rewarded by Young Master Guo. Unexpectedly, he was dumbfounded in the next second. Princess Hui An handed the reins of the horse to Su Xiaoxiao.. ¡°For you!¡± Chapter 468 - Chapter 468: Slapping the Princess Lingxi ‘s Face Chapter 468: Slapping the Princess Lingxi ¡®s Face Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°For me?¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyelashes trembled as she said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you. I¡¯m rewarding it to you!¡± She was a dignified princess. How could she give things away casually? This was her grace! ¡°I have much more good things than Jingning! You¡¯ll know in the future!¡± As she spoke, Princess Jingning walked over with Taozhi. Taozhi bowed to Princess Hui An and bowed to greet Su Xiaoxiao. Princess Hui An rolled her eyes. Su Xiaoxiao nodded slightly and looked at Princess Jingning. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you during the last exam. ¡± Princess Jing Ning said, ¡°Mother isn¡¯t feeling well. I slept a little late. Did Imperial Grandmother allow you to come back for class?¡± The Empress Dowager had actually never stopped her from attending class. She had taken the opportunity to skip class, but the Empress Dowager had probably discovered it and chased her back to the palace to study. ¡°The Empress Dowager asked me to come,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Princess Jingning said softly, ¡°I visited Grandmother last night. She¡¯s recovering well. It¡¯s been hard on you these days.¡± Princess Hui An said angrily, ¡°That goes without saying!¡± The little girl was now her follower. Could Jingning be more tactful? Princess Jingning couldn¡¯t be bothered with this idiot of a sister. She pulled Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and wanted to choose a horse. Princess Hui An exploded and stared at the two of them holding hands. ¡°You, you, you, what are you doing!¡± Princess Jingning was confused. ¡°Choose a horse. Why? Do you want to follow?¡± Princess Hui An placed her hands on her hips and said, ¡°She has a horse!¡± Princess Jingning looked at Su Xiaoxiao and realized that she was already holding a horse. Her sleeve was blocking it just now, so she thought that this horse belonged to Hui An. ¡°This isn¡¯t a horse of the Palace Academy, ¡± Princess Jingning said. Princess Hui An crossed her arms and said proudly, ¡°It¡¯s a big food horse. I rewarded it!¡± Princess Jingning¡¯s gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. ¡°You want it?¡± Princess Hui An said fiercely, ¡°How dare she not want it?!¡± The two of them looked at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao felt her scalp tingle. Why did she feel that there was a fire in the backyard again¡­ Wei Ting rode his horse over and saved Su Xiaoxiao in time. ¡°Everyone, choose your horses and prepare for the exam.¡± The first test was riding. There were a total of 23 students in the Palace Academy. Lin Ruyue had been expelled, Qin Yanran had not come to prepare for her marriage at home, and Hu Biyun had been implicated and expelled. There were exactly 20 of them now. They had to form a pair and drew lots to decide. The riding and shooting teachers would comprehensively evaluate the results from the preparation before the examination, the riding posture, speed, and so on. The best would be graded with an A. Wei Ting was a very strict substitute teacher. No one had ever clinched A in his class. Wei Ting demonstrated first. He first circled the field before going in a straight line to the opposite side. Along the way, he had to cross three obstacles. Princess Jingning was in the first group, and Leng Zhiruo was also in the first group. Leng Zhiruo also used her own horse. Princess Jingning originally wanted to choose a horse, but after glancing at Princess Hui An, she asked the palace servants to bring her ferghana horse over. Leng Zhiruo was the daughter of a general. Her riding skills were very outstanding, and she received a B. Princess Jingning¡¯s performance was quite stunning. Everyone did not have high expectations of her. They thought that she would be defeated by Leng Zhiruo. Unexpectedly, she got B+. ¡°Her horse is good,¡± a rich girl whispered. ¡°She¡¯s a princess. Of course her horse is good.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said nothing. She could tell that Princess Jingning¡¯s horse was more outstanding than Leng Zhiruo¡¯s, but Princess Jingning could fight Leng Zhiruo to a draw. It was definitely not just because of the support of the ferghana horse. Leng Zhiruo was a little anxious. When she turned the corner, she lost control of her movements. Although she adjusted in time, she still lost points. In comparison, Princess Jingning fought steadily. It could be seen that her mentality was really good. The second group was Miss Wang and Lu Ying. Miss Wang got a C, and Lu Ying got a D. The highest results in the next few groups were C. It was Princess Hui An¡¯s turn. With her was a daughter with the surname Zheng. Princess Hui An was a little stupid in her studies, but her riding skills were not fake. It was Xiao Zhonghua who taught her step by step, so she got a B. Currently, the one with the best result was Jingning with a B+. Next was Leng Zhiruo¡¯s B and Princess Hui An¡¯s B. The last group was Su Xiaoxiao and Princess Lingxi. Originally, Princess Lingxi had drawn the third last group. She had found someone to change it. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care. Guo Lingxi looked at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mount coldly. ¡°This is a horse my brother gave to Princess Hui An. What right do you have to ride it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ll ride it. If you¡¯re not convinced, come and hit me.¡± Guo Lingxi gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can beat me just because you¡¯re riding the same horse as me! I mounted a horse at the age of seven and have ridden more horses than you¡¯ve walked! It¡¯s just right for you to use this horse, lest people think I won unfairly!¡± Wasn¡¯t it better to use horses of the same breed to crush someone to highlight her strength? Wei Ting waved his hand, and the young eunuch at the side sounded the gong and drum. After the two of them checked the horse and saddle, they flipped over and rushed out like arrows. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t come to the palace to learn much, so she attended even fewer riding and archery classes. In everyone¡¯s impression, her riding skills were average, and her archery skills weren¡¯t stunning. Against Princess Lingxi, she would most likely be insta-killed. However, who asked her to snatch Wei Ting from Princess Lingxi? Who asked her to whip Princess Lingxi? It would be strange if Princess Lingxi could take this lying down. ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over, it¡¯s over.¡± Princess Hui An looked at Guo Lingxi, who was in the lead, and worried for her sidekick. ¡°Guo Lingxi, you bastard. If you have the ability, compete with me! What¡¯s wrong with bullying a girl who has never learned how to ride a horse?¡± Su Xiaoxiao grew up in the countryside. When she first took riding lessons, she didn¡¯t even know how to pick a horse. Princess Hui An covered her eyes. She didn¡¯t dare to look anymore. Her sidekick was going to lose! The first fence was right in front of them. Guo Lingxi clamped her legs on the horse¡¯s abdomen, raised the reins, and leaped over! THUD! The sound of hooves landed on the ground. But it wasn¡¯t hers. Instead¡ª Guo Lingxi felt her eyes flicker as a black shadow flashed past. Impossible! She had clearly left her far behind. When did she catch up? ¡°Ah! Look! It¡¯s Miss Suls horse!¡± Lu Ying exclaimed. For the first fence, Su Xiaoxiao surpassed Guo Lingxi by half a body length. On the second fence, Su Xiaoxiao was a horse¡¯s distance ahead. The third fence was the highest. Many horses had stage fright here. They either slowed down on the spot or circled around. Su Xiaoxiao jumped up in one go. At that moment, the scene seemed to have frozen. ¡°She¡­ she jumped so high¡­¡± Lu Ying stammered. The three students who had obtained B just now had all crossed all the fences, but each of their horses could only jump to the height of Su Xiaoxiao and her mount. Lu Hui said awkwardly, ¡°Just now, Teacher Wei seemed to have leaped so high as well¡­ Heavens¡­ Did Miss Su really learn to ride a horse after coming to the capital.. The woman and horse landed bravely. Her robe was blown up by the cold wind and fluttered on the horse¡¯s back. Her eyes were focused and determined, and her entire body emitted endless heroic spirit. Everyone felt their blood boil! Wei Ting watched her from afar as she dashed toward him. She was the only one left in his eyes. Guo Lingxi¡¯s condition was affected. When she crossed the third fence, the horse had stage fright. In the end, she only got a C-. And Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s almost-perfect performance received a well-deserved A+ ! Chapter 469 - Chapter 469: Beat Up! Chapter 469: Beat Up! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios No one could say that Wei Ting was playing favorites and deliberately gave it to Su Xiaoxiao. If they could not even achieve this, few in the entire capital would be able to get it. She did it exactly how Wei Ting demonstrated! The young ladies were dumbfounded. They seriously suspected that she had not come to the palace to study recently because had secretly gone to learn how to ride a horse. A daughter who usually followed Guo Lingxi¡¯s lead said sarcastically, ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? She¡¯s the eldest daughter of the Qin family and the cousin of the Su family. So many people have taught her!¡± Lu Hui sneered. ¡°Heh, if you have the ability, get so many people to teach you. Let¡¯s see what results you can achieve!¡± Lu Ying added, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Leng Zhiruo didn¡¯t say anything. She looked at Su Xiaoxiao with a complicated expression, as if she was also surprised by the other party¡¯s improvement. Princess Hui An looked at Guo Lingxi proudly. ¡®You¡¯re nothing special. You can¡¯t even compare to a little follower of the princess!¡± Princess Hui An unilaterally announced that Su Xiaoxiao was her sidekick! Guo Lingxi mocked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you inferior too?¡± Princess Hui An was not swayed by her provocation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to compete with her! It¡¯s enough to compete with you!¡± Guo Lingxi only got a C-, while she got a B! She could hold her head high! Guo Lingxi sneered. ¡°Have you forgotten that she¡¯s going to marry Wei Ting?¡± Princess Hui An blurted out, ¡°I didn¡¯t forget¡­¡¯ F*ck, she really forgot¡­ Princess Hui An¡¯s expression darkened. Guo Lingxi smiled and left. Princess Hui An turned around and glared at Su Xiaoxiao, who was talking to Wei Ting. ¡°Princess, what¡¯s wrong?¡± the accompanying little palace maid asked. Princess Hui An stared fixedly at the two of them who were chatting happily. She placed her hands on her hips and said angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t like Brother Ting today!¡± Next was the archery competition. Compared to the intensity of riding, the test for archery skills was milder. There were a total of two groups of ten people in a group. The target was also divided into two difficulties, 30 steps and 50 steps. To the daughters of the palace school, it was already very difficult to aim at a target at 30 steps, let alone 50 steps. Each of them had ten arrows in their hands. All ten arrows hitting the bullseye at 50 steps would clinch an A+. Don¡¯t even think about it. It was impossible. Even if the archers of the Divine Bow Camp came, they could not guarantee this result. Otherwise, why would they say that Wei Ting was a freak? Guo Lingxi did not perform well in riding, but that was not entirely her fault. The horse took up half of the rating, but it was different for archery. She would not make another mistake. She would definitely get the best results in this round! She drew the first group. This time, she did not change groups. Princess Hui An was in the same group as her. Princess Hui An had once hit the bullseye (she thought so). Although she had never hit it again after that, she was still extremely confident. She didn¡¯t even look at the target at 30 steps and fired left and right at the target at 50 steps. The effect was indeed shocking. She didn¡¯t hit a single target. All of them missed the target. Guo Lingxi understood the importance of the first arrow first. If she did not shoot well, it was very likely to put pressure on her and cause her to lose her confidence later. Therefore, she started off with a target at 30 steps. Bullseye! She composed herself and drew the second arrow calmly, hitting the bullseye at 50 steps! Everyone gasped. Wasn¡¯t Princess Lingxi too powerful? She could hit the bullseye at 50 steps?! Guo Lingxi performed extremely well. All ten arrows hit the target. Other than the first arrow, which was at 30 steps, the other nine arrows were at 50 steps. Moreover, five arrows hit the bullseye, and the other four were at the edge. This result was almost beyond the reach of the daughters. Leng Zhiruo was also in this group. At 50 steps, she hit one less target than Guo Lingxi. The first group was so strong that the daughters of the second group felt pressured. ¡°Calm down,¡± Princess Jingning comforted Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Princess Hui An walked over and said arrogantly, ¡°Shoot accurately! Don¡¯t be inferior to her!¡± Princess Jingning said, ¡°If you say another word, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± Princess Hui An sneered. ¡°Do you dare to?¡± Princess Jingning raised her bow. Princess Hui An flashed behind Su Xiaoxiao in a second! Princess Jingning was only testing the bow. How could she really beat someone up here? ¡°Useless. ¡± She looked away calmly. ¡°Hmph!¡± Princess Hui An stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes before walking away. Su Xiaoxiao pulled the bow and the young eunuch handed her the quiver. Su Xiaoxiao took out an arrow and aimed at the target at 50 steps. Accompanied by a scalp-numbing sound, the arrow sped away at lightning speed! Swish! Everyone gasped. What happened? Miss Su¡­ missed the target? Lu Ying whispered, ¡°I-I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange. Her archery skills have never been top-notch, and she hasn¡¯t come to class for so long¡­ She¡¯s probably rusty¡­¡± Princess Jingning turned around and frowned at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked. Wei Ting also frowned strangely. She drew the bow in the right posture and with good strength. She didn¡¯t deviate from her aim. She shouldn¡¯t have missed the target¡­ He looked at the arrow that had hit the ground. Now that everyone was shooting arrows, they naturally could not let the young eunuch take the risk of being shot into a hedgehog to pick up the arrows. Su Xiaoxiao took out the second arrow and said calmly, ¡°Someone tampered with the arrow.¡± ¡°What?¡± Princess Jingning¡¯s eyes turned cold. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the tampered arrow in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s so well-concealed. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the tampered arrow in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s so well-concealed. If you don¡¯t shoot, you won¡¯t be able to see any flaws.¡± Princess Jingning handed her quiver over without hesitation. ¡°Use my arrow!¡± Once the exam began, they could not change bows and arrows. This was the rule, so before beginning, everyone had to carefully check their bows and arrows. But she was a princess. She had privileges. At most, she would not take the test. ¡°No need,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Princess Jingning opened her mouth. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Ting¡­ Master Wei! Her arrow is broken!¡± Princess Hui An complained to Wei Ting. ¡°It must be Guo Lingxi!¡± Guo Lingxi said coldly, ¡°What does it have to do with me? If she doesn¡¯t check it herself, why blame others?¡± ¡°If it were you, would you be able to discover it?¡± ¡°Of course I can check.¡± ¡°You only know how to talk!¡± Princess Hui An scratched her ears and cheeks. ¡°Change the arrow! Change the arrow! Change the arrow!¡± Guo Lingxi said, ¡°No!¡± Princess Lingxi said, ¡°I want to change!¡± Wei Ting looked at Su Xiaoxiao calmly. ¡°On the battlefield, you can only shoot whatever arrow you get. If you exchange with your comrades, they will be the ones to sacrifice!¡± Princess Hui An was anxious. ¡°What battlefield? This is just an exam!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nocked the arrow again. Wind direction, southeast. Wind speed, level three. She deviated from the original position and moved to the left. Deviated angle, 17 degrees. Su Xiaoxiao drew the bow to the full and moved it to the right. With a swish, it hit the bullseye! Everyone was stunned. Didn¡¯t they just say that¡­ there was something wrong with the arrow? How could she hit it like this? Guo Lingxi was also in disbelief. ¡°How¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao shot arrows at the target at 50 steps. Her black hair and robe were blown up by the cold wind. Her focused gaze and powerful aura made her look awe-inspiring to all the young ladies. This was not a bullseye, but their hearts! Ten arrows. One missed the target, and the other nine hit the bullseye! Wei Ting announced the results. Princess Lingxi received a B. Su Xiaoxiao was an entire level higher than her despite her first arrow missing the target. The daughters screamed in their hearts and looked at Su Xiaoxiao differently. Guo Lingxi¡¯s face was ashen and her eyes filled with disbelief.. Chapter 470 - Chapter 470: New Team Pet Chapter 470: New Team Pet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the riding and archery examination ended, the young ladies surrounded her and Princess Hui An was pushed aside. She was dumbfounded. ¡°Miss Su, you¡¯re so amazing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How did you shoot it?¡± ¡°Did you learn archery in Qingzhou?¡± Everyone mentioned her past again and subconsciously changed the countryside to Qingzhou. ¡°Miss Su, can you teach me archery?¡± ¡°Your hands are so soft.¡± ¡°What spice did you use? It smells so good.¡± The topic gradually changed. Su Xiaoxiao was drowned by everyone¡¯s enthusiasm. She was good at dealing with all kinds of malice and was at ease when it came to fighting. However, she was at a loss for what to do with everyone¡¯s sincerity and kindness. A second ago, she was still an extremely awe-inspiring sharpshooter. At this moment, she had ¡°been tragically¡± pinched by the daughters who held her hands, pulled her sleeves, and hooked her arms. She grabbed the bow and arrow in a daze and became a little dumb chicken in a second! In the Palace Academy, no one had been so popular. Not Princess Jingning, who was born in the central palace, Princess Hui An, who was the apple of Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s eye, nor Qin Yanran, who was known as the number one talent. Guo Lingxi had many followers. Other than competing with Princess Hui An, she had a good reputation and popularity in the Palace Academy. However, she had never enjoyed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s treatment. This scene was as if she had unified everyone¡¯s aesthetics alone. Guo Lingxi gripped the bow in her hand tightly. She turned around and saw Wei Ting behind her. She was delighted. ¡°Cousin¡­ Wei Ting was not looking at her. His gaze passed the daughters and landed on a dumbfounded little fat peacock. A trace of emotion that he did not notice flashed across his eyes. Guo Lingxi left the palace in tears and even forgot to return the bow. She only reacted when she reached the carriage. In a fit of pique, she threw the bow to the ground and broke it with one step! For today¡¯s exam, the results below C rank needed to be re-examined. More than half of the daughters wailed. Princess Hui An valiantly left the grassland. The accompanying palace servants were at a loss. At least others got a D, but she got a zero. Why was she walking with so much gusto? ¡°Princess, this is not the way to Qi Xiang Palace,¡± the little palace maid reminded. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll go look for Father!¡± Princess Hui An said. The little palace maid said, ¡°I spoke too much. Is His Majesty still in court at this time?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for him to leave the court!¡± Princess Hui An said matter-of-factly. The little palace maid asked, ¡°Is¡­ is there anything urgent?¡± Princess Hui An said righteously, ¡°I have to take the test again. Isn¡¯t this an urgent matter? But how can I take the test alone? I can only¡­ ask Father to issue a decree and find me a sparring partner!¡± The corners of the little palace maid¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to look for Master Wei?¡± Princess Hui An said, ¡°He¡¯s the teacher. If he teaches me alone, what will others do? Wouldn¡¯t that be very unfair? I¡¯m very particular about fairness. I can just find a random girl!¡± The little palace maid muttered, ¡°Are you sure you want to find a random girl? Why don¡¯t you just say Miss Su¡¯s name¡­¡± When Princess Hui An arrived at the imperial study, Princess Jingning was coming out. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Princess Hui An frowned. Princess Jingning glanced at her. ¡°To tell Father that you failed the archery test and have to take the test again.¡± Princess Hui An exploded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell him! I¡¯ll tell him myself!¡± Princess Jingning said with a calm expression, ¡°In addition, Father thinks we should find you a sparring partner and teach you step by step.¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes lit up. Princess Jing Ning said calmly, ¡°From tomorrow onwards, come to Kunning Palace at five o¡¯clock every day. I¡¯ll teach you archery.¡± Princess Hui An was speechless! On the other side, Guo Lingxi returned to the Guo family in exasperation and locked herself in her room, not coming out to eat. She was the closest to Guo Huan, so the servant naturally went to report it to the Eldest Young Master. Guo Huan came to the door and knocked. ¡°Go away!¡± She shouted. ¡°It¡¯s me, Big Brother,¡± Guo Huan said softly. Guo Lingxi¡¯s cries stopped abruptly. She slowly walked over and opened the door for Guo Huan. Guo Huan entered with a fresh peach and handed it to her. ¡°Mother got someone to visit Aunt yesterday. She picked it from Aunt¡¯s peach garden.¡± Guo Lingxi choked. ¡°I¡¯m not eating.¡± Guo Huan smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you like to eat the peaches planted by your aunt the most? They¡¯re bigger and sweeter than the ones outside.¡± Guo Lingxi said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to eat. I¡¯ve lost all my face today!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Guo Huan asked dotingly. Guo Lingxi sat on the chair and cried as she told him about the exam. ¡°Why did you give Princess Hui An a horse¡­ If you didn¡¯t give it to her¡­ she wouldn¡¯t have won against me¡­¡± Actually, what did this have to do with Guo Huan? No one expected Princess Hui An to give away such a precious horse. Guo Huan smiled gently. ¡°Hui An, you¡¯re so naughty.¡± Guo Lingxi complained, ¡°And that arrow! She said that someone tampered with it, but I don¡¯t think so! Her accuracy is very good! She said that on purpose to make people think that she¡¯s very powerful! She can even hit with a bad arrow!¡± Guo Huan touched the jade ring on his thumb. ¡°She¡­ hit the target?¡± Guo Lingxi said gloomily, ¡°The first arrow missed the target, and all the rest hit! I hate it! I hate her to death!¡± Guo Huan looked at the peaches on the table and muttered softly, ¡°Did she hit all of them¡­ At the entrance of the palace, Wei Ting sat in the carriage and waited for a long time before Su Xiaoxiao arrived. ¡°It¡¯s been more than an hour since class ended,¡± Wei Ting said coldly. Su Xiaoxiao said innocently, ¡°But they were holding me back. I can¡¯t leave either.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s the holidays tomorrow. Where do you want to go?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I have plans.¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°At night!¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°I have plans too.¡± Wei Ting asked in confusion, ¡°What did you arrange?¡± Was she going to make a house call? Su Xiaoxiao opened her fingers and counted. ¡°Lu Hui and Lu Ying asked me to go for a walk. Miss Zheng asked me to look at jewelry. Miss Liu asked me to go for a walk at night!¡± Wei Ting took a sip of cold tea. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Hurry up and go back.¡± Wei Ting said to the coachman, ¡°Go to the Pearl Pavilion.¡± Pearl Pavilion was the pleasure boat that Wei Ting had brought Su Xiaoxiao to eat. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Why are you going there again? Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°Let¡¯s eat! It¡¯s lunchtime!¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t we eating at home?¡± Su Xiaoxiao leaned forward and looked straight at him. ¡°Do you want to date me?¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°I just want to eat the fish from Pearl Pavilion.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sat back down. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go back and pick up Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu first.¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡®Why pick them up? Don¡¯t they have classes?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°There¡¯s no class at noon¡­¡± Master Wei said very seriously, ¡°What if they¡¯re late when returning? Although they¡¯re still young, they can¡¯t develop the habit of being late and skipping class..¡± Chapter 471 - Chapter 471: Untitled Chapter 471: Untitled Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The two of them arrived at the Pearl Pavilion. When the boss saw Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao, he was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Young Master Wei! Madam Wei! You¡¯re here! Quick! Get on the ship! Coincidentally, a few especially fat bass came today!¡± Wei Ting walked towards his usual room. The boss said, ¡°Young Master Wei, this room is occupied. Let¡¯s go to the room next door.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if there was someone using the room. The next second, the door to this room opened. Three round heads popped out. Wei Ting trembled. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu blinked at Wei Ting, who had suddenly appeared and were extremely surprised. Dahu tilted his head. ¡°We¡¯re here to eat fish. Dad, are you coming to eat fish ¡°I¡­¡± Wei Ting opened his mouth, not knowing how to answer. He was here to eat fish, but not. That was not the point. The point was, why were they here to eat fish? ¡°Who brought you here?¡± ¡°Master brought us here!¡± Xiao Hu said. ¡°Mother!¡± Erhu saw Su Xiaoxiao on the deck. The three of them immediately abandoned their father and ran toward Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the little fellows who were pouncing on her in surprise and reached out to hug them. ¡°Mother!¡± The three of them rubbed against her arms. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wei Ting and clicked her tongue. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t pick him up. So you picked them up long ago.¡± Wei Ting muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± What kind of master was this? He did not teach the children in broad daylight but brought them to such a place to eat fish. Was such a dishonest master really reliable? ¡°Dad didn¡¯t pick us up,¡± Dahu said. ¡°Master brought us here.¡± The three little ones were too happy. They were happy to come out for dinner, and even happier to meet their mother. Together, they were a hundred times happier! Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three little ones who were shaking their heads and smiled. She asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your Master?¡± ¡°In the room!¡± the three of them said in unison. Su Xiaoxiao walked over and greeted Ling Yun. As their father, Wei Ting naturally had to come along. Ling Yun sat by the window and drank tea leisurely. Deng An resigned himself to fate and peeled the lotus seeds. It was not the time to eat lotus seeds. The lotus flowers in the pool had yet to grow. It was unknown where Ling Yun got the lotus seed pod. This was the first time Wei Ting had seen Ling Yun. Su Xiaoxiao introduced them to each other. ¡°Wei Ting, Father of Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu. Ling Yun, Master of Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu.¡± The two of them nodded. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Young Master Ling, do you have any other friends coming?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± Ling Yun said. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, let¡¯s have a meal together?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, let¡¯s have a meal together?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyes turned cold. Ling Yun said, ¡°Sure.¡± What was there to mind? He could not ask for more than someone to help take care of his three rascal disciples. Su Xiaoxiao said to the two of them, ¡°You guys chat first. I¡¯ll go see Dahu and the others.¡± After Su Xiaoxiao left, only Deng An, who was peeling lotus seeds, and the two men were left in the room. Ling Yun was not good at socializing and did not say much. Wei Ting was talkative, but that was all used to deal with the various monsters in the Imperial Court. He still had to restrain himself in front of his sons¡¯ Master. For a moment, the two of them were silent. The atmosphere was very awkward. Deng An looked at the two of them and asked tentatively, ¡°Do you want to¡­ peel the lotus seeds?¡± The two of them were dumbfounded. The one who succeeded in breaking the awkwardness between the two of them was the boss of the pleasure boat. He came over and asked them what dishes would be served later. ¡°Anything is fine.¡± Ling Yun didn¡¯t know how to order. Wei Ting asked, ¡°Does Young Master Ling have any food restrictions?¡± Ling Yun said, ¡°I don¡¯t eat spicy food.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Then let¡¯s have steamed bass, sour soup, fishballs, stir-fried river shrimp, and fish. Also, what¡¯s the dish of the day?¡± Most of the dishes on the pleasure boat were seasonal. Wei Ting had come too many times and there were new dishes every time. In the end, other than the few dishes that he had to order, he handed them all to the boss to arrange. ¡°Alright!¡± The boss agreed with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t make it spicy,¡± Wei Ting reminded. The boss said amiably, ¡°Young Master Wei, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll remember it.¡± After ordering, the atmosphere in the room eased a lot. At least, it was not as awkward. Wei Ting looked at Ling Yun and said, ¡°I seem to have seen you somewhere.¡± Ling Yun took a sip of tea. ¡°I live in Pear Blossom Lane. It¡¯s normal to for you to have me.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s not Pear Blossom Lane. It should be earlier.¡± Ling Yun said, ¡°Really? Perhaps.¡± Wei Ting continued, ¡°You¡¯re not from the capital?¡± Ling Yun paused in his tea drinking. ¡°How can you tell?¡± Wei Ting pointed at his ear. ¡°Your accent. Although it¡¯s already very similar, there¡¯s still a slight difference.¡± ¡°I¡¯m from North City,¡± Ling Yun said. Wei Ting thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve been to North City. Perhaps I¡¯ve seen you in North City.¡± His grandfather and father and brother died in North City, where he fought for more than half a year. Perhaps it was because of the unforgettable past, Wei Ting did not say anything else. Ling Yun only drank his tea silently. On the deck, the three little fellows ran around excitedly. ¡°Catch me!¡± Dahu said to his two younger brothers. ¡°Catch us!¡± Erhu said to Xiaohu and automatically arranged himself and Dahu into the same camp. Xiaohu didn¡¯t feel that anything was wrong, so he played along. However, how could he outrun his two brothers with his short legs and small body? He waved his arms around but didn¡¯t catch anyone. Before long, he went onto the deck and began to rot it again. ¡°I¡¯m not catching anymore!¡± ¡°Time to eat¡­¡± The boss of the pleasure boat walked over with a pot of fish soup. Xiaohu got up quickly. The dishes today were very sumptuous. In addition to the dishes ordered by Wei Ting, the boss also stir-fried two seasonal side dishes and served a plate of cold dishes made by his family. ¡°Pig balls!¡± Xiaohu pointed at the fishballs in the soup. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°This is a fishball. ¡°Fishball,¡± Xiao Hu imitated. Su Xiaoxiao scooped a small bowl for each of the three little ones. Dahu and Erhu ate happily. Xiaohu stuck out his tongue. ¡°Spicy.¡± There was no chili in the fishball. It was the spicy taste of ginger. Ling Yun did not eat spicy food, but he could accept this kind of spicy ginger. Deng An watched his young master chew and swallow in small bites. Compared to ordinary people, his young master still did not eat much, but compared to before, he had eaten a lot. After eating and drinking their fill, the three little ones went to the deck to dry their stomachs. As it was drying in the sun, a little bird flew over in a panic and hit the railing with a smack before falling onto Dahu¡¯s stomach. The three little ones looked over in unison. The bird¡¯s head lolled and it went still. ¡°Is it dead?¡± Erhu asked. Xiaohu grabbed Dahu¡¯s finger and poked it. Dahu was speechless. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over. Xiaohu added his movements and said vividly, ¡°There¡¯s a little bird that¡¯s gray. It fell off and hit Dahu¡¯s belly.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a closer look and realized that it was a very beautiful Mystic Wind Parrot.. Chapter 472 - Chapter 472: Major Discovery Chapter 472: Major Discovery Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Mystic Wind Parrot was a relatively common parrot, but this one looked relatively special. There was actually a tuft of golden bird feathers on its head. Xiaohu was attracted by the raised feathers. He wanted to touch them, but he was afraid, so he continued to grab Dahu¡¯s fingers to touch the bird. Dahu wanted to hammer this troublesome brother to death. ¡°Mother, is it dead?¡± Erhu asked. Su Xiaoxiao touched its small chest and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s still breathing. It might have fainted. It can fly when it wakes up later.¡± Xiaohu ruthlessly shook off Dahu¡¯s finger and poked it with his index finger. At this moment, a few fierce servants came ashore. ¡°The few of you, search that ship! Ah Feng and the others, follow me! Remember, we have to catch that little bastard!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The servants divided into two groups. One group boarded the pleasure boat next door, and the other came to Pearl Pavilion. As expected, the group of people who came to Pearl Pavilion saw the parrot on Da Hu ts stomach. One of the servants shouted, ¡°Brother, look! It¡¯s over there!¡± The leader of the servants looked over and saw the Mystic Wind Parrot with a tuft of golden fur. He strode over. The boss of the pleasure boat was worried about causing a scene and went forward to ask what they were doing. He was scolded coldly by the head servant. ¡°Go away!¡± The boss of the pleasure boat trembled in fear. The few of them came to Su Xiaoxiao and the three children. The leader of the servants snorted. ¡°Little bastard, so you¡¯re here!¡± He rolled up his sleeves and was about to go forward to grab it. Nothing good was going to come out of this. It was as if he was going to skin the little thing alive. Xiaohu blocked them with his small hand. ¡°What are you doing?¡± This was the first time they had seen triplets. They were curious, but it was only for a moment. It was more important to get down to business. The head servant said disdainfully, ¡°Little thing, return the bird to me! Otherwise, I¡¯ll catch you too!¡± Dahu turned around and shouted at the room, ¡°Dad! Someone wants to nab Xiaohu ! ¡± If he couldn¡¯t deal with it when faced with trouble, he could let his father do it! Wei Ting walked out with a cold expression. Ling Yun also came out. He heard that someone wanted to capture his rascal disciple, but he did not agree. Wei Ting was the number one profligate son in the capital. The moment he came out, his aura as the number one in the world immediately stunned the servants. Although Ling Yun looked thin and weak, his temperament was elegant and noble. He clearly had a powerful background. Wei Ting looked at the servants coldly and frowned slightly, as if to say, ¡°Is this all He came to the servants and said arrogantly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The servants¡¯ legs went weak. The leader of the servants mustered his courage and said, ¡°That, that parrot pecked my master¡¯s little¡­ ahem, in short, it pecked my master. My master asked us to capture it and kill it!¡± The three little ones acted cute towards their biological father. ¡°Isn¡¯t he already dead?¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Huh?¡± The servants were stunned. Wei Ting flicked his wide sleeve and swept the little thing off Dahu¡¯s stomach. ¡°There, he¡¯s deader than dead.¡± The little parrot¡¯s limbs were stiff, and it did indeed look like a carcass. The head servant did not say anything else. He coughed lightly and left with his subordinates. ¡°Brother, are you leaving just like that?¡± ¡°What do you want if you don¡¯t leave?¡± ¡°They killed that bird. We have to get some¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes! You only know how to want it! You don¡¯t even know how you died one day. You ignorant thing!¡± He had seen the palace token on that young master¡¯s waist just now. The other party was a noble who could enter and leave the palace freely. How could they, as small fries, provoke him? Moreover, the bird was already dead. They could be considered to have completed their mission. After the few of them left, Erhu asked Wei Ting, ¡°Dad, is it really dead?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°That¡¯s right. We can eat roasted parrot later.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the ¡°dead¡± parrot slowly moved and spread its wings bit by bit. It already had beautiful feathers. When it spread its wings, it was even more charming. ¡°Wow.¡± The three little ones were amazed. They squatted down around it and began to watch. The Mystic Wind Parrot¡¯s temperament was considered gentle among parrots, but this was an exception. It was an irritable parrot that liked to bite. Xiaohu went to touch it. It flapped its wings and planned to bite. Suddenly, Dahu grabbed its neck and picked it up. ¡°Eh? Why can¡¯t it fly?¡± The Mystic Wind Parrot rolled its eyes. ¡°Show me,¡± Erhu said. Dahu handed it to Erhu. The Mystic Wind Parrot finally caught its breath. Before it could take a breath, Erhu grabbed its neck again. Erhu asked, ¡°Has it not completely woken up?¡± ¡°Give it to me, give it to me!¡± Xiaohu said. Xiaohu was the weakest among the children and looked easy to bite. Xiaohu hugged the Mystic Wind Parrot with both hands. This time, it was not strangled. The Mystic Wind Parrot opened its beak fiercely. ¡°It has water on its wings.¡± Xiaohu imitated Su Xiaoxiao and dusted the little parrot. The Mystic Wind Parrot, whose brain was about to be scattered, was speechless. Ling Yun asked Deng An to buy a birdcage. This parrot did not look like it was easy to tame. It might be a little troublesome to get it to enter the birdcage later. Deng An thought so. Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the bird cage, the Mystic Wind Parrot flew in as if it was fleeing for its life. Deng An was speechless. Ling Yun returned to Pear Blossom Lane with his three evil disciples and a new parrot. Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s very troublesome to raise birds. We have to buy bird food.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh.¡± When the boss learned that they were leaving, he specially sent over a jar of pickled vegetables. Su Xiaoxiao declined. The boss smiled and said, ¡°Bring it along. I think that young master just now likes it.¡± He was talking about Ling Yun. Ling Yun¡¯s stomach was not good, so he had to eat less pickled vegetables. However, it was difficult to refuse the boss¡¯s kindness, so Su Xiaoxiao still accepted it. The two of them left the pleasure boat and walked towards the carriage parked by the road. Just as she was about to sit up, a man and a woman walked over. Who else could it be but Guo Lingxi? Guo Lingxi had cried at home, but her eyes were still red. She didn¡¯t expect to meet Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting here. She was stunned. ¡°Cousin?¡± She greeted Wei Ting. As for Su Xiaoxiao, she chose to ignore her. ¡°Cousin.¡± Guo Huan also smiled and greeted him. Then, he looked at Su Xiaoxiao beside Wei Ting. ¡°This is¡­¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Fianc¨¦e, Madam Su.¡± Guo Huan looked at Su Xiaoxiao deeply and smiled warmly. ¡°I see that this is Miss Su. I¡¯m Guo Huan, Wei Ting¡¯s cousin.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded slightly. Wei Ting said to Guo Huan, ¡°When did Cousin return to the capital?¡± Guo Huan smiled and said, ¡°I just returned and was about to go to the Wei family to see you and Aunt. Have you eaten? Do you want to join me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve eaten,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll leave first.¡± ¡°Cousin¡­¡± Princess Lingxi wanted to call out, but she did not manage to stop the man. The two of them got into the carriage. Princess Lingxi stomped her feet in anger. ¡°You¡¯re not even married yet, and you¡¯re already flirting all day! How improper!¡± Guo Huan looked at the gradually disappearing carriage and revealed a thoughtful expression. In the carriage, Su Xiaoxiao fell into deep thought. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How many brothers does Princess Lingxi have?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Two. Guo Huan is the eldest brother of the first wife, and there¡¯s also a second brother of the concubine.¡± The brother Princess Hui An was talking about should be Guo Huan. Princess Hui An said that Guo Huan was very powerful, but Guo Huan clearly looked like a gentle young master. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Guo Huan is your cousin, but I don¡¯t think the two of you are too close.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Guo Huan is closer to my sixth brother.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked curiously, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you close to him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we¡¯re not close¡­¡± Wei Ting paused and said, ¡°When I was young, Sixth Brother often brought me to the Guo family to play with Guo Huan. Strictly speaking, we were close. Later on, something happened.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was curious. ¡®What is it?¡± Wei Ting recalled ¡°He threw a cat tn itq death because that cat scratched my brother. He was ten years old that year. My uncle taught him a lesson. After that, he didn¡¯t make similar mistakes again, but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t get close to him anymore.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had an epiphany. ¡°Was that what you were thinking about just now?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m thinking about something else. But I want to understand your relationship with Guo Huan first.¡± Wei Ting looked at her strangely. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Do you remember what I said about the fragrance I smelled in the cellar where the corpses were hidden?¡± Wei Ting nodded. ¡°I remember. The cellar that was filled with the corpses of rotten White Lotus believers. I was surprised. How could you smell the fragrance? Later on, you smelled it on a thief, but because you didn¡¯t know where he stole the handkerchief, the clues were interrupted.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡®Guo Huan has the same smell..¡± Chapter 473 - Chapter 473: Untitled Chapter 473: Untitled Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Are you sure?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao recalled carefully and said firmly, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± The sensitivity of this body was different from ordinary people. There were advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage was that it had developed pain senses and tear ducts. The advantage was that its five senses were especially sharp. Wei Ting frowned. Although he was not close to Guo Huan, Guo Huan was his cousin after all. Before this, Guo Huan¡¯s actions were very normal and did not raise any suspicion. If he did have the fragrance of the White Lotus Society¡¯s corpse hiding spot on him, then he was largely related to the White Lotus Society. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The handkerchief that the little thief used to wrap the gold bars last time also emitted this fragrance. According to him, he took it from a masked girl in the pleasure boat. Today, we met Guo Huan at the same place. Don¡¯t you think all of this is too coincidental?¡± A complicated look flashed across Wei Ting¡¯s eyes. He looked at Guo Huan and Guo Lingxi, who had walked onto one of the pleasure boats, and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait with you,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going on a date? It¡¯s not easy to lose a third wheel.¡± It was also very exciting to have a private time together. Wei Ting did not understand the last three words, but he vaguely understood what they meant. He didn¡¯t mind, but he was curious. How could a girl switch her emotions more smoothly than a man¡¯s? The two of them got into the carriage and stopped in an inconspicuous alley. He didn¡¯t bring Yuchi Xiu or Fu Su today, so he could only keep an eye on them himself. Wei Ting opened the curtain a crack and was on guard against the movements of the pleasure boat. Su Xiaoxiao calmly held his hand. Wei Ting paused. Su Xiaoxiao looked up at the sky as if she had done nothing. Wei Ting¡¯s fingertips moved, but he pretended not to notice and continued to spy. Su Xiaoxiao played a trick and gently scratched his palm. He was ticklish. He had the most itchy flesh on his waist and a little on his palm. As expected, Wei Ting tightened his grip on her finger. Su Xiaoxiao pretended to say, ¡°Why are you grabbing my hand so hard? I won¡¯t run away!¡± Wei Ting was speechless. After Guo Huan and Guo Lingxi entered the room of the pleasure boat, they could not see their exact movements. That pleasure boat had better business than Pearl Pavilion. There were many people coming and going, both men and women. About an hour later, Guo Huan sent Guo Lingxi to the carriage. Guo Lingxi waved goodbye to Guo Huan. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry. He¡¯s going to act alone!¡± Wei Ting wondered what woman he had married. Why was she more excited than anyone else when stirring trouble? Guo Huan waited on the shore for a while before another inconspicuous carriage drove over. Guo Huan sat down. ¡°Follow, ¡± Wei Ting said. The coachman waved the horsewhip, and the wheels spun. They followed Guo Huan all the way and realized that the carriage had stopped at the entrance of a winery. Guo Huan did not enter the winery. Instead, he turned around and walked through the alley towards a gambling den. ¡°It¡¯s the nest of the White Lotus Society,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Wei Ting lifted the curtain and looked. ¡°How do you know? Have you been there?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. Of course, she could not admit that she had followed Madam Wei into this gambling den. ¡°It¡¯s Su MO! He found this place and heard the conversation between the boss and the servants. He mentioned Guardian He!¡± Her dear cousin was used to take the blame! Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly said, ¡°Guo Huan went in! Do you think.. he¡¯s here to gamble?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Guo Huan doesn¡¯t have a hobby of gambling.¡± A person who did not gamble left his sister behind and entered the casino. If there was nothing else, no one would believe him. ¡°Are you going in?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Wei Ting nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go in and take a look. Wait for me in the carriage.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Ting looked at her strangely. Was she so straightforward? Wasn¡¯t she going to protest? Su Xiaoxiao chased him away. ¡°Go, go! Or he¡¯ll leave later!¡± No kidding. She had won so much money in the gambling den. If she went in, she would expose himself, okay? Wei Ting returned very quickly. Su Xiaoxiao was only halfway through a walnut when she looked at Wei Ting, who had suddenly turned back. She asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you not following him anymore?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Wei Ting frowned. ¡°He went in to use the toilet and left.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°It¡¯s just to go to the toilet?¡± Could they have guessed wrongly? Guo Huan had nothing to do with the White Lotus Society? But how could he explain the fragrance on his body? Su Xiaoxiao lifted the curtain and Guo Huan came out of the gambling den and calmly got into the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the sunlight above her head and then at the elegant Guo Huan with a thoughtful expression. At the Wei family. Matriarch Wei was teaching Wei Xiyue how to write when Nanny Li entered with a smile. ¡°Matriarch, Young Master Guo is here!¡± ¡°Is it Huan¡¯er?¡± Matriarch Wei asked. The Guo family had a total of two Young Master Guo, but the second son was the son of a concubine and did not interact much with the Wei family. Nanny Li smiled and said, ¡°Yes!¡± Matriarch Wei was delighted and let go of Wei Xiyue. ¡°Quickly let him in! Go tell Eldest Daughter-in-law to get them over too!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Nanny Li smiled and left. Guo Huan walked in handsomely and cupped his hands at Old Madam Wei. ¡°Old Madam! Huan¡¯er greets you!¡± ¡°Come and sit! Come here!¡± Matriarch Wei waved at him. Guo Huan walked over with a smile and sat down beside Matriarch Wei. Matriarch Wei had Wei Xiyue in her arms. Wei Xiyue raised her head and looked at him with an unfamiliar expression. Guo Huan smiled. ¡°Xiyue, do you still remember me?¡± Old Madam Wei said to her granddaughter, ¡°It¡¯s your Uncle Guo. Say hi.¡± Wei Xiyue was shy. She didn¡¯t like to greet people. At this moment, the five of them came over. When Wei Xiyue saw Madam Li, she got up and threw herself into her arms. Old Madam Wei smiled and said, ¡°This child hasn¡¯t seen you in a long time. She¡¯s shy.¡± Guo Huan smiled and said, ¡°It took me a long time to get Xiyue to call me Uncle. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have gone for so long.¡± Wei Xiyue wanted to go out to play, but Madam Li asked the servants to watch her. ¡°Cousin. ¡± Madam Chu and the others greeted him. They regarded Guo Huan as their brother-in-law. Among the seven sons of the Wei family, only Wei Ting was younger than Guo Huan. Although Madam Wei¡¯s relationship with the Wei family was neither warm nor cold, Guo Huan was deeply loved by the Wei family. Wei Ting and his brothers were very mischievous, so Guo Huan was much more sensible by contrast. Old Madam Wei sighed more than once. ¡°Our fourth and fifth brothers love to cause trouble outside. It¡¯s all thanks Huan¡¯er for cleaning up the mess!¡± Guo Huan also greeted his cousins. ¡°When did you return to the capital?¡± Matriarch Wei held Guo Huan¡¯s hand and asked. Guo Huan said, ¡°I just returned yesterday.¡± Old Madam Wei said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you rest at home for a couple of days before coming. Guo Huan smiled. ¡°Huan¡¯er misses Matriarch and Aunt.¡± Old Madam Wei sighed. ¡°I know you¡¯re filial. Alright, I¡¯m fine here. Go see your aunt. Come over for dinner later. I¡¯ll get the kitchen to make a few of your favorite dishes.¡± Guo Huan teased, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you. I eat a lot.¡± Old Madam Wei glared at him. ¡°Take care of your stomach!¡± Guo Huan asked the servants to carry the gifts in. He was also very concerned about choosing the gifts and completely targeted everyone¡¯s preferences. ¡°Wow, what a beautiful whip.¡± Madam Lan was extremely happy. ¡°As long as Fourth Sister-in-law likes it,¡± Guo Huan said with a smile. Chu and the others were also very satisfied with their gifts. ¡°Hurry up and see your aunt,¡± Matriarch Wei urged. ¡°Aye,¡± Guo Huan agreed with a smile. He came to the courtyard. A white figure rushed over and pounced on him, scratching his neck. Wei Xiyue hurriedly ran over and picked up the little packrat that had fallen to the ground. Guo Huan raised his hand and touched the wound on his neck. Then, he looked at the blood on his fingertip with a deep gaze. Wei Xiyue took a step back with the little packrat and looked at him fearfully. ¡°Little Miss! Little Miss!¡± The maidservant chased after her breathlessly. ¡°Young Miss! You really¡­ really¡­ can¡¯t run so quickly in the future¡­ I won¡¯t be able to catch up¡­ You¡¯re a seven-year-old child¡­ How can you run faster than an adult like me¡­ You clearly don¡¯t look strong¡­¡± After the maidservant finished speaking, she saw Guo Huan and hurriedly bowed. ¡°Young¡­ Young Master Guo!¡± A gentle smile appeared on Guo Huan¡¯s handsome face. ¡°It¡¯s Xiao Ju, right? You¡¯re already so tall.¡± Xiao Ju was flattered and scratched her head shyly. ¡°Young Master Guo still remembers me¡­¡± Guo Huan smiled and came to Wei Xiyue. He raised his cold hand and gently touched the little fat squirrel in Wei Xiyue¡¯s arms. ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡± He asked softly. ¡°Little White,¡± Wei Xiyue whispered. Guo Huan¡¯s smile was as warm as the morning sun. ¡°What a good name.¡± Wei Xiyue looked at his neck and hugged Little White tightly. She took a step back and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Uncle won¡¯t be angry.¡± Guo Huan said gently and took another step forward. He bent down and stroked the little packrat¡¯s tail with his slender and cold fingertips. ¡°This little thing is cute, but it¡¯s very difficult to raise. Xiyue, you have to take good care of it. Don¡¯t let it die..¡± Chapter 474 - Chapter 474: The Only Flesh and Blood Chapter 474: The Only Flesh and Blood Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After three days of heavy rain, many peach trees were drenched. Madam Wei was repairing the broken peach branch with cloth. ¡°Madam, actually, they can grow out next year.¡± Ping¡¯er felt that there was no need. The tree would not hurt. Madam Wei said nothing. There was a knock on the door from ahead. After Ping¡¯er went to take a look, she reported, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s Young Master.¡± Madam Wei paused in her actions. Guo Huan visited Madam Wei and returned to Matriarch Wei¡¯s courtyard. He chatted with Matriarch Wei for the entire afternoon. Old Madam Wei sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t you find me annoying? Guo Huan smiled. ¡°Why would I? I¡¯ve benefited a lot from listening to you.¡± Old Madam Wei was amused. ¡°This child¡­ if Xiao Qi is half as sensible as you, I¡¯ll have the face to see his grandfather and father!¡± Guo Huan smiled and said, ¡°Cousin is much more capable than me. He has military achievements at a young age and is the young divine general in the hearts of the commoners.¡± Old Madam Wei snorted. ¡°Still young? You¡¯re not young anymore!¡± Guo Huan did not mention Wei Ting¡¯s marriage to the Guo family. This was what made him likable. He would never throw out embarrassing or avoidable topics. No one would feel uncomfortable talking to him. Dinner was eaten in Old Madam Wei¡¯s courtyard. Guo Huan sat beside Old Madam Wei, who picked up food for him. He accepted them all, unlike Wei Ting, who was often picky about this and that, making Matriarch Wei feel very unfulfilled. ¡°Are you full?¡± Matriarch Wei asked. Guo Huan hugged his stomach. ¡°I can¡¯t walk anymore.¡± Matriarch Wei asked him to take a walk for a while. Only when it was indeed late did she get the servants to send him out of the residence. At midnight, after Old Madam Wei washed up, she sat at the head of the bed and looked at the gift Guo Huan had brought her from the west city. It was a military book. Her husband, Lord Wu An, had used a military book and lost it during the war. She did not expect Guo Huan to find it. ¡°Young Master Guo is too kind,¡± Nanny Li said. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to find it after being lost for so many years.¡± Matriarch Wei nodded. Otherwise, why would she dote on him so much? This child had put in a lot of effort to be filial to everyone in the residence. As Old Madam Wei touched her husband¡¯s belongings, her heart was racing. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a pity that she doesn¡¯t have a granddaughter. Otherwise, the two families could have married.¡± At the mention of this, Nanny Li said, ¡°I heard that the Prime Minister¡¯s Estate found another marriage for Young Master Guo. It¡¯s the daughter of the Zheng family.¡± Old Madam Wei pondered and said, ¡°How many times has Huan¡¯er proposed marriage?¡± Nanny Li said, ¡°The third time.¡± Old Madam Wei sighed. ¡°This child is good at everything, but his marriage¡­ is a little bumpy.¡± Nanny Li said, ¡°It¡¯s also because those girls are unlucky.¡± Old Madam Wei sighed. ¡°I hope nothing goes wrong this time.¡± ¡°Old Madam! Old Madam! Something happened!¡± A little maidservant walked over hurriedly. ¡°Who¡¯s in trouble?¡± Matriarch Wei asked steadily. The maidservant said anxiously, ¡°Young Miss¡­ Young Miss is making a fuss!¡± In the middle of the night, most of the people in the residence had rested. Only the courtyard of the second branch was brightly lit, accompanied by Wei Xiyue¡¯s cries and screams from time to time. Madam Li¡¯s head hurt from the commotion. She wished she could beat her up. ¡°Second Sister-in-law!¡± Madam Chu stopped Madam Li in time. Wei Xiyue flew into a rage in the house and threw things everywhere. In the eyes of outsiders, Wei Xiyue was a shy and obedient girl. Only those close to her knew that she was very terrifying once she caused trouble. In serious cases, she would even hurt herself. ¡°Xi Yue!¡± Old Madam Wei leaned on her walking stick and hurriedly entered the house. ¡°Ah!¡± Wei Xiyue screamed and overturned a chair. Madam Chen quickly gave in. She couldn¡¯t move and could only scream. Old Madam Wei had a headache and her heart ached. ¡°Second Daughter-in-law, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Madam Li said with red eyes, ¡°She was fine originally and had already fallen asleep. She probably drank too much water at night and suddenly woke up to go to the toilet. After that, she shouted that she wanted to look for her squirrel. I said that I would bring it over to her tomorrow, but she didn¡¯t agree. So I asked Xiao Ju to carry that little thing over.¡± ¡°But she insisted that it wasn¡¯t Xiao Bai¡­ She kicked a fuss¡­ I said a few words to her¡­ and she¡­ Madam Li felt extremely aggrieved. Everyone said that she had given birth to the only child of the Wei family and was blessed. Who could understand that the child she gave birth to after being pregnant for ten months was not a normal child at all? She was mentally and physically exhausted¡­ She blamed herself, was angry, and did not know what to do¡­ ¡°Ah¡ªah¡ªah¡ª Wei Xiyue screamed crazily, unable to listen to anyone¡¯s comfort. ¡°Where¡¯s that little thing?¡± Matriarch Wei asked. Xiao Ju carried the little white ball over in fear. Old Madam Wei looked around. Wasn¡¯t this the original one? They were the same size, fat, and pure white. Matriarch Wei put down her walking stick and walked over to gently cup Wei Xiyue¡¯s cheek. ¡°Xiyue, be good. Grandmother brought Xiao Bai here. Look.¡± Wei Xiyue reacted and stopped screaming at the top of her lungs. Old Madam Wei carried the little packrat over and handed it to her. ¡°Here, Xiao Bai.¡± ¡°No! No! No!¡± Wei Xiyue screamed again. Suddenly, Wei Xiyue¡¯s body twitched. Old Madam Wei¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Xi Yue?¡± Madam Chen looked down. ¡°Xiyue!¡± Madam Li pushed Madam Chen away. ¡°Third Sister-in-law! What did you do to Xiyue? Who asked you to use so much strength!¡± Madam Chen said, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± She really didn¡¯t use much strength. She didn¡¯t know how to control her strength, but when she hugged Wei Xiyue, she strictly restrained her strength. Madam Jiang said, ¡°Second Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law won¡¯t hurt Xiyue!¡± Wei Xiyue began to twitch non-stop, and everyone was frightened. Madam Li hugged her daughter and cried. ¡°Hurry up and call a doctor! Call a physician!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late!¡± Matriarch Wei said with a solemn expression. ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous for children to convulse. By the time the physician comes over, Xi Yue might already be hopeless.¡± Madam Li cried uncontrollably. ¡°Then what should we do, Grandmother? Grandmother, save Xiyue¡­ save Xiyue¡­¡± The long night was silent. The crescent moon disappeared into the clouds. ¡°Big pig trotters¡­¡± Xiaohu muttered in his sleep. He hugged Dahu¡¯s small feet and started eating. Su Xiaoxiao turned around and pulled a child into her arms. The family slept soundly. Suddenly, a cold wind blew and the door was kicked open! ¡°What do you want? What do you want?¡± Su Cheng jumped up in shock and pulled out the butcher knife under the bed. Su Xiaoxiao was also woken up and took out the dagger under her pillow. Wei Ting was not around tonight. There was actually an expert¡ª She was about to attack when the other party arrived in front of her bed. ¡°Miss Su.¡± He spoke calmly. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s knife paused in midair. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± The man in white walked forward with the child in his arms. ¡°Miss Su, please save Xiyue.. ¡° Chapter 475 - Chapter 475: Midnight Rescue Chapter 475: Midnight Rescue Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao took the child. ¡°Palm lamp! The lighter is on the table!¡± The man in white immediately lit the oil lamp and turned the wick to the brightest. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t care less that she was only wearing a sleeping gown and hurriedly carried the twitching Wei Xiyue over. ¡°Daughter!¡± Su Cheng rushed in with a butcher knife. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Dad, we¡¯re on the same side. He brought a child here for a consultation!¡± Su Cheng¡¯s butcher knife had already landed on the head of the man in white and the bamboo hat, and he almost couldn¡¯t take it back. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Dad, carry Dahu and the others over.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Su Cheng scooped up the two little fellows, and the man in white went to help. The two of them carried the three children to Su Cheng¡¯s room. Su Xiaoxiao gently placed Wei Xiyue on the bed and let her lie flat. She also unbuttoned Wei Xiyue¡¯s clothes and belt so that she could keep breathing smoothly. She Imelt beside Wei Xiyue and gently supported her back. She couldn¡¯t use too little strength. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold her up, and she couldn¡¯t use too much strength either. She would hurt her. The man in white and the bamboo hat came to the door and wanted to enter, but he only glanced in and retracted his foot as if he had been electrocuted. He turned. See no evil. Su Cheng covered the three little fellows with the blanket and came to the backyard. He said to the man in white and the bamboo hat guarding the door, ¡°Just wait outside. Don¡¯t worry. My daughter¡¯s medical skills are very good. The child will be fine.¡± The man in white responded in a low voice. Su Cheng looked at him. ¡°Speaking of which, how old are you? You already have a child?¡± The man in white and the bamboo hat¡¯s appearance was hidden in the dark, and only his smooth and exquisite chin could be seen. He explained, ¡°It¡¯s not my child, but Matriarch Wei¡¯s great-granddaughter.¡± Su Cheng was surprised. ¡°Ah, the Wei family¡¯s child. Are you from Son-in-law¡¯s family? His brother? No, his brothers are all gone. ¡°Guard,¡± said the man in white. ¡°You don¡¯t look like a guard either¡­¡± He was like the noble young master of that family, Su Cheng thought. The man in white said nothing. ¡°You can come in now,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. The two of them entered the house. ¡°Is the child alright?¡± Su Cheng asked. Su Xiaoxiao covered Wei Xiyue with the blanket. ¡°She¡¯s out of danger for the time being. Dad, go rest.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go. Call me if you need anything!¡± Su Cheng took the butcher knife and returned to the house. The man in white came to the bed and looked at Wei Xiyue, who had already quietened down. ¡°She¡¯s asleep,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°When did she start convulsing?¡± The white-robed man in the bamboo hat said, ¡°Just now. When she started convulsing, the Matriarch asked me to bring her over.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°What was she doing before the convulsion?¡± The man in white said, ¡°She was crying and shouting.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Has this happened before?¡± The man in white recalled, ¡°It¡¯s the first time she convulsed. She shouted¡­ often.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the sleeping Wei Xiyue. ¡°Did she shout often? For no reason, or after being agitated?¡± The man in white said, ¡°Mostly after being agitated.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s first impression of Wei Xiyue was that she was shy and introverted, but from her appearance, it was difficult to imagine her shouting at people when she was angry. ¡°Can you describe it in more detail?¡± she asked. The white-robed man paused for a moment and said, ¡°Xiyue is¡­ different from ordinary children. She doesn¡¯t like to smile or move. She often cries out that her stomach hurts, and medicine doesn¡¯t work on her. When she¡¯s angry, she will shout. It¡¯s the kind that can¡¯t be comforted. She will only stop when she¡¯s tired.¡± ¡°Is it always like this?¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t like this when she was born. After she was about three years old¡­¡± Wei Xivue was seven years old this vear. She was three years old at the time of the Wei family¡¯s misfortune. ¡°Children who lose their father¡­ will do this, right?¡± the man in white asked. ¡°It¡¯s one of the triggers.¡± The man in white looked in the direction of Su Cheng¡¯s room. ¡°I heard from Fu Su that the three young masters were once different from ordinary children. If they can get better, so can Xi Yue, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Xiyue¡¯s situation is different from theirs.¡± The three little fellows were suffering from post- traumatic stress, but Wei Xiyue¡¯s condition was more like a symptom of depression. Soon, Matriarch Wei and the others rushed to Pear Blossom Lane. Old Madam Wei was in such a hurry that even fell. Fortunately, she practiced martial arts and had a strong foundation. She did not fall badly. Su Xiaoxiao asked Madam Li about Wei Xiyue. Madam Li said everything with tears in her eyes. Su Xiaoxiao knew what to do. Madam Li cried, ¡°Seventh Sister-in-law, what illness does Xiyue have? Could it be¡­ could it be a seizure?¡± This was also known as epilepsy. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Based on her pulse and the onset, it doesn¡¯t look like a seizure. It should be a convulsion caused by her emotions.¡± ¡°What kind of illness is this? Can it be cured?¡± Madam Li asked in a daze. Old Madam Wei knew about depression. It was commonly known in their time as worrying and overthinking. She said in disbelief, ¡°Xiyue is so young¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao understood what Old Madam Wei wanted to ask and explained to her, ¡°This illness has hereditary factors and can also be caused by environment and inducement. It¡¯s hard to say if it can be completely cured.¡± Madam Li covered her face and cried. Madam Jiang comforted her. ¡°Second Sister-in-law, don¡¯t worry. I believe in Seventh Sister-in-law¡¯s medical skills.¡± Madam Chu also advised, ¡°Seventh Sister-in-law will definitely do her best to treat Xiyue. Look, isn¡¯t Xiyue fine now? It will get better and better in the future.¡± Madam Lan said, ¡°That¡¯s right, Second Sister-in-law. Don¡¯t be sad. It¡¯s more important to take care of your health.¡± Madam Chen scratched her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Second Sister-in-law. I¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Madam Chen. ¡°Did Third Sister-in-law make Xiyue cry?¡± Madam Jiang said, ¡°No! When Xiyue cried, Third Sister-in-law was worried that Xiyue would hurt herself, so she hugged her. After a while, Xiyue twitched¡­ Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Xiyue¡¯s convulsion has nothing to do with Third Sister-in-law. Third Sister-in-law, you don¡¯t have to blame yourself.¡± These words were both directed at Madam Chen and Madam Li. Madam Li wiped her tears. ¡°Sorry, Third Sister-in-law.¡± Madam Chen said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at them. ¡°However, can I ask what stimulated Xiyue tonight?¡± ¡°Xiyue raised a squirrel a while ago¡­¡± Madam Li told her what had happened at night. ¡°She insisted that it wasn¡¯t that one, but we haven¡¯t touched it. Why isn¡¯t it that one? We didn¡¯t raise a second one at home!¡± ¡°Does Xiyue like Xiao Bai very much?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Madam Li said helplessly, ¡°She likes it. The first time she saw it, she couldn¡¯t walk anymore and insisted that I buy it. She would hug it when she was eating ana wnen sne was sleeping. sne coman¡¯t live Witnout not seemg It ror a wnlle. That little thing even likes to scratch people and scratched her a few times. When I said to throw it away, she insisted. I¡¯ve never seen her treat anyone so well.. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Can I take a look?¡± Madam Li said, ¡°Xiao Ju.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Xiao Ju walked forward with a small cage. Su Xiaoxiao opened the cage. Madam Li reminded, ¡°Be careful. It scratches people!¡± Su Xiaoxiao carried the little fat squirrel out. ¡°It¡¯s not scratching me. It¡¯s quite docile.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Madam Li looked at the little packrat strangely. ¡°That¡¯s strange. It rarely doesn¡¯t scratch people.¡± Su Xiaoxiao checked the little packrat in her arms. ¡°Other than Xiyue, has anyone else touched it today?¡± ¡°No?¡± Madam Li looked at Xiao Ju. Xiaoju was about to nod when she suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°Ah, Young Master Guo!¡± Chapter 476 - Chapter 476: Xiao Bai Chapter 476: Xiao Bai Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You mean¡­ Huan¡¯er?¡± Matriarch Wei said. ¡°Yes, Matriarch.¡± Xiao Ju did not dare to hide anything and told her about Xiao Bai scratching Young Master Guo. ¡°Did he take Xiao Bai away?¡± Madam Li asked. Xiao Hu said, ¡°No, Young Master Guo only spoke to Little Miss for a while. He wasn¡¯t angry and even touched Xiao Bai. After that, he left.¡± As for what Guo Huan had said to Wei Xiyue, Xiao Ju did not hear it clearly because his voice was too soft and he had bent down to tell Wei Xiyue Old Madam Wei paused and said, ¡°Other than Huan¡¯er, has anyone else touched Xiao Bai? Think about it again.¡± Xiaoju shook her head. ¡°No. Little Miss carried Xiao Bai back to the courtyard and never went out again.¡± The courtyard was filled with maidservants. Who could have replaced Xiao Bai? Madam Lan asked softly, ¡°Could it be Xiyue¡­¡± She did not finish her sentence. Everyone knew very well. Wei Xiyue was not an ordinary child. Perhaps something was wrong with her suddenly. Su Xiaoxiao said nothing. She silently closed the medicine box and stood up to go next door. Wei Xiyue needed to stay in Pear Blossom Lane for the night. Madam Li stayed behind to accompany her, and Matriarch Wei and the others returned to the residence first. Su Xiaoxiao went next door. Just as she sat down, Yuchi Xiu came. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°Yu Niang didn¡¯t send a letter!¡± Could this guy stop hanging around her? Yuchi Xiu said with a dark expression, ¡°I¡¯m here to look for my lord! Who cares about that woman¡¯s letter? I¡¯m waiting for her to return¡­¡± He stopped in time. ¡°Return what to you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes and asked. ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± He covered his mouth and made a muffled sound. Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Underpants?¡± Yuchi Xiu jumped three feet high! Damn! How could she tell?! Su Xiaoxiao curled her lips in disdain. ¡°Yuniang probably burned it for you long ago. Why would she return it to you? Dream on.¡± Yuchi Xiu¡¯s heart broke. It was his favorite pair of underpants¡­ Su Xiaoxiao looked at him meaningfully. ¡°Wait, you came at the right time. Help me do something.¡± Yuchi Xiu took three steps back and looked at her warily. ¡°What do you want now? Let me make it clear first that I won¡¯t help you threaten Madam Wei again!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Madam Wei.¡± Su Xiaoxiao told her about Wei Xiyue concisely. Yuchi Xiu¡¯s brain, which was inadequate for dealing with Su Xiaoxiao in the first place, went blank for a full three seconds. He frowned and said, ¡°I know that Wei Xiyue will have a relapse, but this is the first time I¡¯ve heard of her having a relapse to the point of convulsion. So do you think Wei Xiyue is right and Xiao Bai is indeed not the original Xiao Bai?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°And you think Guo Huan did it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded again. Yuchi Xiu¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°No way¡­ Do you actually suspect him? Why are you so bold? If the Wei family finds out, they¡¯ll definitely skin you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao naturally understood that Yuchi Xiu¡¯s worry was not unreasonable. After all, it was telling that the Wei family would rather believe that Wei Xiyue had made a mistake than suspect Guo Huan. It could be seen how much Guo Huan was trusted by the Wei family. If she muttered a few words about Madam Wei¡¯s faults, the Wei family¡¯s reaction would probably not be too big. Guo Huan was different. He was almost perfect in the Wei family¡¯s hearts. Yuchi Xiu was not a member of the Wei family. He was an assassin. He did not have many feelings for Guo Huan and was quite objective when looking at problems. He was analyzing the pros and cons of this matter from the perspective of the Wei family. He felt that this girl did not want to live anymore. If he followed her, he would attract trouble sooner or later. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Go, go. Just this once. Your qinggong is the best. Other than you, no one else can sneak into the Prime Minister¡¯s Estate quietly.¡± This high hat pleased Yuchi Xiu very much, and he went boldly. Unfortunately, he did not find a little fat squirrel in the Prime Minister¡¯s Estate. Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°If you didn¡¯t get it wrong, he would have already dealt with the little thing. I was a step too late.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Yuchi Xiu was puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s just a little squirrel, right? Even if you find it, you can¡¯t prove anything. The Wei family won¡¯t believe you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Su Xiaoxiao collapsed on the bed and looked at the roof beam helplessly. ¡°Xiyue will want Xiao Bai when she wakes up. If she doesn¡¯t get it, her illness will act up.¡± It was over. She could already imagine the tragic scene of Wei Xiyue singlehandedly launching a sound wave attack and overturning the entire alley. It was dawn. Wei Xiyue slowly opened her eyes. The unfamiliar environment instinctively made her feel uneasy. She turned around and saw her sleeping mother beside her, but she slowly calmed down. Madam Li slept most of the night and only fell asleep when it was almost dawn. She was sleeping soundly. Wei Xiyue did not wake her up. She climbed over her and got out of bed. She put on her shoes, opened the door, and walked out. The clear morning wind and the golden morning light mixing with the fragrance of the grass on the ground was a scene Wei Xiyue had never seen. Wei Xiyue was not used to going to unfamiliar places. She would feel uneasy. However, today, before she could feel the emotions in her heart, she saw a pony eating grass and a little bean lying on the grass doing something. ¡°Sihu, look at me.¡± Xiaohu kicked with his feet, his small arms slipped, and his body darted up. He kicked and slid and darted. Not long after, he arrived in front of Wei Xiyue. He did not get up. He still lay on the grass and looked at Wei Xiyue without blinking. Wei Xiyue also looked at him curiously. ¡°Who are you? Why are you in my house? Why are you looking at me?¡± Xiaohu asked three times. Wei Xiyue said nothing. She squatted down and pinched Xiaohu¡¯s cheek before pulling his ear. Xiaohu¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°Sister, what are you doing?¡± Wei Xiyue knelt down on Xiaohu¡¯s head and bent down to hug his head, giving him a gentle pat. Xiaohu wondered what was with her. It was so strange. Wei Xiyue let go of Xiaohu and ran into the house. Xiaohu continued to lie on the grass and slide. Wei Xiyue ran over again. This time, she had two bags of fruits in her hand. They were stir-fried pine nuts and charcoal-roasted dried meat. She handed a pine nut to Xiaohu. Xiaohu said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to peel.¡± Wei Xiyue peeled it for him and fed it to him. Xiaohu ate it. Aiya, how fragrant! ¡°More.¡± Wei Xiyue peeled three or four in a row and fed him a small piece of dried meat. It felt too good to lie down and be fed. Xiaohu narrowed his eyes in enjoyment and ate heartily. When Su Xiaoxiao returned home after getting the medicine, Madam Li was already up and sitting in the central room. Su Cheng was also there. ¡°Dad, Second Sister-in-law,¡± Su Xiaoxiao greeted. Su Cheng hesitated. Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dad?¡± Su Cheng cleared his throat and said to Madam Li, ¡°You should do it.¡± Madam Li smiled awkwardly. ¡°I have good news and bad news.¡± ¡°The good news is¡­ Xiyue isn¡¯t clamoring for Xiao Bai anymore.¡± ¡°The bad news is¡­ Xi Yue treats Xiao Hu as the next Xiao Bai.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded.. Chapter 477 - Chapter 477: Brother Ting Takes Action Chapter 477: Brother Ting Takes Action Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this moment, Xiaohu did not know that he had been treated as a squirrel by Wei Xiyue. He enjoyed the incomparably enthusiastic feeding and felt that he had reached his peak as a child! Not only did Wei Xiyue feed Xiaohu, but she also washed Xiaohu¡¯s face and combed his hair. Xiaohu was simply too arrogant! After Wei Ting had dinner last night, he changed his clothes, put on a mask, and left. He called Fu Su. He did not ask Yuchi Xiu because Yuchi Xiu only knew how to how to talk about eating, drink, galivanting and gambling. In fact, he led a cleaner life than a monk. Fu Su was different. As a secret guard, he had received comprehensive training, including eating and drinking¡­ minus the prostitution, the Wei family was not into prostitution. And gambling. The two of them entered the gambling den he had followed Guo Huan into yesterday. The two of them won the night and the boss of the gambling den was fuming. At dawn, Fu Su went to the toilet. When he returned, he whispered to Wei Ting, ¡°Sir, someone went out sneakily. He went in the direction of the Dali Temple.¡± Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°Send a letter to Xiao Zhonghua.¡± Fu Su asked, ¡°Sir, what about you?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll earn some more money for the family.¡± Fu Su was speechless. After leaving the gambling den, he walked around and shook off the shop assistant who was following him. He used his qinggong to go to the Third Prince¡¯s residence. He did not walk through the door and entered Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s courtyard, where Jing Yi successfully placed a sword to his neck. Fu Su muttered, ¡°Uh, I miscalculated¡­ I forgot that Xiao Zhonghua has Young Marquis Jing beside him¡± He really could not defeat him. Jing Yi¡¯s injuries had healed. He had only come to the Third Prince¡¯s residence these two days. ¡°My young master asked me to come!¡± Fu Su immediately said, afraid that his head would relocate if he was a second slower. Jing Yi had seen Fu Su beside Wei Ting and naturally understood that the young master he was talking about was Wei Ting. He asked coldly, ¡°Why did Wei Ting ask you to come?¡± Third Prince. The people from the White Lotus Society are about to attack. Although I don¡¯t know what they want to do, it¡¯s best for the Third Prince to rush to the Dali Temple as soon as possible. If you¡¯re a moment late, it might be too late.¡± In the cell of the Dali Temple, the guard who had been on duty for the entire night yawned sleepily. He looked at the hourglass on the wall. After holding on for another fifteen minutes, his companion who was changing shifts arrived. He rubbed his sore neck. Suddenly, a rustling sound walked over. ¡°Who is it?¡± He was instantly wary. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± A jailer came over with a large food box. ¡°It¡¯s time to deliver food to the prisoner.¡± ¡°So early?¡± The guard frowned. ¡°This is my first day on duty and I was afraid that I would be late, so I came over early,¡± the jailer said as he took out the token at his waist and handed it to him. The guard checked the token and returned it to him. ¡°Go in.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± The guard stopped the jailer again. ¡°Is there anything delicious?¡± The guard smiled and untied the cloth bag at his waist. ¡°I¡¯ve kept a few meat buns for myself. Please accept them.¡± The guard took the buns and waved him away. The jailer carried the food box and distributed a plate to each cell door. The deeper he went, the more special the prisoners were. The jailer came to the corner. He turned around and looked at the sleepy guard; his eyes were cold as he walked to the cell at the end. There was some knockout medicine in the food. After the prisoners took it, they all fell to the ground and fell asleep. The jailer opened the cell door with a key and bowed in. The disheveled Guardian He sat on the dirty ground with his back against the cold wall. He did not even look up. The jailer whispered, ¡°Everything in the world.¡± Guardian He subconsciously said, ¡°The common people are united.¡± Guardian He suddenly opened his eyes. The jailer took out another token and showed it to Guardian He. Then, he put away the token and sat opposite Guardian He. Guardian He hurriedly looked at the other cells. ¡°Stop looking. They¡¯re asleep,¡± the jailer said. Guardian He was relieved, but he still lowered his voice and asked cautiously, ¡°Why are you here? It¡¯s very dangerous here. The more one person is caught, the higher the risk of us being exposed!¡± The jailer said, ¡°The cult master has a new order.¡± Guardian He immediately sat up straight and his expression became solemn. The jailer handed him a medicine bottle. ¡°Guardian He, please dedicate yourself to the White Lotus Society.¡± Guardian He was stunned. The jailer asked calmly, ¡°Guardian He, can¡¯t bear to part with your life?¡± Guardian He clenched his fists and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t confess, not a word. I definitely won¡¯t betray the Sect Master!¡± The jailer said, ¡°This is the Sect Master¡¯s order.¡± In the School of White Lotus, every disciple had to obey the Sect Master wholeheartedly. This was the rule of the School of White Lotus. Guardian He slowly took the medicine bottle. ¡°What will happen after I die?¡± The jailer said, ¡°Your family will be treated well and will have nothing to worry about for the rest of their lives.¡± Guardian He smiled. ¡°I naturally know that the White Lotus Society won¡¯t treat my family badly. I¡¯m asking, what do you plan to do after I die?¡± The jailer said, ¡°The setup is that Xiao Zhonghua gave you this poison. He was worried that you would expose him and decided to kill you to silence you. In addition, they will find evidence of your collusion with Xiao Zhonghua in your residence.¡± Guardian He said, ¡°You really didn¡¯t miss anything.¡± The jailer stood up and bowed respectfully. ¡®Goodbye, Guardian He.¡± Guardian He lowered his eyes and smiled. He raised his head and swallowed the pill in his hand. The prison guard bowed again before leaving with the food box. Just as he left, Jing Yi entered the prison from the back door. He grabbed Guardian He, who had fallen to the ground with his eyes closed, and slapped his back, spitting out the poison in his stomach! Guardian He looked at Jing Yi in disbelief and then at Xiao Zhonghua, who was walking over unhurriedly. His expression changed. Xiao Zhonghua looked down at him and was as calm as the snow on Heavenly Mountain. ¡°Guardian He, are you really willing to die?¡± Guardian He turned his face away coldly. ¡°I won¡¯t betray the Sect Master! If you think that I will be loyal to you because you saved me, give up!¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled faintly. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to betray your Sect Master. Your family is in the White Lotus Society. How stupid am I to ask you to join me? I just have a question. You¡¯re the Guardian of the White Lotus Society and hold a pivotal position in the White Lotus Society. Moreover, the White Lotus Society has your family in its hands. There¡¯s no need to worry about you betraying them. Then, why do they want to silence you?¡± Guardian He was stunned. Xiao Zhonghua said unhurriedly, ¡°If I were you, I would probably think about it carefully. Was that order really given by the Sect Master?¡± ¡°There should be many people who want to sit in the position of Guardian, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only right for you to die for martyrdom, but if you¡¯re framed, are you willing?¡± Guardian He clenched his fists. Xiao Zhonghua smiled at him. ¡°I have a way to protect you, and your family, and help you find out the truth.¡± Guardian He asked warily, ¡°You want me to work for you?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°No, you only need to tell me a small piece of news.¡± Guardian He asked, ¡°What news?¡± Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s smile disappeared and he asked coldly, ¡°Who¡¯s the mole of the Wei family?¡± Chapter 478 - Chapter 478: Capturing Guo Huan Chapter 478: Capturing Guo Huan Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On this day, two major events happened in the Dali Temple. The first thing was that Guardian He of the White Lotus Society had been poisoned to death. The second thing was that the Dali Temple had found a courtyard in the capital and found where evidence of collusion with the White Lotus Society by the officials of the Imperial Court. There were a total of seven officials involved. Six of them were from the Imperial Guards, and the other was actually a registrar of the Dali Temple. The entire six tribes were shocked. Emperor Jing Xuan summoned the minister of the Dali Temple and Xiao Zhonghua. In the carriage that entered the palace, Jing Yi asked Xiao Zhonghua, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you highlight the Eldest Prince¡¯s crime?¡± The jailer planned to use Guardian He¡¯s death to frame Xiao Zhonghua. Since Xiao Zhonghua already knew the plan, he would not let them succeed. Ting Vi renlaced the ¡°incriminating evidence¡± related to Xiao Zhonghna with those implicated the officials of the Imperial Court. Xiao Zhonghua shook his head. ¡°Do you think Father will cripple Xiao Duye after finding evidence of his crimes? He¡¯s Father¡¯s eldest son. You don¡¯t know how much he¡¯s favored in Father¡¯s heart. To deal with him, you need more evidence that touches Father¡¯s reverse scale.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like we didn¡¯t gain anything. These people are all Xiao Duye¡¯s minions. It¡¯s good if we can pull them out.¡± He could not return empty-handed. Since he could not defeat Xiao Duye, he would reduce his power. Jing Yi thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Is Cousin really planning to let Guardian He go?¡± The real Guardian He was not dead. The one who died was a condemned prisoner who had ben disguised as Guardian He. The coroner was Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s man and would help to cover up. Xiao Zhonghua narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°To play the long game. Just keep a close eye on him.¡± ¡°Cousin,¡± Jing Yi suddenly looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao Zhonghua asked. ¡°Are you sad?¡± Jing Yi asked. Xiao Zhonghua smiled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°Father arranged a marriage for Wei Ting and her.¡± Xiao Zhonghua lowered his eyes and smiled faintly. ¡°If you mean losing the Qin family¡¯s military power, I¡¯m indeed a little sad. However, it¡¯s not bad to cooperate with Wei Ting in this way.¡± Jing Yi looked at Xiao Zhonghua without blinking, as if to see if he was really not tempted by Su Xiaoxiao. Old Madam Wei was worried about Wei Xiyue and did not sleep well the entire night. She woke up at dawn. Nanny Li advised, ¡°Sleep more. Look at how tired you are. Young Miss will be fine with Miss Su. Isn¡¯t Second Young Madam accompanying her?¡± ¡°I keep thinking about her and can¡¯t sleep.¡± Matriarch Wei looked at the unfinished words that the child had been practicing on the table and sighed. ¡°This child hasn¡¯t left the residence since she was born. She¡¯s not used to being outside and doesn¡¯t interact with strangers. Do you still remember that when she was five years old, I invited a few female teachers to enlighten her?¡± Nanny Li smiled and said, ¡°I remember. Young Miss cried when she saw the teachers. In the end, the teacers didn¡¯t stay.¡± Matriarch Wei continued, ¡°And when she was six years old, her mother brought her back to her maternal home for a visit. When she woke up and realized that she was not in the residence, she caused a huge commotion. She will definitely cry when she wakes up later. I have to go take a look.¡± Nanny Li said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you wash up.¡± When Matriarch Wei came out, Madam Chu and the others were already gathered at the entrance. Old Madam Wei glanced at everyone and did not say anything. She asked the servants to rush to the carriage. Because Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting¡¯s marriage was established, there was no need to hide the relationship between the two families like before. The spacious Wei family carriage drove all the way into Pear Blossom Lane. ¡°Did you bring Xiyue¡¯s favorite crispy candy?¡± Matriarch Wei asked. ¡°I did,¡± Madam Chu said. ¡°Where¡¯s the flower drum?¡± Matriarch Wei asked again. ¡°I¡¯m carrying it too.¡± Madam Jiang waved the little flower drum in her hand. Matriarch Wei counted Wei Xiyue¡¯s trinkets one by one and instructed, ¡°When Xiyue cries later, remember to close the door first. Don¡¯t disturb the neighbors.¡± They were experienced in this and were very good at it. However, when they arrived at the Su family, Wei Xiyue was nowhere to be seen in the courtyard. They were dumbfounded. Old Madam Wei looked at Su Cheng, who was feeding the horse. ¡°Protector Duke, where¡¯s Xiyue?¡± Su Cheng turned around. ¡°You¡¯re here? Xiyue went to class.¡± Old Madam Wei was stunned. ¡°What?¡± Su Cheng said, ¡°Class.¡± In the house at the east end, Ling Yun looked at the three children in front of him, as well as the little girl who had appeared out of nowhere. His thin and handsome face was as black as the bottom of a pot. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked. Dahu said, ¡°Sister Xiyue wants to come to class too.¡± With that, he took out the snacks that Su Xiaoxiao asked him to give to his master. ¡°Mother said that this is Sister Xiyue¡¯s tuition.¡± Ling Yun was about to reject ruthlessly. Dahu said, ¡°One box a day.¡± Wei Xiyue sat cross-legged on Xiaohu¡¯s futon, while Xiaohu was in her arms, as if she was carrying a small squirrel ball. Ling Yun looked at Wei Xiyue. Wei Xiyue also looked at Ling Yun. Wei Xiyue couldn¡¯t understand Ling Yun¡¯s emotions. She met his gaze openly and fearlessly. Ling Yun said solemnly, ¡°Put him down. He can sit by himself.¡± Wei Xiyue did not let go. Ling Yun grabbed Xiaohu and stuffed Erhu into her arms. ¡°Be good.¡± Wei Xiyue looked at Erhu. Although he was also a little packrat, Wei Xiyue was a dedicated little master. She fed Erhu three pine nuts and patted his head comfortingly before switching back to Xiaohu. Ling Yun was dumbfounded. On the other side, Wei Ting earned a lot in the gambling den and stood up to leave. When he arrived at the alley where the carriage was parked, he saw the bruised and swollen shop assistants all over the ground, as well as Jing Yi, who was standing expressionlessly at the side with a long sword. Wei Ting weighed the money bag in his hand and smiled playfully. ¡°Yo, thank you, Young Marquis Jing, for helping me resolve these troubles.¡± He had won so much money, so the people in the gambling den naturally would not let him leave easily. Of course, if the people in the gambling den knew that he was the youngest son of the Wei family, they would probably not come forward to die. ¡°It was just convenient,¡± Jing Yi said calmly. Wei Ting got into the carriage. Seeing that Jing Yi had not left, he lifted the curtain and smiled casually. ¡®What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jing Yi handed him a note with a cold expression. ¡°Cousin asked me to give it to you. You¡¯ve helped Cousin twice. This time, Cousin will return you the favor with a piece of news. He asked Guardian He.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Wei Ting raised his eyebrows and handed the note over. Jing Yi said, ¡°You have people from the White Lotus Society by your side.¡± Wei Ting smiled faintly. ¡°I knew that long ago.¡± JingYi continued, ¡°It¡¯s of a higher level than a guardian.¡± This surprised Wei Ting. ¡°Division Leader?¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°At least.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°What do you mean at least? Could it be the Sect Master?¡± ¡°Guardian He didn¡¯t say,¡± Jing Yi said. ¡°Cousin asked him out in the name of Guardian He. It¡¯s at the place on the note. Cousin won¡¯t interfere with the people and matters around you for the time being. He will also keep it a secret for you and the Wei family. Handle it yourself.¡± With that, Jing Yi turned around and left. Wei Ting opened the note. ¡°Young Master! Young Master! I¡¯ve bought the candied hawthorn! Are we returning to Pear Blossom Lane?¡± ¡°To the Full Moon Pavilion.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Fu Su was puzzled. ¡°Why are you going there? It¡¯s so far!¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°To arrest Guo Huan..¡± Chapter 479 - Chapter 479: Face Slapping Chapter 479: Face Slapping Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The time agreed on the note was almost up. Fu Su did not dare to delay. He put away the candied hawthorn and immediately drove towards Full Moon Pavilion. As for Su Xiaoxiao, she went to the palace as usual after sending the children to Ling Yun¡¯s school. The Empress Dowager¡¯s health improved day by day, and she no longer needed Su Xiaoxiao to accompany her for a long time. ¡°Go to class,¡± the Empress Dowager said. Su Xiaoxiao packed the medicine box with a bitter expression. ¡°One can¡¯t be heartless like the Empress Dowager.¡± The Empress Dowager was speechless. Princess Hui An bitterly finished practicing archery in Kunning Palace and rushed into the classroom before Princess Jingning. She glanced at the table in the first row and raised her chin, snatching the seat that originally belonged to Princess Jingning on the left. When Princess Jingning arrived at the classroom, she realized that her seat had been snatched by her idiotic sister. She did not chase her idiot sister away. Instead, she sat down beside her. ¡°Hey! This is not your seat!¡± Princess Hui An glared. Princess Jingning glanced at her. ¡°This is not your seat.¡± Princess Hui An was speechless. Ten Hui Ans combined were not a match for Jingning. Su Xiaoxiao arrived late and realized that her seat was occupied by Princess Jingning, and Princess Jingning¡¯s seat was occupied by Princess Hui An. She didn¡¯t say anything and sat down in the right front row, in the seat that once belonged to Princess Hui An. There was only a narrow walkway between Princess Jingning and her. Princess Hui An¡¯s face darkened. There was only one class today. It was Teacher Jiang¡¯s class. Master Jiang took the test paper from the previous time and announced everyone¡¯s results. The first person she read was Princess Jingning The second person he read was Princess Hui An. Master Jiang¡¯s expression was a little interesting. His lips twitched twice as he said calmly, ¡°B.¡± This result was not too surprising. Although she was famous for being a useless princess, other than Wei Ting, no other teacher in the entire Gong Academy would have the guts to not go easy on her. Even if she wrote a pile of sh*t, it was still B-grade sh*t. Guo Lingxi had also obtained an A, and she was tied for first place with Princess Jingning. Leng Zhiruo was B. Soon, there was only one left out of the twenty exam papers. ¡°Su Daya¡­¡± Master Jiang picked up the test paper in his hand and frowned. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who was in the first row. Everyone looked at Master Jiang nervously. Su Xiaoxiao shone in the riding and shooting test, but this didn¡¯t mean that she had exceeded expectations in the written test. After all¡­ she had always been at the bottom. ¡°Stop reading!¡± Princess Hui An said. Did her sidekick not care about her face? If her sidekick lost face, she would lose face! Unfortunately, it was too late. Master Jiang had already said, A+¡­¡± Princess Hui An was stunned. ¡°Eh?¡± The others were also shocked. What did Master Jiang announce just now? Who? Miss Su? This was the only top student in the class. She was even superior to Princess Jingning and Princess Lingxi! Princess Jingning was pleasantly surprised. Guo Lingxi was furious. It was fine if she lost to that girl in riding and archery, but how could Su Daya not even be better than her in the written test? Guo Lingxi said unhappily, ¡°Master Jiang, did you make a mistake? How could she get an A+?¡± Princess Hui An snorted. ¡°Why can¡¯t my sidekick get an A+? I haven¡¯t asked you how you got an A yet. You are so stuck-up!¡± Guo Lingxi raised her hand and pointed. ¡°You¡­¡± Princess Jingning said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯re just a county princess, yet you dare to be rude to the current princess. Guo Lingxi, how dare you.¡± Princess Hui An said coquettishly, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± That was not right. Why did she have to be hand in glove with Jingning? Guo Lingxi looked at Princess Jingning in shock. She had been fighting with Princess Hui An for a long time. Princess Jingning had always turned a blind eye. Did she actually stand up for Princess Hui An just now? No, it was not because of Hui An. It was that girl. Princess Jingning was dissatisfied that she had questioned that girl¡¯s results. Guo Lingxi had never thought of currying favor with Princess Jingning. After all, her status was precious enough. With the Grand Empress Dowager backing her, even Princess Jingning had to accord her some respect. However, just because she didn¡¯t curry favor didn¡¯t mean that she could tolerate Su Xiaoxiao currying favor. How many years had it been since Princess Jingning had made a friend? How did that girl obtain Princess Jingning¡¯s favor the moment she arrived? She wanted to expose Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s true colors even more. ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Everyone knows very well how much substance she has! I won¡¯t say anything about her riding and archery advancing by leaps and bounds. After all, her grandfather is the old Protector Duke, Qin Canglan. The old Protector Duke must have secretly taught her, so it¡¯s normal for her to become powerful! But the old Protector Duke couldn¡¯t have taught her the Book of Poetry and the Analects of Confucius! ¡± Who did not know that Qin Canglan did not like to study? The expressions of the young ladies gradually became complicated. Indeed, Miss Su¡¯s riding and shooting performance was an eye-opener for them, but Miss Su had never known anything in Teacher Jiang¡¯s class. It was difficult for them to believe that this result was real. Everyone looked at Master Jiang. Master Jiang asked suspiciously, ¡°Did you really do it yourself?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the teacher invigilating that day?¡± It was true that he was the invigilator, but he didn¡¯t pay attention to a poor student at the bottom¡­ The conversation between the two of them was enough to prove one thing: Teacher Jiang was not wrong. This was indeed an exam paper. Guo Lingxi did not believe it. She walked to the podium and took the exam paper. Princess Hui An also walked up to take a look. Naturally, Princess Hui An could not tell. However, Guo Lingxi choked. ¡°How could.. This handwriting was clear and heroic¡­ Although it was not at the level of a calligraphy expert, it was already outstanding in the palace school. Other than its outstanding handwriting, there was not a single mistake in the contents of the examination paper. Princess Hui An said gloatingly, ¡°Are you dumbfounded? Is it better than yours?¡± Guo Lingxi didn¡¯t argue with Hui An. Instead, she looked at Su Xiaoxiao coldly. ¡°You must have copied it!¡± Princess Jingning said coldly, ¡°No one is scored higher than her. Who did she copy from? You and I didn¡¯t fill in the last question correctly. If she copied it, how could she copy it correctly?¡± Guo Lingxi was speechless by Princess Jing Ning¡¯s retort. But she wouldn¡¯t give up so easily. She never believed that Su Xiaoxiao got it right with her own ability. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Then she must have peeked at the exam paper in advance!¡± Princess Hui An exploded. ¡°Hey! Guo Lingxi! That¡¯s enough! You refuse to recognize reality when you can¡¯t win! I¡¯ve never seen anyone as shameless as you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression was very calm. Her gaze landed on Teacher Jiang¡¯s face. ¡°Does Teacher think so too?¡± Master Jiang was stunned. He said, ¡°It¡¯s best to know your mistakes. If you peeked, as long as you dare to admit it, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you..¡± Chapter 480 - Chapter 480: Clap, Clap, Clap Chapter 480: Clap, Clap, Clap Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In Yongshou Palace, the Empress Dowager took out a few more children¡¯s graffiti to admire. She really liked them no matter how she looked at them. ¡°Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager!¡± Eunuch Cheng grabbed his horsetail whisk and walked in with a solemn expression. Eunuch Cheng was Empress Dowager¡¯s trusted aide. The Empress Dowager continued to admire the graffiti and asked calmly, ¡°What happened so early in the morning?¡± Eunuch Cheng said anxiously, ¡°It¡¯s Physician Su.¡± The Empress Dowager asked, ¡°Hasn¡¯t she gone to the palace to study?¡± Eunuch Cheng said, ¡°That¡¯s right. She went to the palace to study and there¡¯s some trouble about in the Qilin Hall now!¡± The Empress Dowager said doubtfully, ¡°Is she making a fuss?¡± Eunuch Cheng hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s not that Miss Su is causing trouble! It¡¯s like this. Didn¡¯t Master Jiang give a test paper to the students of the palace a few days ago? Princess Jingning and Princess Lingxi obtained A, and Physician Su suppressed the two of them to obtain A+. Then¡­¡± At this point, he smiled awkwardly and did not dare to continue. The Empress Dowager said unhurriedly, ¡°Then they suspected that her results were not real, right? Is such a small matter worth reporting to me?¡± Eunuch Cheng sighed. ¡°If Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu find out that their mother was bullied in the palace school, they might feel terrible.¡± The Empress Dowager glared at him. ¡°You talk too much!¡± Eunuch Cheng smiled. There were some things that the Empress Dowager could not say. If Eunuch Cheng said it for her, it would be considered a rather dutiful mouth. The atmosphere in the classroom was tense until Eunuch Cheng announced at the top of his voice, ¡°The Empress Dowager has arrived¡­¡¯ Everyone was shocked. The Empress Dowager was here? Generally speaking, the Empress Dowager did not leave the harem easily. This was a rule set by the ancestor, but the Qilin Hall was an exception. It was between the harem and the previous dynasty. Although there were officials coming and going, the servants here were all eunuchs and palace maids. But that was not the most important thing. The crux of the matter was that Empress Dowager recuperating in Yongshou Palace. Why would she come to the Palace Academy for no reason? Everyone left the classroom and bowed to welcome her. The Empress Dowager raised her hand and the phoenix carriage landed. She held Eunuch Cheng¡¯s hand and walked down. Princess Hui An immediately pounced over and hugged her arm. ¡°Grandmother, you came at the right time. Hui An misses you!¡± The Empress Dowager snorted. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stay in Yongshou Palace to accompany me?¡± Hui An ran into a wall in front of Jingning, but in terms of pleasing the elders, Jingning was really inferior to her. Princess Hui An said innocently, ¡°Don¡¯t we have to go to class? But Grandmother, why are you here? Do you know that Hui An was bullied?¡± The Empress Dowager said calmly, ¡°I was talking a walk nearby. Who has the guts to bully you?¡± Princess Hui An pointed at Guo Lingxi. ¡°Her!¡± Guo Lingxi said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bully you!¡± Princess Hui An placed her hands on her hips and said, ¡°If you bullied my sidekick, you bullied me!¡± Guo Lingxi did not dare to act rashly in front of the Empress Dowager. She curled her lips and did not say anything. The Empress Dowager looked at Master Jiang, who was leading the class. Master Jiang¡¯s scalp went numb. The Empress Dowager was not a kind person. Otherwise, she would not have given birth to her eldest son under the eyes of the former empress. He cupped his hands and told her about the controversy surrounding Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s grades in the examination. He did not take sides or add fuel to the fire. He only explained what had happened truthfully. ¡°Guo Lingxi is unconvinced! Master Jiang is biased towards Guo Lingxi!¡± Princess Hui An summarized the situation. The Empress Dowager said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal. One is unconvinced, and the other doesn¡¯t believe it. This is easy. Just take another exam.¡± Princess Hui An quietly moved to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°Little sidekick, will you expose yourself? If you do, blink and I¡¯ll solve it for you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Guo Lingxi raised her chin and looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Do you dare?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°I won fair and square. Why should I compare to a defeated opponent?¡± The young ladies gasped. How domineering! Guo Lingxi sneered disdainfully. ¡°I think you just don¡¯t dare, right? That¡¯s true. If you had peeked at the paper, won¡¯t you expose yourself when you retake the examination?¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes flashed. She covered her abdomen and shouted, ¡°Aiya, Grandmother, my stomach hurts!¡± Guo Lingxi said, ¡°Heh, I knew it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao came to Princess Hui An and said softly, ¡°Your Highness Hui An, I didn¡¯t say that I wouldn¡¯t compete.¡± Princess Hui An was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Guo Lingxi. ¡°But I won¡¯t compete with her.¡± She walked up to Master Jiang. ¡°I¡¯ll compete with you.¡± Master Jiang was speechless. And so was everyone else. The scope and question type will remain the same. Master Jiang, do you dare to compete with me?¡± Master Jiang said coldly, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just an examination. Master Jiang, are you afraid?¡± Lu Ying covered her heart. ¡°Heavens, she¡¯s crazy! She actually wants to compete with Teacher Jiang!¡± The question for this written test was a scripture. The so-called calligraphy covered both ends. There was a line in the middle, and the paper was cut at some sections. To put it bluntly, it was filling in the blanks. It looked simple, but who wouldn¡¯t be dumbfounded if only a random sentence was extracted? Coupled with the fact that they were not interested in highlighting the main points, the examination was ancient and remote. Master Jiang felt that Su Xiaoxiao was simply arrogant! He flicked his sleeve and snorted. ¡°I¡¯m a double-ranked scholar. If I actually take the examination with a female student, where will my reputation be if word gets out that I bullied a junior like this!¡± The Empress Dowager said, ¡°Aiya, if she beats you, you won¡¯t be the one bullying her. ¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Teacher Jiang choked. In the end, the Empress Dowager made the decision and asked the two of them to set questions for each other. They would take reference from the Analects of Confucius and the Classic of Poems. The Classic of Poetry had 39,243 words, and the Analects of Confucius had 11,750 words. The Palace Academy had only taught less than a tenth of it, and the scope of the examination was only a tenth. But now, the scope of the examination had expanded to the entire text¡­ This was simply a written test without any suspense. Miss Su was bound to lose. The young ladies shook their heads one by one as they couldn¡¯t bear to look at the tragic scene. Su Xiaoxiao set the questions quickly and only took 15 minutes. Master Jiang glanced at her, thinking that she couldn¡¯t come up with a question. He wrote for an extra quarter of an hour before filling three pages. Although he said that he would not make things difficult for the juniors, he did not show any mercy when it came to venting his anger. After all, it would not showcase his standards if he went easy. The two sides exchanged questions. Su Xiaoxiao picked up her brush and wrote smoothly. On the other hand, the moment Master Jiang received the test paper, he frowned slightly. Half an hour later, Su Xiaoxiao handed in her paper. ¡°No way? Did you hand it over so quickly? It¡¯s not time yet¡­¡¯ ¡°Could it be that she thew the game and answered randomly?¡± Guo Lingxi said coldly, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a random answer. Don¡¯t tell me you really expect her to answer like a flower?¡± Lu Ying suddenly said, ¡°Look at Master Jiang.. Is he feeling unwell? His expression suddenly looks so bad¡­¡± Chapter 481 - Chapter 481: Ending Chapter 481: Ending Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone looked at Master Jiang. Master Jiang, who was originally calm and composed, was frowning. Sweat kept dripping from his forehead, and his wrist was trembling slightly. ¡°The time is up!¡± Eunuch Cheng shouted at the top of his lungs. Master Jiang placed the pen back with a bang. A few drops of ink splashed onto the exam paper. Fortunately, the words were not stained. Eunuch Cheng went to collect the paper. The Empress Dowager said, ¡°Take it to Hanlin Academy and let Assistant Yao personally read the papers.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Eunuch Cheng dripped wax on the sealed scroll publicly. Master Jiang clenched his fists. This girl¡­ This girl¡¯s questions¡­ He actually couldn¡¯t answer half of them! But it didn¡¯t matter. She might not be able to answer his questions! An hour later, Eunuch Cheng returned with the test paper. He unfolded the two exam papers approved by Assistant Yao in public: Teacher Jiang ¡ª C. Su Daya ¡ª A+! Everyone was stunned. This time, they really wanted to ask if they had made a mistake. If one were to really score an A+, it should be Teacher Jiang, right? The C grade suited her style more¡­ Uh no, it had always been her strength. ¡°Heh! What did I say!¡± Princess Hui An smiled proudly. Her sidekick had really done her proud! ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Teacher Jiang staggered over and snatched the two exam papers from Eunuch Cheng¡¯s hand. He was not surprised that he had obtained a C. After all, he had only answered half of the questions¡­ However, it was unbelievable that this girl had an A+. The questions he set were all not taught in class. Moreover, he used a little technique to set the questions, making it very easy for the examinee to be confused. However, there was no mistake in Assistant Yao¡¯s review. Su Xiaoxiao had indeed answered all of them correctly. There was only one possibility for her to be so at ease in the examination. That was that the examinee knew the contents of the entire book by heart and might even know it backward. The last person to be so abnormal was Wei Ting¡­ But that was a 17 -year-old top scholar! She was just a girl! Master Jiang felt as if he had been struck by lightning. The color instantly drained from his face. Princess Hui An crossed her arms and said proudly to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°You did well. You didn¡¯t embarrass me!¡± Princess Jingning glanced at her idiotic sister indifferently. Guo Lingxi¡¯s face turned green. If obtaining an A-rank in the palace examination only surprised everyone, then this battle that defeated Teacher Jiang undoubtedly stunned everyone. Who would have thought that a female student from the palace school would slap the face of a double-ranked scholar? Princess Hui An said proudly, ¡°Guo Lingxi, you¡¯re completely speechless now, right?¡± Guo Lingxi¡¯s nails dug into her flesh. The Empress Dowager slowly waved her hand and said to Teacher Jiang, ¡°Alright, alright. Isn¡¯t it just losing to a student? What¡¯s the big deal? You¡¯re a double-ranked scholar. Can¡¯t you take this blow? Then what¡¯s there to show off? What¡¯s the point of being a teacher!¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s tone suddenly turned cold. Everyone shuddered! Master Jiang¡¯s heart skipped a beat! ¡°As a teacher, it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re inexperienced, but you actually wronged your student like this! Where are your ethics as a teacher?!¡± The Empress Dowager was also ruthless. After all, the emperor was her biological son. If she was already impatient to coax the emperor, why would she weigh the pros and cons patiently with a school official? This matter could have been a perfect situation. No matter who imparted the knowledge to Su Xiaoxiao, Su Xiaoxiao would be Teacher Jiang¡¯s student once she entered Teacher Jiang¡¯s class. Su Xiaoxiao was amazing, and he should be proud. However, he wronged Su Xiaoxiao for cheating¡ª This was what it meant to play a good hand badly. Not to mention that Su Xiaoxiao had deliberately hidden her strengths to cause the misunderstandings, Su Xiaoxiao would not have had the chance to slap his face if Teacher Jiang was like Wei Ting and never discriminated against poor students. Teacher Jiang could not stay in the Palace Academy any longer. It was already Amitabha that his position at the Hanlin Academy was not revoked. ¡°Grandmother, you¡¯re the best.¡± Princess Hui An hugged the Empress Dowager¡¯s arm and wheedled. The Empress Dowager snorted. ¡°Stop fooling around and giving me trouble and that would be the best for me!¡± Princess Jingning looked at the affectionate grandmother and granddaughter and said nothing. The Empress was not a clingy person, so Princess Jingning took after her. ¡°Lingxi.¡± The Empress Dowager suddenly called Guo Lingxi¡¯s name. Guo Lingxi looked at the Empress Dowager in a daze. The Empress Dowager said sternly, ¡°You¡¯re an intelligent child, but you have to know that there¡¯s always someone better.¡± These words were really intriguing. It was unknown if she was saying that Guo Lingxi¡¯s brain was inferior to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s or that Guo Lingxi¡¯s backing was inferior to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s. Guo Lingxi¡¯s face burned as if she had been slapped in public. The Empress Dowager left in the phoenix carriage. When the Empress and Consort Xian heard the news at Palace Academy, they left and sent someone over to call the two princesses back. Lu Ying walked over and said, ¡°There¡¯s no class next. Miss Su, let¡¯s go for a walk!¡± They had agreed yesterday to go for a walk after class. Miss Zheng said, ¡°Miss Su agreed to go with me to choose jewelry!¡± Lu Hui asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you only choosing jewelry in the afternoon?¡± Miss Zheng said, ¡°It¡¯s almost afternoon¡­¡± Miss Liu said, ¡°Miss Su, don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re going to see the lanterns tonight.¡± Su Xiaoxiao, who had slapped the teacher¡¯s face domineeringly a second ago, was stunned by the enthusiastic competition of the young ladies. In the end, Lu Hui suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this? Let¡¯s eat together first. In the afternoon, we¡¯ll choose jewelry and go for a walk. At night, we¡¯ll go shopping!¡± Lu Ying replied enthusiastically, ¡°I agree!¡± Miss Zheng said, ¡°I have no objections either.¡± Miss Liu said, ¡°Alright, I happen to have nothing else.¡± Lu Hui asked, ¡°Miss Su, do you think this is okay?¡± Su Xiaoxiao grabbed the book. ¡°Anything is fine. You decide.¡± Everyone laughed. ¡°But where are we going to eat?¡± Miss Zheng asked. Lu Hui asked, ¡°Miss Zheng, where do you plan to go to choose jewelry?¡± Miss Liu said, ¡°Luoyang Street.¡± Lu Hui smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not far from our place. I remember that there¡¯s a new restaurant on Luoyang Street. It¡¯s said they have a chef from Jiangnan.¡± Miss Liu asked, ¡°You mean the Full Moon Pavilion? Business is extremely good at the Full Moon Pavilion. After this hour, there are no more seats.¡¯ Lu Hui said, ¡°Then let¡¯s just find one nearby.¡± The group got into the carriage as they headed for Luoyang Street. An hour ago, Wei Ting¡¯s carriage had also arrived at Luoyang Street. The carriage stopped in the alley opposite the Full Moon Pavilion. Fu Su stared at Full Moon Pavilion carefully. ¡°Young Master, will that person really appear? Will he discover the trap?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°The people of the White Lotus Society will arrange their funeral arrangements before they die. Once he dies, his trusted aides or companions will hand his belongings to the White Lotus Society¡¯s contact. The news of Guardian He¡¯s death has already spread throughout the capital, unless they know that Guardian He faked his death.¡± Fu Su scratched his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ The matter of Guardian He faking his death was handled by Jing Yi alone. It was definitely not leaked. Fu Su said eagerly, ¡°Young Master, we will catch them red-handed this time!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°As long as he appears, we can.¡± This was an appointment in the name of the White Lotus Society. Going to the appointment confirmed the identity of the White Lotus Society member. Fu Su stared straight at a half-open window on the second floor opposite. ¡°Young Master! The window is closed! Someone is here! It¡¯s Guo Huan! Young Master! It¡¯s really him!¡± Guo Huan closed the window and only revealed his face, but Fu Su could still see him clearly. Fu Su was shocked. Wei Ting stood up calmly. ¡°The fish has taken the bait. Let¡¯s go and reel in the net.¡± The two of them crossed the street. Wei Ting took the main door and helped Fu Su around to the back door. He was determined not to give the fish a chance to slip out of the net. ¡®Young Master!¡± The two of them met up in the corridor and walked upstairs to the door of the agreed room. ¡°Young Master, let me do it!¡± Fu Su walked forward and kicked open the door! Chapter 482 - Chapter 482: Battle of Experts Chapter 482: Battle of Experts Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Su was stunned by the scene in front of him. Guo Huan¡­ Of course, he was there. After all, he and his young master were very careful. They confirmed that they had not mistaken the room and that Guo Huan had no chance of escaping through the front and back doors. But the problem was¡­ Guo Huan was not the only one in the room. The Wei family was also there! Old Madam Wei, Madam Chu, Madam Li, Madam Chen, Madam Lan, Madam Jiang, and Nanny Li, who was serving tea, looked at him in confusion. Fu Su¡¯s foot, which had yet to retract after kicking the door, froze in midair. He could neither move nor stay on the spot. Madam Lan frowned and said, ¡°Fu Su, you¡¯re so bold. You even dare to kick the door down! Old Madam Wei glared at Fu Su. ¡°The guard in the residence.¡± Fu Su used to be a secret guard by Matriarch Wei¡¯s side. Later on, she was sent by Matriarch Wei to protect Wei Ting¡­ In fact, he was keeping an eye on Wei Ting and gradually became a blatant guard. Guo Huan looked at Fu Su in shock. ¡°Were you¡­ calling me just now?¡± ¡°I¡­ well¡­¡± Fu Su was speechless. He retreated and flashed to Wei Ting¡¯s side. He asked in a voice that was only meant to be heard by Wei Ting, ¡°Young Master, what should we do?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s lips did not move as he squeezed out a few words from between his teeth. ¡°If you ask me, who should I ask?¡± Who would have thought that this would happen? They were here to catch the mole who was meeting with the White Lotus Society. The person who appeared in this room was the mole, but now, his entire family was also there. Was he going to arrest his entire family? ¡°Young Master, are you still going to capture him?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better not to do so¡­ The food in prison isn¡¯t very good.. Wei Ting was speechless. Old Madam Wei said in a low voice, ¡°What are the two of you muttering at the door? Since you¡¯re here, come in and sit down!¡± Wei Ting walked in calmly. ¡°Grandmother, Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law, Fourth Sister-in-law, Fifth Sister-in-law, Nanny Li.¡± He greeted them one by one. Guo Huan was originally sitting beside Matriarch Wei. When he saw Wei Ting coming over, he knew to be polite and gave him a seat. Wei Ting sat between him and Matriarch Wei. Old Madam Wei said coldly, ¡®You¡¯re so rash. You¡¯ve led a good person astray!¡± It was clearly Yuchi Xiu who had led him astray. Wei Ting expressed that he would not take the blame. ¡°Little Seven, what happened just now?¡± Madam Chu asked. Fu Su kicked the door open and shouted at Guo Huan. Not only was he rude, but he was also behaving very strangely. It was as if he knew that Guo Huan was here. Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°Oh, I saw Cousin downstairs and came up to greet him. Fu Su was too excited to help me. Cousin, please forgive me.¡± Guo Huan smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re all brothers.¡± Matriarch Wei glared at Wei Ting. ¡°This young brat is very naughty!¡± Wei Ting automatically understood this sentence as¡ªmy precious grandson is the most obedient and handsome in the world. ¡°Why are Grandmother and Sisters-in-law here?¡± He voiced his doubts. Madam Chu said warmly, ¡°We picked Xiyue up this morning and bumped into Huan¡¯er on the way back to the residence, so we came out to eat.¡± Guo Huan smiled. ¡°I originally planned to go to the Tianxiang Restaurant opposite, but who would have thought that it would be full? I came here. I heard that the food here is not bad. It should match the appetite of the Matriarch and Cousin-in-law.¡± Wei Ting glanced at Guo Huan calmly. Guo Huan¡¯s smile remained without revealing any flaws. Wei Ting looked away and picked up the teacup on the table. ¡°What do you mean by picking up Xiyue?¡± ¡°You went out last night. You don¡¯t know yet, right? Xiyue fell ill again last night. It¡¯s all thanks to Seventh Sister-in-law. Otherwise, Xiyue would be in danger ¡± Madam Tiano told her what happned last night sadly ¡± Xixmp seems to like to stay there. We¡¯ll pick her up after class. ¡® Old Madam Wei suddenly looked at Guo Huan. ¡°Speaking of this, you were scratched by Xiao Bai yesterday. Have you seen a doctor?¡± Guo Huan smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury. It¡¯s fine.¡± Wei Ting glanced at Guo Huan again. Guo Huan met Wei Ting¡¯s gaze openly. ¡°I just returned to the capital and seem to have missed a lot of things. I heard that the White Lotus Society has been going against the Imperial Court recently and has infiltrated many offices in the capital. Cousin, you have to be careful.¡± ¡°Eh? Seventh Sister-in-law.¡± Madam Chen, who had been silent, spoke. Her seat was closest to the window. She had just heard a familiar voice. She pushed open the window and saw that it was indeed Su Xiaoxiao. Madam Jiang quickly came over and looked down. ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± She waved at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Seventh Sister-in-law!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked up. ¡°Fifth Sister-in-law?¡± Su Xiaoxiao came up to greet them. Knowing that she and her classmates from the Palace Academy were also out for a meal, Old Madam Wei set up a table for them in the room next door. After the few of them sat down, Lu Hui sighed. ¡°Ordinary people can¡¯t book this room. Only Matriarch Wei has the influence.¡± Miss Liu smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯ve benefited from Miss Su.¡± ¡°Miss Su, what are you thinking about?¡± Lu Ying noticed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s thoughtful expression and couldn¡¯t help but ask. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m wondering if we should choose jewelry first or go for a walk first.¡± What the hell? The Wei family and Guo Huan came out to eat together and Wei Ting was also there. It was not strange for them to come out for a meal since they were relatives, but she felt that something was wrong. After a while, she heard Lu Hui say, ¡°By the way, Miss Zheng, are you engaged to Young Master Guo? Is this the reason why you came out to choose jewelry? You¡¯re getting married! ¡± Zheng Yunrou lowered her head shyly. ¡°Really?¡± Miss Liu asked. Zheng Yunrou nodded shyly. Miss Li smiled and said, ¡°Congratulations Guo Huan was one of the four eligible young masters in the capital. Although Princess Lingxi¡¯s recent performance was a little despicable, Guo Huan was an out-and-out good man. Being able to marry him was the dream of many girls. ¡°But¡­ I heard that he jinxes his wife¡­¡± Lu Ying poured cold water on her weakly. Lu Hui¡¯s face darkened. ¡°How can you say that?¡± Lu Ying muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong¡­ Something happened to his previous two fianc¨¦es¡­ Everyone in the capital is saying that he jinxes his wife¡­ Zheng Yunrou¡¯s face turned slightly pale. Lu Hui comforted Zheng Yunrou. ¡°Miss Zheng, don¡¯t listen to her. She¡¯s liked to listen to nonsense since she was young. One of them accidentally fell into the water and the other contracted smallpox. It¡¯s just their poor luck. What does it have to do with Young Master Guo? Young Master Guo is a dragon among men. He¡¯s a match made in heaven with you. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± The Zheng family was considered a famous family in the capital. Otherwise, they would not have been qualified to have their daughter study with the princesses. However, in terms of a marriage alliance with the Guo family, the Zheng family was actually out of their league. When the official media came to propose marriage, Minister Zheng was pleasantly surprised. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Zheng Yunrou, who was shy and nervous. Accidentally fell into the water? Smallpox? After dinner, they went next door to say goodbye to Matriarch Wei and the others and planned to go for a walk. Zheng Yunrou walked last. When she went downstairs, she dropped her purse. She bent down to pick it up but accidentally missed. Just as she was about to fall down the stairs, a slender hand reached out and gently held her arm. After she stabilized herself, Guo Huan retracted his hand in time and said politely and gently, ¡°I¡¯ve offended you.¡± Zheng Yunrou looked at the handsome face close at hand and the gentleness between his eyebrows. She took a step back and blushed with a pounding heart. On the other side, Su Xiaoxiao went to the backyard in the name of using the toilet. Wei Ting and Fu Su were also there. ¡°What happened?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Fu Su said bitterly, ¡°To be honest, we¡¯re here to capture Guo Huan today, but that guy is very cunning.. He actually dragged the Wei family down!¡± Chapter 483 - Chapter 483: Nabbing Guo Huan (1) Chapter 483: Nabbing Guo Huan (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao learned the entire incident from Fu Su. Su Xiaoxiao looked at someone and narrowed her eyes dangerously. ¡°So, you didn¡¯t come back late last night because you went to the gambling den?¡± Fu Su said, ¡°It¡¯s better than going to the brothel previously.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You¡¯ve been to a brothel?¡± Fu Su decisively clarified, ¡°I¡¯ve never been there. Young Master and Yuchi Xiu went, right, Young Master?¡± Wei Ting wanted to hammer him to death. Su Xiaoxiao gave him a fierce look. She would settle the score with him when they got back! Wei Ting felt he couldn¡¯t clear his name. He went to the brothel to kill people, not to sleep with women! He looked at Fu Su with killing intent. Fu Su felt a chill on his forehead and took a few steps back. Su Xiaoxiao put aside the matter of a certain someone visiting a brothel and talked seriously. ¡°It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t gain anything today. At least it proves that Guo Huan is indeed a spy and a member of the White Lotus Society. I wonder if Prime Minister Guo knows. How many people are involved in the Guo family?¡± Wei Ting pondered and said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. We have to investigate them one by one.¡± Fu Su whispered, ¡®Guo Huan alone is already very troublesome. How can it be easy to investigate the entire Guo family?¡± That was true. Thinking of something, Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°But why did Guo Huan pull the Wei family along? Did someone leak the news?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°It might not have been leaked. It might be that Gu Huan guessed something himself. After all, it¡¯s difficult for such a persor not be suspicious.¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Guo Huan¡¯s schemes are too unfathomable.¡± Matriarch Wei and the others also went downstairs. Guo Huan supported Matriarch Wei. The two of them chatted and laughed like they were biological grandmother and grandson, making it seem like Wei Ting had been picked up off the streets. Old Madam Wei said, ¡°We¡¯ll return to the residence first.¡± Guo Huan said respectfully, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡± Wei Ting stopped him. ¡°Cousin, it¡¯s rare for you to come out. Why don¡¯t we go out for a walk?¡± Old Madam Wei patted Guo Huan¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, you brothers can catch up. Huan¡¯er, keep an eye on him for me. Don¡¯t let this kid cause trouble for me outside.¡¯ Guo Huan paused and said with a smile, ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao and the others were originally going for a jaunt. As soon as they left the Full Moon Pavilion, they bumped into the carriage of the palace. Princess Jingning walked down. Princess Hui An got out of the carriage after her. The two princesses had always been at odds. Today, not only were they sitting at the same table, but they were also riding in the same carriage. It was really unbelievable. Lu Hui and the others greeted the two of them. The two of them came to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Why are you guys out?¡± Princess Jingning said calmly, ¡°Someone was crying and clamoring to come out of the palace. Father was troubled by the commotion, so he asked me to bring her out.¡± Princess Hui An had been kidnapped once. She was definitely not allowed to leave the palace on her own. With Jingning around, Emperor Jing Xuan felt much more at ease. Princess Hui An rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to leave the palace yourself?¡± Lu Hui and the others understood. So it was His Majesty¡¯s decree. They knew it. The two princesses who were like fire and water had been getting too close recently. ¡°Where are you planning to go?¡± Princess Jingning asked. ¡°We¡¯re planning to go for a jaunt,¡± Lu Hui said with a smile. Princess Hui An curled her lips. ¡°What¡¯s so fun about walking? It¡¯s so tiring.¡± Lu Hui knew that Princess Jingning and Su Xiaoxiao were close; she wanted to invite Princess Jingning to go with them, so she said, ¡°Miss Su is going too.¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s expression changed in a second and she muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not bad to stretch your muscles.¡± Lu Hui said dignifiedly, ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk first before accompanying Miss Zheng to choose jewelry. Miss Zheng is getting married.¡± ¡°Who are you getting married to?¡± Princess Hui An asked. She was a heartless and idiotic princess. Other people did not bring her along when they were infighting, so naturally, no one told her about the marriage alliance. Princess Jingning knew. She looked at Zheng Yunrou and said, ¡°Your fianc¨¦ is Prime Minister Guo¡¯s eldest grandson, right? Congratulations.¡± Zheng Yunrou smiled shyly. Lu Hui casually looked to the side and smiled. ¡°Speak of the devil!¡± Wei Ting and Guo Huan walked over. When Zheng Yunrou saw her fianc¨¦, her heart raced again. Before today, she was clearly resistant to this marriage. However, just now, when Guo Huan held her and looked into her eyes, she was captured by the gentleness in his eyes. Lu Hui teased, ¡°Miss Zheng, don¡¯t be shy.¡± Zheng Yunrou¡¯s face was so red that blood could almost drip out.. Chapter 484 - Chapter 484: Nabbing Guo Huan (1) Chapter 484: Nabbing Guo Huan (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao noticed that Guo Huan¡¯s gaze was not on Zheng Yunrou, but on Princess Hui An. Of course, it was only for a moment before Guo Huan retracted his gaze and bowed elegantly to everyone. ¡°The two princesses are here too.¡± Guo Huan smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we last met. I wonder if the two princesses are well?¡± Princess Hui An didn¡¯t speak to him. She did not notice Guo Huan. In the past, she was looking at Wei Ting, but now¡­ Princess Jingning said, ¡°Not bad. Why didn¡¯t my second brother come back with Young Master Guo?¡± Guo Huan smiled helplessly. ¡°Lingxi writes to me every other day and urges me to return to the capital quickly. I have no choice but to leave the imperial court¡¯s team and go on my way first. However, counting the days, His Second Highness is almost here.¡± Princess Jingning asked, ¡°Is my second brother alright?¡± Guo Huan nodded and said gently, ¡°His Second Highness is fine, but he misses His Majesty and the two princesses very much.¡± ¡°Aiya!¡± Princess Hui An suddenly called out. It turned out that a little boy by the roadside had accidentally bumped into her. The little boy was about two or three years old. He was thin and his clothes were patched. The little boy sat on the ground and looked at her blankly. Soon, a woman walked over and picked up the little boy. She apologized to Princess Hui An repeatedly. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Seeing that the other party was just a child, Princess Hui An didn¡¯t mind and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Leave.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss! Thank you, Miss!¡± The woman quickly carried the child and left. Princess Hui An looked at her dirty skirt and sighed bitterly. This was her favorite dress¡­ Guo Huan looked at Princess Hui An and then at the little boy who was carried away. He slowly touched the jade ring on his left thumb. ¡°Cousin, cousin!¡± Guo Huan regained his senses and looked up with a smile. ¡°I was thinking about something just now and was in a daze.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°They¡¯ve already left. Let¡¯s find a place to catch up.¡± Guo Huan smiled. ¡°Ah, I suddenly remember that there¡¯s something else in the residence. I¡¯ll catch up with Cousin another day.¡± Wei Ting looked regretful. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll send Cousin back to the residence.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go back myself.¡± Guo Huan rejected politely. ¡°I¡¯ll send Cousin off,¡± Wei Ting insisted. The two men looked at each other steadily. One had a deep gaze and one was intriguing. Guo Huan shook his head and smiled. ¡°In that case, thank you, Cousin.¡± Fu Su drove the carriage over. Wei Ting gestured. ¡°Cousin, please.¡± The two of them got into the carriage. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Wei Ting said to Fu Su. The atmosphere in the carriage was extremely strange. Wei Ting looked at him arrogantly and coldly. Guo Huan seemed to ignore Wei Ting¡¯s provocation. He chuckled and asked gently, ¡°Why did Cousin come to Full Moon Pavilion today?¡± Wei Ting smiled faintly. ¡°Cousin, why do you think I¡¯m here?¡± Guo Huan met Wei Ting¡¯s sharp gaze without dodging. ¡°It can¡¯t be that the Matriarch asked someone to bring news to Cousin and called him over for a meal.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Wei Ting poured a cup of tea for Guo Huan and said meaningfully, ¡°I received news this morning that the rebels of the White Lotus Society would meet at Full Moon Pavilion, so I came over to try my luck.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Guo Huan picked up the tea that Wei Ting had poured for him without blushing. ¡°Have you seen the rebels?¡± Wei Ting poured himself a cup of tea. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Guo Huan smiled and took a sip calmly. ¡°Then did Cousin catch him?¡± ¡°Soon,¡± Wei Ting said. Guo Huan smiled at Wei Ting. ¡°Cousin, you should know that I used to like you very much.¡± Wei Ting smiled playfully. ¡°Cousin, do you not like me anymore?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Guo Huan said. ¡°It¡¯s just that Cousin doesn¡¯t seem to be as close to me as before.¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡®You¡¯re not a woman. Why should I get close to you?¡± Guo Huan laughed. ¡°Cousin, you really know how to joke. You just said that you¡¯re about to catch the rebels of the White Lotus Society.¡± ¡°Yes, soon. If you don¡¯t believe me, Cousin, take a look. Where are we going?¡± Guo Huan lifted the curtain and took a look. ¡°This is the way to the Dali Temple¡­¡± Wei Ting smiled and said, ¡°Cousin, you have a good memory. You¡¯re so familiar with the capital after leaving for half a year.¡± Guo Huan¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Cousin, what do you mean?¡± Wei Ting sneered. ¡°Cousin knows very well.¡± Guo Huan lowered his eyes and looked at the tea in the cup. He said unhurriedly, ¡°Cousin, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inappropriate for you to do this.¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Guo Huan smiled coldly. ¡°Have you forgotten that I was brought to Full Moon Pavilion by Matriarch Wei today? If Cousin suspects someone to be a rebel of the White Lotus Society, the first person you should suspect is not me.¡± Wei Ting saw extreme arrogance and fearlessness in Guo Huan¡¯s eyes. Guo Huan smiled and said, ¡°In addition, Cousin shouldn¡¯t be able to find the contact who came to deliver the letter, right?¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Cousin is so fast.¡± Guo Huan smiled wantonly. ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re good at studying and training. You¡¯re not good at scheming.¡± Fu Su said, ¡°Young Master, we¡¯ve arrived at the Dali Temple! ¡± Guo Huan stood up and gave Wei Ting a victorious smile. ¡°Looks like I can¡¯t go to the Dali Temple. Cousin, see you another day.¡± Wei Ting smiled casually. ¡°Who said that I¡¯m here to catch the White Lotus Society¡¯s rebels?¡± Guo Huan was stunned. ¡°Be careful, the few of you! This is a consecrated tribute! It has been worshiped in front of the Buddha for 49 days! It¡¯s going to be sent to the palace later! If you break it, you¡¯ll be beheaded!¡± A few officials of the Dali Temple carefully carried a statue covered in silk. Wei Ting suddenly grabbed Guo Huan¡¯s wrist and smiled maliciously. Realizing what Wei Ting was going to do, Guo Huan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°You¡¯re crazy! That¡¯s Emperor Taizu¡¯s statue!¡± Wei Ting smiled. ¡°See you in the cell, Cousin.¡± With that, he pulled Guo Huan out of the carriage and threw him at the statue without hesitation! With a loud clang, the statue was shattered by Guo Huan. The minister of the Dali Temple was stunned! Guo Huan spat out a mouthful of blood in pain. ¡°I was framed! Someone pushed me¡­ ¡± He turned his head and stopped. Wei Ting was lying in a pool of blood with a dagger ¡°stabbed¡± in his chest. He looked at him weakly and in disbelief. ¡°Cousin¡­ why did you¡­ want to kill me¡­¡± Guo Huan was speechless.. Chapter 485 - Chapter 485: Arrested in Prison Chapter 485: Arrested in Prison Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Prime Minister Guo was in court. Today, there was a sudden flood in the south, and the court was in a haze. The officials did not even dare to breathe loudly, let alone the servant who wanted to inform his master. Only the eunuch dared to ignore him. As a result, the Wei family was the first to receive the news. It was a letter from Fu Su. ¡°Matriarch, bad news! Somethinq happened to Younq Master and Master Guo!¡± Matriarch Wei was tidying up Wei Xiyue¡¯s calligraphy. When she heard this, she was very calm. ¡°What can happen to the two of them?¡± Matriarch Wei was never worried that something would happen to Wei Ting in the capital. If anything really happened, he would be the one harming others. However, today, he was with Guo Huan. Matriarch Wei believed that Guo Huan would definitely not let that young brat cause trouble. As the saying went, one would be marked by one¡¯s company. After a certain shameless pair of master and servant hung around each other for a long time, he became more and more dishonorable. ¡°Young Master Guo destroyed Emperor Taizu¡¯s statue!¡± Old Madam Wei said coldly, ¡°I knew it! That kid only knows how to cause trouble for me¡­ Wait, who did you say hit the statue?¡± Fu Su said, ¡°Young Master Guo.¡± Old Madam Wei was stunned. ¡°Huan¡¯er? How did he¡­ In Old Madam Wei¡¯s eyes, Guo Huan had always been the most obedient child who would not make mistakes, unlike her grandchildren. Old Madam Wei said, ¡°Are you sure it wasn¡¯t Little Seven who hit it? Did Huan¡¯er take the blame for him?¡± Fu Su secretly gave her a thumbs-up. As expected of the Matriarch. She really understood her grandson¡¯s character. But he couldn¡¯t say it. ¡°No! Young Master Guo really hit it!¡± Emperor Taizu was the founding emperor of the Great Zhou. What would happen if one bumped into his statue? If it was light, it would be a crime of disobeying the royal family. If it was serious, it would be considered treason. Just as Matriarch Wei thought that the matter had become extremely serious, Fu Su gave her another heavy blow. ¡°But Old Madam, that¡¯s not what I want to talk to you about.¡± Fu Su covered her heart. ¡®Young Master was attacked.¡± Old Madam Wei¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What did you say?¡± Fu Su looked pained. ¡®Young Master¡­ was attacked. The attacker is Guo Huan.¡± Old Madam Wei felt as if she had been struck by lightning¡­ At the entrance of the Dali Temple, the minister looked at the incredible incident that he had never dreamed of. He was stunned. Emperor Taizu¡¯s statue was destroyed. The culprit was the Prime Minister¡¯s legitimate son, Guo Huan. The youngest son of the Wei family had been attacked. The culprit was also the Prime Minister¡¯s legitimate son, Guo Huan. ¡°Lo¡­ Lord¡­¡± The official at the side stuttered in fear. ¡°What are you stuttering about? Capturing him! No! Save him first!¡± It was an undeniable fact that the statue had been destroyed. No matter what, it could not be put back together. However, Wei Ting was lying in a pool of blood¡­ He did not seem to be completely dead. The minister came to Wei Ting and squatted down to look at the dagger in the center. The shock in his eyes was gradually replaced by disappointment. He held Wei Ting¡¯s hand with a trembling hand. ¡°Lord Wei, if you have any last words, just tell me.¡± Wei Ting looked at him weakly. ¡°I think¡­ I might benefit from an emergency rescue?¡± The minister was speechless. Because Wei Ting emphasized that his injuries were too serious and only a physician from the Number One Hall could treat him, Physician Fu was invited. Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t invited because she wasn¡¯t around. As her master, Physician Fu had also treated the Empress Dowager, no one doubted his medical skills. Physician Fu sat on the stool in front of the bed and looked at Wei Ting with a complicated expression. ¡°Lord Wei, I¡¯ve never lied in my life.¡± Wei Ting said earnestly, ¡°All men have to have their first time.¡± In the end, Physician Fu did not lie. He only said, ¡°Hurry up and send him to the Number One Hall.¡± Then, he left without looking back. This was the limit of what Physician Fu could do. The minister thought that he was going to be sent to the medical center for emergency treatment, so he hurriedly arranged for a carriage to send him off. As for Guo Huan, he was naturally captured and brought to the Dali Temple. He was the eldest grandson of the Prime Minister. If it were anyone else who had been stabbed, it might be a little difficult to arrest him. However, the victim was Wei Ting, the Wei family¡¯s general who had risked his life for the commoners and bled for the country. He had been stabbed at the entrance of the Dali Temple. Even if the person who stabbed him was a prince, one had to capture him. ¡°How many times have I said that I didn¡¯t do it? Wei Ting framed me! He¡¯s totally fine! He¡¯s in cahoots with the Number One Hall!¡± Guo Huan was furious. He had seen shameless people, but he had never seen anyone so shameless! Wei Ting¡¯s arrogance and evilness were obvious. He was straightforward with everyone. Generally speaking, such people were not good at scheming. However, who would have thought that Wei Ting was even worse beneath the surface? He was simply a guy with a stomach full of evil tricks! Wei Ting¡¯s schemes were directed at outsiders, and as one of their own, Guo Huan had never felt it before. Of course, he was caught off guard. It was true that Wei Ting was a little lucky today. When he went downstairs to settle the bill, he saw the team moving the statues on the street. At that time, he had this plan. This plan was considered a novice benefit because Guo Huan was not wary of him. Or rather, he did not think that he would mess with him so openly. He was not scheming. He was purely shameless. The minister said seriously, ¡®Young Master Guo, you¡¯d better surrender. I don¡¯t want to hurt you! The Court will investigate the truth. Don¡¯t resist!¡± For some reason, Guo Huan was furious. He pulled out an official¡¯s sword and slashed at them. Something was wrong! He had never been so impulsive in the past! What was going on¡­ The minister of the Dali Temple wanted to capture him properly, but this guy openly attacked an official. He could not tolerate it. With his order, everyone swarmed forward. Guo Huan¡¯s martial arts were not low, but for some reason, after slashing a few times, he suddenly seemed to have lost all his strength¡ª The tea¡­ Wei Ting drugged him! His movements became sluggish. An official took advantage of the situation and jumped up from behind him, knocking him out! When Old Madam Wei brought Madam Chu to the Dali Temple, Guo Huan was already locked in a cell. Old Madam Wei asked the minister what had happened, and the minister told her what he knew. ¡°I dare to guess that Young Master Guo stabbed Lord Wei first. When he fled in a panic, he accidentally destroyed Emperor Taizu¡¯s statue¡­ Young Master Guo resisted very fiercely. Fortunately, the officials of the Dali Temple did not neglect martial arts, so they took him down.¡± ¡°Young Master Guo has fainted. He won¡¯t wake up for a while.¡± ¡°Lord Wei¡¯s injuries were too serious. He has been sent to the Number One Hall for emergency treatment.¡± Old Madam Wei and Madam Chu rushed to the Number One Hall. Physician Fu and Wei Ting sat in the room and stared at each other. ¡°I won¡¯t lie for your sake!¡± Physician Fu had his own morals and ethics. Manager Sun did not have such noble sentiments. Manager Sun stopped Matriarch Wei and Madam Chu in the hall. Old Madam Wei had been to the Number One Hall before. He knew her. As for Madam Chu, although he had never seen her before, he could guess that she was definitely a woman from the Wei family. ¡°Why are you stopping me!¡± Matriarch Wei asked coldly. No matter what, Wei Ting was her biological grandson. How could she not love him? Manager Sun said bitterly, ¡°I¡¯m worried that you won¡¯t be able to take the blow if you see it.. It¡¯s too tragic¡­ Lord Wei is really too pitiful¡­ Chapter 486 - Chapter 486: Husband and Wife Working Together (1) Chapter 486: Husband and Wife Working Together (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Matriarch Wei¡¯s face was pale. Madam Chu hurriedly said, ¡°Even your Number One Hall can¡¯t do anything?¡± Manager Sun sighed. ¡°This¡­ we can probably only wait for Little Su¡­ Ahem, Physician Su to return and see if there¡¯s any hope of treatment.¡± Madam Chu¡¯s face turned slightly pale. ¡°Isn¡¯t Physician Fu my seventh sister-in-law¡¯s master? Can¡¯t he save Xiao Qi?¡± Manager Sun looked at the sky and sighed. ¡°Physician Fu is good at acupuncture, but in terms of treating external injuries, Physician Su surpassed him. However.. Physician Su didn¡¯t come to the medical center today. I wonder where she went¡­ Madam Chu said seriously, ¡°Ta Qing! When she left just now, she said that she wanted to go to the suburbs with her classmates!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was brought back to the medical center by the man in white. Wei Ting was placed in her small courtyard. ¡°Hot water! Scissors! Cotton! Golden sore medicine! Hemostatic powder!¡± She entered the hall and finished giving her instructions smoothly. She rolled up her sleeves and went to the room. Her arrival made Physician Fu heave a sigh of relief. He was loosening up since he did not have to lie. In the eyes of Matriarch Wei and Madam Chu, Wei Ting seemed to be saved. Old Madam Wei and Madam Chu waited anxiously under the corridor. The basins of hot water were carried in and turned into basins of blood. It was a shocking sight. Madam Li and the other three also rushed to the medical center when they heard the news. ¡°Grandmother! Sister-in-law! How¡¯s Little Seven?¡± Madam Li asked anxiously. Old Madam Wei closed her eyes in pain. Madam Chu suppressed her worry and frowned. ¡°Seventh Sister-in-law is saving Little Seven inside. The exact situation¡­ is unknown.¡± Another basin of blood was brought out by Yun Xiu. The few of them gasped. Madam Jiang¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Little Seven¡­¡± Madam Li held Madam Chu¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Sister-in-law, why did I hear that¡­ Cousin Huan did it? This¡­ This couldn¡¯t be true, right? The same doubts flashed across everyone¡¯s minds. Guo Huan was Wei Ting¡¯s cousin. Why would he harm Wei Ting? Madam Chu¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°Ask Little Seven when he wakes up.¡± ¡°Can Xiao Qi still wake up? Woah¡ª¡± Madam Jiang cried anxiously. Madam Lan said, ¡°Fifth Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? Little Seven will be fine!¡± Madam Jiang cried, ¡°Then don¡¯t cry if you have the ability¡­¡± ¡°Who said I was crying¡­¡± Madam Lan wiped her tears. Another basin of blood was brought out. ¡°Woah¡ª¡± Madam Lan and Madam Jiang hugged each other and cried! Madam Chen looked at the blood that had been taken away and sniffed. She said strangely, ¡°Um¡­¡¯ Clang! The door was pulled open forcefully! Su Xiaoxiao walked out with a tired and pale face. The few of them quickly surrounded him. Old Madam Wei asked, ¡°How¡¯s Little Seven?¡± Su Xiaoxiao wiped the water droplets on her forehead¡­ Uh, no, sweat. She sighed. ¡°His life is saved, but he hasn¡¯t completely passed the critical period. The next few days are very important.¡± Madam Chu asked, ¡°Can we go in and see Little Seven?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded seriously. ¡°Sure, but don¡¯t talk too much to the patient. The patient needs to rest.¡± The few of them were too worried about Wei Ting and completely ignored a certain person¡¯s exaggerated acting skills. The group entered the house and came to the bed. Wei Ting¡¯s injuries had already been carefully treated and wrapped in bandages. His hair was wet. He must have broken out in a cold sweat from the pain. Everyone looked at him with heartache. ¡°Little Seven¡­¡¯ Matriarch Wei sat down by the bed and held Wei Ting¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Grandmother¡­ it hurts¡­¡± Wei Ting said weakly. These words struck her heart. Matriarch Wei instantly lost it. Tears fell. Madam Jiang choked and said, ¡°Little Seven, who hurt you?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°¡­It¡¯s Cousin.¡± Old Madam Wei asked in confusion, ¡°Why did Huan¡¯er hurt you?¡± Wei Ting shook his head slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Everything was clearly fine in the carriage¡­ Cousin suddenly¡­ suddenly seemed to have become a different person¡­ He swung his sword at me¡­¡± This was more reasonable. With Wei Ting¡¯s martial arts, it was impossible for him to be easily injured unless someone he was completely unguarded against did something he did not expect. Wei Ting¡¯s voice was almost inaudible. ¡°Is Cousin alright.. Madam Li choked and said, ¡°You¡¯re still worried about others at this time¡­ Wei Ting said weakly, ¡°Second Sister-in-law¡­ I believe Cousin¡­ is not that kind of person¡­¡± Madam Jiang was furious. ¡°He was going to kill you, but you¡¯re still speaking up for him!¡± This was the beauty of retreating. If Wei Ting kept saying that his cousin attacked him and that he wanted them to avenge him, there was a high chance that they would say, ¡°Is there a misunderstanding? Huan¡¯er is not that kind of person..¡± Chapter 487 - Chapter 487: Husband and Wife Working Together (2) Chapter 487: Husband and Wife Working Together (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, the effect would be different if Wei Ting said it himself. Old Madam Wei said suspiciously, ¡°What did you mean just now¡­ that Huan¡¯er seems to have become a different person?¡± Wei Ting recalled, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ I can¡¯t say¡­ He suddenly stopped moving¡­ I called out to him¡­ He didn¡¯t react¡­ Then¡­ he suddenly stabbed me as if he was possessed¡­¡± Madam Chen said strangely, ¡°But Little Seven, your blood¡­¡± Wei Ting hurriedly held his forehead. ¡°Ah¡­ my head hurts!¡± ¡°Alright, stop talking. Hurry up and rest.¡± Madam Li was someone who had had a child and was sharper and more meticulous than the other women. She said, ¡°Grandmother, we should listen to Seventh Sister-in-law. Let Little Seven rest well.¡¯ Matriarch Wei nodded and led everyone out. Wei Ting broke out in cold sweat. Su Xiaoxiao carried it into the house. Wei Ting said expressionlessly, ¡°My third sister-in-law smelled chicken blood.¡± The corners of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°She can smell that? What did she do in the past?¡± Wei Ting paused. ¡°Killed chickens.¡± Madam Chen¡¯s father was a general. She had practiced martial arts with her father since she was young. In order to practice her saber techniques, she secretly went to the chicken farm to kill chickens. Wei Ting said extremely seriously, ¡°It¡¯s true. My third sister-in-law killed chickens especially well.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Old Madam Wei and the others were Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s future in-laws. Manager Sun arranged a quiet room on the second floor for them and handed over a few pots of Longjing. However, now that such a thing had happened, how could they be in the mood to taste tea? The group sat around the room with solemn expressions. Madam Jiang was puzzled. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand. Why did Cousin Huan stab Little Seven? Could it be¡­ that it¡¯s really as Little Seven said¡­ that Cousin Huan was possessed?¡± Madam Chen opened her mouth. ¡°Um¡­¡¯ ¡°Matriarch! Sisters-in-law! ¡± Su Xiaoxiao appeared at the door in time. Madam Chu glanced at the Old Madam and saw that she had no intention of objecting. She hurriedly said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Come in. Has Little Seven taken her medicine?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve eaten. I¡¯m here to tell you about Wei Ting¡¯s injuries in detail.¡± As Su Xiaoxiao spoke, she walked in and said seriously, ¡°As you can see, Wei Ting has lost too much blood. This situation is very dangerous. In order to save his life, I could only give him some chicken blood.¡± Everyone was speechless. Old Madam Wei and the five of them looked at her in confusion, as if they had never heard of such a treatment. Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°Of course. Ordinary chicken blood can¡¯t do it. I added some of my master¡¯s secret medicine. That medicine is very precious. My master has only refined a small bottle over the years and I gave it all to Wei Ting.¡± In other words, it would never happen again. The Wei family was skeptical and felt that this prescription was really a last resort. However, as long as Wei Ting could survive, they could even use the blood of a donkey. After living for 21 years, this was the first time Wei Ting had been treated like a donkey. On the other side, Prime Minister Guo left the court. The servants in the residence immediately reported Guo Huan¡¯s matter. Prime Minister Guo¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What is it?¡± The servant said, ¡°Four hours ago¡­¡± Prime Minister Guo did not dare to hesitate. He left the palace without stopping and rushed towards the Dali Temple. At this moment, Xiao Zhonghua and Jing Yi also arrived at the Dali Temple. Guo Huan was already awake. The minister of the Dali Temple carried out the law and brought him to the torture chamber. This was a place to interrogate important suspects. Those petty thieves were not qualified to enter. Guo Huan sat on a cold iron chair and looked at him fearlessly. The minister felt a headache coming on. Suddenly, the door of the torture room opened and Xiao Zhonghua and Jing Yi walked in. ¡°Lord Liao,¡± Xiao Zhonghua said calmly. ¡°Third Prince.¡± The minister cupped his hands and bowed. He also greeted Jing Yi. ¡°Young Marquis Jing.¡± The minister asked, ¡°Your Highness, why are you here? Aren¡¯t you on a break today?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°I heard that Emperor Taizu¡¯s statue was destroyed, so I came over to take a look.¡± ¡°You came at the right time. Actually, not only the statue, but also¡­¡± The minister explained the incident again. Xiao Zhonghua nodded. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll interrogate him.¡± The minister of the Dali Temple could not ask for more. Xiao Zhonghua said seriously, ¡°Guo Huan, the emperor is guilty of the same crime as commoners. Although you¡¯re the young master of the Prime Minister¡¯s Estate, the law is the law. You¡¯d better tell me the truth.¡± Guo Huan said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve already said many times that I didn¡¯t do it.. Wei Ting framed me!¡± Chapter 488 - Chapter 488: Husband and Wife Working Together (3) Chapter 488: Husband and Wife Working Together (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiao Zhonghua questioned, ¡°Did he use his life to frame you? Do you know that he almost died? He¡¯s still being resuscitated at the medical center. His fate is unknown.¡± Guo Huan said angrily, ¡°Then ask him. How would I know?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn. There are witnesses and evidence. It¡¯s useless for you to quibble.¡± Guo Huan smiled coldly. ¡°What are the witnesses and evidence that the Third Prince is referring to? Broken statues all over the ground, or a dagger pulled out of Wei Ting¡¯s body? Did any of you see me stab the dagger into his heart witn your own eyes f¡¯ ¡°Well¡­¡± The minister was speechless. They really did not see Guo Huan commit murder. Xiao Zhonghua said calmly, ¡°But there were witnesses when you smashed Emperor Taizu¡¯s statue.¡± Guo Huan suddenly slammed the table and stood up. ¡°I said Wei Ting pushed me!¡± The minister was stunned. Was Guo Huan so fierce? He had never realized it before¡­ Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Why did he do that?¡± Guo Huan punched the table. ¡°1 also said that you should ask him!¡± The medicine was still effective, and Guo Huan still could not control his emotions. His nails dug into his palms as he tried to maintain his composure. ¡°My grandfather should be on his way. I won¡¯t say another word until he arrives!¡± Of course, Xiao Zhonghua understood Prime Minister Guo¡¯s ability. He was an old minister who played with power¡­ Wei Ting, Wei Ting, what was he trying to do? Did he really think that stuffing someone into the Dali Temple was foolproof? In that case, he could have done it more realistically and at least held Guo Huan¡¯s hand to stab himself in public. The assassination was full of flaws. When Prime Minister Guo arrived, Guo Huan might be bailed out. At the medical center, Little Weizi went upstairs and brought in a plate of melons. ¡°Boss, a patient is coming.¡± Old Madam Wei said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first. I¡¯ll do my best to treat Wei Ting¡¯s injuries. Old Madam and Sister-in-law, return to the residence to wait for news.¡± She went downstairs. ¡°Where is the person?¡± she whispered. Little Weizi handed her the prepared toolbox. ¡°In the carriage in the back alley.¡± Su Xiaoxiao opened the back door and got into Su MO¡¯s carriage with her toolbox. In the carriage sat Su Mo¡­ and Su Li. ¡°Him Su Xiaoxiao was slightly stunned. ¡®You?¡± Su Li was even more shocked than her. He looked at Su MO and said bitterly, ¡°Brother, why did you bring me to see her? Haven¡¯t I been tricked by her enough last time?¡± Su MO asked, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to study at the Imperial College?¡± Su Li said angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t want to study, but so what? Do I have to see her just because I don¡¯t want to study? Then I¡¯d rather study!¡± As he spoke, he sensed that Su Xiaoxiao was sizing him up from head to toe¡­ if she could see his big toe. He crossed his arms and asked warily, ¡°Hey! Why are you looking at me like that? Are you choosing pork?¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin and snapped her fingers. ¡°You¡¯ll do!¡± She opened the toolbox on the table. Su MO cooperated and moved the tea set and walnut jar aside. Su Li¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Why do I feel that something bad is going to happen? I¡­ I¡¯m not playing anymore. I¡¯m leaving¡­¡± Su MO ruthlessly pressed his brother back. ¡°Are you going to be obedient and not move, or should I tap your acupoints?¡± Su Li was thinking that he must have been picked up off the streets. Su Xiaoxiao raised a cold knife. Su Li looked at the knife, then at her malicious smile, and then at his member. He clamped his legs together. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a eunuch¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao slashed. ¡°Oh, the eyebrow shaver made by Zhang Erzhu is quite useful.¡± An hour later, Su Li, the youngest son of the Su family, was no longer in the carriage. Only Guo Huan, the eldest son of the Guo family, was left. ¡°Look, what else doesn¡¯t look like it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Su Mo. Su MO took a closer look. ¡°He looks alike.¡± Su Li¡¯s figure and height were the closest to Guo Huan. Coupled with Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s head replacement technique, as long as he did not make a sound, there would be no flaws. ¡°Eat this.¡± Su Xiaoxiao gave him a pill. ¡°It can temporarily give you symptoms of a cold. Your voice will be hoarse.¡± Once a person¡¯s voice was hoarse, the person¡¯s voice would lose its recognizability. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there are no side effects.¡± The medicine in the pharmacy was very safe. Su MO took the pill and handed it to him. ¡°Be good and eat it.¡± Su Li muttered,¡± No, that¡¯s not what your gaze says. It¡¯s clearly¡ªAre you going to eat it or not? If not, I¡¯ll slap you to death!¡± Su Xiaoxiao clapped her hands. ¡°Alright, you can send him to the Dali Temple!¡± Su Li asked strangely, ¡°Why am I going to the Dali Temple?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Jail.¡± Su Li cursed, ¡°Damn!¡± Chapter 489 - Chapter 489: Brother Ting’s Revenge Chapter 489: Brother Ting¡¯s Revenge Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Prime Minister Guo arrived at the Dali Temple at five in the afternoon. He was the head of the civil officials and an elder of three dynasties. He was deeply valued as the emperor¡¯s weapon. Even if the minister of the Dali Temple did not follow his lead, he could not offend him. ¡°Prime Minister Guo.¡± The minister welcomed him at the door. Prime Minister Guo said with authority, ¡°I heard that your Dali Temple captured my grandson. Is that true?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true,¡± the minister admitted. ¡°I wonder what crime my grandson has committed?¡± ¡°He crashed into Emperor Taizu¡¯s statue. This is one. He committed murder. This is two. The third is that he refused to be arrested and attacked an official.¡± Prime Minister Guo flicked his wide sleeve and said coldly, ¡°I understand my grandson. He will never do what you said.¡± The minister of the Dali Temple said awkwvardly, ¡°The Third Prince is interrogating Guo Huan inside. If Prime Minister Guo has any questions, you can ask the Third Prince.¡± If he couldn¡¯t suppress Prime Minister, the Third Prince could, right? This ability to pass the buck was also impressive. Prime Minister Guo, accompanied by the minister of the Dali Temple, went to see Guo Huan in the torture chamber. When he went out just now, he was still awake. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Prime Minister Guo bowed to Xiao Zhonghua in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°Prime Minister Guo.¡± Xiao Zhonghua nodded slightly. Seeing Prime Minister Guo frown at Guo Huan, he said calmly, ¡°He just fell asleep.¡± Prime Minister Guo cupped his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the several crimes committed by my grandson from Lord Liao. I have many doubts and want to ask Your Highness.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°Prime Minister Guo, there¡¯s no harm in saying so.¡± Prime Minister Guo glanced at everyone. ¡°You kept saying that my grandson smashed the statue and injured someone with a knife. Do you have evidence?¡± The minister replied, ¡°The officials of the Dali Temple saw him smash the statue with their own eyes. As for the murder, although they didn¡¯t see him kill anyone, according to the victim, he stabbed the victim in the chest.¡± Prime Minister Guo snorted coldly. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s the victim¡¯s side of the story.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°Prime Minister Guo, the victim is Wei Ting.¡± Prime Minister Guo said confidently, ¡°I know!¡± Before coming, the servant told him everything he had found out. Ordinary princes might not be able to suppress an elder like Prime Minister Guo. However, Xiao Zhonghua did not back down at all. ¡°Therefore, Prime Minister Guo should understand that Wei Ting will not slander your grandson.¡± Prime Minister Guo said coldly, ¡°He won¡¯t slander my grandson. Will my grandson harm him? Is Third Prince biased?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said calmly, ¡°Both sides have their own opinions. The Dali Temple is investigating.¡± The accompanying servant reported at the door, ¡°Master, Physician Zhu is here!¡± Prime Minister Guo said, ¡°My grandson is unconscious. It¡¯s not too much for me to ask the imperial physician to treat him, right?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Doctor Zhu carried the small medicine box in. He took Guo Huan¡¯s pulse with a strange expression. ¡°May I ask if Young Master Guo is more agitated than usual?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The minister of the Dali Temple was deeply enlightened. ¡°Irritable,fierce¡­¡± Halfway through, he felt Prime Minister Guo¡¯s death stare. He choked. ¡°He¡¯s indeed more agitated than usual.¡¯ Physician Zhu said, ¡°Looks like it.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± the minister asked. ¡°He was drugged,¡± Doctor Zhu asked. ¡°Can you find what he took or drank today?¡± The minister said, ¡°This¡­ Ah, a carriage!¡± The carriage, which was the first crime scene, was retained by the Dali Temple. The things inside were all physical evidence, and none of them had been touched. The minister remembered that there were two cups of unfinished tea on the table of the carriage. He immediately got someone to bring Physcian Zhu into the carriage detained in the courtyard. Doctor Zhu sniffed the tea carefully and dipped his fingertip into it to taste it. ¡°It tastes very faint and is mixed in the tea. Ordinary people can¡¯t taste it, but it should be right.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± the minister asked. Doctor Zhu said, ¡°Datura! The anesthetic boiling powder and knockout medicine are made from the Datura Flower. It can make people lose consciousness, but very few people know that a small amount of Datura seeds mixed in the Datura Flower will have the opposite effect. It makes people excited, impulsive, and even hallucinate.¡± The minister came to a realization. ¡°No wonder Young Master Guo¡¯s personality changed drastically¡­¡± Prime Minister Guo said, ¡°Doctor Zhu, in your opinion, is it possible that Huan¡¯er killed someone under an illusion because he took this medicine?¡± Doctor Zhu said, ¡°It¡¯s completely possible.¡± Prime Minister Guo looked at the minister. ¡°Lord Liao, if that¡¯s the case, Huan¡¯er is also a victim. The person who really drugged Huan¡¯er is the culprit of this case!¡± Since Guo Huan had committed murder under the effects of the medicine, he had naturally destroyed the statue and attacked the officials under the effects of the medicine. All the charges could be overturned. The minister recalled, ¡°Didn¡¯t Wei Ting drink it too?¡± Of the two cups, one belonged to Guo Huan and the other to Wei Ting. An official said, ¡°Could it be that Wei Ting drugged Guo Huan?¡± Another official said, ¡°Wei Ting drugged Guo Huan so that he could kill himself?¡± This was very unreasonable. Prime Minister Guo did not participate in the discussion. ¡°Investigating the case is your Dali Temple¡¯s business, and it¡¯s not convenient for me to interfere. However, my grandson is innocent. Your Dali Temple can let him go, right?¡± This was a matter of great importance. The minister of the Dali Temple sent someone to the medical center and obtained testimony from Wei Ting. Guo Huan had indeed suddenly become strange. It was as if he was possessed. This matched the symptoms of the Datura poison. Guo Huan was acquitted, but Wei Ting was targeted by the Dali Temple. The carriage was Wei Ting¡¯s, and the tea was Wei Ting¡¯s. He was suspected of poisoning Guo Huan. However, after the Dali Temple carefully investigated Wei Ting and those related to him, they did not discover anyone who had bought the Datura. What a joke. Su Xiaoxiao had taken the Datura from the base¡¯s pharmacy. It would be strange if they could investigate it. Speaking of which, she had been getting better at entering the base¡¯s pharmacy recently. It seemed that treating more people could really yield more opportunities to enter the pharmacy. Physician Zhu took Guo Huan¡¯s pulse. It was the real Guo Huan, but the person who was brought into the carriage was Su Li. When he saw Su MO bring another ¡°Guo Huan¡± into the Dali Temple from the back door, Xiao Zhonghua had goosebumps. It was also at this moment that he really understood Wei Ting¡¯s intentions. It turned out that from the beginning, Wei Ting had never thought of using the Dali Temple to lock Guo Huan up. He only treated the Dali Temple as a courier station and swapped it with Guo Huan. The reason why he left a flaw was to let Prime Minister Guo successfully protect the fake Guo Huan. ¡°Why did he do this?¡± Jing Yi asked. ¡°Three goals,¡± Xiao Zhonghua said. ¡°Collect evidence of Guo Huan¡¯s crimes, investigate the relationship between the Guo family and the White Lotus Society, and infiltrate the White Lotus Society.¡± Xiao Zhonghua had once been Wei Ting¡¯s enemy. The difference was that Xiao Zhonghua never underestimated his enemy. Was it difficult to admit that others were outstanding? This was where Guo Huan had fallen short. ¡°Will Wei Ting kill Guo Huan?¡± Jing Yi asked. ¡°Guo Huan is still useful,¡± Xiao Zhonghua said. Jing Yi said suspiciously, ¡°Strange, why is Wei Ting so keen to help you investigate the White Lotus Society?¡± Xiao Zhonghua narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°He¡¯s not helping me. He¡¯s helping himself. If I¡¯m not wrong, there¡¯s something strange about the deaths of the Wei family¡¯s men four years ago. It might be related to the White Lotus Society.¡± Jing Yi seemed to have an epiphany. ¡°So, Wei Ting wants to use us to find the murderer behind the scenes?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said seriously, ¡°The White Lotus Society is a huge threat to the Imperial Court. Our goals are the same. He wants revenge, and I want the country..¡± Chapter 490 - Chapter 490: Father and Son Reunited Chapter 490: Father and Son Reunited Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Because the Dali Temple did not have enough evidence, they could not arrest Wei Ting. Wei Ting openly recuperated in the Number One Hall. On the other side, Wei Xiyue, who had accompanied her little packrat to class, had also finished her first day of study. After feeding Xiaohu, she also had dinner. She had never been so obedient in the Wei family. She was not a child who ate well, unlike Ling Yun who could not eat. She simply did not like to eat and went around fiddling with things. A meal would take two hours to complete. However, the problem came right on the heels of that. She insisted on taking Xiaohu away. ¡°Can we come back tomorrow?¡± Madam Li coaxed softly. ¡°No, no, no! Ah¡ª¡± She stomped her feet angrily. Xiaohu was dumbfounded. ¡°Sister Xiyue, why are you shouting? Does your voice hurt?¡± Wei Xiyue stopped shouting and looked at him curiously. Xiaohu imitated her. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± It wasn¡¯t too loud. Xiaohu cried out again, ¡°Ah The voice took a few turns, like the sound of morning practice. Xiaohu looked up at her and said seriously, ¡°Sister Xiyue, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fun.¡± Wei Xiyue thought for a moment and stopped calling out. Madam Li repeatedly promised Wei Xiyue to send her over first thing the next morning. Wei Xiyue finally let go of Xiaohu. She fed Xiaohu, Erhu, and Dahu three small pine nuts, patted their heads, and got into the carriage to return. Dahu and Erhu were not jealous that Xiaohu had been carried and fed by Wei Xiyue. They preferred freedom. Moreover, Wei Xiyue would also feed them, but she did not always hug them. Xiaohu was a lazy baby, but the two of them were not. In the next few days, Wei Ting¡¯s assassination caused an uproar in the capital. It even overshadowed the limelight of Emperor Taizu¡¯s statue. ¡°Have you heard? Lord Wei was killed!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, that scholar at the next table, pay attention to your words. He didn¡¯t die! He¡¯s being treated in the Number One Hall!¡± ¡°Why did I hear that Young Master Guo did it?¡± ¡°Which Young Master Guo?¡± ¡°Prime Minister Guo¡¯s eldest grandson! He was possessed and suddenly drew his knife at Lord Wei in the carriage! ¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Lord Wei his cousin? Why is he waving his saber at his cousin?¡± ¡°Otherwise, why else would they say that he was possessed?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know this, right? He wasn¡¯t possessed. He was drugged! Someone wants to use someone else to provoke the hatred of the Wei and Guo families!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s so vicious?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the White Lotus Society!¡± At a square table in the corner of the lobby, a young man clenched his fists and was about to stand up to stop him. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Sit down!¡± A man in black wearing a bamboo hat stopped him. The young man gritted his teeth. ¡°They¡¯re too much! When did we do those things? How ridiculous!¡± The man in black said, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? This is a scheme of the Imperial Court.¡± The young man said angrily, ¡°The despicable Imperial Court! The small stronghold in Qing City and Guardian He¡¯s stronghold have been destroyed. Now that the pleasure boat and the Full Moon Pavilion have been targeted by the officials of the Imperial Court, the scope of the White Lotus Society¡¯s activities is further restricted. If this continues, our White Lotus Society¡¯s power in the capital will probably be uprooted!¡± The man in black said calmly, ¡°Not to the extent of uprooting it. The White The young man muttered, ¡°How can we contact him? Ever since he came out of the Dali Temple, he has been seriously ill and is still bedridden¡­¡± The man in black said confidently, ¡°There will be a way.¡± In the blink of an eye, it was the end of April. On a dark night, Su Xiaoxiao welcomed the monthly reward from the pharmacy. ¡°Don¡¯t let it be anything strange this time. I still don¡¯t understand what the little black egg from last time is for.¡± The table in the lounge was filled with a dazzling array of medicine bottles. Multiple vitamins, collagen peptide¡­ these were for her. The bone-strengthening pellets were Qin Canglan¡¯s. The digestive enzymes were Ling Yun¡¯s. There was also milk powder for the three little ones. Wait a minute, she could take the milk powder herself since last month. What was going on with placing it on the table as a reward? To make up the numbers? Finally, there was a bag of bird food. Su Xiaoxiao questioned, ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the quiet pharmacy. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been a little passive this month.¡± Fortunately, she still had time to get her medicine freely. She first went to the Chinese medicine pharmacy to get some herbs that were inconvenient or difficult to buy outside. Then, she went to the Western medicine pharmacy and stocked up on first aid kits. What was worth mentioning was that in the past, she could only stay for two minutes at most before being kicked out of the pharmacy. Tonight, she took a full ten minutes. It seemed that this was the reward this time was the time it took to collect the medicine. It had been a while since she weighed herself. After coming out of the pharmacy, she went to the woodshed to weigh herself. She was less than 130 pounds. Actually, with her height, this weight was not too fat. At most, she was slightly fat. However, in the capital, where thinness was regarded as beautiful, she was still the little fatty in everyone¡¯s eyes. After more than half a month of recuperation, the Empress Dowager no longer needed Su Xiaoxiao to take her pulse every day. She only needed to go once every three days. Coincidentally, she did not have to go today. Su Xiaoxiao went straight to the Palace Academy. Ever since Teacher Jiang was slapped in the face by Su Xiaoxiao, he had gone home to reflect. Now, the person teaching them was a teacher with the surname Yang. Mister Yang was already old. Other than being a little old-fashioned, there was nothing to be picky about. Mr. Yang entered the classroom with two books. ¡°Class begins.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked to her left. Strangely, neither of the princesses came today. Lu Ying, who was sitting behind her, probably saw her confusion. She poked her back and whispered, ¡°His Second Highness is back. The two princesses must have gone to see him. They¡¯ll only come over later.¡± ¡°Miss Lu,¡± Mister Yang said sternly. ¡°I¡¯m old, but I¡¯m not deaf or blind.¡± Lu Ying apologized honestly. ¡°Teacher, I was wrong.¡± It was probably because his Eldest continued to disappoint him that he paid more attention to his second son. He held the Second Prince¡¯s shoulder and sized him up. He could not hide his smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re tanned and strong! Looks like the sandstorm in the northwest has indeed trained you a lot!¡± Xiao Shunyang was also very excited to reunite with his father. However, he did not immediately show filial piety to Emperor Jing Xuan. Instead, he took a step back and knelt on one knee. ¡°Father, please punish me!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was stunned. ¡°What did you do to have to apologize to me?¡± Xiao Shunyang took out a booklet and handed it over with both hands. ¡°The northwest is far away. I acted first without reporting. Father, please punish me!¡± A trace of dragon might flashed between Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s eyebrows. Eunuch Fu stepped forward, took the booklet, and presented it to Emperor Jing Xuan, who was inches away from Xiao Shunyang. Emperor Jing Xuan would not have known if he had not seen it. When he saw it, he was shocked by his son.. Chapter 491 - Chapter 491: Attack Chapter 491: Attack Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiao Shunyang went west to Youzhou as an imperial envoy this time, mainly to formulate a map of the south and north. Who would have thought that he would kill more than 30 corrupt officials in one go? The officials of the Great Zhou had a huge network. Some seemingly inconspicuous officials might have an unshakable background in the court. Xiao Shunyang had mobilized so many people and probably offended all the elders of the Imperial Court. Putting everything else aside, one of them was Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s man. However, Emperor Jing Xuan did not expect the other party to be so greedy. It was indeed punishable¡ª But was this child¡ª Emperor Jing Xuan sighed. ¡°I understand. I have my own opinion on this matter. Your grandmother has been looking forward to seeing you for many days. Go and see her first.¡± ¡°Yes, Father!¡± Xiao Shunyang took his leave. Emperor Jing Xuan sat back in his chair and pinched the space between his tired eyebrows. ¡°Second Brother is not young anymore.. Why is he still single-minded¡­¡± Eunuch Fu smiled and said, ¡°Your Highness is honest and hates evil. He can¡¯t tolerate sand in his eyes.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said helplessly, ¡°He¡¯s just too straightforward! The Eldest and Third Brother are secretly forming cliques. Look at him. Do you think he hasn¡¯t offended enough people? Even my people¡ª¡± Eunuch Fu said, ¡°Perhaps this is what¡¯s precious about the Second Prince. The Second Prince is dedicated to being your son and your subject.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was in his prime. It was unknown which son rolled it up first, causing the few young brats to start competing early. Why? Did they think that he would not live long and were afraid that he would go before he could set up the will? Second Brother was the only one who did not fight and was focused on helping Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan only said a few words, but he liked this son. ¡°I have to clean up the aftermath for him again. Among my many sons, I ve wiped his butt the most!¡± Eunuch Fu smiled and walked forward to grind ink for Emperor Jing Xuan. Xiao Shunyang went to Yongshou Palace. The Empress, Consort Zhao, Princess Jingning, and Princess Hui An were also there. ¡°Grandmother! Mother!¡± He lifted the hem and knelt down to the two of them. The Empress Dowager said, ¡°You can also give your mother a bow.¡± Xiao Shunyang¡¯s mother passed away early. His first adoptive mother, Consort Chen, abused him. After being discovered by the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager deposed Consort Chen. Seeing that the little fellow was pitiful, she carried the young Xiao Shunyang to Yongshou Palace to raise him for two years. Consort Zhao was his second adoptive mother. ¡°Mother!¡± Xiao Shunyang knelt down to Consort Zhao. Consort Zhao helped him up with tears in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for so long¡­ I was so worried¡­¡± The Empress Dowager said, ¡°What are you worried about? Isn¡¯t he as strong as an ox?¡± Everyone in the room laughed. The two princesses also called him Second Brother. Xiao Shunyang smiled and said, ¡°Jingning has grown taller.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Princess Hui An asked impatiently. Competing with Jingning was her mission in life. Xiao Shunyang said frankly, ¡°You didn¡¯t grow taller.¡± Princess Hui An was speechless. Xiao Shunyang sat beside the Empress Dowager. Seeing that the Empress dowager was clearly rosier than in the past, he could not help but say, ¡°Grandmother looks much better. I wonder which imperial physician contributed.¡± The Empress Dowager said calmly, ¡°She¡¯s a little girl from the Qin family. She¡¯s your two sisters¡¯ classmate. Her medical skills are barely passable.¡± After sitting in the Yongshou Palace for a while, the Empress and Consort Zhao left for something. It was time for Xiao Shunyang to leave. He said, ¡°Grandmother, I want to visit the Grand Empress Dowager.¡± When he was young, he was a prince who was bullied. The Empress Dowager had helped him a few times. In addition, Guo Huan, who often entered Zhaoyang Hall, was his only playmate when he was young. The Empress Dowager also knew about this. ¡°Go.¡± Bai Xihe had been obediently staying in the palace to ¡°cultivate¡± and did not go out to cause trouble. Her days were a little boring. Little Yunzi came to the small garden and said to Bai Xihe under the crab apple tree, ¡°Master, His Second Highness requests an audience.¡± She put down the notebook in her hand and took a copy of the Book of Songs to cover it. Xiao Shunyang came with Eunuch Cheng. He was an adult prince. It was not appropriate for him to come to Zhaoyang Hall alone. He stared at Bai Xihe from afar. Bai Xihe was wearing a lake-blue palace dress. She sat under the blooming Four Seasons Begonia Flower, making the courtyard pale in comparison. The beauty in the world was very colorful, and she occupied 90% of it. Bai Xihe raised her head gently and looked at Xiao Shunyang. She asked coldly, ¡°The Second Prince is back. Was your trip to Youzhou difficult?¡± Xiao Shunyang came back to his senses and looked at Bai Xihe. ¡°It¡¯s not bitter to serve the people. I can only miss¡­ my hometown and find it difficult to let go.¡± As Bai Xihe looked at the blue sky, her beautiful side profile was exquisite like jade. ¡°I¡­¡± Xiao Shunyang hesitated and looked at Eunuch Cheng behind him. Eunuch Cheng muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not looking, so I¡¯m not an eyesore.¡± Xiao Shunyang said, ¡°Is the Grand Empress Dowager alright?¡± Bai Xi said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Xiao Shunyang continued, ¡°I heard about Guo Huan. I¡¯ll find the mastermind.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Bai Xihe¡¯s attitude was still a little distant. Xiao Shunyang did not know what to say next. Eunuch Cheng was about to suggest, ¡°Take your leave, Your Highness!¡± Xiao Shunyang did not move for a long time. Bai Xihe flipped through the Book of Poetry in her hand and asked, ¡°Have you returned to the residence?¡± Xiao Shunyang said, ¡°Not yet.¡± Bai Xihe said, ¡°Hurry up and go back. Ning¡¯er must miss you very much.¡± Ninger was Xiao Shunyang¡¯s main consort. Xiao Shunyang lowered his handsome eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°Yes¡­¡± Xiao Shunyang left the palace. Eunuch Cheng returned to Yongshou Palace to report to the Empress Dowager. ¡°He saw the Grand Empress Dowager and spoke a little. The Grand Empress Dowager asked him to quickly return to the prince¡¯s residence to see the second prince¡¯s wife.¡± The Empress Dowager did not say anything and picked up the medicine bowl to drink expressionlessly. Su Xiaoxiao left the palace. Su MO had something on today, so Su Mo¡¯s coachman came to pick her up. Just as she was about to get in, the Guo family¡¯s carriage stopped in front of her. A servant jumped down and bowed respectfully to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Are you Physician Su?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. The servant said politely, ¡°My young master suddenly has unbearable abdominal pain. He hasn¡¯t improved even after hiring an imperial physician. Can Physician Su head to the Prime Minister¡¯s Estate to treat my young master?¡± ¡°Your eldest young master?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Yes,¡± the servant replied. Could it be that Su Li finally had a clue? ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao instructed the coachman and got into the Guo family¡¯s carriage to the Prime Minister¡¯s residence. Su Li had been pretending to be ill in the Prime Minister¡¯s residence for a few days. Without leaving the room, mushrooms were about to grow on his head. ¡°Doctor Su, my young master is inside.¡± The servant¡¯s voice came. Su Li instantly came back to life. He sat up and thought of something before lying down resentfully. ¡°I¡¯ll go in. Wait outside.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao entered the room. The servant secretlv looked in. Su Xiaoxiao pulled open a door with one hand and looked at him calmly. The servant smiled awkwardly in return. Su Xiaoxiao closed the door coldly, and the servant¡¯s smile froze. Su Xiaoxiao came to the bed and whispered, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the news?¡± Su Li pouted gloomily. ¡°What? You asked for news as soon as you arrived, but you don¡¯t care about me! I¡¯m about to die of boredom here! If I had known, I would have gone to the Directorate for class!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Are you sure you can get in?¡± Su Li was speechless. Su Li threw Su Xiaoxiao a note with a dark expression. ¡°It¡¯s a letter from a pigeon. It¡¯s all nonsense. I don¡¯t know what it says. Take a look for yourself!¡± Su Xiaoxiao unfolded the note and looked at it. ¡°Nine o¡¯clock, the gambling den. ¡± Su Li¡¯s sick body trembled! No way.. Did she recognize this? Chapter 492 - Chapter 492: Disguise Chapter 492: Disguise Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not from the White Lotus Society?¡± Su Li was seriously suspicious. Otherwise, why would this girl always go against him! Su Xiaoxiao looked at him strangely and dusted the note in her hand. ¡°Even a pig can tell, right? There are six sides drawn on the paper, and they¡¯re each painted with one, two, three, four, five, six points. Aren¡¯t they dice? The dice correspond to the gambling den.¡± Su Li choked. Why hadn¡¯t he thought of that? ¡°What, what about 9:00 PM?¡± Other than six dice faces, there was nothing else drawn on it! Su Xiaoxiao said matter-of-factly, ¡°The gambling den will open at 9 pm.¡± Su Li was speechless. ¡°Can I go out tonight?¡± Su Li cleverly changed the topic. He was really going crazy in the Guo family. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t answer him directly. Instead, she asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t been exposed recently, right?¡± Su Li said angrily, ¡°You underestimate me too much! How can I be exposed?¡± Prime Minister Guo and Lord Guo were both very busy. Guo Lingxi also had to go to class. Who could guard him by the bed every day? As for Matriarch Guo and Madam Guo, one was old and the other was weak and sickly. They were both staying in their own courtyard. The servants did not dare to question their master. ¡°Then have you discovered anything after being in the Guo family for so many days?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. She really wanted to know if the mole who harmed the Wei family was Guo Huan or the entire Guo family. Su Li choked. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve been lying in bed all day. How can I investigate? However, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t gain anything! I realized something strange.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Su Li said, ¡°Guo Huan¡­ has a delicate relationship with the Guo family.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was interested. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Su Li analyzed, ¡°Look, we have so many brothers in our family and we often quarrel. My mother and grandmother have never had a moment of peace. Guo Huan also has many younger siblings. One is Princess Lingxi, and the other is a younger brother borne by a concubine. The second branch also has a few cousins. But the Guo family is so quiet. It¡¯s like¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said for him, ¡°They don¡¯t seem to have much interaction with each other.¡± Su Li hurriedly said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Other than Princess Lingxi who always comes to me. Guess how many times I¡¯ve seen the Prime Minister since I came to the Guo family?¡± Su Xiaoxiao guessed less. ¡°Three times?¡± Su Li stretched out her finger. ¡°Two times! The first time was when he brought me back from the Dali Temple. The second side was last night. He came over and told me about the marriage with the Zheng family. He said¡­ I have to get married this time! Don¡¯t think about things that don¡¯t belong to you all day!¡± ¡°Something that doesn¡¯t belong to him¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao was deep in thought. Su Li frowned and said, ¡°I feel that Guo Huan and Prime Minister Guo¡¯s relationship is not as good as the rumors say. I always thought that the grandfather and grandson were very close, just like the few of us and my grandfather. Don¡¯t think that my grandfather always beat me up. He actually likes me very much!¡± Yes, he liked him so much that he almost gave him up to Su Cheng for adoption. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him sympathetically. ¡°Anything else?¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t comment. ¡°Did you find any evidence of Guo Huan interacting with the White Lotus Society?¡± Su Li said resentfully, ¡°No, I don¡¯t know where that guy hid his evidence. I searched the room but didn¡¯t find anything. Let¡¯s go out and look. Aren¡¯t we going to ask the White Lotus Society tonight?¡± ¡°I can allow you to go out, but you can find your own reason to do so.¡± As soon as Su Xiaoxiao finished speaking, Su Li suddenly grabbed her arm and shouted, ¡°What did you say? Cousin¡¯s injuries worsened? His life is in danger? He can¡¯t take it anymore? No! I have to see Cousin one last time! No one is allowed to stop me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Prime Minister Guo and Lord Guo were not in the residence at this moment, so no one could control Guo Huan. Guo Huan left the Prime Minister¡¯s Estate openly. Wei Ting was recuperating in the Number One Hall. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Number One Hall. Su Li asked the coachman to wait outside while he went to see his cousin for the last time. As soon as Su Li entered the courtyard, his dejected expression changed. He held his head high like a valiant little figh ting rooster. ¡°I¡¯m finally going to show off! ¡± There was no need to lie on the bed and pretend to be sick! ¡°I¡¯ll go tonight.¡± In the house, Wei Ting said. Su Li looked at him. ¡°What do you mean? Wei Ting looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pretend to be Guo Huan.¡± Su Li said without thinking, ¡°You don¡¯t look like Guo Huan!¡± Guo Huan was not as tall as Wei Ting and was also thinner. However, Su Xiaoxiao sized Wei Ting up seriously. Recently, Wei Ting had been lying in the medical center pretending to be sick. He ate little and moved little. He had really lost some weight. As for his height, he could change his hairstyle and make up for it visually. In addition, the people from the White Lotus Society were not as familiar with Guo Huan as the Guo family. The possibility of them getting away with it was very high. ¡°I¡¯ll go too,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Why don¡¯t I go with Su MO,¡± she added. Wei Ting looked at her helplessly. ¡°Okay.¡± Su Li was eager to try. ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± ¡°You stay!¡± Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao said in unison. Su Li asked, ¡®Why should I stay?¡± After pretending to be a patient in the Guo family, Su Li moved away and continued to act as Wei Ting, the injured person. It could be said that he was in a miserable state. Wei Ting disguised himself as Guo Huan and changed into Guo Huan¡¯s clothes. Su Xiaoxiao disguised herself as Guo Huan¡¯s assistant. As for the real coachman, he had long been pulled to the room by Manager Sun. After drinking two mouthfuls of strong wine, he fell to the ground and could not get up. The note did not say which gambling den it was, but if nothing went wrong, it should be the one Guo Huan had been to. Su Xiaoxiao was fully prepared this time. Not only did she disguise herself as a man, but she also pasted a flirtatious mustache on herself. She guaranteed that no one would recognize her. Wei Ting looked at her mustache with an indescribable expression. When the two of them entered the gambling den, a waiter immediately welcomed them. Su Xiaoxiao recognized him. He was the servant who had plotted with Boss Lin in the room last time. It was noisy all around. The servant¡¯s eyes were vigilant. ¡°Everything in the world.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°All the people are united.¡± The servant led him to the backyard. ¡°We¡¯ll act according to the situation later, ¡± Wei Ting said softly. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. You stay behind me. Don¡¯t speak if anyone asks.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the servant pushed open the door. A smiling young man cupped his hands in response. They clearly knew each other. But how should he address him¡ª ¡°Boss Lin,¡± Su Xiaoxiao whispered. Wei Ting frowned. ¡°How did you know?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Su MO checked.¡± It was definitely not her who had been here! Wei Ting quickly got into character. If the other party¡¯s attitude was humble, his attitude had to be arrogant. He entered the house with a hint of calm and aloofness. The other party seemed to be used to it and followed him in with a smile. ¡°Division Leader Guo, please.¡± He was really the Division Leader¡­ It was not that it was a pity, but if it was really the Sect Master, he would not have been caught so easily. Guo Huan had a high status. Wei Ting sat at the master seat, and Boss Lin sat on the left. Then, Boss Lin looked at Su Xiaoxiao who was standing behind Wei Ting.. Chapter 493 - Chapter 493: The Identity of the Sect Master Chapter 493: The Identity of the Sect Master Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Boss Lin, let¡¯s talk. Why are you staring at my people?¡± This ¡°person¡± was a little intriguing. Boss Lin thought that he was referring to the servants. He smiled and said, ¡°Division Leader Guo used to do it himself. Pardon my impudence. I¡¯ll punish myself with a cup.¡± As he spoke, he picked up the wine glass in front of him and drank it in one gulp. ¡°Has he arrived?¡± Wei Ting asked. Boss Lin smiled and said, ¡°He should be here soon.¡± Wei Ting had made the right bet. The person who asked Guo Huan to come was indeed not Boss Lin. Boss Lin asked in confusion, ¡°Division Leader Guo, your throat¡­¡¯ Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°A cold.¡± Boss Lin smiled. ¡°Ah, I see. You have to take care of yourself.¡± Wei Ting stopped talking. He looked calm on the surface, but his heart was really burning with revenge. He was already extremely sure that his grandfather¡¯s death was related to the White Lotus Society. It was the White Lotus Society who stole his grandfather¡¯s Commander Seal and fabricated the crime of his grandfather colluding with Northern Yan. It was also the White Lotus Society that sowed discord between his grandfather and Qin Canglan. He never forgot his vengeance¡ª As his thoughts surged, a hand gently poked his shoulder and pressed against his back comfortingly. The flames of hatred gradually calmed down, and he regained his composure. At this moment, the waiter who had received them just now brought two more men in. Intuition told Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao that the main character of tonight was here. ¡°Division Leader Chen!¡± Boss Lin quickly gave up his seat to the leader. The other person should be his subordinate. Like Su Xiaoxiao, he stood behind the gray-clothed man in the bamboo hat. The man called Division Leader Chen sat down on the chair. Su Xiaoxiao began to size him up. He was also a Division Leader, but he was clearly older than Guo Huan. He should be in his thirties, close to 40. ¡°Division Leader Guo.¡± He smiled and cupped his hands at Wei Ting. Su Xiaoxiao sensed the other party¡¯s desire to please Guo Huan. Strange, as a Division Leader, could it be that they were also divided into different levels? Wei Ting was used to pretending and took a sip of tea indifferently. ¡°Division Leader Chen, how have you been?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your throat?¡± Division Leader Chen frowned. Boss Lin quickly explained, ¡°Division Leader Guo caught a cold and will recover in a few days.¡± Branch Leader Chen did not guess that it was an imposter for the time being. Firstly, not many people knew how to disguise themselves. Secondly, it was not so easy to impersonate the legitimate son of the Prime Minister. Boss Lin smiled at the two of them and said, ¡°Since the two Division Masters are here, why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to write off the grudge from last time?¡± Did Guo Huan have a grudge with this guy? Wei Ting snorted calmly. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. Why should we write it Division Leader Chen was angered by his arrogant and domineering tone, and his eyes turned cold. Su Xiaoxiao leaned over and gritted her teeth as she poured tea for Wei Ting. ¡°Stop acting.¡± Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Boss Lin hurriedly mediated. ¡°Let¡¯s talk nicely! We¡¯re all on the same side! Why be angry over such a small matter?¡± Division Leader Chen suppressed his anger and said to Wei Ting, ¡°I overstepped my boundaries by privately going to your territory, but you also killed Guardian He. This matter is even. If you¡¯re still unhappy, I¡¯ll give you another compensation.¡± From what he said, Guardian He was his man. The White Lotus Society had a clear division of labor. Every Division Leader had his own sphere of influence, and the others were not allowed to interfere. Guardian He interfered with something and was killed by Guo Huan. That jailer was sent by Guo Huan! What did Guardian He do¡­ While thinking, Su Xiaoxiao heard Division Leader Chen say to someone outside, ¡°Come in!¡± A pink woman with a veil walked in. She came to Wei Ting and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Branch Master.¡± A familiar face appeared in Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting¡¯s eyes. The two of them paused. Division Leader Chen smiled meaningfully. ¡°Are you satisfied, Branch Leader Guo? From now on, she¡¯s your woman. Please accept her.¡± Division Leader Chen actually gave a woman who looked 30% like Princess Hui An to Wei Ting¡­ No, to Guo Huan. Su Xiaoxiao frowned slightly. The woman was very sensible. She walked forward weakly and picked up the teapot on the table to pour tea for Wei Ting, but she accidentally spilled two drops on Wei Ting¡¯s leg. She quickly took a handkerchief and wiped it. Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Get lost!¡± The woman¡¯s hand trembled in fear. Boss Lin was also stunned. Wei Ting looked at Branch Leader Chen coldly. ¡°Chen, are you courting death?¡± Branch Leader Chen finally couldn¡¯t suppress his anger. He sneered and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you use the Sect Master¡¯s Token to kill Guardian He because he touched that woman? Now, you¡¯re pretending to be noble! You can fool others with your thoughts, but you can¡¯t fool me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao understood. The kidnapping of Princess Hui An was Guardian He¡¯s own idea, but that was Guo Huan¡¯s territory. Guardian He had extended his hand too far and even reached out to someone he shouldn¡¯t have. Guo Huan had feelings for Princess Hui An. Guardian He should not have known. Otherwise, no matter how bold he was, he would not have made two irreversible mistakes in a row. Prime Minister Guo knew, which was why he warned Guo Huan not to covet something that did not belong to him. Wei Ting was not flustered at all. A trace of careless laziness flashed across his eyes. ¡°Have you forgotten the rules of the White Lotus Society? You deserve to die for coming to my base to do things! You know very well if it¡¯s Guardian He¡¯s idea or if you¡¯re anxious to make a contribution to the Sect Master.¡± Even Su Xiaoxiao was amazed by Wei Ting¡¯s trickery. As expected, Division Leader Chen dodged a few times. In that case, it was not strange for Wei Ting not to accept this Hui An 0.5¡ªif you dug a hole for me to jump into, could I really jump into it? Boss Lin was in a dilemma. He couldn¡¯t smooth things over or not fight. He was about to die of embarrassment. Division Leader Chen flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± Boss Lin said, ¡°No, we¡¯re here to talk business today¡­¡± Division Leader Chen looked at Wei Ting fiercely. ¡°You know very well how you became the Division Leader!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was about to say, ¡°Yo, yo, fight! Fight!¡± Wei Ting stabilized himself and continued to ask unhurriedly, ¡°At least I did something big for the Sect Master.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Branch Leader Chen laughed mockingly. ¡°Are you referring to stealing the Commander¡¯s Seal of the Lord Wu An?¡± He stood up and walked up to Wei Ting step by step. He bent down and threatened Wei Ting mockingly, ¡°Does the Sect Master know that you killed his¡­ ¡°I say, the two of you!¡± Boss Lin couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He stood up and scolded, ¡°The Imperial Court is busy wiping out the White Lotus Society, but we¡¯re fighting internally here! Do you think the situation isn¡¯t chaotic enough?!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glared at Boss Lin; she was about to hear about Guo Huan killing someone. Division Leader Chen said in a low voice, ¡°I have something on you, so you¡¯d better not be arrogant in front of me. Whether you accept her or not, Guardian He¡¯s matter is over, understand?¡± Wei Ting looked like he was holding onto him and lowered his eyes in silence. Division Leader Chen returned to his chair in satisfaction. Boss Lin heaved a sigh of relief and sat down. ¡°Then let¡¯s discuss what plan to carry out next. Branch Masters, do you have any instructions?¡± Division Leader Chen, who had suppressed Guo Huan, raised his eyebrows proudly. ¡°The Sect Master is on his way back to the capital. Or perhaps, he has already returned to the capital. You also know that the Sect Master¡¯s whereabouts are very secret.¡± The headquarters of the White Lotus Society was in the south. However, he used the words ¡°return to the capital¡±. The Sect Master was from the capital! Chapter 494 - Chapter 494: Acacia chapter 494: acacia translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios boss lin looked at wei ting again. su xiaoxiao¡¯s first reaction was, could it be that the sect master had sent some news to guo huan? without batting an eyelid, she grabbed the dagger in her sleeve. once they exposed themselves, she would take her hostage. wei ting said indifferently, ¡°why are you looking at me? i didn¡¯t call division leader chen over today. division leader chen called me over. division leader chen must have a plan.¡± su xiaoxiao secretly gave her husband a thumbs up. division leader chen wanted to say something but hesitated. he looked at wei ting doubtfully and asked, ¡°i haven¡¯t asked you what happened at the dali temple that day. did you really kill wei ting?¡± wei ting looked impatient. ¡°he¡¯s my cousin on the surface. did i kill him? have i not exposed myself quickly enough? i was drugged¡­ branch leader chen frowned and said, ¡°who drugged you? wei ting? did he suspect you?¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡®with wei ting¡¯s personality, if he really suspected me, do you think he won¡¯t kill me on the spot?¡± branch leader chen thought about the rumors about wei ting and felt that this person was indeed not afraid of trouble. how could he know that wei ting was indeed not afraid of trouble, but wei ting did not act impulsively? the impression the world had of him was only the impression he wanted others to see. division leader chen was puzzled. ¡°who¡¯s plotting behind the scenes?¡± wei ting said, ¡°does anyone in the capital know that i¡¯m from the white lotus society?¡± branch leader chen asked, ¡°do you suspect the brothers of the white lotus society?¡± wei ting smiled faintly. ¡°the brothers of the white lotus society are all loyal and won¡¯t do anything to harm me. even if they have disloyal thoughts, they don¡¯t have the ability to reach out to wei ting. ah, other than you, division leader chen, who is skilled in martial arts.¡¯ these words were too standard. while doubting division leader chen, he did not forget to praise him. division leader chen glared at wei ting. ¡°i didn¡¯t attack you! i don¡¯t like you, but i won¡¯t kill you!¡± if the sect master knew, wouldn¡¯t he skin him alive? the school of white lotus prohibited killing one another. even if guo huan sentenced guardian he to death, he had good reasons to. wei ting said, ¡°i heard that on the day guardian he was captured, the eldest prince revealed the news to wei ting and qin canglan.¡± branch leader chen frowned again. ¡°you suspect the eldest prince?¡± wei ting opened his mouth and said, ¡°wei ting and the third prince are showing signs of cooperation. the eldest prince wants to weaken the third prince¡¯s power, so it¡¯s not strange for him to use me to get rid of wei ting, right? of course, this is only my personal guess. why don¡¯t you contact the eldest prince?¡± branch leader chen pondered and said, ¡°it¡¯s always been guardian he who contacted the eldest prince. after guardian he died, we lost contact with the eldest prince. however, there¡¯s one thing: he doesn¡¯t know about your identity in the white lotus society.¡± wei ting picked up his teacup and took a sip. ¡°oh?¡± he got another important piece of information. division leader chen smiled. ¡°put this matter aside for now. i¡¯ll investigate. i called you over today because the sect master has issued a new mission.¡± ¡°is it for you?¡± wei ting appropriately expressed some jealousy. according to their attitude towards ¡°guo huan¡±, guo huan¡¯s status in the white lotus society was clearly higher than theirs. it was impossible for guo huan not to know that division leader chen had received the mission given by the sect master. the real guo huan might have already received the mission. ¡°hmph!¡± wei ting slammed the teacup on the table. boss lin was terrified. division leader chen enjoyed guo huan¡¯s jealousy. ¡°perhaps it¡¯s because you¡¯re sick and he can¡¯t bear to see you work hard. it¡¯s definitely not that the sect master is disappointed in you because he saw that you were almost exposed.¡± killing intent flashed across wei ting¡¯s eyes. ¡°let¡¯s get down to business! let¡¯s get down to business!¡± boss lin was afraid that the two of them would fight again. division leader chen enjoyed the pleasure of being above guo huan and said unrestrainedly, ¡°the statue of emperor taizu has been destroyed. seven days later, emperor jing xuan will lead the civil and military officials to the dragon temple to pray for the great zhou and worship a new statue of emperor taizu. the order given by the sect master this time is¡­ to assassinate emperor jing xuan!¡± after leaving the gambling den, the two of them got into the carriage. su xiaoxiao really didn¡¯t expect wei ting to get so much information tonight. as expected of the youngest young top scholar of the great zhou. there was no doubt that the wei family¡¯s mole was guo huan. he was the one who stole old general wei¡¯s commander seal. however, based on the conversation between the two of them, he only stole the commander¡¯s seal and really forged a secret letter to contact the enemy. the person who instigated the fallout between the wei and qin families was the sect master of the white lotus society. this did not mean that guo huan was not guilty. old general wei doted on him so much, but in the end, he was stabbed in the back. it was really unforgivable! su xiaoxiao said, ¡°division leader chen just said that guo huan killed someone from the white lotus society. strange, since division leader chen doesn¡¯t like guo huan, why doesn¡¯t he tell the sect master guo huan¡¯s secret?¡± wei ting analyzed, ¡°there are two possibilities: division leader chen wants to use guo huan¡¯s weakness to get guo huan to work for him. secondly, even if the sect master finds out, guo huan won¡¯t die.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°if it¡¯s the latter, guo huan¡¯s relationship with the sect master of the white lotus society is extraordinary.¡± she thought of something and said, ¡°why do you think guo huan joined the white lotus society? he¡¯s the eldest grandson of the prime minister and the heir of the guo family. what benefits will it bring him to join the white lotus society? could it be¡­ for princess hui an?¡± prime minister guo did not agree to guo huan being the prince consort. this was because once he became the emperor¡¯s son-in-law, it meant that he could only be a rich and idle person for the rest of his life and could not step into the royal court. this was not what prime minister guo was willing to see. guo huan might not want to be a prince consort without any real power. guo huan wanted power and the princess, so he joined the white lotus society. of course, this was only her guess. only guo huan knew what he was thinking. ¡°what are you thinking about?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°the assassination in seven days,¡± wei ting said thoughtfully. ¡°what grudge does the white lotus society have against the imperial court? what grudge does it have with the royal family? must they kill the emperor?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°perhaps their sect master wants to be the emperor himself.¡± this guess was very bold. wei ting fell into deep thought. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°by the way, did boss lin give you something before you got into the carriage? did he say that it was for you? is this it?¡± with that, she picked up a small box on the table and slowly opened it. ¡°oh, it smells so good.¡± wei ting also smelled this fragrance. he frowned and wanted to stop her, but it was too late. su xiaoxiao had already taken a deep breath of the box. wei ting hurriedly took the box and closed it! su xiaoxiao looked at wei ting. ¡°what?¡± ¡°no¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± wei ting hesitated. ¡°huh?¡± su xiaoxiao looked at him blankly. wei ting closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°it¡¯s an acacia incense¡­ to liven things up. you only took a breath. you should be fine.¡± after a pause, he stood up. ¡°i¡¯ll go out and sit. stay here for a while.¡± su xiaoxiao tugged at his sleeve and looked at him with a faint smile.. ¡°didn¡¯t you say that i would be fine after taking a puff? then why are you hiding?¡± Chapter 495 - Chapter 495: Couple chapter 495: couple translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°stop fooling around,¡± wei ting whispered. his expression was still the same as usual, but there was a hint of helplessness in his tone. su xiaoxiao said righteously, ¡°i¡¯m not fooling around. you¡¯re the one fooling around. don¡¯t forget whose face you¡¯re wearing. instead of obediently sitting in the carriage, you want to go out and be caught?¡± wei ting subconsciously wiped his face. su xiaoxiao slowly smiled. ¡°yes, you can take off your mask, but your face doesn¡¯t seem to be much safer, right?¡± wei ting had been ¡°seriously injured¡± by guo huan and had been lying in number one hall for so many days. he was still in danger. if he really dared to appear on the road openly, his persona would collapse. wei ting resigned himself to fate and sat back. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t let go of his sleeve. she asked softly, ¡°why do you think boss lin sent this medicine to guo huan? guo huan looks like a gentleman, but he¡¯s also so playful in private.¡± wei ting said nothing. su xiaoxiao looked at him curiously. ¡°how did you know that this is a spice to liven things up? have you used it before?¡± wei ting hesitated. ¡°ah, i remember. you¡¯ve been to a brothel before. you used these bewitching incense a lot, right?¡± as su xiaoxiao spoke, she glanced at him and raised her eyebrows. ¡°it looks quite scary¡­ is it good-looking but useless? which man could withstand this provocation? wei ting clenched his fists and looked at her coldly. his eyes were cold. ¡°do you want to try?¡± su xiaoxiao was not embarrassed at all. she looked around and asked, ¡°in the carriage?¡± the coachman outside trembled and couldn¡¯t drive the carriage straight, almost hitting the wall! wei ting glanced at the coachman through the curtain and frowned, looking at su xiaoxiao coldly. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t seem to feel that she had said anything fierce. she leaned against the pillow leisurely and patted her side lazily. it was as if she was saying, ¡°husband, come over.¡± wei ting was speechless. knowing that she was deliberately teasing him, wei ting was furious. did she know that he was a normal man? if she continued to flirt like this, he could not guarantee¡­ ¡°huh?¡± su xiaoxiao tilted her head and looked at him with a smile as if asking, ¡°didn¡¯t you want to try? why aren¡¯t you moving again?¡±x after taking a few deep breaths, wei ting suddenly pounced on her, grabbed one of her wrists, and pressed her against the pillow. he stared at her with his deep eyes. his thin lips parted slightly and his voice was cold. ¡°block your ears!¡± these words were clearly not directed at su xiaoxiao. the coachman outside hurriedly dug out two lumps of cotton wool from the cushion and stuffed them into his ears. su xiaoxiao looked at his handsome face that was inches away and smiled. ¡°lord wei, you¡¯re hurting me.¡± the coachman trembled again, and the carriage almost rushed into the river! it seemed that there was not enough cotton. he picked two balls of cotton again. wei ting¡¯s eyes reflected her beautiful face and the constantly burning candlelight. ¡°if you spout nonsense again, i won¡¯t be polite!¡± su xiaoxiao opened her mouth. wei ting grabbed her wrist and said coldly, ¡°it¡¯s not as you think. i¡¯ll tap your mute acupoint and tie you up!¡± su xiaoxiao was instantly speechless. wei ting heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that her intensity had finally subsided. however, before he could finish heaving a sigh of relief, she suddenly sat up straight and leaned into his arms, pressing her forehead against his hot chest. his breath caught. su xiaoxiao asked with a hint of grievance, ¡°do you hate me that much?¡± this sudden change caught wei ting off guard. wei ting paused. ¡°isn¡¯t it just that i¡¯m fat? isn¡¯t it just that i eat too much? isn¡¯t it just that i have a bad temper?¡± the more she spoke, the more aggrieved she became. even her voice lowered. perhaps it was an illusion, but wei ting seemed to have heard a choking sound. his heart suddenly clenched. his eyelashes trembled slightly, and his grip on her wrist tightened. ¡°i don¡¯t hate you.¡± ¡°then you think i¡¯m fat?¡± ¡°you think i eat too much.¡± ¡°no, either.¡± ¡°you think i¡¯m hot-tempered.¡± he did think she was a little hot-tempered. strictly speaking, it was not that she was hot- tempered, but that she was a bit hard to deal with. wei ting¡¯s chest heaved violently. ¡°sit down first.¡± ¡°yes su xiaoxiao pressed her forehead against his chest and shook her head. wei ting grabbed her wrist with one hand and froze in midair with the other. he hesitated for a moment, then slowly landed and gently wrapped his arms around her. his hand was especially honest and did not touch her waist. the corners of su xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. it was really difficult to fall in love with ancient people. she had to be scheming. the key was that she might not succeed every time. thinking of this, su xiaoxiao was a little angry. anyway, she had been ¡°bewitched¡± by the acacia fragrance today. she had an excuse. su xiaoxiao reached out and grabbed his arm, wrapping it around her chubby waist! after entering early summer, there were much fewer clothes. wei ting could clearly feel her soft waist. his arm was hot, and her waist was slightly cold. he subconsciously tightened his grip, his throat hoarse and dry. when he realized that his actions had exceeded the rules, he hurriedly retracted his arm, but he realized that something was wrong with the person in his arms. ¡°su daya.¡± he called her softly. no reaction. he called out twice more, and his breathing was a little hurried in response. he frowned coldly and helped su xiaoxiao up. su xiaoxiao¡¯s face was flushed. this body seemed unable to withstand the acacia fragrance and rendered her in this state in a bite. she sat upright and said calmly, ¡°go out for a while.¡± although she was teasing him, how could she really give herself up in the carriage? if that commotion spread all the way, she would die the next day! wei ting looked at her with a complicated expression. ¡°okay.¡± he got up to leave. she grabbed him and yanked him back onto the bench. he lost his balance and fell onto the welcoming pillow. this time, it was su xiaoxiao¡¯s turn to attack. she had a red face and her throat moved. she said, ¡°i¡¯ll just kiss you. there¡¯s no reason to kiss you next time.¡± wei ting¡¯s eyes moved. su xiaoxiao closed her eyes slightly and looked for his lips. she was not very greedy. however, the last time they had kissed in vain. she wanted to know what a man¡¯s lips tasted like. it was very soft with a hint of heat and a hormonal aura that made one¡¯s heart beat faster. she took a sip and did not go deep. after pressing down, she sat up straight with her strong willpower. ¡°okay, you can go out¡ª¡± before she could finish, wei ting grabbed her arm and gently pulled her into his arms. a broad palm grabbed the back of her head. her eyes widened. he pinned her down domineeringly.. Chapter 496 - Chapter 496: Smug chapter 496: smug translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the night was hazy, and the water flowed. the shy crescent moon hid in the clouds. the carriage stopped at pear blossom lane. the two of them alighted from the carriage one after another with very calm expressions. the coachman glanced at the couple¡¯s messy hair and wrinkled clothes and silently drove the carriage away. the two of them entered the courtyard. su xiaoxiao looked at a certain someone¡¯s back as he walked past and stuck back her mustache resentfully. look at how he kissed her. her mustache was coming off. who was the person who was afflicted by the acacia fragrance? su xiaoxiao followed and glanced at someone. she raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°is this your first time?¡± ¡°what?¡± wei ting did not react for a moment. su xiaoxiao placed her hands behind her back and said seriously, ¡°the technique needs to be improved!¡± with that, under wei ting¡¯s suddenly dangerous gaze, she rushed in, closed the door, and inserted the bolt! wei ting¡¯s eyes were sharp. su xiaoxiao leaned against the door and touched her swollen lips. thinking of his domineering and stubborn attack, her heart raced. ¡°is this what it feels like to be with a man¡­ ¡°not bad.. she licked the corner of her lips reluctantly and threw herself under the blanket. she hugged the blanket and rolled over. in the next room, wei ting sat down by the window with a cold expression. his heart was a little hot. he pushed open the window and cold moonlight flowed in. he poured himself a glass of cold water and was about to drink it when an indescribable scene flashed across the surface of the glass. he sneered and quickly put down the glass. an hour later, su xiaoxiao hugged her pillow and fell asleep in satisfaction. wei ting was in trouble. he tossed and turned and closed his eyes. images that he shouldn¡¯t have appeared in his mind uncontrollably. he ran out to take three cold baths. sihu and the mystic wind parrot were woken up by him. they looked at the male owner of the house in confusion. did he fall into a feces pit to have taken so many showers in the middle of the night? in the small courtyard of the number one hall, su li lay on the hospital bed and counted the stars. ¡°i say¡­ have the two of you forgotten something?¡± at dawn, su xiaoxiao got out of bed in a good mood. after washing up, she went to feed sihu first. sihu didn¡¯t drink milk anymore and could just eat grass, but su xiaoxiao felt that it was easier to feed him when it drank milk. after feeding the sihu, she went to feed the parrot. ¡°strange, didn¡¯t the two of you sleep well? both of you are listless.¡± sihu almost fell asleep from eating grass, let alone the mystic wind parrot. it dozed off until it fell off the shelf. creak¡ª wei ting¡¯s door opened and he walked out calmly. su xiaoxiao smiled and greeted him. ¡°morning.¡± wei ting walked over expressionlessly. su xiaoxiao was speechless. su xiaoxiao fed the black parrot a mouthful of bird food and curled her lips. ¡°why are you pretending to be aloof? you took three cold baths last night. who didn¡¯t hear you? you clearly took a bath for the entire night¡­¡¯ wei ting staggered¡ª during breakfast, wei ting finally remembered su li. he put on his bamboo hat and went to the medical center. when su li saw him, he was furious. ¡°you still know to come back!¡± wei ting handed him a bag without changing his expression. ¡°i¡¯ll give you the clothes.¡± ¡°hmph ! ¡± su li glared at wei ting angrily and snatched the bag away. after changing dack inco olio huan?s clocnes, ne woke up cne arunk coacnman ana returnea to the residence. in the marquis of zhenbei¡¯s estate, if he dared not to return all night, from his grandfather to his grandmother, to his parents and brothers, they would have to pull him over and teach him a lesson. therefore, he learned to hide for as long as he could if he stayed out late . however, what was going on with the guo family? surprisingly, no one came to ask him where he had been last night. ¡°this family is really cold.¡± wei ting asked little weizi to go to the jing family and gave jing yi a bottle of medicine. su xiaoxiao had treated jing yi¡¯s injuries before, so no one suspected anything. jing yi opened the medicine bottle. there was a note inside. in the afternoon, xiao zhonghua came to the medical center with the excuse that dali temple was investigating a case. the case of wei ting¡¯s assassination caused an uproar. the officials of the dali temple came to collect evidence once every few days, and the commoners were already used to it. jing yi was guarding the door. xiao zhonghua looked at wei ting, who was pretending to be sick at the head of the bed. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± he asked. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± wei ting asked. ¡°you¡­¡± xiao zhonghua sized wei ting up suspiciously. he was still the same person, but he felt that something was different. the smugness between his eyebrows was a little conspicuous. ¡°why are you looking for me?¡± he asked about serious business. wei ting said calmly, ¡°seven days later, the white lotus society will assassinate his majesty.¡± xiao zhonghua¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°seven days later is the day father goes to the dragon temple to pray. is the white lotus society planning to attack on the way? wei ting said, ¡°maybe on the way or near the temple.¡± division leader chen did not tell him how it would be done. he only instructed guo huan to cooperate with him from the inside. he would naturally know how to do it on that day. this was not because division leader chen was guarding against guo huan. he was purely putting on airs in front of boss lin and guo huan. xiao zhonghua understood what happened at the gambling den last night and said thoughtfully, ¡°in that case, division leader chen is the main force to assassinate my father?¡± wei ting paused and said, ¡°it¡¯s also possible that guo huan has other missions. division leader chen doesn¡¯t know about this and thinks that he¡¯s the only executor.¡± from guo huan¡¯s status in the white lotus society, there was no reason for the sect master of the white lotus society to trust division leader chen more than guo huan. xiao zhonghua asked, ¡°did you get any information from guo huan through the interrogation?¡± wei ting said, ¡°no.¡± guo huan was very cunning. after knowing that he had been captured, he actually committed suicide by hitting a pillar when no one was paying attention. he had been saved, but he had been unconscious. in the carriage back to the dali temple, jing yi asked xiao zhonghua, ¡°cousin, what do you plan to do about the assassination? do you want to tell his majesty?¡± a complicated look flashed across xiao zhonghua¡¯s eyes. ¡°tell father to cancel the blessing? in that case, the white lotus society will definitely suspect that guo huan leaked the news. after working hard for so long to infiltrate the white lotus society, guo huan can¡¯t be crippled for the time being.¡± jingyi said coldly, ¡°he must think so too, so he didn¡¯t tell father. if anything happens in the future, you¡¯ll be the one to bear the blame! what a cunning guy!¡¯ xiao zhonghua smiled. ¡°jing yi, you care a lot about him. is it because i said that he¡¯s very powerful?¡± jing yi hugged the sword in his arms, his childish face cold. ¡°one day, i will defeat him!¡± the blessing this time was huge. not only was emperor jing xuan going, but the grand empress dowager, the empress dowager, and the empress would also go. in the past, the empress dowager would refuse to go with the excuse that she was not feeling well. this time, she did not. the princes, concubines, princesses, and trusted ministers went with them. as the empress dowager¡¯s doctor, su xiaoxiao naturally had to accompany her the entire time. su cheng was now the duke protector and was also among the group.. Chapter 497 - Chapter 497: Going to Dragon Temple chapter 497: going to dragon temple translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as an important figure in this plan, guo huan had to show his face. this time, it was finally not wei ting who was pretending to be guo huan. su li happily welcomed his first open trip. ¡°brother! ¡± guo lingxi walked over excitedly and held su li¡¯s arm affectionately. su li immediately put on a pained expression. ¡°what are you doing?¡± guo lingxi said, ¡°go to the dragon temple to pray!¡± guo lingxi was the princess of the dynasty, so she naturally went. ¡°are you planning to¡­ always¡­ hold my arm?¡± su li asked in extreme pain. ¡°can¡¯t i?¡± guo lingxi asked. su li used his grandmother¡¯s kind tone. ¡°you¡¯re not young anymore¡­ men and women don¡¯t sit at the same table when they¡¯re seven years old. as a girl, you have to know your limits.¡± guo lingxi was speechless. the blessing lasted for a total of two days, which happened to be the school holidays. su xiaoxiao sent su ergou and the three little ones to the marquis of zhenbei. this made matriarch su and madam tao extremely happy. the few young brats at home had grown up. they became officials or went to school. no one knew where the only fifth son went. the residence was cold and cheerless. the two of them were about to suffocate to death. su ergou politely called them¡­ grandmother and auntie. matriarch su asked him to call her grandmother and not let him use any words that might seem like an outsider. the three little ones also called her great-grandma and eldest-grandma obediently. madam tao was overjoyed. she was clearly a grandmother, but they still called her aunt. how embarrassing! ¡°you guys!¡± she pinched their little faces. the three little ones did not forget to bring their two brothers. xiaohu introduced seriously, ¡°sihu, wuhu.¡± madam tao was stunned. ¡°wuhu (perished)?¡± dahu said, ¡°it¡¯s wuhu (fifth tiger)!¡± madam tao wondered,¡± isn¡¯t this still wuhu(perished)? why did you give this name to the parrot? xiaohu opened the birdcage. ¡°wuhu, come out and play.¡± matriarch su and madam tao were shocked. aiya, the bird was going to fly! however, not only did the mystic wind parrot not fly, but it also resisted coming out. xiaohu took out wuhu. the black parrot rolled its eyes. in the past, countless opportunities to escape were placed in front of it. however, it could not move its claws away for a bag of bird food. it had to fly away today! it had to dash toward the freedom he had yearned for for for a long time! ¡°wuhu, let¡¯s eat.¡± xiaohu took out the bird food su xiaoxiao had brought from the pharmacy. the mystic wind parrot decided,¡±l can dash to freedom next time.¡± the blessing ceremony began on the ninth day of the new year, even earlier than the court. in order to ensure that every step did not delay the auspicious time, the royal family and ministers had to stay at the national protector dragon temple the night before. the mighty prayer team set off from the palace entrance. the royal family was in front, and the officials were behind. the imperial guards and the qin family¡¯s iron cavalry escorted them the entire time. qin canglan brought su cheng along. this was the first time su cheng had officially appeared in front of others as the duke protector and the heir of the qin family¡¯s army. he was wearing silver armor and a silver helmet, riding on a warhorse that was also covered in armor. he was no longer bully su of apricot flower village, but the majestic young master of the qin family. qin canglan looked at his valiant son and touched his right wrist in relief. ever since he took the medicine his granddaughter gave him, his wrist had improved a lot. the gout rarely acted up, and his strength had recovered a little. the grand astronomer said that the star had fallen to scare him. in his opinion, he could live for another ten years! emperor jing xuan sat in a carriage while the princes rode horses. the eldest prince, xiao duye, who had been grounded for many days, was also released. he and xiao zhonghua rode in front of emperor jing xuan¡¯s horse. the second prince, xiao shunyang, did not follow the two of them. he took a few steps back in a low profile manner and rode unhurriedly beside the grand empress dowager¡¯s carriage. bai xihe sat in the car in boredom. the weather was a little bad, and it was stuffy sitting in the carriage. bai xihe pushed open the window on the left and saw xiao shunyang on his horse. ¡°no.¡± bai xihe closed the window. after a moment, she pushed open the window on the right. when she saw su cheng riding on the warhorse, her eyelids twitched and she closed the window! su cheng was puzzled. eh? what happened just now? ¡°grand empress dowager?¡± little yunzi looked at her in confusion. ¡°it¡¯s fine,¡± bai xihe said calmly. behind bai xihe¡¯s carriage were the carriages of the empress dowager, the empress, and the two princesses. the empress dowager also felt very stuffy and hot. she asked eunuch cheng to push open the windows on both sides before a cold wind finally blew. she sighed. ¡°it¡¯s only may, but the weather is already so hot.¡± ¡°it¡¯s hot in the carriage,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°it¡¯ll be cooler on the mountain.¡± also, the empress dowager was actually wearing too much. the clothes of the ancients were layered on the inside and outside. it would be strange if they were not hot. ¡°open the window wider.¡± the empress dowager was about to faint from the heat. ¡°yes.¡± eunuch cheng opened the window to the maximum and took a fan to fan the empress dowager and su xiaoxiao. princess jingning and princess hui an sat in a carriage. the two of them were no longer hot. princess hui an crossed her arms. her eyes were sharp and cold. ¡°why are you squeezing into a carriage with me?¡± she asked angrily. princess jing ning said calmly, ¡°do you think i want to come?¡± in the past, princess jingning rode with the empress, and princess hui an rode in the empress dowager¡¯s carriage. this year, there was a female physcian accompanying the empress dowager in the carriage. princess hui an could only be alone in the carriage. in order to not let her be alone, the empress asked princess jingning to accompany her. her mother simply wanted peace! a trace of resentment flashed across princess jingning¡¯s eyes. in the afternoon, the convoy arrived at the foot of the dragon temple. the dragon temple was only so big. other than the royal family and some guards who could live in it, the others rested in a nearby villa. su xiaoxiao and the empress dowager got out of the carriage. only then did she realize that jing yi had been silently escorting the back of the carriage. ¡°jing yi? it¡¯s been a long time.¡± she walked over and greeted him. ¡°have you recovered from your injuries?¡± jing yi got off the horse. ¡°i¡¯ve recovered.¡± su xiaoxiao looked around and whispered, ¡°did anything happen along the way? jing yi shook his head. ¡°no.¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°the white lotus society let us come over safely?¡± jing yi thought for a moment and said, ¡°when we first set off, the soldiers will not have exhausted their energy and their combat strength is high. typically, assassins would not choose this time. the journey back is the most dangerous. at that time, everyone¡¯s mental strength would be already a little weak, so it is easy to make mistakes.¡± su xiaoxiao felt gratified that her family had grown up. ¡°you¡¯ve grown up. you even know this.¡± jing yi frowned and said, ¡°i¡¯m not a child!¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. only children said that they were not children. jing yi¡¯s analysis made sense. it was indeed the most dangerous to go back. therefore, on the way back, he would put in 120% effort and doubled his vigilance. however, if they predicted the white lotus society¡¯s actions, would the white lotus society predict their judgment? the white lotus society might not wait until the blessing was over. in these two days, the white lotus society could attack at any time. ¡°physician su, it¡¯s time to go up the mountain,¡± eunuch cheng said. ¡°okay.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded and said to jing yi, ¡°i¡¯ll go first.¡± not far away, guo lingxi lifted the curtain and glared at su xiaoxiao coldly. ¡°so what if you go up the mountain? i can go up too!¡± guo lingxi went to look for bai xihe. bai xihe was bored for the entire journey in the carriage. her entire body was hot to the point of heatstroke. the moment she came out, she missed a step. xiao shunyang¡¯s expression changed as he pounced over to save her. bai xihe instinctively grabbed to the side. su cheng, who had just dismounted, wondered, ¡°eh? who pulled my belt?¡± Chapter 498 - Chapter 498: Team Doting on Xiaoxiao chapter 498: team doting on xiaoxiao translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bai xihe came from su cheng¡¯s side. xiao shunyang was an entire carriage away. when he jumped over, su cheng had already picked bai xihe up. it was like he was carrying a pitiful child. su cheng leaned over and sized her up. ¡°why do i feel that¡­ you look a little familiar? have we met before?¡± ¡°how dare you! this is the grand empress dowager!¡± xiao shunyang shouted. ¡°ah.¡± su cheng let go in a second. bai xihe fell to the ground. xiao shunyang was speechless. ¡°grand empress dowager!¡± it was little yunzi¡¯s voice. little yunzi and the palace servants surrounded him. su cheng was pushed out of the crowd. he scratched his head and turned to look at bai xihe. unfortunately, bai xihe had already turned around. he only saw the back of her head. emperor jing xuan and the others were preparing to go up the mountain. the temple was at the top of the mountain. although there were stone steps, it was still rugged and difficult to walk. it was fine with emperor jing xuan and the others. the empress dowager was already old and her phoenix body was inconsistent. as usual, emperor jing xuan got someone to move a sedan chair over. unexpectedly, the empress dowager rejected him. ¡°i can walk!¡± the guards carrying the palanquin looked at each other. emperor jing xuan advised, ¡°mother, you¡¯ve just recovered from a serious illness. it¡¯s better to be careful.¡± in the end, the empress dowager did not sit in the sedan chair. with eunuch cheng¡¯s help, she walked up the stairs step by step piously. in the past, she had nothing to ask for. she did not care if bodhisattva blamed her for neglecting him. now that she was sincerely praying to bodhisattva to protect her three great-grandsons, she would not hesitate to break these old legs! when they reached the top of the mountain, the empress dowager was about to collapse. she drank two glasses of water and ate a few honey black sesame pills steamed by su xiaoxiao. only then did she recover a trace of strength. guo lingxi followed bai xihe up the mountain, while ¡°guo huan¡± stayed at the foot of the mountain. the abbot of the temple went out to welcome emperor jing xuan and the others and arranged a residence for them. the empress dowager, the grand empress dowager, and guo lingxi, the second prince, his wife, and the two princesses were in the same courtyard. the eldest princess consort did not come, and the eldest prince and the other princes lived in the same courtyard. su xiaoxiao lived in the meditation room next to the empress dowager. she had just opened the door when she bumped into guo lingxi, who was passing by. guo lingxi gave su xiaoxiao a disdainful look and left without looking back! su xiaoxiao went to the ancient well in the courtyard to get a bucket of water. just as she was about to take a bath, there was a knock on the door. ¡°physician su, it¡¯s me, little yunzi.¡± su xiaoxiao put down the towel and tied the ribbon. she walked forward and opened the door for him. ¡°what¡¯s the matter, eunuch yun?¡± little yunzi was a young eunuch. he smiled and said, ¡°physician su, just call me little yunzi. it¡¯s like this. the grand empress dowager was bored out of her mind in the carriage and is a little uncomfortable. she wants to invite physician su to take a look.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°alright, go first. i¡¯ll come later.¡± ¡°hey, thank you, doctor su!¡± when su xiaoxiao appeared in bai xihe¡¯s room with the first aid kit, guo lingxi¡¯s face darkened. ¡®what are you doing here? this is the grand empress dowager¡¯s meditation room. who allowed you to come in?¡± su xiaoxiao ignored her and went to the bed. little yunzi immediately brought over a small stool. ¡°physcian su, please sit.¡± guo lingxi was stunned for a moment before realizing that su xiaoxiao had been invited over. she said unhappily, ¡°i asked you to invite an imperial physician. why did you invite a¡­ medical woman?!¡± she emphasized the word ¡°medical woman¡± because the status of the medical woman in the great zhou was very low. ¡°lingxi,¡± bai xihe said calmly. ¡°go out first.¡± guo lingxi was stunned again. ¡°auntie!¡± bai xihe closed her eyes and stopped talking. guo lingxi bit her lip and left unwillingly. su xiaoxiao took bai xihe¡¯s pulse. ¡°the grand empress dowager has suffered from heatstroke. open the window in time to ventilate and let her drink more water. she¡¯ll be fine after resting for a night.¡± ¡°i have a terrible headache,¡± bai xihe said weakly. su xiaoxiao looked at the pale bai xihe and took out a box of huoxiang morality water and a painkiller from the medicine box. ¡°if you¡¯re still not feeling well at night, call me over.¡± with that, she carried the small first aid kit out. a maidservant carried a basket of fresh melons and fruits over. ¡°grand empress dowager, his second highness personally went to the back mountain to pick fruits and asked me to send some over to you.¡± bai xihe asked calmly, ¡°do the empress dowager and the emperor have them?¡± the little maidservant smiled and said, ¡°yes! the two princesses have them too!¡± bai xihe let little yunzi accept it. she paused for a moment and said, ¡°send them to physician su.¡± ¡°all of them?¡± little yunzi asked. bai xihe asked him to bring the basket over and picked a few. ¡°take these to lingxi¡¯s room and send the basket to doctor su.¡± xiao yunzi looked at the small fruits on the table and then at the big fruits in the basket. he wondered if there was a mistake. shouldn¡¯t the big fruits for princess lingxi? ¡°what are you waiting for?¡± bai xihe asked. ¡°ah, yes, i¡¯ll send it over.¡± little yunzi silently took a piece of cloth and covered the basket. otherwise, what would happen if princess lingxi saw it? when little yunzi arrived at the door of su xiaoxiao¡¯s meditation room, he bumped into eunuch cheng, taozhi, and little shunzi. the three of them were the trusted aides of the empress dowager, princess jingning, and princess hui an. the four of them looked at the fruit basket in each other¡¯s hands in tacit understanding; their minds were in a mess¡­ at the foot of the mountain, in a quiet house, qin canglan was playing chess with sikong yun of the imperial astronomers. sikong yun was about the same age as the empress. he was a man who looked a little rigid, but there was no lack of sage-like people. sikong yun placed a white piece down. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to accompany your son?¡± qin canglan threw down a black piece. ¡°cheng¡¯er is going up the mountain to guard the night tonight.¡± sikong yun said calmly, ¡°i knew it. why else would the old duke protector be so free to accompany me?¡± qin canglan was a rough man. he had learned chess from su huayin. as for who su huayin had learned it from, he did not know. however, sikong yun was cunning. qin canglan had been playing for so many years, but he had never won against him. qin canglan said, ¡°the white lotus society has been a little rampant recently. have you divined it? when can the imperial court destroy the white lotus society?¡± sikong yun said, ¡°the heavenly secrets can¡¯t be revealed.¡± qin canglan glanced at him from the corner of his eye and said mockingly, ¡°you just can¡¯t predict it! in that case, what do you mean by your prediction that a general will definitely die when his star dims? aren¡¯t i living well? look! my hand is fine!¡± as he spoke, he stretched out his right hand, rolled up his sleeve, and moved his wrist. ¡°my granddaughter treated me! i¡¯m no longer suffering from gout! my strength has also recovered! i can still go to the battlefield to kill for eight to ten years!¡± ¡°you lost.¡± sikong yun looked at the chessboard and was about to place the last piece. qin canglan stopped him. ¡°hey! wait, wait, wait! that doesn¡¯t count!¡± sikong yun said, ¡°no regrets.¡± qin canglan said, ¡°but you haven¡¯t placed yours?¡± sikong yun was dumbfounded. qin canglan picked up his last piece. ¡°i understand. let¡¯s play here!¡± he raised his chess piece and placed it. the chess piece fell onto the chessboard. he couldn¡¯t move. sikong yun frowned at him.. ¡°old protector duke? general qin?¡± Chapter 499 - Chapter 499: Sibling Operation chapter 499: sibling operation translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios qin canglan clenched his fists. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± sikong yun asked worriedly. ¡°i seemed to have suddenly lost consciousness just now¡­¡± qin canglan frowned and waved his hand indifferently. ¡°it should be a gout attack. it has happened a few times before, and every time, my wrist hurts. this time, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. looks like it has improved greatly.¡± sikong yun glanced at him, the worry in his eyes not dissipating. in the evening, su li lay on the hard bed after eating a tasteless vegetarian meal. sigh, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to leave the guo family. he thought he was so carefree, but he ended up being locked up in this deserted villa. knock, knock, knock. there was a knock on the door. ¡°who is it?¡± su li asked angrily. there was no answer outside the room. su li frowned strangely and got out of bed. he walked over and opened the door to take a look. there was no one around, but there was a red wild fruit on the ground at the door. he picked up the wild fruit and broke it open. the core was gone, replaced by a folded note. he looked around to make sure no one had noticed and quickly brought the note in. ¡°from the white lotus society? how exciting!¡± when night fell, su li changed into his night clothes and quietly left the villa. qin canglan, who had returned to his room, glanced above his head. there was the sound of tiles being stepped on. he snorted coldly. ¡°young brat, don¡¯t you know how to be gentle!¡± the temple¡¯s defenses were very tight. jing yi hugged his sword and sat on a high branch at the door. the black shadow brazenly flashed past him. he did not move at all, as if he did not notice it. su li used his qinggong to enter the temple. he avoided the patrolling guards and sneaked into the courtyard where the empress dowager and the grand empress dowager were temporarily staying. xiao duye, xiao zhonghua, and xiao shunyang came up from the foot of the mountain. xiao duye stopped in his tracks and looked back at the courtyard. ¡°a figure flashed past just now. did you see it?¡± xiao zhonghua said without changing his expression, ¡°brother, i¡¯m afraid you saw wrongly, right? where¡¯s the figure?¡± ¡°really!¡± xiao duye said seriously, ¡°it went over with a whoosh! second brother, what do you think?¡± he looked at xiao shunyang on the other side. xiao shunyang was staring at a meditation room. ¡°second brother, second brother!¡± xiao duye shook his shoulder. xiao shunyang retracted his gaze and was stunned. ¡°what¡¯s wrong, brother?¡± xiao duye frowned and said, ¡°i asked you if you saw a black shadow just now. what are you thinking about?¡± xiao zhonghua said unhurriedly, ¡°isn¡¯t that obvious? second brother must be worried about imperial grandmother. imperial grandmother has just recovered from a serious illness and climbed up the mountain today. when we went to pay our respects just now, her expression wasn¡¯t good, right, second brother?¡± xiao shunyang said, ¡°yes.¡± ¡°i¡¯d better go take a look. what if¡­¡± xiao duye had been neglected for a long time and was anxious to make a contribution. xiao zhonghua said, ¡°big brother, jing yi is guarding the door. he won¡¯t let anyone suspicious in. moreover, grandmother and the grand empress dowager have already rested. if you rashly go in and disturb them, i¡¯m afraid that father will blame you and you will be grounded again.¡± these words successfully hit xiao duye¡¯s sore spot. xiao duye¡¯s face turned green and red as he left gloomily. xiao zhonghua looked at xiao shunyang and said, ¡°second brother, let¡¯s go back too.¡± xiao shunyang smiled. ¡°second brother hasn¡¯t caught up with you in a long time. let¡¯s go to your place.¡± ¡°second highness, third highness!¡± a young eunuch hurriedly walked over and bowed respectfully. ¡°the second prince¡¯s wife is not feeling well.¡± xiao zhonghua said considerately, ¡°second brother, go accompany second sister-in-law first. we¡¯ll catch up another day.¡± su xiaoxiao was already lying down. su li pried off her door latch and entered. a stick flew over, and su li¡¯s body trembled. he took a side step to avoid it and raised his hand to grab the stick. ¡°are you trying to kill me?¡± he scolded softly and closed the door. ¡°it¡¯s me!¡± ¡°i know it¡¯s you.¡± su xiaoxiao sat up cross-legged. su li¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°then why did you¡ª¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i wanted to test your skills.¡± su li rolled his eyes. ¡°have you got nothing else better to do?¡± he glanced at su xiaoxiao from the corner of his eye. seeing that she was neatly dressed, he walked over with relief and handed the note in his hand to her. ¡°here.¡± ¡°any news?¡± ¡°i just received it. someone knocked on the door. i went to open it, but he was gone. there was a fruit on the ground with a note in it.¡± as he spoke, he sat down on a stool by the table. looking at the four baskets of fresh fruits on the table, his eyes widened. ¡°no way, where did you get so many fruits?¡± the villa also distributed some fruits. unfortunately, they were green and small. there were not many. he tasted one. ¡°it¡¯s so sweet!¡± it was too satisfying to live on the mountain. there was actually such sweet fruit to eat! he ate. su xiaoxiao unfolded the note. this time, the white lotus society did not use a secret code and wrote the time and place. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°did you say that someone knocked on your door?¡± ¡°yes,¡± su li said. su xiaoxiao pondered and said, ¡°it seems that other than guo huan, there are other white lotus believers in the team this time.¡± su li paused in his eating. ¡°no way?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°if it was an outsider who infiltrated, qin canglan would have discovered it long ago.¡± su li hummed. ¡°you seem to have a point.¡± his granduncle was very powerful. no assassin could be arrogant under his granduncle¡¯s nose. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°let¡¯s go take a look at the agreed place.¡± su li was puzzled. ¡°isn¡¯t it midnight? it¡¯s still early!¡± su xiaoxiao took out a set of night clothes from her bag. ¡°we can only wait for him if we go early. what if he leaves you another note?¡± su li frowned. ¡°is he crazy? su xiaoxiao put on her night clothes. ¡°otherwise, why didn¡¯t he meet you at the villa? he must not want you to know his identity.¡± ¡°alright, alright.¡± su li had a fruit in his mouth and grabbed a few more. there was no one else who could eat and carry more at the same time. in the dark night, the temple fell into a deep sleep. bai xihe trembled and sat up with a low cry. the little palace maid lying on the table on night duty was woken up. ¡°grand empress dowager, what¡¯s wrong?¡± bai xihe broke out in cold sweat. she looked at the window with the shadows of the trees. ¡°is there someone?¡± the little palace maid pushed open the window and took a look. ¡°there¡¯s no one.¡± little yunzi carried the oil lamp in. ¡°grand empress dowager, did you have a nightmare again?¡± bai xihe took a deep breath and nodded with a pale face. little yunzi said to the little palace maid, ¡°go to the small kitchen and cook some porridge.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the little palace maid went. little yunzi put down the oil lamp and poured bai xihe a cup of cold tea. ¡°have some tea to calm yourself down.¡± bai xihe took the blanket and took a small sip. ¡°how long did i sleep?¡± little yunzi said, ¡°six hours. do you want to sleep a little longer? you haven¡¯t eaten dinner. are you hungry? i¡¯ll wake you when the porridge is ready.¡± bai xihe shook her head. ¡°i¡¯m not hungry, and i don¡¯t want to sleep. walk with me..¡± Chapter 500 - Chapter 500: Warm at Night (1) chapter 500: warm at night (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bai xihe and little yunzi left the meditation room. the courtyard was square, and the door was locked. it was as cramped as another cage. ¡°i¡¯m going for a walk.¡± bai xihe said. ¡°this¡­¡± little yunzi looked around. he knew that his master was depressed, so he went to get a lantern and accompanied bai xihe out of the courtyard. the temple was located at the top of the mountain. the mountain wind blew wantonly at night, causing bai xihe¡¯s black hair and clothes to flutter. as it was late at night, bai xihe was not wearing palace clothes or any complicated hairstyle. she only used a white jade hairpin to hold it. little yunzi was a eunuch and had lost his manhood. even so, he still felt that his master was really beautiful. she was like a celestial being in a painting, a spell in the mountains, and a goddess who had fallen to the mortal world. however, for a woman with no one to rely on, beauty was sometimes not a good thing. the lively temple in the day was empty and lonely. bai xihe strolled along the long limestone path and unknowingly arrived at the back door of the temple. she looked at the closed wooden door and did not move for a long time. little yunzi hurriedly advised, ¡°master, this is all we can do. you can¡¯t go out¡­ there are imperial guards outside. if anyone finds out, then¡­¡± ¡°i know.¡± bai xihe said blankly. she turned around and walked towards the stone table and stone stool in the open space. she casually found a seat and sat down. little yunzi shivered from the mountain wind. he looked at bai xihe, who was wearing thin clothes, and said, ¡°master, the wind is strong. let¡¯s sit for a while and go back. you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t want to go back yet,¡± bai xihe said. ¡°then¡­ achoo!¡± little yunzi turned around and sneezed. he hurriedly said, ¡°i¡¯ll bring you a shirt!¡± bai xihe nodded calmly. she wasn¡¯t actually cold. or rather, she couldn¡¯t feel the cold. how could this wind be as cold as her heart? little yunzi left the lantern and walked towards the meditation room in the dark. bai xihe was dressed in white and sat alone in the night, like a fairy who had been thrown into the river of forgetfulness. behind her, a shadow approached silently. the shadow held a cold dagger in his hand, reflecting a sharp edge in the night. ¡°who¡¯s there!¡± with a shout, the shadow instantly hid the dagger, turned around, turned into the corridor behind him, and fled into the night. bai xihe subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice and saw a burly man in silver armor striding over. the night was as dark as ink. it was not until the other party approached that she saw his appearance clearly. her eyes trembled slightly. ¡°madam bai?¡± su cheng was surprised. she was dressed up in the day and had a forbidding aura. she really did not look like the bai xihe in his memory. it was no wonder that su cheng did not recognize her. however, now that she had removed the palace clothes which distinguished her as the grand empress dowager and did not have time to put on her domineering aura, su cheng recognized her. ¡°madam bai, why are you here?¡± su cheng asked in confusion. ¡°i¡­¡± bai xihe opened her mouth. su cheng exclaimed and suddenly understood. ¡°are you here to offer incense too? are you a devotee of this temple? what a coincidence.¡± bai xihe lowered her eyes. ¡°yes, many people came to the temple today.¡± su cheng said, ¡°of course, there are many people when the emperor comes to offer incense.¡± as long as father su had an official diploma, he would know that the royal family would clear the area when they came to offer incense. it was impossible for him to allow commoners to be present. of course, if it were anyone else, su cheng would still be suspicious. however, it was bai xihe. the other party was a patient of her fat daughter and had stayed at their house a few times. it was impossible for her to be a bad derson. su cheng continued, ¡°why did you come out alone so late at night?¡± bai xihe was hesitating about how to answer when her stomach growled. su cheng understood again. ¡°are you out looking for food? there¡¯s nothing to eat at this hour.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± bai xi showed a trace of disappointment. su cheng went to touch his pocket. he had children at home. usually, he would carry a few pieces of candy with him, but he had changed into his armor and did not bring his pouch. thinking of something, su cheng¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°madam bai, i know a place where there¡¯s food. follow me!¡± he opened the back door and looked at bai xihe, who was sitting on the stone stool. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± bai xihe looked at the door that was opened for her with shining eyes. she walked out of the door against the wind, as if she had walked out of the cage that trapped her. su cheng brought her to the fruit forest at the back of the mountain.. Chapter 501 - Chapter 501: Warm at Night (2) chapter 501: warm at night (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°which one do you want to eat? i¡¯ll pluck it for you!¡± bai xihe looked at the fruit above his head and pointed. ¡°that, that, and that.¡± su cheng flew up and plucked seven to eight fruits. ¡°there¡¯s more over there,¡± he said. ¡°yes.¡± bai xihe nodded. the two of them continued to pluck until there was no more room in su cheng¡¯s arms. he wanted to rub the fruit against his clothes to clean them, but he forgot that he was wearing cold armor. with a rub, a fruit turned into paste¡­ ¡°ahem, there¡¯s a stream over there.¡± the two of them came to the stream. bai xihe sat on a rock. su cheng washed the fruit and handed it to her. he was actually not so particular himself, but his daughter had once had a stomachache from eating picked fruits. after that, the fruits he gave her would be washed clean. ¡°wait a minute.¡± ¡°what?¡± bai xihe watched in confusion as su cheng went to the stream again. when su cheng returned, he had two killed fish in his hand. he coughed lightly and asked resentfully, ¡°this isn¡¯t a temple. it shouldn¡¯t be considered breaking the precept, right?¡± bai xihe smiled. ¡°not really.¡± su cheng squatted down and quickly built a fire. he skewered the fish with a stick and roasted them on the fire. the fragrance of the fish quickly floated out. the warm fire reflected on bai xihe¡¯s devastatingly beautiful face. her cold body felt a trace of warmth that she had not felt for a long time. she took a bite of the sweet and juicy fruit and asked softly, ¡°will this delay su cheng had just said that he was here to patrol the vicinity. su cheng said, ¡°no, my shift is more than an hour away in the latter half of the night! the fish is ready. here!¡± he placed the fish on the lotus leaf he had picked and on the stone beside bai bai xihe reached out to take it. su cheng reminded her, ¡°be careful not to burn yourself.¡± bai xihe paused and moved the lotus leaf in his direction. ¡°you eat too. i can¡¯t finish it.¡± this was not a lie. she did not eat much. she was full after taking two bites of something. su cheng did not stand on ceremony with her. he caught the fish because he wanted to eat it. he tore off the fish stomach and left it for bai xihe. he held the fish back and fish tail and ate. bai xihe looked at the roasted fish belly that was emitting oil and pinched it to taste it gently. coincidentally, 99% of su cheng¡¯s culinary skills were dark cuisine, but he made it work for bai xihe twice. seeing that she had finished the fish stomach, su cheng took a second grilled fish, tore off the fish stomach, and placed it on the lotus leaf. then, su cheng continued to eat the rest of the fish. su cheng did not feel that he had done anything considerate. at home, the fish belly belonged to the children. he had always only eaten fish tails. bai xihe tasted the fish belly in small bites and secretly glanced at him. when they were almost done eating, they should go back. su cheng extinguished the bonfire and said to bai xihe, ¡°madam bai, i¡¯ll send you back to the temple!¡± bai xihe said in a low voice, ¡°i don¡¯t want to go back yet.¡± su cheng said, ¡°the mountain wind here is very strong. you¡¯ll catch a cold if you stay any longer. in addition, i have to go on duty.¡± bai xihe said softly, ¡°go ahead. i¡¯ll be alone for a while.¡± su cheng said, ¡°that won¡¯t do. it¡¯s very dangerous for you to be alone in the wilderness! ¡± bai xihe lowered her eyes. ¡°i can¡¯t leave.¡± su cheng was stunned. ¡°why?¡± bai xihe whispered, ¡°my legs are numb.¡± su cheng was dumbfounded. on the other side, little yunzi took a cloak to look for bai xihe, but he realized that bai xihe was gone. he was frightened out of his wits! he did not dare to make a fuss and could only look around first. as he searched, he bumped into xiao shunyang. little yunzi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. wasn¡¯t everyone sleeping at night? ¡°what are you doing?¡± xiao shunyang asked. ¡°i¡­ i¡­¡± little yunzi¡¯s eyes flickered as he racked his brains to think of a way to muddle through. however, xiao shunyang was a sharp person. he saw the woman¡¯s cloak in little yunzi¡¯s hand and said in a low voice, ¡°where¡¯s the grand empress dowager?¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± little yunzi composed himself and said seriously, ¡°the grand empress dowager is resting in the meditation room!¡± xiao shunyang said coldly, ¡°nonsense! if she¡¯s really in the meditation room, why would you come out with her cloak?¡± little yunzi was about to cry. xiao shunyang said, ¡°if you don¡¯t admit it, i¡¯ll report it to grandmother now!¡± little yunzi said, ¡°no, no, no! your highness! i¡¯m kneeling down to you! don¡¯t make a fuss! the grand empress dowager¡­ felt that was just too stuffy and couldn¡¯t sleep at night, so she came out to take a breather¡­¡± xiao shunyang asked, ¡°where is she?¡± little yunzi lowered his head. ¡°i don¡¯t know¡­ xiao shunyang¡¯s expression darkened. he glanced at the unlatched back door and strode out. the strong wind on the mountain was so cold that xiao shunyang could barely open his eyes. he did not stop. finally, he caught a glimpse of the fairy-like figure beside the stream. but surprisingly, she was being carried on the back of a man. one who offended the grand empress dowager would be killed without mercy! xiao shunyang pulled out the sword at his waist and rushed toward the two of them with a murderous aura. he slashed at the other party¡¯s legs. suddenly, the other party turned around. ¡°your highness?¡± xiao shunyang¡¯s expression changed. ¡°guo huan?!¡± he put away his sword in time and looked at the other party in confusion. ¡°how did you¡­¡± su li said without changing his expression, ¡°i heard that auntie was sick and didn¡¯t eat dinner, so i secretly went up the mountain to see her. she was hungry and there was nothing to eat at the temple, so i brought her out to pick some fruits and catch fish. however, i think she waited for too long and auntie fell asleep.¡± xiao shunyang tried his best to calm down. the veins on his forehead throbbed and cold sweat flowed down. he looked a little scary. ¡°you¡­¡± his gaze landed on bai xihe and her sleeping face. he watched as she lay on the back of another man, and his knuckles turned white. su li felt xiao shunyang¡¯s killing intent. ¡°he¡± was the nephew of the empress dowager and xiao shunyang¡¯s best friend. even so, xiao shunyang wanted to kill him. if the person xiao shunyang bumped into was his uncle, would his uncle still be alive? fortunately, he came in time! xiao shunyang¡¯s killing intent was finally suppressed by his rationality. ¡°don¡¯t be like this in the future. you¡¯re old. you should know your limits.¡± su li said, ¡°oh.¡± ¡°give her to little yunzi,¡± xiao shunyang said. ¡°you¡¯re an outsider after all. it¡¯s not appropriate for others to see you.¡± little yunzi walked over and carried the empress back to the meditation room. su li pretended to go down the mountain. after confirming that xiao shunyang could not see him, he turned around and flashed behind a big tree.. Chapter 502 - Chapter 502: End (1) chapter 502: end (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su li asked, ¡°hase uncle gone on duty?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°yes.¡± su li patted her chest. ¡°it was just so close! you didn¡¯t see how xiao shunyang wished he could kill me, as if i had done something to taint the royal family¡­ the grand empress dowager is my auntie! we have a pure aunt-nephew relationship!¡± there was no doubt that guo huan had no improper thoughts about the grand empress dowager. su xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°it seems you¡¯ve really gotten into the role?¡± su li cleared her throat. ¡°ahem, i¡¯m getting into character. speaking of which, does uncle know that madam bai is the empress dowager?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°my father doesn¡¯t know.¡± su li was stunned. ¡°you¡¯re not going to tell uncle?¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°those who don¡¯t know are innocent.¡± su li thought for a moment. ¡°that¡¯s true. ah, it¡¯s already past midnight. why hasn¡¯t that person appeared yet?¡± the note said mentioned meeting at the sycamore tree in the back mountain at midnight. this was just by the stream where su cheng caught the fish, which was less than 100 meters away from the place where su cheng grilled the fish. it was precisely because they were lying in ambush that they noticed su cheng, the grand empress dowager, xiao shunyang, and little yunzi. his uncle was really bold. he even dared to carry the grand empress dowager¡­ ¡°he shouldn¡¯t be turning up anymore,¡± su xiaoxiao said. after causing a commotion here, they had already alerted the enemy. su ¡°ah, what a pity. such a good opportunity¡­ i waited for half a day for nothing¡­ su li lay on the branch and shook his long legs helplessly. ¡°speaking of which, why didn¡¯t you show yourself just now and insisted that i go? although i don¡¯t mind, i¡¯m an outsider after all. isn¡¯t it better for the grand empress dowager to be with you? she¡¯s a patient, and you¡¯re a doctor. it¡¯s only right.¡± su xiaoxiao said nothing. su li thought of something and sat up straight. ¡°are you suspecting the grand empress dowager? do you think she¡¯s the one who asked me out tonight?¡± guo huan was here for the appointment. of course, su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t appear, or she would be exposed. su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°everyone who happened to appear at the agreed location tonight is suspicious.¡± the corners of su li¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°everyone? no way, that would even include your own father? ah, speaking of which, it was really uncle who brought the grand empress dowager out! ¡± ¡°i¡¯m just stating the facts.¡± she analyzed it from the perspective of an outsider. assuming that she did not recognize su cheng, these four people were naturally suspicious. then, she would eliminate them one by one. su li touched her chin. ¡°uncle definitely isn¡¯t, and neither is the grand empress dowager¡­ could it be little yunzi and the second prince?¡± ¡°maybe it¡¯s one of them, or maybe none of them.¡± su xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°why are you touching your chin?¡± su li said resentfully, ¡°i¡¯ve grown a stubble overnight. it¡¯s uncomfortable to wear a mask.¡± su xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°can you actually grow a beard?¡± su li exploded. ¡°i¡¯m not a eunuch! of course, i can grow a beard!¡± su xiaoxiao sized him up. her gaze seemed to be saying¡ª really? have you got all your hair in place? as su xiaoxiao had expected, that person didn¡¯t contact ¡°guo huan¡± for the next two days. the white lotus society¡¯s plan did not end. before the blessing ceremony officially began on the first day, su cheng caught a monk who had poisoned the ancient well. after the blessing ceremony ended, jing yi discovered another wave of archers lying in ambush halfway up the mountain. the white lotus society¡¯s moves were endless. when they were hearing the abbot preach the scripture the next day, they actually set fire to the mountain. fortunately, qin canglan noticed it in time. two days passed safely. in the evening, everyone set off for the capital. two days did not seem to be long, but they woke up earlier than chickens and slept later than dogs. there were all kinds of complicated processes. not to mention those old ministers, even emperor jing xuan, who was in his prime, was so tired that he did not want to speak. emperor jing xuan and the others got into the carriage back to the palace. qin canglan and su cheng led the qin family¡¯s iron cavalry to open the way. qin canglan spurred his horse and walked beside su cheng. ¡°cheng¡¯er, be careful. pull yourself together. there might be an ambush later.¡± the white lotus society did not seem to be stopping, but it was actually just a small trick. with qin canglan¡¯s many years of experience, if the white lotus society really planned to assassinate emperor jing xuan, there would definitely be a fierce battle next. everything was indeed as qin canglan had expected. when they passed through a canyon, hundreds of masked assassins rushed out of the mountain stream and attacked them fiercely.. Chapter 503 - Chapter 503: End (2) chapter 503: end (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this was a great opportunity to redeem himself. xiao duye fought the enemy bravely. xiao shunyang was not inferior. coupled with qin canglan, jing yi, and other experts, the assassins of the white lotus society quickly showed signs of decline. however, at this moment, xiao shunyang¡¯s horse was suddenly frightened. it raised its front hooves and collided with princess hui an and princess jingning¡¯s carriage. princess hui an fell out of the carriage. ¡°hui an!¡± princess jingning reached out to grab her, and an arrow shot at her! qin canglan threw out the long saber in his hand and cut the arrow! the imperial court¡¯s team was in chaos. horses were frightened one after another, and the 10-year-old sixth prince fell out of the carriage! the assassins of the white lotus society took advantage of the chaos and captured princess hui an and the sixth prince. su li was close to the sixth prince. he jumped out of the carriage and chased after the person with his lightness skill. prime minister guo looked in the direction his grandson had chased in and then looked at princess hui an, who had been kidnapped, with a complicated expression. the guards¡¯ defense was disrupted, and the assassins of the white lotus society rushed into the crowd like a tide. su xiaoxiao knocked out an assassin with a palm and grabbed princess jingning¡¯s wrist. ¡°get in the empress dowager¡¯s carriage!¡± princess jingning nodded and got into the empress dowager¡¯s carriage. su xiaoxiao also picked up bai xihe and placed her in this carriage. the empress was in emperor jing xuan¡¯s carriage. with jing yi¡¯s protection, she would be fine. the enemy¡¯s archers gradually noticed su xiaoxiao and shot five arrows at her! su xiaoxiao could hide, but if she did, the people in the carriage would suffer. of course, she could manage, but the other party shot five more arrows! she couldn¡¯t hold on anymore¡­ no sooner said than done, wei ting flew over and stood in front of su xiaoxiao. he raised his sword and cut off all the cold arrows. ¡°block it for me. just a moment.¡± the other party had a very powerful archer. she wanted to kill him! su xiaoxiao grabbed the bow and arrow in the carriage. wei ting stretched out his arm tacitly and she stepped on it. wei ting raised his arm and sent her to the roof of the carriage! the field of vision here was much wider. however, at the same time, it was easy to become a target for archers. she handed her life to wei ting. another arrow¡­ just one arrow¡­ swish! the other party attacked! found it! her eves were cold as she drew her bow and shot at a small black spot a hundred meters away! it hit him between the eyebrows! she shot an arrow through the other party¡¯s head! the arrow that the other party shot was about to pierce through her heart. wei ting rose into the air and slashed open the arrow with his sword! su xiaoxiao said to wei ting, ¡°there¡¯s nothing else here. go save hui an.¡± wei ting nodded. ¡°okay.¡± the army of the imperial court gradually stabilized the situation. qin canglan said to su cheng, ¡°cheng¡¯er, i¡¯ll save the sixth prince and receive little five at the same time. i¡¯ll leave this place to you!¡± this place was not too dangerous, and the place where the sixth prince was abducted might be the white lotus society¡¯s dragon pool and tiger¡¯s den. qin canglan rode his horse after su li and the sixth prince. su cheng continued to fight. two hours later, wei ting successfully saved princess hui an. princess hui an cried and threw herself into the empress dowager¡¯s arms. ¡°grandmother¡­ boohoo¡­ hui anhao is afraid. the empress dowager said with heartache, ¡°let grandmother take a look. are you injured?¡± ¡°wuwu¡­ i¡¯m injured¡­ it¡¯s so serious¡­¡± princess hui an rolled up her sleeves and showed the empress dowager her wound. it was a wound less than half an inch long. there was not even a trace of blood. the empress dowager was speechless. the empress dowager asked, ¡°is anyone else injured?¡± eunuch cheng said, ¡°the second prince¡¯s wife is slightly injured.¡± the empress dowager said in a low voice, ¡°how did second brother protect his main consort?!¡± eunuch cheng didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. just before the grand empress dowager got into the empress dowager¡¯s carriage, he could clearly see that two arrows were shot at the grand empress dowager¡¯s carriage and the second princess consort¡¯s carriage at the same time. the second prince protected the grand empress dowager. the empress dowager sighed. ¡°let physician su take a look at ning¡¯er.¡± su xiaoxiao bandaged the soldiers¡¯ wounds outside. eunuch cheng agreed. ¡°yes.¡± soon, qin canglan, guo huan, and the sixth prince returned safely. qin canglan captured division leader chen alive. ¡°guo huan¡¯¡±s arm was injured by a sword. the sixth prince was frightened and fainted. it was not good to stay here for long. other than the seriously injured soldiers, su xiaoxiao and a few accompanying imperial physicians, the rest immediately set off. su li whispered to qin canglan, ¡°granduncle, i¡¯ve fallen out with the white lotus society. will the white lotus society assassinate me later?¡± qin canglan thought about it and felt that this was very likely. su li was now wearing guo huan¡¯s face, and guo huan had saved the sixth prince from the white lotus society. the white lotus society would definitely not let guo huan off. ¡°i¡¯ll send you back.¡± qin canglan said. ¡°thank you, granduncle! cough, cough, cough¡­¡± su li coughed and touched his hoarse throat. ¡°my throat hurts.¡± wei ting and some of the imperial guards stayed behind to protect su xiaoxiao and the others in case the white lotus society counterattacked. just as su xiaoxiao was bandaging the injured, a horse ran over. before wei tinc and su xiaoxiao could stablize themselves. fu su fell off the horse. he was covered in blood and his breathing was weak. wei ting quickly squatted down and pressed down on the wound on his abdomen. ¡°what happened?¡± fu su said weakly, ¡°guo huan¡­ escaped.. guo huan was locked up in a small farmyard on the outskirts of the city. fu su and yuchi xiu took turns guarding him. just today, a group of killers from the white lotus society suddenly barged into the courtyard. there were many of them, and yuchi xiu was entangled. fu su wanted to help, but guo huan, who had been unconscious for many days, suddenly woke up and injured fu su.. wei ting asked, ¡°how long has guo huan escaped?¡± fu su said, ¡°about¡­ four hours¡­ i spent two hours on the way¡­¡± su xiaoxiao brought some medicine over and treated his injuries. ¡°we were ambushed two hours ago¡­ if you can arrive in two hours¡­ so can guo huan¡­¡± at this point, she suddenly paused and exchanged glances with wei ting. the two of them shuddered. su li¡­ qin canglan! qin canglan escorted the injured su li back to the prime minister¡¯s residence. ¡°guo huan, we¡¯re here!¡± qin canglan pretended to say. someone got out of the carriage with his injured arm. qin canglan frowned and said, ¡°be careful. why are you so fierce when you¡¯re injured?¡± a certain someone smiled slightly. qin canglan said, ¡°child, why are you smiling foolishly? alright, hurry up and go in. although you¡¯re not seriously injured, you still have to recuperate.¡± ¡°granduncle¡­ i have something to tell you.¡± qin canglan leaned over. the person opposite him stabbed him in the chest¡ª ¡°i¡¯m guo huan..¡± Chapter 504 - Chapter 504: Going Against the Heavens chapter 504: going against the heavens translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as qin canglan fell into a pool of blood in a daze, the shock was still lingering in his eyes. guo huan looked at him coldly, took out a handkerchief, wiped the blood off his hand, and left expressionlessly. lightning suddenly flashed across the sky. thunder rumbled. the dark clouds were torn apart, and a rainstorm slanted down. qin canglan looked at the bean-sized raindrops, his eyes unfocused. ¡°hua yin¡­ i¡¯m coming for you¡­¡± ¡°look! there¡¯s someone over there!¡± ¡°who is it?¡± ¡°let¡¯s go take a look!¡± a few passing commoners rushed over in the rain. ¡°a man was killed!¡± ¡°he¡¯s wearing armor. is he a general of the imperial court?¡± ¡°there¡¯s so much blood¡­ can he be saved? hurry up and send him to the medical center!¡± ¡°it¡¯s too late. he¡¯s out of breath¡­¡± in the darkness, a man in blue wearing a bamboo hat walked over. the young man said, ¡°someone was killed over there! it seems to be a general of the imperial court! sigh, these days, even the capital has become a place for crime¡­ ¡± at the imperial astronomers. sikong yun stood on the observatory in the attic and looked at the stormy capital. ¡°master.¡± a disciple came over with an umbrella and raised it above his head. ¡°it¡¯s raining heavily. why don¡¯t you go in?¡± sikong yun placed his hands behind his back and looked at the pitch-black rain. he muttered, ¡°the light of the general star¡­ is completely gone.¡± the disciple did not understand. ¡°master, are you observing the stars? it¡¯s raining. of course i saw the stars.¡± sikong yun said in a daze, ¡°it¡¯s not raining. it¡¯s the death of a general star that makes the world cry.¡± ¡°sir! sir! something big has happened!¡± the registrar of the imperial astronomers ascended the seven-story tower in one go and panted. ¡°the old duke¡­ was assassinated!¡± sikong yun closed his eyes in pain. after wei ting and su xiaoxiao learned that guo huan had escaped, they immediately mounted their horses and rushed towards the prime minister¡¯s estate. they sped through the rain. ¡°watch the road!¡± wei ting said. su xiaoxiao nodded! wei ting tightened the reins and turned around, killing his way into the alley on the right. su xiaoxiao followed closely. if not for her harsh training these days, ordinary people would really not be able to control the speed in the rain. wei ting brought su xiaoxiao through the storm with his shocking five senses. finally, they arrived at the alley a hundred steps east of the prime minister¡¯s estate. this place had long been surrounded by officials and commoners from the imperial capital. the two of them dismounted and squeezed into the crowd with cold expressions. ¡°what are you doing? don¡¯t push! retreat!¡± an official shouted. su xiaoxiao pushed him away and walked towards qin canglan. ¡°what are you doing!¡± the official was about to grab su xiaoxiao when wei ting showed the token of the wu an estate. ¡°wei ting.¡± the official¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly bowed. ¡°lord wei!¡± wei ting also walked over. qin canglan¡¯s injuries were too serious, so no one dared to move him. a physician who passed by knelt in the rain to check on qin canglan¡¯s injuries. he shook his head regretfully. ¡°i can¡¯t save him. prepare for his funeral.¡± ¡°move aside, ¡± su xiaoxiao said. the physician turned around and saw that it was a little girl in the rain. he said earnestly, ¡°miss, don¡¯t cause trouble. hurry up and go home.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i said, move aside!¡± the physician and the official at the side were about to scold her when they were shocked by the sudden killing intent in her eyes. it was a pair of eyes that did not seem to belong to a living person. just looking at them made one shudder. the physician and officials moved aside in a daze. su xiaoxiao squatted down. wei ting took the umbrella from the official and placed it above her and qin canglan. at the same time, his gaze landed on the dagger on qin canglan¡¯s chest. ¡°it was guo huan¡­¡± this was guo huan¡¯s dagger. it was the one his sixth brother had given guo huan on his seventeenth birthday! guo huan was openly provoking him. he was telling wei ting and su xiaoxiao, ¡°look, i killed qin canglan!¡± at this point, everything was clear. division leader chen and guo huan had different missions. division leader chen was to assassinate emperor jing xuan, and guo huan was to assassinate qin canglan. guo huan had been imprisoned in the courtyard for the past few days. during this period, it was impossible for him to interact with the white lotus society. from this, it could be inferred that he had already received the mission to assassinate qin canglan before he was captured. division leader chen did not know about guo huan¡¯s mission, but guo huan definitely knew about his. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have calculated the timing so accurately. if the white lotus society could find guo huan, it meant that su li had exposed himself. wei ting had a bold guess as to how su li had exposed himself. in addition, wei ting had an even bigger question in his heart¡ªhow did the people from the white lotus society find that courtyard? in an instant, countless thoughts flashed through wei ting¡¯s mind. su xiaoxiao touched qin canglan¡¯s pulse and lay on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. his pulse was gone, and she couldn¡¯t hear his heartbeat¡­ ¡°i¡¯m going to do a surgery. i need a clean room.¡± the nearest residence was the prime minister¡¯s residence. moreover, because madam guo was sick all year round, the prime minister¡¯s residence was occupied by a physician, and the herbs were convenient. however, it was impossible for them to bring qin canglan to the prime minister¡¯s estate. wei ting frowned. ¡°i know a place, the imperial astronomy center!¡± ¡°lord sikong! they¡¯re outside the door. should we let them in?¡± the registrar asked. sikong yun said, ¡°yes.¡± the registrar hesitated and said, ¡°sir¡­ i understand that you have a good relationship with the old protector duke of the country, but your identity is special. his majesty is very wary of you interacting with important ministers in the court. moreover, i heard that the old protector duke of the country is no longer breathing.. sikong yun looked at the pouring rain and said seriously, ¡°open the door. i¡¯ll send the protector duke off for the last time.¡± the thick black iron door was opened by eight experts. wei ting carried qin canglan in. he said solemnly, ¡°prepare a clean room!¡± everyone turned to look at sikong yun. sikong yun nodded. ¡°do as lord wei says. ¡± ¡°let me lead the way!¡± the disciple said. ¡°lord wei, please follow me!¡± behind wei ting was a unfamiliar little fat girl. no one paid much attention to her. just because she was with wei ting, he let her in. the door slowly closed. the capital magistrate was shocked. ¡°hey! hey! i haven¡¯t come in yet! i want to investigate a case!¡± the disciple brought the three of them to the room at the east end of the first floor. wei ting slowly placed qin canglan on the bed. su xiaoxiao said to her disciple, ¡°please prepare a set of dry clothes, a bucket of hot water, scissors, golden sore medicine¡­ if there¡¯s no golden sore medicine¡­ bai ji, immortal crane grass, and purple pearl leaves are fine! i need a little cinnabar! if there¡¯s none of that, hundred herbs crceam is fine!¡± the disciple was stunned. ¡°hundred¡­ hundred herbs cream?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°ash!¡± ¡°er¡­ yes.¡± the disciple left at a loss. ¡°i¡¯ll help!¡± wei ting went to look for clothes. sikong yun came to the room. he looked at su xiaoxiao deeply. ¡°are you planning to save him?¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know sikong yun, but from his temperament, it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess that he was the rumored grand astronomer. he had once approved of princess jingning¡¯s fate. he said that princess jingning carried the luck of the great zhou royal family. this was also why princess jingning had become the most valued heir of emperor jing xuan even though she was not good at pleasing her elders. after the assassination today, the first thing emperor jing xuan asked was¡ª ¡°how is jingning? su xiaoxiao unbuttoned qin canglan¡¯s clothes. ¡°yes, i want to save him.¡± the grand astronomer said with a complicated expression, ¡°you can¡¯t save him. it¡¯s fate for a general to die.¡± ¡°fate?¡± a trace of mockery and unruliness flashed across su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. ¡°then i¡¯ll go against the heavens!¡± Chapter 505 - Chapter 505: Miracle, Change of Fate! chapter 505: miracle, change of fate! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios at the prime minister¡¯s residence. guo huan returned to his courtyard in the rain. how good was it to rain? he didn¡¯t like to hold an umbrella. he pushed open the door and his eyes flickered. he paused and crossed the threshold with a calm expression. suddenly, a cold sword was pressed against his neck. guo huan did not even look up and smiled faintly. ¡°grandpa, what¡¯s going on?¡± under the shadow, prime minister guo walked over step by step with a dark expression. ¡°you¡¯re not guo huan!¡± the real guo huan would not leave princess hui an alone and save an unrelated sixth prince. guo huan smiled. ¡°grandpa, i¡¯m guo huan. i¡¯m back.¡± this sentence ¡°i¡¯m back¡± was a little intriguing. prime minister guo frowned solemnly and sized him up, as if he was appraising the authenticity and measuring his words. in the end, prime minister guo waved at the guard. ¡°go out first.¡± the guard sheathed his sword and retreated. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± prime minister guo asked coldly. guo huan smiled. ¡°grandpa, it¡¯s in the past. it¡¯s not important anymore.¡± he came to the table and lit the oil lamp. the dark house instantly lit up. only then did prime minister guo see the blood on his clothes. he asked in a low voice, ¡°where did the blood come from?¡± when ordinary people saw their grandson return with blood all over his body, the first thing they would ask was, ¡°are you injured?¡± however, when it came to prime minister guo, he said, ¡°where did the blood come from?¡± prime minister guo had seen this grandson¡¯s unknown side. under this well-dressed shell lived a ferocious evil creature. guo huan lowered his head and tugged at the hem of his shirt. he sighed. ¡°how annoying. it even got on my clothes. the rain hasn¡¯t even washed it off.¡± when prime minister guo heard this, he clenched his fists tightly. ¡°put away your strange habits! i said that if you dare to do those things in the prime minister¡¯s estate again, i¡¯ll end you myself!¡± guo huan smiled. ¡°it¡¯s not a quirk. i killed qin canglan.¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± prime minister guo suspected that he had heard wrongly. guo huan¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°i said, i killed qin canglan.¡± outside the house, a bolt of lightning flashed. prime minister guo¡¯s face was as pale as wax paper. at the imperial astronomers. wei ting found dry clothes. before entering the house, he said to sikong yun, ¡°may i trouble you to get someone to send a message to the marquis of zhenbei?¡± since it had been confirmed that guo huan had changed his identity back, su li was in danger. ¡°okay,¡± sikong yun agreed. ¡°lord wei.¡± sikong yun stopped wei ting under the corridor. ¡°i once said that i can¡¯t see through your fate.¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°i don¡¯t believe in fate.¡± sikong yun said, ¡°that girl¡¯s fate is even thicker than yours.¡± wei ting did not care. so what if it was thick? he did not believe a word about fate! in the house, su xiaoxiao cut open qin canglan¡¯s clothes. ¡°wei ting, look,¡± she said. wei ting placed the clothes on the table and walked over with an oil lamp. he illuminated qin canglan¡¯s wound and asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°do you see the powder on the wound?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. wei ting narrowed his eyes. ¡°this is¡­¡± su xiaoxiao dipped her fingertip in it and sniffed it. ¡°it¡¯s a blood-staunching elixir. someone used it on my grandfather.¡± wei ting recalled, ¡°the people from the imperial capital had never touched the old protector duke. however, i heard from the officials at the scene that when they arrived, the old protector duke was covered with an umbrella. they thought it was left behind by a kind-hearted passerby.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°these two emergency measures saved my grandfather¡¯s last breath.¡± guo huan¡¯s saber technique was actually not precise. he had missed by half an inch, but the saber was poisonous, causing heart paralysis. thanks to that kind-hearted person, qin canglan held his weak breath. however, this breathing would not last long. as the time of cardiac arrest increased, breathing would usually stop. the most important thing now was to recover qin canglan¡¯s heartbeat as soon as possible. su xiaoxiao opened the first aid kit and took out the first aid kit from the bottom. most of the medicine had been used to treat the injured people of the imperial court just now, and there were only three bottles of adrenaline left. the danger in qin canglan¡¯s situation was not the lack of medicine, but time. adrenaline could not be injected continuously. there had to be a few minutes between injections. even if his physique was different from ordinary people, three injections was his limit. once the breathing stopped, it would only take four to six minutes for the brain to die completely. naturally, if one was lucky, it would work. su xiaoxiao raced against time and began to intravenously infuse qin canglan. one went down. qin canglan did not react. the second one went down. su xiaoxiao¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat. ¡°water is here! hundred herbs cream is also here! and, and the herbs you mentioned to stop the bleeding!¡± the disciple carried a bucket of hot water and a pot of dust to the door. wei ting came to the door and took the things in. although he could not understand su xiaoxiao¡¯s method of saving people, he could guess that if qin canglan could not recover his heartbeat, these herbs would not be of any use. time passed bit by bit. the third adrenalin injection was completed. su xiaoxiao looked at the motionless qin canglan. ¡°wake up.¡± ¡°you are qin canglan, the divine general of the great zhou, the bravest man in the world. ¡± ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to fall asleep.¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s expression turned cold. under the corridor, sikong yun looked at the storm that filled the sky and closed his eyes in pain. ¡°get out of the way!¡± su cheng rushed over. he saw wei ting standing at the door and quickly walked over. before he could see the steps, he tripped and fell. wei ting supported him. he waved his hand and stood up. ¡°i¡¯m fine. i just sent the emperor and the others back to the palace. i heard that something happened. who did it? what happened? the people from the imperial capital asked me to come here myself wei ting looked at him steadily. ¡°something happened to the old protector duke. he was stabbed and his pulse was gone¡­ daya is saving him inside¡­ she has been trying for a long time¡­¡± su cheng spun on the spot in a daze. ¡°no, you¡¯re mistaken, right? how could something have happened to him? his martial arts are so good! he can crush me with one finger!¡± wei ting silently made way for su cheng to enter. su cheng looked at the room that was burning with countless oil lamps and candles. the thick smell of blood assaulted his nose. he walked in, stunned. he came to the bed. looking at the imposing and domineering man, who was so pale that there was no life in him, his heart seemed to have been suddenly emptied. ¡°you¡­ why did you¡­¡¯ his throat suddenly swelled and hurt. his voice was choked, and his eyes were red. ¡°thirty years ago¡­ you lost me¡­¡± ¡°now¡­ you don¡¯t want me anymore¡­ i don¡¯t have a father anymore¡­¡± ¡°why do you always lose me¡­¡± su xiaoxiao went to tidy up qin canglan. when she touched qin canglan¡¯s neck, her eyes flickered. she put on her stethoscope. ¡°dad! call him!¡± su cheng was teary-eyed. ¡°huh?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°call him! call him dad!¡± su cheng was dumbfounded. ¡°dad?¡± a long-lost vibration came from the stethoscope. qin canglan¡­ had a heartbeat! Chapter 506 - Chapter 506: Alive chapter 506: alive translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this was the first time in su xiaoxiao¡¯s two lifetimes as a doctor that a patient¡¯s heart could recover after such a long cardiac arrest. this was simply a miracle. su cheng asked with tears in his eyes, ¡°are you alive?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it¡¯s hard to say.¡± restoring his heartbeat was only the first step. next, she had to operate on him. this was another serious test and was very dangerous. su cheng choked aggrievedly. ¡°then do i have a father or not¡ª¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°dad, go out for a while. i¡¯m going to operate.¡± su cheng walked out miserably, like a pitiful little girl who could be abandoned at any time. su xiaoxiao turned to look at his lonely back and said, ¡°dad, if possible, call out to him from outside.¡± the process of operating was extremely dangerous. not only did it require exquisite medical skills, but it also required the patient¡¯s strong willpower and survival. otherwise, he would still not be able to survive. wei ting closed the door from the outside. su xiaoxiao opened the first aid kit and took out clean gauze, iodophor, and saline. then, she gripped the hilt of her knife tightly with both hands. operating on him was considered a second injury, so the angle had to be right. the force had to be precise to avoid cutting more new flesh tissue. outside the door, everyone waited anxiously and curiously. to the people of the imperial astronomers, they did not believe that the old duke protector could be revived. when wei ting brought him over, he was clearly no longer breathing. even if he was still alive, he was only drawing his last breath. once it was gone, he was gone. it was not that they had never seen death. a person on the verge of death looked exactly the same as the old protector duke. rather than saying that they were waiting for qin canglan to recover, it was more like they were waiting for wei ting and the others to completely accept reality. su cheng did not know what these people were thinking. he only believed in his fat daughter. the fat daughter asked him to call out to his father¡ª su cheng looked at the closed door. ¡°dad¡ªi¡® he made the sign of a heart at the top of his head. su cheng spread his wings and jumped over. ¡°dad¡ª¡± he made the sign of a heart at his chest. su cheng walked over again. ¡°dad¡ª¡± he pulled his son-in-law over to make the sign of a giant heart. wei ting was speechless. the corners of the imperial astronomers¡¯ mouth twitched. where did this fool come from? had he gone crazy from the agitation? in the room, su xiaoxiao decisively pulled out the dagger from qin canglan¡¯s chest. without the dagger to block the bleeding hole, blood gushed out of his blood vessels. su xiaoxiao quickly took out the gauze at the side and pressed it down. the adrenaline took effect, and qin canglan did not have a second heart attack. next was stopping the bleeding, debriding, and suturing. every step was like snatching a person from the clutches of the king of hell. su xiaoxiao remained calm and composed. like the hand of a god, she pressed down on the king of hell¡¯s throat. sikong yun came to the observatory. he looked at the stormy capital, his robe drenched by the storm. but gradually, the rain began to stop. at this moment, his disciple walked upstairs quickly. ¡°master! master! qin canglan is alive!¡± after the storm, the capital was silent. he looked at the distant sky. had the destiny of the general star¡­ really been changed? from this moment on, he could not see through qin canglan¡¯s fate. sikong yun went downstairs and came to the room where qin canglan was treated. su xiaoxiao had just come out. her clothes were covered in blood, and a few drops of blood splattered on her cheek. sikong yun looked at her without blinking. this was a 16 or 17-year-old girl, but her eyes revealed stability and determination that did not belong to her age. he was sized up su xiaoxiao, and su xiaoxiao looked at him. as if guessing what he wanted to ask, su xiaoxiao said, ¡°he hasn¡¯t completely passed the critical period and can¡¯t move easily. he needs to recuperate in the imperial astronomy center for a few days. i wonder if it¡¯s convenient?¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine,¡± sikong yun said. the registrar, who had been guarding at the side for half a day, was anxious. what was it? grand astronomer, you took in qin canglan! it was fine if he interacted with qin canglan in private, but did he think that it was not enough to violate his majesty¡¯s taboo? ¡°there¡¯s hot water in the next room,¡± sikong yun said to su xiaoxiao. the disciple behind him was stunned. hot water? ah¡­ oh. the disciple went to prepare hot water. ¡°thank you,¡± su xiaoxiao said. she turned and walked towards the next room. sikong yun suddenly said, ¡°i once thought of changing my fate.¡± su xiaoxiao stopped in her tracks and looked at him calmly. ¡°i failed.¡± with that, sikong yun turned around and went up stars pavilion. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know sikong yun¡¯s past, so she naturally didn¡¯t know what he was referring to. however, since it could stump him, the fate that needed to be changed¡­ must be abnormally difficult. su cheng guarded his father by the bed. wei ting came out of the room and went next door. the disciple had already brought hot water for su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao was washing the blood on her hands and face. she raised her hand to get a towel. wei ting handed it to her first. ¡°you¡¯re tired. rest for a while. i¡¯ll keep watch. i¡¯ll call you if there¡¯s anything.¡± ¡°i can¡¯t sleep,¡± su xiaoxiao said. to be honest, it was rare for this body to not be able to sleep. too many things had happened today. she had just saved qin canglan and kept her emotions in a small box in her heart. now, she could take it out and smooth it out for the time being. ¡°we¡¯ll talk while we eat.¡± wei ting opened the food box on the table. su xiaoxiao hadn¡¯t eaten dinner and had been busy until now. she had forgotten her hunger. the sudden fragrance of the food awakened her taste buds, and she was instantly hungry. wei ting scooped a bowl of vegetable lean meat porridge for her. ¡°dad has some too.¡± ¡°oh, thank you.¡± su xiaoxiao was used to being alone. she was actually not used to someone suddenly doing everything for her. ¡°yes¡­ you eat too.¡± she said. ¡°okay.¡± wei ting scooped a bowl for himself. the two of them ate quietly for a while. su xiaoxiao¡¯s lips moved. wei ting asked, ¡°what do you want to say?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°about the kind person who applied the blood-staunching elixir to my grandfather and left an umbrella, i suddenly remembered something. it was the time when princess hui an was kidnapped by the white lotus society. i fought with the people of the white lotus society on the mountain. one of the shadow guards was very powerful. i wanted to kill him, but i had to pay a price. at that time, someone secretly killed that shadow guard.¡± a trace of confusion flashed across wei ting¡¯s eyes. ¡°he used this.¡± su xiaoxiao opened her pouch and took out the swallowtail dart. ¡°i¡¯ve asked su mo. this is neither from the marquis of zhenbei¡¯s estate nor the protector duke¡¯s estate. do you know it?¡± wei ting took the swallowtail dart and checked it carefully against the candlelight. ¡°i¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°strange, who is that person? why did he do it?¡± wei ting looked at the swallowtail dart and said, ¡°perhaps he just saw injustice along the way. or perhaps he¡¯s also an enemy of the white lotus society.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. wei ting said, ¡°do you suspect that the owner of this swallowtail dart is the kind person tonight?¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°i just suddenly thought of him. perhaps it¡¯s not the same person.¡± if that was the case, that person was not seeing injustice or making an enemy of the white lotus society. he was really helping them in the dark. but who would do that? Chapter 507 - Chapter 507: Sachet chapter 507: sachet translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei ting returned the swallowtail dart to su xiaoxiao. ¡°i¡¯ll investigate its origin later.¡± su xiaoxiao put the swallowtail dart back into her pouch. ¡°speaking of which, isn¡¯t guo huan afraid that the matter will be exposed after assassinating my grandfather?¡± wei ting thought for a moment and said, ¡°he should be planning to leave no evidence. although he has the dagger my sixth brother gave him, it¡¯s not impossible to lie that the dagger was stolen or that he had long lost it.¡± su xiaoxiao felt that it made sense and asked, ¡°will he frame su li?¡± wei ting said, ¡°no, he can¡¯t produce any evidence that su li impersonated him.¡± su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°there¡¯s been no news of su li. i wonder how he is.¡± wei ting comforted her. ¡°the grand astronomer has already sent someone to inform the marquis of zhenbei¡¯s estate. the su family will look for him. moreover, i guess he shouldn¡¯t have fallen into the hands of the white lotus society. otherwise, the white lotus society would have long used him to exchange for division leader chen.¡± qin canglan captured division leader chen. the dali temple had spent a lot of time and energy to capture guardian he, and it was with the help of wei ting and the qin family army. as for qin canglan, he captured a division leader alive. as her understanding of qin canglan gradually deepened, su xiaoxiao really admired this general. he had experienced the deepest pain in the world and the pain of being separated from his loved ones. after wasting half his life, he should not have died here. guo huan was not worthy! ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry too much about su li. this kid even gave the old marquis a headache. he wouldn¡¯t be caught so easily. he¡¯s very smart.¡± wei ting praised someone for once. su xiaoxiao nodded slightly. wei ting brought her porridge bowl over. ¡°go rest. i¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± thinking of something, wei ting said, ¡°actually, it¡¯s good to stay in the imperial astronomy center. no forces of the white lotus society will infiltrate here.¡± not only did the forces of the white lotus society infiltrate the imperial guards, but they also infiltrated the dali temple. even the palace was probably not spared. according to the information gathered by the imperial court, the white lotus society had only developed for more than ten or twenty years. however, since the white lotus society had a huge network of influence, wei ting seriously suspected that it was far more than that. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°actually, i still have two questions i can¡¯t figure out. how did su li expose himself? how did the white lotus society track guo huan to his prison?¡± wei ting said, ¡°the answer to the first question should be at the guo family. the exact time of exposure is before going to the temple to pray.¡± su xiaoxiao asked in confusion, ¡°then he was exposed long ago? why didn¡¯t the people from the prime minister¡¯s estate expose him?¡± wei ting calmly analyzed, ¡°because if he is exposed publicly, they would alert the enemy. on the one hand, they don¡¯t want us to kill guo huan. on the other hand, they want to buy time to find guo huan.¡± ¡°so how did they find him? only yuchi xiu and fu su are guarding him. even i don¡¯t know where you locked guo huan up. unless¡­¡± su xiaoxiao thought of a possibility. she looked at wei ting. wei ting¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°there¡¯s another mole.¡± ¡°aiya! they¡¯re fighting! they¡¯re fighting! someone¡¯s fighting outside! lord wei! it¡¯s your subordinate!¡± the official registrar of the imperial astronomer center called out from outside. he was just a clerk and was usually very idle, but tonight, overnight, he had experienced all the shocks of half his life. wei ting and su xiaoxiao left the imperial astronomy center. the officials at the door had already left, and the surrounding commoners had dispersed. on the limestone floor that was washed by the rain, fu su and yuchi xiu fought. the two of them were injured. fu su was stabbed by guo huan¡¯s sneak attack and was even more seriously injured. yuchi xiu¡¯s body was lightly injured. in addition, his martial arts were above fu su¡¯s, to begin with. he almost suppressed fu su and beat him up. although fu su was at a disadvantage, he had no intention of begging for mercy. he risked his life to fight yuchi xiu to the death. wei ting said coldly, ¡°the two of you, stop!¡± ¡°no!¡± yuchi xiu punched fu su. ¡°whoever stops is a dog!¡± fu su kicked yuchi xiu. wei ting walked over and separated the two of them with a palm in between them. the two of them glared at each other angrily before stopping unwillingly! ¡°why did you fight?¡± wei ting asked. yuchi xiu gritted his teeth and said, ¡°he¡¯s a traitor! he must have sold the news to the white lotus society!¡± fu su flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°you¡¯re the traitor! that day, when i asked you where you went, you stammered and couldn¡¯t answer! you even told me to shut up! don¡¯t interfere in your business! tell me the truth! did you go to inform the white lotus society!¡± yuchi xiu said, ¡°f*ck you! i went hunting! if i don¡¯t hunt, what will i eat? drink the west wind? what about you? where did you go after disappearing for so long! ¡± fu su said, ¡°i went back to the wei family! i have to go back to the wei family every month. it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know! i told you! young master knows!¡± fu su was a secret guard arranged by matriarch wei to stay by wei ting¡¯s side. he had to report wei ting¡¯s situation to matriarch wei every month. it was not to the extent of surveillance. it was mainly because matriarch wei had lost her son and so many grandchildren. she really could not let her guard down. wei ting asked, ¡°did you mention guo huan to anyone when you returned to the wei family?¡± ¡°no, young master!¡± fu su said aggrievedly. ¡°ever since i followed you, i¡¯ve kept half of your matters to myself. if you didn¡¯t let me leak the news of guo huan, i wouldn¡¯t mention a word to the old madam.¡± wei ting said seriously, ¡°only the two of you brought guo huan there unless guo huan leaked the news himself, but the possibility is very low.¡± yuchi xiu glared coldly at fu su and said meaningfully, ¡°so, there must be a mole between the two of us!¡± fu su straightened his back and retorted without backing down, ¡°you¡¯re right!¡± su xiaoxiao walked over. she looked at yuchi xiu, then at fu su. in the end, she stopped in front of fu su. ¡°miss su, why are you looking at me like that?¡± fu su asked. su xiaoxiao pointed at his robe. ¡°take off your clothes.¡± ¡°what?¡± fu su suspected that she had heard wrongly. yuchi xiu strode forward, took off his outer robe, and handed it to su xiaoxiao. fu su exploded. ¡°yuchi xiu, you¡¯re crazy!¡± su xiaoxiao touched the clothes. no. her gaze landed on fu su¡¯s belt and she pulled off the sachet hanging on it. bne openea ana smrrea. wei ting said, ¡°is there a problem with the sachet?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it¡¯s a mosquito repellent spice mixed with a bewitching fragrance. if you consume this bewitching fragrance in large quantities, it will gradually numb your senses.¡± fu su looked at yuchi xiu and snorted. ¡°no wonder i can¡¯t beat you!¡± yuchi xiu scolded, ¡°stop f*cking pretending!¡± fu su said angrily, ¡°i¡¯m not pretending!¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it will only work if you take a large amount. wearing it won¡¯t achieve that effect. however, this spice has been in the air for a long time, making it convenient to track. who gave you this sachet?¡± fu su paused and said in a daze, ¡°old madam wei..¡± Chapter 508 - Chapter 508: The Truth (1) chapter 508: the truth (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°did the matriarch give it to you?¡± fu su said, ¡°that¡¯s right. isn¡¯t the weather hot? there are many mosquitoes, so everyone in the residence has sent a mosquito repellent sachet.¡± su xiaoxiao sniffed again. ¡°this isn¡¯t a mosquito repellent sachet.¡± fu su was wronged. ¡°that¡¯s what she said when he gave it to me.¡± everyone could not help but look at wei ting. if this sachet was given to fu su by matriarch wei, there would be a big problem. wei ting said calmly, ¡°i¡¯m going back to the wei family.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go with you.¡± su xiaoxiao turned to yuchi xiu. ¡°can you go to the number one halll and bring my master over?¡± there was a destructive storm in the capital. the ground was wet, and water splashed everywhere as the hooves stepped on the potholed water. the two of them stopped in front of the wei family¡¯s door. looking at the towering deep mansion, wei ting was stunned for a moment. however, in the next moment, he returned to normal and entered the residence calmly. the servant guarding the door was very surprised to see him return in the middle of the night. ¡°young¡­ young master? it¡¯s so late. why are you back at the residence? miss su is here too?¡± wei ting handed him the reins of the two horses. the servant took it respectfully. there were still some scattered rain and fog in the sky. the servant planned to bring two umbrellas over for the two of them, but they had already walked far away. the servant scratched his head. ¡°why do i feel that young master is acting strange tonight?¡± when the two of them passed by madam li¡¯s courtyard, a small figure rushed out without warning and bumped into wei ting. wei ting supported her and whispered, ¡°xiyue?¡± wei xiyue was carrying two small jars containing dried meat and pine nuts. she looked up at wei ting in confusion. ¡°stupid girl! come back! you¡­¡± madam li chased after them and saw wei ting and su xiaoxiao. ¡°it¡¯s little seven and seventh sister-in-law.¡± she looked a little embarrassed as she walked forward and pulled wei xiyue over. she scolded softly, ¡°what did mother tell you? you¡¯re not allowed to run out at night!¡± wei ting asked, ¡°second sister-in-law, where does xiyue want to go?¡± madam li said, ¡°she wants to look for xiaohu and the others.¡± the three little ones had been staying in the marquis of zhenbei¡¯s estate for the past few days. they had classes two days ago, but it was a holiday on this day. wei xiyue did not see them and insisted on looking for them. however, what puzzled madam li was that wei xiyue was no longer shouting like before. she learned to run out¡­ madam li did not know if she should be happy or worried. su xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze landed on the small fragrance bag at wei xiyue¡¯s waist. she squatted down and said softly, ¡°xiyue, i¡¯ll bring you to see xiaohu and dahu tomorrow. can you go back and sleep first?¡± wei xiyue thought for a moment and nodded. su xiaoxiao pointed at her sachet. ¡°this is so beautiful. can i see it?¡± wei xiyue grabbed it and handed it to su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao sniffed it and returned it to wei xiyue. ¡°it smells good. who gave it to you?¡± wei xiyue looked up at madam li. madam li smiled. ¡°the high school sent it over a few days ago. i still have a few in my room. if you like them, i¡¯ll bring them to you.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°alright, thank you, second sister-in-law.¡± madam li asked the maidservant to bring wei xiyue in and took out two sachets, one for su xiaoxiao and the other for wei ting. su xiaoxiao asked calmly, ¡°these spices are very special. second sister-in-law, do you know where you bought them?¡± madam li looked at the sachet in her hand. ¡°you¡¯re talking about this? i didn¡¯t buy it outside. mother made it. other than planting flowers and fruits, mother usually makes some spices.¡± ¡°oh.¡± su xiaoxiao looked up at wei ting. coincidentally, at this moment, wei xiyue leaned on the windowsill and called her mother. wei ting said, ¡°second sister-in-law, go ahead. we¡¯ll go see grandmother.¡± ¡°aye, i¡¯ll go then!¡± madam li turned around and returned to the courtyard. wei ting looked at su xiaoxiao. ¡°you¡¯re not surprised at all. are you hiding something from me?¡± was he finally unable to take it anymore? su xiaoxiao scratched her head and told him about ¡°meeting¡± madam wei at the gambling den. ¡°so you¡¯ve long suspected my mother?¡± wei ting¡¯s expression was still calm, but the more this was the case, the more terrifying hidden emotions were hidden. ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± su xiaoxiao confessed, ¡°i tested her and dispelled my suspicion of her, so i didn¡¯t tell you.¡± wei ting whispered, ¡°she didn¡¯t give me the flowers that day. you forced her to give them to me, right?¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. it was really not good for a man to be too smart.. Chapter 509 - Chapter 509: The Truth (2) chapter 509: the truth (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei ting said self-deprecatingly, ¡°so she never had me in her heart, nor did she have the wei family.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at wei ting steadily. ¡°no, she probably didn¡¯t intend to betray you.¡± wei ting clenched his fists. ¡°what about fu su¡¯s sachet?¡± it must be very painful to suspect his mother. it was as if his faith for 21 years had instantly collapsed, but he was not even qualified to collapse. because he was wei ting. he was the only male member of the wei family who survived. su xiaoxiao¡¯s heart ached for this man. it was just a little. it couldn¡¯t be more. su xiaoxiao tugged at his sleeve and opened the two sachets madam li had given her. ¡°look.¡± old madam wei¡¯s courtyard was brightly lit. after hearing the two children¡¯s explanation, old madam wei could not recover for a long time. ¡°matriarch?¡± su xiaoxiao took her pulse with three fingers, ready to save her at any time. ¡°i won¡¯t die!¡± matriarch wei said with heartache. she had experienced even greater storms. what could she not withstand? wasn¡¯t it just two moles? one was guo huan¡­ and the other¡­ she stood up coldly and fell to the ground. ¡°grandmother!¡± wei ting held her. old madam wei closed her eyes. ¡°i¡¯m fine. i got up too quickly. get someone to¡­ call your mother over, and your sisters-in-law too¡­¡± about 15 minutes later, the women of the wei family gathered at old madam wei¡¯s side. old madam wei had already digested all the bad news. since she could survive the despair of almost all of the wei family dying in battle, she could continue to do so now. however, the women of the wei family could tell that something was wrong. be it little seven or the matriarch, they both had killing intent. old madam wei said sternly, ¡°since you¡¯re here, i won¡¯t beat around the bush. who¡¯s the traitor of the white lotus society? stand up yourself. if i find you¡­¡± as soon as these words were spoken, other than madam wei, the other women were confused. madam lan asked, ¡°grandmother, what traitor?¡± matriarch wei said coldly, ¡°a traitor from the white lotus society!¡± madam lan¡¯s face turned pale. the others almost gasped. the traitor of the white lotus society had infiltrated the wei family and was even among them? su xiaoxiao carefully observed everyone¡¯s expressions, but she didn¡¯t find any flaws. old madam wei said, ¡°the two of you were the ones who investigated this matter. daya, say it!¡± old madam wei did not treat su xiaoxiao as an outsider. su xiaoxiao paused. ¡°okay, i¡¯ll say it.¡± she had just paid careful attention to everyone¡¯s expressions, but she did not find any flaws. only that person had hidden it extremely well. unfortunately, she already knew who she was. su xiaoxiao stood up and said, ¡°i¡¯ll make it short. guo huan is a spy of the white lotus society. in the wei family, to be precise, in this room, someone is his accomplice.¡± as soon as these words were spoken, it was like a stone causing a thousand ripples. other than madam wei, a strange expression flashed across almost everyone¡¯s faces. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i¡¯ll explain the details later. a few days ago, wei ting captured guo huan. the mole in the residence used the old madam to send a sachet to fu su and tracked the fragrance all the way to the detention place to save guo huan.¡± madam jiang asked, ¡°isn¡¯t this the perfume bag distributed by the residence? i have one too. third sister-in-law, do you have it right?¡± madam chen nodded. ¡°yes, i do.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the sachet in her hand. ¡°the sachet isn¡¯t the main point. it¡¯s mainly the spices inside. this spice isn¡¯t too obvious to smell. birds and beasts are more sensitive.¡± madam jiang looked at madam wei weakly and whispered, ¡°isn¡¯t the spice¡­ made by mother?¡± everyone¡¯s gaze landed on madam wei¡¯s face. madam wei lowered her eyes and said nothing. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i checked xi yue¡¯s sachet and realized that the spices inside are different from those in fu su¡¯s sachet. fu su¡¯s is mixed with a small amount of bewitching fragrance that can paralyze the heart. there¡¯s no other sachet that contains this.¡± everyone looked at madam li again. madam li¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°why are you looking at me! do you think i did it?!¡± madam lan asked, ¡°otherwise¡­ why is xi yue the only one without the poisonous incense?¡± madam li said coldly, ¡°lan! have i offended you!¡± su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°the sachets in grandmother¡¯s courtyard aren¡¯t mixed with bewitching incense, and it¡¯s the same with the two second sister-in-law gave me.¡± madam li raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°look, look! it¡¯s not me! ah, it might be you! you¡¯re close to the guo family! a few days ago, you even said that you wanted princess lingxi to marry over and be your seventh sister-in-law! you might even be guo huan¡¯s accomplice!¡± madam lan slapped the table. ¡°second sister-in-law, how can you say that!¡± ¡°you even slapped the table at me. you¡¯re rebellious!¡± madam li said angrily. ¡°i¡¯ll say whatever you say! the guilty party complains first. i¡¯m talking about you!¡± madam lan said angrily, ¡°i didn¡¯t betray the guo family! why doesn¡¯t anyone suspect fifth sister-in-law?¡± madam jiang glared. ¡°what does it have to do with me again?¡± madam lan snorted. ¡°you were the last to marry into the wei family! in less than two years after you married, something happened to the wei family! how can there be such a coincidence!¡± madam jiang was furious. ¡°you¡­¡¯ ¡°stop arguing!¡± matriarch wei shouted. the few of them rolled their eyes and turned around. ¡°seventh sister-in-law, look at mine.¡± madam jiang pulled off her sachet. ¡°and third sister-in-law¡¯s.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t wear mine,¡± madam chen said. mdm jiang frowned and said, ¡°third sister-in-law, don¡¯t you wear it every day? why aren¡¯t you wearing it now?¡± madam chen scratched her head. ¡°i forgot.¡± madam lan and madam li looked at madam chen suspiciously. ¡°could it be you¡­ ¡± ¡°everyone, there¡¯s no need to be suspicious of each other. i already have the answer in my heart. other than fu su¡¯s sachet, the rest are clean.¡± ¡°why is fu su¡¯s the only one?¡± madam li asked. su xiaoxiao followed her words and said, ¡°that¡¯s right. why is fu su the only one who has it? how can she guarantee that the sachet will definitely be sent to fu sci?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! tell me quickly!¡± madam lan urged. su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°it¡¯s actually very simple. she only had to tell matriarch wei that fu su was bitten, so she specially added more spices for mosquito repellent grass. did this sachet easily fall into fu su¡¯s hands?¡± madam li and the others looked at madam wei again. the spices were made by madam wei, and the sachet was bought outside and sent to madam wei¡¯s courtyard. madam wei and ping¡¯er packed it together. at the end of the day, madam wei was still the most suspicious. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°it¡¯s all this person¡¯s fault for not being ruthless enough. if everyone had a little incense in their sachets, there would be no need to do anything else. she could perfectly frame madam wei. after all, madam wei made the sachets.¡± ¡°what? mother isn¡¯t¡­¡± madam li stood up and halfway through her sentence. realizing that she was unfilial, she hurriedly coughed and sat down. she glanced at her sisters-in-law. ¡°what are you laughing at? didn¡¯t you suspect just now¡­¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the night sky outside the window. ¡°why didn¡¯t she mix all the sachets with bewitching incense so that she could frame madam wei and escape? is there not enough bewitching incense? no.¡± ¡°this kind of spice is nothing to adults, but xi yue is a child and her body is weak. it¡¯s really possible for her to be poisoned if she wears it for a certain period of time. in order not to poison xi yue, she can only accurately lock onto everyone looked at madam li again. madam li gritted her teeth. ¡°i said it wasn¡¯t me!¡± madam jiang said, ¡°she can make one for xiyue alone. she¡¯s a child. it¡¯s not strange for her to be different from the adults.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°it¡¯s not strange to make it for xiyue alone, but isn¡¯t it strange to make one for second sister-in-law alone?¡± everyone was enlightened. madam li took care of wei xiyue. if she wore a poisonous fragrance bag, wei xiyue would also be affected. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°there¡¯s another very important reason. she doesn¡¯t want to frame madam wei.. am i right, sister-in-law?¡± Chapter 510 - Chapter 510: The Mole’s True Identity (1) chapter 510: the mole¡¯s true identity (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°madam wei was the one who made the sachet, but the one who really distributed it was sister-in-law. it was sister-in-law who handed the sachet to the matriarch.¡± madam chu was in charge of the central feed. she took care of everything in the residence. she bought empty sacs from outside like in the past and sent them to madam wei¡¯s courtyard. after madam wei finished making the sachets, she would personally come to get them and distribute them to the courtyard. ¡°how can it be sister-in-law? seventh sister-in-law, are you mistaken?¡± madam jiang said in a daze. she definitely did not believe that her sister-in-law, who had worked hard for the wei family, was a traitor who had colluded with guo huan. even if she suspected herself, she would not suspect her sister-in-law. not to mention the few of them, it took matriarch wei a long time to accept this fact. at first, she complained about why the two children didn¡¯t tell her about the mole in the wei family earlier. however, even if she knew in advance, madam chu was the last one she would suspect. she was the eldest grandson¡¯s wife who had helped her support half of the wei family. how could she¡­ how could she¡­ old madam wei¡¯s heart ached to the extreme, as if she had lost another child. madam wei sighed and closed her eyes. madam jianz turned to look at madam chu, her eves turning red. ¡°sister-in-law, this isn¡¯t true! hurry up and tell seventh sister-in-law that she made a mistake. you¡¯re not a spy! you didn¡¯t collude with the white lotus society! you have nothing to do with guo huan! you¡¯re innocent¡­¡± as she spoke, hot tears fell. after she married into the wei family, her husband was busy with the military camp and rarely met her. every time she felt sad, she would look for her sister-in-law. the eldest sister-in-law was like a mother. in her heart, she had long respected her sister-in-law as her mother. ¡°how did this happen? ah. she couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and burst into tears. madam lan turned away with tears in her eyes. she found it unbelievable and felt extremely heartbroken. madam li¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°grandmother, there¡¯s been a mistake, right? you might as well suspect me¡­ erlang is a concubine¡¯s son¡­ he wasn¡¯t born in the same womb. perhaps the second branch has disloyalty¡­¡¯ how could old madam wei not hope that they had made a mistake? however, the sachet was indeed given to her by madam chu. madam chu even emphasized that she had specially asked mother to put more mosquito repellent spices. at that time, she did not suspect anything. she only felt that this eldest grandson¡¯s wife was too dutiful and took care of everyone in the residence meticulously. although madam chen did not cry, she was very sad. wei ting looked at madam chu with a complicated expression. it had been 12 years since madam chu married into the wei family at the age of 16. when wei ting was still a child, she had already begun to take care of him. although madam jiang said that she had watched wei ting grow up, in fact, madam chu had really watched wei ting grow up. wasn¡¯t madam chu¡¯s betrayal the collapse of another faith for wei ting? wei ting remained silent. he wanted to ask madam chu why, but he choked. ¡°sister-in-law, why¡­¡± madam lan couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore and cried sadly. this was difficult for everyone to accept. madam chu sat there without saying a word and did not defend herself. she seemed to have finally waited for her end. old madam wei looked at her bitterly. ¡°why did you betray the wei family? when did you join the white lotus society? or did you marry into the wei family with a motive from the beginning? say something!¡± madam chu lowered her eyes and remained silent. old madam wei¡¯s tears welled up in her eyes. she held them in and shouted, ¡°did you steal the commander¡¯s seal?¡± madam jiang asked in a daze, ¡°what commander¡¯s seal?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°someone stole old general wei¡¯s commander¡¯s seal and forged a secret letter that he colluded with northern yan. the person used the old general¡¯s trusted aide to ¡®send¡¯ it to my grandfather, making him think that old general wei had colluded with the enemy to commit treason.¡± madam jiang said gloomily, ¡°i remember now. grandmother mentioned to us last time that grandpa and the old protector duke might have been provoked by an evil person and asked us not to make things difficult for you. so the truth is here¡­ but what does sister-in-law have to do with it? sister-in-law won¡¯t let the wei family down. she looked at madam chu and choked. ¡°sister-in-law, say something. you didn¡¯t steal the commander¡¯s seal, right? you didn¡¯t frame grandpa, right?¡± she burst into tears. madam lan also cried. madam li turned around and secretly wiped her tears. madam chen was like a child who could not kill a chicken. she nestled herself in the chair in disappointment and decadence. madam chu remained silent.. Chapter 511 - Chapter 511: The Mole’s True Identity (2) chapter 511: the mole¡¯s true identity (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°it¡¯s not her!¡± however, madam wei, who had been silent, said, ¡°she didn¡¯t steal the commander¡¯s seal. no.¡± ¡°mother, why did you¡­¡± madam jiang was halfway through asking with tears in her eyes when madam li bumped her with her elbow. madam jiang lowered her head and fell silent. su xiaoxiao underestimated madam wei. she did not expect her to take the risk of self-destructing to clarify for madam chu¡­ matriarch wei¡¯s gaze paused on madam wei¡¯s face for a moment before she said coldly, ¡°bring madam chu to the back of the courtyard! bring her to me when she¡¯s willing to explain!¡± nanny li came to madam chu and sighed. ¡°eldest young madam, please.¡± madam chu stood up expressionlessly. ¡°sister-in-law¡­¡± madam jiang choked and pulled her sleeve. madam chu said calmly, ¡°i¡¯m not your sister-in-law. i¡¯m a spy from the white lotus society.¡± she brushed madam jiang¡¯s hand away and left the room with a cold expression. madam jiang, madam lan, and madam li cried. matriarch wei asked them to return to their courtyards first, leaving madam wei to ask questions. madam wei had said so confidently that madam chu did not steal the commander¡¯s seal just now, which meant that she knew something. back when su xiaoxiao probed madam wei, she had thought that she would be the traitor. at that time, su xiaoxiao had suspected that although madam wei was not the traitor, she must know who the traitor was. later on, she and wei ting found out that it was guo huan. guo huan was madam wei¡¯s nephew. it seemed reasonable for her to cover up for guo huan. it was only today that su xiaoxiao realized that the person madam wei really wanted to protect was madam chu. old madam wei wanted to interrogate her daughter-in-law, but as soon as she stood up, she felt dizzy. su xiaoxiao was beside her and quickly supported her. ¡°matriarch wei!¡± matriarch wei¡¯s face turned pale. after one blow after another, she was already on the verge of collapse. she relied on her beliefs to hold on, and madam chu¡¯s betrayal became the last pressure to crush her. now, she couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. su xiaoxiao quickly asked her to sit down and took out silver needles from her pouch to perform acupuncture on her. wei ting said, ¡°grandmother, go rest. i have something to say to mother.¡± ¡°okay, you do it.¡± she was old. this family had to be handed over to little seven in the end. su xiaoxiao said to wei ting, ¡°i¡¯ll accompany matriarch wei back to her room.¡± wei ting nodded. when su xiaoxiao brushed past him, he said softly, ¡°thank you.¡± su xiaoxiao helped matriarch wei back to her bedroom. only the mother and son were left in the huge warm pavilion. wei ting only looked at her and did not say anything for a moment. madam wei did not dare to look into her son¡¯s eyes because just looking at him could hurt her heart. she took the initiative to say, ¡°don¡¯t interrogate your sister-in-law. she was also forced. all these years, other than passing some harmless news, she hasn¡¯t done anything to let the wei family down. moreover, because she wasn¡¯t cooperative enough¡­ she suffered a lot.¡± wei ting questioned, ¡°does the news¡­ also include revealing the marriage between me and miss qin to the white lotus society?¡± the night princess hui an was captured, madam chu left the manor. how could there be so many coincidences in the world? madam wei said, ¡°you were bestowed a marriage in the throne room. even if she didn¡¯t say anything, do you think the white lotus society wouldn¡¯t know? it¡¯s only a matter of time. she¡¯s just taking the opportunity to complete a mission. as for what the white lotus society will do, it¡¯s not something she can interfere with. ¡± wei ting¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°is that so? how did mother find out?¡± madam wei hesitated. wei ting said, ¡°even if mother doesn¡¯t say it, i can investigate it myself! for example, how about i ask aunt?¡± madam wei¡¯s expression changed. wei ting¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°looks like i was right. aunt has a deep relationship with the white lotus society. all these years, aunt¡¯s people have come to the residence to visit mother from time to time. she doen¡¯t really have a deep sisterly relationship with mother, right? is she monitoring mother or bringing news to her? because you¡¯re my mother, i¡¯m willing to believe the latter. ¡± madam wei did not answer wei ting. instead, she endured and said, ¡°don¡¯t ask anything, okay?¡± wei ting looked into madam wei¡¯s eyes sharply. ¡°i¡¯ve always been curious. who is mother? why does she know so much about the white lotus society?¡± madam wei clenched her fists. wei ting said, ¡°if mother refuses to say, i¡¯ll guess for myself. there¡¯s actually an easier way to save guo huan this time. that¡¯s to capture grandmother or mother to exchange for guo huan with me. grandmother is a martial artist and has an expert like baili chen beside her. it¡¯s not easy to capture her. why didn¡¯t the people from the white lotus society come to capture mother? i guess it¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to, but they don¡¯t dare, right? who is mother to the white lotus society? even guo huan isn¡¯t as important as you!¡± madam wei said in agitation, ¡°stop asking! do you think the wei family is still the same as before? you can¡¯t win! isn¡¯t it good to be alive! don¡¯t do anything. he won¡¯t do anything to you!¡± by the time madam wei realized what she had said in a moment of desperation, it was too late to regret. wei ting was the smartest of all his sons. an expression or even a tone was enough for wei ting to extract precise clues. and he was calm enough to let go of the mother-and-son relationship that had been calm for 21 years. he used the technique of breaking her psychological defense to get information from her. madam wei looked at him with trembling eyes. no¡­ don¡¯t guess further¡­ what wei ting had dared to guess and did not dare to guess in the past, they all jumped to his chest at this moment. he looked at his mother. ¡°who is this ¡®he¡¯, mother? the sect master of the white lotus society?¡± madam wei¡¯s pupils dilated. wei ting smiled coldly.. ¡°or should i address him¡­ as grandpa?¡± Chapter 512 - Chapter 512: The Divine General Awakens (1) chapter 512: the divine general awakens (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the capital in the latter half of the night, it was misty. the cold wind blew against the lanterns under the corridor, and the swaying candlelight illuminated the shadows of the trees. the warm pavilion was silent. su xiaoxiao pressed her ear to the crack of the door. creak¡ª the door opened from inside. su xiaoxiao staggered and almost fell in. she stabilized herself in time and raised her hand to touch her head handsomely. ¡°i didn¡¯t eavesdrop!¡± she said seriously before continuing, ¡°continue.¡± wei ting glanced at her. ¡°i¡¯m done.¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°oh, matriarch wei has also rested. i gave her some calming pills. she probably won¡¯t be hurt again tonight.¡± ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± wei ting grabbed her wrist through his sleeve and left with her. before leaving, su xiaoxiao looked into the room and saw a disheveled and thin figure with a pale and bloodless face. halfway through, su xiaoxiao looked at the courtyard. ¡°should we¡­¡± ¡°no.¡± wei ting refused without thinking. ¡°okay.¡± if he was sad tonight, she would do as he said. just this night. she won¡¯t spoil her from tomorrow onwards. yuchi xiu came over with the carriage and waited outside. yuchi xiu had been subdued by wei ting five years ago, but he had never admitted that he was a member of the wei family. he was a killer who had signed a contract with wei ting¡­ ranked second on the assassin rankings of the six countries! for once, he didn¡¯t say a word. he quietly placed the carriage stool. after wei ting and su xiaoxiao got into the carriage, he didn¡¯t ask where they were going and directly drove in the direction of the imperial astronomy center. su xiaoxiao sat obediently, grabbing the tassel one moment and pinching the pillow the next. her feet moved restlessly. wei ting said calmly, ¡°just say what you want to ask.¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°no, nothing.¡± after a pause, she moved over. ¡°what kind of person is your grandfather?¡± wei ting glanced at him coldly. ¡°you didn¡¯t eavesdrop?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°the voice wanted to enter my ears. what can i do?¡± wei ting was speechless. su xiaoxiao moved closer to him. ¡°i¡¯ve never heard you mention your grandfather before.¡± she heard most about old general wei and his sixth brother. he did not often talk about the other brothers, but they had all been mentioned. on the other hand, his maternal family¡­ wei ting said, ¡°i can¡¯t remember much. he lives in lingnan. i¡¯ve only been there once in my life.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°when?¡± wei ting replied, ¡°when i was born.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. wei ting said, ¡°my mother gave birth to me in lingnan. after i returned to the capital at one month old, i never went to lingnan again.¡± ¡°because your mother won¡¯t go back to her maiden home?¡± ¡°she went back, but she never brought me along. previously, she brought my brothers back. ever since i was born, her relationship with the family has faded, and she no longer brought my brothers back to lingnan.¡± ¡°is your grandfather from the capital?¡± ¡°yes, but he later settled in lingnan. i heard from my brothers that grandpa is an extremely good person. he¡¯s funny, carefree, kind-looking, and well-read. he¡¯s a famous gentleman in lingnan.¡± ¡°have your brothers seen your grandfather?¡± ¡°my mother¡¯s personality changed drastically after giving birth to me. before that, she brought my brothers back to lingnan.¡± ¡°speaking of which, how did you guess it was your grandfather?¡± ¡°at first, i didn¡¯t want to guess my maternal grandfather. i planned to guess uncle, but on second thought, my uncle had passed away many years ago and was killed by a martial arts organization. the reason why my mother could know my father was that my paternal grandfather had exterminated that martial arts organization. my maternal grandfather was grateful that he had avenged his son and wanted to invite him to his house no matter what. my paternal grandfather said that he was just enforcing justice on behalf of the heavens and there was no need to be so polite. however, it was difficult to refuse my maternal grandfather¡¯s kindness. after a while, the two of them became best friends. later on, my father and my mother became married.¡± ¡°i see.¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t ask further. she gently held wei ting¡¯s hand. ¡°what are you doing?¡± wei ting asked coldly. su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°can¡¯t you tell? i¡¯m comforting you. forget it if you don¡¯t want it.¡± su xiaoxiao was about to retract her hand when wei ting¡¯s cold fingers held it. the two of them arrived at the imperial astronomy center. su xiaoxiao went to see qin canglan. physician fu had just removed the needle for qin canglan, and his condition had not worsened for the time being. ¡°he has a strong will to survive,¡± physician fu said. when he saw qin canglan¡¯s injuries, he was really shocked. when he heard that the dagger was poisonous, he became even more worried that qin canglan would not survive the night. however, from qin canglan¡¯s blood pressure and pulse, he was trying very hard to stay.. Chapter 513 - Chapter 513: The Divine General Awakens (2) chapter 513: the divine general awakens (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao looked at su cheng, who had fallen asleep by the bed. ¡°yes, my father is still waiting for him to wake up. we¡¯re all waiting for him to wake up.¡± ¡°you¡¯ve been busy all day. go rest. i¡¯ll watch over here.¡± ¡°thank you, master.¡± physician fu was already very accepting of this title. ¡°ah, right, is lord wei alright?¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°is it obvious?¡± physician fu pointed behind su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao turned around and little fatty¡¯s body trembled. wei ting stood at the door in pain. his hand was caught by the door¡­ su xiaoxiao was speechless. su xiaoxiao only lay down when it was almost dawn. physician fu didn¡¯t call her, planning to let her sleep in peace. however, su xiaoxiao only slept for four hours before waking up. her body did not seem to be that tired. it seemed that her physique had improved a lot. after she washed up, a disciple reported from outside, ¡°physician su, someone is looking for you.¡± who?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a madam.¡± su xiaoxiao never expected it to be madam wei. madam wei gently placed her veiled hat on the table. she had not slept the entire night. her eyes were bloodshot, and the bruises under her eyes were very obvious. su xiaoxiao sat down at the round table with her and poured her a cup of tea. ¡°are you here to see wei ting?¡± ¡°i¡¯m here to look for you. i have something to say to you¡­ it¡¯s about wei ting¡¯s grandfather. ¡± su xiaoxiao was all ears. madam wei picked up the hot tea on the table, as if wanting to draw a trace of warmth from it. ¡®you heard the conversation yesterday, right?¡± su xiaoxiao coughed lightly. ¡°i don¡¯t have the habit of listening to others¡­¡± madam wei said indifferently, ¡°aren¡¯t you very curious about what¡¯s going on?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i already said that i didn¡¯t eavesdrop¡­ why didn¡¯t he let go of his biological grandsons?¡± madam wei shook her head slightly. ¡°no, he didn¡¯t kill wei ting¡¯s brothers. it was northern yan. from the beginning to the end, the only people he wanted to deal with were lord wu an and wei yan.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°wei yan?¡± ¡°wei ting¡¯s father,¡± madam wei said desolately. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°is he doing this for power?¡± madam wei confessed, ¡°it¡¯s for power and revenge. i wonder if wei ting has mentioned to you how wei yan and i met?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°he mentioned that your brother was killed by a martial arts organization. old general wei happened to lead troops to exterminate that large martial arts sect. your father was grateful to old general wei for avenging his son¡¯s death and got to know him.¡± madam wei said bitterly, ¡°the leader of that martial arts organization is my father.¡± su xiaoxiao was surprised. madam wei said, ¡°my brother died tragically at the hands of lord wu an. my father swore to avenge my brother, but how can the wei family be so easy to deal with?¡± su xiaoxiao was deep in thought. ¡°so your father married you over?¡± madam wei said in a low voice, ¡°yes. but later on, his ambition swelled, and he was not satisfied with taking down lord wu an. he wanted more power and a higher status¡­ i only stumbled upon his secret that year when i gave birth to wei ting and knew that i was just a pawn of his.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at her. ¡°is this why you distanced yourself from your son? are you afraid that he will harm wei ting and his brothers, or that he will use them to threaten you?¡± madam wei shook her head again. ¡°i¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll use me to threaten them.¡± su xiaoxiao understood. madam wei deliberately distanced herself from her sons because she wanted to downplay their feelings for her. it was best if they didn¡¯t care about her and even hated her. this way, the man wouldn¡¯t be able to use her to coerce them. ¡°but i still failed. i didn¡¯t protect them¡­¡± madam wei¡¯s voice gradually choked. ¡°what have i done all these years? if i had known¡­ why would i¡­¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°things are unpredictable. it¡¯s not your fault.¡± she could not stop working just because her efforts had no results. not everyone was born a schemer who could calculate everything without missing anything. moreover, not to mention that madam wei did not expect wei ting¡¯s brothers to die, that man probably did not expect it either. if he had not schemed against lord wu an and wei yan, he would not have harmed his grandchildren. this was probably the outcome of asking a tiger for its skin. it was unknown if he had ever regretted it. ¡°wei ting is next door. do you¡­ want to see him?¡± after su xiaoxiao finished speaking, she added, ¡°he¡¯s asleep.¡± madam wei composed herself and went next door. wei ting lay peacefully on the bed, sleeping soundly. afraid of waking him up, madam wei tiptoed to the bed. then, she saw a pair of bandaged hands. her eyebrows jumped. ¡°what happened to him?¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°oh, his hand was caught by the door.¡± the dignified youngest son of the wei family, general wei, who had beheaded king hulie, actually had his hand caught by the door when he entered the room. no one was so unlucky. madam wei sat down on the stool in front of the bed and looked at him without blinking. a moment later, madam wei asked doubtfully, ¡°are you sure he¡¯s just asleep? why do i feel that something¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°he must be very sad after experiencing too much last night. in order to let him sleep better, i threw in a small handful of¡­ calming incense.¡± su xiaoxiao lifted the lid of the small incense stove and looked at the half-filled vat of incense ash. the corners of her mouth twitched. her hand trembled last night. did she put too much? this dosage could knock out a cow. su xiaoxiao silently closed the lid of the incense stove and said weakly, ¡°it¡¯s really.. why was that unlucky child wei ting so rebellious last night? qin canglan¡¯s assassination caused a huge commotion in the capital. everyone was saying that he would not survive. at the guo family, prime minister guo said coldly, ¡°if he survives, do you imow what will happen to you?¡± guo huan smiled. ¡°grandfather, don¡¯t worry. qin canglan will definitely die.¡± prime minister guo asked, ¡°how did you know?¡± guo huan smiled confidently and said, ¡°the grand astronomer has approved qin canglan¡¯s fate. when the general star dims, a general will definitely die. i¡¯m following the heavens!¡± seven days later, on a slightly cold evening, qin canglan opened his eyes slightly. at this moment, the divine general woke up! Chapter 514 - Chapter 514: Fatherly Love chapter 514: fatherly love translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after emperor jing xuan finished the court session, he was in no mood to review the memorials, leaving prime minister guo to accompany him for a walk in the garden. prime minister guo was an elder of three dynasties, emperor jing yan. when the grand empress dowager¡¯s husband was on the throne, he entered the hanlin academy as the top scholar. at that time, he was not favored. it was only after the late emperor inherited the throne from his nephew that he took a fancy to prime minister guo¡¯s talent and promoted him to the cabinet. he went from a small elder to a rising star. first, he became a cabinet scholar, and then he became an official prime minister. it could be said that prime minister guo was the former emperor¡¯s favorite minister and an old minister that emperor jing xuan trusted very much. ¡°your majesty has been troubled recently and has lost a lot of weight.¡± emperor jing xuan sighed. ¡°it¡¯s unknown if qin canglan is dead or alive. i feel a little uneasy.¡± emperor jing xuan had complicated feelings for qin canglan. he was afraid of qin canglan and wanted to take back the qin family¡¯s military power, but he did not want anything to happen to qin canglan. as long as qin canglan was alive, he would be the sharpest sword in the great zhou to intimidate northern yan. he didn¡¯t want to have to use him, but he couldn¡¯t do without him. actually, all these years, he had been working hard to nurture a new divine general. this was once qin jiang, but qin jiang had actually lost to su cheng and could not even maintain his military power. jing yi¡¯s aptitude was not bad, but he was still young and did not come from a military family. he lacked military merit and military training, so it was inevitable that the soldiers of the three armies were unconvinced. the few from the leng family were barely satisfactory¡­ wei ting was the most suitable candidate. he was well-versed in both civil and military matters and had military merits. he was also the grandson of lord wu however, the wei family was once king nanyang¡¯s trusted aide. there was always a thorn in his heart. prime minister guo comforted him. ¡°the old protector duke is a good person. he will definitely be safe.¡± ¡°your majesty! your majesty!¡± eunuch quan jogged over excitedly. ¡°there¡¯s news from the imperial astronomy center! ¡± emperor jing xuan hurriedly said, ¡°tell me quickly! ¡± eunuch quan smiled and said, ¡°the old protector duke is awake!¡± prime minister guo¡¯s expression froze. emperor jing xuan was overjoyed. ¡°haha! minister guo, you¡¯re right!¡± prime minister guo closed his eyes. he and his big mouth¡­ emperor jing xuan said, ¡°guards! prepare to go the imperial astronomy center! minister guo, come with me to see qin canglan!¡± prime minister guo restrained the complicated emotions that flashed across his eyes and cupped his hands. ¡°i obey.¡± physician fu was the first to discover that qin canglan had woken up. su cheng happened to go to the toilet at that time. su cheng was unhappy that he had waited for three days in vain! qin canglan said, ¡°why don¡¯t¡­ i wake up again?¡± su cheng thought seriously about it and said, ¡°sure.¡± everyone was speechless. overall, qin canglan was too seriously injured. coupled with the lingering poison in his body, he was very weak. physician fu went to boil medicine for him. only the father and son were left in the room. su cheng sat on the stool in front of the bed, not knowing what to say. he was a little helpless. qin canglan smiled weakly. ¡°cheng¡¯er¡­ did you call me father?¡± she thought that su cheng would deny it as usual, but unexpectedly, su cheng replied in a low voice, ¡°yes.¡± qin canglan suddenly became excited. blood spurted out of his wound. fortunately, it was wrapped in gauze. ¡°can you¡­ call me again? i was unconscious¡­ i couldn¡¯t hear you very well¡­ i thought i was dreaming¡­¡± su cheng hesitated for a moment, gathered his emotions, and opened his mouth to call him father. ¡°his majesty has arrived¡­ su cheng shut up for a second. qin canglan¡¯s face darkened. emperor jing xuan did not know that he had disturbed the joy between father and son. he came to the bed in high spirits and looked at qin canglan, who had come back to life, with relief. ¡°i heard that you¡¯re awake, so i specially came to see you.¡± qin canglan mumbled, ¡°it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t come.¡± qin canglan turned to look at his son. emperor jing xuan blocked su cheng. qin canglan was speechless. ¡°old protector duke.¡± prime minister guo walked forward and sized up qin canglan carefully. ¡°how do you feel?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not a terminal lucidity. don¡¯t worry,¡± qin canglan said coldly. although he was weak, his aura was not weak. when prime minister guo heard this, he understood that qin canglan had completely come back to life. a trace of panic flashed across his eyes, and qin canglan saw it. qin canglan sneered. ¡°i¡¯m not dead. prime minister guo, you seem very disappointed?¡± prime minister guo smiled. ¡°how can that be? i can¡¯t be happier. the great zhou can lose anyone, but not the head of the qin family.¡± qin canglan chuckled. ¡°could it be that it¡¯s fine without his majesty?¡± prime minister guo almost lost his composure. civil servants and generals liked to bicker to begin with. moreover, the guo family and the wei family were relatives. it was not the first time they could not get along with qin canglan. emperor jing xuan did not take it to heart and said, ¡®minister qin, who injured you to this extent?¡± prime minister guo¡¯s heart tightened. qin canglan said weakly, ¡°i forgot.¡± prime minister guo heaved a sigh of relief. qin canglan said, ¡°oh, i remember again.¡± prime minister guo trembled! ¡°who is it?¡± emperor jing xuan asked in a low voice. qin canglan glanced at prime minister guo meaningfully and said bluntly, ¡®guo huan.¡± prime minister guo said seriously, ¡°old protector duke, be careful with your words! why would my grandson hurt you? do you have evidence?¡± qin canglan said, ¡°the dagger was a gift from wei liulang to guo huan.¡± evil creature! how arrogant was he to use his own weapon to kill? prime minister guo wanted to beat guo huan to death. ¡°it¡¯s just a dagger. it¡¯s not surprising to have an identical one.¡± emperor jing xuan had a good impression of guo huan. if someone else testified against guo huan, he might have the same reaction as prime minister guo. however, the other party was qin canglan. he was a trusted minister who had contributed greatly. emperor jing xuan frowned and said, ¡°do you have witnesses?¡± ¡°yes,¡± qin canglan said without changing his expression. ¡°chief astronomer.¡± sikong yun, who had just arrived at the door, staggered! the old man implicated! ¡°yes, i saw him¡­ i wasn¡¯t sure at that time¡­ i only felt that his figure was a little similar to young master guo¡­ ah, is it really young master guo?¡± ¡°why didn¡¯t i stop it? it was too late to stop it.¡± ¡°the direction of escape¡­ was towards the prime minister¡¯s estate¡­¡± ¡°why didn¡¯t i bring him back to the imperial astronony center to save him when i was at the scene? i went back to call for help, but lord wei and miss su were faster¡­ as the most powerful quack in the great zhou¡­ uh, no, the grand astronomer, sikong yun¡¯s lies came as soon as he opened his mouth. his face was not red, and his heart did not beat. he closed the loop perfectly. emperor jing xuan asked solemnly, ¡°since you know such an important clue, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± sikong yun said innocently, ¡°i told lord wei!¡± wei ting, who had become a scapegoat before he woke up was speechless. ¡°where¡¯s wei ting?¡± emperor jing xuan asked with a frown. eunuch fu reported, ¡°he¡¯s lying in the next room and has been unconscious for a few days. lord wei was already injured, and that day, he risked his life to protect the your majesty and fought with the white lotus society. now, his injuries are even more serious.¡± emperor jing xuan originally did not believe it, but when he entered the room and saw that wei ting was unconscious and his hands were bandaged like dumplings, he suddenly felt that wei ting was really in trouble. emperor jing xuan could not bear to question wei ting anymore and said coldly, ¡°men! pass down my decree to capture guo huan!¡± qin canglan was already weak and had spoken for so long. when emperor jing xuan and the others left, he had already fallen asleep again. su cheng poked his head into the house. thinking of the father he had yet to call out, he silently came to the bed and called out in an extremely small voice, ¡°dad.¡± he sat down and raised his voice a little. ¡°dad.¡± he looked back and confirmed that no one was coming. he lay his head beside qin canglan in embarrassment. ¡°dad¡­ qin canglan smiled weakly. he raised his hand which was covered in scars and marks and patted his head gently. ¡°i heard you, son..¡± Chapter 515 - Chapter 515: Bragging chapter 515: bragging translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios on the other side, the missing su li was finally brought back to the residence by su mo. this time was different from the past. he had not slipped out of the residence to fool around. he had been hunted down by the white lotus society. madam tao was so anxious that she could not eat or sleep. ¡°mother, little five is back.¡± accompanied by su mo¡¯s calm voice, the disheveled su li appeared in front of madam tao. mdm tao whimpered and pounced over to hug her youngest son. ¡°wuwu¡­ where did you go¡­ you were so worried¡­ i thought i would never see you again¡­ are you injured¡­¡± su li had run out countless times since he was young. every time he was caught and brought back to the residence, he would be beaten up. his mother did not spoil him. it was rare for his mother to reveal her true feelings, so su li was extremely excited. he reached out to hug his mother back. ¡°mother¡­¡± madam tao pushed him away in a second and wiped her tears with a handkerchief. she rejected uglily, ¡°alright, go wash up. you stink.¡± su li was speechless. although su li was a flippant, it was not easy for him to survive under the heavy punches of the old marquis, su yuan, and his brothers. he had perfected his ability to escape. on the day he saved the sixth prince, he had clearly been ambushed by the white lotus society, but he escaped again. the white lotus society chased after him for three days and three nights. they almost caught him a few times, but he managed to escape on all instances. the white lotus society had never pursued someone so difficult. of course, there would always be a day when one¡¯s energy would be exhausted. the white lotus society could rotate their expert every day, but he could not change a pair of legs every day. just as he was caught by the white lotus society¡¯s net, su mo appeared. su mo killed seven experts of the white lotus society alone, four of whom were shadow guards. it was also at that moment that su li truly realized how terrifying his brother was. it was not the martial arts¡­ but the way his brother looked when he killed. he was a completely different person from his usual gentle and respectful self. big brother¡¯s expression was very calm, but his gaze¡­ it was neither hatred nor anger¡­ su li could not describe what it was exactly. in short, he was extremely afraid at that time. he was afraid that her brother would walk over and gently break his neck. su li sat in the bathtub and subconsciously touched his neck. ¡°little five! are you done showering? you¡¯re going to the directorate!¡± third brother su yu¡¯s voice interrupted su li¡¯s thoughts. ¡°it¡¯s the imperial astronomer center, right!¡± second brother su qi said. ¡°i¡¯m talking about the imperial astronomer center!¡± ¡°you clearly said the directorate!¡± ¡°imperial astronomer center! ¡± ¡°the directorate!¡± su qi and su yu started pinching each other. su li shook his head helplessly. why were these two brothers better at bickering than him and fourth brother? no, he and fourth brother never fought. ¡°little five.¡± su xuan knocked on the door. ¡°return the 200 taels of silver you owed me last time. 300 taels of silver with interest.¡± very good, he and fourth brother were going to end it. an hour later, the men of the su family appeared in qin canglan¡¯s room. su ergou, dahu, erhu, xiaohu, and wei xiyue were also visiting. wei xiyue was carrying a jar of meat floss and a jar of pine nuts as usual. she came to the bed and looked at the three little ones lying by the bed and calling ¡°great-grandpa¡±, then at the injured qin canglan. she thought for a moment and placed the jar on the table. she ran out and asked the maidservant for a jar of honey. she returned to the bed and scooped a spoonful to feed qin canglan. qin canglan, who was suddenly fed was dumbfounded. qin canglan was clearly in a much better state today than yesterday. the old marquis could not help but be puzzled. you said that you were stabbed, but why are your old eyes still bright? after the juniors finished visiting, they left first. the two big bosses in the capital had serious matters to discuss. the old marquis said, ¡°tell me, what¡¯s wrong with your injury? did guo huan really do it?¡± qin canglan said, ¡°cheng¡¯er called me dad.¡± the old marquis suppressed his anger. ¡°let me be serious with you. was it guo huan¡¯s own idea to assassinate you, or was he instructed by prime minister guo? i want to know what role prime minister guo played in it?¡± qin canglan said, ¡°cheng¡¯er called me dad.¡± the old marquis could not suppress it anymore. ¡°is the guo family related to the white lotus society?¡± qin canglan grinned. ¡°chenger called me dad!¡± the old marquis muttered, ¡°damn you, i want to slap you to death!¡± after leaving the house, the old marquis called su cheng over and patted his shoulder. he said gently and kindly, ¡°cheng¡¯er, uncle can also be your father.¡± su cheng was dumbfounded. under the corridor, su mo asked su xiaoxiao, ¡°what happened to wei ting? granduncle is already awake, but he¡¯s still not awake?¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°oh, he¡­ has something on his mind and can¡¯t sleep. he asked me to give him a little calming incense.¡± ¡°he asked me¡­ ¡± these three words were very demonic. su mo looked at his sister with a complicated expression. ¡°are you sure you only used a little?¡± ¡°yes!¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened as she said seriously. a little from a big vat was still a little! wei ting seemed to have entered a dormant state these few days, but it was not a problem for his body. the three little ones couldn¡¯t wake their lazy father up. they kicked off their shoes and climbed into bed. they took on the posture of dancing on the grave and jumped on the bed, vowing to wake their father up. they weren¡¯t like this when su xiaoxiao was asleep. there was a difference in their treatment of their parents. it had rained a while ago, and many books in the library were wet. the disciples carried them out to dry. sikong yun had more than one disciple, but so far, su xiaoxiao had only seen one. his name was yu feng. yu feng carried too many books and couldn¡¯t see the way clearly. he accidentally bumped into su mo and the books fell on him and su xiaoxiao. su mo protected su xiaoxiao with both hands. the back of his hand was bruised. ¡°sorry, sorry!¡± yu feng hurriedly apologized. ¡°are you alright?¡± su mo asked su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine,¡± su mo turned to yu feng and said. su xiaoxiao looked at su mo strangely. why didn¡¯t this person care if he himself was fine? there were too many books, and yu feng was flustered picking them up alone. su xiaoxiao went to help. su mo said, ¡°i¡¯ll do it.¡± he helped yu feng pick up the book. yu feng was extremely grateful. ¡°thank you, young master su! young master su is a good person!¡± su mo said in a low voice, ¡°i¡¯m¡­ not good.¡± he was not a good person. not in his bones. he was only taught to do what an heir of the marquis¡¯s estate should do. ¡°young master! ¡± one of su mo¡¯s guards returned from investigating the news. he cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°guo huan ran away.¡± su xiaoxiao and su mo were not surprised. if the news of qin canglan waking up could reach the palace, it could naturally reach the guo family. guo huan would not wait for death. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i heard from division leader chen last time that the sect master of the white lotus society has already come to the capital or is on the way back. i think that if guo huan escapes, he will definitely seek refuge with him.¡± su mo changed his grip on the sword.. ¡°i¡¯m going to catch guo huan!¡± Chapter 516 - Chapter 516: Torturing Guo Huan chapter 516: torturing guo huan translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios guo huan had come out of the prime minister¡¯s estate the night before. however, at that time, everyone did not know that he had escaped and only thought that he had gone out and not returned. it was not until this morning that the capital magistrate realized that something was wrong. he immediately applied for a transfer order and invited the imperial guards and officials of the capital to search the entire city. he also sent people to guard the city gate and could not let guo huan slip out. ¡°could it be that he already left the city last night?¡± the assistant asked in the government office. when the imperial capital heard this, they telt that it made sense and sent another team of imperial guards out of the city to search. at this moment, guo huan was actually hiding in boss lin¡¯s gambling den in the capital. boss lin closed the door and sat down beside guo huan. ¡°division leader guo, why are you hiding here? don¡¯t you know that my gambling den has long been targeted by the imperial court? the reason why they didn¡¯t move is that they don¡¯t have evidence, but aren¡¯t you giving the imperial court something to use against us by sitting here? i¡­ i still have to gather information for the sect master!¡± guo huan said calmly, ¡°my men are almost here. i¡¯ll leave in a while.¡± boss lin couldn¡¯t chase him away anymore. he looked at guo huan and sighed. ¡°division leader guo, you¡¯ve really caused a huge trouble this time.¡± guo huan said coldly, ¡°you still have the cheek to criticize me? someone pretended to be me and came to the gambling den. didn¡¯t the two of you tell him about the white lotus society¡¯s plans?¡± boss lin took a sip of tea guiltily. ¡°ahem, division leader chen said it. i don¡¯t know anything. the sect master¡¯s orders didn¡¯t reach me.¡± guo huan snorted coldly. boss lin pondered and said, ¡°speaking of which, why is qin canglan so tough? that knife is tempered with our white lotus society¡¯s unique poison. there¡¯s no medicine to cure it, but he actually survived it?¡± of course, he couldn¡¯t criticize how guo huan¡¯s technique. he couldn¡¯t even stab the victim¡¯s hearts accurately. had he practiced his saber technique for nothing? to be honest, guo huan was also very puzzled about qin canglan being able to survive. however, it was useless to think too much. qin canglan had already come back to life. the only chance to assassinate him had been wasted. it would be even harder to assassinate qin canglan in the future. an hour later, guo huan¡¯s experts arrived. there were a total of four shadow guards. in the white lotus society, shadow guards were also divided into levels. the shadow guards who went to kill su li were junior shadow guards, and the four people beside guo huan were higher-level and middle-level shadow guards. if they escorted guo huan, they would ensure that nothing would go wrong. guo huan disguised himself as an old merchant who was hauling two carts of satin out of the city. boss lin had prepared this identity for him. the road passes and water passes had also been registered in the government office. the four experts were servants who had signed a death contract and their identities had been passed by the government office. the group successfully left the city and headed south. the sky gradually darkened. what gave guo huan a headache was that there were actually imperial guards and officials searching for him. this meant that he could not travel through the night. during the day, everyone was on their way. it was not difficult for him to blend in, but there was no one on the road in the middle of the night. if he forced his way, he would easily be detained. unless¡­ he took a small path. after a short consideration, guo huan chose the latter. he first abandoned the carriage and the silk in a forest, leaving only the horse behind. the five of them rode their horses through the forest. there was a village at the end of the forest. after passing the village, there would be a crossing. if he boarded the ship there, he would be able to escape completely. guo huan felt that his luck was not bad. just as he was feeling smug, a person suddenly appeared in front of him. he was wearing sky-green brocade clothes. his figure was tall and straight, and his temperament was clear. the man and his sword stood under the moonlight, as if they had been tainted by the coldness and frost of the night. guo huan hurriedly pulled the reins and stopped the horse. he took a closer look and exclaimed, ¡°su mo?¡± after a moment, he calmed down and suddenly smiled. ¡°you¡¯re quite capable to be able to find this place. if you know what¡¯s good for you, quickly move aside. i won¡¯t make things difficult for you. otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± he had four shadow guards and was not afraid of su mo at all. however, the village was ahead. it would be bad if there were imperial guards in the village and the commotion attracted their attention. the imperial guards might not be a match for the shadow guards, but they had the advantage in numbers. they could also exhaust them to death in a round-robin battle. su mo said nothing. guo huan frowned. strange, why did su mo tonight¡­ give him a different feeling from usual? su mo and guo huan were both in the league of the four young eligible masters of the capital and were also virtuous people. when the world mentioned him, they all said that he was a filial son and a modest gentleman. it was said that his more dignified side could only be seen in the military camp. guo huan rode on the tall horse and said condescendingly, ¡°i¡¯ll count to three. you¡¯d better not block the way. after three, i¡¯ll start a massacre!¡± ¡°one!¡± ¡°two!¡± ¡°three!¡± before he could finish, su mo moved. his movement technique was extremely fast. in the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of a shadow guard. the shadow guard did not have time to react. everyone only saw a flash of sword light. in the next second, the shadow guard was beheaded and fell to the ground. guo huan shuddered! he looked at su mo in disbelief. this was not the junior shadow guards who were chasing after su li! su mo actually used one move¡ª guo huan had the same feeling as su li. after killing such an expert, ordinary people would more or less be a little proud and angry, but su mo was too calm. he could even be said to be cold. the other three shadow guards pulled out their swords and attacked su mo spontaneously without waiting for guo huan¡¯s order. in a few exchanges, su mo dealt with the powerful shadow guards. from the beginning to the end, his emotions did not fluctuate at all. he held a long sword with blood dripping from the tip. guo huan was also skilled and not bad, but he knew that he could not defeat four high-level shadow guards at once. not only did su mo win, but he also won very easily. how high was su mo¡¯s attainment of martial arts¡­ even the marquis of zhenbei and su yuan probably did not know¡­ guo huan began to quickly think of a solution. ¡°su mo, why don¡¯t we negotiate¡­¡± as soon as he finished speaking, su mo pulled him off the horse. he fell heavily to the ground, and the bones in his body seemed to have scattered. su mo was too heavy-handed! ¡°which hand?¡± su mo asked. guo huan did not understand what hand he was referring to. he glared fiercely at su mo and secretly wiped his hand on the hidden weapon hidden in his belt. su mo slashed back and broke the tendons of one of his hands! he screamed as the hidden weapon in his left hand flew out. his habitual hand was his right hand, but his right hand was often easy to guard against, and his left hand was more surprising. therefore, almost all the dirty tricks he had learned were in his left hand. ¡°looks like this one,¡± su mo said as he looked at his left hand. ¡°wait!¡± guo huan stopped him and panted heavily. ¡°don¡¯t kill me. let¡¯s make a deal.¡± su mo raised his sword high in the air. guo huan sneered. ¡°you and i are the same kind of people. we both live under masks and have unknown secrets. you like to kill, right? killing makes you happy, but unfortunately, it¡¯s probably difficult for your status as the young master of the marquis¡¯s mansion to satisfy your desire to kill. why don¡¯t you come to the white lotus society? division leader chen has been captured and will most likely die. you can replace him as the new leader. at that time, you can do whatever you want!¡± su mo stopped moving. guo huan smiled in satisfaction. however, in the next moment, he couldn¡¯t smile anymore. ¡°i¡¯m different from you.¡± su mo finished speaking word by word and cut off guo huan¡¯s entire left arm! Chapter 517 - Chapter 517: Big Brother chapter 517: big brother translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios guo huan almost died from the pain. however, su mo would not let him die so easily. su mo sealed his acupoints with sword qi. this way, he could live a little longer and hurt a little longer. su mo walked towards him step by step, and the blood on the tip of his sword dripped to the ground. su mo¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°i don¡¯t like killing. i don¡¯t feel anything when i kill people.¡± when he killed someone for the first time, he didn¡¯t feel anything. no matter how many people he killed, he still felt nothing. however, this was the most terrifying. how cold must one be to be indifferent to killing? he was a lunatic! he was a complete lunatic! no, a lunatic still had some feelings. this man had nothing. guo huan had always thought that he was the most special one, but after seeing su mo tonight, he realized what a true maniac was. fear almost uncontrollablv surged in his heart. he collansed to the ground and used his remaining right arm to drag his spasming body back bit by bit. even though it was useless. he was just instinctively afraid of the person in front of him. this time, it was su mo¡¯s turn to look down at him. suddenly, su mo threw him a bottle of blood-staunching elixir. guo huan looked at su mo with cold sweat, not understanding why su mo would give him this. wasn¡¯t he here to avenge qin canglan? shouldn¡¯t he have killed him? or¡­ did he want to capture him alive? ¡°i like to hunt,¡± su mo said seriously. guo huan was stunned. how did it get to hunting? su mo said, ¡°after applying the medication, i¡¯ll let you go. i¡¯ll follow you until i find the sect master of the white lotus society. if you¡¯re caught by the officials of the imperial court halfway, i won¡¯t save you.¡± guo huan gritted his teeth and said, ¡°i¡­ won¡¯t bring you to see the sect master¡­¡± su mo asked coldly, ¡°do you have any other choice? or in other words, is there anyone else who dares to take you in?¡± other than the white lotus society, where else could guo huan hide as the wanted criminal of the imperial court? if guo huan wanted to live, he had to seek refuge with the sect master. however, this way, he would definitely lead the way for su mo. su mo said, ¡°you can try to shake me off or kill yourself now. if you die, i won¡¯t be able to track the sect master of the white lotus society through you. moreover, if i do, the first person i kill will be you. because at that time, you will be of no value.¡± guo huan suddenly understood what su mo meant by hunting. from this moment on, he was su mo¡¯s prey. he could try to escape or call for help, but the hunter would never let him off. su mo said calmly, ¡°don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± at the imperial astronomy center, wei ting, who had been unconscious for four days and four nights, finally woke up. but why was his head so dizzy? he felt like his brain was about to be scattered. also, his entire body ached, as if he had been pressed down by a ghost. indeed, he had been pressed down on the bed by ghosts. there was not just one ghost, but a total of three naughty little ghosts. wei ting got up, washed up, and went next door. su cheng was talking to qin canglan. qin canglan was getting better day by day and could manage to sit up. su cheng saw wei ting and said, ¡°son-in-law! you¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°dad,¡± wei ting greeted. his gaze landed on qin canglan¡¯s face, and a trace of suspicion flashed across his eyes. how long had he been asleep? was the old protector duke already so energetic? qin canglan glanced at wei ting and said to su cheng, ¡°cheng¡¯er, go and see if the medicine is ready.¡± su cheng stood up. ¡°okay, dad!¡± wei ting was even more surprised. su cheng even addressed qin canglan as his father. what had he missed? after su cheng left, wei ting came to the bed and sat down. ever since the misunderstanding was resolved, the relationship between the two families had eased a lot, but it was not to the extent of loving each other. wei ting said politely, ¡°your injuries are recovering well.¡± ¡°thanks to the children, i won¡¯t die,¡± qin canglan said. ¡°your mother came.¡± the conversation between generals was always straightforward. there was no need to beat around the bush. ¡°is that so?¡± wei ting muttered. qin canglan said, ¡°i heard about your maternal grandfather too.¡± ¡°he¡¯s not my grandfather.¡± wei ting refused to acknowledge him and would never acknowledge him. qin canglan nodded in satisfaction. ¡°that¡¯s good. i was afraid that if you acknowledge him, it would be troublesome to kill him in the end.¡± wei ting¡¯s gaze was like a torch as he said, ¡°i¡¯ll avenge my grandfather and father.¡± qin canglan said, ¡°your grandfather¡¯s death was indeed planned by him. there¡¯s no evidence of your father¡¯s¡­ for the time being. he wanted your father¡¯s life. as for your brothers¡­ he should have made a mistake, but it also started because of him. it¡¯s unforgivable.¡± after talking too much, qin canglan was a little out of breath. wei ting looked at the unfinished loquat on the table and took it over to continue peeling. ¡°the martial arts organization that your grandfather destroyed at the beginning of 30 years should be the predecessor of the white lotus society. although i wasn¡¯t there at that time, i heard a lot about it after that. the sword pavilion sounds like a righteous sect in the martial arts world, but they secretly opened salt shipments and mined iron ore, capturing many strong men to do manual labor. the local government and their family of officials risked their lives to enter the capital to report to the imperial court. only then did your grandfather comply with the decree to go south and lead troops to eliminate them.¡± qin canglan spoke very slowly. after he finished speaking, wei ting finished peeling the loquat. ¡°can you eat?¡± wei ting asked him. ¡°i can eat a little,¡± qin canglan said. wei ting really peeled¡­ a little for him. looking at the small loquat on the plate, qin canglan was dumbfounded. he swallowed and looked straight at the big loquat in wei ting¡¯s hand. ¡°this can¡¯t be wasted.¡± ¡°oh.¡± wei ting threw the loquat into his mouth. qin canglan was speechless. wei ting said, ¡°continue.¡± qin canglan muttered, ¡°but i want to beat you to death more now.¡± the main reason was that qin canglan had secretly eaten it and could not let his precious granddaughter know. therefore, he could only swallow this loss. qin canglan told him about the night of the bandit suppression. there was nothing to elaborate on the process of elimination. wasn¡¯t it easy for a dignified third-grade general to destroy a martial arts organization? at the end, lord wu an bumped into mo guiyuan, who had rushed over with a sword. lord wu an asked him who he was and why he was there. mo guiyuan was the true master of the sword pavilion at that time. seeing that the sword pavilion had been destroyed and his son was dead, he was still a step too late. in order to survive, he could only lie that his son had been killed by the sword pavilion a while ago. he was here tonight to die with the scum of the sword pavilion. lord wu an said, ¡°there¡¯s no need. this sect has already been wiped out by the imperial court. in the future, there will be no sword pavilion in the world.¡± mo guiyuan burst into tears. ¡°thank you, general wei, for avenging my son!¡± at that moment, mo guiyuan planted the seed of hatred in his heart and wanted to make a comeback. he wanted to destroy lord wu an and the imperial court. there was a stars pavilion in the imperial astronomical court. it was said that it was so famous because one could pluck stars from its highest point. on the seventh floor of the stars pavilion was an open-air star observation platform. at this moment, sikong yun was standing on the stargazing platform with his hands behind his back. he looked up at the endless sky. yu feng asked, ¡°master, are you looking at the stars again?¡± sikong yun said with interest, ¡°interesting, really interesting. after changing the star¡¯s fate, the purple emblem planet actually moved.¡± yu feng was stunned.. ¡°purple emblem planet, isn¡¯t that¡­ the emperor star?¡± Chapter 518 - Chapter 518: Poisoned chapter 518: poisoned translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yu feng¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°master, does the movement of the emperor star mean that there¡¯s a calamity on the emperor star, or that there¡¯s a change in the emperor star?¡± he was extremely curious. sikong yun said calmly, ¡°the heavenly secrets can¡¯t be revealed.¡± yu feng muttered, ¡°haven¡¯t you leaked enough? who told the old duke that his star had fallen?¡± sikong yun held his forehead with a headache. ¡°so your master¡¯s retribution is here.¡± ¡°dong, dong, dong, dong!¡± in the southeast corner of the observatory, xiaohu was holding a small gong. he shouted and hit it desperately. dahu and erhu worked with his rhythm and shook it desperately. the stargazing platform became the event location of a large tomb. sikong yun¡¯s head was buzzing. he liked silence. the imperial astronomy center had never been so noisy. he walked over with a dark expression and looked majestically at xiaohu, who was knocking on the gong. ¡°give me the gong.¡± xiaohu refused. ¡°no.¡± ¡°this is my gong,¡± sikong yun said. xiaohu thought for a moment and asked, ¡°then if you call it, will it respond?¡± sikong yun was dumbfounded. sikong yun said, ¡°if you call it, will it answer?¡± xiaohu said righteously, ¡°i didn¡¯t say it was mine!¡± sikong yun was speechless. sikong yun definitely could not let the children control him. he took out his adult aura and said arrogantly, ¡°do you know that this is my territory?¡± dahu said seriously, ¡°the world belongs to the emperor!¡± sikong yun said, ¡°kid, you know a lot.¡± dahu was the most motivated of the three little ones. every day, he would attend class at master ling yun¡¯s place. xiaohu basically lay on the floor and played. erhu listened halfway and lay down. only dahu listened attentively the entire time. therefore, he really learned a lot. however, this sentence was not taught in class. it was heard on the stage. sikong yun looked at this smart alec in anger and amusement. suddenly, his gaze paused. he looked at him without blinking. something flashed in his eyes. he asked, ¡°kid, what¡¯s your name? how old are you?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not called a brat,¡± dahu said. ¡°dahu! come over quickly! i want to catch you!¡± xiaohu discovered an oversized cricket and abandoned the gong. ¡°coming! ¡± dahu ran over. only erhu was left at the event location. erhu hesitated for a moment but did not follow. instead, he grabbed the gong on the ground and asked sikong yun, ¡°do you want it?¡± sikong yun: ¡°yes.¡± at least this brat still had some conscience. erhu said with a look of loss, ¡°i¡¯ll sell it to you at a cheap price. i don¡¯t want your money. you look quite familiar. just treat it as forming a good relationship. i¡¯ll use the mirror on you to exchange for it.¡± the eight trigrams mirror on his waist was the treasure of the imperial astronomy center! why did the kid look like he had suffered a loss? this little brat was the most black-hearted! of course, erhu could not take away the imperial astronomy center¡¯s treasure. after all, this was the possession of the previous grand astronomers. only the next grand astronomer was qualified to inherit it. however, sikong yun asked erhu to choose a very beautiful eight trigrams stone. there was no one else who could exchange his eight trigrams stone for his gong. in the house, qin canglan had just finished drinking his medicine. su xiaoxiao stuck her head in. ¡°grandpa, has wei ting left?¡± ¡°oh, i¡­ went to take care of the children,¡± su xiaoxiao said without changing her expression. qin canglan glanced at his precious granddaughter and asked suspiciously, ¡°were you afraid that he will discover that you drugged him for four days and four nights, so you deliberately hid from him?¡± su xiaoxiao walked in seriously. qin canglan coughed lightly. ¡®you, take it easy.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. qin canglan said, ¡°you came at the right time. steward cen came just now and gave a few names for selection.¡± next month, su xiaoxiao and su ergou would acknowledge their roots and ancestors. at that time, the two of them would officially enter the qin family¡¯s genealogy and could no longer use the names of su daya and su ergou. as for su cheng, he was originally on the family tree. he had only let qin jiang occupy his identity for many years. now, qin che¡¯s identity had been returned to him. ¡°i¡¯m fine with anything.¡± it was just a name. she was not very conflicted. qin canglan thought for a moment. ¡°why don¡¯t i take these names to sikong yun to calculate later and choose one that suits you and ergou the most?¡± ¡°okay.¡± su xiaoxiao had no objections. at the mention of the grand astronomer, su xiaoxiao thought of something. ¡°grandpa, the grand astronomer said last time that he also wanted to change his fate, but he failed. whose life did he want to change?¡± ¡°ah, you¡¯re talking about this,¡± qin canglan said regretfully. ¡°the one in the palace. don¡¯t worry, he has nothing to do with the white lotus society.¡± su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°the one in the palace? his majesty?¡± qin canglan said, ¡°the empress.¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. qin canglan had never even mentioned this to the old marquis. su xiaoxiao was the first. ¡°he was childhood sweethearts with the empress. unfortunately, the empress was born with a precious destiny and was destined to be a mother to the world. at that time, he was still young and had just entered the imperial astronomy. he was not the grand astronomer yet, so he wanted to escape with the empress. later on, this matter was discovered by the empress¡¯s father. he privately sent many people to pursue the two of them and ordered to kill sikong yun. i happened to pass by and saved him.¡± ¡°i see.¡± it was a big piece of gossip. the grand astronomer and the empress¡­ su xiaoxiao said suspiciously, ¡°wait, if the grand astronomer had a relationship with the empress, what¡¯s with princess jingning¡¯s fate? does she really carry the luck of the royal family, or did the grand astronomer deliberately say that?¡± the empress had no sons and never fought for favor with the concubines in the harem. the reason why she had always stood tall was not only because she had not made any big mistakes, but also because of the birth characters of her daughter, princess jingning. qin canglan sighed. ¡°i¡¯m not sure about that. not many people know about this. the empress¡¯s father didn¡¯t dare to spread any information about the relationship between the two of them. otherwise, i¡¯m afraid someone else will have to take over this position.¡± emperor jing xuan was suspicious. if he knew about the past between the empress and sikong yun, sikong yun¡¯s good days would be over, and the empress and princess jingning¡¯s situation in the palace might be in jeopardy. suddenly, yu feng¡¯s voice came from outside the door. su xiaoxiao went to the door. it was taozhi. her eyes were red, and tears fell before she could speak. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°did something happen to princess jingning?¡± taozhi was princess jingning¡¯s personal palace maid. taozhi choked and said, ¡°it¡¯s not princess jingning¡­ it¡¯s the empress¡­ the empress has been poisoned¡­ princess jingning¡­ asked me to invite physician su¡­ to enter the palace to treat the empress¡­¡± ¡°okay, i¡¯ll go with you.¡± su xiaoxiao brought the first aid kit and taozhi into the palace. the empress lay on the phoenix bed with a pale face. imperial physician zhu and imperial physician wan had already induced nausea for the empress, but some of the poison had already invaded her internal organs, causing the empress to be unconscious. princess jingning stood guard at the side without saying a word. she did not cry or make a fuss, but her body was tightly tensed. su xiaoxiao walked over. ¡°i¡¯m here.¡± princess jingning turned around. the moment she saw su xiaoxiao, her eyes suddenly turned red.. Chapter 519 - Chapter 519: Untitled chapter 519: untitled translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao squeezed her hand comfortingly and pulled her to a stool. ¡°i¡¯ll go take a look at the empress. sit here and wait for me.¡± princess jingning nodded obediently. the palace servants were dumbfounded. this was the legitimate child of the central palace. where was the aura of fighting with princess hui an? su xiaoxiao came to the phoenix bed. the people from the imperial hospital had experienced her medical skills. after being slapped in the face by her a few times, they no longer dared to underestimate her. imperial physician zhu and imperial physician wan automatically made way. they did not leave. instead, they wanted to stay and observe su xiaoxiao¡¯s medical skills. it would be even better if they could learn something. su xiaoxiao looked at the empress¡¯s complexion and knew that the empress¡¯s condition was fine. she took the empress¡¯s pulse and checked her nails and pupils to further confirm her diagnosis. ¡°the two imperial physicians saved her in time. her majesty¡¯s life is no longer in danger.¡± as soon as these words were spoken, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. the two imperial physicians looked at her with complicated expressions. she had specially explained that the two of them had been saved in time. this was equivalent to giving them credit. although it was indeed their credit, if she insisted that they had not saved her properly, no one would question her given her previous experience. she could leave the credit to herself. at this moment, the two of them really looked at su xiaoxiao in a different iibiil. su xiaoxiao gave the empress two antidotes. the two imperial physicians wanted to ask for the prescription for the pills but they were not that thick-skinned. after the imperial physicians left, princess jingning dismissed the palace servants. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°what happened? why was the empress poisoned?¡± princess jingning patted the stool beside her. su xiaoxiao sat down. only then did princess jingning say, ¡°today, second sister-in-law entered the palace to pay her respects to my mother and told her the good news of her pregnancy. it turns out that second sister-in-law had already found out that she was pregnant when she went to pray for blessings. she didn¡¯t dare to say anything because she was in her first trimester.¡± su xiaoxiao recalled that when she bandaged the second prince¡¯s wife¡¯s wound that day, the other party had indeed been protecting her belly. so she was pregnant. princess jingning continued, ¡°sister-in-law and secondary consort qin were also here.¡± ¡°qin¡­ yanran?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°it¡¯s her,¡± princess jingning said. it had been too long since she heard this name. su xiaoxiao almost forgot about this person. princess jingning said, ¡°as you know, my brother has fallen out of favor with my father recently. in addition, the two of them lied about secondary consort qin falling into the water. my father originally wanted to cancel this marriage, but the royal family has already had a number of scandals. my father doesn¡¯t want the royal family to be subjected to more embarrassment, so he can only acknowledge secondary consort qin. the banquet was canceled, and she entered the eldest prince¡¯s residence in a sedan chair .¡± this was probably the saddest concubine appointment in the history of the royal family. ¡°after entering the residence, she entered the palace the next day to pay our respects to the empress. this is a rule set by the ancestors. at noon, my mother asked them to eat at kunning palace. in the afternoon, a group of people went to the imperial garden and happened to meet consort xian and hui an admiring the flowers.¡± at this point, princess jingning added, ¡°there was no class today.¡± su xiaoxiao gestured for her to continue. princess jingning said, ¡°later on, everyone went to the nearby pavilion. my mother asked the imperial kitchen to make some snacks and send them over. consort xian asked for a bottle of fruit wine. after drinking it, my mother was poisoned.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°were you there?¡± princess jingning shook her head. ¡°i was here originally, but later on, hui an argued with me. i couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so i left first. the others drank too, but only my mother¡¯s cup was poisonous.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°the poison was in the cup.¡± princess jingning nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. the two imperial physicians realized that there was still poison left on the mouth of the cup. it¡¯s a kind of juice brewed with aconite and happens to be similar in color to the fruit brew. the eunuch serving the tea set has already committed suicide on the spot. however, consort xian ordered the causal seed brew. she has already been called to the imperial study for questioning by father.¡± su xiaoxiao sniffed. princess jingning looked at her strangely. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± su xiaoxiao stood up and walked towards the empress¡¯s bed. she sniffed the bed and lay down to look under it. she moved her foot away and scooped with her hand. she couldn¡¯t reach it and wanted to get in, dut sne was stuck. ¡°the bed is too small!¡± she would never admit that she was fat! princess jingning burst out laughing. ¡°yes, the bed is too small. i¡¯ll get mother to customize a new bed later. i guarantee it¡¯ll be big and high.¡± su xiaoxiao stuck her chubby leg in and swept the things out. it was a little person covered in long needles. it was wearing the same clothes as princess jingning and had princess jingning¡¯s birth characters on its back. the little person had the incense that was used by the white lotus society. su xiaoxiao had interacted with many white lotus society members, but not everyone had them. for example, boss lin of the gambling den, madam wei, and sister-in-law chu did not have incense on them. the room was filled with the smell of chinese medicine. if not for su xiaoxiao¡¯s sharp nose and her sensitivity to this smell, she might not have noticed it. ¡°how¡­ could this be?¡± princess jingning was in disbelief. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°princess, that poisonous wine glass was aimed at you today.¡± because princess jingning who was driven away by princess hui an, the poisonous wine cup could not be removed. in the end, it entered the empress¡¯s stomach. it seemed that the white lotus society had already infiltrated the harem. mo guiyuan¡¯s plan of 30 years was really terrifyingly powerful. how did he do it? in the imperial study, consort xian took out her handkerchief and cried bitterly. ¡°your majesty¡­ i was wronged! i didn¡¯t harm the empress! yes! i wanted the fruit wine! but i drank it myself! could it be that i even poisoned myself? moreover, i was fine. they were fine after drinking it¡­ who knew that something would happen to the empress¡­¡± emperor jing xuan said coldly, ¡°you mean the empress poisoned herself and framed you with a ruse?¡± consort xian¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°i didn¡¯t say that.¡± emperor jing xuan said coldly, ¡°what¡¯s the benefit of her harming you? she doesn¡¯t have a son. why should she fight with you!¡± consort xian said aggrievedly, ¡°but i don¡¯t have to harm the empress¡­¡± her son was in the limelight now and would definitely be able to climb to the top in the future. no matter what, she would be the empress dowager. why would she fight with the empress in the short term? if she wanted to fight, she would fight with consort zhao and consort yu to prevent their sons from having the chance to fight for the throne with her third son! princess hui an grabbed emperor jing xuan¡¯s sleeve. ¡°father, believe mother¡­ mother won¡¯t poison mother¡­¡± ¡°your majesty, princess jingning requests an audience,¡± eunuch fu reported. emperor jing xuan said calmly, ¡°come in.¡± princess jingning entered and handed the little person she had found under the phoenix bed in kunning palace to emperor jing xuan. how could emperor jing xuan not tell that the other party was here for jingning? emperor jing xuan¡¯s expression turned even colder. jingning carried the luck of the royal family. if one touched jingning, it would be akin to touching the royal family. his sons would not do this, nor would consort xian.. Chapter 520 - Chapter 520: The Position of Crown Prince chapter 520: the position of crown prince translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after coming out of the imperial study, princess hui an glanced at princess jingning and said indifferently, ¡°thank you.¡± princess jingning ignored her and turned to walk towards kunning palace. princess hui an exploded and chased after her. ¡°hey! i¡¯m talking to you! what are you doing? don¡¯t think that just because you helped my mother today, you can act like you¡¯re high up in the air to me! i, i, i¡­ i¡¯m not to be trifled with!¡± princess jingning stopped and looked at her indifferently. ¡°are you done? if you¡¯re done, i¡¯m going back to kunning palace. i don¡¯t know who placed that dirty thing. i have to find him. i have many things to do. if you just want to quarrel with me, i don¡¯t have the time.¡± princess hui an choked. princess jingning left without looking back. the young eunuch said, ¡°princess, if princess jingning is gone, you will be the only princess. at that time¡­¡± princess hui an scolded angrily, ¡®what nonsense are you talking about? who will i quarrel with without her? if she dies, she can only be angered to death by me! if you dare to spout nonsense again in the future, i¡¯ll get mother to chase you away!¡± the young eunuch did not expect to get into trouble when he was trying to suck up. he was so frightened that he knelt down. ¡°i won¡¯t dare to do it again! princess, spare me! princess, spare me! princess, spare me!¡± in the imperial study, emperor jing xuan suddenly sat on the chair tiredly. ¡°your majesty!¡± eunuch fu¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°take care!¡± emperor jing xuan pinched his aching glabella and said, ¡°call third brother over.¡± ¡®yes.¡± eunuch fu personally went to the dali temple to call xiao zhonghua over. xiao zhonghua entered the imperial study and bowed respectfully to emperor jing xuan. ¡°father.¡± emperor jing xuan looked tired. ¡°how¡¯s the case going?¡± xiao zhonghua said, ¡°we haven¡¯t caught guo huan yet. the imperial guards are cooperating with the imperial capital to search for him. ¡± emperor jing xuan asked, ¡°where¡¯s the division leader qin canglan captured? did you get any information from him?¡± xiao zhonghua paused and said, ¡°the sect master of the white lotus society is on his way to the capital, or¡­ he has already entered the capital. i¡¯m inclined to the former. ¡± they turned the capital upside down, but there was no sign of guo huan. instead, they found two carriages filled with inferior fabric and the corpses of a few white lotus society experts in a forest outside the southern city gate. xiao zhonghua judged that these people were escorting guo huan out of the city. he did not know what they encountered halfway, but they were all killed. guo huan also disappeared. no matter what, guo huan would definitely go for the sect master. if he left the city, it meant that the sect master was also outside the city. ¡°it¡¯s the white lotus society again!¡± emperor jing xuan was so angry that his blood surged and his vision darkened. ¡°father!¡± xiao zhonghua quickly walked to his side and raised his hand to support his swaying body. ¡°are you alright?¡± emperor jing xuan stabilized himself and took away a piece of silk cloth that should be on the table, revealing the little person with long needles. xiao zhonghua was shocked. ¡°jingning?¡± the little person was made in princess jingning¡¯s likeness. he could recognize her at a glance without looking at the birth characters on her back. emperor jing xuan said with widened eyes, ¡°the white lotus society attacked jingning. they¡¯re provoking the royal family!¡± as he spoke, his gaze landed on xiao zhonghua¡¯s young and handsome face. ¡°third brother, you want to be the emperor, right?¡± xiao zhonghua took a step back and knelt on both knees. he said piously, ¡°father, i definitely don¡¯t have such improper thoughts!¡± emperor jing xuan smiled mockingly. ¡°is that so? if you don¡¯t want to be the emperor, why are you fighting with your two brothers?¡± xiao zhonghua said seriously, ¡°i didn¡¯t. father, have you misunderstood?¡± emperor jing xuan sneered. ¡°misunderstanding? then did i misunderstand when you went to qingzhou to look for the wei family¡¯s commander¡¯s seal?¡± xiao zhonghua¡¯s eyes trembled. emperor jing xuan glanced at him. ¡°why? do you want to ask me when i found out? not long ago, i just found out a few days ago. otherwise, i would have punished you for deceiving the emperor when you covered up for wei ting! ¡± xiao zhonghua lowered his eyes and did not argue for himself. ¡°do you know why i don¡¯t like you?¡± this was the first time emperor jing xuan openly admitted his dislike for xiao zhonghua. xiao zhonghua whispered, ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± emperor jing xuan smiled and said, ¡°because you¡¯re too similar to me when i was young, i know very well that your feelings for me are not as deep as they seem. you only have the throne in your heart, just like me back then.¡± xiao zhonghlla remained silent- emperor jing xuan looked solemnly at xiao zhonghua, who was imeeling on the ground. ¡°exterminate the white lotus society and kill every rebel in the white lotus society. with that, the position of crown prince¡­ is yours!¡± the capital in may had the heat of early summer. xiao zhonghua left the palace expressionlessly. su xiaoxiao happened to be at the entrance of the palace. she had just gone to yongshou palace to sit with the empress dowager for a while. xiao zhonghua looked at her deeply and restrained the emotions in his eyes. he walked towards her with a normal expression. ¡°miss su.¡± he greeted her. ¡°your highness.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded slightly. jing yi was not around today. xiao zhonghua looked around and said to su xiaoxiao, ¡°let¡¯s talk in private.¡± the two of them went to the side. this was not a sneaky place, but there were no coachmen and passersby, so they were not worried about being eavesdropped on. xiao zhonghua said, ¡°my father knows that wei ting went to qingzhou.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°when did he know?¡± xiao zhonghua said in a low voice, ¡°i just learned the news. in addition, the wei family¡¯s commander¡¯s seal has been exposed.¡± su xiaoxiao frowned. xiao zhonghua continued, ¡°did wei ting go to qingzhou to get the commander¡¯s seal? if not, remember to say that in the future.¡± the commander¡¯s seal had already been exposed. regardless of whether wei ting had any other secrets, it would be the best cover. ¡°thank you,¡± su xiaoxiao said. she imew that xiao zhonghua had already seen through wei ting¡¯s motive for going to qingzhou. ¡°third prince!¡± she stopped xiao zhonghua. ¡°be careful of the second prince¡¯s residence.¡± a trace of suspicion flashed across xiao zhonghua¡¯s eyes as he nodded slightly. ¡°i understand.¡± ¡°third brother!¡± the eldest prince, who had just left the palace, saw su xiaoxiao and xiao zhonghua and strode over. just now, he, the eldest princess consort, and qin yanran had gone to visit consort yu. the eldest princess consort got into xiao duye¡¯s carriage. qin yanran was a secondary consort, so she could only wait to get into the carriage behind. xiao duye smiled. ¡°physician su is also here. ah, should i call you miss qin?¡± xiao duye had tried to assassinate su cheng. although he did not succeed, su xiaoxiao still could not be bothered with him. otherwise, she was afraid that she would not be able to control her chubby fists. xiao zhonghua said, ¡°father asked me to investigate the white lotus society¡¯s case. miss su¡¯s grandfather has fought with the white lotus society. i¡¯m here to ask miss su for some clues.¡± this explained why the two of them were talking alone here. xiao duye smiled and said, ¡°there¡¯s no need to explain so much. don¡¯t i know your character? didn¡¯t jing yi follow you? recently, the activities of the white lotus society have been rampant. third brother has to be careful.¡± xiao zhonghua said unhurriedly, ¡°thank you for your reminder, big brother. i will. ¡± xiao duye patted his shoulder. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. big brother will leave first.¡± suddenly, a small fallen leaf floated down. xiao zhonghua raised his hand to receive it. su xiaoxiao looked up at the hand hanging above her head. ¡°what?¡± xiao zhonghua smiled. ¡°leaf.¡± in the carriage not far away, qin yanran lifted the curtain and watched this scene without blinking. the jealousy in her eyes was about to burn someone to ashes. that girl had clearly betrayed her engagement to him, so why did he treat her so differently? why could su daya live so well while she could only be reduced to a lowly secondary consort? why? Chapter 521 - Chapter 521: Mysterious Expert chapter 521: mysterious expert translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios before she married into the prince¡¯s residence, she thought that no matter what, she was still a secondary consort of the royal family. her status was not something ordinary people could compare to. however, after entering the residence, she realized how humble the life of a secondary consort was. the eldest princess consort was from a famous family. she looked gentle and virtuous to the outside world, but when she closed the door, she looked completely different. before dawn, she had to abide by the rules set by the eldest princess consort. if she was not careful, she would be taught a lesson by the nanny beside the eldest princess consort. the nanny was bestowed by empress on consort yu¡¯s request, representing the empress¡¯s face and authority. qin yanran could not hit or scold her; she could only endure it. however, this was not the most aggrieved experience. during this period of time, she had been cultivating in the house and seemed to have gradually let go. she felt that the so-called fight was actually meaningless. she was living her own carefree life. why should she compare herself to others? however, when she saw that girl, she realized that some things had long taken root in her heart. the calmness she had maintained for many days instantly disappeared. she was jealous of her. she was so jealous that she went crazy. it was as if ten thousand ants were constantly biting her heart! once the emotions that had been suppressed for many days were ignited, it was like boiling oil that could not be stopped. ¡°xu qing!¡± xu qing, who was driving, asked, ¡°miss, what¡¯s the matter?¡± qin yanran was qin jiang¡¯s only legitimate daughter. he was from qin jiang, so he naturally called her eldest miss. it was not necessarily the case in the protectorate. qin canglan¡¯s precious granddaughter was the legitimate eldest miss. qin yanran listened to the sound of hooves and wheels rolling. she said in a low voice, ¡°kill her.¡± her voice was very sort, dut now gooa was xu qing?s nearmgc ¡°miss, who should i kill?¡± xu qing asked. daya!¡± xu qing frowned and wrapped his wrist around the reins, slightly filling the speed of the carriage. ¡°miss, please think twice.¡± qin yanran said coldly, ¡°think twice? do you not dare to kill her?¡± ¡°no,¡± xu qing said. qin yanran tightened her grip on her handkerchief. ¡°then are you refusing to listen to my orders? my father didn¡¯t send you to protect me to disobey my orders.¡± xu qing hesitated for a moment and said earnestly, ¡°miss, you have to stay in your own lane and mind your own business. there¡¯s no need to go against her.¡± xu qing¡¯s words came from the bottom of his heart, but once a person was blinded by jealousy, they could no longer think rationally. ¡°to stay in my own lane and mind my own business? did she snatch my identity?¡± ¡°that was originally hers¡­¡± ¡°enough! you don¡¯t have to remind me! i know she¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s biological granddaughter!¡± your uncle¡­ xu qing said in his heart. ¡°didn¡¯t you tell me back then that i had to work hard to fight for myself? why are you saying something else now?¡± xu qing hesitated for a moment and said with a complicated expression, ¡°miss, i¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡± ¡°enough! these words make my ears go numb! if you don¡¯t dare to kill her, i¡¯ll go! i¡¯ll kill her!¡± qin yanran finished speaking excitedly. ignoring the fact that the carriage was on the move, she grabbed the spare bow and arrow in the carriage, lifted the curtain, and walked out. xu qing hurriedly grabbed her wrist to stop her from jumping down. ¡°wait!¡± he slowly let go of her wrist, his palm still warm from her. ¡°okay, i¡¯ll go.¡± it was common knowledge that qin canglan was recuperating in the imperial astronomy center. xu qing stopped the carriage on the path that led from the palace to the imperial astronomy center and waited. about 15 minutes later, su xiaoxiao¡¯s carriage slowly drove over. xu qing covered his face with a cloth pulled out his sword, and rushed towards the carriage. he slashed at the coachman! su xiaoxiao, who was sleeping in the carriage, felt a murderous aura. she suddenly opened her eyes, lifted the curtain, and kicked xu qing¡¯s wrist! the longsword that should have landed on the coachman was forcefully blocked. the coachman broke out in a cold sweat! su xiaoxiao jumped out of the carriage. the location xu qing chose was very particular. it was a must-pass and a quiet place. almost no one passed by here. this meant that su xiaoxiao would not be able to get anywhere. xu qing was not afraid that the coachman would report it to the officials because he would have already dealt with him before the officials arrived. the horse was frightened and sped forward uncontrollably. the coachman tried to control the carriage, but it was useless. ¡°miss¡­¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t panic at all. she looked at the masked man calmly and said calmly, ¡°stop lying. i know it¡¯s you, xu qing.¡± xu qing narrowed his eyes. ¡°qin yanran sent you?¡± at the entrance of the palace, she could feel qin yanran¡¯s resentful gaze from afar. jealousy made people crazy and ugly at the same time. she originally didn¡¯t have any thoughts about qin yanran, but qin yanran kept coming over to prance around in front of her. she was a little annoyed. a trace of coldness flashed across her eyes. ¡°just use the saber.¡± su mo had said that xu qing was really a saber artist. the long sword was just his cover. xu qing didn¡¯t take su xiaoxiao seriously and slashed at her. su xiaoxiao took out the dagger at her waist and met his blade without dodging. with a crack, his sword was slashed into two! xu qing looked at su xiaoxiao¡¯s dagger in disbelief. this was lord wu an¡¯s weapon! su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i told you to use a saber.¡± xu qing threw away the broken sword in his hand. although he did not use his full strength in that move just now, it was not difficult for him to sense the other party¡¯s strength. his fingertips went numb. he took out the saber at his waist and slashed at su xiaoxiao again. ¡°you¡¯re the first woman to force me to attack.¡± however, su xiaoxiao endured this move. su xiaoxiao blocked the second move. ¡°you¡¯re indeed a little troublesome,¡± xu qing said. ¡°i¡¯m going to get serious. i¡¯ll give you a quick death and not torture you.¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°the wind is too strong. be careful not to bite your tongue.¡± the two of them fought in the alley. su xiaoxiao clearly felt that her speed and strength had increased again. it was unknown if it was the result of the training or if the tonic in the pharmacy had been effective. the more xu qing fought, the more surprised he became. it had been ten moves. he had actually not killed this girl! in the carriage, qin yanran saw that there was no outcome after fighting for a long time. she gritted her teeth, took out her bow, and mercilessly shot at su xiaoxiao¡¯s back! xu qing frowned. su xiaoxiao¡¯s ears twitched as she kicked xu qing¡¯s chest. her other foot landed on the wall beside her and she used the momentum to jump up. she flew in the air, grabbed the arrow, and threw it at the carriage! at the same time, xu qing finally seized the best opportunity to assassinate. he stabbed su xiaoxiao in the chest. no sooner said than done, a dart tore through the air and bounced off his treasure saber! ¡°ah!¡± qin yanran¡¯s cry of pain came from the carriage. xu qing looked in the direction where the dart had come from. it was empty. he looked at his saber. there was actually a small hole on it. what kind of strength was this? another dart was shot, but this time, it was not at him, but at qin yanran in the carriage. his expression changed as he flew over and blocked the dart with his saber. then, he did not stay any longer. he grabbed the reins and rode away. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t chase after xu qing. this was because she had discovered the swallowtail dart on the ground. it was the expert who had secretly helped her. ¡°who are you?¡± she asked. the other party didn¡¯t answer and turned to leave. su xiaoxiao took a step forward and grabbed his shoulder. he subconsciously wanted to use his internal energy to push su xiaoxiao away, but he didn¡¯t seem to want to hurt her. at this moment, su xiaoxiao took off his bamboo hat.. Chapter 522 - Chapter 522: Reunion (1) chapter 522: reunion (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was an indescribable face. anyone who saw it would never forget it. because¡­ it was already unrecognizable. su xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment and regretted her abruptness. the other party also took advantage of her momentary shock to take back the bamboo hat uneasily and put it on himself again. su xiaoxiao was about to say something when a carriage stopped not far away. the three little balls slid down and ran toward her. dahu took the lead. erhu and xiaohu followed closely behind. that person seemed to be unwilling to be discovered by more people. he hurriedly turned around, raised his left hand, and nervously clasped his cloak. the three little ones were getting closer. he left without looking back. su xiaoxiao still didn¡¯t want to let him go so quickly. she had to figure out who he was, what he had experienced, why his appearance had been destroyed, and why he had helped her time and time again. also, was it him who had applied the blood-staunching elixir and held the umbrella for qin canglan that night? there were too many doubts in her heart. su xiaoxiao reached out to grab at him, but this time, he was wary and didn¡¯t let su xiaoxiao touch his body. however, su xiaoxiao pulled down a rusty bell from his waist. he wanted to snatch the bell back. ¡°mother, what are you doing? sister xiyue, hurry up!¡± it was xiaohu¡¯s childish voice. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know if it was her imagination, but she felt his body stiffen. she immediately retracted her hand. then, he fled. ¡°mother!¡± the three little ones pounced on su xiaoxiao. she bent down and hugged the three little fellows. when she turned to look in the direction the other party had left, there was no sign of him. but she knew that he had been here. xiaohu saw the broken sword on the ground and ran over to pick it up. su xiaoxiao hurriedly pulled the little guy back. ¡°it¡¯s dangerous. you¡¯ll cut your hand. ¡± ¡°it¡¯s dangerous.¡± xiaohu sat in su xiaoxiao¡¯s arms and obediently leaned his head on su xiaoxiao¡¯s shoulder. although he could not play with swords, he was happy to be hugged. ¡°why are you guys here?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. dahu waved his hand and pointed at the carriage. ¡°grandpa sikong brought us out to play.¡± sikong yun was a few years older than su cheng and was of the same seniority as him. therefore, the three of them called him grandpa. the corners of sikong yun¡¯s mouth twitched. did he say that he wanted to bring them out to play? he had felt that the imperial astronomy center was noisy, so he came out to have some peace and quiet! sikong yun was also in a sorry state. he thought that he had gotten rid of a few brats. when he sat in the carriage, he realized that the three of them were already sitting in a row in the carriage with a little girl. sikong yun was about to collapse! su xiaoxiao put xiaohu down and touched their heads. ¡°let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°yes!¡± the three of them nodded. wei xiyue ran to the end of the alley with the jar and looked around. xiaohu walked over and tugged at her sleeve. ¡°sister xiyue, let¡¯s go back.¡± wei xiyue and xiaohu walked back, looking back three times with every step, as if they were looking for something. after xu qing drove the carriage away, he drove all the way south and stopped the carriage near a medical center. qin yanran was hit in the shoulder by su xiaoxiao¡¯s arrow. the last time someone threw an arrow with their bare hands was wei ting. she never expected su xiaoxiao to have such shocking strength and accuracy. if su xiaoxiao shot with a bow, would it already pierce through herself? ¡°eldest miss, we¡¯ve arrived at the medical center,¡± xu qing said to qin yanran as he lifted the curtain. qin yanran was in so much pain that her face turned pale. ¡°i can¡¯t go to the medical center¡­¡± xu qing frowned and said, ¡°you¡¯re seriously injured.¡± qin yanran endured the pain and said with cold sweat, ¡°i¡­ didn¡¯t see su daya today¡­ i didn¡¯t ask you to assassinate her¡­ i wasn¡¯t injured by her¡­¡± xu qing said, ¡°miss¡­¡± qin yanran said coldly, ¡°what if she reports it to the officials¡­ and the doctors who pluck the arrows for me¡­ are all her witnesses¡­¡± xu qing said, ¡°your injuries need to be treated as soon as possible. otherwise, this arm will be crippled.¡± qin yanran broke out in cold sweat and said, ¡°you¡¯ve been injured a lot, right? come and pull the arrow!¡± xu qing didn¡¯t move. qin yanran was about to faint from the pain. she used her last bit of strength to glare at xu qing. ¡°what are you waiting for¡­ pull out the arrow!¡± a complicated look flashed across xu qing¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­okay.¡± xu qing was a martial artist and qin jiang¡¯s guard. like the rest of the people who licked blood, he always had blood-staunching elixir and golden sore medicine on him.. Chapter 523 - Chapter 523: Reunion (2) chapter 523: reunion (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios he took out a dagger and wiped it clean with a handkerchief before feeding the scabbard to qin yanran. ¡°bite it.¡± qin yanran bit the scabbard. xu qing looked at her thin gauze shirt and reached out to cut it open layer by layer with scissors. when her snow-white shoulders were completely exposed to him, he turned his face away. qin yanran grabbed his wrist tightly. xu qing¡¯s eyes flickered. he grabbed the arrow, closed his eyes, and pulled it out! qin yanran fainted from the pain and fell into his arms. blood stained his clothes and burned his chest. ¡°thud! thud! thud! thud!¡± xiaohu beat the gong all the way in the carriage. he had taken the official¡¯s gong again. dahu and erhu swayed with the rhythm. wei xiyue was in charge of clapping for the three little packrats. after cultivating dao techniques for so many years, this was the first time sikong yun felt that he was so close to ascending. wasn¡¯t it close? after being tortured two more times, he would directly ascend to immortality. his bitter days were short-term parole the moment ling yun appeared. ling yun had not seen his disciples for two days and was extremely smug, so he went out to look at zithers. on the way, he was wondering whose ghost was so noisy, so he pushed open the carriage window to take a look. then, the three little ones saw him. ¡°master!¡± ¡°master!¡± ¡°master!¡± the three little ones¡¯ eyes lit up. ling yun was horrified. no, no, no, no¡ª ¡°goodbye, mother. goodbye, grandpa sikong! goodbye, uncle coachman!¡± the three little ones stood on the street and waved goodbye to su xiaoxiao and the others obediently before pulling wei xiyue into ling yun¡¯s carriage. ling yun, who really wanted to die wondered why he had to come out to show off. in the carriage,sikong yun asked about what happened in the alley. ¡°what happened just now? were you fighting someone?¡± the carriage was gone. there were broken knives on the ground and footprints on the wall¡­ it was obvious that there had been a fight. ¡°yes, that¡¯s true,¡± she said casually. seeing that she seemed to be too lazy to mention it, sikong yun did not get to the bottom of it. she looked fine, so the other party should be the one suffering. ¡°well¡­¡± he hesitated for a moment and asked about the palace in a normal tone.¡± i heard that the empress fell ill. ¡± ¡°someone poisoned her,¡± su xiaoxiao said. sikong yun frowned slightly. ¡°who did it?¡± ¡°white lotus society,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°they¡¯re here for princess jingning.¡± the white lotus society wanted to shake the fate of the royal family, so they attacked princess jingning. this fate that had protected her and the empress for many years also welcomed its price at this moment. everything was a double-edged sword, and so was this fate. if one wanted to wear a crown, one had to bear its weight. princess jingning¡¯s fate was that no matter who became the emperor in the future, he would always protect her. from this point, sikonz yun¡¯s plan was verv thorouzh. however, if there was a rebellion, no matter who wanted to be the emperor, the first person to be killed would be jingning. after returning to the imperial astronomy center, su xiaoxiao went to qin canglan¡¯s room. su qi, su yu, and su li were all there. they were here to visit qin canglan. su xiaoxiao greeted them. ¡°why are you back so late? is the empress¡¯ poison very serious?¡± qin canglan asked worriedly. ¡°no, the empress is fine.¡± thinking of what happened on the way, su xiaoxiao took out the rusty iron bell. ¡°grandpa, do you know this?¡± qin canglan took it with his right arm and looked at it. ¡°i don¡¯t know it.¡¯ ¡°what is it?¡± su li leaned over. ¡®what¡¯s so good about a rusty iron bell? do you like this? you should have said so earlier and asked big brother to buy you a few new ones!¡± second cousin su qi said, ¡°this is an iron bell from many years ago. i wore it when i was young. it¡¯s a little smaller than this. i probably threw it away later.¡± third cousin su yu took the iron bell and shook it. ¡°yours is so rusty that it can¡¯t ring anymore. these iron bells are no longer used. they¡¯re all made of copper now. they¡¯re beautiful and fragile!¡± ¡°why are you suddenly asking about this?¡± qin canglan asked. the three little fellows¡¯ focus was on the bell itself, but qin canglan felt that things were not so simple. su xiaoxiao told him about meeting that mysterious expert. qin canglan asked, ¡°are you saying that someone tried to assassinate you? you¡¯re not injured, right?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i¡¯m not injured. i¡¯ll tell you in detail about the assassination later. i suspect that this expert who secretly helped me twice is the one who applied the blood-staunching elixir for you last time. do you really not know him? i keep feeling that he knows us.¡± su xiaoxiao felt that that person seemed to know them. qin canglan pondered and said, ¡°from what you said, his face was ruined¡­ i indeed don¡¯t have such an expert by my side. don¡¯t look at the three of them, or the marquis of zhenbei. didn¡¯t you say last time that you wanted to ask wei ting if he recognized that swallowtail dart? what did wei ting say?¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°he said he didn¡¯t know him either.¡± qin canglan frowned strangely. ¡°could it be that that person isn¡¯t from the wei family?¡± su yu suddenly grabbed the iron bell and said, ¡°grandaunt, cousin, look, there¡¯s¡­ a word here!¡± at night, it rained heavily in the capital again. the pedestrians were in a hurry and found a place to hide from the rain. a man in a thick blue cloak walked against the direction of the crowd. he covered his right arm and walked on the long rain-soaked street. every day when it rained, his wound would hurt violently. this time, it was especially intense. a carriage came walking through the rain. ¡°move aside, move aside, move aside! aiya!¡± the carriage hit and knocked the man down into the rain. yuchi xiu hurriedly tightened the reins and stopped the carriage. ¡°i already told you to move aside! why are you still bumping up!¡± he would never admit that his driving skills were not as good as fu su¡¯s. he jumped out of the carriage and walked over to help the other party up. ¡°hey, are you alright? do you want me to send you to the medical center? your body is so hot! you¡¯re sick!¡± wei ting lifted the curtain slightly and asked, ¡°what happened?¡± the man¡¯s body stiffened. he pushed yuchi xiu away and left without looking back! ¡°hey! why are you leaving? don¡¯t leave! i hit you. i¡¯ll compensate you! what¡¯s going on? hiss¡ªthis person is so strong. he¡¯s so lively even when he¡¯s sick.¡± yuchi xiu rubbed his aching shoulder. ¡°lord, you scared him away!¡± wei ting said, ¡°did i scare him away?¡± yuchi xiu said, ¡°that¡¯s right. he ran away as soon as you spoke!¡± wei ting looked ahead suspiciously, but the rain was too heavy and he quickly couldn¡¯t see. ¡°forget it. let¡¯s go.¡± wei ting lowered the curtain. how strange. he suddenly got in a bad mood.. Chapter 524 - Chapter 524: Showing the Way chapter 524: showing the way translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the man stumbled into the rain and bumped into many people. ¡°are you crazy! you¡¯re blind!¡± a burly man cursed and reached out to pull him. however, the moment the burly man pulled his sleeve, he was instantly stunned. he pulled out his sleeve and decisively entered the rain. after walking for an unknown period of time, his mind was in a mess. finally, he couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and fell to the ground. a pedestrian had discovered him. ¡°aiya, who is it? why did you collapse here?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know him. he doesn¡¯t look familiar. he¡¯s not from this family, right?¡± ¡°is he new next door?¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t look like it either.¡± ¡°hey! you stinky beggar! you felt for his silver when he fainted!¡± a little beggar felt him for a while but did not find much silver. he only found a few copper coins and left cursing. the rain was too heavy. everyone could not take care of themselves and gradually left. after an unknown period of time, a carriage stopped beside him. ¡°young master, there¡¯s a person by the roadside,¡± the servant driving the carriage said. ¡°how many times have i told you to mind your own business?¡± ¡°oh.¡± the servant continued driving. the person in the carriage lifted the curtain and glanced at the man on the ground. ¡°wait.¡± the capital was filled with rain and fog. jing yi and xiao zhonghua came to the dali temple in the rain. ¡°cousin, can his majesty¡¯s words be trusted?¡± jing yi asked. xiao zhonghua said calmly, ¡°whether they can be trusted, i have to bite this hook.¡± jing yi frowned. he had grown up with his cousin. his cousin seemed to be doted on, but he was actually not. the sons that his majesty really doted on were the eldest prince and the second prince. the sixth prince was still young and was quite doted on. only his cousin was in an awkward situation. was such an emperor really willing to give the position of crown prince to his cousin? ¡°did you bring the person?¡± xiao zhonghua asked. ¡°i brought him.¡± jing yi turned around and looked behind him. ¡°bai ze.¡± bai ze understood and walked over with a long follower. xiao zhonghua placed his hands behind his back and said calmly, ¡°let¡¯s go and ask division leader chen. ¡± division leader chen was imprisoned in a separate cell. it was not next to any cell, and there were walls on all sides. it was gloomy, and there was only a very small hole in one of the walls. this place was like a small purgatory. division leader chen sat on the chair. when he saw the cell door open, he sneered. ¡°aren¡¯t you people from the imperial court tired? how many times have i said that i don¡¯t know anything? i advise you not to waste your energy on me.¡± xiao zhonghua and jing yi entered. xiao zhonghua came opposite him and pulled the chair, not maintaining a safe distance from division leader chen. division leader chen was a little surprised. ¡°hmph, aren¡¯t you afraid that i¡¯ll ambush you? it¡¯s not that i want to say it, but your chains can¡¯t restrain me at all. ¡± xiao zhonghua said, ¡°if you can beat jing yi, try.¡± branch leader chen glared bitterly at the young man beside xiao zhonghua. he had just been captured. he had escaped from prison a few times, but he was always captured by this kid. he said disdainfully, ¡°my lungs were injured by qin canglan. otherwise, how could a brat like you do anything to me?¡± xiao zhonghua said unhurriedly, ¡°i¡¯m here today to show division leader chen the way.¡± branch leader chen mocked, ¡°heh, what way? you make it sound dignified. don¡¯t you just want to get information from me? give up. i won¡¯t betray the sect master! ¡± xiao zhonghua was not angry. he said calmly, ¡°i never asked you to betray the sect master.¡± ¡°you guys¡­¡¯ this form of address was a little intriguing. ¡°bring him in,¡± xiao zhonghua said. bai ze pushed the man into the cell. leader chen took a look and was immediately dumbfounded. ¡°guardian he? you¡¯re not dead?!¡± he stood up in shock! jing yi pulled out his sword and stood in front of xiao zhonghua. xiao zhonghua said, ¡°jing yi, let¡¯s go out first and let the two of them catch up.¡± jing yi and xiao zhonghua left the cell. division leader chen looked at the closed cell door and was still a little cautious. he lowered his voice and gritted his teeth. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you? aren¡¯t you dead? why are you with xiao zhonghua¡¯s people? have you betrayed the sect master?¡± guardian he hurriedly said, ¡°i didn¡¯t! i wasn¡¯t the one who betrayed the sect master! it was someone else! i pretended to deal with xiao zhonghua to find out the truth. i suspect that someone pretended to be the sect master and gave me a death order!¡± was there a need to doubt this? Chapter 525 - Chapter 525: Blocked chapter 525: blocked translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was guo huan. division leader chen cleared his throat. he did not stop guo huan or cause trouble for him. strictly speaking, he had let guardian he down. guardian he said, ¡°in addition, the eldest prince seems to be a traitor of the imperial court. he was the one who told wei ting that my nest was destroyed last time. however, i don¡¯t dare to believe him easily because i want to investigate clearly. this is the second reason why i faked my death.¡± division leader chen questioned, ¡°are you really not doing this for yourself?¡± guardian he swore, ¡°my loyalty to the sect master can be seen by the sun and moon!¡± branch leader chen asked, ¡°then why are you here?¡± guardian he said earnestly, ¡°branch leader, as long as there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope. guo huan has already been exposed, and the imperial court won¡¯t let him off. if he¡¯s gone, you¡¯ll be under one person and above ten thousand others. why do you have to fall for such a small matter? why don¡¯t you pretend to sell xiao zhonghua some harmless news in exchange for some room for survival? at that time, i¡¯ll wait for an opportunity to help you escape!¡± division leader chen frowned. ¡°isn¡¯t this betraying the sect master?¡± guardian he said, ¡°this is called infiltrating the imperial court. you can use a small price to exchange for the trust of the imperial court. when the sect master needs our loyalty in the future, won¡¯t it be convenient for you to cooperate with him from the inside? do you have to sacrifice your life for nothing to be considered loyal? isn¡¯t it another form of repayment for feeding the tiger with your body?¡± division leader chen sat back in his chair in a daze. ¡°let me think about it.¡± fifteen minutes later, guardian he came out of the cell. he saw xiao zhonghua at the end of the corridor. ¡°your highness, i¡¯ve followed your instructions.¡± xiao zhonghua smiled. ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll definitely fulfill the conditions i agreed to. jing yi¡¯s men will go to the white lotus society to save your family.¡± it was unknown if guardian he was doing this for his family or to hide his fear of death in the name of saving his family. of course, xiao zhonghua did not care. he only wanted the outcome. when xiao zhonghua appeared in front of division leader chen again, division leader chen was clearly not as arrogant and disdainful as before. ¡°have you thought it through?¡± xiao zhonghua asked. division leader chen said coldly, ¡°i can tell you what i know, but how can i be sure that you will definitely let me go? if you kick me to the curb when i¡¯ve outlived my usefulness, won¡¯t i be caught off guard?¡± he could threaten guardian he without hiding it, but he still had to show some sincerity to a figure like division leader chen. xiao zhonghua gave him a handwritten letter. ¡°my personal seal is stamped on it. if i violate my oath and kill you in the filture, you can ask your trusted aide to announce it to the world. i¡¯m a prince and have to cherish my feathers. this is my sincerity for branch leader chen.¡± since division leader chen was colluding with the first prince, he naturally understood xiao zhonghua¡¯s situation in the royal family. he put away the letter. ¡°actually, the sect master hasn¡¯t entered the capital yet. i won¡¯t tell you where the sect master is. i can only remind you not to enter the peach forest.¡± guo huan fled for three days and three nights. during this process, not only did he have to avoid the pursuit of the imperial court, but he also had to avoid becoming food for the wild beasts in the mountains. his wounds were inflamed, and his injuries were rapidly worsening. he had to be treated as soon as possible. otherwise, he would lose his life. ahead was the peach forest. he could not enter the peach forest. but¡­ the pursuers were right behind him. he gritted his teeth and entered the peach forest. ¡°quick! guo huan is over there!¡± a team 01 pursuers chasea inco me peach wrest. not long after, the screams of the pursuers came from the forest. when su mo rushed to the event location, there was only the thick smell of blood in the air. su mo held his sword and entered the peach forest without hesitation. in the oil lamp-like room, the man trembled and suddenly sat up on the mattress on the floor. ¡°you¡¯re awake?¡± a faint man¡¯s voice came from beside him. he turned around and saw a thin young man sitting on a futon, drinking tea unhurriedly. he did not sense any malice from the other party. he looked down at his clothes. these were not his clothes. ¡°your clothes were all wet. i got deng an to change them for you.¡± ling yun said. he went to touch his broken arm. ¡°i applied medication,¡± ling yun said. ¡°didn¡¯t you see a doctor back then?¡± the man said nothing. he wiped his disfigured face again and touched a jade mask. ¡°it¡¯s more convenient to wear this.¡± ¡°lalala! lalala!¡± xiao huts little demonic voice suddenly came from next door. he was to speak or act without sound reason¡­ it was definitely not playing cotton. he sang excitedly as he played. ling yun was already used to it and his temples stopped throbbing. however, the man seemed to have been greatly frightened and wanted to find a place to hide. ling yun said, ¡°this is a secret room. they can¡¯t enter.¡± the man paused. he followed the direction of the voice to the wall. there was a grid here, and he could actually see through it. he watched in a daze. xiaohu was playing the zither, dahu was playing with su xiaoxiao¡¯s magnet darts, and erhu was showing off his new eight trigrams stone to wei xiyue. suddenly, wei xiyue seemed to have sensed something and walked over. the man¡¯s expression changed. he leaned back and fell to the ground. ling yun took a sip of tea. ¡°don¡¯t worry, they can¡¯t see or hear you from outside.¡± wei xiyue widened her eyes and looked into the crack. ¡°sister xi yue, sister xi yue, do you still want to see my little stone?¡± erhu pulled wei xiyue back and did not allow his only audience to leave halfway. the rain stopped and the four little ones were picked up by wei ting and yuchi xiu. ¡°they¡¯re gone,¡± ling yun said. the man stood up. ling yun asked, ¡°are you leaving too?¡± the man nodded slightly, as if he wanted to say thank you, but in the end, he only touched his mask. ling yun took a sip of tea. ¡°if my family becomes like this, i won¡¯t want him to hide. i¡¯ll want to acknowledge him.¡± the man did not say anything and dragged his disfigured body out of ling yun¡¯s courtyard. the rain eased a little. he hid in the alley. yuchi xiu carried the last little toger into the carriage. ¡°sit tight! lord, are you going to the imperial astronomy centre?¡± wei ting said, ¡®yes.¡± the carriage left. it was not until he could no longer hear the carriage that the man slowly pulled himself out of his emotions. just as he turned around, he was blocked by wei ting at the entrance of the alley.. Chapter 526 - Chapter 526: Bringing You Home chapter 526: bringing you home translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the secret room, ling yun drank his tea leisurely. the so-called tea was actually su xiaoxiao¡¯s honey fruit brew. it was brewed with warm water and tasted sour and sweet. one would not be unable to sleep after drinking it at night. deng an sighed. ¡°young master, you¡¯ve already drunk two pots. if you continue drinking, you¡¯ll pee on the bed.¡± ling yun glared at him. ¡°shut up if you don¡¯t know how to speak.¡± ¡°oh.¡± deng an closed his mouth. however, he only closed his eyes for a second. deng an couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°young master, is it really fine to let that person go just like that? that person is very sick and his injuries are very serious. if he isn¡¯t treated in time, he will die.¡± ling yun said calmly, ¡°when did you become so kind?¡± deng an said, ¡°how am i being kind? young master was the one who brought him back. i¡¯m worried for young master.¡± ling yun couldn¡¯t be bothered to speak. deng an sat down beside him with the teapot. ¡°young master, i¡¯ve been following you for almost three years. i feel that ever since dahu, erhu, xiaohu, and the others came, you¡¯ve gradually become different from before.¡± ling yun asked, ¡°what¡¯s different?¡± deng an thought for a moment. ¡°how should i put it¡­ in the past, if someone fell in front of you, you would directly step over them. you¡¯re simply the cold, heartless, selfish, and evil person in that book¡­ ahem, it seems a little exaggerated. ¡± he poured a cup of honey fruit wine for ling yun. ¡°in short, the original young master would definitely leave him in the lurch. the current young master¡­ has warmed up a lot.¡± ling yun said, ¡°i¡¯m just returning a favor.¡± deng an was stunned, not understanding why his young master wanted to repay a stranger. moreover, since he had returned the favor, why did he let him leave with his injuries? the rain in the capital gradually stopped, and the alley was filled with dense rain. the man stood stiffly in the rain and fog and looked at wei ting in disbelief. he did not expect wei ting to appear here. wei ting did it on purpose. otherwise, the man might have walked away from the other end of the alley. as wei ting looked at him without blinking, his expression became complicated. ¡°sixth brother, is that you?¡± there was an uncontrollable tremble in his voice. the man said nothing and turned to leave. wei ting strode forward. the man used his qinggong and jumped onto the roof. wei ting also jumped up. the two of them flew over roofs and walls in the night. the remaining rain and fog in the air wet their clothes. the man kept increasing his speed while wei ting chased relentlessly. when he passed by a big tree, the man casually pinched a leaf and shot it at wei ting behind him. wei ting did a backflip and landed steadily on the tile on one knee. crack! the tiles cracked under his feet. ¡°who is it! why didn¡¯t you sleep in the middle of the night? why did you run to someone¡¯s roof!¡± the host¡¯s curses came from below. the corners of wei ting¡¯s mouth twitched. he left an ingot of silver in the courtyard as compensation and quickly chased after the man. xiao duye had just met an advisor at the restaurant and was about to get into the carriage back to the residence. swoosh! a horse was gone. xiao duye was stunned. the coachman was also stunned. before the two of them could react, swoosh! the other horse was gone too! xiao duye was furious. ¡°how dare you steal my horse!¡± the coachman said, ¡°it¡¯s not stealing. it¡¯s robbing openly.¡± the dignified prince had been robbed openly in the capital. xiao duye exploded. ¡°men! chase after him!¡± ¡°yes!¡± a few guards of the prince¡¯s residence immediately spurred their horses and chased after him. however, the horse xiao duye used was a rare ferghana horse. how could the guards¡¯ mount catch up? not long after, they were left behind. xiao duye was furious! on the other side, wei ting chased after the man on his horse and sped along the empty street. wei ting turned to look at him. ¡°sixth brother, it¡¯s you, right?¡± the man did not say anything. he held the reins tightly with his left hand and used his internal energy to urge the horse to speed up, shaking off wei ting. wei ting frowned and did not chase further. instead, he turned into the alley beside him. when he came out of the winding alley, he successfully intercepted the man running away. he was in the middle of the road, and the man had nowhere to go. he could only tighten the reins and turn around. ¡°sixth brother!¡± wei ting looked at him with a burning gaze. ¡°i know it¡¯s you. why aren¡¯t you saving anything? don¡¯t you know i little seven anymore?¡± the man couldn¡¯t help but grip the reins tightly. after an unknown period of time, he finally said calmly, ¡°you¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡± it was not a voice that was familiar to wei ting, but an extremely hoarse sound, as if it was pulled out with difficulty from a broken bellow. wei ting¡¯s eyes trembled. the man turned his horse. wei ting took out the thing in his arms. ¡°if you¡¯re not sixth brother, then tell me, why are you wearing my sixth brother¡¯s iron bell? the iron bell was given to us by dad when we were very young. every brother has it, and everyone¡¯s names are engraved on it. i lost mine, so sixth brother gave me his. later on, i found mine again, so i gave mine to sixth brother. sixth brother said that he would always wear it¡­ he wore it for many years.¡± the man said, ¡°i picked it up.¡± wei ting¡¯s eyes were like torches. ¡°i don¡¯t believe you!¡± ¡°over there! they¡¯re over there!¡± the guards of the eldest prince¡¯s residence caught up. ¡°how dare you! how dare you snatch his highness¡¯s horses! hurry up and surrender! otherwise, i¡¯ll¡­ before this guard could finish, he was knocked unconscious by wei ting¡¯s palm. ¡°you¡¯re going against the eldest prince¡¯s residence. i think you¡¯re¡­ ah¡­¡± the second guard was knocked unconscious by the man¡¯s punch. ¡°it¡¯s useless if you don¡¯t believe me, ¡± the man said. pa, he knocked out another guard. ¡°come back with me,¡± wei ting said and knocked down the fourth guard who rushed up. before the two of them could finish speaking, the guards of the eldest prince¡¯s residence were collectively wiped out. throughout the entire process, the two of them did not look at the guards and kept staring at each other. the horse could not cross over, and they could not shake each other off even if they turned around and left. after all, they were of the same breed, and their riding skills were not bad. the man decisively abandoned the horse and used his qinggong again. wei ting would never let him slip away from him again. no matter what he had experienced in the past few years and why he refused to acknowledge his family, he had to bring him home. wei ting flew over to grab him. unexpectedly, he only caught an empty sleeve. wei ting¡¯s expression changed. ¡°sixth brother, you¡­ the man¡¯s body stiffened. he slapped wei ting¡¯s shoulder and knocked him to the ground. he did not manage to jump onto the roof and could only land at the corner. wei ting looked at him with a complicated expression and looked behind him. ¡°dad! you¡¯re here!¡± the man would not fall for it. he turned around and flashed into the alley. su cheng rode his horse and rushed out from the other end of the alley. he was too fast to stop. the man was already injured and hot. after dealing with wei ting for so long, he did not have the strength to dodge anymore. wei ting pounced over and threw him to the ground. he protected him with his body and rolled a few times before stopping. wei ting said, ¡°i already reminded you.¡± the man¡¯s world spun and he could no longer hold on. he fainted in wei ting¡¯s arms. ¡°son-in-law, are you alrignt(¡± su cheng jumped off the horse. he was out looking for his son-in-law, but he ran him over with his horse. ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± wei ting stood up with the man in his arms. his arm was bloody, but he did not feel any pain. his sixth brother was alive, and his sixth brother was back.. he wouldn¡¯t feel anything even if he was stabbed. he looked at the unconscious man in his arms and hugged his incomplete and thin body. his throat suddenly surged with uncontrollable pain and choked. ¡°sixth brother, little seven will bring you home..¡± Chapter 527 - Chapter 527: Father and Sons Meet chapter 527: father and sons meet translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the imperial astronomy center, the three little ones had already fallen asleep. wei xiyue had also been sent back to the wei family by yuchi xiu. su qi and su yu did not return to the duke mansion. the two of them stayed in qin canglan¡¯s room and waited for news from wei ting with qin canglan and su ergou. the first to enter was su cheng. ¡°dad!¡± ¡°uncle!¡± the three children greeted him and looked behind him. wei ting passed by the door with a man wrapped in a cloak and went to the next room to look for su xiaoxiao. su qi hurriedly said, ¡°uncle, is it that person? the owner of the bell?¡± su cheng said, ¡°ah, yes.¡± the few of them took a deep breath and felt relieved. however, they could not help but be curious. su yu asked, ¡°uncle, who is that person? is he from the wei family?¡± su qi glared at his brother. ¡°isn¡¯t that obvious? the bell belongs to the wei family. how can he not be a member of the wei family?¡± su yu frowned and said, ¡°i want to know who he is to the wei family! is he wei ting¡¯s father or his brother? which brother?¡± the two of them had no choice but to fight. su cheng thought for a moment and said, ¡°i think i heard my son-in-law call him sixth brother¡­¡± to be honest, su cheng wanted to ask directly, but he really couldn¡¯t say it. he had never seen his son-in-law like that¡­ he didn¡¯t read much and found it hard to describe. in short, even he felt sad when he saw it. ¡°that¡¯s wei liulang!¡± su qi said. ¡°it¡¯s good that someone from the wei family survived! ¡± these words came from the bottom of his heart. the wei family was too miserable. eight men had died on the battlefield. it was great news that one of them could return alive. qin canglan noticed su cheng¡¯s silence and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°cheng¡¯er, why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± su cheng sighed. ¡°wei liulang¡¯s condition¡­ might not be good.¡± in the next room, wei ting placed him on a bamboo bed that was half the height of a person and briefly described his sixth brother¡¯s situation. at first, wei ting planned to bring him back to the residence, but on the way, he realized that his sixth brother¡¯s injuries were too serious, so he came to the imperial astronomy center, which was closer. su xiaoxiao opened the medicine box and took out a scalpel. she put on sterile gloves and took a pair of sterilized scissors to cut wei liulang¡¯s clothes. she looked at the tragically severed arm. ¡°how did he survive the past few years?¡± wei ting frowned. ¡°a few years? you mean¡­¡± once su xiaoxiao went on the operating table, she would only be a doctor. she said calmly, ¡°the arm has been broken for at least three to four years. the bone has grown out of the flesh. it should have been ground before, but it hasn¡¯t been ground very well.¡± wei ting¡¯s heart ached. ¡°he needs immediate surgery. also, did you just say that his throat is damaged?¡± ¡°yes, and¡­¡± su xiaoxiao took off his mask and looked at his unrecognizable face. she understood. ¡°i understand. go out first.¡± ¡°sixth brother¡¯s injury¡­ i¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll do my best.¡± wei ting left the house. su qi, su yu, and su ergou looked at him in unison. he didn¡¯t say anything and waited silently under the corridor. ¡°brother-in-law, here.¡± su ergou handed him the snacks he had saved up for the entire day. he didn¡¯t have a brother, but he had a sister. he understood how his brother-in-law felt. if his sister was injured, he would be so sad, even sadder than if he was injured. wei ting took the snack. in the house, su xiaoxiao carefully checked wei liulang¡¯s injuries and realized that his condition was much worse than she had imagined. his voice was gone, his face was ruined, and he had lost an arm. he was almost half a cripple. however, even so, he did not accept his fate. he practiced his martial arts bit by bit with unimaginable pain, therefore, he had internal injuries. su xiaoxiao put an intravenous drip, and went on to work on debridement, bone grinding, suture¡­ she also used some anti-inflammatory medicine and fever medicine. injuries and illnesses could be treated. if one type of medicine did not work, she had other methods, but some things¡­ such as the destroyed appearance and voice, were very difficult to recover. su xiaoxiao frowned and began to organize the remaining medical consumables. when she bent down, the pouch at her waist opened, and a small black medicine bottle fell out. it hit the ground and opened. su xiaoxiao was stunned. this little black egg¡­ actually opened? she picked up the medicine bottle and the body of the bottle. ¡°so i have to break it open? no wonder i can¡¯t twist it no matter how hard i try.¡± there was a milky cream in the medicine bottle. su xiaoxiao sniffed it. ¡°is it applied or eaten?¡± there was no special smell. she dipped a skewer into it and tasted it. she retched¡ª this was not meant for consumption! the pharmacy was really killing people. they didn¡¯t even provide a manual for the medicine. what was going on? su xiaoxiao felt that if she continued testing the medicine like this, she might become immune to poison. since it was applied, it should be effective on wounds or scars. su xiaoxiao worked in the room until dawn. su cheng put the children to bed while he accompanied his son-in-law down the corridor. seeing su xiaoxiao come out, he hurriedly asked, ¡°daughter, how is he?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°the injuries that should be treated have been treated. i will have to observe him for two days before making the exact prognosis.¡± his situation was different from qin canglan¡¯s. qin canglan was seriously injured, but he was immediately treated effectively and all possible infections had been eliminated. wei liulang¡¯s injuries did not seem to be fatal, but an infection could really kill. she used all the medicine she could. she hoped that wei liulang could survive. ¡°i¡¯ll go in and see him,¡± wei ting said. su xiaoxiao nodded. su cheng looked at su xiaoxiao¡¯s haggard expression and said with heartache, ¡°daughter, you¡¯re tired, right? go rest for a while.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°dad, go rest too. i¡¯ll sleep after brewing the medicine.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll brew it!¡± su cheng said. su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°this medicine is a little complicated. i have to brew it myself. i¡¯m fine. i slept too much during the day.¡± after persuading su cheng to return to qin canglan, su xiaoxiao entered the room with the herbs. wei ting sat quietly in front of the bed. ¡°my sixth brother¡­ will be fine, right?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i¡¯m confident about his injuries, but¡­ are you sure he¡¯ll agree to stay? he probably doesn¡¯t want you to see him like this, right? what if he escapes again after he wakes up?¡± wei ting said nothing. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°you¡¯d better not fight him anymore. i just stitched him up. if he pulls his wound, it will intensify the infection.¡± ¡°i understand.¡± wei ting clenched his fists. ¡°i¡­ won¡¯t fight sixth brother again.¡± wei liulang slept until the afternoon of the third day. just as su xiaoxiao had expected, he was unwilling to face anyone with this broken body. he secretly left the room while wei ting was going to the toilet. because of the medicine, he could not use his qinggong and internal strength for the time being. fortunately, the wall of the imperial astronomy center was not high, so he could climb over it without using his qinggong. he came to the top of the wall and climbed up with his good left arm. just as he stuck half of his body out, he saw a small child holding a stick of candied hawthorn outside the courtyard wall looking up at him. ¡°what are you doing?¡± xiaohu asked.. Chapter 528 - Chapter 528: Connected chapter 528: connected translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the moment he saw the little fellow, a trace of extreme panic flashed across his eyes! his body trembled, and his arm loosened. he fell with a bang. naturally, he fell back to the imperial astronomy center. ¡°xiaohu, what are you doing? erhu licked the candied hawthorn and walked over. xiaohu pointed at the wall. ¡°an uncle fell.¡± ¡°which uncle?¡± erhu stood on his tiptoes to look. at his low altitude, he could not see it no matter how he tiptoed. xiaohu shook his head. ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± erhu said, ¡°then let¡¯s go.¡± xiaohu said, ¡°no, i want to see him climb out.¡± the two little fellows licked the candied hawthorn and did not leave. wei liulang fell onto the grass. it did not hurt much, but his head was a little dizzy. the medicine su xiaoxiao gave him contained a certain amount of sedatives. actually, when the medicine was completely metabolized, his strength would recover. however, he did not know that and thought it was because his vitality had been injured. as everyone knew, it would take a few days to recover. he could not stay in the imperial astronomy center for so long. with the two little ones guarding outside, this path would not work. he switched to another wall. this time, the wall was slightly higher, but there was a date tree at the side. he could jump down from it. he leaped gently and grabbed the branch of the date tree with his left hand. he rolled up and hooked another thick branch. he hung upside down on the branch. suddenly, an upside-down face pressed against him. dahu tilted his head and asked him, ¡°are you here to pick dates too?¡± his expression changed and he hurriedly jumped down in shock. this time, he did not fall. he held on with his hands. but it was too dangerous. he subconsciously touched the mask on his face and felt a lingering fear. dahu climbed down. he hurriedly turned around. dahu walked around in front of him again. he turned again. ¡°are you playing with me?¡± dahu asked crisply. he opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he closed it again when he thought of his terrifying and ugly voice. dahu asked, ¡°uncle, are you the new uncle? i don¡¯t think i¡¯ve seen you before.¡± in just a few days, social butterfly dahu had already recognized everyone from the imperial astronomy center. as for wei liulang, he had been lying in his room recuperating and could not have visitors. dahu did not see him. ¡°my name is dahu.¡± da hu looked at the back of his head and said. wei liulang¡¯s body stiffened. it took a lot of strength to resist the urge to turn around. his eyes were slightly red as he strode forward. dahu tilted his head. he wanted to catch up to this uncle. if he thought so, he really did it. wei liulang quickened his pace. dahu ran with his short legs. gradually, he found it difficult to keep up. in the end, he still lost this uncle. dahu looked at the empty courtyard and suddenly felt a little lonely. in the end, wei liulang could not escape. when the medicine took effect, he fell to the ground and fell asleep. it was the three little ones who found him. the three of them squatted on the ground and looked at him. xiaohu said, ¡°erhu, look, i¡¯m not lying to you. he¡¯s that uncle.¡± erhu said, ¡°oh, why is he sleeping here?¡± xiaohu said, ¡°no.¡± dahu went to pull over the small trailer that master ling yun had made for them. although it was called a trailer, it was actually just a wooden board and a few wheel hubs. however, although it did not look big, it was actually folded. after unfolding, it could be used to haul a person. it was originally designed to haul three little evil disciples. ¡°let¡¯s haul him back,¡± dahu said. erhu and xiaohu had no objections. ¡°push him up first,¡± dahu instructed. ¡°don¡¯t touch his wound.¡± his right arm was bandaged. as the eldest son in the family, dahu already knew the meaning of the bandage. ¡°okay, dahu!¡± xiaohu agreed. the three little ones finally pushed him up. dahu said to xiaohu, ¡°erhu and i will pull from the front. you push from behind.¡± xiaohu nodded. the three brothers cooperated well. dahu was satisfied. his stinky brother was obedient today. he would go back and reward him with a big drumstick. dahu and erhu carried the rope on their shoulders and walked forward like little rafters pulling a boat. the two of them were sweating, especially dahu. he was the one who worked the hardest. however, as they pulled, the two of them felt that something was wrong. why did he become heavier? it was so difficult for them to pull! the two of them turned around and saw xiaohu, who was supposed to be pushing the cart, lying on the trailer. xiaohu crossed his legs and raised the candied hawthorn. he shook his feet proudly and licked the candied hawthorn in enjoyment. dahu and erhu were furious. ¡°xiao¡ªhu¡ª¡± wei liulang woke up in the twilight. wei ting sat by the bed and quietly guarded him. he was not surprised by this. he swept his gaze across wei ting and looked behind him before lowering his eyes imperceptibly. wei ting looked at him steadily. ¡°is sixth brother looking for dahu, erhu, and xiaohu?¡± wei liulang opened his mouth. ¡°i, no, you¡­¡± ¡°xiaohu was beaten up,¡± wei ting interrupted him. wei liulang paused as killing intent flashed across his eyes. wei ting said, ¡°dahu beat him up.¡± wei liulang glared at wei ting. wei ting curled his lips. ¡°xiaohu is the most mischievous and always provokes the two brothers. he provokes dahu more often. erhu has a good temper and usually doesn¡¯t touch him. dahu might not be the same. he¡¯s the eldest brother. he has to use his dignity to teach his brothers a lesson.¡± ¡°brother¡­¡± wei liulang changed his words.¡±your brother never taught you a lesson. ¡® wei ting smiled. ¡°isn¡¯t that because sixth brother blocked it for me? when have i ever gotten into trouble? isn¡¯t sixth brother my scapegoat?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not your sixth brother.¡± wei liulang made his final persistence. as the two of them spoke, the door creaked open. xiaohu covered his butt and limped in, his face filled with grievance. ¡°where¡¯s mother?¡± he asked. wei ting said, ¡°she went out.¡± su xiaoxiao had gone to the number one hall to get the medicine. xiaohu turned to leave. ¡°come here.¡± wei ting waved at him. xiaohu limped over and asked aggrievedly, ¡°what?¡± ¡°did dahu beat you up?¡± wei ting asked. xiaohu stomped his feet. ¡°hmph! when i grow up, i¡¯ll beat him up!¡± wei liulang looked at the little kid in front of him with excitement. wei ting carried the little fellow over. ¡°where were you hit? let me take a look. ¡± ¡°here, here, here¡­ and here!¡± xiaohu pointed at his entire body and tried his best to complain about dahu! ¡°why did he beat you up?¡± wei ting asked in amusement. xiaohu rubbed his hands guiltily. ¡°i¡­ i don¡¯t know either.¡± wei liulang looked at xiaohu, unable to take his eyes off him. xiao hu snorted and leaned into wei ting¡¯s arms. his angry appearance was cute. however, there were still two golden tears hanging on his small face that had not been wiped off, making one¡¯s heart break. xiaohu made a fuss for the entire day and fell asleep the moment he was in wei ting¡¯s arms. wei ting pinched the little fellow¡¯s face and asked wei liulang, ¡°do you want a hug?¡± wei liulang was stunned.. Chapter 529 - Chapter 529: Peach Forest chapter 529: peach forest translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios he couldn¡¯t hug him. some people could never let go once they hugged. ¡°let him sleep at your place for a while.¡± after wei ting put him down, he left without looking back. wei ting did not doubt his sixth brother¡¯s intuition about the three little fellows. indeed, it might not be just his intuition. after all, he had been following them secretly for so long. it was impossible for his sixth brother to have no clue about the little fellows¡¯ background. wei liulang looked at the sleeping little fellow helplessly. he stiffened and moved in, wanting to stay away from xiaohu. it was as if he wouldn¡¯t be bewitched if he didn¡¯t get close. xiaohu had the worst sleeping posture among the three brothers. wei ting had placed him on the edge of the bed and let him fall to the ground. wei liulang was furious. he couldn¡¯t even let a child off! he slowly reached out, wanting to pull xiaohu in a little. however, before he could touch him, he retracted his hand as if he had been electrocuted. he turned his head and never looked at xiaohu again. xiaohu was sleeping soundly when he flipped over and fell¡­ his small body was close to his chest. the father and son¡¯s heartbeats connected at this moment. at the number one hall, manager sun was calculating at the counter. when he looked up and saw su xiaoxiao, he was overjoyed. ¡°yo, what a rare guest. what brings our boss here today?¡± su xiaoxiao had been so busy recently that she hadn¡¯t come to the medical center for a few days. ¡°i¡¯ll come more often in the future.¡± at work, su xiaoxiao¡¯s attitude was very strict. manager sun hurriedly said, ¡°hey, no, no! it¡¯s not like the medical center can¡¯t do without you. a few days ago, we just recruited two types of physicians. little weizi, yunxiu, and ying¡¯er are also much more capable than before. you should busy yourself with what you¡¯re doing. i think you¡¯ve lost weight recently.¡± manager sun watched her go from a 200-pound fatty to a 120-pound fatty. who would know if his heart ached? there was a commotion next door. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°what¡¯s going on over there?¡± manager sun sighed. ¡°didn¡¯t princess lingxi buy the hu family¡¯s benevolence hall? do you know what shop she originally planned to open?¡± ¡°what shop?¡± su xiaoxiao gave him face. manager sun chuckled and said, ¡°coffin shop! it¡¯s so damaging to open a coffin beside a medical center! in the end, before we could find our bad luck, the guo family got unlucky! something happened to princess lingxi¡¯s biological brother. i heard that prime minister guo knelt outside the imperial study for three days. he felt guilty for not teaching his grandson well and begged your majesty to remove him from the position of prime minister¡­¡¯ ¡°has he been removed?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. manager sun sneered. ¡°how can that be? he¡¯s a veteran of three dynasties and is loyal to the previous emperor and his majesty. without conclusive evidence, his majesty won¡¯t do anything to him. look, i heard that he fainted at the entrance of the imperial study. his majesty even bestowed an imperial physician to treat him.¡± manager sun did not care about these political matters in the countryside. after coming to the capital, his horizons and conversation had changed. ¡°ah, speaking of which, isn¡¯t the guo family in trouble? the foreman took the silver and ran away. the shop that was halfway renovated was forced to stop work. the craftsmen came to ask for their hard-earned money. the guo family¡¯s steward said that the money had already been given to the foreman and asked them to ask him for it.¡¯ an auntie, who was waiting in the lobby to get the medicine, came over and said to the two of them, ¡°i heard that the shop next door has bad feng shui. whoever buys it will be unlucky! first, it¡¯s the hu family, then the guo family! no one is spared! your shop is prosperous and has good feng shui!¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°is that so? we plan to buy the one next door.¡± the aunt looked at su xiaoxiao as if she had eaten sh*t, then at manager sun. manager sun smiled and nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. we¡¯re just waiting for the guo family to sell it.¡± the aunt was speechless. ¡°take care, aunt¡ªnext time¡ª¡± manager sun waved the other party goodbye. the aunt grabbed the medicine bag and left as if there was a ghost chasing her! manager sun smiled and thought of something. he asked, ¡°by the way, how are your grandfather¡¯s injuries?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°he passed the critical period.¡± manager sun heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°i¡¯m relieved.¡± the two of them chatted for a while more. su xiaoxiao went to cet the medicine and came out of the medical center. she looked at the su family¡¯s coachman and couldn¡¯t help but think of su mo. it had been a few days since su mo went to chase after guo huan. had he not caught up yet, or did su mo have another plan? su xiaoxiao returned to the imperial astronomy center. dahu and erhu fell asleep at qin canglan¡¯s side. ¡°eh? where¡¯s xiaohu?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°sleeping next door,¡± qin canglan said. they did not announce wei liulang¡¯s identity to the public, and sikong yun did not ask further. wei liulang was still unwilling to communicate with them, but qin canglan was basically certain that the person who gave him the last chance of survival that night was wei liulang. he did not expect wei liulang to end up like this after surviving the battlefield. thinking of this, qin canglan sighed. qin canglan sighed. ¡°it¡¯s good that he¡¯s back after all. when i find an opportunity, i¡¯ll tell matriarch wei and the others.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°i¡¯m afraid we have to wait for him to untie the knot in his heart.¡¯ qin canglan thought of wei liulang¡¯s current situation and did not say anything else. ¡°ah, right, is there any news of mo¡¯er?¡± ¡°not yet.¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. qin canglan muttered, ¡°strange, where did this child go?¡± in the forest 20 miles away from the southern city gate of the capital, there was a peach forest filled with the fragrance of fruits. at this moment, outside an entrance in the peach forest, xiao zhonghua and the minister of the dali temple were leading a group of soldiers. ever since division leader chen told them about this peach forest, the two of them began to search this area. they found traces of the imperial guards entering at the scene, but after a day and night, no one came out. xiao zhonghua said seriously, ¡°release another signal.¡± jing yi lit the fireworks. the minister said with a solemn expression, ¡°this is the gathering signal of the imperial guards. any imperial guards nearby will rush over, but it¡¯s been so long. only those outside the peach forest have rushed over. those in the peach forest¡­ the assistant at the side said, ¡°sir, could we have made a mistake? perhaps, no one went in?¡± the minister of the dali temple hoped that they had made a mistake, but he had been handling cases for many years and still had the ability to investigate. indeed, the imperial guards had entered, but they might never come out. ¡°is¡­ is it really so strange?¡± the assistant felt a chill run down his spine. ¡°cousin, i¡¯ll go in and take a look,¡± jing yi said. ¡°no! i won¡¯t let you take the risk!¡± as soon as xiao zhonghua finished speaking, a royal guard covered in blood staggered out of the peach forest. seeing that he was about to collapse to the ground, jing yi quickly supported him. ¡°what happened? where are the others?¡± ¡°they¡­ they¡¯re all dead¡­¡± the imperial guard said weakly, ¡°young¡­ young master su is inside¡­¡± xiao zhonghua quickly walked over. ¡°which young master su? su mo? what¡¯s going on inside? why is it so dangerous?¡± the imperial guard lay in jing yi¡¯s arm, extreme fear flashing across his eyes.. ¡°there¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s¡­ Chapter 530 - Chapter 530: Brother Ting Needs a Beating chapter 530: brother ting needs a beating translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios before the person could finish, his head tilted and his arm fell. the minister hurriedly called the accompanying medical officer over. the medical officer carefully checked the guard¡¯s body and shook his head. ¡°he stopped breathing. he was frightened to death.¡± as soon as these words were spoken, the soldiers at the scene could not help but shudder. injury, poisoning, death from exhaustion¡­ none of them were as terrifying as this death. scared to death. what did he see in the forest? the assistant waved his fan and sighed. ¡°we waited for a day and night. it wasn¡¯t easy for someone to come out alive, but he was actually frightened to death¡­ xiao zhonghua did not say anything. it seemed that division leader chen of the white lotus society was not lying to them. no one could enter the peach forest. if they did, no one would survive. the minister suddenly remembered this person¡¯s words before he died and his heart skipped a beat. ¡°did he say that young master su was inside just now? wouldn¡¯t young master su be in danger?¡± everyone guessed which young master su it was, but xiao zhonghua and jing yi knew that it must be su mo. jing yi turned around and was about to enter the peach forest when xiao zhonghua grabbed him. xiao zhonghua said sternly, ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to enter!¡± jing yi said calmly, ¡°cousin, if even i don¡¯t go in, no one can.¡± among everyone present, jing yi¡¯s attainment of martial arts was the highest. xiao zhonghua said, ¡°but i don¡¯t want you to take risks because of this.¡± jing yi said, ¡°cousin, this is your¡­¡¯ xiao zhonghua interrupted him. ¡°i have countless ways to fight for that position! there¡¯s no need to sacrifice my brother!¡± to xiao zhonghua, his cousin, jing yi, had surpassed those treacherous brothers in the palace. jing yi paused. ¡°cousin, i have to go in.¡± xiao zhonghua said seriously, ¡°do you want to bring su mo out? do you think su mo¡¯s martial arts are as simple as they seem? if the person in the peach forest is really su mo, then the mysterious expert who killed those white lotus society shadow guards should be su mo. if he can¡¯t come out, do you think you can?¡± this was definitely not xiao zhonghua underestimating jing yi. he was telling the truth, hoping to dispel jing yi¡¯s thoughts. unfortunately, jing yi had never been a cowardly person. he had the high spirits of and the vigor of a young man. ¡°it¡¯s for her, isn¡¯t it?¡± xiao zhonghua asked. jing yi said, ¡°it¡¯s for her and for cousin. i¡¯ve made up my mind. cousin can¡¯t stop me.¡± jing yi was obedient most of the time, but once he was stubborn, even eight horses could not pull him back. on this point, he was really a little like wei ting. xiao zhonghua said helplessly, ¡°alright, i won¡¯t stop you, but at least let me ask father first. ¡± ¡°six hours,¡± jing yi said. ¡°i¡¯ll go in.¡± every moment su mo stayed in the peach forest was more dangerous. he did not want to delay for too long. xiao zhonghua returned to the palace as quickly as possible. he caused a huge commotion, and even the eldest and second prince rushed to the imperial study to ask if something big had happened in the capital. emperor jing xuan put down the half-read memorial in his hand and asked in a low voice, ¡°tell me, what is it?¡± ¡°i discovered traces of the white lotus society¡¯s sect master. he might be hiding in a peach forest outside the southern city gate. however, that peach forest is very dangerous. i specially came to ask father, hoping to borrow a few experts from the imperial family to enter the forest with jing yi to search for the whereabouts of the white lotus society¡¯s sect master.¡± he only said that it was dangerous. he did not say that no one who entered would survive. xiao duye instantly had thoughts. he had suffered repeated setbacks recently and was about to lose favor with his father. he desperately needed a chance to make a contribution. he cupped his hands and said, ¡°father, since third brother is afraid, why don¡¯t you let me go! i will definitely take back the head of the white lotus societys sect master for father!¡± heh, no one in the capital had seen the legendary sect master. wouldn¡¯t he be successful if he found a fake head and got a few white lotus society disciples to cooperate and recognize it? xiao zhonghua continued, ¡°it seems that guo huan also escaped into the forest. guo huan¡¯s injuries are serious. i think he¡¯s doomed inside.¡± xiao shunyang secretly pinched his fingers and said seriously, ¡°father, i¡¯m willing to go with elder brother!¡± xiao duye¡¯s expression darkened. why was second brother so insensible? did he have to snatch the opportunity to make a contribution from him? emperor jing xuan looked at xiao zhonghua. ¡°third brother, what do you think?¡± xiao zhonghua said respectfully, ¡°i¡¯ll listen to father¡¯s arrangements.¡± emperor jing xuan said unhurriedly, ¡°eldest, second brother, the two of you go. third brother will receive you outside the forest at any time.¡± the three of them bowed and said, ¡°i obey!¡± emperor jing xuan sent 20 experts to follow xiao duye and xiao shunyang in two teams. qin yanran asked xiao duye to bring xu qing along. jing yi brought bai ze, wu mu, and qing xuan, leaving hong luan outside the peach forest to protect xiao zhonghua. it was a little windy tonight. the minister of the dali temple got someone to set up a tent. xiao zhonghua stood in front of the tent. changping brought a cloak over and was about to put it on xiao zhonghua. xiao zhonghua waved his hand. ¡°no need. i¡¯m not cold.¡± changping looked around and whispered, ¡°his majesty is really biased. as soon as there¡¯s a chance to make a contribution, he gave it to his first and second highness. you were the one who discovered the peach forest¡­ however¡­ is there really any danger in this peach forest?¡± ¡°yes,¡± xiao zhonghua said. changping was stunned. ¡°then your highness is still¡­¡± ¡°i said that it¡¯s very dangerous. it was my two brothers who insisted on going. it was also my good father who wanted to send his two sons in. if there¡¯s really danger, they will bear the danger with jing yi and su mo. if there is no danger. su mo is their greatest danger.¡± xiao duye had attacked su cheng before, so su mo would not let him off. if xiao shunyang wanted to save guo huan, su mo would not let him off. at the imperial astronomy society, wei ting had just returned from the wei family and heard the news of the peach forest on the way. he was also prepared to go to the peach forest to look for su mo. ¡°don¡¯t go.¡± wei liulang called out to him in a hoarse voice. as wei ting sorted out his equipment, he asked with a faint smile, ¡°in what capacity are you asking me not to go? a stranger, or my sixth brother? if it¡¯s the former, sorry, i¡¯ve always been disobedient. if it¡¯s the latter, i¡¯ll consider it.¡± wei liulang¡¯s face was ruined. otherwise, he would definitely twitch. wei little seven was too shameless. wei liulang said, ¡°there¡¯s danger in the forest.¡± ¡°what danger?¡± wei ting asked. wei liulang said, ¡°swamp, miasma, poisonous insects, corpse dissolving water, and¡­ monsters.¡± the first three dangers were quite common. he had never seen the corpse dissolving water before. what was the last one? wei ting looked at wei liulang strangely. ¡°you¡¯ve been in?¡± wei liulang nodded. ¡°yes, i almost died inside.¡± what he didn¡¯t say was that he had only walked around the periphery and didn¡¯t go deep at all. he almost died. ¡°if you go, i¡¯ll¡­ ignore you,¡± wei liulang threatened. wei ting chuckled. ¡°alright, i won¡¯t go.¡± wei liulang was relieved. he went to cover the sleeping little fellow on the bed. when he turned around, wei ting slipped away! wei liulang gritted his teeth.. ¡°wei, little, seven!¡± Chapter 531 - Chapter 531: Dahu and Wuhu chapter 531: dahu and wuhu translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios dahu woke up halfway through his sleep. he avoided qin canglan¡¯s wound and climbed out of bed. he put on his shoes, took out the big date hidden in his pocket, and tiptoed next door. the door to the next room was ajar. he poked a small head in. ¡°uncle? are you there?¡± the only response was xiaohu¡¯s even snoring. he held the door frame and crossed the threshold on his short legs, carefully protecting his jujube. ¡°uncle. ¡± he called out again. in the middle of the bed was his sleeping brother. apart from that, the room was empty. dahu grabbed the big date, his small figure confused and lonely. why did uncle always make it difficult for dahu to find him? he could not bear to eat the big dates he had especially left for his uncle. ¡°dahu.¡± su xiaoxiao walked in. dahu turned around; his innocent gaze made one¡¯s heart ache. su xiaoxiao picked him up. ¡®what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°uncle is missing, ¡± dahu said. wei liulang said that wei ting was disobedient, but wasn¡¯t he the same? he was still injured. ¡°is dahu very sad?¡± su xiaoxiao asked softly. dahu grabbed the date and lowered his head. ¡°a little. dahu is only a little sad.¡± su xiaoxiao gently pressed the little guy¡¯s head and let him lean into her arms. ¡°then can i accompany dahu?¡± ¡°yes.¡± dahu nodded and leaned into su xiaoxiao¡¯s warm arms. ¡°does uncle not like dahu?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°no, he likes you very much. he just¡­ has something he has to do.¡± ¡°is it an adult thing?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°will he come back?¡± dahu asked. ¡°i guess,¡± su xiaoxiao said. dahu fell asleep in su xiaoxiao¡¯s arms. su xiaoxiao called for su ergou to help her carry the three sleeping little fellows into the carriage to the marquis of zhenbei. perhaps because she had been too tired these few days, she hugged dahu and erhu and fell asleep in the carriage. she had a nightmare. she dreamed that su mo fell off the cliff with serious injuries and hit a sharp rock. his chest was pierced¡ª su xiaoxiao opened her eyes. ¡°sister, we¡¯re here.¡± su ergou carried xiaohu and glanced at her. he asked, ¡°sister, what¡¯s wrong?¡± su xiaoxiao instantly calmed down. ¡°i¡¯m fine. it was just a dream.¡± su ergou asked curiously, ¡°a good dream or a nightmare?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°not a good dream.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. it was indeed something su cheng would say. the two of them carried the three little ones to the old marquis and matriarch su¡¯s courtyard. when she passed by the study, she heard su yuan discussing su mo with the old marquis. su yuan said, ¡°none of the hummingbirds that were released have returned. mo¡¯er is probably in danger.¡± the old marquis frowned and said, ¡°is that forest really so strange that even birds can¡¯t come out?¡± ¡°father, i¡¯ll go look for mo¡¯er.¡± ¡°no, the divine bow camp hasn¡¯t been built yet. you have a mission and can¡¯t leave your post. i¡¯ll go to his majesty and beg him to allow me to leave the capital. ¡± officials in the capital, especially generals, were not allowed to leave the capital on their own. they had to have official documents or emperor jing xuan¡¯s permission. otherwise, once they were caught, they would be punished for treason. as the two of them were talking, a eunuch from the palace came from outside. it turned out that emperor jing xuan had issued a decree ordering the old marquis, su shuo, to go to the peach forest to help xiao zhonghua guard the entrance. the old marquis said, ¡°the peach forest is dangerous. i heard that the two princes also entered the peach forest¡­¡± eunuch quan smiled. ¡°there¡¯s no need for marquis zhenbei to worry. general leng will protect the two princes.¡± general leng was leng zhiruo¡¯s father. lord wu¡¯an had personally promoted the general. after the wei family¡¯s accident, he took over the wei family¡¯s infantry and divine bow camp. the old marquis did not say anything else. he put on his armor and brought his weapons to the peach forest. su xiaoxiao also came out of the two elders¡¯ courtyard. just as she reached the door, she bumped into madam tao, who had offered incense to the ancestral tablets. mdm tao¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°auntie, ¡± su xiaoxiao greeted. ¡°daya, it¡¯s you ¡± madam tao smiled with tears in her eyes. ¡°it¡¯s so late. do you still want to go back? just rest at the residence. the house has been tidied up for you.¡± she really treated su xiaoxiao as a girl in her residence. a room was prepared for su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao rejected politely. ¡°thank you, auntie. i still have to go back to the imperial astronomy center. i¡¯ll come back another day to disturb you.¡± madam tao said, ¡®what are you talking about? you¡¯re treating me like an outsider.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. madam tao asked with concern, ¡°how are uncle¡¯s injuries?¡± su xiaoxiao said truthfully, ¡°he¡¯s getting better. he should be able to return to the residence after recuperating for a few days.¡± madam tao felt relieved. ¡°that¡¯s good, that¡¯s good!¡± the two families were close, and madam tao was sincerely filial to qin canglan. su xiaoxiao looked at her slightly red eyes and asked, ¡°aunt, are you worried about eldest cousin?¡± madam tao sighed and said, ¡°it¡¯s a lie to say that i¡¯m not worried, but i¡¯ve actually gotten used to it over the years. it¡¯s not easy to be the wife of the general¡¯s manor. the world envies me for my glory, but they don¡¯t know that i have to be afraid for my husband and children every day. i worry about them being ignorant and incomdetent. if thev are too outstanding. i worrv about them entering the military camp too early.. their lives don¡¯t belong to me. they belong to the great zhou and the commoners and the imperial court.¡± madam tao had hidden these words in her heart for a long time. she looked at su xiaoxiao and smiled awkwardly. ¡°i spoke too much today. don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i think it¡¯s quite good.¡± this was the interaction with female elders. there was some nagging, but there was also warmth and family. madam tao pulled su xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and gently touched her temple. she smiled and said, ¡°you child.¡± ¡°idiot! idiot! idiot!¡± su xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°who¡¯s talking?¡± ¡°it¡¯s the wuhu¡­¡± madam tao clenched her fists.¡± what nonsense did little five teach again? ¡± the three little ones came to the residence to stay for a while. they brought the foal and the mystic wind parrot. since su li had nothing to do, he went to teach the parrot how to speak. but what good things could he teach? madam tao¡¯s hand itched again. ¡°daya, i have something on. i¡¯ll go first. i won¡¯t send you off.¡± she wanted to beat up that itchy young brat! su xiaoxiao was about to leave when she suddenly heard the mystic wind parrot say, ¡°peach forest! peach forest! peach forest! ¡± su xiaoxiao stopped in her tracks. because the parrot had been too noisy recently, it was placed in the greenhouse at night. su xiaoxiao entered the greenhouse and looked at the parrot that was not sleeping in the middle of the night. ¡°what did you just say?¡± the black phoenix parrot said, ¡°stupid! stupid! stupid. su xiaoxiao took out her dagger! the mystic wind parrot panicked and plopped in the birdcage. ¡°long live the cult master! long live the cult master! long live the cult master!¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened. was this a parrot from the white lotus society?! su xiaoxiao took the black cloth and covered the birdcage. the mystic wind parrot said, ¡°it¡¯s so dark! so dark!¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i¡¯ll stew you if you make any more noise!¡± the mystic wind parrot instantly cowered. su xiaoxiao carried the birdcage out of the duke mansion, got on the horse, and hung it on the saddle. the parrot whispered, ¡°it¡¯s so dark su xiaoxiao was speechless.. Chapter 532 - Chapter 532: Su MO’s whereabouts chapter 532: su mo¡¯s whereabouts translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the peach forest¡­ long live the sect master, su xiaoxiao was basically certain that this parrot had stayed in the white lotus society. after all, no matter how wayward su li was, he would at most teach it how to be stupid. however, just because it had stayed in the white lotus society did not mean that it was familiar with the peach forest. however, no matter what, su xiaoxiao had to take a gamble. however, it was late at night. leaving the city was a big problem. perhaps she was lucky tonight. as soon as this thought flashed through her mind, she bumped into princess jingning¡¯s carriage. the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and princess hui an stuck her head out. ¡°it¡¯s you! why aren¡¯t you sleeping in the middle of the night? why are you wandering on the street?¡± princess jingning got out of the carriage. ¡°hey, hey, hey, i want to go down first!¡± princess hui an did not squeeze past jingning and could only follow her down. su xiaoxiao also dismounted and greeted the two princesses. princess jing ning asked, ¡°are you going out?¡± this was not the way to the imperial astronomy center, nor was it to pear blossom lane and the medical center. princess jingning was indeed meticulous, but su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t intend to hide it from her. ¡°i want to go out of the city for a while. i have something urgent to do. ¡± ¡°are you in a hurry?¡± princess jing ning asked. ¡°yes,¡± su xiaoxiao said. princess jingning said, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll send you out of the city.¡± princess hui an raised her chin and said, ¡°do i need you to send her? i¡¯ll send my own sidekick!¡± princess jingning hit the nail on the head. ¡°this is my carriage.¡± ¡°so, so what? i¡¯ll borrow your carriage! xiao li, go to the city gate!¡± after princess hui an finished speaking, she looked at su xiaoxiao. ¡°which city gate?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°south city gate.¡± the two princesses sat back in the carriage while su xiaoxiao rode her horse to the side. the two princesses looked at her, as if waiting for her concern and inquiry. su xiaoxiao was stunned and asked, ¡°it¡¯s so late. why are the two princesses leaving the palace?¡± ¡°i went to see second sister-in-law!¡± princess hui an answered quickly. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°second princess consort¡­ ¡°she fell!¡± princess hui an rushed to answer again. ¡°last time, she was stabbed in the arm by someone from the white lotus society. it wasn¡¯t easy for her to get better. this time, she sent my second brother out and tripped at the door. second brother is really something. doesn¡¯t he know how to hold on to her?¡± princess jingning glared at her. ¡°you talk too much.¡± princess hui an snorted. ¡°originally, i don¡¯t think second brother likes second sister-in-law at all. second sister-in-law is so pitiful. she might as well marry someone like eldest brother. there are a lot of women in the backyard, but at least he takes sister-in-law to heart. unlike second sister-in-law, who stays alone after marrying¡­¡± princess jingning couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°shut up! who tells you these things?¡± princess hui an chuckled. ¡°i won¡¯t betray my trusted aide!¡± princess jingning said, ¡°looks like it¡¯s someone beside you. very good.¡± princess hui an was furious. ¡°you!¡± ¡ªshe would never be a match for the jingning series. the group arrived at the south city gate. princess hui an asked the guard to open the city gate, but the guard did not dare to move. princess jingning took out the token of the royal princess and the guard opened the city gate. princess hui an, who was very embarrassed, said proudly, ¡°i also have a token! i forgot to bring it!¡± ¡°thank you, princesses.¡± after leaving the city, su xiaoxiao opened the birdcage and released the mystic wind parrot. the mystic wind parrot looked around to make sure that there were no ferocious human cubs before biting su xiaoxiao. click. it bit su xiaoxiao¡¯s silver silk glove. fifteen minutes later, su xiaoxiao wrapped the mystic wind parrot¡¯s injured beak with gauze. the parrot flew in the sky aggrievedly. it wanted to leave this ferocious human! ¡°go to the peach forest. i¡¯ll give you this.¡± su xiaoxiao placed a row of bird food on the saddle. the mystic wind parrot muttered, ¡°i can leave after eating.¡± the path led by the mystic wind parrot was different from the entrance to the peach forest guarded by xiao zhonghua. the entrance was defined by them because it was easy to enter from this place. in fact, there was another path in the southwest, hidden behind a mountain wall filled with creepers. the moonlight illuminated the entire peach forest. su xiaoxiao rode her horse along the peach-scented path. the mystic wind parrot flew against the wind. after flying for a while, it would return to the saddle, eat some bird food, and continue to take off. the bandage on its beak had been removed. after walking for almost 15 minutes, su xiaoxiao did not encounter any danger. this was a good thing and also not a good thing. there was no danger, which meant that she could be safe. however, su mo did not know about this small path, so this also meant that she could not reach su mo if she followed it. thinking of this, su xiaoxiao tightened her grip on the reins and turned around. the mystic wind parrot¡¯s feathers exploded. ¡°danger! danger! danger!¡± ¡°idiot! fool¡­ crack¡­ su xiaoxiao crushed a piece of bird food. ¡°f*ck¡­¡¯ crack su xiaoxiao crushed another piece of bird food. the parrot shut its mouth. it couldn¡¯t finish¡­ she was forcing the bird to death! the first danger they encountered was a mechanism in the forest. the gravel shot toward the woman, horse, and bird like arrows. su xiaoxiao decisively rode her horse and hid behind a big peach tree. the mystic wind parrot could not dodge in time and was hit by a rock. it fell into a large water pit at the side. when su xiaoxiao scooped it up, it was already rolling its eyes. su xiaoxiao gave it a heart resuscitation. then the unthinkable happened. this bird had actually faded! the white feathers turned blue, and the iconic tuft of bird feathers on its head drooped. this was a fake dark phoenix! wu hu shyly covered his head with his wings. su xiaoxiao was speechless. su xiaoxiao continued forward. along the way, they encountered a few more traps, but they passed them safely. ¡°is that all?¡± su xiaoxiao felt that these mechanisms were not dangerous. but soon, su xiaoxiao understood where the real danger in the peach forest came from. ¡°misty miasma! wuhu! come back!¡± su xiaoxiao called back the parrot, which had almost rushed into the miasma forest¡­ uh, no, the macaw. wuhu dropped back into her saddle. su xiaoxiao planned to take a detour, but at this moment, she saw corpses lying at the edge of the miasma. she entered the pharmacy, took a gas mask, and put it on. then, she dismounted and went over to take a look. it was two imperial guards. from the extent of the corpse rigor, they had been dead for two days. inside, su xiaoxiao caught a glimpse of a series of footprints. ¡°this shoe print¡­ su mo!¡± in the miasma forest, su mo was seriously exhausted. he tried to hold his breath, but he was almost at his limit. if he did not dare to walk out of this miasma before that, he would be poisoned to death like the imperial guards who had barged into the forest. swish! an arrow flew through the air. they had encountered countless such mechanisms along the way. su mo waved his sword to block the arrow. the next round of arrows flew over. every time he moved, he would consume more energy and shorten the time he could hold his breath. su mo was severely deprived of oxygen and his mind was blank. his arm was cut by an arrow. there was poison on the arrow. he knelt on one knee and supported his body with his sword. however, everything was not over. the third round of arrows was shot. su mo used all his strength to swing his sword and cut off the arrow that was attacking him. he was finally exhausted to the limit and could no longer use his internal energy or hold his breath. he already knew where the sect master was. he could kill him if he went out. he forced himself to stand up with the support of his sword. the exit was just ahead. ten steps¡­ just ten more steps and he would be out¡­ one step. two steps. three steps¡­ the poison of the miasma invaded his mouth and nose, and the poison on the arrow spread to his limbs and bones, causing him to instantly lose all his strength. he fell to the ground.. Chapter 533 - Chapter 533: Siblings Meet chapter 533: siblings meet translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after su xiaoxiao discovered su mo¡¯s footprints, she planned to enter the forest. the pharmacy was quite awesome this time and did not make things difficult for her. she successfully obtained the gas mask. some were for people, and some were for horses. wuhu saw that both of them were wearing gas masks. as the one that was left out, he was very unhappy! su xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°fly higher and fly over the forest yourself.¡± wuhu was speechless. su xiaoxiao rode her horse into the smoky miasma forest. coupled with the fact that it was night, su mo¡¯s traces were quickly lost. fortunately, su xiaoxiao could find traces of the mechanism being used at intervals. it was either an arrow or a knife. there was also something else. su xiaoxiao guessed that it was left behind by su mo. the deeper she went, the more certain she was. because she believed that other than su mo, no one could withstand so many traps in the miasma forest. halfway there, two voices came from not far behind. ¡°dad, there seems to be someone ahead! riding a horse!¡± ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense. how can there be anyone alive in the miasma forest?¡± ¡°i really saw it! it was there¡­ eh? it¡¯s gone?¡± ¡°speak less! hold your breath more! there¡¯s not much medicine left!¡± it was a completely unfamiliar voice. perhaps it was someone from the imperial court or the white lotus society. su xiaoxiao had no intention of going over to investigate. it was more important to look for su mo. however, after walking through the forest, su mo was still nowhere to be seen. could it be that she had gone in the wrong direction? or had su mo already left? at this moment, su xiaoxiao suddenly noticed a pool of blood on the ground. she dismounted, took off her gloves, and dipped her fingertips in the blood. it wasn¡¯t dry yet¡­ he was nearby! su xiaoxiao quickly walked forward along the blood and finally found su mo lying on the ground, unconscious. su xiaoxiao took off the gas mask on her saddle and walked over. without a word, she put it on su mo. su mo was injured and poisoned. she did not dare to imagine that he could get all the way to this place without any help. this cousin did not seem to be as simple as he looked. su xiaoxiao whistled. the horse came over with a spring in his step. su xiaoxiao carried su mo onto the horse and let him lie horizontally on the saddle. she led the horse out of the miasma forest and found an empty space to stop. since there was a miasma forest nearby, thin miasma was blown over from time to time due to the wind direction and wind speed. su xiaoxiao wanted to move forward, but su mo¡¯s injuries could not wait. she carried him off the horse and let him sit down against a big tree. she took out the first aid kit from the saddle bag, took off su mo¡¯s gas mask, fed su mo two antidotes, and quickly put the gas mask on him. right on the heels of that were su mo¡¯s injuries. it was obvious that su mo¡¯s injuries were all caused by the mechanisms. they were mainly focused on his right arm and left leg. this was related to su mot s habits. the injury to his right arm was new. those on his left leg should be two days old. su mo used ointment and bandaged it messily. he was a ruthless person to be able to pass through the miasma forest despite being injured like this. su xiaoxiao took out saline and iodophor and began to clean su mo¡¯s wound. fortunately, the wound was not long and did not need to be stitched up. when su xiaoxiao finished treating all of su mot s injuries, the few people in the forest staggered out. there were three of them. the oldest was a middle-aged man in sharp armor and holding a long sword. the young man behind him was in his early twenties and was also dressed in armor. the last to come out was a young man. the young man¡¯s face was covered and he was very thin. the three of them exhausted their stamina and fell to the ground, panting heavily. ¡°not good, there¡¯s still miasma!¡± the middle-aged man reminded and hurriedly covered his mouth and nose. the young man panted. ¡°dad, i can¡¯t hold it in anymore¡­¡± he took out a medicine bottle and poured the content into his palm, but he did not pour out a single pill. the middle-aged man frowned. ¡°you finished it all? didnt i tell you to consume it sparingly? what if there¡¯s still miasma behind?¡± with that, he thought that he could not waste the medicinal effect and hurriedly held his breath again. ¡°i¡­ i¡­¡± the young man clearly did not expect himself to eat so much. he remembered that he had been holding his breath. he only ate one and took a few breaths when he really could not take it anymore. this medicine could only resist the miasma for a short period of time. moreover, the higher the frequency of breathing, the shorter the effect. he turned to the young man beside him. ¡°how many did you take?¡± the young man said, ¡°two.¡± a trace of shock and jealousy flashed across the young man¡¯s eyes. he said angrily, ¡°give me your medicine!¡± the young man did not say anything. he took out the medicine bottle and planned to pour a few for him, but the other party grabbed the entire bottle, poured out two, and threw them to the young man. he ate one and put the rest back into his arms. the young man silently put away the last two pills. the middle-aged man pretended not to see it. su xiaoxiao watched this scene calmly and had no intention of meddling. wuhu flew over. because it had to fly very high, it was so tired that it panted and lay motionless in su xiaoxiao¡¯s arms. su xiaoxiao fed it a serving of bird food. ¡°go to the tree and stay there.¡± the miasma that blew over could not reach the top of the tree. wuhu, which was filled with strength again, flapped its wings and flew up. at this moment, the three of them also noticed su xiaoxiao. the young man said, ¡°dad, look! it¡¯s the ghoul-masked man in the forest! and tnat gnou1-maskea norse! 1 didn¡¯t see it wrongly¡¯. an, wny is it a girl(¡± he had never seen such a strange and sinister mask. it could only be described as a ghoul mask. the middle-aged man looked at su xiaoxiao suspiciously. at the same time, he noticed the other ghoul-faced man beside su xiaoxiao. that person seemed to be unconscious, but this girl did not look frightened at all. she was so calm that she did not look like the little girl. the young man said, ¡°dad! they must be from the white lotus society! i¡¯ll go meet them!¡± with that, he strode towards su xiaoxiao. he had just taken a pill and was temporarily unafraid of the miasma. he looked down at su xiaoxiao, who was sitting under the tree, and asked angrily, ¡°stupid girl, are you from the white lotus society?¡± su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. the young man frowned and said, ¡°hey, i¡¯m talking to you! are you deaf or mute? are you from the white lotus society? if you don¡¯t speak, i¡¯ll think you are! ¡± on the tree, wuhu flapped their wings and shouted, ¡°the idiot is here! the idiot is here! the idiot is here!¡± the young man was shocked and took a few steps back. he looked up at the mystic wind parrot on the tree. ¡°little bastard! who are you scolding!¡± wuhu said, ¡°crawl! crawl! crawl!¡± the young man was furious. he took off the bow on his back, drew an arrow from the quiver on his back, and aimed it at the parrot at the top of the tree. su xiaoxiao stood up decisively and kicked him in the chest. he was sent flying and fell heavily to the ground. seeing this, the middle-aged man¡¯s expression darkened. he drew his bow and was about to shoot at su xiaoxiao. the young man hurriedly pressed his wrist. ¡°dad! she¡¯s not from the white lotus society!¡± su xiaoxiao looked over curiously.. ¡°leng zhiruo?¡± Chapter 534 - Chapter 534: Arrogant and Protective chapter 534: arrogant and protective translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios leng zhiruo had changed into men¡¯s clothes and covered her face. if she didn¡¯t speak, su xiaoxiao really didn¡¯t recognize her. then the other two must be her father and brother. her biological brother had snatched his sister¡¯s life-saving medicine without blushing or beating his heart. it was obvious that he had snatched a lot at home. ¡°do you know each other?¡± general leng asked coldly. ¡°she¡­¡± leng zhiruo looked at su xiaoxiao hesitantly. su xiaoxiao said generously, ¡°yes, we¡¯re classmates from the palace academy.¡± ¡°palace academy¡­ you¡¯re¡­¡± general leng frowned.¡± the granddaughter of the old protector duke? ¡± on the days when su cheng and qin jiang were competing, general leng also went. he had seen su xiaoxiao from afar. putting her looks aside for the time being, he remembered that she was the only little fat girl in the palace academy. ¡°why are you here?¡± he asked, puzzled. su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°oh, i¡¯m just here.¡± she did not have an official position and could go wherever she wanted. the emperor could not interfere. general leng looked at su mo. ¡°who is he?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°a guard.¡± ¡°dad¡­¡± leng rui covered his chest and returned to general leng¡¯s side. he glared fiercely at su xiaoxiao.¡± she went too far! ¡± su xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°who asked you to shoot my parrot?¡± wuhu said, ¡°long live the sect master! long live the sect master! long live the sect master! ¡± everyone looked at su xiaoxiao. the corners of su xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. how could it frame its master like this¡­ su xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°i spent a lot of effort to snatch it from the white lotus society. my guard was even injured. wouldn¡¯t it be a huge loss for me to let you shoot it to death?¡± leng rui was rendered speechless. general leng sized up su xiaoxiao skeptically. ¡°you met someone from the white lotus society? where are they?¡± ¡°chased away. i don¡¯t know,¡± su xiaoxiao said. general leng¡¯s gaze swept across the faces of su mo and su xiaoxiao. ¡°are your masks used to deal with the miasma?¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°so what if they are?¡± general leng said seriously, ¡°your guard is seriously injured. i¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to last until he leaves the peach forest.¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°so?¡± general leng said, ¡°you can¡¯t walk out alone. i can bring you along.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°condition?¡± general leng was mocked by her straightforward tone. ¡°give us the mask.¡± leng rui said, ¡°dad, how can one be enough? there are three of us!¡± general leng glared at his son. leng zhiruo said softly, ¡°brother, she¡¯s qin canglan¡¯s granddaughter.¡± leng rui pursed his lips and did not dare to mention snatching the qin family¡¯s daughter¡¯s things again. ¡°i refuse,¡± su xiaoxiao said. general leng suspected that he had heard wrongly. su xiaoxiao said arrogantly, ¡°i can walk out myself. why should i give you a mask?¡± leng rui pointed at su mo and mocked, ¡°he¡¯s going to die anyway! so what if he gets one?! when the people from the white lotus society come over, don¡¯t beg us to save you!¡± su xiaoxiao raised her foot and picked up a stone. with a flick of her palm, the stone flew toward leng rui. leng rui was hit and a big bump immediately appeared on his head. ¡°you!¡± general leng was also angry. ¡°girl! don¡¯t think that i won¡¯t dare to touch you just because you¡¯re qin canglan¡¯s granddaughter!¡± ¡°who wants to touch my daughter?!¡± su cheng carried his saber and swaggered over from the miasma forest. the leng family was shocked. su xiaoxiao was also slightly stunned. ¡°dad?¡± general leng frowned. ¡°protector duke?¡± su cheng walked up to general leng arrogantly and pointed his saber. ¡°were you the one who said that you wanted to touch my daughter just now? general leng asked in confusion, ¡°why are you here?¡± su cheng said domineeringly, ¡°you mean to say you can come but i can¡¯t? i¡¯m the protector duke after all. who are you?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°dad, he¡¯s a second-grade general.¡± su cheng turned around. ¡°what about your father?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°you¡¯re not an official.¡± su cheng was speechless. not having an official position did not affect bully su¡¯s performance. even if the emperor came, he could not bully his daughter, let alone a mere general! su cheng raised his saber and slashed at general leng. general leng took a step back and hurriedly dodged. he really did not expect su cheng to start fighting without a word. he almost did not dodge. su cheng¡¯s martial arts improved at lightning speed, much higher than when he fought with qin jiang. there was a trace of miasma poison left in general leng¡¯s body. he could not activate his internal strength, or the poisonous gas would spread in his body. he had a question in his heart. su cheng was not wearing that strange mask, so why did he not look poisoned? after more than ten moves, general leng gradually fell into a disadvantage because he could not use his internal energy and qinggong. su cheng slashed with his long saber. leng zhiruo drew her sword to block. with a clang, the saber and sword collided in the night, producing a series of sparks. leng zhiruo was good at fighting. it seemed that she had hidden a lot of strength in the palace school. ¡°dad, she¡¯s my classmate,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°oh.¡± su cheng put away the saber in a second. he wouldn¡¯t hit his daughter¡¯s classmate. ¡°but aren¡¯t your classmates all girls?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°she is.¡± su cheng stopped making things difficult for leng zhiruo and turned to general leng. ¡°i¡¯ll let you off today! if you dare to cause trouble for my daughter next time, i¡¯ll chop you up! i don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a second-grade general or not!¡± leng rui gritted his teeth and said, ¡°my father inhaled the miasma. otherwise, do you really think you can defeat my father? if you have the ability, go back to the capital and compete again!¡± if an ordinary person heard this, they might say¡ªlet¡¯s compete one match at a time. let¡¯s see who¡¯s stronger! su cheng¡¯s mind was not like this. he said righteously, ¡°if i can¡¯t beat him, my father can!¡± who the hell wants to compete with you again? i¡¯ll let my father do it! it was so fragrant to compare fathers! leng rui choked and secretly scolded su cheng for being shameless. su cheng did not care what leng rui thought. was face useful? could it be eaten? he had a father, so why would he have to take the punches himself instead of using his father? was he stupid? su xiaoxiao had been observing leng zhiruo¡¯s father. she could tell that his strength was far beyond this. he was indeed dragged down by the miasma. the leng family was on good terms with the wei family. general leng was promoted by lord wu an. however¡­ was the leng family really on their side? after su cheng finished showing off, he carried his saber and walked away. when he arrived under the tree, his attitude immediately changed. he squatted down and looked at his fat daughter dotingly. ¡°daughter, are you alright?¡± of course, he knew that the ¡°guard¡± was su mo. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°we¡¯re fine. by the way, dad, why are you here?¡± su cheng said, ¡°i came to look for you! i met your princess classmates. they said that you left the city. i guessed that you were looking for su mo, so i came to look for you. how is it? the armor is not bad, right?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and nodded. ¡°my father is so handsome!¡± ¡°of course!¡± su cheng rubbed his head handsomely. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°the city gate should be closed at this hour, right?¡± su cheng took off the token on his waist. ¡°the grand astronomer gave me a token to leave the city. he also gave me a bottle of jelly beans. he said that they can resist the miasma, but the duration is a little short. one can only last for an hour.¡± the corners of the mouths of the leng father and son twitched. they had spent a lot of money to buy pills that could only help then withstand the miasma for half an hour. they could not pant heavily, or the effect of the medicine would be halved. he could manage it for an hour with one, and he still despised it! however, this was not the most enviable. su xiaoxiao took out another gas mask from the cloth bag on the saddle. ¡°dad, put this on. keep the medicine for emergencies.¡± leng rui was furious. ¡°you have three masks. why didn¡¯t you take them out earlier?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled casually. ¡°you said these are my masks. even if i wear one and throw one away, i won¡¯t give it to you.¡± leng rui vomited blood! Chapter 535 - Chapter 535: The Strongest Bully! chapter 535: the strongest bully! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios leng rui fell back in anger! how could there be such a stingy person in the world? there were so many masks, but she refused to give them one. it was simply unreasonable! su cheng leaned closer to su xiaoxiao and asked in a low voice, ¡°daughter, is mo¡¯er really alright? he¡¯s been unconscious. i¡¯m a little worried.¡± although su cheng was a bully, he was good to his family, especially since su mo doted on su xiaoxiao a lot. su cheng wanted to treat him better. su xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°his injuries are not fatal but he was poisoned. i¡¯ve already given him antidotes.¡± su cheng was slightly relieved. he felt the wind and changed his position to block the wind. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°dad, we have gas masks. we¡¯re not afraid of the miasma. sit here. it¡¯s more comfortable. it¡¯s uncomfortable there.¡± su cheng said nonchalantly, ¡°oh, it¡¯s fine. i like to sit here.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°then i¡¯ll move over a little.¡± ¡°alright.¡± su cheng insisted on making a humanoid miasma shield. su xiaoxiao looked across and said, ¡°dad, i¡¯ll get some water.¡± she heard the sound of running water. there should be a water source nearby. she got up and left with the three of them. general leng gestured to leng zhiruo. ¡°go get some water too.¡± leng zhiruo put down her sword, took the water bag from her father and brother, and followed su xiaoxiao to the stream. the two of them squatted down and began to pour water into the water bag. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± leng zhiruo said, ¡°we entered the peach forest from the entrance two hours ago. as we walked, there were no more peach trees. it was as if we had entered another mountain. there, we were ambushed by the first wave of the white lotus society and lost a third of our guards.¡± su xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°so there was indeed a white lotus society in the forest. what happened next?¡± leng zhiruo frowned and said, ¡°later on, we encountered a stone array. the leng family¡¯s guards were completely wiped out, and only the three of us escaped. what about you?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°oh, i followed the white lotus society.¡± the parrot of the white lotus society was also from the white lotus society. she was not lying. ¡°give me your arm.¡± ¡°huh?¡± leng zhiruo didn¡¯t understand. su xiaoxiao put down the water bag and took her left arm. leng zhiruo gasped. su xiaoxiao rolled up her sleeve, revealing a blood-stained handkerchief. she took off the handkerchief and saw a hideous wound. ¡°you¡¯re so injured, but your brother still has the cheek to snatch your things.¡± su xiaoxiao took off the first aid kit tied to her waist and took out a syringe. leng zhiruo asked, ¡°what is this?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°anesthesia. your wound has to be stitched up. it won¡¯t hurt anymore after this. don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a local anesthetic. they won¡¯t be able to tell.¡¯ leng zhiruo understood and said in a low voice, ¡°there¡¯s no need for this.¡± every muscle in her arm was useful. as long as she could not exert any strength, it might affect her moves. su xiaoxiao could only stitch her up. she broke out in cold sweat from the pain. her eyes were red, but she did not let her tears fall. she had known since she was young that a girl¡¯s tears were worthless. there was no one in the world who cherished her tears, so she stopped crying. su xiaoxiao bandaged her. ¡°you¡¯re the second ruthless person i¡¯ve seen tonight.¡± ¡°is the first one su mo?¡± as soon as these words were spoken, the two of them paused. leng zhiruo realized that she had said something wrong. su xiaoxiao continued to bandage it. ¡°you recognized su mo?¡± leng zhiruo nodded slowly. su xiaoxiao asked suspiciously, ¡°do you have any special skills to recognize people? i wanted to ask just now. i was wearing a gas mask and didn¡¯t make a sound. how did you recognize me?¡± leng zhiruo looked at her chubby body with a difficult expression. after treating her injuries, su xiaoxiao stood up with the water bag and threw a small medicine bottle to leng zhiruo. leng zhiruo looked at the medicine bottle. ¡°this is¡­¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t turn around and only waved her hand calmly. ¡°you¡¯re welcome.¡± leng zhiruo returned to the grass. leng rui grabbed the water bag in frustration, pulled out the stopper, and drank in large mouthfuls. general leng looked at the father and daughter opposite him. su cheng was trying his best to feed his fat daughter. there were snacks, preserved meat, and a few fresh peaches. they were all picked from the peach forest. others were busy running for their lives, but he still had the mood to pick a few big peaches. general leng retracted his gaze and asked leng zhiruo, ¡°what news did you hear?¡± leng zhiruo said, ¡°they followed the white lotus society in. it¡¯s different from our entrance.¡± leng rui said jealously, ¡°are they so lucky to have followed the white lotus society? general leng continued, ¡°what¡¯s the identity of that guard?¡± leng zhiruo said, ¡°it¡¯s a guard.¡± general leng frowned. ¡°are you sure?¡± leng zhiruo¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°that¡¯s what she said.¡± general leng did not suspect leng zhiruo. this daughter had always been obedient and never disobeyed his father¡¯s orders. after the father and daughter ate and drank their fill, leng rui drooled. general leng asked calmly, ¡°aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± su cheng retorted angrily, ¡°why do you care? if you want to leave, leave!¡± leng rui mocked, ¡°you don¡¯t dare to leave yourself, right? you want to wait for us to leave together!¡± ¡°clang¡ª¡± su cheng rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue. leng rui was furious. ¡°you!¡± at this moment, a scream came from not far away, right on the heels of which was the sound of weapons clashing. general leng looked at the father and daughter again. the two of them had no intention of watching. originally, their goal was to look for su mo. now that they had found him, they really liked to watch others¡¯ liveliness. general leng was different. he had the mission to protect the two princes. ¡°let¡¯s go take a look!¡± he brought leng zhiruo and leng rui to the front. su cheng asked, ¡°daughter, are we really not going?¡± su xiaoxiao said evilly, ¡°go, but let leng take the lead and wear him down.¡± when the father and daughter rushed over, the fight at the scene was almost over. general leng was forced to use a little internal energy, and his expression was not good. su xiaoxiao glanced around. ¡°yo, so it¡¯s your highness. i was wondering why general leng was working so hard.¡± when xiao duye saw su cheng and his daughter wearing gas masks, he was so frightened that his hair stood on end! that mask¡­ was really too terrifying. wait, this little girl¡¯s voice¡­ xiao duye¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°su daya?!¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°nice to meet you, your highness.¡± xiao duye said in a low voice, ¡°what strange things are you wearing on your faces?¡± not only did they wear it, but they also wore it on the horses. it was so late at night that it scared people to death, okay? leng rui said, ¡°your highness, that¡¯s a mask that can resist the miasma!¡± ¡°is there such a thing?¡± xiao duye had taken a long way to avoid the miasma forest. he did not expect to be ambushed by the white lotus society and lose nearly half of his experts. he said arrogantly, ¡°give me one.¡± su xiaoxiao extended her hand. ¡°5,000 taels.¡± ¡°what?!¡± ¡°5,000 taels each.. take it or leave it!¡± Chapter 536 - Chapter 536: Heaven-Defying Luck! chapter 536: heaven-defying luck! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios xiao duye said coldly, ¡°why don¡¯t you rob someone?¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°that¡¯s right. i could have snatched the money openly, but i insisted on giving you a mask. i¡¯m too kind.¡± xiao duye narrowed his eyes. ¡°men! take down such a rebellious person!¡± leng rui smiled proudly. he had asked her not to hand over the mask. wasn¡¯t it better now? no matter how capable su cheng was, could he defeat so many inner court experts? she was dead meat! a few inner court experts rushed forward. coincidentally, at this moment, a young man in black rushed over from the sky and knocked away an expert from the imperial palace with a sword. he landed steadily in front of su xiaoxiao , holding the three-foot-long cold light sword. this man alone could hold the fort, and no one could break through! xiao duye looked at the young man in front of him and his expression darkened. su xiaoxiao stood behind the youth and poked his shoulder with her chubby finger. ¡°jing yi.¡± jing yi¡¯s aura was fully released. ¡°i¡¯ll deal with them.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°no, you stepped on my father¡¯s foot.¡± jing yi was speechless. jing yi turned his head and looked at su cheng, who had lost his expression from the pain. his handsome face turned pale and he moved aside helplessly. it was not easy for him to act cool, but he failed. it could be said to be very awkward. xiao duye had experienced how powerful jing yi was. moreover, he was not alone. he had bai ze beside him. bai ze arrived a few steps later than jing yi and landed behind xiao duye. it was as if he would stab him if he dared to attack his young marquis. xiao duye gritted his teeth and said, ¡°i don¡¯t have so many banknotes on me!¡± su xiaoxiao was an old businesswoman. ¡°give me something valuable.¡± xiao duye glanced at jing yi coldly. jingyi held his sword and threatened, ¡°do as she says.¡± now was not the best time to fall out with jing yi. he had entered the forest to exterminate the white lotus society and make a contribution. he could not lose big because of a small matter. the grudge with third brother would be settled in the future! xiao duye suppressed his anger and took off the jade pendant on his waist. ¡°this is worth at least 10,000 taels!¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°have you ever seen a pawnshop buy at the original price? 500 taels!¡± xiao duye exploded! what kind of profiteer was this girl? in the end, xiao duye used all his assets in exchange for su xiaoxiao¡¯s gas mask. after giving it to him, su xiaoxiao took out a gas mask from her bag and handed it to jing yi. jing yi was about to take out the silver. su xiaoxiao gestured for him to stop. ¡°you don¡¯t have to pay five thousand taels. your looks alone will pay for most of it. five copper coins! buy one, get one free!¡± xiao duye thought of his assets that were worth tens of thousands of taels and spat out a mouthful of blood¡ª was he so damn ugly that it was inhumane? ¡°do you want to buy one?¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the leng father and son. ¡°you have more?¡± leng rui¡¯s temples throbbed. it would be a lie to say that he was not envious. in fact, anything this girl took out could make people go crazy. it seemed there was an enless supply¡­ general leng said to leng zhiruo, ¡°go buy it.¡± leng zhiruo came to su xiaoxiao. ¡°how much is one?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°ten thousand taels, no bargaining!¡± leng rui widened his eyes. ¡°hey! wasn¡¯t it only 5,000 taels just now!¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°that¡¯s the price for a prince. can you compare to a prince?¡± xiao duye instantly felt comfortable. he was now willing to be scammed! what could the leng father and son say? talking about the price of another copper coin was disrespectful to the prince! the leng family was also rich. the banknotes and assets on the three of them were no less than xiao duye¡¯s. wuhu said, ¡°fool! fool! fool!¡± the faces of the leng father and son darkened. xiao duye looked at the leng family suspiciously. general leng¡¯s eyes darkened. this girl had roasted the leng family over the fire with just a few words. he thought that she was really just extorting money¡­ su xiaoxiao had earned a lot and didn¡¯t intend to continue wasting time with them. ¡°dad, jing yi, let¡¯s go!¡± xiao duye narrowed his eyes. ¡°jing yi, have you forgotten that you still have a mission?¡± jing yi said bluntly, ¡°i¡¯m here to exterminate the white lotus society, not to protect you, first prince.¡± xiao duye had no intention of letting jing yi protect him. jing yi was third brother¡¯s man. even if he really wanted to protect him, he did not dare to use him. he wanted to remind jing yi that he and su daya were not the same kind of people. however, jing yi didn¡¯t seem to care. had his relationship with su daya become so intimate in such a short time? ¡°your highness, aren¡¯t we going to stop them?¡± a person dressed as an expert walked forward. this person was xu qing. when xiao duye ordered the capture of su daya just now, xu qing did not work hard at all. xiao duye was a little annoyed by him. xu qing was qin yanran¡¯s man and did not seem to follow his orders. xiao duye glared at him. ¡°are you stopping him?¡± xu qing did not say anything else. su cheng carried the big saber and led the way. jing yi and su xiaoxiao followed closely behind, and bai ze led the horse to cover the back. jing yi asked su xiaoxiao, ¡°is the person on the horse su mo?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. jing yi said, ¡°cousin guessed correctly, but i didn¡¯t expect you to come here. did you enter from the entrance? cousin probably wouldn¡¯t have let you in.¡± it was too dangerous inside, so xiao zhonghua wouldn¡¯t let su xiaoxiao take the risk. su xiaoxiao confessed, ¡°i came in from another place. by the way, did you find anything along the way?¡± jing yi shook his head. ¡°i didn¡¯t discover much for the time being. instead, i fell into many traps. bai ze and i were separated from qing xuan and wu mu. in addition, i think i saw wei ting. someone was following behind him. is that his secret guard?¡± su xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°ah, i guess so.¡± it was not convenient to tell him about wei liulang. jing yi was a man of few words, but when he was with su xiaoxiao, he subconsciously wanted to say something. ¡°cousin has been investigating the white lotus society recently. guardian he has explained a lot, and division leader chen has also revealed some things. there¡¯s something very strange.¡± ¡°what is it?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. jing yi asked, ¡°do you know why the white lotus society developed so quickly?¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°paywall?¡± ¡°huh?¡± jing yi didn¡¯t understand. su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°what i mean is that the white lotus society spent money. for example, you can obtain as many benefits as you want by joining the white lotus society. you can eat your fill and wear warm clothes. i think this is a huge temptation for many poor commoners.¡± jing yi was surprised by her intelligence and knowledge, but he felt that she should be such a girl. jing yi nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. that¡¯s the problem. cousin checked the account books of the white lotus society. they almost didn¡¯t make much money. at least the temple still has devotees offering incense, but the white lotus society has been distributing money to its disciples. cousin doesn¡¯t understand, where did their money come from? cousin continued to investigate and found a martial arts sect that was wiped out by lord wu an 30 years ago. that sect is most likely the predecessor of the white lotus society. they once dug gold mines and went through salt shipments. the imperial court has wiped out the silver, but there might be¡­ a lot left out.¡± ¡°if we can find that money, we can take drastic measures against the white lotus society.¡± ¡°are you sure it¡¯s silver?¡± su xiaoxiao asked blankly. ¡°what?¡± jing yi realized that su xiaoxiao was not following him. he turned around and saw su xiaoxiao standing rooted to the ground in a daze, staring down at the blue parrot that was pecking on the ground. he walked over and lowered his head to take a look. his eyebrows twitched! he hurriedly squatted down and pushed aside the mud that had been pecked to pieces by the five tigers. a dazzling golden light shot out from the crack in the ground. this was the white lotus society¡¯s treasury! Chapter 537 - Chapter 537: Untitled chapter 537: untitled translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios jing yi couldn¡¯t believe that this was true. his cousin had searched for so long but couldn¡¯t find any clues. now, it was just under their feet! ¡°why aren¡¯t you two moving?¡± as su cheng walked, he realized that they had disappeared. he leaned over and looked at the two dumbfounded people. he asked, ¡°what?¡± su xiaoxiao came back to her senses and pointed underground. ¡°dad, there¡¯s gold!¡± ¡°where? let me take a look!¡± su cheng lay down, and su xiaoxiao did the same. the father and daughter lay down facing each other and looked in through the crack without blinking. ¡°dad, do you see that?¡± ¡°daughter, i see it.¡± then, the two of them began to skillfully touch the dagger. jing yi wondered, ¡®why do i feel that you¡¯re going to start robbing?¡± su xiaoxiao caught wuhu and placed it aside. as a reward for discovering the small treasure, su xiaoxiao gave it five servings of bird food in one go. the aura of the wuhu instantly became 2.8 meters. five servings. it couldn¡¯t believe it! it had only eaten three after working all night! wuhu couldn¡¯t bear to finish it immediately. su xiaoxiao made a super small basket for him with leaves. it could put the bird food in it and hang it in its mouth. su cheng used the dagger to chisel the place. ¡°daughter, there are stones below.¡± the cellar containing the gold was made of stone and had a layer of soil on it. this year, there was especially heavy rain, scattering a lot of the soil and making it very soft. the gaps between the stones were also exposed. but these narrow gaps alone could not pave the way to the cellar. su xiaoxiao made a prompt decision. ¡°find the entrance!¡± bai ze walked over with his horse. ¡°young marquis, what are we going to do?¡± jing yi said, ¡°find the entrance.¡± bai ze was speechless. bai ze looked at the eager father and daughter and the young marquis, who had been completely led astray. he closed his eyes helplessly. ¡°young marquis, have you forgotten where we are?¡± ¡°peach forest,¡± jing yi said. bai ze corrected him, ¡°it¡¯s the peach forest of the white lotus society. to be precise, it¡¯s the nest of the white lotus society that¡¯s surrounded by the peach forest. moreover, according to our elimination of the white lotus society these days, no nest is so dangerous. do you understand, young marquis?¡± jing yi nodded seriously. ¡°i understand. hurry up later.¡± bai ze was speechless. he held his forehead. had he been talking in vain? bai ze revealed a rare smile. ¡®young marquis, do you think we can take the gold away? jing yi asked su xiaoxiao, ¡°can you take it away? su xiaoxiao said, ¡°yes!¡± jing yi looked at bai ze. ¡°yes.¡± su xiaoxiao patted jing yi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°everyone has a share. i¡¯ll give you some!¡± jingyi said, ¡°i don¡¯t want it.¡± su xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°that won¡¯t do. if you don¡¯t split the spoils with me, what if you sell me out in the future?¡± bai ze was about to say that his young marquis wouldn¡¯t when he heard jing yi obediently reply, ¡°oh.¡± su xiaoxiao said loyally, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll take most of the risk!¡± bai ze glanced at her speechlessly. she just meant to say that she would take the bulk. the few of them surveyed the ground as they searched for the entrance. su cheng scratched his head. ¡°that¡¯s strange. it¡¯s clearly under my feet. why can¡¯t i find the entrance? did the white lotus society turn into ghosts to enter?¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°wuhu, where¡¯s the entrance?¡± wuhu lay down. its previous owner always liked to come here with the bird cage, but it didn¡¯t go down. how would it know how to get there? ¡°who¡¯s there?¡± a sudden shout came from not far away. jing yi decisively grabbed the hilt of the sword at his waist. su xiaoxiao pressed his hand down and gave him a calm look. there were a total of five people, all dressed in plain gray robes. the leader was a stranger who had barged into the forest warily. when his gaze swept across the armor of the great zhou soldiers on su cheng, he understood their identities. he smiled coldly. ¡°how many people did the imperial court send to die tonight? they even sent a woman and a child?¡± the woman was su xiaoxiao, and the child was jing yi. jing yi was unhappy. su cheng carried the big knife to su xiaoxiao¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°daughter, i¡¯ll kill them later. if i can¡¯t kill them, run first.¡± su xiaoxiao whispered, ¡°dad, go with them. they definitely know the entrance. su cheng threw his saber away in a second. ¡°forget it. you have more people. i surrender! ¡± the disciples were speechless. the peach forest was not peaceful tonight. they were also worried that someone would barge in, so they came to patrol. but¡­ why were these people waiting to be arrested without fighting? in order to search for the entrance just now, su xiaoxiao and the others had already put away their gas masks. now, they looked no different from ordinary people. a disciple looked at their shoes and said, ¡°boss, they came from the miasma forest. they must have been poisoned by the miasma and can¡¯t use force.¡± the leader nodded. another disciple asked, ¡°then, should we capture these people or not?¡± the leader looked at su xiaoxiao and the others warily and said, ¡°kill them! leave no one alive!¡± wuhu decisively fled. ¡°long live the sect master! long live the sect master! long live the sect master!¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°you little traitor!¡± a disciple said, ¡°eh? isn¡¯t this the parrot raised by the great elder? last time, he said that he died on the ship. so he didn¡¯t die and flew back? no, wasn¡¯t it white? where¡¯s the bird fur on his head?¡± the leader looked at the extremely obedient parrot in his palm and said, ¡°leave the parrot behind. these people¡­¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°long live the sect master!¡± su cheng said, ¡°long live the sect master!¡± jing yi¡¯s eyes trembled as he said in extreme shame, ¡°long live¡­ sect master.¡± bai ze muttered, ¡°kill me. i don¡¯t want to live.¡± the leader pointed at bai ze. ¡°why isn¡¯t he saying anything?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°mute.¡± bai ze was speechless. the group was captured to a small bamboo garden, tied up, and locked in a woodshed. ¡°the two of you, guard the door and wait for the great elder to come and deal with it later!¡± ¡°yes!¡± the leader left with his two subordinates and the parrot. just as they left, jing yi broke free from the rope and walked out. without a word, he kicked open the door and knocked the two of them out. he caught the two of them and dragged them in. he pulled off their clothes and let bai ze and su cheng change into them. su cheng and bai ze pretended to be from the white lotus society and guarded the door. jing yi and su xiaoxiao went to find the entrance to the cellar. su xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t sure if the entrance was here, but reality proved that she had made the right bet again. there was an abandoned dry well in the backyard. jing yi jumped down and touched a hollow well wall. ¡°there¡¯s a passageway!¡± he whispered, ¡°come down. i¡¯ll catch you.¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up as she jumped down the well with one hand. er¡­ she was stuck¡­ someone came from outside the courtyard. listening to the footsteps¡­ no, these footsteps were wrong! there was the scrape of armor. this was an entire rebel army of the white lotus society! su xiaoxiao was stuck at the mouth of the well, unable to get down or out. someone came in. at the critical moment, jing yi pulled her down the well! Chapter 538 - Chapter 538: The Biggest Baller chapter 538: the biggest baller translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios a man in armor strode into the house. he looked around the courtyard and came to the ancient well. he leaned out and looked down. jing yi and su xiaoxiao had already entered a secret passage at the side. the bottom of the well was empty. he retracted his gaze and arranged for his subordinates to protect the small courtyard tightly. su xiaoxiao and jing yi crawled along the low secret passage for about a dozen steps before finally entering another wide and big secret passage. the two of them straightened up. su xiaoxiao patted the dust off her hands and body and said seriously, ¡°the well entrance was too small just now! look, didn¡¯t i climb through this secret passage?¡± jingyi nodded. ¡°yes, i was almost stuck just now.¡± su xiaoxiao widened her eyes and revealed a like-minded smile. ¡°right? the white lotus society is so stingy. they can¡¯t even bear to dig a bigger well! forget it, forget it. let¡¯s tind gold!¡± the tunnel here was winding. after searching for a long time, she did not find any gold. however, she heard a low cough. jing yi became vigilant and protected su xiaoxiao behind him. ¡°there¡¯s someone.¡± su xiaoxiao heard it too. jing yi said, ¡°i¡¯ll go take a look first. wait for me here.¡± ¡°alright, be careful.¡± ¡°yeah.¡± jing yi slowly walked over, pulled out the sword at his waist, and used the tip of the sword to pry open a closed wooden door. the intermittent cough could be heard clearly. jing yi walked over and looked in under the light of the match. he said in surprise, ¡°your second highness?¡± su xiaoxiao realized who it was. ¡°oh, xiao shunyang?¡± ¡°there¡¯s no danger.¡± jing yi came out and said to su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao walked in. this was like another small cellar, but it was very dark and narrow. su xiaoxiao held the oil lamp she had taken from the wall and looked at xiao shunyang¡¯s face. xiao shunyang was tied up with a cloth in his mouth. he sat with his back facing the wall and was about to suffocate. he looked at su xiaoxiao and jing yi, who had appeared out of thin air, in a daze. he didn¡¯t expect them to appear here. su xiaoxiao took off the cloth from his mouth, but she didn¡¯t untie him immediately. su xiaoxiao was a little suspicious of the second prince. the last time they returned to the capital from the dragon temple, they were ambushed by the white lotus society. originally, everything was under control. it was xiao shunyang¡¯s horse that was suddenly frightened and messed up their formation which gave the white lotus society a chance. could this be a simple accident? xiao shunyang¡¯s martial arts were not inferior to xiao duye¡¯s. xiao duye was not captured, but he was. ¡°were you arrested by the white lotus society?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. xiao shunyang looked at su xiaoxiao in disbelief. ¡°if it¡¯s not the white lotus society, could it be that someone else can capture me here?¡± su xiaoxiao continued, ¡®why did they arrest you?¡± ¡°because i was discovered?¡± xiao shunyang looked at su xiaoxiao speechlessly. ¡°is there anyone who broke into the white lotus society¡¯s territory who wasn¡¯t caught?¡± su xiaoxiao and jing yi looked at him expressionlessly. xiao shunyang was rendered speechless again. could it be that she was too suspicious? did xiao shunyang indeed have an accident that time? did he have nothing to do with the white lotus society? otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why the white lotus society had captured him. it shouldn¡¯t be an act. the white lotus society couldn¡¯t guess that she and jing yi would come to dig for gold. ¡°ahem!¡± xiao shunyang coughed a few more times in pain. ¡°i almost fell into the corpse dissolving water just now and finally escaped, but i seem to have¡­ been poisoned.¡± su xiaoxiao took out her flashlight and checked his pupils and nails. ¡°what are you¡­¡± xiao shunyang wanted to ask what she was holding. why was it so dazzling? ¡°don¡¯t speak. open your mouth.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at his tongue and throat again. in the end, combined with his pulse, su xiaoxiao roughly deduced what the corpse dissolving water they were talking about was. it should be some strong acid that was extremely corrosive. its gas was also poisonous. if one inhaled too much, it would cause swelling pain in the throat, respiratory mucosa, and lungs. su xiaoxiao instructed, ¡°jing yi, if you encounter the corpse dissolving water, use your qinggong to pass by from a high place.¡± jing yibao nodded. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°he won¡¯t die for a while. let¡¯s finish our business first.¡± xiao shunyang asked, ¡°are you looking for the white lotus society¡¯s treasury? su xiaoxiao was alarmed. xiao shunyang closed his eyes and said, ¡°it¡¯s just ahead. there¡¯s a protruding mechanism at the height of half a person. be careful.¡± would xiao shunyang be so kind? as if guessing su xiaoxiao¡¯s doubts, xiao shunyang leaned against the wall weakly and said, ¡°take as much as you can. i won¡¯t tell father. just bring me out in the end.¡¯ ah, so he felt that the two of them could not take much. that was true. a little gold from the white lotus society in exchange for his life was definitely a good deal. xiao shunyang was more business-minded than the eldest prince. unfortunately, xiao shunyang did not expect her to have a base pharmacy. not to mention the gold of the white lotus society, she could even take away all the sand in the cellar! the two of them arrived at the cellar where the gold was stored. they followed xiao shunyang¡¯s reminder and avoided the mechanism on the wall. su xiaoxiao asked jing yi to guard outside and closed the stone door from inside. there were 60 to 70 boxes of gold bars. ¡°this is at least 100,000 taels of gold, right?¡± perhaps it was more than that. after all, gold was dense. su xiaoxiao moved boxes into the pharmacy. fortunately, she was a strong little fatty. otherwise, how could she move so many boxes of gold? su xiaoxiao was exhausted. about 15 minutes later, she appeared in front of xiao shunyang, panting. ¡°you¡¯re mistaken. there¡¯s no gold in that cellar¡­ if you don¡¯t believe me, go see for yourself¡­¡± jing yi untied xiao shunyang. xiao shunyang went to the cellar where the gold was placed skeptically. it was empty. not to mention gold, there was not even a copper coin! he looked at jing yi and su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao said righteously, ¡°we don¡¯t have it on us. if you don¡¯t believe me, search!¡± how could she hide such a big room of gold? xiao shunyang frowned. ¡°then, why were you gone for so long just now?¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°are you suspecting that we moved the gold elsewhere? this is the white lotus society. where can we move it to? how about this? go and search. if you can find a piece of gold, i, su daya, will write my name upside down!¡± xiao shunyang went to search, but he naturally could not find it. ¡°hmph! i was happy for nothing!¡± su xiaoxiao left without looking back! jing yi had just taken a step when he turned around and glared at xiao shunyang. ¡°that¡¯s right. i was happy for nothing.¡± xiao shunyang, who had been played the blame game, was speechless. su xiaoxiao had to quickly look for her father and su mo. su mo was unconscious and was taken to the woodshed. it was unknown if her father and bai ze had exposed themselves by guarding the door. su xiaoxiao was extremely lucky tonight; it was as if she had entered the destiny circle. wei ting was in trouble. entering the forest was a mechanism formation. after passing it, he encountered corpse dissolving water. fortunately, his martial arts foundation was strong, so he passed it safely. however, before he could catch his breath, he tragically entered the miasma forest again and encountered the swamp. wei liulang secretly followed wei ting, his face turning green. the last time he came in, he was not so unlucky. it was only because the two brothers were good at martial arts. if it had been others, they would have died thousands of times. as wei ting avoided the swamp pit, he said with a faint smile, ¡°sixth brother, remember to step on the footprints i left behind. don¡¯t fall into the swamp. i was worried that you wouldn¡¯t be able to see clearly. i placed leaves on the footprints.¡± wei liulang thoughts were that he didn¡¯t follow if he didn¡¯t reply. wei ting was stronger, so these dangers were nothing to him. he smiled and said, ¡°sixth brother, why don¡¯t you lead the way? it¡¯s too dark ahead. i¡¯m afraid.¡± wei liulang muttered, ¡°you¡¯re shameless. ¡± wei ting was cocky and stepped into the swamp! wei liulang soared into the air and used his qinggong to grab wei ting out of the swamp, landing on a big tree. wei ting smiled. ¡°sixth brother, you fell for it again.¡± wei liulang kicked wei ting down! at this moment, a shocking roar suddenly came from not far ahead. wei liulang¡¯s expression changed. here it comes¡­ that monster was here¡­ Chapter 539 - Chapter 539: Monster in the Forest chapter 539: monster in the forest translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°little seven, leave quickly!¡± wei liulang urged. wei ting also clearly felt the killing intent from the forest. for the first time, he did not tease wei liulang for finally calling him little seven. he stabilized himself and looked in the direction of the voice with a solemn expression. he asked, ¡°sixth brother, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°monster.¡± wei xiaoqi jumped down from the treetop and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°leave quickly. don¡¯t be discovered by it!¡± ¡°were you injured by it?¡± wei ting asked coldly. ¡°no,¡± wei liulang said. the monster seemed to have sensed that someone had barged into its territory. as it roared, it quickly rushed over. the monster¡¯s roar was very strange. it did not look like any beast he had seen. it could not be a human¡­ however, if a person let out that cry, it would be even more unbelievable. wei ting said seriously, ¡°sixth brother, i keep feeling that there¡¯s something ahead.¡± the more dangerous a place was, the more well-hidden it was. wei liulang grabbed his wrist. ¡°don¡¯t go! ¡± among his six brothers in the past, wei liulang was the boldest. this time, even he stopped. however, it seemed too late for the two of them to leave. in the blink of an eye, a black shadow pounced at the two of them! wei liulang pushed wei ting away and used the momentum to dodge to the other side. the shadow missed and let out a deafening roar. ¡°it¡¯s much stronger than last time,¡± wei liulang said with a solemn expression. ¡°when was the last time?¡± wei ting asked. ¡°a month ago,¡± wei liulang replied. the black shadow pounced at the two of them again. this time, it chose wei liulang, who had lost an arm and was injured. wei liulang tapped his feet and used his qinggong to jump onto the treetop. the black shadow suddenly bumped forward and actually knocked down a big tree. then, as wei liulang fought the black shadow, wei ting saw the other party¡¯s appearance. first of all¡­ it should not be human. secondly, it was not a lion or a tiger. it was strong and huge. its fur was dark and it had sharp claws. there was an iron cage on its head that was connected to the chain around its neck. when it stood up, it was taller than ordinary adult men¡­ it was still not as tall as wei ting. after all, wei ting was 1.9 meters tall. to call it a black bear, its long fangs seem to defy the definition. yet they would not call it a wild boar since it had sharp claws. wei ting asked suspiciously, ¡°sixth brother, what¡¯s on its back?¡± it was as if he had a hump. with such an appearance, it was no wonder sixth brother called him a monster. ¡°it¡¯s a poison sac!¡± wei liulang dodged its attack. ¡°be careful. it¡¯s covered in poison. don¡¯t be scratched by it! at best, you¡¯ll lose your strength. at worst, you¡¯ll die on the spot!¡± ¡°are you that ruthless?¡± wei ting raised his eyebrows. wei liulang had fought it once and learned from his mistakes. he knew that he could not fight it head-on and used his qinggong to dodge its attacks the entire time. seeing that it could not catch wei liulang, it switched to attacking wei ting. wei ting did not believe what was said about the creature and kicked it in the air. the kick hit, but it did not cause much damage to it. on the other hand, the sole of wei ting¡¯s shoe and the leg of his pants came into contact with the sweat on its fur and burned a few small holes. wei ting frowned. ¡°no way. this is poisonous too?¡± how was this a monster? it was clearly a poisonous monster! wei liulang was sent flying by a slap. ¡°sixth brother!¡± wei ting was also slapped when he went to save him. the clothes on his chest were torn apart by the sharp claws, revealing the wei family¡¯s ancestral heart armor. the armor that could be said to be invulnerable was torn open in three places. wei ting had always cherished this armor. he did not expect it to be broken one day. wei liulang had blocked his chest with his sword just now. he was fine, but his sword was bent. this guy¡¯s claws were even sharper than iron hooks. ¡°little seven, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°we can¡¯t leave. it¡¯s either us or it today.¡± on the other side, su xiaoxiao and the others arrived at the bottom of the well. xiao shunyang looked suspiciously at little thief su more than once. su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°second prince, you have a wife. can you stop staring at someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± xiao shunyang frowned and said, ¡°i still think you took the gold. you looked like you moved the gold just now.¡± su xiaoxiao said righteously, ¡°i¡¯m a fatty. i¡¯ll be out of breath if i move casually! besides, i worked so hard to find gold. do you think it¡¯s easy?¡± jingyi said, ¡°that¡¯s right. go and take a look.¡± xiao shunyang could not win against the two of them, not to mention that he had indeed looked for the gold. he just couldn¡¯t figure it out. jing yi went up first. he used his long sword to pry open the bricks at the mouth of the well and lowered the rope to pull su xiaoxiao up. this time, her chest was finally not stuck. after xiao shunyang came up, jing yi restored the well. the three of them went to the door of the woodshed. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°dad, how are things on your side?¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing.¡± su cheng was about to ask how things were going when he saw xiao shunyang beside jing yi. ¡°who is he?¡± ¡°his second highness,¡± su xiaoxiao said. su cheng sized him up. ¡°ah, i¡¯ve seen him at the dragon temple. why is he like this?¡± the second prince was tied up and thrown into the cellar. his entire body was gray and his hair was disheveled. it was no wonder that su cheng did not recognize him. jing yi entered the house and wiped the dust off su mots face before carrying the unconscious su mo out. this time, it was xiao shunyang¡¯s turn to be puzzled. ¡°who is he?¡± ¡°a guard of the public house,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°are the two of you very close?¡± he had wanted to ask just now why jing yi was with the daughter of the duke¡¯s protector. su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°i heard that your highness came in to save guo huan. guo huan is a spy of the white lotus society. is your highness planning to be as stubborn as a mule?¡± xiao shunyang said coldly, ¡°this is none of your business.¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°then what does it have to do with you if my relationship with jing yi is good?¡± xiao shunyang choked to death. ¡°how are we going to get out?¡± bai ze asked. ¡°we¡¯re surrounded.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°we can only use our wits.¡± on the other hand, after the white lotus cult disciple brought wuhu back to his room, he immediately found a bird cage and locked him up. vv creak¡ª the door was pushed open. su xiaoxiao and jing yi sneaked in. ¡°wuhu.¡± ¡®you¡¯re not allowed to scream!¡± su xiaoxiao gently walked over, opened the bird cage, and let this little traitor out. about ten seconds later, wuhu flapped its wings and flew into the sky, landing on a big tree at the door. ¡°the sect master is here! the sect master is here! the sect master is here!¡± everyone went to kneel to welcome him. su xiaoxiao and the others quietly opened the back door and slipped out. ¡°horse!¡± su cheng turned back to the horse shed and brought their horses. wei ting, wei liulang, and the poisonous creature continued to fight. the poisonous creature seemed to have endless strength. every time they felt that its stamina was about to be exhausted, it would be filled with strength again. wei ting stabbed it twice, but it did not seem to feel any pain. not only did it not fall, but it also became braver.. Chapter 540 - Chapter 540: Xiaoxiao Strikes chapter 540: xiaoxiao strikes translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°is this guy unbeatable?¡± this was the first time wei ting felt troubled after entering the forest. ¡°poison sac,¡± said wei liulang. wei ting¡¯s gaze landed on the poison sac on its back and he was surprised to find that it was much smaller than before. it seemed that this was the key to its inexhaustible strength. the poison sac was nourishing it. it would only be possible to defeat this big fellow when the poison in its poison sac was exhausted. however, no one could tell if the poison would deplete first or if their stamina would be exhausted first. ¡°sixth brother, restrain him for a while. i¡¯ll attack its poison sac!¡± with that, wei ting wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, pulled out the sword that was inserted into the ground, and circled behind it. the creature planned to turn around and fight wei ting, but it was stopped by wei liulang¡¯s sword. although wei liulang had lost an arm, he was someone who had survived a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. not to mention letting him restrain it for a while, he was not afraid at all even if he died with it. wei ting said, ¡°sixth brother, you have to go back alive. the three brats are still waiting for you.¡± wei liulang, who had originally planned to die with the monster, was suddenly stunned. he changed his move and distanced himself from it. wei ting seized the opportunity and jumped up, stabbing the sword into its poison sac! this time, it finally reacted to the pain. it looked up at the sky and let out a shocking roar. it turned around and slapped wei ting! ¡°little seven!¡± that speed and explosive power were unbelievable. it was too late for wei liulang to stop it. seeing that wei ting was about to die under its sharp claws, at the critical moment, an arrow pierced through the silent night with a whistling sound and pierced through its palm! the huge force flicked its palm to the side. wei ting took the opportunity to do a backflip. his toes hooked onto the iron cage above its head and ruthlessly threw it to the ground. ¡°catch! ¡± wei liulang grabbed a tenacious tree vine in time and threw it over. the two of them each grabbed one end and tied the monster up in time. it was unwilling to be captured and accumulated strength to struggle. what could a mere tree vine do to it? crack! the tree vine was about to break! suddenly, a figure rode over, jumped up, and stabbed three doses of anesthetic into its chest! ¡°roar!¡± it roared angrily and scratched su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao raised her hand and grabbed. wei liulang¡¯s expression changed drastically! that was a sharp claw that could break the wei family¡¯s heart armor¡­ however, su xiaoxiao was fine. the silver silk gloves of the pharmacy successfully withstood its damage. wei liulang looked at this scene in disbelief. the monster was also stunned. it clearly did not expect this human to not be hurt. it changed to using a big-eared slap. wei ting decisively threw away the vine and flew up. swish! su xiaoxiao was carried away by jing yi. wei ting was speechless. what happened to his wife? ¡°roar!¡± it was completely furious. it suddenly pulled wei liulang over and was about to slap him when its body suddenly trembled. its eyes saw stars and it fell to the ground. su xiaoxiao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°phew! the anesthetic is finally effective.¡± she walked over from under the tree. jing yi followed beside her like a little guardian god. wei ting muttered , ¡°i kind of want to beat this kid up today.¡± ¡°why are you here?¡± wei ting asked su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°i came in for a stroll.¡± wei ting was speechless. su xiaoxiao and jing yi heard the commotion and came over first. su cheng and the others were still behind. wei ting asked suspiciously, ¡°you¡­ rode over?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± wei ting pointed behind her. ¡°there¡¯s a swamp over there. there are countless swamp pits.¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°really? the corners of wei ting¡¯s mouth twitched. some people used all their strength to avoid the swamp pit, while others came over without effort. su xiaoxiao went over to check on that¡­ monster. ¡°dangerous.¡± wei liulang stopped her. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°don¡¯t worry. i gave it three doses of anesthetic. it won¡¯t wake up for at least two hours.¡± wei liulang had experienced the power of anesthetic, so he fell silent. su xiaoxiao took out the dagger that wei ting had given her and easily pried open the iron cage on its head. because she was wearing silver silk gloves, she was not worried about being poisoned by its blood or sweat. ¡°the fangs are fake.¡± su xiaoxiao pulled out the fake fangs. without the iron cage and fangs, its appearance was exposed to everyone. wei ting¡¯s first intuition was right. this was a black bear. ¡°what¡¯s with the poison sac on its back?¡± wei ting was puzzled. everyone squatted down around the black bear and sized up it carefully. su xiaoxiao raised her small flashlight and slowly pulled out the longsword from the poison bag. the smelly blood mixed with poison flowed out. wei ting and jing yi frowned. su xiaoxiao was a doctor and was used to any smell. wei liulang had survived among the dead and woke up with rotten bones and maggots. in order to survive, he fed on corpse-eating birds. this stench was nothing. su xiaoxiao deduced, ¡°someone planted a poison sac on it. at first, it was small, but as the poison sac kept filling up with poison, it fused with its flesh and blood. over time, it became a poisonouse creature.¡± jing yi asked, ¡°won¡¯t it be poisoned to death?¡± su xiaoxiao checked the remaining poison and smell in the cage and said, ¡°in order to resist the poison, they will feed it other poisons and fight poison with poison so that it won¡¯t die for the time being. however, this process is extremely cruel. it is tortured by poison every day and night and can only be relieved by self-harm and killing. they put the iron cage and fangs on it not only to scare people, but also to prevent it from hurting itself.¡± wei ting¡¯s gaze landed on the scar on its forehead. had it hit its head or injured itself by hitting the tree? ¡°it¡¯s also very painful,¡± su xiaoxiao said. the white lotus society had really committed a sin. they had harmed many and did not even let go of the beasts in the forest. ¡°what should we do with it? kill it?¡± jing yi asked. the few of them fell silent. logically speaking, it should be killed¡­ after all, it was too dangerous. no one knew if it would attack them again after waking up. wuhu said, ¡°chirp chirp chirp!¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°wuhu, be quiet. i¡¯m thinking of a way.¡± wuhu said, ¡°chirp chirp! chirp chirp! chirp¡­¡± the black bear woke up. wuhu flew to the top of su xiaoxiao¡¯s head and used its wings to lift su xiaoxiao¡¯s hair to cover itself. it whispered, ¡°chirp chirp.¡± wei ting and jing yi immediately pulled su xiaoxiao away. wei liulang pressed his sword against the black bear¡¯s neck. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°the anesthetic hasn¡¯t passed yet. it doesn¡¯t have much strength. ¡± while the anesthetic made the black bear lose its strength, it also lost its sense of pain. it felt peace that it had not felt for a long time. it was not angry or aggressive. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°something¡¯s in the grass!¡± wei ting stood up, but jing yi had already flashed past. wei ting was speechless. jing yi found an iron cage in the grass. after he opened the cage, a half-year-old black bear cub crawled out on all fours. when it saw someone, its first reaction was shock. it wanted to hide and retreat, but when it saw the big black bear lying there, it mustered its courage and crawled over shakily. as it climbed onto the black bear and curled up in its arms, its small body trembled. it knew that it was going to die, but it wanted to die with its mother.. Chapter 541 - Chapter 541: Success chapter 541: success translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this scene really made people unable to be ruthless. if they killed the older one, the younger one would naturally not survive. moreover, this big one was forced into its current situation. su xiaoxiao observed the two of them. the effect of the anesthetic on the black bear was shorter than expected, and it was gradually gaining some strength. however, perhaps because the little fellow was beside it, or perhaps because they did not show any harm to the little fellow, it was not in a hurry to attack them. it hugged the trembling little fellow. the little fellow let out a cry of dependence and satisfaction. however, the warm moment did not last long. the black bear touched the bulge on the little bear¡¯s back. its aura suddenly changed, and its eyes burst out with shock, sadness, and killing intent. in the next second, it raised the little bear high and threw it to the ground! it happened to fall at wei liulang¡¯s feet. wei liulang quickly pounced over and caught the little bear in his arms. he rolled on the ground before stabilizing himself. the wound on his right arm that was painstakingly stitched up was torn again. his face turned pale. he knelt on one knee and straightened up, looking at the black bear in confusion. wei ting frowned. jing yi asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°let me see.¡± su xiaoxiao took the little guy from liulang¡¯s arm. she had realized that something was wrong just now. now that she touched it with her hand, she was basically certain. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it was also planted with a poison sac. it¡¯s new and very small.¡± everyone¡¯s expressions darkened. not only were they refining a poisonous creature, but they were also ruthless to such a young living being. they were simply worse than a beast! the black bear went crazy. jing yi and wei ting grabbed the vine and restrained it. the anesthetic was at least half effective. it could not break free and could only roar in pain and anger as if it had gone mad. the little fellow in su xiaoxiao¡¯s arms was not aggressive yet, but it was infected by the big bear¡¯s emotions and cried out sadly. su xiaoxiao patted the little guy¡¯s head comfortingly. the little fellow stretched out its limbs at the big black bear. although it had almost fallen to its death just now, it still wanted its mother. ¡°can it be treated?¡± wei liulang asked. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°the small one is fine, but the big one¡­ it¡¯s hard to say.¡± the little guy¡¯s poison sac had just been planted and had yet to fuse with its flesh. it was not difficult to take it out. however, the big black bear¡¯s poison sac had long grown with its flesh. if she wanted to take it out, she had to gouge out its flesh. moreover, the recovery period was extremely long, and she had to debride it every day. it would be fine if it could cooperate fully, but the problem was that this was impossible. first of all, it was covered in poison. how they would bring it back to the capital without hurting their own people was a huge challenge. secondly, this was the white lotus society¡¯s territory after all. they could not even protect themselves. if they really brought a big black bear along, they would probably not be able to leave tomorrow. this did not consider whether it could continue to cooperate after the effect of the anesthetic wore off. wei liulang said in a low voice, ¡°if the older one can¡¯t survive, even if we save the young one now, it¡¯ll be very difficult for it to survive in the forest.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. cubs that had lost their mother¡¯s protection basically could not grow up. wei liulang thought of the three children. if wei ting had not arrived in time, they would have long.. wei liulang felt a lingering fear and pain. ¡°i¡¯ll try. control it first.¡± after su xiaoxiao finished instructing, she found an empty space. wei liulang came over to help her. he pulled off his robe and spread it on the ground. su xiaoxiao placed the little guy on it. the little guy howled and wanted to crawl back to the big black bear. su xiaoxiao wanted to fix it, but wei liulang only had one arm. ¡°sixth brother, change places with wei ting.¡± ¡°okay.¡± wei liulang had just finished answering when he suddenly felt that something was wrong. he said stubbornly, ¡°you called wrongly. i don¡¯t know him.¡± wei liulang went to change to wei ting. wei ting grabbed the little fellow. su xiaoxiao gave it a local anesthetic. the little guy cried out in pain from the injection. the big black bear thought that it had been abused again and roared crazily. jing yi and wei liulang grabbed the vine tightly to prevent it from moving. the process of taking out the poison sac was very smooth. su xiaoxiao stitched up the little fellow¡¯s wound, applied medicine, wrapped it in gauze, and fed it a small yellow pill to detoxify it. it was only half a year old and had yet to be weaned. when su xiaoxiao placed it back into the big black bear¡¯s arms, it immediately began to look for milk. when it slurped milk, the big black bear¡¯s emotions stabilized. wei liulang asked, ¡°will it be poisoned to death?¡± the big black bear was a poisonous creature, so its milk must be poisonous. the little guy¡¯s body had been planted with a poison sac. to a certain extent, it fought poison with poison, so it saved its life. however, if the poison sac was taken out and the toxicity was imbalanced, would it¡­ su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i gave it an antidote pill.¡± when the big black bear felt for the poison sac on the little guy¡¯s back, it was stunned and hugged it tightly. next was to treat the big black bear. she could not take out the poison sac and could only extract the poison inside. as for whether it could recover in the end, it was up to fate. the big black bear called out. su xiaoxiao patted its shoulder. ¡°don¡¯t be anxious. i have to pull out the arrow in your palm first.¡± su xiaoxiao was the one who shot the arrow. who would have thought that their life-and-death relationship would be changed in a second? su xiaoxiao calmly and quickly treated its injuries. perhaps because it sensed su xiaoxiao¡¯s kindness, or perhaps because the anesthetic made it feel comfortable for a short time, it was actually very cooperative. su xiaoxiao had almost cleaned up its injuries and fed it the antidote. eight pills. su xiaoxiao¡¯s heart ached. the last thing su xiaoxiao did was cut the chain and collar on its neck with herdagger. su xiaoxiao touched the little fellow in its arms and said to it, ¡°go far away and don¡¯t fall into those people¡¯s hands again. ¡± ¡°roar the little fellow called su xiaoxiao cutely. su xiaoxiao smiled. the last bit of the anesthetic was left, but the black bear could already stand up. it didn¡¯t leave immediately. instead, it approached su xiaoxiao and sniffed her carefully, as if it wanted to remember her scent. then, it carried the little guy to a big tree and called out to su xiaoxiao twice. su xiaoxiao walked over and realized that there was something else about the tree. she pushed open the mechanism on the tree and saw a tree hole. when su cheng and the others arrived, the adult bear and cub had already left, leaving only traces of a bloody and intense fight at the event location. su cheng was quite happy to see his son-in-law here, but the blood made him quite worried. su xiaoxiao expressed that they were fine. they had just encountered a ferocious beast which had already been chased away. xiao shunyang¡¯s gaze landed on wei liulang. ¡°he is¡ªi¡® wei liulang was wearing a mask. even if he wasn¡¯t wearing it, no one would recognize his disfigured face. ¡°a guard of the protector duke¡¯s estate,¡± wei ting said. xiao shunyang said, ¡°how many guards did the protectorate send?¡± ¡°there are many!¡± su xiaoxiao said perfunctorily. ¡°let¡¯s go,¡± wei ting said. ¡°where are you going?¡± xiao shunyang asked. ¡°out of the peach forest,¡± wei ting replied. the tree hole that the black bear had pointed out for them just now was a way out. xiao shunyang was extremely shocked. ¡°you even found the exit¡­¡± what kind of people were these? the group entered the passageway from the entrance of the tree hole. wei liulang led the way while wei ting guarded the rear. after walking for about half an hour, they arrived at a fork. there was a passageway on both sides. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°wuhu.¡± wuhu flew into the left. wei liulang followed. xiao shunyang hesitated and said, ¡°can a parrot be trusted?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°you can also take the other side.¡± xiao shunyang stopped talking. the experts he had brought in had all been wiped out. he knew better than anyone how dangerous the forest was. it was impossible to kill the sect master of the white lotus society. after all, they had been busy all night and had not even seen the sect master¡¯s shadow! everyone was destined to return empty-handed. he would not overestimate himself. it was more important to get out alive first. whether it was saving guo huan or killing the sect master of the white lotus society, he still had to consider it at length. fifteen minutes later, the group left the peach forest. the morning light was faint. the long and dangerous night was finally over. wei ting suddenly said, ¡°you guys leave first.¡± wei ting smiled. ¡°i dropped my token inside. i¡¯ll go back and look for it.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go find it,¡± wei liulang said in a hoarse voice. wei ting said calmly, ¡°there¡¯s no need. send the duke and your eldest mistress back to the capital. remember, you must send them to the imperial astronomy center.¡± wei liulang still wanted to say something, but after glancing at xiao shunyang, he could only swallow his words. he finallv understood whv wei ting said that he was a guard of the public house. this was because only then did he have no choice but to ¡°escort his master¡± back to the capital. what exactly did wei ting want? su xiaoxiao also looked at wei ting strangely. due to xiao shunyang¡¯s presence, it was not convenient for her to appear too familiar and intimate with wei ting. she said, ¡°young master wei, be careful.¡± wei ting nodded. after confirming that the group had walked far away, wei ting¡¯s expression turned cold. he looked at the endless mountain range and said word by word without turning back, ¡°come out, sect master of the white lotus society..¡± Chapter 542 - Chapter 542: Grandfather and Grandson Meet chapter 542: grandfather and grandson meet translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the exit was near a stream. down the stream, they arrived at a small market town and bought a carriage and three horses. su xiaoxiao, su cheng, and su mo took the carriage that bai ze drove. jing yi, wei liulang, and xiao shunyang rode forward. wei liulang continued to lead the way. su cheng lifted the curtain at the side and stuck his head out to take a look. he sat back in the car, closed the curtain, and asked in a low voice, ¡°daughter, why hasn¡¯t my son-in-law caught up? did something happen?¡± after all, that was the territory of the white lotus society. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°dad, i don¡¯t think so.¡± they had already walked through the most dangerous place. she believed that wei ting would not enter a place filled with mechanisms. as for what would happen if the white lotus society disciples encountered him, as long as wei ting revealed his identity, no disciple would dare to make things difficult for him. unless the sect master came personally. however, the sect master would not kill wei ting as soon as they met. after all, wei ting was his biological grandson. of course, if the sect master discovered that this grandson had always wanted to destroy his white lotus society, it would be hard to say. xiao shunyang and jing yi rode on the left side of the carriage. xiao shunyang glanced into the carriage. jing yi quietly squeezed between xiao shunyang and the carriage. xiao shunyang said speechlessly, ¡°i won¡¯t eavesdrop!¡± jing yi said, ¡®who knows?¡± xiao shunyang was speechless. the group entered the capital. jing yi bade farewell to su xiaoxiao and returned to another entrance of the peach forest to look for xiao zhonghua. xiao shunyang also parted ways with them and headed for the palace. bai ze drove the group to the entrance of the imperial astronomy center. when sikong yun saw su xiaoxiao bring back another patient, his eyelids twitched. ¡°stupid girl, where do you think the imperial astronomy center is? we can¡¯t just take anyone in!¡± su xiaoxiao raised her evebrows. ¡°childhood sweatheart.. sikong yun said, ¡°get in.¡± su mo¡¯s injuries were fine. he had inhaled too much miasma but had already taken the antidote. he should be fine when he woke up. on the other hand, wei liulang and the black bear fought and the wound cracked again. su xiaoxiao had no choice but to stitch him up again. ¡°does it hurt more than last time?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°no, it doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± wei liulang said stubbornly as he sweat profusely. ¡°you really can¡¯t tear it anymore,¡± su xiaoxiao reminded. ¡°otherwise, not even a zenith heaven immortal can save you.¡± wei liulang looked at his broken arm. ¡°anyway¡­¡± he didn¡¯t finish. su xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°recover from your injuries first. we¡¯ll talk about the rest later.¡± what else? could it be that he could regain an arm? wei liulang smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°got it.¡± in fact, he did not have any hope. su xiaoxiao did not straighten her neck and explain to him. after packing up the medical supplies, she went to qin canglan. su cheng had already told him what had happened in the forest. ¡°¡­oh, i think they encountered a big poisonous creature. unfortunately, i didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes. i heard it from daya in the carriage when i returned.¡± knowing that the peach forest was actually so dangerous, qin canglan regretted hurting himself at the wrong time. ¡°how¡¯s mo¡¯er¡¯s condition?¡± he asked. ¡°he¡¯s fine.¡± su xiaoxiao walked in. ¡°he¡¯ll wake up in the afternoon at the latest.¡± qin canglan heaved a sigh of relief and looked behind the two of them. he asked, ¡°where¡¯s wei ting? didn¡¯t he come back with you?¡± he only saw wei liulang just now. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°he still has something to deal with.¡± qin canglan knew wei ting¡¯s identity and was silent for a moment without saying anything else. su mo woke up earlier than expected. su xiaoxiao had just finished changing his dressing when she saw him looking at her unblinkingly. she said softly, ¡°are you in such a hurry?¡± su mo looked at her with a hint of seriousness and stubbornness. su xiaoxiao looked confused. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°it¡¯s big cousin,¡± su mo said aggrievedly. su xiaoxiao was stunned for a long time before she realized why he said that. when she first found him, she referred to him as su mo a few times. was that what he was referring to? he was already unconscious at that time, but he actually heard her call him? that was not the point. as the eldest son of the su family and the heir of the marquis of zhenbei, he almost died in the miasma forest. was this the first thing he said? su xiaoxiao handed him two antidotes. ¡°do you want to take medicine?¡± su mo did not move. su xiaoxiao sighed helplessly. ¡°cousin, do you want to take medicine?¡± su mo ate the medicine in satisfaction. su xiaoxiao handed him a glass of warm water. ¡°we didn¡¯t meet guo huan in the forest last night. did you kill him?¡± su mo sat on the bed and held the cup. he said seriously, ¡°no, he fell into a trap. he asked me to pull him up. in exchange, he confessed a secret to me.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°what secret?¡± su mo said, ¡°the death of wei ting¡¯s father and brothers might be related to the leng family.¡± su xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°or?¡± su mo said, ¡°guo huan isn¡¯t completely sure either. lord wu an was cruelly killed by northern yan. wei ting¡¯s father and brothers rushed over from another city to secretly snatch lord wu an¡¯s body, but they were attacked at night.¡± su xiaoxiao understood. ¡°someone leaked their whereabouts, and this person might be from the leng family?¡± su mo nodded. ¡°that¡¯s what guo huan said.¡± su xiaoxiao was deep in thought. ¡°wei ting and i clearly heard from division leader chen that guo huan killed the sect master¡¯s relative. after that, i suspected that guo huan killed wei ting¡¯s father and brothers.¡± su mo thought for a moment. ¡°maybe guo huan was lying to trick me into pulling him up.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°did you pull him up?¡± su mo said, ¡°no, i told him that i had to verify it. if it¡¯s proven to be true, i¡¯ll go back and save him.¡± the corners of su xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. he was really evil.. however, to deal with guo huan, one had to have no morals. ¡°there¡¯s another thing.¡± su mo¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°i saw the sect master of the white lotus society. he¡¯s also in that peach forest.¡± su xiaoxiao paused. ¡°mo guiyuan is here too?¡± could it be that wei ting had gone back to look for him? the endless mountain range stretched to the end of the sky. wei ting stood under the sunlight, looking majestic. after he finished speaking for a long time, there was no movement behind him. he said calmly, ¡°if you don¡¯t show yourself, i¡¯ll leave. the next time i come, i might not use this identity.¡± accompanied by a low laugh, a man in a navy blue cloak walked out with a powerful aura. although he had gray hair, his figure was as strong and tall as a young man. he had a smile on his face as he looked at wei ting¡¯s back in admiration. ¡°not bad, the wei family taught you very well. your mother must have already told you my identity, but you haven¡¯t seen me before. you must be very unfamiliar with me.¡± hearing this demonic voice, killing intent flashed across wei ting¡¯s eyes. mo guiyuan smiled. ¡°why? do you want to kill me?¡± wei ting turned around and looked at his grandfather, who had never appeared in front of him. this person was so unfamiliar, yet so familiar. what was familiar was his eyebrows. the brothers¡¯ looks came from their mother, and their mother took after him. the unfamiliarity was that he had never thought that he would be the sect master of the white lotus society, his lifelong enemy. he had imagined countless scenes of meeting. some were confrontational and some were civil¡­ but this was nothing like that. ¡°can i kill you?¡± wei ting asked. mo guiyuan smiled faintly. ¡°of course not.. do you really think that the few of you can successfully walk out of the peach forest without my tacit approval?¡± Chapter 543 - Chapter 543: Confrontation chapter 543: confrontation translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei ting was not frightened by his words. there was no change in his eyes as he looked at him calmly. ¡°is that so?¡± mo guiyuan smiled. ¡°this meeting was very sudden. i understand that it¡¯s difficult for you to adapt. if you hadn¡¯t discovered me, i had planned to meet you later. perhaps at that time, we would have been prepared to accept each other¡¯s identities.¡¯ wei ting said, ¡°you¡¯re quite confident.¡± there was no doubt that he smiled and said, ¡°you don¡¯t look like me. you look like the young lord wu an. although i don¡¯t like him, no matter what, you have my blood flowing in your body. i won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± wei ting mocked, ¡°then should i be grateful to you? after killing my grandfather and father, you spared my life?¡± at this point, mo guiyuan frowned. wei ting was not easy to fool. between quibbling and confessing, mo guiyuan chose the latter. ¡°everything happened for a reason back then. moreover, the deaths of your brothers were not my intention. they are my grandchildren, so i won¡¯t touch them no matter what. i will avenge my grandsons¡¯ deaths one day.¡± wei ting said mercilessly, ¡°aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s stupid? you schemed against a tiger and fell into its trap? our brothers died because of you. you couldn¡¯t accept it, so you pushed everything to northern yan. if you really want to seek vengeance, why don¡¯t you apologize with your death first?¡± these words could be said to be unfillial. there was probably no grandson in the world who dared to be so disrespectful to his grandfather. however, wei ting was not an ordinary person. he was usually not human. moreover, it was mo guiyuan who was inhumane first. mo guiyuan took a deep look at wei ting and smiled helplessly. ¡°alright, alright, alright. i understand that you have resentment in your heart. you¡¯ve never seen me and don¡¯t have much feelings for me. if you had grown up by my side, you might not have thought so. i understand your feelings, but no one can change what¡¯s in the past. one can only look forward. you¡¯re my only grandson. i believe i don¡¯t have to say much about what this means. listen to grandpa obediently. everything in grandpa¡¯s life will be yours in the future.¡± wei ting felt nauseous when he heard this, but his expression was still calm. mo guiyuan continued, ¡°moreover, the wei family isn¡¯t having a good time in the capital, right? the wei family supported prince nanyang back then. this has always been a thorn in prince ruyang¡¯s heart. he has been on the throne for 17 years and has never let down his guard against the wei family. after your grandfather and father died in battle, he took the opportunity to take back the wei family¡¯s military power. if he finds out that you¡¯re the grandson of the white lotus society¡¯s sect master, what do you think he will do? can he still tolerate you and the wei family?¡± ¡°wei xichao, you have no choice.¡± wei ting was not moved at all. ¡°are all cult masters so good at coercion and bribery?¡± mo guiyuan smiled and said, ¡°i¡¯m using my emotions and good intentions to reason with you. i¡¯m doing this for your own good. you don¡¯t have to be in a hurry to give me an answer. go back and think about it. come and look for me after you figure it out.¡± wei ting moved his thumb and pulled out a portion of the sword. a shadow flashed out of the exit, swept past mo guiyuan, and slashed at wei ting! wei ting pulled out his sword and welcomed his attack. the other party¡¯s saber was blocked and he hurriedly used a second strike. his saber was filled with killing intent. ¡°stop!¡± mo guiyuan shouted. he put away his knife and flashed back to mo guiyuan¡¯s side. wei ting glanced at the person. he was wearing a gray cloak and looked to be in his thirties. there was a tattoo on his chin. mo guiyuan said to him, ¡°slave xiu, he¡¯s my grandson. don¡¯t hurt him.¡± the man called slave xiu agreed expressionlessly. ¡°yes.¡± wei ting sheathed his sword. mo guiyuan looked at wei ting again with a smile in his eyes. ¡°you¡¯re the first person to fight slave xiu to a draw. i¡¯m very surprised.¡± wei ting had sensed a powerful existence just now and drew his sword to test it. he did not expect the other party to really attack. this person¡¯s martial arts were unfathomable. if he wanted to kill mo guiyuan, he had to end him first. mo guiyuan said with a pleasant expression, ¡°go back and consider my words carefully. to show my sincerity, i¡¯ll send these two people off.¡± as he spoke, he pressed his hand down calmly. two men with black cloth over their heads and trussed up were pushed out by the white lotus society. they were jing yi¡¯s subordinates, qing xuan and wu mu. mo guiyuan smiled faintly. ¡°the rest will depend on their luck.¡± wei ting left with qing xuan and wu mu. a white lotus sect disciple walked forward. ¡°sect master, are we letting them go just like that?¡± mo guiyuan sneered. ¡°otherwise, do you really want to capture my grandson?¡± the disciple hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°that¡¯s not what i meant. i just feel that¡­ young sect master doesn¡¯t seem to appreciate it.¡± ¡°young sect master¡­ this title is not bad¡­¡± mo guiyuan looked at wei ting¡¯s departing back.¡± he will understand. if he really can¡¯t, i will help him understand. everything¡­ is under my control. ¡°sect master is wise!¡± this disciple was one of mo guiyuan¡¯s close disciples and was called zhang feng. ¡°how are the three from the leng family?¡± mo guiyuan asked. zhang feng said, ¡°they were forced into the miasma forest in the north by the mechanism. it¡¯s been a few hours. i¡¯m afraid they¡¯ve already died inside.¡± mo guiyuan said calmly, ¡°they brought it on themselves.¡± ¡°sect master!¡± another white lotus society disciple rushed over from the exit. ¡°someone has gone out of the miasma forest in the north!¡± zhang feng frowned and said, ¡°how can anyone get out of the northern forest alive? is there a mistake?¡± the northern forest was the most miasma-filled and thickest forest. even the medicine of the imperial astronomers was helpless. the disciple said, ¡°they¡¯re really¡­ really out¡­¡± ¡°how many came out?¡± mo guiyuan asked. the disciple said, ¡°three! they¡­ have a strange mask¡­ they don¡¯t seem to be afraid of the miasma¡­¡± ¡°oh? interesting.¡± mo guiyuan was a control freak. he did not like the feeling of things getting out of control. ¡°forget it, it¡¯s just a small matter.¡± he did not take it to heart. however, soon, he welcomed a second loss of control¡ªthe escaped poisonous creature could not be caught. it was useless to lure it with its favorite poison. it had to be known that that thing had been planted with a poison sac. if it was not fed poison, it would be tortured to the point of being unable to take it. it had escaped in the past. in the end, there was no need for them to capture it. it returned alive. zhang feng said to his junior brothers, ¡°go and investigate what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡®l¡¯ne jumor brotners went. not long after, they returned to report. ¡°it seems¡­ to have been done by young sect master and the others¡­ zhang feng frowned and said, ¡°what did they do to stop the poison from controlling the creature?¡± the disciples shook their heads. ¡°i¡¯m not sure.¡± mo guiyuan sat in the room and touched the jade thumb ring on his left thumb. he took a sip of tea. ¡°it¡¯s just a poisonous creature. if it¡¯s gone, so be it¡­ it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± as long as the gold mountain was there, he could buy everything back.. Chapter 544 - Chapter 544: Gone chapter 544: gone translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after jing yi sent su xiaoxiao back to the capital, he immediately went to the entrance of the peach forest where xiao zhonghua was stationed. the old marquis was also there. he did not know the situation in the peach forest for the time being and was a little worried for the children. jing yi brought the news that they had returned safely. only then did the old marquis heave a sigh of relief. su cheng had been placed in by xiao zhonghua. although su daya had barged in on her own, she was only a little girl and was not an official of the imperial court, so he could not find any fault with her. the only one was su mo. xiao zhonghua said solemnly, ¡°old marquis, don¡¯t worry. we¡¯ve never seen young master su.¡± the old marquis cupped his hands. ¡°thank you, third prince.¡± xiao zhonghua and jing yi entered the tent. the two of them sat down and changping served tea. xiao zhonghua said seriously, ¡°how did you come out? are you injured?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not injured.¡± jing yi told him about his experience in the forest. when division leader chen said that the peach forest could not be entered, xiao zhonghua had guessed that there must be great danger inside, but he did not expect it to be so dangerous. jing yi said, ¡°most of the people his second highness brought were killed. his first highness¡¯s whereabouts are unknown. when we separated from his first highness, he was with the leng family, but i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard to say now.¡± xiao zhonghua opened his mouth. ¡°she¡­¡± jingyi looked at xiao zhonghua and said, ¡°she¡¯s fine. she¡¯s already returned to the imperial astronomy center.¡± xiao zhonghua picked up the teacup and lowered his eyes to take a sip. he smiled as if nothing had happened and said, ¡°i¡­ i¡¯m not asking about this. i¡¯m just sighing at how bold she is. i¡¯m relieved that both of you are fine. by the way, where¡¯s wu mu and qing xuan?¡± jing yi looked at him stubbornly. ¡°you¡¯re just worried about her.¡± xiao zhonghua: ¡°i¡­¡± jing yi stabbed him. ¡°it¡¯s useless to worry. she¡¯s not yours anymore.¡± xiao zhonghua remarked in his heart, ¡°you¡¯re really my biological cousin.¡± xiao zhonghua changed the topic. ¡°you haven¡¯t said where wu mu and qing xuan went. why are only you and bai ze out?¡± ¡°we got separated.¡± at this point, jing yi was not only worried. the peach forest was dangerous. the reason why they could come out was partly because of luck and also because of su xiaoxiao¡¯s enhancement of their strength. she had many treasures on her and had helped a lot. wu mu and qing xuan might not be so lucky. while he was thinking, changping, who was at the door, said, ¡°lord wu mu? lord qing xuan?¡± the two of them entered and saw that jing yi was also there. they could not help but be pleasantly surprised. ¡°young marquis, you¡¯re out too?¡± the two of them said in unison. ¡°how did you get out?¡± jing yi asked. wu mu rubbed his slightly sore square face and sighed. ¡°after being separated from the young marquis, qing xuan and i were ambushed by the white lotus society. after that, we fell into a trap and were captured by the white lotus society. however, what was strange was that they actually let us go in the end.¡± qing xuan added, ¡°to be precise, he handed us over to wei ting.¡± xiao zhonghua and jing yi were puzzled. qing xuan recalled, ¡°we saw someone at the exit and suspected that he was the sect master of the white lotus society. he seems to know wei ting¡­¡± wu mu hesitated and said, ¡°your highness, young marquis, guo huan is from the white lotus society. his mother and wei ting¡¯s mother are cousins. could wei ting also¡­¡± xiao zhonghua paused and said, ¡°are you trying to say that wei ting is related to the white lotus society? the white lotus society used northern yan to kill wei ting¡¯s grandfather and father. wei ting and the white lotus society are irreconcilable. it¡¯s impossible for them to collude.¡± wu mu said, ¡°but the attitude of the white lotus society¡¯s sect master towards wei ting¡­ is really extraordinary.¡± xiao zhonghua smiled. ¡°this is the goal of the white lotus society¡¯s sect master. through your mouths, they can provoke the imperial court¡¯s suspicion of wei ting.¡± qing xuan and wu mu were stunned. xiao zhonghua said calmly, ¡°what a cunning guy.¡± on the other side, wei ting returned to the imperial astronomy center. sikong yun sat on the star observation platform and watched as the cold and empty imperial astronomy center became crowded. he was already numb. ¡°master,¡± yu feng said, ¡°the kitchen is here for money.¡± sikong yun¡¯s temples throbbed. ¡°another silver tael? how many times this month?¡± were those guys good-for-nothings? they could eat so much! the imperial astronomy center was about to be eaten until he was poor! wei ting entered the house. su xiaoxiao had just finished making the ointment for wei liulang when wei liulang cooperated and tested the medicine. ¡°daya, sixth brother.¡± he greeted her. ¡°is my son-in-law back?¡± su cheng came over from next door. wei ting said, ¡°dad.¡± ¡°you¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡± ¡°no.¡± su cheng yawned. ¡°oh, then i¡¯ll go to sleep.¡± after a long night, he was exhausted. if not for the fact that he was waiting for his son-in-law, he would have fallen asleep long ago. su cheng went to catch up on his sleep. wei ting said to the two of them, ¡°aren¡¯t you sleepy?¡± ¡°i was waiting for you,¡± su xiaoxiao said. wei ting looked at her suspiciously. he felt that she had done something and could not hide the excitement in his eyes. wei liulang rolled down his sleeves and asked wei ting, ¡°you¡­ saw him?¡± su xiaoxiao put away the ointment and looked at wei ting. wei ting found a chair and sat down. ¡°yes.¡± wei liulang asked with a complicated expression, ¡°what¡­ did he say?¡± wei ting sneered. ¡°he still doesn¡¯t know that sixth brother survived. he thinks that i¡¯m his only grandson and wants to recruit me.¡± wei liulang asked, ¡°what do you plan to do?¡± wei ting looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°what does sixth brother want me to ¡°up to you,¡± wei liulang said. he paused and corrected himself. ¡°i¡¯m not your sixth brother.¡¯ he was stubborn every day. wei ting grabbed the orange on the table. ¡°i¡¯ve thought about it. the least expensive way to deal with him is to assassinate him. however, i realized today that he has a powerful expert by his side called slave xiu.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go kill him,¡± said wei liulang. wei ting smiled and patted wei liulang¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°sixth brother, recover from your injuries first. we¡¯ll think about the assassination at length.¡± ¡°i¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have that much time,¡± wei liulang said. wei ting asked, ¡®why?¡± wei liulang pondered and said, ¡°a month ago, i barged into the peach forest and unintentionally heard of the white lotus society¡¯s plan. they plan to recruit troops wantonly and officially revolt among the people. they give three times the salary of the imperial court. i heard that even many soldiers of the imperial court have been tempted and secretly joined the white lotus society.¡± wei ting frowned handsomely. this was not good news. since ancient times, humans died for wealth and birds died for food. because the imperial court had fought with northern yan a few years ago, they had exhausted the national treasury. they were really not as rich as the white lotus society. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°um¡­ i think they might not be able to recruit anymore.¡± the two of them looked at her strangely. wei liulang asked, ¡°why can¡¯t they do the recruitment? money talks. not to mention recruiting soldiers, if there¡¯s enough money, the officials of the imperial court can be bought.¡¯ su xiaoxiao blinked innocently. ¡°is there a possibility¡­ that their money is gone?¡± wei liulang shook his head. ¡°the white lotus society embezzled an entire gold mine back then. that gold is still missing.¡± su xiaoxiao sat down opposite the two of them and silently took out a gold ingot and placed it on the table. there was no official seal. this was not an ingot forged by the imperial court. su xiaoxiao took out another gold bar. the two of them frowned. su xiaoxiao continued to take out a handful of golden leaves, a handful of golden beans, and a piece of gold¡­ wei ting was speechless. and so was wei liulang.. Chapter 545 - Chapter 545: The Sect Master Is Mad chapter 545: the sect master is mad translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the two of them looked at the table that was filled with gold and were momentarily blinded. wei liulang was dumbfounded. wei ting came back to his senses after a while. ¡°where¡­ did this gold come from? he was extremely sure that the money he had recently given 5,000 taels of silver, not this gold. it was not impossible to obtain the gold with banknotes, but not to mention whether the quantity could be exchanged for so much, there would at least be an official seal on the ingots and gold bars. su xiaoxiao looked at the two of them sincerely. ¡°would you believe me if i said i picked it up? the two of them were dumbfounded. ¡°it¡¯s true. i picked it up from the white lotus society. the white lotus society has a vault, but it seems to have been emptied by someone. i only picked up this little.¡± the two of them wanted to ask if this big table was also called a little. however, compared to an entire vault, it was indeed a little. wei liulang didn¡¯t know su xiaoxiao well, but wei ting looked at her suspiciously. ¡°why don¡¯t i believe you?¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°that¡¯s right. if you don¡¯t believe me, go ask the second prince. he was the one who told me that there was a vault there. he even told me how much i could take. the trade was that if he doesn¡¯t tell his father, jing yi and i will bring him out later. unexpectedly, that guy lied to me. the vault was long gone. there¡¯s only this little left! if you don¡¯t believe me, go ask jing yi. he spread the news for me!¡± jing yi would not betray her! wei ting narrowed his eyes. ¡°someone else moved it?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°yes!¡± wei ting¡¯s gaze was intriguing. ¡°and especially left some for you?¡± ¡°yes!¡± su xiaoxiao nodded and paused halfway. ¡°maybe he couldn¡¯t take all of ¡°he took all 10,000 taels. can¡¯t he take this?¡± ¡°what 10,000 taels? at least 100,000 taels¡­ as soon as su xiaoxiao finished speaking, she realized that she had been tricked by wei ting. she blinked. ¡°aiya, i think the medication is smudged.¡± with that, she left. she was already gone. she leaned against the door and stuck her head in. ¡°the gold is for sixth brother. don¡¯t touch it!¡± wei ting¡¯s face darkened. was his family status already behind that of his sixth brother? wei liulang was still confused. ¡°what¡¯s going on? wei ting said calmly, ¡°ah, just what she said.¡± wei liulang frowned suspiciously. ¡°is the white lotus society¡¯s treasury really gone?¡± wei ting said, ¡°most likely.¡± that girl would not joke about such a thing. wei liulang didn¡¯t know su xiaoxiao well. he understood from an ordinary person¡¯s perspective and had another guess. ¡°could it be that the white lotus society moved the vault themselves?¡± wei ting said in amusement, ¡°no.¡± he was very sure that it was the little fat peacock. as for how it was done, he was not sure. that girl always seemed to have an unexplainable secret. he would not deny such a strange existence just because he did not understand it and could not figure it out. perhaps one day, he would be able to unveil her mystery and pry into all her secrets. wei liulang suddenly said, ¡°go get bathwater.¡± wei ting was at a loss. why was it about bathing water? wei liulang pretended not to look at the gold on the table and said righteously, ¡°as a live-in son-in-law, you have to act like one.¡± wei ting was speechless. a new guest came to the peach forest. he was covered and brought into the east room of a courtyard. mo guiyuan had been waiting for a long time. after his black hood was taken off, he was dizzy for a long time before adapting to the light in front of him. mo guiyuan smiled politely. ¡°old master wu, how have you been?¡± the man called old master wu was about 50 years old and had a white beard. he was much younger than mo guiyuan, but he did not look as strong and energetic as mo guiyuan. he cupped his hands and bowed respectfully. ¡°sect master.¡± ¡°old master wu, please sit.¡¯ ¡°thank you.¡± the two of them chatted for a while before getting to the point. old master wu took out a list. ¡°3,000 high-grade soldiers and 8,000 medium-grade soldiers. they are all elites better than those in the imperial court.¡± the imperial court conscripted soldiers every year. old master wu happened to have a way to bribe some officials and poach the best recruits from them. ¡°only recruits?¡± mo guiyuan was clearly not satisfied. old master wu smiled and said, ¡°look at what you¡¯re saying. if i only had so many people, i wouldn¡¯t dare to come to you to embarrass myself, right?¡± as he spoke, he took out another slightly yellowed register. ¡°they¡¯re all veterans of the imperial court. some are retired, and some are serving. as for the price¡­ i have to double it.¡± mo guiyuan said casually, ¡°money is not a problem, but the soldiers must be strong. the horses must be strong enough!¡± old master wu patted his chest and said, ¡°sect master, don¡¯t worry! the troops i, wu laosan, chose are all top-notch! in addition, i¡¯ve also listed a few old generals who have led troops for you. those who have made military contributions and killed northern yan people have different prices.¡± mo guiyuan said calmly, ¡°i¡¯ve said it before. the price is fine.¡± old master wu smiled and said, ¡°sect master is a straightforward person! i like to interact with straightforward people! i¡¯ll give you a bottom line today. as long as you give me enough money, you can even buy generals who have established first-class military merits!¡± having established first-class military merits, he was almost on the same level as general leng. there were many generals in the imperial court, but there were not many who really stood out. their strength and luck were indispensable. in addition, they had to have a background, be scheming, and know how to cause trouble. otherwise, no matter how many enemies they killed and how many contributions they made, they might not be able to stand at the peak of power. the royal court was a place of trouble. how many generals like qin canglan, who could dominate the world with his strength alone, could there be? many people were unsatisfied and were waiting for someone to appreciate them and show their ambitions. mo guiyuan was basically satisfied with the troops provided by old master wu. he got someone to call the first elder over to negotiate with him. after the negotiation, the first elder ordered someone to get two boxes of gold bars from the cellar. one was a commission for old master wu, and the other was a salary for the soldiers. old master wu looked forward to it happily. mo guiyuan was also looking forward to it. the white lotus society had developed for so long and had countless disciples. these people were their people¡¯s support. however, if they wanted to succeed, only the people¡¯s support was not enough. they still needed troops to arrive at the city. that day was almost here. the chair in the throne room was almost his. ¡°gr,gr,gr¡­. grand elder!¡± the disciple sent to get the gold bars scrambled in. the roomful of people looked at him strangely. the great elder reprimanded, ¡°how can you be disrespectful in front of the sect master! ¡± the disciple¡¯s legs went weak and he fell to the ground like a boneless fish, his face pale. zhang feng helped him up and asked, ¡°tell me properly. what happened?¡± the disciple cried in fear, ¡°the gold¡­ the gold is gone!¡± zhang feng asked, ¡°were you robbed on the way? was it someone who broke into the forest?¡± mo guiyuan¡¯s expression was calm. it was just two boxes of gold. so be it. the disciple cried, ¡°no¡­ it¡¯s the vault¡­ the gold in the vault is gone!¡± mo guiyuan¡¯s expression froze. mo guiyuan personally went to the secret passage where the gold was hidden. when he saw that the cellar had been swept clean and there was not even a copper coin left for him, he was stunned! Chapter 546 - Chapter 546: The Emperor Vomited Blood chapter 546: the emperor vomited blood translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°who did it? who did it?!¡± mo guiyuan let out the most uncontrollable roar in his life. he was an extremely controlling person. he treated others like this and even more so to himself. however, at this moment, he could not control his emotions. he could no longer remain calm. the capital he was proud of and all his assets had disappeared! the great elder also saw the empty cellar and was so frightened that he could not breathe. in the white lotus society, the branch master mainly managed the branches and carried out the various missions given by the sect master. the elders mostly took care of the sect¡¯s common affairs. after helping to manage the treasury for many years, he had never had any problems and was deeply trusted by the sect master. who could tell him what was going on? was he seeing things? mo guiyuan¡¯s murderous gaze landed on the first elder. the great elder knelt down with a plop. ¡°sect master¡­ i failed in my duty¡­ i deserve to die ten thousand times¡­ but i¡­ i don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong¡­ i clearly came in yesterday to count¡­¡± the first thing the great elder did every day when he woke up was to count the gold. the last thing he did before sleeping was to count the gold. however, because too many people from the imperial court had barged into the forest last night, he circled around the various passageways and only returned at dawn before falling asleep. when he woke up, he received orders from the sect master to discuss recruitment with old master wu, which delayed him. who would have thought that after forgetting to count twice, the gold would be gone? ¡°i¡­ i¡¯ll send someone to look for him now!¡± the great elder personally led people to look for it. he searched every secret passage and cellar, but found nothing! the disciple who had captured the five tigers yesterday said, ¡°first elder, a few people from the imperial court came last night and were captured by us. later on, they ran away. could it be them?¡± through his description of their appearances, mo guiyuan basically confirmed that they were the group who had left the passageway with wei ting this morning. mo guiyuan had seen them leave with his own eyes. from what he could see, they had not moved any gold! the great elder said, ¡°sect master, it can¡¯t be that our brothers did it¡­ not to mention if they have the guts, it¡¯s impossible for no one to discover it just by moving so many boxes of gold¡­ moreover, where did they hide it? we¡¯re very familiar with the peach forest, so can¡¯t we find it?¡± mo guiyuan naturally understood this logic, so he was even more puzzled. where did all that gold go? could it have disappeared into thin air? the great elder remembered that he had a dog. that dog¡¯s nose was very sharp. he got someone to bring the dog over. if someone really moved the gold, it would definitely be able to track it. however, inconceivably, the dog only circled the empty cellar. mo guiyuan frowned. ¡°what do you mean? could it be that the gold has never left the cellar?¡± the great elder stammered, ¡°maybe its nose is broken.¡± things suddenly became confusing. mo guiyuan touched the jade ring on his left thumb. for the first time in his life, he felt that things had exceeded his control. this feeling was not good. ¡°investigate thoroughly!¡± ¡°yes, yes, yes! i¡¯ll dig three feet into the ground and definitely find the gold!¡± the great elder knew mo guiyuan¡¯s methods too well. he was generous when rewarding but could make people wish they were dead when punishing. mo guiyuan was unhappy. if he was unhappy, those people in the forest would be in trouble. he had originally planned to let them fend for themselves. if they survived, so be it. however, he had changed his mind now. ¡°capture them!¡± zhang feng cupped his hands solemnly. ¡°yes!¡± the three of them had already left the miasma forest in the north. if they walked two miles further, they would completely leave the sphere of influence of the white lotus society. however, the moment they escaped, the experts of the white lotus society arrived. general leng and leng zhiruo relied on their outstanding qinggong to avoid the white lotus society¡¯s surprise attack. however, leng rui was caught by the white lotus society¡¯s large net. ¡°dad¡ªsave me¡ª¡± accompanied by a scream like a pig being slaughtered, leng rui was dragged back to the miasma forest by the white lotus society. the gas mask was on leng rui. general leng wanted to chase after him, but he understood that once he went in without the mask, he would definitely die. he clenched his fists tightly. ¡°white, lotus, sect!¡± xiao duye and xu qing were also about to escape from the forest. xiao duye did not expect the experts sent by his father to be completely wiped out. instead, it was xu qing, whom he was impatient to bring along, who helped him resolve the crisis time and time again. unfortunately, this was the white lotus sect¡¯s territory after all. no matter how powerful xu qing was, he was outnumbered. the two of them were finally captured. in this confrontation, the white lotus sect suffered heavy losses, and so did emperor jing xuan. so many inner court experts were gone, and his son had been captured. how tragic was that? if he had known earlier, he would have let the marquis of zhenbei enter the peach forest and let general leng guard the entrance. originally, he had planned to give the leng family a chance to gain experience and meritorious service and nurture the successors of qin canglan and su shuo. who would have thought that he had underestimated the strength of the white lotus sect and the danger of the peach forest? ¡°i didn¡¯t protect big brother well. father, please punish me!¡± ¡°get up. it¡¯s not your fault. i¡¯m already very relieved that you came out alive. call third brother over.¡± emperor jing xuan could not bear to blame his second son, so he vented all his anger on xiao zhonghua. he scolded angrily, ¡°did you deliberately hide the danger of the peach forest to let your brothers enter to tempting fate?¡± xiao zhonghua looked at emperor jing xuan quietly. ¡°father, it wasn¡¯t me who asked my brothers to go to the peach forest. it was you, father. from the beginning to the end, i didn¡¯t encourage my brothers to take the risk.¡± emperor jing xuan choked. xiao zhonghua said softly. ¡°father wants us to contribute. but he doesn¡¯t want us to take the risk. how can there be such a good thing in the world? if possible, i¡¯m willing to be a hostage on behalf of big brother. it depends on whether the white lotus sect wants it or not.¡± of course, the school of white lotus did not want an unfavored third prince. emperor jing xuan was so angry that his heart hurt. he looked at xiao zhonghua coldly and had the illusion that his son, who had never been valued, had grown up and his wings had hardened. when did it start? he did not notice it at all. to a certain extent, emperor jing xuan and mo guiyuan were both people with the need for control. however, mo guiyuan was far more extreme and stubborn than emperor jing xuan. xiao zhonghua asked, ¡°father, do you have any other instructions? if not, i¡¯ll take my leave.¡± his attitude made emperor jing xuan furious. emperor jing xuan scolded, ¡°kneel outside!¡± ¡°yes.¡± xiao zhonghua agreed obediently and went outside the imperial study expressionlessly. he lifted the hem and imelt down. lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the sky, illuminating his cold face. this son was indeed different from before. in the past, he would pretend to be obedient, beg for mercy, and follow his wishes. tonight, he would rather kneel in the thunderstorm than lower his head and admit his mistake. emperor jing xuan looked at xiao zhonghua in the heavy rain and thought of what had happened today. suddenly, his chest hurt and he spat out a mouthful of blood.. ¡°your majesty! your majesty! your majesty¡­¡± Chapter 547 - Chapter 547: The Relationship Between Father and Son chapter 547: the relationship between father and son translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that she had defeated two big bosses at once. the three little ones had come to the imperial astronomy center. she was distributing gold to them in the house. dahu liked little gold bars, erhu liked gold ingots, and xiaohu liked little gold leaves. xiaohu hugged his golden leaves. ¡°like a boat. i want to put them in the water!¡± ¡°it¡¯ll sink,¡± dahu said. xiaohu shook his head. ¡°my boat is free!¡± then he went to the small waterhole outside to put the boat. as expected, they all sank. xiaohu cried! wei liulang walked over and squatted down. he hesitated for a moment and touched his throat, not sure if he should speak to them in such a terrifying voice. however, xiaohu was crying so hard that he cried and burped. he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°xiaohu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± xiaohu twitched. ¡°my boat¡­ my boat sank¡­ wuwah¡ª¡± ¡°dahu! dahu! dahu¡¯s fault!¡± seeing that the child was not frightened by his voice, he secretly relaxed and asked in confusion, ¡°why are you blaming dahu?¡± xiaohu complained, ¡°it was dahu who sank my boat¡ª¡± dahu was really miserable. wei liulang plucked a big leaf and placed xiaohu¡¯s ¡°fleet¡± on it. he gently tossed it into the water. ¡°look, isn¡¯t it not sinking now?¡± xiaohu¡¯s cries stopped abruptly. his black eyes widened, and there were tears in them. he was extremely cute. ¡°ya, really!¡± ¡°where do you want it to go?¡± ¡°this way.¡± wei liulang circulated his internal strength and let the big leaf carry his small golden fleet forward. wherever he pointed, wei liulang would move the fleet. xiao hu was so excited that he howled. erhu was attracted by his cry and ran over. ¡°can you let my golden ingots go up with internal strength, it was not a problem. as the two little tiger heads played happily, their laughter echoed throughout the entire tinperial astronomy center- dahu stood behind the pillar and looked at wei liulang and his two brothers in a daze. he raised his feet and put them back. in the end, he did not go over. when wei liulang found him, he was sitting alone on the threshold of the backyard. although the rain had stopped, the ground was wet, making his back look especially lonely. wei liulang¡¯s heart ached. he walked over and called out softly, ¡°dahu.¡± he differentiated the three little fellows very clearly. there was no need to count the swirls. dahu paused and said nothing. ¡°may i, sit down?¡± he asked. dahu moved to the side. wei liulang sat down beside dahu. he touched the mask on his face and asked, ¡°dahu, aren¡¯t you happy? why didn¡¯t you come over and play with your brothers?¡± dahu held something in his hand and lowered his head. wei liulang looked at him and wanted to ask if he didn¡¯t like him, but he heard dahu say aggrievedly, ¡°you don¡¯t like me. you only like xiaohu and erhu.¡± wei liulang was stunned. where did that come from? dahu said, ¡°you sleep with xiaohu and play with erhu. i¡¯ll look for you, but i can¡¯t find you every time.¡± wei liulang did not know that he had accidentally hurt this child¡¯s heart. he felt guilty. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, dahu. i didn¡¯t do it on purpose. in the future¡­¡± what in the future what? would a disfigured cripple like him have a future? he didn¡¯t even dare to face himself, so how could he dare to let his children and family face him? dahu looked at him eagerly, as if waiting for him to finish. his throat was swollen and painful, and his voice was dry. ¡°if you can¡¯t find me, just call out. if i hear you, i¡¯ll come over.¡± dahu asked, ¡°then will you always hear it? will you always be there?¡± the child¡¯s clean and pure eyes were filled with endless anticipation as if wei liulang could shatter his young heart with just a word. he took a deep breath and said slowly, ¡°sometimes, i go out to do my own things.¡± dahu looked at him in understanding. ¡°mother said that you adults have matters to attend to. will you come back after you¡¯re done?¡± wei liulang did not answer. instead, he asked dahu, ¡°if i don¡¯t come back, will dahu be sad?¡± dahu thought for a moment and nodded honestly. wei liulang carried dahu over and let the little guy sit on his lap. dahu immediately became so shy. his uncle¡¯s embrace was as warm as his father¡¯s. wei liulang hugged the little fellow in his arms, and his heart, which was riddled with holes, was filled bit by bit. the days and nights of the dead, the deaths of his grandfather, and his brothers¡­ all of them tortured him. at this moment, he obtained a moment of peace. ¡°uncle, why is your arm missing?¡± dahu touched his empty right sleeve. he hadn¡¯t reacted the last time, but this time, he was sure. wei liulang panicked. he was afraid of scaring the child and not knowing how to explain. ¡°will it come back?¡± dahu did not seem to be afraid. ¡°it won¡¯t be able to come back,¡± wei liulang whispered. ¡°then are you very sad?¡± dahu looked up at him and touched his mask with his small hand. ¡°don¡¯t be sad. what do you want? dahu will get it for you. dahu can be your hand.¡± hot tears streamed down wei liulang¡¯s face as he hugged dahu tightly. tonight, the palace was in chaos for no other reason than that his majesty had fallen ill again. it had only been a month since he was poisoned last time. this could not help but worry about his majesty¡¯s dragon body. after the empress arrived, she ordered someone to send emperor jing xuan back to his bedroom and summoned the imperial physicians. it was imperial physician zhu and imperial physician li. after the two of them took emperor jing xuan¡¯s pulse, they said that his majesty had worked overnight. coupled with his anger, he vomited blood and fainted. ¡°is it serious?¡± consort xian asked in a choked voice. if it was serious, her son was finished. she heard that it was her son who angered his majesty. if his majesty died, her son would never be able to ascend the throne. ¡°well¡­¡± the two imperial physicians hesitated. the empress said, ¡°imperial physician zhu, imperial physician li, there¡¯s no harm in saying your piece.¡± imperial physician li lowered his head. imperial physician zhu sighed and said, ¡°let me tell you. his majesty¡¯s situation is not optimistic. although his life is not in danger this time, there will definitely be a huge disaster in the long run.¡± ¡°it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not just that,¡± imperial physician li said without confidence. the empress said, ¡°his majesty is in his prime¡­¡± imperial physician zhu said, ¡°it¡¯s precisely because he is in his prime that he survived this round. if it happens again, i¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll have a stroke.¡± as soon as these words were spoken, everyone¡¯s expression changed. was a stroke in his forties too¡­ everyone muttered in their hearts, but they did not dare to show it on their faces. consort xian almost forgot to cry. yong shou palace also received the news. the empress dowager sighed helplessly. ¡°everyone wants to be the emperor, but they don¡¯t know that it won¡¯t be so pleasant to be in this position.¡± the late emperor had been regent for many years and passed away two years after becoming emperor. although bai xihe¡¯s husband, emperor jing yan, had a weak body since he was young, he could have dragged on for another ten to eight years if he was not the emperor. the empress dowager asked, ¡°is the third prince still kneeling?¡± eunuch cheng said, ¡°he¡¯s still kneeling. it just rained heavily. his knees are torn from kneeling, and blood has flowed all the way.¡± there were rumors in the palace that it was the third prince who made his majesty fall ill. at this moment, no one dared to plead for the third prince. even consort xian did not dare to say anything. the empress dowager waved her hand and said tiredly, ¡°go get him up.¡± eunuch cheng reminded her softly, ¡°but it was his majesty who made the third prince kneel¡­ the empress dowager said sternly, ¡°i said to let him get up!¡± Chapter 548 - Chapter 548: Untitled chapter 548: untitled translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios eunuch cheng went outside the imperial study to convey the empress dowager¡¯s decree. eunuch fu followed emperor jing xuan back to the bedroom. the person guarding xiao zhonghua was eunuch quan. eunuch quan held the horsetail whisk and said politely to eunuch cheng, ¡°i don¡¯t dare to let go of his majesty¡¯s decree¡­¡± eunuch cheng snorted. ¡°is the empress dowager¡¯s decree useless?¡± eunuch quan smiled. ¡°that¡¯s not what i meant¡­ in the palace, ultimately¡­ his majesty has the final say.¡± ¡°eunuch quan, remember what you said today.¡± with that, eunuch cheng said to the eunuch behind him, ¡°help the third prince to the yong shou palace!¡± eunuch quan wanted to stop him, but he was stopped by a few powerful eunuchs. looking at eunuch cheng take him away, eunuch quan spat. ¡°pfft! who do you think you are! you took chicken feathers as a command arrow and scattered them on your grandpa quants head! when your grandpa quan becomes the head of the tinperial household later. von will suffer!¡± xiao zhonghua was brought to the empress dowager¡¯s palace. he was drenched and knelt in front of the empress dowager in a sorry state. halfway through, he collapsed. eunuch cheng quickly touched his forehead. ¡°it¡¯s so hot!¡± although it was summer, his body could not withstand the rain for so long. moreover, xiao zhonghua¡¯s body was not made of iron. he fell into an ice hole when he was five years old and had been weak ever since. his body was inferior to those of the other princes. ¡°i¡¯ll invite an imperial physician,¡± eunuch cheng said. the empress dowager looked at the pale xiao zhonghua and sighed. ¡°call that girl into the palace.¡± ¡°yes.¡± about an hour later, su xiaoxiao appeared in the yong shou palace with the medicine box. xiao zhonghua was already awake and had changed his clothes. however, he was hot and felt a little dizzy. su xiaoxiao took his pulse and listened to his heartbeat. ¡°a cold,¡± she said. xiao zhonghua smiled weakly. ¡°sorry to trouble you to make a trip so late at night. ¡± su xiaoxiao put down her stethoscope. ¡°yes, it¡¯s quite troublesome. get well quickly, lest i have to run to the palace every day.¡± xiao zhonghua smiled. ¡°okay.¡± su xiaoxiao prescribed a prescription, and eunuch cheng went to the imperial hospital to get medicine. this medicine also had the effect of calming one¡¯s mind. after xiao zhonghua drank it, he quickly closed his eyes and fell asleep. ¡°miss su, the empress dowager invites you over,¡± eunuch cheng said softly. ¡°oh, okay.¡± su xiaoxiao raised her hand and tested the temperature of xiao zhonghua¡¯s forehead. he was sweating and his temperature was lowered. ¡°change his clothes later.¡± eunuch cheng agreed. su xiaoxiao finished packing the first aid kit and turned to leave. xiao zhonghua slowly opened his eyes and watched her leave the room. the empress dowager set up a chess game in the room. ¡°come over and play a game of chess with me.¡± su xiaoxiao walked over and eunuch cheng took the first aid kit for her. she sat down on the futon opposite the empress dowager. the empress dowager used white pieces, while su xiaoxiao used black pieces. she picked up a chess piece and placed it in the middle. the golden horn and silver skin were like grass. most people took the first step on the horn, but she always started in the center. this seemed to have become a habit of hers. the empress dowager placed a white piece and sighed. ¡°how¡¯s third brother?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°his highness is fine. he just has to remember not to overwork himself. ¡± the empress dowager said calmly, ¡°his body is not as good as those of eldest brother and second brother, but in terms of brains, eldest brother and second brother combined are not as good as him. eldest brother was tricked by him, right?¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°the willing just took the bait.¡± the empress dowager glanced at her. ¡°are you standing on third brother¡¯s side?¡± su xiaoxiao said truthfully, ¡°i¡¯m not standing on anyone¡¯s side, but compared to the third prince, i really don¡¯t like the first prince.¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°the empress dowager is not an outsider.¡± the empress dowager said, ¡°alright, don¡¯t pretend to be obedient in front of me.¡± at the empress dowager¡¯s age, what could she not see through? the battle for the throne had already happened once in her son¡¯s generation. now that her grandchildren had grown up, a new cohort of siblings was about to fight. she had failed to stop her son back then, and she could not stop her grandchildren now. the empress dowager placed a piece down. ¡°i don¡¯t understand why he doesn¡¯t like third brother. third brother clearly resembles him the most.¡± on the surface, emperor jing xuan was good to xiao zhonghua and even gave him the marriage with the protector duke¡¯s daughter. however, that was because xiao zhonghua was the only prince of the right age with qin yanran. emperor jing xuan had no choice. su xiaoxiao placed another piece. ¡°perhaps his majesty hates his former self.¡± the human heart was very complicated. good and evil existed. while emperor jing xuan enjoyed the throne, he hated himself for being unscrupulous in obtaining his power, but he was unwilling to admit this fact. therefore, he projected all his dissatisfaction with himself on a son who was most like him. the empress dowager sighed and said no more. after leaving yongshou palace, su xiaoxiao saw princess hui an alone on a tree -lined path. she was wearing a blue and white palace dress. her hair was tied into a princess¡¯s bun. her eyes were red, and there were tears on her palm-sized face. she was like a begonia blooming in the night rain. she was extremely beautiful, but also extremely fragile. su xiaoxiao paused and walked towards her. princess hui an¡¯s tears finally fell. there was no wailing, but a sense of fragmentation assaulted her. ¡°princess hui an,¡± su xiaoxiao said. princess hui an choked and said, ¡°they said¡­ my third brother made my father fall sick from anger¡­¡¯ princess jingning did not have a brother, but she had the eight characters of the kingdom. she did not seem to have to worry about who would become the new ruler. however, princess hui an¡¯s fate was tightly tied to xiao zhonghua¡¯s. with someone doting on her, she was a carefree princess. once she lost her power, she would fall into the hands of the royal family. she would be betrothed to anyone who could bring benefits to the royal family. perhaps it would be an old man or a widower with strange habits. she might even marry far away and be unable to return to her hometown for the rest of her life. ¡°i went to see father just now¡­ they stopped me from entering¡­ i want to see third brother¡­ mother doesn¡¯t want me to go either¡­¡± she cried. ¡°does father not want third brother and me anymore¡­¡± ¡°no,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°your father still needs your third brother.¡± it did not matter if a person was not liked. it was fine as long as he was valuable. princess hui an looked at su xiaoxiao and asked with a sobbing tone, ¡°how did you know? did my grandmother tell you?¡± su xiaoxiao said softly, ¡®yes, the empress dowager told me.¡± ¡°then, that should be true.¡± she wiped her tears and raised her chin. in an instant, she returned to her demeanor of being smug. ¡°i didn¡¯t lose favor. i can still protect you in the future!¡± with that, she reached out to su xiaoxiao. ¡°help me back to qi xiang palace.¡± as soon as she finished speaking, taozhi hurried over. ¡°princess jingning said that you haven¡¯t done your homework well these few days and have to train more. you¡¯ll stay in kunning palace for the next few days. she¡¯ll let you back to qi xiang palace when she¡¯s satisfied with your training..¡± Chapter 549 - Chapter 549: Assassination of the Sect Master chapter 549: assassination of the sect master translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios princess hui an exploded. ¡°hey! does she have to bully me like this? i¡¯ve already given her enough respect by practicing in the morning, but she still wants extra practice at night? i don¡¯t want to go!¡± the palace was a place where people worshipped the high and trampled on the low. there were many tragic cases of people falling into the mud overnight. consort xian looked at the clearly missing dishes on the table and her expression turned cold. ¡°a group of snobbish servants!¡± liu sande said helplessly, ¡°there are rumors in the palace that the third prince harmed the first and second princes in the peach forest. his majesty was furious. i¡¯m afraid the third prince is¡­ doomed this time¡­ consort xian looked around. ¡°where¡¯s hui an?¡± a young eunuch entered. ¡°your highness, princess hui an was taken by princess jingning to kunning palace to practice archery. she said that if she doesn¡¯t practice well, she won¡¯t let the princess back.¡± hearing this, consort xian heaved a sigh of relief. emperor jing xuan woke up the next morning. not long after he woke up, the capital magistrate asked to see him outside the palace. he said that the white lotus society had sent a letter over. emperor jing xuan could not care less about the imperial physician¡¯s instructions and asked someone to bring the capital magistrate in. ¡°a waiter from a tavern sent it to the government office. he said that the guest gave him a silver ingot and asked him to personally send the letter to the imperial capital. i brought people to that tavern to arrest him immediately. unfortunately, it was already empty when i reached.¡± as the capital magistrate spoke, he handed the letter to eunuch fu. eunuch fu opened it and checked carefully. after confirming that there was no danger, he presented it to emperor jing xuan on the dragon bed. after emperor jing xuan read the letter, he was so angry that he almost fainted again. ¡°your majesty! don¡¯t be angry!¡± eunuch fu was frightened to death. the imperial physician had reminded him that there was a risk of a stroke if he fainted again. emperor jing xuan took a deep breath and tried his best to calm down. he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°bastard! he actually wants me to exchange jingning for my eldest son! ¡± no one dared to breathe loudly. the white lotus society was really asking for an exorbitant price. they even dared to raise such conditions. however, on careful thought, only princess jingning was more important than xiao duye in the dynasty. the empress did not have a legitimate son. princess jingning was the only legitimate child. secondly, there was her indescribably precious birth characters. in that case, would his majesty agree? of course, emperor jing xuan would not agree. general leng requested to lead troops to eliminate the white lotus society, but he was jointly opposed by the civil officials. grand commandant lin said, ¡°unless there¡¯s no other choice, you can¡¯t mobilize troops wantonly. not only will it cause panic among the people, but it will also cost money and the lives of the soldiers of the three armies.¡± general leng said coldly, ¡°how can our great zhou soldiers be cowards!¡± grand commandant lin said seriously, ¡°but the soldiers of our great zhou should not make meaningless sacrifices!¡± general leng snorted. ¡°how can saving his highness be a meaningless sacrifice? even if you have to be a chicken, a coward, a scaredy cat yourself, don¡¯t implicate the soldiers of the great zhou!¡± emperor jing xuan looked at xiao shunyang in front of him. ¡°second brother, what do you think?¡± xiao shunyang cupped his hands and said, ¡°i agree to send troops.¡± jing yi¡¯s father, marquis of weiwu, said, ¡°your majesty, i think it¡¯s inappropriate. with the strong military strength of the imperial court, we can definitely destroy the white lotus society, but has the matter really reached such an irreversible stage? i heard that the peach forest is dangerous, and our soldiers will definitely suffer heavy casualties. the old protector duke once said that the victory obtained with huge sacrifices was a defeat.¡± ¡°the soldiers are not afraid of death, but they should not die for nothing. i boldly suggest¡ªpeace talks.¡± emperor jing xuan¡¯s gaze landed on the old marquis¡¯s face. ¡°minister su, what do you think?¡± the old marquis said, ¡°i agree to peace talks.¡± the proposal to negotiate was accepted, but who would go to negotiate became the problem. the second prince recommended himself, but emperor jing xuan did not agree. he appointed xiao zhonghua as the peace ambassador, and the marquis of zhenbei and general leng accompanied him. xiao shunyang said seriously, ¡°father, third brother is still sick. let me go!¡± emperor jing xuan said calmly, ¡°i believe you heard the rumors outside. your third brother needs a chance to prove his innocence. don¡¯t snatch it from him.¡± xiao shunyang frowned. ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°cousin, are you really going? in the carriage back to the residence, jing yi asked xiao zhonghua. xiao zhonghua gathered his cloak. it was already hot in early summer, but he was still weak and cold. ¡°the imperial edict has been issued. i have no choice but to go.¡± ¡°you can excuse yourself with your illness.¡± ¡°jing yi, life is death, and death is life. i have no way out.¡± jing yi was about to say something when xiao zhonghua spoke softly. ¡°the news from the spies is that northern yan intends to have a marriage alliance into the western jin. once these two countries are married, you know the consequences, right? how do you think my father will protect the great zhou? will he fight with northern yan and western jin at the same time, or send a princess to reconcile?¡± ¡°the emperor of the western jin dynasty praised hui an¡¯s beauty back then. am i going to watch my compatriot sister be given to an old emperor in his sixties as a favored concubine?¡± jing yi fell silent. xiao zhonghua said, ¡°i¡¯m not doing it all for hui an. i have my own ambitions. i¡¯m not doted on by father. i can only firmly grasp every opportunity. i can¡¯t let go of the chance to live or die.¡± in the imperial study, the princes and ministers left one after another. emperor jing xuan left the old marquis alone. he gave eunuch fu a look. eunuch fu understood and retreated to guard the door. eunuch quan wanted to come over and guard with him. he said calmly, ¡°back off!¡± the corners of eunuch quan¡¯s mouth twitched. he secretly rolled his eyes and retreated 30 feet away. ¡°su shuo.¡± emperor jing xuan looked at the old marquis solemnly. ¡°i asked you to accompany me to the white lotus society this time because i actually have another mission.¡± the old marquis cupped his hands and said, ¡°your majesty, please speak.¡± emperor jing xuan said coldly, ¡°i want you to set a military order to kill the sect master of the white lotus society!¡± ¡°his majesty asked you to kill the sect master of the white lotus society?¡± qin canglan frowned and looked at the old marquis. ¡°you agreed?¡± the old marquis glared at him. ¡°is there any room for me to bargain? besides, even if his majesty doesn¡¯t instruct me, i plan to kill mo guiyuan.¡± qin canglan looked at him. ¡®your body¡­¡± the old marquis said casually, ¡°i¡¯ve long recovered! don¡¯t worry about me! i don¡¯t care about a mere mo guiyuan!¡± qin canglan did not think that emperor jing xuan was deliberately making things difficult for him. with the current situation, killing mo guiyuan was indeed the best strategy. however, it was more or less ridiculous to make a military pledge. it was not in line with his actions. it seemed that his majesty was really forced by the white lotus society. qin canglan said, ¡°if i weren¡¯t injured, i would have been the one to assassinate mo guiyuan.¡± the old marquis¡¯s face darkened. ¡°what do you mean? i¡¯m not as good as you, right? even if you¡¯re not injured, i would be one who kills him!¡± it was rare for qin canglan not to bicker with him. he reminded him, ¡°mo guiyuan must have guessed that the imperial court won¡¯t compromise easily. the so-called peace talks are just a cover. he must have set up an ambush and traps long ago. i heard from wei ting that mo guiyuan has a very powerful expert by his side called slave xiu. you have to be careful of this person..¡± Chapter 550 - Chapter 550: Xiao Hu Enters the Palace chapter 550: xiao hu enters the palace translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the date of the peace talks was set for nine o¡¯clock the next day. it was easy to contact the white lotus society. jing yi went to boss lin¡¯s gambling den and handed a peace treaty to boss lin. at first, boss lin was stubborn and pretended not to understand. jing yi ignored him and left without looking back. the imperial court had already lowered its status by negotiating with a martial arts sect. no matter what, it was impossible for it to have an attitude of seeking peace. it had to put on enough airs. boss lin set off for the peach forest overnight and gave the letter to the shadow guards of the white lotus society. at his level, he could not see the sect master. he had only heard that the sect master had come to the capital, and the peach forest was the only place to contact him. on the other side, after the old marquis bade farewell to qin canglan, he planned to leave the imperial astronomy center. he was going to the military camp to gather troops tonight and escort xiao zhonghua to the peach forest of the white lotus society tomorrow morning. this time, he would no longer be waiting at the entrance. instead, he could face the sect master of the white lotus society. be it for the imperial court or the people of the world, even if it was to avenge the old beast, he had to kill mo guiyuan! just as he left the imperial astronomy center, a sneaky figure secretly followed him. however, before he could go out, he was picked up by wei ting with one hand. su li looked depressed. ¡°what?¡± after staying with the three little ones for a long time, his words were fierce. wei ting looked at him indifferently. ¡°what do you want?¡± su li¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°nothing. i¡¯m going home. am i supposed to stay in the imperial astronomy center forever? sleep with you at night?¡± he had come to visit qin canglan often these few days. he came in the morning and went back at night. there was nothing wrong with saying this. wei ting threw him into su mo¡¯s room. ¡°children shouldn¡¯t interfere in the matters of the adults.¡± su li exploded. ¡°hey! who¡¯s a child? i¡¯m older than your wife! according to seniority, you have to address me as brother-in-law!¡± wei ting raised his eyebrows. ¡°you mean¡­ older by three days?¡± ¡°that¡¯s still older!¡± su li pointed with her finger and corrected him seriously. ¡°also, it¡¯s three months!¡± su mo walked in with his sleeves rolled up. ¡°what happened?¡± wei ting frowned and looked at his ankle. ¡°didn¡¯t i tell you not to walk?¡± su mo said, ¡°are you interfering quite extensively now?¡± su li nodded vigorously. ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, brother! he¡¯s already involved before he¡¯s even married!¡± su mo said, ¡°shut up. children shouldn¡¯t interrupt when adults are talking.¡± su li¡¯s face darkened. ¡°do you want to follow me to the peach forest?¡± wei ting asked su mo. su mo put the dagger on the table into the scabbard on his waist. ¡°i¡¯m more familiar with the peach forest than grandpa. i might be able to help grandpa there.¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°you seem to have only walked halfway. you were unconscious for the second half. in terms of familiarity with the peach forest, it¡¯s naturally me.¡± su mo frowned. ¡°you want to go?¡± wei ting did not deny it. ¡°stay in the capital. i¡¯ll follow the old marquis.¡± su mo said, ¡°you¡¯re not on his majesty¡¯s peace negotiation list.¡± although there was no su mo, su mo was the old marquis¡¯s biological grandson after all. emperor jing xuan would not say anything if he brought him along. emperor jing xuan was guarding against wei ting¡¯s contribution. to emperor jing xuan, wei ting was also a sword displayed in the window. he did not want to use it, but he could not do without it. ¡°i have my ways.¡± wei ting pressed su li into a chair. ¡°the capital is also very important. the white lotus society must have a plan. i¡¯m worried about leaving it to others.¡± su mo thought for a moment. ¡°okay.¡± wei ting returned to his room to pack his things. they were actually some concealed weapons. wei liulang stepped in. wei ting clicked his tongue. ¡°no way, sixth brother. are you so well-informed?¡± wei liulang looked at him strangely. the little fat peacock had said that if his sixth brother¡¯s wound was torn again, there was really no hope. ¡°are you going to the peach forest again?¡± wei liulang asked. ¡°didn¡¯t you just come out?¡± wei ting was stunned. ¡°aren¡¯t you here¡­ to enter the peach forest with me? then why are you looking so valiant?¡± wei liulang blinked and opened his fist, revealing a big date. he showed off seriously. ¡°dahu gave it to me.¡± wei ting was speechless. su xiaoxiao had just returned from the medical center. when she found out that the old marquis and wei ting were going to see mo guiyuan, she stopped wei ting, who was about to leave. ¡°take this with you.¡± she handed wei ting a bag. wei ting opened it and took a look. there were a few brand new gas masks and a few bottles of healing and detoxification medicine. in addition, there was also a pair of silver silk gloves. he had seen this pair of gloves before. when su cheng fought with qin jiang, he used it to catch qin jiang¡¯s weapon with his bare hands. that night, when she operated on the black bear, she had also blocked the corrosion of the poison. ¡°i¡¯ll take the rest. keep the gloves for yourself.¡± he took out the glove and slowly handed it to her. he smiled cynically. ¡°don¡¯t worry, your man can come back.¡± yoho, was he no longer a shy innocent virgin? his cultivation had improved. su xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°you¡¯re my man if you come back alive. if you don¡¯t, you can only be called my ex.¡± wei ting, who was stabbed in the heart again, was dumbfounded. wei ting went to the su family¡¯s military camp overnight. sikong yun did not rest for the entire night. he did not have to deal with the white lotus society. however, emperor jing xuan suddenly fell ill and was assessed by the imperial physician to have a risk of a stroke. emperor jing xuan was terrified. he sent someone to find sikong yun so the latter could refine pills for him. what could sikong yun do? he could only follow the decree. he cultivated until the morning of the next day. when he came out, his eyes were sunken. he floated back to his room expressionlessly. the three little ones had come to the imperial astronomy center again. they had recently realized that this place was also fun. it was especially the case for erhu. he felt that there were especially many good things in the imperial astronomy center and liked to come here. as the elder brother, dahu risked his life to accompany his younger brothers. xiaohu¡­ anyway, he snoozed everywhere and could play anywhere. the three little ones climbed up the star pavilion. the first time they went up, they were carried up by yuchi xiu. today, yuchi xiu was not around, so the three little ones could only climb up themselves. dahu climbed up the seventh floor¡¯s stargazing platform in one go. erhu panted a little, but he still persisted tenaciously. xiaohu climbed¡­ half a floor and couldn¡¯t climb anymore. he went up the steps. ¡°it¡¯s not fun. not fun at all!¡± he lay there for a while and felt bored. then, he got up himself. ¡°hmph, i don¡¯t want to play with dahu! i don¡¯t want to play with erhu either! xiaohu will play by himself!¡± he climbed down on his hands and knees. ¡°the few of you, be careful! don¡¯t shake it when you carry it up later.¡± was they going to lift up the big box near him? xiaohu¡¯s eyes lit up. he hid behind the pillar and climbed into the big box when no one was paying attention. the box smelled of medicine. the family ran a medical center, so the smell made xiaohu feel at ease. however, what xiaohu did not know was that this box was not going to be carried up to the attic, but to the carriage. he fell asleep groggily in the box. in the imperial palace, eunuch fu entered the imperial study and reported to emperor jing xuan, ¡°your majesty, the pills from the imperial astronomy have arrived..¡± Chapter 551 - Chapter 551: Naughty Tiger chapter 551: naughty tiger translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios emperor jing xuan rested for two days. the memorials in the court were piled up like a mountain. he was a hardworking emperor and was considered a workaholic when it came to government affairs. he pinched the space between his sore eyebrows. ¡°carry this back to the sleeping hall first. i¡¯ll take them later.¡± ¡°yes.¡± eunuch fu left and instructed the two eunuchs to carry the box of pills to emperor jing xuan¡¯s bedroom. wuhu landed on the roof of the arched eaves and looked around. it flew in to peck at the box. after pecking for a long time, it did not wake xiaohu, who was in the box, up. it flapped its wings and flew back to the imperial astronomy center. dahu and erhu had already climbed up the stargazing platform. without xiaohu, the two of them shook their heads. ¡°why isn¡¯t xiaohu up yet?¡± erhu asked. ¡°he¡¯s lazy,¡± dahu said. ¡°he must have laid down somewhere again.¡± it was really tiring to have a lazy brother. ¡°i¡¯m going to look tor xiaohu. are you going?¡± dahu asked. erhu thought for a moment. ¡°i¡¯ll go.¡± the three brothers had a good relationship. after all, they had been the closest people in the world since they were in their mother¡¯s womb and had never really been separated. without anyone of them, they wouldn¡¯t be used to it. therefore, the two of them, who had finally climbed up, walked down again. however, to their confusion, there was no sign of xiaohu below. erhu looked around. ¡°where did xiaohu go?¡± they asked the people from the star pavilion, but no one saw xiaohu. they returned to the courtyard qin canglan was recuperating in, but xiaohu did not return. ¡°is he hiding?¡± qin canglan asked. erhu ran outside and shouted, ¡°xiaohu, stop hiding. come out!¡± dahu also shouted, ¡°we¡¯ll bring you to play!¡± there was no response. the adults at home gradually realized that something was wrong. ¡°i¡¯ll look for him,¡± su mo said. ¡°where¡¯s wuhu?¡± su xiaoxiao asked dahu and erhu. as soon as he finished speaking, wuhu flew back. su xiaoxiao hurriedly asked, ¡°wuhu, where is xiaohu?¡± wuhu and xiaohu played together the most. wuhu spread their wings and shouted, ¡°your majesty, the pill is here! your majesty, the pill is here! your majesty, the pill is here!¡± emperor jing xuan¡¯s pill¡­ had xiaohu entered the palace? su mo said thoughtfully, ¡°today, the imperial astronomy center did send a box of pills to the palace. they were sent away from the star pavilion.¡± oh no, xiao hu had most likely climbed into the box. this was not the first time he had been so naughty. previously, he hid under the pot stove. su cheng went to start the fire and a child darted out, almost scaring him out of his wits! su xiaoxiao clenched her chubby fists. she felt that she should stop calling him su xiaohu and call him naughty hu instead. ¡°i¡¯ll go to the palace!¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°i¡¯ll send you there,¡± su mo said. wei liulang expressed that he wanted to go too. ¡°stay with dahu and erhu.¡± the three of them had never separated. with their brother gone, the two little tiger heads would definitely be very anxious. wei liulang finally decided to stay. qin canglan frowned and got someone to scoop sikong yun up from the blanket. sikong yun looked like he had woken up. ¡°1 didn¡¯t sleep all night. you better have something important!¡± qin canglan said, ¡°xiaohu has entered the palace.¡± sikong yun yawned. ¡°so be it¡­¡± qin canglan said with a complicated expression, ¡°he¡¯s king nanyang¡¯s grandson.¡± sikong yun woke up in a second! after su xiaoxiao entered the palace, she went straight to the yongshoupalace. the empress dowager asked indifferently, ¡°why are you so early today?¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°1 have something to say to the empress dowager alone. ¡± she was rarely so serious. the empress dowager gave eunuch cheng a look. eunucn cneng drougnt tne palace servants out ancl guaraea tne door. su xiaoxiao went straight to the point. ¡°xiaohu entered the palace.¡± the empress dowager¡¯s eyes lit up. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°he might have been sent to 1¨C1is majesty¡¯s palace.¡± the empress dowager¡¯s expression froze. after su xiaoxiao related what had happened, the empress dowager¡¯s heart was in her throat. the three brothers¡¯ eyebrows were very similar to king nanyang¡¯s. if emperor jing xuan suspected the three children¡¯s background, the three children would be in danger. to eliminate the root of the problem, this son of hers would be heartless. at the thought that the three little fellows, who had barely survived, might be exposed, the empress dowager couldn¡¯t care less. she immediately asked eunuch cheng to prepare a sedan chair to go to emperor jing xuan¡¯s bedroom. ¡°mother?¡± emperor jing xuan had just returned from the imperial study when he bumped into the empress dowager at the door. he could not help but be surprised. ¡°are you¡­ here to see your son?¡± he asked uncertainly. the empress dowager said calmly, ¡°why? can¡¯t i?¡± emperor jing xuan hurriedly said, ¡°how can that be? i couldn¡¯t ask for more when mother comes to see me. i¡¯m¡­ just too surprised.¡± the mother and son had been in a cold war for many years. the empress dowager¡¯s relationship with him had only eased a little recently, but it was only so that she could go to the temple to reminisce about king nanyang. the mother and son entered the sleeping hall. the palace maids served tea. the empress dowager¡¯s gaze landed on the big box opposite. it was obvious that this box had just been moved in. she asked calmly, ¡°what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°the medicinal pills sent by the imperial astronomers.¡± emperor jing xuan did not hide it. the empress dowager slapped the table. ¡°fool! you¡¯re so young. how can you be obsessed with alchemy? have you forgotten how the late emperor went?¡± emperor jing xuan said, ¡°the late emperor was seriously ill.. the empress dowager interrupted him coldly. ¡°he took those so-called immortality pills!¡± emperor jing xuan explained, ¡°mother, these are just pills to strengthen your body. they¡¯re not immortal pills¡­¡± the empress dowager said domineeringly, ¡°i don¡¯t care! do as i say. there¡¯s no room for discussion! someone! bring the pills out and burn them! move, move further away to burn them!¡± ¡°yes!¡± eunuch cheng entered and was about to carry the pills out. suddenly, a young eunuch reported, ¡°your majesty, director sikong is here. he said that the pills this morning were delivered wrongly. he personally delivered the new pills.¡± emperor jing xuan frowned. ¡°let him in.¡± sikong yun entered and was surprised to see that the empress dowager was also there. he cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°greetings, your majesty. greetings, empress dowager.¡± emperor jing xuan asked sikong yun, ¡°did you get the pills wrong?¡± sikong yun cupped his hands. ¡°yes, this box of pills is for me to test the medicine. the box at the door is specially refined for your majesty.¡± emperor jing xuan looked at the empress dowager. ¡°does mother still want to burn it?¡± the empress dowager sized up sikong yun deeply and coughed lightly. ¡°in that case, return it to the official.¡± sikong yun ordered his disciple to carry out a box of pills. just as he reached the door, emperor jing xuan suddenly said, ¡°wait.¡± sikong yun and the empress dowager paused. emperor jing xuan stood up and walked over slowly. ¡°open it and let me take a look. ¡± sikong yun and the empress dowager¡¯s expressions changed. the disciple of the imperial astronomers placed the big box on the ground and turned to look at sikong yun. ¡°master, do you want to open it?¡± sikong yun closed his eyes. his majesty had already spoken. how could he refuse? emperor jing xuan could not put a finger to it. he just felt that there was something strange with the box. ¡°didn¡¯t you hear me? i said, open it!¡± the disciples looked at each other. eunuch fu was at a loss. why were they going against a box? if they stopped him, it would only arouse emperor jing xuan¡¯s suspicion, making him even more curious about what was inside. but she couldn¡¯t not stop him¡ª the empress dowager decided to pretend to faint. she held her forehead and was about to use her acting skills that she had not used for more than ten years when eunuch quan rushed over and opened the box! the empress dowager was really going to faint this time. sikong yun choked. emperor jing xuan looked unblinkingly at the additional¡­ little thing in the box. he raised his hand and picked it up. ¡°a gong? sikong yun was stunned. he strode forward and looked into the box. other than the pills in the box, there was no sign of xiaohu. where did xiaohu go?! Chapter 552 - Chapter 552: Xiaohu Acknowledging His Father chapter 552: xiaohu acknowledging his father translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in kunning palace, princess jingning was teaching princess hui an how to shoot. princess hui an¡¯s archery was always consistent. as usual, she missed the target. after practicing early in the morning, she did not hit a single target. princess hui an threw the bow in exasperation. ¡°this bow is not good!¡± princess jingning said calmly, ¡°if you can¡¯t do it yourself, why are you blaming the bow?¡± princess hui an said seriously, ¡°it¡¯s just that the bow isn¡¯t good! i¡¯ve shot the bullseye before!¡± ¡°once,¡± princess jingning emphasized. moreover, it was hard to say if hui an had shot it that time. ¡®your¡­ your garden won¡¯t do! it¡¯s too small! the target is wrong!¡± princess hui an found all kinds of faults. in short, she refused to admit that she couldn¡¯t. princess jingning said, ¡°alright, go to the imperial garden to practice. it¡¯s big enough.¡± princess hui an was about to collapse. the two of them brought the palace maids and eunuchs to the imperial garden. ¡°the stool is too hot!¡± ¡°the water is too bright!¡± ¡°the sun is too bright!¡± princess hui an continued to nitpick. recently, because the news of xiao zhonghua angering emperor jing xuan had spread like wildfire, the treatment of qi xiang palace in the internal affairs department had been affected. however, because princess hui an had been brought into kunning palace, she was with princess jingning day and night. for a moment, no one dared to stack the deck against her. ¡°can¡¯t i rest for a while? my arm is sore.¡± princess hui an felt wronged. princess jingning was merciful. ¡°then rest for a while.¡± the two of them sat down on the stone stool. princess hui an was almost exhausted and nodded at the table. princess jingning said, ¡°you didn¡¯t sleep well?¡± princess hui an snorted. ¡°of course, i can¡¯t sleep well with you!¡± princess jingning said coldly, ¡°i should be the one who can¡¯t sleep well. i wonder who puts their hand on me every night¡­¡± princess hui an said angrily, ¡°put my hand on you?¡± princess jingning glanced at hui an¡¯s proud chest and said seriously, ¡°it¡¯s nothing. behave yourself in the future!¡± she slept very obediently and well. princess hui an was simply baffled. as the two of them spoke, they did not notice a sneaky figure approaching silently. she was holding a poisonous snake in her hand. the poisonous snake flicked its cold tongue. ¡°are you feeling dry?¡± a childish voice suddenly sounded behind her. her body trembled and she pinched. the poisonous snake hurt and actually bit the back of her hand! her pupils constricted as she gritted her teeth and let out a muffled groan. ¡°what¡¯s that sound?¡± princess jing ning asked. the palace maid was frightened to death. she threw the poisonous snake away and ran! xiaohu grabbed the poisonous snake on the ground. ¡°your shoes (snakes), your shoes (snakes)!¡± viper was a very precious medicinal herb. there were many snake gallbladders at home. they were either used to brew medicinal wine or boiled with snake gallbladder scallop loquat ointment. princess hui an looked around. ¡°i think there¡¯s a child¡¯s voice. is it sixth brother? that¡¯s not right.¡± the sixth prince was ten years old. it was impossible for him to have such a childish voice. princess jingning instructed taozhi, ¡°go take a look.¡± the palace maid wanted to shake off xiaohu, but she couldn¡¯t. she stopped, turned around, and walked towards xiaohu resentfully¡­ after the empress dowager and sikong yun realized that xiaohu was missing, they immediately found an excuse to leave. emperor jing xuan felt that something was wrong with the two of them, but no matter how suspicious he was, he could not suspect that a living person had been spirited away. ¡°your majesty.¡± eunuch fu served a cup of tea. emperor jing xuan asked suspiciously, ¡°do you think mother and sikong yun are acting strange today?¡± ¡°well¡­¡± eunuch fu smiled. ¡°i¡¯m stupid and don¡¯t feel anything abnormal.¡± ¡°as for me¡­¡± eunuch quan was about to speak when eunuch fu blocked in front of him and handed emperor jing xuan a pill.¡± it¡¯s a new pill sent by the imperial astronomy center. does your majesty want to take it? ¡± eunuch quan was furious! emperor jing xuan swallowed the pill. eunuch fu said, ¡°your majesty, shall i deliver the food?¡± emperor jing xuan sighed. ¡°i don¡¯t have an appetite. i¡¯ll take a walk in the imperial garden.¡± ¡°yes.¡± eunuch fu brought a cloak and put it on emperor jing xuan. eunuch quan was about to follow when the two young eunuchs behind eunuch fu squeezed him behind. just now, eunuch quan had tried his best to be in the limelight in front of emperor jing xuan. this was a big taboo for eunuch fu. it was not necessarily true that eunuch fu was kind. could he climb to the position of the chief of the imperial palace without some dirty tricks? eunuch quan was furious. when emperor jing xuan and eunuch fu went out, he hurriedly chased after them. however, when he crossed the threshold, he was tripped by a young eunuch and fell to the ground! emperor jing xuan walked into the imperial garden from another direction. he had just arrived when he heard a child¡¯s voice. he walked forward and saw a palace maid foaming at the mouth and lying on the ground. beside her squatted a baby. xiaohu said, ¡°are you swollen? wake up!¡± it turned out that when the palace maid planned to catch xiaohu, the snake poison in her body acted up and she fell to the ground. xiaohu didn¡¯t understand. he thought she was sick and wanted to wake her up. there were many people in the palace, but not many children. could it be someone¡¯s family? emperor jing xuan walked over suspiciously. xiaohu saw the shadow on the ground. he grabbed the little snake and stood up, turning to look at emperor jing xuan. emperor jing xuan suddenly staggered and fell to the ground. ¡°your majesty!¡± ¡°your majesty!¡± it was eunuch fu and taozhi, who had rushed over to investigate. taozhi went forward to report. ¡°princess, his majesty fainted!¡± emperor jing xuan looked at the many faces above his head in a daze. some were jingning¡¯s, some were hui an¡¯s, and some were that child¡¯s¡­ ¡°royal father!¡± ¡°royal father!¡± xiaohu tilted his head. ¡°what is loyal farmer ?¡± the voices in emperor jing xuan¡¯s ears gradually disappeared. the world seemed to have fallen silent. he saw everyone calling him anxiously. the children looked at him curiously, as if they had called him something¡­ emperor jing xuan did not faint for long. when the empress dowager and sikong yun arrived after hearing the news, he had already woken up. this time, strictly speaking, it was only a short dizziness and he did not completely lose consciousness. beside him stood princess jingning, princess hui an, and a strong-looking child. the thing they were most afraid of happened in the end. emperor jing xuan saw xiaohu. xiaohu looked so similar to the former king nanyang. it was impossible for him not to discover anything. ¡°i¡¯m guilty!¡± sikong yun lifted the hem and knelt down. ¡°i brought him into the palace. it has nothing to do with others!¡± emperor jing xuan took out a small club and used it to look at the small gong. ¡°so it wasn¡¯t a mistake with the pill. someone accidentally entered the box. if he hadn¡¯t crawled out on his own halfway and let me meet him, how long would you have planned to hide it from me!¡± sikong yun broke out in cold sweat. king nanyang was emperor jing xuan¡¯s taboo. emperor jing xuan was going to start a massacre. ¡°ze¡¯er, listen to mother¡¯s explanation¡­¡± the empress dowager even called him by his nickname. emperor jing xuan looked at her with hurt. ¡°so mother knows too? i was wondering why mother and the imperial inspector were so strange today!¡± sikong yun said, ¡°your majesty, everything was my idea¡­¡± emperor jing xuan interrupted him coldly, ¡°you still know that you¡¯re my official! sikong yun, how dare you! i¡¯ve been kept in the dark by you and didn¡¯t know that i had a child of my flesh and blood wandering among the commoners!¡± sikong yun kowtowed. ¡°i¡¯m willing to be punished¡­ wait.¡± flesh and blood? what flesh and blood? xiaohu ran over. ¡°loyal farmer, can you return the club to xiaohu?¡± the empress dowager was speechless. sikong yun was speechless. not far away, su xiaoxiao, who had rushed to the imperial garden, staggered. young brat, it¡¯s only been half a day since we last met, and you¡¯ve already acknowledged a wild father? Chapter 553 - Chapter 553: Background chapter 553: background translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios sikong yun was brought to the imperial study. this time, he was not kneeling. after all, he had gone from a traitor to a loyal minister who had found the royal family¡¯s flesh and blood. ¡°bastard! ¡± emperor jing xuan slapped the table. alright, he still had to pretend to be a bastard. sikong yun bowed slightly and apologized, ¡°your majesty, please forgive me.¡± emperor jing xuan said sternly, ¡°you¡¯d better tell me the truth. what¡¯s going on? where did you find this child? and why have you been hiding it?¡± sikong yun opened his mouth. as the number one quack in the great zhou, he had to make up stories at will. however, it was really not easy to make up a story this time. emperor jing xuan took a deep breath. ¡°if he hadn¡¯t called me royal father¡­¡± sikong yun wondered, ¡°is there a possibility that he doesn¡¯t know what a royal father is?¡± in xiaohu¡¯s understanding, other than the fact that his parents were special, he could not decipher anything else. for example, sister xi yue¡¯s aunts were also their aunts. sister xi yue¡¯s great-grandma was also called great-grandma. when it came to niu dan¡¯s grandfather, he also addressed him as his grandfather. in the same fame, he also addressed the fairy sister¡¯s royal father the same way, albeit with less-than-perfect enunciation. however, it was already very impressive that one dared to call out and the other dared to acknowledge. it seemed that this emperor had a lot of affairs outside the palace. otherwise, how could he dare to acknowledge a son when he had never slept with a woman outside? secondly, he and the empress dowager had actually neglected one thing: emperor jing xuan and the king of nanyang were from the same mother. the two of them were very similar. xiaohu took after the king of nanyang, so he naturally looked a little like emperor jing xuan. as this thought flashed through his mind, sikong yun had an idea. he decided to take the initiative and asked with a complicated expression, ¡°i also saw this child a month ago. at that time, he was abandoned at the entrance of the imperial astronomy center. i thought that he had accidentally lost contact with his family and brought him back to the imperial astronomy center first. however, i waited for a few days, but no one came to look for him. i forgot to say that the child was very sick and kept calling out for his father in a daze. i was shocked! looking at his appearance carefully, he really looked like his majesty¡­ after he recovered, i asked him, but he didn¡¯t remember anything. i think it might be because he had a fever for too long or he was so frightened that he forgot the past.¡± emperor jing xuan said coldly, ¡°it¡¯s been a month? why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± sikong yun shouted, ¡°i didn¡¯t tell his majesty because¡­ i don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible¡­ his majesty didn¡¯t¡­ go¡­ out of the palace¡­ to philander.¡± emperor jing xuan¡¯s expression froze at the sudden accusation. he said uncomfortably, ¡°i¡¯ve¡­ visited women outside the palace.¡± ¡°ah¡­ then¡­¡± sikong yun¡¯s eyes were filled with shock. ¡°thud! thud! thud! thud!¡± xiaohu knocked on the small gong outside the imperial study and did not forget to shout the rhythm for himself. the corners of sikong yun¡¯s mouth twitched. however, emperor jing xuan looked like he enjoyed it. it was needless to say that xiaohu was cute. he was unlike the old-fashioned children in the palace and made emperor jing xuan feel very refreshed. most importantly, having such a young son suddenly made emperor jing xuan feel that he was still very young. sikonc yun lamented auietlv. ¡°it¡¯s over. could it be that his maiestv wants to acknowledge this ¡°son¡±?¡± then wouldn¡¯t it be messy? sikong yun sighed and said, ¡®your majesty, to be honest, i¡¯ve investigated for a while and have indeed discovered something. the biological mother of this child¡­ might be related to the white lotus society.¡± emperor jing xuan¡¯s expression changed. sikong yun said bitterly, ¡°back then, that woman might have seen through his majesty¡¯s identity, or¡­ someone beside his majesty leaked his majesty¡¯s whereabouts. in short, she should have deliberately approached his majesty. however, i speculate that she should have faked it and admired his majesty, so she decided to give birth to the child. she didn¡¯t hand him to the white lotus society and let him be used to threaten his majesty. it¡¯s enough to explain everything.¡± emperor jing xuan opened his mouth. ¡°then she¡­¡± sikong yun sighed. ¡°she¡¯s no longer alive. this child is her only bond with his majesty.¡± to be honest, emperor jing xuan could not remember who he had slept with then. however, after hearing sikong yun¡¯s words, he felt that there was really a woman who had fallen under his charm and elegance and did not hesitate to betray the white lotus society for him. recently, he had been repeatedly frustrated by the white lotus society. this story simply appealed to his vanity. emperor jing xuan¡¯s soul floated high. sikong yun smirked. ¡°i knew you would like this.¡± emperor jing xuan looked at the little fellow who was knocking the gong outside and said awkwardly, ¡°is he my flesh and blood?¡± sikong yun said, ¡°yes.¡± emperor jing xuan said, ¡°but he¡¯s also from the white lotus society.¡± sikong yun added ¡°¡­his mother is.¡± emperor jing xuan asked, ¡°so i can¡¯t acknowledge him?¡± sikong yun said, ¡°not only can¡¯t you, but you have to hide it well. it¡¯s best not to bring him back to the palace and not interact too much. otherwise, once word gets out, the white lotus society will definitely make a big fuss about this matter.¡± ¡°i understand.¡± emperor jing xuan¡¯s eyes were filled with disappointment. he thought of something and frowned. ¡°wait, how did the empress dowager know?¡± sikong yun¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°ah¡­ yes¡­ on the day i went to the temple to pray, i asked the empress dowager if his majesty had left the palace four years ago and slept with another woman. i accidentally let it slip.¡± ¡°your majesty, if you trust me, you can raise the little prince in the imperial astronomy center. i will keep my mouth shut and let the little prince enter the palace to reunite with your majesty every few days as an alchemy delivery boy.¡± the empress dowager sent someone to bring xiaohu to yongshou palace. emperor jing xuan did not suspect anything. if this little fellow could please the empress dowager, it would not be a bad thing. the relationship between the mother and son might improve. and this time, it was finally not because of king nanyang. in the yongshou palace, the empress dowager hugged her precious great-grandchild and wished she could keep her by her side. although the seniority was a little messy, seeing one of the little fellows like now could be considered a great comfort. in the imperial garden. princess hui an was sent away by princess jingning, and the palace servants retreated. only princess jingning and su xiaoxiao were left in the huge garden. princess jingning asked solemnly, ¡°tell me, what happened? why did the son you raised in the countryside become my father¡¯s illegitimate son?¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°would you believe me if i said it was a coincidence?¡± princess jingning was merciless. ¡°i don¡¯t believe you.¡± sigh, women were too smart. they were really not easy to fool. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°what do you want me to say?¡± princess jing ning said seriously, ¡°tell me the truth. don¡¯t lie to me. if he¡¯s really my father¡¯s son, why did only xiaohu come to acknowledge him, but dahu and erhu didn¡¯t appear? moreover, you and sikong yun didn¡¯t mention a word about dahu and erhu from the beginning to the end. the three of them aren¡¯t my father¡¯s flesh and blood!¡± su xiaoxiao had a strong feeling that she couldn¡¯t hide the secret anymore. as expected. princess jingning only thought for a moment before saying in a low voice, ¡°it¡¯s king nanyang¡¯s, right?¡± Chapter 554 - Chapter 554: Happy Families (1) chapter 554: happy families (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°yes¡­ and no.¡± at this point, there was no need to hide it. moreover, princess jingning was not emperor jing xuan. ¡°they¡¯re the descendants of king nanyang, but they¡¯re not his sons.¡± princess jingning looked at su xiaoxiao in confusion. ¡°yes¡­¡± su xiaoxiao confessed, ¡°grandsons.¡± princess jingning was slightly stunned before understanding. ¡°that¡¯s true. king nanyang has passed away for many years. how could he have a three-year-old son? i was flustered and forgot about this.¡± or perhaps she subconsciously hoped that imperial uncle nanyang was still alive. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i wonder how much the princess knows about the annihilation of the nanyang manor overnight.¡± princess jingning sighed. ¡°i heard that they died of illness. their entire family was plagued, and no one survived.¡± su xiaoxiao paused. ¡°let¡¯s pretend that that¡¯s the truth. a lucky person survived and gave birth to dahu, erhu, and xiaohu a few years later.¡± the two of them pointed out the truth about the nanyang prince¡¯s mansion. princess jingning asked, ¡°is it cousin min?¡± xiao min was the name of the young princess. ¡°yes,¡± su xiaoxiao replied. ¡°then she¡¯s now¡­¡± ¡°she passed away.¡± princess jingning hesitated. she probably wanted to ask how she passed away, but she roughly guessed it. princess jingning said, ¡°so they weren¡¯t raised by your father. wei ting brought them over? wei ting has been to qingzhou. he went to look for them, not for the so-called commander¡¯s seal.¡± su xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°you know about the commander¡¯s seal?¡± princess jingning said softly, ¡°i heard a little. my brother told me.¡± at the mention of this, su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°it¡¯s quite strange. his majesty hasn¡¯t talked to wei ting. is it because he can¡¯t care about it or doesn¡¯t dare to?¡± ¡°both,¡± princess jingning said. emperor jing xuan had been harassed by the white lotus society recently. at this juncture, if emperor jing xuan dealt with wei ting for deceiving the emperor or hiding the army, he would have one less powerful general to deal with the white lotus society. their greatest enemy was the white lotus society. wei ting was a minister. with something to use against him, was he afraid that he would not be able to pursue responsibility? su xiaoxiao looked at her sincerely. ¡°princess, you¡¯re very thoughtful.¡± princess jingning said expressionlessly, ¡°you don¡¯t have to flatter me. i won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°princess jingning is kind.¡± princess jingning said, ¡°i told you not to curry favor! i don¡¯t like to hear it!¡± su xiaoxiao was more sincere. ¡°it¡¯s my honor to make a friend like you.¡± princess jingning was speechless. she could say more. she asked, ¡°what are you going to do next? have you been hiding it? if my father finds out¡­¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡®we¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it. we¡¯ll talk about the future later.¡± princess jing ning secretly sighed at this girl¡¯s guts. she even dared to lie like this. but on second thought, this was probably the only way now. actually, princess jingning still had many doubts in her heart, but she did not ask further. su xiaoxiao suddenly said, ¡°let¡¯s not talk about xiaohu. compared to xiaohu, the princess¡¯s situation is more worrying.¡± princess jingning was stunned. ¡°me?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°princess, don¡¯t you think that the palace maid who was bitten by a poisonous snake today is very suspicious? why did she appear near the imperial garden with a poisonous snake?¡± princess jingning pondered and said, ¡°do you suspect that she came for me?¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°xiaohu just happened to disrupt her plan.¡± the two of them thought of the white lotus society at the same time. princess jingning said, ¡°the last time someone poisoned me, my mother accidentally ate it. after that, my mother investigated the harem strictly. she investigated all the suspicious people. i didn¡¯t expect there to be anyone who escaped.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°the fact that the white lotus society can take root here in the harem can¡¯t be done by those disciples outside.¡± princess jingning frowned slightly. ¡°you mean¡­ someone from the royal family is helping the white lotus society?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°this person¡¯s status is not low. princess, please be careful next.¡± ¡°hey! what are the two of you doing!¡± princess hui an came over aggressively. although su xiaoxiao felt that it was more appropriate to describe it as imposing. she clearly had a palm-sized willow waist, but she had big breasts and a perky butt. she was definitely a stunner. su xiaoxiao looked at her. why did she have the feeling that she was here to catch them in the act? princess hui an stood in front of the two of them with her hands on her hips. ¡°what did you two say behind my back!¡± princess jingning said calmly, ¡°do i have to tell you what we said?¡± Chapter 555 - Chapter 555: Happy Families (2) chapter 555: happy families (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios princess hui an widened her eyes and said, ¡°she, she, she¡¯s my sidekick. of course, she has to tell me!¡± princess jingning chuckled. ¡°your sidekick? did she agree?¡± princess hui an looked at su xiaoxiao fiercely. princess jingning also looked at su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao was sandwiched between the two of them and blinked. at this critical moment, eunuch cheng walked over with a smile. ¡°physician su, you¡¯re here. the empress dowager called for you.¡± she had never felt that eunuch cheng was so cute! xiaohu stayed in yongshou palace for the entire afternoon. emperor jing xuan also came over to sit for a while. he wanted to stay for a while longer, but there were too many memorials. he could only get close to the little guy another day. before leaving, xiaohu had already fallen asleep. looking at the cute little fellow in her arms, the empress dowager¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°i feel like i¡¯m dreaming.¡± after crossing the emperor¡¯s path, this kind of honorable family joy was something she did not dare to dream of in the past. her heart was about to melt. even if she had to exchange her life for it, it was worth it. ¡°does jingning know?¡± she suddenly asked. ¡°she knows,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°she won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± the empress dowager sighed. ¡°that child¡­ was smart since she was young. unfortunately, she was born in the great zhou. if she was in western jin¡­ there had been an empress in the western jin, and all the princes and princesses had the possibility of becoming the crown prince. the empress dowager hugged xiaohu tightly until it was late. if he didn¡¯t leave soon, he would be locked in the palace. su xiaoxiao sent xiaohu to the imperial astronomy center first. when dahu and erhu saw their stinky brother return, they ran over and gave him a hug. knowing that xiaohu was safe and sound, qin canglan, wei liulang, su cheng, and su mo heaved a sigh of relief. su mo asked, ¡°however, how did xiaohu stay for the entire day without being discovered?¡± su xiaoxiao exclaimed, ¡°didn¡¯t the grand astronomer tell you?¡± su mo shook his head. ¡°he only said that xiaohu went to sleep when there was nothing else. ¡± the grand astronomer was exhausted, okay? he had worked hard all night to refine pills and racked his brains to fabricate a story all morning. he was completely empty and did not want to say another word to anyone. su xiaoxiao cleared her throat. ¡°actually, it¡¯s nothing. it¡¯s just that xiaohu¡­ has a wild father.¡± su mo was speechless. and so was wei liulang. emperor jing xuan was immersed in the joy of reuniting with his son but did not forget to pursue the matter of the palace maid releasing the poisonous snake. previously, it was poison, and now there were poisonous snakes. the palace was almost infiltrated by the white lotus society. emperor jing xuan decided to thoroughly investigate the entire palace. he had to eliminate all the spies of the white lotus society. it was not enough to rely on the internal affairs department alone. the last time the internal affairs director did it, it was not cleaned up. emperor jing xuan had transferred the guards legion corps to participate in the investigation with the ministry of justice. su cheng received a transfer order from the imperial city division and was appointed to temporarily replace the deputy commander of the imperial guards. the imperial guards had a total of four deputy commanders. they had investigated one during the qin jiang competition and sacrificed one a few days ago in the peach forest. su cheng asked his father if he had to go. qin canglan said, ¡°this is a rare opportunity to train. go.¡± in other words, it was not a lucrative job. su cheng said, ¡°oh.¡± in order to prevent anyone from secretly operating, the location of the investigation was decided by drawing lots. the first place su cheng drew for investigation was the grand empress dowager¡¯s zhaoyang hall. at sunset. the imperial court¡¯s peace negotiation team had been waiting at the entrance of the peach forest for the entire day. general leng¡¯s face darkened. his son was still in the hands of the white lotus society. leng zhiruo also came. she was still dressed as a guard. xiao zhonghua sat at the master seat in the big tent with jing yi guarding behind him. the old marquis was below him. the old marquis and xiao zhonghua were very calm. one was scheming, and the other was strategizing. in short, they did not show their emotions. the minister of the dali temple and the advisor walked in. the two of them were not officials in the peace talks. they were only in charge of guarding the entrance. the minister of the dali temple cupped his hands. ¡°your highness, there¡¯s still no movement from the white lotus society.¡± general leng frowned. ¡°has the letter of peace negotiation really been sent to the white lotus society?¡± xiao zhonghua said, ¡°jing yi personally gave it to them. there¡¯s no mistake.¡± jing yi glanced at general leng. he had nothing to do with the leng family, but su xiaoxiao¡¯s attitude in the forest also determined his attitude towards the leng family today. he said coldly, ¡°your leng family can send it another time.¡± general leng was an elder and his official position was above jing yi¡¯s. jing yi¡¯s words were considered disrespectful. however, jing yi was the young marquis and the third prince¡¯s cousin. general leng could not really argue with jing yi. the minister tried to smooth things over. ¡°there are many entrances to the peach forest. should we go to the other entrances to take a look?¡± xiao zhonghua said, ¡°there¡¯s no need. our every move is under the surveillance of the white lotus society. if the white lotus society wanted to negotiate, they would have come here long ago.¡± the assistant couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°so they don¡¯t intend to negotiate with the imperial court?¡± xiao zhonghua was polite to the wise. he ignored his question just because of his low status. ¡°they are giving the imperial court an opening gambit.¡± the assistant was flattered and scolded, ¡°they are just from the white lotus society. how arrogant!¡± the old marquis said nothing from the beginning to the end. after leading soldiers for so many years, he had long stopped getting involved in such meaningless verbal battles. other than the old beast, he could not be bothered to waste his breath on anyone. general leng¡¯s gaze landed behind the old marquis. ¡°marquis su, this guard of yours doesn¡¯t look familiar.¡± the old marquis took a sip of tea. ¡°yes.¡± there was nothing else. so what if he didn¡¯t look familiar? was it illegal? how many guards did he have to explain to general leng? who the hell was he? although the old marquis doted on su cheng and the others, they were stinky rocks that no one could chew on in front of outsiders.. Chapter 556 - Chapter 556: The Old Marquis Takes Action (1) chapter 556: the old marquis takes action (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios general leng asked for a rebuff and left with a cold expression! the leng family was too arrogant. when old general wei was alive, he was not so proud. he followed behind old general wei obediently. ever since something happened to the wei family, general leng, as old general wei¡¯s favorite disciple, had been assigned to the wei family¡¯s huben camp and the divine bow camp. from then on, he had become a superior person. wherever he went, he would be advocated as the little lord wu an. wei ting was clearly wu an¡¯s biological grandson and wei ting had defeated northern yan, but in the end, half of the credit was given to general leng. it was said that he had assisted wei ting and guided him in resisting the enemy. the wei and leng families were on the same side, and wei ting never cared about these false reputations. the rumors became more and more intense. in the end, the story went that he had contributed a portion¡­ xiao zhonghua¡¯s gaze swept across general leng¡¯s back. soon, leng zhiruo and the other leng family generals cupped their hands and bowed before leaving. ¡°i¡¯m tired.¡± the old marquis stood up and cupped his hands at xiao zhonghua. xiao zhonghua nodded slightly. soon, only he, jing yi, and changping were left in the tent. changping served tea. jing yi said, ¡°i don¡¯t like general leng.¡± xiao zhonghua hit the nail on the head. ¡®you¡¯re doing this because she doesn¡¯t like him, right?¡± jing yi remained silent. xiao zhonghua said, ¡°how can there be so many people in this world who do things based on their preferences? you have to learn slowly in the future.¡± jingyi said disdainfully, ¡°i don¡¯t want to learn.¡± xiao zhonghua smiled faintly. jing yi thought of something and asked, ¡°the guard beside marquis zhenbei¡­¡± ¡°wei ting,¡± xiao zhonghua said. ¡°it¡¯s him?¡± jing yi frowned. ¡°no wonder his body looks familiar. strange, why is he with the marquis of zhenbei? if he wants to disguise himself, he should be with the leng family.¡± xiao zhonghua said, ¡°the marriage between the wei and qin families has also eased the relationship with the su family.¡± jing yi said, ¡°but he shouldn¡¯t have completely disregarded about the leng family. wei ting¡¯s actions seem to be guarding against the leng family.¡± xiao zhonghua slowly picked up his teacup. ¡°that¡¯s right. wei ting¡¯s approach is indeed a little strange.¡± after returning to his tent, the old marquis asked, ¡°didn¡¯t you tell leng that you were here?¡± ¡°no,¡± wei ting said. the old marquis paused. ¡°the leng family¡­ guo huan¡¯s words might not be true. perhaps he deliberately provoked us. perhaps he was wrong. ¡± wei ting nodded. ¡°i understand, but it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. even guo huan can betray me. i no longer dare to trust anyone who followed my grandfather back then. countless of these people were aiming to frame him.¡± the old marquis sighed. ¡°do you know why so many people are rushing to frame the wei family, but they don¡¯t have so much hatred for qin canglan? no matter how powerful qin canglan is, he doesn¡¯t have a successor. qin jiang is like washing a pig, a waste of both water and soap. this is unlike your wei family, where the men are brave and good at fighting. any one of them can inherit the mantle of lord wu an it¡¯s too terrifying.¡± to be able to tell wei ting so much, he really did not treat wei ting as an outsider. the su family had many children, but su yuan was born with sensitivity and did not have deep attainments in martial arts. among su yuan¡¯s sons, su mo was the most outstanding. the rest were not so conspicuous. not to mention those people who were jealous of the wei family, even the old marquis had been jealous back then. how did they give birth? all of them were too capable. however, when things reached an extreme, they would definitely reverse. when they reached an extreme, they would definitely decline. such an outstanding family¡­ was gone just like that. the heavens were jealous of geniuses. ¡°alright, let¡¯s not talk about this. just be wary of the leng family. there¡¯s no harm in being more careful.¡± the old marquis changed the topic. ¡°if the white lotus society doesn¡¯t agree to the peace talks, i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s best for me to sneak into the forest.¡± ¡°they¡¯ll agree,¡± wei ting said. the old marquis frowned. ¡°why?¡± wei ting¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°because the white lotus society no longer has the capital to resist the imperial court.¡± their coffers had been emptied by someone. the recruitment plan had to be put on hold. until they raised enough funds, they had to be patient and deal with the imperial court. as expected, an hour later, the envoy of the white lotus society arrived and invited them to the forest for a chat. the condition was that everyone had to be blindfolded. general leng said coldly, ¡°how dare you! how can the princes and generals of my great zhou imperial court be humiliated by a mere ninth-grade sect?¡± zhang feng said arrogantly, ¡°looks like this general is not sincere in negotiating. forget it, let¡¯s fight.. we¡¯ll use the blood of the legitimate son of the leng family as a sacrifice!¡± Chapter 557 - Chapter 557: The Old Marquis Takes Action (2) chapter 557: the old marquis takes action (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°you¡­¡± general leng¡¯s fatal acupoint was hit, and he gripped the sword at his waist tightly. xiao zhonghua finally agreed. everyone was blindfolded by the disciples of the white lotus society and brought into a courtyard in the peach forest. after untying the black cloth, xiao zhonghua asked, ¡°where¡¯s the sect master?¡± ¡°i¡¯ll negotiate with you today.¡± an old man with white hair walked over with his hands behind his back. he cupped his hands politely. ¡°i¡¯m qiu yutang, the great elder of the white lotus society.¡± his gaze landed on xiao zhonghua and he said with a smile, ¡°this must be the third prince. nice to meet you! may i know who is the marquis of zhenbei?¡± the old marquis asked, ¡°are you blind?¡± the great elder choked. the few of them went to the guest¡¯s central room. xiao zhonghua and the first elder sat at the master seat. on the left and right were the old marquis and a guardian of the white lotus society. the others also sat down according to their status. the great elder smiled and said, ¡°let¡¯s not beat around the bush. since the imperial court is here to negotiate, we must be prepared to be sincere. our white lotus society originally had no intention of becoming enemies with the imperial court, but there are always people who have done many evil things in the name of the white lotus society and destroyed our reputation. in order to prove our reputation, our white lotus society has decided to stand up and serve the people with the imperial court.¡± the old marquis rolled his eyes. it was an ancestral eye roll. su cheng had the same style. the corners of the great elder¡¯s mouth twitched as he continued to smile. ¡°to show our sincerity, we¡¯ve decided to let you see one of the hostages first.¡± he clapped his hands. two disciples of the white lotus society pressed a disheveled young man in. leng rui shouted, ¡°dad¡­ save me¡­¡± ¡°rui¡¯er!¡± general leng stood up. crack¡­ the two disciples drew their swords and placed them on leng rui¡¯s neck. general leng stopped in his tracks. the great elder smiled and said, ¡°the other hostage is fine. after all, he¡¯s an old acquaintance of our white lotus society.¡± these words were intriguing. xiao zhonghua did not answer and said calmly, ¡°first elder, state your conditions. ¡± the great elder was a little surprised that xiao zhonghua was so calm at such a young age. he was not led by the nose at all. he smiled and said, ¡°i like to interact with straightforward people like the third prince. actually, our white lotus society¡¯s request is very simple. we want the people to worship the white lotus society as the orthodoxy and the emperor of great zhou will acknowledge the sect master as the state preceptor. from now on, the white lotus society will advance and retreat with the imperial court.¡± he used the word ¡®acknowledge¡¯ instead of ¡®appoint¡¯. the difference of one word meant the world. with an appointment, the state preceptor was his subordinate, but with an acknowledgment, the state preceptor was his teacher. this was asking the emperor of great zhou to personally worship the sect master of the white lotus society as a great buddha. on the imperial court¡¯s side, everyone¡¯s expressions were not good. ¡°third prince?¡± the first elder smiled at xiao zhonghua, as if he did not realize how shameless he had been with his words. xiao zhonghua frowned. the great elder smiled at the old marquis. ¡°marquis zhenbei?¡± the old marquis hooked his finger at wei ting behind him. wei ting handed him a basin tacitly. the old marquis held the basin with both hands and stuck out his tongue very seriously. the great elder was speechless. the first peace negotiation between the white lotus society and the imperial court ended on bad terms. leng rui was taken away by the white lotus society again. when general leng heard his son¡¯s cries, his heart felt like it was being cut by a imife. he clenched his fists. ¡°marquis su, you were the one who advocated peace negotiations pack then. now, you¡¯re also the one who destroyed the peace negotiations. what exactly do you want to do!¡± the old marquis snorted. ¡°if you want to sell your country, sell it yourself. i won¡¯t do it!¡± a deputy general of the leng family stood up and said, ¡°marquis su, don¡¯t slander us! when did general leng want to betray the country? isn¡¯t this a peace negotiation? not only did your attitude just now anger the white lotus society, but you might also completely anger the other party. what benefits do you have for us?¡± wei ting walked forward indifferently and slapped him to the ground. general leng did not expect his deputy general to be helpless in the hands of a small guard. of course, he did not expect the other party to attack without a word. the old marquis glanced coldly at the deputy general. ¡°you¡¯re not qualified to speak to me!¡± general leng looked at xiao zhonghua. ¡°your highness!¡± xiao zhonghua said, ¡°the white lotus society is indeed insincere this time. the imperial court negotiated for the sake of the people¡¯s livelihood, and not because they¡¯re really afraid of the white lotus society. general leng, i understand that you¡¯re eager to save your son, but you can¡¯t be led by the nose by the white lotus society.¡± at this point, what else could general leng say? he suppressed his anger and cupped his hands. ¡°yes.¡± the old marquis¡¯s goal was to assassinate mo guiyuan. before mo guiyuan appeared, no matter what the conditions of the white lotus society were, he would not easily cooperate. as for angering general leng, he purely wanted to help wei ting test if the leng family was related to the death of the wei family. the group stayed in the courtyard for the time being. jing yi guarded xiao zhonghua¡¯s room. wei ting and the old marquis each had their own rooms. they lived in the east courtyard, while general leng and the others were in the west courtyard. in the middle of the night, a black shadow quietly sneaked into the west courtyard. just as he pushed open general leng¡¯s door, a cold sword was pressed against his neck. he smiled faintly. ¡°general leng, you want to save your son. i advise you to put away your sword.¡± ¡°grand elder?¡± general leng put away his sword and looked at him warily. the great elder entered. a trace of conflict flashed across general leng¡¯s eyes as he closed the door. ¡°why did you sneak into my room?¡± the great elder smiled and said, ¡°naturally, i want to make a deal with general leng.¡± general leng said with a cold expression, ¡°i have nothing to trade with you. leave.¡± the great elder said, ¡°don¡¯t you want to save your only legitimate son, general leng?¡± general leng had many sons, but leng rui was the only one that was legitimate. general leng said seriously, ¡°i won¡¯t betray the imperial court!¡± the great elder smiled and leaned back. ¡°you even betrayed your benefactor.. what¡¯s a mere imperial court?¡± Chapter 558 - Chapter 558: Grandfather and Granddaughter chapter 558: grandfather and granddaughter translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios general leng berated, ¡°what nonsense are you talking about?¡± the great elder mocked, ¡°did i say anything wrong? back then, general wei brought his sons to the northern city to collect lord wu an¡¯s corpse. didn¡¯t you deliberately leak the news and cause them to be ambushed by the northern yan?¡± general leng suppressed his anger and looked at him with burning eyes. ¡°i didn¡¯t! how could i do that?¡± the great elder sneered and said, ¡°admit it, leng tiannan. if someone didn¡¯t leak their whereabouts, why would they be plotted against?¡± general leng placed the sword on the first elder¡¯s neck again. ¡°i don¡¯t think you¡¯re here to make a deal with me. you¡¯re here to force me to admit the crime of groundless trumped-up accusation! why? what does the death of the wei family have to do with your white lotus society? no, the wei family was killed by your white lotus society to begin with! now that you want to ally with the imperial court, you want to push this crime onto me? dream on!¡± the great elder narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°general leng¡­¡± general leng said sternly, ¡°enough! if you say it a thousand or ten thousand times, i won¡¯t betray the imperial court!¡± ¡°what a pity. i originally wanted to keep your son¡¯s life.¡± with that, the great elder turned around, pulled open the door, and strode out. general leng was drenched in cold sweat and fell into a chair. ¡°dad.¡± leng zhiruo pushed the door open with her sword. in response, leng tiannan scolded her, ¡°i didn¡¯t frame the wei family!¡± leng zhiruo was stunned. ¡°dad?¡± leng tiannan broke out in cold sweat. he composed himself and said, ¡°don¡¯t tell anyone about what happened just now to avoid unnecessary trouble.¡± ¡°got it, dad,¡± leng zhiruo agreed. ¡°how are your injuries?¡± leng tiannan suddenly asked leng zhiruo with concern. leng zhiruo was slightly stunned and said, ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± leng tiannan said coldly, ¡°if the peace talks fail, you and i have to be prepared to infiltrate the white lotus society and save your brother.¡± her father¡¯s concern was¡­ the night wind in early summer was warm, but it pierced her lungs like ice in winter. leng zhiruo lowered her eyes. ¡®yes.¡± after leng zhiruo left, leng tiannan sat quietly in the room alone. he didn¡¯t turn on the light. his entire body was swallowed by the dark mouth of the abyss. he did not deliberately frame wei xu and his sons. he didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­ he didn¡¯t¡­ on the roof, two black shadows used qinggong to leave without leaving a trace. after flashing back into the house, the two of them pulled off their veils. ¡°there¡¯s something wrong with leng tiannan.¡± the old marquis frowned and said, ¡°your father and brothers¡¯ death back then was definitely related to him. however, it¡¯s hard to say if it was done deliberately.¡± wei ting nodded slightly. he also sensed that something was wrong with leng tiannan¡¯s reaction. he was too agitated. however, just as the old marquis had said, he might have only made a momentary mistake, causing the whereabouts of his father and brothers to be exposed. he said calmly, ¡°even if it¡¯s a mistake, it¡¯s unforgivable.¡± the old marquis looked at wei ting in surprise. at such a young age, he was determined, straightforward, and ruthless. ¡°that¡¯s right. if he really did something wrong, he should have stood up and admitted it. he shouldn¡¯t have enjoyed the military merits earned by the wei family and divided the wei family¡¯s military power with a clear conscience. more importantly, in order to cover up his mistake back then, did he delay in the subsequent rescue?¡± this was not difficult to understand. if leng tiannan had really unintentionally revealed their whereabouts back then and leng tiannan had realized it himself, should he immediately lead his troops to chase after them or pretend not to know? as he led the troops to chase after them, wei xu would have asked him, ¡°why are you here? do you know that the northern yan army will attack at night?¡± what did he say? because i accidentally leaked your whereabouts to northern yan? in this way, leng tiannan would undoubtedly be punished by military law. if it was just a mistake, it would not be the most detestable. however, if leng tiannan clearly had a chance to remedy it and deliberately did not take action to cover up his mistake, he would really deserve to die. the old marquis patted wei ting¡¯s shoulder. ¡°let¡¯s settle the white lotus society first. it won¡¯t be too late to investigate leng tiannan when we return to the capital.¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°okay.¡± at dawn, su ergou was woken up by the servants of the su family. after washing up and eating breakfast, he prepared to go to school with su qi and su yu. just as he was about to leave the courtyard, an adorable little child jumped over. ¡°uncle!¡± ¡°xiao¡­ hu?¡± su ergou scratched his head, not sure which little fellow it was. because dahu¡¯s forehead did not have a whirl, it was actually the easiest to recognize. however, erhu and xiaohu had them. he often could not tell the two of them apart. ¡°oh, erhu.¡± su ergou asked, ¡°why are you up so early?¡± ¡°i want to go out and play,¡± erhu said. su ergou said, ¡°i have class and can¡¯t take you out to play.¡± erhu raised his head and said, ¡°just send me to the imperial astronomy center! ¡± su ergou looked behind erhu. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to wait for dahu and xiaohu?¡± erhu said, ¡°they¡¯re still sleeping. i¡¯ll go with them next time!¡± su ergou scratched his head doubtfully. ¡°then, okay.¡± su ergou, su qi, and su yu sent erhu to the imperial astronomy center. ¡°goodbye, uncle ergou. goodbye, uncle qi. goodbye, uncle yu!¡± erhu waved at them politely and turned to enter the imperial astronomy. he went straight to star pavilion. sikong yun had just woken up when he saw a baby standing at his door. his body trembled. erhu raised his little face and said cutely and seriously, ¡°grandpa sikong, i want to enter the palace.¡± sikong yun woke up halfway. ¡°you know how to enter the palace?¡± erhu said, ¡°xiaohu entered the palace.¡± when madam tao bathed xiaohu last night, xiaohu woke up and showed off his experience in the palace. there were many fun things in the palace. erhu wanted to go too. erhu was the smartest of the three little ones. xiaohu was stupid and did not know anything, but erhu understood everything. it was sikong yun¡¯s big box that ¡°sent¡± xiaohu into the palace. sikong yun said angrily, ¡°hmph, no way!¡± erhu said seriously, ¡°if you don¡¯t send me there, i¡¯ll tell xiaohu where your suona is hidden!¡± the corners of sikong yun¡¯s mouth twitched. he could not take it anymore. if he played the suona again, wouldn¡¯t he be sent to the sky on the spot to stand shoulder to shoulder with the rising sun? an hour later, a box of pills from the imperial astronomers was sent to the empress dowager¡¯s eternal life palace. ¡°these are medicinal pills refined for the empress dowager. they can nourish your qi and blood and extend your life.¡± with that, yu feng said to the little kid behind him, ¡°the medicinal child will serve the empress dowager.¡± a little child in a daoist robe entered the empress dowager¡¯s bedroom with a box of pills. the empress dowager¡¯s listless eyes instantly lit up. she quickly dismissed the palace servants. ¡°xiaohu?¡± erhu said, ¡°great-grandmother, i¡¯m erhu!¡± the empress dowager was so shocked that she could not speak. erhu skipped up to her. ¡°great-grandmother, erhu misses you.¡± the empress dowager pulled the little fellow into her arms excitedly. ¡°great-grandmother misses erhu too¡­ i miss you so much¡­¡± she had just seen xiaohu yesterday and saw erhu today.. was she dreaming? Chapter 559 - Chapter 559: Domineering Father Su chapter 559: domineering father su translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios on the other side, su cheng had also entered the palace. he was naturally not here to deliver pills to the empress dowager. he was here to carry out an investigation mission. the harem was a forbidden area for outsiders. he had no choice this time. naturally, the officials of the imperial court could not enter and leave on their own. they had to be accompanied by eunuchs and palace maids. su cheng and a team of imperial guards also went to zhaoyang hall accompanied by four palace servants. on the way, su cheng met the second prince, xiao shunyang. the last time they came out of the peach forest, they returned to the capital together. the difference was that su cheng was unharmed and xiao shunyang was slightly injured. xiao shunyang should have been resting in the residence, but he invited himself into the palace and joined the investigation. ¡°your highness.¡± ¡°deputy commander su.¡± the two of them greeted each other. ¡°deputy commander su, where are you going?¡± xiao shunyang asked. ¡°to zhaoyang hall, ¡± su cheng said. xiao shunyang¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°deputy commander su, this is your first time in the palace, right? zhaoyang hall is the grand empress dowager¡¯s bedroom. deputy commander su is an outsider, so i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inconvenient. why don¡¯t you leave it to me? go to the imperial hospital.¡¯ the first place xiao shunyang drew for the investigation was the imperial hospital. ¡°the imperial hospital is not in this direction. the imperial hospital is in the former court, right?¡± su cheng had already seen the blueprint of the palace last night. su cheng looked at xiao shunyang warily. ¡°something¡¯s wrong with you!¡± xiao shunyang smiled and said, ¡°i entered the palace to pay my respects to father and the empress dowager. in front is the empress dowager¡¯s yongshou palace.¡± su cheng thought for a moment. indeed, that was the case. xiao shunyang said, ¡°i¡¯ll report it to grandmother and exchange it with you.¡± su cheng refused. ¡°there¡¯s no need. this is a serious matter. how can it be exchanged just like that? to put it bluntly, before the truth is revealed, even you and i are suspects!¡± su cheng was not stupid. although it was xiao shunyang who suggested the exchange, once the emperor pursued the matter, how could the emperor blame xiao shunyang, his biological son? wasn¡¯t he the scapegoat? ¡°i¡¯m going to investigate. your highness, forgive me for not accompanying you!¡± with that, su cheng left without looking back. xiao shunyang looked at su cheng¡¯s departing back and frowned slightly. zhaoyang hall received the news that the imperial guards would come to investigate early in the morning. the palace servants put down what they were doing and stood in the courtyard to wait for the investigation. little yunzi came to the bed. ¡°grand empress dowager, it¡¯s time to get up. the imperial guards are here.¡± zhaoyang hall usually did not interact with the other concubines in the harem, so bai xihe was not so abiding to the rules. it was common for her to sleep until late in the morning. bai xihe had stayed up late last night to read her storybook. she was so angry at the scumbag in the book that she didn¡¯t want to think about it. little yunzi was anxious. ¡°aiyo, my ancestor, he¡¯s waiting outside!¡± ¡°who¡¯s coming?¡± bai xihe asked sleepily. little yunzi stood respectfully outside the curtain and said without looking sideways, ¡°i heard that he¡¯s the newly appointed deputy commander of the imperial guards.¡± ¡°let him wait!¡± bai xihe fell asleep again. little yunzi was speechless. in the small garden of zhaoyang hall, su cheng had already begun to investigate the palace maids, eunuchs, and nannies one by one. apart from routine inquiries, he also had to observe if they were disguised and skilled. ¡°go wash your face.¡± su cheng pointed at the well water. the palace servants looked at each other, not understanding why they had to wash their faces. ¡°once you have washed your face, come over!¡± were they fine after washing up? what if one of them was wearing a human skin mask? moreover, he had to check their skills to see if anyone of them had internal strength. seeing that more than half of the palace servants had been investigated, there was still no sign of the empress dowager, su cheng¡¯s first reaction was to frown. what was wrong with this grand empress dowager? she had already been urged several times. could it be that she was hiding from the investigation? ¡°lord su, these eunuchs are skilled!¡± a guard reported. a eunuch cried, ¡°we¡¯re innocent! we¡¯re not from the white lotus society! we just learned some skills to protect ourselves before entering the palace!¡± ¡°take him down first,¡± su cheng said seriously. ¡°yes!¡± the imperial guards dragged them out. su cheng continued to search zhaoyang hall. in the past, he used to be an escort. in order to ensure that nothing went wrong, he had to be vigilant at all times and understand all possible dangers. he might be a little unreliable usually, but he was still very sharp at critical moments. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to successfully find su xiaoxiao in the bamboo forest that night. he looked at the lawn in the courtyard and felt that something was wrong with the color. he walked over and pressed it with his foot, then slashed at it. it was hollow. he called over a palace maid. ¡°what¡¯s this?¡± the palace maid replied in a daze, ¡°nothing. it¡¯s just a piece of land.¡± su cheng followed the passageway and finally stopped in front of the empress dowager¡¯s bedroom. ¡°whose room is this?¡± he asked. the palace servant at the side was about to speak when little yunzi walked out and closed the door behind him. he scolded su cheng, ¡°how dare you! this is the grand empress dowager¡¯s bedroom. how dare you be impudent?¡± the passageway clearly led to the room inside¡­ su cheng looked at little yunzi warily and said, ¡°is the grand empress dowager inside?¡± little yunzi said, ¡°the grand empress dowager is not feeling well and is resting in bed. don¡¯t disturb her.¡± ¡°open the door,¡± su cheng said. little yunzi was confused. didn¡¯t he make it clear just now? where did this person get the guts? even his maiesty didn¡¯t dare to use such an attitude to shout at the grand empress dowager! su cheng said authoritatively, ¡°i¡¯ll say it again. open the door.¡± if it were anyone else, they would never have the guts to barge into the grand empress dowager¡¯s bedroom. even emperor jing xuan did not dare. su cheng was a youth knowing no fear and had yet to deeply realize the status of the grand empress dowager in the entire royal family. he felt that since he was investigating the case under orders, he had to do it seriously. the emperor had said that everyone was suspicious. this empress dowager was very suspicious. little yunzi did not open the door. su cheng swung little yunzi aside and kicked open the closed door. little yunzi trembled with anger. which damn person dared to kick down the grand empress dowager¡¯s door? was he tired of living? ¡°just you wait. when the grand empress dowager deals with you later, no matter if you¡¯re qin canglan¡¯s son or not, his majesty will punish you with the death penalty!¡± bai xihe was sleeping soundly. who would have thought that someone would imock on her door fearlessly and treat her as a spy of the white lotus society? ¡°little yunzi, drag the person out¡­¡± she said in a daze and turned around, planning to continue sleeping. the moment su cheng entered the room, he sensed the passageway under the floor that connected to the phoenix bed. he almost immediately decided that the people inside must leave the palace often. if this wasn¡¯t a spy, who was? su cheng strode forward, pulled out his sword with one hand, and pulled open the veil with the other. ¡°spy! come out!¡± the weather was hot, and bai xihe was wearing very little clothes. under her thin nightdress was her graceful figure. she lay facing outwards, her slender legs gently crossed. every inch of her skin was as thin as white porcelain. her long hair fell gently on her shoulders, half covering her proud face.. Chapter 560 - Chapter 560: Robbing the Emperor! chapter 560: robbing the emperor! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su cheng never expected to see this scene. bai xihe was the number one beauty of the great zhou. her careless actions, frowns, and smiles made all the men in the world crazy. not to mention her current appearance. this was something that even eunuchs and women would blush at and make their hearts would beat faster. su cheng was stunned on the spot. at the end of the day, he was still a normal man. it was just that his thoughts were stranger than those of ordinary men. for example, his reaction now. there must be something wrong! could it be a honey trap? he was a father. he would not fall for this! he took a deep breath and forced himself to come back to his senses. he looked away from the extremely tempting body. he looked at the other party¡¯s face and paused. ¡°madam bai?¡± hearing this, bai xihe completely woke up. she cursed in her heart. to think a snooze could give her away. how was she going to explain this? should she cover her face or cover her body first? if she had known earlier, she would have asked more about who the new deputy commander was¡­ this situation was too awkward and unexpected. even bai xihe was at a loss and forgot how to react. swoosh! su cheng grabbed the blanket and covered her. bai xihe, who was covered, was speechless. bai xihe coughed lightly and wrapped her body in the blanket. an exquisite head appeared from the gap in the blanket. ¡°um, actually, i¡­¡± su cheng turned around and firmly did not take advantage of her with his eyes. ¡°there¡¯s no need to say anything else. i understand everything.¡± bai xihe was stunned. ¡°huh?¡± su cheng sighed. ¡°so you¡¯re from the white lotus society.¡± bai xihe hesitated. su cheng said earnestly, ¡°you¡¯re too bold. you actually dare to pretend to be the grand empress dowager. aren¡¯t you afraid of being beheaded if you¡¯re discovered? or do you have something difficult to say?¡± bai xihe opened his mouth. ¡°i¡­¡± su cheng raised his hand and looked at the blue sky. ¡°alright, there¡¯s no need to explain. i believe daya. if you¡¯re a bad person, she won¡¯t bring you home again and again. you must have your difficulties. put on your clothes and veil! don¡¯t expose yourself. someone will come over later!¡± bai xihe said, ¡°oh.¡± su cheng said solemnly, ¡°also, don¡¯t use beauty traps on men casually in the future. not everyone can stay composed like me.¡± bai xihe looked at his nosebleed. ¡°yes¡­ you¡¯re very composed.¡± the empress dowager¡¯s yongshou palace was also under investigation. the empress dowager found it noisy and brought erhu to the small garden by the lotus pond. ¡°what a huge lotus!¡± ¡°there¡¯s so much food!¡± ¡°what a beautiful palace maid!¡± the trusted palace maids were all amused by the little fellow. ¡°do you want to feed the fish?¡± the empress dowager asked. erhu nodded. the empress dowager asked eunuch cheng to bring fish food. the two of them went to the lotus pond to feed the koi. when emperor jing xuan came over, he saw this warm and harmonious scene. the empress dowager¡¯s face was filled with a heartfelt smile. seeing that the empress dowager was so happy, emperor jing xuan was touched. ¡°mother.¡± he walked over. it was rare for the empress dowager to give him a good attitude. ¡°the emperor is here. you¡¯ve been busy with work recen tly. remember to take care of your dragon body.¡± it had been many years since emperor jing xuan had been so cared for by his mother. he was so touched that his eyes turned hot. ¡°mother¡­¡± the empress dowager waved her hand. ¡°i¡¯m old and can¡¯t think about some things. just don¡¯t hurt my heart in the future.¡± emperor jing xuan said emotionally, ¡°i¡­ won¡¯t hurt mother¡¯s heart anymore.¡± erhu ran over. ¡°xiaohu!¡± emperor jing xuan liked this little fellow very much. the empress dowager¡¯s heart skipped a beat. although she had already reminded the little guy just now, she was still a little worried that the little guy would expose himself. erhu tilted his head. okay. he would be xiaohu for a day. ¡°are you the royal farmer?¡± that was what xiaohu called him. emperor jing xuan pretended to be serious. ¡°why? have you forgotten about father after not seeing him for a day?¡± erhu blinked. ¡°¡­no.¡± few children in the palace were not reserved in front of him. emperor jing xuan felt very refreshed and patted the little fellow¡¯s head dotingly. erhu was suddenly attracted to the accessory on his waist. ¡°it¡¯s so beautiful!¡± he was referring to the small stone on the jade pendant. ¡°do you like it?¡± emperor jing xuan asked. ¡°i like it.¡± erhu nodded honestly. emperor jing xuan said in amusement, ¡°you despised it yesterday.¡± erhu said seriously, ¡°i don¡¯t mind it today!¡± emperor jing xuan was amused. he took off the jade pendant and handed it to him. ¡°father is giving it to you.¡± actually, erhu only wanted the stone on it, but he couldn¡¯t take it off. he could only reluctantly accept the jade pendant. at the side, eunuch fu was dumbfounded. this dragon jade was an ancestral treasure. back then, his eldest highness wanted it, but he couldn¡¯t bear to give it to him. the little guy was too cute. emperor jingxuan could not take his eyes off him. then, emperor jing xuan realized that the little guy did not like to lie on the ground today. he squatted down and seriously counted the cobblestones on the ground. ¡°this one is beautiful, this one is also beautiful¡­ emperor jing xuan thought for a moment and instructed eunuch fu, ¡°did lord hong bring back a box of gems from western jin?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°bring it over.¡± eunuch fu brought people to the storeroom to move a box of dazzling gems over. when erhu looked at the dazzling gems that were like stars, he was stunned. ¡°wow! royal farmer, are these all for me?¡± emperor jing xuan choked. he just want to let him play¡­ he laughed dryly. ¡°if xiaohu likes it¡­¡± erhu nodded vigorously. ¡°i like them! i like them all! ¡± the empress dowager took advantage of the situation. ¡°if you like it, get your father to give it to you.¡± emperor jing xuan was speechless. was it too late to keep the gems? erhu spent a happy morning in the palace. not only did he see his great-grandmother, but he also obtained a large box full of beautiful small stones! the palace was so good. he was coming again tomorrow! on the other side, the investigation of zhaoyang hall was also coming to an end. there were suspicious people, but they could not conclude that they were spies from the white lotus society. therefore, they were sent to the ministry of justice first and sent back after the ministry of justice investigated. that was not something su cheng should worry about. as for bai xihe¡­ ¡°for daya¡¯s sake, i can choose not to send you to the ministry of justice, but you can¡¯t continue to work for the white lotus society.¡± the white lotus society could not be exterminated. for example, his son-in-law was considered half a little white lotus, but his son-in-law was definitely not on the same side as the white lotus society. su cheng turned his back to her. ¡°i¡¯ll find an opportunity to save you.¡± bai xihe said softly, ¡°lord su.¡± su cheng said seriously, ¡°what?¡± bai xihe looked at his feet. ¡°you¡­ stepped on my undergarment.¡± su cheng was speechless.. Chapter 561 - Chapter 561: Untitled chapter 561: untitled translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su cheng covered his bleeding nose and walked out of zhaoyang hall. everyone in zhaoyang hall saw it. because xiao shunyang was worried about the situation here, he went to yongshou palace. after knowing that the empress dowager was not around, he immediately came over. su cheng and the others had already left with the suspicious people, leaving only the palace maids and eunuchs of zhaoyang hall whispering. ¡°did you see that lord su just now?¡± ¡°what lord su? he¡¯s the protector duke. if i really address him as a lord, i have to call him lord qin?¡± ¡°didn¡¯t i hear that he hasn¡¯t paid his respects to his ancestors?¡± ¡°it¡¯s qin che whether he worships his ancestors or not. it¡¯s his two children who have to change their names and surnames to enter the qin family¡¯s genealogy.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true¡­ sigh, i went off-topic! i want to ask you if you saw him¡­ like that?¡± ¡°can¡¯t you see? he¡¯s a boor. he even dared to barge into the grand empress dowager¡¯s room. look at how badly he was beaten up! he bled three bowls!¡± xiao shunyang said, ¡°what are you talking about?¡± the palace servants turned around in shock. when they saw that it was the second prince, they knelt down and bowed. ¡°your highness!¡± one of the palace servants said, ¡°the servants¡­ are talking about the protector duke¡­ xiao shunyang asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with the duke?¡± the palace maid said, ¡°he¡­ he offended the grand empress dowager and was beaten until his head was bleeding¡­¡¯ some things changed as they spread. su cheng had never been injured, nor had he been beaten up by bai xihe. however, the palace servants saw blood and made up stories as if they were at the scene. xiao shunyang paused and turned to go to zhaoyang hall. however, before he could enter, he was stopped by little yunzi. little yunzi said, ¡°your highness, the grand empress dowager has rested.¡± xiao shunyang said, ¡°i heard that the protector duke offended the empress dowager. ¡± offending? it was simply disgraceful and exposed the empress dowager¡¯s beauty¡­ however, little yunzi did not understand why the grand empress dowager did not punish the protector duke. little yunzi smiled and said, ¡°the protector duke was investigating a case on orders. he didn¡¯t offend her.¡± xiao shunyang frowned. ¡°1 heard that the duke was injured.¡± little yunzi smiled and said, ¡°ah, he accidentally fell. the investigation isn¡¯t over yet, right? your highness, go busy yourself. i¡¯ll go serve the grand empress dowager first.¡± xiao shunyang was not su cheng and could not rush in without a care. he could only watch helplessly as little yunzi closed the door of zhaoyang hall. he had a feeling that su cheng had still offended her. however, because of qin canglan¡¯s power, she could not blow things up. after beating him up, she would not pursue the matter. he stood at the door for a long time until his subordinate came to urge him to continue the investigation. then, he left silently. on the other hand, after dahu woke up early, he immediately realized that erhu had abandoned them and entered the palace. he originally thought that xiao hu was the most worrisome. who would have thought that erhu would be the first to defect? very good, erhu also needed to be taught a lesson. dahu and xiaohu went to ling yun¡¯s place for class, and wei xiyue was also there. wei xiyue¡¯s xiaobai was xiaohu. dahu and erhu were xiaobai¡¯s family members. she would take care of them, but she would not go crazy just because one of them was not around. wei xiyue sat cross-legged on the ground with salted fish xiaohu in her arms. she was still calm. su xiaoxiao happened to be on a house call nearby, so she came over to pick up the children. she first sent dahu and xiaohu to the marquis of zhenbei¡¯s estate, then sent wei xiyue back to the wei family. su xiaoxiao hadn¡¯t been here for a while. the wei family seemed to be much quieter than last time. there were no sisters-in-law sparring in the garden. madam jiang and madam lan sat on the stone stool listlessly. madam chen sat upright beside the two of them like a guardian deity. ¡°aye. ¡± mdm lan sighed. ¡°aye. ¡± mdm jiang also sighed. ¡°sisters-in-law.¡± su xiaoxiao held wei xiyue¡¯s hand and walked over. mdm jiang was shocked. ¡°seventh sister- in-law? xiyue.¡± ¡°third aunt, fourth aunt, fifth aunt.¡± wei xiyue hugged the jar and greeted the three of them. wei xiyue¡¯s improvement was obvious. she did not like to interact with others in the past and rarely took the initiative to greet others. now¡­ she still didn¡¯t interact with others much, but she liked to greet them. after wei xiyue met her aunties, she went to look for her mother. su xiaoxiao looked at the three dispirited people in confusion. mdm jiang sighed. ¡°we¡¯re worried about sister-in-law.¡± madam lan also said, ¡°ever since sister-in-law¡¯s identity was exposed, she has locked herself in her room and won¡¯t see anyone. we all understand that sister-in-law must have her difficulties, but we can¡¯t even see her, let alone ask her. when we asked mother, she refused to tell us.¡± mdm jiang asked helplessly, ¡°what are mother and sister-in-law hiding from su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i¡¯ll go see sister-in-law.¡± madam chu was practicing calligraphy in her room. ¡°madam, miss su is here.¡± the maidservant reported. ¡°let her go back,¡± chu said. creak¡ª su xiaoxiao pushed the door open and entered. the maidservant was trembling and did not know what to do. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i came in myself. she couldn¡¯t stop me.¡± madam chu did not say anything and asked the maidservant to leave. su xiaoxiao sat down in front of madam chu. after not seeing her for a few days, she looked much more tired. ¡°wei ting went to assassinate the sect master of the white lotus society.¡± su xiaoxiao gave madam chu a heavy blow. madam chu¡¯s hand froze. ¡°it¡¯s very dangerous, right?¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°but this is the only way he can protect sisters-in-law, madam wei, and the wei family.¡± madam chu clenched her fists tightly, causing them to turn white. su xiaoxiao looked at madam chu without blinking. ¡°so sister-in-law is still unwilling to say? perhaps a small clue can help wei ting avoid danger.¡± if she asked madam chu why she had joined the white lotus society, she would definitely not confess. however, if she used wei ting¡¯s life as a bargaining chip, chu might not be able to be ruthless. madam chu slowly reached out and rolled up her sleeves. she took off the bracelet, revealing a red mark on her wrist. su xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°this is¡­¡± madam chu said softly, ¡°the white lotus society poisoned me. i have to take the antidote once a month. otherwise, i will die from the poison.¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°is there really such a melodramatic method?¡± madam chu said, ¡°my father was also poisoned by this.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°your father¡­¡± madam chu shook her head slightly. ¡°he¡¯s not from the white lotus society. he¡¯s used by the white lotus society to threaten me. there¡¯s a powerful apothecary in the white lotus society. it¡¯s said that he¡¯s from the western jin dynasty and is good at poison and mechanisms. you¡¯ve been to the peach forest, right? that person designed it.¡± su xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°in that case, the corpse dissolving water and poison were also made by him.¡± ¡°poison?¡± madam chu had never been to the peach forest and had only heard of some dangers, but she did not know the details. su xiaoxiao told him about the black bear and its cub. chu shuddered. ¡°he should be the one who did it. he¡¯s very dangerous. he¡¯s the most dangerous person serving the sect master!¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°aren¡¯t salve xiu the most dangerous? are they the same person? a trace of fear flashed across madam chu¡¯s eyes. ¡°no, they¡¯re not the same person. the one with the highest martial arts is slave xiu, and the one with the most vicious methods is him..¡± Chapter 562 - Chapter 562: Knocking On The Door chapter 562: knocking on the door translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it seemed that she had to go to the peach forest to meet this poison expert from western jin. after leaving madam chu¡¯s courtyard, su xiaoxiao went to matriarch wei and told her about madam chu¡¯s difficult secrets. old madam wei sighed. ¡°why didn¡¯t she say anything? why has she been keeping it to herself? if she said it, the wei family would think of a way with her¡­ su xiaoxiao said nothing. mo guiyuan must have his means to successfully threaten so many people. sometimes, from the perspective of others, they felt that it was easy to say it, but perhaps it was not the case for the person involved. old madam wei held su xiaoxiao¡¯s hand. ¡°if you have anything in the future, remember to say it.¡± ¡°oh, okay.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°matriarch wei, do you blame her?¡± old madam wei said, ¡°would you believe me if i said that i don¡¯t blame her at su xiaoxiao said, ¡°uh¡­ i don¡¯t know.¡± old madam wei sighed. ¡°but the culprit is mo guiyuan. she was also forced. i imow this very well. moreover, at this point, it¡¯s useless to say anything else. i only hope to catch mo guiyuan as soon as possible and eliminate the white lotus society. you have to be careful yourself.¡± ¡°i will,¡± su xiaoxiao said. after su xiaoxiao left, nanny li brought over a bowl of ginseng soup. ¡®miss su brought it over.¡± old madam wei originally didn¡¯t have an appetite. when she heard that it was from su xiaoxiao, she brought it over and took two sips. she glanced at nanny li and asked, ¡°do you have something to say?¡± nanny li said, ¡°i think this miss su, who grew up in the countryside, is very compatible with seventh young master.¡± old madam wei said calmly, ¡°how are they compatible?¡± nanny li said, ¡°she¡¯s bold and decisive.¡± matriarch wei glared at nanny li. ¡°are you praising her or insulting her?¡± nanny li smiled. ¡°aren¡¯t you quite satisfied yourself?¡± old madam wei snorted. ¡°hmph, how am i satisfied? i don¡¯t have a choice, right? for¡­ for¡­¡± she was stuck. nanny li smiled uncontrollably. ¡°for the sake of finding the mastermind who framed the wei family.¡± old madam wei said seriously, ¡°that¡¯s right! otherwise, i wouldn¡¯t have agreed to the marriage with the qin family!¡± nanny li probed, ¡°then, should we give less of the betrothal gift?¡± old madam wei said without thinking, ¡°that won¡¯t do!¡± nanny li received it in amusement. ¡°aren¡¯t you dissatisfied?¡± old madam wei said seriously, ¡°we can¡¯t let others deride the wei family for being stingy; they might sau can¡¯t even afford the betrothal gift for little seven¡¯s wife. ¡± ¡°little miss! little miss!¡± the maidservant¡¯s panting voice came from outside the house. wei xiyue ran in. matriarch wei hurriedly held her granddaughter¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°why is xiyue here?¡± this was wei liulang¡¯s brush. his name was engraved on it. old madam wei said helplessly, ¡°this child, why have you been touching your sixth uncle¡¯s belongings recently?¡± in the peach forest, after the first day of peace negotiations ended in failure, the first elder came to the courtyard where they were temporarily staying again on the night of the second day. he didn¡¯t come in broad daylight and specially chose to come at night. the old marquis sat on the chair, pinched his fingers, and muttered. the first elder asked amiably, ¡°marquis su, what are you doing?¡± the old marquis said calmly, ¡®we¡¯re calculating what time you are choosing to head to the netherworld.¡± the first elder was speechless. mo guiyuan still did not appear, but other than the first elder, there were two more branch masters. the negotiating lineup was much more luxurious than yesterday. after some pleasantries, xiao zhonghua cut to the chase and expressed the outcome of the imperial court¡¯s negotiation. firstly, it was impossible to treat the white lotus society as the country¡¯s orthodox sect, but the imperial court could recognize the orthodox status of the white lotus society and allow it to preach formally among the commoners. the condition was that it could no longer do evil. in addition, it was impossible for emperor jing xuan to appoint mo huiyuan as the imperial preceptor, but he could consider conferring mo guiyuan the title of heavenly master zhengyuan and be qualified to worship the emperor. in the end, it was xiao zhonghua who made the decision to vouch for the white lotus society. the imperial court would return the captured hostages of the white lotus society and allow them to deal with them themselves. xiao zhonghua said majestically, ¡°my great zhou imperial court has never treated any martial arts sect so politely. i hope your sect will cherish it.¡± in other words, they should not be ungrateful. the first elder laughed angrily. ¡°your highness, now that your great zhou imperial court has two princes in the peach forest of my white lotus society, aren¡¯t you afraid of them not returning?¡± xiao zhonghua said bluntly, ¡°then the imperial court can only send troops to eliminate the white lotus society! just like how they eliminated the sword pavilion back then!¡± as soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the first elder and the other rebels of the white lotus society darkened. the first elder narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°your highness, the marriage between northern yan and western jin is imminent. is the imperial court really going to expend troops at this critical moment?¡± xiao zhonghua snorted. ¡°how many troops can a mere white lotus society cause us to expend internally? grand elder, don¡¯t think too highly of yourself!¡± the second elder was about to speak when he was stopped by a look from the first elder. the first elder smiled and said, ¡°third prince is trying to goad me into revealing how many private troops our white lotus society has. unfortunately, why would i tell third prince such a confidential matter?¡± xiao zhonghua¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°i¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have any so-called private army at all. you¡¯re just bluffing.¡± the great elder sneered. ¡°third prince, go ahead and try. let¡¯s see how many troops the imperial court and our white lotus society will lose!¡± the two of them were negotiating experts, so it was difficult to tell who was better at the negotiation table. xiao zhonghua said unhurriedly, ¡°our great zhou envoy has just returned from the western jin. the western jin will visit the great zhou soon. at that time, will our great zhou imperial court destroy the white lotus society alone, or will western jin also help the imperial court? great elder, why don¡¯t you make a prediction?¡± the great elder smiled. ¡°what right does the western jin have to help the great zhou settle its internal strife?¡± xiao zhonghua said calmly, ¡°if northern yan can marry western jin, why can¡¯t our great zhou?¡± the first elder gave a fake smile. ¡°what marriage alliance does the third prince have with the western jin? which of the two princesses will that be? is it the legitimate princess who carries the luck of the royal family, or the number one beauty of the royal family, your biological sister?¡± xiao zhonghua said casually, ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about that, first elder.¡± the first elder asked, ¡°is the third prince really willing?¡± xiao zhonghua said, ¡°the princess¡¯s marriage is the princess¡¯s life and fortune. why can¡¯t i bear to part with her?¡± it was not easy for the great elder to get xiao zhonghua to reveal anything. after at least a few rounds, he did not gain any advantage. xiao zhonghua stood up and said coldly, ¡°i¡¯ve already given the white lotus society enough respect. i¡¯ve negotiated with you sincerely twice in a row, but from the looks of it, the elders don¡¯t seem to be able to make the call on behalf of the white lotus society. let¡¯s end it here today. next time, we won¡¯t talk unless it¡¯s the sect master!¡± ¡°oh? did he really say that?¡± after hearing the first elder¡¯s report, mo guiyuan revealed an indiscernible smile. ¡°this third prince is quite impressive.¡± the great elder asked, ¡°are you going to meet him?¡± mo guiyuan smiled faintly. ¡°there¡¯s no need. someone has already come over on his behalf. come in, my good grandson..¡± Chapter 563 - Chapter 563: Taking the Initiative chapter 563: taking the initiative translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the first elder¡¯s scalp went numb. what was the situation? was he being followed? he did not notice it at all! also, the sect master mentioned¡­ a grandson? the young master was here?! as the first batch of trusted aides to follow mo guiyuan, the first elder naturally knew about mo guiyuan¡¯s relationship with the wei family. last time, his sect master even personally let the young sect master go. after mo guiyuan said that, the white lotus society disciples at the door automatically moved aside. wei ting walked in leisurely. mo guiyuan revealed a benevolent smile. ¡°1 knew you would come. go, serve the new peach juice brew this year.¡± a disciple agreed and went to the wine cellar to get wine. he also asked the kitchen to cut fruit plates and cold dishes. there was no one else with such a strange combination. mo guiyuan placed the dishes in the courtyard. ¡°sit,¡± mo guiyuan said to wei ting. wei ting did not stand on ceremony and walked over to sit down. the first elder walked over and planned to sit down. wei ting glanced at him. ¡°did i let you sit?¡± the great elder¡¯s expression darkened. he was going to say, ¡°young brat, i¡¯m an elder of the white lotus society no matter what. i¡¯m your elder!¡± mo guiyuan smiled. ¡°first elder, i¡¯ll talk to my grandson alone for a while. you¡¯ve worked hard today. go back and rest first.¡± ¡°yes, sect master.¡± the first elder cupped his hands and left. before leaving, he did not forget to glare at wei ting. mo guiyuan personally poured a glass of wine for wei ting. ¡°i knew you would come too. you did it to the gold vault, right? although i don¡¯t know what method you used, so be it. take it as a greeting gift from me, your grandfather. ¡± ¡°what gold? i don¡¯t understand.¡± wei ting pretended to be confused. ¡°if you don¡¯t want to give me a greeting gift, just say it. i won¡¯t laugh at you for being petty.¡± mo guiyuan¡¯s smile faded as he placed the wine pot back on the table. ¡°little seven, everything of grandpa will be yours in the future.¡± wei ting hit the nail on the head. ¡°don¡¯t paint a pancake for me. i don¡¯t like it.¡± mo guiyuan said earnestly, ¡°little seven, why are you doing this? isn¡¯t it good to rule the world with grandpa? as long as you¡¯re obedient, grandpa won¡¯t let outsiders take advantage of you. grandpa¡¯s patience is limited. don¡¯t exhaust it. or do you really think you have the ability to compete with grandpa?¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°we¡¯ll know after we try.¡± mo guiyuan smiled. ¡°you really know no fear. don¡¯t look anymore. slave xiu isn¡¯t around. if you want to attack me, come at me. however, before you attack, i have to remind you that that the old marquis might not be so lucky.¡± wei ting was working with the old marquis tonight. the two of them secretly followed the first elder here, and wei ting appeared to see mo guiyuan. the old marquis secretly searched for traces of slave xiu to kill him. mo guiyuan smiled and said, ¡°i know that you brought someone else, but don¡¯t tell me you think i don¡¯t have any other trump cards by my side? why don¡¯t we wait for this news? let¡¯s see if su shuo can kill slave xiu or if slave xiu captures su shuo¡­ and wei ting alive.¡± mo guiyuan smiled meaningfully. ¡°do you still want to continue pretending, wei, chi, xiu?¡± yuchi xiu¡¯s eyebrows twitched. damn! how did this old fellow recognize him? his disguise technique was superb, and his voice was imitated perfectly¡­ his figure was similar. he had stepped on a few more pairs of insoles! mo guiyuan said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t kill you.¡± was this a question of whether he could kill him or not? he had been exposed! mo guiyuan, the sly old fox, was even more difficult and cunning than he had imagined! actually, the three of them¡¯s initial plan was for wei ting and the old marquis to meet mo guiyuan, but on the way, they encountered a cultivator practicing his sword technique in the peach forest, so they changed their plan at the last minute. hence, wei ting and the old marquis went to deal with slave xiu first. yuchi xiu disguised himself as wei ting and continued to follow the first elder to figure out mo guiyuan¡¯s residence. ¡®you didn¡¯t deliberately ask slave xiu to wait for us halfway, did you? since he had already been recognized, yuchi xiu couldn¡¯t be bothered to pretend anymore and restored his voice. mo guiyuan smiled. ¡°what do you think?¡± yuchi xiu clicked his tongue. ¡°old thing, you won¡¯t even let go of your biological grandson.¡± mo guiyuan said calmly, ¡°doesn¡¯t he want to go against me? let him see what he¡¯s capable of so that he can understand that there will never be a good ending for going against me.¡± the corners of yuchi xiu¡¯s mouth twitched. how could anyone expect him to be humane when he could even use and threaten his own daughter? ¡°i¡¯m an assassin, but my heart is really not as vicious as yours.¡± in the depths of the peach forest, wei ting and the old marquis faced slave xiu. slave xiu was wearing a bamboo hat and a gray robe. his movement technique was extremely strange, almost fusing with the night. every time the old marquis felt that he was going to catch him, he would disappear from his sight. after a few rounds, the old marquis was a little mad. ¡°where did mo guiyuan get this assassin?¡± wei ting narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°he¡¯s not an assassin. he¡¯s a death warrior.¡± there was no fear of death. the more he fought, the braver he became until the last drop of blood in his body was drained. slave xiu flashed behind wei ting and stabbed at him. wei ting grabbed his wrist and stabbed him in the chest. however, at this moment, a hidden weapon flew over and hit wei ting¡¯s sword. the hidden weapon was wrapped in poisonous powder. wei ting frowned and let go of slave xiu. he tapped his feet and took a few steps back, slave xiu was already very troublesome, but there was actually another one in the dark. slave xiu did not seem to buy it. he looked into the depths of the forest and said coldly, ¡°i said not to interfere in my matters.¡± ¡°hahahaha¡­¡± what responded to slave xiu was a series of crazy laughter. ¡°you really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you. if i hadn¡¯t saved you just now, you would have been stabbed.¡± slave xiu said unreasonably, ¡°i can kill them. move aside, or i¡¯ll kill you too!¡± a helpless sigh came from the dark. ¡°alright, alright, i won¡¯t interfere. however, remember to leave one alive for me. my last poisonous creature is gone. my heart aches so much. i have to quickly refine a new one. these two people must have good aptitude to have survived so many moves from you.¡± slave xiu said in a low voice, ¡°got it.¡± the old marquis said to wei ting, ¡°i¡¯ll deal with the one in the forest. drag slave xiu first.¡¯ that person said that he would not interfere. who knew? the cold arrows in the dark were the most difficult to guard against. ¡°okay.¡± wei ting agreed. slave xiu went to chase after the old marquis. wei ting slashed down. ¡°your opponent is me.¡± the old marquis chased into the dark forest. the black-robed man sneered. ¡°slave xiu, you can¡¯t blame me. someone came imocking on my door.¡± the old marquis looked at the branch above his head. ¡°so you¡¯re here! die!¡± the other party¡¯s aura was not as powerful as slave xiu¡¯s. the old marquis was confident of killing him in one strike. however, the moment the old marquis attacked, an unbelievable thing happened. the old marquis suddenly felt that he could not move. he frowned. not good, he was poisoned! Chapter 564 - Chapter 564: Xiaoxiao Arrives! chapter 564: xiaoxiao arrives! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the old marquis was already very careful. after all, when he heard this guy say that he was the one who refined poison, the old marquis had guessed that he was an expert in poison. he was naturally guarding against him poisoning him. however, this guy did not attack at all. how did he get poisoned? ¡°hahahaha¡­ the black-robed apothecary laughed until his body swayed. ¡°are you very puzzled when i poisoned you? it¡¯s not your fault for being careless. your great zhou¡¯s poison expert is really a little unpresentable.¡± the old marquis frowned. your great zhou? he was not from the great zhou! had the white lotus society already extended its reach so far? that was true. the sect had already reached into the palace. what was wrong with getting a few experts from other countries? the black-robed apothecary smiled and said, ¡°the grass planted on the ground is originally non-toxic, and the flowers on the trees are also non-toxic. however, if they are mixed together and sucked in, it will accelerate the effect of the numbing potion.¡± the old marquis was enlightened. the moment he approached the other party, he was already poisoned. he had never seen such a method in his life. the black-robed apothecary smiled arrogantly. ¡°i¡¯ll spare your life¡­ slowly test my poison.¡± the old marquis snorted. ¡°do you really think a mere poison can trap anyone?¡± with that, he sank his qi into his diaphragm, and a powerful internal force rushed into his limbs and bones. accompanied by the dense pain in his meridians, his numb body instantly regained consciousness. his longsword cut off the branch where the black-robed apothecary was. the black-robed apothecary dodged in the air and landed on another tree. he looked at the old marquis in surprise. ¡°eh? can you can still move? it seems that you¡¯re more resistant to poison than i imagined. you have an excellent poisonous body. my heart suddenly doesn¡¯t ache for the poisonous creature that left. if you replace it, you will definitely be able to create a more perfect poisonous creature.¡± his lips curled sinisterly and he let out a sinister laugh that echoed in the silent forest, making one¡¯s hair stand on end. wei ting and slave xiu fought fiercely. slave xiu was a death warrior and used a way to shorten his lifespan in order to increase his cultivation. he was a very difficult opponent. coupled with his age, he had practiced martial arts ten years more than wei ting. the two of them were not on the same level at all. if it were anyone else, he would have long become souls under slave xiu¡¯s sword. slave xiu was also very surprised that wei ting could last until now unscathed. ¡°who are you?¡± slave xiu asked. wei ting said coldly, ¡°the person who wants your life.¡± slave xiu tilted his head slightly to look at wei ting, a trace of confusion flashing across his eyes. ¡°you make me feel familiar.¡± ¡°is that so? unfortunately, i don¡¯t know you!¡± wei ting slashed over. slave xiu had been distracted just now and was really injured by him. although it was only an insignificant wound on his shoulder, it still attracted slave xiu¡¯s attention. ¡°in the great zhou, you¡¯re the first to hurt me. i¡¯m going to get serious.¡± slave xiu¡¯s killing intent suddenly soared. the grass and dust on the ground rose without wind, and the empty forest seemed to have instantly become a battlefield. wei ting gripped the sword in his hand tightly. this person called slave xiu was even more troublesome than he had imagined. the old marquis had left too quickly just now, so he did not have the time to hand the antidote to the old marquis. he did not know if the old marquis had been poisoned. nothing must happen. otherwise, it would be difficult for him to explain to the little fat peacock. the old marquis was fine for the time being, but as he attacked again and again, the poison in his body became more and more uncontrollable. he had to leave this place as soon as possible, or he would only inhale more poisonous gas. he pushed forward as he fought. the black-robed apothecary smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s useless. you¡¯ve already inhaled the poisonous gas. without my antidote, the poison will flare up eventually. i advise you to stop quickly. this way, it can flare up slower and you¡¯ll be in less pain.¡± ¡°cut the crap and give me your life! ¡± the old marquis stepped on the tree and leaped forward. he was as agile as a flying dragon and attacked the black-robed apothecary on the tree branch with lightning speed. the black-robed apothecary pondered. ¡°to think you can still be so ferocious after so long. did i poison you?¡± in fact, the old marquis was about to collapse, but he could not expose himself in front of the other party. a cultivator slave was already very troublesome. this person was no less dangerous than a cultivator slave. he had to deal with him, or there would be endless trouble in the future! the old marquis gathered strength to use his last move. however, at this moment, the poison in his body finally erupted completely. his chest hurt, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood before kneeling on one knee. he supported his gradually numbing body with his sword and began to lose consciousness bit by bit. the black-robed apothecary smiled in relief. ¡°i knew it. how can my poison fail? marquis of zhenbei, i¡¯m really impressed that you can last until now. don¡¯t worry, when i refine you into a poisonous creature, i¡¯ll give you more medicine to reduce your pain.¡± ¡°you¡¯re obsessed¡­¡± before he could finish, the old marquis vomited blood again. his body tilted and he fell to the cold grass. on the other side, wei ting¡¯s ears twitched, and his eyes darkened. he was about to look for the old marquis. however, slave xiu did not give him any chance. he flew down and blocked his path. the black-robed apothecary walked towards the old marquis step by step. the old marquis struggled to get up a few times, but he did not even have the strength to hold his sword. the black-robed apothecary stopped in front of him and looked down at him. his lips curled into a cold arc. ¡°stop struggling. it¡¯s useless. wait until i take you down first before capturing qin canglan alive. i really want to know how powerful the most powerful expert of the great zhou will be if he becomes a poisonous creature in my hands. lord wu an is also a good candidate, but unfortunately, he¡¯s dead.¡± the old marquis glared at him with burning eyes. he pinched out a hidden weapon and was about to shoot it at the old marquis. no sooner said than done, the old marquis, who was already exhausted, suddenly pulled out the dagger in his military boot with his left hand and stabbed his right foot. the black-robed apothecary¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly moved his hands and feet. fortunately, the dagger only pierced his shoes. the old marquis took the opportunity to grab his feet and throw him to the ground. the black-robed medicine master really did not expect the old marquis to still have strength. he was angered. when the old marquis pounced at him, his fingertips moved, and a vulture flapped its wings and flew over, pecking fiercely at the old marquis¡¯s eyes! swish! a cold arrow shot through the air and ruthlessly sent the vulture that was about to peck the old marquis blind flying. the black-robed apothecary¡¯s eyes darkened. he slapped the old marquis away and stood up cleanly. he looked around warily. ¡°who is it?¡± there was no answer from the dark. however, when he looked at the vulture hanging on the tree with its head shot through, he understood that such archery was definitely not ordinary. ¡°is it general leng?¡± he asked in a low voice. leng tiannan was in charge of the divine bow camp. other than the deceased lord wu an, no one in the entire great zhou could match his archery skills. ¡°don¡¯t forget, your son is still in our hands. i advise you not to act rashly.¡± with a cold threat, the black-robed apothecary tried to walk towards the old marquis. however, just as he took half a step, three arrows flew over and stabbed into his feet! now was the time. he saw where the arrow came from! he took out the crossbow on his back. this was the divine breaking crossbow of the western jin dynasty. it was faster and fiercer than the arrow that was drawn! he shot mercilessly at the other party. thud! something huge fell to the ground. he had hit it! he smiled coldly, put away the crossbow, and raised his hand to grab the old marquis on the ground. at this moment, something unbelievable happened. another cold arrow shot out from the depths of the night, piercing through his hand that was touching the old marquis! the pain distorted his face. he held his right wrist and turned around in disbelief. a blue-clothed girl holding a longbow walked over like a ghost in the forest with a cold expression. the girl drew her bow and aimed at his head.. Chapter 565 - Chapter 565: Domineering! chapter 565: domineering! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the black-robed apothecary¡¯s scalp went numb. how could this be? it was actually a little girl? also, didn¡¯t he hit her just now? why could she still appear in front of him alive? could it be that¡­ she was cheating? she deliberately fell down to let him think that he had hit her, thus lowering his guard against her¡­ the black-robed apothecary felt that something was wrong¡­ countless doubts flashed across his mind. unfortunately, now was not the time to find an answer. the little girl¡¯s arrow had pierced through his hand and now she wanted to shoot through his head! su xiaoxiao aimed and shot without hesitation. if he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, it would be difficult for the black-robed apothecary to believe that a little girl could be more decisive than a man. with a swish, the arrow flew over! the black-robed apothecary blew the bone whistle, and another vulture flew over to block this arrow for him. as for himself, he used his qinggong and retreated ten steps away. su xiaoxiao was not in a hurry to shoot the third arrow at him. instead, she came to the old marquis¡¯s side. the old marquis had been poisoned, and his situation was even more urgent. she had to detoxify the poison immediately, or his life would be in danger. su xiaoxiao carried the longbow on her back, squatted down, took out two yellow antidotes from the first aid bag hanging on her waist, and fed them to the old marquis. as the black-robed apothecary watched this scene quietly, his eyes were filled with disbelief. just now, from afar, it could be said that this girl had not inhaled the poisonous gas in the forest. but now that she was in it, why did she seem fine? also, what did she feed marquis zhenbei? an antidote? he endured the pain of his right hand being shot and said coldly, ¡°stop dreaming. you can¡¯t cure my poison!¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°is that so? then why do you think i can stand in front of you safe and sound?¡± the black-robed apothecary choked. su xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t wearing a gas mask, but she had taken the yellow pill in advance. this kind of san wu pill in the base pharmacy was simply the nemesis of poison. su xiaoxiao said casually, ¡°the poison you¡¯re so proud of is trash in my opinion!¡± the black-robed apothecary¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°you!¡± he had used countless poisons. one could slap his face, but he could not humiliate his poison technique! he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°girl! just you wait to die! no matter how many poisonous pills you eat, you will still die of poison in the end! if you don¡¯t believe me, you can¡­¡± cough, cough, cough! the old marquis coughed violently and actually regained consciousness. the black-robed apothecary¡¯s pupils trembled. su xiaoxiao helped the old marquis sit up and patted his back to calm him down. she took off the water bag, pulled out the stopper, and handed it to him. ¡°granduncle, drink some water.¡± the old marquis slowly raised his sore arm, took the water bag, and gulped it down. the black aura on his face faded bit by bit, and his black and purple lips gradually turned red. the black-robed apothecary was dumbfounded. how could someone cure his poison? he scolded, ¡°girl! did you steal my antidote?¡± su xiaoxiao said arrogantly, ¡°pfft, i don¡¯t want your antidote even if you give it to me for free.¡± the black-robed apothecary fell back in anger! he stared sinisterly at su xiaoxiao, who was taking the old marquis¡¯s pulse. evil thoughts flashed across his mind and he blew the bone whistle again. countless vultures flapped their wings from the dark forest and pounced at su xiaoxiao. the old marquis¡¯s expression changed. ¡°be careful!¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t even look up. just as the poisonous vultures were about to attack su xiaoxiao, a deafening roar suddenly came from not far away. the black-robed apothecary¡¯s eyes lit up. it was his poisonous creature! the poisonous creature returned when it heard the bone whistle! ¡°brat, so what if you¡¯re not poisoned? with my poisonous creature around, you can just wait to be torn to pieces!¡± the poisonous creature rushed at su xiaoxiao with a fierce killing intent and slapped over! seeing that something was wrong, the old marquis hugged su xiaoxiao with all his might and used his back to block the poisonous creature¡¯s attack. however, the expected pain did not come. on the other hand, two vultures were sent flying by its claws! if one vulture came, it would take one. if two came, it would take a pair. the black-robed apothecary was stunned. he hurriedly blew the bone whistle. however, no matter how he blew, the poisonous creature didn¡¯t attack su xiaoxiao. instead, it slapped his vultures. the vultures were slapped until there was nothing left. ¡°what¡¯s going on? could it be that his poisonous creature¡­ was controlled by her? how did she do it?¡± the black-robed apothecary was shocked and almost doubted his life. however, what was even more suspicious was that after the poisonouse creature slapped all the vultures to death, it actually pounced at him ferociously. he had refined this poisonous creature. of course, he knew how powerful it was. even slave xiu could not kill it in ten moves! the black-robed apothecary stopped fighting and glared fiercely at su xiaoxiao before using his qinggong to leave. before leaving, he said fiercely, ¡°girl, you¡¯ll die in my hands sooner or later!¡± su xiaoxiao helped the old marquis out of the poisonous forest and found a big tree to sit under. the old marquis leaned against the tree behind him and asked in a loss, ¡°why are you here?¡± ¡°wuhu brought me here,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°we took another entrance.¡± wuhu landed on su xiaoxiao¡¯s shoulder valiantly, and su xiaoxiao fed it a bird food. the worker bird was happy to receive its first serving ot bird food tonight! ¡°ah.¡± the old marquis knew that this was a little traitor of the white lotus society, so he was not so surprised. ¡°but what was going on just now?¡± ¡°do you mean that? it¡¯s the poisonous creature from last time.¡± su xiaoxiao pointed at the black blind not far away and said, ¡°i met it by chance after entering the forest.¡± to be honest, she was quite surprised. she thought that she would never see it again after last time. who would have thought that she would bump into it as soon as she entered? it was the bear who pretended to fall and deceived the other party. the old marquis looked at the black bear suspiciously. was he sure they had bumped into each other? didn¡¯t this big guy smell her scent? the black bear went to pick up little bear, which was hiding in the grass. ¡°roar! roar!¡± the little bear cub seemed to have smelled su xiaoxiao and let out an excited cry. su xiaoxiao carried it over and checked the wound on its back. ¡°you¡¯re recovering so well.¡± the black bear turned around and revealed his back to su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao unwrapped its gauze. ¡®you¡¯ve recovered well too.¡± it was fate that they met. su xiaoxiao changed their medicine and fed them antidotes. the black bear didn¡¯t move and sat opposite su xiaoxiao without blinking. its vision was not good, but its hearing and smell were abnormally sharp. su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and took out a honey souffle from her pouch and handed it to the bear. it took it and ate in satisfaction. little bear sat in its arms and stretched out its claws to grab the honey souffl¨¦, but it was pressed down by its slap. it perfectly interpreted the mother¡¯s pressure. after the old marquis finished drinking the water, his strength recovered a little. he looked at the silly bear in front of him which was holding its cub down and eating alone and could not help but wonder if it was really a great poisonous creature refined by the medicine master of the western jin. ¡°how are you doing?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. the old marquis said, ¡°my chest hurts a little when i breathe, but i¡¯m fine.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°this is the remaining poison in your body. then rest here first. don¡¯t use force or circulate your energy before the pain completely disappears. it will guard you. it ate my honey and can¡¯t eat it for nothing.¡± the black bear wondered why the honey pancake in her hand suddenly did not smell good anymore. the old marquis looked at su xiaoxiao, who was about to leave, and asked, ¡°where are you going?¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°find the medicine master of the western jin and kill him!¡± Chapter 566 - Chapter 566: Perfect Resolution chapter 566: perfect resolution translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°you¡­ can¡¯t!¡± how could the old marquis let his granddaughter take the risk? that¡¯s right. she was his granddaughter, not his grandniece. he wouldn¡¯t admit it. ¡°he just got injured. we have to take advantage of his illness and kill him!¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s attitude was firm. the medicine master of the western jin was a very troublesome fellow. although the level of his martial arts was not as good as that of slave xiu, his methods of using poison were indeed impossible to guard against. she had to end him. the old marquis pondered and said, ¡°that person¡­ is not an ordinary expert. he¡¯s an apothecary from the western jin.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i know.¡± the old marquis looked at her in shock. ¡°you know?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°i just got the news.¡± the old marquis frowned. ¡°so, you specially rushed over for this?¡± ¡°yes.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. the old marquis sighed helplessly. ¡°you¡­ are too bold.¡± this was the peach forest of the white lotus society. didn¡¯t this girl feel any fear after escaping death the last time? ¡°i wonder who you took after. back then, huayin¡­ was not as bold as you.¡± perhaps huayin had someone to protect her back then. it was him before she got married, and qin canglan after she got married. sometimes, he would wonder if he had protected huayin too well, so much so that huayin had never faced those schemes since she was young. however, on second thought, huayin was just not good at martial arts and was smart. it could only be said that in life, no one could guarantee that they would never miss anything. this girl had suffered since she was young, but she had also cultivated a temperament that ordinary people could not imagine. ¡°by the way, who did you learn archery from?¡± it was not an exaggeration to say that the two arrows just now pierced through the bullseye at a hundred steps. ¡°wei ting,¡± su xiaoxiao said. the old marquis was stunned. wei ting had only known her for half a year, but she had already practiced such archery¡­ how could the old marquis know that su xiaoxiao did not take an arrow in the countryside? she went to the palace to learn archery seriously. it had actually been less than three months. at the mention of wei ting, the old marquis looked to the other side. ¡°nothing will happen to wei ting, right? he¡¯s entangled with slave xiu¡­¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°if anything happens, i¡¯ll change my husband.¡± the old marquis was speechless. the old marquis cleared his throat. ¡°ahem, ahem, ahem, ahem. it¡¯s not to that extent.¡± the wei family¡¯s kid was not bad. su xiaoxiao went to chase after the medicine master of the western jin. the black bear sat beside the old marquis and guarded him. the little bear fell asleep. the old marquis looked at himself and then at the big black bear which was sitting in the same posture as him. he suddenly doubted his life. he raised his right hand. the black bear also raised its right hand. he scratched his head. the black bear also scratched its head. he stretched his legs. the black bear also stretched its legs. the black bear couldn¡¯t see clearly. he sensed it through the movement of the sound. the old marquis stuck out his tongue at the black bear. this small action was not perceived by the black bear. haha, it couldn¡¯t be! then, when yuchi xiu rushed over, he saw the old marquis sticking out his tongue at a burly black bear. yuchi xiu was speechless. the night was dark and windy. the bamboo forest was as quiet as snow. occasionally, the sounds of birds and beasts could be heard, but they quickly disappeared into the endless night. su xiaoxiao brought wuhu to search for the black-robed apothecary in the forest. the other party¡¯s hand was injured by her. at first, she could see the blood on the ground. but soon, the blood disappeared, and an arrow was lying on the ground. ¡°have you healed yourself?¡± he was an apothecary. it went without saying that he could use medicine as well as poison. su xiaoxiao was not in a hurry at all and continued to look forward calmly. she was sure he wouldn¡¯t go far. because her arrow was smeared with anesthetic. she did not inject it directly into his veins. the effect of the medicine was slow in his body, but as long as he circulated his energy, the medicine would circulate in his veins. ¡°wuhu, follow.¡± su xiaoxiao said to the worker bird. as a traitor who had defected for bird food, wuhu flapped its small wings to the limit. on the other side, the black-robed apothecary gradually sensed that something was wrong. his cultivation was decreasing greatly, and various parts of his body gradually felt slightly numb. although the level of his martial arts was not as good as slave xiu¡¯s, it was definitely not bad. he would not be so weak after being shot by an arrow. ¡°were that girl¡¯s arrows poisoned?¡± that wasn¡¯t right. as an expert in poison, no poison in the world could escape his eyes. there was no poison on the arrows. of course, he didn¡¯t expect that the arrow wasn¡¯t poisoned, but smeared with anesthetic that su xiaoxiao had brought out of the pharmacy. the more he thought about it, the more he felt that the girl was strange. it even made him feel a faint fear. even when facing slave xiu, he was not like this. after all, he could not defeat slave xiu, but he could still drug slave xiu with poison. how should he describe this feeling? it was like¡­ he had met hisnatural enemy. he had to hurry back to his courtyard. there were mechanisms there and countless poisons he had refined¡­ ¡°stop running. you can¡¯t escape.¡± a demonic voice suddenly came from ahead. he stopped in his tracks and looked up in surprise. su xiaoxiao imitated him when he bullied the old marquis just now and sat leisurely on a big tree. however, she was a hundred times more arrogant than him. he was shocked. ¡°you¡­ how did this girl get ahead of him? his heart suddenly skipped a beat. that fear came again; it was as if he had been suppressed by his bloodline. actually, if su xiaoxiao really went to deal with slave xiu with her own abilities, she might not be able to gain any advantage. however, su xiaoxiao, who had the base pharmacy, was the nemesis of the medicine masters of the western jin to a certain extent. this was probably the proof to the so-called saying that everything had a counter. the black-robed apothecary subconsciously took a step back and realized that he was actually afraid of a little girl. he could not help but feel embarrassed. he suddenly shot out a hidden weapon! swish. su xiaoxiao easily caught it. his eyes widened. ¡°you¡­ aren¡¯t poisoned?¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s silver-gloved hand shone coldly under the moonlight. she played with the hidden weapon and said calmly, ¡°i already said that your things are all trash!¡± she shot the hidden weapon back! the black-robed apothecary¡¯s body was paralyzed and he could not dodge for a moment. his knee was ruthlessly pierced! he knelt on the ground and supported himself with his hands. strange, his body was clearly numb, but why could he still feel pain from her injuries? as if seeing his confusion, su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°because i applied medicine on your poison dart just now. the anesthetic on you can neutralize it wherever it hits. if you want to completely recover your senses, you can prick your entire body with a dart.¡± damn, would he still be alive if he did that? he looked not far away and gritted his teeth. su xiaoxiao jumped down and landed in front of him. she pointed at the place he had looked at. ¡°that¡¯s your nest, right? let me guess. there are poisons and mechanisms inside to deal with me. then why don¡¯t you guess if i¡¯ll let you damn it, he was only a few steps away! the black-robed apothecary¡¯s eyes flashed as he said bewitchingly, ¡°girl, we can make a deal! as long as you let me go, i leave you and your family alone. in addition, if you like any of my treasures, i can give them to you!¡± he had to stabilize this girl first and lure her into the courtyard before killing her with a mechanism! he wanted to tear her into pieces! chop her into minced meat and feed her to his poisonous creature! su xiaoxiao looked down at him. ¡°you might not know me. i¡¯m a little bully in apricot flower village. i only like to snatch.¡± with that, su xiaoxiao took out her dagger and stabbed him in the heart. his eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°you¡­¡± su xiaoxiao said word by word, ¡°goodbye, medicine master.¡± she pushed the dagger forward and stabbed him completely.. Chapter 567 - Chapter 567: Sacked chapter 567: sacked translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the black-robed apothecary could not believe it even until his death. he had been famous for his entire life and had refined countless poisons. in the end, he actually fell into the hands of an unknown little girl. he was indignant. he still did not understand what poison this girl had used on him. how could it be stronger than his poison? he stared fixedly at su xiaoxiao, as if he wanted to memorize this face and bring it into his next life. he wouldn¡¯t let it go even if he became a ghost. su xiaoxiao was not afraid at all. she looked at him calmly until he died. su xiaoxiao retracted her dagger and opened his shirt to take a look. ¡°you¡¯re even wearing a heart armor.¡± fortunately, lord wu an¡¯s dagger was sharp enough. su xiaoxiao wiped the dagger clean and sheathed it. wuhu on the branch covered its eyes with its wings. the traitor expressed that the scene was too cruel and the baby did not dare to look. su xiaoxiao fed it a serving of bird food. in an instant, the parrot widened its eyes in a second and glared fiercely at the black-robed apothecary in the pool of blood, giving him an abyssal gaze from the bird king. next, su xiaoxiao went to the black-robed apothecary¡¯s courtyard. she was a doctor and actually did not know much about poison, especially the various poisons of this dynasty. she had almost never seen them. she found many poisons in the courtyard. most of them had an antidote, and some had yet to be developed. in addition, she also saw some poisonous creatures that were being tortured. they were either dead or injured. it seemed that it depended on luck to refine powerful poisonous creatures. su xiaoxiao fed them the antidote and let them go. these poisonous creatures would be a disaster if they were left in the white lotus society. it would be a pity to destroy them. they might be useful in the future. su xiaoxiao packed the various types of poison. in the end, su xiaoxiao found the black-robed apothecary¡¯s belongings in his cabinet. there was not much silver, but there was a stack of banknotes. unfortunately, they were banknotes from the western jin and could not be used in the great zhou. ¡°eh? what¡¯s this?¡± su xiaoxiao found a book under the banknotes. it was the black-robed apothecary¡¯s writing. it contained no less than a hundred types of poisonous grass and his unique poison technique. su xiaoxiao flipped through the booklet and realized what kind of big shot she had killed. ¡°this guy¡­ is so powerful?¡± to be fancied by mo guiyuan, he was indeed capable. if not for the fact that she had the pharmacy, it would probably be difficult for her to kill him so easily. it was the case of an inexperienced person defeating a master by throwing out the rules of traditions. an hour later, su xiaoxiao carried bags of things to meet the old marquis. yuchi xiu was also there. he was about to look for su xiaoxiao when he saw her rushing over. he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°what did you do?¡± ¡°oh, i picked up some stuff. take it.¡± su xiaoxiao threw the bags at him. at the mention of this, su xiaoxiao was furious. su xiaoxiao planned to put the poisons in the pharmacy, but the pharmacy didn¡¯t let her. she wondered if her relationship with the pharmacy had really been harmonious recently. what kind of temper was this? could it be that gold could enter, but poison could not? helpless, su xiaoxiao could only pack the poison and carry it back herself. she was exhausted. yuchi xiu thought that she had gone to pick up gold again. he opened the bag and took a look. he was so frightened that he jumped three times. ¡°damn! of all the things you can pick up! you picked up so much poison!¡± although yuchi xiu was an assassin and had a certain understanding of poison, he was not as proficient as an apothecary. the black bear also smelled the smell that made it suffer. it carried its cub and took a few steps back, roaring at the bag. the old marquis looked at su xiaoxiao worriedly. ¡°are you injured?¡± ¡°no.¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. the old marquis continued, ¡°the medicine master of the western jin.. su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°he¡¯s dead.¡± the old marquis was very shocked. in the past, he only knew that his granddaughter, who had grown up in the countryside, had outstanding medical skills. however, it was obvious that her medical skills alone could not kill the medicine master of the western jin dynasty. tonight, the little girl had brought him too many surprises. her archery skills, clean technique, calm and wise mind, and invincible courage¡­ she had all the outstanding qualities of a general. this was the real tiger girl. if she was a man¡­ thinking of this, the old marquis felt a little regretful. at the same time, his heart ached for the little girl. talent was innate, but no matter how good iron was, it had to be tempered thousands of times to become steel. she¡­ had suffered a lot. in the most hidden courtyard in the peach forest, mo guiyuan had just drunk the last cup of peach wine. the wine glass was still there, but he had slipped away. zhang feng asked, ¡°sect master, is it fine to let him go just like that? will he rush to inform young sect master?¡± mo guiyuan smiled faintly and said, ¡°it¡¯s fine if he goes. even if he joins, they still can¡¯t defeat slave xiu.¡± wei ting and yuchi xiu were still young, and their martial arts attainment was inferior to slave xiu¡¯s. it was hard to say in a few years, especially when it came to wei ting. his talent was higher than that of the death warriors, and the level of his martial arts might be above slave xiu¡¯s in the future. however, he was not slave xiu¡¯s match at present. ¡°the marquis of zhenbei is also here,¡± zhang feng said. mo guiyuan said unrestrainedly, ¡°medicine master has already targeted the marquis of zhenbei. he won¡¯t let the marquis of zhenbei have the chance to get close to slave xiu.¡± in fact, the first person medicine master targeted was wei ting. however, wei ting was mo guiyuan¡¯s grandson. before mo guiyuan completely gave up on this grandson, he could not touch him. zhang feng said with relief, ¡°the medicine master is also there. that¡¯s foolproof.¡± mo guiyuan said firmly, ¡°everything¡­ is under my control.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, a disciple rushed over with a hurried expression and cupped his hands at mo guiyuan. ¡°sect master! something happened!¡± mo guiyuan held his wine glass and said slowly, ¡°did slave xiu injure someone? go and tell slave xiu that he can teach him a lesson, but don¡¯t kill him.¡± the extent of this lesson was actually a little intriguing. a beating was a lesson, a crippled arm was a lesson, and even partial crippling of a limb could be labelled a lesson. the disciple said in a panic, ¡°no, not slave xiu¡­¡± mo guiyuan smiled casually and said, ¡°then the medicine master captured the marquis of zhenbei? if the imperial court comes to ask for him, i have my own ideas.¡± the disciple lowered his head and said, ¡°it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not marquis zhenbei¡­ it¡¯s medicine master! something happened to medicine master! he was killed!¡± crack! the wine glass in mo guiyuan¡¯s hand was crushed. zhang feng took a step forward and asked, ¡°did you make a mistake? how could the medicine master be killed?¡± he was the ancestor of poison and the second strongest expert other than slave xiu. who could kill him? marquis zhenbei? impossible! it was even more impossible for yuchi xiu! the disciple said in fear, ¡°i don¡¯t dare to lie¡­¡± mo guiyuan and zhang feng saw the corpse of the medicine master of the western jin dynasty in the forest. he lay in a pool of blood, less than thirty feet from his courtyard. his right hand was shot through and he died instantly from a stab in his heart. there were not many traces of a fight at the event location. even slave xiu could not kill him without fighting. then there was only one possibility¡ªhe had been drugged. but who could drug an apothecary?! ¡°there are experts with my grandson that i don¡¯t know about¡­¡± zhang feng came out of the courtyard and cupped his hands. ¡°sect master, the medicine master¡¯s courtyard has also been ransacked.¡± mo guiyuan¡¯s expression darkened completely. stealing his treasury, killing his apothecary, and plundering his poison¡­ good. his grandson¡­ was very good! mo guiyuan gritted his teeth and said coldly, ¡°tell slave xiu that there¡¯s no need to show mercy!¡± slave xiu and wei ting fought fiercely from the forest. the sacrificial soldiers paid the price of losing their lives. they did not know pain and were fearless. the more they fought, the braver they became until the last drop of blood flowed out. normal people could not do this. their stamina would be exhausted. it was already a miracle that wei ting had lasted until now. however, unfortunately, he had stepped into a trap. his right foot was firmly stuck. slave xiu stabbed at his chest. wei ting tilted his waist to avoid it. the pouch was cut, and a rusty iron bell fell out. slave xiu looked at the iron bell and suddenly paused.. Chapter 568 - Chapter 568: Father and Brother chapter 568: father and brother translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios under the tree, the old marquis said to yuchi xiu, ¡°since daya is fine, go find wei ting.¡± when wei ting fought with slave xiu, at first, he could still hear the commotion of the two of them fighting. later on, the two of them fought further and further away, so he could not hear anything. wei ting had not returned for a long time and it was still a little worrying. yuchi xiu looked at the big black bear which secretly kicked the poison bag from time to time and felt that with it guarding the place, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°i¡¯ll go with you,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°you stay!¡± yuchi xiu refused without thinking. su xiaoxiao raised the spirit-breaking crossbow she had plundered from the medicine master of the western jin dynasty. ¡°never underestimate the strength of a medicine master.¡± yuchi xiu was speechless. when the two of them followed the traces of the battle to the foot of the hill, the battle had already ended. wei ting sat in an empty space with a lazy posture and an indifferent expression. it was impossible to tell that his feet were stuck. beside him lay an unconscious gray-robed man. his face was covered by a bamboo hat. ¡°my lord!¡± yuchi xiu quickly walked forward and looked at wei ting, then at the man whose face was covered. he asked, ¡°who is he?¡± ¡°slave xiu,¡± wei ting said calmly. ¡°ah¡­¡± yuchi xiu was dumbfounded. ¡°you¡­ killed slave xiu?¡± ¡°he¡¯s not dead.¡± after wei ting finished speaking, he frowned and glanced at someone. ¡°what¡¯s with your expression? could it be that i can¡¯t kill him?¡± yuchi xiu muttered softly, ¡°don¡¯t you imow if you can kill him or not?¡± wei ting looked at him indifferently. ¡°are you tired of living again?¡± yuchi xiu stuck out his tongue and didn¡¯t continue. wait. what did he just do? yuchi xiu covered his mouth. it was all the fault of the old and disrespectful marquis of zhenbei for leading him astray! su xiaoxiao walked over and tilted her head to look at him. ¡°is your foot stuck?¡± the grass covered it. if one didn¡¯t look carefully, one wouldn¡¯t be able to tell. wei ting replied coldly, ¡°yes.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at him speechlessly. there was no one else who would still have the aura of the number one in the world after being trapped. it was similar to a trap. the difference was that the sharp teeth on it were not sharp and did not immediately stab into wei ting¡¯s flesh, but don¡¯t think that this was not dangerous. there was a mechanism underground, which was where wei ting was sitting. as long as he got up, the mechanism would activate, allowing the trap to quickly close and cut off his entire foot. su xiaoxiao put on her silver gloves. ¡°ordinary people can¡¯t step on this mechanism, right? what luck do you have?¡± wei ting stepped on it twice. the first time he hit the trap, and the second time, he activated the mechanism of the trap. in short, he was indeed unlucky. su xiaoxiao used a dagger to pry open the trap and extracted wei ting¡¯s numb foot. she asked yuchi xiu to find a stone to put in the trap. she wanted to test the power of this mechanism. when yuchi xiu helped wei ting up, there was a crisp crack as the entire stone was cut into pieces. if this was a human foot¡­ yuchi xiu clicked his tongue. ¡°lord, your grandfather is ruthless.¡± wei ting did not ask why su xiaoxiao was there. it would be strange if this girl stayed obediently in the imperial astronomy center. seeing that she was fine, he asked, ¡°did you meet marquis su?¡± yuchi xiu said, ¡°i bumped into him. he¡¯s in the forest over there. we¡¯ll look for him later. speaking of which, what¡¯s with slave xiu? why is he wearing a bamboo hat?¡± with that, he squatted down and took off the bamboo hat on slave xiu¡¯s face. ¡°so he looks like this. eh? he¡¯s not injured. why did he faint?¡± as yuchi xiu spoke, he took out a match and sized up slave xiu carefully again with the help of the fire. he realized that slave xiu¡¯s forehead was green. he looked at wei ting again. a large bruise had also appeared on wei ting¡¯s forehead. his expression became indescribable. ¡°no way, my lord. you couldn¡¯t beat him, so you played dirty and hit his head?¡± what kind of childish fighting style was this? wei ting said without changing his expression, ¡°i didn¡¯t.¡± this was it. did yuchi xiu not understand him? ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. wei ting paused and told her what had happened. su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°you mean that when he saw your iron bell, he was distracted and you took the opportunity to pounce on him and knock him out with your head?¡± the peerless lord wei actually used his head to hammer someone. that scene was unimaginable. slave xiu never expected to encounter such a shameless opponent. wei ting said seriously, ¡°this is called the iron head technique. it¡¯s a shaolin martial art.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. and so was yuchi xiu. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°when he fought with you in the forest, he said that he felt that you were familiar. then, when he saw your iron bell, he immediately fell into a daze. he seems to know you. could he be one of your brothers? or¡­ father?¡± wei ting said, ¡°no, my father and brothers don¡¯t look like this.¡± he had also suspected this possibility, so he did not hesitate to headbutt slave xiu. he actually only wanted to knock off his bamboo hat, but he seemed to have¡­ used a little too much strength. su xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°he might have changed his appearance.¡± wei ting: ¡°huh?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°oh, that¡¯s right. he changed his appearance.¡± wei ting said according to his understanding, ¡°he didn¡¯t wear a human skin mask or disguise. su xiaoxiao walked over and tugged at slave xiu¡¯s hair. slave xiu woke up with a slurping sound. he opened his eyes and sat up. he grabbed the sword beside him, but missed. not only that, but his head spun and he almost fell down again. su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°wei ting hit your head quite hard.¡± slave xiu looked over. su xiaoxiao was holding a baby bear in her arms and feeding it with a milk bottle. the big black bear had just fought with the old marquis. now, the man and the bear sat obediently at the entrance of the cave to reflect. wei ting and yuchi xiu went to gather firewood and water, but they were not in the cave. ¡°the sword is here.¡± su xiaoxiao gestured to her side. slave xiu looked at his sword and did not go forward to take it. su xiaoxiao held the milk bottle and fed little bear while looking at slave xiu. ¡°you¡¯re very weak. was it wei ting who hit you, or was it the backlash of your¡­ cultivation?¡± slave xiu said nothing. su xiaoxiao could more or less guess from his expression. wei ting had given him a headache, but being so weak was the price to pay for the power of a death warrior. after every battle, they fell into extreme weakness. the extent of their weakness was related to the strength of the battle. to put it bluntly, the more strength they used, the weaker they would be afterward. during this period, even an ordinary person might be able to kill them. otherwise, it would be too heaven-defying. slave xiu felt that something was wrong with his body. he pulled open his sleeves and clothes to take a look and realized that all the injuries on his body had been treated. he was not injured when he fought wei ting. they were all old injuries from before. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°you¡­ don¡¯t feel any pain when you fight.. after your body enters a weak period, the pain will double, right?¡± Chapter 569 - Chapter 569: Sect Master Appears chapter 569: sect master appears translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the rules of the world were fair. the stronger they were, the higher the price they had to pay. slave xiu still said nothing. she was wrong. it wasn¡¯t doubled. it was several times, ten times. su xiaoxiao let the little bear cub drink from the milk bottle while she took out wei ting¡¯s iron bell. ¡°have you seen this iron bell somewhere?¡± su xiaoxiao had just done a genetic test on him and wei ting, and the results showed that he was not related to wei ting. however, his reaction to the iron bell was so big that su xiaoxiao felt that he should have seen the exact same iron bell before. he might even have an unforgettable interaction with the owner of the iron bell. that person would not be wei ting or wei liulang. wei liulang clearlv did not know slave xiu. slave xiu still remained silent. the little bear cub seemed to be a little dissatisfied with su xiaoxiao feeding it and looking at others. it raised one of its feet against the milk bottle and freed a chubby little bear claw to pull at su xiaoxiao. it seemed to be saying, ¡°look at the baby.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and pinched its little bear claws. so soft. slave xiu walked over, bent down, picked up the sword on the ground, and left the cave without looking back. the man and bear who had fought at the entrance of the cave did not move. in their timeout, they were not allowed to move. su xiaoxiao came out with the baby and bumped into wei ting, who was carrying a water bag. wei ting looked at slave xiu¡¯s gradually departing figure with a complicated expression. ¡°are you really not going to stop him?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°he¡¯s very weak now. it¡¯s very easy to stop him.¡± ¡°no need,¡± wei ting said. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°oh.¡± after dawn, su xiaoxiao bade farewell to the big black bear and its cub and returned to the temporary courtyard with wei ting and the old marquis. yuchi xiu continued to hide in the dark. as for why they did not take the opportunity to assassinate mo guiyuan after slave xiu left his side, it was not that they did not go. yuchi xiu secretly went to the courtyard where he met mo guiyuan, but it was already empty. mo guiyuan, this sly old fox, must have realized that the medicine master of the western jin had been killed. he realized that the situation was not good and hurriedly switched to another place to settle down. the peach forest was so big. it was hard to say if they would find mo guiyuan first or fall into the trap in the forest. especially since a certain someone was so unlucky. ¡°don¡¯t worry, he will take the initiative to visit,¡± wei ting said. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°how did you know?¡± wei ting said, ¡°i know him. he lost his chips one after another. i¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t sit still anymore.¡± the three of them entered the courtyard and the first person they saw was jing yi. jing yi had long discovered that wei ting and the old marquis had gone out at night. he was not surprised to see them return. until¡­ he saw su xiaoxiao. the young man¡¯s cold eyes instantly lit up. ¡°you¡¯re here?¡± he walked forward and took the initiative to take the bag from wei ting and the old marquis. he did not need to ask to know that these things were hers. wei ting frowned. he had found this kid to be more and more unpleasant recently. su xiaoxiao entered wei ting¡¯s room. jing yi poked her shoulder and deliberately said, ¡°he¡¯s a guard. men and women shouldn¡¯t be so close.¡± the corners of wei ting¡¯s mouth twitched. how could jing yi not tell who he was? su xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°it¡¯s fine. i¡¯ll have an affair.¡± wei ting was speechless. was it okay for him to cheat with su xiaoxiao on himself? after the two of them entered the room, jing yi stood at the door with deep hatred. xiao zhonghua slowly walked over and stabbed back. ¡°she¡¯s not yours either.¡± jing yi was silent. jing yi didn¡¯t have romantic feelings for su xiaoxiao, but it was precisely because of this that he grabbed the horse even more. after all, there would not be many competitors if she only had one husband. su xiaoxiao had a total of six brothers. jing yi squatted on the ground and picked at the wall. on the other side, slave xiu entered an underground passage. a disciple came forward. ¡°lord slave xiu, the sect master is waiting for you.¡± this was what made mo guiyuan so powerful. unless he was willing, even slave xiu did not know where he would hide. the disciple brought slave xiu to an underground secret room. mo guiyuan had not slept the entire night, and his brows were covered in fatigue and gloom. ¡°you¡¯re back.¡± he looked at slave xiu and said. slave xiu nodded slightly. ¡°the few of you, retreat,¡± mo guiyuan said. the disciples retreated, leaving zhang feng beside him. mo guiyuan looked at his pale face. ¡°why were you gone for so long? i almost thought something had happened to you.¡± mo guiyuan knew that sacrificial soldiers had weak periods. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have invited a medicine master from the western jin to the white lotus society to protect slave xiu after he fought with someone. of course, with slave xiu¡¯s current martial arts attainment, there were very few people who could make him seriously injured. those harmless fighting and killing would not let him enter a weak period. mo guiyuan said, ¡°looks like my grandson is very difficult to deal with.¡± slave xiu said nothing. mo guiyuan said, ¡°go treat your injuries.¡± slave xiu turned around and left. mo guiyuan said again, ¡°the medicine master is dead.¡± slave xiu paused and walked out. after returning to his hut, he lay on the hard bed as a terrifying figure flashed across his mind. there was a rusty iron bell hanging from the man¡¯s waist. it would no longer make any sound. it was old and tattered and ugly. there was once a sacrificial soldier who wanted to pull it, but his hand was cut off by that person. ever since then, all the sacrificial soldiers knew that that small broken iron bell was that person¡¯s taboo. as wei ting had expected, mo guiyuan appeared. that night, mo guiyuan personally came to negotiate with the imperial court for the third time. slave xiu was also there. he was no longer weak at dawn. he had already recovered to his peak state. mo guiyuan sat down at the other master seat beside xiao zhonghua, followed by the first elder and the others. the old marquis and leng tiannan sat down opposite them. wei ting stood behind the old marquis as a guard. su xiaoxiao was catching up on sleep in the room. mo guiyuan did not seem to recognize wei ting. he calmly cupped his hands at xiao zhonghua. ¡°your highness.¡± xiao zhonghua smiled. ¡°it¡¯s really not easy to meet the sect master.¡± mo guiyuan said dignifiedly, ¡°there are many common affairs in the sect. it¡¯s my fault for neglecting the third prince.¡± xiao zhonghua said calmly, ¡°so sect master¡¯s surname is mo?¡± the sect master of the white lotus society was too mysterious, and everyone addressed him as sect master. even leader chen did not know his background and identity. mo guiyuan smiled and said, ¡°i have something to say to the third prince alone. i wonder if it¡¯s convenient?¡± xiao zhonghua looked at the old marquis and the others and nodded slightly. the old marquis and the others strode out. the great elder and the others also retreated to the courtyard. only jing yi and slave xiu were left in the room. xiao zhonghua said bluntly, ¡°i¡¯ve already explained the sincerity of the imperial court to the elders yesterday. i wonder if sect master mo has thought it through?¡± mo guiyuan smiled. ¡°your highness, why don¡¯t we make a new deal? my white lotus society is still regarded as the orthodoxy, and the emperor of great zhou will still acknowledge me as the state preceptor.. however, why don¡¯t we change the candidate for the emperor?¡± Chapter 570 - Chapter 570: Attack chapter 570: attack translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios xiao zhonghua said coldly, ¡°do you want me to rebel?¡± mo guiyuan smiled and said, ¡°doesn¡¯t your highness want to sit on the throne? or does your highness think that as long as you work hard enough, you can successfully ascend the throne? i don¡¯t have to remind your highness how biased your father is, right?¡± xiao zhonghua¡¯s eyes flickered as he calmly asked, ¡°your vault is gone, and the medicine master is dead. what bargaining chip do you have to help me ascend the throne?¡± mo guiyuan was not embarrassed at all. he smiled wantonly and gestured at slave xiu. slave xiu opened the bag he carried with him and took out a brocade box. mo guiyuan smiled meaningfully and said, ¡°your highness, please take a look.¡± jing yi opened the brocade box. when xiao zhonghua saw what was in the box, his expression instantly changed. it was a bright yellow imperial edict! xiao zhonghua planned to pick up the imperial edict to see what was written on it, but slave xiu moved his hand and grabbed the box. jing yi frowned and pulled out his sword. ¡°jing yi.¡± xiao zhonghua stopped him and stared at mo guiyuan with a burning gaze. ¡°sect master mo, what do you mean by this?¡± ¡°of course, it¡¯s my sincerity,¡± mo guiyuan said with a faint smile. ¡°before the late emperor passed away, he left an imperial edict and established a new king, and that new king is not the father of the third prince.¡± xiao zhonghua¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°do you think i¡¯ll believe you?¡± mo guiyuan looked up and smiled. ¡°your highness, you can take a gamble. once i make this imperial edict public, your highness should understand the consequences, right?¡± xiao zhonghua¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°are you threatening me?¡± mo guiyuan smiled and said, ¡°i¡¯m negotiating sincerely with the third prince so the third prince can consider the pros and cons.¡± xiao zhonghua mocked, ¡°you make threats and promises sound so dignified. sect master mo is indeed someone who can preach with his mouth. you don¡¯t even dare to show me the contents of the imperial edict. how can i believe you?¡± mo guiyuan said seriously, ¡°i can guarantee you that the contents of the imperial edict are true.¡± xiao zhonghua said word by word, ¡°i don¡¯t believe you.¡± mo guiyuan¡¯s smile faded. ¡°it seems that the third prince doesn¡¯t want to negotiate.¡± xiao zhonghua said neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°the peace talks between the imperial court and the white lotus society are not at the mercy of the white lotus society. i will report everything you say to me today to my father truthfully.¡± mo guiyuan looked at xiao zhonghua deeply. ¡°your highness, you¡¯re narrowing your path. your brother is still in my hands. aren¡¯t you afraid that you won¡¯t be able to absolve yourself of the blame if anything happens to him?¡± xiao zhonghua said calmly, ¡°sect master mo, why didn¡¯t you ask where general leng went?¡± mo guiyuan paused. xiao zhonghua returned a meaningful look. ¡°sect master mo, are you trying to say that the people of the imperial court can¡¯t find the place where you imprisoned the hostages? actually, sect master mo can also take a gamble. once my brother is saved, the imperial court will never negotiate with the white lotus society again. i advise sect master mo to draw up a contract with the imperial court as soon as possible before my brother arrives at the palace so that he can save his life.¡± ¡°they¡¯re fighting! they¡¯re fighting! they¡¯re fighting!¡± the cries of the five tigers came from outside the house. mo guiyuan strode out. in the courtyard, the old marquis and the first elder fought. ¡°that¡¯s my parrot!¡± the great elder said coldly. ¡°nonsense!¡± the old marquis said bluntly. the great elder gritted his teeth and was about to use his qinggong to catch the wuhu when the old marquis grabbed his ankle and pulled him down ruthlessly. the two of them fought fiercely over a parrot. mo guiyuan shouted, ¡°stop!¡± the great elder stopped unwillingly. the old marquis punched him! the great elder staggered a few times and looked at him in disbelief. the old marquis said righteously, ¡°the third prince didn¡¯t ask me to stop.¡± he was not from the white lotus society, so he did not have to listen to mo guiyuan. the great elder was furious and pounced over to fight him again. mo guiyuan glanced around. the leng family was indeed gone. he called a disciple over. ¡°where¡¯s general leng?¡± the disciple said, ¡°they said that the jade pendant fell. they brought people out to look for it. they¡¯ll be back soon.¡± in the past, mo guiyuan would definitely not believe that leng tiannan could find the hostage he was holding. however, things had gone beyond his control again and again. he did not show it on his face, but he was actually a little flustered. he turned around and looked coldly at xiao zhonghua. xiao zhonghua sat in his seat and slowly picked up his teacup, smiling at him determinedly. killing intent flashed across mo guiyuan¡¯s eyes. xiao zhonghua said steadily, ¡°sect master mo, do you want to capture me? i¡¯m an envoy sent by the imperial court to negotiate. if you dare to touch me, you¡¯re openly going against the imperial court. our imperial court would have a good reason for sending troops. in a few days, we can break through the peach forest of the white lotus society!¡± this was different from the nature of the white lotus society¡¯s capture of xiao duye. xiao duye had barged in himself and entered someone¡¯s house to start a massacre. who else could he arrest but him? xiao zhonghua was gambling that mo guiyuan still had a trump card that had not been revealed. mo guiyuan would not fall out at this moment. mo guiyuan left coldly. he had won the bet. only he and jing yi were left in the room. his back was covered in cold sweat as he negotiated with mo guiyuan. he seemed calm, but in fact, every step he took was on the tip of a knife. ¡°jing yi, can you defeat that person just now?¡± ¡°i can¡¯t beat him,¡± jing yi said honestly. ¡°if we can¡¯t do it openly, we¡¯ll do it in the dark,¡± xiao zhonghua said. ¡°steal the imperial edict back.¡± jing yi asked strangely, ¡°didn¡¯t cousin say that the imperial edict was fake?¡± xiao zhonghua sighed. ¡°the imperial edict in the box is fake, but i¡¯m afraid¡­ mo guiyuan does have a real imperial edict.¡± if mo guiyuan flew into a rage out of humiliation and killed him, it would mean that mo guiyuan was at his wits¡¯ end. however, mo guiyuan left just like that, which meant that he still had a true trump card¡ªthe previous emperor¡¯s imperial edict. jing yi asked, ¡°if the previous emperor didn¡¯t appoint his majesty as the emperor, who did he appoint?¡± xiao zhonghua narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°king nanyang.¡± after mo guiyuan left the courtyard, he instructed the first elder, ¡°move the hostages.¡± the great elder asked in confusion, ¡°sect master, why did you suddenly move the hostages? could it be that¡­ we¡¯ve been discovered? that shouldn¡¯t be¡­¡± mo guiyuan did not explain. ¡°anyway, let¡¯s move them first.¡± ¡°yes,¡± the first elder agreed and immediately brought people to the secret room where xiao duye and leng rui were imprisoned. leng tiannan, who was hiding in the dark, walked out and said to leng zhiruo and the two deputy generals, ¡°follow!¡± on the other side, the old marquis and wei ting were also preparing to set off. the old marquis looked at wei ting, who was ready to leave, and asked with a complicated expression, ¡°are you sure you want to do this? after all, he¡¯s you¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯ve been waiting for this day for a long time. i still can¡¯t forget that my grandfather¡¯s head and corpse were hung on the city tower. i took them off and stitched them up one by one. the corpse was frozen into ice and broke many needles, but i can¡¯t wait for them to melt completely, because it will immediately rot and can¡¯t be stitched up again.¡± he told all of this calmly. the young man in the past knelt in the snow with the frozen corpse and head. he had already cried till his tears were dry for the rest of his life. ¡°i¡¯ve fought slave xiu. slave xiu seems to have recovered, but he¡¯s actually still a little short. if you want to kill mo guiyuan, now is the best time!¡± the old marquis said seriously, ¡°alright! i¡¯ll take mo guiyuan¡¯s life tonight!¡± Chapter 571 - Chapter 571: The Super Fierce Liuhu chapter 571: the super fierce liuhu translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when su xiaoxiao woke up, the courtyard was almost empty, leaving only yuchi xiu and a few guards. wuhu had been through a lot these past few days. he lay beside su xiaoxiao¡¯s pillow and slept soundly. su xiaoxiao moved. wuhu was small. the tremble on the pillow was no less than an earthquake. it was woken up on the spot and widened its bird eyes in fear! ¡°are you awake?¡± yuchi xiu asked at the door. ¡°yes.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded and lifted the blanket. ¡°come in.¡± yuchi xiu pushed the door open and entered. su xiaoxiao looked at the pitch-black sky and hummed. ¡°it¡¯s already dark. what time is it?¡± yuchi xiu said lazily, ¡°it¡¯s almost midnight.¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°i¡¯ve slept for so long. where are wei ting and my uncle?¡± ¡°he went to kill mo guiyuan.¡± before su xiaoxiao could ask further, he told her everyone¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°the leng family went to save xiao duye and leng rui. jing yi and xiao zhonghua went to steal something.¡± su xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°steal what?¡± wuhu said, ¡°an imperial edict! an imperial edict! an imperial edict!¡± wuhu was the only one who listened. slave xiu¡¯s martial arts were too high for ordinary people to approach, but he would not guard against a bird that had landed on the roof. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°whose imperial edict?¡± wuhu said, ¡°the late emperor¡¯s! the late emperor¡¯s! the late emperor¡¯s!¡± su xiaoxiao continued to ask, ¡°what imperial edict is it?¡± this question was a little out of the ordinary. the parrot was stunned. it lowered its head in self isolation and its wings fell listlessly. however, it was not difficult to guess. what could make xiao zhonghua steal it must be an imperial edict that could not be announced to the public. the late emperor and xiao zhonghua were grandfather and grandson. when the late emperor was in power, xiao zhonghua was still a child. the late emperor would not go against a child. it was emperor jing xuan. that imperial edict was disadvantageous to emperor jing xuan. while su xiaoxiao was deep in thought, yuchi xiu raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°i don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not. perhaps xiao zhonghua fell into the old man¡¯s trap. mo guiyuan is cunning.¡± su xiaoxiao fed wuhu a bird food. the worker bird liked to eat bird food and was happy again! ¡°alright, let¡¯s go,¡± su xiaoxiao said. yuchi xiu asked, ¡°where are you going?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°look for wei ting.¡± tonight, there was destined to be a fierce battle with mo guiyuan. the many years of grudges had to come to an end. between wei ting and mo guiyuan, only one could survive. there was no third situation. at the edge of a miasma forest, wei ting caught up to mo guiyuan. slave xiu stopped wei ting. zhang feng and many disciples escorted mo guiyuan into the miasma forest and escaped through the secret passage under the mechanism. the old marquis came prepared this time. he put on the gas mask given by su xiaoxiao and followed them into the miasma forest. wei ting looked at slave xiu. ¡°although you¡¯re mo guiyuan¡¯s person, i don¡¯t want to fight you until i figure out what relationship you have with me.¡± slave xiu was wearing a bamboo hat that covered most of his face and the emotions in his eyes. ¡°make your move,¡± he said. the big black bear happened to pass by with the little bear in his arms. the big black bear smelled slave xiu¡¯s aura. this person was very dangerous. the big black bear wouldn¡¯t fight him. unexpectedly, the little bear rolled over. it was really rolling. it was only half a year old and its body¡¯s coordination was not very good. as it ran, it started rolling. it rolled all the way to slave xiu¡¯s feet and was dizzy for a long time. it stretched out its chubby little bear claw and patted slave xiu¡¯s lower hem. ¡°ang!¡± it did not forget to shout fiercely at slave xiu. then, it began to tremble on the spot. it was so afraid! woah! the big black bear wanted to slap the little brat to death. ¡°stop! stop! a truce!¡± su xiaoxiao rushed out from the other side and carefully came in front of slave xiu. she picked up the little bear on the ground and dodged to the side. as soon as it was in su xiaoxiao¡¯s arms, the cowardly bear cub immediately bared its fangs and brandished its claws. ¡°roar! roar! roar!¡± the baby was super fierce! after su xiaoxiao dodged to the side, she gestured fair and square. ¡°continue.¡± when slave xiu and wei ting fought, yuchi xiu also joined in the fight. their moves were too fast, and their movements were like afterimages. su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t sneak attack with her bow and arrow even if she wanted to. su xiaoxiao hugged the little bear and shook her head. ¡°sigh, it¡¯s not good for men to be too fast.¡± wei ting staggered! a large group of white lotus society shadow guards rushed up and surrounded su xiaoxiao. the big black bear held one in each hand. the shadow guards were considered experts, but in front of the great poisonous creature that had been modified by the apothecary, they were helpless. at this moment, su xiaoxiao suddenly saw a familiar figure not far away. ¡°leng zhiruo?¡± there was also leng tiannan and the two deputy generals of the leng family. ¡°blackie, let¡¯s go!¡± su xiaoxiao said to the big black bear. the big black bear defeated the last few shadow guards with two claws and turned to follow su xiaoxiao. leng tiannan had followed the first elder and the others here. the first elder had already moved the hostages and locked them in a cave in front. leng tiannan and the others quietly lay in the dark. after the first elder left, leng tiannan gestured to them. the few of them immediately took off the bows on their backs. when lord wu an was still alive, leng tiannan was the general of the wei family¡¯s divine bow camp. his archery skills were taught by lord wu an alone. later on, he took over the divine bow camp, and the experts he brought out were all extraordinary. this was the first time su xiaoxiao had seen the archery skills of the divine bow unit. it was not an exaggeration to say that one could shoot through a poplar at a hundred steps. the six shadow guards were shot in the heart. ¡°there¡¯s only 15 minutes. 15 minutes later, the patrolling disciples will come.¡± after leng tiannan finished instructing, he rushed into the cave with leng zhiruo and the deputy general. they found xiao duye and leng rui, who were tied up. xiao duye had been drugged and had fainted. leng rui was awake. he was too lousy. the white lotus society could not be bothered to waste medicine on him. the two deputy generals carried one each. until here, the progress was quite smooth. however, just as they were about to, one of the deputy generals accidentally stepped on the switch on the ground. countless holes suddenly appeared on the bare stone wall, and countless poisonous darts shot out from every small hole. ¡°be careful!¡± leng tiannan swung his sword to block the poisonous dart. leng zhiruo flipped around and stabbed a hole in the wall like a swimming dragon. the mechanism stopped and the crisis was averted. everyone heaved a sigh of relief. su xiaoxiao evaluated quietly, ¡°good skills.¡± however, the mechanisms were consecutive. when they touched one, the others were not far away. a huge rock rolled out of the depths of the cave and slammed into them. they were in the narrowest part of the cave. there was no way to hide on both sides. they would either get out or be crushed into meat paste. leng tiannan shouted, ¡°leave quickly!¡± the few of them ran towards the entrance of the cave. however, just as he was about to leave the cave, the deputy general carrying leng rui fell. the big stone ball rumbled towards leng rui.. Chapter 572 - Chapter 572: Xiaoxiao’s Kill! chapter 572: xiaoxiao¡¯s kill! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios with such a huge rock, not to mention a person, even a big bear would be crushed into meat paste. it was too late for leng tiannan to go over. he could only roar in suppressed pain. ¡°rui¡¯er¡ª¡± just as the big rock was about to roll up, an iron rod flew over and stabbed into the ground with the power of the wind! the big stone ball was blocked shakily and was only half a step away from leng rui and the others. leng tiannan felt as if he had died once. his heart skipped a beat! he looked at the wooden stick that had saved leng rui in disbelief and realized that there was a chain on the other end of the wooden stick. he turned along the chain and saw the girl sitting on the rock. the girl held the chain in one hand and a little bear in the other with a satisfied expression. leng tiannan subconsciously wanted to walk over, but a big black bear suddenly jumped out from behind the girl. leng tiannan had seen this black bear before. it was a poisonous creature of the white lotus society and was very powerful. strange, why was this girl with the poisonous creature of the white lotus society? where was the cage on the poisonous creature¡¯s head? where was the chain around its neck? countless doubts flashed across his mind as a bold guess surged into his mind. leng tiannan asked warily, ¡°are you from the white lotus society?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°why? do you think everyone in the world is a thief because you¡¯re guilty?¡± leng tiannan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°what nonsense are you talking about? you¡¯re the one who¡¯s suspicious. if you¡¯re not from the white lotus society, why are you with the poisonous creature of the white lotus society?¡± su xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t be led by the nose. ¡°if you want to continue talking nonsense with me, i won¡¯t care when the people from the white lotus society rush over. it¡¯s not a big deal if i escape. you still have a son to save.¡± leng tiannan¡¯s expression darkened again. the previous time, he had fought with this girl and let her cheat him of many valuable things. at that time, he knew that this girl who grew up in the countryside was not as simple as she looked. seeing it today, he was even more certain of his guess. he glanced at leng zhiruo. su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°why are you looking at her? don¡¯t think that just because she¡¯s in the same class as me, i¡¯ll let your son off for her sake. at the end of the day, i¡¯m not very familiar with her.¡± leng zhiruo remained silent. leng tiannan retracted his gaze and continued to look at su xiaoxiao. ¡°how much silver do you want?¡± ¡°everything,¡± su xiaoxiao said. leng tiannan said coldly, ¡°as the daughter of the protector duke, aren¡¯t you afraid of embarrassing the protector duke?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°what¡¯s there to be embarrassed about if i earn money with my ability? or does general leng think your lives aren¡¯t worth this bit of money?¡± leng tiannan clenched his fists. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°hurry up. this iron rod won¡¯t last long.¡± this weapon was plundered from the courtyard of the medicine master of the western jin dynasty. it was quite useful. leng tiannan looked at the swaying iron rod and handed over the banknotes on him unwillingly. he did not bring much this time. the deputy generals did not have much value. on the other hand, leng zhiruo quietly brought an ancestral jade pendant with her. ¡°stop hiding! i want that jade pendant! i want it! throw it over!¡± su xiaoxiao made another killing. ¡°can you let him go now?¡± leng tiannan said. ¡°sure, but you have to answer me a question first.¡± ¡°don¡¯t push your luck!¡± su xiaoxiao tugged at the chain in her hand. leng tiannan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°stop! ¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i want to know the truth four years ago. are you related to the death of the wei family? don¡¯t be in a hurry to deny it. think about your son¡¯s life.¡± leng tiannan clenched his fists. su xiaoxiao looked straight at him, her sharp gaze impossible to avoid. ¡°you were the one who revealed the whereabouts of wei xu and his sons to northern yan, right?¡± leng tiannan clenched his fists. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°looks like it. why did you harm the wei family?¡± leng tiannan said, ¡°i didn¡¯t want to harm them! i¡­¡± su xiaoxiao looked at him and said, ¡°what is it? you fell into northern yan¡¯s trap and accidentally revealed their whereabouts. then why didn¡¯t you send troops to reinforce them? let me tell you. it¡¯s because the wei family didn¡¯t tell you about their actions. you eavesdropped. then, you revealed it to northern yan by a freak combination of factors. if you had sent troops to reinforce them, it will expose the fact that you eavesdropped. therefore, you pretended not to know and used northern yan to kill wei xu. it¡¯s best if you also killed a few of his sons. there¡¯s only one young top scholar, wei ting. you didn¡¯t think he can be considered a big shot. this way, you can inherit the wei family¡¯s army openly.¡± leng tiannan gritted his teeth. ¡°i thought they could escape danger! you haven¡¯t seen wei xu before. you don¡¯t know how powerful he is! he can completely break out of the northern yan army with his sons! i don¡¯t understand how they died! i admit that i had selfish motives, but i definitely don¡¯t want to kill them. i just¡­ i just want wei xu to be slightly injured. then, i can take over the military power and attack northern yan. i want to make a contribution, but as long as wei xu can still go to the battlefield, i won¡¯t have a chance to lead the army! is there anything wrong with my actions? how am i inferior to wei xu?! just because i¡¯m not as rich as him, i have to be suppressed by him all the time! have you asked me if i¡¯m willing?!¡± since the truth had been exposed, there was nothing to hide. leng tiannan straightened his back. ¡°i¡¯ve said everything i need to say. if you want to report me to his majesty, go ahead! can you let my son go now?¡± su xiaoxiao threw the chain to leng tiannan. killing intent flashed across leng tiannan¡¯s eyes. when he saved his son, he would¡­ he went forward and pulled leng rui out. he suddenly sensed that something was wrong. he turned around abruptly. su xiaoxiao had unsheathed her bow. she smiled and fired an arrow at the iron rod! the iron rod fell, and the huge rock suddenly rolled down toward leng tiannan and leng rui¡­ on the other side, mo guiyuan entered the underground secret room. from time to time, fighting sounded from the ground. it was the experts of the imperial court fighting the shadow guards of the white lotus society. mo guiyuan could no longer say that everything was under his control. logically speaking, he had the medicine master of the western jin dynasty and slave xiu in his hands. unless the imperial court sent troops to surround him, no one could do anything to him. however, the medicine master of the western jin died just like that.. this was a heavy blow to him. he could tell that it was impossible for wei ting to submit to him. wei ting only had hatred in his heart and could not be used and roped in. in that case, there was no need for him to show mercy. footsteps came from outside the iron door. zhang feng glanced through the hole. ¡°it¡¯s slave xiu.¡± mo guiyuan said, ¡°let him in.¡± zhang feng pulled down the mechanism and opened the iron door. slave xiu stepped in. mo guiyuan asked, ¡°did you kill wei ting?¡± slave xiu said, ¡°no.¡± mo guiyuan said coldly, ¡°why didn¡¯t you kill him? don¡¯t tell me you missed again!¡± slave xiu paused. ¡°i can¡¯t kill him..¡± Chapter 573 - Chapter 573: Divine General Leaving the Mountain chapter 573: divine general leaving the mountain translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°why not?¡± mo guiyuan asked. the death of the western jin apothecary had already caught him off guard. he would not allow slave xiu to exceed his control. slave xiu said nothing. mo guiyuan stood up and walked towards him step by step. ¡°slave xiu, you¡¯re a death warrior. you have to obey your master¡¯s orders and not disobey. i¡¯ll ask you again, can you kill him?¡± slave xiu still did not reply. the sacrificial soldiers said little, but if their master asked, they would answer. slave xiu¡¯s attitude angered mo guiyuan. mo guiyuan¡¯s expression turned cold. he was an expert at deciding victory from thousands of miles away. he was rarely forced to be anxious, but now, he was on the verge of going berserk at any moment. mo guiyuan stopped in front of him and looked at him without blinking. ¡°slave xiu, you should understand. i¡¯m your master. your life is in my hands. i can kill you easily, but i don¡¯t want to do that. if you don¡¯t kill wei ting, you have to give me a reason.¡± there was another suffocating silence in response to mo guiyuan. mo guiyuan clenched his fists, and the veins on his forehead bulged. ¡°i¡¯ll give you one last chance. between you and wei ting, only one can only live!¡± slave xiu knelt on one knee. zhang feng was stunned. slave xiu was a sacrificial soldier. it was impossible for a sacrificial soldier to sacrifice himself to help others, unless it was his master. however, it was obvious that wei ting was not the master of slave xiu. mo guiyuan trembled with anger. ¡°why¡­ even you want to betray me¡­¡± a ferocious glint flashed across mo guiyuan¡¯s eyes as he slapped slave xiu¡¯s head¡­ when the old marquis followed mo guiyuan to the entrance of the cave, he bumped into wei ting, who was also tracking the slave xiu. ¡°wei ting!¡± ¡°marquis su.¡± ¡°how¡¯s it going on your side?¡± the old marquis asked. ¡°slave xiu left,¡± wei ting said. ¡°left?¡± the old marquis frowned. wei ting recalled, ¡°he doesn¡¯t seem to want to fight me.¡± ¡°this slave xiu¡¯s reaction is very strange¡­ could he know your sixth brother?¡± ¡°slave xiu is from the western jin. my sixth brother has never been to the western jin. if they knew each other, my sixth brother should have reminded me.¡± ¡°forget it, let¡¯s not think about him for now. let¡¯s go find mo guiyuan. that guy is very cunning. every time we¡¯re about to catch him, he escapes again!¡± this could not be blamed on the old marquis. as long as this was mo guiyuan¡¯s territory and there were secret passages and mechanisms set up by him everywhere, it was actually not easy for the old marquis to chase him here. the two of them entered the cave and quickly discovered a secret passage. when the two of them arrived at the secret room, mo guiyuan had already left. there was a person lying on the ground, a dying slave xiu. the old marquis was stunned and almost could not believe that this was slave xiu. he squatted down and checked slave xiu¡¯s pulse. ¡°his meridians are broken, and he has lost all his internal strength.¡± wei ting said, ¡°mo guiyuan did it.¡± the old marquis scolded, ¡°this old beast¡­ he can even bear to kill his own people¡­¡± slave xiu looked at wei ting weakly. his consciousness was already a little scattered, but there seemed to be some obsession supporting him, preventing him from taking his last breath. wei ting glanced at him and walked over to squat beside him. ¡°do you have something to tell me?¡± slave xiu¡¯s gaze landed on wei ting¡¯s waist. wei ting took off the iron bell and handed it to him. he had long lost his strength. his trembling hands could not hold the iron bell at all. wei ting thought for a moment, picked it up, and placed the iron bell in his palm. slave xiu¡¯s dry lips moved. wei ting leaned down and listened. slave xiu leaned into wei ting¡¯s arms and used the last of his strength to say a name in wei ting¡¯s ear. wei ting and the old marquis found mo guiyuan in front of a canyon. at this moment, mo guiyuan had long taken off his usual clothes and changed into shiny silver armor. the moment he saw this armor, wei ting¡¯s gaze instantly turned cold. this was lord wu an¡¯s armor. the red tassel spear in his hand was also lord wu an¡¯s weapon back then. the old marquis said coldly, ¡°this old beast still dares to wear someone¡¯s armor after killing him. isn¡¯t he afraid that the vengeful spirit of the lord wu an will come to him for his life?¡± from this, it could be seen that mo guiyuan was an out-and-out lunatic. mo guiyuan rode on the warhorse like a general who had returned from a victory, his eyebrows arrogant. the old marquis reminded wei ting in a low voice, ¡°the old beast¡¯s aura is different from before. be careful later. if there¡¯s really no other way, run away first. as long as there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope.¡± ¡°hahahaha!¡± mo guiyuan laughed arrogantly. ¡°do you think you can still leave? wei ting, i gave you a chance. you could have sat back and enjoyed the fruits of my labor, but you insisted on going against me! you saw slave xiu, right? he¡¯s your outcome! of course, if you escape quickly¡­¡± wei ting pulled out his sword. ¡°since i¡¯m here, i don¡¯t plan to go back empty-handed. tonight, if i don¡¯t take your life, i¡¯ll sacrifice myself to the undead of the wei family!¡± ¡°is that so? just you? can you defeat me or the white lotus army behind me?¡± ¡°what army?¡± the old marquis frowned. in the next second, he saw a black army move out from behind the canyon and occupy the entire valley like a tide. this was¡­ an army of 10,000! what the peach forest meant to hide was the white lotus society¡¯s private army! ¡°this old beast¡­¡± the old marquis gritted his teeth. he used his qinggong and flew up. he pulled out his sword and attacked mo guiyuan. mo guiyuan sent him flying with a palm! wei ting tapped his feet and caught the old marquis in the air. after landing on the ground, the old marquis suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! ¡°i found out¡­ he has the aura of a death warrior¡­ he absorbed slave xiu¡¯s internal strength¡­¡± no wonder slave xiu lost all his internal strength. the old marquis vomited a few more mouthfuls of blood. mo guiyuan was not weak to begin with. coupled with slave xius internal strength, the current mo guiyuan was no longer someone they could deal with. the old marquis grabbed wei ting¡¯s hand. ¡°i¡¯ll hold him back¡­ hurry up and leave¡­ take daya away¡­ don¡¯t¡­ let your emotions affect you¡­¡± he could die. but daya could not. back then, he couldn¡¯t protect his sister. now, he had to protect his sister¡¯s granddaughter no matter what. ¡°old beast, i¡¯ll die with you!¡± ¡°i¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have the chance!¡± mo guiyuan grabbed the red tassel spear in his hand and suddenly shot at the two of them! wei ting held the old marquis and dodged! the red tassel spear pierced a huge hole in the rock behind the two of them. swish! an arrow flew through the air and hit the tip of the red tassel spear. the red tassel spear was deflected. mo guiyuan narrowed his eyes dangerously and turned to look over. su xiaoxiao drew her bow again. mo guiyuan would not give her a chance to shoot. he suddenly shot the red tassel spear at su xiaoxiao! the old marquis¡¯s expression changed. ¡°daya!¡± wei ting flew forward to block, but unfortunately, the red tassel spear had already flown past him. in an instant, the red tassel spear arrived in front of su xiaoxiao. time seemed to have stopped. the red tassel spear sped towards su xiaoxiao¡¯s glabella! at the critical moment, a heavy spear suddenly knocked the red tassel spear away with lightning speed! roar! roar! roar! it was a uniform roar mixed with the cold sound of armor rubbing against each other. the horses stepped on the world, and the ground shook! it was the qin family¡¯s iron cavalry! qin canglan was wearing cold armor and riding a warhorse as he walked over domineerinzlv from the night! Chapter 574 - Chapter 574: The Sect Master Falls chapter 574: the sect master falls translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the moment the old marquis saw qin canglan, his worried heart relaxed. he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled weakly and happily. ¡°old beast, you¡¯re finally here.¡± qin canglan tightened the reins and the horse stopped in time. he only raised his hand slightly, and the armored horses behind him stopped. the mountain wind howled, and the flags fluttered. the valley that was still echoing with the aura of metal a moment ago was instantly silent. this was the well-trained qin family army! no army could clamor in front of the qin family¡¯s army. some were not even worthy of carrying shoes! the old marquis said happily, ¡°mo guiyuan is inferior, right? he even trained a private army. does he really think he¡¯s a great general!¡± when mo guiyuan¡¯s 10,000-strong army first came out, it was quite shocking, but when qin canglan¡¯s cavalry arrived, they immediately made the white lotus cult¡¯s army look like new recruits. thinking about it, it made sense. weren¡¯t they new recruits? the qin family¡¯s iron cavalry had really gone to the battlefield, beheaded the enemy, and drunk the enemy¡¯s blood. how could a mere private army compare? there were some retired veterans of the imperial court in the private army who had seen how powerful qin canglan was. at this moment, their legs and stomachs were trembling in fear. they had heard that qin canglan was seriously injured and would probably not recover in the future¡­ but what was going on now? qin canglan rode on his warhorse and casually took a few steps forward. he looked at mo guiyuan arrogantly. ¡°were you the one who wanted to kill my granddaughter just now?¡± it turned out that the girl was qin canglan¡¯s granddaughter. he did not know that someone with such powerful archery had come to his peach forest. he almost thought that leng tiannan had come. qin canglan did not wait for mo guiyuan to answer. he grabbed a spear and shot it over, just like he had shot su xiaoxiao just now. the difference was that his strength was stronger and more precise! mo guivuan drew his sword to block. but unexnectedlv. his sword was sent flying by the spear. the spear and sword stabbed into the grass in unison, the ends swaying. it could be seen how terrifying qin canglan¡¯s move was. as mo guiyuan gripped the reins tightly, his expression turned very ugly. what happened? had qin canglan¡¯s injuries already healed? impossible! he was clearly so seriously injured¡­ the deputy general of the qin family army walked towards su xiaoxiao with a maroon horse. he dismounted and knelt on one knee, reverently welcoming su xiaoxiao to the horse. su xiaoxiao came to qin canglan¡¯s side valiantly. the qin family¡¯s vanguard carried their shields and stepped forward, building an impenetrable wall for su xiaoxiao. ¡°grandfather!¡± su xiaoxiao greeted qin canglan valiantly again. with someone backing her up, her aura was different! qin canglan patted her head dotingly. ¡°be good. go play for a while. after grandpa settles this trouble, i¡¯ll bring you home.¡± ¡°yes!¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. she glanced at mo guiyuan proudly. ¡°hmph!¡± she left without looking back! she came to the old marquis and wei ting¡¯s side. wei ting handed the old marquis to her. there might be a battle between the two armies today, but he wanted to kill mo guiyuan personally. mo guiyuan looked at qin canglan¡¯s army and suddenly smiled coldly. ¡°qin canglan, i admit that you do have some strength to be able to find this place. however, you only brought a thousand iron cavalry. do you really think you can fight against my 10,000-strong army? you overestimate yourself! i have ten times your strength!¡± qin canglan said domineeringly, ¡°it¡¯s more than enough to deal with you. soldiers of the three armies, listen up and kill!¡± accompanied by his order, the qin general¡¯s cavalry rushed toward the white lotus army like a surging torrent. ¡°formation¡­¡¯ tsk! before the commander of the white lotus society could finish, his head was harvested by the qin family¡¯s cavalry. wei ting also joined the battle. this was a crushing defeat without any suspense. no matter how many people there were in the white lotus society¡¯s army, they could not retaliate against the invincible qin family¡¯s iron cavalry. mo guiyuan could not believe that the army he had carefully nurtured was so vulnerable. he was furious to the extreme. he grabbed a spear and stabbed it at a qin family cavalry. qin canglan sent another spear flying! mo guiyuan was completely suppressed! mo guiyuan saw that the situation was hopeless. he took advantage of the chaos and changed direction, leaving in a panic under the escort of a few branch masters and protectors. wei ting spurred his horse and chased after him. su xiaoxiao had just finished treating the old marquis¡¯s injuries and rode her horse to qin canglan¡¯s side. ¡°grandpa, are you alright?¡± qin canglan gasped. ¡°hiss¡­ the wound hurts a little..¡± Chapter 575 - Chapter 575: The Sect Master Falls (2) chapter 575: the sect master falls (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios mo guiyuan was right. qin canglan had indeed not recovered. the three moves just now were his limit. fortunately, mo guiyuan was successfully stunned by him. otherwise, if mo guiyuan really came to fight him alone, he would probably be exposed. the old marquis rode his horse over. ¡°you only used less than 50% of your strength just now, right?¡± qin canglan glared at him angrily and said, ¡°if there¡¯s any more, i¡¯ll die!¡± the old marquis curled his lips. why was the difference between them so big? the old beast had scared mo guiyuan away with less than 50% of his strength, but he was beaten half to death by mo guiyuan. he was so angry! this was really not because the old marquis¡¯s martial arts were weak, but because qin canglan¡¯s strength was too abnormal. they were not on the same level at all. qin canglan frowned and said, ¡°however, i didn¡¯t hurt him in three moves. it¡¯s¡­ troublesome for the wei family¡¯s kid to fight him.¡± wei ting caught up to mo guiyuan and the others. zhang feng and the others were about to attack. mo guiyuan said coldly, ¡°stand down. this is between him and me. i¡¯ll clean up the mess myself.¡± ¡°yes!¡± everyone retreated. mo guiyuan mocked, ¡°you really have the guts to come and die!¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°it¡¯s not certain who will die.¡± mo guiyuan smiled mockingly. ¡°don¡¯t think that i can¡¯t defeat qin canglan or you! lord wu an died early, and you¡¯re the only one in the residence. do you think you¡¯re invincible?¡± wei ting said coldly, ¡°you¡¯re not qualified to mention my grandfather!¡± ¡°hahaha!¡± mo guiyuan looked up at the sky and laughed. ¡°wei ting, oh wei ting, what¡¯s so good about your grandfather? in the end, didn¡¯t he die at my hands? he was defeated by me and isn¡¯t qualified to be compared to me!¡± wei ting said, ¡°my grandfather was an unyielding general. he did things openly and honestly. he would indeed be disdained to be compared to a sinister person like you.¡± mo guiyuan glared at him fiercely. ¡®you can¡¯t kill me! kill yourself and avoid physical pain!¡± wei ting changed the topic and said calmly, ¡°your diaphragm must be very uncomfortable after absorbing slave xiu¡¯s internal energy, right? your body seems to be about to explode, and the meridians in your body are about to burst. do you really dare to use all your strength? aren¡¯t you afraid of exploding and dying? mo guiyuan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°i¡¯m not afraid.¡± mo guiyuan looked at him strangely, not understanding what he meant. in the blink of an eye, he saw wei ting take out a black medicine bottle and drink something in one gulp. wei ting casually crushed the medicine bottle and raised his hand to wipe the black poison left at the corner of his lips. mo guiyuan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°you¡­¡± wei ting smiled. ¡°slave xiu gave it to me before he died.¡± mo guiyuan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°you¡¯re crazy! that¡¯s poison!¡± it was not an ordinary poison, but something that was used to increase one¡¯s strength. if one was not careful, one could die from it. the medicine master of the western jin dynasty had used it to refine the potion given to the black bear. slave xiu was a death warrior. after consuming a large amount of vitality, he would enter a weak period. during this period, if he encountered danger, slave xiu could take this poison and forcefully recover his cultivation. as for the price¡­ it was hard to say. he might be poisoned to death on the spot, or he might have died from the poison sometime after. the chances of survival were very slim. mo guiyuan scolded wei ting for being a lunatic! he clearly took a step back, but wei ting insisted on taking revenge on him! was it worth it? ¡°make your move,¡± wei ting said. mo guiyuan said, ¡°hmph, even if you take poison that increases your strength, you¡¯re not my match!¡± wei ting stopped talking nonsense with him. he rose into the air and slashed at him! mo guiyuan took out another sword and blocked wei ting¡¯s attack. with a crisp clang, mo guiyuan felt his forearm go numb. wei ting immediately attacked a second time. this time, mo guiyuan was forced off the horse. mo guiyuan looked at wei ting in disbelief. the effect of the poison varied from person to person, but what was certain was that even a cultivator might not be able to increase his cultivation to such a level. mo guiyuan gritted his teeth and said, ¡°how much did you consume?¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°an entire bottle.¡± mo guiyuan jumped. ¡°lunatic! lunatic! lunatic!¡± that medicine could only be taken one drop at a time! between this kid and him, it was unknown who would explode first! wei ting sneered. ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll definitely kill you before i die!¡± wei ting¡¯s eyes were red from attacking, and each move was more ruthless than the last. at first, mo guiyuan could still block and even counterattack once or twice, but gradually, wei ting¡¯s killing moves became more and more terrifying. finally, wei ting cut his left arm. the flesh was flipped open, and scarlet blood flowed out. ¡°this slash is for my grandfather!¡± ¡°sect master!¡± zhang feng shouted and rushed over with the others. however, wei ting slashed everyone to the ground with just one move. soon, wei ting cut mo guiyuan¡¯s right arm. ¡°this slash is for my father!¡± wei ting broke mo guiyuan¡¯s right tendon. ¡°this slash is for my brother!¡± ¡°isn¡¯t your brother¡­ ah.. wei ting broke his left tendon. ¡°this slash is for my second brother!¡± blood flowed out of the corner of wei ting¡¯s eye. he stabbed mo guiyuan¡¯s waist. ¡°this slash is for my third brother!¡± wei ting was not completely one-sided. mo guiyuan had also injured wei ting. however, wei ting¡¯s blood and qi were already surging. his organs felt like he looked even more like a sacrificial soldier. mo guiyuan was afraid. wei ting came to kill him with the determination to die, but he did not want to die. ¡°little seven¡­ i¡¯m your grandfather¡­ think about your mother¡­ if i die¡­ your mother will be sad¡­¡¯ slash¡­ wei ting¡¯s sword pierced into his chest. mo guiyuan lowered his head in disbelief. ¡°little¡­ seven¡­¡± he fell into a pool of blood. wei ting also fell. ¡°wei ting!¡± su xiaoxiao jumped off the horse and hugged wei ting, who was bleeding from his seven orifices. seeing the blood flowing out of his mouth, su xiaoxiao also scolded him for being crazy. wei ting lay in her arms and smiled weakly.. ¡°i knew¡­ you would be here¡­¡± Chapter 576 - Chapter 576: Cure chapter 576: cure translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios mo guiyuan was indeed not so easy to kill. wei ting had paid a heavy price. his internal organs had sustained internal injuries, and his seven orifices were bleeding non-stop. the injuries on his body were so deep that his bones could be seen. when su cheng first picked him up and brought him home, he was not so seriously injured. this was not a matter of being half-dead. it was the poison that had reduced his blood coagulation function. his blood could not be stopped¡­ su xiaoxiao entered the pharmacy. the pharmacy probably understood that wei ting was at a critical moment and did not throw a tantrum. it allowed su xiaoxiao to enter however, the bottle of poison that su xiaoxiao carried with her was thrown out by the pharmacy. from the looks of it, it seemed to be saying, ¡°is this not enough to satisfy you? you actually brought back those indecent medicine outside!¡± su xiaoxiao retrieved blood plasma, blood clotting factors, and some emergency trauma medicine. after coming out, she immediately treated wei ting¡¯s injuries. after using three blood clotting factors from the pharmacy, his bleeding slowly stopped. however, this did not mean that he was out of danger. mo guiyuan was ruthless and almost injured his vital points in several places. su xiaoxiao calmed herself down and methodically debrided, applied medicine, and stitched up the wound. when yuchi xiu rushed to the event location with wuhu leading the way, wei ting¡¯s injuries were only treated halfway. he looked at wei ting, who was covered in injuries, and then at the large pool of blood on the ground. his face turned pale. ¡°could these¡­ be all lord¡¯s blood?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. if not for the blood clotting factors, wei ting would have died long ago. this person was really ruthless to himself. he was not afraid of pain or death at all. yuchi xiu clenched the sword in his hand tightly. ¡°mo guiyuan, that bastard¡­ i¡¯m going to kill him! where is he?¡± ¡°by the side,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°where?¡± yuchi xiu asked. su xiaoxiao paused and turned to look at the empty space at the side. however, there was no sign of mo guiyuan. mo guiyuan was gone! on the quiet official road, mo guiyuan had already changed into a clean set of clothes and disguised himself. he successfully entered the capital. in order not to let anyone see anything amiss, he endured it with all his might. however, in fact, his entire body under the cloak was already soaked in blood. he got out of the carriage and stumbled into an alley. he covered his chest and staggered forward as he raised his head and swallowed the pill in the bottle. the broken tendons in his feet were repairing at a strange speed. the price was ten times or a hundred times the pain. this bottle of medicine was left behind by the medicine master of the western jin dynasty. it could only be taken once. if he consumed it before he completely stopped breathing, he would show signs of faking his death. at the same time, he could protect his heart meridians. it was undoubtedly a life-saving medicine. he had just taken one, but there was still some in the bottle. he didn¡¯t care if it was useful to eat any more and swallowed it all! he, mo guanyuan, would not die so easily! back then, when the sword pavilion was destroyed, he survived! now that the white lotus society was wiped out, he still survived! he, mo guiyuan, was the chosen one! he would definitely make a comeback! ¡°ugh¡­¡± he spat out a mouthful of blood and knelt on one knee. damn it¡­ wei ting had injured him too severely, and even the effects of the medicine had been weakened¡­ he, mo guiyuan, had been smart all his life, but in the end, he lost to a brat who was still wet behind the ears. it was simply a humiliation! fortunately, he survived. that kid definitely wouldn¡¯t survive. after all, that kid didn¡¯t have any life-saving medicine. this was the outcome of going against him! let that kid reunite with lord wu an and wei xu underground! and he would soon¡­ as his thoughts flew, mo guiyuan suddenly saw a long shadow projected on the ground. he stopped in his tracks and looked up at the other party in shock. it was a masked man wearing a green cloak. he held a three-foot-long qingfeng sword in his left hand and was filled with killing intent. mo guiyuan remembered that he had seen this person beside wei ting. it was when wei ting first barged into the peach forest. he was with that girl, xiao shunyang, su cheng, jing yi, and wei ting. he didn¡¯t take it to heart at the time. ¡°you¡¯re¡­¡± the man let out a hoarse voice from his throat. ¡°little seven told me to wait for you here if he didn¡¯t kill you.¡± mo guiyuan was stunned. ¡°little seven?¡± wei ting? strange, why did wei ting guess that he would come to pear blossom lane? he looked at the man suspiciously. ¡°who are you?¡± wei liulang pointed his sword. ¡°wei yan!¡± mo guiyuan¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°you¡¯re not dead? you¡¯re still alive?!¡± ¡°yes, i¡¯m not dead. i crawled back from the dead.¡± wei yan¡¯s sword tip landed on the ground. as he walked towards mo guiyuan step by step, the tip of his sword made an ear-piercing sound on the ground. mo guiyuan did not know if it was because the medicine made him dizzy, but he seemed to see the asura walking toward him. wei yan said, ¡°now, it¡¯s your turn.¡± mo guiyuan held his aching chest. no, the medicine had yet to take effect. he was weak now, so he could not do anything¡­ he looked at wei yan sincerely. ¡°little six, i¡¯m your grandfather¡­¡± wei yan said softly, ¡°oh, grandpa.¡± mo guiyuan¡¯s eyes lit up. wei yan slashed over! mo guiyuan¡¯s expression changed drastically. he dodged to the side, but this body had long been severely injured by wei ting. how could it withstand wei yan¡¯s killing move? he immediately had his thigh slashed. no sooner said than done, he also took the opportunity to attacked wei yan. wei yan dodged back and his mask fell. mo guiyuan saw a face that had been ruined. he was stunned on the spot. he had seen the young wei yan before. that was the most beautiful child of the wei family. ¡°thanks to you, i¡¯ll return it to you now.¡± wei yan slashed mo guiyuan¡¯s face. ¡°ah¡­¡± mo guiyuan¡¯s eyes bled! he covered his face and fell to the ground ! wei yan looked at him coldly. ¡°little seven is a gentleman, but i¡¯m not. i¡¯m a malicious ghost who climbed up from the king of hell¡¯s palace. i¡¯ve eaten dead people¡¯s flesh and gnawed on dead people¡¯s bones so that i can come back to take revenge on you one day.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, wei yan broke his leg! mo guiyuan roared at the top of his lungs, ¡°i didn¡¯t want to harm you and your brothers¡­¡¯ wei yan said, ¡°is that so? then who caused me to look like this?¡± mo guiyuan was speechless. it was impossible for mo guiyuan not to have thought that his grandchildren might be implicated. it could only be said that he had indeed never thought that all his grandchildren would die. among the six, even if two or three survived, it was enough for him. mo guiyuan could no longer see. he crawled forward according to the memories in his mind. he was only one step away¡­ he was indignant¡­ he wanted to live¡­ he wanted to make a comeback.. he wanted¡­ wei yan raised his sword and cut off his head. ¡°who is it! who is it!¡± the capital magistrate personally led the soldiers to patrol the vicinity. he heard an unusual commotion and hurriedly came over to take a look. ¡°ah! head!¡± at the other end of the alley, wei yan, who had taken his revenge, stood in the corner in a daze and looked at the blue sky above his head. his hands were covered in blood. suddenly, he felt a gaze on him. he turned around and saw wei xiyue standing at the entrance of the alley with two small jars, looking at him without blinking. he panicked and wanted to escape, but he fell to the ground. wei xiyue walked towards him. don¡¯t¡­ he hurriedly turned his face away and looked for his mask on the ground. the mask was not there. ¡°don¡¯t come over.¡± ¡°xiyue, don¡¯t come over¡­¡± when wei xiyue came to him, he turned around and pressed himself against the wall, not letting wei xiyue see his ugly face. wei xiyue tilted her head, put down the jar, and climbed into his arms. the world in wei xiyue¡¯s eyes was different from that of ordinary people. her small hand cupped his face. it was not an ugly scar, but a crisscrossed flower of thorns. she stretched out her small arms and hugged him tightly.. Chapter 577 - Chapter 577: Recognition chapter 577: recognition translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the past few years, wei liulang had been living in endless struggle and pain. he often wondered why his grandfather, father, and brothers were all dead, and why he was the only one struggling to survive. the moment he cut off mo guiyuan¡¯s head, he did obtain relief, but there was an empty place in his heart that he could not fill. however, the moment wei xiyue hugged him, he felt redeemed. he looked at the little fellow in his arms. ¡°xiyue, do you know who i am?¡± ¡°sixth uncle,¡± wei xiyue said. wei liulang still wanted to make a last struggle to resist. wei xiyue said, ¡°xiyue wants to eat lotus seeds. sixth uncle is not around, so no one is picking lotus seeds for xiyue.¡± wei liulang hugged her tightly. ¡°alright, sixth uncle will pluck them for xi yue.¡± in the valley, a fierce battle had just ended. the qin family¡¯s iron cavalry was invincible. coupled with qin canglan holding down the fort, the white lotus society¡¯s army was defeated. mo guiyuan¡¯s many years of planning finally came to an end at this moment. people had their strengths. mo guiyuan was good at scheming and controlling people¡¯s hearts, but he was still inferior to qin canglan in terms of training. the main danger of the white lotus society was not the army, but the countless believers. once mo guiyuan gave the order, there was a high chance that there would be many riots among the people. this was mo guiyuan¡¯s ultimate method. what they had to do was to kill him in advance and firmly not give mo guiyuan a chance to cause chaos. as it turned out, they did. qin canglan left the deputy general to deal with the aftermath while he rode his horse to look for his precious granddaughter. the old marquis wanted to go too. qin canglan sighed. ¡°you¡¯re injured like this. you should rest for a while.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you injured too?¡± the old marquis refused and insisted on going together. qin canglan said, ¡°you¡¯re very stubborn!¡± the two of them found su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao had just stitched up the last wound on wei ting. yuchi xiu was not around; he had gone to chase after mo guiyuan. the two of them looked at the tragic wei ting and did not know what to say. this kid had really gone all out to kill mo guiyuan. the old marquis looked around. ¡®where¡¯s mo guiyuan? did he¡­ escape?¡± su xiaoxiao said firmly, ¡°he can¡¯t escape.¡± near pear blossom lane, the imperial capital was frightened out of its wits. he was a judge and had seen countless murders, but it was really scary to see such a terrifying corpse in broad daylight! the imperial capital quickly asked the officials to protect the event location and called the coroner over. he had a feeling that he had encountered a big case! he was going to be promoted again! qin canglan sent su xiaoxiao and wei ting back to the capital. ¡°are you sure you don¡¯t want to go to the imperial astronomy center?¡± qin canglan asked. su xiaoxiao sat in the carriage and replied, ¡°there¡¯s no need. let¡¯s go to the medical center.¡± mo guiyuan was already dead. the spies of the white lotus society were leaderless and would no longer pose a threat to them. moreover, wei ting was so seriously injured and needed a doctor to take care of him at all times. going to the medical center was the best choice. qin canglan looked at the number one hall and said to su xiaoxiao, ¡°you and wei ting go in first. i¡¯ll send the old monkey¡­ ahem, your granduncle back to the duke mansion before coming to see you.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°yes!¡± wei ting was carried into the medical center on a stretcher by ah zhong and xiao weizi. this time, he was not pretending to be injured. he was really injured. manager sun looked at wei ting, who was tied up like a dumpling and simply couldn¡¯t bear to look. ¡°too tragic, too tragic¡­ how did it end up like this? will he die? aiya, won¡¯t little su be a widow again? what if you can¡¯t get married in the future?¡± just as he finished speaking, he turned around and there was a long queue at the door. the person at the front of the queue pointed at himself with a smile. ¡°manager sun, do you think i can?¡± manager sun said, ¡°get lost!¡± ah zhong and xiao weizi carried wei ting into su xiaoxiao¡¯s room. little weizi¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°boss¡­ young master¡­¡± ah zhong interrupted him. ¡°heaven will help a good person. nothing will happen!¡± little weizi hurriedly wiped his tears. ah zhong was older than him and had a calm personality. he said to su xiaoxiao, ¡°boss, we¡¯ll go out first. call us if you need anything.¡± ¡°okay,¡± su xiaoxiao replied. after the two of them left, su xiaoxiao hung an iv drip for wei ting. someone knocked on the door. ¡°come in,¡± su xiaoxiao said. wei liulang walked in. he had already changed out of his bloodstained clothes and put on his mask again. however, it was unknown if it was an illusion, but his aura was very different from before. it was as if¡­ a heavy shackle in her heart had been unlocked. he was no longer shrouded in haze. he walked out into the sunlight. he came to the bed and looked at wei ting, who was covered in bandages and breathing weakly. he opened his mouth and asked, ¡°little seven, he¡­¡± su xiaoxiao adjusted the drip speed. ¡°his injuries have been treated and the bleeding has stopped, but whether he can wake up depends on his own luck.¡± she turned to look at wei liulang. ¡°is mo guiyuan dead?¡± ¡°dead,¡± said wei liulang. ¡°i killed him myself.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. seeing that she was not too surprised, wei liulang could not help but ask, ¡°you knew that mo guiyuan would come to look for me? did little seven mention it to you?¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°he never mentioned his plan to me.¡± if he had mentioned it, with wei ting¡¯s understanding of her, she would definitely secretly follow him to kill mo guiyuan. he did not want her to bear the danger. ¡°then you¡­¡± wei liulang did not understand how she had guessed. su xiaoxiao recalled, ¡°when we were in the countryside, it was almost the new year. once, when we were making new year goods at home, wei ting was in charge of cutting the dough. every piece he cut was identical. i asked him why his knife skills were so good, and he said that he practiced. even if he stabbed a vital point, it wouldn¡¯t kill the victim.¡± wei ting knew very well how to kill a person. pseudocide could not be hidden from his eyes. when a person died, no matter how powerful the life-saving medicine was, it was useless. he deliberately let the seriously injured mo guiyuan go. he wanted mo guiyuan to die in wei liulang¡¯s hands and let him obtain true relief. wei liulang actually understood. he looked at the unconscious wei ting with heartache. ¡°little seven¡­ will wake up, right?¡± su xiaoxiao whispered, ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± mo guiyuan¡¯s death caused a huge commotion in the capital. there were all sorts of speculation, but the imperial court would naturally deal with the aftermath. ever since she returned to the medical center, she had been guarding wei ting¡¯s bed. this was the furthest she felt that wei ting was from her. he was clearly close, but he could let go at any time. su cheng also came over. he looked at his son-in-law, who could no longer respond to him, and his heart ached as if he was losing his own son. su xiaoxiao sat in front of the bed and said calmly, ¡°if you don¡¯t wake up, i¡¯ll remarry. i¡¯m serious. do you know how many people in the capital want to marry me? not to mention those from a distance, just everyone on this street who heard that you¡¯re about to die and came to propose marriage every day almost broke the threshold. manager sun is so annoyed.¡± ¡°i think a few are not bad. the young master of the liu family is rich and imposing. minister zhang¡¯s son is funny. although zhao tuzi is a widower and has five children, i heard that he is very doting¡­¡± she chattered on. suddenly, a large hand covered in gauze raised and gently grabbed the back of her head, pressing her against his chest domineeringly. a hoarse and weak voice came from above. ¡°what kind of people are you looking for¡­ are you trying to anger me to death¡­¡± Chapter 578 - Chapter 578: The Scheming Little Bun chapter 578: the scheming little bun translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao leaned gently on his chest and listened to his gradually recovering heart. she asked in a low voice, ¡°are they not good?¡± he inserted his fingertips into her hair and stroked her hair. he said weakly, ¡°young master liu¡­ likes to gamble. minister zhang¡¯s son is¡­ lecherous. that widower butcher¡­ do you think it¡¯s not enough to be a stepmother to three brats?¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°how do you know so much?¡± wei ting sneered weakly. ¡°heh.¡± look, this person was already so injured, but he was still so arrogant. su xiaoxiao wanted to get up and check on him, but he pressed her down weakly and domineeringly. ¡°don¡¯t move,¡± he said. ¡°oh.¡± su xiaoxiao obediently lay on his chest, not daring to use too much strength, afraid that she would affect his injuries. ¡°we got the armor back,¡± she said. ¡°and the red tassel gun.¡± that old thief, mo guiyuan, had killed lord wu an and even stolen his armor and weapons. did he think that he could become the second lord wu an by doing this? it was extremely ridiculous. he probably could not tell if he killed lord wu an out of hatred for killing his son or out of surging jealousy. ¡°yes,¡± wei ting replied calmly. he hugged his little fat peacock and suddenly felt peaceful. su xiaoxiao rubbed her head gently against the gauze on his chest. ¡°wei ting, actually, i¡¯ve always had a question in my heart. how did you know that mo guiyuan would definitely go to pear blossom lane when he was at his wits¡¯ end? did you discover something? you.. halfway through, she looked up and sized him up carefully. he was already asleep again. su xiaoxiao brushed aside a strand of hair on his temple. ¡°alright, seeing that you¡¯re so seriously injured, i¡¯ll ask you next time.¡± with that, she sat up straight. su cheng, who was sitting under the corridor, heard the commotion in the house and quickly pushed the door open and walked in. ¡°daughter! who were you talking to just now? is my son-in-law awake?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°he was awake and is now asleep again.¡± ¡°ah.¡± su cheng looked at wei ting. ¡°then, is my son-in-law out of danger?¡± su xiaoxiao thought of someone¡¯s excessively jealous reaction just now and said, ¡°i guess¡­ i guess.¡± su cheng heaved a sigh of relief. since his daughter said so, his son-in-law should be fine. ¡°dahu and the others have been asking where dad and mom went, but i don¡¯t dare to say. since my son-in-law is fine, i¡¯ll go to the duke mansion to bring the three of them over.¡± ¡°yes.¡± su xiaoxiao also missed the three children. thinking of something, su cheng asked, ¡°ah, right, since my son-in-law is out of danger, can i tell the wei family?¡± previously, when wei ting was so injured, they were worried that matriarch wei would not be able to take it. they did not dare to send the news to the wei family and only asked yuchi xiu to say that wei ting was cleaning up the aftermath in the peach forest. in the afternoon, matriarch wei, who had learned the truth, brought her four granddaughters-in-law and wei xiyue to the medical center. when she saw wei ting covered in bandages and lying motionless on the bed, matriarch wei¡¯s eyes turned red. no matter how many storms she had experienced and how many family members she had lost, she would still be in so much pain that she would rather die if she lost another. wei ting was her only grandson. if anything happened to wei ting again, she would really not be able to take it. ¡°will little seven really be fine?¡± matriarch wei asked nervously. ¡°why isn¡¯t he awake?¡± ¡°he woke up for a while and fell back asleep,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°his willpower is very tenacious. he won¡¯t admit defeat easily.¡± even if the king of hell came, he would not hand over his life obediently. wei ting was just so stubborn. old madam wei agreed. ¡°he studied in his early years, but it wasn¡¯t all because he loved to study. he was born prematurely and was weaker and more sickly than his brothers. we all thought that he couldn¡¯t learn martial arts, so we didn¡¯t teach him much. hence, he secretly practiced with his sixth brother. as he practiced, he actually became better than his brothers.¡± how strong was this child¡¯s willpower? as the two of them spoke, madam li scolded from the courtyard, ¡°who asked you to give xi yue lotus seeds?¡± the maidservants were trembling. ¡°madam, we didn¡¯t.¡± wei xiyue choked on a lotus seed when she was two years old. ever since then, matriarch wei ordered that no one was allowed to pluck the lotus seed for her to eat. madam li said coldly, ¡°if you didn¡¯t pluck them, where did the lotus seed pods come from? could it be that she went to the lotus pond to pluck them herself?¡± the maidservants did not dare to make a sound. they swore that they really didn¡¯t pluck them¡­ wei xiyue sat on the steps with a watery lotus. she was immersed in her own world and did not hear their argument. matriarch wei walked over with her walking stick and leaned over to ask wei xiyue, ¡°xiyue, tell great-grandmother where the lotus seed pod came from.¡± wei xiyue reacted to matriarch wei¡¯s voice. she looked up at matriarch wei and ran away without saying anything. matriarch wei followed her. she left the back door of the medical center and turned left in the back alley. she passed by the original benevolence hall and walked all the way to the west. ¡°xiyue, slow down. where are you going? be careful not to fall.¡± as old madam wei tried her best to follow, she did not forget to remind her great-granddaughter. wei xiyue ran all the way to a lotus pond before stopping. old madam wei was old and was panting. she leaned on her walking stick and came to wei xiyue¡¯s side. she followed her gaze and looked in the direction of the lotus pond. in the depths of the lotus pond, wei liulang was rowing a small boat through the lotus leaves. he picked the big lotus pods and added them to a basket that was almost full. seeing that he was almost done plucking, he planned to row the boat back. however, iust as he looked um he saw matriarch wei. old madam wei stared at him with a burning gaze, her body trembling slightly. ¡°grandmother! grandmother!¡± it was madam li and madam chen. madam li pulled wei xiyue in front of her and said angrily, ¡°are you naughty again? you even let your great-grandmother chase after you? your great-grandmother is old. how can she outrun you?¡± wei xiyue shook her head. madam lan looked at matriarch wei¡¯s stunned expression and could not help but ask, ¡°grandmother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± the others also noticed matriarch wei¡¯s abnormality. old madam wei said agitatedly, ¡°i¡­ i saw little six.¡± ¡°huh?¡± they were all stunned. it had been four years since little six passed away. what was grandmother talking about? ¡°he was there¡­¡± matriarch wei waved her hand and pointed, but there was only an empty boat in the lotus pond. old madam wei said anxiously, ¡°no, i clearly saw him just now! he was on that boat! it¡¯s little six! it¡¯s wei yan!¡± mdm jiang said awkwardly, ¡°grandmother, are you too worried about little seven¡­ it¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t rest?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not blind yet!¡± matriarch wei turned to look at wei xiyue. ¡°xiyue saw him too, right? your sixth uncle?¡± wei xiyue nodded. madam li and the others exchanged glances. other than madam chen, who was stunned, the others did not believe that matriarch wei and wei xiyue had seen wei liulang. madam li said, ¡°grandmother, xiyue was only three years old when little six got into trouble. what does such a young child remember?¡± what madam li did not say was that xiyue was not a normal child. she might not have understood what matriarch wei meant at all. she held matriarch wei¡¯s arm. ¡°grandmother, let¡¯s go back.¡± old madam wei was escorted back by a few people. wei xiyue ran to the pond and squatted down. a head popped out of the water. ¡°xiyue, why aren¡¯t you here yet?¡± madam li turned around and urged. ¡°shh¡­¡± wei liulang gestured for wei xiyue to keep quiet and sank into the water again. wei xiyue thought for a moment and shouted at the water, ¡°sixth uncle!¡± Chapter 579 - Chapter 579: Reunion chapter 579: reunion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei liulang trembled underwater and almost choked on the water! little thing, do you have to get your uncle into trouble? wei xiyue¡¯s call for sixth uncle stopped matriarch wei. matriarch wei hurriedly said, ¡°did you hear that? xiyue is calling sixth uncle!¡± they naturally heard it, but although they heard it¡­ little six had long passed away, and they had accepted this fact in pain and longing day and night. for a moment, it was very difficult for them to believe that little six would appear in front of them alive. they were children. they might learn whatever the adults said. wei xiyue only called him sixth uncle when she heard matriarch wei call him liulang. that should be the case. madam li¡¯s face darkened. ¡°why is this girl fooling around again? she¡¯s been so mysterious since she was young. every day, she makes me worry!¡± madam li saw that other children were eloquent, sensible, and obedient, but her daughter was always slow. she did not like to talk or play with children her age. it was even more impossible for her to read and write. she always did strange things¡­ madam li really collapsed just thinking about it. she took a deep breath and suppressed her anger as she walked to wei xiyue¡¯s side. she said solemnly, ¡°wei xiyue! don¡¯t cause trouble anymore!¡± gulp under the water that was covered by a lotus leaf, there was a small bubble. it was very subtle and only madam chen sensed it. madam chen was vigilant. she did not recognize that it was wei litle six, but someone was hiding underwater. he must be up to no good and had to be caught! madam chen suddenly stomped her foot, and the ground trembled three times. she used the momentum to jump out of the water. although she was strong, her qinggong was not bad. she came to wei liulang¡¯s hiding place and grabbed underwater with her bare hands. wei liulang was hiding when third sister-in-law reached out. his temples throbbed. how could he continue to hide? the tip of his foot pressed against the edge of the pond and he was suddenly yanked out of the water! the water splashed all over madam li. madam li was drenched. wei liulang¡¯s scalp went numb. he was sorry about his second sister-in -law¡­ madam chen chased after wei liulang on the water. ¡°third sister-in-law! i¡¯ll help you!¡± madam jiang also joined the battle. old madam wei looked at them and said, ¡°be careful! don¡¯t injure little six!¡± she imew the skills of her two granddaughter-in-law, especially those of her third granddaughter-in-law, madam chen. she had once been called a heroine, a female version of qin canglan. it could be seen how powerful her martial arts were. the two naughty children at home, wei yan and wei ting, used to be most afraid of third sister-in-law¡¯s fists. they would faint for three days facing her in a fight. therefore, the entire family knew that the last person to be trifled with was third brother because third sister-in-law was really ruthless. madam lan looked at the figure that was at once unfamiliar and familiar in a daze and muttered, ¡°is that person really¡­ little six?¡± people who had interacted with each other for many years would feel familiar even when they were not face to face. however, wei liulang was no longer the wei yan of the past. after crawling out of the pile of dead people, he had undergone a rebirth. not only had his martial arts skills changed, but even his aura was completely different. he was no longer the young man who would expose everything in three days. he had grown up and become a little unfamiliar. wei liulang¡¯s qinggong improved at lightning speed, and madam chen actually couldn¡¯t catch him for a while. madam chen said, ¡°eh?¡± madam jiang snorted. ¡°third sister-in-law, watch me!¡± madam jiang had recently been learning the whip from fourth sister-in-law, lan. she was just thinking that she could not find anyone to spar with but she could now show off her skills to this guy. however, her whip was really not good. instead of entangling wei liulang, she wrapped herself up. ¡°aiya¡­¡± seeing that she was about to fall into the pond, wei liulang¡¯s expression changed. he used his qinggong to grab her. it was also at this moment that madam chen decisively tied him up! wei liulang was speechless. wei liulang was kidnapped back to the medical center. matriarch wei brought him to su xiaoxiao¡¯s small courtyard and entered the study next door to wei ting. the doors and windows were closed. matriarch wei wanted to have a conversation with him. however, he refused to admit that he was wei yan. old madam wei was about to take off his mask when his body trembled and he leaned back resistantly. ¡°no!¡± old madam wei retracted her hand and said in a trembling voice, she wanted to check his ¡°injured¡± right arm, but wei liulang resisted and dodged. old madam wei said, ¡°alright, i won¡¯t touch you! tell me, where have you been for the past few years? why didn¡¯t you come back?¡± wei liulang said in a hoarse voice, ¡°i said that i¡¯m not from the wei family, and i don¡¯t know any wei yan. you¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡± outside the house, madam jiang scratched her head. ¡°is it little six or not? he feels familiar, but his voice and martial arts don¡¯t sound like him.¡± madam li, madam chen, and madam lan were also eavesdropping on the two of them. madam li lowered her voice and said, ¡°he looks a little like him, but he seems different. ¡± madam lan whispered, ¡°isn¡¯t that obvious, second sister-in-law?¡± they just felt that he looked like him, but he didn¡¯t. old madam wei said excitedly, ¡°you¡¯re my biological grandson. i won¡¯t be wrong! you¡¯re wei yan! ¡± wei liulang denied it. ¡°i¡¯m not.¡± old madam wei argued, ¡°xiyue also called you sixth uncle.¡± ¡°children will shout anything that comes to their minds.¡± ¡°you plucked lotus seed pods for xi yue; no one in the family will dare to pluck it for her except you!¡± otherwise, why would they say that he would not expose himself for three days? wei ting was a cold child before abandoning his studies and joining the martial arts. on the surface, he was very obedient, but wei liulang was clearly rebellious. wei liulang looked like he couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything else. old madam wei gritted her teeth. ¡°alright, you won¡¯t admit it, right? alright, i¡¯ve lived long enough anyway! if you don¡¯t acknowledge me as your grandmother, i¡¯ll die in front of you!¡± wei liulang did not believe her. old madam wei searched the room. ¡°i¡¯ll hang myself¡­ i¡¯ll just hang myself!¡± after searching for a long time, she finally found three feet of white silk. without a word, she hung the white silk on the roof beam, moved a stool, and stepped on it. after she was done, she hung her neck on the white cloth and kicked off the stool! wei liulang was speechless. wei liulang broke the rope and rushed over to carry matriarch wei down. ¡°what¡­ are you doing! ¡± was this still matriarch wei? old madam wei kicked her legs and cried. ¡°i don¡¯t care, i don¡¯t care! if you don¡¯t acknowledge me, i¡¯ll die in front of you!¡± she ran to hit the wall again. wei liulang blocked the wall and her head hit his chest, almost causing him to vomit blood. this strength¡­ was really courting death¡­ madam li¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°grandmother¡­ don¡¯t you know that we¡¯re peeking?¡± was the all-powerful matriarch wei so good at being shameless? madam lan said in a daze, ¡°i¡¯ve been wondering who little seven took after¡­¡± after matriarch wei failed to hit the wall, she gritted her teeth and tilted to the ground. she took out a bottle of medicine! there were three extremely strong words pasted on it indicating the potency of the poison! she unplugged the bottle to pour the contents into her mouth. wei liulang hurriedly snatched the medicine bottle away. ¡°grandmother!¡± old madam wei was stunned. she leaned into his arms and looked at him with tears in her eyes. ¡°what did you call me just now?¡± wei liulang took a deep breath and closed his eyes helplessly. ¡°¡­grandmother, i¡¯ve called you grandmother. don¡¯t seek death anymore.¡± old madam wei smiled through her tears and took the medicine bottle. she raised her head and drank it in one gulp. wei liulang¡¯s expression changed. ¡°i¡¯ve already admitted my identity. why are you still¡­¡± old madam wei smacked her lips. ¡°oh, it¡¯s syrup.¡± wei liulang was speechless.. Chapter 580 - Chapter 580: The Three Little Ones Calling Their Father chapter 580: the three little ones calling their father translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the study door opened. madam li and the others instantly flashed three feet away, as if they were not eavesdropping. old madam wei walked out majestically and glanced at the four of them. she said sternly, ¡°the few of you, follow me.¡± she wanted to call them into the room to talk, but there was a limit to the number of rooms in the medical center. after thinking about it, she decided to go next door. wei ting was unconscious on the hospital bed. old madam wei put down the veil and sat on the chair. she said with an elder¡¯s aura, ¡°when little six saw me in the study just now, he couldn¡¯t wait to acknowledge me. he¡¯s little six.¡± the corners of madam li¡¯s mouth twitched. if they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, they would really believe it. he couldn¡¯t wait? was she sure it wasn¡¯t her who cried, threw a tantrum, and tried hanging herself? old madam wei coughed lightly. ¡°we haven¡¯t seen each other for four years, so he¡¯s not distant from me. the few of you¡­ are more or less not used to it. give him some time. don¡¯t ask all kinds of questions.¡± everyone¡¯s lips curled up. ifyou speak against your conscience, won¡¯t your conscience really hurt? ¡°the second thing.¡± when old madam wei mentioned this, she straightened her expression. ¡°little six¡¯s appearance is already ruined. he lost an arm and his throat is damaged. treat him normally. don¡¯t cry in front of him. the men of the wei family don¡¯t need sympathy.¡± the few of them were stunned at first, then slowly nodded. back then, when wei ting went to collect the corpses of lord wu an and his father and brothers, wei liulang¡¯s corpse was the most damaged. there was almost no intact bone. wei ting brought back the mud mixed with bones, flesh, and armor fragments and placed them in a coffin for burial. none of the men from the wei family survived. everyone thought that wei liulang¡¯s corpse had been shattered by the northern yan army. it was good he was alive! no matter what he became, he would always be their little six. as for wei liulang¡¯s identity, matriarch wei chose not to announce it to the public for the time being. this was wei liulang¡¯s intention, and also matriarch wei¡¯s own. although mo guiyuan was already dead, the wei family would not rest easy from now on. it was better for wei liulang to be in the dark than in the open. madam li said, ¡°then¡­ dahu, erhu, xiaohu¡­¡¯ they were wei little six¡¯s children. wei liulang could not interact with the outside world, but could he not acknowledge the children? in the courtyard, dahu, erhu, and xiaohu came over. the three of them immediately saw wei xiyue sitting on the steps playing with a lotus seed pod. ¡°sister xiyue! ¡± the three little ones flew over. wei xiyue originally planned to feed the three of them a lotus seed pod. thinking of her experience of choking when she was young, she put down the lotus seed pod and picked up the small food jar beside her. the three of them flapped their small arms and leaned forward slightly, like three birds waiting to be fed. wei xiyue fed the three little ones pine nuts and dried meat and said to the three of them, ¡°my sixth uncle is back.¡± ¡°who¡¯s sixth uncle?¡± dahu asked. wei xiyue was a child who was not good with words. she thought for a moment and decided to personally bring them to see her sixth uncle. she led the string of little tiger heads into the study. ¡°sixth uncle.¡± wei xiyue called for someone. the three little ones looked at wei liulang and exclaimed in unison. wasn¡¯t this the uncle they had seen at the imperial astronomers? he lived next door to their stinky father! dahu had even given him dates! so he was called sixth uncle. the three little ones looked at him cutely and said obediently, ¡°sixth uncle! their father, wei yan, was speechless. old madam wei asked madam jiang to go to the lobby to see if su xiaoxiao was busy. if she wasn¡¯t, she would ask her to come over. su xiaoxiao happened to be free. ¡°coming, fifth sister-in-law.¡± madam jiang brought su xiaoxiao to the door. ¡°go in.¡± this was another ¡°grandparent-grandchild¡± private conversation. ¡°oh.¡± su xiaoxiao walked in. she habitually checked the patient¡¯s condition first. wei ting was fine for the time being. she looked at matriarch wei. ¡°why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°it¡¯s about the children,¡± old madam wei said. ¡°you might not know, but little six has already acknowledged me. this child has been close to me since he was young. he can¡¯t wait to acknowledge me.¡± su xiaoxiao muttered to herself, ¡°why do i feel that he was kidnapped? am i seeing things? also, did she ask me for syrup labeled as poison just now?¡± where did wei ting get his smugness from? she had successfully solved the case. after showing off, matriarch wei cut to the chase. ¡°what do you think of dahu and the others?¡± ¡°pretty good,¡± su xiaoxiao said. old madam wei said, ¡°i¡¯m asking if you like them?¡± ¡°i do,¡± su xiaoxiao said honestly. ¡°then are you willing to continue being their mother?¡± su xiaoxiao looked at wei ting on the bed. matriarch wei said domineeringly, ¡°don¡¯t worry about him. his opinion isn¡¯t important.¡± wei ting, who had suddenly lost his status, was speechless. su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°of course, i¡¯m willing, but isn¡¯t sixth brother back?¡± she could snatch them from wei ting, but she could not snatch them from their biological father. old madam wei sighed. ¡°this is what i wanted to tell you. i asked little six just now. little six said that he doesn¡¯t want to acknowledge dahu and the others for the time being. the children have a father and mother now, and he can¡¯t give them this completeness. they¡¯re still so young. it wasn¡¯t easy for them to forget the torture before. if i stab their scars again and make them become motherless children, they¡¯ll be sad. it¡¯s not like i won¡¯t tell him for the rest of their lives. when they¡¯re old enough to bear the truth, little six will acknowledge them.¡± these words were definitely not matriarch wei¡¯s words alone. it was indeed wei liulang¡¯s decision after careful consideration. the children were too young. he did not want to hurt their young hearts again and again. he hoped that they would grow up safely and happily. although he wanted to hear them call him father even in his dreams, he would rather not if the price of calling him father was to expose the cruel truth to them. when su xiaoxiao arrived at the courtyard, the three little ones were playing happily with wei xiyue. ¡°i¡¯m wearing a toger! no, i¡¯m wearing a lion! howl¡ª¡± xiaohu bared his fangs and brandished his claws to grab dahu, erhu, and wei xiyue. wei xiyue giggled. he couldn¡¯t catch them and quickly gave up. he lay on the ground. ¡°i¡¯m not catching anymore!¡± wei liulang picked him up. ¡°the ground is cold.¡± xiaohu lay like salted fish on his lap. ¡°i think it¡¯s fine.¡± su xiaoxiao walked over. ¡°mother!¡± the three of them came to her. ¡°where¡¯s dad?¡± dahu asked. su xiaoxiao touched his head and said softly, ¡°dad¡­ is still sleeping. he¡¯s tired and wants to rest for a few days. don¡¯t disturb him.¡± ¡°okay.¡± the three of them nodded obediently. they were obedient babies. su xiaoxiao looked at wei liulang, who couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the three of them, and said to the three little ones, ¡°how about having sixth uncle as your father today?¡± ¡°what?¡± xiaohu asked. su xiaoxiao repeated, ¡°sixth uncle will be your father for a day, and i will be your seventh aunt for a day.¡± it was not rare for children to play house. wei liulang was stunned on the spot; his heart was pounding. would they¡­ call him father? su xiaoxiao said, ¡°call me seventh aunt first.¡± the three little ones said, ¡°seventh aunt!¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and pointed at wei liulang. ¡°alright, go find your father.¡± the three little ones clattered to wei liulang and called out in a childish voice, ¡°father!¡± Chapter 581 - Chapter 581: Family Reunion chapter 581: family reunion when wei liulang heard this address, his heart burned and tears almost rushed out. he looked at the three cute little fellows with watery eyes. they actually looked more like their mother. they had round faces and obsidian-like eyes. they clearly had a pair of innocent almond-shaped eyes, but they exuded intelligence and cunning. wei liulang suddenly felt that all the pain was worth it. he had returned with a broken body and originally planned to live in the dark for the rest of his life, but not only did he see the sun step by step, but he also heard them call him father with his own ears. he patted the heads of the three little fellows and held back the lump in his throat. he smiled and replied, ¡°aye!¡± the three little ones shook their heads happily! wei liulang¡¯s heart was about to melt. he looked at su xiaoxiao gratefully and silently thanked her. the three little ones only had a new father and instantly forgot about their stinky father, wei ting. they all took out their little toys and shared them with wei liulang. they played in the courtyard for a while. they couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and wanted to go out and blow up the streets. wei liulang brought them and wei xiyue to the lotus pond and rowed a small boat to pick lotus leaves, lotus flowers, and lotus pods for the entire afternoon. when the five of them returned to the medical center, they were all drenched. old madam wei clenched her fists tightly. ¡°i¡¯ll endure¡­ i¡¯ll endure¡­ the grandson i just acknowledged¡­ can¡¯t be beaten¡­¡± her biological grandson only had three seconds. she knew that asking wei little six to take care of the children would definitely not be proper! compared to matriarch wei, who was so angry that she wanted to explode, the three little tiger heads played to their heart¡¯s content. in the pond, the three of them wanted to catch fish. wei liulang really grabbed them and dived into the water. the three children had never had such an exciting time. after playing and causing trouble, madam li brought the children to change their clothes. matriarch wei called wei liulang to the study and looked at wei liulang, who was still wearing seaweed on his head. she resisted the urge to slap him. ¡°go change your clothes first.¡± ¡°oh.¡± wei liulang went. old madam wei pinched her eyebrows. the grandson she had just acknowledged had to be doted on. after all, he had suffered.. if he was messing around, so be it. it was not like she would lose a piece of flesh. besides, they were his biological sons. he could take care of them however he wanted. she was old and could not interfere with the matters of the younger generation. the children and grandchildren had their own blessings. ¡°grandmother, i¡¯m done changing.¡± wei liulang entered in dry clothes. matriarch wei scolded, ¡°wei liulang, you¡¯re too bold! why don¡¯t you have a proper career as a father? if you dare to bring them to play in the water next time, watch your skin!¡± wei liulang, whose love had disappear, was speechless. old madam wei called wei liulang over for serious business. ¡°since you¡¯re back, you should meet your mother and sister-in-law. i believe you know better than me about the two of them. you don¡¯t have to blame them too much. they have their own difficulties.¡± she could not say that she had no complaints, but she could not add such complaints to the child. everyone in the world had no choice. she was not them. how could she know their situation when they were coerced? ¡°your mother¡­ contributed to the extermination of the white lotus society this time.¡± qin canglan led his troops into the peach forest and avoided all the mechanisms. he did not lose a single soldier because madam wei had provided a map of the peach forest. madam wei did not have a deep relationship with mo guiyuan. she did not know the internal situation of the peach forest and went to look for her cousin, madam guo. she used guo huan¡¯s life as bait to get a portion of the map of the peach forest from madam guo. motherly love was indomitable. madam wei sat in the room trimming the flowers while ping¡¯er hung lanterns under the corridor. madam wei rubbed her sore eyes. ¡°ping¡¯er, bring me another oil lamp. it¡¯s a little dark. i can¡¯t see clearly.¡± an oil lamp with a flickering flame was gently placed on her table. her vision cleared up. madam wei said softly, ¡°how were you able to make it so bright today? there seems to be a wind outside¡­¡± a cloak slowly draped over her. madam wei was amused. ¡°child, why did you¡­¡± halfway through her sentence, she smelled the man¡¯s scent under the fragrance of flowers in the room. it was unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. she turned her head and dropped the flower branch in her hand. the masked wei liulang looked at her steadily. ¡°mother.¡± madam wei stood up and walked towards him in a daze. she raised her trembling hand and touched his cold mask. she couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. she hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face. ¡°yan¡¯er¡­ wei ting woke up in the evening. the moment he opened his eyes, he saw three cute faces. he was stunned. oh, his sons. no, what was with their excited gazes? did something happen when he was unconscious? ¡°dad, are you feeling better?¡± dahu asked. his family did not tell the three little fellows that wei ting had almost lost his life. they only said that he was a little injured and was very tired. he needed to rest. ¡°much better.¡± wei ting did not want the three brats to worry. dahu lay on the edge of the bed and said, ¡°the next time you fight with someone, you can bring sixth uncle with you. he¡¯s very powerful. he even brought us into the water today.¡± after all this time, this was the point. wei ting, whose family status was seriously unstable, glanced at his son solemnly. ¡°what sixth uncle?¡± ¡°oh, wei little six.¡± su xiaoxiao walked over with a bowl of steaming medicine and said to the three little ones, ¡°go find grandpa. daddy is going to take his medicine.¡± ¡°okay.¡± xiaohu said the three of them went to find su cheng. wei ting was at a loss. ¡°what¡¯s going on? has my sixth brother acknowledged dahu and the others?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°he didn¡¯t completely acknowledge them. he was their father for a day.¡± wei ting was not stupid. after thinking for a moment, he almost understood. ¡°why is it liushu (sixth younger uncle) again?¡± he was the seventh child in order of birth. when his ¡°sons¡± addressed his sixth brother, they should call him liubo (sixth older uncle). su xiaoxiao said, ¡°they followed xiyue.¡± xi yue was second brother¡¯s child, so she did call wei yan liushu (sixth younger uncle). wei ting snorted. ¡°once they have a new father, they forget about me, their old father. such a group of heartless people!¡± su xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°i have a conscience! ¡± wei ting chuckled. ¡°that¡¯s right. young master liu, young master zhang, zhao tuzi¡­ you really have a conscience.¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°looks like we can¡¯t move past this.¡± wei ting drank the medicine and was not in a hurry to lie down. ¡°i¡¯ll sit for a while. i¡¯ll feel dizzy after sleeping for too long.¡± su xiaoxiao took a pillow for him to lean on. wei ting suddenly said, ¡°i¡¯ve already asked the imperial inspector to work out a date.¡± ¡°yes?¡± su xiaoxiao was confused by his random words. ¡°what date?¡± wei ting said coldly, ¡°wedding.¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°whose is it?¡± wei ting looked at her with a dark expression. who was the one who started looking for the next family when he was unconscious? was she pretending to be confused now? su xiaoxiao cleared her throat and raised her chin. ¡°actually, i don¡¯t want to marry that much, but if you insist on marrying me, i can consider it for the sake of the children.¡± wei ting glanced at her. ¡°two days. the first of july, october¡­¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°the first of july!¡± Chapter 582 - Chapter 582: Autopsy chapter 582: autopsy translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°boss, the millet porridge is ready. can i bring it in now?¡± ying¡¯er¡¯s voice came from outside the room. su xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°come in.¡± ying¡¯er pushed the door open and entered. she looked at wei ting, who was sitting at the head of the bed, and said in surprise, ¡®young master recovered so quickly. you can already sit up!¡± previously, many injured people came to the medical center. they were not as seriously injured as wei ting, but they lay for ten days to half a month. su xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°isn¡¯t that because my medical skills are brilliant?¡± ¡°boss¡¯s medical skills are the best!¡± ying¡¯er put down the millet porridge with a smile. ¡°young master is also very strong!¡± su xiaoxiao was both miffed and amused. ¡°this girl really doesn¡¯t offend anyone!¡± wei ting¡¯s appetite was not good. he could not eat after eating half a bowl. thinking of something, su xiaoxiao said, ¡°by the way, wei ting, i have something to ask you.¡± wei ting said, ¡°the first of july.¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. wei ting smiled coldly. ¡°you¡¯re so impatient. are you afraid that i¡¯ll run away?¡± it was already the middle of may. the first of july was a month away. su xiaoxiao crossed her arms and said seriously, ¡°ask again! about the date proposed by the grand astronomer!¡± wei ting asked seriously, ¡°the grand astronomer chose two auspicious days ¡ª the end of october or the first of july?¡± su xiaoxiao decisively chose the latter. ¡°the first of july!¡± wait¡­ this guy tricked her! wei ting couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he accidentally pulled on his wound and immediately couldn¡¯t laugh anymore. she was in embarrassment, and he was in pain. they were even. su xiaoxiao could let go. her face was not important. her eight-pack was the most important. at this thought, su xiaoxiao quickly brought over the remaining half bowl of porridge. ¡°eat more. you¡¯ll recover quickly.¡± wei ting wondered, ¡°why do i feel that you have ill intentions?¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°but don¡¯t you ancient¡­ ahem, don¡¯t people in the capital believe in ghosts and gods? july is a ghost month, especially after the ghost festival. it¡¯s said that the undead will return to the human world. is it really fine to get married in july?¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care, but she didn¡¯t believe in this. wei ting looked at the ceiling and said faintly, ¡°only in this way can the undead of my wei family attend our wedding.¡± su xiaoxiao mused, ¡°why do i feel that it¡¯s so cool?¡± the truth was that although july was called the ghost month, the first day of july this year was indeed an auspicious day calculated by sikong yun. su xiaoxiao got back to the topic. ¡°by the way, wei ting, i have a question for you.¡± wei ting said, ¡°ask.¡± su xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°how did you know that mo guiyuan would definitely go to pear blossom lane?¡± wei ting said, ¡°there¡¯s a passageway in pear blossom lane that leads to the second peach forest.¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°the second peach forest?¡± wei ting shook his head. ¡°it¡¯s not that kind of big peach forest. it¡¯s a small stronghold of the white lotus society. all the deployments needed to evacuate are there.¡± there was a lot of information in these words. su xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°when did you discover it?¡± ¡°before entering the peach forest this time.¡± wei ting paused. ¡°my mother told me.¡± ¡°did she get this information from madam guo too?¡± su xiaoxiao already knew that qin canglan¡¯s route was a map provided by madam wei. wei ting nodded. back then, mo guiyuan realized that this daughter was not under his control, so he arranged for madam guo to marry into the capital. madam guo was loyal to mo guiyuan. if not for madam wei using guo huan¡¯s life to threaten her, madam guo would never have betrayed mo guiyuan. of course, madam wei had only written an empty cheque. it was impossible for her to save guo huan. madam wei, who had been monitored and threatened by her biological father for half her life, finally gave mo guiyuan a fatal blow. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°where¡¯s the passageway to pear blossom lane? don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s at our house.¡± wei ting paused. ¡°at ling yun¡¯s residence.¡± su xiaoxiao was slightly stunned. ¡°ling yun¡­¡± wei ting understood what she was surprised about and said, ¡°ling yun moved here three years ago. that secret passage existed long ago. he might have just accidentally rented that house.¡± su xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°since it¡¯s a house with secrets, why was it rented out? don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange?¡± wei ting analyzed, ¡°perhaps this is the only way to hide it. if it was really someone from the white lotus society who lived there, they would have been found out long ago.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± however, su xiaoxiao felt that something was wrong. she couldn¡¯t figure it out, so she decided not to think about it. she would ask ling yun next time. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°there¡¯s one more thing i don¡¯t understand. why does the white lotus society want to plant peach trees? why not lotus flowers?¡± wei ting said, ¡°perhaps it¡¯s because¡­ people can¡¯t live underwater?¡± su xiaoxiao glared at him. wei ting laughed and pulled at his wound again. he gasped in pain. wei ting recalled, ¡°my grandmother loved to plant peaches. i heard from my brothers that there were large peach forests in our maternal family in lingnan. when my grandmother was alive, she would get someone to send her to the capital every year to personally plant peaches.¡± su xiaoxiao hummed. ¡°was mo guiyuan lovestruck?¡± wei ting sighed softly. ¡°who knows?¡± perhaps it was just self-affectation. ¡°lord!¡± yuchi xiu rushed in energetically, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it in one gulp. ¡°slave xiu has already been buried. i specially found a treasure land. i¡¯m so tired!¡± ¡°you buried slave xiu?¡± su xiaoxiao was a little surprised. wei ting pondered and said, ¡°slave xiu was killed by mo guiyuan because he refused to kill me. moreover, i keep feeling that the person he knows might be related to the wei family.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°are you talking about the other owner of the iron bell he wei ting nodded. ¡°before he died, he told me a name, lord ghostfear.¡± su xiaoxiao pondered and said, ¡°lord ghostfear? this is more like a jianghu title. ¡± wei ting said seriously, ¡°lord ghostfear should be the owner of the other iron bell. my father found someone to specially make this iron bell. only us brothers have it.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at him and said, ¡°you suspect that person is one of your brothers?¡± wei ting said, ¡°back then, when i rushed to the border to collect the corpses of my grandfather and my father, other than my grandfather¡¯s corpse hanging on the frozen city gate tower because he was beheaded and not rotten, the rest¡­ were thrown into the wilderness. they were more or less unrecognizable. my sixth brother was almost decomposed, leaving only a set of armor and unassembled remains. but since my sixth brother came back alive, those remains must be someone else¡¯s. i¡¯m thinking¡­¡± su xiaoxiao finished for him. ¡°could there be another corpse that didn¡¯t belong?¡± this guess was not unreasonable. it was even very reliable. if possible, wei ting hoped that everyone was alive, but he also understood that this was impossible. it was already a miracle that sixth brother could live. su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said seriously, ¡°wei ting, let¡¯s do an autopsy..¡± Chapter 583 - Chapter 583: Father and Brother chapter 583: father and brother translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°no way. you¡¯re going to open the coffin for an autopsy in the middle of the night?¡± yuchi xiu firmly disagreed! it was fine for him to kill people, but not dig up dead people¡¯s graves! it was definitely not that he was afraid of ghosts! wei ting was struggling. it was not easy for him to accept the deaths of his grandfather, father, and brothers. to examine their corpses was undoubtedly to announce their deaths again. no matter who died, it was a heart-piercing pain to him. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t force him. after interacting with him for a long time, she realized that although he looked sloppy, he was very loyal. in comparison, su xiaoxiao felt that she was the relatively cold one. yuchi xiu refused. ¡°don¡¯t test, don¡¯t test, don¡¯t test¡­ ¡°are you sure it can be tested?¡± wei ting asked. yuchi xiu trembled. ¡°do you really want to test it? the matriarch will kill you!¡± su xiaoxiao said firmly, ¡°yes.¡± as long as it was not an empty armor, even if it was only a strand of hair or a bone fragment, the pharmacy could detect genetic fragments. wei ting seemed to have made up his mind. he clenched his injured fists and said, ¡°okay, we¡¯ll test.¡± yuchi xiu was about to faint. what kind of ferocious couple were these two? as the second-ranked killer on the assassin ranking, he was already ferocious enough, but compared to these two fellows, why did he seem so soft-hearted? wei ting looked at him from the corner of his eye. yuchi xiu¡¯s scalp went numb. ¡°why are you looking at me like that? don¡¯t tell me you want me to dig?¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°do you want me to dig?¡± yuchi xiu held back the chills in his heart. ¡°i¡­ i can¡¯t dig it myself!¡± an hour later. yuchi xiu grabbed a shovel with both hands and appeared expressionlessly at the wei family¡¯s graveyard. this graveyard was bought by lord wu an. at first, he bought it blindly. later on, he asked a feng shui master to take a look. it was really a treasure land. wei ting, who was sitting in a wheelchair, and su xiaoxiao, who was pushing the wheelchair, appeared with yuchi xiu. of course, there was also fu su. fu su had been seriously injured by guo huan last time. after that, he had been recuperating in the wei family. it was not easy for him to receive a mission, but he was actually asked to dig a grave. fu su was on the brink of tears. could he be more unfortunate? matriarch wei would beat him to death¡­ although wei ting said that lord wu an¡¯s corpse was stitched up by himself, su xiaoxiao still decided to examine them all. she put on a mask and gloves and came to lord wu an¡¯s grave. she bowed deeply and said calmly, ¡°begin.¡± the two tools dug desperately. after digging, they still had to pry open the coffin. when wei ting went to collect the corpses of his family members back then, the two of them were not around. at this moment, looking at the tragic corpses of the wei family, they finally understood a little of wei ting¡¯s pain and despair. after taking the samples, su xiaoxiao found a leeward hill and entered the pharmacy. she used their tissue and wei ting¡¯s hair for the appraisal. when she came out with the test results, it was almost dawn. wei ting guarded the event location and calmly looked at the remains in each coffin, as he quietly waited for his family to die again. the difference was that this time, there would be hope of survival. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°lord wu an, the relationship between grandfather and grandson is established.¡± wei ting closed his eyes. he knew that there was no way he could be wrong about his grandfather¡¯s corpse. however, as she announced it again, his heart would still hurt. ¡°wei liulang, affinity doesn¡¯t hold.¡± of course. sixth brother was already alive, so the remains were naturally someone else¡¯s. ¡°wei wulang, the relationship is established.¡± ¡°wei silang, the relationship is established.¡± ¡°wei sanlang, the relationship is established.¡± wei ting¡¯s heart was stabbed again and again. the pain in his body was already numb, and the pain in his heart almost made him spasm slightly. ¡°wei erlang, the affinity doesn¡¯t hold.¡± wei ting¡¯s heart trembled! ¡°wei dalang, the affinity doesn¡¯t hold.¡± wei ting stood up excitedly! ¡°in addition¡­¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°your father doesn¡¯t have a corpse, so there¡¯s no way to test him.¡± at that time, he had searched many places but could not find his father¡¯s body. later on, he captured a deputy general of northern yan and learned that norther yan had thrown his father¡¯s body into the volcano. wei ting said sadly, ¡°the possibility of my father¡­ surviving is not high.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°oh.¡± wei ting narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°in that case, ghostfear should be one of my two brothers. i should be satisfied to have another brother alive. i can¡¯t ask for too much.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°maybe they¡¯re all alive.¡± ¡°that would be great.¡± however, how could wei ting dare to hope? wei ting asked yuchi xiu and fu su to seal the coffin again and bury it. he also found a good place to bury the unfamiliar corpses. after doing this, the sky was already bright. he had yet to decide if he should tell matriarch wei and his sisters-in-law, but he did not want to hide it from sixth brother. as the only person who had survived that fierce battle, sixth brother had always felt extremely guilty. the three little ones did not have class today. when the three of them returned to the medical center, they had already come to look for their sixth uncle. the three of them wanted him to carry them, but he only had one hand. after carrying one, he could not care less about the other two. he was flustered and helpless. ¡°dahu, erhu, xiaohu.¡± su xiaoxiao called the three little fellows over. ¡°go find grandpa fu and get a few sieves for me. i want to dry my medicine later.¡± ¡°okay! mom!¡± the three of them left. wei liulang looked at his left hand and was extremely frustrated. wei ting sat in the wheelchair and said to wei liulang, ¡°sixth brother, come to the room. i have something to tell you.¡± ¡°where did you go last night?¡± ¡°that¡¯s what i wanted to tell you¡­¡± wei liulang wheeled wei ting into the room. su xiaoxiao went to the study next door. the image of wei liulang vexed with his broken arm flashed across her mind. she suddenly felt that it was time to resolve the problem of wei liulang¡¯s arm. her first thought was to install a prosthetic limb. a prosthetic limb could make wei liulang look like a normal person. it was just that it did not have any function, but it was better than nothing. unfortunately, wei liulang¡¯s wound had not healed, and it was stained with water yesterday¡­ su xiaoxiao finally understood matriarch wei¡¯s state of mind. she really wanted to tie wei liulang up and make him stay at home obediently! su xiaoxiao thought of the last time mo guiyuan¡¯s tendons were broken by wei ting, but he seemed to have taken some life-saving medicine to quickly heal his broken tendons. perhaps this medicine had a miraculous effect on wei liulang¡¯s injuries. she had just taken out the can of poison from the medicine master of western jin when her vision flashed. she had entered the pharmacy and the poison in her hand was gone. su xiaoxiao was confused. so she couldn¡¯t touch other people¡¯s medicine, right? su xiaoxiao wanted to go out, but she accidentally saw a sealed glass cabinet in the materials room opposite. a metal arm was propped up in the cabinet. a prosthetic limb? but why wasn¡¯t there a socket? could it be directly connected to the neurons? Chapter 584 - Chapter 584: Going Numb from Winning chapter 584: going numb from winning translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao put on sterile gloves, opened the glass cabinet, and took off the metal arm. it was a right arm. she had measured wei liulang¡¯s arm, and the length matched. su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t tell what kind of metal it was, but it was very light. soon, su xiaoxiao realized that it actually had an acceptance chamber, but it was hidden at the top. when it was installed, the acceptance chamber would automatically open. su xiaoxiao had discussed wei liulang¡¯s injuries with physician fu. physician fu said that he had seen others install prosthetic limbs. it was not a proper hand, but a hook with a metal cast. it was filled with soft cloth and cotton to reduce the wear and tear of the flesh and bones. the comfort could not be compared to those available in her previous life. this kind of ¡°prosthetic limb¡± was mostly convenient for work. it was neither beautiful nor comfortable. now, the pharmacy had given her a simulated prosthetic limb. although it could not replace a real arm, it could ensure maximum aesthetics and comfort. as for its practicality, su xiaoxiao was not sure. there was no instruction manual. however, with her understanding of the pharmacy, unfamiliar products often meant the black technology of the base¡¯s pharmacy. su xiaoxiao decided to take it out and try it on wei liulang later. not now. she had been tossing and turning all night and was feeling dizzy. she had to catch up on her sleep. otherwise, she was afraid that she would probably install the arm upside down for wei liulang. in the next room, wei ting told his sixth brother about the grave digging. wei liulang was stunned for a long time. he thought he was the most mischievous person in the family, but no matter how mischievous he was, he did not dare dig the graves at home! ¡®you¡­¡± he wanted to beat little seven up. ¡°sixth brother, listen to me first. i had no choice.¡± wei ting, who had to pant heavily, hurriedly explained the matter of the blood test. wei liulang did not understand. there was no blood left. how could they still use blood to identify their relatives? wei ting explained, ¡°daya¡¯s unique medical skills enable her to test with bones and hair. in short, the results are accurate.¡± no matter how they bickered after closing the door, they had to support the little fat peacock outside. wei liulang was stunned. ¡°so you mean¡­ it¡¯s not big brother and second brother¡¯s corpses that are buried in the coffin. the two of them.. might still be alive?¡± wei ting said seriously, ¡°at least one survived.¡± that was the lord ghostfear that slave xiu mentioned. as for the other¡­ just because there was no corpse did not mean that he had really survived. he and sixth brother had seen with their own eyes how tragic the situation on the battlefield could be. wei liulang sat on the chair in a daze. it was good that one brother was alive¡­ it was good that one brother was alive¡­ wei ting said, ¡°i don¡¯t think we should tell grandmother, mother, and the few sisters-in-law about this yet. what do you think, sixth brother?¡± wei liulang had no objections. regardless of whether it was eldest brother or second brother who was alive, they had to find them first. otherwise, his grandmother and the others would suffer too much. thinking of his family¡¯s death, wei liulang¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°although mo guiyuan has been killed, the murderer of the wei family is still northern yan. i have to take revenge sooner or later!¡± wei ting said with a determined gaze, ¡°definitely.¡± wei liulang seemed to have thought of something. his lips moved, but he hesitated. wei ting guessed what he did not say and narrowed his eyes. ¡°sixth brother, the time is not ripe.¡± wei liulang clenched his fists and whisdered. ¡°i understand.¡± wei ting was afraid that he would take things too hard and run to the palace to do something stupid, so he changed the topic. ¡°did sixth brother see mother?¡± wei ting was afraid that he would take things too hard and run to the palace to do something stupid, so he changed the topic. ¡°did sixth brother see mother?¡± wei ting smiled. ¡°mother must be very happy.¡± ¡°yes.¡± wei liulang nodded. wei ting was envious. he already understood his mother¡¯s difficulties over the years, but he did not know if it was because they had been distant for too long. even if the knot in their hearts was untied, they would not be able to recover their normal mother-and-son relationship. ¡°have you seen sister-in-law?¡± wei ting asked again. wei liulang shook his head regretfully. ¡°no, sister-in-law left.¡± madam chu had left the wei family. she didn¡¯t leave a word or take a cent. madam wei deliberately distanced herself from the children. the eldest sister-in-law was like a mother. they felt their mother¡¯s thoughtfulness and gentleness from madam chu. she felt that she had done something wrong to the wei family and was too ashamed to continue staying in the wei family, so she chose to leave silently. she looked weak, but she was very stubborn. wei ting muttered, ¡°it¡¯s a pity that sister-in-law didn¡¯t know that you were still alive until she left. if she knew, how happy would she be¡­¡± in the next few days, wei ting and wei liulang were pressed down by su xiaoxiao to recuperate in the medical center. on the imperial court¡¯s side, they also confirmed that the person who was found beheaded by the capital was mo guiyuan. although they did not know who the murderer was, it was more or less satisfying. a sharp knife hanging above his head finally landed. emperor jing xuan ate two more bowls of rice than usual. emperor jing xuan asked xiao zhonghua to lead the troops and carefully search the peach forest of the white lotus society. why did he not let xiao shunyang go? it was mainly because xiao shunyang was not as familiar with the peach forest as xiao zhonghua. xiao zhonghua searched everywhere he could, but found nothing. in the imperial study, emperor jing xuan frowned. ¡°back then, mo guiyuan swallowed a gold mine. even if he has been squandering money all these years, it¡¯s impossible for him to spend it all!¡± xiao zhonghua sighed. ¡°father, we really didn¡¯t find it.¡± emperor jing xuan noticed xiao shunyang¡¯s expression. ¡°second brother, what are you trying to say?¡± xiao shunyang recalled, ¡°i¡­ think i¡¯ve seen the white lotus society¡¯s vault, but it disappeared overnight. i¡¯m not sure if i¡¯m seeing things.¡± emperor jing xuan did not give up. he sent another expert to follow xiao zhonghua to look for it, but the outcome was the same. emperor jing xuan was furious. where did the gold of the white lotus society go? also, was it his imagination? he fought with the white lotus society, but in the end, he and mo guiyuan did not gain any advantage. who was the one who benefited? after a few rounds of searching, they did not find the gold. instead, they fished guo huan¡¯s corpse out of the trap. prime minister guo refused to retrieve guo huan¡¯s corpse and said that he had already removed this evil creature from the guo family. no one in the guo familv was allowed to collect his corpse! madam guo secretly went. it was said that after burying guo huan, madam guo was in so much pain that she committed suicide in front of guo huan¡¯s grave. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t believe this excuse. could a spy of the white lotus society commit suicide? couldn¡¯t it be that prime minister guo was afraid of being implicated and hurriedly eliminated the remaining members of the white lotus society? in addition, leng rui was dead. the bones in his body were broken by the huge rock. it was simply a tragic sight. leng tiannan was originally under the huge rock, but leng zhiruo saved him in time. however, leng tiannan¡¯s situation was not optimistic. his life was saved, and his legs were crippled by the boulder. the only person in the capital who could save him was su xiaoxiao. but su xiaoxiao¡­ didn¡¯t save him! in the blink of an eye, it was the end of may. su xiaoxiao waited happily for the reward from the pharmacy. in the end, there was nothing. an arm offset all the rewards. su xiaoxiao cried in her heart! it was too tragic. if she had known earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted this arm! ¡°boss, the medicine is ready.¡± yun xiu¡¯s voice came from outside the house. su xiaoxiao wiped her chest. ¡°come in.¡± the door was open, so yun xiu naturally saw her actions. ¡°boss, are you feeling unwell?¡± su xiaoxiao said soullessly, ¡°no, i¡¯m wiping my tears.¡± yun xiu was dumbfounded. ¡°is sixth young master around?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. to outsiders, wei liulang was sixth young master. yun xiu said, ¡°sixth young master went out. ah, right, he said that he can¡¯t pick up the three young masters today.¡± su xiaoxiao decided to pick them up herself. anyway, ling yun¡¯s residence was not far. it was a good opportunity to test if ling yun knew the secret passage of the white lotus society. su xiaoxiao brought the medicine to wei ting¡¯s room and watched him walk to pear blossom lane after drinking it. she was halfway to the door when she suddenly felt someone following her suspiciously.. Chapter 585 - Chapter 585: The Three Little Ones chapter 585: the three little ones translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this person¡¯s tracking skills were not high and did not notice the shadow projected on the ground. su xiaoxiao looked at the shadow on the ground and stopped in her tracks. the other party seemed to be alerted and flashed back behind the wall. when the other party came to the alley again, su xiaoxiao was long gone. ¡°where is she?¡± ¡°here.¡± little demon su¡¯s voice sounded above her head. the other party looked up and exclaimed in shock. su xiaoxiao jumped down and landed steadily in front of the other party. she said indifferently, ¡°guo lingxi, why are you following me?¡± that¡¯s right, this person was none other than princess lingxi, who had always been at odds with su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao had seen too many evil people and basically didn¡¯t take it to heart. guo lingxi was different. her disgust for su xiaoxiao increased day by day. now, she wished she could skin su xiaoxiao alive. she tightened her grip on the whip in her hand, and a twisted anger appeared on her beautiful face. ¡°su daya! you killed my mother and brother. i want you to pay with your life!¡± with that, she grabbed the whip and called out to su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao raised her hand and easily grabbed the end of her whip. a strange touch came from her palm. only then did su xiaoxiao see that guo lingxi was holding a whip with a blade. fortunately, she was vigilant and wore silver silk gloves in advance. seeing that su xiaoxiao was holding her whip unscathed, a trace of surprise flashed across guo lingxi¡¯s eyes. ¡°you¡­¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°guo lingxi, there¡¯re no grudges between us, but we¡¯re not friends. in short, my tolerance for you is very low. you¡¯d better not court death in front of me again!¡± she was so angry that she stomped her feet. ¡°you still have the cheek to criticize me? don¡¯t you know what you¡¯ve done? you killed my brother! you killed my mother! i want to take revenge on you!¡± su xiaoxiao sneered. ¡°guo lingxi, i used to think that you were a little unruly and willful, but i didn¡¯t expect you to be so stupid.¡± guo lingxi exploded. ¡°su daya!¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°your brother is the division leader of the white lotus society. he deserved to die. not to mention that he didn¡¯t die at my hands, even if he did, you¡¯re not qualified to seek revenge on me! as for your mother¡¯s death, why don¡¯t you ask your good grandfather what he did?¡± guo lingxi gritted her teeth. ¡°you¡­ you¡¯re shameless! you¡¯re despicable! you actually want to sow discord between me and my grandfather!¡± ¡°that¡¯s all i have to say. believe it or not.¡± with su xiaoxiao¡¯s current status, she really disdained playing with guo lingxi. it was guo lingxi who was prejudiced against her. she had to blame su xiaoxiao for all the nonsense. she was kind-hearted and pointed out a way for guo lingxi. as for whether guo lingxi was sensible or not, it was none of her business. she didn¡¯t care. su xiaoxiao pulled guo lingxi¡¯s whip over and threw it into a water bucket at the side. she left without looking back. ¡°su daya!¡± ¡°if you cause trouble again, you¡¯ll be the one thrown in.¡± guo lingxi looked at su xiaoxiao¡¯s cold back as she left. she was angry and anxious. she squatted by the roadside and cried. ¡°brother¡­ mother¡­¡± a carriage stopped in front of her. the curtain was lifted, revealing prime minister guo¡¯s dignified face. he recognized guo lingxi and said coldly, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? why are you crying on the streets? come up!¡± guo lingxi sobbed and got into the carriage. prime minister guo said coldly, ¡°didn¡¯t i warn you not to leave the residence for the next few days? there¡¯s already enough going on in the capital recently. stop causing trouble for me!¡± on the surface, emperor jing xuan did not vent his anger on prime minister guo regarding guo huan and the white lotus society, but several civil servants under prime minister guo were reprimanded. serving a king was like serving a tiger. the anger of the emperor had always been difficult to resist. guo lingxi looked at prime minister guo with tears in her eyes. ¡°grandpa¡­ did you kill mother?¡± prime minister guo¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°what nonsense are you talking about!¡± guo lingxi cried, ¡°big brother is from the white lotus society¡­ do you suspect that mother is the same¡­ so you killed mother to silence her¡­¡± prime minister guo flew into a rage out of humiliation and said, ¡°shut up! stop listening to those rumors outside! from today onwards, you¡¯re grounded at home and not allowed to go anywhere!¡± guo lingxi cried. prime minister guo¡¯s cold gaze landed on his granddaughter¡¯s appearance, which was almost comparable to princess hui an¡¯s. a thought-provoking glint flashed across his eyes. su xiaoxiao went to ling yun¡¯s residence in pear blossom lane. from afar, she could hear xiaohu howling and swaying. ling yun sat on the futon with a numb expression and watched the three little fellows flip his room upside down. ¡°young master, physician su is here,¡± deng an said. ever since he found out that su xiaoxiao¡¯s surname was su and did not take her husband¡¯s, deng an changed his name to physician su. when they heard that their mother had arrived, the three little ones immediately stopped causing trouble and ran out. ling yun felt like he was alive again. wei xiyue did not come over today. she accompanied madam li back to her maiden home. su xiaoxiao touched the three little fellows¡¯ heads. ¡°were you obedient today?¡± dahu said, ¡°dahu is very obedient!¡± erhu said, ¡°erhu is also obedient!¡± xiaohu shook his head. ¡°xiaohu is the most obedient!¡± dahu and erhu muttered, ¡°you¡¯re the most disobedient!¡± su xiaoxiao was amused and said to the three little fellows, ¡°you guys play in the courtyard first. i¡¯ll talk to your master for a while.¡± the three of them obediently went to the courtyard to tear down the house. when ling yun heard that his three rascal disciples were still not leaving, his expression darkened. however, when he saw the two boxes of snacks su xiaoxiao brought in, his expression softened. ¡°have a seat,¡± he said. su xiaoxiao took off her shoes and rested her white footwear before entering. she sat down on the futon opposite him. she placed the two boxes of crab roe pastries on the table and began to size him up. uh¡­ had she given too many snacks recently? master ling yun¡¯s cheeks were fat. he was so handsome that no one dared to recognize him. ¡°is something the matter?¡± ling yun asked. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°you moved to pear blossom lane three years ago. who did you rent the house from?¡± ling yun looked at her in confusion. ¡°a bailiff of the government office. what¡¯s wrong?¡± su xiaoxiao paused. ¡°do you know that there¡¯s a secret passage in this house?¡± ling yun was stunned. ¡°in the woodshed.¡¯ su xiaoxiao brought ling yun to the woodshed in his backyard. according to wei ting¡¯s description, she found the mechanism in the corner and opened the secret passage hidden underground. looking at the dark passageway, ling yun was confused. su xiaoxiao understood. ¡°looks like you don¡¯t know.¡± ling yun frowned. ¡°how did you know that there was a secret passage in my house?¡± su xiaoxiao said honestly, ¡°i investigated.¡± ling yun¡¯s face darkened. where was the basic trust between people? su xiaoxiao told him about the white lotus society. ling yun¡¯s face darkened. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you suspect that i¡¯m related to the white lotus society?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°if i suspected you, i wouldn¡¯t have told you.¡± ¡°hmph, that¡¯s more like it!¡± ¡°mother!¡± xiaohu covered his butt and limped over.. he complained aggrievedly, ¡°dahu hit me!¡± Chapter 586 - Chapter 586: Wedding Dress chapter 586: wedding dress translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao asked in amusement, ¡°where did dahu hit you?¡± ¡°here, here, and here!¡± he pointed at his entire body. su xiaoxiao asked exaggeratedly, ¡°he even hit you on the head?¡± ¡°yes!¡± xiaohu complained immediately. dahu shouted from the courtyard, ¡°i didn¡¯t hit you on the head!¡± xiaohu shouted back, ¡®you hit me!¡± the two little fellows quarreled across the air. su xiaoxiao called erhu over. ¡°tell me, what happened?¡± erhu said clearly, ¡°xiaohu wanted to hit the gong, but dahu didn¡¯t let him. xiaohu used a small hammer to hit dahu. dahu snatched the hammer and hit xiaohu back.¡± su xiaoxiao remarked, ¡°after all this time, it¡¯s a fight between brothers.¡± ¡°you started it,¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously to xiaohu. xiaohu crossed his fingers and said guiltily, ¡°i didn¡¯t. it was the hammer.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°dahu didn¡¯t do it either. it was the hammer.¡± xiaohu was suddenly dumbfounded. xiaohu couldn¡¯t win with reason, so he began to act pitifully. ¡°it hurts! xiaohu hurts!¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. who did the little guy take after? su xiaoxiao brought the three little ones home. su cheng was cleaning the courtyard. su ergou had also moved back from the marquis of zhenbei¡¯s estate and was feeding sihu. sihu had grown up a lot more and was jumping around and trampling the lawn. ¡°grandpa¡­¡¯ as soon as xiaohu entered the courtyard, he spread his arms and walked towards su cheng while crying. su cheng quickly put down the broom and picked the little guy up. he asked worriedly, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? why are you crying?¡± ¡°wuwa¡­ dahu hit me¡­ a new round of complaints began. su cheng brought the three little fellows to the central room. when he came out, the three little ones were already sitting obediently on the stool and were extremely affectionate. xiaohu fed dahu his pancake. ¡°dahu, do you want it?¡± if she wanted to coax a child, she had to rely on father su. su cheng continued to tidy up the courtyard. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°dad, why are you suddenly tidying up the courtyard?¡± su cheng sighed. ¡°sigh, aren¡¯t we about to move out? we have to clean it up for her. after all, we¡¯ve lived here for so long.¡± yes, they were about to move back to the protectorate. this courtyard belonged to mistress hui jue. they had lived here since they came to the capital. they really treated this place as their home. su xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°if dad likes it, you can stay for a few more days.¡± su cheng said, ¡®you have to marry from the qin family, right?¡± this was for his daughter¡¯s lifelong happiness. although he did not care about those superficial things, he always hoped to give his daughter the best. back in the countryside, he had casually caught a live-in son-in-law and did not even put up a proper banquet. this time, she had to marry him openly. her father was already so reluctant to part with a small courtyard that he had only lived in for a few months. when he left the countryside back then, was her father even sadder? at that time, his father did not know his background and accompanied her to the capital without hesitation. su xiaoxiao felt more than once that her father was too good. the two of them sat down on the small stool. su xiaoxiao tilted her head and leaned on su cheng¡¯s shoulder. she was not used to being intimate with her elders. this was the first time. she felt that her father needed such comfort. ¡°dad, i¡¯m not getting married anymore. this is good. anyway, wei ting is our live-in son-in-law.¡± ¡°what nonsense are you talking about?¡± su cheng glared at his daughter. although he said that, he felt sweetness in his heart. to be honest, he could not bear to part with his fair and chubby daughter. he was afraid that she would be bullied after marrying into her in-laws¡¯ family. otherwise, he would not have chosen to recruit a live-in son-in-law in the countryside. the wei family was different. his daughter would not suffer any grievances after marrying over. besides, she had the qin family backing her up. unless the wei family was tired of living, they would never dare to stack the deck against her. ¡°i¡¯ll find an opportunity to move your mother¡¯s grave over later.¡± ¡°okay.¡± su cheng patted his daughter¡¯s hand and let out a long sigh. there was clearly a month before she got married, but he had already begun to miss her. su xiaoxiao suddenly said, ¡°dad, why don¡¯t you marry another wife?¡± su cheng said seriously, ¡°what nonsense are you talking about?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°one has to look forward. mother has passed away for so many years, and you¡¯ve guarded ergou and me for so many years. ergou and i are all grown up. you should plan for yourself.¡± she knew very well that when she was in the countryside, the matchmaker came to matchmake her father with various women, but his father didn¡¯t want any of them. firstly, he did not meet anyone he liked. secondly, he was worried that their stepmother would make the two children suffer. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°dad, you¡¯re still young. you¡¯re only in your thirties. you¡¯re young enough to give ergou and me two younger siblings.¡± su cheng said with a dark expression, ¡°i¡¯m fine on my own. why would i marry a wife?¡± as soon as he finished speaking, a pink undergarment fell out of his sleeve. su xiaoxiao was speechless. and so su cheng. on the first day of june, the three little ones welcomed their three-year-old birthday. xiaohu took a deep breath of the milk bottle and valiantly expressed that from now on, he would be a three-year-old child! su xiaoxiao and su ergou were brought to the family by qin canglan to pay respects to their ancestors. the two of them were officially named on the family tree and had their own names from then on. qin su, word, xiaoxiao. it was still su xiaoxiao. this name was the result of many parties¡¯ suggestions ¡ª the inputs came from qin canglan, the old marquis, and su xiaoxiao herself. su ergou was called qin wu, a name sikong yun came up with. su xiaoxiao seriously suspected that qin canglan had placed a knife on sikong yun¡¯s neck, giving sikong yun a chance to reorganize his words. however, su xiaoxiao was still used to calling him ergou. in addition, manager sun finally bought the shop next door. manager sun opened the wall in the middle and widened su xiaoxiao¡¯s small courtyard by two times. there were two more rooms. this shop was bought for su ergou to make snacks. in the future, it would be called ergou pancake shop. wei ting was out of danger and moved back to the wei family to recuperate. because wei liulang had ground his bones, his recovery period was longer. he had to completely recover before he could have his arm fitted. this could not be rushed. with the wedding approaching, the empress dowager stopped su xiaoxiao from entering the palace and asked her to prepare for her marriage at home. most of the brides in the great zhou dynasty embroidered their own wedding dresses. su xiaoxiao¡¯s needlework was fine, but it was too difficult for her to make a wedding dress. princess jingning and princess hui an brought their embroiderers to the protector duke¡¯s estate. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect you to be the first to be married off,¡± princess hui an muttered. ¡°you¡¯re clearly a few days younger than me.¡± among the three of them, princess jingning was the eldest. she was 17 this year. princess hui an and su xiaoxiao were born in winter and december. princess hui an sat on the chair and said listlessly, ¡°but it¡¯s good to get married so that no one will miss you.¡± su xiaoxiao acutely caught the hidden meaning in princess hui an¡¯s words. ¡°is something wrong?¡± she asked. princess hui an said nothing. princess jingning said, ¡°father plans to marry me to the western jin for a marriage alliance. a minister suggested¡­ sending a princess to be married..¡± Chapter 587 - Chapter 587: Perfection chapter 587: perfection translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios at sunset. xiao zhonghua knelt on the cold floor of the imperial study. ¡°father, i don¡¯t agree to the marriage!¡± recently, emperor jing xuan had been furious and his temper could not take it anymore. ¡°who are you to agree to my actions? don¡¯t think that you can disregard me just because you¡¯ve contributed to wiping out the white lotus society. i¡¯m the emperor! everything i do is for the country and the people!¡± ¡°then must we sacrifice your daughter?¡± xiao zhonghua was not as excited as him, but the sadness in his eyes was like a sharp sword stabbing into emperor jing xuan¡¯s organs. emperor jing xuan said angrily, ¡°this is her life as a princess! besides, western jin is a powerful country. how can she be wronged if she marries into the western jin?¡± the two of them did not mention which princess they were marrying off at all, but they already knew tacitly who the chosen one was. in terms of looks, princess hui an was the number one beauty of the royal family. princess jingning¡¯s beauty was too mediocre. indeed, if the great zhou was willing to give away the fate of a country, the western jin would not mind that princess jingning was not beautiful enough. but could emperor jing xuan bear to do so? xiao zhonghua looked straight into emperor jing xuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°then may i ask father, who do you plan to let hui an marry? is it the old emperor of western jin or the eldest prince of western jin who already has a first wife? it can¡¯t be for the princess of western jin, since i¡¯ve never heard of the princess¡¯s preference for women.¡± listen, what nonsense was this kid saying! emperor jing xuan said angrily, ¡°this is none of your business.¡± xiao zhonghua said, ¡°hui an is my sister.¡± emperor jing xuan was furious. ¡°you only remember that she¡¯s your sister, but do you still remember that i¡¯m your father!¡± xiao zhonghua said, ¡°hui an didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± emperor jing xuan was even angrier. why was this son so ignorant? his son, who had once been the most obedient and knew how to make him happy, was getting better and better at poking his lungs! emperor jing xuan looked at xiao zhonghua with a deep gaze. ¡°are you implying that i was wrong? do you know that northern yan¡¯s reconciliation team is already on the way to the western jin? once northern yan and western jin have a marriage alliance, our great zhou will be attacked from both sides!¡± xiao zhonghua said calmly, ¡°then father should send a smart person over. hui an is so stupid. she¡¯s not capable of pillow talk or sowing discord between northern yan and the western jin.¡± ¡°you¡­¡± emperor jing xuan gritted his teeth.¡± is that how you talk about your sister? ¡± how could he not know that his daughter was stupid? he was not the only sending hui an to the western jin. there were many powerful strategists in hui an¡¯s dowry group. he would also arrange for maidservants with both beauty and skills. moreover, the great zhou would take the opportunity to insert a group of secret guards and spies into the western jin. hui an only needed to be a vase quietly. xiao zhonghua said seriously, ¡°father, the white lotus society has been eliminated. there¡¯s no internal trouble. our great zhou can do our best to deal with the external threats.¡± emperor jing xuan said coldly, ¡°is her life more important, or the lives of the soldiers and commoners of the three armies? to think that you still want to be the emperor. what do you think the emperor is? not to mention a princess, even if i have to sacrifice a prince, as long as i can avoid the flames of war, i won¡¯t hesitate!¡± after coming out of the imperial study, xiao zhonghua saw jing yi, who had been waiting for a long time. ¡°jing yi.¡± he spoke softly. jing yi walked forward. ¡°what did his majesty say?¡± xiao zhonghua said calmly, ¡°he has made up his mind to send hui an to reconcile.¡± jing yi frowned. although he did not have deep feelings for his cousin, he did not want her to marry far away in the western jin. the western jin used to be on par with the great zhou, but as the great zhou¡¯s flames of war continued, the treasury was depleted, and the country¡¯s strength was weak. it was far inferior to the western jin. if hui an married over, it could be seen that she would suffer. xiao zhonghua said coldly, ¡°there¡¯s only one way to stop father now. find the imperial edict that mo guiyuan mentioned and use it as a threat to take back father¡¯s order.¡± at the mention of this, a strange expression flashed across jing yi¡¯s handsome face. ¡°but we searched the peach forest but didn¡¯t find the imperial edict. could it be that the imperial edict doesn¡¯t exist at all? was mo guiyuan scaring us at that time?¡± ¡°no, i¡¯m sure there¡¯s an imperial edict.¡± xiao zhonghua believed in his judgment. jing yi asked, ¡°is there anything else we haven¡¯t found?¡± the peach forest was so big. it was not impossible. perhaps the imperial edict was not in the peach forest at all¡­ xiao zhonghua said thoughtfully, ¡°have you caught mo guiyuan¡¯s deputy, zhang feng?¡± jing yi shook his head. ¡°no, he escaped. could he have taken the imperial edict away?¡± xiao zhonghua said solemnly, ¡°you must find this person in private. don¡¯t alarm others.¡± jingyi agreed. ¡°got it, cousin.¡± in the protector duke¡¯s estate, in su xiaoxiao¡¯s room, princess hui an was abnormally quiet. she did not cry or complain others always said that she was stupid, but she was actually not stupid. in the past, she used to abuse her power in the palace because her father supported her. now, the person who had personally sent her to her death was her father. she had lost her backing. no one would spoil her anymore. princess jingning comforted her for once. ¡°don¡¯t be dejected. he hasn¡¯t announced it to the world. perhaps father wii change his mind.¡± ¡°princesses, it¡¯s getting late. it¡¯s time to return to the palace.¡± outside the door, the young eunuch urged. ¡°let¡¯s go,¡± princess jingning said. princess hui an stood up unhappily and left the house with her. ¡°jingning, can you tell father to let me set off later?¡± princess jingning asked kindly, ¡°after miss qin¡¯s wedding?¡± princess hui an slowly nodded. ¡°i want to send my sidekick to get married and let brother ting know that she¡¯s under my protection. he¡¯s not allowed to bully her! actually, it¡¯s not completely without benefits to marry into the western jin. she likes to cause trouble so much that she has offended half of the people in the capital. when i become the favorite concubine of the emperor of western jin in the future, no one will dare to seek revenge on her.¡± ¡°she¡­¡± princess jing ning wanted to say that since she was so capable, it was more likely for her to seek revenge from others. also, did she become the doted concubine of the old emperor of western jin to protect her little sidekick? princess jingning said softly, ¡°got it. let¡¯s go back to the palace.¡± ¡°princess hui an.¡± su xiaoxiao chased after her. ¡°what?¡± princess hui an wiped her tears and turned around, looking at her proudly. su xiaoxiao looked at her steadily. ¡°you won¡¯t marry.¡± in the imperial study, just as xiao zhonghua left, prime minister guo came to see him again. emperor jing xuan left him hanging for a while before getting someone to call him in. ¡°it¡¯s so late. why did minister guo enter the palace?¡± prime minister guo cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°your majesty, i¡¯m here for the marriage.¡± emperor jing xuan said calmly, ¡°do you also want to persuade me not to send the princess off?¡± prime minister guo said sincerely, ¡°no, i support your majesty¡¯s decision. with the current strength of our great zhou, we do need to recuperate and bring peace for a few years. the people of the world will be grateful for your majesty¡¯s kindness.¡± emperor jing xuan sighed. ¡°minister guo understands my difficulties.¡± prime minister guo continued, ¡°however, it¡¯s really not my wish to make his majesty lose his beloved daughter.¡± when emperor jing xuan heard this, he paused and finally looked at him. ¡°oh?¡± prime minister guo said, ¡°i¡¯m willing to let my granddaughter, lingxi, go to the marriage ceremony on behalf of the princess!¡± Chapter 588 - Chapter 588: New Arm chapter 588: new arm translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios emperor jing xuan looked at him deeply. ¡°prime minister guo, do you know what you¡¯re saying? lingxi is your biological granddaughter. i¡¯m afraid¡­¡± prime minister guo said firmly, ¡°as long as it¡¯s for his majesty and the great zhou, the guo family is willing to do anything!¡± the news quickly returned to the prime minister¡¯s estate. before guo lingxi could recover from the grief of losing her mother and brother, she suddenly heard that she was going to make a marriage alliance. she felt sick. she went to prime minister guo¡¯s courtyard and waited until he returned. ¡°grandpa! i don¡¯t want to marry!¡± prime minister guo glanced at the servants behind guo lingxi. the servants fell silent and hurriedly lowered their heads. prime minister guo brought her to the study. ¡°this is his majesty¡¯s decree. there¡¯s nothing i can do.¡± guo lingxi said unhappily, ¡°aren¡¯t we sending a princess to get married? i¡¯m not a princess! ¡± prime minister guo looked at her. ¡°you¡¯ll be soon.¡± guo lingxi was stunned. she would be taken in by his majesty as an adopted daughter and have the identity of a princess and a treasure seal. in the past, she might have been overjoyed, but now, being a princess was a hot potato. guo lingxi bit her lip and said unwillingly, ¡°isn¡¯t it hui an? isn¡¯t there still hui an? why did it become me?¡± prime minister guo said earnestly, ¡°you¡¯re a county princess. it¡¯s almost the same as the princess.¡± guo lingxi could not listen to anything. ¡°he doesn¡¯t want his daughter to marry into another country, so he came to harm our guo family¡¯s daughter?¡± prime minister guo¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°shut up! don¡¯t let me hear these treacherous words again!¡± guo lingxi was indignant. she entered the palace again and saw the grand empress dowager at zhaoyang hall. she imelt in front of bai xihe and begged bitterly, ¡°auntie, you have to save lingxi¡­¡¯ bai xihe covered most of her novel with the book of poetry. ¡°i¡¯m afraid i can¡¯t do anything about this.¡± guo lingxi knelt in front of bai xihe and grabbed her sleeve with both hands. she said with tears in her eyes, ¡°no, auntie¡­ you¡¯re the grand empress dowager¡­ as long as you speak to his majesty¡­ his majesty will definitely take back his orders¡­ didn¡¯t you ask his majesty to confer lingxi as a county princess back then?¡± bai xihe said, ¡°these are two different things. anointing a county princess is a family matter, and marriage is a national matter. it can¡¯t be mixed up.¡± guo lingxi said sadly, ¡°but why must it be me¡­¡± bai xihe was also very puzzled. she had clearly heard that the person who was chosen for the marriage alliance was princess hui an. she looked at guo lingxi, who was crying uncontrollably, and had an answer. if that was the case, she would be even more unable to stop guo lingxi from marrying. guo lingxi choked and said, ¡°auntie, auntie, save lingxi¡­ can you let someone else go? since lingxi can replace the princess, so can others¡­¡± bai xihe said softly, ¡°lingxi, not everyone is qualified to be the candidate for the marriage. you¡¯re a county princess and the daughter of the prime minister. your status is important, so you can go for the marriage on behalf of the princess.¡± guo lingxi¡¯s mind flashed. ¡°she! she can do it!¡± guo lingxi was so excited that her eyes lit up. ¡°su daya! su daya is the daughter of the qin family! her status is comparable to mine and she knows medicine. wouldn¡¯t she be able to¡­¡± ¡°she¡¯s already engaged.¡± bai xihe¡¯s voice turned colder. guo lingxi did not notice that bai xihe¡¯s attitude had changed at all. ¡°the engagement can be canceled!¡± bai xihe said calmly, ¡°alright, putting aside the engagement, she has the military power of the entire qin family behind her. are you asking her to marry into the western jin because you think the throne of the great zhou emperor is too stable?¡± ¡°auntie, i¡­¡¯ ¡°i¡¯m tired. you can leave.¡± su xiaoxiao had been sleeping early recently. she heard that this matter happened the next day. ¡°guo lingxi?¡± su xiaoxiao was not surprised. prime minister guo, that sly old fox, only had power in his heart and no sense of kinship. something had happened to guo huan, making him a taboo to emperor jing xuan, he urgently needed a chance to make a contribution. as long as it was not jingning and hui an, the others had nothing to do with her. she went back to her business. other people were embroidering wedding dresses, preparing dowry, and choosing an accompanying house when they were approaching the wedding. she was studying the arm, studying the arm, and studying the arm! during dinner, the arm was on the table. when she slept, the arms were on the bed. when taking a shower¡­ well, she wasn¡¯t sure if it could get wet, so she convinced herself not to take a bath with it. the maidservants were frightened at first, but they were no longer surprised. after a period of research, su xiaoxiao felt that this arm might not be a simulated arm, but a bionic arm. actually, in her previous life, someone had already developed a bionic arm. it could be reconnected to the tactile nerves through a nerve transplant technique, allowing the brain to directly control the arm. it was only because its technology was not mature enough and it was very expensive to build that it could not be popularized on the market. this arm was clearly much more advanced than the bionic arm in her previous life. first of all, it was more beautiful. she was really obsessed with looks. ¡°xing¡¯er, where¡¯s sixth young master?¡± su xiaoxiao asked the maidservant in the room. wei liulang lived in the qin family as the martial arts teacher of the three little ones. the maidservant said, ¡°he went to the garden with a few young masters.¡± the capital in june was too hot. the three little ones stuck out their tongues. wei liulang brought them out to row the boat. as he rowed, he caught a glimpse of a sneaky figure at the top of the wall. he pulled the boat ashore and called the three little ones up for the servants to watch. he went to block a certain fellow who was halfway over the wall. ¡°you can¡¯t meet before the wedding,¡± wei liulang said. ¡°bear with it for a few more days.¡± wei ting raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°sixth brother, if you can come, why can¡¯t i?¡± wei liulang glanced at him- ¡°i¡¯m different- grandmother asked me to come over to guard against you.¡± the corners of wei ting¡¯s mouth twitched as he said coldly, ¡°i¡¯m not here to see her, i want to see my sons. i haven¡¯t seen them in a long time. they must miss me very much.¡± wei liulang went to scoop up xiaohu, who was peeling a lotus seed pod. ¡°xiaohu, do you miss dad?¡± xiaohu had not seen wei ting for a month. when he heard the word dad, xiao hu was dumbfounded. his expression seemed to be saying, ¡°what is dad? can it be eaten?¡± wei ting was speechless. wei ting climbed the wall from the other side. the man in white stood on the wall and looked down at him. ¡°is young master going down himself, or should i kick young master down?¡± wei ting spat, ¡°baili chen, you¡¯re ruthless!¡± when su xiaoxiao crossed her arms and came to look for wei liulang, wei ting had already been dragged away from the ground by baili chen like a sandbag. his face was filled with despair. ¡°sixth brother.¡± su xiaoxiao greeted him. wei liulang nodded slightly. ¡°xiaoxiao.¡± su xiaoxiao opened the box and showed him a shiny golden arm. wei liulang was stunned. ¡°this is¡­¡± ¡°your new arm!¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s divided into several stages. the first stage requires you to wear the acceptance cavity. after you adapt, you can remove the acceptance cavity and i can perform an operation to connect to neurons. if you succeed, you will have a brand new arm. how is it? do you like wei liulang did not understand professional jargon, but he roughly understood that this was a new arm his sister-in-law had made for him. he took one look and his heart pounded. he¡­ liked it too much.. Chapter 589 - Chapter 589: Wedding chapter 589: wedding translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei liulang had never thought that he would have such a beautiful arm. it did not seem accurate to say that it was beautiful. in short¡­ it was what he liked. he had never thought of it in the past, but when he saw it, he felt that it was it! he couldn¡¯t wait to try his new arm. ¡°this¡­ how do we do it?¡± he asked excitedly and nervously. after a period of research, su xiaoxiao could already skillfully load and unload new arms. she picked it up and put it on his broken right arm. click. the acceptance cavity automatically popped open and buckled. as expected, the new arm matched wei liulang. it did not fit so well when she tried it on the wood that was tied with cotton. ¡°is it heavy?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°it¡¯s not heavy at all.¡± wei liulang looked at his new arm, his eyes shining. ¡°move,¡± su xiaoxiao asked. he had to train his broken arm to recover the strength of his muscles. ¡®you can¡¯t move your joints for the time being. when you undergo a nerve transplant in the future¡­¡± su xiaoxiao was halfway through when she saw wei lililang grab a cup on tne table. his movements were a little slow and clumsy. wei liulang was shocked. however, in the next second, the cup fell. wei liulang was at a loss. su xiaoxiao was pleasantly surprised. how could she have forgotten that there was a sensor in the bionic arm? it could sense the blood circulation of the nerve endings through the brain. however, the neurons were not completely connected yet, so they were not sharp and precise. su xiaoxiao was originally a little worried that it was good-looking but useless. now, she was relieved. as long as there was no rejection in wei liulang¡¯s body, this arm would definitely not disappoint. wei liulang happily played with his new arm. the three little ones clattered over. the thoughts of a three-year-old child were not defined. they had endless imagination and faith. they thought that wei liulang¡¯s new arm had grown out, just like the small saplings planted in the courtyard. the three of them exclaimed in unison and jumped on the spot happily. after watching for a while, the three of them did something unexpected. they fell silent, leaned over, and gently kissed liulang wei¡¯s golden arm. it was as if they were saying, ¡°thank you for growing out.¡± in the blink of an eye, there were only three days left to the wedding. madam tao came to the protectorate early in the morning. the qin family did not have a mistress. the residence had always been managed by qin jiang¡¯s wife and steward cen. later on, when qin jiang¡¯s family was chased out, only steward cen was left to deal with the common affairs in the residence. steward cen could not handle it alone. moreover, a big matter like a daughter getting married had to be handled by a wife. otherwise, people would say that the eldest daughter could not marry because she had lost her mother. naturally, this was the rumor in the market. the wei family would not listen to those who could not be counted. however, the qin and su families did not want su xiaoxiao to suffer. madam tao enjoyed it. she had given birth to five sons in one go and dreamed of having a daughter. now, she was addicted to raising a daughter. ¡°this bun is not suitable. the color of the clothes is also a little lighter. change into another set.¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°i suspect that you¡¯re making me play dress-up every day.¡± madam tao smiled as she watched her daughter come out dressed in wedding clothes. she was extremely happy. the maidservant couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°madam, you¡¯ve made more clothes for miss this month than you¡¯ve made for the five young masters in the past few years.¡± miss tried on more than ten sets a day and was very tired! madam tao smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s not enough! let the embroidery house do it again!¡± the servant girl was speechless. and so was su xiaoxiao. she did not neglect su ergou and the three little ones. she had booked the three largest embroidery shop in the capital. in the past month, the embroiderer¡¯s needles had been smoking. su xiaoxiao¡¯s dowry had two portions, one from the qin family and one from the su family. this was not enough. madam tao went to rob five more sons and asked them to add boxes. su mo was the most proactive. su qi and su yu were considered generous. fourth brother, su xuan, was a quiet and handsome man. he had the least interaction with su xiaoxiao, but the number of boxes he gave was not less than the total of his three brothers. su qi and su yu were enlightened. so fourth brother was the baller at home! su li exploded. ¡°she cheated me of so much money! i¡¯m not adding a box to her dowry!¡± the objection was overruled. madam tao beat up her youngest son and left with the silver ingots with a satisfied expression. su li, who was slumped in the corner, was speechless. in the end, three days passed and it was the end of june. the weather was really hot and su xiaoxiao was fat, so she was even more afraid of heat. what was worth mentioning was that su xiaoxiao had lost weight and entered the plateau stage. she had barely moved in the past two months. she did not lose weight even if she starved to death. su xiaoxiao broke her diet. she wanted to eat meat! but then again, su xiaoxiao was quite satisfied with her current figure. her face was no longer fat. it was an exquisite and cute round face with a clear jawline. she was taller than ordinary women and was slightly chubby. she was graceful and had beautiful lines. her skin was really good and moist, like jade. she was tempted by it herself. as it was the end of the month today, she welcomed the reward from the pharmacy. ¡°phew, not bad, not bad.¡± wei liulang¡¯s new arm was too heaven-defying. she was afraid that the pharmacy would deduct her reward for months! she sat on a chair in the lounge and looked at the box on the table with a smile. ¡°opening a blind box? you know how to play.¡± she raised her eyebrows and opened the box. when she saw what was inside, her smile froze on her lips. after dinner, madam tao did not return to the residence as usual. instead, she came to su xiaoxiao¡¯s room and dismissed all the servants. ¡°ahem, auntie wants to show you something,¡± she said awkwardly. ¡®what?¡± su xiaoxiao had just come out of the pharmacy and was still in a daze. madam tao smiled awkwardly and secretly took out a small booklet from her wide sleeve. ¡°look at it yourself first. if you don¡¯t understand¡­ ask auntie.¡± su xiaoxiao took the booklet. oh, what was the ancient version of pornography? ¡°auntie, this¡­ isn¡¯t good.¡± madam tao cleared her throat. ¡°don¡¯t be shy. that¡¯s how women live. you can look at it before the wedding. it¡¯s not considered indecent.¡± ¡°i mean, this is indeed not good.¡± su xiaoxiao meant it literally. heavens! this, this, this¡­ she had to hide under the blanket to read it! su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and took out her flashlight. then¡­ they would look at it under the blanket. fifteen minutes later, princess jingning and princess hui an also arrived. under the blanket, the four of them finished reading the incomparably fragrant and realistic colored picture book seriously. the four of them blushed. su xiaoxiao was hot. it was hard to say about the other three. madam tao cleared her throat. ¡°ahem, hurry up and rest. you have to wake up early tomorrow. i¡¯ll go see if there¡¯s anything else to prepare.¡± princess hui an blushed and said, ¡°i, i, i, i¡¯m going back too.¡± princess jingning looked calm, but her face was already red. it was still dark. the groggy su xiaoxiao was woken up by the maidservant¡¯s smile. ¡°miss, it¡¯s time for the wedding!¡± Chapter 590 - Chapter 590: Marrying Below Her Status chapter 590: marrying below her status translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao turned around in a daze. she was in a daze and couldn¡¯t react. it was not her fault. after all, the four of them were too late last night. she felt that she had just fallen asleep¡­ did she have to get up already? madam tao walked over with a smile and said to the maidservant, ¡°alright, go prepare hot water. i¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°yes.¡± the maidservant retreated. in the end, su xiaoxiao was successfully woken up by madam tao. she yawned and looked around in confusion. ¡°eh? where are dahu, erhu, and xiaohu?¡± madam tao burst out laughing. this girl was really sleepy. other people were so nervous that they couldn¡¯t sleep the entire night, but she was fine. ¡°you forgot, they went to the wei family to press the beds.¡± hearing madam tao¡¯s words, su xiaoxiao¡¯s memories returned. a big family¡¯s wedding was different from the countryside. there were many rules and requirements. before the wedding, the bride¡¯s family bought a bed and sent it over. then, she found a few children to roll on the bed. it was to press down on the bed. it had the symbolic meaning of many children after the marriage and it would be auspicious. wei xiyue pressed the bed with the three little ones. this would esnure they have children of both genders. su xiaoxiao took a fragrant petal bath. the petals were sent by madam wei. there were mint leaves inside. after soaking, she felt refreshed. even on a hot day, she would not immediately sweat. su xiaoxiao sat in front of the dressing table and was dressed up by the matron of honor. she threaded su xiaoxiao¡¯s face first. su xiaoxiao was already sensitive to pain. now, she was in so much pain that tears almost fell. no one told her that she would have to suffer during the wedding. she thought that she would only have to suffer once during the bridal chamber. forget it. she would endure it for the sake of eating meat. all the women had never seen a bride with such good skin. she was as delicate as peeled lychee. a few days ago, madam tao was still happy that she had an addiction to raising her daughter. now, she finally began to feel sad. it was as if her biological daughter was about to get married. unwillingness suddenly surged in her heart. su xiaoxiao paused and gently held her hand. when dawn broke, everything was ready. su xiaoxiao changed into a bright wedding dress and put on a bejeweled phoenix coronet. she was so beautiful that no one dared to recognize her. ¡°c-cover,¡± lady tao choked out. the matron of honor covered su xiaoxiao with a veil. madam tao and guan cen checked the dowry list one last time. in the end, their hands were trembling. there were too many reasons. the wei family gave a lot of betrothal gifts. qin canglan and su cheng did not leave anything behind and added them to su xiaoxiao¡¯s dowry. did they think that was enough? ¡°the royal princess has arrived.. ¡°princess hui an has arrived¡­ accompanied by the young eunuch¡¯s voice, the two princesses entered the protector duke¡¯s estate with their ten boxes. the onlookers outside the door were stunned! miss qin was probably the number one person in the dynasty to make the two princesses personally send her off! however, it was not over! soon, the empress dowager¡¯s box arrived. everyone was dumbfounded. before she could come back to her senses, the grand empress dowager¡¯s box arrived¡­ no, the empress dowager had added a box. at least it could be said that the eldest daughter of the qin family had treated her illness and had contributed. was the grand empress dowager related to miss qin? this was not the only unbelievable thing. at the wei family¡¯s banquet, a minister asked marquis weiwu, ¡°marquis jing, have you added a box for miss qin?¡± marquis weiwu was stunned and muttered to himself, ¡°i didn¡¯t! i¡¯m not familiar with the qin family!¡± he turned around again. ¡°where¡¯s the son?¡± as a guest of the groom¡¯s house, jing yi carried the additional box to the bride¡¯s house. he returned the two boxes of gold bars that su xiaoxiao had given him intact and added what he had chosen. su ergou looked at the box that he had saved up for more than half a year and then at the string of boxes that jing yi casually took out. he suddenly became autistic¡­ however, as a younger brother who had crawled out of his mother¡¯s womb, su ergou clearly had an advantage. for example, carrying his sister into the bridal sedan could only be him. jing yi wanted to rush up, but qin canglan stood there domineeringly. jing yi decided, ¡°i can¡¯t beat him.¡± on the other hand, wei ting had also woken up early and was ready to set off. however, everv step on the dav of the wedding was particular. he was not allowed to set off until it was time. when the servant came over, he saw his handsome young master sitting boldly on the stone stool¡­ shaking his legs. was he nervous¡­ or was he free? when the auspicious time arrived, wei ting got on the horse and set off with the mighty bridal escort team. the young top scholar who used to be the best in the capital of zhou had grown up. he had lost the inexperience of a young man and had the elegance and reservedness of a mature man. he was riding a tall horse and was dressed in a red wedding suit. he was so handsome that no one dared to look at him directly. he was not one of the four young masters in the capital. it was not that he was not handsome enough, nor was it that his family background was not good enough. it was just that this fellow¡¯s temper was too bad. he offended the girls who wrote the rankings and was removed from the list. at this moment, everyone felt that an empty reputation was nothing. no one could refute that this was the most handsome man in the capital. ¡°it¡¯s said that he married a girl who grew up in the countryside who brought three little burdens.¡± ¡°ah, is this¡­ worthy?¡± ¡°the daughter of the qin family.¡± ¡°she¡¯s still not worthy¡­¡± wei ting¡¯s horse had already passed. there was no turning back for the wedding. wei ting continued forward. su xiaoxiao was wearing a veil and couldn¡¯t see anything. she was carried out of the courtyard by su ergou. she squeezed su ergou¡¯s shoulder. ¡°wow, ergou, you¡¯re strong.¡± it was as if he was still the skinny child yesterday, but in the blink of an eye, he was a burly young man. ¡°of course. i ate a lot!¡± what su ergou did not say was that in order to carry his sister on his back, he had secretly practiced his strength. su xiaoxiao lay on his shoulder. ¡°our ergou has also grown up.¡± su ergou felt a lump in his throat. ¡°sister, i suddenly can¡¯t bear for you to marry.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°silly brother, it¡¯s not like i won¡¯t come back.¡± the elders of the two families had long agreed that the couple would live wherever they liked and would not trap su xiaoxiao in the back residence. she was the phoenix of the nine heavens, not a sparrow in a cage. wei ting was already waiting at the door. seeing su ergou carry su xiaoxiao out, he went forward to welcome her and kowtowed to qin canglan and su cheng. in the bright world, his posture was straight, and his eyes were deep and heavy. ¡°thank you, grandpa. thank you, dad, for marrying xiaoxiao below her status to me.¡± the eyes of the surrounding commoners widened. did they hear wrongly? lord wei said¡­ to marry below her status? this was a young widow who had grown up in the countryside, was married, and had three burdens! ¡°i heard that she was very capable. she came from an extraordinary background and has brilliant medical skills. she has treated the lives of the current emperor and the empress dowager. it¡¯s said that she even saved the princess. ¡± ¡°this is called like father like son, like mother like daughter! how can the descendant of the divine general be bad?¡± ¡°you¡¯re right.¡± everyone spoke one after another. previously, many of the ridicule and doubts about su xiaoxiao were slapped in the face by wei ting¡¯s words.. Chapter 591 - Chapter 591: Completion of Rites (1) chapter 591: completion of rites (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su cheng said nothing. he could not hold it in anymore, afraid that he would not be able to help but cry. qin canglan looked at wei ting. it was the way a general looked at another general, and also the way an elder looked at a junior. ¡°wei ting, from today onwards, i¡¯ll hand my precious granddaughter to you. i hope you understand that not only is she my granddaughter, but she¡¯s also the eldest daughter that the entire qin family army has sworn to protect. if you dare to let her down at all, the qin family army and i will not let you off easily!¡± wei ting was a shameless man, but at this moment, he was extremely serious. ¡°yes, grandpa. little seven will remember it.¡± su xiaoxiao sat in the bridal sedan. although she couldn¡¯t see, she could hear it. she put her hand to her heart. what a strange feeling. she was going to eat meat, so why was her heart burning slightly? amidst a lively drumbeat, the bridal escort team set off. this wedding was huge. almost half of the citizens in the capital rushed over to watch. in a room on the second floor, qin yanran sat by the window with a veil and watched this grand wedding without blinking. the peace she had painstakingly cultivated for a month was suddenly shattered! she thought of herself being brought into the eldest prince¡¯s residence by a shabby sedan chair on a dark evening. no one sent her off, nor did anyone welcome her. they hurriedly carried her into the courtyard. ¡°how lively. so much for a princess getting married¡­¡± ¡°not to mention, i¡¯ve lived for most of my life, but i¡¯ve really never seen anyone marry their daughter in such a grand manner. as expected of the real daughter of the qin family. if she was born of a concubine in the past, she probably wouldn¡¯t have half of this dowry, right?¡± ¡°can that be compared?¡± everyone¡¯s teasing came from downstairs. qin yanran was extremely jealous. her face twisted as she covered her ears and screamed! today, qin yanran was not the only one who was jealous. guo lingxi was also here. she had already been conferred the title of princess lingxi. in order to let her prepare for marriage in peace, her grandfather did not allow her to take half a step out of the courtyard. she had sneaked out today. she wanted to see what this wedding she had dreamed of would be like. she was not envious of su daya¡¯s pomp, nor was she envious of su daya¡¯s dowry. she was only envious of su daya marrying the most outstanding man in the world. she had given him her heart the first time she saw him at the age of twelve. later on, it was decided that she would marry wei liulang. she resisted and cried¡­ not long after, something happened to wei liulang at the border. she felt sad for wei liulang, but at the same time, she was secretly happy. she had a chance to marry him again. however, who would have thought that the person who married him in the end was not the person he had known since he was young, but a woman he had met for less than a year? how did she lose? ¡°princess, are you crying?¡± the maidservant asked. ¡°i¡¯m envious,¡± guo lingxi choked. this was a new maidservant. she did not know that she had feelings for wei ting and thought that she was referring to the grand occasion of the wedding, so he said, ¡°princess, you don¡¯t have to be envious. when you go for the marriage alliance, it will be arranged according to the standards of a national wedding. it will definitely be more grand! ¡± guo lingxi said nothing. the bridal escort turned the corner and entered another street. she stood up and leaned out desperately. ¡°princess! be careful not to fall!¡± ¡°i can¡¯t see¡­ i can¡¯t see¡­ i can¡¯t see anymore¡­¡± she wailed. it was unknown if she was saying that she would not be able to see him today or that she would never have the chance to see him again in her life. the bridal escort team arrived at the wei family. the bridal sedan landed steadily. su xiaoxiao was thinking about what to do next when she saw a well-defined hand lift the curtain and reach in. su xiaoxiao handed him her hand. wei ting held her tightly and helped her out of the bridal sedan. the matchmaker brought the red silk over, but seeing that the two of them had already pulled their hands together, she suddenly felt that this red silk was quite unnecessary¡­ ¡°don¡¯t be afraid.¡± wei ting said softly. ¡°i¡¯m not afraid.¡± su xiaoxiao. wei ting chuckled. ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± had he forgotten what her personality was like after not seeing her for more than a month? su xiaoxiao easily stepped over the saddle and brazier. when she stepped on the tiles, she actually caused seven to eight tiles to fall. the corners of the matchmaker¡¯s mouth twitched. who could actually break this? it was inauspicious to keep stepping on it! su xiaoxiao gently stepped on it and crushed it into powder! the matchmaker was speechless. the surrounding crowd was speechless. the newlyweds came to the lobby. the matchmaker stuffed the red silk into their hands and helped the bride stand up, preparing to welcome the upcoming wedding.. Chapter 592 - Chapter 592: Completion of Rites (2) chapter 592: completion of rites (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios matriarch wei and madam wei sat at the master seat, and the five sisters-in-law sat at the side. due to wei liulang¡¯s special status, he did not appear in the hall. however, he had already pressed wei ting to bow to him a few times yesterday and earned enough! old madam wei did not say anything, but there was unconcealed excitement in her eyes. it was the same for madam wei. the master of ceremony began to sing. ¡°a bow to the world¡­¡± the two of them held the red silk and slowly bowed to the blue sky outside the door. ¡°second bow¡­ the two of them turned around and bowed deeply to matriarch wei and madam wei. old madam wei¡¯s eyes turned red. madam wei also wiped her tears with a handkerchief. ¡°husband and wife bow¡­ the two of them faced each other and bowed. this strange ritual actually made her a little excited. the master of ceremony meant it literally. it was really just sending her in. she couldn¡¯t even take off the veil. next, wei ting had to go out to accompany the guests. he could only come and complete the nuptials with su xiaoxiao at night. wei ting squeezed her soft hand. ¡°i¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not in a hurry!¡± su xiaoxiao said without changing her expression. ¡°but if you¡¯re in a hurry¡­ just¡­ come back early.¡± if this guy dared to say that he was not in a hurry, he could forget about consummating the marriage tonight! fortunately, wei ting did not court death on his wedding day today. he chuckled softly. ¡°okay.¡± he went to call the three little ones over. the three little ones looked at the bride wearing a veil and did not dare to recognize her for a moment. the three of them walked over and lay on su xiaoxiao¡¯s lap. they raised their heads and looked inside the veil. it was their mother. wei ting had long reminded the three of them not to remove su xiaoxiao¡¯s veil. the three of them were quite obedient in this matter. ¡°mother,¡± dahu asked. ¡°why are you only here now? we came yesterday and waited for you all night!¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°really? then you must have had a hard time waiting, right?¡± erhu nodded. ¡°yes, yes! it¡¯s been hard waiting!¡± xiaohu patted his chest and said, ¡°xiaohu had it the hardest!¡± her two brothers looked at him with utter disdain. he was the first to fall asleep after rolling in bed yesterday! the two of them had rolled everywhere on the bed! the three little fellows were also wearing red wedding clothes, the same as wei ting¡¯s. they even wore groom hats and had red flowers tied to their chests. su xiaoxiao was overwhelmed by the cuteness of the three little grooms. su xiaoxiao played with the children for the entire afternoon, but she didn¡¯t feel that time was hard. along the way, a few sisters-in-law also came to accompany her and delivered food. compared to su xiaoxiao¡¯s leisure, wei ting¡¯s situation was not so comfortable. when the qin family was welcoming the bride, su mo and the others did not dare to block the door because su cheng was protecting his precious son-in-law. now that they were at the wei family residence, they had to take wei ting down no matter what. one pot of wine per person. when others toasted, they argued. su ergou was still young and he did not drink, but the su family had five brothers and jing yi, who had appeared out of nowhere, to make wei ting drunk. xiao zhonghua also came over with a wine pot. wei ting asked, ¡°why are you joining in the fun?¡± xiao zhonghua smiled faintly. ¡°you snatched my marriage. you have to punish yourself by drinking three cups, right? do you really think i don¡¯t have a temper?¡± wei ting decisively looked for external help. sixth brother. wei liulang appeared. his identity was the master of the three little ones. then, wei liulang toasted wei ting. wei ting muttered, ¡°i asked you to drink for me. why are you still toasting in the end, matriarch wei was worried that someone would collapse from drinking and make her granddaughter-in -law aggrieved. she said to madam li and the others, ¡°alright, alright. the few of you, go.¡± the women of the wei family went into battle. just madam chen alone had toasted the five wei brothers to the ground! madam chen held the wine pot in one hand and stepped boldly on the stool with one foot. her gaze swept across jing yi and wei liulang. ¡°who¡¯s next?¡± the two of them shook their heads like they were rattle drums! madam chen was done drinking and wanted to fight. the wei family was already unconscious¡­ wei liulang said to jing yi, ¡°hurry up and escape!¡± third sister-in-law¡¯s fists were too terrifying! unable to escape, madam chen threw away the wine pot, grabbed someone¡¯s collar with one hand, and brought them to the backyard to spar. wei ting was carried back to the courtyard by the servants. nanny li asked, ¡®young master is already like this. are they still serving tea tomorrow morning?¡± old madam wei looked at a certain someone¡¯s swaying back and snorted. ¡°hmph, as long as my granddaughter-in-law wakes up before noon tomorrow, he¡¯s useless!¡± wei ting staggered¡­ the three little ones played on the bed with wei xiyue until they fell asleep. madam li came over and carried the children out with the maidservants. she said to wei ting, who was standing at the door drunk, ¡°alright, stop pretending.. the person who forced you to drink has already been beaten up by your third sister-in-law!¡± Chapter 593 - Chapter 593: Completion of Rites (3) chapter 593: completion of rites (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°oh.¡± wei ting regained his senses in a second and straightened his clothes. he cupped his hands and bowed to madam li. ¡°second sister-in-law, take care.¡± madam li smiled and glared at him. after sending the three little ones to matriarch wei, she carried the sleeping wei xiyue back to her courtyard. from time to time, babbling and singing could be heard from the stage in the front courtyard. it seemed to be close and far, making one¡¯s heart itch in the night. wei ting entered the room and instructed the maidservants, ¡°go out. there¡¯s no need to keep watch tonight.¡± the maidservants looked at su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°listen to master.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the maidservants left. wei ting came to the bed and looked at her in her red wedding dress. he asked softly, ¡°are you hungry?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not hungry.¡± after su xiaoxiao finished speaking, the room fell silent. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to remove my veil?¡± ¡°yes, i will.¡± wei ting smiled and picked up the jade ruyi on the table. he gently lifted her veil. their eyes met, and their gazes flickered. his clothes were mostly dull dark and rarely so bright. su xiaoxiao was dazzled and felt that this man was too handsome. after all, he had drunk alcohol. his eyes were slightly blurry, as if he was drunk. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t even blink. wei ting¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°wife, it¡¯s time to drink the wine.¡± su xiaoxiao came back to her senses. ¡°oh, drink. let¡¯s go!¡± wei ting was speechless. wei ting poured the wine and the two of them intertwined their wrists before drinking it. ¡°what did you call me just now?¡± su xiaoxiao realized belatedly. wei ting smiled and said in a magnetic voice, ¡°wife.¡± su xiaoxiao pulled her numb ears. ¡°you¡­ i¡¯m not used to being like this today.¡± this was the truth. ever since wei ting was picked up by su cheng and brought back to the wei family, the two of them had been interacting almost every day. other than being separated for a month on the way to the capital, there was no change to wei ting. unlike tonight. wei ting had been instructed by matriarch wei. after the wedding, he had to put away his bad temper and was not allowed to argue with the heavens or give su xiaoxiao attitude. otherwise, matriarch wei would skin him alive¡­ unexpectedly, the little fat peacock did not fall for this. wei ting brought the wine glass over in amusement and placed it on the table. he said playfully, ¡°you just married into the wei family. grandmother instructed me to treat you better.¡± su xiaoxiao was instantly enlightened. she narrowed her eyes and looked at him. ¡°oh, so if grandmother didn¡¯t remind you, you won¡¯t treat me well?¡± wei ting was speechless. how did he suddenly become inhumane? ¡°hmph! jerk!¡± su xiaoxiao grabbed the wide wedding dress and stood up. she was about to remove her hair accessories when wei ting grabbed her wrist. ¡°what are you doing?¡± su xiaoxiao scolded him. su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°so what?¡± wei ting said seriously, ¡°there¡¯s still a rite that hasn¡¯t been completed.¡± su xiaoxiao asked casually, ¡°what rite?¡± wei ting said, ¡°the bridal chamber.¡± su xiaoxiao glared. ¡°you still want to eat meat? dream on!¡± this girl said strange words again, but wei ting understood. who could not wait to set this wedding date? who asked him to come back earlier? wei ting looked unrestrained on the surface, but when it came to certain things, a person who valued rules would definitely not go overboard when he should not touch them. when he should touch them, he would insist on following through to the end. this was the wei family¡¯s ancestral teachings. su xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°let go.¡± wei ting did not let go. su xiaoxiao wanted to yank her wrist out of his grasp, but he pulled her back gently and threw her into his arms. wei ting carried her and rolled onto the red wedding bed. the wind from his palm stirred the tent hook, and the veil slowly fell, surrounding this small world tightly. he placed his arms on her sides and pressed down on her. his manly aura enveloped her domineeringly. the room was very quiet. an operatic voice came from the stage far away. su xiaoxiao blinked at him. he was like an emperor who was about to attack a city. his entire body emitted an aura of conquest. his dark eyes clearly reflected his passionate expression. su xiaoxiao¡¯s inner thoughts were: wait, why is this a little different from what i thought? wei ting gently lifted the hair on her forehead with his jade-like fingertips and rubbed her slightly hot cheek. ¡°the dragon and phoenix incense can¡¯t be extinguished, but if you¡¯re shy, you can close your eyes.¡± ¡°i¡­ um¡­¡± su xiaoxiao was about to speak when he leaned over her. he grabbed her soft waist and offered her all his piety. before su xiaoxiao completely fainted, she muttered, ¡°i just want to say that it¡¯s really difficult with the phoenix crown on, you could have let me take it off first.. click. the hindering phoenix crown was thrown out. their clothes were also thrown out of the curtain one by one and scattered on the ground. tonight, wei ting was different. in the past, when they held hands, he had treated her as a ferocious beast. at that time, she had wondered if wei ting, who was conservative, could only barely rub his clothes after consummating the marriage. as it turned out, she was wrong. very wrong. the last undergarment embroidered with pink lotus tips and mandarin ducks playing with water was thrown out and gently landed on a pile of messy clothes. a breeze blew past, shaking the tempting sweat and incense on their bodies. the crescent moon hid in the clouds bit by bit. wuhu on the branch also shyly covered its head with its wings.. Chapter 594 - Chapter 594: Wedded Life chapter 594: wedded life translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the troupe in the residence sang for the entire night. when the song ended, the sky was already bright. in the wedding room filled with big red words, the dragon and phoenix incense burned the last drop of red tear, and everything returned to silence. wuhu was dizzy and saw stars. finally, he could not hold on anymore and fell from the branch. su xiaoxiao was woken up by the chirping of birds. she didn¡¯t know how long she had slept. what night was it? she felt that her entire body was about to fall apart. even her fingers and toes were sore. she tried to sit up but realized that she could not muster any strength at all. ¡°are you awake?¡± accompanied by a familiar voice, a certain refreshed man pushed the door open and walked in. he casually closed the door and turned on the light in the house. su xiaoxiao¡¯s memories finally caught up. those indescribable postures flashed through her mind like the colorful picture book she had read under the blanket on the night before her wedding. it couldn¡¯t be said to be more explosive, but it was close. however, it was different from what she had imagined. she was clearly the one eating meat, but in the end, who was eating whom? su xiaoxiao glared resentfully at a certain culprit outside the curtain. wei ting chuckled and said, ¡°if you haven¡¯t rested enough, sleep a little longer?¡± this was not the gentle tone from the night before. it was a little smug and meaningful. ¡°no need!¡± su xiaoxiao clenched her fists. it made no sense that this guy was already up, but she was still lying in bed. who was he looking down on? she was determined to get up. however, when she reached out and felt for them, she did it in vain. only then did she remember that all her clothes had been thrown to the ground by a certain someone. more details surged into her mind. no matter how thick her skin was, she felt it was a little unbearable to look back. she cleared her throat and said seriously, ¡°where are my clothes?¡± ¡°taken to wash,¡± wei ting said kindly. ¡°there¡¯s a new set in the box. i can bring it to you.¡± su xiaoxiao opened her mouth. ¡°call xing¡¯er in. ¡± xing¡¯er was one of the accompanying maids she had brought from the qin family. wei ting¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°have you thought it through? are you sure you want a third person to see you like this?¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. in the end, wei ting handed the clothes in. she had completely learned how sensitive this body was last night. not only was she more afraid of pain than ordinary people, but she was also more¡­ su xiaoxiao took a deep breath and stopped herself in time. she endured the pain all over her body, put on her pajamas, and went to the next room to take a shower. her body was too horrible to look at. those who didn¡¯t know better would think that she had been ravaged. she walked out coldly and glared fiercely at a certain smug man. wei ting looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°why are you staring at me like that? haven¡¯t you always wanted to¡­ eat meat?¡± scholar wei learned this term. he remembered how much this girl had taken advantage of him. he had only collected a little interest last night. ¡°i¡­ i was¡­¡± su xiaoxiao was a little exasperated. she coughed lightly and said seriously, ¡°i¡¯ve lived for two generations¡­ i¡¯ve lived for too long and have never eaten meat. i just want to taste it, do you understand? one bite!¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t want to eat a big pot! if you eat a lot¡­ you¡¯ll burst!¡± if she had known that the price of eating meat was so high, she wouldn¡¯t have done it! wei ting suddenly walked towards her with extremely aggressive dominance and pressed her against the pillar of the bed. his slender fingers gently touched her abdomen and he said with a faint smile, ¡°indeed, quite a lot.¡± it took su xiaoxiao a while to realize what he meant. what a hooligan! su xiaoxiao had seen how different a man could be before and after the meal. su xiaoxiao decided to ignore him and serve tea to matriarch wei, madam wei, and her sisters-in-law. as soon as she opened the door, she realized that it was dark. ¡°is it still dark?¡± she frowned. ¡°it¡¯s already dark.¡± wei ting smiled and said proudly, ¡°do you need me to remind you that you slept all day?¡± su xiaoxiao chewed on the vegetarian meat and looked at him coldly. every bite seemed to be chewing him! although wei ting said that she needed to be taught a lesson, he was still considerate when it came to these things. he guessed that a certain someone was exhausted and it was too difficult for her to walk to his grandmother¡¯s courtyard, so he got someone to prepare the sedan early. the two of them rode a sedan chair to old madam wei. there was no one else who would serve tea when it was dark. matriarch wei did not mind at all. she knew su xiaoxiao well. she was definitely not someone who would put on airs in front of her elders, nor would she play those tricks. if she could not get up, there was only one possibility. it was all wei ting¡¯s fault. matriarch wei glared at wei ting. su xiaoxiao was as tired as a frosted eggplant. matriarch wei¡¯s heart ached for her, so she asked someone to call madam wei, madam li, and the others over, saving her the trouble of going to their courtyards to serve tea later. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t see dahu, erhu, and xiaohu. after asking, she found out that the three little ones were looking for her when they woke up. in order to distract them, wei liulang brought them out to play. after everyone arrived, su xiaoxiao and wei ting served tea to everyone. the few of them gave su xiaoxiao a greeting gift. matriarch wei had given her a shop, and madam wei had given her a box of gold and an expensive set of jewelry. at this point, the style was quite normal. from madam li onwards, the gift had gone out of control. madam li said, ¡°seventh sister-in-law, this is our li family¡¯s flexible sword. my father gave it to me as a dowry back then. now, i¡¯ll give it to you.¡± madam chen said, ¡°i don¡¯t have anything to give you. i¡¯ll give you this pair of meteor hammers. it¡¯s more useful than my big saber. it¡¯s my favorite weapon.¡± madam lan proclaimed, ¡°nine-section whip!¡± madam jiang said, ¡°life-reaping dart!¡± su xiaoxiao, who suddenly had a pile of weapons, was speechless. after su xiaoxiao handed the weapon to the maidservant who put it away, she smiled and asked about her future situation. ¡°will i serve grandmother and mother breakfast from tomorrow onwards?¡± madam jiang burst out laughing. ¡°seventh sister-in-law, our family doesn¡¯t like that! it¡¯s enough that you¡¯re not late for dinner at grandmother¡¯s place. because if you¡¯re late, third sister-in-law will finish the food!¡± madam chen could not refute. su xiaoxiao suddenly felt that marrying into the wei family was not bad. there were no strict rules. her grandmother was magnanimous, her mother-in-law was understanding, and her sisters-in-law were not scheming and were very easy to get along with. but soon, she realized that she had rejoiced too early. although the wei family did not have to behave in front of their elders, there seemed to be other rules. ¡°you don¡¯t have to come over for the first three days,¡± madam li said. ¡°huh?¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. mdm jiang smiled and said, ¡°in three days, you¡¯ll be practicing morning cultivation with me, second sister-in-law, third sister-in-law, and fourth sister-in-law!¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°what morning technique?¡± madam jiang said, ¡°it¡¯s just a spar! we¡¯ll spar with second sister-in-law first, then third sister-in-law. after that, it¡¯ll be fourth sister-in-law and me!¡± with that, madam jiang covered her mouth with her hand and asked su xiaoxiao softly, ¡°can you take a beating? su xiaoxiao was speechless.. Chapter 595 - Chapter 595: The Wei Family’s New Favorite (1) chapter 595: the wei family¡¯s new favorite (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios was the wei family marrying a wife or a sandbag? before she became a group pet, she became a group punching bag.. su xiaoxiao smiled politely at madam jiang. after smiling, she leaned back slightly and asked wei ting in a low voice, won¡¯t he ruthleqs_ right?¡± ¡°no,¡± wei ting said. ¡°they won¡¯t overdo it.¡± phew, that was good. su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and asked, ¡°what do you mean?¡± wei ting said, ¡°you won¡¯t be able to get up.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless again. su xiaoxiao asked awkwvardly, ¡°did mother go through this back then? i remember that she doesn¡¯t know martial arts¡­¡± wei ting said, ¡°oh, my father doesn¡¯t have brothers, and my mother doesn¡¯t have a sister-in-law.¡± ¡°it¡¯s different for me. i have six brothers.¡± su xiaoxiao was autistic. from the day after tomorrow, she would begin to feel the ¡°doting¡± of her sisters-in-law. actually, everyone missed madam chu, but everyone tacitly did not mention it on their wedding day. the group had dinner with old madam wei and returned to their courtyards. wei ting sent su xiaoxiao to the sedan chair. madam wei looked at wei ting¡¯s back and hesitated. after su xiaoxiao sat down, she said to wei ting, ¡°mother seems to have something to tell you.¡± wei ting paused. ¡°got it. are you going back first?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°no need. i¡¯ll wait for you. don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t eavesdrop.¡± as soon as wei ting left, su xiaoxiao placed her ear on the curtain. mo guiyuan was already dead, and his scheme had been exposed. logically speaking, the mother and son should have gotten closer. however, perhaps because they had been unfamiliar with each other for too long, the two of them did not know how to interact with each other. ¡°mother, why are you looking for me?¡± wei ting asked. ¡°i¡­¡± madam wei opened her mouth.¡± i planted some grapes in the backyard. they didn¡¯t grow well in the first two years, and they¡¯re not bad this year. when you¡¯re free¡­ come and pick some for xiaoxiao to eat. ¡± ¡°okay.¡± wei ting did not refuse. madam wei secretly heaved a sigh of relief. she wanted to say something, but she seemed to feel that she had said enough and could not be too greedy. ¡°hurry up and go back,¡± she said. ¡°mother, rest early too.¡± wei ting bade farewell to madam wei and got into the sedan chair. su xiaoxiao glanced at him and said seriously, ¡°i like grapes.¡± wei ting was speechless. at night, the three little ones returned from their fun. the first thing they did when they entered the residence was look for su xiaoxiao. they had not seen each other for a day and night. they missed her so much! su xiaoxiao¡¯s usual clothes were also very simple. these two days, they were all red, making the three little ones¡¯ eyes widen. ¡°mother is so beautiful!¡± erhu said. the three of them scrambled to climb onto su xiaoxiao¡¯s lap. su xiaoxiao had exercised too much and her entire body was sore. how could she withstand the torture of the three little tiger heads? wei ting pulled the three brats over. ¡°what?¡± dahu struggled. ¡°i want my mother to carry me!¡± erhu also struggled. ¡°don¡¯t do it, daddy!¡± xiaohu made a final struggle. wei ting was so angry that he laughed. the few brats were getting more and more itchy. ¡°mother won¡¯t carry you today,¡± he said. ¡®why?¡± xiaohu asked. wei ting said, ¡°she¡¯s tired. she wants to rest.¡± erhu said, ¡°she¡¯s not tired. she slept for a day.¡± wei ting could not say that his mother was ¡°tired¡± from an entire night of day was not enough to catch up on sleep. he changed his strategy. ¡°i miss you guys. i want to hug you.¡± the three of them looked at him with his mushy expression. dahu¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°you¡¯re an adult. can you not be so clingy to us?¡± wei ting was speechless. the three little ones would not eat properly if they went out with wei liulang. they ate candied hawthorn and street snacks. they would be hungry when they reached home. the kitchen sent over their favorite red braised pork. xiaohu shook his head. ¡°i don¡¯t want to eat meat!¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°what a good mouthpiece!¡± the three little ones each ate a bowl of vegetable and egg noodles. just as they were sitting beside su xiaoxiao and drinking from the milk bottle obediently, nanny li came over. she was here to call them to sleep at old madam wei¡¯s place. dahu grabbed the milk bottle with both hands and said, ¡°sleep with mother tonight.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded vigorously. yes, yes, yes! nanny li smiled and said, ¡°that won¡¯t do. what will great-grandma do if you sleep with father and mother? aren¡¯t you afraid that great-grandma will be sad again?¡± speaking of this, one had to mention the wei family¡¯s ancestral shameless methods. yesterday, when wei ting and su xiaoxiao got married, the three little ones clearly remembered that they had fallen asleep on their parents¡¯ bed. unexpectedly, when they woke up in the middle of the night, they realized that they had moved. the three of them were furious.. without their mother, they would have slept in vain! Chapter 596 - Chapter 596: The Wei Family’s New Favorite (2) chapter 596: the wei family¡¯s new favorite (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios old madam wei couldn¡¯t coax them. she used her ace in the hole, trump card, fell to the ground, punched her thigh, and cried. ¡°wuwuwu¡ªyou don¡¯t like great grandma anymore¡ª¡± this series of actions made the three children unable to do anything. dahu asked, ¡°is great-grandma crying again?¡± nanny li smiled awkwardly at wei ting and su xiaoxiao. between preserving old madam wei¡¯s dignity and bringing the children back, she chose the latter. ¡°she cried. she cried very hard.¡± dahu sighed and walked to the bed to pick up his small pillow. ¡°okay.¡± he said to su xiaoxiao, ¡°mother, great-grandma needs us. we il go over and accompany her. ¡± su xiaoxiao wanted to say, ¡°mom needs you too¡­¡± the three little ones were picked up by nannv li, and the huze house fell silent. the dragon and phoenix incense candles were spent, but the big red words in the room were still dazzling. wei ting¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he looked at su xiaoxiao with a faint smile. ¡°sleeping? su xiaoxiao glanced at him. she thought that she had picked up a rabbit, but it turned out to be a wolf in disguise. if she said that she wasn¡¯t sleepy yet, he would definitely say that since she still had the energy, she might as well do something else. then, he would pounce on her. su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°okay, i¡¯m sleepy!¡± wei ting chuckled. ¡°it¡¯s not even midnight. since you¡¯re so anxious, i¡¯ll accompany you.¡± wait, this was different from what she had imagined. why didn¡¯t this guy play by the rules? fortunately, su xiaoxiao was really exhausted. when wei ting came over after taking a bath, she was already lying on the pillow, unconscious. wei ting chuckled. ¡°with this little ability, how did you dare to keep lighting fires back then?¡± he turned off the lights and lay down beside her. he closed his eyes and recalled the taste of last night¡¯s ecstasy. he domineeringly pulled her into his arms. ¡°hot. su xiaoxiao pushed him away in a daze. wei ting was outraged. ¡°are you even despise me?¡± wei ting said domineeringly, ¡°either don¡¯t move, or lie down and let me move. ¡± su xiaoxiao was terrified. wei ting had planned to do something to her before he entered the palace tomorrow. seeing that she had become obedient, he hugged her and fell asleep. su xiaoxiao, who had rested for two nights, finally recovered her energy. the next morning, she took a carriage to the palace with wei ting. ordinary women from the imperial court did not need to enter the palace. su xiaoxiao was different. the grand empress dowager, the empress dowager, and the two princesses had added a box each to her dowry. she naturally had to thank them for their kindness. in order, they went to the grand empress dowager¡¯s zhaoyang hall first. little yunzi was already waiting at the entrance of the palace. when he saw the two of them, he quickly went forward with a smile and greeted, ¡°lord wei, madam wei! ¡± ¡°eunuch yun.¡± in the carriage, wei ting had already heard su xiaoxiao introduce bai xihe and the palace servants beside her. little yunzi hurriedly said, ¡°lord wei, you¡¯re flattering me. just call me little yunzi!¡± after little yunzi finished exchanging pleasantries, he brought the two of them to zhaoyang hall. wei ting said in a low voice, ¡°how do you plan to explain to the outside world that the grand empress dowager gave you a box? you can¡¯t say that the grand empress dowager has a personal relationship with you and rests at your house every time she escapes from the palace.¡± su xiaoxiao said casually, ¡°oh, there was once when the empress dowager was in the courtyard and was almost bitten by a poisonous snake. i saved the grand empress dowager. princess jingning can testify.¡± this reason was enough to shut everyone up. ¡°eh? who¡¯s that?¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the men at the entrance of the throne room and asked. they were clearly officials, but they did not wear the official robes of the great zhou. wei ting took the opportunity to take a look and narrowed his eyes. ¡°the envoys of the western jin are here.¡± the two of them did not deliberately lower their voices. when little yunzi heard this, he turned around and said with a smile, ¡°lord wei, you have good eyesight. they are indeed envoys of the western jin. they just arrived last night.¡± the great zhou envoys went to the western jin. the western jin returned the favor and sent a group of envoys over. this was also the reason why emperor jing xuan was in a hurry to destroy the white lotus society. he was worried that the western jin would see him as a joke and that there would be changes in the peace talks. ¡°after the peace talks are over, they will bring princess lingxi back to jin capital.¡± su xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°i see. i always thought that it would be the great zhou imperial court that would send troops to escort the princess to reconcile.¡± if that was the case, guo lingxi would definitely ask wei ting to escort her. ¡°oh, it saves a lot of trouble.¡± ¡®what?¡± wei ting did not understand. ¡°nothing.¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head and looked in the direction of the throne room again. ¡°are the others also envoys of the western jin? are their official robes so different?¡± she had seen the blue-robed official just now, but immediately, another wave of red-robed officials came. wei ting took another look, and his eyes turned cold. ¡°the envoys of northern yan.¡± su xiaoxiao was a little surprised. ¡°northern yan sent envoys over too?¡± there was no news of this previously! little yunzi explained, ¡°ah, they¡¯re here to pay the new year tribute.¡± four years ago, northern yan lost to the great zhou. as a defeated country, they had to pay an expensive yearly tribute to the great zhou every year. however, northern yan was very cunning. they were indeed afraid of wei ting in the first year and handed it over obediently, they did not dare to delay it. however, they started to delay it year after year, and last year¡¯s annual tribute was delayed to june and july this year. it seemed like they wanted to go back on their word. after all, they had cozied up to the western jin. however, when they heard that the great zhou was also setting up a marriage alliance, northern yan could not sit still anymore. they immediately arranged for the envoys to pay the annual tribute. the new year tribute was a cover. in fact, northern yan was here to find out the truth. if the princess in the marriage alliance was ordinary and was no match for the princess of northern yan, then so be it. however, if she was a threat to the princess of northern yan, they might think of a way to destroy the marriage between the great zhou and the western jin. after hearing wei ting¡¯s analysis, su xiaoxiao touched her chin and said thoughtfully, ¡°is northern yan so shameless? i suddenly don¡¯t wonder why they colluded with mo guiyuan back then. they are so shameless that they would play dirty if they can¡¯t win.¡± northern yan had always been like this. wei ting was used to it. when he went to collect his grandfather¡¯s corpse, northern yan also wanted to play dirty tricks on him. if he had not been prepared, he would have been pierced by ten thousand arrows on the city tower. ¡°who¡¯s from northern yan?¡± su xiaoxiao asked xiao yunzi. little yunzi was used to talking. he picked the main point and said, ¡°the fourth prince of northern yan, princess kangning, the divine might general, and a few civil servants.¡± wei ting¡¯s eyes turned cold. su xiaoxiao sensed his sudden killing intent and turned to look at him. ¡°wei ting, what¡¯s wrong? wei ting said coldly, ¡°the divine might general, helian ye, killed my grandfather. he cut off my grandfather¡¯s head and hung it on the city tower with his corpse. he once threatened to kill every member of the wei family..¡± Chapter 597 - Chapter 597: Identity Exposed chapter 597: identity exposed translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°does he have a grudge against the wei family?¡± there was a reason why su xiaoxiao asked. as the families of two enemy countries, it was not strange for them to be irreconcilable. the problem was that the wei family was not the only family of generals in the great zhou. why was helian ye only targeting the wei family? wei ting thought for a moment. ¡°i¡¯m not sure either. before the battle between the two armies, i didn¡¯t hear that grandfather had a personal grudge with helian ye.¡± this was strange. if there was no personal grudge, why did helian ye say that he would kill everyone in the wei family? su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°was helian ye also responsible for the deaths of father and his brothers? have you fought him?¡± wei ting shook his head slightly. ¡°i didn¡¯t fight him. my grandfather once fought helian ye and severely injured him before he died. by the time i rushed to the border, helian ye had already switched to defence.¡± in fact, helian ye was quite seriously injured. even he thought that he would not live long- tt took him more than half a year to recover from his injuries hearing this, su xiaoxiao had an idea why northern yan kept delaying the tribute. they thought that the reason why northern yan had lost was that helian ye did not go to the battlefield and let wei ting, a young brat, take advantage of the situation for nothing. the first year, they paid the annual tribute on time because helian ye¡¯s injuries had yet to recover. while they did not acknowledge wei ting¡¯s strength, they were afraid that wei ting would make a comeback. after helian ye recovered, this worry gradually disappeared. they became bolder. coupled with the fact that they had hooked up with the western jin, they looked down on the great zhou even more. ¡°let¡¯s go,¡± su xiaoxiao said to wei ting. ¡°yes.¡± wei ting nodded. outside the throne room, helian ye seemed to have sensed something and looked over. wei ting had already left, but he suddenly stopped and looked at helian ye coldly. their eyes met from afar, and a murderous aura spread throughout the palace. ¡°general,¡± his colleague reminded him. helian ye retracted his gaze and entered the throne room with him. in zhaoyang hall, bai xihe had just finished reading a book and was angered by the scumbag in the novel. when she heard that wei ting and his new madam had come, her expression improved. she placed the script back on the table. ¡°let them in. the few of you can leave.¡± ¡®yes.¡± the palace servants retreated. wei ting and su xiaoxiao entered. as the grand empress dowager¡¯s most trusted confidant, little yunzi guarded the door to prevent outsiders from spying. wei ting was not familiar with bai xihe. after greeting her, he quietly waited at the side and faded into the background. the two women sat together and chatted harmoniously. wei ting had once seen bai xihe in the palace. she was high up in the air and looked otherworldly, but in front of su xiaoxiao, she seemed to have put down her disguise. ¡°is this good?¡± su xiaoxiao picked up the book on the table and asked. bai xihe said disdainfully, ¡°it¡¯s not.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°then why are you still reading it?¡± bai xihe sighed. ¡°i¡¯m just killing time.¡± it was lonely in the deep palace. only these lousy words could comfort her. su xiaoxiao still had to see the empress dowager and the two princesses later. after sitting for a while, she planned to leave. however, at this moment, a strange commotion came from under bai xihe¡¯s bed. knock, knock, knock, knock! there was someone under the bed! there was even a secret signal! su xiaoxiao decisively came to the bed. it was too late for bai xihe to stop her. su xiaoxiao lifted the bedboard and pulled out the dagger at her waist¡ª ¡°dad?¡± ¡°daughter?¡± the father and daughter were dumbfounded. su xiaoxiao was confused. what kind of large-scale scene of acknowledgment was this? su xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°dad? why are you here?¡± su cheng said truthfully, ¡°i came to look for madam bai! you¡¯re also here! there¡¯s no one else in the hall, right?¡± su xiaoxiao looked at her father suspiciously. didn¡¯t she know what had happened? how could her father come to look for bai xihe? she replied, ¡°no, other than the grand empress dowager, it¡¯s just wei ting and me.¡± ¡°son-in-law?¡± su cheng crawled out of the tunnel. a day apart felt like three years. he missed his son-in-law so much! ¡°dad,¡± wei ting greeted. he did not expect this either¡ªthere was a secret passage under the empress dowager¡¯s bed, and his father-in-law had crawled out of the secret passage. what was going on? su xiaoxiao said, ¡°dad, you haven¡¯t said why you¡¯re here.¡± su cheng crawled out of the secret passage and patted the dust off his body. ¡°oh, i¡¯m here to take madam bai away.¡± the couple choked. did they hear wrongly? did their father intend to abduct the grand empress dowager? su xiaoxiao wanted to say, ¡°dad, my biological father, this is a capital crime.¡± su cheng still did not know that he was courting death. he said proudly, ¡°the last time i came to zhaoyang hall to investigate the spies of the white lotus society, i wanted to take madam bai away, but there were too many people around me, so it¡¯s not convenient for me to attack. i¡¯ve been waiting for an opportunity recently. didn¡¯t an envoy happen to enter the palace today? there are too many people, so it¡¯s convenient to take advantage of the situation! am i smart?¡± su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t look at her father anymore. at most, she would rob the white lotus society¡¯s vault, but her father wanted to snatch the grand empress dowager. was he forcing qin canglan to rebel? su cheng looked at su xiaoxiao¡¯s indescribable expression and asked in confusion, ¡°daughter, what¡¯s with your expression? ah, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know madam bai¡¯s identity?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°what identity?¡± su cheng looked at bai xihe. ¡°she¡¯s from the white lotus society. she was threatened by mo guiyuan and had no choice but to pretend to be the grand empress dowager. now that mo guiyuan is dead and the white lotus society has been destroyed, she can leave in peace.¡± bai xihe covered her eyes desperately in embarrassment. su xiaoxiao asked solemnly again, ¡°dad, who did that undergarment belong to last time?¡± su cheng¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°w¡­ what undergarment?¡± su xiaoxiao looked straight into her father¡¯s eyes and pointed at bai xihe. she asked solemnly, ¡°is it hers?¡± ¡°ahem.¡± su cheng cleared his throat. ¡°daughter, i can explain.¡± when he realized that he had stepped on madam bails undergarment, he wanted to pick it up and return it to her, but he was too nervous. his brain twitched and he actually put it in his arms. by the time he reacted, he had already left zhaoyang hall¡­ su xiaoxiao¡¯s expression became even more serious. ¡°then why did you keep it on you!¡± su cheng said resentfully, ¡°i was just looking for an opportunity to return it to her¡­ i don¡¯t know when i would enter the palace¡­ don¡¯t worry, i didn¡¯t see anything! i¡­ i turned around¡­ i¡­ i didn¡¯t look.. i promise i didn¡¯t look.. ¡°you even looked at her body?¡± su xiaoxiao felt terrible. she thought that she was already courting death. compared to her father, where was she? her legitimate husband had never even seen her body before, but he had already soared into the sky. her father¡­ was quite lucky with women. su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and still felt that her father had the right to know the truth. ¡°dad, there¡¯s something i have to tell you.¡± su cheng said, ¡°tell me.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at bai xihe and said, ¡°she¡¯s not from the white lotus society, nor is she pretending to enter the palace. she¡¯s the grand empress dowager of the great zhou¡ªbai xihe..¡± Chapter 598 - Chapter 598: Rebel chapter 598: rebel translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su cheng was stunned. there were many people in the palace. after coming out of zhaoyang hall, neither of them mentioned this matter again. su cheng returned the way he came after a huge blow, while bai xihe stayed in the palace. thinking of her father¡¯s expression before he left, su xiaoxiao wanted to rebel for her father for a moment. the empress dowager had not seen su xiaoxiao for a while. knowing that she was coming today, she ate half a bowl more than usual. the two of them arrived at her bedroom. the empress dowager looked at her and then at wei ting beside her. a trace of relief flashed across her eyes. it was as if her child had grown up and she had fulfilled a wish. however, before she could speak to the two children, eunuch fu came over. he was spreading emperor jing xuan¡¯s decree that wei ting had been summoned to the throne room to see the envoys. the empress dowager said to wei ting, ¡°go. don¡¯t let the envoys wait and let them say that our great zhou has neglected them.¡± wei ting cupped his hands. ¡°i¡¯ll take my leave.¡± wei ting and eunuch fu went. the empress dowager smiled faintly. ¡®girl, you more or less have the ability to help your husband. ¡± ¡°huh?¡± su xiaoxiao was confused by these words. the empress dowager liked her stunned look. it always reminded her of xiaohu, but in fact, this girl was a top-notch intelligent person, so this occasional daze seemed precious. the empress dowager said, ¡°wei ting rejected the emperor¡¯s betrothal to him and hui an and angered the emperor. the emperor can¡¯t face him. how long has wei ting been back in the capital? can you see that the emperor has the intention to let him return to the imperial court? the moment the two of you got married, the envoy of northern yan arrived. although i didn¡¯t go to the front courtyard, i heard that the envoy of northern yan is very arrogant.¡± su xiaoxiao understood. emperor jing xuan had asked wei ting to hold the fort. wasn¡¯t northern yan arrogant? wei ting¡¯s appearance helped some people recall how they lost to wei ting back then. the empress dowager glanced at her and saw that she did not have much of a reaction. she continued, ¡°this is a good thing. the emperor has neglected wei ting for so long. if he suddenly let wei ting go back and work for him, he should be able to make up for it. it should benefit you.¡± ¡°oh, can i benefit from it too?¡± su xiaoxiao was looking forward to it. whether this girl liked it or not was all obvious. the empress dowager had seen many schemes in the palace. everyone was wearing a mask, including herself. ¡°are you used to marrying into the wei family?¡± ¡°quite.¡± other than becoming a sandbag for her sisters-in-law. the empress dowager sighed. ¡°the wei family is different from ordinary families. they don¡¯t have so many rigid rules. yue ange isn¡¯t someone who likes to torture others.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°yue ange?¡± ¡°grandmother of wei ting.¡± the empress dowager did not seem to want to mention matriarch wei anymore and changed the topic. ¡°the children have entered the palace to see their ¡®father¡¯ for a while.¡± previously, xiaohu and erhu had been here. she thought that she would see dahu soon, but who knew that the little fellows would never come again? su xiaoxiao smiled politely. ¡°the imperial astronomer has been a little busy recently.¡± she could not say that the three little fellows had forgotten about the royal farmer in the palace after having a biological father. the eldest and the three little ones went to the residence every day to uncover the tiles, angering matriarch wei so much that she grabbed her walking stick and chased them from behind. the two princesses had gone to the palace to study and would come to yongshou palace for lunch. the empress dowager kept su xiaoxiao with her to play chess. at noon, princess hui an rushed in angrily. princess jingning followed behind her unhurriedly and did not blame her sister for not knowing the rules. ¡°what happened?¡± the empress dowager asked. princess hui an threw herself into the empress dowager¡¯s arms aggrievedly. ¡°grandmother, that zhao kangning is too detestable!¡± su xiaoxiao greeted princess jingning. princess jingning explained softly, ¡°princess kang ning of northern yan. it had to start this morning. the envoys entered the palace early to meet emperor jing xuan. the men discussed important matters of the country. as a princess, zhao kangning had nothing to do, so she said to emperor jing xuan, ¡°i heard that the great zhou opened a women¡¯s school like the western jin. it¡¯s in the palace, right? can you allow kangning to take a look?¡± what else could emperor jing xuan say? he naturally agreed. as soon as zhao kangning went to the palace school, she snatched princess hui an¡¯s seat as if no one was around. considering that she was a guest from northern yan, princess hui an endured it. in the morning, it was the analects of confucius and the classic of poems class. princess hui an could not answer the teacher¡¯s question, and zhao kangning mocked her for being an idiot princess and that she was not even comparable to a finger of princess jingning. this made princess hui an furious. princess hui an immediately wanted to slap her but was stopped by princess jingning. ¡°she was right to stop you.¡± when the empress dowager heard this, she poked her beautiful forehead. ¡°you can¡¯t beat her.¡± zhao kangning was not an ordinary princess. she was helian ye¡¯s niece. she had practiced martial arts with helian ye since she was young. if princess hui an fought with her, she would basically be courting death. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°this zhao kangning doesn¡¯t come with good intentions.¡± princess jingning nodded. ¡°she tried to sow discord between me and hui an the moment she arrived fortunately_ hui an didn¡¯t fall for it ¡± princess hui an was angry not because she was not as good as jingning. she was not as good at school as jingning. did she need zhao kangning to say that? she wanted to defeat jingning with her beauty! she was angry that zhao kangning mocked her for being an idiot. princess hui an stomped her feet. ¡°is that zhao kangning very powerful? so what if she knows a few arguments? i didn¡¯t memorize them¡­ i¡¯ll memorize them casually later. cant i beat her?¡± princess jingning said, ¡°she¡¯s the female top scholar of northern yan.¡± princess hui an was speechless. zhao kangning was a legendary figure in northern yan. northern yan was not as open as the western jin, and women were not allowed to take the scientific examination. zhao kangning disguised herself as a man and replaced the identity of a collateral descendant of the helian family. she stayed in high school all the way to the top of the golden list. impersonating the scientific examination was a serious crime, but zhao kangning was the biological daughter of the emperor of northern yan. the emperor of northern yan only stripped her of her honor and demoted her to a commoner. half a year later, she recovered her status as a princess. su xiaoxiao wanted to say, ¡°tricks¡­ it¡¯s all tricks.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°since she¡¯s so outstanding, why wasn¡¯t she the one who went to the west jin to reconcile?¡± princess jingning pondered and said, ¡°she has the talent to govern the country. the emperor of northern yan probably can¡¯t bear to part with her.¡± while the two of them were talking, princess hui an had finished complaining. princess hui an glanced at su xiaoxiao and selectively forgot that she had lost her composure just now. she raised her chin high up in the air. ¡°you¡¯re here?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°yes, i¡¯m here to see the empress dowager and the two princesses.¡± ¡°i¡¯m very good.¡± princess hui an crossed her arms and asked proudly, ¡°brother ting didn¡¯t bully you, right?¡± su xiaoxiao flattered. ¡°thanks to the princess, wei ting wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± princess hui an smiled proudly. ¡°i knew it!¡± her mood improved again. she hugged the empress dowager¡¯s arm and said sweetly, ¡°grandmother, i¡¯m hungry!¡± the empress dowager glared at her in anger and amusement. ¡°alright, alright, alright. pass the food.¡± the three of them had lunch in the empress dowager¡¯s palace. in the afternoon, the two princesses went to school. su xiaoxiao¡¯s enrollment was only in name now and rarely went to class. she planned to go back. however, before she could leave the empress dowager¡¯s bedroom, she heard the palace servants hurriedly report, ¡°empress dowager! bad news! something big has happened! princess hui an¡­ fell off her horse!¡± Chapter 599 - Chapter 599: Fall chapter 599: fall translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the empress dowager¡¯s expression changed. ¡°why did she fall off the horse for no reason?¡± the eunuch said with a bitter expression, ¡°i¡¯m not sure either. the imperial physicians are rushing to the horse farm now. princess jingning sent someone over and wants to ask if physician su is still around. if she is, can we get her to take a look at princess hui an!¡± after su xiaoxiao¡¯s wedding, everyone changed the way they addressed her. however, when they were anxious, they would still revert to calling her physician su. ¡°empress dowager, i¡¯ll go take a look.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll lead the way for you.¡± ¡°no need. go ahead.¡± she was a student at the palace school and knew where the grass field for riding lessons was. su xiaoxiao arrived faster than the imperial physician. when the daughters of palace academy saw her coming over, all of them looked surprised¡­ except for guo lingxi. during tms penoa or time, euo lingx1 naa deen preparmg ror ner marriage in the residence until the time when the two countries came to visit. she was brought into the palace and given a sleeping hall. she was treated like a princess. she naturally recovered her qualifications to go to school with the two princesses. the young ladies surrounded her. su xiaoxiao underestimated guo lingxi. guo lingxi handed the horse¡¯s reins to the young eunuch behind her and said indifferently, ¡°why are you looking at me? it¡¯s not me this time!¡± lu ying whispered, ¡°it¡¯s indeed not princess lingxi.¡± in fact, guo lingxi was late. when she came over, princess hui an had already fallen off her horse. everyone seemed to want to say something but hesitated. su xiaoxiao looked at zhao kangning, who was not far away. zhao kangning did not care about a physician who had been called over by the imperial physician, even though this physycian was dressed extraordinarily. the moment su xiaoxiao squatted down to check princess hui an¡¯s leg injury, zhao kangning had already arrogantly looked away. the palace servants pulled the gauze curtain around princess hui an, leaving only her, princess jingning, and su xiaoxiao among them. su xiaoxiao needed to confirm if princess hui an had any fractures first. she pressed her right foot, and princess hui an shouted in pain, ¡°ah¡­¡± ¡°is it serious?¡± princess jingning asked. ¡°it¡¯s a sprain. her bones are fine,¡± su xiaoxiao said. hearing that her bone was fine, princess jingning¡¯s expression eased a little. su xiaoxiao continued to check on princess hui an and asked princess jingning what had happened. princess jingning looked at princess hui an indifferently. ¡°ask her.¡± princess hui an turned her face away and said nothing. su xiaoxiao paused. ¡°princess of northern yan again? princess hui an said aggrievedly, ¡°she provoked me first.¡± the two of them had a grudge in the morning. princess hui an thought that they would not see each other in the afternoon, but she saw zhao kangning riding alone on the grassland. princess hui an was not as good at studying as her. how could she lose to her in riding? then she went to challenge zhao kangning. princess jingning glared at her. ¡°zhao kangning¡¯s uncle is the mighty general of northern yan. she spends more time in the general¡¯s residence than in the palace. do you think she¡¯s made of paper? do you really think you can gain an advantage from the other party with your dilettantish, middling riding skills?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not made of paper either!¡± just as princess hui an finished speaking with righteous indignation, a sharp pain came from her right arm. she screamed and tears welled up. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it¡¯s dislocated. princess, bear with it. i¡¯ll reattach it for you.¡± princess hui an asked fearfully, ¡°does it hurt? wait! let me prepare!¡± su xiaoxiao held her arm and said, ¡°i¡¯ll count to three.¡± princess hui an asked weakly, ¡°can it be dozens of times?¡± su xiaoxiao rejected her seriously, ¡°no.¡± princess hui an said pitifully, ¡°wu¡­ then¡­ then count slowly¡­¡± ¡°one,¡± crack! su xiaoxiao reset her arm. princess hui an was still waiting for two and three when she was stunned. it would be a lie to say that it didn¡¯t hurt, but the most painful moment had already passed. princess hui an was aggrieved and angry. she looked at su xiaoxiao resentfully like an injured puppy. ¡°you said on the count of three¡­ su xiaoxiao said, ¡°then, shall i remove it for you and count again?¡± princess hui an trembled. ¡°no!¡± princess hui an fell off the horse from the right side. her right arm was dislocated and her right ankle was sprained. this injury was actually not light. this did not mention the large and small bruises on princess hui an¡¯s body. su xiaoxiao looked at princess hui an and asked, ¡°princess, your riding skills have always been very good. why did you fall off the horse?¡± princess hui an raised her eyebrows and looked at princess jingning proudly. ¡°did you hear that? my riding skills are very good!¡± princess jingning ignored her stupid sister. princess hui an returned to business. ¡°i don¡¯t know what happened either. the horse suddenly became disobedient.¡± su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°was it frightened because you were too close to the princess of northern yan¡¯s horse?¡± it was the same with guo lingxi. the two horses almost collided and were both shocked. ¡°no, i was quite far away from her,¡± princess hui an said with dignity. ¡°but i was about to catch up!¡± princess jingning recalled, ¡°i was there too. princess northern yan didn¡¯t deliberately shock hui an¡¯s horse¡­ hui an¡¯s horse did act up for no reason.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go take a look at the horse.¡± ¡°yes.¡± princess jingning nodded. ¡°hey!¡± princess hui an held su xiaoxiao¡¯s hand. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to care about su xiaoxiao nodded and took out a bottle of golden sore medicine and handed it to princess hui an. ¡°this is the unique prescription of the number one hall. it¡¯s miraculously effective for injuries. the princess will recover in a few days and it won¡¯t leave a scar.¡± was that what she meant? she did not even have the awareness of a little follower! ¡°if princess hui an doesn¡¯t want it¡­ ¡°who said i didn¡¯t want it?¡± princess hui an took the medicine bottle over angrily. princess jingning sent princess hui an back to qixiang palace while su xiaoxiao went to the horse shed to see the horse. it was very normal. there was nothing unusual, and the feed had not been tampered with. so, why did the horse suddenly go crazy? swish! a cold arrow shot over. su xiaoxiao grabbed the arrow coldly. she turned around and looked indifferently at guo lingxi, who was holding a bow. guo lingxi smiled wantonly. ¡°don¡¯t worry, i didn¡¯t want to kill you. arrows don¡¯t have arrowheads. i was just scaring you.¡± su xiaoxiao threw the headless arrow. ¡°is it interesting, guo lingxi?¡± guo lingxi smiled and said, ¡°of course it¡¯s interesting. if i¡¯m not having a good time, then you guys will have a hard time with me.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at her coldly. ¡°did you do it?¡± guo lingxi sighed. ¡°i wish it was me, but unfortunately, i want hui an to live more than anyone else. what if the western jin envoy doesn¡¯t like me and asks to marry hui an?¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°then i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ll have to disappoint you.¡± she would never let princess hui an marry. guo lingxl was jealous that su xiaoxlao married wel ¡®i¡¯lng and tnat su xlaoxrao protected hui an. she didn¡¯t know who had a better life, su xiaoxiao or hui an. she suppressed her anger and said, ¡°i¡¯m not here to argue with you. i¡¯m here to remind you to be careful of the princess of northern yan. do you know why she¡¯s targeting hui an? it¡¯s because of wei ting.¡± ¡°she was going to target me originally, but i¡¯m going to western jin to get married. she can¡¯t afford to offend me, so there¡¯s no need to. you¡¯re different.. if you die, won¡¯t the position of young madam wei be empty?¡± Chapter 600 - Chapter 600: The Truth chapter 600: the truth translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao looked at her calmly, as if she didn¡¯t believe a word she said. guo lingxi was not surprised. ¡°i knew you wouldn¡¯t believe me so easily.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at her and said, ¡°northern yan and the great zhou are enemies. helian ye killed wei ting¡¯s grandfather, and the deaths of wei ting¡¯s father and brothers are definitely related to him. now, you¡¯re telling me that his biological niece wants to marry wei ting? would helian ye agree?¡± helian ye had said that he would kill every member of the wei family. guo lingxi didn¡¯t intend to reveal too much to su xiaoxiao, but su xiaoxiao was stubborn and didn¡¯t believe her, which made her very angry. she gritted her teeth and said sarcastically, ¡°then why do you think grand astronomer sikong calculated an auspicious day for you on the first of july? you just got married and the envoy of northern yan has already arrived. if it were a day later, it would be hard to say if this marriage would be successful.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at guo lingxi without blinking. when she and wei ting set the wedding date, she had never heard of northern yan visiting. could it be that sikong yun had already predicted northern yan¡¯s actions at that time? or perhaps, there was a deeper relationship between sikong yun and northern yan. how did guo lingxi know about this? from prime minister guo? she had always felt that prime minister guo was cunning and must have colluded with mo guiyuan, but in the end, she found out that prime minister guo had nothing to do with the white lotus society. was her intuition wrong, or had she missed some clues? su xiaoxiao still couldn¡¯t believe that prime minister guo, this sly old fox, was clean. otherwise, how could she explain that guo lingxi knew so much? prime minister guo¡¯s understanding of northern yan was the same as sikong yun¡¯s. then could it be inferred that sikong yun and prime minister guo were both related to northern tan? mo guiyuan was dead, but the whereabouts of the previous emperor¡¯s imperial edict were unknown. su xiaoxiao, like xiao zhonghua, believed that the imperial edict existed. could it be that zhang feng, as a minor guardian, really had the ability to escape the investigation of the imperial court with the imperial edict? if no one could harbor him, could he do it? the white lotus society was destroyed, but the matter with the white lotus society was not over! there was an invisible hand behind mo guiyuan! that person and mo guiyuan did not have a master-servant or superior relationship. it was more appropriate to describe it as cooperation. there was a reason why su xiaoxiao was so suspicious. the news she found at the beginning was that mo guiyuan had colluded with northern yan to kill lord wu an and indirectly killed wei ting¡¯s father and brother. because it was established, everyone accepted it and forgot to suspect how a small sect master of the white lotus society was qualified to let northern yan conspire with him. in addition, mo guiyuan¡¯s deployment in the capital was too successful. he had infiltrated almost every important place, and even the palace was filled with his spies. mo guiyuan had only sent a daughter into the wei family, but this daughter was not very obedient. where did he get the ability to establish connections? if there was someone extremely familiar with the capital and had a high position, everything would make sense. mo guiyuan had hooked up with northern yan through that person and completed all the deployments in the capital. however, what mo guiyuan probably did not know was that he was just a pawn in the other party¡¯s hand. mo guiyuan indeed did not want to kill his grandchildren. it was that person who wanted to kill them. division leader chen¡¯s words made them think that the person who killed wei ting¡¯s brothers was guo huan. but what if the information division leader chen had was wrong? indeed, someone had betrayed mo guiyuan and secretly plotted against wei ting¡¯s father and brothers with northern yan. however, the other party was not guo huan; it was someone who had been secretly ¡°cooperating¡± with mo guiyuan. mo guiyuan could not obtain the previous emperor¡¯s imperial edict, but that person could. this meant that he was someone the previous emperor trusted very much. perhaps the late emperor had handed the imperial edict to him before his death and asked him to publicize it after his death. unexpectedly, he did not do so. he forged a secret edict and asked qin canglan and su shuo to support prince ruyang to ascend the throne. they were immersed in the joy of killing mo guiyuan and even neglected so many abnormalities behind them. they only attributed everything to mo guiyuan¡¯s ability. guo lingxi¡¯s words completely enlightened her. guo lingxi didn¡¯t know that her casual words had opened su xiaoxiao¡¯s mind. seeing su xiaoxiao turn around and walk away, she scolded softly, ¡°you¡¯re leaving before i can finish? don¡¯t you want to know what happened between the princess of northern yan and wei ting?¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t stop. ¡°i have to say it even if you don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± guo lingxi looked at su xiaoxiao¡¯s indifferent back and snorted. ¡°wei ting once entered king hulie¡¯s camp alone and beheaded him. but do you know that he was surrounded and almost killed? it was the princess of northern yan who let him go!¡± ¡°so what if you married wei ting? there¡¯s nothing that princess northern yan can¡¯t get!¡± ¡°just wait to lose brother ting!¡± ¡°just like how i lost him back then!¡± ¡°you have a taste of how i feel too!¡± su xiaoxiao left the palace and went to the imperial astronomy center. sikong yun was that person¡¯s trusted aide! they had not guarded against sikong yun! it was said that the imperial astronomy was a place that the white lotus society could not reach. that¡¯s right, why was the imperial astronomy alone so impregnable? this was because mo guiyuan¡¯s power in the capital was deployed through that person. why would he plant mo guiyuan¡¯s spy in his territory? ¡°i¡¯m so stupid!¡± su xiaoxiao flew into a rage out of humiliation. this was the first time in her life that she was depressed about being tricked! when she arrived at the imperial astronomy with a murderous aura, she was told that sikong yunxian had gone on a trip. ¡°a trip?¡± yu feng said awkwardly, ¡°master went to find the herbs for his majesty¡¯s immortality medicine.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°bullsh*t!¡± yu feng trembled in fear. he looked at su xiaoxiao fearfully. ¡°su¡­ uh no¡­ miss qin¡­ madam wei¡­ what¡¯s wrong? su xiaoxiao wanted to see for herself. she called the wuhu over and turned the imperial astronomy center upside down. she really couldn¡¯t find sikong yun. su xiaoxiao left in exasperation. qin canglan had just come out of the residence and was about to pick up su ergou from the directorate when he saw the fierce su xiaoxiao on the street. he hurriedly dismounted and strode over. ¡°xiaoxiao!¡± what was wrong with her today? his son was listless, and his granddaughter was strange? ¡°why are you wandering the streets alone? where¡¯s wei ting?¡± only then did su xiaoxiao remember that she had only been looking for sikong yun and left wei ting in the palace. she scratched her head awkwardly. ¡°i¡¯ll pick him up later. anyway, he should be busy for a while. grandfather, get in the carriage. i have something to tell you.¡± the two of them got into the carriage. su xiaoxiao told him her guess and analysis. qin canglan frowned. ¡°you mean there¡¯s someone behind mo guiyuan? sikong yun is that person or his lackey?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i¡¯m inclined to the latter.¡± qin canglan never expected this. he had always felt that sikong yun was the last person in the entire court he would suspect. ¡°but sikong yun didn¡¯t do anything to harm us¡­ he even helped you set a suitable wedding date and let you and wei ting get married before the princess of northern yan arrives.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°if he really didn¡¯t do anything to let us down, he wouldn¡¯t have escaped. he must have done something, and we¡¯ll find out soon. that¡¯s why he wanted to escape before it was exposed..¡± Chapter 601 - Chapter 601: Gentle chapter 601: gentle translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°xiaoxiao,¡± qin canglan pondered and said, ¡°i always feel that sikong yun doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions towards us. if he really did something, he probably had no choice.¡± qin canglan did not dare to say how accurate he was in judging people, but they had stayed in the imperial astronomy center for so long without any defense. if sikong yun really wanted to kill them, there were many opportunities to attack. of course, this did not mean that he would forgive sikong yun. it was fine if sikong yun schemed against him, but if sikong yun harmed his precious granddaughter, he would chase after sikong yun to the end no matter what sikong yun¡¯s difficulties were! ¡°leave the matter of looking for sikong yun to me. i¡¯ll send someone to find him.¡¯ qin canglan had known sikong yun for many years and could be considered to imow sikong yun¡¯s personality and preferences. he roughly guessed which places he would not go and which were more attractive to him. su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°sikong yun is an important clue. we have to find him.¡± as for whether sikong yun had ill intentions toward them, she reserved her thoughts for the time being. she had once unguardedly handed her back to sikong yun, but in the end, sikong yun was actually a spy. she hated the feeling of being deceived by someone she trusted. she seemed to understand why there was a barrier between wei ting and madam wei. madam wei was clearly forced, and everything she did was to protect the children. wei ting must be thinking, why didn¡¯t she say it? why didn¡¯t she resolve it with me? naturally, sikong yun was not that familiar with her. but sikong yun might not be really innocent. thinking of something, qin canglan said, ¡°xiaoxiao, is there such a possibility? sikong yun didn¡¯t do anything for the person behind him and angered the other party. he was worried that the other party would take revenge on him, so he hid?¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°grandpa¡¯s guess is based on¡­¡± qin canglan analyzed, ¡°look, according to what you said just now, sikong yun is colluding with the mastermind and northern tan. that princess of northern yan has feelings for wei ting. could sikong yun¡¯s mission be to matchmake them? but he didn¡¯t do that. he asked you and wei ting to get married before the princess of northern yan arrives.¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°he gave me two dates¡­¡± ¡°sigh, who can¡¯t guess your feelings for wei ting¡­¡± qin canglan received a death stare from his precious granddaughter and said timidly, ¡°wei ting¡¯s feelings for you.¡± ¡°alright, alright, let¡¯s not talk about this. when i find him, i¡¯ll send him to you for interrogation immediately. however, what¡¯s wrong with your father? he just went out for a while and came back like a frosted eggplant¡­ did anyone bully him?¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°oh, he fell out of love.¡± qin canglan was speechless. qin canglan went to the directorate to pick up su ergou. su xiaoxiao thought that since she was out, she might as well go to the medical center. coincidentally, wei xiyue had been coughing recently and wanted to get her some snow pears. ¡°higher! higher! too high, too high! an inch down! no! half an inch!¡± su ergou¡¯s shop was almost renovated. manager sun was instructing his servants to hang a plaque. ¡°manager sun, ¡± su xiaoxiao greeted. manager sun was stunned. ¡°you¡­ you went out just like that?¡± they even drank two toasts with wei ting. physician fu¡¯s alcohol tolerance was poor, and he was still a little dizzy this morning. ¡°yes,¡± su xiaoxiao said. manager sun clicked his tongue. ¡°the wei family is really good to you. back then, su yuniang¡¯s husband¡¯s family could treat you half as well as the wei family, they wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s her ex-husband¡¯s house,¡± su xiaoxiao corrected. ¡°yes, yes, yes, her ex-husband¡¯s house!¡± manager sun took out a letter from his pocket. ¡°here, there are letters from qingzhou. one for me, one for old fu, and two for you! speaking of which, why do you have two?¡± ¡°the other one isn¡¯t mine.¡± su xiaoxiao took the letter. manager sun did not understand. ¡°shopkeeper, do you think it¡¯s okay to hang it here?¡± the servant on the ladder asked. ¡°ah¡­ it¡¯s a little off¡­¡± manager sun went to direct the hanging of the plaque while su xiaoxiao entered the medical center to open the letter. she had just finished reading when physician fu came downstairs. he had a headache for two days after getting drunk the night before. ¡°oh, xiaoxiao is here.¡± he was surprised. ¡°is master alright?¡± su xiaoxiao asked with a smile. ¡°i drank too much and feel a little dizzy. 1 1m already much better today. have you received the letter?¡± physician fu saw the letter in her hand. ¡°are yuniang and the others alright?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°everything¡¯s fine. her baby girl has grown up a lot and she knows how to roll. her birthday in the shop is not bad either. yuniang plans to spread the branch to the provincial city.¡± ¡°yuniang is amazing.¡± physician fu was sincerely impressed. ¡°how has aunt fu been recently?¡± su xiaoxiao asked with concern. physician fu smiled and said, ¡°my mother has been taking the medicine you gave her and her condition has never relapsed. i didn¡¯t even know that you had secretly sent my mother medicine a few times. why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it¡¯s just a small matter.¡± physician fu did not know what to say. he had only been a nominal master to her, but she had helped him too much. ¡°in addition, my mother said that she might come to the capital to look for me.¡± ¡°oh?¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. could she see aunt fu explode again? physician fu wondered, ¡°why do i feel that you have ill intentions?¡± physician fu said, ¡°i mentioned in my letter that we opened a medical center in the capital. she probably knows that it will be difficult for me to return to qingzhou. ¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i¡¯ll contact the su family¡¯s ancestral residence and ask them to arrange a better carriage.¡± hurry, hurry, hurry. she wanted to see aunt fu! physician fu stopped her. ¡°there¡¯s no need. my mother has already left. don¡¯t worry, senior hui jue will make proper arrangements. she takes good care of my mother. ¡± su xiaoxiao touched her chin. that¡¯s right. how could she have forgotten that there was still that big baller, grandmaster hui jue? on the other side, wei ting ended his first meeting with the envoys of the two countries and left the throne room. when he left, su xiaoxiao was still at the empress dowager¡¯s side. he wondered if she had come out at this time. he could not enter the harem alone, so he decided to wait for her at the entrance. however, when he arrived at the palace entrance, he was surprised to find that his carriage had already left. did the little fat peacock leave him here? it was only the second day of their marriage, but she had already forgotten that she had a man! therefore, this girl didn¡¯t have him in her heart at all. she was just lecherous¡­ a carriage slowly drove over and the side window was pushed open. the princess of northern yan looked at him with a smile. ¡°general wei, are you waiting for someone?¡± even her voice was pleasant. wei ting replied calmly, ¡°yes.¡± the princess of northern yan smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s a pity that i couldn¡¯t make it to general wei¡¯s wedding. if i had known, i would have set off a few days earlier.¡± wei ting had nothing to talk to her about. the princess of northern yan was not angry. she still smiled and looked at wei ting gently. ¡°where are you going, general? i¡¯ll send you off..¡± Chapter 602 - Chapter 602: sack! chapter 602: sack! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios she had only spoken two sentences, but she had even skipped his surname in her address. wei ting said calmly, ¡°there¡¯s no need to trouble princess kangning.¡± the princess of northern yan said warmly, ¡°it¡¯s my first time in the capital, so i¡¯m not familiar with this place. i wonder if general can accompany me around. i heard that the lights in the capital of the great zhou will be very beautiful. i¡¯ve always hoped to have the chance to witness it.¡± ¡°how about i accompany princess northern yan for a walk?¡± the wei family¡¯s carriage arrived. su xiaoxiao jumped out of the carriage and announced her sovereignty as she stood beside wei ting. ¡°although my husband is born and raised in the capital, he has been studying hard since he was young and rarely goes out to stroll. i¡¯m afraid he might not be qualified to be the guide of the princess of northern yan.¡± with that, su xiaoxiao said to the coachman who had taken over halfway, ¡°fu su, the princess of northern yan is new here and lacks a guide. you¡¯re familiar with the capital. why don¡¯t you take the princess of northern yan out for a walk?¡± ¡°why is it me?¡± after being with yuchi xiu for a long time, fu su directly cultivated and spoke arrogantly. ¡°let yuchi xiu go!¡± yuchi xiu appeared in the dark. ¡°i¡¯m not going!¡± fu su turned to look at him and said, ¡°aren¡¯t you from northern yan? if your princess is here, receive her!¡± ¡°i¡¯m not from northern yan!¡± yuchi xiu exploded. ¡°then where are you from?¡± ¡°it¡¯s none of your business!¡± the two of them quarreled as if no one was around. the princess of northern yan maintained a proper smile. ¡°i¡¯m tired. i¡¯ll go back to the posthouse first. general, see you tomorrow at the welcoming banquet.¡± after she left, su xiaoxiao looked at wei ting and narrowed her eyes dangerously. ¡°general? she called you so intimately. there¡¯s indeed something between you and her!¡± wei ting said, ¡°no.¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°still quibbling? do you dare to say that you didn¡¯t meet her when you went to assassinate king hulie of northern yan back then?¡± wei ting was stunned. ¡°you even know this? who told you?¡± su xiaoxiao was instantly fierce. ¡°you really have an affair with her!¡± wei ting was helpless. ¡°what nonsense? who¡¯s having an affair with her? watch your words.¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°tell me, how did you break out of king hulie¡¯s camp back then wei ting said coldly, ¡°i killed my way out.¡± su xiaoxiao raised her chin. ¡°are you sure the princess of northern yan didn¡¯t let you go?¡± wei ting sighed. ¡°she didn¡¯t let me go. i kidnapped her.¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened. ¡°you touched her?¡± wei ting said, ¡°there¡¯s no differentiation between man or woman on the battlefield. it¡¯s the same as you doctors treating illnesses. it is either success or failure. it has nothing to do with males and females.¡± su xiaoxiao was still not satisfied with this answer. wei ting held his forehead. ¡°i put a sword to her neck and forced her to be a hostage for a while.¡± ¡°what happened after that?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°later.¡± wei ting glanced at northern yan xiu coldly. ¡°a certain careless guy fell into a trap set by helian ye. i exchanged hostages with northern yan and redeemed a certain someone.¡± yuchi xiu looked at the sky. if he didn¡¯t admit it, it didn¡¯t happen. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°oh.¡± wei ting asked, ¡°what kind of expression is that?¡± su xiaoxiao patted his shoulder and said generously, ¡°don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯m not such a petty person. my husband is so handsome and has a good figure. it¡¯s only right for someone to think about him. i won¡¯t mind. receive the ambassador in peace. leave such rotten peach blossoms romances to me.¡± after saying that with a smile, she did not forget to pat her chest. wei ting wondered, ¡°why do i feel that you¡¯re a little excited?¡± remembering the serious matter, wei ting looked at her solemnly. ¡°did you forget about me in the palace today?¡± su xiaoxiao choked. ¡°ahem, no, no.¡± wei ting¡¯s eyes darkened as he watched a certain little fat peacock get into the carriage. it would be strange if she didn¡¯t. what a heartless girl! this person looked so approachable, but her heart was very, very far away. he thought that he could unveil her after the wedding but he was too naive. what she craved was his body, but she had no intention of letting anyone enter her heart. su xiaoxiao lifted the curtain and saw that wei ting was staring at her. she hurriedly said, ¡°why didn¡¯t you come up? i went to do something just now. really! it¡¯s business!¡± indeed, she had left the palace for serious business. it was not a lie thought, that he had forget a certain someone. it was physician fu who reminded her, ¡°xiaoxiao, you came to the medical center alone. where¡¯s wei ting?¡± at that time, she felt like she had been struck by lightning. wei ting¡­ had been forgotten by her in the palace! the carriage began to move slowly. su xiaoxiao told him everything that had happened today. wei ting heard four main points. firstly, mo guiyuan had a partner who helped him contact northern yan and deploy resources to the capital. secondly, it was very likely that this person killed wei xu, wei dalang, and the others back then. thirdly, sikong yun and prime minister guo were both the other party¡¯s people. fourthly, the late emperor¡¯s edict was in his hands. ¡°i have something to say about the third point,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°tell me,¡± wei ting said. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°could prime minister guo be that person?¡± wei ting shook his head. ¡°prime minister guo isn¡¯t so capable. from prime minister guo¡¯s actions towards guo huan, he didn¡¯t even know that guo huan is working for mo guiyuan.¡± su xiaoxiao took out two walnuts and placed them on the table. ¡°therefore, there are a total of two camps. one is mo guiyuan¡¯s white lotus society, and the other is the camp of the mastermind. the pawns of the two camps don¡¯t know each other¡¯s identities, just like how guo huan doesn¡¯t know that prime minister guo is the pawn of the mastermind. prime minister guo doesn¡¯t know that guo huan is mo guiyuan¡¯s spy.¡± wei ting nodded. ¡°that¡¯s true. from the current situation, the only person who can really see the overall situation is the mastermind. the white lotus society was destroyed, but he stayed out of it. what a big game!¡± su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°then, prime minister guo and sikong yun are his people. do they know about each other?¡± wei ting frowned. ¡°that¡¯s hard to say.¡± su xiaoxiao rubbed the walnuts on the table. ¡°i can¡¯t figure out who in the great zhou can have such a deep grudge with the wei family. the first person i thought of was emperor jing xuan, but on second thought, if he was really the mastermind, why would he be so frightened by the white lotus society?¡± it was not that wei ting had not considered emperor jing xuan. in order to maintain his image as a wise ruler, it was not convenient for emperor jing xuan to kill the wei family. therefore, he used northern yan to kill all the generals of the wei family. however, on second thought, he felt that the possibility was slim. emperor jing xuan was not a good person, but he was not a too muddle-headed emperor. he understood what it meant for the wei family to die in battle. he was not so stupid. another piece of evidence was the late emperor¡¯s edict. if emperor jing xuan had obtained it, he would have destroyed it immediately. why would he let it fall into mo guiyuan¡¯s hands? wei ting said thoughtfully, ¡°i dare to guess that he didn¡¯t take the initiative to give the imperial edict to mo guiyuan. it should have been accidentally obtained by mo guiyuan. perhaps he secretly helped to encourage the purge of the white lotus society this time.¡± su xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°he wants the imperial edict back.¡± wei ting said seriously, ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± su xiaoxiao thought, what a ruthless person. what a powerful plan! su xiaoxiao felt like an ant was scratching her heart. ¡°who is this person?¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°if sikong yun escapes, isn¡¯t there still prime minister guo? just ask prime minister guo.¡± prime minister guo ended his tedious work and planned to return to the residence. just as he was about to get into the carriage, a chubby figure darted out from behind him and wrapped him in a sack! Chapter 603 - Chapter 603: Two-faced Couple chapter 603: two-faced couple translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios south of the palace was a posthouse specially used to receive envoys. this was not an ordinary posthouse. its luxury was definitely not inferior to a small palace. the best courtyard was given to the western jin ambassador. this was natural. after all, he was powerful. the courtyard of the northern yan envoys was not bad either. it sat north facing south and had beautiful scenery. after the princess of northern yan returned to the posthouse, she first asked the servant where general helian was. ¡°the great general is practicing his swordplay on the shore,¡± the servant said. ¡°lead the way,¡± the princess of norther yan said. under the guidance of the servants, the princess of northern yan came to a lotus pond. white lotus flowers stood elegantly, and willow leaves hung on the shore. a night breeze blew over, and her nose was filled with a refreshing fragrance. it was rare to see such a scenery in northern yan. the princess of northern yan looked at the man waving his sword like rain on the grass and pulled out a guard¡¯s sword. she smiled and went forward. helian ye was naturally not flustered by her sneak attack. not only that, but he also restrained his cultivation and blocked with his long sword. princess northern yan smiled and said, ¡°uncle, are you looking down on ning¡¯er and not even willing to use 30% of your strength?¡± helian ye increased his strength by 10% and exchanged a few moves with the princess of northern yan. he stopped and put away his sword. ¡°alright, that¡¯s all for today.¡± the princess of northern yan was not satisfied and threw the sword back to the guard at the side. the two of them went to sit on the stone stool in the pavilion. a servant served tea. the princess of northern yan took a sip and could not help but praise, ¡°the great yan is huge and has abundant resources. even these tea leaves are much more mellow and fragrant than our northern yan.¡± helian ye was not interested in tasting tea. he drank three cups and asked, ¡°why are you back so late?¡± the princess of northern yan said honestly, ¡°i met wei ting.¡± helian ye frowned. ¡°you haven¡¯t given up on that kid?¡± princess norther yan looked at the tea in the cup and smiled. ¡°he¡¯s very good. i want him.¡± ¡°he¡¯s uncle¡¯s enemy,¡± helian ye reminded. the princess of northern yan looked at helian ye and smiled. ¡°if he gives up his status in the wei family and volunteers to be my son-in-law, can¡¯t uncle let him off?¡± helian ye hesitated. princess norther yan put down her teacup and held his arm coquettishly. ¡°uncle. ¡± helian ye said seriously, ¡°i said that i would kill everyone in the wei family.¡± ¡°uncle! ¡± helian ye said helplessly, ¡°alright, alright, alright. if he¡¯s really willing to give up his identity as the wei family¡¯s son, i can consider letting him live. however, are you sure he will agree? as you can see, we¡¯re a step too late. he¡¯s already married another woman. moreover, the new madam he married is qin canglan¡¯s granddaughter. she¡¯s not someone you can bully casually.¡± the princess of northern yan smiled and said, ¡°why would i bully her? this is between wei ting and me. as long as the two of us are willing, won¡¯t she be redundant?¡± helian ye said, ¡°wei ting doesn¡¯t seem to like you.¡± ¡°he¡¯ll like me sooner or later.¡± the princess of northern yan picked up a fruit on the table and said firmly, ¡°i¡¯m sure.¡± after su xiaoxiao quickly put prime minister guo in a sack at the entrance of the palace, she immediately threw him into the carriage. wei ting ended his conversation with the guard. the guard was at a loss. what was wrong with lord wei today? he was actually concerned about a small fry like him? wei ting sat down in the carriage. fu su, who had long disguised himself as a coachman, grabbed the whip and quickly drove the carriage away. prime minister guo kept struggling in the sack. ¡®who are you? how dare you kidnap an official of the imperial court in broad daylight! do you want to die!¡± su xiaoxiao and wei ting exchanged glances and chose the latter between hiding their identities. wei ting decisively took away the sack. prime minister guo¡¯s eyes lit up and he subconsciously closed his eyes. then, he looked around warily and saw wei ting and su xiaoxiao sitting on the car bench. his expression darkened. ¡°preposterous! why did you kidnap me!¡± su xiaoxiao played with the dagger in her hand and smiled. ¡°what can i do? of course¡­ i¡¯m killing you.¡± ¡°you!¡± prime minister guo glanced at the dagger in her hand. he recognized it. it was the weapon of lord wu an lord back then. it was extremely sharp and could cut iron like mud. civil officials were not very sensitive to weapons to begin with, and the reason why he remembered it so clearly was that this dagger was bestowed by the late emperor. he personally sent it to the martial peace manor and handed it to the martial peace lord, wei wei. the dagger seemed to have the aura of lord wu an, making one¡¯s heart palpitate. prime minister guo calmed down and got up to sit on another carriage stool. he looked at the two of them in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°what exactly do you want?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°let me ask you a few questions.¡± prime minister guo looked at the taciturn wei ting. his gaze seemed to be asking if he didn¡¯t care about his woman. shouldn¡¯t this be a man¡¯s conversation? what was the point of a woman getting involved? wei ting drank his tea and ignored prime minister guo. su xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°if you don¡¯t answer honestly, i¡¯ll kill you. anyway, no one saw us kidnap you. with my methods, i¡¯ll do it very cleanly and definitely won¡¯t leave any traces.¡± prime minister guo¡¯s aura was fully released. ¡°how dare you!¡± su xiaoxiao was even fiercer than him. ¡°let¡¯s see if i dare!¡± prime minister guo looked at wei ting again. wei ting said, ¡°she really dares.¡± prime minister guo was speechless. prime minister guo said coldly, ¡°what do you want to ask? if it¡¯s about the white lotus society, i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ll disappoint you. i have nothing to do with the white lotus society.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°we¡¯ve already investigated everything about the white lotus society. there¡¯s no need for prime minister guo to waste your breath. what we want to ask is the master behind prime minister guo.¡± prime minister guo¡¯s expression did not change, but his fingers buried under his wide sleeves suddenly tightened. this extremely small detail did not escape su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. su xiaoxiao pulled out her dagger and threatened, ¡°who are you working for?¡± prime minister guo said righteously, ¡°i¡¯m loyal to the current emperor, so i naturally work for him. ¡± su xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°nonsense. if you work for the emperor jing xuan, why would you collude with northern yan in private?¡± prime minister guo frowned. su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°am i right? yes, it was your good granddaughter, guo lingxi, who revealed it to me.¡± prime minister guo gritted his teeth. damn that girl! su xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t take the blame for guo lingxi and let the grandfather and granddaughter fight among themselves! su xiaoxiao threatened, ¡°the mass grave is three miles ahead. my patience is limited. before that, tell me and i can consider sparing your life. otherwise¡­¡± prime minister guo realized that the two of them were serious. otherwise, they would not have revealed their faces to him. he said coldly, ¡°how can i be sure that you¡¯ll leave me alive?¡± su xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°you can¡¯t be sure. you can only bet. don¡¯t lie, because i also caught one of your accomplices.. if your testimony doesn¡¯t match, you¡¯ll all die!¡± Chapter 604 - Chapter 604: Seeing the Iron Bell Again chapter 604: seeing the iron bell again translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios prime minister guo clenched his fists. it was very embarrassing to be threatened by two juniors, but his intuition told him that this girl was definitely not lying. she might really kill him. ¡°tsk.¡± wei ting smiled. ¡°looks like there are really accomplices.¡± prime minister guo¡¯s expression changed. this time, he realized that he had been tricked. that girl looked impulsive and agitated, but every word was a trap. su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°have you thought about it, prime minister guo? there¡¯s only a mile left.¡± fu su drove the carriage so fast that the wheels and horseshoes almost smoked. prime minister guo¡¯s teeth hurt. would it kill him to drive slower? ¡°100 steps.¡± ¡°80 steps.¡± ¡°50.¡± it was as though su xiaoxiao was counting down to his death. prime minister guo broke out in cold sweat. he understood that he had to make a choice. he lowered his eyes and clenched his fists. just as su xiaoxiao counted to 30, he suddenly stood up and rushed out! he wanted to jump out of the carriage! as long as they were seen by the people on the streets, they would not dare to do anything to him! su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t expect prime minister guo, who was already so old, to react so quickly at a critical moment. she was stunned. she did not plan to stop prime minister guo, and wei ting did not do anything. the two of them felt that fu su was outside and would stop him. unexpectedly, prime minister guo was really unlucky today. he fell and hit the door heavily. he was agitated and anxious. something bad had happened. his body began to twitch, and his mouth became crooked. ¡°what happened to him?¡± wei ting asked. ¡°fu su, stop the carriage!¡± su xiaoxiao immediately said. fu su hurriedly stopped the carriage. su xiaoxiao asked wei ting and fu su to open all the curtains. light and fresh air surged in. ¡°he had a stroke!¡± su xiaoxiao knelt down beside prime minister guo with a solemn expression. she unbuttoned prime minister guo¡¯s belt and clothes, let him lie flat, and turned his head to the side. prime minister guo stared straight at something. wei ting followed his gaze and touched a secret compartment. he pulled out a scroll and opened it. it was a portrait. ¡°is it that person?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. prime minister guo took a last look and completely lost consciousness. su xiaoxiao and wei ting understood at the same time. this was the portrait of the person behind the scenes! unfortunately, before the two of them could see who was drawn on the portrait, a shadow flashed over and whipped out, sweeping away the portrait! ¡°i¡¯ll chase after him!¡± wei ting chased after the masked man. su xiaoxiao continued to save prime minister guo. this person was still useful and could not die for the time being. halfway through the rescue, a few more masked people came. they were holding large sabers and did not come with good intentions. fu su fought with them, but they did not go against fu su and left two people to hold fu su back. the other three surrounded the carriage. su xiaoxiao threw out a bag of poison. the three of them hurriedly pushed it away! however, they clearly had some brains. the moment they pushed it away, they actually cut the reins and let the horse escape! su xiaoxiao grabbed prime minister guo. ¡°fu su! let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°good!¡± fu su retreated and carried prime minister guo on his back. su xiaoxiao took a bow and arrow from the carriage, pulled the string, and fired three arrows at the same time! the three of them hid behind the carriage. the arrows pierced through two layers of the carriage wall, and one of them stabbed into one of their arms. the three of them had never seen such precise archery and were stunned for a moment. when they came back to their senses, su xiaoxiao and fu su had already walked out. however, since they had a patient with them, they could not be too fast. the masked men eventually caught up with two of them. su xiaoxiao shot two masked men. the other circled to her back and slashed at her. fu su¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°young madam! be careful! ¡± at the critical moment, a cold sword qi slashed over and shook the masked man away. su xiaoxiao took a closer look. ¡°su mo?¡± as su mo stood in front of su xiaoxiao, his eyes were filled with killing intent. seeing that the situation was hopeless, the person turned around and fled. worried that it was a diversion, su mo did not chase after him. he turned to look at su xiaoxiao. ¡°are you alright?¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± su mo was relieved and said, ¡°i just came from the military camp and saw the two of you being chased. what happened?¡± ¡°here.¡± su xiaoxiao gestured to prime minister guo, who was on su¡¯s back. ¡°they¡¯re here to kill him.¡± su mo glanced around and said in surprise, ¡°prime minister guo?¡± compared to why prime minister guo was being chased and by whom, su mo was even more puzzled. why did his sister save him? su xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°he has a stroke and needs treatment. send him to the medical center first. i¡¯ll tell you on the way.¡± su mo agreed. ¡°okay.¡± on the other side, wei ting chased after the man in black. the other party¡¯s skills were inferior to wei ting¡¯s. after two moves, he decisively changed his strategy and only fled. moreover, this person was very cunning and kept trying to drug wei ting. although wei ting was not drugged, it took a lot of effort to dodge. that person could not shake wei ting off and was a little angry. he turned around and walked towards the south of the city. wei ting chased him all the way over a tall courtyard wall. he was gone! wel ¡®i¡¯lng was vigilant ot tne surroundings. suddenly, a ngure tlasned past trom behind the rockery. wei ting chased him into a backyard. after entering, wei ting realized that something was wrong. there were soldiers here! ¡°who¡¯s there!¡± a woman shouted from inside the house. wei ting had only seen her in the morning and remembered her voice. she was the princess of the western jin and the envoys who had visited the great zhou this time. no wonder he felt that this place was a little familiar. it was the posthouse to receive the envoys. the other party had deliberately lured him to the posthouse. unable to shake him off, he used the princess of the western jin to kill him. wei ting used his qinggong and grabbed a figure from behind the rockery. the masked man was shocked and raised his hand to slap wei ting! wei ting blocked it with his back hand and reached out with his right hand to grab the portrait in his arms. the masked man reached out to snatch it. at this moment, an abnormally terrifying aura approached. even wei ting felt danger. the masked man was close to the courtyard wall. he subconsciously took a step back. ¡°trying to escape?¡± after wei ting finished speaking coldly, he grabbed him and threw him behind him. he used the momentum to jump out of the courtyard wall. there was a scream behind him, but that was no longer his business. what wei ting did not know was that not long after he left, there was only a corpse left on the empty grass. the voice of the princess of the western jin came faintly from the room. ¡°who is it?¡± he said nothing. a breeze blew, shaking the rusty iron bell at his waist. when wei ting rushed back with the portrait, he bumped into fu su, who was waiting for him. the two of them went to the medical center. after prime minister guo¡¯s emergency treatment, his condition was temporarily stabilized. su xiaoxiao was telling xiao weizi and yun xiu about the medicine. ying¡¯er walked over and said, ¡°boss, young master is here.¡± ¡°got it.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded and asked xiao weizi and yun xi, ¡°have you remembered what i just said?¡± the two of them said in unison, ¡°got it, boss!¡± su xiaoxiao went to the small courtyard. wei ting and su mo sat in the room with the portrait in front of them. their expressions were a little strange. ¡°what kind of expression is this?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. the two of them looked at the portrait on the table at the same time. when su xiaoxiao saw the person in the portrait, she was stunned.. Chapter 605 - Chapter 605: The Person Behind the Scenes chapter 605: the person behind the scenes translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°how could.. su xiaoxiao suspected that she had seen it wrongly. she picked up the portrait and looked at the woman in white carefully. from her eyebrows to the bridge of her nose to the shape of her face, she looked at every inch. a beauty¡¯s bones were not her skin. even if she was old, one could see the beautiful outline of her youth. it was grandmaster hui jue. to be precise, she looked like she was in her prime. at that time, she had yet to become a nun. she was dressed in white and looked like an immortal. it was not an exaggeration to call her a fairy. the three of them sat in the house for a long time without saying anything. obviously, no one expected the truth that they had worked so hard to find to be like this. ¡°could there be a mistake?¡± su mo asked. of course, su xiaoxiao hoped that she had made a mistake. grandmaster hui jue was the first golden thigh she had hugged after coming to the alternate world. not only did she introduce her to a lot of good business, but she also lent her a valuable house in the capital to live in. ¡± how coulc1¡­¡± su xiaoxiao suspected that she had seen it wrongly. she picked up the portrait and looked at the woman in white carefully. from her eyebrows to the bridge of her nose to the shape of her face, she looked at every inch. a beauty¡¯s bones were not her skin. even if she was old, one could see the beautiful outline of her youth. it was grandmaster hui jue. to be precise, she looked like she was in her prime. at that time, she had yet to become a nun. she was dressed in white and looked like an immortal. it was not an exaggeration to call her a fairy. the three of them sat in the house for a long time without saying anything. obviously, no one expected the truth that they had worked so hard to find to be like this. ¡°could there be a mistake?¡± su mo asked. of course, su xiaoxiao hoped that she had made a mistake. grandmaster hui jue was the first golden thigh she had hugged after coming to the alternate world. not only did she introduce her to a lot of good business, but she also lent her a valuable house in the capital to live in. if she was the big boss behind the scenes¡ª did the ancients hide their intentions so deeply? su xiaoxiao was about to doubt her life! su xiaoxiao looked at the two of them. ¡°can i ask what grandmaster hui jue¡¯s identity is? the wei family and the su family seem to be friends with her.¡± su mo said, ¡°she¡¯s the eldest princess, the late emperor¡¯s twin sister.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°does she have a grudge against the wei family?¡± from the clues they had so far, the person behind prime minister guo and sikong yun had conspired with mo guiyuan and northern yan to scheme against the wei family. this person was even more ruthless than mo guiyuan. after all, mo guiyuan only wanted the lives of lord wu an and wei xu. this person wanted the men of the wei family to never return. su mo looked at wei ting. he could not answer this question. wei ting shook his head. ¡°as far as i know, no.¡± su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°could it be that she wants to support emperor jing xuan and eliminate a huge problem for him?¡± the wei family was an old subordinate of king nanyang and had always been a thorn in emperor jing xuan¡¯s heart. he wanted to take back the wei family¡¯s military power but relied on the wei family to guard the north. su xiaoxiao speculated, ¡°ah, could it be that emperor jing xuan is her nephew in name, but he¡¯s actually her biological son! this guess is very reliable! think about it, before the late emperor died, he established king nanyang as the emperor. the imperial edict fell into the hands of the eldest princess. she¡¯s the late emperor¡¯s twin sister. the late emperor trusted her. he thought that she would announce the imperial edict to the world, but she actually hid it and forged a fake imperial edict to make king ruyang the emperor. how is it? isn¡¯t it reasonable and flawless?¡± su mo nodded seriously. ¡°yes.¡± wei ting glanced at su mo speechlessly. can he not spoil his sister like this? wei ting hit the nail on the head. ¡°the eldest princess treats her two nephews the same. in addition, how can the empress dowager not know if emperor jing xuan is her biological son?¡± su xiaoxiao lowered her eyes. ¡°oh, that¡¯s true.¡± su mo was unconditional. he looked at su xiaoxiao. ¡°it¡¯s okay. i still think what you said makes more sense. you¡¯re very smart.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°cousin is so good!¡± wei ting¡¯s face darkened. was it so warped now? wouldn¡¯t su mots conscience hurt if he lied through his teeth? su xiaoxiao crossed her arms and glared at wei ting. ¡°you deserve to be single!¡± wei ting pointed at su mo calmly. ¡°get this straight. he¡¯s the one who¡¯s single now.¡± su xiaoxiao blinked. her attempts to curry favor had fallen flat. however, su mo was not affected at all. he looked at su xiaoxiao gently. ¡°if you didn¡¯t get married, you will have been treated well as my sister. you won¡¯t have a sister-in-law who uses you as a sandbag every day.¡± it was heartbreaking! wei ting almost vomited blood. why didn¡¯t he realize that su mo was so annoying in the past?! today was the day su mo¡¯s shit-stirring skill reached its peak. there was a jar of walnuts on the table. su mo and wei ting peeled one at the same time and handed it to su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao decisively chose su mo¡¯s. ¡°cousin peeled it even more beautifully! it¡¯s like a complete brain.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve practiced, ¡± su mo said. su xiaoxiao wondered, ¡°uh¡­ is it the exercise i understand? it¡¯s not peeling people¡¯s brains, right?¡± this was clearly a warm and gentle brother, not a dark big boss. su mo smiled. ¡°if you like it, i¡¯ll peel it for you every day. don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t provoke this princess and that princess and rush to cause trouble for you.¡± wei ting exploded! ¡°su mo, come out and fight if you dare!¡± su xiaoxiao calmly became the peacemaker. ¡°let¡¯s get down to business.¡± ¡°okay,¡± su mo expressed in a second. wei ting, who was beaten to it again, was speechless. seeing wei ting suffer at su mo ts hands, su xiaoxiao finally felt happy. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°the reason why the su and wei families befriended the eldest princess is¡­¡± su mo said, ¡°my grandaunt and the eldest princess are close friends.¡± wei ting said, ¡°my grandmother too. back then¡ª¡± he did not give su mo a chance to curry favor and continued without breathing, ¡°the empress dowager, my grandmother, yue ange, your grandmother, su huayin, and the eldest princess were close friends. the four of them have an extremely good relationship. later on, for some reason, the empress dowager¡¯s relationship with my grandmother and your grandmother faded.¡± su mo took the opportunity to explain to su xiaoxiao, ¡°at that time, the late emperor had yet to ascend the throne, but the empress dowager had already seen through his ambition. she hoped that the qin and su families could support their eldest son in the future. unfortunately, the qin and su families are closer to prince ruyang.¡± wei ting said angrily, ¡°she already knows this.¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°there¡¯s no harm in me hearing it again!¡± wei ting snorted coldly. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡®where¡¯s the eldest princess? what¡¯s her position?¡± wei ting said, ¡°she doesn¡¯t get involved and interacts with everyone. it¡¯s just that the four of them no longer meet on the surface.¡± su xiaoxiao still didn¡¯t understand. ¡°why did she become a nun?¡± wei ting narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°because of the prince consort, she was very loving with him. after the prince consort passed away, she no longer had any attachment to the mortal world and became a monk in her fief. qingzhou is her fief.¡± qingzhou¡­ something flashed across su xiaoxiao¡¯s mind. ¡°how¡¯s prime minister guo?¡± wei ting asked. ¡°he¡¯s unconscious,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°she¡¯s on good terms with aunt fu. how did the two of them know each other?¡± the empress dowager, su huayin, and yue ange were the daughters of aristocratic families. it was not surprising that they knew the royal family, but aunt fu¡¯s background was very ordinary. wei ting explained, ¡°imperial physician fu was the attending physician of the prince consort back then.¡± in that case, su xiaoxiao understood why imperial physician fu fled to qingzhou after the accident. it was because that was the eldest princess¡¯s fief. they could obtain her protection. it was no wonder that she did not even care when that prefecture lord asked to see her. with her noble status, even a first-rank official might not be able to see her. what was a mere prefecture lord? the three of them looked at the portrait on the table again. could the mastermind really be this kind elder? the twilight merged. outside the southern city gate, aunt fu¡¯s carriage sped along the official road and finally arrived before the city gate closed.. Chapter 606 - Chapter 606: Returning chapter 606: returning translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios aunt fu was extremely dizzy. in order to make this last trip, the carriage dashed too quickly and she vomited all the acid in her stomach. she held her dizzy head. ¡°no, i have to go out and catch my breath.¡± the coachman helped her down. she looked up, panting, at the towering city tower. the open city gate was like a dormant beast opening the mouth of the abyss at her. she said in a daze, ¡°after so many years, i¡¯m finally back.¡± the three of them stayed in the medical center late at night and only came out when prime minister guo¡¯s condition stabilized. su xiaoxiao felt that she had probably overindulged on her wedding night and was still a little listless. as soon as she got into the carriage, she fell asleep. it was a rather bold sleeping posture¡ªsprawled on her back, leaning against the wall of the carriage. her small mouth was slightly open, and she was just short of drooling. su mo turned her head over and leaned on his shoulder. he looked at wei ting provocatively. ¡°my sister.¡± wei ting turned someone¡¯s head over and leaned on his shoulder. he returned su mo¡¯s gaze. ¡°my wife.¡± su mo said, ¡°let¡¯s fight.¡± wei ting said, ¡°so be it.¡± su mo said, ¡°another day.¡± wei ting said, ¡°of course.¡± in this world, a certain someone slept the most. fu su, who was driving the carriage outside, was confused. he muttered, ¡°the two of you are so stubborn. if you have the ability, fight now. i¡¯ll guard young madam¡­ then fu su was beaten up by the two of them. when they arrived at the wei family, the butler looked at fu su¡¯s big black eyes and was shocked. ¡°aiya! i thought i encountered a ghost in the middle of the night! ¡± su xiaoxiao was very sleepy. wei ting called for a sedan chair and sat in it with her. ¡°has grandmother rested?¡± wei ting asked the butler. the butler replied, ¡°young master, matriarch has rested, and so have the three young masters.¡± then he would ask his grandmother about grandmaster hui jue another day. after entering the courtyard, su xiaoxiao forced herself to wash up before falling asleep. wei ting looked at her strangely. ¡°sleeping again?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sleepy,¡± su xiaoxiao said groggily. wei ting asked solemnly, ¡°do you not want to fulfill your obligations as a wife?¡± su xiaoxiao lay on the soft bed, her face pressed out. ¡°i¡¯m really sleepy.¡± wei ting said coldly, ¡°you didn¡¯t do anything. i was the one who contributed that night¡­ you¡¯re so sleepy. could you be pregnant?¡± ¡°you¡¯re the one who¡¯s pregnant!¡± su xiaoxiao was about to fall asleep, but this guy woke her up through provocation. ¡°who gets pregnant overnight?¡± ¡°that¡¯s hard to say. maybe i¡¯m good.¡± ¡°only two days!¡± ¡°you¡¯re just pregnant.¡± lord wei did not accept a retort. su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t get through to him, so she stopped talking and fell asleep. wei ting lay down beside her. ¡°come over yourself.¡± su xiaoxiao rolled into his arms. ¡°i¡¯ll get su mo to beat you up tomorrow.¡± wei ting was speechless. the next day was the day to return home. before dawn, su xiaoxiao was dressed, packed, and prepared to leave. as soon as wei ting woke up, he saw a room full of boxes and frowned bitterly. ¡°hmph, you¡¯re not sleepy anymore.¡± old madam wei had been squeezed dry by the three little fellows and had yet to get up. they did not wake her up and only carried the three brats out. after greeting wei liulang and his sisters-in-law, they left for the protectorate. qin canglan woke up earlier than the family and wandered around the residence in the middle of the night. manager cen went to the toilet in the middle of the night with a lantern. as he went up, he shook his head and hummed, ¡°the han soldiers have already swept the ground qin cang touched his stomach and continued, ¡°the sound of chu ge in all directions ¨C steward cen was so frightened that the tap was turned off! qin canglan went around causing trouble for all the servants in the residenc before his precious granddaughter finally came. the three children got out of the car first. ¡°great-grandpa!¡± ¡°great-grandpa!¡± ¡°great-grandpa!¡± the three children ran towards qin canglan. in the past, dahu was always the first to take the lead, and xiaohu was the last. today, it was the opposite. xiaohu ran at the front. he was the first to pounce into qin canglan¡¯s arms. he was so arrogant! dahu and erhu also came over and rubbed against qin canglan¡¯s arms. erhu asked, ¡°great-grandpa, did you miss us?¡± qin canglan smiled and said, ¡°of course! great-grandpa misses you guys. do you guys miss great-grandpa?¡± dahu and erhu proclaimed, ¡°yes!¡± xiaohu said, ¡°xiaohu misses you the most!¡± qin canglan said, ¡°what do you miss about great-grandpa?¡± xiaohu was stuck. su xiaoxiao and wei ting also got out of the carriage and greeted their grandfather. ¡°sister! brother-in-law!¡± su ergou ran out excitedly! su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°ergou!¡± su ergou came to su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao raised her hand and touched his head. ¡°ergou, you¡¯re taller than sister. i haven¡¯t seen you in two days, but you¡¯ve grown so much!¡± su ergou muttered, ¡°i was taller than you a long time ago. you just didn¡¯t notice. ¡± ¡°i was negligent.¡± her brother was no longer the poor boy from the countryside. he was a high-spirited young man from zhou capital. su xiaoxiao rubbed his head again. ¡°i¡¯ll give you a shop as an apology.¡± ¡°huh?¡± su ergou¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°what shop?¡± ¡°ergou pancake shop.¡± ¡°really?¡± ¡°really.¡± ¡°where is it? i want to see it, i want to see it!¡± the filter of the young man of zhou capital shattered in a second. he was a noisy ergou again. ¡°grandpa, where¡¯s my father?¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t see su cheng. qin canglan coughed lightly. ¡°isn¡¯t your father in a bad mood? i¡­ only forced him to drink a little.¡± as a man, mere was no worry tnat a dowl or wine could not resolve: if a bowl didn¡¯t work, then a jar would do the trick! then, su cheng was drunk. qin canglan asked, ¡°speaking of which, which woman is your father after? it can¡¯t be that person from zhaoyang hall¡­ i don¡¯t think so¡­ didn¡¯t she just¡­ stay in pear blossom lane for a few nights? she doesn¡¯t have to like your father¡­ qin canglan chose to forget about bai xihe addressing him as her father-in-law when she was drunk. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i don¡¯t think so.¡¯ qin canglan heaved a sigh of relief. su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°my father saw her naked, took off her clothes, and brought her undergarment home. he even planned to flee from the palace with her.¡¯ qin canglan fell! the three little ones went to greet su cheng, but they couldn¡¯t wake him up after a long time. xiao hu placed his hands on his hips and stomped his feet. he said solemnly, ¡°what a lazy grandfather! ¡± his pronunciation was unstable as he accused. dahu said, ¡°you¡¯re also a lazy baby.¡± xiaohu said fiercely, ¡°xiaohu is not a lazy baby. dahu is a lazy baby!¡± dahu said, ¡°then i¡¯m going to cultivate. are you going?¡± xiaohu blinked and said guiltily, ¡°cultivating isnt fun.¡± he glanced at erhu, who was grabbing su cheng¡¯s chin. ¡°erhu, let¡¯s go play!¡± ¡°okay!¡± erhu said.. Chapter 607 - Chapter 607: Entering the Palace for a Banquet chapter 607: entering the palace for a banquet translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios qin canglan was a general. his granddaughter-in-law came to treat him well, but he shot wei ting. a red tassel spear. wei ting took it valiantly. qin canglan picked a long sword. ¡°come, let¡¯s exchange a few moves!¡± wei ting said, ¡°then please enlighten me, grandpa.¡± ¡°the first move ¡ª flood dragon enters the sea!¡± qin canglan held his sword and slashed at wei ting like a flood dragon. wei ting blocked with his spear. this was the first time he had fought qin canglan seriously. previously, in pear blossom lane, the two of them had only exchanged one move, and qin canglan clearly did not get serious. this time, qin canglan had the intention to teach him. he hit him a little harder. after a few moves, wei ting¡¯s arms were slightly numb. qin canglan attacked again and again. ¡°a man has to have good waist strength!¡± ¡°you have to have enough leg strength!¡± ¡°your arm strength has to be fierce!¡± ¡°you should be able to retract and release it freely!¡± qin canglan had decades of rich internal strength and his martial arts realm had long entered the peak. as wei ting fought with him, it was a little tragic, but he had actually benefited a lot. qin canglan stopped. he couldn¡¯t really beat him up or his precious granddaughter would be angry later. he picked up wei ting¡¯s red tassel spear with his sword and threw it back onto the shelf. at the same time, he inserted the sword back into the scabbard on the shelf. ¡°your grandfather¡¯s red tassel spear back then was rarely matched in the great zhou. you still have to practice!¡± ¡°yes, little seven will remember.¡± wei ting admired qin canglan¡¯s martial arts from the bottom of his heart, so he naturally would not be arrogant. qin canglan waved his hand. ¡°come back tomorrow morning to practice.¡± ¡°tomorrow morning?¡± wei ting was stunned. qin canglan said, ¡°ah, i forgot that you¡¯ve been reinstated. then come over after court. i¡¯ll wait for you. anyway, i¡¯ve resigned and have nothing to do.¡± wei ting wondered, ¡°is this a question of whether you¡¯re free or not?¡± qin canglan remarked, ¡± heh, you want my granddaughter to be a sandbag at your house? then come over and be my sandbag! if your sisters-in-law beat my granddaughter up a few times, i¡¯ll beat you up twice as much!¡± wei ting muttered, ¡°i suddenly miss being a live-in son-in-law¡­¡± after the spar, su xiaoxiao made a big bowl of lotus seed soup. qin canglan immediately emitted a benevolent light. ¡°little seven is not bad. your martial arts have improved.¡± wei ting gave a fake smile. ¡°grandpa gave good guidance.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°what are you talking about?¡± qin canglan smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s nothing. we just sparred. it smells so good. is it lotus seed soup?¡± ¡°yes.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°ergou and the three little ones have already had theirs. this bowl is yours.¡± she scooped two bowls, one for qin canglan and one for wei ting. while qin canglan was drinking the lotus seed soup, su xiaoxiao told him about prime minister guo and the portrait. ¡°eldest princess? i did hear that she became a nun.¡± qin canglan frowned deeply. ¡°back then, huayin had a relationship with her for a while. later on¡­ huayin¡¯s relationship with the empress dowager fell apart. the edlest princess was caught in the middle and didn¡¯t move around much. a few years after her marriage, she moved to qingzhou with the prince consort. every time huayin returned to the village to pay respects to her ancestors, she would stay in her residence for a while¡­ later on, the prince consort was seriously ill so she returned to the capital with the prince consort to treat his illness. two years later, the prince consort passed away.¡± at this point, qin canglan paused. ¡°why is it her?¡± qin canglan was also in disbelief. however, on second thought, huayin was killed in qingzhou back then. qingzhou was the eldest princess¡¯s fief, and the eldest princess knew huayin¡¯s whereabouts like the back of her hand¡­ although huayin was killed by qin jiang¡¯s mother, could the eldest princess be behind the scenes? qin canglan said, ¡°but she has no reason to harm huayin.¡± this was also something su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t figure out, but too many things happened to be related to grandmaster hui jue, such as the place where su huayin was killed or the secret passage of the white lotus society in pear blossom lane. they were silent for a moment. qin canglan asked, ¡°there¡¯s a welcome banquet tonight. are you going over directly from here later, or are you going back to the wei family first?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°we¡¯re heading back to the wei family first to send dahu, ernu, ancl xlaonu dack.¡± qin canglan nodded. ¡°alright.¡± su cheng had been tricked too badly by his father and was drunk. he did not wake up even after his daughter and son- in-law left. in the evening, su xiaoxiao and wei ting entered the palace for the banquet. the venue of the banquet was at the qilin hall. after getting off the carriage, the two of them walked towards the qilin hall. wei ting looked around. su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°yo, you¡¯re going to see your princess of northern yan again. are you looking forward to it?¡± wei ting¡¯s face darkened. it seemed she couldn¡¯t get over this. he could not argue at a time like this. otherwise, she would have ten thousand crooked reasons to make things difficult for him. wei ting decisively got down to business. ¡°northern yan¡¯s annual tribute this year is only half of last year¡¯s.¡± su xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°so perfunctory?¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°if you ask, you¡¯ll be crying about being poor. there¡¯s a drought in the north, and natural disasters and man-made disasters are everywhere, but the princess dowry they sent to the western jin is expensive.¡± ¡°northern yan is determined to win over the western jin.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°who¡¯s from the western jin this time?¡± the two of them continued walking. wei ting said, ¡°prince li, the younger brother of the emperor of the western jin, the princess of the western jin, the young princess of the western jin, and a few ministers.¡± su xiaoxiao was deep in thought. ¡°the princess of the western jin is here too? it¡¯s a big scene.¡± wei ting was surprised by her sensitivity to political matters. ¡°in the past, only one royal family came to the western jin. this year, three came. of course, that young princess is the daughter of the princess of the western jin. she¡¯s here to play and has nothing to do with political matters.¡± after a pause, he continued, ¡°but it¡¯s not difficult to understand. northern yan sent a princess to reconcile. no matter who she marries, it might threaten the status of the princess of the western jin.¡± su xiaoxiao understood. ¡°so she¡¯s here to form an alliance.¡± wei ting nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. if northern yan didn¡¯t interfere, the target of her alliance would definitely be the great zhou. but now, everything has changed.¡± as the two of them spoke, a woman¡¯s scream suddenly came from ahead. ¡°ahhh! don¡¯t come over! go away!¡± it was princess hui an! su xiaoxiao and wei ting hurriedly rushed over. princess hui an had just fallen off the horse and was injured. today, she was taking a wheelchair out for a walk in the garden. unexpectedly, a small golden snake descended from the sky and landed on her dress. she couldn¡¯t run, but she didn¡¯t dare to hold it. little shunzi reached out to grab it, but it slipped and fell onto her shoulder. su xiaoxiao shot out a silver needle and nailed the snake to the ground. ¡°princess, it¡¯s fine.¡± hearing a familiar voice, princess hui an raised her pale face and finally pounced into her arms, crying. ¡°woah¡­ why are you only here now? you scared me to death just now¡­¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°princess, don¡¯t wipe your snot on me.¡± princess hui an sobbed and nodded. she straightened up and reached out to little yunzi. little yunzi respectfully handed her a handkerchief. she wiped her tears and blew her nose before continuing to cry in su xiaoxiao¡¯s arms. wei ting looked at this scene in a speechless manner. why did he feel that the entire world was fighting with him for his wife? at this moment, the princess of northern yan walked over from the path with a smile and asked pretentiously, ¡°have you seen a golden snake? that¡¯s the pet of the young princess of western jin. she accidentally lost it just now. we¡¯re all helping to find it..¡± Chapter 608 - Chapter 608: Wuhu ‘s Merit chapter 608: wuhu ¡®s merit translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios princess hui an was stunned. a small golden snake? could it be the one just now? she subconsciously looked at the little snake nailed to the ground. ah, it was really golden! this was actually the beloved pet of the princess of the western jin? although she was a princess, she understood that the royal family of western jin could not be provoked, especially this young princess. her mother had reminded her many times not to provoke anyone from western jin vistors. it was fine if she really provoked the princes and princesses. they were elders and would not argue with a junior. this young princess was at an age where it was not easy to coax her. she was not mature, and was childish, and rebellious. killing her beloved pet¡­ it was over. they had caused a huge mess. princess hui an pushed su xiaoxiao away in a second and released her princess aura. ¡°i was the one who did it!¡± su xiaoxiao covered her mouth. the princess of northern yan smiled. she did not argue with the two women. instead, she came to wei ting and became gentle as if no one was around. ¡°general, if you want to stop the responsibility and tell the public that you killed him, i might consider hiding it for you?¡± wei ting said coldly, ¡°why should i take the blame for others?¡± ¡°others¡­¡± the princess of northern yan smiled even more brightly. ¡°that¡¯s¡­ general¡¯s wife. a day as husband and wife is equivalent a hundred days of kindness. is general so cold and heartless to his new wife?¡± her tone was clearly smug and provocative. if wei ting did not care about his new wife, wouldn¡¯t that be exactly what she wanted? hui an took su xiaoxiao¡¯s hand off her mouth. ¡°hey, what¡¯s going on? why do i feel that she¡¯s strange to brother ting? was she the one who called him general? he¡¯s not their general!¡± ¡°alright, i¡¯m done. continue to cover it.¡± princess hui an obediently covered her mouth. not far away, the princess of northern yan wanted to continue provoking wei ting, but the little princess of western jin rushed over with her servants. weapons were not allowed in the palace unless emperor jing xuan authorized it. however, the young princess of western jin was followed by armed guards. it could be seen how much privilege emperor jing xuan accorded to the envoys of the western jin. the young princess of western jin asked, ¡°princess kangning, have you found my ruyi?¡± ruyi was the name of the golden snake. the envoys of the two countries lived in the posthouse together. northern yan had the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a favorable position. these two days, she spent some effort and finally spoke to the difficult little princess of the western jin. she restrained the smile on her face and said very sadly, ¡°i did find it¡­ unfortunately, i was a step too late¡­ ruyi has already¡­ met with misfortune.¡± the young princess¡¯s face darkened. ¡°what did you say? what happened to my ruyi?¡± the princess of northern yan looked so sad that she couldn¡¯t bear to look anymore. ¡°young commandery princess, see for yourself.¡± the young princess of western jin looked in the direction she was pointing and saw the little golden snake nailed to the ground. she immediately went berserk. ¡°who did it? who did it?¡± ¡°princess of northern yan did it,¡± su xiaoxiao said. everyone was stunned. the princess of northern yan and princess hui an looked at su xiaoxiao. only wei ting was calm and was not surprised at all. he said that he would not take the blame for others, but he did not say that this other person was a little fat peacock. he had guessed that this girl would play the blame game. su xiaoxiao took out her handkerchief and flicked it in the air. she got into character in a second. ¡°just now, i was pushing princess hui an for a walk in the courtyard when a small snake suddenly fell on princess hui an. princess hui an screamed in shock. the princess of northern yan happened to pass by and saw that something was wrong. she helped and killed the small snake that attacked princess hui an. but i think princess northern yan didn¡¯t do it on purpose. she probably didn¡¯t see that it was the snake of the young princess of the western jin. she just wanted to be a good person.¡± princess northern yan scolded, ¡°nonsense! it was clearly you!¡± ¡°nonsense! nonsense! nonsense!¡± wuhu on the branch flapped their wings and shouted. ¡°eh?¡± the young princess¡¯s attention was attracted and she looked at wuhu on the tree. ¡°what¡¯s that little thing?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a parrot. wuhu, come here.¡± su xiaoxiao extended her arm to wuhu. wuhu flapped its wings and flew over, landing on su xiaoxiao¡¯s arm. su xiaoxiao patted the little parrot¡¯s head. ¡°wuhu, tell the young princess who killed the little snake. was it me or princess kangning?¡± wuhu said, ¡°princess kangning! princess kangning! princess kangning!¡± this was a traitor with no conscience. the young princess of western jin glared at the princess of northern yan. ¡°it was you!¡± princess northern yan felt wronged. ¡°young princess, don¡¯t believe a little beast¡¯s words¡­ she must have taught him¡­¡± su xiaoxiao interrupted her bitterly. ¡°princess kangning, how can you call wuhu a little beast? be it my little parrot or the beloved snake of the little princess of western jin, they are all extremely cute pets. they have their own dignity.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± the young princess the western jin agreed. her ruyi was not a little beast! su xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°besides, i believe they won¡¯t lie.¡± the young princess of western jin nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right! my little pet won¡¯t lie!¡± to deal with a pet lover, she only needed to share a love of pets with her. the princess of northern yan never dreamed that she would be blamed for such a big sh*t. however, what made her even more unhappy was yet to come. su xiaoxiao walked over and squatted down to look at the golden snake. ¡°little princess, ruyi seems to be still breathing. i can try to save her. when my wuhu was sick, i was the one who treated it.¡± wuhu, who had never been sick, was speechless. ¡°really?¡± the young princess¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°however, the princess of northern yan was too ruthless. it¡¯s so seriously injured. i can¡¯t guarantee that i can save it.¡± the young princess of the western jin glared at the princess of northern yan. the fire in the princess of northern yan¡¯s stomach surged, but the young princess of western jin did not believe her at all. the young princess of western jin said hesitantly, ¡°you¡­ just treat her. if you really can¡¯t save her, i won¡¯t blame you.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll try my best.¡± su xiaoxiao took out a pile of small bottles and jars from her purse. she disinfected them first, then applied medicine. it took her a long time. she had just seen that it was not a poisonous snake and did not kill it at all. it had only fainted and was not really dead. wuhu wondered, ¡°why did you apply a medicine three times?¡± it would recover after applying some ointment, but su xiaoxiao washed, cut, and blew the entire set. it was as if she had used all her strength and was panting from exhaustion. ¡°phew.¡± she handed the bandaged golden snake to the young princess of western jin. ¡°fortunately, i didn¡¯t disappoint you.¡± the little snake moved. the young princess of western jin said, ¡°wow, ruyi is really alive! your medical skills are very powerful!¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°that¡¯s because the little princess is lucky. the little princess is a lucky star.¡± ¡°princess¡¯s a lucky star! princess¡¯s a lucky star! princess¡¯s a lucky star! ¡± the traitor tried its best to suck curry favor. tonight¡¯s bird food had to be doubled! the young princess of western jin happily held ruyi in her arm and looked at wuhu on su xiaoxiao¡¯s shoulder. ¡°i like it! ¡± su xiaoxiao said generously, ¡°if you like it, i¡¯ll give it to you.¡± wuhu was speechless. the young princess of western jin shook her head. ¡°no, it¡¯s your pet. i won¡¯t snatch it from you.¡± she was a cute child. su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°then, how about giving it to the young princess to play with for a few days?¡± the young princess of western jin nodded. ¡°okay, okay!¡± wuhu, who was suddenly grabbed by a small demonic claw: ¡® the young princess of western jin rolled her eyes at the five tigers. she asked, ¡°by the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°my name is qin su.¡± the young princess western jin said, ¡°qin su? alright, sit beside me at tonight¡¯s banquet!¡± Chapter 609 - Chapter 609: Face Slapping Northern Yan chapter 609: face slapping northern yan translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the young princess of the western jin left with the parrot. princess hui an snorted. ¡°you¡¯re my sidekick! you¡¯re not allowed to sit beside her!¡± liu sande rushed over. ¡°aiyo, princess! you¡¯re here. consort xian asked me to look for you!¡± ¡®got it,¡± princess hui an said gloomily. she turned to look at su xiaoxiao. ¡°remember, you¡¯re not allowed to sit beside her! if you do, i¡¯ll be angry! if you really want to sit, you¡¯re only allowed to sit for a short while!¡± liu sande smiled brightly and bowed to the people at the event location before pushing princess hui an back to qi xiang palace. su xiaoxiao slowly walked up to the princess of northern yan. she was slightly taller than the princess of northern yan. when she looked at her, she felt like she was looking down on the world. of course, this mainly came from her aura. ¡°are you convinced?¡± su xiaoxiao asked calmly. princess northern yan didn¡¯t expect that not only did she trick her, but she also came over to show off. ¡°you¡¯re a little surprising. ¡± ¡®you didn¡¯t surprise me at all.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°you¡¯re as lousy as you look the princess of northern yan fell back in anger! su xiaoxiao was not stingy with her provocation. she turned around and smiled at wei ting. ¡°general, we¡¯re leaving.¡± wei ting said softly, ¡°okay.¡± princess northern yan had called him general so many times, but he didn¡¯t answer once. when su xiaoxiao called him, he immediately agreed. the couple slapped the princess¡¯s face together without giving her any respect. princess of northern yan entered the qilin hall and sat down beside helian ye with a cold expression. helian ye looked at his niece, who looked like she had eaten a cannon after going out for a while. he asked in confusion, ¡°who provoked you? the princess of northern yan said coldly, ¡°that girl! she¡¯s different from what we heard!¡± helian ye asked curiously, ¡°which girl?¡± the princess of northern yan said gloomily, ¡°qin canglan¡¯s granddaughter grew up among the commoners. we thought she would be an idiot. we thought those rumors about treating the empress dowager and the emperor are just an undeserved reputation that qin canglan forged to raise her value.¡± helian ye said, ¡°you mean she doesn¡¯t have an undeserved reputation?¡± princess northern yan snorted coldly. ¡°she just played a little trick. she can fool the innocent princess, but she can¡¯t fool me. i dont know about her medical skills but she¡¯s very arrogant!¡± helian ye smiled. ¡°didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t take her seriously?¡± princess of northern yan clenched her fists and said, ¡°that was before. now, she has attracted my attention!¡± the guests of the banquet arrived one after another. the fourth prince of northern yan sat down on the other side of helian ye. he was zhao kangning¡¯s brother, but the siblings were not too close. the vouru princess western jin handed ruvi to the servants to take care of. she was carrying her new pet¡ªa blue parrot. she was sitting on the futon in the first seat on the left. when she saw su xiaoxiao and wei ting coming over, she quickly waved at su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao walked over. everyone was surprised to see this scene. that troublesome young princess of the western jin dynasty had stunned the two old ministers on her first day here. had she just¡­ taken the initiative to greet someone? ¡°that person looks a little familiar to me. is she from our great zhou?¡± a minister asked uncertainly. ¡°like¡­ the eldest daughter of the qin family.¡± ¡°what do you mean that she looks like the eldest daughter of the qi family? that¡¯s her!¡± the last time the ministers saw su xiaoxiao was when su cheng fought with qin jiang. after a few months, su xiaoxiao lost a lot of weight. coupled with the fact that she was a newlywed, she was dressed brightly and was different from her usual plain and beautiful self. the ministers did not dare to recognize her for a moment. when everyone saw su xiaoxiao sit down beside the young princess of western jin, their jaws almost dropped! were they really not seeing things? the princess of northern yan was jealous. she coaxed her for two days before the young princess of western jin barely opened her eyes to look at her. that girl from the countryside had only met her once and she had tricked her into sitting beside her! soon, the princess of the western jin and prince li of the western jin came over. the young princess of western jin hurriedly said to the two of them, ¡°uncle! mother! she¡¯s my new friend¡ªqin su!¡± heavens! she had been introduced to the two great devils of the western jin! when they first met yesterday, the two big bosses of western jin did not say anything else. throughout the entire process, they suppressed the officials until they could barely breathe. the two of them were not considered kind people in the western jin. when the eldest prince, xiao duye, took the initiative to greet the two of them. the two of them did not even look up.. they would definitely ignore qin su! however, everyone was wrong. the young princess of western jin was the most doted -on granddaughter of the emperor of western jin. she was the favorite of the entire royal family. the two devils nodded at su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao stood up and bowed like a junior. ¡°sit,¡± the princess of the western jin said. the princess of the western jin asked qin su to sit. she had obtained her approval! not only was everyone¡¯s jaw about to drop, but their eyes were also about to fall out! on the other hand, emperor jing xuan was worried about the peace negotiations between the two countries. he realized that the envoys of northern yan seemed to be more liked by the envoys of the western jin dynasty. he regretted his actions. why did he arrange for the envoys of the two countries to enter the posthouse? wasn¡¯t this giving them a chance to befriend one another? he should have arranged for them to stay in the palace! the western jin envoys should live next door to him! those from northern yan should stay beside the cold palace! he entered the hall helplessly and was stunned. ¡°is that¡­ qin canglan¡¯s granddaughter?¡± he asked eunuch fu. eunuch fu smiled. ¡°that¡¯s right, your majesty.¡± ¡°why is she¡­ sitting in the seat of the western jin ambassador?¡± emperor jing xuan wondered if that girl did not know the rules and sat down in error. in the end, he saw the young princess of the western jin chatting and laughing with her, and even treating her to the fruits she had brought from the western jin. eunuch fu said, ¡°i heard that princess northern yan accidentally injured the beloved pet of the little princess of the western jin dynasty just now. it was physician su who saved the pet.¡± ¡°ah, i forgot that she has the ability.¡± emperor jing xuan raised his eyebrows in satisfaction and straightened his back! su mo and the old marquis also came. su mo did not sit with the old marquis. instead, he came to wei ting¡¯s side and sat down. wei ting looked at him strangely. su mo said, ¡°don¡¯t be touched. i¡¯m here to mock you.¡± he looked at su xiaoxiao, who was occupied by the young princess of the western jin dynasty, and gloated. ¡°your wife?¡± wei ting said to himself,¡± another day on which i want to fight su mo!¡± the princess of northern yan saw how the flighty young princess of western jin was easily amused by the bird and understood that she could not sit still and wait for death. halfway through the banquet, she suddenly suggested sparring with su xiaoxiao. ¡°i wonder if miss qin agrees?¡± su xiaoxiao was already married, but she still addressed her as miss qin. it was as if she did not recognize su xiaoxiao as madam wei. she had been very arrogant in the palace academy these few days and crushed everyone. the daughters present had long complained about her. now that they saw that she wanted to provoke su xiaoxiao, they were collectively furious. ¡°compete in what?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°she¡¯s helian ye¡¯s niece. she¡¯s practiced martial arts with helian ye since she was young. she may compete in martial arts, right? it¡¯s also possible that she can ride and shoot! qin su will win against her!¡± ¡°that¡¯s not necessarily true. she¡¯s the female top scholar of great yan. she might even be better at literature.¡± ¡°she¡¯s definitely going to win! have you forgotten how she memorized the analects of confucius?¡± the young ladies couldn¡¯t wait to see su xiaoxiao deal with the princess of northern yan. unexpectedly, the princess of northern yan said with a smile, ¡°competing in literature makes it seem like i¡¯m bullying you. why don¡¯t we play the zither since i¡¯m not good at it?¡± oh my god! she was so shameless! the zither was qin su¡¯s achilles heel! the memory of su xiaoxiao flicking cotton before entering the palace was still fresh in the minds of the young ladies. it was quite spicy. princess hui an exploded. ¡°she must have done it on purpose! she¡¯s too despicable! i¡­ shall compete with her!¡± she even gave instructions. princess jingning couldn¡¯t go. princess northern yan had just said that she wasn¡¯t good at the zither, and she had learned the zither since she was young. if she competed with her, it would be an unfair victory even if she won. actually, who knew if princess northern yan was good at it? it was just her word. the prince of northern yan glanced at his sister. his sister¡¯s zither skills were clearly better than martial arts¡­ princess northern yan smiled and said, ¡°miss qin, if you don¡¯t dare, you can change to something you¡¯re good at.¡± this was a proper provocation. she had every reason. everyone looked at su xiaoxiao nervously. how was she going to clean up this mess? if she competed, she would definitely lose. if she did not compete, it would make their great zhou look like a coward. su xiaoxiao represented not only her dignity, but the face of the entire great zhou. su xiaoxiao sighed softly. ¡°it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t want to compete, but i¡¯m afraid that princess kangning can¡¯t afford this bet.¡± the princess of northern yan smiled wantonly. ¡°oh? what do you want to bet? 1,000 taels of silver, 10,000 taels of gold, you can name your price. in fact, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t bet. i don¡¯t mind.¡± her words stunned everyone. su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°are you sure anything is fine?¡± the princess of northern yan smiled and said, ¡°of course. if you can say it, i¡¯ll give it to you!¡± su xiaoxiao smiled.. ¡°alright, if i win, i want general helian¡¯s life!¡± Chapter 610 - Chapter 610: Stunning Everyone chapter 610: stunning everyone translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as soon as these words were spoken, almost everyone gasped, and the entire venue fell silent right on the heels of that. what did the girl say? general helian¡¯s life? she really dared to speak! general helian had killed so many members of the wei family. as the wife of the wei family, it was not too much for su xiaoxiao to take his life. the problem was that wanting was one thing, but saying it in public was another. just based on her words, even if she lost, it would be an honorable loss! su xiaoxiao looked at her. ¡°princess kangning is silent? just now, you even shamelessly said that as long as i can say it, you can afford it. if i say it, give it to me.¡± how was she going to give it to her? that was her uncle¡¯s life! she would not be able to back down whichever option she took. the princess of northern yan, who had just taken advantage, completely lost her advantage and became inhumane. su xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°if you can¡¯t afford it, don¡¯t spout nonsense lest you become a joke!¡± the princess of northern yan gritted her teeth. helian ye suddenly said slowly, ¡°ning¡¯er, are you confident in your zither skills?¡± princess northern yan said, ¡°i am!¡± these words were said anxiously and stunned everyone. it seemed that this was not what she said at the beginning. ¡°competing in literature and martial arts makes it seem like i bullied you. why don¡¯t we play the zither since i¡¯m not good at it?¡± those were her exact words! it was too much of a slap in the face! the princess of northern yan also realized that she had said something wrong. she opened her mouth. ¡°uncle, i¡­¡± helian ye said calmly, ¡°alright, stop talking. uncle trusts you. there¡¯s nothing uncle can¡¯t afford.¡± the prince of northern yan sighed. his uncle doted on his sister too much. however, with his sister¡¯s zither skills, unless the zither immortal came personally, it was impossible for the other party to win. the princess of northern yan had absolute confidence in her zither skills. it was just that it would not be good if word got out that she was hedging with her uncle¡¯s life. since her uncle supported her fully, she would take this opportunity to embarrass this girl! she looked at the princess of the western jin opposite and smiled humbly. ¡°i heard that the second prince of the western jin is also proficient in music. why don¡¯t you and the prince be the judge?¡± neither of them had any objections. there were many types of zither. su xiaoxiao and the princess of northern yan both chose the seven-string zither. ¡°do you want to go first or should i go first?¡± the princess northern of yan generously handed the choice to su xiaoxiao. if there were many people competing, the first to go on stage would not have the advantage unless they were extraordinary in strength. however, the two of them would not be affected much. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care. the young princess of the western jin dynasty suggested drawing lots, and the princess of northern yan drew first. ¡°then, i¡¯ll embarrass myself first.¡± although she said humbly, it was clear from her expression that she wanted to trample su xiaoxiao under her feet. she asked someone to bring her zither. some palace musicians recognized that it was the most famous zither in northern yan. it was called the zheng zhong jiufeng (middle nine phoenixes zither). other than nalan yun¡¯s jiufeng (nine phoenix zither), it was the most coveted instrument by the zither masters. ¡°go get my zither, ¡± princess jingning instructed taozhi. her zither was given to her by the empress dowager and was a good instrument. ¡°yes.¡± taozhi accepted the order and left. up until this point, the great zhou still hoped that the princess of northern yan might really not be good at the zither. after all, as a weak woman, it was already very heaven-defying for her to be a scholar who was skilled in martial arts. if she had unparalleled zither skills, would she still be human? however, when the princess of northern yan played the first scale, their hope was completely destroyed. it was not an exaggeration to say that the melody that lingered was heavenly. she was playing a famous song from northern yan. the first half of the song was cheerful, making one think of a pony galloping on the grassland. the second half of the song changed drastically, revealing a sad struggle and killing. the audience had never heard nalan yun¡¯s zither music. they only felt that compared to princess kangning¡¯s music, it would be nothing special even if nalan zither immortal came. ¡°she¡­ plays¡­ so well.¡± lu ying said in a daze. as the daughter of a concubine, she was not qualified to attend the banquet. lu hui¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°miss qin¡­ is going to lose badly this time.¡± ¡°you¡¯re shameless!¡± princess hui an was so angry that she almost stood up from the wheelchair. she pointed at princess kangning and said, ¡°didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re not good at the zither? then what are you playing? is this called not good at it? i think you¡¯ve been secretly practicing it for a long time! ¡± she said what everyone was thinking. the princess of northern yan was really too despicable. the princess of northern yan smiled innocently. ¡°i played a little better today. usually, i don¡¯t play much. moreover, compared to my literary talent and martial arts, my zither skills are indeed not worth mentioning.¡± a minister of northern yan smiled and said, ¡°that¡¯s right. not only is princess kangning the scholar of northern yan, but she is also a martial artist!¡± in comparison, her zither skills were nothing. princess hui an was so angry that she wanted to tear her apart! her sidekick was going to lose badly today. she had to think of a way to coax her sidekick. she seemed to have a box of night pearls in her room. she wondered if her sidekick liked it¡­ emperor jing xuan couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, but he had no choice but to sit here. ¡°miss qin, it¡¯s your turn,¡± princess northern yan said with a smile. ¡°if you don¡¯t have a zither, i can lend you mine.¡± ¡°princess, the zither is here.¡± tao zhi carried the zither box in. princess jingning nodded at su xiaoxiao. no matter how well she played or how badly she lost, as the first person to openly seek helian ye¡¯s life, in princess jingning¡¯s heart, she had already won tonight. su xiaoxiao smiled back. princess hui an frowned. why didn¡¯t she smile at her?! taozhi placed the zither on the shelf. su xiaoxiao sat down, put on the finger pick, and casually dialed a few sounds. the ministers of northern yan could not help but shake their heads and laugh. was this ability to play cotton worthy of competing with their princess? princess hui an pouted. ¡°little sidekick¡­¡¯ after su xiaoxiao adjusted her sitting posture, her fingertips gently landed on the strings. the hall was noisy. it was obvious that they felt that their ears would be tortured next. however, su xiaoxiao¡¯s fingertips moved, and a tune that struck the depths of their souls came faintly. everyone trembled! as soon as su xiaoxiao came up, she played a shockingly fast rhythm. everyone seemed to have been pulled into a fairyland from the dust and their scalps went numb! su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t stop. when the princess of northern yan played, everyone only thought of the horses on the grassland. however, su xiaoxiao¡¯s music flashed across everyone¡¯s eyes! a man and a horse, a handful ofyellow sand! a thousand troops and a thousand blades were nothing in his eyes! the hero¡¯s soul was buried, and the three-foot-long green peak stabilized the territory! life was fine, and so was death. the sky was bright at night, and the mountains and rivers were beautiful. everyone had long entered a dream and no one knew where their souls had returned to. the tune cycled, and everyone seemed to have entered reincarnation. it was the fourth son of the su family, su yuan! su xuan was dressed in white and played the bamboo flute to close su xiaoxiao¡¯s zither. the general who was fighting alone finally found his companion. there was no longer a need to bear it alone. princess jingning was touched. ¡°bring the zither here!¡± taozhi carried a zither over from the musician. princess jingning also played the zither and closed the music between the two of them. everyone¡¯s blood surged and they felt heroic! suddenly, a figure moved behind the princess of the western jin dynasty. he took the erhu from some musician and sat on the steps, pulling it up. this was an unprecedented vocal feast. at this moment, who still remembered northern yan? no one would remember what instrument zhao kangning had taken. after the song ended, everyone burst into tears and could not recover for a long time. clap, clap, clap. the princess of the western jin clapped.. Chapter 611 - Chapter 611: Numb From Winning chapter 611: numb from winning translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios everyone heard the slow and crisp applause of the princess of the western jin kingdom and woke up from a dream. they pulled themselves out of the immersion of the music. only then did they realize that their faces were covered in tears. their clothes were drenched in hot sweat, and their hearts were beating violently. it was difficult for them to even breathe. ¡°good!¡± qin canglan stood up and clapped! su xiaoxiao tilted her head and looked at him. eh, when did grandpa reach? when su xiaoxiao played, she was like a thousand troops. her young shoulders carried the weight of all living beings in the world. at that moment, she shone brightly! at this moment, she suddenly tilted her head. the cold killing intent disappeared between her eyebrows, like a soldier who had returned from a bloodbath, revealing the innocence and inexperience of a young man. everyone was overwhelmed by her cuteness and their hearts ached for her. after the pain, everyone was stunned. what were they doing? damn, the aftereffects of this song were too great! the old marquis also stood up and clapped! the entire venue was shocked and the applause lasted for a long time. the princess of northern yan¡¯s face turned green. the response to her playing wasn¡¯t even a fraction to that of su xiaoxiao¡¯s¡­ ¡°qin su! you play really well! you all play very well! it¡¯s like immortal music!¡± the young princess of the western jin dynasty praised, ¡°1 didn¡¯t like to listen to music in the past, but if every song in the future is like tonight, then i¡¯ll like it!¡± as she spoke, she turned to look at the princess of the western jin dynasty. ¡°mother, i want to learn the zither!¡± prince li looked at her in surprise and smiled. ¡°your mother forced you to learn in the past. have you forgotten how many zithers you smashed?¡± the eleven-year-old princess said seriously, ¡°it¡¯s different this time! i¡¯m serious! i want to play such a good tune too!¡± moreover, she wanted to form her own music team! it was not only the young princess of the western jin who wanted to learn the zither. almost everyone present was suddenly interested in music. they had to find a zither shop later and buy one back. ¡°i can play a little erhu.¡± ¡°i play the suona. lord lin knows how to play the zither.¡± ¡°another day?¡± ¡°sure.¡± the ministers decided happily. the princess of western jin said, ¡°i announce that the winner of the two of you is¡ª¡± ¡°hiding it!¡± the princess of northern yan stood up and said indignantly, ¡°this is unfair! she¡¯s not a player! she even hired help!¡± princess hui an was smart for a moment. ¡°hmph! you didn¡¯t specify that it was a solo at that time!¡± princess northern yan choked. that¡­ was right, but she was challenging her. according to the rules, she was a soloist! the princess of western jin said, ¡°the first half of qin su¡¯s competition with you has ended.¡± everyone agreed. that¡¯s right. the first half of the song was a solo. at that time, su xiaoxiao¡¯s zither skills had already completely defeated zhao kangning¡¯s. the second half of the song had nothing to do with the competition anymore. it was a mutual appreciation between companions, a resonance of their souls, mutual help, and a vocal feast for everyone present. just this structure alone was a few streets ahead of zhao kangning. ¡°besides,¡± the princess of the western jin glanced at a certain guard who had put down the erhu and silently returned behind her. she said to the princess of northern yan, ¡°other than the zither immortal, moxie has never played with anyone else. your zither music did not resonate with him. it¡¯s because your strength is insufficient!¡± the princess of the western jin dynasty did not give the princess of northern yan any respect. thinking about it, it made sense. they were both princesses, but the two of them were not on the same level. the princess of northern yan could only be a minister who assisted the emperor in the future, but the princess of western jin was qualified to fight for the throne. not to mention that there was an obvious difference in strength between the two countries. the princess of northern yan dared to question the fairness and authority of the princess of the western jin. did she think she was made of paper? this outcome was beyond everyone¡¯s expectations. the daughters never expected su xiaoxiao¡¯s zither skills to be so superb. ¡°how¡­ how much more ability is she hiding¡­¡± lu ying was almost stunned, okay? lu hui was also stunned. ¡°in the beginning, who was the one who laughed at her for being ignorant and incompetent¡­ if she¡¯s ignorant and incompetent¡­ won¡¯t we all be idiots?¡± princess hui an accepted it. her sidekick was amazing! she looked at princess jingning, who had returned to her side. ¡°ahem, you¡­ you weren¡¯t bad just now. you were just a little worse than my sidekick!¡± princess jingning knew that she had performed very well. under the lead of su xiaoxiao and su xuan, her zither skills had entered a new realm. wei ting chuckled softly. this girl¡­ really surprised people all the time¡­ how much more did he not know¡­ since su xiaoxiao had won, it was time to settle the bet. the old marquis patted his forehead and said, ¡°aiya, did the princess of northern yan forget to let us hedge in the bet just now?¡± qin canglan said, ¡°that¡¯s right! but it doesn¡¯t seem to matter. anyway, she can¡¯t win!¡± everyone couldn¡¯t help but laugh. zhao kangning was proud and conceited. she said that it was fine if su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t bet, but she had bet on helian ye¡¯s life. how much did she look down on her? in fact, if not for the fact that su xiaoxiao had an alternate-world soul living in her bones, she would probably have been crushed by zhao kangning. after all, other than nalan yun, no one had defeated zhao kangning before. su xiaoxiao returned the zither to princess jingning and thanked her. she wanted to sit back in the great zhou, but the young princess of western jin was like a jumping bird, flapping her wings at her. she walked over and sat down. princess hui an stomped her left foot in anger! su xuan sat down beside the old marquis. only he and his brother were among the few young masters of the su family. the old marquis looked at helian ye with a smile. ¡°if you¡¯re willing to bet, admit defeat. isn¡¯t it time to hand over general helian¡¯s life?¡± helian ye said coldly, ¡°then let¡¯s see if you have the ability to take it!¡± the old marquis clicked his tongue. ¡°you are backing out, right?¡± qin canglan looked at him disdainfully. ¡°he can¡¯t afford to lose!¡± helian ye was speechless. helian ye glanced at wei ting opposite him and suppressed his anger. ¡°when you fall into my hands one day, i can spare your lives!¡± he was talking about them, not him. in other words, how many could he spare? su xiaoxiao and wei ting had profited. su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°what if you fall into our hands? wouldn¡¯t we have suffered a loss?¡± this girl really dared to say it! that was helian ye, the abnormal expert who killed lord wu an! su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i don¡¯t want such a fake promise. it¡¯s more like coaxing a child. ¡± the young princess of the western jin counted on her fingers. she was no longer a child. she was eleven years old. she was not easy to coax. the princess of northern yan said angrily, ¡°do you really want my uncle¡¯s life?¡± su xiaoxiao said frankly, ¡°i really want it. otherwise, why would i play the zither with you?¡± the princess of northern yan was so angry that she could not speak. helian ye could tell that this girl had absolute confidence in winning from the beginning, but she also understood that the bet between the two would not kill him. she was planning something else. he asked coldly, ¡°girl, what exactly do you want?¡± Chapter 612 - Chapter 612: Winnings chapter 612: winnings translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°compared to empty promises, i like practical things that can be seen and touched. how much is your life worth? it¡¯s not too much to buy it with silver, right?¡± the old marquis slapped the table and glared at su xiaoxiao in expectation of better from someone. ¡°girl! how can you talk to the great general like that? can you ask someone for money? does the great general have no gold? who are you looking down on?!¡± ¡°calm down, calm down. you¡¯re already so old, yet you keep talking about gold. have you lost sight of money? you¡¯ve taught your children bad things!¡± the northern yan diplomatic mission wiped their sweat. fortunately, there was a reasonable person. ¡°is general helian¡¯s life something those worldly possessions can measure? he can fight an army alone. he¡¯s the national godly general of northern yan. he has to exchange a few cities for it!¡± damn! the diplomatic mission of northern yan vomited blood. damn it! each one was darker than the other! their family is full of bandits and bullies! the old marquis nodded and sat back on the futon. ¡°i was too narrow-minded.¡± it was impossible for him to lose his life, but a loss was a loss. if he didn¡¯t pay the price, it would make northern yan look like a sore loser. wei ting suggested at the right time, ¡°then why don¡¯t the northern yan pay up the remaining half of their tribute?¡± that was not a small sum of money. it was almost tax for most of the cities. but what could northern yan say? they could only bite the bullet and give it to him. they wanted to write an iou again, but su xiaoxiao did not fall for it. she plundered the northern yan diplomatic mission and helian ye even gave up his family heirloom. if not for the fact that his clothes were not worth much, he seriously suspected that the little fat girl in front of him would have taken off his underwear. su xiaoxiao looked at the table that was filled with people. ¡°this isn¡¯t enough.¡± helian ye, who had been robbed until he went bankrupt, said coldly, ¡°what else do you want?¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°give me a token that allows me to enter and leave northern yan freely. don¡¯t say that you don¡¯t want to give it to me. if your life isn¡¯t as valuable as a lousy token, that¡¯s really cheap!¡± helian ye gritted his teeth and pulled out his general¡¯s estate token and threw it to her! su xiaoxiao was satisfied. she turned to look at emperor jing xuan above the hall. ¡°since it¡¯s a tribute, i¡¯ll offer it to his majesty!¡± the old marquis said fiercely, ¡°fool! what do you think his majesty is? his majesty is a wise ruler. how can he be greedy for what a little girl won?¡± the pained emperor jing xuan could only say, ¡°¡­you, just keep it.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°thank you, your majesty!¡± after crossing the bright road, it was finally all hers! outside the hall, xiao zhonghua and jing yi stood under the light. the two of them were delayed by official business and came a little late. they happened to catch su xiaoxiao playing the zither with the princess of northern yan. su xiaoxiao¡¯s song was simply heavenly music. jing yi asked, ¡°cousin, do you regret it?¡± xiao zhonghua said in a low voice, ¡°is it useful to regret?¡± jingyi shook his head decisively. ¡°it¡¯s useless.¡± xiao zhonghua glanced at him. ¡°then why are you still asking?¡± jing yi said fearlessly, ¡°oh, to agitate you.¡± xiao zhonghua was speechless. with this immortal music, the later songs seemed to have less flavor. the more everyone reminisced, the more they felt that they had not had enough. they did not know if they would have the chance to witness that vocal banquet again in their lives. at the end of the banquet, the young princess of western jin handed wuhu that was almost bald to su xiaoxiao. ¡°i¡¯ll return the wuhu to you. can you bring wuhu to play with me tomorrow?¡± su xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°princess, i¡¯ll lend wuhu to you for a few days. you don¡¯t have to be so anxious to return it to me.¡± the little princess of western jin said with sparkling eyes, ¡°really? can i bring the wuhu back to the posthouse?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. if she did not bring wuhu back, how could wuhu be a little spy? the young princess of the western jin carried wuhu and went happily. su xiaoxiao finally came to princess hui an. princess hui an turned her face away. ¡°hmph, you still know to come back?¡± su xiaoxiao took out a ruby. ¡°for the princess.¡± this was what she had plundered from the northern yan diplomatic mission just now. such bright jewelry complemented the bright and moving princess hui an. princess hui an snorted. ¡°am i the only one who has it, or does everyone else?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°only princess hui an has the gem.¡± only then did princess hui an take the ruby and carefully put it away. su xiaoxiao gave princess jingning a high-grade hetian jade, which suited her temperament. princess jingning said, ¡°you played very well. i benefited a lot from today¡¯s song. ¡± the two of them chatted for a while before the princess of the western jin came over. she was here to ask su xiaoxiao for the score. the princess of western jin said, ¡°moxie likes your tune very much, but he¡¯s too embarrassed to come over and ask for it.¡± su xiaoxiao underestimated a certain guard not far away with a cold expression. was this the erhu musician who had played with her just now? why did he look like a killer? or¡­ could one not be a killer these days without talent? su xiaoxiao said, ¡°if you¡¯re not in a hurry, i¡¯ll write it tonight and send it to the posthouse tomorrow.¡± the princess of the western jin turned to look at moxie. moxie stood straight and had a serious expression. ¡°yes.¡± the princess of the western jin smiled. this was the first time su xiaoxiao had seen her smile. the ice beauty was very beautiful. with a faint smile, even the glacier seemed to have melted. the northern yan diplomatic mission suffered a huge loss and left dejectedly. su xiaoxiao was surrounded by the daughters of palace academy again. actually, they were not the only ones. many officials and their madams also wanted to come over and interact. wasn¡¯t there no chance? after bidding farewell to the daughters, su xiaoxiao stopped su xuan, who was about to leave silently. ¡°fourth cousin!¡± su xuan paused and turned to look at her with a gentle expression. ¡°cousin.¡± in su xiaoxiao¡¯s memory, su xuan was a quiet and beautiful man, even a little weak. however, the majestic power that erupted from his flute tonight was shocking. su xiaoxiao came to him and realized that he was so tall. at least, he was taller than su li. she asked, ¡°fourth cousin, your family doesn¡¯t seem to know that you play the flute so well?¡± su xuan smiled and said, ¡°no one knows that you can play the zither.¡± su xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°it¡¯s because i have a secret. does fourth cousin have one su xuan smiled and said, ¡°i don¡¯t.¡± looking at su xuan¡¯s departing back, su xiaoxiao touched her chin suspiciously. ¡°why didn¡¯t you ask me what secret i had? you denied it so quickly.¡± ¡°going?¡± wei ting was waiting for her at the side. ¡°coming! ¡± su xiaoxiao walked towards her beautiful husband in a good mood. at the entrance of the palace, they bumped into the princess of northern yan, who was about to get into the carriage. su xiaoxiao smiled at her. ¡°princess beiyan, did you lose happily tonight?¡± the princess of beiyan said coldly, ¡°don¡¯t be smug!¡± su xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°you might be wrong. i¡¯m not smug. i¡¯m just.. you!¡± the princess of northern yan had never seen such an arrogant person! su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°that¡¯s true. i was still hoping to rely on the princess of northern yan to become rich. i wonder if i¡¯ll have the chance to become the richest person in the world. she¡¯s accumulating the wealth of tens of thousands of people. i¡¯m the only one.¡± the princess of beiyan was so angry that she almost vomited blood. ¡®you¡¯ll regret it! you¡¯ll come back and beg me! you definitely will! you all will!¡± on the other side, the young princess of western jin returned to the posthouse. the first thing she did was carry the wuhu to the lotus pond. ¡°i knew you were here!¡± she pattered over to the man and sat down. ¡°you didn¡¯t go today. i met a new friend. she gave me a little parrot to play with. ¡± the man didn¡¯t say anything. he just quietly played with the rusty iron bell in his hand. the young princess of western jin asked, ¡°are you looking at it again? is it very important to you? why can¡¯t i touch it? can you tell me?¡± Chapter 613 - Chapter 613: Mother and Sons chapter 613: mother and sons translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao and wei ting got into the carriage back to the residence. wei ting quietly pushed a jar of big walnuts in front of her. su xiaoxiao lowered her head and counted the banknotes. one, two, three¡­ wei ting pushed it forward in front of her again. su xiaoxiao continued to count. seven, eight, nine¡­ wei ting¡¯s face darkened. ¡°have you fallen for money?¡± su xiaoxiao said without looking up, ¡°yes!¡± she sniffed and looked up. ¡°eh? walnuts. who peeled them?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± lord wei said coldly. ¡°oh, you eat. i¡¯m not hungry.¡± su xiaoxiao continued to count the banknotes. wei ting looked shocked. ¡°is there a time when you¡¯re not hungry?¡± su xiaoxiao stopped what she was doing and looked up at him with a dark expression. ¡°wei ting, what do you mean?¡± wei ting¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°literally.¡± su xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes and was ready to flare up. after a moment, she was no longer angry. ¡°forget it, i earned a lot today. i¡¯m in a good mood and won¡¯t argue with you!¡± wei ting grabbed her banknotes. su xiaoxiao exploded. ¡°what are you doing?¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°the carriage is too dark. it hurts your eyes. we¡¯ll count tomorrow.¡± su xiaoxiao reached out to snatch it. ¡°you don¡¯t have to care about my eyes!¡± wei ting raised his arm and did not let her reach him. ¡°have you forgotten that you¡¯re already married? you¡¯re mine from head to toe!¡± su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t snatch the money away, so she sat down. ¡°there¡¯s something wrong with you tonight¡­ ah, i know. do you think i¡¯ve neglected you and you¡¯re childishly attracting my attention?¡± wei ting said coldly, ¡°heh!¡± su xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°actually¡­ what.. to be honest, it was not that she did not want to pay attention to wei ting. it was just that the two of them were officially together now. this guy was no longer holding it in. she was afraid that she would accidentally over flirt¡­ as for meat, it was enough to taste it. she could not be greedy. wei ting asked seriously, ¡°did my performance that night not satisfy you?¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°huh?¡± how did this topic change? ¡°no¡­ no.¡± wei ting trembled. ¡°you hesitated!¡± su xiaoxiao said bitterly, ¡°it was my first time! it hurt! it hurt!¡± wei ting¡¯s expression softened. so that was the reason. then he would be gentle next time. it was getting late, and matriarch wei could not take it anymore. the three children insisted on waiting for su xiaoxiao and sat on the threshold, swaying from exhaustion. su xiaoxiao got out of the carriage and pulled the three little fellows into her arms. ¡°it¡¯s so late. why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± erhu and xiaohu fell asleep in her arms. dahu made one last persistence. ¡°waiting for mother.¡± su xiaoxiao touched his head. ¡°i¡¯m sorry for making you wait so long. i¡¯ll come back early next time.¡± ¡°yes.¡± after saying that, dahu finally couldn¡¯t hold back his sleepiness and fell asleep in her arms. the three little fellows had sat on the threshold. even with madam wei¡¯s mosquito-resistant sachet, they were still bitten a few times. su xiaoxiao suddenly fell silent. wei ting carried dahu and erhu over while su xiaoxiao carried xiaohu. wei ting glanced at her and asked, ¡°why are you suddenly silent? what are you thinking about?¡± su xiaoxiao pressed her forehead to xiaohu¡¯s and whispered, ¡°i¡¯m thinking how good it would be if i could take them anywhere openly. how good would it be if they didn¡¯t have to hide anymore?¡± wei ting looked at the endless night. ¡°that day will come.¡± su xiaoxiao carried xiaohu back to the new room. wei ting understood that her heart ached for them, so he did not suggest sending the three brats to his grandmother¡¯s courtyard. the three of them lay on the bed. su xiaoxiao wiped their sweat and applied ointment to stop the itch. erhu also felt an itch in his sleep and raised his hand to scratch it. su xiaoxiao took his hand away and gently pressed on his swell. erhu snorted comfortably and turned over to sleep. the next day, when the three little ones woke up and found themselves lying beside their mother, they were overjoyed! seeing that su xiaoxiao was still sleeping, they didn¡¯t argue. they crawled over gently and lowered their heads to kiss her. su xiaoxiao¡¯s face itched. she had actually woken up long ago and didn¡¯t get up until the three little fellows got up together. dahu realized that she was pretending to be asleep and decisively lay on her. ¡°mother!¡± su xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°dahu.¡± erhu and xiaohu also lay down and hugged her. as soon as wei ting entered the room, he saw her laughing with the three little ones and felt a little jealous. hmph, she didn¡¯t seem tired of the three brats. the few of them went to matriarch wei¡¯s courtyard for a meal. the sisters-in-law had already prepared their weapons and were prepared to spar with their new sister-in-law. su xiaoxiao looked at the cold blades and her heart skipped a beat. coincidentally, at this moment, a servant came to report that little weizi from the medical center was here and asked su xiaoxiao to hurry to the medical center. ¡°maybe there¡¯s an urgent patient. i¡¯ll go take a look!¡± she slipped away! when she arrived at the medical center, she realized that it was aunt fu. aunt fu was a little tired from the journey, but her face looked good and her blood pressure was very stable. ¡°aunt fu!¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. aunt fu looked at su xiaoxiao and almost didn¡¯t dare to recognize her. physician fu said, ¡°i told you long ago. xiaoxiao experienced great changes.¡± physician fu told her everything about su xiaoxiao last night and mentioned that she had changed her name. aunt fu knew that she had lost weight, but she did not expect her to lose so much weight. aunt fu said seriously, ¡°you can¡¯t lose weight anymore. it¡¯s very good now. you have big breasts and a perky butt. you¡¯re good.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. the three of them went to su xiaoxiao¡¯s courtyard. hong xiu cut melons and fruits. su xiaoxiao took aunt fu¡¯s pulse and took her blood pressure. ¡°you¡¯ve recovered really well! did you take your medicine on time?¡± aunt fu said calmly, ¡°it¡¯s not just your medicine. i also grabbed some herbs to eat!¡± ¡°in any case, i ate it!¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°when did you come?¡± ¡°last night.¡± ¡°do you live in pear blossom lane?¡± after they moved out, only physician fu would occasionally stay in pear blossom lane. aunt fu shook her head. ¡°i couldn¡¯t walk last night and stayed at the inn for the night. i only came over this morning. i don¡¯t plan to stay there in the future. since his father has been avenged, the house back then should be habitable. i¡¯ll go over and tidy it up these few days.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll get someone to clean it up,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°you can! you¡¯re amazing now. you¡¯re the daughter of the protector duke and even the young madam of the wei family. ¡± after aunt fu finished speaking, she saw that su xiaoxiao¡¯s smile had yet to reach her eyes. she asked, ¡°is there something on your mind?¡± su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°actually, i want to ask you about someone.¡± aunt fu said, ¡°tell me.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it¡¯s about grandmaster hui jue. i already know that she¡¯s the eldest princess. what i don¡¯t know is, does she have some grudge with the wei family?¡± aunt fu said strangely, ¡°the wei family? why are you suddenly asking this? did someone say something?¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°oh, i heard some rumors in the capital.¡± aunt fu asked, ¡°is it about her and lord wu an?¡± su xiaoxiao hummed. ¡°she really has a story with lord wu an?¡± aunt fu hesitated for a moment before saying it. ¡°she¡­ was pregnant with lord wu an¡¯s flesh and blood..¡± Chapter 614 - Chapter 614: Wuhu Showed Its Might! chapter 614: wuhu showed its might! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this explosive news stunned su xiaoxiao. at that time, she had guessed that if grandmaster hui jue had a grudge against the wei family, something might have happened between her and lord wu an, but she definitely did not expect the two of them to have a secret relationship. this was too surprising. aunt fu sighed and said, ¡°old madam wei doesn¡¯t know about this. don¡¯t tell her. ¡± su xiaoxiao sympathized with matriarch wei for a second. ¡°i heard that the eldest princess and the prince consort were very loving.¡± aunt fu said, ¡°they were quite loving. she and lord wu an got together before she met the prince consort. they were drunk and had no feelings for each other. it was my husband who went to abort her child.¡± su xiaoxiao was slightly stunned. ¡°the child wasn¡¯t born?¡± aunt fu said helplessly, ¡°this child¡¯s identity is awkward. wouldn¡¯t it make life difficult for anyone if it was born? at that time, matriarch wei was already married to lord wu an.¡± for an ancient woman, it took a lot of courage to make the decision to abort. su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°does lord wu an know that the eldest princess was pregnant with his child?¡± aunt fu recalled carefully. ¡°i¡¯m not sure about that. my husband never talked to me about patients. the eldest princess told me herself. however, she didn¡¯t say much, so i didn¡¯t ask.¡± su xiaoxiao understood. after all, this was a very private matter. the two of them had different identities, so it was indeed not easy to get to the bottom of it. aunt fu said, ¡°rumors have been spreading for a while, but not many people believed them. later on, no one said anything. where did you hear it from?¡± ¡°white lotus society,¡± su xiaoxiao said without changing her expression. aunt fu frowned and said, ¡°that¡¯s a cult. don¡¯t believe them.¡± ¡°yes!¡± su xiaoxiao nodded seriously. she thought of something and said, ¡°by the way, aunt fu, do you know if prime minister guo has any contact with the eldest princess?¡± aunt fu snorted. ¡°you mean that old man? i saw him just now. he had a stroke and is lying in the room, right?¡± su xiaoxiao had already informed her family about prime minister guo¡¯s stroke. she said that she had encountered prime minister guo¡¯s stroke halfway and brought him back to the medical center. seeing that he was seriously ill, the guo family was afraid that he would be gone on the way back, so they did not touch prime minister guo. aunt fu said angrily, ¡°he admired princess yanqing so much back then. he even wrote a few baskets of love poems. he¡¯s willing to give up his career to be the prince consort, but princess yanqing doesn¡¯t like him.¡± the title of the eldest princess was conferred by the late emperor after he ascended the throne. previously, grandmaster hui jue was princess yanqing. therefore, prime minister guo might have kept grandmaster hui jue¡¯s portrait because she was the one that got away in his heart? su xiaoxiao paused and said, ¡°how¡¯s the eldest princess¡¯s relationship with the current emperor and king nanyang?¡± aunt fu said, ¡°on the surface, she¡¯s to be impartial, to take an impartial approach, but she actually dotes on king nanyang more.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°why?¡± nanyang never thought of fighting for the throne. when she heard that king nanyang¡¯s rebellion had failed, she was very surprised. she said, ¡®how could that child.. wei ting went to court, but su mo was free today. he had originally planned to go to the wei family to be a sandbag on his sister¡¯s behalf. he only found out that her sister had come to the medical center after asking. when he arrived at the medical center, aunt fu had already gone to rest. su xiaoxiao sat in her room alone to digest the news. ¡°what are you thinking about?¡± su mo walked in. su xiaoxiao explained her conversation with aunt fu. ¡°¡­grandmaster hui jue is really a good person. did we misunderstand her? or does she have lord wu an in her heart and couldn¡¯t get him, so she took revenge on the wei family?¡± su mo did not have an answer. ¡°when i just came over, prime minister guo seemed to be awake,¡± he said. ¡°is that so?¡± su xiaoxiao hurriedly went to prime minister guo¡¯s room. prime minister guo was awake, but unfortunately, he could not speak or write with his hand. she could not ask him anything. su mo was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°actually, there¡¯s someone else who can help you if you want to investigate grandmaster hui jue.¡± in the courtyard of pear blossom lane, zhong shan was seriously watering the vegetable field. that was planted by su xiaoxiao after she came here. the family moved away, but zhong shan did not let the vegetable field be abandoned. he still came over every day to water it. the courtyard had been lively, like a dream, but now it had become empty again. his back was hunched, and his white hair that had been washed hung down his cheeks. su xiaoxiao tapped his shoulder. holding the kettle, he lurched round. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°uncle zhong.¡± zhing shan was like a lonely old man whose child had returned. his dim and turbid eyes suddenly lit up. he put down the kettle and asked in sign language, ¡°why are you here today? are you sending dahu, erhu, and xiaohu to class? su xiaoxiao said, ¡°they¡¯re not in class today, so i came to see you.¡± zhong shan was very happy and excited. his hands were trembling when he picked the vegetables. ¡°these are ready. you can bring them back later,¡± he said in sign language. ¡°the duck eggs you marinated last time are ready too. i¡¯ll get them for you.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the old man who was about to die but still had to work for her. she suddenly realized that this old man didn¡¯t have much time left. she suddenly swallowed the question on the tip of her tongue. she pulled his wrinkled and muddy hand and mouthed, ¡°uncle zhong, come back with me.¡± zhong shan was stunned. just yesterday, su ergou came over and said the same thing. they all wanted to bring him back and send him off. he was a eunuch and had no children in his life, but at the end of his life, he encountered the greatest warmth in the world. in the end, zhong shan didn¡¯t go back with su xiaoxiao. he expressed that he still had strength and would talk about it when he couldn¡¯t walk anymore. before su xiaoxiao got into the carriage, he suddenly stopped her and said something to her in sign language. su xiaoxiao had promised the princess of the western jin kingdom yesterday that she would send the score to moxie. after leaving pear blossom lane, she set off for the posthouse. the young princess of the western jin was already waiting for her in the courtyard with wuhu. moxie was also waiting. the young princess of the western jin said, ¡°moxie, you clearly know everything. why do you still want the score? you just want qin su ls manuscript, right?¡± moxie said, ¡°little commandery princess, there¡¯s something called rote memory. you¡¯ll forget it later.¡± the young princess of the western jin said proudly, ¡°i won¡¯t. i¡¯m very smart!¡± moxiesaid, ¡°his majesty¡¯s birthday.¡± the eyes of the young princess of the western jin flashed. ¡°i didn¡¯t record it!¡± su xiaoxiao came over. the young princess of western jin hurriedly waved her hand like a bird flapping its wings. ¡°qin su! qin su!¡± ¡°little princess, guard mo,¡± su xiaoxiao greeted politely. ¡°moxie,¡± said moxie. the young princess of western jin approached su xiaoxiao and whispered, ¡°moxie rarely lets others call him by his name.¡± su xiaoxiao appropriately displayed two points of honor and handed the score to mo xie. moxie treasured it well. the little packrats at home were still waiting for her. she planned to go back. wuhu suddenly flew away. the young princess of the western jin was stunned. ¡°wuhu! where are you going? a moment later, wuhu risked its life. its small wings were almost smoking as it came out with a rusty iron bell.. Chapter 615 - Chapter 615: Catching Older Brother chapter 615: catching older brother translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°no strength! no strength! can¡¯t fly!¡± although the iron bell was small, it was a behemoth to a parrot. before wuhu could place the small iron bell in su xiaoxiao¡¯s hand, it fell onto the grass. ¡®wuhu!¡± the young princess¡¯s heart ached. she hurriedly ran a few steps forward and grabbed it. she looked at the iron bell on the ground and said to the wuhu, ¡°why are you holding this iron bell? you can¡¯t touch the iron bell! if you¡¯re discovered, you¡¯ll die miserably!¡± su xiaoxiao also noticed the iron bell that wuhu wanted to give her. it was very similar to wei liulang¡¯s iron bell, but it was not so rusty and had a hoarse sound. wei ting actually had one too. after his brothers died in battle, he was afraid that he would miss them, so he put away the iron bell. su xiaoxiao picked up the iron bell and asked, ¡°young princess, do you know this iron bell?¡± the young princess of the western jin said, ¡°i know it. it¡¯s¡­¡± before she could finish, a cold sword aura approached her face! su xiaoxiao dodged to the side and barely avoided it. however, before she could catch her breath, another sword qi slashed over. this time, it was even faster. su xiaoxiao understood. that person did not want to hurt the young princess of the western jin. just now, she was standing close to the young princess. that person had restrained a lot of internal energy. this time, she was far away and clearly felt a substantial pressure. she put on her silver gloves and blocked the sword qi with her bare hands. the sword qi was extremely cold. through the layers of tissue of the silver gloves, it made the bones of her hand sting! this was the first time she had felt hurt while wearing gloves. this person¡¯s internal strength was too terrifying! if not for the silver silk gloves in the pharmacy, her hand would have long been crippled! the pain in her left hand quickly passed, at the cost of losing consciousness. the man appeared, holding a long sword and with a tattoo on his face. she would not be able to withstand the third move no matter what.. the young princess of the western jin shouted anxiously, ¡°no! don¡¯t kill qin su! she¡¯s my friend!¡± he pushed the young princess of the western jin away and slashed at su xiaoxiao¡¯s hands. a dignified woman¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°stop!¡± mo xie soared into the air and pulled out his sheathed ring blade to block his sword. at this moment, his blade was only an inch away from su xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist. the princess of the western jin walked over and glanced at the two of them. ¡°both of you, stop.¡± moxie looked at him. he did not confiscate the sword, so moxie did not move. ¡°how stubborn,¡± the princess of the western jin said calmly. she walked up to su xiaoxiao and stretched out her hand. ¡°give me back the iron bell.¡± su xiaoxiao returned the iron bell to the princess of western jin. the young princess of the western jin hurriedly carried wuhu over and explained for su xiaoxiao, ¡°i brought wuhu to see the iron bell yesterday. wuhu probably liked it very much, so it picked it up today and dropped it on the ground. qin su just helped pick it up.¡± the princess of the western jin dynasty didn¡¯t say if she believed it or not. she only said to su xiaoxiao, ¡°don¡¯t touch his iron bell. don¡¯t pick it up when it falls to the ground next time.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. the princess of western jin tied the iron bell back to the man¡¯s waist. su xiaoxiao looked at their intimate actions and didn¡¯t say anything. wuhu risked its life to make a contribution, so su xiaoxiao rewarded it with three bird food. three pieces. it couldn¡¯t believe it! it was so happy! its bird life had reached its peak! wuhu was very satisfied and instantly forgot that it had almost died heroically. when su xiaoxiao arrived home, wei ting had also returned from court and was testing the new arm with wei liulang. wei liulang¡¯s arm had endeared itself to him and was even more useful than a weapon. when wei ting slashed at it, the sword cracked. wei liulang was so smug. he no longer felt inferior about losing an arm. he had a stronger arm. he could better protect his family. the only drawback was that its grasp was not strong enough yet. however, xiaoxiao had said that she would perform some surgery on him in a while. then, it would be much more accurate. ¡°sixth brother, wei ting.¡± su xiaoxiao greeted the two of them and told them about the iron bell. the two of them were stunned. slave xiu was a death warrior of the western jin. he had seen ghostfear in the western jin. now that an expert wearing an iron bell had appeared in western jin¡¯s diplomatic mission, could that person be ghostfear? ¡°he has a tattoo on his face,¡± su xiaoxiao continued. su xiaoxiao had never seen their eldest brother and second brother before, so she couldn¡¯t tell if that person was them. ¡°the tattoo might have been applied later said wei liulang. wei ting felt the same. ¡°go find him?¡± he said. ¡°yes!¡± wei liulang agreed. su xiaoxiao looked at the two of them. ¡°now?¡± the two of them nodded. one of the brothers definitely wanted to kill, and the other dared to hand over a imife. wei liulang said, ¡°i¡¯ll go to the posthouse later and lure him out. if i get caught and he doesn¡¯t recognize me, it has nothing to do with the wei family.¡± wei ting said, ¡°okay.¡± ¡°do i need to remind you? his martial arts¡­¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the two figures who flashed out and sighed faintly. ¡°go, go, don¡¯t be beaten to death.¡± that person was even more powerful than slave xiu. even moxie did not seem to be his match. night fell. wei liulang infiltrated the posthouse. according to the clues provided by su xiaoxiao, he quickly entered the courtyard of the princess of the western jin. the princess of the western jin was not around. she had gone to the lake with the young princess. wei liulang was a little worried that he would miss if that person left too. fortunately, his luck was not bad. as soon as he landed, he bumped into a man with a tattoo on his face. her appearance was different from that of eldest brother and second brother, but it could not be ruled out that he had changed his appearance. otherwise, with his original face, he would have been recognized the moment she entered the capital. when the other party saw that someone had infiltrated, he pulled out his sword without a word. wei liulang wanted to say that he was little six. just as he was about to open his mouth, he remembered that this voice was no longer the same as before. then he wanted to take off his mask. idiot! his face was also ruined! could he shake hands? damn, the arm wasn¡¯t his either! wei liulang had a toothache! in the end, he could only follow the original plan and lure him out first. the other party¡¯s realm was way ahead. wei liulang was almost overwhelmed several times. fortunately, his new arm was invulnerable and he endured the other party¡¯s sword qi. ¡°little seven! i¡¯ll leave it to you!¡± wei liulang felt like he was going to die. this person was too strong! wei ting stepped forward. ¡°brother¡­¡± swoosh! the other party slashed! wei ting¡¯s eyebrows twitched fiercely, and his figure flashed to dodge the attack. behind him, a huge rock was easily split into two! wasn¡¯t this person ghostfear? wasn¡¯t that his brother? why didn¡¯t he recognize him? the three of them fought fiercely. after having a new arm, wei liulang¡¯s martial arts improved a lot. needless to say, wei ting had obtained qin canglan¡¯s guidance and could be said to have improved by leaps and bounds. however, facing the man in front of them, the two of them gradually felt a little strained. wei ting was slapped and took a few steps back. ¡°sixth brother! why doesn¡¯t he seem to know me!¡± if he had not dodged quickly just now, his internal organs would have been shattered.. Chapter 616 - Chapter 616: Ghostfear Is Here chapter 616: ghostfear is here translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei liulang asked, ¡°could it be that he lost his memory? to be honest, i¡¯ve forgotten a lot!¡± wei ting asked, ¡°what did you forget?¡± ¡°if i remember, will it still be called forgetting? ¡°then how do you know you forgot?¡± ¡°i¡­ young brat! shouldn¡¯t you be more focused at this time? do you want to die!¡± wei liulang raised his left arm and blocked the other party¡¯s sword. if this was his arm, it would have been broken seventeen to eighteen times. the other party looked at wei liulang¡¯s arm strangely, as if he was curious and interested. wei liulang¡¯s scalp went numb. ¡°it¡¯s over. he wants to snatch my arm!¡± wei ting made a prompt decision and took out the iron bell from wei liulang¡¯s arm. the moment he saw the iron bell, the other party paused. wei ting took the opportunity to knock him out! ¡°little seven!¡± wei liulang was dissatisfied. ¡°he won¡¯t die.¡± wei ting threw away the stick in his hand and looked at the man on the ground with a complicated expression. ¡°sixth brother, we¡¯ve said it before. no matter who comes back, no matter what happens to our brother, he¡¯s still our brother.¡± ¡°i know,¡± said wei liulang. slave xiu was a death warrior, and he knew ghostfear. ghostfear was very likely a death warrior. he was already mentally prepared for this. as for which brother it was, to them, no one was easier to abandon. ¡°let¡¯s check the goods¡­ ahem.¡± wei ting cleared his throat and squatted down. ¡°i mean, let¡¯s check our brother.¡± a drunk man held a wine pot and swayed drunkenly on the street. when he passed by an alley, he casually glanced over and saw two men squatting on the ground and taking off another man¡¯s clothes. he was so frightened that he shivered! damn! the world was declining day by day! wei ting turned around and glanced at him coldly. he shrank his neck and ran away dejectedly! ¡°eh? where¡¯s his iron bell?¡± wei liulang touched his waist for a long time. ¡°here.¡± wei ting took it out of his arm. after the two of them checked carefully, they were a little disappointed. it was indeed very similar to their iron bell, but¡­ there were no words engraved inside. it was not their brother¡¯s iron bell. the two of them did not want to give up. ¡°look at the face again,¡± said wei liulang. wei ting touched his face and behind his ear. ¡°other than the tattoo being fake, there are no signs of disguise. this is his own face.¡± the two of them were silent. after a while, wei liulang said, ¡°i knew it wouldn¡¯t go so smoothly. we had just obtained clues about our brother when he arrived in front of us¡­ we were greedy.¡± wei ting said nothing. it was not that they were greedy, but they wanted their brothers to live too much. it did not matter even if they became death warriors. it was fine even if they did not remember them. as long as they were alive¡­ as long as they were alive! wei ting clenched his fists tightly. wei liulang couldn¡¯t help but become pessimistic. ¡°perhaps ghostfear isn¡¯t our brother. he just has the same iron bell. this iron bell¡­¡± wei ting said firmly, ¡°no, this kind of iron bell is specially made. it can¡¯t even be sold on the market in the capital, let alone the distant western jin. also, the way slave xiu looked at me was clearly looking at someone else through me. even if i fail this time, there¡¯s still the next time. there¡¯s still the next time. i can¡¯t give up even if i fail a hundred times, a thousand times, or ten thousand times. ¡± he wanted to find his brother, even if he had to use his entire life. wei liulang looked at wei ting and suddenly realized that he was no longer the brother that always depended on him for protection when they were young. he had grown up and had the responsibility of a man of the wei family. he had the same courage as his brothers. the only thing that had not changed was probably the stubbornness in his bones. ¡°then what should we do now?¡± wei liulang asked. ¡°leave first,¡± wei ting said. ¡°i¡¯m afraid¡­ we won¡¯t be able to leave.¡± wei liulang glanced behind wei ting. wei ting turned around. moxie hugged the ring-headed blade and looked at the two of them coldly. wei ting said calmly, ¡°i¡¯ll go with you. i¡¯ll explain it to your highness.¡± in the brightly lit attic, the princess of the western jin dynasty and wei ting sat opposite each other. ..that¡¯s what happened.¡± after wei ting finished explaining the incident, he placed two iron bells on the table. one was pulled off the man, and the other was wei liulang¡¯s. the only thing he did not mention was wei liulang¡¯s identity. he only said that he was a guard at home. the princess of the western jin asked, ¡°so there are still people alive in your wei family?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°you suspect that he¡¯s ghostfear and one of your brothers?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± the princess of the western jin said calmly, ¡°then i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ll have to disappoint you. he¡¯s not ghostfear. how much do you know about ghostfear?¡± wei ting said truthfully, ¡°1 don¡¯t know much.¡± the princess of the western jin said, ¡°ghostfear is the most powerful sacrificial soldier in the western jin and is the person all sacrificial soldiers respect the most.¡± wei ting heard something. ¡°your highness has seen him?¡± an unruly smile appeared in the eyes of the princess of the western jin. ¡°i¡¯ve seen him once. i¡¯m a little interested in him. unfortunately, he¡¯s not interested in being my gigolo.¡± wei ting laughed dryly. the princess of the west jin returned to the topic. ¡°this kind of iron bell did come from the ghostfear at first. the other sacrificial soldiers are just imitating the ghostfear.¡± ghostfear wore an iron bell, and so did they. ghostfear did not allow anyone to touch the iron bell, so they treated the iron bell as a taboo. ghostfear was their god. everything gods did was right. wei ting was speechless. did sacrificial soldiers like to follow the trend so much? they couldn¡¯t even be messed with. the princess of the western jin looked at wei ting deeply. ¡°if you had encountered ghostfear today, you wouldn¡¯t have lived to see me.¡± after a pause, she asked, ¡°are you sure ghostfear is your brother?¡± wei ting said, ¡°the possibility is very high.¡± the princess of the western jin raised her eyebrows. ¡°i think you¡¯d better pray that he¡¯s not.¡± wei ting was puzzled. ¡°why?¡± the princess of the western jin looked at wei ting and said, ¡°there¡¯s no past for sacrificial soldiers. everyone who becomes a sacrificial soldier will forget the past. he won¡¯t remember you.¡± wei ting didn¡¯t mind. ¡°it¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t remember.¡± the princess of the western jin said calmly, ¡°what if he¡¯s here to kill you? does it matter? do you want a brother who wants to kill you?¡± ¡°yes,¡± wei ting replied without thinking. the princess of the western jin suddenly smiled softly. ¡°what an interesting person. unfortunately, i don¡¯t take what others like.¡± wei ting said seriously, ¡°can i treat it as an alliance with your highness today?¡± the princess of the western jin smiled. ¡°that¡¯s hard to say. your great zhou is indeed more interesting than northern yan, but only one of you and helian ye can live in the end, right?¡± she stood up. moxie opened the door for her. she came to the door and turned to wei ting. ¡°i only ally with the winner.¡± in the quiet pavilion, the princess of the western jin dynasty drank flower tea leisurely. moxie walked up. ¡°wei ting left the posthouse. i watched him walk away.¡± ¡°you can come out now,¡± the princess of the western jin said without looking up. a man in a black cloak quietly walked out from behind the rockery. there was a real tattoo on his face.. Chapter 617 - Chapter 617: Recognizing Father chapter 617: recognizing father translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the princess of the western jin looked at him with interest. ¡°are you really not going to see that person?¡± he said, ¡°there¡¯s no past for sacrificial soldiers.¡± the princess of the western jin said casually, ¡°i thought you came to the great zhou to find your memories.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve said it before. there¡¯s no such thing for a death warrior.¡± with that, he turned around and left. the princess of the western jin curled her lips. ¡°hmph, why are you hiding if there is no past?¡± moxie asked, ¡°your highness, are we going to let him go just like that?¡± the princess of the western jin dynasty drank the flower tea and said, ¡°he¡¯s an ownerless sacrificial soldier. he¡¯s free.¡± moxie looked at the gradually disappearing shadow. ¡°his master gave him an order before he died. what do you think it will be, your highness?¡± the princess of the western jin said, ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± thinking of something, she sighed again. ¡°this person is really difficult to get close to.¡± moxie said, ¡°you asked him to stop today, but he stopped. you wore the iron bell for him, but he didn¡¯t push you away.¡± the princess of the western jin dynasty snorted. ¡°it¡¯s just a show. if he wants to hide his identity, he has to take it easy. ¡± the iron bell that the little parrot took out was the real iron bell. the ghostfear that fought the little girl was also the real mccoy. however, wei ting encountered a substitute tonight. the moon was dark and windy. ghostfear walked alone on the long street. he had changed his clothes and was wearing a mask. he restrained his killing intent and disappeared into the crowd. other than his height, he was no different from an ordinary person. occasionally, a dizzy drunk would bump into him and scold him drunkenly, but he would only walk over expressionlessly. the hustle and bustle of the mortal world had nothing to do with him. he was a sacrificial soldier. he had no past. it did not matter who he was or what family he had. ¡°mother, i want that.¡± in front of the stall at the side, a three-year-old girl pointed at a string of sparkling candied hawthorn. ¡°two strings.¡± the woman said angrily, ¡°you¡¯re so small. can your stomach hold it?¡± ¡°it can fit!¡± the little girl patted her stomach. ghostfear stopped in his tracks. the vendor looked at the masked man strangely and asked, ¡°young master, do you want to buy candied hawthorn too?¡± the little girl looked up at him and said politely in a soft and cute voice, ¡°there are only two strings left. let¡¯s each have one, okay?¡± a moment later, ghostfear left with a stick of candied hawthorn in each hand. in front of the stall behind him, the little girl who could not buy candied hawthorn cried. on the other side, wei ting returned to the wei family. su xiaoxiao and wei liulang were waiting for him in the pavilion by the pond. ¡°how is it?¡± wei liulang asked urgently. ¡°it¡¯s not ghostfear,¡± wei ting said. wei liulang was disappointed. wei ting told her about his conversation with the princess of the western jin. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it¡¯s not that there¡¯s no good news. ghostfear isn¡¯t the gigolo of the princess of the western jin dynasty. at least sister-in-law and second sister-in -law weren¡¯t cuckolded. ¡± the two of them were speechless. wei ting said, ¡°you sure know how to spot the silver lining.¡± su xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°then what should we do? sigh with you? that won¡¯t help. but then again, are you sure the iron bell you saw wasn¡¯t engraved?¡± ¡°yes.¡± at the mention of this, wei ting returned wei liulang¡¯s iron bell to him. su xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°but the iron bell that wuhu brought out was clearly engraved¡­ did i see wrongly?¡± ¡°young master! young madam!¡± a maidservant in old madam wei¡¯s courtyard rushed over. ¡°have you seen xiaohu?¡± wei ting asked, ¡°isn¡¯t xiaohu with grandmother?¡± the maidservant was about to cry. ¡°aiya! he¡¯s gone!¡± the three little fellows were originally playing hide-and-seek in the residence. as they played, there were only two left. they couldn¡¯t find xiaohu no matter what. at first, they thought that xiaohu had hidden well, but when they took out the food and still did not see xiaohu appear, they realized that he was gone. xiaohu was just a little foodie. he definitely could not hold it in for more than three seconds. wei liulang said, ¡°are you hiding because you¡¯re angry?¡± wei liulang, his biological father, had really guessed correctly. xiaohu was indeed angry today. the three of them were playing hide and seek. he hid and was found immediately. dahu and erhu were hidden, but he could not find them no matter what. hmph! it was not fun! he was going to look for his grandfather! he wanted to leave home! the three little fellows would never leave the adults¡¯ sight in the past. however, with the increase in their sense of security, their psychological trauma was gone and they became bold. xiaohu brought his small bag with him. he did not have a foothold in this family anymore! if he stayed at his grandfather¡¯s house, he would never come back! he found the dog hole in the corner. this hole was originally small, and the three of them would dig at it when they had nothing to do. now, it was enough for a small child to crawl through. after leaving the mansion, xiaohu walked to the right. he remembered turning right every time he went out. he was a smart little tiger! of course, he had to turn right from the main entrance, but this was the east courtyard wall¡­ xiaohu carried the small bag and walked along the streets. ¡°why haven¡¯t i reached grandpa¡¯s house yet? xiaohu is tired. i can¡¯t walk anymore.¡± ¡°i¡¯m so sleepy.¡± suddenly, a dirty hand blocked his way with a small broken bowl. ¡°little master, please do me a favor and give me something to eat¡­¡± xiaohu was so frightened by the sudden approach that he shouted, ¡°ahhh! human traffickers, human traffickers!¡± as he shouted, he ran forward with the small bag. the beggar who only wanted two copper coins was speechless. however, xiaohu was really targeted by the brokers. the human broker had followed him for a while. he was cute and well-dressed. it was obvious that he was a child of a rich family. such children could often be sold for a good price. xiaohu was tired from running and panted at the entrance of the alley. the two traffickers were a couple. the two of them exchanged glances and walked forward with smiles. the woman said gently, ¡°little fellow, it¡¯s already so late. why are you wandering around outside alone? this is very dangerous. where are your parents?¡± xiaohu hugged the small bag and looked at the two of them warily. the man smiled. ¡°don¡¯t be afraid. we¡¯re good people.¡± xiaohu said solemnly, ¡°that¡¯s what bad people say.¡± the two of them were speechless. the woman touched xiaohu¡¯s head extremely gently. ¡°where¡¯s your house? let¡¯s send you back.¡± xiaohu jumped back. ¡°no!¡± the woman¡¯s hand missed. the two of them exchanged glances again. the man looked around. the people around him were busy with their own things, and no one paid attention to him. he calmly took out a handkerchief that had been applied with a knockout drug. it was true that xiaohu liked to show off, but he was not a little fool. he knew that the two people in front of him were bad people. he said fiercely, ¡°don¡¯t come over. if you come over again, i¡¯ll call for my father!¡± the man smiled and walked towards xiaohu. ¡°oh? where¡¯s your father?¡± ¡°my father¡­ my father¡­¡± xiaohu hugged the bag tightly and kept looking around. suddenly, he raised his hand and pointed opposite. ¡°there! that person with the gourd is my father!¡± he clattered over and hugged the man¡¯s thigh. ¡°dad!¡± ghostfear, who had suddenly been recognized as a wild father, was speechless.. Chapter 618 - Chapter 618: Ghostfear Returns Home (1) chapter 618: ghostfear returns home (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios xiaohu did not feel any pressure when he recognized his wild father. it could even be said that he was familiar with the process. ghostfear looked at the little octopus hanging on its leg and frowned deeply. ¡°get down,¡± he said coldly. xiaohu shook his head decisively. ¡°xiaohu doesn¡¯t want to!¡± there was still some noise on the street. in addition, the two of them were across the street. the human traffickers could not hear what the two of them said, but the other party was tall and strong. it was obvious that he was not to be trifled with. for a moment, he did not dare to go over. ghostfear said coldly, ¡°i hate children.¡± xiaohu said righteously, ¡°i¡¯m three years old! i¡¯m a big child!¡± the two human traffickers did not go far and were guarding in the alley. it was mainly because such a beautiful child was rare and they could not bear to stop. ¡°if you don¡¯t come down, i won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± xiaohu used his acting skills and hugged his thigh, crying without tears. ¡°dad! dad! don¡¯t abandon xiaohu.. the passersby looked at the two of them and couldn¡¯t help but point. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with this person? he doesn¡¯t even want his son?¡± ¡°he doesn¡¯t want such a cute child!¡± ¡°exactly!¡± ¡°there are childless people who yearn for a child, but he actually doesn¡¯t want him!¡± the sacrificial soldiers did not have any reverence for life, nor did they have any sympathy or pity. in the eyes of others, no matter how cute and beautiful a child was, he was just a little sprout to the sacrificial soldiers. ghostfear looked at xiaohu coldly. ¡°little fellow, i¡¯m not a good person. those two only want to sell you, but i might kill you.¡± xiaohu blinked and stopped howling. ¡°ah, you saw them too.¡± those who said that they were good people were actually bad people. then those who said that they were bad people should be good people. xiaohu thought for a moment. ¡°take me home and i¡¯ll come down!¡± ghostfear said, ¡°i won¡¯t send you off.¡± xiaohu pointed at the crowd and said, ¡°if you don¡¯t send me off, they¡¯ll report it to the officials! they¡¯ll say that you abandoned your child!¡± what did his mother say? adults could not abandon children! ghostfear¡¯s gaze swept across the crowd. indeed, many people looked dissatisfied and even pointed. he had a mission and could not cause trouble. ¡°where do you live?¡± he asked. of course, xiaohu could not say anything about the wei family. if he was caught, he would be spanked. his eyes darted around as he said, ¡°the protectorate.¡± ghostfear judged in his heart that he could go to this place. ¡°xiaohu won¡¯t move.¡± ghostfear would not indulge him. he pulled him down and turned to walk forward. xiaohu picked up the small bag on the ground, hugged it, and followed aggrievedly. the protector duke¡¯s estate was not far away. ¡­ it was not far for ghostfear. xiaohu was in trouble. he couldn¡¯t walk. his head drooped as he slowly followed behind him, like a puppet whose soul had been sucked out. ghostfear stopped in his tracks and looked at the little packrat impatiently. ¡°are you still walking? if you walk any slower, it¡¯ll be dawn.¡± xiaohu felt aggrieved and cried. ¡°i¡¯m not moving¡­ and you¡¯re fierce to me¡­ woohoo¡­ woohoo!¡± the pedestrians on the street looked at the two of them suspiciously again. ghostfear clenched his fists and grabbed two candied hawthorns with one hand. he carried xiaohu up with the other. xiaohu immediately stopped crying. ghostfear didn¡¯t mind. after walking for a while, it suddenly felt that something was wrong. he looked down and saw xiao hu stretching his neck and licking the candied hawthorn in his hand.. ghostfear was speechless. on the other hand, after su xiaoxiao, wei ting, and wei liulang found out that xiaohu was missing, they immediately searched the residence. in the end, they heard from dahu and erhu that there was a dog hole in the residence. the few of them went to survey the event location and found traces of xiaohu crawling through. ¡°he probably went to look for my father,¡± su xiaoxiao said. after interacting with the little fellows for so long, she could guess what they were thinking. ¡°does he remember the right way?¡± wei liulang asked. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i don¡¯t think so. he usually turns right when he goes out. he must have turned the same way when he climbed out.¡± a mother knew her son best. wei liulang hurriedly said, ¡°i¡¯ll follow the path on the right to look for xiaohu. go to the protector duke¡¯s estate and see if xiaohu is back.¡± ghostfear arrived earlier than the two of them. he was about to put the little fellow down and leave when he happened to bump into qin canglan returning from the racecourse. he rode on the tall horse with a mighty and domineering aura. he saw xiaohu standing at the door and quickly dismounted.. ¡°xiaohu?¡± Chapter 619 - Chapter 619: Ghostfear Returns Home (2) chapter 619: ghostfear returns home (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this time, he was not mistaken. xiaohu hugged the small bag and shouted excitedly, ¡°great-grandpa!¡± qin canglan walked towards him with his horse. ¡°why are you here so late? did your parents send you here?¡± xiaohu blinked guiltily. ¡°no?¡± qin canglan frowned and looked at xiaohu seriously. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you sneaked out yourself?¡± ¡°no,¡± xiaohu denied. ¡°i¡­ was caught by someone.¡± qin canglan asked strangely, ¡°who was it?¡± xiaohu, who was originally standing beside ghostfear, silently moved to the side and looked at him weakly. ghostfear, who had gone from a wild father to a human trafficker in a second, was speechless. qin canglan had thought that this was a new guard of the wei family, but it turned out that he was a human trafficker! qin canglan made a prompt decision and raised his fist to greet ghostfear. the first move was dodged by ghostfear. ghostfear took the second move. qin canglan was very surprised. ¡°you¡­ are a death warrior?¡± ghostfear had originally restrained his aura, but once he circulated his energy, the sacrificial soldiers could not hide their internal strength. ghostfear had no intention of fighting, but how could qin canglan let him go? it would have been fine if it were any other expert, but this was qin canglan, the number one divine general of the great zhou. his martial arts realm had long been unrivaled. even if he could not kill ghostfear for the time being, ghostfear would not be able to escape. the two of them exchanged dozens of moves at the entrance. until¡­ su xiaoxiao and wei ting arrived. su xiaoxiao exclaimed, ¡°the person who is fighting my grandfather¡­¡± wei ting frowned. ¡°he¡¯s a death warrior.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the other party without blinking. ¡°his moves and sword qi¡­ he¡¯s the owner of the iron bell i met at the posthouse! didn¡¯t you say that he was knocked unconscious by you? then what¡¯s going on now?¡± wei ting said strangely, ¡°the sacrificial soldier i knocked out wasn¡¯t him.¡± the two of them had different moves and weapons. at this moment, the two of them realized something at the same time and looked at each other deeply again. wei ting¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°he is! what sixth brother and i encountered.. was another imposter!¡± su xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°that makes sense. the iron bell i saw during the day was engraved, but the one you found at night was not. because it¡¯s not the same person at all!¡± qin canglan slapped ghostfear. su xiaoxiao hurriedly said, ¡®grandpa! don¡¯t kill him! he¡¯s one of us!¡± qin canglan paused, and ghostfear took the opportunity to jump up. he used his qinggong to fly over the roof and flee. wei ting chased after him. su xiaoxiao rode her horse to the door and looked at the little guy who was hiding in the corner and didn¡¯t dare to look at her. she said solemnly, ¡°come here.¡± xiaohu walked towards her. su xiaoxiao was so angry that she laughed. ¡°you¡¯re too ashamed to see me, right?¡± xiaohu hugged the small bag and said nothing. su xiaoxiao turned him around and checked him up and down. ¡°did you fall?¡± hearing that his mother¡¯s first sentence was not to scold him, but to care if he had fallen, xiaohu¡¯s nose suddenly felt sour and his eyes turned red. he said aggrievedly, ¡°i didn¡¯t fall. i bumped into two people.¡± qin canglan was confused. ¡°why are there two more? where¡¯s the other one? oh, no, your mother just said that he¡¯s on the same side¡­ what happened? why don¡¯t i understand?¡± xiaohu told him everything that had happened after leaving the residence. qin canglan gasped as his palm itched. not only was he not a human trafficker, but he was also a good person, but he almost beat him up. why was this child so naughty? ¡°i¡¯ll get your father to teach you a lesson later!¡± he only beat up his son, not his grandson and great-grandson. he took a deep breath and suppressed his worry and anger. he turned to look at his precious granddaughter. ¡°xiaoxiao, you just said that he¡¯s one of us¡­¡± su xiaoxiao paused and said, ¡°he might be one of wei ting¡¯s brothers.¡± wei ting chased after ghostfear all the way and deeply felt his strength. the princess of the western jin was right. if ghostfear really wanted to kill him, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to survive. ¡°brother!¡± he looked at ghostfear¡¯s back and shouted. ghostfear did not stop at all. he rose and fell and disappeared into the night. ¡°little seven!¡± wei liulang raised his head and called out to wei ting. wei ting jumped down. wei liulang asked, ¡°who are you calling?¡± wei ting said seriously, ¡°we encountered a substitute today. the one i¡¯m chasing is the real ghostfear! however, we let him escape!¡± shock flashed across wei liulang¡¯s eyes, but he quickly calmed down. ¡°split up and chase after him!¡± ghostfear did not seem to be very lucky tonight. first, he encountered xiaohu and was tricked twice by him. it was not easy for him to leave, but wei ting bumped into him and pulled wei liulanz along. the two of them chased closely. ghostfear turned into a quiet long street. ¡°where did xiaohu go? could something have happened in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°fifth sister-in-law, don¡¯t be too pessimistic. xiaohu is so smart. he will definitely be fine.¡± ¡°there¡¯s someone!¡± madam chen said. madam jiang and madam lan stopped. madam chen strode towards the corner of the wall. she turned around and punched the other party! ghostfear dodged in time. madam chen¡¯s fist landed on the wall and blasted a huge hole. ghostfear frowned. ¡°third sister-in-law! i¡¯ll help you!¡± madam jiang took out her whip. madam lan snorted. ¡°save it! your whip will tie itself up again later! i¡¯ll do it!¡± madam lan used her qinggong and whipped at ghostfear. ghostfear flashed and disappeared! madam lan was stunned. ¡°eh? where is he?¡± ghostfear jumped into the courtyard wall. he came in in a hurry and did not know where he was. madam chen caught up again. ghostfear frowned. in the wei family¡¯s small ancestral hall, old madam wei was offering incense to her husband, sons, and grandchildren. ¡°the gates of hell open in july. the few of you, come back and take a look at my old bones.¡± just as she finished speaking, ghostfear pushed the door open and barged in.. Chapter 620 - Chapter 620: Grandmother and Grandson Reunion chapter 620: grandmother and grandson reunion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios matriarch wei¡¯s back was facing the door as she lit incense and did not show her face. when ghostfear saw the little old lady, he did not immediately react. on the other hand, matriarch wei heard the commotion and turned around. she looked at ghostfear, and ghostfear looked at her. the two of them stared at each other. ghostfear was wearing a mask and a cloak. he was covered tightly on a hot day. ever since he became a sacrificial soldier, his martial arts had completely changed, and his aura had naturally changed. however, some postures and habitual actions that had been formed since they were young could not be completely changed. moreover, blood was thicker than water. matriarch wei looked at the cloaked man who had suddenly appeared in a daze, and a familiar feeling rose in her heart. seeing him covered in black from head to toe, it was very in line with the temperament of a ghost. old madam wei¡¯s hand trembled, and the incense fell! she walked towards the ghost in a daze and reached out. she carefully touched his arm, not daring to use too much strength, afraid that she would accidentally¡­ uh, no, touch the ghost away. ¡°chen¡¯er¡­ is that you?¡± her throat was swollen and painful, and tears fell. ¡°next time you come over¡­ tell grandmother first¡­ don¡¯t scare her¡­ the sudden approach made ghostfear¡¯s body stiffen. he wanted to pull out the sword at his waist. matriarch wei suddenly slapped him on the head, stunning the ghostfear! in the next second, old madam wei hugged him and cried. ¡®wu ah¡­ why did you come to see grandmother so late¡­¡± ghostfear was speechless. matriarch wei let go of him and did not forget to wipe her tears and snot. then, she continued to cry. at the same time, she raised her hand and took off his ghost mask. however, when she saw the face under the mask, she was stunned. ¡°let go of my grandmother!¡± madam chen chased in. ghostfear looked around and jumped out of the window. ¡°come back!¡± matriarch wei quickly walked to the window, but ghostfear had long disappeared. at this moment, wei ting and wei liulang had also arrived. old madam wei leaned on the windowsill and shouted into the night, ¡°grandmother will still be waiting for you tomorrow night¡­ you have to come!¡± after saying that, there were still tears in her eyes. she glared at them bitterly and cried. ¡°look at what you¡¯ve done. it wasn¡¯t easy for me to see your brother¡­ you scared him away just like that.. ¡® a trace of shock flashed across wei ting¡¯s eyes. ¡°grandmother¡­ saw brother?¡± matriarch wei¡¯s cries stopped. ¡°you saw him too?¡± wei liulang tacitly agreed and asked, ¡°grandmother is not injured, right?¡± ¡°how can i be injured? even if your brother became a ghost, he¡¯s still a ghost of our wei family. how could he hurt his¡­¡± old madam wei was halfway through her sentence when she suddenly looked at the mask in her hand. this was taken off the ghost¡¯s face. at that time, she was immersed in the huge joy of seeing her grandson¡¯s ghost and neglected many specific details. there was sweat on the mask and he had a body temperature. in contrast, a ghost¡¯s body was cold. he was not a ghost. he was a living person! matriarch wei¡¯s heart thumped. she looked at wei ting and wei liulang. ¡°what¡¯s going on? are the two of you hiding something from me?¡± at this moment, fourth sister-in-law lan and fifth sister-in-law jiang also chased over. the two of them and madam chen looked at the two brothers in unison. at this point, there was no way to hide it anymore, so wei ting told her about the opening of the graves and the autopsy. ¡°you even dug up the graves of your grandfather, your father and your brothers!¡± matriarch wei raised her walking stick and hit wei ting. ¡°grandmother!¡± the three sisters-in-law hurriedly stopped her. wei ting pushed the blame away in a second. ¡°sixth brother asked me to dig.¡± wei liulang was shocked. why was it him again? matriarch wei raised her walking stick again, wanting to teach wei liulang a lesson, but when she saw the child¡¯s incomplete body, she could not do it. matriarch wei said angrilv, ¡°the few of vou, come with me!¡± she could not disturb the spirits of the wei family¡¯s heroic souls in heaven in front of the memorial tablet. wei ting, wei liulang, madam chen, madam lan, and madam jiang followed matriarch wei back to the courtyard. wei ting told him the results of the autopsy in detail and also mentioned slave xiu. hearing that two corpses did not match, the few of them were very excited. however, wei sanlang, wei silang, and wei wulang were declared dead again, making everyone very sad. they were the same as wei ting and wei liulang. none of them were easier to abandon, be it their husbands or brothers of the wei family. matriarch wei concluded, ¡°in that case, your brother went to western jin and became a sacrificial soldier. now, he has followed the western jin diplomatic mission back to the capital..¡± Chapter 621 - Chapter 621: Grandmother and Grandson Reunion (2) chapter 621: grandmother and grandson reunion (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei ting said, ¡°yes, but we don¡¯t know if he¡¯s the eldest brother or not.¡± old madam wei recalled the face with a large tattoo and closed her eyes in heartache. she said softly, ¡°it¡¯s chen¡¯er, your eldest brother.¡± wei ting said, ¡°sixth brother and i have talked. no matter who comes back, we¡¯re still happy.¡± old madam wei¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. ¡°yes, we should be happy. they¡¯re all good children of the wei family.¡± be it wei chen or wei qing, they were all loyal to the wei family. old madam wei continued, ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell me about this earlier?¡± wei ting said, ¡°i want to confirm it before telling grandmother so that you won¡¯t be happy for nothing.¡± if ghostfear was not one of the brothers, that disappointment would be too destructive. madam chen asked, ¡°but why did big brother escape just now?¡± wei ting narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°the princess of the western jin dynasty said that there¡¯s no precedent for death warriors. brother.. might not remember us anymore.¡± old madam wei snorted. ¡°hmph, it would be strange if he doesn¡¯t remember! if he doesn¡¯t remember, can he barge into the wei family? if he doesn¡¯t remember, can he let me slap his forehead?¡± the lips of wei ting and wei liulang twitched. did she even hit ghostfear¡¯s head? she was really fierce¡­ old madam wei said, ¡°is your brother staying at the diplomatic mission¡¯s posthouse now?¡± wei ting said, ¡°yes. he didn¡¯t appear at the welcoming banquet last night. i wonder if the princess of the western jin didn¡¯t want to expose this trump card, or if his relationship with the princess of the western jin isn¡¯t straightforward. ¡± every sacrificial soldier had a master. unless their master died and did not let a new master take over before he died, the sacrificial soldiers would become free. old madam wei did not care about this. she only knew that he was her biological grandson. no matter what, her grandson was hers. no one could snatch him away! old madam wei looked at them in disdain and said unrestrainedly, ¡°since guys can¡¯t do it, i shall have to do it myself. just wait. i¡¯ll catch your brother at dawn!¡± when wei ting returned to his room with su xiaoxiao, su xiaoxiao had already returned with xiaohu. xiaohu fell asleep halfway, but dahu, erhu, and the other younger brothers had been holding back their sleepiness until now. this was really a worriesome child. but what could they do? they could only dote on their biological brother. the two of them stuck close to xiaohu, climbed into bed, and fell asleep beside him. ¡°let them sleep here tonight,¡± su xiaoxiao said. thinking of the great sorrow and joy that matriarch wei had suffered tonight, wei ting felt that he should let her calm down alone. he came to the bed and looked at a certain sleeping brat. he frowned and said, ¡°why are you so bold? who do you think he takes after?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°is there anyone timid in your family?¡± wei ting was speechless. he cleared his throat. ¡°grandmother, third sister-in-law, fourth sister-in-law, and fifth sister-in-law all know. second sister-in-law should know tomorrow.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not for nothing. there¡¯s no harm in knowing,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°have you confirmed the identity of ghostfear?¡± wei ting nodded. ¡°yes, it¡¯s big brother.¡± su xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°that¡¯s good. it¡¯s good that he¡¯s your brother.¡± wei ting also said, ¡°yes, as long as it¡¯s brother.¡± su xiaoxiao put down the veil and sat down on the stool with wei ting. ¡°by the way, aunt fu told me something that has to do with grandmother. i think you need to know.¡± wei ting poured her a cup of flower tea. ¡°tell me.¡± su xiaoxiao took it. ¡°grandmaster hui jue¡­ the eldest princess had a fling with grandpa before she was pregnant and was pregnant with grandpa¡¯s child.¡± wei ting paused in the middle of pouring himself tea. ¡°what?¡± this news was too shocking. wei ting did not expect their relationship to be so deep. su xiaoxiao¡¯s heart began to ache for him. ¡°just like my reaction at that time, i also guessed that perhaps grandmaster hui jue couldn¡¯t get him although she loved him, but i didn¡¯t expect that it wasn¡¯t her one-sided love, but ¡®consensual¡¯. ¡± although according to aunt fu, the two of them had to cut the gordian knot after that, what happened that night had really happened. su xiaoxiao analyzed calmly. ¡°if she wanted to abort the child herself. it would be fine. if grandpa didn¡¯t want it and forced her to abort it, the grudge would be huge.¡± ifyou don¡¯t let my child come to this world, i won¡¯t allowyou to have children and grandchildren. if so many children of the wei family had died because of lord wu an¡¯s romantic debt, that would be too tragic. wei ting clenched his fists. ¡°don¡¯t¡­ tell grandmother first.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°okay.¡± early the next morning. wei ting accompanied dahu for a while. when he returned to the room, erhu and xiaohu were stillsleeping. su xiaoxiao sat in front of the dressing table and smeared something on her face. she never put on makeup, except on her wedding day. wei ting looked at her strangely. ¡°what are you doing?¡± su xiaoxiao slapped the powder on her face. ¡°i don¡¯t want to be a sandbag. if i pretend to be sick, does this look like it? is it pale?¡± wei ting snorted. ¡°there¡¯s no need to pretend to be sick. sister-in-law will say that you¡¯re too weak. you have to practice more.¡± su xiaoxiao was at a loss. ¡°no way¡­¡± wei ting said coldly, ¡°unless you¡¯re pregnant.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°then i¡¯m pregnant!¡± a few sisters-in-law came to look for su xiaoxiao to practice martial arts. wei ting looked at su xiaoxiao, who was sitting on the stool drinking brown sugar water, and said seriously, ¡°sisters-in-law, xiaoxiao might be pregnant.¡± mdm jiang looked at su xiaoxiao in a daze. ¡°so soon? su xiaoxiao touched her stomach. ¡°yes.¡± madam jiang sighed. ¡°forget it, rest in peace. we originally planned to teach you qinggong.¡± su xiaoxiao stood up in a second. ¡°i¡¯m not pregnant!¡± wei ting was speechless. on the other side, old madam wei brought baili chen to the posthouse before dawn. she waited until the west jin diplomatic mission and the northern yan diplomatic mission set off for the palace. she said, ¡°alright, let¡¯s go in.¡± baili chen used his qinggong and brought matriarch wei into the courtyard. ¡°it¡¯s this room, right?¡± ¡°yes, the aura here is the strongest. i can feel it.¡± ¡°alright, this is it!¡± old madam wei extended her hand. baili chen took out the things from his pocket one by one and placed them in matriarch wei¡¯s hand: crane top red poison, intestine piercing poison, white silk, hemp rope, dagger, blood bun¡­ baili chen¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°do you really need so many of these props? it didn¡¯t seem so troublesome to sixth young master last time¡­¡± old madam wei gritted her teeth and said, ¡°you don¡¯t understand. boss is the most stubborn among them. i won¡¯t be able to take him down without acting for three rounds!¡± old madam wei got ready and brewed her emotions. when she arrived at the door, she howled and was about to cry¡ª the door was pulled open from the inside. ghostfear walked out. ¡°grandmother.¡± matriarch wei was speechless.. Chapter 622 - Chapter 622: Reunion chapter 622: reunion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios old madam wei heaved a long sigh of relief. she looked at her eldest grandson standing in front of her, then looked down at the thing that was bulging in her wide sleeves. she thought for a moment and asked uncertainly, ¡°do you really not need me to do it?¡± ghostfear said, ¡°no need, grandmother.¡± old madam wei smacked her lips regretfullv. last time, she had not prepared enough to ¡°subdue¡± sixth brother. she even felt that she had not performed well. this time, she had asked baili chen to carefully prepare for the entire night. the words ¡°crane top red¡± and ¡°intestine piercing poison¡± had been strictly screened! it guaranteed that everything would be fine¡ª in the end, it was suddenly useless? old madam wei coughed lightly and rubbed her hands. ¡°well, actually, grandmother can do it.¡± ¡°there¡¯s really no need,¡± ghost fear rejected mercilessly. old madam wei opened her mouth. ¡°then, alright, i¡¯ll listen to you.¡± at the wei family. the sisters-in-law sat in the pavilion to cool down. the li family had news this morning that matriarch li was not feeling well. madam li had brought wei xiyue back to her maiden home to visit her relatives and was not in the residence. third sister-in-law, madam chen, fourth sister-in-law, madam lan, and fifth sister-in-law, madam jiang, were eating fruits leisurely. su xiaoxiao, who was slowly walking up the steps, was about to collapse from exhaustion. not only was she tired, but she also hurt. everywhere hurt. she held her waist with one hand and the pillar of the pavilion with the other. she panted and said helplessly, ¡°we agreed to teach me qinggong¡­ why do you still want me to be a sandbag?¡± madam jiang peeled a lotus seed pod and said, ¡°this is how you practice qinggong. we¡¯ll chase after you and beat you up. when you can outrun us, your qinggong will be mastered!¡± no, no, no. she did not believe a word fifth sister-in-law said! su xiaoxiao looked at madam chen aggrievedly. third sister-in-law was the worst at lying. she only trusted her. madam chen slowly nodded. ¡°that¡¯s indeed the case. we only used 10% of our strength today. we¡¯ll get 20% tomorrow. you have to work harder.¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s body swayed. she was already so miserable with 10% of their strength. what did she want with 20% of her strength? she shouldn¡¯t have sent su mo away just now¡­ she was so stupid, really! su xiaoxiao was on the brink of tears as she looked at the three of them. ¡°don¡¯t you¡­ have any internal cultivation methods?¡± the three of them paused in their eating. she had forgotten to give seventh sister-in-law the qinggong cultivation technique¡­ su xiaoxiao, who had been tricked on her first day of learning qinggong, expressed that she would never love again. ¡°hehe, seventh sister-in-law, sit. come and rest for a while. fifth sister-in-law will peel lotus seeds for you to eat!¡± madam jiang smiled and comforted su xiaoxiao. madam lan and madam chen also contributed the lotus seeds they had just peeled. the three of them were a little embarrassed and immediately changed the topic. they talked about matriarch wei going to look for ghostfear. ¡°do you think grandmother will succeed?¡± madam lan asked. madam jiang peeled a lotus seed. ¡°no! big brother is very stubborn. he won¡¯t come back with grandma!¡± madam lan sighed. ¡°that¡¯s true. he has become a death warrior. he definitely doesn¡¯t want to come back and make us sad.¡± su xiaoxiao voiced her doubts. ¡°why does it make people sad to become a sacrificial soldier? is it because the sacrificial soldier has forgotten his past? but since he has forgotten, why is he afraid that everyone will be sad?¡± ¡°it has nothing to do with memories,¡± madam jiang said in a low voice. ¡°the sacrificial soldiers used extreme cultivation techniques to increase their strength. their lifespans are very short.¡± there was a price to pay for being strong. they used a shorter time to become more powerful experts. their bodies were severely overdrawn, and they often could not live to an old age like ordinary people. su xiaoxiao thought of the short period of weakness after slave xiu attacked. perhaps after a certain attack, the sacrificial soldiers would die of exhaustion. she wondered if the pharmacy had medicine to extend the lifespan of sacrificial soldiers. as they spoke, a servant suddenly came to report that old madam wei had returned to the residence. mdm jiang was stunned. ¡°so soon? how thoroughly did eldest brother reject grandmother? it¡¯s over, it¡¯s over. grandmother must be very sad! i¡¯ll go to teacher ling¡¯s to pick up dahu, erhu, and xiaohu! with them accompanying grandmother, grandmother can be happier¡­¡± madam lan also said, ¡°i¡¯ll go see when xiyue will be back.¡± at this moment, they could only use the little fellows¡¯ cuteness to divert the dowager duchess¡¯s attention. su xiaoxiao looked into the distance and said awkwardly, ¡°i think¡­ you don¡¯t have to get busy anymore.¡± they followed her gaze and were instantly dumbfounded. what¡¯s the situation? grandmother and big brother¡­ returned to the residence together? that man in the black robe was big brother, right? after fighting last night, it was not difficult to recognize him even if he wore a new mask.. Chapter 623 - Chapter 623: Reunion (2) chapter 623: reunion (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios madam jiang grabbed their sleeves. ¡°let¡¯s go! let¡¯s go take a look!¡± old madam wei walked on the path filled with gardenias in high spirits. ¡°the residence has changed a lot in the past few years. there are many flowers and plants. are you not used to it?¡± matriarch wei asked with a smile. ¡°no,¡± ghostfear said. ¡°do you still remember the pear tree planted here?¡± matriarch wei pointed at a huge pit and asked, ¡°a few days ago, there was a rainstorm in the capital that broke it. i got someone to move it to the back.¡± ¡°grandmother!¡± madam jiang, su xiaoxiao, and the others walked over. madam jiang was the first to arrive in front of her grandmother and ghostfear. she sized him up and asked, ¡°are you¡­ really big brother?¡± ghostfear nodded. ¡°fifth sister-in-law.¡± madam jiang was surprised. ¡°brother, you still remember me?¡± ghostfear didn¡¯t answer anymore. instead, he looked at the three people behind her. ¡°third sister-in-law, fourth sister-in-law¡­ when his gaze landed on su xiaoxiao, he paused for a moment. ¡°seventh sister-in-law, grandmother introduced you on the way. please forgive me for offending you yesterday.¡± there was no warmth in his voice. everyone was not used to it, but when they thought of his experience, they felt that as long as he came back alive, he could be cold for the rest of their lives. su xiaoxiao smiled calmly. ¡°oh, my bird was insensible and disturbed brother.¡± ¡°can we return to the courtyard first?¡± ghostfear asked matriarch wei. old madam wei looked at su xiaoxiao and the others, then at ghostfear. she smiled and said, ¡°aren¡¯t you going to see your mother?¡± ghostfear said, ¡°i¡¯ll see her later.¡± old madam wei was stunned for a moment before saying softly, ¡°that¡¯s good. it¡¯s a long journey from the western jin. you must be exhausted. let¡¯s talk another day.¡± looking at the two of them leave, madam jiang scratched her head. ¡°third sister-in-law, fourth sister-in-law, don¡¯t you think brother is strange? does he really remember us? why does he look like he doesn¡¯t want to bother with madam chen was not sensitive to these interpersonal relationships. madam lan thought for a moment and said, ¡°perhaps he¡¯s suffered after experiencing too much. isn¡¯t liulang different from before?¡± madam jiang muttered, ¡°but liulang is still very close to us.¡± su xiaoxiao looked suspiciously at the ghostfear that had disappeared at the end of the path. she believed that matriarch wei would not mistake her grandson for someone else, but was ghostfear really the original eldest son of the wei family? matriarch wei placed ghostfear in begonia courtyard. it was very close to her courtyard, and baili chen¡¯s residence was next door. ¡°grandmother wants to ask for your opinion. do you want to hide your identity first, or do you want to announce it to the public? the situation in the capital is a little complicated now. if the people of northern yan come, i¡¯m afraid they will do you and liulang harm. i hope to wait for the envoy of northern yan to leave before announcing to the public that you¡¯re still alive.¡± ghostfear said, ¡°i¡¯ll listen to grandma.¡± ¡°alright, stay here for a few days. after you recover your identity, move back to your¡­ your own courtyard.¡± matriarch wei stopped in time and did not mention madam chu. ghostfear said, ¡°grandmother, there are some things i can¡¯t remember clearly. i might not remember them in the future.¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine,¡± matriarch wei said. ¡°it¡¯s already god¡¯s mercy that you came back alive.¡± ghostfear nodded indifferently. old madam wei sat for a while before leaving. not long after, wei liulang came over. he had just returned from outside and heard from his sisters-in-law that his brother had returned to the residence. he was as happy as a child and could not wait to look for him. ¡°brother! brother!¡± ghostfear sat on the chair and stopped taking off his mask. as wei liulang came to the door, ghostfear waved his hand and used his internal strength to plug the door. wei liulang was blocked by the door. he shook the door and said, ¡°brother! i¡¯m little six! do you remember me? open the door! i want to talk to you! my voice has changed because my throat is ruined. i¡¯m really little six!¡± ghostfear didn¡¯t move. wei liulang knocked on the door for a while more and said disappointedly, ¡°brother, are you tired? then rest first. i¡¯ll visit you later.¡± with that, he left. ghostfear took off the mask on his face. he thought that it would be quiet now, but unexpectedly, there was a knock on the door again. ghostfear still ignored it. clang! the door was kicked open! killing intent flashed across ghostfear¡¯s eyes. he pulled out the sword on the table and flashed in front of the other party with an extremely fast movement technique, placing his sword on the other party¡¯s neck. su xiaoxiao looked at him calmly. ¡°it¡¯s you?¡± ghostfear put away his sword and sat back in his chair. su xiaoxiao brushed her shoulder that was pressed down by his sword qi with her silver-lined hand and strolled in. ¡°drink this.¡± su xiaoxiao handed her a cup of tea. ¡°it¡¯s not poisonous.¡± ghostfear said calmly, ¡°i¡¯m not thirsty.¡± ghostfear asked, ¡°what do you want to do?¡± su xiaoxiao said frankly, ¡°i want to verify your identity and see if you¡¯re the real wei dalang.¡± ghostfear said, ¡°i am.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter if you are or not. what matters is if i say you are.¡± ghostfear looked at her strangely, not understanding her words for a moment. su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°you didn¡¯t recover your memory, right? you just investigated us and know a little about us.¡± ghostfear said coldly, ¡°no one will believe you if you say i¡¯m not.¡¯ su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°that¡¯s not necessarily true. matriarch wei should have told you that i checked the corpses of the wei family men. therefore, as long as i say that you¡¯re fake, you will definitely be chased out by the wei family!¡± ghostfear looked at her coldly. su xiaoxiao placed the teacup on the table indifferently. ¡°i actually don¡¯t care if you¡¯ve recovered your memory. i just want to know why you came to the wei family. don¡¯t try to deceive me. i can tell that you¡¯re pretending. i¡¯m not a gullible person.¡± the eyes of ghostfear and su xiaoxiao met, and a silent battle spread in the air. su xiaoxiao¡¯s martial arts were indeed inferior to that of ghostfear, but su xiaoxiao was not afraid. ghostfear said, ¡°i can only tell you that i won¡¯t touch the wei family..¡± Chapter 624 - Chapter 624: Little Tiger Head Acknowledges a Master (1) chapter 624: little tiger head acknowledges a master (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when su xiaoxiao came out of begonia yard, yuchi xiu jumped down from the big tree and landed in front of su xiaoxiao. he asked excitedly, ¡°how is it? how is it? is he fake?¡± without waiting for su xiaoxiao to answer, he sneered. ¡°yes, right? i knew it! how can a sacrificial soldier recover his memory so quickly? it¡¯s obvious that there¡¯s something fishy! i¡¯ll kill him!¡± he was holding it in. he was the second-ranked assassin on the assassin rankings. how long had it been since he carried out an assassination mission? he could finally kill to his heart¡¯s content today! su xiaoxiao glanced at him speechlessly. ¡°he¡¯s wei ting¡¯s biological brother.¡± yuchi xiu was pierced in the center by an arrow. he held his chest and asked in extreme pain, ¡°why¡­ is it so difficult to kill someone¡­ ¡± ghostfear did not recover his memory. the reason why he lived in the wei family was that the western jin diplomatic mission was too eye-catching. not only were they being watched by northern yan, but they were also being watched by the great zhou. the wei family was more advantageous for him to hide in the capital. su xiaoxiao believed that ghostfear wouldn¡¯t touch the wei family. if he really wanted to move, with the wei family¡¯s complete defense against him, it would be quite easy for him to succeed. however, su xiaoxiao still wanted to understand his motive for returning to the capital and whether he would implicate the wei family in the end. su xiaoxiao originally planned to let yuchi xiu keep an eye on ghostfear. on second thought, with the ghostfear¡¯s strength, yuchi xiu probably wouldn¡¯t be able to keep an eye on him. after ghostfear sent them off, the room was finally quiet. he said that he did not want too many servants, so matriarch wei only arranged for two maidservants and a swift but silent male servant. the three of them were busy in the courtyard. he sat quietly in the room alone. the door was ajar. suddenly, an adorable little child appeared outside the door. the child asked crisply, ¡°may i come in?¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t object, i¡¯ll take it that you agree.¡± a round head peeked in to take a look. right on the heels of that, he pushed open the door forcefully and skipped in. he came in front of ghostfear and raised his head to look at him. ¡°i heard that you¡¯re my uncle.¡± ghostfear recognized that this was the little smelly fart who had tricked him twice last night. the little smelly fart was holding a string of sparkling candied hawthorns. they were bigger and more beautiful than the ones he had bought last night. ghostfear decisively snatched his candied hawthorn! waiting for him to cry! the little smelly fart did not cry. he took another string out of the diagonal cloth pocket and tore open the oilskin paper. ghostfear mercilessly took a big bite of the little smelly fart¡¯s candied hawthorn! he should be crying now! he thought evilly. the little smelly fart was stunned. he looked at the candied hawthorn he had bitten, stood on his tiptoes, placed it on the plate on the table, turned around, and ran out! did he complain to someone? he would cry and say that this bad uncle snatched his candied hawthorn. hmph! he would never admit it! to his surprise, the little smelly fart returned. this time, he was carrying a small alms bowl in his arms. it was filled with sparkling candied hawthorns, more than ten sticks. ¡°there you go.¡± dahu said. this time, it was ghostfear¡¯s turn to be stunned. dahu placed the small alms bowl in his arms and introduced it to him. ¡®my mother made these. they¡¯re delicious. these two are hawthorn, these two are orange, these two are peach, and there are lotus seeds and pineapples¡­ you like candied hawthorn, so i¡¯ll give them to you.¡± ghostfear took off his mask, revealing his tattooed face. dahu was not frightened to tears. he just tilted his head and looked at him. ghostfear grabbed him fiercely. dahu asked cutely, ¡°are you playing flying with me?¡± ghostfear frowned in confusion. for the first time, he met a child who wasn¡¯t so frightened that he cried. dahu was carried away like a obedient sack. ¡°my name is dahu. yesterday, it was my brother, xiaohu.¡± ghostfear narrowed his eyes. he knew it. that little smelly fart from yesterday was such a crybaby. dahu continued, ¡°i heard that your martial arts are very powerful. can you teach me? if not, i¡¯ll come back tomorrow.¡± ghostfear put him down coldly. ¡°i won¡¯t teach you martial arts.¡± he would never teach a child martial arts! ¡°oh, see you tomorrow.¡± dahu left politely after giving the apprenticeship gift. hmph, he wouldn¡¯t see him! when he completed the mission, he would leave the wei family! leave the capital! leave the great zhou! ghostfear grabbed a stick of candied hawthorn on the table and took a bite. oh? it was a little delicious. su xiaoxiao was digesting the martial arts manuals sent by her three sisters-in-law. two little tiger heads ran around her.. Chapter 625 - Chapter 625: Little Tiger Head Acknowledges a Master (2) chapter 625: little tiger head acknowledges a master (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios time passed peacefully. until little shunzi, who was beside princess hui an, came over and said that princess hui an refused to change her dressing and troubled her to enter the palace. ¡°where¡¯s dahu?¡± su xiaoxiao asked the maidservant in the room. ¡°mother, i¡¯m here.¡± dahu walked in. su xiaoxiao touched his head. ¡°i¡¯m going out for a while. take erhu and xiaohu to great-grandma first.¡± dahu said sensibly, ¡°i know. mom, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll keep an eye on erhu and xiaohu. ¡± erhu said, ¡°i don¡¯t want you to keep an eye on me! i won¡¯t run around!¡± xiaohu immediately said, ¡°xiaohu doesn¡¯t run around either!¡± dahu and erhu looked at him disdainfully. oh, the one who crawled out of the dog hole yesterday was a puppy! su xiaoxiao entered the palace. ¡°where¡¯s princess hui an?¡± she asked little shunzi. little shunzi said, ¡°in the pavilion at the tai liquid pool.¡± the summer was hot, and there was barely a cold wind blowing from the lake in the pavilion of the tai liquid pool. princess hui an was sitting in a wheelchair. her right arm was bandaged and hung around her neck. she found it ugly and got someone to wrap a golden shark veil around the bandage. from afar, she looked like a mermaid resting by the lake. ¡°princess, physician su is here,¡± the palace maid reminded. princess hui an opened her eyes slightly and glanced at su xiaoxiao arrogantly and beautifully. ¡°why are you here?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i heard that princess hui an refuses to change her dressing.¡± princess hui an said casually, ¡°so you rushed all the way here under the hot sun?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°coincidentally, today is the day to enter the palace to do a follow-up for the empress dowager.¡± princess hui an¡¯s pretty face immediately darkened. the servant closed the curtain. su xiaoxiao opened the first aid kit she carried with her and changed princess hui an¡¯s dressing. ¡°princess, there¡¯s someone in the pavilion.¡± ¡°let the people inside out!¡± a little palace maid braced herself and walked over. ¡°may i ask which noble is it? my princess wants to come to the pavilion to take a rest.¡± princess hui an had already changed her medicine. she gave little shunzi a look, and little shunzi rolled up the curtain. when the little palace maid saw that it was princess hui an, she hurriedly bowed. ¡°princess hui an!¡± ¡°yo, i was wondering who it was.¡± guo lingxi walked over indifferently. her gaze swept across princess hui an and su xiaoxiao as she mocked, ¡°physician su has become a popular person in the palace. you have to interfere with whoever is sick.¡± princess hui an rolled her eyes and said, ¡°what does it have to do with you?¡± guo lingxi smiled and said, ¡°hui¡¯an, don¡¯t provoke me. if i take things too hard and do something stupid, no one will help you go to the western jin to reconcile.¡± ¡°you!¡± princess hui an¡¯s fatal acupoint was hit. speaking of which, she had been living a miserable life these past few days. she had to suffer zhao kangning¡¯s provocation at the palace school and guo lingxi¡¯s ridicule when she returned to the harem. she was so aggrieved! su xiaoxiao put away the first aid kit and placed her hand gently on the back of princess hui¡¯an¡¯s wheelchair. she looked at guo lingxi and said, ¡°i heard that western jin has a tradition of marriage with the dead. in two months, it will be the death anniversary of the late emperor of the western jin. princess lingxi¡¯s birth characters are precious. she won¡¯t be able to marry the emperor of the western jin if she¡¯s alive. i think it¡¯s not bad to sacrifice her to the late emperor of the western jin after she dies.¡± guo lingxi¡¯s expression changed. su xiaoxiao said indifferently, ¡°die if you want. no one will stop you. i promise you that i will let your corpse not rot for a hundred years and become the most intact concubine for the western jin royal family.¡± guo lingxi¡¯s scalp went numb when she thought of how she had been turned into a dried corpse and put on a wedding dress! she glared at su xiaoxiao and left in exasperation! princess hui an made a face at her and stuck out her tongue. su xiaoxiao said earnestly, ¡°princess, don¡¯t be angry with them casually in the future. it¡¯s bad for your health to be angry.¡± princess hui an muttered, ¡°they provoked me first!¡± ¡°they don¡¯t dare to touch princess hui an. they just want to see princess hui an angry and ruin herself. if you ignore them, they will be the ones who are angry and anxious.¡± su xiaoxiao felt that she was coaxing a child, but princess hui an was indeed like a child. princess hui an curled her lips and said, ¡°then¡­ alright, i¡¯ll ignore them in the future. however, when can my injuries recover? the weather is so hot. it¡¯s so uncomfortable to be tied up layer after layer.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°at least you don¡¯t have to go to the palace to study.¡± princess hui an said bitterly, ¡°but we can¡¯t hunt.¡± ¡°hunt?¡± su xiaoxiao was slightly stunned. princess hui an said, ¡°i just heard from third brother that father wants to bring the envoys of the two countries to hunt. he even asked mother if she wanted to go. i want to go too.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°when are they going?¡± princess hui an recalled, ¡°in the next few days. father has already handed it to third brother and second brother to settle. eldest brother has fallen out of favor recently. father didn¡¯t assign him too many missions.¡± su xiaoxiao felt that nothing good came from hunting. as she was thinking, there was a commotion not far away. princess hui an asked, ¡°what happened?¡± little shunzi stood on the stone block and looked around. ¡°it seems that someone is fighting!¡± princess hui an loved to join in the fun. ¡°go take a look!¡± when the group rushed to the event location, they realized that a northern yan envoy had been pressed to the ground by a great zhou official and beaten up! su xiaoxiao focused. ¡°dad?¡± who else could it be but su cheng? su cheng heard his daughter¡¯s voice and gave a final punch before standing up coldly. he spat out a mouthful of blood. the other party was a general. when the two of them fought, he had also taken a few punches. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± su cheng was clearly unwilling to say. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± su cheng was clearly unwilling to say. su xiaoxiao looked at little yunzi and then at bai xihe, who was wrapped in a cloak and supported by the palace maids. she had an idea. this envoy of northern yan was so bold that he actually teased bai xihe in the palace. coincidentally, her father bumped into him and beat him up. su xiaoxiao recognized him. he was a deputy general under helian ye.. Chapter 626 - Chapter 626: The Melodramatic Matriarch chapter 626: the melodramatic matriarch translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t notice what it was, but she quickly knew. the commotion was too big. emperor jing xuan and the envoy of northern yan, who were discussing in the hall of supreme harmony, rushed over. three princes came with them¡ªxiao duye, xiao shunyang, and xiao zhonghua. ¡°general li!¡± an envoy looked at the disheveled man on the ground and exclaimed. emperor jing xuan and helian ye¡¯s expressions turned ugly. this was the harem. no matter who they were and if they were allies or fighting, it was impossible for emperor jing xuan to be happy. similarly, helian ye was a little embarrassed that his subordinate had barged into someone else¡¯s harem. emperor jing xuan¡¯s gaze swept across su cheng and su xiaoxiao. princess hui an grabbed su xiaoxiao¡¯s hand protectively. ¡°father, qin su entered the palace to change my dressing. she only heard the commotion here after changing.¡± in other words, su cheng¡¯s matter had nothing to do with su xiaoxiao. emperor jing xuan did not speak. he pretended not to see bai xihe behind the flowers and asked su cheng, ¡°protector duke, what happened?¡± su cheng glared at general li, who had been helped up by his colleague, and said in a tone that was neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°i realized that a thief had sneaked into the harem, so i came over to arrest him. if he doesn¡¯t surrender, i can only use force.¡± general li¡¯s mouth was covered in blood as he shouted in pain, ¡°nonsense! you clearly beat me up¡­¡± ¡°shut up!¡± helian ye stopped his deputy general. general li shut up resentfully. helian ye cupped his hands at emperor jing xuan. ¡°your majesty, i didn¡¯t do well under my rule and actually allowed him to barge into the harem when he was drunk. i apologize to you here. this person has committed a huge mistake. i won¡¯t tolerate it. please allow me to bring him back to the posthouse and punish him severely!¡± the grand empress dowager had been offended. although emperor jing xuan could expose general li¡¯s crime, if word got out, it would damage the grand empress dowager¡¯s reputation, and this concerned the face of the royal family. emperor jing xuan said authoritatively, ¡°since general helian has spoken, let general helian deal with this person.¡± helian ye cupped his hands again to show his respect. after all, this time, northern yan was indeed in the wrong. after leaving the palace, general li was still a little indignant. ¡°general, i was just.. helian ye interrupted him coldly. ¡°a hundred military strokes! retreat to your official position in northern yan!¡± general li was stunned. it was fine if it was a hundred military rods. he was a general and could withstand it with his thick skin, but it was too ruthless to dismiss him. ¡°general! ¡± he had drunk a few more glasses at noon. when he was drunk, he saw a beauty walking past the harem. it was a beauty he had never seen before. he rushed over¡ª ¡°i didn¡¯t do anything, general!¡± it was just a few¡­ harmless words. helian ye more or less understood his deputy general¡¯s morals, but he had not gone too far in the past. he asked, ¡°do you know who that woman is?¡± ¡°who is it?¡± general li muttered. helian ye said coldly, ¡°the grand empress dowager of the great zhou!¡± general li¡¯s face turned pale with shock! seeing that the other party was young and beautiful, he thought that she was just a new concubine. was she actually the grand empress dowager? how could she be¡­ so young? bai xihe was emperor jing yan¡¯s new empress. she had just turned 13 when she married emperor jing yan. now that 19 years had passed, she was only 32 years old. indeed, she was not like a woman in her thirties. time had not left any traces on her face, and no one would suspect that she wasn¡¯t in her early twenties. general li finally realized what a heinous crime he had committed. helian ye expected better from him and said, ¡°if not for the fact that the great zhou emperor doesn¡¯t want to blow things up, a hundred heads wouldn¡¯t be enough for him to chop off!¡± general li was completely speechless. on the other side, emperor jing xuan and the grand empress dowager met. ¡°we¡¯ve frightened the grand empress dowager,¡± he said with a hint of guilt. ¡°it¡¯s fine,¡± bai xihe said calmly. there were some things that did not need to be exposed. emperor jing xuan exchanged a few more pleasantries with the grand empress dowager before returning to the hall of supreme harmony to continue entertaining the ambassador. xiao duye did not have a deep relationship with the grand empress dowager. when he saw her during the new year and holidays, he bowed. that was all. seeing that his father did not pursue the matter, he did not take it to heart. xiao zhonghua was concerned about su cheng. su cheng expressed that he was fine and nodded. ¡°then i¡¯ll leave first.¡± xiao shunyang stayed. he did not agree with his father¡¯s actions today. li offended the grand empress dowager and should be executed according to the law. it was too light a punishment to just beat him up. at the same time, he regretted not discovering him. he frowned and suppressed the churning thoughts in his heart as he walked towards bai xihe. ¡°grand empress dowager¡­¡± bai xihe said calmly, ¡°i¡¯m tired. i¡¯m going back to the palace.¡± xiao shunyang cupped his hands and sent her off. bai xihe brought little yunzi and the others back to zhaoyang hall. when she brushed past su cheng, she stopped and said softly, ¡°thank you¡­ for today.¡± ¡°dad, dad, dad!¡± su xiaoxiao poked her father¡¯s shoulder. su cheng came back to his senses. ¡°what?¡± su xiaoxiao pointed ahead. ¡°she¡¯s long gone.¡± princess hui an was also called back by consort xian. only the father and daughter were left in the huge garden. su xiaoxiao took out a handkerchief and poured some blood-staunching elixir on the corner of her father¡¯s mouth. ¡°sss¡ª¡± su cheng gasped in pain. ¡°daughter, be gentle. it hurts.¡± su xiaoxiao did a standard aunt fu eye-roll. ¡°do you know pain now? why did you do it earlier? she¡¯s the grand empress dowager. do you need to do it? if you reveal your identity, you can scare that li!¡± su cheng coughed lightly and said, ¡°then, then what if that guy takes advantage of her?¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°what does it have to do with you? do you like her or do you want to marry her?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± su cheng choked. he took the handkerchief and applied medication for himself. ¡°what nonsense are you talking about every day? madam bai and i are innocent! i mean¡­ the grand empress dowager!¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°oh.¡± su cheng looked at his daughter. ¡°what expression is that? you don¡¯t believe your father?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i believe you¡ªthe problem is, dad, do you believe yourself?¡± su cheng said solemnly, ¡°how can you say that? after you get married, you don¡¯t have your father in your heart anymore, right?¡± su xiaoxiao pursed her lips. ¡°dad doesn¡¯t have me in his heart anymore, right? dad has never been fierce to me in the past.¡± su cheng was stunned and said awkwardly, ¡°did¡­ did i scold you just now?¡± su xiaoxiao looked resentful. ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°ah¡­ that¡­¡± su cheng scratched his head. ¡°a man in love, hmph!¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head and left without looking back! when she arrived home, wei ting was not back yet. it seemed that the negotiations with the envoy today were very intense. no wonder emperor jing xuan was not in the mood to deal with bai xihe. he had probably been provoked by government affairs. she went to matriarch wei¡¯s courtyard. old madam wei was fiddling with her things. seeing her come over, she quietly pulled the cotton cloth over. su xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°grandmother? why are you so mysterious?¡± ¡°no.¡± matriarch wei pretended to be dumb. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°is brother coming over for dinner later?¡± old madam wei sighed. ¡°he¡¯s not coming. he said that he was tired and wanted to sleep for a while. he hasn¡¯t even gone to his mother¡¯s side.¡± this was obviously an excuse. su xiaoxiao pondered for a moment and said, ¡°grandmother, there¡¯s something¡­ i think i have to tell you. big brother hasn¡¯t recovered his memories.¡± old madam wei sighed. ¡°i know.¡± ¡°huh?¡± su xiaoxiao looked at her in confusion. old madam wei said, ¡°ever since he entered the residence and didn¡¯t ask about feng¡¯er, i knew that he didn¡¯t remember anything from the past.¡± chu feifeng was her sister-in-law¡¯s name. matriarch wei patted the stool at the side and gestured for su xiaoxiao to sit. after su xiaoxiao sat down, old madam wei continued, ¡°feng¡¯er married into the wei family at the age of 15 and was husband and wife with him for eight years. their relationship has always been very good. feng¡¯er was once pregnant, but unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t keep it and even injured her body. after that, she couldn¡¯t give birth anymore. feng¡¯er suggested taking a concubine for him. he said, ¡®i have six younger brothers. the wei family doesn¡¯t have to rely on me to pass down its bloodline.¡±¡® su xiaoxiao said, ¡°so you know everything.¡± su xiaoxiao thought that matriarch wei would say, ¡°as long as he returned, no matter what his motive was, there would be a day when he would remember it.¡± unexpectedly, matriarch wei¡¯s mood changed. she snorted and slammed the table. ¡°it¡¯s enough to kidnap him back. does he think he can leave!¡± the corners of su xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°uh¡­ are you trying to scam him again?¡± old madam wei glared at su xiaoxiao. ¡°what are you thinking? am i that kind of person?¡± su xiaoxiao looked suspicious. ¡°then last time, you even asked me for¡­¡± old madam wei said without changing her expression, ¡°that was for little six! if he dares not to come back, i¡¯ll dare to re-organize the family!¡± su xiaoxiao almost believed it. ¡°how do you plan to keep brother?¡± old madam wei stood up and said domineeringly, ¡°tie him up! drug him! if it still doesn¡¯t work, break his legs! i don¡¯t care if he remembers who he is. in short, he¡¯s a member of the wei family in life and the soul of the wei family in death!¡± fifteen minutes later, matriarch wei appeared at the entrance of the ghostfear¡¯s room in a sorry state. she carried the swaddling clothes that wei liulang had worn when he was born with one hand and shook the rattle drum that wei dalang had played with when he was young with the other. she sang a small sad song that she had learned from xiaohu miserably. ¡°little cabbage the land is yellow two to three years old¡­ 30¡­ 63¡­ no grandchildren¡­¡± ghostfear was speechless.. Chapter 627 - Chapter 627: The Truth About the Child (1) chapter 627: the truth about the child (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was already late when wei ting returned from the palace. su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fell asleep. there was a light in the room for him. if he felt that she didn¡¯t have him in her heart, she still knew to leave the light on for him. if he felt that she had him in her heart, she would always anger him to death. wei ting came to the bed, lifted the veil, and poked a certain someone¡¯s sleeping face with his slender fingers. he couldn¡¯t wake her up. he looked at the bruises on her body and frowned. the sisters-in-law were too ruthless. the little fat peacock was very afraid of pain. in the end, wei ting could not bear to wake her up. he went to take a cold shower and had just lay down when wei liulang came over. ¡°little seven, it¡¯s me.¡± wei liulang said gloomily. wei ting went to open the door for him. he was carrying three sleeping brats in his arms with a bitter expression. ¡°grandmother went to look for big brother and asked dahu, erhu, and xiaohu to sleep with me tonight. but after thinking about it, it¡¯s better to let them sleep with you and sister-in-law.¡± ¡°why?¡± wei ting asked. he was their biological father. how could a father not sleep with his biological sons? wei liulang found it difficult to speak. ¡°i don¡¯t sleep well.¡± this was the truth. when dahu, erhu, and xiaohu slept with su xiaoxiao, su xiaoxiao would be looking for the three little fellows at the end of the bed when she woke up. if the three of them slept with wei liulang, one had to look for four. none of them were on the bed¡­ it was a hot day and there were many mosquitoes. what would happen if they were bitten for an entire night? wei ting looked at his sixth brother speechlessly and carried the three brats into the room. the next morning, qin canglan came over. ¡°i¡¯m here to guide little seven¡¯s martial arts. he previously promised me that he would come to the protector duke¡¯s estate every day, but isn¡¯t he back to his official position now? when he goes to court, i¡¯ll come straight to him. this way, he won¡¯t have to run around and save time.¡± ¡°what? he¡¯s not up yet?¡± ¡°oh, then let me give you some pointers.¡± qin canglan generously guided wei ting¡¯s sisters-in-law. it was obvious that they had all become sandbags. ¡°no, i can¡¯t take it anymore. i¡¯ll fight tomorrow¡­ my arm is about to break..¡± madam jiang lay on the grass and did not even have the strength to stand up. ¡°again!¡± madam chen was the only one who could still stand on the spot. however, just as she finished speaking, she fell with a thud. qin canglan was very satisfied. they probably didn¡¯t have the strength to torture his precious granddaughter today. wei liulang passed by and was called over by qin canglan. ¡°i can¡¯t favor one over the other. come, let me give you some pointers.¡± wei liulang, who was tortured, asked, ¡°what did i do wrong again?¡± wei ting was entangled by the three brats. qin canglan sat in the empty space and waited for him. madam li and the others had already been helped back by the maidservants, leaving wei liulang sitting at the side with nothing to live for. he stuck out his tongue like a husky suffering from heatstroke. wei xiyue walked over. when she saw qin canglan, she hesitated for a moment before running back to get a jar of honey. qin canglan looked at wei xiyue in front of him in confusion. he also understood why the little girl fed him honey every time she saw him. he had to eat it even if he didn¡¯t want to. it was so disgusting! after feeding qin canglan, wei xiyue took a small kettle and walked towards wei liulang. wei liulang lamented, ¡°oh no, i have to be watered again¡­¡± after wei xiyue finished taking care of her bear and thorn flower, dahu, erhu, and xiaohu still did not come. she decided to take the initiative to look for them. she thought that the three of them had rested in her grandmother¡¯s courtyard as usual last night. when she passed by begonia yard, she stopped in her tracks. in the past, the courtyard door was closed. today, it was opened. curious, she walked in. ghostfear was practicing her sword in the courtyard. last night, he had been brainwashed by matriarch wei¡¯s demonic tone for the entire night. in his dreams, she was singing miserably there. when he woke up, he felt terrible. he decided to practice his sword technique to get rid of distracting thoughts. his swordplay mimicked a flying dragon circling in the sky, and his sword stopped at the tip of a little girl¡¯s nose. wei xiyue was seven years old this year, but she was not in good health and was picky about food. she was thin and small, looking weaker than her peers. however, this seemingly thin little girl was not afraid of his sword. ghostfear was not wearing a mask. the sunlight shone on the strange tattoo on his face. he slowly walked towards her, wanting to scare her to tears. as expected, wei xiyue turned around and ran away. ghostfear snorted in satisfaction. however, not long after, wei xiyue returned with a jar in her hand. she handed him the jar. when ghostfear saw what was inside, his eyes were filled with confusion. the jar was covered with a thick layer of clover. on it was a red forest fruit and an orange carrot.. Chapter 628 - Chapter 628: The Truth About the Child (2) chapter 628: the truth about the child (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°for me?¡± ghostfear felt that something was wrong. the children in the residence were all strange and very puzzling. however, with the little girl standing here, he could not practice swordsmanship. he sat down boldly on the steps. wei xiyue came behind him and suddenly lay on his back. her two small hands grabbed his ears. ¡°giddyup!¡± ghostfear was speechless. ghostfear finally knew what was wrong. wasn¡¯t alfalfa grass for horses? after being transformed into a wild father and human trafficker, ghostfear was successfully turned into a horse. ..lf he was lucky, he would be a horse. if he was not, he might only be a donkey. the hunting was coming up. although it was called hunting, it was actually the emperor going to a palace outside the capital to avoid the heat. hunting was just one of the activities. he could bring his family with him, hence emperor also brought the empress and a few concubines. it was rare for the empress dowager to leave the palace. she wanted to see the three fellows, so she agreed to go to the palace to avoid the heat. ¡°go and ask the empress dowager if she¡¯s going?¡± there was no reason for them to go without asking the grand empress dowager. he thought that with bai xihe¡¯s personality, she would most likely reject him. after all, she had never gone to the palace to avoid the summer in the past. unexpectedly, eunuch cheng reported, ¡°the grand empress dowager agreed.¡± the empress dowager was stunned for a moment but did not say anything. she only instructed the empress to take care of everything. ¡°i want to go too! i want to go too! the capital is so hot!¡± princess hui an nestled in the empress dowager¡¯s arms and wheedled. the empress dowager looked at her bandaged arm and gauze-covered right foot and tapped her forehead helplessly. ¡°you!¡± princess hui an smiled. ¡°hehe!¡± after wei ting was reinstated, the family of the wei family should be able to go out to avoid the heat. old madam wei said, ¡°forget it, forget it. i can¡¯t be bothered with my old bones. ask your sisters-in-law if they¡¯re going.¡± madam li and the others expressed that they wanted to stay in the residence to accompany old madam wei. su xiaoxiao had to go. she had never seen the emperor¡¯s palace outside of the capital before. she had to take a look. su xiaoxiao clenched her fists. ¡°this old swindler has been hiding for so long. he¡¯s finally caught!¡± she immediately rushed to the protectorate with wei ting. in the study, sikong yun sat on a chair in a sorry state. he was holding an ice cube wrapped in a handkerchief and applying it to the bruise at the corner of his mouth. qin canglan sat opposite him and glared at him covetously. sikong yun sighed. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be so ruthless, right? you¡¯re a martial artist, and i¡¯m not¡­ qin canglan said coldly, ¡°i spared your life because you still have some value for interrogation. otherwise, i would have killed you long ago!¡± sikong yun said helplessly, ¡°we¡¯ve been friends for many years. there¡¯s no need to be so heartless¡­ qin canglan said angrily, ¡°stop playing dumb with me! you know very well what you¡¯ve done. i, qin canglan, hate being stabbed in the back the most in my life!¡± ¡°i wasn¡¯t¡­ sigh¡­¡± sikong yun only sighed. ¡°grandfather.¡¯ su xiaoxiao and wei ting walked in. the two of them looked at sikong yun, and sikong yun looked at the two of them. now, he could not even sigh. su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°running? why aren¡¯t you running anymore?¡± sikong yun sighed. ¡°aren¡¯t you mocking me? there are so many experts. how can a weak official like me escape?¡± su xiaoxiao said angrily, ¡°why did you escape back then?¡± sikong yun said, ¡°there are some things that you will still give it a try even if you know the outcome. for example, someone knows that they can¡¯t become the top scholar, but they still study hard for ten years. why do you think?¡± su xiaoxiao sat down beside qin canglan. ¡°i¡¯m not them. how would i know?¡± wei ting greeted qin canglan and sat down. there were three big bosses in the room. sikong yun was destined to not be able to escape today. su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°who¡¯s the mastermind and what have you done to let us down? tell me the truth and i¡¯ll leave your corpse intact.¡± sikong yun¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°no way? is it still so tragic after i confessed?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it¡¯ll be even worse if you don¡¯t tell me. i¡¯ll slowly torture you and make you wish you were dead!¡± sikong yun asked bitterly, ¡°is there really a need to be so ruthless?¡± ¡°who¡¯s your mastermind? is it grandmaster hui jue¡­ the eldest princess?¡± shock flashed across sikong yun¡¯s eyes. ¡°you¡­¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°you¡¯re surprised that i can guess, right? why did she deal with the wei family? it¡¯s because she couldn¡¯t be with lord wu an and was forced to give up her child, so she held a grudge and decided to kill all the descendants of lord wu an, right?¡± sikong yun looked at su xiaoxiao in shock. ¡°you even know about her entanglement with lord wu an?¡± su xiaoxiao hit the nail on the head. ¡°you don¡¯t have to follow my words. since you can¡¯t provide any new valuable information, it¡¯s useless to keep you. grandfather, keep him here and slowly torture him to death!¡± sikong yun¡¯s expression changed. ¡°girl! it¡¯s not good to be too ferocious!¡± r lwvo secret guards entered and held sikong yun¡¯s arm. sikong yun hurriedly said, ¡°i have news!¡± qin canglan raised his hand and gestured for the two secret guards to leave. sikong yun took a deep breath and touched his head. he said, ¡°i can tell you this news, but you have to spare my life. i promise you that my life is valuable.¡± su xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t be led by the nose. ¡°that depends on the information you provide. is it worth living for a few days?¡± this girl¡­ really didn¡¯t suffer any losses. sikong yun made up his mind and sighed. ¡°alright, alright, i¡¯ve said it. that fetus back then¡­ didn¡¯t die. she gave birth in july and it shouldn¡¯t have survived, but that child was lucky and forcefully survived.¡± ¡°who is it?¡± wei ting asked. sikong yun closed his eyes. ¡°helian ye..¡± Chapter 629 - Chapter 629: Merit with the Pharmacy chapter 629: merit with the pharmacy translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this gossip was a little big, and everyone choked. even qin canglan, the old demon, could not find his voice for a long time. sikong yun glanced at them with an innocent expression as though he was removing himself. ¡°you asked me to say it. don¡¯t blame me if you choke to death. ¡± qin canglan came back to his senses and frowned. ¡°say it again. who¡¯s the child of the eldest princess and wei wei?¡± ¡°helian ye,¡± sikong yun repeated emotionlessly. wei ting frowned and looked at him without blinking, as if he wanted to stare two holes in him. sikong yun sighed again. ¡°even if you see the sea dry up and the rocks rot, i don¡¯t have a second answer.¡± su xiaoxiao went out for a while and came back with a stethoscope. she put on the earplugs and stuffed the stethoscope into his lapel. sikong yun¡¯s body trembled as he looked at wei ting in disbelief. ¡°hey! in broad daylight! your wife touched a man, don¡¯t you care!¡± wei ting looked at him coldly. su xiaoxiao asked the same question again. sikong yun¡¯s answers to every question were the same as before. more importantly, other than the moment su xiaoxiao approached, his heart rate did not fluctuate much. indeed, he was an old swindler and could lie easily. it was not surprising that he did not blush. however, hearing the heart rate was only one of the ways to verify a lie. there were still three pairs of eyes staring at him. as long as he had any flaws, it was impossible for him to hide it. therefore, sikong yun did not deliberately lie to them about helian ye¡¯s background. the three of them exchanged glances. su xiaoxiao put away her stethoscope and said, ¡°put helian ye¡¯s matter aside first. we¡¯ll verify if it¡¯s true or not. there¡¯s another matter now.¡± sikong yun pretended to be stupid. ¡°what¡­ what else?¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°there¡¯s nothing else¡­¡± sikong yun was a classic example of not crying until he saw the coffin. he would not confess unless one caught him red-handed. if he did not explain clearly, he would play dumb. dealing with such a person could not be done with deception. however, su xiaoxiao was not lying to him. she had a conclusive deduction. ¡°did you do something to wei ting and me? are you afraid of being discovered by us, so you escaped from the capital overnight?¡± it was not good for her to be too smart. su xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡°i advise you not to quibble.¡± qin canglan pulled out his saber. ¡°i¡¯ll talk, i¡¯ll talk!¡± sikong yun was afraid of these people. his gaze landed on wei ting¡¯s face. wei ting narrowed his eyes. ¡°is it me?¡± instead, he felt relieved. sikong yun asked, ¡°have you¡­ shown any signs of fatigue recently?¡± ¡°physical void power?¡± ¡°dizzy?¡± ¡°neither have i.¡± ¡°that¡¯s not right¡­¡± sikong yun looked confused. he stood up and came to wei ting. he carefully looked at wei ting¡¯s face and took out a strange small metal box from his pocket for wei ting to hold. wei ting shook it as he was told. there was no movement in the box. a trace of coldness flashed across su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. ¡°what did you do to wei ting?¡± sikong yun cleared his throat. ¡°ahem, i poisoned him.¡± swoosh! qin canglan placed his long saber on his neck. sikong yun trembled in fear. ¡°wait! wait! don¡¯t kill me yet! let me finish! he doesn¡¯t have any gu on him!¡± the metal box contained a kind of worm. when it encountered someone who was poisoned, the worm would react. ¡°what gu did you cast on me?¡± wei ting asked. sikong yun told him the truth. ¡°it is to let you be controlled by the princess of northern yan. but it¡¯s strange that the gu in your body is gone.¡± wei ting pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°can the gu be transferred to someone else?¡± ¡°huh?¡± sikong yun was stunned. wei ting frowned and said, ¡°xiaoxiao has had all the symptoms you mentioned just now.¡± su xiaoxiao blinked. that was right. after the wedding, she was abnormally tired and couldn¡¯t wake up. she thought that she was exhausted on her wedding night¡ª sikong yun said thoughtfully, ¡°such a situation rarely happened before, unless her physique is special and she¡¯s extremely popular with gu worms.¡± qin canglan was furious. ¡°then why aren¡¯t you checking my granddaughter!¡± sikong yun handed the metal box to su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao opened the box and even nudged the little worm inside. the little worm did not react. this meant that she did not have any gu in her body. sikong yun was confused. ¡°is there a problem with the gu given by northern yan? or did i not succeed?¡± su xiaoxiao recalled carefully. she had indeed experienced the symptoms sikong yun mentioned. excluding the factor of overexertion, she should have been poisoned. she thought about it again. she seemed to have entered the pharmacy two days ago. gu was both poisonous and alive. these two things could not be brought into the pharmacy. the pharmacy forcefully ¡°threw¡± the gu out of her body. once the gu left the host, it would die in a few breaths unless it entered a special vessel. the latter point was mentioned in the writings of the poison master of the western jin. sikong yun said earnestly, ¡°this is the first time i¡¯ve poisoned someone. i¡¯m not familiar with it, so it¡¯s unknown if i did it wrong. this time, a skilled gu master came to northern yan. he probably didn¡¯t show his face and only hid in the dark. be careful. if he poisoned you, he definitely won¡¯t fail! ¡± ¡°gu can kill and be invisible. even the sacrificial soldiers of the western jin won¡¯t easily provoke gu masters. i advise you to go as far as you can when you encounter the gu master. don¡¯t let him get close!¡± after leaving the protector duke¡¯s estate, the two of them sat in the carriage back. wei ting was very silent. su xiaoxiao moved closer to him and handed him her hand. ¡°for you.¡± wei ting asked strangely, ¡°what are you doing?¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°i saw that you were sad, so i¡¯m lending it to you.¡± wei ting paused. ¡°didn¡¯t you say that your hands were sore last time?¡± su xiaoxiao instantly exploded. ¡°i¡¯m lending you my hand! what are you thinking?! ¡± wei ting chuckled. ¡°isn¡¯t your reaction the same as mine?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± su xiaoxiao blinked. after all, she had seen poker movies. she knew this kind of thing instantly, okay? ¡°i¡¯m not sad,¡± wei ting said. the topic changed so quickly¡­ su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°then why haven¡¯t you said anything?¡± wei ting narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°i¡¯m wondering if sikong yun¡¯s words are true.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at him. ¡°is it related to helian ye?¡± ¡°yes.¡± wei ting nodded. su xiaoxiao recalled, ¡°sikong yun probably didn¡¯t lie about what he said today, but it¡¯s not certain if the information he received is wrong.¡± what if grandmaster hui jue lied to sikong yun? wei ting said seriously, ¡°there are long rumors in northern yan that helian ye is not the biological son of the helian family¡¯s head, but an illegitimate son brought back from outside. helian ye lived a very miserable life when he was young. even the servants in the residence could bully him. it was not until the helian family¡¯s head discovered his martial arts talent that he carefully nurtured him.¡± ¡°who¡¯s older, him or your father?¡± ¡°him,¡± wei ting added. ¡°a month older.¡± know yourself and know your enemy and you will win every battle. helian ye killed his grandfather and murdered his father and brother. he had investigated helian ye¡¯s background clearly, and did not even let go of his birth characters. if this was true, helian ye was the eldest son of lord wu an, but lord wu an did not want him. grandmaster hui jue was ¡°forced¡± to send him away¡­ after imowing the truth, he decided to come back and take revenge on the wei family. this could explain helian ye¡¯s hostility toward the wei family. with this thought in mind, su xiaoxiao said to wei ting, ¡°actually, to know if he¡¯s your grandfather¡¯s biological son, you can find out after testing..¡± Chapter 630 - Chapter 630: Appraisal Result chapter 630: appraisal result translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the young princess of the western jin was playing with wuhu in the courtyard when a servant suddenly reported that qin su had arrived. the young princess¡¯s eyes lit up and she hurriedly got someone to call su xiaoxiao over. su xiaoxiao came with wei ting. however, wei ting bumped into the princess of the western jin in the front yard. the two of them went to talk business. ¡°qin su!¡± the young princess of the western jin was very happy to see su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°i¡¯m going to the palace tomorrow. i came to see if the young princess needs any help and send wuhu some bird food.¡± wuhu, who was about to be bald, immediately trembled, indicating that it could still be raped a hundred times! the young princess of the western jin carried the wuhu and said, ¡°there¡¯s nothing to help with. mother has already gotten someone to tidy up. is the palace fun?¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°i¡¯ve never been there.¡± the young princess of the western jin remembered that the protector duke had been wandering among the commoners. qin su had also grown up among tne young princess or tne western jin was playmg witn wunu m tne courtyard when a servant suddenly reported that qin su had arrived. the young princess¡¯s eyes lit up and she hurriedly got someone to call su xiaoxiao over. su xiaoxiao came with wei ting. however, wei ting bumped into the princess of the western jin in the front yard. the two of them went to talk business. ¡°qin su!¡± the young princess of the western jin was very happy to see su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°i¡¯m going to the palace tomorrow. i came to see if the young princess needs any help and send wuhu some bird food.¡± wuhu, who was about to be bald, immediately trembled, indicating that it could still be raped a hundred times! the young princess of the western jin carried the wuhu and said, ¡°there¡¯s nothing to help with. mother has already gotten someone to tidy up. is the palace fun?¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°i¡¯ve never been there.¡± the young princess of the western jin remembered that the protector duke had been wandering among the commoners. qin su had also grown up among the commoners. she did not look down on qin su because of this. her mother had taught her not to ask where a hero came from. moreover, qin su¡¯s life in the countryside did not prevent her from being stronger than others. su xiaoxiao pointed at the blue parrot in the princess¡¯s arms and said, ¡°little princess, wuhu seems to want to go out and play.¡± wuhu was stunned. did it want to go out and play? it clearly only wanted to eat bird food! it was getting harder and harder to be a traitor these days! wuhu flapped its wings. ¡°wuhu, where do you want to go?¡± the young princess of the western jin asked. su xiaoxiao looked at the courtyard of the northern yan envoy. wuhu flapped its wings and flew over. the envoys of northern yan were also packing their luggage. a portion had already been transported over in advance. they arrived at the right time. helian ye had just finished eating and gone out. the servants cleaned up the dishes and were coming out of his room. ¡°hey! why are you here? what are you doing sneakily at the door of my uncle¡¯s room? zhao kangning¡¯s delicate shout appeared behind su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao actually didn¡¯t know who this room belonged to. she was about to ask when someone gave her an answer in advance. it was really a gift. she even surmised she would be able to reach the peak of her life by taking advantage of zhao kangning. su xiaoxiao calmly took a wine glass and turned around, revealing the young princess of western jin that she had blocked. the moment she saw the young princess of western jin, zhao kangning¡¯s expression instantly softened. even her voice became gentle. ¡°young princess, you¡¯re here too. are you here for me?¡± the young princess of the western jin shook her head. ¡°no, i¡¯m here to look for wuhu. eh? where is wuhu going?¡± seeing that a certain heartless master had already succeeded, wuhu flapped its wings and flew back into the young princess¡¯s arms. the young princess of western jin rubbed its bird head happily. ¡°wuhu, don¡¯t run around next time, understand?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°little princess, since we¡¯ve found the wuhu, let¡¯s go back.¡± with the item in hand, there was no need to stay any longer. ever since zhao kangning lost to su xiaoxiao in the zither competition last time, she had hated su xiaoxiao. she didn¡¯t want su xiaoxiao to leave easily, but su xiaoxiao came with the young princess of western jin. even if she denounced her, she would have to be careful. in the end, she could only watch the two of them leave. ¡°have you seen enough?¡± she said coldly. at the corner of the corridor, a young man walked over. his clothes were no different from those of ordinary young masters. the difference was that his eyes were especially cold. he looked at su xiaoxiao¡¯s gradually disappearing back and asked, ¡°is she the person who made the princess and the northern yan diplomatic mission suffer? wei ting¡¯s new wife?¡± zhao kangning said coldly, ¡°it¡¯s her!¡± ¡°she can¡¯t compare to the princess,¡± the young man said. zhao kangning mocked, ¡°then why did wei ting look down on me and insist on marrying her?¡± the young man sighed. ¡°the relationship between the two countries is tense, and the wei family and the helian family are mortal enemies¡­¡± zhao kangning interrupted him. ¡°aren¡¯t the qin family and the wei family mortal enemies? why is she able to do it, but not me?¡± before the young man could comfort her, zhao kangning spoke again, ¡°your gu is useless. wei ting hasn¡¯t been bewitched yet!¡± the young man snorted and said, ¡°that¡¯s because sikong yun doesn¡¯t know how to cast a gu. princess, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll go to the palace with you tomorrow. i¡¯ll definitely let you get what you want!¡± su xiaoxiao bade farewell to the young princess of western jin. wei ting also ended his conversation with the princess of western jin and the two of them returned to the wei family. su xiaoxiao entered the ear room, closed her eyes, and entered the pharmacy. there was helian ye¡¯s saliva on the cup. su xiaoxiao used it to genetically compare it with wei ting¡¯s hair. su xiaoxiao got the test results. ¡°i see.¡± su xiaoxiao walked out of the ear room. wei ting was sitting on a chair reading and waiting for her. ¡°you didn¡¯t peek just now, right?¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and asked. wei ting gave her a look that said he didn¡¯t want to speak. su xiaoxiao had actually never known what it looked like to outsiders when she entered the pharmacy. she had entered it once in front of jing yi and his subordinates. perhaps it was because she didn¡¯t move, or perhaps it had been too short a time and they didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. however, she felt that it was better to be careful. wei ting knew that she had strange methods and secrets, but he did not have the habit of peeping, other than when he was investigating cases. su xiaoxiao knew that she was thinking too much. she coughed lightly and sat down beside him. ¡°the results are out. helian ye is not related to you. he¡¯s not your grandfather¡¯s biological son. as for whether he¡¯s the eldest princess¡¯s child, i don¡¯t know. i don¡¯t have any body tissue of the eldest princess.¡± actually, it did not matter if he was the eldest princess¡¯s child. it was enough as long as it had nothing to do with the wei family. su xiaoxiao clearly felt wei ting¡¯s expression relax. she said, ¡°in that case, helian ye was used.¡¯ it was obvious who had used him. she wanted to find an unlucky guy. coincidentally, helian ye was an illegitimate son whose father did not dote on him and whose mother was unknown. he was perfect for the candidate in her heart. of course, it was not enough to meet the conditions. how she would brainwash helian ye and make him believe was her ability. ¡°this woman is really not simple.¡± the more su xiaoxiao thought about it, the more she felt that this person was terrifying. her ability to scheme against people was almost unparalleled. ¡°however, there¡¯s something i don¡¯t understand. northern yan and the great zhou don¡¯t get along. even if helian ye isn¡¯t the ¡®abandoned son¡¯ of lord wu an, helian ye won¡¯t be soft-hearted to lord wu an and the wei family. isn¡¯t this unnecessary?¡± wei ting thought for a moment and had an answer. ¡°the person she really wants to lie to¡­ is my grandfather.¡± helian ye was not lord wu an¡¯s match, but what if helian ye went to lord wu an to denounce him and say that he was the eldest son who was almost killed by him back then? lord wu an naturally would not believe it easily. however, as long as he had a trace of suspicion, he might be distracted and hesitant when fighting helian this gave helian ye a chance to kill lord wu an. in addition, with this layer of hatred, helian ye had indeed become unscrupulous when dealing with the wei family. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°be careful this time..¡± Chapter 631 - Chapter 631: The Might of the Little Bun chapter 631: the might of the little bun translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao was a little sleepy. she yawned and asked, ¡°eh? where¡¯s dahu, erhu, and xiaohu?¡± recently, matriarch wei had been focused on selling herself to her eldest grandson, but tonight, she finally could not sell herself anymore. she was really tired. ghostfear thought that he could finally have peace. unexpectedly, reality gave him a loud slap. dahu, erhu, and xiaohu came over tonight and danced on his bed. xiaohu held the small gong in his left hand and the small club in his right. ¡°lalala lalala he kept knocking. dahu and erhu cooperated with his rhythm and shook it. ghostfear sat on the chair expressionlessly, feeling that he would be sent to the sky before he could complete the mission. in comparison, old madam wei¡¯s miserable tone was really a little pleasant. he came to the bed and looked at the three little ones dancing with emotion. his eyes were cold. he did not hide his killing intent and grabbed a handful of chopsticks from the table. the three little ones stopped and looked at him in confusion. he broke the chopsticks! did they see that? if they dare to approach him again, he would break your necks next time! the three of them were in a daze. xiaohu had even forgotten to ring the gong. the room fell into dead silence. ghostfear was very satisfied with its deterrence. unexpectedly, in the next second, the three of them suddenly jumped up excitedly. ¡°one more time!¡± ¡°one more time!¡± ¡°one more time!¡± ghostfear muttered, ¡°what a group of brats who are not afraid of death.. ¡°brother!¡± wei liulang entered the room. he was used to the commotion of the three little ones and often joined, so he did not find it noisy. the three of them greet him as sixth uncle and continued to dance at the grave. wei liulang shook his head twice and glared at him coldly. wei liulang stood up timidly. ¡°brother, we¡¯re going to the palace tomorrow. that old thief, helian ye, is going too. i¡¯m worried that he will do something bad to little seven and sister-in-law. i want to go too. are you going?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not going!¡± ghostfear refused without thinking. the sacrificial soldiers had no predecessors. he was no longer wei dalang. what did the life and death of the wei family have to do with him? ¡°oh.¡± wei liulang nodded. ¡°it¡¯s good that you¡¯re not going. someone needs to take care of the family.¡± thinking of something, ghostfear pointed at the three little demons on the bed. ¡°wait, are they going to the palace?¡± ¡°no, they¡¯ll stay at home,¡± liulang said. ¡°i¡¯ll go,¡± said ghostfear. he could not stay with the little smelly farts any longer. not for a day! otherwise, he would be the first death warrior to be disturbed to death! the palace was outside the west city gate, not far from the peach forest of the white lotus society. after passing through a fork, the white lotus society was to the south, and the palace was to the north. when ghostfear woke up, the sky was already bright. the sacrificial soldiers did not sleep well. on the one hand, they had forcefully modified their meridians with medicine and their bodies were more manic than those of ordinary people. on the other hand, their crisis instincts were too strong. however, ever since he came to the wei family, perhaps because he was exhausted from the noise, this was the third time he had slept. he was not very satisfied with this state of loss of vigilance. tonight, he could not sleep again. after washing up, he came to the door. only the wei family knew his true identity. the servants only thought that he was a newly invited teacher like the sixth master. after all, they could see young master dahu looking for him every morning. ¡°mr. zigui, your carriage is here.¡± the servant said to him. zigui was an alias that matriarch wei had given him. as soon as ghostfear got into the carriage, he was dumbfounded. on the car bench sat one, two, and three little radishes! his body trembled. ¡°why are you here?¡± ¡°going out to play!¡± erhu said. ghostfear said solemnly, ¡°this is the carriage to the palace.¡± xiaohu shook his head. ¡°that¡¯s right! we¡¯re going to the palace!¡± ¡°i thought you guys weren¡¯t going?¡± ghostfear felt terrible! wei liulang had lied to him. he wanted to kill that kid! to be honest, wei liulang really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. he also thought that the three little fellows wouldn¡¯t go. however, the empress dowager missed the three little fellows too much and asked eunuch cheng to send a message to bring dahu, erhu, and xiaohu over for her to secretly take a look. emperor jing xuan would be overwrought by the envoys of the two countries and would not notice them. in addition, the three of them wanted to go too. su xiaoxiao discussed with wei ting and decided to bring them along. in any case, there were many women and children going to the palace this time. su xiaoxiao modified the three of them slightly. even if her family could recognize them, others couldn¡¯t. ghostfear stood up and was about to get out of the carriage. he was not going! he would not go even if he died! just as he lifted the curtain halfway, she saw wei xiyue searching the carriages one by one with a carrot. ghostfear sat back down! he shouted at the coachman in panic, ¡®what are you waiting for? hurry up and set off! ¡± ¡°xiyue, come up.¡± su xiaoxiao carried wei xiyue into her carriage. ¡°go play with seventh aunt, okay?¡± wei xiyue nodded. madam li also sat up and glared at her daughter helplessly. ¡°you¡¯ve been causing trouble for me all night, but you insisted on going!¡± wei ting and wei liulang rode horses. the emperor¡¯s team set off ahead of them, and the envoys of the two countries set off. she thought that they wouldn¡¯t meet, but there was a small interlude when she approached the palace. there was a lot of rain this year, and a small wooden bridge near the official road had been in disrepair for a long time. today, it was run over by a large number of carriages, causing a section in the middle to collapse. fortunately, there were no casualties, and most of the carriages had already passed, leaving only seven or eight. among them were the carriages of su xiaoxiao and zhao kangning. the northern yan diplomatic mission had long left. zhao kangning deliberately lagged behind. who would believe her if she said that she was not waiting for wei ting? ¡°the carriage can¡¯t pass through. only people and luggage can go over.¡± with that, wei ting instructed the accompanying guards to make a simple raft and place it in the middle. the officials and their families went over one by one. wei liulang carried wei xiyue over. ¡°second sister-in-law, go over first. xiyue is waiting for you,¡± su xiaoxiao said to madam li. madam li did not stand on ceremony with her. she walked over on the raft, and the servant carrying the luggage followed. unexpectedly, just as madam li passed by, a rapid river surged upstream and washed away the raft. the servant was also washed into the water. wei ting entered the water to save him. only su xiaoxiao and zhao kangning were left on the other side of the river. jing yi rode over from behind the two of them. jing yi jumped into the water without a word and lay horizontally in the rapid river. he grabbed both ends of the broken bridge and said to su xiaoxiao, ¡°come up.¡± su xiaoxiao hesitated. ¡°i¡¯m very heavy¡­¡± the young man looked at her with his clean and clear eyes. ¡°who said it? you¡¯re clearly very light.¡± the little puppy really imew how to speak. the river became faster and faster. jing yi endured the huge water pressure and scouring. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hesitate any more and stepped on his shoulder. zhao kangning also stepped on it. unexpectedly, jing yi retracted his arm in an extremely clean manner and turned to go onto the bridge without looking back. zhao kangning missed a step and fell into the water! Chapter 632 - Chapter 632: Beating Someone Up chapter 632: beating someone up translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios zhao kangning did not know how to swim and was instantly washed away by the water. wei ting was saving someone in the water. he had just grabbed the servant when his other hand caught the rope that wei liulang had thrown over. just as he was about to go ashore, zhao kangning floated over. zhao kangning choked on water and felt terrible. it was not easy for her to see wei ting, and endless hope rose in her heart. ¡°pick¡ªme¡ªup¡ªi¡¯ she shouted in her heart. she was the princess of northern yan. it was one thing to secretly kill the envoy of northern yan, but it was another thing to leave one in the lurch in public. as an official of the imperial court, wei ting could not do this. otherwise, it would give northern yan an excuse to send troops. however, wei ting no longer had a free hand to save her. it was impossible for him to give up his servant¡¯s life. the servant was also human. helpless, wei ting could only kick her ashore. zhao kangning fainted on the spot! when her coachman and palace maid rushed over with a herculean effort, they were shocked by the scene in front of them. who was this pig head? after arriving at the palace, wei ting specially went to apologize to emperor jing xuan. ¡°i¡¯ve injured the princess of northern yan. i¡¯m guilty.¡± his tone was sincere and his attitude was respectful. no one could find anything wrong with him. however, his kick landed on her face. a fairy-like princess was kicked into a pig¡¯s head¡ª emperor jing xuan wanted to say, ¡°how much do you despise her that you used your feet to save her?¡± ¡°father, it¡¯s my fault.¡± xiao zhonghua cupped his hands and said, ¡°when i crossed the bridge this morning, i might have realized that the wooden bridge was already overwhelmed if i paid more attention.¡± these words reminded emperor jing xuan. the reason why zhao kangning became like this was because there was a malfunction in the wooden bridge. wei ting was saving people, although the method was a little f*cked up. however, this accident was not xiao zhonghua¡¯s negligence. it was xiao duye¡¯s. emperor jing xuan handed the safety of the palace to the second prince, xiao shunyang, and the third prince, xiao zhonghua. xiao duye was dissatisfied and ran to emperor jing xuan to act pitifully, so emperor jing xuan gave him the task of escorting him along the way. he was in charge of this wooden bridge. he should have investigated the hidden dangers on the road three days ago. ¡°i heard that jing yi let go at that time. otherwise, the princess of northern yan wouldn¡¯t have fallen into the river.¡± he wanted to find a scapegoat for xiao duye and hold him accountable. wei ting said without changing his expression, ¡°oh, jing yi didn¡¯t do it on purpose. his arm was cramped¡­ my madam tested the road for princess of northern yan first. who would have thought¡­ sigh.¡± thinking of that little fat girl, jing xuan was speechless. in the evening, the group stayed in the courtyard of the palace. ghostfear and wei liulang were guards. they lived in the same room in the west courtyard. wei ting and su xiaoxiao brought the three little ones into a room. madam li and wei xiyue shared a room in the east courtyard. there were also a few maidservants and servants who stayed in the east courtyard. su cheng also came to the palace. however, he was here as the deputy commander of the imperial guards to protect emperor jing xuan. therefore, he did not live with his daughter and son-in-law but with the imperial guards. su ergou was going to school at the imperial college, so qin canglan stayed in the capital to accompany him. only su mo, su xuan, and su li came with the marquis of zhenbei. ¡°eldest cousin, fourth cousin.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the three of them and greeted them with a smile. su li pointed at her nose and said, ¡°hey, why didn¡¯t you greet me?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°su li.¡± su li¡¯s face darkened. su xiaoxiao looked at su xuan. ¡°fourth cousin, don¡¯t you have class? su xuan was also a student of the directorate. ever since she had a simple conversation with su xuan last time, su xiaoxiao had begun to notice her fourth cousin. he had the lowest presence in the su family, but he was definitely not as simple as he looked. as a quiet and handsome man, su xuan rarely spoke. su xuan smiled back. su li snorted. ¡°my fourth brother is out for a walk since the fall quarter examinations is taking place next month!¡± among the su brothers, only su xuan took the literary examination seriously. the other four¡­ su li was still young and it was difficult to define. su mo, su qi, and su yu all took martial arts examinations. the martial examination was also an imperial examination, but it was not as important as the literary examination. su li pulled su xuan to play with the three tiger heads. su mo and su xiaoxiao sat down at the stone table in the courtyard. su mo said, ¡°the western jin brought many experts to the great zhou this time, but as long as they don¡¯t become enemies with us, there¡¯s no need to be too vigilant. the main point to note is northern yan. other than helian ye, there are a few unfathomable experts among them, including that gu master.¡± he had gone to the duke¡¯s protector¡¯s estate this morning and learned about helian ye¡¯s ¡°background¡± from qin canglan, as well as the failure of sikong yun to poison wei ting. su xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°the western jin has a poison master and the northern yan has a gu master. how interesting.¡± su mo placed a jar of peeled walnuts in front of her and poured her a cup of tea. ¡°poison masters and gu masters come from the same sect, but later on, they were divided into different factions. the poison masters went to western jin, and the gu masters stayed in northern yan.¡± su xiaoxiao reached for the walnut jar. ¡°in that case, the poison master was separated from northern yan. is the gu master stronger than the poison master?¡± su mo thought for a moment and said, ¡°this also depends on one¡¯s strength. a junior gu master can¡¯t defeat an experienced poison master. however, overall, gu masters are harder to deal with than poison masters and are more dangerous.¡± this was especially true of the gu master who could appear in the northern yan royal family. he was definitely not a simple gu master, but a real expert. in a courtyard of the envoy of northern yan, zhao kangning finally woke up. her entire body was in pain as if she had been beaten up. the palace maid came to apply medicine for her, but she chased her out. her biological brother came to see her, but she rejected him. knock, knock, knock. there was another knock on the door. zhao kangning turned around and covered his ears. ¡°i told you, i won¡¯t see anyone!¡± ¡°princess, it¡¯s me.¡± hearing a familiar voice, zhao kangning let go and sat up. the young man entered with a bowl of medicine. ¡°princess, drink this. your injuries will recover tomorrow.¡± zhao kangning did not want to drink it, but when she thought of her swollen face, she held back her displeasure and drank the bowl of bitter medicine. thinking of today¡¯s humiliation, a fierce glint flashed across zhao kangning¡¯s eyes. ¡°i want his life!¡± ¡°general wei has indeed gone overboard today¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m not talking about wei ting.¡± ¡°oh?¡± the man was surprised. wei ting was in the wrong, but she could not bear to kill him. zhao kangning said coldly, ¡°you didn¡¯t see him protecting that girl. i¡¯m clearly the noble princess! he dared to embarrass me in public and i almost lost my life. he deserves to be taught a lesson!¡± zhao kangning was not an impulsive person, but ever since she came to the capital of the great zhou, nothing had gone smoothly. she had already been forced to the end of her patience. she looked at the man indifferently. ¡°however, young marquis jing is also a rare expert. are you confident?¡± the man¡¯s thin lips moved slightly. ¡°i¡¯ve never failed.¡± a cool breeze blew. jing yi sat by the pond as he made a bow for su xiaoxiao. they were about to hunt. he wanted to make a useful bow and arrow for her. the young man looked focused, as if he was doing the most important thing in his life.. Chapter 633 - Chapter 633: The Might of Xi Yue chapter 633: the might of xi yue translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°why is a gu master more difficult and dangerous than a poison master?¡± in the courtyard, su xiaoxiao asked su mo. su mo said, ¡°if a poison master encounters a powerful doctor, the latter can cure poison. after all, there are many doctors in this world, and there are always a few divine doctors. gu masters¡¯ gu is different. not many doctors will study gu techniques. this is one of the reasons. secondly, gu masters often sacrifice their blood to gu, so only they can cure the gu they refine.¡± su xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°i see. no wonder zhao kangning is so confident.¡± if not for the fact that the gu worm had been transferred to her by a freak combination of factors and that she had coincidentally entered a pharmacy that did not allow any living creatures and poison, she would probably not have been able to do anything about the gu poison. ¡°speaking of which, how does the gu worm transfer? pa, pa, pa?¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± su mo didn¡¯t hear her mutter clearly. ¡°no, no.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and ate a big walnut. she could basically confirm that the method of transferring the gu was what they did on their wedding night. this method could only be used with wei ting. if anyone else around her was poisoned by the gu, the consequences would be unimaginable. she muttered, ¡°i still have to find an opportunity to completely deal with the gu master.¡± the moon was dark and windy. jing yi¡¯s bow was at the finishing touches. jing yi was just short of engraving su xiaoxiao¡¯s name. in the future, it would be her special bow. jing yi was so focused that he didn¡¯t notice the people coming and going on the path. he was completely immersed in his own world. a thin figure approached silently. as a powerful gu master, he did not need to come into contact with the host to successfully poison the other party. the young man clearly didn¡¯t notice him. knowing nothing about martial arts was the best disguise for gu masters. they hid in the crowd like ordinary people, and no expert would be wary of them. just as he was about to poison the young man, a childish voice suddenly sounded from behind. ¡°what are you doing? the gu master trembled and pressed the bottle cap back! where did this little thing come from? how dare he ruin his plans. look at him the gu master turned around coldly and saw three children. behind the three of them was a six or seven-year-old girl, as well as¡­ two handsome young masters, a guard with a powerful aura, and the other¡­ his aura was not leaked, but the gu master could sense that he was a death warrior. the sudden commotion stunned the gu master on the spot. jing yi heard xiaohu¡¯s voice and looked up. xiaohu also saw him and ignored the strangers blocking the way. he ran towards jing yi. ¡°brother jing yi! what are you doing?¡± ¡°a bow,¡± jing yi said. xiaohu grabbed jing yi with his small hand and asked cutely, ¡°can i touch it?¡± ¡°sure.¡± jing yi handed the big bow to him. ¡®wow xiaohu¡¯s eyes lit up. he couldn¡¯t wait to hug the big bow, but he couldn¡¯t carry it at all. he staggered a few times and fell to the ground. he stuck out his tongue dizzily. ¡°it¡¯s so heavy dahu and erhu also came over to admire the bow made by jing yi. dahu could carry it, although it was a little difficult. dahu said, ¡°brother jing yi, your bow is so impressive!¡± erhu said, ¡°i¡¯ll take a look too!¡± wei xiyue was held by wei liulang. she was not interested in the bow and did not go over. she looked up at the gu master in front of her. after sizing him up for a moment, she let go of wei liulang¡¯s hand and ran to the pond. she filled a small jar with something and ran back to hand it to the gu master. due to the two powerful guards, the gu master did not act rashly. he glanced at wei liulang. wei liulang had a look that said, ¡°take it or i¡¯ll chop you up.¡± the gu master was not afraid of wei liulang, but there was no need to complicate matters. he took the jar suspiciously. when he saw what was inside, his temples throbbed! he looked at wei xiyue in shock. this little girl¡­ gave him a jar of insects. could it be that she¡­ could tell that he was a gu master? was she hinting at his identity? why was she so talented? could it be that¡­ she was the rumored rare genius? was she the destiny gu lady who could be said to have bloodline suppression against all gu masters? wei xiyue did not know what he was thinking. seeing that he was silent, he did not seem to know how to speak human language. she thought for a moment and opened her mouth to call out, ¡°caw the gu master was dumbfounded. after the gu master left, wei liulang looked at his back and asked in confusion, ¡°who is he? he looks very sinister, but he doesn¡¯t seem to know martial arts.¡± ¡°he¡¯s a gu master,¡± ghostfear said calmly. not only did the gu master have an almost intuitive sense of sacrificial soldiers, but the same applied to sacrificial soldiers. the greatest natural enemy of sacrificial soldiers was not experts stronger than them, but these seemingly weak gu masters who could use gu to kill without leaving a trace. gu was fatal to death warriors. wei liulang might be able to survive for a month after being poisoned by the same gu, but ghostfear, who had stronger cultivation than him, would not survive for more than three days. of course, with ghostfear¡¯s current strength, he could already tell who the gu master was. he would not let himself be tricked. in fact, as long as he was willing, he could kill the gu master. ghostfear looked at jing yi, who was explaining the big bow to the three kids, and said calmly, ¡°he wanted to attack that kid just now, but he was interrupted by the little smelly fart.¡± wei liulang corrected him solemnly. ¡°brother, his name is xiaohu.¡± ghostfear said disdainfully, ¡°hmph.¡± the gu master returned to zhao kangning¡¯s room. zhao kangning had just finished applying medicine to her face. looking at her swollen and ugly appearance, she was so angry that she almost smashed the bronze mirror. she put on the veil and turned around, looking at the gu master coldly. ¡°why were you gone for so long? did you succeed?¡± ¡°no,¡± the gu master said. zhao kangning frowned. ¡°didn¡¯t you say that you never failed?¡± ¡°i was about to succeed, but¡­ a group of people suddenly appeared.¡± zhao kangning said unhappily, ¡°you gu masters cast gu invisibly. so what if a person appears? who can tell that you cast gu on others?¡± the gu master sighed. ¡°someone can tell that i¡¯m a gu master.¡± zhao kangning was surprised. ¡°who?¡± the gu master paused. ¡°maybe two.¡± zhao kangning said coldly, ¡°make yourself clear!¡± gu masters were her most hidden trump card. if she let others see it easily, it would be inconvenient for her to do things in the future. the gu master recalled, ¡°one is a death warrior. the fact that he can restrain his aura means that he¡¯s strong enough.¡± the true power was not how strong the aura was, but how to restrain it. zhao kangning pondered and said, ¡°a western jin envoy?¡± the gu master shook his head. ¡°no, they¡¯re from the great zhou. young marquis jing knows them.¡± if they didn¡¯t know each other, they would just pass by and leave. he still had a chance to do it. however, they stayed there and kept talking to jing yi. zhao kangning could not figure it out. ¡°when did the great zhou have a death warrior? continue.¡¯ ¡°as for the other¡­¡± the gu master said with lingering fears, ¡°it might be the destiny gu lady.¡± wei xiyue, who had been completely misunderstood, did not have an answer to that conclusion.. Chapter 634 - Chapter 634: Sihu l s Merit chapter 634: sihu l s merit translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°then just kill her!¡± zhao kangning said impatiently. ¡°i can¡¯t kill her,¡± the gu master said. ¡°although there has always been internal strife among gu masters, there¡¯s also an agreed rule. that is, unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, we can¡¯t kill the destiny gu child and the destiny gu lady.¡± experts all had strange rules and bad habits. as the princess of the royal family, zhao kangning naturally understood the logic of using someone¡¯s strengths and accepting someone¡¯s shortcomings. moreover, it was just an insensible child. so be it. it would not pose a threat to her. ¡°surely someone else can be killed?¡± she asked. ¡°of course.¡± the gu master placed his right hand on his chest and bowed piously. ¡°i¡¯m willing to serve the princess. ¡± this young gu master actually had a delicate face, so it was very difficult to think that he was a sinister gu master. zhao kangning was quite satisfied with his attitude. ¡°next time, i don¡¯t want to see you fail.¡± the gu master promised, ¡°definitely not.¡± due to the malfunction of the broken bridge, it was already very late when su xiaoxiao and the others arrived at the palace. the three little fellows were energetic, but it did not mean that the empress dowager could withstand it at her age. she sat in the carriage for the entire day and rested in a daze when she arrived at the palace. early the next morning, su xiaoxiao dressed the three little fellows and went to the empress dowager¡¯s bedroom with madam li and wei xiyue. previously, many women had already brought their children to pay their respects. in order not to let anyone see that she was special to the women of the wei family, the empress dowager had also seen them one by one. the empress dowager was exhausted, but the moment she saw the little fellows, she felt alive again. ¡°empress dowager.¡± madam li bowed. the empress dowager said kindly, ¡®we¡¯re family. there¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡± eunuch cheng smiled and said to the palace maids and eunuchs, ¡°there are many children. the few of you, follow me to get some things. ¡± ¡°yes.¡± the palace servants in the house followed eunuch cheng out. madam li smiled and said, ¡°i¡¯ll bring xiyue around too.¡± the empress dowager gave wei xiyue a pair of priceless jewel bracelets that had been passed down from the previous dynasty before asking madam li to bring wei xiyue out. ¡°great- grandmother. ¡± the three children came to the empress dowager. when there was no one around, they could greet her as great-grandmother. if there were people around, they would address her as empress dowager. su xiaoxiao had already taught them. the empress dowager was so excited that she could finally see her three little sweethearts again. she hugged the three little fellows and could not get enough of them. halfway through, princess jingning and princess hui an came over. princess jingning recognized the three little fellows, but princess hui an did not recognize one of them at all. it was the little medicine boy from the imperial astronomy that she had seen in the palace. it could be seen that the disguise was still successful. the empress dowager looked at su xiaoxiao, jingning, and hui an and said gently, ¡°i haven¡¯t seen such interesting children in a long time. go hunt and let them stay here to accompany me.¡± princess hui an did not doubt him. although she had sprained her ankle and injured her arm, she still had to join in the fun. the three of them brought taozhi, little shunzi, and the other palace servants to the hunting ground. the women could also participate in this hunt. many of the daughters of the palace academy were already choosing horses, but their expressions were not right. all of them were dejected. the three of them went over. princess hui an was in a wheelchair, and little shunzi pushed her. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± princess jingning asked. lu ying looked across and sighed. ¡°northern yan brought powerful horses. just now, they frightened our horses so much that they fled everywhere, except for princess lingxi¡¯s big food horse.¡± when guo huan returned to the capital, he brought back two large food horses. one was given to guo lingxi, and the other was given to princess hui an. later, princess hui an gave hers to su xiaoxiao. lu ying hurriedly asked, ¡°qin su, did you ride the big food horse over?¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°no.¡± raising a horse was very troublesome. that horse did not eat everything like sihu, so su xiaoxiao sent it to the qin family¡¯s horse farm and asked someone to feed it. at the same time, she would train it to become a qualified warhorse. emperor jing xuan sat in the built pergola with those who did not go hunting. in the horse farm, northern yan¡¯s warhorses crushed the horses of the palace into dust. emperor jing xuan did not expect northern yan to be so sinister and deliberately used a group of powerful horses to slap the great zhou¡¯s face. if he had known earlier, he would have transferred the qin family¡¯s cavalry over. zhao kangning walked around the field and returned with a high fighting spirit. she handed the horse to the guard at the side and came to the princess and the young princess of western jin with a smile. ¡°i brought a few foals under the age of two this time. they¡¯re no slower than adult horses. if the young princess likes them, i can give them all to you.¡± the young princess of the western jin looked at the horse farm. zhao kangning was not lying. the two-year-old northern yan warhorse left the adult horses of the great zhou far behind. emperor jing xuan was furious. wasn¡¯t he especially choosing gentle and not-so-violent horses for safety reasons? shameless northern yan! the young princess of the western jin opened her mouth. she was a little tempted. she looked at her mother. the princess of the western jin nodded at her slightly. she had always agreed to her daughter¡¯s requests. ¡°choose one if you like,¡± she said. ¡°it¡¯s fine to choose all of them,¡± zhao kangning said with a smile. so what if she had a parrot? her horses were much more valuable than a parrot! the young princess of the western jin pointed. ¡°i want the smallest one.¡± ¡°is the youngest¡­ the one-year-old eight-month-old horse? the young princess has good eyesight. it¡¯s a treasure¡­¡± after saying that, zhao kangning paused. her gaze landed on the foal pointed at by the young princess of the western jin. it was¡­ a foal less than eight months old. it grinned and ran all the way. swish! it passed one. swish! it passed another! one after another, in the blink of an eye, it left all the other horses behind! zhao kangning couldn¡¯t remember when they had brought such a small horse. moreover, it was too powerful! it was simply a divine chariot! however, it was too small and its stamina was limited. it could not run after exhausting itself. however, the explosive power and combat strength it had displayed just now had already shocked everyone. ¡°heavens, northern yan actually has such a powerful horse¡­¡± ¡°we lost terribly¡­ the limelight that qin su won last time was all snatched away by this pony¡­¡± ¡°let me ride it¡­ i have no regrets in this life¡­¡± ¡°you even want to ride the horse for a few months! isn¡¯t that too much!¡± ¡°i¡¯m just saying! do you really think i can ride it? that¡¯s a horse from northern yan! i don¡¯t even touch it!¡± the princess of the western jin stood up slightly, clearly stunned. emperor jing xuan¡¯s face darkened. very good. after being crushed by a foal of a few months old, the great zhou did not have to survive anymore. they had lost all their face. zhao kangning looked at their expressions and knew that they did not know this foal. it seemed that it was indeed from northern yan. she didn¡¯t know which horse trainer had brought it over, but she had to reward him heavily later. ¡°it¡¯s its honor to be chosen by the young princess.¡± zhao kangning felt a pang of pain for a moment, but when she thought of the great cause of northern yan, she decided to bear the pain and part with it. she asked the servant to bring the foal over. however, something awkward happened. the foal ignored the horse trainer of northern yan! it even kicked him away! everyone was dumbfounded. did they raise it like a donkey? what was even more confounding was yet to come. after kicking away a few horse trainers, this pony suddenly came to the bushes and opened its mouth to bite a beautiful big red flower before prancing towards su xiaoxiao valiantly. it placed the flower in su xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and was instantly as obedient as a shy baby. su xiaoxiao smiled and patted its head. ¡°sihu, good job..¡¯ Chapter 635 - Chapter 635: The Cool Tiger chapter 635: the cool tiger translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios zhao kangning felt terrible. was this foal¡­ hers? qin su¡¯s? that country girl¡¯s? thinking of how she had vowed to give this horse to the young princess of the western jin a second ago, this horse became taken. the master of the foal had even suppressed her at the welcoming banquet! the sound of her offering the horse just now was not soft, and the commotion of getting someone to catch the horse was even more ostentatious. this turn of events was no less than a slap to her in public. ¡°so the horse isn¡¯t yours. then you still want to give it to me. hmph!¡± the young princess of western jin pierced through her last trace of dignity. zhao kangning¡¯s face burned. she wished she had never come to the racecourse today. the young princess of the western jin said to the princess of the western jin, ¡°mother, i¡¯ll go find qin su!¡± the princess of the western jin nodded slightly. ¡°go.¡± as noble as she was, she wouldn¡¯t care if a princess of northern yan was slapped in the face. ¡°hehe!¡± the young princess of western jin put down wuhu and walked happily to su xiaoxiao. wuhu, who was placed on the table, was dumbfounded. what¡¯s the situation? after being tormented for so long, had it suddenly fallen out of favor? the event location exploded. for the great zhou, it was like the clouds had opened the sky. everyone¡¯s essence, energy, and spirit were different. ¡°isn¡¯t that horse from northern yan?¡± ¡°i knew it wasn¡¯t from northern yan when those northern yan people were kicked just now!¡± ¡°if you knew, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? to be wise after the fact!¡± ¡°hey! how can you say that? you can scold people, but you¡¯re not allowed to scam horses. you¡¯re not worthy!¡± everyone wanted to see the flashy foal up close, but it was inconvenient to go because of their status. the daughters of the palace academy were lucky. they surrounded su xiaoxiao and had a chance to enjoy the benefits of a favorable position. lu ying praised sincerely, ¡°qin su, is this foal yours? it¡¯s so impressive! why did you think of bringing it to the palace? did you expect the people of northern yan to embarrass us?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i brought it out for a walk. i didn¡¯t think too much about it.¡± this was the truth. it was xiaohu who insisted on bringing sihu along. in the end, when they really brought it along, he let go. lu hui said, ¡°i¡¯ve never seen such a mighty foal. it looks very young. it¡¯s not even a year old, right? it actually beat the warhorses of northern yan!¡± they had heard zhao kangning say that the youngest horse in beiyan was a year and eight months old. ¡°half a year old,¡± su xiaoxiao said. everyone was shocked. ¡°half a year old?¡± miss zheng covered her face and exclaimed. she was the daughter who had once been engaged to guo huan. later on, when something happened to guo huan, the engagement between the two families was canceled. after she found out about guo huan¡¯s personality, she was disappointed for a while. fortunately, she had many sisters in the palace, so she quickly walked out of her sadness. lu ying widened her eyes and said, ¡°it¡¯s so strong. it doesn¡¯t look like a half-year-old horse at all!¡± su xiaoxiao looked at everyone¡¯s dumbfounded expressions and decided not to tell tnem tnat sinu was a premature norse cut). lu ying asked awkwardly, ¡°can i touch it?¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the sihu. sihu raised its head, looking especially arrogant. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°sure.¡± lu ying reached out and gently touched sihu¡¯s mane. ¡°it¡¯s so soft!¡± sihu was even more arrogant! its smug appearance was the same as xiaohu¡¯s. lu hui said enviously, ¡°i¡­ i want to touch it too.¡± miss zheng said, ¡°and me.¡± unlike wuhu, who kept a low profile and only liked to eat bird food, and did not like to be raped, sihu enjoyed the treatment of the most handsome tiger cub. it was arrogant and jumped around from time to time to show its strong figure. on the other side, emperor jing xuan and everyone heard su xiaoxiao¡¯s words. they thought that it would be an eight to ten -month-old foal, but it was only half a year old! heavens! it was the current pride of the great zhou! emperor jing xuan held his head high and smiled at the envoys of northern yan. ¡°thank you for letting me win.¡± northern yan¡¯s posture failed and they were taught a lesson. it perfectly explained what it meant to not be arrogant. the officials of northern yan were no longer as arrogant as before. they tucked their tails and pretended to drink tea. zhao kangning left angrily. the prince of northern yan happened to come over. he listened all the way and roughly understood what had happened. he sighed and said earnestly, ¡°why must you always make things difficult for a girl? this is not like you.¡± zhao kangning said coldly, ¡°it¡¯s none of your business!¡± this brother was not ambitious. as long as he was a little responsible, she would not have to work so hard! the prince of northern yan shook his head and sat down. next was the official hunt. the hunting ground was divided into the inner and outer areas. there was a net at the outer area, and few ferocious beasts appeared beyond the net. it was the hunting ground today. the risk of entering the depths of the forest was unknown. emperor jing xuan warned all hunters not to barge into the inner area to avoid being attacked by ferocious beasts. after being slapped in the face by su xiaoxiao twice, the ministers of northern yan risked their lives to stop zhao kangning, telling her not to court death again. their goal in coming to the great zhou was not to fight with the little girl. they were here to destroy the reconciliation between western jin and the great zhou and work hard to win the princess of western jin over to the northern yan camp. if she continued to cause trouble, their good impression with the princess of western jin would definitely be ruined. zhao kangning got off the horse unwillingly. su xiaoxiao also got on the horse. she specially waited for su xiaoxiao at the entrance. ¡°how long do you think you can be arrogant for?¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°oh, longer than you?¡± su mo and su li rode their horses over. zhao kangning glared at the two of them and rode into the forest. ¡°what did she just say to you?¡± su mo asked. su li rode on the tall horse and glanced at su xiaoxiao. ¡°you¡¯re used to causing trouble everywhere. you don¡¯t stop for a day.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°don¡¯t follow me later, lest i cause trouble for you.¡± su li curled his lips. ¡°do you think i want to?¡± ¡°you¡¯re very noisy,¡± su mo said to su li. ¡°if you continue to argue, go back and accompany fourth brother.¡± su xuan didn¡¯t go hunting. he sat in the stands as a quiet handsome man. as if sensing their gazes, he smiled at them. su li muttered, ¡°i don¡¯t want to be with fourth brother. he hasn¡¯t said a word to me all day. i¡¯m bored to death!¡± however, he didn¡¯t bicker with su xiaoxiao anymore. wei ting was not with them. he and wei liulang had other arrangements. prince li of the western jin also entered the forest to hunt. jing yi and xiao zhonghua were in charge of protecting him. before entering, jing yi gave su xiaoxiao the bow and arrow he had made all night. su xiaoxiao reminded, ¡°be careful. northern yn¡¯s gu master seems to be targeting you.¡± ¡°the person from yesterday?¡± wei ting had also reminded him. jing yi nodded. ¡°i will. be careful.¡± not long after the group entered, bai xihe also brought little yunzi to hunt. when she passed by su cheng, who was guarding the entrance, she stopped her horse. her face was covered by a veil, and no emotions could be seen. ¡°deputy commander su.¡± su cheng said, ¡°i¡¯m here.¡± bai xihe threw the quiver to him. ¡°lead the way..¡± Chapter 636 - Chapter 636: Jealousy chapter 636: jealousy translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su cheng turned to look in the direction of the pergola. emperor jing xuan was chatting happily with the princess of western jin and was not paying attention to them at all. bai xihe said calmly, ¡°i can¡¯t instruct a deputy commander of the imperial guards, right?¡± su cheng said in his heart, ¡°no.¡± he hung the quiver on his saddle and mounted. he called another man to take his post while he led bai xihe into the forest. little yunzi followed behind the two of them silently. as the deputy commander of the imperial guards, su cheng had long scouted the path in the forest in advance to ensure the safety of this hunt. he did not bring bai xihe deeper and only wandered around the periphery. neither of them said anything, like a real ruler and minister. bai xihe looked at his back and pinched the reins. she said calmly, ¡°commander su, are you planning to never talk to me again?¡± little yunzi lowered his head. su cheng said, ¡°i wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± bai xihe said, ¡°i think you¡¯re very bold.¡± su cheng couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°i¡¯m thirsty,¡± bai xihe said. su cheng casually untied the water bag at his waist and planned to turn around and hand it to her. halfway through, he remembered that he had drunk this before and immediately put away the water bag. ¡°i¡¯ll get you some water.¡± there was spring water nearby and a wild lotus pond. bai xihe looked at his fleeing appearance and said coldly, ¡°commander su, aren¡¯t you afraid of encountering danger if you leave me here alone?¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± su cheng scratched his head. bai xihe thought that he would hand over the water bag, but he said seriously, ¡°then, let¡¯s go together.¡± bai xihe was speechless. the three of them came to the spring. su cheng went to the wild lotus pond to pick lotus leaves. in the countryside, they often used lotus leaves to fill the water, which was better than ordinary leaves. bai xihe didn¡¯t drink much. right on the heels of that, the few of them returned to the forest to hunt. coincidentally, the three of them encountered the princess of western jin and the young princess of western jin. the young princess of the western jin dynasty had originally played with the sihu with princess hui an, but sihu was still young and easily tired. the young princess of the western jin was bored, so she wanted to come to the forest to hunt. the princess of the western jin could not dissuade her, so she came in with her. moxie came with them but went to chase after the little rabbit. ¡°your highness, little princess,¡± su cheng greeted politely. the princess of western jin nodded slightly. ¡°grand empress dowager, commander su.¡± bai xihe had a calm expression. the young princess of the western jin blinked and looked at su cheng. ¡°are you qin su¡¯s father?¡± ¡°yes,¡± su cheng replied. the young princess of western jin was on good terms with her daughter, so su cheng treated her more patiently than others. the young princess of western jin asked, ¡°have you seen qin su? i want to look for her.¡± the case was solved. the little girl was not here to hunt at all. she was here to play with su xiaoxiao. su cheng said, ¡°i haven¡¯t seen her since i came in.¡± ¡°i see.¡± the young princess of the western jin was disappointed. the weather was not good. the sky was clearly clear just now, but the sky suddenly darkened. not long after, it started to rain heavily. the group could only go to the nearby cave to hide. ¡°can moxie find us?¡± the young princess of the western jin asked. the princess of western jin stroked her wet hair. ¡°yes, i can. i left a mark for him.¡± the young princess of western jin was hungry and kept cooing. they had hunted two rabbits just now, but unfortunately, the two of them did not know how to handle it. su cheng took the rabbit out. when he returned, he was soaked in rain, but the rabbit meat had also been cleaned up. there was some wood and withered grass in the cave. he tidied up the fire and skewered the rabbit with a branch before roasting it. ¡°wow, it smells so good.¡± the young princess of western jin drooled and squatted down beside su cheng. ¡°so you know how to roast rabbits. you¡¯re really amazing!¡± su cheng had been scolded in the village since he was young and was rarely praised. once he was praised, he felt embarrassed. ¡°this, this is nothing. i learned it in the countryside.¡± the young princess of western jin said carefreely, ¡°there are many things to learn in the countryside. i want to go to the countryside too!¡± su cheng almost couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°the young princess is also very powerful.¡± he regretted it after saying that. if the little girl asked her how she was amazing, he would not be able to make it up. ¡°they often praise me for being amazing, but i think they don¡¯t praise me as well as you.¡± she did not know what magical filter she had brought, but she found su cheng very pleasing to the eye. when the smaller rabbit was roasted, su cheng cut it open with a knife. after confirming that it was roasted inside, he tore off a piece of rabbit leg and handed it to her. the young princess took a bite and her eyes lit up. ¡°it¡¯s so delicious! it¡¯s better than moxie¡¯s roast!¡± she snorted and finished a rabbit leg in the blink of an eye. however, she was still not full. su cheng tore off another one for her. she was not as hungry as before. as she ate, she spoke to su cheng, but her first sentence shocked him. ¡°do you want to be my father?¡± su cheng choked. the princess of the western jin dynasty did not have a husband; there was only a minister under her skirt. no one knew who the father of the young princess of the western jin dynasty was. ¡°xin¡¯er,¡± the princess of western jin said calmly. the young princess of the western jin turned to look at her. ¡°mother, i like him. if he becomes my father, qin su will be my sister. i can play with qin su every day! qin su has sihu and wuhu. she must have dahu, erhu, and sanhu at home. they will definitely be especially interesting. ¡± ¡°it¡¯s xiaohu¡­¡± su cheng corrected in his heart. in addition, one had to have nine lives to play with them. bai xihe¡¯s expression under the veil darkened. the princess of western jin glanced at bai xihe as her gaze landed on su cheng¡¯s handsome face. ¡°this is the first time xin¡¯er told me that she wants a father. are you willing to follow me back to western jin and be my consort?¡± su cheng choked again. were all the adults and children of the western jin so bold? bai xihe said calmly, ¡°if he becomes the consort, does your highness plan to die alone, or continue to raise the masculinity in your residence?¡± the princess of the western jin asked bluntly, ¡°in what capacity are you asking me? is it as the empress dowager of the great zhou, or a jealous woman?¡± su cheng¡¯s hand trembled. bai xihe had been the grand empress dowager for so many years for nothing. she did not panic at all after being exposed. she said seriously, ¡°commander su is the protector duke of the great zhou. his marriage is both a family matter and a state matter.¡± the princess of the western jin said neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°then i¡¯ll go find his majesty of the great zhou to arrange a marriage. i believe he¡¯ll be very happy to reconcile with the western jin.¡± bai xihe sneered. ¡°how shameless are you to ask for the heir of the qin family¡¯s army?¡± the princess of western jin replied with a mocking smile. ¡°is it more honorable to bestow a marriage to the empress dowager of the royal family?¡± this was completely cutting through the paper. the young princess did not understand what they were talking about. she turned on the fire and ignored it, burying her head in the rabbit meat. su cheng tore off another rabbit leg. bai xihe and the princess of the western jin reached out to him at the same time.. Chapter 637 - Chapter 637: Brother with a Sister Concern chapter 637: brother with a sister concern translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su cheng encountered the first asura arena in his life. this was much harder than being beaten up by qin canglan and the old marquis. the two women¡¯s eyes were filled with powerful killing intent. he looked at the rabbit leg in his hand and then at the little princess who had provoked the flames of war but ate heartlessly. he regretted roasting a rabbit for this brat. he raised his rabbit leg slightly, and the two of them glared at him. his scalp went numb. in the end, he had no choice but to tear off another rabbit leg and give them with two hands at the same time. the two of them were also a little hungry. the princess of western jin took the rabbit leg and ate it. bai xihe held the rabbit leg in one hand and removed the veil on her face with the other. the princess of the western jin dynasty was a great beauty with strong facial features. her nose was high, and her lips were sexy and moist. when she did not smile, she had a cold beauty. she was a demonic regal beauty. bai xihe had a cold and otherworldly appearance. her skin was fair and translucent, her eyelashes were long, and her eyes were big and black. pure spiritual qi flowed between her eyebrows, like an immortal spirit that had fallen to the mortal world. the young princess of western jin had long been used to her mother¡¯s good looks. at this moment, she was still stunned by bai xihe¡¯s beauty. ¡°mother, she¡¯s so beautiful. can you bring her back to be my aunt?¡± the princess of western jin refused without thinking. the young princess of western jin said, ¡°alright, i still want a father.¡± su cheng was speechless. the rain was a little lighter, but it was still not suitable for hunting. the princess of western jin decided to wait here until moxie returned. unexpectedly, instead of moxie, a wolf pack came. they had smelled the blood nearby. there were more than 20 of them. this was the periphery. logically speaking, no wolves should approach, but it could not be ruled out that the heavy rain had destroyed a certain iron net in the inner area and allowed the wolves to enter. su cheng went out to kill wolves. the princess of western jin knew martial arts. she also carried her sword out of the cave and killed the wolves with su cheng. the two of them were skilled in martial arts and had a tacit understanding. soon, they massacred a group of wolves. the princess of the western jin dynasty held a sword. the end of the sword was dripping with blood, and her body was covered in wolf blood. the heavy rain fell. she looked at the carcasses all over the ground and frowned. ¡°there¡¯s something wrong with these wolves.¡± su cheng wiped the rain and blood off his face and nodded. ¡°it¡¯s as if they¡¯re not afraid of death. we clearly killed the alpha wolf, but they didn¡¯t escape.¡± the princess of western jin said, ¡°fortunately, it¡¯s raining. the rain will isolate the smell of blood here. otherwise, with so many carcasses flowing with blood, who knows how many ferocious beasts would have been attracted.¡± these words successfully reminded su cheng that it was impossible for the wolves to find the cave through the smell of the blood of the two rabbits in the heavy rain. if they were to be drawn to the smell, they would still be led to the place where he dealt with the rabbit skin. su cheng realized that something was wrong. someone wanted to deal with them by luring the wolf pack there. as for whether they were dealing with four or one of them, it was unknown. the princess of the western jin had experienced too many assassinations and was already used to such things. she calmly put away her sword. ¡°let¡¯s go back to the cave.¡± when the two of them returned to the cave, they only saw the young princess. ¡°where¡­ where¡¯s the empress dowager?¡± su cheng asked. the young princess said, ¡°she left with that eunuch just now when you were killing the wolves.¡± ¡°grand empress dowager, be careful.¡± little yunzi supported bai xihe and walked in the rain. bai xihe had lived a pampered life in the harem for many years and had a weak body. after a while, her knee was injured, and her feet were stuck by the intertwined tree roots on the ground. she couldn¡¯t pull it out for a long time. little yunzi squatted down to break the tree root, but his strength was not much greater than bai xihe¡¯s. little yunzi sighed. ¡°sigh, master, why do you have to be angry with her highness from the western jin? aren¡¯t you creating an opportunity for them by leaving just like that?¡± ¡°i wasn¡¯t angry with her.¡± she was angry with him. when she saw the two of them killing wolves together, she suddenly felt that they were very compatible. it was her wishful thinking. with her status, she should not have dreamed. little yunzi said, ¡°i¡¯m going to look for the protector duke.¡± bai xihe said coldly, ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to look for him!¡± little yunzi looked at her helplessly and heartachingly and said, ¡°then¡­ i¡¯ll go find a stone and see if i can break this tree root.¡± with that, little yunzi left. bai xihe sat alone on a broken tree stump behind him. the rain kept falling, washing over her gradually cold body. when she entered the palace at the age of 13, emperor jing yan passed away before they could get married. she became the empress dowager, and two years later, she became the grand empress dowager. after 17 years, she had long been buried deep in her palace. she had never thought of being someone else. none of this was what she wanted, but it was impossible for her to come out again. she could see the end of her life. footsteps sounded behind her. she thought little yunzi had returned and sat still. suddenly, a tall figure squatted down in front of her and tapped one knee on the ground. su cheng did not say anything. he only took out his dagger and cut the tree root that was stuck in one of her feet. she turned her face away so that he wouldn¡¯t see. ¡°i found it, i found it¡­¡± little yunzi carried a big rock and rushed back. he saw the protector duke in front of the empress dowager and immediately threw the stone away. su cheng stood up and still did not speak. he only turned around and looked at the muddy ground. then, he bent down and silently carried her. leaning against his firm chest, bai xihe¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly. little yunzi¡¯s mouth opened so wide that she couldn¡¯t close it. the young princess was eating the remaining rabbit meat. seeing su cheng return with bai xihe, she turned to look at the princess of western jin. ¡°is my father gone?¡± the princess of the western jin kingdom snorted softly. all men liked such delicate little white flowers! on the other side, su xiaoxiao, su mo, and su li also encountered heavy rain. they didn¡¯t find a cave and sheltered under a big tree. su li couldn¡¯t sit still. she got up and walked around, then went up the tree to take a look. seeing that he had a spinning top on his butt, su xiaoxiao finally realized how difficult it was for him to pretend to be guo huan to recuperate in the guo family. ¡°the rain has stopped.¡± su mo looked above his head and said, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± su li was about to grow mushrooms. he couldn¡¯t wait to get on the horse. ¡°hurry up! it¡¯s time to hunt!¡± su mo and su xiaoxiao also got on their horses. just as she was about to move, su xiaoxiao suddenly saw a figure flash past not far away. ¡°there¡¯s someone,¡± she said. ¡°where?¡± su li looked around. su mo held his breath. ¡°there are footsteps in the southeast.¡± su li craned her neck to look. ¡°why didn¡¯t i hear it?¡± ¡°it would be too late by the time you hear it, learn from your brother.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°that person is so sneaky. he must be up to no good. let¡¯s go take a look.¡± su li was instantly excited. she was going to cause trouble! su mo said to his brother, ¡°stay and watch the horses.¡± su li¡¯s face darkened.. Chapter 638 - Chapter 638: The Emperor’s Will chapter 638: the emperor¡¯s will translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°why me again?¡± su li refused. su mo played his elder brother card and asked su li to stay where he was and grow mushrooms again. he used his qinggong and followed the other party with su xiaoxiao. su li squatted on the ground and drew circles. ¡°my qinggong is clearly better, and i don¡¯t need you to guide me¡­ you¡¯re biased!¡± the two of them quickly caught up to each other. it was a man wearing a bamboo hat and a gray robe. this dressing was unlike any of the officials or envoys who had entered the hunting ground today. it was a little like the white lotus society. that person came to an old banyan tree covered in vines and looked around, as if he was waiting for someone. not long after, the person he was waiting for appeared. su xiaoxiao was slightly stunned. zhao kangning? however, this was not the most shocking thing. when the man took off his bamboo hat, su xiaoxiao saw his face clearly. it was the guardian beside mo guiyuan¡ªzhang feng! su xiaoxiao and su mo lowered their bodies slightly and hid behind a flower bush. ¡°it¡¯s zhang feng, right?¡± she asked silently. su mo nodded slightly. ¡°it¡¯s him.¡± mo guiyuan was dead, and zhang feng¡¯s whereabouts were unknown. he had also disappeared with him and obtained the previous emperor¡¯s imperial edict. xiao zhonghua was just short of turning the capital upside down when he looked for zhang feng. who would have thought that he would come knocking on their door and even meet zhao kangning? was it instructed by the eldest princess? countless doubts flashed across su xiaoxiao¡¯s mind. just as she was thinking, the two people under the banyan tree spoke. zhao kangning asked calmly, ¡°did your master ask me out for something?¡± mo guiyuan was already dead. the master zhao kangning was talking about could not be him. it seemed that their previous guess was right. this zhang feng was a spy planted beside mo guiyuan. zhang feng said solemnly, ¡°master didn¡¯t ask me to come. i wanted to make a deal with princess kangning myself. if princess kangning isn¡¯t willing, then i think your sister, princess changle, might be very willing.¡± princess changle was the princess who had married into the western jin. zhao kangning glanced at him coldly. ¡°are you threatening me?¡± behind her, the two experts took a step forward and pushed the scabbard with their thumbs, pulling the sword out an inch. zhang feng stabilized his mind and said, ¡°i don¡¯t dare. i¡¯m just providing princess kangning with a choice.¡± zhao kangning sized him up mockingly. ¡°you came to meet me alone. i admire your guts, but you should understand that it¡¯s easy for me to kill you.¡± zhao feng said, ¡°princess kang ning, if you think my deal is worthless, it won¡¯t be too late to kill me.¡± su xiaoxiao thought to herself, this zhang feng is a negotiator. however, what deal does he want to make with zhao kangning behind the eldest princess¡¯s back? zhao kangning said unrestrainedly, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll give you a chance. remember, if i¡¯m not interested, i¡¯ll definitely take your life based on your disrespect just now!¡± zhang feng said seriously, ¡°i have a will left behind by the late emperor before he died. it concerns the orthodoxy of the great zhou imperial family.¡± su xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. the previous emperor¡¯s imperial edict was indeed in this guy¡¯s hands! zhao kangning¡¯s eyes flashed with interest. ¡°where¡¯s the will?¡± she asked high up in the air. zhang feng smiled and looked at the expert behind zhao kangning who could kill him at any time. ¡°i¡¯m not that stupid to bring such an important thing with me.¡± zhao kangning smiled coldly. ¡°what do you want from me?¡± zhang feng said bluntly, ¡°a sum of money and a travel pass to the western jin.¡± ¡°why don¡¯t you go to northern yan?¡± zhao kangning had just asked when she thought of something and smiled. ¡°ah, your master has spies in northern yan. i¡¯m a little curious. why did you betray your master?¡± zhang feng was not led by the nose. ¡°this is my own business. princess kangning, just tell me. do you want to make this deal with me?¡± zhao kangning smiled. ¡°what if i don¡¯t agree and turn you in?¡± zhang feng said fearlessly, ¡°then both sides will suffer. i won¡¯t be able to live, and you won¡¯t be able to obtain the imperial edict to deal with the great zhou.¡± it was impossible for zhao kangning not to want it. this was why zhang feng dared to meet her alone. zhao kangning hesitated for a moment before finally making a decision. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll give you what you want in three days.¡± zhang feng said, ¡°when i get the money and pass, i¡¯ll tell princess kang ning where i hid the imperial edict.¡± zhao kangning was not afraid that he would go back on his word. it was too easy to track him down with the route she had given him. she would not destroy zhang feng¡¯s mouth after the matter was done. she was a person who kept her word. otherwise, zhang feng would not have looked for her. ¡°who¡¯s there!¡± the expert on zhao kangning¡¯s right suddenly spoke. su xiaoxiao and su mo¡¯s expressions froze. had they been discovered? in the next moment, several masked men in black rushed over from behind the bushes opposite and rushed towards zhang feng without a word. it turned out that she and su mo hadn¡¯t been exposed¡­ su xiaoxiao¡¯s expression softened. however, soon, she realized that it was better for her and su mo to be exposed. because the group of men in black were here for zhang feng. they wanted to capture him. su xiaoxiao said in a low voice, ¡°it¡¯s the eldest princess¡¯s people. she wants to take back the imperial edict!¡± zhang feng hid everywhere and never appeared. the eldest princess might have guessed that zhang feng wanted to betray her and that zhang feng had come to trade with the northern yan diplomatic mission. therefore, she secretly sent someone to follow the northern yan diplomatic mission and laid in wait for zhang feng. the masters behind northern yan and zhang feng were in cahoots, but this relationship was not indestructible. in the face of absolute benefits, everything was not worth mentioning. zhao kangning ordered, ¡°stop them! don¡¯t let them take zhang feng away!¡± the two experts drew their swords and fought with the group of men in black. zhang feng took the opportunity to escape. ¡°do you want to attack?¡± su mo asked. su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°yes. the imperial edict can¡¯t fall into zhao kangning¡¯s hands.¡± it should be said that she needed that imperial edict. she did not want dahu, erhu, and xiaohu to hide anymore. she wanted them to live openly under the sun. the two of them took a detour to block zhang feng from the other side. seeing that zhang feng had escaped, the leader gritted his teeth and suddenly shot out a flying knife! the flying knife cut zhang feng¡¯s neck on the spot. zhang feng fell to the ground. su mo quickly helped him up and covered the wound on his neck. blood kept gushing out. su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes darkened. she squatted down and opened the first aid kit. she took the blood-staunching elixir and sprinkled it on his wound. ¡°where¡¯s the imperial edict? tell me quickly! i¡¯ll save you now!¡± ¡°it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡± zhang feng vomited blood. ¡°fly¡­¡± su xiaoxiao listened. ¡°fly what?¡± zhang feng breathed his last. ¡°he¡¯s dead,¡± su mo said. su xiaoxiao frowned the clue that she had just obtained was cut off just like that. however, on the bright side, the imperial edict did not fall into zhao kangning¡¯s hands, nor did she let the eldest princess take it back. ¡°check him to see if he left any clues.¡± ¡°let me do it.¡± he didn¡¯t want his sister to touch the corpse. su mo searched zhang feng¡¯s entire body and dug out his pants. he had suffered damage that someone of his gender should not have. but if he didn¡¯t touch it, his sister would. then he would have to touch it. fortunately, he had gained something. he found a pair of cards, a letter, and a key to the inn.. Chapter 639 - Chapter 639: Ghostfear Attacks (1) chapter 639: ghostfear attacks (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the letter was empty. perhaps it had not been written in time, or the letter inside had already been sent. the counter was linked to the largest bank in the capital. it seemed that this guy had some savings. su xiaoxiao was very satisfied. finally, there was the room key of the inn. the words penglai were engraved on it. ¡°is there a penglai inn in the capital? or¡­ penglai restaurant? penglai pavilion? penglai residence?¡± su xiaoxiao asked a few names in one go. su mo shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m not sure. i¡¯ve never stayed in an inn in the capital. i¡¯ll get someone to investigate later.¡± as su xiaoxiao put away the bank cards, she looked at su mo solemnly. ¡°young master su, you¡¯re in your twenties. it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t have a concubine or maidservant in the courtyard, but you actually haven¡¯t slept with anyone. you can¡¯t do this.¡± su mo was speechless. at least there were some clues. su xiaoxiao was in a good mood and would never admit that it was because she had swallowed zhang feng¡¯s private money. ¡°they¡¯re coming over!¡± su mo said warily. su xiaoxiao hurriedly said, ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± when the masked man in black shook off zhao kangning¡¯s experts and rushed to the event location, su xiaoxiao and su mo had already fled. only a corpse that had clearly been flipped was left at the event location. a man in black squatted down and searched zhang feng. he stood up and said, ¡°boss, there¡¯s nothing on him!¡± the leader of the men in black said, ¡°looks like someone beat us to it.¡± ¡°who could it be?¡± the man in black who had searched him asked. the leader of the men in black snorted coldly. ¡°who else can it be? those traitors from northern yan! they will pay the price for violating their cooperation with master!¡± zhao kangning still didn¡¯t know that she had been thrown into hot water by the su siblings. she was also very angry. a group of people suddenly appeared out of nowhere. she was wondering if she had been followed or if zhang feng had ai them. the former was more likely because if they had followed zha they could have attacked halfway and not waited until now. she frowned. ¡®did zhang feng escape?¡± zhang feng¡¯s corpse was brought back by the men in black to report. there was only a pool of blood left at the event location. it was difficult for her to determine if zhang feng had escaped death. ¡°forget it. let¡¯s find uncle first and tell him about the imperial edict.¡± beside the surging stream, helian ye met wei ting and wei liulang. as expected, the three of them fought. helian ye only knew wei ting. wei liulang was wearing a mask, so helian ye did not recognize him. wei liulang and wei ting attacked from both sides. one attacked his lower body, and the other stabbed his face. helian ye circled his spear and parried wei liulang¡¯s qingfeng sword. at the same time, he blocked wei ting¡¯s longsword that was stabbing at his glabella. he kicked wei liulang¡¯s arm and sent him flying before stabbing at wei ting. wei ting blocked it with his sword and retreated to wei liulang¡¯s side. wei liulang covered his chest and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the hand holding the qingfeng sword. ¡°are you alright?¡± wei ting helped him up. ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± wei liulang glared fiercely at helian ye opposite him. ¡°his martial arts¡­ have improved a lot compared to four years ago¡­¡± four years ago, wei liulang had fought helian ye briefly. at that time, helian ye was not so difficult to deal with. ¡°what about you? are you alright?¡± wei ting had also been slapped just now. ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡± it was just a few broken meridians. he had not been beaten up by qin canglan for nothing these few days. he realized that his speed and internal strength had increased greatly. however, it was still very difficult to take advantage of an expert like helian ye. helian ye flew over and stabbed at wei ting again! wei liulang raised his arm to block. this was the third time he had blocked helian ye¡¯s spear with his arm. helian ye could tell that this was a fake arm, but he could not tell what material it was made of. it was so hard that even his spear could not cut through it! dark iron? no, dark iron was very heavy. wei liulang met helian ye¡¯s intrigued gaze and his eyebrows twitched. ¡°oh no, he¡¯s also targeting my arm!¡± wei ting went up with his sword and fought helian ye fiercely again. it was normal for something to happen during a hunt. no one could be blamed for a death. this was the reason why helian ye dared to kill wei ting. however, wei ting¡¯s martial arts exceeded his expectations. helian ye said calmly, ¡°kid, you¡¯re still alive after so many moves. your talent is above my niece¡¯s. unfortunately, you¡¯re from the wei family.. i¡¯ll definitely take your life today!¡± Chapter 640 - Chapter 640: Ghostfear Attacks (2) chapter 640: ghostfear attacks (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as he spoke, he used his spear to parry wei ting¡¯s sword and slapped wei ting¡¯s chest¡­ wei liulang pounced over and blocked this palm for him. ¡°sixth brother!¡± wei ting slashed the back of helian ye¡¯s hand with his sword and retreated rapidly with wei liulang in his arms. the two of them landed on the ground and wei liulang spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°sixth brother!¡± wei ting called him in a low voice. wei liulang endured the pain and said, ¡°i won¡¯t die. this person is too difficult to deal with¡­ wei ting said seriously, ¡°sixth brother, leave first. i¡¯ll kill him.¡± wei liulang glared at his brother. ¡°how are you going to kill him? you¡¯re 20 years younger than him. do you really think he¡¯s been doing nothing for so many years?¡± in terms of talent, little seven was above helian ye. the 21-year-old helian ye would definitely not be able to defeat the current little seven. however, the problem was that helian ye had practiced martial arts for so many years. this was his advantage. wei ting said, ¡°i have my ways.¡± wei liulang was stunned. ¡°you¡­ are you trying to mess around again? last time, when he killed mo guiyuan, little seven took the poison and almost lost his life. this time, he would never allow little seven to do that. wei ting said coldly, ¡°helian ye must die! ¡± wei liulang grabbed his lapel. ¡°listen, i¡¯m the brother. if anyone wants to go¡­ it¡¯s me!¡± he snatched the medicine bottle that wei ting had hidden in his arms. wei ting¡¯s expression changed and he grabbed his fist. ¡°i¡¯m not fighting anymore! let¡¯s go!¡± helian ye flew over and blocked their path. ¡°do you think you can still leave at this point?¡± wei ting looked at him coldly. ¡°helian ye, do you know that you¡¯re an unlucky guy? you¡¯ve been deceived and think that you¡¯re more heroic than others. i¡¯m ashamed of you. how did you become a great general? you¡¯re brave but not smart!¡± ¡°young brat! you have a death wish!¡± helian ye stabbed at wei ting. wei ting attracted all his attention. instead of fighting him head-on, he flashed to a big tree on the other side. ¡°helian ye, you¡¯re not my grandfather¡¯s son at all!¡± helian ye froze, and extreme shock flashed across his eyes. ¡°you¡­¡± wei ting said coldly, ¡°that¡¯s right. i know, and i know more than you. you were used. my grandfather has nothing to do with you. if you killed my grandfather for the country, i have nothing to say. however, if it¡¯s for your personal grudge, i can only say that you¡¯re as stupid as a donkey!¡± ¡°shut up! shut up!¡± as wei ting used his qinggong to avoid his pursuit, he continued to provoke him. ¡°look at you. which part of you looks like our wei family? do you think a great hero like my grandfather is more worthy of being your father than your biological father? therefore, you believed him without hesitation. you yearn to be my grandfather¡¯s son.¡± ¡°i told you to shut up!¡± helian ye was completely enraged and cut off a big tree with his spear. wei liulang¡¯s temples twitched. ¡°take it easy! his temper is too fiery!¡± ¡°i want to find his flaw!¡± ¡°but i think you might die first!¡± ¡°he¡¯s lost his mind. as long as i don¡¯t fall, he can¡¯t catch me¡­¡± f*ck! he fell! wei liulang covered his eyes. he couldn¡¯t look anymore. wei ting fell straight down and cursed himself for being so unlucky.. then, he saw a pair of white-black steps. who witnessed the huge awkward scene of the peerless lord wei? he wanted to silence him! he raised his dizzy head and looked up. in the next second, his eyes lit up. ¡°brother?¡± ghostfear crossed his arms and looked down at a young brat who suddenly fell at his feet. his gaze did not change at all as he turned around and left. ¡°brother! ¡± wei ting grabbed his foot and complained aggrievedly, ¡°someone wants to kill me.¡± ghostfear asked coldly, ¡°what does it have to do with me?¡± wei ting thought for a moment and said shamelessly, ¡°i¡¯m your most beloved little seven.¡± ghostfear was speechless. the sacrificial soldiers had no past, and ghostfear had no younger brothers. what did the young brat¡¯s life have to do with him? ghostfear said coldly, ¡°if you don¡¯t let go, i¡¯ll cut off your hand.¡± wei ting gave him an extremely aggrieved look. ¡°let go.¡± he let go. ghostfear was about to leave. unexpectedly, wei ting suddenly shouted affectionately, ¡°leave quickly! i¡¯ll stop helian ye for you! don¡¯t care about me! don¡¯t look back! our wei family is in your hands! remember to pass down my grandfather¡¯s mantle for him!¡± ghostfear was stunned. helian ye¡¯s eyes turned cold as he shot at ghosfear! ghostfear wanted to beat this little scammer to death! ghostfear grabbed helian ye¡¯s spear. helian ye frowned. clearly, he did not expect the other party to be able to grab his spear. ghostfear glanced at wei ting coldly. ¡°i have nothing to do with this kid. i don¡¯t want to get involved in your matters.¡± wei ting got up and deliberately stood far away, as if he wanted to cut ties with ghostfear. ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. i don¡¯t know him. he¡¯s not with me. helian ye, let him go! you¡¯re not allowed to hurt him!¡± ghostfear was speechless. ¡°do you think i¡¯m stupid?¡± helian ye pulled back his spear forcefully and slashed at ghostfear¡¯s head. ghostfear frowned impatiently. was he stupid? ¡°helian ye, stop! come at me! let him go! you¡­ ah¡­ ah!¡± wei ting pretended to shout as he walked back to wei liulang. wei liulang looked at the two of them fighting not far away with an indescribable expression. ¡°is it really okay to scam big brother like this?¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°big brother is ghostfear. helian ye can¡¯t kill him. moreover, big brother has fought with helian ye many times. perhaps this old acquaintance can help big brother recover his memories.¡± wei liulang said, ¡°i still don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate.¡± wei ting turned around. ¡°helian ye is here!¡± wei liulang ran away without looking back. ¡°zigui, leave quickly! i¡¯ll give you all my grandfather¡¯s secret letters! don¡¯t fall into helian ye¡¯s hands!¡± wei ting raised his eyebrows. ¡°oh, didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t resort to trickery?¡± helian ye grabbed the ghostfear scabbard with his spear. ¡°what secret letter? hand it over!¡± ¡°how would i know?¡± ghostfear was furious. where did these little scammers come from? each one was more scamming than the other! helian ye said coldly, ¡°hand over the secret letter and i¡¯ll leave your corpse intact!¡± after more than ten moves, ghostfear and helian ye did not inflict any damage on each other. but now, he was annoyed. ¡°my mission is not completed yet. before that, i don¡¯t want to start a massacre. however, if you insist on having a death wish, don¡¯t blame me!¡± ghostfear pulled out the sword of the death warrior with a cold gaze. this sword was called the throat seal. it did not seal the throat or return to the sheath! Chapter 641 - Chapter 641: Memory Recovery chapter 641: memory recovery translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after the interlude with zhang feng, su xiaoxiao did not encounter any accidents. next was hunting. she didn¡¯t hunt much and mainly shot arrows for practice. not only did jing yi make a bow for her, but he also made arrows. the more she used it, the easier it became. she liked it very much. su mo did not hunt much either. he did not like to hunt these birds and beasts. only su li was seriously enjoying hunting. the entire forest was filled with excited cries. ¡°do you want to go to the inner regions?¡± su mo looked at the iron net in front of him and asked. su li nodded vigorously. ¡°go, go, go!¡± su mo said, ¡°i didn¡¯t ask you.¡± su li was speechless. su xiaoxiao looked at the gradually darkening sky. ¡°it¡¯s getting late. someone in the inner area might be waiting for us to appear. it¡¯s better not to walk into a trap. ¡± su xiaoxiao was more concerned about what she had found on zhang feng¡¯s body. she had to arrange for someone to return to the capital as soon as possible to find that imperial edict¡­ it was definitely not because she was greedy for zhang feng¡¯s inheritance. in addition, what she said was true. the inner area was filled with danger. she did not believe that northern yan would not play any tricks. she was not afraid of northern yan, but there was no need to rush to her death. it was meaningless unless zhao kangning was in the inner circle. she could consider killing her. unfortunately, she was at the periphery and might have already returned. ¡°alright, let¡¯s go back,¡± su mo said softly. su li felt wronged. ¡°but i want to go in¡­¡± ¡°hey! is anyone listening to me?¡± ¡°am i still your biological brother?¡± su li pouted and took the prey in a fit of pique. she unwillingly followed su mo and su xiaoxiao out of the forest. the rain in the afternoon stopped a considerable number of hunters. many young ladies returned empty-handed accompanied by the guards. they sat in the shed and admired the guards racing horses. when they suddenly saw su xiaoxiao return with rich prey, they were overjoyed. ¡°qin su! you hit a lot of rabbits!¡± ¡°young master su, fifth young master su.¡± everyone also greeted su mo and su li. su li said to himself, ¡°what do you mean she hit them? it was all me, okay? i couldn¡¯t hang it on my saddle anymore, so i hung it on her and my brother¡¯s saddle!¡± soon, princess jing ning came out of the forest. she caught two bamboo rats alive. it was for hui an. hui an insisted on following her but she did not agree. if she did not bring some prey back for hui an, hui an would cause trouble again. the setting sun after the rain was especially bright. the people who were hunting returned one after another. xiao duye and xiao shunyang returned with a full load. prince li was all smiles, clearly having gained a lot. jing yi rode his horse towards su xiaoxiao and handed her the cloth bag on the saddle. ¡°here.¡± su xiaoxiao took it and opened it. it was a rare herb. the roots of this grass were blue, and the flowers that bloomed were white. they were slightly poisonous, but they were miraculously effective for rheumatism. it was the herb su xiaoxiao had seen in the writings of the poison master of the western jin dynasty. however, this herb was extremely rare. it was said to grow on cliffs¡­ su xiaoxiao looked at jing yi again. the young man¡¯s face was dirty and his forehead was scratched. his palm was bandaged. su xiaoxiao took his hand and removed the gauze to check his wound carefully. ¡°does it hurt?¡± jing yi¡¯s eyes were as bright as stars. ¡°it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± xiao zhonghua looked over. jing yi had jumped off the cliff to pick the herbs, scaring him. however, it was not a bad thing to be able to treat her well openly. zhao kangning was among the last few batches to come out. she immediately saw su xiaoxiao and jing yi sitting in the pergola. the two of them sat on the futon. the table was filled with bottles and jars. su xiaoxiao was treating jing yi¡¯s injuries. her eyes turned cold as she rode her horse to the stable at the side. the gu master had been waiting for a long time. ¡°he came back alive? what happened?¡± she asked unhappily. the gu master said bitterly, ¡°young marquis jing has always been with the western jin prince. i didn¡¯t have a chance to attack.¡± prince li was not to be trifled with. he was famous for his ferocity and was one of the four great devils of the western jin. was he tired of living to plant a gu under his nose? ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter if i¡¯m exposed, but if i implicate the princess, i deserve to die.¡± zhao kangning said coldly, ¡°i don¡¯t want to hear these excuses!¡± the gu master said seriously, ¡°it won¡¯t last more than three times. i won¡¯t fail again!¡± zhao kangning had more important things on her mind and didn¡¯t dwell on jing yi for long. ¡°did you go to the inner regions today?¡± ¡°yes,¡± the gu master said. it was impossible for prince li to hunt obediently in the periphery. he followed them from afar and entered the inner area. zhao kangning asked, ¡°have you seen my uncle?¡± the gu master shook his head. ¡°no.¡± zhao kangning muttered, ¡°strange, where did uncle go? why isn¡¯t he out after so long?¡± in the pergola, su xiaoxiao was also waiting. it was already dark, but her father, wei ting, and wei liulang had yet to come out. jing yi watched her look into the forest and said, ¡°i think i saw the duke protector on the way back. ¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°he¡¯s with the grand empress dowager.¡± su xiaoxiao choked. ¡°dad, my biological father. are you forcing your biological father to rebel in public?¡± ¡°the protector duke is back!¡± an official said. su xiaoxiao looked in the direction of the voice and saw her father escorting bai xihe and the princess of western jin out of the forest on a tall horse. moxie followed beside the three of them. moxie did not ride a horse. he carried the sleeping little princess of the western jin on his back. su xiaoxiao looked at jing yi coldly. was he very happy to be mischievous? jing yi suppressed the corners of his lips and said innocently, ¡°oh, i forgot to mention that there¡¯s also the western jin envoys.¡± ¡°seeing that you were injured, i won¡¯t argue with you.¡± su xiaoxiao tightened the gauze. jingyi gasped. ¡°it hurts.¡± a bonfire was set up in the open space. emperor jing xuan instructed the chef to choose a few good prey to roast. when the roasted meat was served, wei ting and the rest were still not back. what had happened? in the depths of the forest, ghostfear and helian ye exchanged more than a hundred moves. ghostfear was a death warrior. once he fought, he did not know pain and was not afraid of death. helian ye was a living person. no matter how brave and fearless he was, it was impossible for him to be like a death warrior. ¡°who are you?¡± helian ye asked warily. it was not that he had never fought with sacrificial soldiers, but none of them had been so difficult to deal with. ¡°it¡¯s too late to ask this now!¡± ghostfear had said that he would not get involved. he was the one who did not let him go. then, he would wait to sacrifice his blood to his sword! under a tree 30 feet away, wei liulang cheered, ¡°good job, zigui! kill him! kill that traitor!¡± ghostfear slashed at helian ye¡¯s spear and turned to wei liulang and wei ting. he said coldly, ¡°after i kill him, i¡¯ll use the two of you as sacrifices!¡± he was serious. he wanted to kill these two young brats! wei liulang said awkwardly, ¡°big brother seems to be really angry. should we escape quickly?¡± their brother had not recovered his memory. he had only stayed in the wei family to hide his identity and complete the mission. if he was really angered, he would not recognize anyone! wei ting said nothing. helian ye was a difficult opponent. although he was injured, his brother was about to start consuming his mental strength. if this continued, after the battle, his brother would definitely enter a weak state. finally, helian ye revealed a flaw and ghostfear stabbed helian ye in the waist. however, helian ye was not to be trifled with. he threw a fierce punch, and ghostfear leaned back in time. his fist brushed past his mask. crack! the mask was knocked off. that strange tattooed face was exposed to helian ye. helian ye was shocked. ¡°it¡¯s you? didn¡¯t you die at broken north pass?¡± broken north pass was the place where wei xu and the six sons of the wei family died in battle. hearing these three words, ghostfear¡¯s mind suddenly buzzed, and a tearing pain flashed past.. Chapter 642 - Chapter 642: Ten Thousand Arrows Piercing the Heart chapter 642: ten thousand arrows piercing the heart translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°father!¡± ¡°third brother!¡± ¡°fourth brother!¡± ¡°big brother¡­ leave quickly¡­ you¡­ quickly bring fourth brother and the others¡­ leave¡­ the soldiers covered in arrows knelt in front of him, wanting to block the last arrow for him even if they died. ¡°third brother!third brother! ¡± it was a heart-wrenching roar and a heart-wrenching cry. he hugged his brother, who had been pierced by ten thousand arrows, and watched him take his last breath in his arms. he let out a despairing wail. ¡°ah!¡± ghostfear suddenly shouted. this stunned helian ye. he forgot to attack for a moment. ¡°something¡¯s wrong with big brother!¡± wei ting¡¯s expression turned serious. he quickly used his qinggong to come behind ghostfear and kicked helian ye¡¯s shoulder. the moment he kicked kiel¨¦?n awav. he also held ghostfear and took a few stens back. ¡°third brother!¡± ¡°fourth brother!¡± ¡°big brother¡­ leave quickly¡­ you¡­ quickly bring fourth brother and the others¡­ leave¡­ the soldiers covered in arrows knelt in front of him, wanting to block the last arrow for him even if they died. ¡°third brother!third brother! ¡± it was a heart-wrenching roar and a heart-wrenching cry. he hugged his brother, who had been pierced by ten thousand arrows, and watched him take his last breath in his arms. he let out a despairing wail. ¡°ah!¡± ghostfear suddenly shouted. this stunned helian ye. he forgot to attack for a moment. ¡°something¡¯s wrong with big brother!¡± wei ting¡¯s expression turned serious. he quickly used his qinggong to come behind ghostfear and kicked helian ye¡¯s shoulder. the moment he kicked helian ye away, he also held ghostfear and took a few steps back. at the same time, the experts of northern yan, the imperial guards, and a few guards of the western jin arrived. ¡°general helian, general helian, are you in front?¡± a northern yan expert shouted. the brothers exchanged glances and left with the ghostfear who had fallen into a manic state. wei liulang did not forget to take the mask off the ground. in the empty space at the entrance of the hunting ground, everyone was full. emperor jing xuan was tired and brought the empress and the others back to the sleeping hall. su cheng asked su xiaoxiao to go back first while he brought people to look for his son-in-law. the people of northern yan should have guessed what had happened in the forest. in order to prevent themselves from being silenced, in addition to the imperial guards of the imperial court, they also called the envoy of the western jin. they were really careful. ¡°father should be careful too,¡± su xiaoxiao said. su cheng said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, this is great zhou¡¯s territory after all. i know what to do.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at su cheng, who was wearing armor and had a righteous aura, and suddenly felt that he had grown a lot. he was no longer the big bully in the countryside who slept until late in the morning and had no pursuits. her father was an indomitable man and the future master of the protectorate. she returned to the courtyard. the children played in the empress dowager¡¯s palace for the entire day and fell asleep when they returned. madam li had just finished wiping xiaohu down. xiaohu was sleeping soundly and could not wake up. ¡°they¡¯re back.¡± madam li wrung out the towel. ¡°eh? where¡¯s little seven and the others?¡± as they asked, they returned. when the two of them heard the commotion, they quickly walked to the door to take a look. wei ting carried ghostfear back to the house in the west courtyard, and wei liulang hurriedly followed. ¡°what happened? why is big brother being carried back by little seven?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i¡¯ll go take a look.¡± madam li wanted to go too, but she turned around to look at the children and decided to guard them. wei ting placed ghostfear on the hard bed. ¡°sixth brother, call xiao¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m here.¡± su xiaoxiao walked in. she came to the bed. wei ting hung up the curtain and held the lamp with wei liulang. ¡°big brother fought with helian ye and seriously injured him. at the critical moment, big brother¡¯s mask fell off. helian ye said something. big brother suddenly hugged his head and cried out in pain.¡± ¡°the head?¡± su xiaoxiao checked his head and eliminated the possibility of external injuries. wei ting frowned and said, ¡°big brother seems to have suddenly lost control¡­ i tapped big brother¡¯s acupoint.¡± it was not easy to deal with ghostfear. he had taken a few punches. su xiaoxiao looked at the two of them. ¡°are you and sixth brother injured too?¡± wei ting said, ¡°take a look at big brother first. we¡¯re fine.¡± the two of them had only superficial injuries. it was indeed nothing serious. on the other hand, their brother¡¯s appearance was very worrying. su xiaoxiao took the ghostfear¡¯s pulse and checked his injuries. helian ye was a very powerful opponent. it was impossible to retreat unscathed from a battle with him. ghostfear had some external injuries, but they were not that serious. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°from the pulse, there¡¯s not much of a problem.¡± wei ting said, ¡°big brother seems to be very weak.¡± it was dark just now, so the two of them could not see it clearly. now that the oil lamp was shining, they realized that the ghostfear was terrifyingly pale. su xiaoxiao brought over saline and medicine. ¡°he entered a weak period after the battle.¡± ¡°how could this be¡­¡± wei ting and wei liulang were stunned. wei ting blamed himself. he had fought slave xiu before. there were signs before a death warrior entered a weak period. he did not notice such signs from his brother and thought that he would have to fight for a while before entering a weak period. from the situation of the battle at that time, helian ye should not be able to last until that time. su xiaoxiao thought about it seriously and said, ¡°it might not be a weak period after fighting helian ye. didn¡¯t you say that big brother suddenly had a headache? i think it might be related to this.¡± wei liulang asked anxiously, ¡°but why does big brother suddenly have a headache? is he really not injured or sick?¡± ¡°no.¡± su xiaoxiao was confident in her medical skills. ghostfear was indeed injured, but it was definitely not to the extent of giving him a headache and causing him to enter a weak period. ¡°there¡¯s one possibility,¡± she said. ¡°he remembered something.¡± in another courtyard of the palace, the medical officer of northern yan had also finished treating helian ye¡¯s injuries. the sword of ghostfear had stabbed deeply, almost piercing through his abdomen. the medical officer had used all the best medicine. fortunately, it was him. if it were anyone else, they would have died. zhao kangning sat by the bed and held helian ye¡¯s hand. he choked and said, ¡°uncle, who hurt you? tell ning¡¯er! ning¡¯er will avenge you!¡± helian ye was unconscious and did not respond. zhao kangning cried. helian ye¡¯s injury caused an uproar. this was clearly not the bite of a ferocious beast, but a sword wound. an envoy of northern yan went to emperor jing xuan and asked him to give northern yan an explanation. otherwise, he would be declaring war on northern yan. emperor jing xuan was also wronged. although he couldn¡¯t wait for helian ye to die, he wouldn¡¯t kill so openly. ¡°who didn¡¯t leave the forest at that time?¡± he asked the commander of the imperial guards. the commander of the imperial guards was surnamed yang and was emperor jing xuan¡¯s trusted aide. commander yang glanced at su cheng and said seriously, ¡®wei ting.¡± su cheng was shocked. ¡°wei ting was out. he was playing with the children with the empress dowager.¡± emperor jing xuan sent someone to the empress dowager¡¯s bedroom to ask. the empress dowager said, ¡°he came to pick up the children in the evening. i kept him for dinner. he just left not long ago. are you looking for him?¡± helian ye was found after dark. at that time, wei ting was having dinner at the empress dowager¡¯s place. the empress dowager had even invited a few envoys from northern yan and western jin and their families. everyone could testify. that wei ting was su li in disguise. su li was wondering why his brother was suddenly so kind as to bring him hunting. it turned out that he was using him as a tool again. emperor jing xuan expressed that he would definitely investigate this matter strictly. helian ye did not know that there was a huge commotion outside. he lay on the bed, and wei ting¡¯s mocking face flashed across his mind. ¡°helian ye, do you know that you¡¯re one unlucky guy?¡± ¡°my grandfather has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°look at you. which part of you looks like our wei family?¡± ¡°you¡¯re not my grandfather¡¯s son! you can¡¯t be in this life!¡± ¡°i¡¯m¡­ i¡¯m the son of lord wu an¡­ i¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°you¡¯re all lying to me¡­ you¡¯ve all let me down¡­ all of you¡­¡± the door opened. under the eerie moonlight, a shadow slowly walked in.. Chapter 643 - Chapter 643: The Person Behind the Scenes chapter 643: the person behind the scenes translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao was sleeping soundly with the little packrat in her arms when there was suddenly a commotion outside the house. she turned around in a daze, let go of the little packrat, and crawled into wei ting¡¯s arms. the sudden hug made wei ting¡¯s heart soften. she had come at the wrong time. he frowned and looked unhappily at the closed door. ¡°young master¡­¡± ¡°got it.¡± wei ting replied in a low voice. the guard outside the door did not say anything else. wei ting didn¡¯t wake su xiaoxiao and the three little fellows up. he put on his clothes and opened the door. ¡°what happened?¡± the guard reported, ¡°helian ye was killed this morning.¡± wei ting was a little surprised. ¡°killed?¡± the guard said, ¡°he¡¯s being resuscitated, but the imperial physician said¡­ he can¡¯t be saved.¡± wei ting glanced at him. ¡°this isn¡¯t an expression of good news.¡± the guard had a complicated expression. ¡°young master, you¡¯ll know when you take a look.¡± wei liulang also heard the commotion and went to the courtyard of the northern yan envoy with wei ting. all the countries had brought imperial physicians and showed them to helian ye. no one dared to say anything. the princess of the western jin dynasty had a cold expression. why was she so angry that helian ye was dead? wei ting met the gaze of the princess of western jin in confusion. ¡°come with me for a moment.¡¯ her eyes hinted. wei ting left helian ye¡¯s courtyard. wei liulang stood guard for the two of them nearby. the princess of western jin went straight to the point. ¡°moxie has been captured. ¡± wei ting asked, ¡°did moxie kill him?¡± ¡°you think so too, right?¡± the princess of the western jin dynasty¡¯s expression was very solemn. ¡°yesterday, at the hunting ground, xin¡¯er, the protector duke, and the grand empress dowager were attacked by a wave of wolves. there was something wrong with those wolves butl didn¡¯t take it to heart. after all, they might have come for the protector duke or the grand empress dowager. but something happened to moxie this morning.¡± with this, wei ting understood that someone was framing the princess of the western jin. the princess of western jin said, ¡°if one of my people killed helian ye, the possibility of me forming an alliance with northern yan is completely gone. more importantly, i will be punished by my father when i return and lose my right to compete for the throne.¡± wei ting said meaningfully, ¡°yes¡­¡± the princess of western jin said coldly, ¡°that¡¯s right. my good brother did it. princess changle of northern yan married him as his secondary consort. they joined forces to set a trap for me.¡± wei ting did not add insult to injury, nor did he take advantage of the situation. he knew the strength of the princess of western jin very well. a dragon was still a dragon after all. ¡°of course, you can refuse,¡± the princess of western jin said. wei ting said, ¡°no, my intention to form an alliance with your highness has never changed.¡± help in times of need naturally yielded greater returns. su xiaoxiao was woken up by wei ting. ¡°who did you say we have to save?¡± she asked in a daze, suspecting that she had heard wrongly. wei ting sighed. ¡°helian ye.¡± su xiaoxiao asked suspiciously, ¡°why are you saving him?¡± wei ting thought to himself that he didn¡¯t want to save him either, but for the sake of the big picture, this guy¡¯s life had to be preserved. ¡°he was assassinated¡­ he¡¯s not dead yet but at his last breath. someone saw moxie come out of his room with a sword and insisted that moxie was the murderer. he even said that moxie was the one who injured him in the forest.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°moxie came out long ago.¡± wei ting told her what he had learned. ¡°he was meditating alone in his room. no one gave him an alibi.¡± su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°what did moxie say? why did he go to helian ye¡¯s room?¡± wei ting said, ¡°he sensed an unfamiliar aura passing by and followed.¡± su xiaoxiao frowned slightly. ¡°passing by?¡± wei ting explained the terrain of the palace. ¡°the murderer might have infiltrated from the south. if we want to go to the residence of the envoy of the northern yan, we have to pass through the bedroom of the envoy of the western jin. moxie even fought with the other party, but for some reason, moxie¡¯s mind suddenly went blank. when he regained consciousness, helian ye had already been killed. he was holding the murder weapon. that was not his sword. his sword had disappeared.¡± su xiaoxiao analyzed, ¡°the murderer took his sword away and killed helian ye with his own weapon to frame moxie. however, the murderer didn¡¯t expect helian ye to survive.¡± wei ting felt that it was close to the mark and not far off. helian ye was really lucky. he was not dead after being stabbed by ghostfear and he was not dead after being stabbed by the murderer. after su xiaoxiao finished sighing, she asked wei ting, ¡°do you really think it was done by the eldest prince of western jin and another branch of northern yan?¡± wei ting narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°to be honest, i¡¯m not too sure, but the princess of western jin will be implicated. without a doubt, moxie will also be questioned.¡± ¡°what bad luck does moxie have¡­ su xiaoxiao had a good impression of moxie. she didn¡¯t want to lose a follow appreciator of music. she thought of something and said, ¡°by the way, i met zhang feng in the forest yesterday. he¡¯s the eldest princess¡¯s man. all these years, he¡¯s been lurking beside mo guiyuan to wait for an opportunity to take back the previous emperor¡¯s edict. on the day mo guiyuan fled, he succeeded. however, he seemed to be worried that he would be silenced by the eldest princess and looked for zhao kangning to make a deal. unfortunately, he was still killed by the eldest princess¡¯s men.¡± wei ting paused. ¡°you¡¯re saying that the eldest princess¡¯s people sneaked into the forest? then last night¡­ it might be that group of people who came to kill helian ye.¡± su xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°i guess so. i just can¡¯t figure out why the eldest princess killed helian ye to silence him. isn¡¯t helian ye her biological son? even if he¡¯s a fake son, he¡¯s still useful.¡± then, she could continue to fabricate and brainwash helian ye. anyway, helian ye was a stupid idiot. wait. fabricating¡­ brainwashing¡­ the person who came last night¡­ could it be grandmaster hui jue? had she finally shown herself? su xiaoxiao was not surprised that she had quietly returned to the capital. if she came personally, something must have happened between her and helian ye that forced her to kill helian ye to silence him. it seemed that the only way to uncover the truth was to wake helian ye up first. wei ting handed the first aid kit to su xiaoxiao. ¡°we¡¯re here.¡± under the corridor, zhao kangning saw su xiaoxiao, who had been brought over by eunuch fu. she asked angrily, ¡°what are you doing here?¡± eunuch fu said politely, ¡°princess kangning, physician su is here to treat general helian¡¯s injuries.¡± zhao kangning¡¯s eyes were red and swollen. he said mockingly, ¡°even the imperial physician can¡¯t treat her. are you trying to kill my uncle by asking a little girl to come over?¡± su xiaoxiao hit the nail on the head. ¡°do i still need to harm him?¡± zhao kangning choked. the imperial physicians had long announced that the resuscitation was ineffective and asked the prince of northern yan and zhao kangning to prepare for the funeral¡­ su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered with zhao kangning anymore. she carried the medicine box into helian ye¡¯s room. zhao kangning reacted and took a step forward. ¡°you¡­¡± bang! the door closed tightly in front of her, and the bolt was inserted. ¡®qin! i don¡¯t care who you are! if you dare to kill my uncle, i¡¯ll kill you even if i don¡¯t have to be the princess anymore!¡± su xiaoxiao ignored zhao kangning¡¯s clamor. she came to the bed, took out the first aid kit from the medicine box, and began to treat helian ye¡¯s injuries.. Chapter 644 - Chapter 644: So It’s You (1) chapter 644: so it¡¯s you (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios helian ye had two fatal injuries. one was caused by ghostfear and injured his spleen. the other was caused by the murderer, who pierced his heart half an inch away. however, what really rendered the imperial physician helpless was that he had lost too much blood and could not be saved. su xiaoxiao was not immortal, but she had blood. she put an intravenous drip on helian ye, took out a test paper, and measured his blood type. ¡°oh, this guy actually has rare panda blood.¡± ¡°if it weren¡¯t for me, you would have died.¡± there was not much rh-negative blood plasma in the pharmacy. it was unknown if there was any left after using it up. su xiaoxiao¡¯s heart ached. she decided that when she helped moxie clear her name, she would let moxie play the erhu for three days and three nights. su xiaoxiao cut open helian ye¡¯s clothes, took out a scalpel, and began to debride and suture helian ye. emperor jing xuan took this matter very seriously and personally came to helian ye¡¯s courtyard. at this moment, he was sitting in the hall waiting. other than the officials of his dynasty, there were also envoys from the western jin and northern yan. the relationship between the latter two was a little delicate. emperor jing xuan looked worried, but he was secretly happy. if northern yan and western jin fell out because of this, it would not be a bad thing. the reason why he did not stop su xiaoxiao from treating helian ye was that helian ye was so injured that he would definitely die. no matter how skilled her medical skills were, she could not save him. moreover, it was the princess of western jin who agreed to let that girl treat helian ye. she even said that if she died from the treatment, the consequences would be on her. ¡°mother.¡± the young princess of the western jin leaned into the arms of the western jin princess and asked softly, ¡°moxie will be fine, right?¡± the princess of the western jin stroked her head gently. ¡°yes.¡± actually, she had no idea, but she had no way out. she could only make a hail mary effort. zhao kangning did not sit with everyone. she stood guard outside helian ye¡¯s door. she knew very well how important her uncle was to her. she was already worried enough about a useless brother. if she lost her uncle, she would become alone. she was unwilling to be an ordinary royal princess. she wanted to have power and leave her name in history. uncle must not die¡­ but that girl had already been in there for more than two hours. what was going on? the sacrificial soldiers of the princess of western jin guarded the door, not allowing anyone other than su xiaoxiao to barge in. zhao kangning glared at the two of them and could only continue to wait anxiously. the surgery had actually been completed long ago. su xiaoxiao was waiting for helian ye to finish the iv drip. a moment later, wei ting¡¯s voice came from outside the room. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°let him in.¡± the sacrificial soldier let go. wei ting entered. when zhao kangning was about to follow, she was stopped by two sacrificial soldiers. the room was very clean and there were no traces of surgery. wei ting did not ask her where she had thrown the bloody gauze and scalpel. he only said, ¡°how is he?¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the unconscious helian ye and said, ¡°he¡¯s still alive. whether he can survive the critical period depends on whether he can wake up within 24 hours. how¡¯s your side?¡± wei ting looked at the closed door and lowered his voice. ¡°i asked moxie. he said that there was no third person in the room at that time. the other party was wrapped tightly from head to toe. he didn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s appearance or hear his voice. the other party was very cautious.¡± su xiaoxiao was not surprised by this finding. ¡°moxie fought with the other party. what is the assessment on the other party¡¯s martial arts?¡± ¡°he lost consciousness after a few moves.¡± su xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°can you take a few moves from him? is the eldest princess¡¯s martial arts so powerful?¡± ¡°she learned some martial arts when she was young. we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that she was hiding her strength.¡± with that, wei ting took out a small iron box from his pocket. the inner wall of the box was jade. ¡°by the way, i tried it on him with this. the little worm reacted. he was poisoned.¡± su xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°so it¡¯s a gu.¡± wei ting said, ¡°this gu is not powerful. it died in a few hours.¡± if not for their fast reaction and later, they would not have been able to find anything. su xiaoxiao sneered. ¡°looks like you want to leave no traces. unfortunately, you¡¯re one step behind.¡± su xiaoxiao put away the little bug she had robbed from sikong yun. wei ting said, ¡°dad and su mo brought the imperial guards to capture the murderer. they shouldn¡¯t have gone far.¡± that person wanted to silence helian ye and would definitely wait for helian ye¡¯s obituary to spread before leaving. su xiaoxiao looked in the direction of the door.. ¡°when did the two death warriors outside come over?¡± Chapter 645 - Chapter 645: So It’s You (2) chapter 645: so it¡¯s you (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei ting also asked about this. ¡°ever since moxie was captured, the princess of the western jin immediately brought people over to guard the event location.¡± su xiaoxiao was deep in thought. ¡°is my uncle alright? tell me!¡± ¡®qin su!¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t come out now! i¡¯ll¡­¡± the door opened. zhao kangning¡¯s shouting stopped. she glanced at su xiaoxiao coldly and saw that wei ting was also there. she restrained her ferociousness slightly. ¡°can i go in now?¡± ¡°no.¡± su xiaoxiao rejected mercilessly. she did not spoil zhao kangning. ¡°you¡­¡± zhao kangning was furious. su xiaoxiao said to the two sacrificial soldiers at the door, ¡°don¡¯t let a fly in.¡± zhao kangning flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°who are you calling a fly?¡± ¡°what do you think?¡± su xiaoxiao ignored her and returned to her courtyard. there was still a patient there. wei ting went to the lobby and told everyone that helian ye had temporarily survived. ¡°is that true?¡± the emotions of the princess of the western jin dynasty fluctuated. the others were also in disbelief. how could he still be alive after losing so much blood? it was not a matter of medical skills, but if there was no blood, one would die of exhaustion! they naturally couldn¡¯t guess that su xiaoxiao had a pharmacy blood bank and felt that it was unbelievable. was this a god? wei ting was rarely humble and said seriously, ¡°at the moment, she has only stabilized his injuries. general helian will only truly pass the critical period when he completely wakes up.¡± something flashed across the eyes of the princess of the western jin. everyone¡¯s thoughts were: oh, so he wasn¡¯t saved. they knew it. it¡¯s impossible for him to have any hope of survival with such serious injuries. let¡¯s wait a few hours. they should be announcing the obituary soon. what followed was a long wait. some people were waiting for helian ye to wake up, such as the princess of the western jin dynasty, and some were waiting for helian ye to completely die, such as emperor jing xuan. wei ting was also waiting for everyone who doubted the little fat peacock¡¯s medical skills to be slapped in the face. on the other side, the situation with ghostfear was not good either. he was not injured, but he had been in a daze and could not wake up. it was as if he was experiencing a painful nightmare over and over again. his clothes were drenched in cold sweat, and a hoarse voice came from his dry lips. ¡°father¡­¡± ¡°second brother¡­ ¡°third brother¡­ ¡°sixth brother¡­ ¡°your highness¡­¡± wei liulang¡¯s eyes turned red with heartache. ¡°big brother must have dreamed about broken north pass¡­¡¯ it had been almost five years since the battle at broken north pass. how many times had he dreamed of it at night? as long as he closed his eyes, it was as if he could see his father and brothers die tragically in front of him. fifth brother took off his armor and buried him under the blood-soaked corpse. he covered him with his injured body. ¡°little six¡­ don¡¯t cry¡­ don¡¯t make a sound. that was the last thing fifth brother said to him. ghostfear¡¯s fever was so high that he couldn¡¯t be fed medicine. su xiaoxiao injected a dose of fever needles into his muscles. she was a doctor. she had to maintain absolute calm. she paused and asked, ¡°sixth brother, was there anyone who went to war on behalf of the emperor four years ago? wei liulang pulled himself out of his emotions and didn¡¯t understand why su xiaoxiao suddenly asked. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°oh.¡± after dealing with ghostfear¡¯s condition, su xiaoxiao made a bowl of medicine. she put it into a food box and brought it to helian ye. around evening, helian ye finally woke up. su xiaoxiao sighed again. this fellow was really tough. he became conscious in less than 12 hours. su xiaoxiao came to the bed and took his pulse. ¡°can you hear me?¡± helian ye¡¯s eyes reacted. ¡°looks like you can.¡± su xiaoxiao let go and pulled a stool over to sit down. ¡°don¡¯t look at me so fiercely. i¡¯m not here to kill you. on the contrary, i saved you.¡± helian ye was very weak, so su xiaoxiao was not afraid of him. su xiaoxiao opened the food box and placed the medicine bowl on another stool. ¡°the medicine is still a little hot. i¡¯ll ask you a few questions first.¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t like to beat around the bush, especially with her enemies. ¡°i can save you and also kill you, so you¡¯d better cooperate obediently. don¡¯t provoke me and don¡¯t lie to me. of course, it¡¯s very difficult for you to deceive me in your current situation.¡± when a person was weak, their psychological defense would decrease. even if his remaining rationality told him to be vigilant, his mind was not as fast as usual. she had to hurry. it would not be easy to get information from him if he became more and more awake later. ¡°that person came to look for you, right? what did you talk about? why did that person want to kill you?¡± ¡°you should understand that if this person can sneak into your room once, it can happen a second time. i won¡¯t say much about the reason. you know better than me. the princess of the western jin kingdom can¡¯t always send people to protect you. all she wants is moxie¡¯s innocence. now, i¡¯m the only one left who can protect you. you can choose not to believe me, but you definitely don¡¯t have a second choice!¡± ¡°or let¡¯s try it another way. i ask you questions. in exchange, you can ask me.¡± hearing this, helian ye¡¯s expression finally relaxed for a moment. he looked at su xiaoxiao weakly and used half his life¡¯s dignity and stubbornness to break free from his unbearable pain. ¡°lord wu an¡­ is he my father?¡± ¡°no,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°you¡¯re already like this. i don¡¯t have to lie to you.¡± helian ye¡¯s eyes turned red. he looked at the ceiling like a puppet whose last soul had been sucked out. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°now it¡¯s your turn to answer my question. did that person come to you last night to continue coaxing you into believing your background, or to ask if you got that imperial edict from zhang feng?¡± helian ye tacitly agreed. su xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°looks like it was both. it¡¯s your turn again. what else do you want to ask?¡± helian ye said in a hoarse voice, ¡°the person last night¡­¡± but he didn¡¯t say anything else. su xiaoxiao looked at him deeply and said, ¡°yes.¡± it was wei chen. su xiaoxiao looked at him. ¡°one last question. is the person who used you to deal with the wei family the eldest princess?¡± helian ye said nothing. su xiaoxiao retracted her gaze. ¡°thank you for your answer. i think i already know who it is.¡± helian ye looked at her in shock. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°wei ting and my father searched the palace but couldn¡¯t find the murderer. instead of having escaped, i¡¯m more willing to believe that the other party is hiding. the most dangerous place is the safest place. that person is hiding in this room, right?¡± helian ye¡¯s pupils dilated. su xiaoxiao stood up and dusted her sleeves indifferently. ¡°show yourself, your highness.¡± ¡°or should i call you¡­ king nanyang?¡± Chapter 646 - Chapter 646: Xiaohu’s Might! (1) chapter 646: xiaohu¡¯s might! (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the house was silent, except for su xiaoxiao¡¯s words. however, after a long time, so long that su xiaoxiao wondered if she had misunderstood helian ye, a muffled rumble came from the east. the bookshelf moved to the side, revealing a dark secret room. right on the heels of that, a tall man in black slowly walked out. su xiaoxiao had seen a portrait of the prince of nanyang when he was young. he was a handsome man in fresh clothes. he was high-spirited and elegant. the man in front of him gradually overlapped with the appearance in the portrait. the difference was that there was a trace of time on his face, but he was still handsome. the eyebrows of dahu, erhu, and xiaohu eyebrows resembled his, but they were not so similar. the children¡¯s eyes were clean and clear, but his eyes were cold and sinister. this was the first time su xiaoxiao had seen the prince of nanyang in person. because she had only seen the portrait before and had not formed a fixed impression, it was still acceptable. the two of them looked at each other for a few seconds. king nanyang¡¯s aura was very strong, but su xiaoxiao was not afraid of him at all. this was not an ordinary girl. king nanyang¡¯s gaze landed on su xiaoxiao¡¯s face. ¡°you¡¯re qin canglan¡¯s granddaughter?¡± king nanyang¡¯s voice was pleasant, but it was too cold, as if a pool of ice had shattered. su xiaoxiao said in a tone that was neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°yes.¡± king nanyang continued, ¡°how did you guess?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°when general helian was halfway through his sentence just now, i guessed that he had some scruples.¡± helian ye was stupid. sometimes, he still had some brains and knew how to hint at her with all kinds of expressions and eyes. there was only one question that helian ye had really asked just now. was lord wu an his father? when he asked about wei chen later, he did not mention his name. it seemed that he had not mentioned wei chen to king nanyang. as for her asking if the eldest princess was the mastermind, he did not say anything, but his gaze said everything. king nanyang said calmly, ¡°you know that¡¯s not what i¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°if you want to ask how i guessed that the person behind the scenes is not the eldest princess, but you.¡± su xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°it¡¯s a long story.¡± actually, she had not guessed anything about king nanyang until tonight. no one would guess it was him. from the beginning, they were misled by the portrait that prime minister guo had treasured. then, it was sikong yun¡¯s turn. his silence was taken for granted. thinking about it carefully, sikong yun had never clearly said, ¡°my master is the eldest princess.¡± unfortunately, she didn¡¯t react at that time. what made her suspect that the eldest princess was the mastermind was moxie¡¯s words. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°the eldest princess doesn¡¯t know martial arts. to be precise, she only learned a little. she probably won¡¯t be able to withstand a single move from moxie.¡± king nanyang asked, ¡°can¡¯t she have hidden her strength?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°i¡¯ve thought about it too.¡± until¡­ she heard ghostfear talking in his sleep and kept calling ¡°father¡±, ¡°second brother¡±, ¡°third brother¡±¡­ ¡°your highness¡±. wei liulang said that big brother must have dreamed of the battle at broken north pass. they had ¡°died in battle¡± together. ghostfear had witnessed their tragic state and it was deeply engraved in her mind, so he kept shouting at them, but what was with this greeting? she asked wei liulang if anyone had gone to war on behalf of the emperor. wei liulang said no. then, who was the prince that ghostfear saw at broken north pass? the eldest princess had already become a monk. four years ago, she was reciting scriptures in the nunnery in qingzhou. indeed, she could also secretly rush to broken north pass, but with her status, if wei chen saw her, he would not skip the title and call her ¡®your highness¡±. this was too intimate. at this point, su xiaoxiao suspected that they had made a mistake. su xiaoxiao recalled something zhong shan had said to her. ¡°grandmaster¡­ treats king nanyang very well.¡± at that time, she was at a loss. she was investigating the eldest princess. why did it involve the king of nanyang? could it be that zhong shan had seen something? was he speaking up for the eldest princess? after all, king nanyang was in the same boat as the wei family. the eldest princess doted on king nanyang and would never break his arm. as a loyal person, it was understandable that zhong shan would absolve his master. perhaps he did not know the eldest princess¡¯s plan. now that she thought about it, zhong shan had been reminding her to pay attention to king nanyang from the beginning. of course, su xiaoxiao would not say it in front of king nanyang.. Chapter 647 - Chapter 647: Xiaohu’s Might! (2) chapter 647: xiaohu¡¯s might! (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it¡¯s useless for the eldest princess to want the late emperor¡¯s edict. it¡¯s only useful if you want it.¡± ¡°just based on an edict?¡± king nanyang looked at su xiaoxiao in disbelief. he was not an easy person to fool. usually, he was the one who fooled others. one just had to look at helian ye, the great idiot. however, if su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything, what could he do to her? king nanyang sat down in a chair and smiled casually. ¡°it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to say it. it doesn¡¯t matter anyway. you¡¯re very smart, even smarter than i thought. did you really grow up in the countryside? or¡ªare you a fake?¡± su xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. this guy¡¯s gaze was so vicious. as expected of the mastermind who kept everyone in the dark. mo guiyuan was his pawn, helian ye was his pawn, and so were prime minister guo and sikong yun¡­ ¡°ten years ago, when your rebellion failed, lord wu an saved you too, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°after that, you¡¯ve been hiding your identity and secretly nurturing your own power. lord wu an¡¯s army in qingzhou was also built for you. it¡¯s easy to understand why he chose qingzhou. after all, that¡¯s the eldest princess¡¯s fief. the control of the imperial court is limited, and she dotes on you very much. you didn¡¯t hide the news that you were still alive from her, right?¡± ¡°continue.¡± king nanyang seemed to admire this little girl. ¡°other than lord wu an and the eldest princess, wei chen also knows that you¡¯re still alive. he saw you at broken north pass.¡± su xiaoxiao felt that wei xu should know too. as for the rest of the wei family, it was hard to say. matriarch wei clearly did not know, as did wei liulang and wei ting. king nanyang wanted to say something but hesitated, as if he wanted to correct something or add something. in the end, he held back. su xiaoxiao looked at king nanyang strangely. ¡°what i can¡¯t figure out is why you would deal with the wei family? why did you use such a cruel method?¡± king nanyang raised his hand and pointed at helian ye on the bed. ¡°i¡¯m not the cruel one. it¡¯s him. i just want their lives.¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°so you admit that the tragedy of the wei family was indeed caused by you. they are your right-hand men and the greatest help behind you. is there anything you have to kill them for?¡± this was the reason why su xiaoxiao had never suspected king nanyang. it was not because he was dead, but because he had no reason to frame the wei family. it was possible for anyone in the world except him! something flashed across king nanyang¡¯s eyes before he smiled. this person was really good-looking when he smiled. dahu, erhu, and xiaohu would definitely be mesmerizingly handsome men when they grew up. he said, ¡°girl, would you believe me if i told you that i was also deceived?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°if i say i believe you, will you believe me?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t believe you.¡± king nanyang smiled regretfully. ¡°you¡¯re too smart. if you hadn¡¯t married into the wei family, i might have spared your life.¡± there was no fear in su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. ¡°you want to kill me? can you kill me?¡± thud! thud! the sound of heavy objects hitting the ground came from outside the door. the two sacrificial soldiers guarding the door had fallen. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i forgot that you have a traitor.¡± there was no sound of fighting, causing the death warrior to instantly lose consciousness. it was very similar to the way moxie was hit. he slowly walked towards su xiaoxiao. suddenly, with a swish, a flying knife shot towards him. he tilted his head to avoid it and the throwing knife stabbed into the cabinet! it was helian ye. king nanyang smiled faintly and glanced at helian ye. ¡°you want to protect this girl? alright, i¡¯ll give you face today and let her go.¡± with that, he flashed to the door and opened it generously. like a noble emperor, he elegantly and proudly stepped over the death warriors on the ground and entered the endless night. ¡°what happened?¡± the princess of western jin rushed over with her men. not only did she send sacrificial soldiers to guard the place, but she also asked her eagle to keep an eye on it from the branch. the moment the death warrior fell, her eagle flew back to find her. the envoy of northern yan and some officials of the great zhou also rushed to the event location. ¡°are you alright?¡± the first person the princess of the western jin kingdom cared about was su xiaoxiao. ¡°i¡¯m fine, but he¡­¡± su xiaoxiao pointed at helian ye, who was vomiting blood.¡± he had to be saved again. ¡± he was already seriously injured and had just exerted himself. su xiaoxiao was not touched. he was not saving her, but taking revenge on king nanyang. su xiaoxiao threatened, ¡°i have to clear moxie¡¯s name. otherwise, i wouldn¡¯t have saved you. after all, you¡¯re no longer useful.¡± she would throw one away after using it! it was a sure thing! helian ye said aggrievedly, ¡°the murderer is not moxie,¡± and fainted completely. this resuscitation took another two hours. when she came out, su mo was waiting for her at the door. su mo said, ¡°wei ting went to chase after him.¡± the reason why su xiaoxiao was not afraid of king nanyang hurting her was not only because she had a golden finger, but also because su mo and wei ting were hiding on the roof. the two of them heard all the conversation with king nanyang. su mo was very shocked. he did not expect it to be king nanyang. like su xiaoxiao, he couldn¡¯t figure out king nanyang¡¯s motive for killing the wei family. su xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°i¡¯m afraid we can only know what happened back then when ghostfear wakes up.¡± ¡°i¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t wake up so soon¡­¡± su mo had gone to see ghostfear. his breathing was chaotic, and the internal energy in his diaphragm was running wild. being unconscious for ten days to half a month was considered light. ghostfear fell into an endless nightmare. it repeated over and over again. it was useless even if she injected the medicine. the three little ones had just returned from the empress dowager¡¯s courtyard. they did not know that their uncle was sick and thought that he was staying in bed. xiaohu kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed with his two brothers. the three little ones began to dance on the grave again. xiaohu would not hit the gong today. he played the suona. there were all kinds of instruments, and the suona was the king. they would either ascend to the heavens or pay their respects. he grabbed the suona, puffed up his cheeks, and blew at ghostfear. ghostfear was woken up on the spot! Chapter 648 - Chapter 648: Ghostfear Awakens chapter 648: ghostfear awakens translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios all the nightmares stopped abruptly. the blood mist in front of them dissipated, and the commotion of the battlefield was far away. the pain in his body seemed to have disappeared, but the remaining pain in his heart could not be erased. ghostfear opened his painful eyes and saw a suona hitting his big forehead. his temples throbbed! he was still immersed in the pain brought about by the nightmare when xiaohu decided to play a second time. his head was buzzing. how could he have the time to grieve? he jumped out of bed! ¡°you¡¯ve been tired all day. go back and rest early. i¡¯ll guard him. he probably won¡¯t wake up¡­¡± su mo and su xiaoxiao chatted as they walked. just as he was about to say that ghostfear wouldn¡¯t wake up, they saw the door open and ghostfear appeared in front of the two of them with a frightened expression. the two of them were speechless. night fell. the pitch-black night opened the huge mouth of the abyss and swallowed the entire palace. two vigorous figures jumped and shuttled through the night, passing by the arched pavilion and the blue waves of lotus fragrance. they avoided the guards¡¯ patrols and arrived at a desolate small courtyard near the south wall. wei ting landed between king nanyang and the south wall first. he turned around and looked at king nanyang coldly. he had been on the roof just now. he had heard everything he should and shouldn¡¯t have heard. he was even more shocked and found the truth even more difficult to accept than suspecting that the eldest princess was the mastermind. this was the elder he saw as his father. he taught him how to read and write, brought him to recite poems, and warned him that no matter what, he had to grow into an indomitable man with a clear conscience. ¡°why?¡± wei ting clenched his fists and looked at him with red eyes. he questioned loudly, ¡°why!¡± king nanyang¡¯s figure was enveloped by the cold moonlight, and his eyes were especially cold. however, at this moment, his lips moved slightly, and there was some gentleness in his eyes. ¡°little seven, you know that i don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± wei ting said in a low voice, ¡°then what did you do? you harmed my grandfather and killed my father and brothers. isn¡¯t this hurting me? i¡¯d rather the person you killed was me!¡± king nanyang sighed. ¡°those who achieve great things have to make choices.¡± wei ting smiled coldly. ¡®make choices? which part of our wei family is not qualified in order to have to be given up by you?¡± this was the most unbelievable thing. the wei family was even more powerful than the protectorate back then. in fact, because the wei family had many sons, and each was more outstanding than the other, their prospects were even more beautiful than the protectorate. who would abandon such a huge force? it was not like he had already ascended the throne and had to kick someone to the curb when they¡¯ve outlived their usefulness. king nanyang said, ¡°you should know that i never wanted to hurt you. if i wanted to attack you, you would have died in qingzhou. no, even earlier. four years ago, you were unguarded against me at broken north pass. i could have taken your life at any time.¡± wei ting mocked, ¡°then i should i thank you? for not killing me and for slaughtering my entire family!¡± king nanyang hesitated. ¡°you don¡¯t have to rack your brains to lie to me. i won¡¯t fall for your trick again. ¡± with that, wei ting took out his sword. ¡°make your move.¡± king nanyang said, ¡°i don¡¯t want to fight you.¡± wei ting did not intend to let him off. wei ting raised his sword and slashed at his right arm! king nanyang turned around and acutely avoided wei ting¡¯s attack. he grabbed wei ting¡¯s sword with his fingertips in time. wei ting looked at his right hand and frowned slightly. ¡°your usual hand was your left hand.¡± king nanyang did not say anything and slapped wei ting¡¯s chest. wei ting stepped back. ¡°you¡¯re not using the same moves as before!¡± king nanyang was also a person who was well-versed in both civil and military matters. however, compared to his outstanding literary talent, his martial arts were relatively not as formidable. wei ting was very familiar with his martial arts. however, tonight, his internal strength and moves were all unfamiliar. moreover, he seemed to have become a martial arts genius. ¡°are you king nanyang or not?¡± wei ting questioned. king nanyang took wei ting¡¯s move. ¡°can¡¯t you recognize me?¡± wei ting¡¯s gaze landed behind his right ear. when he was very young, he climbed the tree in a fit of pique. after he went up, he could not come down. it was king nanyang who climbed up to look for him and was stabbed by a branch. the familiar scar was still there. while wei ting was observing the scar, king nanyang took the opportunity to leap onto the wall and disappear into the endless night. don¡¯t chase after a desperate enemy. king nanyang had long sensed that there was someone on the roof. he had deliberately lured him out. since he did not want to say anything to him, he had another motive. wei ting was not blinded by hatred and shock. he calmly looked in the direction where king nanyang had escaped, put away his sword, and returned to the courtyard. in the house, ghostfear wanted to complain about the evil deeds of the three little ones. ¡°your sons! they¡­¡± he raised his hand and pointed. when he turned around, he was stunned. the three little ones who had been dancing on the grave just now were all sitting obediently by the bed and looking at him cutely. ghostfear was confused. were all little farts nowadays so good at pretending? su xiaoxiao sent the three little ones to madam li and returned to the ghosfear room. looking at the ghostfear who was sitting on the stool and doubting his life, she cleared her throat and said seriously, ¡°you woke up at the right time. i have something to tell you, if you don¡¯t feel any discomfort.¡± all the discomfort of ghostfear was blown away by the little smelly farts, not leaving him with any nostalgia. su mo called a secret guard over and asked him to guard the door, not allowing anyone to approach. the three of them sat around the round table. su xiaoxiao told him about seeing king nanyang. after hearing this, ghostfear remained silent for a long time. su xiaoxiao took out her handkerchief and dusted it in the air. she wiped the nonexistent tears from the corners of her eyes and said earnestly, ¡°i know that you¡¯re now a sacrificial soldier of the western jin dynasty. the sacrificial soldiers have no past. the wei family has nothing to do with you. however, king nanyang doesn¡¯t think so. helian ye has already exposed you. if king nanyang finds out that you¡¯re still alive, he¡­ will definitely come to take revenge on you. if you know anything, don¡¯t hide it. we¡¯ll think of a way together!¡± su mo looked at his sister in shock. how did she manage to lie in all seriousness? ghostfear said in a low voice, ¡°you don¡¯t have to goad me.¡± su xiaoxiao blinked and put away the handkerchief. ¡°then are you willing to tell me?¡± ghostfear wanted to say something but hesitated. after a pause, she said, ¡°let me make it clear first. i haven¡¯t recovered my memories.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded like a chick pecking at rice. ¡°up to you, anything!¡± it seemed that there was a chance. ghostfear did know about what happened back then. ghostfear took a deep breath and looked calm. his hands on his lap had already clenched into fists. ¡°i never thought that he would harm the wei family. but if it must be him, that should be the reason.¡± su xiaoxiao gestured for ghostfear to continue.. Chapter 649 - Chapter 649: The Truth Back Then chapter 649: the truth back then translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°the late emperor¡¯s edict,¡± ghostfear replied. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t understand. what did this have to do with the previous emperor¡¯s edict? ghostfear continued, ¡°four years ago, the previous emperor¡¯s will appeared at broken north pass. when my ancestor¡­ lord wu an found out about this, he immediately brought people to take back the will, but he didn¡¯t manage to.¡± after failing to take it back, king nanyang blamed lord wu an for not doing his job well. did he kill lord wu an and his children and grandchildren in his anger? no, no, no. this didn¡¯t make sense. there had to be a story. su xiaoxiao looked at ghostfear. ghostfear hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°however, lord wu an saw the contents of the will. it was because he was too shocked that he panicked and let the other party snatch it away.¡± su xiaoxiao asked in confusion, ¡°what was written in the will that shocked grandpa so much?¡± ghostfear said calmly, ¡°depose the king of nanyang, take back his status as a member of the royal family, and demote him to a commoner. if he rebels¡­ kill him.¡± su xiaoxiao and su mo fell silent. this will¡­ was indeed too surprising. su xiaoxiao digested it for a while before saying, ¡°didn¡¯t the late emperor dote on this eldest son the most? why did he depose him?¡± ghostfear shook her head. ¡°i don¡¯t quite understand this either.¡± su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°could it be that the will was forged by the white lotus society?¡± this time, su mo did not brainlessly praise his sister. he said, ¡°the people of the white lotus society don¡¯t have the ability to forge an imperial edict. however, the matter of the late emperor deposing the king of nanyang is indeed very strange. he even¡­ wants to kill him.¡± this was very puzzling. he continued, ¡°among the late emperor¡¯s sons, the one he valued the most and owed the most to was king nanyang.¡± ¡°debt?¡± su xiaoxiao felt that she couldn¡¯t finish the gossip tonight. su mo nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. when the late emoeror was still a nrince. he was ordered to quell the internal strife. not long after, he was retaliated against by the other party. the other party kidnapped the ten-year-old king nanyang and tortured him in all kinds of ways. he beat him up, imprisoned him, and abused him inhumanely. he vented all his anger on an innocent child. the late emperor was not threatened. he ignored his son¡¯s life and resolutely killed his way into the rebel army¡¯s nest. the rebel army shot king nanyang in front of the late emperor¡­ he was not killed, and the imperial physician saved him.¡± su xiaoxiao hesitated. ¡°the late emperor¡­¡± su mo said, ¡°it¡¯s hard to say if that matter is right or wrong. if he compromised, thousands of soldiers would die. if he didn¡¯t compromise, he¡¯ll lose his eldest son.¡¯ su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°what was king nanyang¡¯s attitude?¡± su mo said, ¡°he didn¡¯t blame the late emperor. he treated the late emperor with respect as usual. on the other hand, the late emperor felt extremely guilty towards his eldest son. from then on, he treated him differently from his other sons.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°yes,¡± the ghost replied. ¡°i see.¡± su xiaoxiao understood. many illogical things were explained at this moment. the will did not appoint king nanyang, but crippled him. he was not allowed to rebel, or he could be killed. king nanyang was definitely going to rebel. he was worried that the wei family would no longer follow him, and he was even more afraid that lord wu an, wei xu, and the others would kill him on orders. therefore, he struck first and colluded with helian ye to silence everyone. zhang feng must have seen the content of the will and felt that he would definitely be silenced by the king of nanyang, so he looked for zhao kangning to make a deal and asked him to help him escape. the only thing he could not figure out now was why the late emperor had wanted to depose his most beloved and owed son. when su xiaoxiao and su mo came out, wei liulang was standing quietly at the corner of the corridor. su xiaoxiao glanced at him and said to su mo, ¡°cousin, go back first.¡± su mo said, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll come back tomorrow.¡± after sending su mo off, su xiaoxiao came to wei liulang¡¯s side and asked softly, ¡°did you hear everything just now?¡± ¡°i heard you,¡± said wei liulang gloomily. when su xiaoxiao went to helian ye¡¯s room to find the murderer, he had to guard his brother and did not go over. however, he had been at the door just now and listened from beginning to end. there was nothing he did not understand. even though he was wearing a mask, su xiaoxiao could feel the blow he had suffered from his tense body. ¡°sixth brother,¡± su xiaoxiao called out softly. ¡°he¡¯s min¡¯er¡¯s father¡­¡± wei liulang¡¯s eyes turned red. xiao min was the youngest princess of king nanyang¡¯s mansion and the biological mother of dahu, erhu, and xiaohu. to the rest of the wei family, king nanyang was a lord and a friend, but to wei liulang, he had another identity. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know how to comfort him. it seemed unnecessary to say anything now. this was an irreconcilable hatred. it was betrayal by the person closest to him. it could not be erased. wei ting returned. ¡°sixth brother, xiaoxiao.¡± wei liulang turned around and said in a normal tone, ¡°i¡¯ll go back to the room first.¡± wei ting watched as wei liulang entered his shared room with his eldest brother and said to su xiaoxiao, ¡°let¡¯s go back too.¡± the two of them returned to the room. madam li had just left when the three little fellows were sleeping soundly. su xiaoxiao closed the window and sat down with wei ting. she poured wei ting a cup of cold tea to relieve the heat. ¡°have you seen king nanyang?¡± ¡°i did.¡± wei ting had a complicated expression. ¡°but i feel that it¡¯s not the same person at all.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. wei ting recalled, ¡°the change was so great that i almost didn¡¯t recognize him.¡± su xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°the last time you saw king nanyang was ten years ago, right? after the nanyang manor was destroyed, you never saw him again.¡± wei ting said, ¡°that¡¯s right. i didn¡¯t know that he was still alive. i always thought that only sixth sister-in-law survived.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°ten years can bring a lot of changes. it¡¯s enough to remold a person.¡± ¡°i know.¡± wei ting could not describe the feeling in his heart. ¡°the scar behind his ear is still there. he¡¯s the king of nanyang, but¡­ i just don¡¯t think it¡¯s him. he¡¯s left-handed, but his current habit is his right hand. his martial arts style has also changed. his gaze and aura¡­ are all different from before. sixth brother and eldest brother have also changed, but no matter how they change their martial arts and habits, i can still recognize them. the king of nanyang¡­ if i hadn¡¯t confirmed his identity, i almost wouldn¡¯t dare to recognize him.¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything. after all, they hadn¡¯t seen each other for ten years. she wasn¡¯t as familiar with him. one had to know that this was wei ting. his mind and memory were incomparable. therefore, what happened to make king nanyang become a different person? to be cautious, su xiaoxiao cut a small strand of dahu¡¯s hair and brought the cup she had brought from helian ye¡¯s room into the pharmacy. the cup was something king nanyang had used in the secret room. the results showed that king nanyang was related to dahu. he was the real king nanyang and not someone else. ¡°could he be the eldest princess¡¯s son? did she swap with the empress dowager?¡± the three little ones climbed on the empress dowager for an entire day. su xiaoxiao found a strand of the empress dowager¡¯s white hair on xiaohu¡¯s change of clothes. su xiaoxiao looked at the final test results. ¡°oh, it¡¯s the empress dowager¡¯s biological son..¡± Chapter 650 - Chapter 650: Xiaohu’s Talent chapter 650: xiaohu¡¯s talent translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°could it be that he¡¯s not the late emperor¡¯s? otherwise, it doesn¡¯t make sense why the late emperor wanted to depose him.¡± he used to dote on him so much and hurt him just like that. although she trusted the empress dowager¡¯s character, as a rigorous case officer, she shouldn¡¯t invest any personal feelings in the case¡­ she had to eliminate all possibilities. it was late at night, and princess jingning and princess hui an had already rested. su xiaoxiao lingered at the door for a moment before turning around and going to xiao zhonghua¡¯s courtyard. ¡°i¡¯m looking for jing yi, ¡± she said to the guard at the door. the guard went in to report. in less than three seconds, jing yi rushed out. ¡°i didn¡¯t disturb your rest, right?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°no,¡± jing yi said. ¡°i was patrolling.¡± after the case of helian ye being stabbed, everyone was especially careful. ¡°it¡¯s so late. what¡¯s the matter?¡± jing yi asked. su xiaoxiao rubbed her chubby hands. ¡°um, i want a strand of your cousin¡¯s hair.¡± ¡°wait a moment.¡± jing yi entered calmly. about ten seconds later, xiao zhonghua¡¯s deafening roar came from the house. ¡°jing! yi!¡± su xiaoxiao muttered to herself, ¡°no way. i¡¯m just taking a strand of your hair. is there a need to be so angry at my little puppy? then, jing yi rushed out and opened his palm. ¡°here, cousin¡¯s hair.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the thick black hair and suddenly understood xiao zhonghua¡¯s breakdown. other people pulled out one strand at a time, but he yanked them in a bunch. su xiaoxiao silently sympathized with xiao zhonghua for three seconds. jing yi¡¯s eyes were always clean and clear. when he saw her, it was as if he had fallen into the galaxy. he asked, ¡°do you want my cousin¡¯s hair to be pierced with a small person in a curse?¡± ¡°huh?¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. then, she realized that jing yi was referring to the victory-weary technique. it was used to curse people. princess jing ning had been stabbed using a small person. su xiaoxiao wanted to say that she wasn¡¯t that bored. ¡°here are your needles.¡± jing yi handed her a few fierce long needles. ¡°oh, and cousin¡¯s birth characters.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡°how did you survive under your cousin until now, young man?¡± su xiaoxiao brought xiao zhonghua¡¯s hair back to the courtyard. wei ting was not asleep and was reading in his room. su xiaoxiao secretly glanced at him and quietly walked into the ear room. wei ting snorted coldly. ¡°you¡¯re so mysterious. who cares about peeking at you?¡± su xiaoxiao compared xiao zhonghua¡¯s genes with king nanyang¡¯s. while waiting for the results, she left the second branch. ¡°wei ting,¡± she called. ¡°why aren¡¯t you sleeping? are you waiting for me?¡± wei ting put down his book and was about to get into bed. why didn¡¯t he follow the routine? su xiaoxiao went forward and pulled him back with a smile. ¡°you can¡¯t sleep anyway.¡± wei ting looked at her coldly. ¡°so?¡± su xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°play with me?¡± wei ting was speechless. su xiaoxiao actually wanted to verify what she looked like to outsiders after entering the pharmacy. she thought for a moment that she had entered the pharmacy with her mind, but ever since she was sure that poison and living things could not be brought away, she did not think so. ¡°it¡¯s easy. i¡¯ll go hide in the ear room later. come in on the count of three and see if you can find me?¡± in order to increase the rationality of this action, she coughed lightly and added, ¡°didn¡¯t i just learn qinggong from my sisters-in-law for a few days? i want to test how well i¡¯ve learned. give me three counts to escape. let¡¯s see if i can escape.¡± wei ting looked at her meaningfully. ¡°if you¡¯re really bored, we can do something else.¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°that¡­ that kind of thing? i¡¯m still a child.. wei ting, who had already been eaten inside and out, was speechless. wei ting had gone crazy with her. su xiaoxiao entered the ear room and closed her eyes. with a thought, she entered the pharmacy. she remained standing. she had never observed it before, but now she realized that she could see outside. ¡°three counts. i¡¯m coming in.¡± she could hear it too. wei ting pushed the door open and entered. he looked at her strangely. ¡°you¡¯re not ready?¡± wei ting could see her! ¡°yes¡­ i¡¯ll be done in a moment. you¡¯re early,¡± she said. ¡®you said three counts.¡± wei ting frowned and closed the door again. ¡°i¡¯ll count to three again.¡± it seemed that wei ting could not only see her but also hear her, but he could not see her pharmacy. su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and took a few steps back. the moment she moved, the overlapping of the two spaces disappeared. she could only see everything in the pharmacy and hear the voices in it. about a minute later, she left the pharmacy. she was still in the ear room. from this, it could be seen that she would come out of wherever she entered. she pulled open the door and looked at wei ting as if nothing had happened. ¡°how was it this time?¡± wei ting asked coldly, ¡°where did you go?¡± su xiaoxiao raised her chin. ¡°i¡­ of course used my qinggong to go out!¡± su xiaoxiao understood. the moment she entered the pharmacy, the two spaces overlapped. as soon as she walked, she completely stepped into the pharmacy. if she encountered danger in the future, wouldn¡¯t she have a life-saving talisman? no, no, no. she could not rely too much on the pharmacy. after all, the pharmacy was intermittent. if she was not allowed to enter at the critical moment, she would be doomed. moreover, she could only stay inside for a limited time every time. one minute at a time, up to three minutes. when she arrived, she would be forcefully thrown out. fortunately, there was no limit to the number of times she could enter. at most, she would enter a few more times. su xiaoxiao returned to the ear room and was about to get the results when she realized that she couldn¡¯t enter! damn it! there was also a limit to the number of times! the next day, su xiaoxiao obtained the results of the comparison. the relationship between prince nanyang and xiao zhonghua was established. actually, from the looks of prince nanyang and emperor jing xuan, it was impossible for the two of them to be brothers from the same mother but different fathers. the two of them were not like the empress dowager. they looked like the previous emperor. in fact, king nanyang looked more like the previous emperor than emperor jing xuan. ¡°sigh, he¡¯s the descendant of the previous emperor.¡± su xiaoxiao touched her chin. after helian ye was assassinated, the palace was no longer considered safe. emperor jing xuan decided to return to the capital. the broken wooden bridge had been repaired overnight. the group came and left majestically. su xiaoxiao cleared moxie¡¯s injustice. moxie was grateful and expressed that he had to repay su xiaoxiao no matter what. su xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°then come up and play a song.¡± ¡°okay.¡± moxie did not refuse. he brought erhu and got into su xiaoxiao¡¯s carriage. the four children were all there. madam li didn¡¯t want to take the carriage today, so she went to ride a horse. xiaohu pointed at his erhu. ¡°what is this?¡± mo ye said politely, ¡°it¡¯s erhu.¡± xiaohu asked, ¡°erhu (said with different intonation)?¡± moxie corrected, ¡°erhu.¡± xiaohu imitated him and said, ¡°erhuuu¡­. moxiee was speechless. xiaohu asked, ¡°can i touch it?¡± moxie said generously, ¡°of course. do you like musical instruments too?¡± xiaohu nodded. ¡°i like it! i¡­ i know how to play the zither! i know how to play the flute! and the suo!¡± dahu said, ¡°it¡¯s the suona!¡± so he was a musical genius! moxie was filled with admiration. qin su was so powerful, so was her son! mo ye asked, ¡°then¡­ do you want to learn?¡± xiaohu opened his mouth. ¡°yes!¡± moxie immediately said, ¡°i¡¯ll teach you!¡± it was his honor to be able to teach the great zhou¡¯s musical genius! he was confident that qin su¡¯s son would become the second nalan yun! because dahu and erhu were not interested in erhu, moxie decided to teach xiaohu one-on-one. he brought xiaohu back to his carriage. xiaohu only pulled once before the roof of the car was flipped over by mo xie! he was so frightened that he split and almost jumped up, running towards su xiaoxiao! help! the child pulled a donkey grunt out of the erhu! Chapter 651 - Chapter 651: Return to the Capital (1) chapter 651: return to the capital (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after returning to the capital, wei ting first went to the palace. emperor jing xuan wanted to gather the ministers and generals to discuss the matter. su xiaoxiao and the others returned to the wei family. not to mention su xiaoxiao, madam li had also been through a lot in the past two days. the people who usually took care of her in the residence did not feel that way yet. after going to the palace, she was worried about various things. madam li was extremely worried and swore not to bring her children out again for the rest of her life. unless they brought the entire family along. ¡°grandma!¡± the three children ran into matriarch wei¡¯s room and threw themselves into her arms. ¡°my precious great-grandsons, come, let great-grandma see if you¡¯ve lost weight!¡± when old madam wei saw her great-grandsons, she carried them onto her lap one by one and was intimate with them for a while. she did not favor one over the other. then, she looked at su xiaoxiao and madam li, who had thick dark circles under their eyes, and asked in confusion, ¡°what did you two do? did you get beaten up?¡± madam li thought to herself that it would be fine if she was beaten up. she could still beat up the attacker with her seventh sister-in-law. madam li really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. she yawned and said dizzily, ¡°grandmother, i¡¯ll go back first. i¡¯ve handed xiyue and the others to you. you don¡¯t have to call me for lunch.¡¯ she wanted to catch up on her sleep. su xiaoxiao also wanted to go back and catch up on her sleep, but she still had something on. ¡°you¡¯re not leaving?¡± matriarch wei looked at su xiaoxiao strangely. ¡°i¡¯ll leave immediately¡­¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. old madam wei refused. ¡°don¡¯t smile. you look strange.¡± su xiaoxiao took out the peachwood mirror and looked at it. the little fatty¡¯s body trembled and she almost shouted, ¡°who is this female ghost?¡± she put away the mirror and coughed lightly. she looked at the four children playing with building blocks at the side and sighed casually. ¡°time passes so quickly. in the blink of an eye, dahu and the others are already three years old. if king nanyang was still alive, he would definitely be very happy to see them.¡± old madam wei also looked at the four children. seeing that they were focused on playing and did not notice the adults¡¯ conversation, she said, ¡°why did you suddenly mention this?¡± ¡°oh, i heard sixth brother mention it on the way back.¡± su xiaoxiao pushed the blame away without any psychological burden. matriarch wei made another mental note of sixth brother. she wondered why he would mention it for no reason. what if the children heard it? ¡°i want to ride the west wind!¡± xiaohu ran out. dahu complained about his brother. ¡°you¡¯re always like this. if you can¡¯t win, then don¡¯t play!¡± in the end, he went to look for xiaohu with erhu and wei xiyue. after the children left, old madam wei could finally mention king nanyang in peace. ¡°fate makes fools of people.¡± su xiaoxiao went with the flow. ¡°what kind of person was prince nanyang when he was alive?¡± old madam wei recalled, ¡°he¡¯s quite a filial child. the late emperor had many children, and he¡¯s the smartest one. don¡¯t think that little seven is the top scholar at the age of 17. king nanyang has never taken the imperial examination. otherwise, it¡¯s hard to say if the youngest top scholar is little seven.¡± matriarch wei did not praise people easily, especially not wei ting. she only liked to complain about wei ting in front of him and was extremely proud of him behind his back. su xiaoxiao exclaimed, ¡°is king nanyang so powerful?¡± old madam wei said, ¡°that¡¯s right. who didn¡¯t praise the late emperor for giving birth to a good son back then?¡± king nanyang had disguised himself well¡­ su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t obtain much useful information. su xiaoxiao decided not to tell matriarch wei that king nanyang was still alive for the time being. the people king nanyang wanted to silence were those who had seen the previous emperor¡¯s edict back then. the women of the wei family were not within his range of extermination. su xiaoxiao went back to catch up on her sleep. on the way, when she passed by the courtyard of the eldest branch, she saw a tall and lonely figure. it was ghostfear. he stood at the door of the courtyard and looked inside in a daze. su xiaoxiao came to his side and said, ¡°the golden orange tree in the courtyard was planted by sister-in-law. she said that you like to eat golden oranges. even if you can¡¯t eat it anymore, she still carefully planted it.¡± wei liulang had already told him everything about madam chu, including the identities of madam wei and mo guiyuan. ghostfear said calmly, ¡°i haven¡¯t recovered my memories.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°oh.¡± ghostfear turned around and left. su xiaoxiao glanced around and saw madam wei standing not far away with a basket of golden oranges. she seemed to want to come over but was very hesitant. she watched her eldest son leave, a trace of sadness flashing across her eyes. su xiaoxiao went over to greet her. ¡°mother.¡± madam wei restrained the hurt in her eyes. ¡°it¡¯s xiaoxiao.. how was your trip to the palace?¡± Chapter 652 - Chapter 652: Return to the Capital (2) chapter 652: return to the capital (2) ¡°pretty good.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°mother, don¡¯t be sad. we all know that big brother has regained his memory. he just won¡¯t admit it. when he completes his mission as a sacrificial soldier, he will acknowledge us.¡± speaking of which, what was ghostfear¡¯s mission? no, she was not curious at all. madam wei smiled bitterly and did not answer. su xiaoxiao looked at the heavy basket in her hand and said, ¡°i¡¯ll send it to brother later.¡± madam wei hurriedly said, ¡°this basket of golden oranges is for you. little six has already sent it to your brother.¡± among his three sons, only wei liulang was the thickest-skinned. he did not have any grudges with anyone and dealt with his brothers and elders. ¡°thank you, mother.¡± su xiaoxiao took the basket. madam wei wanted to say something but hesitated. after taking a few steps, she turned to su xiaoxiao and said, ¡°thank you¡­ for taking care of little seven.¡± after wei ting returned from the discussion, he saw the golden oranges on the table. he looked at the little fat peacock in confusion. ¡°did you pluck them?¡± su xiaoxiao ate one bite at a time, her cheeks bulging. ¡°mother sent them.¡± wei ting sat on the stool beside her and pulled the golden oranges into his arms domineeringly. ¡°mine.¡± su xiaoxiao puffed up her cheeks and glared at him. she said vaguely, ¡°stingy!¡± the couple ate golden oranges in the house. as they ate, wei ting suddenly felt his heart palpitate. he subconsciously frowned and rubbed his heart. su xiaoxiao caught his abnormality and looked at him. ¡°are you feeling unwell? don¡¯t pretend to be sick just to snatch the oranges from me! i don¡¯t fall for this!¡± the ruse of self-injury was useless to her! wei ting said nothing. su xiaoxiao paused in her actions. she put down the golden orange and took wei ting¡¯s pulse. ¡°your pulse is a little urgent, but you don¡¯t look sick. does your heart hurt?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not pain. heart palpitations,¡± wei ting said. ¡°did you suffer any internal injuries?¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°that¡¯s strange. your pulse is clearly fine.¡± he wasn¡¯t sick or injured, but he felt inexplicably uncomfortable¡­ poisoned? it didn¡¯t seem like it. thinking of something, su xiaoxiao took out the small box she had robbed from sikong yun. the moment wei ting nestled the small box in his hand, the little worm inside moved. it was a gu! the two of them looked at each other and saw confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. su xiaoxiao asked seriously, ¡°have you fought the gu master?¡± wei ting shook his head. ¡°no, i didn¡¯t meet him at all.¡± there was a traitor in northern yan who colluded with the nanyang king to poison moxie and the two death warriors guarding helian ye. who was this traitor? other than the gu master zhao kangning brought, there was no one su xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°he can cast a gu on you without meeting you. either he placed the gu on king nanyang, or he placed it in your path.¡± wei ting remembered something. ¡°last night, king nanyang deliberately lured me out¡­¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°looks like that was the time.¡± wei ting said coldly, ¡°i knew it. why did he spend so much effort to lure me out last night? he didn¡¯t say anything to me and didn¡¯t hurt me. it turns out that he was waiting here.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°king nanyang wants to control you with gu.¡± wei ting had the army left behind by lord wu an. now that the truth had been exposed and king nanyang¡¯s identity had been exposed, it was impossible for wei ting to hand the commander¡¯s seal to him. in order to achieve his goal, he chose to use gu to control wei ting. su xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. ¡°what a good plan. from the looks of it, he hid in helian ye¡¯s room yesterday not only to wait for helian ye to die, but also to catch you. no, perhaps even earlier. he could have killed helian ye, but he deliberately didn¡¯t kill him to lure us out.¡± although she hated king nanyang, she could not help but sigh. as expected of the big boss who played mo guiyuan like a fiddle. his schemes were simply too much. wei ting asked, ¡°do you know how to remove the gu?¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± su xiaoxiao cleared her throat and said with difficulty, ¡°it¡¯s just that the method is a little¡­ extreme.¡± wei ting said seriously, ¡°i¡¯m not afraid. come on.¡± ¡®i¡¯m the one who¡¯s afraid¡­ if you don¡¯t control yourself when interacting in depth, who can withstand it?¡± however, she could not find a second way to remove the gu for wei ting. she sighed, made up her mind, and told him the method to remove the gu. wei ting looked at her speechlessly. after a while, he sighed faintly and seriously reflected. ¡°it¡¯s my fault. i neglected you after the wedding. since we¡¯re husband and wife, it¡¯s only right that you want to have sex. there¡¯s no need to find this excuse.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. at the posthouse, zhao kangning was pacing around the room, feeling uneasy. suddenly, there was a knock on the door. ¡°who?¡± ¡°princess, it¡¯s me.¡± zhao kangning relaxed. ¡°come in.¡± the gu master pushed the door open and entered. zhao kangning sized him up and asked impatiently, ¡®where have you been for the past two days? i haven¡¯t seen you since yesterday morning.¡± ¡°i went to follow jing yi,¡± the gu master said. ¡°then did you succeed?¡± zhao kangning asked. the gu master said helplessly, ¡°jing yi seems to be very favored by prince li of the western jin dynasty. he always stays by prince li¡¯s side and i don¡¯t have a chance to attack. princess, don¡¯t be angry. i have another piece of good news.¡± zhao kangning said coldly, ¡°what good news?¡± the gu master smiled. ¡°i poisoned wei ting.¡± zhao kangning was stunned. ¡°really?¡± the gu master smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s absolutely true. i poisoned him with the unity gu. in less than three days, no, i should say that he will listen to you tonight. princess, wait for him to look for you tomorrow!¡± the night was hazy. su xiaoxiao, who had devoted herself to the gu removal, extinguished the oil lamp in the house. after their marriage, the two of them never interacted with each other again. they were actually a little nervous. the two of them sat on the canopy bed. su xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°um¡­ let¡¯s make things clear first. Chapter 653 - Chapter 653: Little Tiger Head Meets King Nanyang (1) chapter 653: little tiger head meets king nanyang (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei ting remained silent. he would do whatever she said. she wanted her dignity. he understood. su xiaoxiao slowly lay down and crossed her hands on her soft stomach. ¡°don¡¯t go overboard.¡± wei ting originally planned to do more and say less, but this girl repeatedly emphasized it so much that he really couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. he turned around and looked at a serious little fat peacock from the night. he smiled faintly. ¡°are you sure i don¡¯t have to go too deep?¡± ¡°ahem!¡± su xiaoxiao choked. why did she feel that this guy¡¯s tone was not pure? the corners of wei ting¡¯s lips curled up as he said in a low and hoarse voice, ¡°the matters between a husband and a wife are also a branch of knowledge. it¡¯s better to be broad and deep. what do you think, madam?¡± this address of madam was too seductive. it took su xiaoxiao a while to realize what he was referring to. this guy! he was starting to talk dirty! had he learned bad things from yuchi xiu?! she would never admit that he had learned bad things from her! she glared at him angrily. wei ting chuckled softly and covered her gently. he placed his hands beside her and imprisoned her under him domineeringly, giving her a deep kiss. su xiaoxiao slept until late in the morning. when she woke up, she immediately felt that her body was no longer hers. even her bones were sore. ¡°i¡¯m dying, i¡¯m dying¡­¡± this hoarse voice was almost not hers. if she had known that the price of removing the gu was so high, she would not have cared about that guy. wei ting went to court. her clean clothes were folded by the pillow and the ground had been cleaned. su xiaoxiao was quite satisfied. ¡°this man¡¯s waist is good¡­ ahem! no, it¡¯s very good.¡± wei ting went to the imperial court and returned after breakfast. su xiaoxiao had just finished eating the breakfast brought over by the small kitchen and planned to go out. the two of them met at the door. one was carrying a small first aid kit, and the other was carrying a big walnut. seeing him, su xiaoxiao was angry. she had said that it was only to remove the gu. yet this guy simply all night?! wei ting coughed lightly and reached for her medicine box. ¡°i¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t want you to do it!¡± su xiaoxiao crossed the threshold angrily. her legs were too sore and she tripped. wei ting hugged her firmly. her soft body carried a fragrance that belonged to her alone. everything from the night before surged into his mind, and his blood surged again. he looked at su xiaoxiao in his arms and asked seriously, ¡°did you poison me?¡± su xiaoxiao flew into a raqe out of humiliation. she stuffed the medicine box into his arms and stood up. ¡°who poisoned you? if i want to poison you, i¡¯ll go all the way! and kill my husband!¡± wei ting said, ¡°you¡¯re so ruthless.¡± su xiaoxiao said fiercely, ¡°as long as you know!¡± today, she was going to treat helian ye¡¯s injuries. wei ting knew that she was tired and especially rushed back to accompany her. the sedan chair had already been prepared. the two of them rode a sedan chair to the entrance of the residence and changed into a carriage to go to the posthouse. helian ye¡¯s life was saved by su xiaoxiao. other imperial physicians did not dare to take on the ask at all, afraid that they would accidentally treat helian ye to death again. emperor jing xuan was also forced to generously issue a decree for su xiaoxiao to treat helian ye every day. zhao kangning didn¡¯t want to see su xiaoxiao, but when she heard that wei ting had accompanied her, her eyes lit up. she changed into a beautiful wide-sleeved immortal dress and put on luxurious pearl hairpin jewelry. she had snow-white skin, bright eyes, and white teeth. she was a great beauty. ¡°princess.¡± the gu master came to the door. zhao kangning sat in front of the bronze mirror and personally chose a pair of pearl earrings to wear. ¡°wei ting is indeed here. do you think he¡¯s here for the gu master smiled and said, ¡°he¡¯s naturally here to look for the princess.¡± zhao kangning asked, ¡°are you sure you didn¡¯t miss this time?¡± the gu master said with extreme certainty, ¡°i¡¯m sure.¡± zhao kangning pursed her red lips and looked at the beautiful woman in the bronze mirror. she stood up in satisfaction. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go see him.¡± in order to ensure helian ye¡¯s safety in front of everyone, emperor jing xuan sent troops to guard the posthouse. su xiaoxiao took out the token given by emperor jing xuan and successfully brought wei ting into helian ye¡¯s courtyard. she entered the house to change helian ye¡¯s dressing and get an iv drip. wei ting was waiting for her at the door. the gu master arrived beside wei ting first and gently shook the copper bell in his hand. he whispered to wei ting, ¡°go find princess kang ning and obey her orders.¡± wei ting did not move. the gu master thought that he had not made himself clear, so he repeated. wei ting still did not move. the gu master frowned. just as he was wondering if the copper bell was broken, wei ting called over and stunned him! Chapter 654 - Chapter 654: Little Tiger Head Meets King Nanyang (2) chapter 654: little tiger head meets king nanyang (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°you¡­¡± he covered his swollen cheek and looked at wei ting in disbelief. he almost blurted out, ¡°you weren¡¯t poisoned?¡± he took a step back and looked at wei ting carefully. that was right, wei ting did not have the aura of a gu worm. how could this be? he had clearly placed the gu worm on wei ting¡¯s path, and king nanyang had even especially stopped there to talk to wei ting for a long time. it would be strange if wei ting was not afflicted by it after such a long time! wei ting was not afraid of being poisoned at all. he was even looking forward to it. ¡°are you done planting your gu?¡± the gu master¡¯s face turned pale. wei ting stretched out his arm. ¡°if there¡¯s anything else, give me another one. this time, plant one that is more powerful. don¡¯t make me lose it overnight.¡± the gu master was dumbfounded. helian ye had been unconscious for a long time this time. there was nothing he could do if it wasn¡¯t enough. who asked him to circulate his energy yesterday? in that situation, circulating his energy was no different from having a death wish. thinking that this unfortunate block must know a lot of king nanyang¡¯s secrets after working with him for so long, su xiaoxiao decided to try her best to wake him up. su xiaoxiao hung him up and changed the dressing. when she came out, wei ting was alone at the door. su xiaoxiao looked around. ¡°did something happen just now? i heard a commotion. did zhao kangning and the gu master come?¡± wei ting carried the medicine box over. ¡°don¡¯t worry about them. let¡¯s go. i¡¯ll get yuchi xiu and fu su to watch over this side.¡± ¡°yes.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded and got into the carriage back to the residence with him. in the room in the east courtyard, zhao kangning¡¯s face was ashen. ¡°didn¡¯t you say that you poisoned him? then what happened just now? he even beat you up! he ignored me when i spoke to him!¡± the gu master also felt aggrieved. he really could not figure out how wei ting had escaped the gu worm. it was impossible for him to have a way to avoid gu worms like king nanyang. so he was poisoned and then cured himself? ¡°did that girl remove the gu for him?¡± zhao kangning also thought of su xiaoxiao. the gu master shook his head. ¡°no, the gu we cast can only be removed by ourselves or higher-level gu masters. the only one stronger than me is my master. my master is far away in northern yan. why would he remove the gu for wei ting?¡± zhao kangning was furious. ¡°useless thing!¡± the gu master¡¯s expression turned ugly. it was not because he had been scolded by zhao kangning, but because his mission had failed again. if this continued, his master would punish him. he had to control wei ting immediately. since ordinary methods did not work, he would take the unorthodox path! at pear blossom lane, a carriage slowly stopped in front of the house at the west end. ghostfear alighted from the carriage with a cold expression and carried the three smelly farts down one by one with a look of disdain. after the three little ones stabilized themselves, they looked up cutely. ¡°goodbye, uncle!¡± ¡°hmph ! ¡± ghostfear snorted coldly and left without looking back. the coachman waited in a small alley at the side. the three little ones clattered into the courtyard. ¡°master!¡± ¡°master!¡± ¡°master!¡± in the house, ling yun¡¯s hand trembled as he sat on the futon. he got up and was about to leave! ¡°master! i miss you so much!¡± dahu jumped in and hugged his right leg. ¡°master! erhu misses you too!¡± erhu hugged his left leg. ¡°xiaohu misses you the most!¡± xiaohu no longer had legs to hug and rushed¡ª ling yun¡¯s body trembled! don¡¯t hug his third leg! ling yun was successfully tackled by the three little fellows. ¡°master! i learned a new instrument!¡± xiaohu ran out and brought in the erhu he had left at the door. ¡°uncle moxie gave it to me! he even praised me for playing well and told me not to play in the future! ¡± ling yun was speechless. ling yun looked at the familiar erhu and was stunned. xiaohu sat down cross-legged on the clean wooden floor. ¡°master, i¡¯ll play it for you! i learned it new yesterday! i learned it all!¡± outside the alley, the gu master suddenly heard a donkey cry. the gu worms in his hand were frightened to death! ¡°master! master!¡± ¡°xiaohu, stop pulling. i want to play the zither!¡± ¡°you are so noisy!¡± these few small voices¡­ the gu master stopped the horse. he leaned against the wall and eavesdropped for a long time. he was sure that it was the three little fellows of the wei family. he had seen them in the palace. he was just worried that he could not find a way to deal with wei ting when he came. it was said that these three children were raised by the protector duke in the countryside, but the two families doted on them very much. after capturing them, was there a need to worry that wei ting would not take the bait? ¡°wei ting, wei ting, you¡¯ve finally fallen into my hands this time.¡± the gu master brought the experts and hid in the alley for more than half a day. finally, deng an came out with the three little ones. at first glance, the gu master thought that he had recognized wrongly. in the palace, there were clearly three ordinary-looking children, but now, they were three little immortal children who seemed to have walked out of a painting. they were too beautiful and adorable. ¡°dahu, i don¡¯t want this.¡± xiaohu handed a half-eaten date to dahu. dahu helplessly took the leftover dates from his stinky brother. he could not waste them and could only eat them himself. ¡°erhu, i want to eat yours,¡± xiaohu said. ¡°no.¡± erhu ran away. dahu, erhu¡­ the names were right, and the other characteristics were also right. it seemed that they had changed their appearance in the palace. strange, was there something shameful about the three children? why did they disguise themselves? ¡°the wei family has secrets. i¡¯ve made a great contribution.¡± the gu master smiled proudly and followed them to the orchard. he got the accompanying expert to carry one of the children away. as soon as he got into the carriage, there was a knock on the wheel. knock, knock, knock. he pushed open the car window and saw two cute children. his eyes narrowed. dahu said, ¡°why did you take my brother away?¡± without waiting for the gu master to answer, dahu continued, ¡°it¡¯s impolite of you to do this. the three of us are together!¡± then, dahu and erhu were taken away. in his excitement, the gu master rushed the carriage to a quiet courtyard in the suburbs. he couldn¡¯t wait to get out of the carriage and go to the courtyard to kneel on one knee. ¡°master! i¡¯ve captured three hostages! i¡¯ll refine them into gu children now!¡± king nanyang slowly turned around. the three children jumped out of the carriage one by one.. Chapter 655 - Chapter 655: Call Me Grandpa chapter 655: call me grandpa translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao went to the posthouse early in the morning to treat helian ye. at that time, although there was no one else in the room, she was worried that helian ye would wake up halfway and see something he shouldn¡¯t see. therefore, su xiaoxiao waited until she returned to the wei family before entering the pharmacy. when she came out to hold the small metal box again, the little worm inside did not react. ¡°alright, i¡¯ve removed the gu.¡± the pharmacy was impressive; it was simply awesome. at the same time, she also replenished some first aid medicine. ¡°i have to find an opportunity to try the upper limit of the number of times i enter every day. if i go in a few times a day, can i stack the number of times i didn¡¯t go before?¡± su xiaoxiao felt that the latter was unlikely. she did not enter the pharmacy often. if she could stack them, she would have been able to enter when she took the test results of prince nanyang and xiao zhonghua. there was no hurry. she could try slowly. her real priority pertained to two things. first, investigate king nanyang. although she wanted to set her goal as killing king nanyang, considering king nanyang¡¯s rank, killing him was probably not that simple. second, kill the gu master. the reason could not be simpler. this person was too dangerous and could cast gu invisibly. even moxie and wei ting were affected one after another. no one could guarantee who would be next. the only fortunate thing was that he did not have many powerful gu on hand. he could not bear to use them on people who were not related. for example, moxie and the two sacrificial soldiers were only given the lowest-grade gu. the gu did not live for long and the gu did not have to be removed. his main target was wei ting. next was jing yi, who had offended zhao kangning. she could still cure wei ting after he was poisoned, but it was too much of an effort for a little fat peacock like her. if jing yi was poisoned, he would be finished. in conclusion, the gu master had to die. ¡°i can only kill them. i can¡¯t bring anyone else. if they¡¯re poisoned by a powerful gu, i won¡¯t be able to cure them¡­ it¡¯s fine if wei ting is poisoned. wei ting pushed the door open and entered. he glanced at someone in disbelief. ¡°what are you muttering about?¡± ¡°nothing.¡± su xiaoxiao crossed out wei ting¡¯s option on the notebook and quietly put it away. ¡°where did you go? i haven¡¯t seen you since you came back. did you do something bad behind my back again?¡± wei ting chuckled. ¡°you¡¯re watching so closely. it seems you can¡¯t bear to leave me?¡± su xiaoxiao did not retort, ¡°what do you know? this is called developing feelings over time¡­¡± no, she was a pure little fairy. su xiaoxiao decisively changed the topic. ¡°where are dahu and the others?¡± wei ting said, ¡°they went to class. big brother sent him there. sixth brother will pick them up after school.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll pick them up!¡± at the same time, she planned to kill the gu master. wei ting looked suspiciously at a certain someone¡¯s back and nodded seriously. ¡°yes, i still have strength. i can continue at night.¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that she had been targeted by a certain guy again. she got into the carriage and left the wei family. halfway through, she saw su xuan strolling on the street. su xuan was wearing a blue and white imperial college uniform. he was as handsome as jade and looked peerless. why didn¡¯t she realize that fourth cousin was so pleasing to the eye in the past¡­ it was useless to nourish the eyes. this guy had returned from the palace and was still not going to the directorate for class. the situation was very serious! su xiaoxiao stopped the carriage and looked at su xuan. ¡°fourth cousin!¡± su xuan turned his head and smiled at her. he walked over. ¡°cousin.¡± su xiaoxiao was like a parent who had caught a delinquent. she asked seriously, ¡°fourth cousin, are you skipping class again? isn¡¯t the fall quarter examination next month?¡± su xuan smiled. ¡°i came out to relax. where are you going?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°oh, i¡­ went to do something.¡± su xuan asked, ¡°are you investigating king nanyang? su xiaoxiao looked around and asked softly, ¡°you know too?¡± su xuan smiled and said, ¡°i heard it from big brother.¡± yes, su xuan and su li had both gone to the palace. su xiaoxiao probed, ¡°fourth cousin, do you know where king nanyang is hiding?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± su xuan said. ¡°but you can keep an eye on someone.¡± ¡°who?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°xu qing.¡± su xiaoxiao was shocked. wasn¡¯t xu qing qin jiang¡¯s subordinate? later on, he was sent by qin jiang to protect qin yanran. was he actually king nanyang¡¯s lackey? did qin jiang know? or was qin jiang¡­ also king nanyang¡¯s subordinate? su xiaoxiao recalled carefully and rejected the last two guesses. if qin jiang was really king nanyang¡¯s man, with king nanyang¡¯s ambition and methods, it was impossible for him to let qin jiang lose his military power. qin jiang was not capable enough and was not chosen by king nanyang. the reason why he planted xu qing next to qin jiang was only to monitor qin canglan. therefore, he latched onto qin yanran and took the opportunity to sneak into the eldest prince¡¯s residence. ¡°could it be that xu qing secretly instigated qin yanran to seduce the eldest prince as her secondary consort?¡± that was very likely! since he could not stay in the protectorate, it was good to infiltrate the royal family. xiao duye was the eldest son of emperor jing xuan. he had the most chances to see emperor jing xuan and the most support for ascending the throne. or rather, he used to have the most support the tide was in xiao zhonghua¡¯s favor now. after assisting xiao duye to ascend the throne and killing him, he would imitate the actions of the previous emperor back then and become the emperor¡¯s uncle. then, king nanyang would be able to rule the world. king nanyang¡¯s plan¡­ was terrifying! ¡°but fourth cousin, how did you know that xu qing is his man?¡± su xuan didn¡¯t answer anymore. he smiled and said, ¡°i¡¯ll leave first. see you another day.¡± at pear blossom lane, ling yun waited for a long time, but deng an and the three little rascals did not return. he frowned and personally went to the orchard to look. in the end, he saw deng an lying on the ground. he shook deng an awake. ¡®where¡¯re my disciples?¡± deng an looked around in confusion, not understanding what had happened. ling yun touched deng an¡¯s heart with his fingertips, and a cold glint flashed across his eyes. ¡°gu master?¡± in a courtyard in the suburbs, king nanyang saw three cute children. they looked identical and were obviously triplets. the more king nanyang looked at them, the more familiar it felt. there was an indescribable feeling. the gu master continued to take credit. ¡°master, they¡¯re children of the wei family! if we capture them, we won¡¯t be afraid of not being able to control wei ting! ¡°the wei family?¡± king nanyang frowned suspiciously. he walked up to the three children and looked down at them. the three of them also looked up at him with big black eyes. they were extremely cute. the three of them did not disguise themselves today. they looked exactly like xiao min. if not for the fact that they were dressed like boys, they would have looked like three little xiao mins. king nanyang looked at the three of them steadily. ¡°who¡¯s your mother?¡± dahu shook his head. ¡°i can¡¯t tell you.¡± king nanyang said again, ¡°where¡¯s dad?¡± dahu said, ¡°wei ting.¡± he sold his father without hesitation. erhu tilted his head and looked at him. ¡°who are you? did you ask that person to bring us over? have you greeted master? you have to greet him. master will be worried.¡± king nanyang looked at them without blinking. suddenly, someone called out, ¡°grandpa!¡± Chapter 656 - Chapter 656: The Power of the Three Little Ones! chapter 656: the power of the three little ones! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this call made king nanyang pause. he frowned at the three children and looked out the door. it was a four-year-old girl calling her grandfather. the middle-aged man smiled warmly and picked her up. he asked with a smile, ¡°where do you want to go to play?¡± ¡°i want to eat candied hawthorn,¡± the little girl said sweetly. the middle-aged man smiled brightly. ¡°alright! grandpa will bring you to buy the three little ones also saw this scene. xiaohu blinked. if he could eat candy just by calling him grandpa, he would do it. he opened his mouth to scream. dahu covered his mouth. ¡°you can¡¯t call grandpa blindly!¡± dahu educated his stinky brother seriously. xiaohu didn¡¯t understand what grandpa meant, but dahu did. grandpa was quite special. for example, he could call any elder in the village grandpa: grandpa li, grandpa zhang, and so on, but it was definitely not like grandpa li and grandpa zhang. ¡°only mother¡¯s father can be called grandpa.¡± dahu understood. he pointed at king nanyang. ¡°he¡¯s not.¡± king nanyang frowned. ¡°mother¡¯s father is grandpa!¡± erhu said. ¡°yes! grandpa! grandpa! grandpa!¡± xiaohu thought of su cheng and jumped up excitedly. this question was beyond the scope¡­ why was it that other people¡¯s mother¡¯s father was a maternal grandfather, and their mother¡¯s father was a paternal grandfather? in the not-too-distant future, he would learn a word¡ªlive-in son-in-law. however, he clearly did not know. dahu was successfully stuck. ¡°idiot dahu! idiot dahu!¡± xiaohu ran around dahu. ¡°i¡¯m not an idiot!¡± dahu stomped his feet. xiaohu made a face and stuck out his tongue as he ran. ¡°come on, come on! catch me! hehehe!¡± dahu went to catch his stinky brother. erhu to paper over something: ¡°xiaohu, run! dahu, do your best!¡± the three little ones played crazily in the courtyard. the quiet place that had been quiet for many years suddenly became noisy. the gu master knew that his master liked peace and quiet. he walked over and said, ¡°master, when i give them some gu, they will immediately¡­¡± king nanyang interrupted him. ¡°call scorpio over.¡± the gu master was stunned. he glanced at the three little ones in a tizzy and said, ¡°yes.¡± scorpio was a code name, not his real name. the gu master released the messenger pigeon. about an hour later, the man with the code name scorpio appeared in king nanyang¡¯s study. ¡°scorpio greets master.¡± xu qing knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully. ¡°lalala ¨C lalala xiaohu twisted his butt in the courtyard. the three little fellows were completely unaware of being hostages. they were bold and energetic. the dog next door was autistic from their noise. king nanyang sat on a chair. the dark light enveloped most of his figure, causing him to emit a cold and sinister aura. ¡°is everything going smoothly in the capital?¡± king nanyang asked. xu qing reported, ¡°xiao duye has fallen out of favor recently. xiao zhonghua is in the limelight, but emperor jing xuan doesn¡¯t dote on this son. he just has to be rewarded for his contributions. xiao shunyang has been especially low-key since he returned from the peach forest. the person emperor jing xuan likes the most now should be him.¡± as the saying went, the tallest tree would be destroyed by the wind. it was not a bad thing to keep a low profile occasionally. king nanyang did not comment. he pointed at the three little fellows outside. ¡°what¡¯s the situation with them?¡± xu qing said truthfully, ¡°wei ting was injured in qingzhou and was picked up by su cheng. his three sons were also picked up.¡± the qin and su families announced to the public that the three children were raised by su cheng from outside, but xu qing had seen old master su and su dalang and learned the truth from them. the three children were wei ting¡¯s sons. it was hard to say if they were biological. anyway, the villagers thought they were biological. king nanyang said, ¡°have you never seen them before?¡± a rhetorical question sometimes meant a question. xu qing said, ¡°yes.¡± king nanyang said calmly, ¡°didn¡¯t their looks make you suspect anything?¡± xu qing replied honestly, ¡°they look like princess min. it¡¯s very likely¡­ that they¡¯re princess min and wei ting¡¯s children.¡± king nanyang did not send anyone to monitor the wei family. he did not need it. lord wu an would take the initiative to tell him everything about the wei family. mo guiyuan had monitored her before, but he did not know xiao min¡¯s identity, so he naturally would not pay attention to a little mute in matriarch wei¡¯s courtyard. only matriarch wei knew about wei liulang and xiao min. she did not tell lord wu an, who was far away at the border.. Chapter 657 - Chapter 657: The Power of the Three Little Ones! chapter 657: the power of the three little ones! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios king nanyang asked, ¡°since they are xiao min¡¯s flesh and blood, why didn¡¯t you mention it in the intelligence?¡± xu qing paused and said, ¡°i think this is not important unless you plan to use them as a bargaining chip to threaten the wei family, but i think you probably disdain this.¡± king nanyang¡¯s voice was not loud, but there was an ice-cold chill. ¡°don¡¯t casually guess my thoughts, and don¡¯t make any decisions for me. your mission is to gather information. whether it¡¯s important or not is not up to you to judge.¡± xu qing lowered his head. ¡°i know my mistake.¡± ¡°go and receive your punishment yourself.¡± ¡°yes.¡± fifteen minutes later, xu qing came out of a secret room underground, covered in blood. the gu master handed him a set of clean clothes at the door. ¡°i guess it¡¯s better for you to change your clothes before going back.¡± xu qing reached out with his lacerated hand and carried the clothes over. the gu master smiled. ¡°after not seeing you for a few years, you¡¯re still as quiet as before.¡± xu qing said coldly, ¡°we don¡¯t seem to have much of a relationship.¡± the gu master smiled slowly and said, ¡°no matter what, we work together. what¡¯s the relationship between those three children and master?¡± although he was a little late, he could tell that the three little fellows looked a little similar to his master. xu qing said, ¡°this is none of your business.¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t want to tell me, i¡¯ll ask myself.¡± the gu master really arrived at king nanyang¡¯s study. master hated chattering the most. he simply went straight to the point and said, ¡°master, those three children¡­ i want to choose one to refine a gu child. after refining him, i¡¯ll use him as gu and poison wei ting. no one will be able to resolve it.¡± he deliberated his tone and carefully observed his master¡¯s expression. if his master refused, he would never mention this again. king nanyang said indifferently, ¡°up to you.¡± the gu master heaved a sigh of relief. as expected of his master, who was always the first person to sever ties. he smiled and said, ¡°i will definitely not disappoint master. i will use the golden toad gu as a mother gu to refine the strongest gu child!¡± the golden toad gu was the most powerful gu he had refined. he could not even bear to use it on wei ting and jing yi. he had to think about who to refine into a gu child. the three little fellows had good aptitude. the one called dahu was the strongest and should be the one who could withstand the poison the most. the one called erhu was not bad either. he wondered if he would be poisoned to death halfway. how about the youngest? he was the noisiest. the master hated noisy children. the courtyard fell silent, and the gu master was a little surprised. ¡°you¡¯re finally tired? alright, it will save me a lot of effort later.¡± the gu master had never raised a child. otherwise, he would know that when a child was quiet, he must be causing trouble. the three little ones were playing hide-and-seek. they hid and came to a room filled with jade jars. one of the jade jars was big and beautiful. dahu removed the lid, revealing a palm-sized toad. it was white, but was taintly black under its skin. ¡°what is this?¡± xiaohu asked. ¡°a toad,¡± dahu said. ¡°it seems to be sick.¡± ¡°he¡¯s not sick.¡± erhu pointed at the toad and said, ¡°his glabella is black. he¡¯s poisoned!¡± ¡°your glabella is flying (black).¡± xiao hu imitated him. ¡°embarrassing!¡± ¡°i have the antidote.¡± the treasure in erhu¡¯s pocket was much older. he took out the eight trigrams mirror, thea small stone, and finally a small medicine bottle. he poured out a small yellow pill. he stuffed the little yellow pill into the mouth of the golden toad gu. the golden toad gu fed on poison, and suddenly having an antidote pill was simply disintegrating. swoosh! its toxicity had decreased by half. after it really entered the human body, the poison would change the person who would become a living gu. the little yellow pill would not provide any remedy. but now, the little yellow pill was effective. xiaohu saw that it had turned a little white and clapped his hands. ¡°another one! another one!¡± erhu fed him another one. swoosh! the toxicity fell by half again. xiaohu cried out, ¡°more! more!¡± er hu fed it five to six in one go. when the gu master came to look for it, it had already returned to its initial state. the gu master watched as the toad that he had refined for more than half a year and fed countless powerful poison gu was destroyed overnight. his entire blood qi surged! ¡°what are you doing!¡± he roared angrily! the three little fellows were stunned by him. the gu master was furious. to a gu master, a gu was life. no one could touch his gu. if they did, they would die! ¡°you¡­ you¡­ i¡¯m going to kill you! i¡¯m going to kill you!¡± ¡°run!¡± dahu made a prompt decision and pulled his two brothers out. the gu master picked up a wooden stick and chased after them. he wanted to beat them to death! beat them all to death! no, he wanted to refine them all into gu children! he wanted them to live a life worse than death! the three little fellows ran! king nanyang was sorting out the information of the various spies when suddenly, three children rushed in. without a word, the three of them walked around the desk and came to him, climbing onto his thigh as if they were running for their lives. ¡°where are you running to? stop right there!¡± the gu master rushed in with a murderous aura and raised his wooden stick to hit the three of them, but he stopped in time when he saw king nanyang. only then did he realize that the three little fellows had broken into his master¡¯s study. no matter how irrational he was, he would never dare to attack king nanyang. he put down the stick. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, master. i disturbed you. i¡¯ll take them away now! ¡± with that, he said coldly to the three of them, ¡°get down!¡± they were smart people and could tell that the gu master was afraid of king nanyang. they did not know that king nanyang was the most terrifying. king nanyang looked coldly at the three little fellows in his arms and was about to throw them down one by one. suddenly, the three of them stretched out their soft arms and hugged his neck tightly. the three round heads were also buried deep in his arms. his cold arms were instantly filled.. Chapter 658 - Chapter 658: Strength as a Mother chapter 658: strength as a mother translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after su xiaoxiao bade farewell to su xuan, she went to the eldest prince¡¯s residence and hid in the dark, waiting for xu qing to appear. xiao duye left. the eldest princess consort left. even qin yanran left the residence in a carriage, but xu qing was nowhere to be seen. just as su xiaoxiao was wondering if xu qing was not at the eldest prince¡¯s residence at all, xu qing drove a carriage out. the moment the curtain was blown up by the wind, su xiaoxiao acutely observed that the carriage was empty. ¡°to pick up qin yanran? but qin yanran has her own carriage¡­¡± su xiaoxiao was muttering when she saw xu qing¡¯s carriage go west. qin yanran went east. the direction was inconsistent and had nothing to do with qin yanran. it seemed he had used qin yanran as a shield. su xiaoxiao followed. this was not the first time she had followed xu qing, but xu qing¡¯s degree of care when working for king nanyang was different from his work for qin jiang. she had lost xu qing. ¡°no wonder su mo told me to be careful of this guy. he¡¯s indeed capable.¡± su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and carried wu hu out of the carriage. ever since the young princess had a new pet, sihu, wuhu had become a tiger consort who had lost her favor. the little golden snake called ruyi had yet to say anything, so the wuhu naturally did not complain. finally, there was a new mission. wuhu expressed that it was a snitch with high fighting spirit again! wuhu went to look for xu qing. a bird looking for someone was always faster than a person looking for someone, provided it was a trained bird. fortunately, the great elder of the white lotus society had trained wuhu extremely well, but its bottom line when it came it to its was a little poor¡­ it did not hesitate to sell out his master. the carriage stopped near a market. people came and went, and the traffic was heavy. for a moment, no one noticed this side. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t wait in the carriage. she replayed what had happened recently in her mind. king nanyang was a stronger opponent than mo guiyuan. although he was younger, he was talented, smarter than mo guiyuan, better at scheming, and most likely more cold-blooded. he should have returned to the capital for the will. back then, when the two princes fought for the throne, they each held a secret decree of the previous emperor. the difference was that at the last step of the competition for the throne, king nanyang¡¯s secret decree was suddenly lost. the reason for their loss was unknown. the wei family suspected that it was done by prince ruyang. according to wei ting, the loss of the secret decree made prince nanyang lose his advantage and lose his legitimacy. in the end, he could only watch helplessly as prince ruyang ascended the throne. the wei family had always thought that the secret decree in prince ruyang¡¯s hand was fake¡ªhe had stolen a blank imperial decree, coerced the palm print eunuch and the pen eunuch, and tampered with the decree. however, from the looks of it, it was probably king nanyang¡¯s that was fake. what su xiaoxiao was really concerned about was whether king nanyang¡¯s secret decree had really been lost. if it was not lost but hidden by him, he would only have to destroy the previous emperor¡¯s edict and kill emperor jing xuan before taking the secret decree to ascend the throne¡­ ghostfear was not dead, wei yan was not dead, and the two of them could not hide in the dark for the rest of their lives. in addition, she now knew the content of the will. the first thing king nanyang would do after ascending the throne would definitely kill all of them to silence them. ¡°if we want to stop him from ascending the throne, we definitely can¡¯t let the will fall into his hands.¡± after she sorted out the thoughts in her mind, wuhu returned. however, it opened its mouth and said, ¡°dahu! erhu! xiaohu!¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold! in the courtyard, xu qing was about to leave when his ears suddenly twitched. ¡°who is it!¡± a bird flew away. the gu master smiled. ¡°it¡¯s just a bird. i say, aren¡¯t you being too paranoid?¡± xu qing focused and carefully sensed the aura around him. after confirming that no strangers were following him, he did not say anything else. ¡®you¡¯re leaving just like that?¡± the gu master stood under the corridor and watched him walk down the steps leisurely. ¡°you¡¯re really boring. i kindly said a few words to you, but you ignored me. are you also so cold and heartless to your miss qin? or do you only have tender and protective feelings for the fairer sex?¡± xu qing suddenly turned around, and the muscles on his legs burst out with vigor. he took a few steps forward, grabbed the gu master¡¯s neck, and coldly slammed him into the hard wall behind him. the dust on the wall fell and pounced on the two of them. cough, cough, cough! the gu master choked. ¡°1 was just joking. do you have to be so serious? alright, alright, alright. i won¡¯t mention her again. can you let go of me?¡± the gu master knew very well that xu qing would not kill him, but he could still make him suffer. he did not have many gu left and did not want to waste them on his own people. xu qing let go coldly. the gu master touched his neck which was in pain. ¡°it¡¯s been a few years since we last met, but your temper is still so bad! i was just joking with you when master wasn¡¯t around. i won¡¯t say this in front of master. it¡¯s not easy for us either. who doesn¡¯t have their secrets, right?¡± ignored him and turned to leave. the gu master stopped him. ¡°hey, you¡¯ve been with master longer than me. do you know what happened just now?¡± a few little troublemakers climbed onto their master¡¯s legs and even hugged their master¡¯s neck. master hated it the most when others approached him, but he actually did not throw the little troublemakers away. the gu master could only retreat. after that, the three little fellows transformed into small tails and followed behind their master until they fell asleep in their master¡¯s room. ¡°master doesn¡¯t seem to be such a sentimental person¡­ could it be that master is planning to use those little fellows to threaten the wei family?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± xu qing said expressionlessly. the gu master smiled faintly. ¡°don¡¯t you know master the best? how can you not guess what master is thinking?¡± xu qing asked, ¡®why do you think i was punished today?¡± the gu master choked. xu qing warned, ¡°it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t guess master¡¯s thoughts. do your duties obediently, or you will have to taste what i went through today.¡± thinking of xu qing¡¯s lacerated skin, the gu master¡¯s scalp went numb. the gu master snorted. ¡°i dont care. anyway, master promised me that i could use them as gu children. i¡¯ll catch one now to feed the gu worms!¡± xu qing couldn¡¯t stand his dirty tricks, but he didn¡¯t stop him. the two of them parted ways. one went to catch the sleeping children, and the other went back home. however, the moment the two of them passed each other, xu qing instinctively sensed a dangerous aura. in the night, the sound of air breaking approached from afar and sped towards the two of them at lightning speed! xu qing slapped the gu master away and suddenly pulled out his saber, breaking one of the arrows! another arrow pierced deeply into the wall, and the tail of the arrow swayed, showing how strong it was. if xu qing had not pushed the gu master away just now, his head would have been pierced and his brain would have splattered all over the ground. the gu master shuddered and hurriedly hid behind the pillar. xu qing looked at the night and said warily, ¡°don¡¯t be sneaky. come out!¡± swish! another arrow tore through the air, even faster than before! xu qing slashed again and steadily cut off the arrow! however, he did not expect that there was actually a secret hidden in the arrow this time. the moment it broke, the powder inside spilled out. he was shocked.. ¡°not good! it¡¯s knockout pills!¡± Chapter 659 - Chapter 659: Attack chapter 659: attack translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this was an arrow that jing yi had made for su xiaoxiao. it was especially used to deal with experts, making it impossible to guard against. the disadvantage was that it could only be used once. the other party would not be easily tricked the second time. xu qing also flashed behind the pillar. ¡°are you alright?¡± the gu master asked worriedly. xu qing calmed his chaotic internal breath. ¡°i was drugged.¡± the gu master couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°who puts imockout drugs in arrows these days¡­ what a cunning guy¡­¡± then, his gaze landed on the arrow that had pierced deeply into the wall. his expression was complicated. ¡°archers of the imperial court? the wei family? no, it¡¯s the leng family¡¯s now. were you followed today?¡± ¡°i shook him off,¡± xu qing confirmed. the gu master could not help but sneer. ¡°then tell me, where did this archer come from?¡± xu qing said, ¡°maybe he followed you here.¡± the gu master¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°why did he wait until now to attack?¡± xu qing could not figure it out either. he had reacted in time just now and did not inhale much of the drug, but this drug did not seem to be ordinary. swish! the other party shot another arrow! the gu master who had just stretched out his hand was so frightened that he immediately retracted his head. this feeling of being ambushed in the dark was really uncomfortable. the two of them did not move, and the other party did not move either. however, as long as one of them stuck their head out slightly, the other party¡¯s arrow would come. the gu master frowned and looked at xu qing. ¡°how long will it take for you to purge the drug out?¡± ¡°not so fast¡­¡± xu qing tried his best to mobilize his internal force. the gu master thought for a moment and said, ¡°that person only dares to hide in the dark and ambush. i think his martial arts are inferior to yours. it¡¯s fine for us to hide here for a while.¡± these words suddenly woke xu qing up. xu qing¡¯s eyes turned sharp. ¡°not good! children!¡± seconds later, the coachman climbed over the courtyard wall and carried the sleeping little fellows out one by one, placing them in the carriage parked outside the back door next door. when he carried the last little fellow, xu qing reacted. he took off his coat and threw it out. su xiaoxiao¡¯s arrow flew over. with the cover of his coat, his figure flashed and he rolled into a room diagonally opposite before breaking out of the window. su xiaoxiao frowned. as expected of king nanyang¡¯s scout, he reacted so quickly. she jumped down after counting. the coachman carried dahu out and was greeted by xu qing¡¯s treasured saber. the coachman¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he hugged dahu and dodged back. clang! a nine-section whip wrapped around xu qing¡¯s saber. the nine-section whip was given to her by fourth sister-in-law. she had learned a little from her and it was actually useful. ¡°hurry up!¡± su xiaoxiao said to the coachman. ¡°yes! seventh young madam, be careful!¡± with that, the coachman no longer hesitated and carried dahu into the carriage. the carriage had been modified by su xiaoxiao. there were safety buckles on the floor and a velvet blanket. no matter how strong the inertia was, it wouldn¡¯t throw the children out. the coachman left with the three sleeping little ones. su xiaoxiao held xu qing. xu qing was drugged and his cultivation was greatly reduced. su xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. he was still so fierce after being drugged. it seemed that he had suppressed his strength a lot in the past. only su mo ts sharp eyes could tell that this person was not simple. he had reminded her not to fight xu qing head-on more than once. if it was her skills in her previous life, su xiaoxiao would not be afraid of him. this body was a little weak after all. if she was given a few more years, she would definitely be able to kill xu qing in one move! she could only deal with xu qing now. the whip did not have the advantage in close combat. su xiaoxiao switched to lord wu an¡¯s dagger. xu qing slashed down, but su xiaoxiao raised her hand to block it. shock flashed across xu qing¡¯s eyes. he didn¡¯t expect her to catch it. even if he was drugged, it was still more than enough to deal with ordinary experts, let alone a little girl who did not even have internal strength. the other party¡¯s close combat was almost perfect. her strength, speed, and reaction were not inferior to well-trained sacrificial soldiers. ¡°who are you?¡± xu qing asked. he did not believe that a little girl who grew up in the countryside could have such skills. he had fought with su cheng before. su cheng¡¯s talent was amazing, but the little girl¡¯s martial arts skills were not the same as su cheng¡¯s. in short, her ability was not taught by su cheng. and her silver silk gloves, wherever they had come from, could allow her to catch his blade with her bare hands. su xiaoxiao sensed the gaze on her glove and sneered. ¡°why? are you targeting my good things? i¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to enjoy them!¡± she grabbed his blade and stabbed him in the chest. xu qing blocked her wrist with his backhand. su xiaoxiao took the opportunity to kick him in the stomach, causing him to take a few steps back. he stabbed his saber into the ground and gritted his teeth to stabilize himself. this little girl was too difficult to deal with. he had never seen anyone react so quickly. he turned to look at the gu master in the hall. he disdained to join forces with others to bully the little girl, but the mission was important. he still gritted his teeth and said, ¡°what are you waiting for? attack!¡± the gu master flicked his finger and cast a gu on su xiaoxiao. this gu was similar to the gu given to moxie. although it was not too poisonous, it could paralyze the other party¡¯s body and make him lose consciousness as soon as possible. however, something strange happened. the girl only closed her eyes. she had clearly not done anything, but she seemed to have done something. su xiaoxiao had just entered the pharmacy and was in the place where the two spaces overlapped. the numbness in her body instantly disappeared. the gu master widened his eyes in disbelief. had he cast his gu in vain? why was this girl fine? something was wrong, very wrong! one more time! the gu master cast a gu on su xiaoxiao again. this time, he gave two! su xiaoxiao was still fine. the gu master staggered a step. he looked down at the gu in the bottle. there were five just now, but now there were only two left. he had indeed placed the gu out. ¡°can you do it or not?¡± xu qing asked him coldly. including the time this morning, she had already entered the pharmacy three times today. she was not sure if she could enter the pharmacy for the fourth time. if she could not enter, she would be finished if she was poisoned again. fortunately, the gu master pressed the bottle down. ¡°this girl is strange! my gu is useless to her!¡± xu qing frowned. ¡°why is it useless?¡± the gu master said angrily, ¡°who should i ask? haven¡¯t you been working for the protector duke¡¯s estate? why didn¡¯t you ask about this girl¡¯s background?¡± every gu worm was very precious. two of them had been frightened to death by the little fellows during the day, and now, three more had been harmed. his heart ached! the gu master said with a dark expression, ¡°hold on a little longer. my people are almost here!¡± xu qing exchanged a few more moves with su xiaoxiao and was stabbed in the arm by her. at this moment, the experts of the gu master finally arrived. there were a total of four people. he left two to deal with su xiaoxiao, and the other two went with him to chase back the three little hostages. the two experts fought with su xiaoxiao. xu qing took the opportunity to meditate and circulate his energy to force out the medicine in his body bit by bit. the gu master¡¯s subordinate was an expert from northern yan. his martial arts were not weak, but this girl¡¯s killing intent tonight was too strong. in order to save the three little fellows, this girl did not even want her life. after su xiaoxiao finished dealing with the two experts, blood splattered across her face. she didn¡¯t even blink and pulled out her dagger without hesitation. now! xu qing, who had forced out the medicine, suddenly increased his strength. he slapped su xiaoxiao¡¯s back! if this palm hit, the consequences would be unimaginable. at the critical moment, a cold and dangerous aura suddenly came from the air, like snow that had been frozen for a thousand years. it suddenly swept through the entire courtyard. ghostfear descended from the sky and met xu qing¡¯s palm! before xu qing could feel the pain, he heard a crack.. his bones had cracked! Chapter 660 - Chapter 660: Arrogant chapter 660: arrogant translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios xu qing was like a kite with a broken string. he tried his best to restrain himself, but he involuntarily flew out. he slammed into the eaves and fell to the ground in a sorry state with the shattered tiles. pain surged in his chest. his body trembled and he spat out a mouthful of blood. he couldn¡¯t believe it. although he had been drugged, he had forced out a lot of the drug. he had at least 60% of his strength, but he was unable to fight back against this person. he endured the pain and raised his neck which was about to break. he looked at the black-robed man walking towards him in the night. the man was wearing a mask, revealing eyes that were like a bottomless abyss. this person emitted the aura of a death warrior. was he from western jin.. no. the people of western jin had no grudge against them¡­ xu qing vaguely felt that he had seen these eyes somewhere before, but he couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°who¡­ are you?¡± he asked with difficulty. every time he made a sound, his chest felt like it had been broken. ghostfear stopped in front of him and looked down at him. ¡°where are the three little smelly farts?¡± he was like a netherworld emperor, making everyone tremble. xu qing suppressed the fear that arose in his heart and grabbed the tile under his palm. ghostfear stepped on him and broke the bones in his hand inch by inch. ¡°ah!¡± xu qing let out a scream. this was discovered! all his actions were exposed to the other party! in an instant, two more experts arrived. ¡°be careful¡­¡± su xiaoxiao was about to remind him. ghostfear did not even look at xu qing, who was lying on the ground. however, the moment one of the experts charged over, he raised his left hand and grabbed the other party¡¯s throat tightly. the other party¡¯s sword clattered to the ground. he bent his wrist gently and broke the other party¡¯s neck. the other party slid to the ground like a sack. the other person was frightened by this scene. he hesitated for a moment, not knowing if he should attack. ghost fear made a choice for him. the hand that had just broken the expert¡¯s neck slapped down, stirring up a tile on the ground. the tile spun in his palm and was waved out! he still didn¡¯t look and locked onto the other party¡¯s location with his hearing. it was unbelievably accurate. that person¡¯s throat was sealed with a move. his sword fell. he covered his neck with both hands, trying to stop the blood from flowing until¡­ he fell completely into a pool of blood. su xiaoxiao¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened. was this the strength of ghostfear? it was too heaven-defying. no wonder even helian ye almost died at his hands. fortunately, it was one of their own. if it was an enemy, how could they play? they would just die. xu qing gritted his teeth and explained, ¡°¡­after the gu master captures them, he should go to the flying cloud restaurant on east street.¡± ghostfear kicked xu qing into the wall. the entire wall collapsed and buried xu qing inside. su xiaoxiao gave him a thumbs up. ¡°brother! you¡¯re a monkey!¡± ghostfear said calmly, ¡°don¡¯t say something i don¡¯t understand.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°brother, you¡¯re so awesome! ¡± ghostfear glanced at her. ¡°haven¡¯t you always called me ghostfear?¡± su xiaoxiao whispered, ¡°if there¡¯s nothing, i¡¯ll call you ghostfear. if something is up, i¡¯ll call you brother!¡± ghostfear was speechless. ghostfear looked at the two experts on the ground who had been dealt with by su xiaoxiao and asked, ¡°did you kill them?¡± there was surprise in his tone. at such a young age, she could actually kill an expert of this level. it was shocking. that girl just now was not weak either. to be able to injure the other party, this girl was not simple. su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°am i very powerful?¡± ghostfear snorted, ¡°heh.¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. this was very wei ting. as expected of his biological brother! the two of them walked out of the courtyard. ¡°flying cloud restaurant is over there,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ghostfear turned into east street in the direction she pointed. su xiaoxiao followed him and asked, ¡°brother, did you notice that dahu and the others were missing and especially rushed over to save them?¡± ghostfear said, ¡°your bird brought me here.¡± su xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°i don¡¯t have a bird. don¡¯t talk nonsense. oh, that bird.¡± wuhu flapped its wings and landed on su xiaoxiao¡¯s shoulder as it sought praise! su xiaoxiao originally asked wuhu to look for wei ting to get reinforcements, but wuhu was lazy and didn¡¯t want to fly too far. it happened to encounter ghostfear and brought him there instead. seeing that it had hit the mark, su xiaoxiao fed it a serving of bird food. the little society animal was so happy that it flew! su xiaoxiao looked at ghostfear and raised her eyebrows. ¡°if you really didn¡¯t care about them, you wouldn¡¯t have come.¡± ghostfear said calmly, ¡°it¡¯s just an equivalent exchange for me living in the wei family.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°oh.¡± the gu master chased after the coachman with two experts and kicked him out of the carriage. the gu master took over the driving of the carriage, and the two experts rode their horses to escort him. xu qing was not lying. the gu master did plan to bring them to the stronghold of the flying cloud restaurant, but the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. there was a major fight in the tavern next door to the flying cloud restaurant, and the son of a high-ranking official was injured. how could this be? the officials sealed the streets and did not let a single accomplice out! the gu master frowned. he could not go to the flying cloud restaurant and could only switch places. he turned around and headed for another stronghold. he specially chose a quiet path with few people. halfway through, a demonic voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°what are you doing?¡± damn! the gu master¡¯s hair stood on end. the reins in his hand were actually torn off by him. one horse ran out, and the other horse was frightened and suddenly stopped moving. the carriage swung sideways and hit the wall at the entrance of the alley. he was sent flying on the spot. the three little ones had their safety buckles fastened and only swayed. they did not wake up. xiaohu finished talking in his sleep and fell silent. ¡°gu master!¡± the two experts quickly got off the horse and helped the gu master up. the gu master was not a person with deep martial arts, so he fell hard. ¡°bring your horses,¡± he ordered. ¡°yes.¡± just as the two of them were about to lead the horse, a melodious zither sound suddenly came from not far away. the sound of the zither was very pleasant. but if it was on a quiet street in the dead of night, it would be a little creepy. the gu master frowned and was about to say that there was no need to care about him and leave when he realized that the two experts beside him were motionless. the two of them seemed to be entranced as they looked into the distance in a daze. ¡°hey, you guys¡­¡± he was halfway through his sentence when the sound of the zither suddenly changed. a murderous aura with a midsummer heat wave assaulted his face. the two experts suddenly pulled out their swords and slashed at each other crazily. not good, he had been tricked! this zither sound could bewitch people! why was it useless to him? firstly, it was because he was a gu master and had gu poison on him. secondly, it was probably because this zither music was only effective on people with internal strength. the gu master walked towards the sound of the zither and saw an inconspicuous carriage at the end of the street. the sound of the zither came from there. the gu master opened the gu bag and took out a gu. behind the curtain, a cold man¡¯s voice came. ¡°it¡¯s been a long time since a gu master came to have a death wish..¡± Chapter 661 - Chapter 661: The Big Boss Takes Action (1) chapter 661: the big boss takes action (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°who did you say had a death wish? you sound young, but you¡¯re quite arrogant!¡± wait, did the other party say that he was a gu master? tonight¡¯s shock came wave after wave, making him unable to think. the gu master looked at the carriage strangely. the outer seat was empty, and the curtain blocked his vision. strange. where was the coachman? could it be that such an expert did not even have a coachman? or was the coachman hiding so that he could give him a fatal blow at the critical moment? no, it was the sound of the zither! the sound of the zither could not differentiate between friend and foe. other than the zither master himself, no other expert could escape. this way, it would be more convenient for him to use gu to kill! ¡°hmph, your zither music is useful on others, but it¡¯s useless to me! die!¡± in the carriage, the man hooked the strings with his slender fingers. ¡°are you sure?¡± as soon as he finished speaking, the gu master was surprised to discover that something was wrong with the gu in his hand. it struggled a few times and suddenly stopped moving. it was dead! the zither music continued, and a murderous aura spread throughout the entire street. the gu in the gu bag were all restless. this zither sound.. he was killing the gu! who was he? how could he kill the gu with the zither sound?! the physique of a gu master was no different from an ordinary person. the reason why he was powerful was all because of the gu he refined. through the gu, he could easily control anyone. therefore, he was not afraid of sacrificial soldiers or experts. he was not even afraid of a scout like xu qing. however, there was no need to fight xu qing. he had never thought that he would meet a zither player who killed gu one day! his gu died one after another. he finally understood that he was not this person¡¯s match. he wanted to escape! the further he escaped, the better! the other party should be like him. he was not a martial artist with internal strength. otherwise, the sound of the zither would affect him. then he should be able to escape. the sound of the zither stopped, and the entire street was silent. not only did the gu master not heave a sigh of relief, but his heart was in his throat. a shadow flew over the eaves and walls in the night, slashing at the gu master¡¯s back. the gu master screamed and fell to the ground. there was pain in his back, and his knees and elbows were burning. he looked a short distance away. the two experts he had brought had already died. now, it was time to hunt him. therefore, when the music stopped, that person¡¯s subordinate could appear. the gu master endured the pain and got up. the man behind him raised his sword and slashed mercilessly at his neck. clang! a hidden weapon flew over and hit the man¡¯s sword. then, a black shadow flashed past, so fast that there was almost only an afterimage left. it grabbed the seriously injured gu master and brought him dozens of feet away. the man wanted to attack. ling yun said calmly, ¡°come back.¡± the man retreated to the carriage. ¡°mas¡­ master¡­¡± the gu master looked at king nanyang and fainted. ling yun lifted the curtain and met the gaze of the king of nanyang. king nanyang¡¯s carriage drove over and stopped beside the three little ones. king nanyang retracted his gaze from ling yun¡¯s face and threw the gu master into his carriage. king nanyang glanced at the carriage with the three little ones and hooked the strings with his fingertips. in the end, king nanyang gave up on the three little ones and turned to get into his carriage. however, at this moment, xiaohu undid the safety catch and climbed out of the carriage. he looked around in confusion as if he was looking for someone. he walked towards king nanyang. ling yun was about to say, ¡°stupid disciple! i¡¯m here!¡± xiaohu stretched out his small arm towards king nanyang and wanted to climb onto him. king nanyang looked at ling yun expressionlessly and carried the little guy into the carriage. as soon as he sat down, he felt his thigh and stomach heat up¡ª xiaohu gave him a steaming beautiful landscape. xiaohu wanted to pee just now. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been talking in his sleep. xiaohu, who had finished peeing, finally felt comfortable. he raised his chin proudly in his sleep! king nanyang¡¯s face darkened. the carriage left. a small child was abandoned on the spot in a daze. ¡®who am 1?¡± ¡°where am i?¡± ¡°what am i doing? ling yun hurriedly got out of the carriage and walked over to pick xiaohu up. he touched xiaohu¡¯s wet pants and his expression split in a second¡­ su xiaoxiao and ghostfear went to the flying cloud restaurant to look for the gu master and saw a large number of officials from afar. she stopped a vendor who was passing by. ¡°brother, what happened over there?¡± the vendor sighed. ¡°someone caused trouble in the tavern and alarmed the officials. those shops have all been sealed! are you going over to eat or fight? don¡¯t go.. you¡¯re not allowed to enter!¡± Chapter 662 - Chapter 662: The Big Boss Takes Action (2) chapter 662: the big boss takes action (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°how long have the officials been here?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°more than an hour!¡± the vendor said. ¡°looks like the gu master didn¡¯t go to the flying cloud restaurant, ¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°seventh young madam! seventh young madam¡­¡± the coachman covered the wound on the top of his head and stumbled over. ¡°ah fu!¡± su xiaoxiao looked at his wound. ¡°let me take a look.¡± the coachman endured the pain and shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m fine. it¡¯s just a superficial wound. don¡¯t worry about me¡­ hurry up and save the young masters¡­ the carriage has been snatched. there are three of them¡­ they went that way¡­¡¯ su xiaoxiao and ghostfear rushed to the event location in the direction the coachman pointed, but they only saw an empty carriage, two cold corpses lying in a pool of blood, and a pool of blood not far away. there were traces of a collision in the carriage. there was no blood in the carriage, which meant that the children were not injured at that time. ¡°they are killing each other,¡± ghostfear said as she looked at the two corpses on the ground. ¡°why did they kill each other? did they fight among themselves?¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t understand. soon, she found a cloth bag on the ground. opening it, it was the gu master¡¯s gu bag. however, all the gu inside were dead. who did it? this was too heaven-defying. wuhu, who had gone to scout, flew back. ¡°master! master! master!¡± ling yun had been here? could these¡­ have been done by ling yun? su xiaoxiao shook her head decisively. ling yun was just a sickly zither player who had been troubled by anorexia for many years and did not even have the strength to walk. the two of them hired a carriage to return to pear blossom lane. in the carriage, she bandaged the coachman¡¯s wound. she treated a servant no different from the other injured. seeing this, ghostfear did not say anything. the carriage arrived. su xiaoxiao jumped out of the carriage. ¡°ghostfear, bill!¡± now, he was ghostfear again. all the servants in the courtyard rested. deng an was also recuperating in his room. ling yun guarded the three sleeping disciples alone. xiaohu was washed clean and changed into dry clothes. he slept soundly. ling yun sat on the futon. the moonlight shone gently, making him look cold. ¡°ling yun.¡± su xiaoxiao took off her shoes at the door and walked in wearing white footwear. she saw the three little ones on the bed and felt relieved. ¡°eh? why did xiaohu change his clothes?¡± ling yun had three children to change their clothes, but generally speaking, the three of them would dirty themselves and change together. ¡°he peed.¡± ling yun didn¡¯t want to remember carrying his little sinful disciple who had peed his pants all the way. ¡°thank you¡­ for tonight.¡± su xiaoxiao probed and didn¡¯t say what it was. ling yun didn¡¯t say it explicitly. he just drank his tea and replied calmly, ¡°i lost them here. it¡¯s only right for me to find them.¡± so did he do it or not? well, she wasn¡¯t not curious. she wasn¡¯t curious at all. ¡°gu master¡­¡¯ ¡°he didn¡¯t die. he was saved by someone. i don¡¯t know that person, but su xiaoxiao realized that he was referring to the three little ones. it seemed to be king nanyang. king nanyang was a dangerous guy. could it be a coincidence that ling yun could escape from him with the three children? was ling yun really just a sickly zither player? ling yun didn¡¯t ask about king nanyang¡¯s identity, but su xiaoxiao felt that someone as smart as him might have already guessed something. ghostfear gave the fare, but he was a little impatient when he didn¡¯t see su xiaoxiao carrying the children out. he hated waiting for people, definitely not to see the little smelly farts. he entered the courtyard expressionlessly. su xiaoxiao came out with a little guy. ¡°you came at the right time. here.¡± she stuffed the little fellow into ghostfear¡¯s arms and turned to enter the house to carry erhu. ghostfear looked at the sleeping little fart in his arms and poked its face very nastily. when su xiaoxiao came out and saw this childish scene, she said speechlessly, ¡°this is xiaohu. if you wake him up, you¡¯ll have to coax him to sleep.¡± ghostfear immediately stopped poking. once the smallest smelly fart cried, it was fatal. ¡°i¡¯ll get someone to send you guys off,¡± ling yun said. su xiaoxiao hugged dahu and said, ¡°there¡¯s no need. there¡¯s a carriage at the medical center. it¡¯s just a few steps.¡± ling yun left the house to call the coachman. ghostfear, who was waiting for su xiaoxiao, bumped into ling yun. ghostfear¡¯s hand that was reaching for erhu paused. ling yun didn¡¯t pay much attention to him and only thought that he was an expert of the wei family. he put on his shoes and walked past him. however, the moment they brushed past each other, a powerful killing intent suddenly burst out of ghostfear¡¯s body. ling yun frowned. in the next second, ghostfear slapped ling yun. ling yun¡¯s secret guard flew forward and blocked this palm for his master. he spat out a mouthful of blood and knelt on one knee on the spot. ling yun turned around and looked warily at ghostfear. su xiaoxiao was confused. what was going on? why did ghostfear attack without a word? she hurriedly carried dahu down the steps and stood in front of ling yun. she said to the ghost, ¡°he¡¯s the teacher of dahu, erhu, and xiaohu! did you misunderstand something? it wasn¡¯t he who captured dahu, erhu, and xiaohu. he saved them.¡± ¡°he¡¯s not with the gu master.¡± ¡°not with that guy either.¡± she was referring to king nanyang. she knew him, but so did he. ghostfear was enveloped in the death warrior¡¯s killing intent. ¡°this is none of your business. move aside. don¡¯t force me to touch you.. before she could finish, su xiaoxiao carried erhu and made way. it was not that the courtyard was too big that she stood out. ¡°wait!¡± su xiaoxiao ran over again and said to ghostfear, ¡°give me the child.¡± she carried xiaohu over and retreated down the corridor. ¡°continue.¡± ghostfear was speechless. and so was ling yun.. Chapter 663 - Chapter 663: King of Death Soldiers! chapter 663: king of death soldiers! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao looked around again to ensure that she was standing safely before relaxing to watch the battle. through her conversation with ling yun just now, su xiaoxiao was basically certain that the person who killed the experts of northern yan and severely injured the gu master was ling yun. to be able to retreat unscathed from king nanyang, ling yun¡¯s ability exceeded her imagination. she really wanted to see it. ling yun didn¡¯t look at this woman who kicked him to the curb when he had outlived his usefulness. every little rascal had an unreliable mother behind them. he had learned a deep lesson. ¡°who are you?¡± ling yun asked coldly. ghostfear was brought over by su xiaoxiao, but he didn¡¯t question her because su xiaoxiao¡¯s attitude just now was already obvious. she didn¡¯t expect the other party to attack her. ghostfear gave his name. ling yun was confused. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°ghostfear. he¡¯s famous. no expert in the entire western jin hasn¡¯t heard of him.¡¯ ling yun said, ¡°i left western jin a few years ago.¡± ¡°i see.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded and said, ¡°let me remind you that he¡¯s the king of death soldiers.¡± ¡°who sent you?¡± ling yun asked. ¡°you don¡¯t have to know.¡± ghostfear didn¡¯t think there was a need. su xiaoxiao butted in, ¡°i really want to know.¡± ¡®young master.¡± the injured secret guard covered his chest and came to ling yun¡¯s side. he took a step to the side and stood in front of ling yun. ling yun said, ¡°you¡¯re not his match. back down.¡± the secret guard said seriously, ¡°i¡¯ll stall him. young master, leave first.¡± ling yun said calmly, ¡°you can only delay three moves, and i can¡¯t leave after three moves.¡± ¡°but young master¡­¡± ¡°i said, stand down.¡¯ the secret guard glanced at the child in su xiaoxiao¡¯s arms. ling yun cut off his thoughts in a second. ¡°don¡¯t threaten him with my rascal.¡± the secret guard gritted his teeth and could only retreat unwillingly. ghostfear slapped ling yun, and ling yun¡¯s figure flashed as he pounced towards the fence under the corridor. su xiaoxiao looked at him and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°aren¡¯t you able to kill gu and northern yan experts? why are you in such a sorry state?¡± ling yun gritted his teeth and said word by word, ¡°i don¡¯t have a zither!¡± ¡°you should have said so earlier. wait.¡± su xiaoxiao gestured for a pause. after all, she had no hands. she turned around and entered the house. she placed erhu and xiaohu back on the bed and took ling yun¡¯s zither. she handed it to him through the fence. ¡°here!¡± ling yun was speechless. was she sure she didn¡¯t want to stop the fight? ling yun took the zither and turned around. the wide gauze and plain robe flipped in the night wind like a holy lotus blooming. at that moment, he was really beautiful. he sat down on the stone stool and placed the zither on the stone table in front of him. his slender fingers hooked the strings, and a melodious zither sound poured out from under his fingertips. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°oh, it sounds good.¡± ghostfear didn¡¯t think so. the moment the sound of the zither entered his eardrums, it was like a sharp knife stabbing into his sea of consciousness. he closed his eyes and dissipated the pain. ¡°is that all you¡¯ve got? that¡¯s not enough!¡± ling yun¡¯s expression did not change. his fingertips flew and the tune changed from tactful to high-pitched. there was suddenly a murderous aura in the air. su xiaoxiao sensed that something was wrong. she looked at ghostfear. as expected, a hint of struggle appeared in ghostfear¡¯s eyes. he was disturbed by the sound of the zither, and the internal energy in his diaphragm began to run amok uncontrollably. ¡°why am i fine?¡± su xiaoxiao muttered. she turned around and looked at the children. the three of them were sleeping soundly and were fine. in addition, deng an and a few servants were also resting in the room. could it be that¡­ ling yun¡¯s zither music was only effective on experts? no wonder the gu master was not dead and the experts of northern yan were dead. in addition, it seemed to be able to kill gu. from the way the two of them died, the gu could not withstand the sound range of the zither and was killed instantly. the two experts were confused by the zither and killed each other. it turned out that the sound of the zither could also be a killing weapon. she had learned something. su xiaoxiao became more and more curious about ling yun¡¯s identity. at this moment, ghostfear broke through the control of the zither sound and slapped at the stone table. ¡°so soon¡­¡¯ ling yun¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was also a little surprised by ghostfear¡¯s strength. he stood up with the zither and took a few steps back to avoid the ghostfear¡¯s attack. the stone table was not so lucky. it was smashed into powder, but how terrifying was that palm? ¡°oh, we can¡¯t fight anymore. the liveliness can be grounded on earth, but not the netherworld.¡± su xiaoxiao was about to stop him when wei liulang and wei ting arrived. ling yun didn¡¯t know that the two of them had come over. he hooked the zither strings, and the tune flipped, killing intent bursting out. this was used to deal with ghostfear. it was a true zither kill! wei liulang came in first. he was caught off guard and knelt down. ghostfear, who was suddenly given a big bow was stunned ¡°sixth brother!¡± wei ting entered. ling yun and ghostfear stopped at the same time. wei liulang was dizzy. he was still swaying when wei ting helped him up. wei ting looked at ghostfear and ling yun suspiciously. ¡°what were you doing?¡± su xiaoxiao walked over. ¡°1 know, i know! they were fighting.¡± the two of them were speechless. thank you. ghostfear restrained his killing intent and looked at ling yun expressionlessly ling yun said coldly, ¡°anytime!¡± ghostfear said calmly, ¡°next time, i¡¯m going to be serious.¡± ling yun snorted. ¡°i won¡¯t show mercy next time.¡± wei liulang held his dizzy head and felt a little unwell. wei ting looked at the two of them deeply and did not say anything. he carried the three brats out with su xiaoxiao. after getting into the carriage, su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°why are you here?¡± wei ting said, ¡°ling yun got someone to send a letter to the wei family.¡± ling yun didn¡¯t know that su xiaoxiao would come looking for him. when he returned to pear blossom lane, he got someone to inform wei ting. as for the details, his message did not say. ¡°dahu, erhu, and xiaohu were captured by king nanyang¡¯s gu master. i saw xu qing there¡­¡± su xiaoxiao told him what had happened. wei liulang checked the three children over and over again. after confirming that they were not abused, he was slightly relieved. wei ting pondered and said, ¡°was it instructed by king nanyang, or did the gu master take the initiative?¡± ¡°it shouldn¡¯t have been instructed by the king of nanyang.¡± su xiaoxiao had actually talked to ling yun a lot. ling yun¡¯s original words were, ¡°that person is very powerful. he doesn¡¯t seem to be after dahu and the others. otherwise, i might not be able to bring back the three of them.¡± putting aside dahu and erhu for the time being, xiaohu had already walked into a trap. king nanyang took advantage of the situation. if he really wanted to capture xiaohu, he would not let him go just because he peed. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°no matter what, he has already seen dahu, erhu, and xiaohu. he must have guessed their identities. although even a monster will not hurt its own children, it¡¯s hard to say about a big maniac like king nanyang.¡± it didn¡¯t matter if king nanyang didn¡¯t like the children. she was afraid that he would be like mo guiyuan and even use his own blood.. Chapter 664 - Chapter 664: Background and the Truth chapter 664: background and the truth translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei liulang looked at the three little ones who were sleeping soundly, and a murderous glint appeared in his eyes. ¡°if he dares to touch them, i¡¯ll cut him into pieces! ¡± putting king nanyang aside, su xiaoxiao said, ¡°ling yun¡¯s identity is also very suspicious. big brother attacked him as soon as he arrived. who is he?¡± wei ting pondered and said, ¡°we can only ask big brother about this.¡± ghostfear did not take the carriage. he rode back to the residence himself. when he passed by the courtyard of the eldest branch, he paused slightly and looked at the golden orange tree in the courtyard in a daze. the next day, just as ghostfear rose, wei ting came over. he did not waste his breath and went straight to the point. ¡°brother, who is ling yun? is your mission to kill him?¡± ghostfear said coldly, ¡°i won¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°oh.¡± wei ting turned around. ¡°xiyue, come in.¡± ghostfear was speechless. ghostfear¡¯s hair stood on end. wei ting picked wei xiyue up and looked at the ghostfear calmly. ¡°brother?¡± ¡°nalan yun!¡± ghostfear said angrily. ¡°his name is nalan yun!¡± ¡°that genius zither player called zither immortal? it¡¯s actually him?¡± this answer exceeded wei ting¡¯s imagination. his sons had casually acknowledged a master who was actually the number one big boss in the zither world. what kind of luck was this? wei xiyue couldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about. she wanted to feed the carrot. ¡°seventh uncle.¡± ¡°wait a moment.¡± wei ting comforted wei xiyue and continued to ask ghostfear, ¡°then, what¡¯s big brother¡¯s mission?¡± ghostfear said coldly, ¡°before the sacrificial soldiers complete the mission, they can¡¯t say it. this is the rule!¡± he wouldn¡¯t say it even if she fed him a hundred carrots! wei ting nodded and turned to look at the door. ¡°xiaohu.¡± xiao hu jumped in with the suona. there was a bronze gong on his left and an erhu on his right. he could be said to be an ordinary music genius. ghostfear looked at the fully armed xiaohu and his temples throbbed. ¡°wei xichao! are you done?¡± wei ting smiled and said, ¡°you still remember my words (a form of the name). big brother¡¯s memory has recovered quite well.¡± ghostfear was about to die of anger from this scammer. he pointed at xiaohu, who had puffed out his cheeks, and said, ¡°don¡¯t let him blow!¡± xiaohu sucked on the suona. ghostfear gritted his teeth. ¡°i¡¯ll tell you!¡± ¡°why didn¡¯t you do this earlier?¡± wei ting still pretended to be obedient after taking advantage of him. he put wei xiyue down and cruelly snatched xiao hu¡¯s suona. xiaohu placed his hands on his hips and stomped his feet. he said angrily, ¡°what are you doing? what kind of father are you!¡± wei ting snorted and pinched his fat. ¡°if you continue shouting, i¡¯ll spank your butt.¡± xiaohu immediately covered his butt. wei ting carried the two little fellows out and handed them to the maidservants and servants to bring to old madam wei. he then sat down opposite ghostfear. ¡°brother!¡± ghost fear said in a low voice, ¡°does qin su know that you¡¯re so shameless?¡± wei ting smiled. ¡°brother taught me well.¡± ghostfear was speechless. ever since ghostfear had returned to the wei family, the advantage was that the quality of sleep at night had improved. the disadvantage was that the number of times he was angered to the point of having a heart attack during the day had increased. wei ting returned to the topic. ¡°brother, who is nalan yun? there are rumors that he¡¯s from northern yan, but i don¡¯t think ling yun is related to northern yan.¡± ghostfear said, ¡°he¡¯s from western jin. his background is very mysterious. even i¡¯m not sure. i only know that he¡¯s the zither immortal in the martial world. he plays the zither well and has connections with the western jin royal family. i¡¯ve seen his portrait.¡± wei ting was puzzled. ¡°why did big brother¡¯s master want to kill him?¡± ghostfear said expressionlessly, ¡°the death warriors only obey orders and don¡¯t ask for the reason.¡± wei ting looked at him. ¡°so big brother¡¯s mission is really to kill nalan yun?¡± ghostfear was stunned and realized that it had been tricked by wei ting. he was not afraid of scammers, but he was afraid of scammers gathering together. returning to the wei family was indeed a wrong choice. pear blossom lane, west residence. ling yun sat on the futon in the study and took a leisurely sip of tea. ¡°he wants to kill me?¡± su xiaoxiao placed three boxes of snacks on the table. ¡°yes, this is his last mission as a sacrificial soldier.¡± ling yun¡¯s gaze landed on the snack boxes and he seemed to be satisfied with the number. ¡°how did you know that it was the last mission?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°moxie said that his master is already dead. before he died, he gave him the last mission. you might not know moxie. he¡¯s an envoy from western jin.¡± before coming to look for ling yun, she had gone to the posthouse. firstly, she wanted to treat helian ye¡¯s injuries, and secondly, she wanted to ask moxie about ghostfear. ling yun asked, ¡®who¡¯s his master?¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°moxie didn¡¯t say.¡± ¡°he¡¯s from the wei family, right?¡± ling yun said. ¡°yes, he¡¯s wei ting¡¯s eldest brother.¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hide it. ¡°the other person who came over yesterday, who you saved from the streets last time, is wei ting¡¯s sixth brother.¡± ¡°i recognized him,¡± ling yun said. su xiaoxiao was surprised. ¡®you recognized him?¡± ling yun recalled, ¡°a few years ago, i went to broken north pass and met the wei family once. i lost my money and sold my zither. lord wu an passed by and bought it back for me. wei liulang was also there, but he probably didn¡¯t notice me. ¡± after only seeing him once, he could recognize the unrecognizable wei liulang. su xiaoxiao felt that she had met a real big boss. ¡°wei ting, sixth brother, and i will try our best to stop ghostfear. take care.¡± ling yun said calmly, ¡°there¡¯s no need to stop him. he can¡¯t kill me.¡± there was no need to brag now¡­ su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry for exposing you.¡± ¡°even if you don¡¯t bring him over, he will find me sooner or later. it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ling yun¡¯s mentality was very good. he never blamed anyone, nor did he easily blame anyone. everything was fated. ling yun said seriously, ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about me. no sacrificial soldiers can kill me.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at him strangely. if she thought he was bragging previously, this sentence was clearly not an overstatement. could it be that ling yun had some means to deal with the death warriors? su xiaoxiao said, ¡°ghostfear isn¡¯t an ordinary death warrior.¡± ling yun said, ¡°i know. otherwise, he would have died last night. he¡¯s very powerful, the strongest death warrior i¡¯ve ever seen. but i still say the same thing. he can¡¯t kill me.¡± su xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°then can you kill him?¡± ling yun said calmly, ¡°for the sake of lord wu an, i¡¯ll try not to kill him.¡± well, he couldn¡¯t kill him. su xiaoxiao was relieved. she planned to go back. ling yun paused for a moment and decided to tell her, ¡°i might have to remind you of something. do you think that the sacrificial soldiers will regain their freedom after completing the last mission?¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°no?¡± ling yun looked at the teacup in his hand. ¡°if death is a form of freedom, that ¡° su xiaoxiao widened her eyes. ¡°you mean¡­ after ghostfear kills you¡­¡± ling yun nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. he will die..¡± Chapter 665 - Chapter 665: Confession (1) chapter 665: confession (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°why does this need to happen?¡± ling yun said, ¡°it¡¯s very dangerous for unowned sacrificial soldiers. they might do something irreversible after falling into a manic state. in order to prevent such a tragedy from happening to the greatest extent, the master of the sacrificial soldiers will find a new master for them before they die. if they don¡¯t find one, the sacrificial soldiers will be buried with them.¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°so cruel! will the sacrificial soldiers be willing to die for burial?¡± ling yun said seriously, ¡°this is the rule of sacrificial soldiers.¡± su xiaoxiao had never been a sacrificial soldier, so it was difficult for her to empathize with their loyalty. however, she thought of how slave xiu had died after his cultivation was sucked dry by mo guiyuan; he did not resist at all. she roughly understood that sacrificial soldiers were different from ordinary experts. putting everything else aside, for example, yesterday, when ghostfear tortured xu qing, xu qing honestly told him the whereabouts of the gu master. if it were a sacrificial soldier, he would most likely not speak even if he died. ¡°in that case, ghostfear should know that he will definitely die, and as such, he didn¡¯t acknowledge his family.¡± if it was su xiaoxiao, she probably wouldn¡¯t do this. this was not to say that ghostfear was wrong. everyone had different views and made different choices. if she was of ghostfear, how could she know the pain in his heart? thinking of something, su xiaoxiao looked at ling yun again and said, ¡°are von sure ghostfear can¡¯t kill von?¡± ¡°this is an impossible mission, ¡± ling yun said calmly. ¡°unless i fall to my death in front of him.¡± su xiaoxiao asked seriously, ¡°then¡­ will you?¡± ling yun was speechless. when su xiaoxiao returned to the wei family, ghostfear was practicing their swordsmanship in the courtyard. the children went to a nearby garden to pick flowers and ghostfear was at peace for a moment. for some reason, the four of them felt that his place was more fun than wei liulang¡¯s. they had to come over every day, and ghostfear was about to ascend to the sky from the noise. ¡°ghostfear.¡± su xiaoxiao entered the courtyard and greeted him. ghostfear put away his sword and glanced at her indifferently. ¡°why are you here?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°ah, i have my own opinion about ling yun¡­ nalan yun.¡± ghost fear said mercilessly, ¡°your opinion is not important.¡± uh¡­ was he so direct? it must be because she did not call him big brother just now. su xiaoxiao took out the candied hawthorn hidden behind her. ¡°dahu said you like it.¡¯ ghostfear said, ¡°i don¡¯t like it.¡± su xiaoxiao exposed him. ¡°you finished everything from last time.¡± ghost fear¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°i don¡¯t like it.¡± he was the same as wei ting. su xiaoxiao was not surprised. she placed the candied hawthorn on the plate on the stone table. ¡°nalan yun is the master of dahu, erhu, and xiaohu¡¯s master. if you kill him, the three of them will be sad.¡± ghostfear said expressionlessly, ¡°what does it have to do with me?¡± ¡°i knew you would say that¡­ ¡± su xiaoxiao muttered and continued, ¡°then have you ever thought that you can¡¯t kill him? don¡¯t deny it. i saw it all last night. neither of you can do anything to the other. the two of you are like the peak of different systems. coincidentally, you reinforce and counter each other!¡± ghostfear frowned. ¡°i don¡¯t like that word.¡± su xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°then¡­ mutual love and killing?¡± ghostfear¡¯s face darkened. ¡°alright, alright. i was just joking.¡± su xiaoxiao placed her arms on the stone table and leaned closer to ask ghostfear. ¡°what if you can¡¯t kill nalan yun? ¡°i already know that an ownerless sacrificial soldier has to be buried with his master. if not for this mission, you would have long gone with your master. but have you ever thought about why your master arranged a mission for you that you will never be able to complete before he died? ¡°is there a possibility that your master wants you alive?¡± ghostfear was stunned. su xiaoxiao said in her heart,¡± hurry up and say yes, yes, yes! i¡¯m so touched! open your heart and welcome the bright and beautiful tomorrow! although i¡¯m just making it up!¡± ghostfear wiped the scabbard with a cloth and said firmly, ¡°there¡¯s no mission that ghostfear can¡¯t complete. i¡¯ll definitely kill nalan yun.¡± the corners of su xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. old madam wei was right. the most loyal man in the wei family was this one. alright, she won¡¯t persuade him anymore. he could do whatever he wanted! ¡°xiaohu!¡± ¡°mother?¡± ¡°play the suona!¡± ghostfear was speechless. leaving ghostfear to face xiaohu¡¯s demonic music alone, su xiaoxiao returned to her courtyard. about 15 minutes later, su mo came to the residence. last time at the palace, the two of them found a key with the words penglai engraved on zhang feng¡¯s body. over the past two days, su mo had brought all the people he could mobilize and searched the capital under the pretext of capturing thieves. finally, he found zhang feng¡¯s belongings in a small inn in the south of the city.. Chapter 666 - Chapter 666: Confession (2) chapter 666: confession (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios however, it was only some clothes and silver. they did not find the previous emperor¡¯s edict. ¡°in addition, there¡¯s a rattle drum and a letter.¡± in the study, su mo handed the rattle drum and family letter to su xiaoxiao. the rattle was new and looked like it had just been bought. the handwriting on the family letter was delicate, as if it was written by a woman. the content was very simple. it was nothing more than that everything was fine at home. please take care of yourself. it was signed by jinniang. ¡°have you found out where the letter came from?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. su mo nodded. ¡°the envelope has the official seal of the city¡¯s south relay station. it was sent from a place called liu village.¡± although the capital was large, it was not without villages. there were still many villages in the suburbs, but they were larger and richer than the villages in the prefectures and counties. the two of them immediately set off. it was evening when they arrived at liu village. considering that zhang feng might be an alias, they asked about jinniang according to the signature on the letter. ¡°the one at the east end,¡± said a kind-hearted aunt. the two of them thanked the aunt and found the family. the courtyard door was open. a young woman was carrying a one-year-old child in one hand and collecting clothes on the clothesline with the other. the mattress was too big. she couldn¡¯t pull it off for a long time. su xiaoxiao helped her. ¡°here.¡± she was slightly stunned and looked at su xiaoxiao and su mo suspiciously. ¡°you are¡­¡± ¡°we¡¯re here to look for zhang feng, ¡± su xiaoxiao said tentatively. the woman¡¯s eyes flashed. an old voice came from the house. ¡°jinniang, who¡¯s here? is da niu back?¡± the woman looked at the central room and said, ¡°no, mother. she¡¯s asking for directions.¡± the elderly person said kindly, ¡°ah, tell him then.¡± the child in her arms was probably afraid of strangers and was about to cry. su xiaoxiao took out a piece of candy and handed it to him. he immediately stopped crying and grabbed the candy with his small hand. ¡°my mother-in-law,¡± the woman said to su xiaoxiao. ¡°she¡¯s old and has poor eyesight. she can only sit in the house.¡± su xiaoxiao understood what she meant. ¡°we won¡¯t disturb the elderly. we¡¯re from the government. we don¡¯t have any ill intentions. we just want to ask you something.¡± su mo took out the official token to verify their identities. from time to time, villagers would pass by the door. su xiaoxiao and su mo¡¯s clothes were too eye-catching. they had faced the yellow soil their entire lives and had never seen such beautiful people. they couldn¡¯t help but look at both sides. ¡°let¡¯s talk in the kitchen.¡± the woman brought the two of them to the kitchen beside the central room and brought small stools for them. ¡°there¡¯re no chairs. sorry to inconvenience you.¡± she sat on the threshold with the child herself. the two sat down. from her, su xiaoxiao learned that zhang feng¡¯s real name was zhang daniu. he was born and raised in liu village. when he was ten years old, he went to town to learn martial arts and later served as an escort. ¡°he runs escorts all year round and can¡¯t return more than a few times a year.. he has a lot of food and clothes at home.¡± she did not dare to show her wealth too much, afraid that it would arouse suspicion¡­ su xiaoxiao came from a village. she knew the current standard of living of this family at a glance. jinniang did not know zhang feng¡¯s true identity. they quietly searched the house but did not find the late emperor¡¯s edict. before leaving, su xiaoxiao gave jinniang the matching cards she had plundered from zhang feng. ¡°you don¡¯t want the silver anymore?¡± su mo asked after coming out. su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°a gentleman loves money but should get it through legitimate means. i¡¯ll go get mine from zhao kangning.¡± su mo chuckled. the two of them got into the carriage. ¡°benefactors, please wait a moment!¡± jin niang jogged over, panting. su xiaoxiao lifted the curtain of the car window and looked at her. ¡°is there anything else?¡± a hint of struggle flashed across jin niang¡¯s face. ¡°he¡¯s from the white lotus society, right?¡± su xiaoxiao paused and nodded. ¡°yes.¡± jin niang smiled bitterly. ¡°the imperial court is wiping out the white lotus society. many people have been captured¡­ if you come to him, it means that he hasn¡¯t been caught yet¡­ i only hope that he can hide as far away as possible¡­ and never come back.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at her deeply. ¡°the imperial court will pursue him with all its might.¡± jinniang¡¯s eyes turned red. she raised her hand to wipe her tears and smiled as she watched the two of them leave. the carriage had just taken two steps when she spoke again. ¡°flying cloud restaurant¡­ i heard him mention it. if you¡¯re looking for something, you can go there to take a look.¡± su xiaoxiao lifted the curtain and nodded at her to thank her. after the carriage drove for a while, su xiaoxiao said, ¡°she knows that zhang feng is dead, but as long as i don¡¯t expose it, she can pretend that zhang feng is still alive.¡± su mo said nothing. su xiaoxiao looked at his confused expression and asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? do you think something¡¯s wrong?¡± su mo shook his head. ¡°no, i¡¯m just surprised.¡± su xiaoxiao recalled. ¡°it was already obvious what she looked like just now.¡± su mo said seriously, ¡°but i wasn¡¯t not looking at her. i was looking at you.¡± he only looked at his sister. su xiaoxiao was speechless. the city gate closed. fortunately, su mo brought the old marquis¡¯s token and successfully got the city guard to open the city gate. su mo sent su xiaoxiao back to the wei family. ¡°i¡¯ll investigate the flying cloud restaurant.¡± ¡°wait, i remember something,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°the flying cloud restaurant is king nanyang¡¯s stronghold. last night, the gu master planned to bring dahu and the others to the flying cloud restaurant to hide. did zhang feng hide the imperial edict under king nanyang¡¯s nose?¡± su mo said, ¡°the most dangerous place is the safest place.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded in agreement. ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± su mo said softly, ¡°wait for my news.¡± su xiaoxiao yawned. ¡°okay.¡± su mo asked, ¡°are you tired so early?¡± su xiaoxiao said listlessly, ¡°you don¡¯t understand the aftereffects of removing the gu.¡± su mo frowned. ¡°was wei ting poisoned again?¡± ¡°yes.¡± su xiaoxiao drank her tea. su mo thought for a moment and said seriously, ¡°you can teach me. i¡¯ll solve it for wei ting next time.¡± ¡°pfft¡ª¡± su xiaoxiao spat out a mouthful of tea.. Chapter 667 - Chapter 667: Joyous Event at Home chapter 667: joyous event at home translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the scene was too beautiful¡­ she didn¡¯t dare to think about it. although the two of them were good-looking and had good figures¡­ no, no! hurry up and think! ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± su mo looked at his sister in shock, not forgetting to put a clean handkerchief on her. su xiaoxiao took the handkerchief and wiped her mouth. she said with a fake smile, ¡°i think¡­ it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t learn how to cure the gu.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°i¡¯m afraid you two will fight.¡± who was going up and who was going down? after all, the two of them looked very aggressive. su mo thought that she meant that he was not talented enough in medicine. ¡°i learn very quickly.¡± no, no, no. you can¡¯t learn this. listen to me. isn¡¯t it good to find a girl? good men are already very rare. don¡¯t digest your ovvn. su xiaoxiao decisively dismissed su mo¡¯s thoughts and waved her hand to send him away. in the next few days, su xiaoxiao rested at home. qin canglan came over every day to guide madam li and the others. every time he finished giving them pointers, they no longer had the strength to torture su xiaoxiao. of course, she still had to learn qinggong. ¡°yes, climb higher. remember the incantation just now. don¡¯t be afraid!¡± qin canglan stood on the grass and encouraged his granddaughter, who was using qinggong for the first time. su xiaoxiao clenched her fists. ¡°i can do it!¡± she closed her eyes and leaped. thud! she fell. qin canglan, who had become a sandbag for her, was smashed onto the green grass. ¡°no¡­ it¡¯s fine¡­ let¡¯s do it again¡­¡± after being smashed 17 to 18 more times, wei liulang was brought over by qin canglan. ¡®what?¡± wei liulang asked. as soon as he finished speaking. thud! su xiaoxiao fell freely and smashed wei liulang into the deep pit! wei liulang was speechless. in the blink of an eye, autumn was approaching. su xiaoxiao realized that this dynasty valued liqiu, or the beginning of autumn, very much. this was a big day that concerned the country. the government decrees, farming, and daily routines changed. emperor jing xuan stopped attending court three days before liqiu and began to bathe and fast. there were two major ceremonies on the day of the autumn. one was to offer sacrifices to shao zhi and ru shou. the former was the white emperor, one of the ancient emperors. legend had it that he was the son of the yellow emperor. the latter was a descendant of the white emperor and ruled together with him. the sacrificial ceremony was in the western suburbs. the emperor personally arrived and led the civil and military officials to worship piously. it was a huge commotion. another important itinerary for the western jin and northern yan envoys was to observe the autumn sacrifice ceremony of the great zhou. after the sacrifice was the military parade. the qin family¡¯s iron cavalry led the way. they were awe-inspiring and the world shook. the sound of hooves and armor echoed in the clear sky, making the commoners feel excited. the su family¡¯s vanguard, the leng family¡¯s archery camp, and the war chariot supply camp paraded the streets with a majestic aura. they would raise the prestige of the great zhou empire and protect the rivers and mountains for thousands of miles. their sons would die and the rivers and mountains would last forever! su xiaoxiao and su ergou booked a room in a teahouse along the street. the two of them lay on the windowsill on the second floor. the streets were noisy, and the cries of the commoners were deafening. ¡°it¡¯s brother-in-law!¡± su ergou pointed at wei ting on the horse and shouted excitedly. wei ting was parading for the third time. the first time was as the top scholar, and the second time was for the wedding banquet. every time he appeared, he was refreshing. at this moment, he was wearing armor. his figure was tall and his aura was powerful. although his eyes were cold, he gave the commoners and the country a sense of security. ¡°cousin! cousin!¡± su ergou saw su mo. usually, the autumn festival was led by the old marquis. this year, it was su mo¡¯s turn. it seemed that the old marquis was planning to retire and hand the army over to su mo. ¡°ahhh! it¡¯s young master sul¡± the screams of the young ladies came from the room next door. when wei ting came out, they had already screamed once. su ergou said, ¡°dad! it¡¯s dad!¡± ¡°ahhh! protector duke!¡± su xiaoxiao wondered, ¡°that¡¯s my father. why are you shouting? do you want to be my stepmother?¡± leng tiannan had become a cripple, and his legitimate son, leng rui, was not worthy of being placed in an important position. the person leading the leng family¡¯s archery battalion was his biological brother. with the end of the autumn festival, the visit of the western jin envoys to the great zhou came to an end. as for northern yan, they were here to spy on and destroy the peace talks between the two countries. in the end, they did not succeed. instead, they promoted friendly relations between the two countries. su xiaoxiao avenged moxie¡¯s injustice, which was equivalent to helping the princess of western jin preserve her right to seize the throne. wasn¡¯t this favor much better than an infighting marriage? what was even more aggrieving was that helian ye was injured. although helian ye did not tell king nanyang, the person who placed the gu on moxie was the gu master beside zhao kangning. alright, he could no longer pursue the responsibility of the great zhou imperial court. northern yan went for wool and came home shorn. they did not want to stay in the great zhou for a day. on this day, su xiaoxiao returned. she had been called over by su ergou, who said that something had happened at home. she wondered what could have happened since the protector duke¡¯s estate was so simple. the moment she entered, she was dumbfounded. on the two armchairs facing the door, on the left was the domineering demon beauty, the princess of western jin, and on the right was the cold beauty, bai xihe, who could not hide her immortal appearance even with a veil. in addition, there was a matchmaker standing in the middle of the house. there was a thick stack of portraits on the table in front of her. she smiled and said, ¡°this is a relative of the minister of revenue. she¡¯s 28 years old and is good at books¡­¡¯ ¡°no!¡± the princess of the western jin dynasty and bai xihe said in unison. bai xihe said calmly, ¡°i heard that her family is in the west city. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate for her to marry far away.¡± the princess of the western jin also said, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with marrying far away? love can be established a thousand miles away, and marriage is tied by a thread. however, i heard that she was engaged to someone before. a woman with two husbands. that¡¯s very inappropriate, right?¡± bai xihe chuckled. ¡°it¡¯s as if there are fewer men in your residence.¡± the princess of the western jin sneered and said, ¡°they¡¯re just gigolos. there¡¯s only one husband.¡± su xiaoxiao retreated with a numb scalp. su ergou whispered, ¡°sister, did you see that? the two of them have been sitting here since dawn. the matchmaker came to matchmake our father but the two of them rejected each one. three matchmakers have already left!¡± the corners of su xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°are their combat strength so powerful¡­ ¡± su ergou said, ¡°sister, think of a way.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°isn¡¯t this up to dad and you to choose? who do you want to be your stepmother? one of them is the most beautiful woman in the world, and the other is the most ruthless person in the world. choose.¡± su ergou scratched his head. ¡°uh¡­ how do i choose? sister, which one do you want?¡± su xiaoxiao patted his shoulder earnestly. ¡°i got married, and my stepmother won¡¯t be able to control me. on the other hand, if you want to get married and have children in the future, you have to be filial to your stepmother with your wife and children.¡± su ergou thought for a moment. ¡°which one of them is less fierce?¡± ¡°the one in white,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°but she¡¯s scheming and doesn¡¯t tell the truth. she tricked you.¡± su ergou was shocked. ¡®what about¡­ the one in purple?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°she won¡¯t trick you. at most, she¡¯ll beat you up and send a wolf flying with a punch.¡± su ergou was even more shocked.. Chapter 668 - Chapter 668: Powerful Allies chapter 668: powerful allies translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bai xihe and the princess of the western jin dynasty held the fort and successfully angered the fourth matchmaker away. when su cheng returned from court, he was blocked by su xiaoxiao and su ergou. the two of them charged out like bandits, scaring him so much that he almost drew his saber. ¡°it¡¯s you.¡± he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw his son and daughter¡¯s faces clearly. ¡°shh¡­¡± su ergou gestured for him to keep quiet. he turned around and looked at the reception hall. he lowered his voice and said, ¡°dad, keep your voice down.¡± su cheng looked confused. ¡°why are you so sneaky?¡± ¡°is the protector duke back?¡± the two great women asked in unison. su cheng¡¯s hair stood on end and he immediately covered his mouth. he gave his daughter and son a look. the two of them understood. the three of them quietly hid behind the bushes at the side and squatted on the ground, looking very unsightly. su cheng whispered, ¡°why are they here?¡± su ergou also whispered, ¡°they¡¯re here to be my stepmother. dad, which one do you want to marry?¡± su cheng stuck out half of his head and looked in the direction of the reception hall. afraid of being discovered, he retracted it in a second. ¡°i can¡¯t marry either of them.¡± su ergou said bravely, ¡°it¡¯s fine. i¡¯m not afraid of being tricked or beaten up. dad, as long as you like it. at most, i¡¯ll move to my sister¡¯s house.¡± su cheng slapped him on the head. ¡°the last sentence must be your main point!¡± he missed her sister so much! su ergou touched his head resentfully. ¡°who asked you to cook so badly?¡± su cheng exploded and whispered, ¡°i don¡¯t cook anymore! your grandfather made the meals!¡± in order to make up for his many years of regret, qin canglan actually washed his hands and cooked for su ergou personally. he even burned the kitchen a few times. su xiaoxiao reminded them rationally. her chubby finger poked their shoulders. ¡°hey, can you not digress?¡± su cheng coughed lightly. ¡°i never thought of finding a stepmother for the two of you.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°undergarment¡­¡± ¡°cough, cough, cough!¡± su cheng choked. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°in the future, when ergou and i get married, you¡¯ll be alone. it¡¯s quite pitiful. ergou and i think it¡¯s good to find someone to take care of you.¡± su ergou nodded. they would always remember their mother in their hearts, but this did not mean that they wanted to see their father die alone. it had not been easy for their father to raise him and his sister. many people had come to propose marriage, but their father had rejected them. they were old now and did not need to be taken care of. it was time for his father to plan for himself. su cheng sighed. ¡°the two of them¡­ are indeed difficult¡­¡± one was the princess of the western jin dynasty, and the other was the empress dowager. he would not be allowed to marry either. it was impossible for emperor jing xuan to let the military power fall into the hands of other countries. if he were to marry the princess of the western jin, he could only make the entire qin family give up its military power and go to the western jin to be a live-in son-in-law. the qin family¡¯s army was qin canglan¡¯s life¡¯s work. how could it be wasted like this? as for bai xihe, it was even more difficult. he let out a long sigh. ¡°unless we create a rebellion.¡± ¡°son, are you rebelling?¡± qin canglan¡¯s voice suddenly appeared behind him. su cheng was shocked. he stood up and said, ¡°dad? why are you here? no, i¡­¡± ¡°i understand.¡± qin canglan gestured that there was no need to say anything else. he looked at the sky above his head in pain and turned to enter the night. su cheng wanted to say something but hesitated. he turned to look at his fat daughter. ¡°what¡­ what does your grandfather mean¡­¡± su xiaoxiao spread her hands. ¡°i don¡¯t know!¡± su cheng was speechless. if bai xihe wanted to go back before the palace door closed, the princess of the western jin would be much freer. she waved at bai xihe calmly. bai xihe stomped her feet and said to su cheng, who was hiding behind the flowers, ¡°send me back!¡± su cheng was speechless. su cheng silently drove the carriage and sent bai xihe out of the residence. the princess of the western jin looked at the flowers in amusement. ¡°come out.¡± su xiaoxiao and su ergou stood up. su ergou thought of what his sister had said. the purple-clothed stepmother could send a wolf flying with a punch. he decisively hid behind his sister. ¡®go back to the room and do your homework first,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°hey, alright!¡± su ergou had never been so enthusiastic about his homework. he left. su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°your highness, my father has already left.¡± the princess of the western jin said, ¡°i¡¯m here for you.¡± ¡°huh?¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. she blinked and pointed at the reception hall in shock. ¡°then why did you just.. ¡® the princess of the western jin admitted generously, ¡°oh, bully her a little.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°why did you bully bai xihe? what fetish is this?¡± ¡°walk with me,¡± the princess of the western jin kingdom said. ¡°i¡¯ve been sitting in the house all day. i¡¯ve never been so tired on duty.¡± su xiaoxiao muttered to herself, ¡°you know it¡¯s tiring, but you still¡­ why?¡± the two of them strolled along the winding path of the residence under the evening sun. the setting sun was like a pool of blood, and the sky was scarlet like silk. the princess of the western jin said, ¡°i¡¯m about to leave the great zhou. i came to look for you today for two things. you¡¯ve avenged moxie¡¯s injustice, but i haven¡¯t thanked you in person.¡± su xiaoxiao said politely, ¡°it was nothing. it¡¯s nothing.¡± the princess of the western jin looked at the weeping willow by the lake and said, ¡°i distinguish between gratitude and grudges. the marriage alliance between the great zhou and western jin will continue, but my allies will only be you and wei ting.¡± su xiaoxiao was secretly shocked. her words revealed two meanings. firstly, she could tell that they were separated from emperor jing xuan. secondly, she was on her and wei ting¡¯s side. one was emperor jing xuan in the open, and the other was king nanyang in the dark. they needed external help from the western jin too much. su xiaoxiao said sincerely, ¡°thank you, your highness.¡± these words were not said out of courtesy. they came from the bottom of her heart. the princess of the western jin nodded slightly. ¡°we¡¯ve cleared moxie¡¯s matter. in addition, i have another favor to ask of you. this is my personal presumptuous request.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°your highness, please speak.¡± the princess of the western jin stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her solemnly. ¡°i want you to treat someone for me.¡± ¡°who?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. the princess of the western jin said, ¡°xin¡¯er¡¯s brother.¡± ¡°the young princess has a brother?¡± su xiaoxiao had interacted with the western jin for so many days and had never heard anyone mention it. the young princess of western jin had never heard of it either. the princess of the western jin looked at the setting sun on the horizon. ¡°he¡¯s a year older than xin¡¯er. he¡¯s been weak since he was young and can¡¯t go out. once, he secretly ran out and fell ill when he returned. he almost couldn¡¯t be saved. after that, he was locked in the room and xin¡¯er rarely saw him. i had originally given up, but you cured helian ye. your medical skills might really be different from other physicians. ¡°all these years, i¡¯ve been glorious in front of others, but beyond all that, i¡¯m just an ordinary mother. ¡°i want to save my son. i want him to live a little longer. even if it¡¯s only for a year, a month, a day.¡± su xiaoxiao understood that allies were different from friends. they had resolved the political crisis of the princess of western jin and reached a consensus on benefits. they were allies. however, since they could form an alliance for benefits, they could also turn against each other for benefits in the future. friends were different. after saving the son of the princess of the western jin, she would become a friend that she would never betray.. Chapter 669 - Chapter 669: King Nanyang’s Secret (1) chapter 669: king nanyang¡¯s secret (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the princess of the western jin said, ¡°you don¡¯t have to be in a hurry to give me an answer. go back and think about it.¡± this naturally had to be considered carefully. the son of the princess of western jin could not go out, which meant that she could only make house calls. there were still a few days before the western jin diplomatic mission left the capital. there was no hurry to make a decision. in addition, she could take the opportunity to inquire about the other party¡¯s condition. if the incurable disease exceeded her ability, she would not let the princess of western jin be happy for nothing. in addition, once the western jin envoys left, the northern yan envoys would also leave. thinking about this, she felt that her days were numbered. after all, she still wanted to get more from zhao kangning. ¡°how should i take it¡­ with her ambition to reach the peak of her life, su xiaoxiao returned to the wei family. erhu squatted in the courtyard and soaked in his small stone and eight trigram mirror. the eight trigram mirror belonged to sikong yun. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know how it got into the little fellow¡¯s hands. in the end, sikong yun took the initiative to hand it over¡ªthe little fellows never stole. they only robbed. dahu taught xiaohu how to speak. dahu enunciated clearly, ¡°master.¡± xiaohu said, ¡°muscle!¡± dahu corrected him. ¡°it¡¯s like ¡°er¡± in father! father! repeat after me, father!¡± xiao hu chirped, ¡°father!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± dahu shook his head like a strict old master. ¡°father! father!¡± xiaohu placed his hands behind his back and shook his head imitating her. ¡°father! father!¡± dahu said rhythmically, ¡°master!¡± xiaohu followed him. ¡°muscle!¡± dahu was speechless. dahu pointed at him. ¡°xiaohu!¡± xiaohu also pointed at himself. ¡®xiao¡ªfu!¡± dahu said, ¡°master!¡± xiaohu said, ¡°muscle!¡± dahu slapped his forehead. ah, he couldn¡¯t teach this stupid brother! dahu broke down because of his stinky brother. when he saw su xiaoxiao, he wanted to crawl into his mother¡¯s arms to find comfort. unexpectedly, xiaohu pounced over first. ¡°dahu was fierce to me!¡± he began to complain about his brother again. ¡°i didn¡¯t!¡± dahu argued. ¡°i was just teaching you to speak!¡± ¡°yes, you are! you¡¯re so fierce! xiaohu is afraid!¡± xiaohu was acting and leaned into su xiaoxiao¡¯s arms. ¡°i¡¯m not playing with dahu anymore!¡± dahu¡¯s serious face said, ¡°very good. you want to eat fists again.¡± xiaohu did not know that he was in trouble at all. he stuck out his tongue at dahu. ¡°hehehe!¡± when they were two years old, su xiaoxiao felt that two-year-old children were the most fun. now that they were three years old, su xiaoxiao felt that three-year-old children were more fun. the three little ones were obedient in front of her. they were cute and not noisy. they were pure little angels. su xiaoxiao played with the children for a while and ravaged the three little ones one by one. it was not until wei ting and su mo returned that she smacked her lips. wei ting had just left the court when su mo returned from his work. the two of them met at the door. the three little ones greeted their father and eldest uncle before running off to play. the three of them went to the study. su xiaoxiao told them about her conversation with the princess of western jin. wei ting pondered and said, ¡°i¡¯ve investigated the princess of western jin. she does have a sickly son. he¡¯s only a year older than the young princess. his body is weak and he depends on countless precious herbs to survive.¡± ¡°do you want to go?¡± su mo asked su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i¡¯m not sure if i¡¯ll go yet.¡± she was a doctor. logically speaking, she shouldn¡¯t have rejected a patient¡¯s request. however, there were too many things going on in the capital. on the left was emperor jing xuan, who was eyeing her covetously, and on the right was king nanyang, who was secretly causing trouble. she was a little worried. su mo said, ¡°his majesty has been choosing ministers to send off princess lingxi these few days. wei ting or i will probably go. if you decide to make a house call, i¡¯ll tell his majesty that i¡¯ll go.¡± wei ting¡¯s face darkened. did su mo want to fight again? when su xiaoxiao saw the two of them now, she would remember su mo saying that he wanted to remove the gu for wei ting. wei ting said, ¡°something¡¯s wrong with your eyes.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°no, i¡¯m not thinking about anything.¡± she decisively changed the topic. ¡°how¡¯s the investigation of the flying cloud restaurant?¡± su mo said, ¡°ever since you and ghost scar went to king nanyang¡¯s house that night, king nanyang has disappeared, and the boss of the flying cloud restaurant has disappeared.¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°could it be that king nanyang also guessed that zhang feng might have hidden the thing in the flying cloud restaurant, so he captured the shopkeeper of the flying cloud restaurant and interrogated him? no, zhang feng has followed king nanyang for so long. it¡¯s impossible for him not to guess king nanyang¡¯s methods. i keep feeling that the thing is still in the flying cloud restaurant..¡± Chapter 670 - Chapter 670: King Nanyang’s Secret (2) chapter 670: king nanyang¡¯s secret (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios actually, if they could borrow emperor jing xuan¡¯s hand to get rid of king nanyang, it would be the safest. the problem was that they did not know king nanyang¡¯s attitude towards the three children. it would be troublesome if the children were involved. therefore, it would not work for the time being. their understanding of king nanyang was still too little. the habits and personality he had revealed in the past were all fake. otherwise, they could have deduced a thing or two from his characteristics. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°he doesn¡¯t know about big brother and sixth brother yet, so he probably doesn¡¯t know that we know the content of the will. we¡¯re safe for the time being, but we can¡¯t let our guard down. once he finds out that big brother and sixth brother are still alive, he will immediately come to silence them.¡± wei ting snorted. ¡°it¡¯s not certain who will destroy whose mouth!¡± ¡°seventh young madam! seventh young madam!¡± the maidservant came to the door. ¡°there¡¯s a eunuch from the palace who wants to see you.¡± it was eunuch cheng from the yong shou palace. ¡°the empress dowager caught a cold at night and isn¡¯t feeling well this morning¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯ll follow eunuch cheng.¡± su xiaoxiao brought the first aid kit into the palace. the empress dowager sat on the phoenix bed and leaned weakly against the pillow behind her. seeing eunuch cheng lead su xiaoxiao in, she sighed. ¡°i already said that i¡¯m fine. why did you have to call her over? eunuch cheng smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s my fault. i¡¯ll receive my punishment later.¡± how could the empress dowager really punish him? su xiaoxiao went forward and took the empress dowager¡¯s pulse. she looked at her tongue. ¡°what did you eat yesterday?¡± eunuch cheng explained in detail, ¡°she had a bowl of five-nut porridge in the morning and half a bowl of rice in the afternoon. there were two side dishes and three meatballs. at night, she drank a bowl of ginseng soup and ate five vegetable dumplings.¡± ¡°what about today?¡± su xiaoxiao continued to ask. eunuch cheng sighed. ¡°her appetite isn¡¯t good today. she didn¡¯t eat anything.¡± the empress dowager glared at him. ¡°you talk too much.¡± su xiaoxiao retracted her hand. ¡°it¡¯s a cold. just take some medicine according to the prescription.¡± the empress dowager said calmly, ¡°i don¡¯t want to suffer.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°then what medicine do you want to take?¡± the empress dowager said seriously, ¡°the last time you gave me¡­ sweet medicine.¡¯ su xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment before realizing that she was referring to the cold medicine in the pharmacy. actually, chinese medicine was better at treating the root cause. the cold medicine only reduced the symptoms and could not nourish the body. su xiaoxiao said generously, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll get sweet medicine for the empress dowager later.¡± the empress dowager was happy. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°but you have to drink bitter medicine.¡± the empress dowager was presently depressed. su xiaoxiao took the cold medicine from the medicine box and prescribed a prescription for eunuch cheng to go to the imperial physician department to get the medicine. eunuch cheng was very cautious now. he had to prepare it and let su xiaoxiao take a look before he was relieved. while waiting for the medicine, su xiaoxiao decided to ask about king nanyang. ¡°empress dowager.¡± there was a deep meaning in her eyes. the empress dowager understood. ¡°you can leave.¡± ¡®yes.¡± the palace maids and eunuchs left respectfully. ¡°tell me,¡± the empress dowager said to su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°nothing else. it¡¯s just that dahu and the others miss the empress dowager very much.¡± at the mention of her little sweethearts, the empress dowager, who was originally so weak that she could not even get out of bed, immediately perked up. ¡°i miss them too! i only hate that assassins appeared in the palace and returned in two days. speaking of which, they haven¡¯t caught the assassins until now. i wonder what the people in the government office are doing.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°don¡¯t be angry. take care.¡± the empress dowager said melancholically, ¡°i wonder how long it will be before i see them again. i want to see them every day and openly restore their identities. there¡¯s no need to hide anymore.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°they¡¯re only three years old. it¡¯s fine.¡± the empress dowager snorted. ¡°will it matter when they grow up? seeing that the fire was almost extinguished, su xiaoxiao quickly changed the topic. ¡°if king nanyang is still alive, he might have a way to protect them, right?¡± the empress dowager shook her head. ¡°he¡¯s not his brother¡¯s match. he¡¯s too soft-hearted. back then, he was the eldest prince in the two secret decrees. he should have been more legitimate, but he voluntarily gave up the throne and lied that he had lost the secret decree.¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°wait, wasn¡¯t the secret decree lost?¡± the empress dowager glanced at her. ¡°1 see you know about the secret decree.¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t feel guilty at all and confessed generously, ¡°i¡¯ve already married into the wei family. how can i not know the inside story?¡± the empress dowager liked her straightforwardness and put everything on the table. ¡°he lied that he lost the secret decree, but he¡¯s my son. i can tell at a glance if he¡¯s lying or not. he hid the secret decree himself. he doesn¡¯t want to fight with his brother, and he doesn¡¯t care about this throne. it¡¯s useless for me to persuade him.¡± prince nanyang hid the secret decree and gave the throne to prince ruyang? that didn¡¯t make sense. that guy was clearly going crazy from missing the throne. ¡°i¡¯ve prepared the medicine!¡± eunuch cheng jogged in with the medicine bag. su xiaoxiao carefully checked the herbs. ¡°this is right. one set a day. have it before breakfast.¡± eunuch cheng smiled and said, ¡°i¡¯ll remember.¡± the empress dowager said to su xiaoxiao, ¡°it¡¯s getting late. hurry up and go back. the three children should be looking for you.¡± her heart ached for the three children. she was afraid that they would be sad if they couldn¡¯t find their mother. ¡°i¡¯ll come back tomorrow.¡± su xiaoxiao left the palace. just as she got into the carriage, a guard from northern yan walked forward. ¡°physician su! my great general invites you!¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it¡¯s too late. i¡¯m going back. we¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡± helian ye had already passed the critical period, but his wound was scabbing recently and it was very itchy. he got someone to call her a few times. su xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t spoil him. the guard said, ¡°the general has something to talk to physician su about.¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°i already said tomorrow.¡± the guard looked up at her. ¡°it¡¯s about king nanyang.¡± half an hour later, su xiaoxiao appeared in helian ye¡¯s courtyard and pushed open his door. ¡°what do you want to tell me?¡± as helian ye sat at the head of the bed, his figure was covered in gauze in the shadows. he looked at her sharply. ¡°a secret of king nanyang..¡± Chapter 671 - Chapter 671: The Truth Is Out chapter 671: the truth is out translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the past few days of treating helian ye, other than the first night when helian ye woke up, su xiaoxiao asked him if he was the mastermind. after that, she did not mention a word. she was waiting for helian ye to take the initiative to tell her. this was how people were. the more they were forced, the more unwilling they were to speak. sometimes, if one did not ask, the other party would lose his cool. in the past, helian ye might have been able to endure it. unfortunately, the willpower of people who were weak would be greatly reduced. a powerful doctor not only had to have superb medical skills, but also had to understand the patient¡¯s mentality. su xiaoxiao had calculated helian ye¡¯s thoughts from beginning to end. she showed a trace of surprise. ¡°oh? you¡¯re not coaxing me, are you? king nanyang does things flawlessly. what secrets can he have that have fallen into your hands?¡± these words successfully hit helian ye¡¯s sore spot. thinking of how he had been fooled by king nanyang, helian ye was originally a little hesitant. now, he really wanted to sell king nanyang¡¯s underwear. he clenched his fists and turned around coldly to look at the dark veil. ¡°you can choose not to believe me.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°you tell me first. i¡¯ll see if i believe you.¡± ¡°you¡­¡± it was clearly this girl who was searching for information about king nanyang, but he, who controlled this secret, could not take the initiative at all. he said indignantly, ¡°everyone says that my niece is a talented girl in northern yan and is both smart and brave, but i think she¡¯s not as cunning as you.¡± su xiaoxiao had a serious expression. ¡°the personal attack is over.¡± actually, zhao kangning was still very powerful, but she had encountered the more powerful su xiaoxiao. there was no harm without comparison. this was how she paled in comparison. helian ye returned to the topic. ¡°king nanyang¡­ might be possessed.¡± su xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°bewitched?¡± helian ye recalled and an incredulous expression appeared on his face. ¡°once, when i went to see him, he seemed to have become a different person. he grabbed my sword¡­ and begged me to kill him.¡± su xiaoxiao sat up straight and listened carefully. ¡°then?¡± helian ye frowned and said, ¡°i don¡¯t understand if it was his test or something. before i could respond, he fainted. when he opened his eyes again, it was that sinister person behind the scenes again.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°didn¡¯t you ask him what happened?¡± helian ye shook his head, indicating that he did not ask. ¡°on the other hand, he asked me. he said that he drank some wine during the day and it had a strong aftereffect. he accidentally fell asleep. he didn¡¯t say anything just now, right? i don¡¯t know why i hid the situation back then.¡± because he would die if he didn¡¯t hide it¡­ he had seen king nanyang¡¯s greatest secret. it was even more terrifying than the content of the will. call him stupid, but his crisis instincts were alright. no wonder he was like a resilient cockroach. in this way, she roughly understood what was going on with king nanyang. although there was no concrete evidence, it was at least a reliable guess. she had once wondered how powerful a person¡¯s disguise could be such that even his biological mother couldn¡¯t tell. back then, mo guiyuan was also very good at pretending, but he could not hide it from his daughter in the end. the description of him by wei ting and the others was more like a completely different person. su xiaoxiao¡¯s first reaction was that could that guy be a soul of an alternate world like her? however, prince nanyang had clearly seen her putting helian ye on a drip. he did not react to this, which meant that he did not know these things. his situation was different from his. if helian ye was not lying¡­ no, helian ye had no reason to lie. the modest gentleman that wei ting and the empress dowager mentioned was indeed the real king of nanyang. there was no disguise or deception. now, this sinister mastermind was also king nanyang, but his other personality. it was unknown if wei ting would be happier if she told him this news. after all, king nanyang did not lie to him. the past beauty was real. but there might be another piece of bad news¡ªthe kind primary personality was already dead. after leaving helian ye¡¯s courtyard, su xiaoxiao planned to go back and tell wei ting this news. she had only taken a few steps when she was blocked by zhao kangning. zhao kangning was about to return to northern yan. thinking about how she had come with ambition but left after losing everything, she felt very aggrieved. she snorted disdainfully. ¡®why are you here? my uncle¡¯s injuries don¡¯t need you anymore!¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°yes, i¡¯m also very curious. your uncle¡¯s injuries are clearly fine, so why did he go through so much trouble to invite me over? it seems that general helian can¡¯t bear to part with me.¡± zhao kangning¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°you¡¯re shameless! ¡± su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°it takes one to know one. you let your gu master harm your uncle.¡± ¡°i¡­¡± zhao kangning choked.¡± i don¡¯t know why he attacked my uncle. how did i harm my uncle? ¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°so you¡¯re implying that you¡¯ve been deceived? the female top scholar of northern yan can be said to be the zhuge of women. so you¡¯re so stupid?¡± zhao kangning fell back in anger. she was invincible in the capital of beiyan. when she came to the great zhou, she was repeatedly defeated by a country girl. she really could not take this lying down! ¡°qin su, you¡¯re here!¡± the young princess of the western jin walked over with sihu. zhao kangning quickly restrained her anger and smiled warmly at the young princess of the western jin. ¡°qin su is here to treat my uncle¡¯s injuries. i¡¯m thanking her.¡± the young princess of the western jin nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. don¡¯t always target qin su.¡± zhao kangning looked around and confirmed that su xiaoxiao did not bring the hindering parrot. she lowered his eyes and sighed softly. ¡°however, qin su doesn¡¯t seem to be willing to accept my apology.¡± ¡°that¡¯s all because of you¡­ you went too far in the past.¡± the young princess of the western jin tried her best to convince herself to stand on qin su¡¯s side. actually, over the past two days, zhao kangning had been helping to take care of ruyi, earning a lot of favorable impressions from the young princess of the western jin. su xiaoxiao looked at zhao kangning and smiled. ¡°princess kangning, we¡¯re all smart people. there¡¯s no need to do this. you lost to me twice in a row. it¡¯s normal for you to be unconvinced. if you have the ability, come openly. don¡¯t play these tricks. the young princess of the western jin isn¡¯t so easy to fool.¡± after putting on this high hat, the young princess of the western jin immediately became arrogant. ¡°yes! i¡­ i¡¯m not easy to fool!¡± zhao kangning gritted her teeth. during this period of time, qin su rarely met the young princess of the western jin. when she came to the posthouse, she only treated her uncle¡¯s injuries and left. on the other hand, zhao kangning accompanied the young princess of the western jin to play all over the capital and was so tired every day that she did not want to move. in the end, qin su won over the young princess of the western jin with just a sentence?! su xiaoxiao looked at zhao kangning sympathetically. ¡°i don¡¯t think you have much ability.¡± with that, she wanted to leave with the young princess and the sihu. ¡°stop right there!¡± zhao kangning stopped her coldly.. ¡°do you dare to compete with me again? the last round!¡± Chapter 672 - Chapter 672: Getting Rich chapter 672: getting rich translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao sighed faintly. ¡°princess kangning, it¡¯s not that i underestimate you, but i really can¡¯t bear to see you lose face again.¡± zhao kangning asked provocatively, ¡°are you afraid?¡± the young princess of the western jin stroked the mane of the sihu and said sweetly, ¡°why wouldn¡¯t qin su dare?¡± su xiaoxiao sighed again. ¡°sigh, no matter what, you¡¯re still an envoy of northern yan. i¡¯ve already beaten you twice. if i compete with you again, it¡¯ll seem like i¡¯m bullying you.¡± zhao kangning said proudly, ¡°victory and defeat are common in war. you only won a zither battle. don¡¯t really think of yourself as a victorious general!¡± ¡°and horses,¡± su xiaoxiao reminded her sternly. sihu jumped around and tried its best to respond to their master. at the same time, it made its presence known. zhao kangning looked at the happy foal and pinched her fingers. ¡°you were just lucky to get a good foal. it¡¯s not like you¡¯re so capable!¡± the young princess of the western jin said, ¡°but sihu is a premature foal. it¡¯s testament to qin su¡¯s ability that she could raise it!¡± she already knew about the difficulties of sihu, so she liked it even more. zhao kangning was here to compete with su xiaoxiao, not argue with the young princess of the western jin. it was not good for him to offend the young princess of the western jin. ¡°qin su, give me a definite answer. do you dare to compete with me? if you don¡¯t dare, just admit it openly. i won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡± she was about to leave the great zhou. she had to defeat qin su before that to avenge her previous humiliation! ¡°little sidekick! compete with her!¡± princess hui an¡¯s voice appeared at the entrance of the small garden. she had come over with princess jingning. her foot injury had already healed. she had been sitting in a wheelchair for so long, and now she walked every day in revenge. she was dressed in purple palace clothes, had almond-shaped eyes, pink face, red lips, and dark eyebrows. she was as beautiful as a peach. she was a natural beauty and was so beautiful that one could not take their eyes off her. princess jing ning was wearing a light blue dress. she was graceful and beautiful, and her temperament was extremely good. the two of them came to su xiaoxiao¡¯s side and greeted her. because of su xiaoxiao, the young princess of the western jin was quite polite to the two of them. princess hui an looked at zhao kangning unrestrainedly and said with a smile, ¡°someone is looking for trouble again. do you have anything to lose this time? if not, you should go back and raise some money before competing!¡± su xiaoxiao secretly gave her a thumbs up. princess hui an had finally unearthed her talent. a fierce glint flashed across zhao kangning¡¯s eyes. she took out a pair of cards from her wide sleeve and said to su xiaoxiao, ¡°this is my silver and jewelry from the northern yan bank. don¡¯t you already have the token given by my uncle? if you defeat me, you can go to northern yan at any time to take the money inside!¡± princess hui an snorted. ¡°how do we know if there¡¯s much money inside? if there¡¯s only a hundred and eighty taels, who cares? there won¡¯t even be enough money on the way!¡± su xiaoxiao muttered under her breath, ¡°keep talking. don¡¯t stop.¡± princess jingning said, ¡°that¡¯s the heaven-ranked card of the crimson moon bank. it¡¯s priceless.¡± princess hui an leaned back slightly and whispered into princess jingning¡¯s ear, ¡°how did you know?¡± princess jingning glanced at her. ¡°i heard second brother and third brother mention it. you were there too.¡± princess hui an stuck out her tongue resentfully. alright, she didn¡¯t remember. she asked, ¡°how priceless is it?¡± princess jingning said, ¡°more than your little treasury.¡± princess hui an¡¯s eyes lit up, but then her face darkened. ¡°you peeked at my small vault? did you steal my gold?¡± princess jingning couldn¡¯t be bothered with this idiot of a sister. princess hui an rolled her eyes at princess jingning and turned to su xiaoxiao. ¡°little sidekick, win her assets!¡± su xiaoxiao said helplessly, ¡°since princess hui an ordered¡­ i can only try my best.¡± zhao kangning asked, ¡°where¡¯s your bet?¡± su xiaoxiao thought to herself, where¡¯s your arrogance? you clearly didn¡¯t want the hedge the first time. zhao kangning sneered and said, ¡°i¡¯ve bet all my assets. shouldn¡¯t you show some sincerity? why don¡¯t¡­ you bet with wei ting? if you lose, wei ting will be mine!¡± not far away, the daughters of the palace academy who had come with the two princesses happened to hear this and exclaimed in unison ¡°did¡­ did she take a fancy to master wei?¡± ¡°she¡¯s crazy! master wei has a family!¡± ¡°she deliberately said that to make qin su unhappy, right?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t think so. i went to the autumn sacrifice ceremony too. i sat opposite her. she kept staring at master wei that day without moving her eyes. i thought she was looking at her enemy¡­ so she was looking at her lover¡­¡± ¡°shameless!¡± ¡°yes! shameless!¡± most of the daughters of palace academy were furious, but there were also one or two different voices. ¡°i heard that back at broken north pass, master wei killed his way into the enemy camp alone and beheaded king hulie. he was surrounded by the northern yan army and was let go by princess kangning. in that case, princess kangning knew him first, and qin su was the one who came later.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. moreover, i heard that wei ting agreed to this marriage under the tyranny of the old protector duke. one is the princess of northern yan, a dignified female top scholar, and the other is a girl who grew up in the countryside. it¡¯s obvious who master wei admires.¡± ¡°so what if she grew up in the countryside? have some people forgotten how qin su memorized the analects backwards? how did she shock everyone?¡± ¡°forget it, i won¡¯t talk to them anymore. let¡¯s go!¡± lu hui pulled her sister, miss zheng, and the others away. those who supported su xiaoxiao went to su xiaoxiao¡¯s side. those who remained neutral stayed where they were or stood where the princess of northern yan was. princess hui an clenched her fists and said, ¡°little sidekick! agree to her! use brother ting as a hedge!¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. was this really good? su xiaoxiao said, ¡°qin su doesn¡¯t dare to disobey the princess¡¯s orders.¡± princess jingning muttered, ¡°you can¡¯t wait, right¡­¡± ¡°what do you want to bet!¡± princess hui an asked zhao kangning. zhao kangning said, ¡°picking flowers.¡± ¡°what¡¯s picking flowers?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. princess jingning said, ¡°flower picking was originally a sacrificial activity in northern yan. because of its popularity, it spread widely among the people. its popularity is similar to our pitch-pot, but it¡¯s more dangerous and the rules are more complicated.¡± picking flowers required the building of a makeshift building on the ground with bamboo poles. it had to be ten to thirty feet tall. between each bamboo pole, there were only silk ribbons. there were empty poles and solid poles. as the name implies, the empty rod was not tied tightly. if one stepped on it, they would fall and be eliminated. princess hui an asked, ¡°isn¡¯t it easy to fall?¡± princess jingning nodded. ¡°therefore, you have to have good qinggong. whoever plucks the silk flower on the top first and successfully solves the riddle inside will win.¡± when the daughters heard this, they could not help but reveal a trace of despair. in terms of riding skills and archery, qin su was fine.. she could even fight, but qin su did not know qinggong! Chapter 673 - Chapter 673: The Peak of Life chapter 673: the peak of life translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the eyes of the young princess of the western jin dynasty lit up. ¡°it sounds fun!¡± zhao kangning smiled. ¡°yes, flower picking is very popular in northern yan. if you like it, i can teach you how to play later. then shall we compete today?¡± ¡°okay, okay¡­¡± halfway through her excitement, the young princess of the western jin realized that she was a little too close to zhao kangning. she rubbed the mane of sihu and asked su xiaoxiao, ¡°qin su, you can teach me. qin su, your qinggong is not bad, right?¡± lu ying said with a bitter expression, ¡°qin su doesn¡¯t know qinggong.¡± the young princess of the western jin was speechless. she scratched the sihu guiltily like a child who had done something wrong. ¡°qin su¡­¡± she looked at su xiaoxiao weakly. zhao kangning also looked over and smiled provocatively. ¡°qin su, it¡¯s not too late for you to admit defeat now. if you go up later and fall¡­ it will be very painful.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll compete with you,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°qin su!¡± the daughters of the palace academy said in unison. zhao kangning had practiced martial arts since she was young and had inherited helian ye¡¯s true teachings. her qinggong was even more powerful than many imperial experts. wouldn¡¯t qin su be dead if she competed with her? zhao kangning smiled and said, ¡°alright! you have guts. i admire you very much. i hope you can do your best. it¡¯s not embarrassing to admit defeat.¡± princess hui an stomped her feet and said angrily, ¡°you¡¯re the one who will lose!¡± for the sake of fairness, the flower picking building was built by the western jin envoys. no one was allowed to observe the entire process. after it was built, everyone was invited back to the grassland. seeing that the attic was still high, holly was shocked. ¡°didn¡¯t you say 20 feet? this, this is at least 30 feet, right?¡± ¡°36 feet,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°why is it so high?¡± the young princess of the western jin asked reproachfully. ¡°that¡¯s how high you drew,¡± the lead guard said. the height and position were decided by drawing lots. su xiaoxiao drew a puzzle, and zhao kangning drew a height. zhao kangning smiled and said, ¡®qin su, if you¡¯re afraid, please ask them to build it again.¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°no need. let¡¯s begin.¡± zhao kangning looked at her one last time and couldn¡¯t hide her mockery. ¡°no matter how calm you pretend to be, you¡¯ll still lose.¡± she had long asked around. qin su had only learned qinggong recently and was hopeless at it. she wanted to see how qin su could compare to her! su xiaoxiao was quite helpless about not being able to learn qinggong. however, without qinggong, there was still a chance of winning. she had already observed the structure of the flower picking building. if it was compared to a house, the horizontal rod would be the floor, and the vertical rod would be the weight-bearing wall. the latter would definitely not have a hollow rod. if she followed the empty rod up, she would definitely not miss. the gong sounded. zhao kangning used her qinggong and leaped up. 36 feet seemed to be disadvantageous to su xiaoxiao, but it was actually not too advantageous to zhao kangning. her qinggong had yet to reach the peak. she needed to borrow strength a few times, but she was definitely stronger than qin su. princess hui an was anxious. ¡°what¡¯s my sidekick doing? why isn¡¯t she going up? zhao kangning is almost halfway up!¡± princess jingning frowned slightly. zhao kangning¡¯s qinggong was better than she had imagined. su xiaoxiao put on her silver silk gloves and tested the feel of the vertical shaft. she was not affected by zhao kangning and was calm from the beginning to the end. she grabbed a vertical rod and flipped sideways, wrapping her legs upside down around the vertical rod. she kicked the horizontal rod above with her toes to confirm that it was a solid rod. right on the heels of that, her soft waist displayed astonishing core strength. she hooked the horizontal rod with the tip of her foot and curled up like a vine, firmly clinging to the next vertical rod. everyone couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. wasn¡¯t this too dashing? how did she do it? su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t stop. every time she flipped, kicked the rod, and hung upside down, she exerted her strength and beauty to the limit. zhao kangning¡¯s clothes fluttered like a fairy. at first, she was quite eye-catching, but after looking at su xiaoxiao and then at zhao kangning, everyone felt that the latter was like a sky monkey. most importantly, she kept stepping on empty poles. lu hui sighed. ¡°qin su is still the best. she didn¡¯t miss. qin su, hurry up and chase after her.¡± lu ying nodded and said nervously, ¡°qin su, you have to win¡­¡± with zhao kangning¡¯s advantage in qinggong, even if she repeatedly stepped on the empty pole, she would soon reach the top. she wanted to see if su xiaoxiao had already fallen. when she turned around, she was surprised to find that su xiaoxiao was only three feet away from her! this was impossible! how did she climb up? su xiaoxiao flipped sideways again and hooked the vertical rod firmly. zhao kangning frowned. why didn¡¯t she think of this method? however, it was too late to change it now. she would never admit that she did not have su xiaoxiao¡¯s strength. if she stepped on the empty rod again, she would lose, unless¡­ a cold glint flashed across her eyes as she stomped on the solid pole under her feet. the entire structure swayed. the expression on the face of the young princess of western jin kingdom changed. ¡°ah¡ªqin su¡ª¡± princess hui an¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°little sidekick! zhao! you¡¯re too despicable! if you can¡¯t afford to lose, don¡¯t compete! aren¡¯t you ashamed to use such a method? to think that you¡¯re a princess of the royal family!¡± ¡°hmph, losing was the real humiliation. i havr not broken the rules. what was wrong with stepping on the pole?¡± su xiaoxiao hung upside down with one foot wrapped around the vertical rod. although it was very dangerous, she was not thrown off. she looked at zhao kangning, who was not far away, and suddenly stretched out her toes to kick away the horizontal rod under zhao kangning¡¯s feet. zhao kangning suddenly fell. although su xiaoxiao¡¯s counterattack surprised her, her qinggong was good, so she was not afraid at all! she stepped on a solid rod. this was what she had just walked past. she remembered and landed steadily. however, at this moment, something unexpected happened. the solid rod under her feet suddenly became ana empty rod. and she was not prepared and did not hold back. she hurriedly grabbed another solid rod and it actually became another empty rod! how could this be? it was qin su! it must be her! she untied the ribbon! she had deliberately fallen so far behind to observe the solid rod she had stepped on. she was so despicable! thud! she fell awkwvardly onto a green grassland. at the same time, su xiaoxiao successfully reached the top and picked the silk flower. she glared at su xiaoxiao fiercely. ¡°i¡¯m not convinced! i¡¯m not convinced! you cheated!¡± princess hui an said righteously, ¡°you attacked first!¡± lu ying hurriedly echoed, ¡°that¡¯s right. we all saw it. you deliberately shook the bamboo pole to make qin su fall! are only state officials allowed to set fire but not commoners?¡± zhao kangning gritted his teeth. ¡°there¡¯s still a riddle. i don¡¯t believe she can solve it!¡± the question that qin su had drawn was the most difficult math question in northern yan. even the grand scholar of northern yan too more than half a year to solve it. so what if she knew the analects of confucius backwards? many scholars could not even understand the nine chapters of arithmetic! she did not believe that qin su had the ability! she sneered. ¡°if she can¡¯t answer, it¡¯s not a win. at most, it¡¯s a draw with me!¡± ¡°thirteen.¡± su xiaoxiao gave an answer easily.. Chapter 674 - Chapter 674: Brother Ting Knows the Truth chapter 674: brother ting knows the truth translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios zhao kangning looked at su xiaoxiao on the flower-picking roof in disbelief. ¡°impossible¡­ you can¡¯t solve it¡­ you can¡¯t solve it!¡± the first two sentences were muttered to herself, and the last sentence was roared. it could be seen how much this matter had dealt her a blow. she was an all-rounder and was proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. she was good at literature and martial arts, but what she was most proud of was her intelligence. there was no woman in the world who was more outstanding than her. how could a girl from the countryside give an answer to a question that she could not solve so easily? she did not believe that qin su was smarter than her, nor did she believe that qin su was smarter than the scholar of northern yan. the young princess of the western jin took the answer from the guard who rang the gong. ¡°it¡¯s thirteen! qin su didn¡¯t answer wrongly! qin su, you¡¯re too powerful!¡± princess hui an was proud. ¡°as expected of my sidekick!¡± a trace of relief flashed across princess jingning¡¯s eyes. li hui and the others were overjoyed. ¡°i knew qin su would win!¡± lu ying said with a smile. lu hui rolled her eyes at her sister. ¡°i wonder who was so nervous just now.¡± lu ying muttered, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with being nervous?¡± the two of them were not from the same mother. their relationship in the past was actually very shallow. it was only after coming to the palace school that they gradually became close. ¡°you cheated! ¡± zhao kangning said coldly: princess hui an pointed at her nose and said, ¡°hey! why are you like guo lingxi! if you can¡¯t win, you would just say that she cheated! are all of you such sore losers?¡± lu ying said, ¡°that¡¯s right. the last person who questioned qin su was slapped until her face was swollen!¡± ¡°ahem!¡± the eldest sister, lu hui, cleared her throat heavily and glared at her sister. ¡°you¡¯re not a princess. shut up. i don¡¯t want my house to be confiscated.¡± zhao kangning gritted his teeth and said, ¡°that question¡­ it¡¯s impossible for her to solve it!¡± su xiaoxiao looked down at her. ¡°you didn¡¯t read my question. how do you know that i can¡¯t solve them? or¡­ did you read it in advance? aiya, i think i discovered something incredible!¡± everyone looked at zhao kangning. zhao kangning¡¯s face turned green and red. of course, she couldn¡¯t admit that she had tampered with the question. ¡°what are you doing?¡± the princess of the western jin came over. she had just entered the palace and finalized the plan for the trade between the two countries with emperor jing xuan. when she returned to the posthouse, she heard the commotion. she looked at the flower picking building that was more than 30 feet tall and su xiaoxiao, who was standing on the roof, and knew what was up. ¡°mother! qin su and princess kangning were competing to pluck flowers. qin su won! but princess kangning wants to go back on her word! she said that qin su cheated! is there anything difficult about this question? why can qin su only solve it through cheating?¡± ¡°show me,¡± the princess of the western jin said. the young princess of the western jin handed the note in her hand to the princess of the western jin. the question was on the front, and the answer was on the back. after reading it, a trace of surprise flashed across the eyes of the princess of the western jin. she looked up at su xiaoxiao, who was shining under the hot sun. ¡°have you done this question before?¡± ¡°no,¡± su xiaoxiao said. the princess of the western jin was much higher. she didn¡¯t ask directly if it was her who did it. instead, she changed her words. not only did she obtain the answer that su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t cheat, but she also understood su xiaoxiao¡¯s talent in arithmetic. she sighed and muttered, ¡°i suddenly want to be your stepmother¡­¡± ¡°mother, what did you say?¡± her voice was too soft for the young princess of western jin to hear. the princess of the western jin kingdom folded the note and returned it to her daughter. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. since you¡¯ve won, come down quickly.¡± this was announcing su xiaoxiao¡¯s victory. it was useless for zhao kangning to go back on her word. su xiaoxiao followed the vertical rod down. at this moment, something unexpected happened. zhao kangning had used her internal strength to shake the flower picking building. it was not obvious just now, but when it endured the pressure for the second time, a few vertical poles snapped with a bang and su xiaoxiao fell without warning. zhao kangning had fallen halfway. she had fallen from the roof and was in greater danger than zhao kangning. moreover, she did not know qinggong. if she did not die, she would be crippled. the young princess of western jin called out, ¡°qin su!¡± the princess of the western jin kingdom suddenly flew up to pick up su xiaoxiao. however, she was too far away. when she flashed past, she only had time to grab a sleeve. su xiaoxiao was cushioned for a moment. her sleeve tore and she fell again. ¡°little sidekick¡­¡± princess hui an exclaimed. no one expected such a thing to happen, and the guards did not have time to react. just as she was about to fall to her death, her survival instinct was suddenly triggered. su xiaoxiao flipped in the air, and a light force filled her limbs and bones. by the time she reacted, she had already landed steadily on the ground. ¡°little sidekick!¡± princess hui an ran towards her. ¡°are you alright?¡± ¡°i¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± su xiaoxiao looked down at her feet. had she¡­ used her qinggong just now? in front of so many people, especially the princess of the western jin, zhao kangning could not go back on her word. she handed over all her assets in humiliation and pain. with that, su xiaoxiao took another small step forward on the path to becoming the richest person in the world. she cupped her hands at zhao kangning piously. ¡°thank you, princess kangning, for contributing to my path as the richest person. the princess is blessed. the princess will live a long life! remember to write a letter when you go back, keep in touch, and come and interact often!¡± ¡°who wants to interact with you often?¡± zhao kangning was furious. after earning a small sum of money and practicing a small movement technique, su xiaoxiao was very satisfied with her huge gains today. the injured zhao kangning was helped away by the maidservant. looking at her limping back, princess hui an sighed. ¡°little sidekick, i think she¡¯s a little pitiful. she lost so badly that she¡¯s only left with her underpants. she¡¯s so poor. do you want to compensate her a little?¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°how?¡± princess hui an¡¯s eyes darted around as she pointed at her fingers and said smartly, ¡°something unimportant¡­ like brother ting?¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. su xiaoxiao returned to the residence in high spirits. wei ting had long returned from the court and was sitting in the room waiting for her. su mo was also there. ¡°husband! cousin!¡± she greeted the two of them happily. her satisfied look made wei ting take a few more suspicious glances. one had to know that she was not so satisfied after they did that. wei ting asked, ¡°where did you go?¡± su xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°nothing much. i just¡­ went out for a while and said goodbye to the young princess of western jin and zhao kangning. ¡± wei ting was even more puzzled. ¡°when did you become so close to the princess of northern yan?¡± su xiaoxiao sat down between her and su mo and picked up her teacup to take a sip. ¡°isn¡¯t it unfamiliar to call her princess northern yan? she has a name and a title. she¡¯s kancninc. i announce that from now on. princess kancninc is under my protection. whoever dares to bully her will cut off my wealth¡­ ahem, make things difficult for me!¡± wei ting asked, ¡°did you make another bet?¡± su mo said, ¡°what did you bet on this time?¡± wei ting¡­ she couldn¡¯t say this. su xiaoxiao smiled and changed the topic. ¡°cousin, why are you here today?¡± wei ting said to su mo, ¡°that¡¯s right. you¡¯ve been coming a little too often recently.¡± su xiaoxiao hurriedly said, ¡®cousin, that¡¯s not what i meant¡­¡± ¡°i know.¡± su mo looked at his sister gently and said solemnly to wei ting, ¡°i¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be poisoned again.¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°what business is it of yours?¡± su mo said, ¡°it¡¯s too hard for sister to remove the gu for you. i¡¯ll do it next time.¡± wei ting was speechless. and so was su xiaoxiao. wei ting raised his spear and attacked! it was a literal spear. su mo looked at the red tassel spear that was suddenly charging at him and thought to himself that this person was probably seriously ill! he got up to avoid it. ¡°why did you poke me with a spear?¡± ¡°pfft¡ª¡± su xiaoxiao spat again.. Chapter 675 - Chapter 675: Wuhu Contributes Again chapter 675: wuhu contributes again translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios no, no, no. she was a pure little fairy. she didn¡¯t think of anything. there was not enough room for the two of them to play in the house. the two of them went to the courtyard to play. logically speaking, su xiaoxiao should have stopped them, but it was really eye-catching to watch handsome men fight. the saber and sword were sharp, but they were not superficial. the scene was comparable to a blockbuster. it was not until wei liulang came over that they separated. ¡°little seven, su mo, why did you fight?¡± su mo dusted his wrinkled sleeves. ¡°ask him! why did he suddenly attack? it¡¯s ridiculous!¡± wei liulang looked at wei ting. ¡°little seven.¡± wei ting snorted coldly, not wanting to explain. ¡°xiaoxiao.¡± wei liulang looked at su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°well¡­ they were just sparring.¡± wei liulang wondered, ¡°was there a need to be serious about the spar?¡± if he hadn¡¯t stopped them in time, the two of them would have overturned the courtyard. su xiaoxiao suppressed the smile on her lips. she didn¡¯t snicker. definitely not. suddenly, wei liulang seemed to have thought of something and said to wei ting, ¡°little seven, princess kangning didn¡¯t come to look for you, right?¡± wei ting said solemnly, ¡°sixth brother, i have nothing to do with princess kangning! don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± wei liulang explained, ¡°no, it¡¯s seventh sister-in-law who¡­¡± su xiaoxiao rushed over and covered his mouth. ¡°sixth brother, it¡¯s getting late. i think you should go back to the courtyard to rest.¡± wei ting narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°let sixth brother finish.¡± su mo heard her clearly. he raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°wei yan said that sister used you as a hedge on the gambling table with princess kangning.¡± the first sentence was what he heard. the second sentence was what he guessed from the previous conversation. wei ting¡¯s expression immediately darkened. he looked at su xiaoxiao with a dangerous gaze. ¡°did you hedge me to someone else?¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. wei ting said word by word, ¡°let sixth brother say it.¡± wei yan removed su xiaoxiao¡¯s hand. ¡°seventh sister-in-law made bet, but she won you back.¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°brother, you¡¯re trying to kill me!¡± wei ting¡¯s eyes were filled with killing intent. su xiaoxiao flashed in front of su mo and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°cousin, did aunt miss me these past few days?¡± su mo smiled. ¡°yes, she misses you every day. do you want to stay with me for a few days?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded obsequiously. ¡°yes, yes!¡± wei ting clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. ¡°su¡­ xiaoxiao! ¡± he originally wanted to call her su daya, but when he was about to say it, he remembered that she had changed her name. however, he had already called her by her surname. changing it to qin su seemed especially intimidating, so he used that name. su xiaoxiao hid behind su mo and stuck her head out. she blinked and said, ¡°this is quite a good name. call me that a few more times in the future.¡± wei ting was speechless! in the end, su xiaoxiao used helian ye¡¯s betrayal of king nanyang to barely divert wei ting¡¯s anger. this was a matter of great importance. the few of them decided to call the ghostfear over. ¡°there¡¯s no precedent for sacrificial soldiers. what does your wei family¡¯s grudge have to do with me?¡± ghostfear refused without thinking. ¡°erhu, let¡¯s go stir up uncle. i want to play erhu for him!¡± xiaohu¡¯s childish voice came from outside the house. in the next second, ghostfear fled out of the window. wei liulang turned around. ¡°eh? where¡¯s big brother?¡± when wei liulang returned to su xiaoxiao and wei ting¡¯s room, ghostfear was already sitting on the stool like a mountain. when everyone was here, su xiaoxiao told the four of them everything she had spoken with helian ye about. the four of them had the same opinion. king nanyang was possessed. su mo thought for a moment and said, ¡°back then, it was said that a prince was also possessed and went crazy. for the sake of the family¡¯s reputation, the royal family locked that prince up and suppressed the news.¡± it was rare for wei ting not to poke him with a spear. ¡°i¡¯ve heard of this too. did big brother go to see that prince again?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t remember,¡± ghostfear said calmly. ¡°also, i¡¯m not your brother. don¡¯t call me that again.¡± su xiaoxiao touched her chin and muttered, ¡°so the family has a genetic history.¡± su mo looked at her. ¡®what do you think?¡± ¡°in my opinion, king nanyang isn¡¯t possessed.¡± su xiaoxiao expressed her opinion and explained king nanyang¡¯s situation to them in detail. wei liulang was a little confused. ¡°you mean there are two nanyang kings?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°you can interpret it that way. actually, all of us have an evil and kind side, but most of the time, it¡¯s a mixture. just like how good people have evil thoughts, evil people also have good intentions and won¡¯t be completely separated.¡± king nanyang¡¯s situation was very special. her preliminary deduction was that he had suffered inhumane abuse when he was ten years old, causing him to have mental problems. of course, there might be deeper inside information. ¡°is this¡­ the evil king nanyang?¡± su mo asked. ¡°that¡¯s right,¡± su xiaoxiao said. if anyone else told them this, they would definitely not believe them easily, but they knew su xiaoxiao¡¯s medical skills. su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°what i need to remind you is that he¡¯s no longer the former king nanyang. he might have a brand new name, identity, and preferences¡­ therefore, don¡¯t be soft-hearted when facing him.¡± these words were said to wei ting and wei liulang. the two of them were the closest to king nanyang, especially wei ting. in wei ting¡¯s heart, the former king nanyang was both a teacher and a father figure. the kind king nanyang was already dead. now, what remained was the mastermind who was ambitious and cruelly killed lord wu an, wei xu, and many wei family children for his own selfish desires. wei ting said with a cold expression, ¡°i won¡¯t show mercy.¡± thinking of the deaths of his grandfather, father, and four brothers, wei liulang nodded solemnly. if he saw king nanyang, he would definitely kill him and avenge his family! ¡°brother, what about you?¡± wei liulang looked at ghostfear. ghostfear said coldly, ¡°i¡¯m a sacrificial soldier. what does the wei family¡¯s grudge have to do with me?¡± ¡°brother! brother!¡± as they spoke, su li rushed in. su li was on his side, so the servants did not stop him. su mo frowned. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? why are you in such a hurry?¡± su li was not as guilty as before when he was reprimanded by her brother. she said seriously, ¡°brother, i found king nanyang¡¯s hiding place!¡± su mo¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°is that true?¡± su li said anxiously, ¡°it¡¯s true! it¡¯s truer than gold! he¡¯s hiding in the black market in the south of the city! wuhu¡­ ahem, i saw it with my own eyes!¡± swoosh! ghostfear grabbed the sword on the table and flashed out! this action was too fast and stunned wei liulang. ¡°sixth brother, wait for me at home.¡± wei ting left with su mo. ¡°i want to go too!¡± wei liulang chased after him.. Chapter 676 - Chapter 676: Su Xuan chapter 676: su xuan translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the few of them went to kill king nanyang. su li wanted to go too, but su xiaoxiao stopped him. su li straightened her back and said, ¡°kid, go away. i have serious matters to attend to! i don¡¯t have time to play with you!¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms and looked at him suspiciously. ¡°did you see it, or did wuhu?¡± su li said without changing his expression, ¡°i saw it all. i saw it first!¡± he even snatched the credit of a bird. he was not human¡­ su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°why did you bring wuhu to the south of the city?¡± su li raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°buying bird food.¡± su xiaoxiao hit the nail on the head. ¡°you don¡¯t like to feed birds.¡± su li opened his mouth, wanting to deny it, but he felt that he probably couldn¡¯t lie. ¡°fourth brother pulled me there. he said that there¡¯s a new bird market in the south of the city. there are berries shipped from northern yan. wuhu will like them, so the two of us brought wuhu there.¡± not only did wuhu learn to forage at su xiaoxiao¡¯s place, but it also flew back to the su family from time to time to be fed. su xuan and matriarch su fed him the most. ¡°fourth cousin¡­¡± su xiaoxiao was deep in thought. su li waved his hand. ¡°i¡¯m not talking to you anymore. i¡¯m going to kill that guy!¡¯ su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°with your lousy skills, you shouldn¡¯t be in a hurry to die.¡± ¡°hey, who are you looking down on? at least i have dilettantish, middling skills. do you? you don¡¯t even know qinggong¡ª¡± before he could finish, su xiaoxiao turned around and jumped onto the tree in the courtyard. su li was dumbfounded. no way. when did this girl learn qinggong? she had clearly smashed all the men in the three residences recently. even he had been used as a human cushion by his brother¡­ su xiaoxiao jumped onto another tree and raised her eyebrows at su li. ¡°how is it? my qinggong isn¡¯t bad, right?¡± she had only learned it for a few days, but she had already learned it. how crazy was this girl? su li would never admit that he had not learned qinggong as quickly as su xiaoxiao. ¡°tsk, so what?¡± su li turned his face away. the three little ones ran over. just now, they had seen their mother flying around from afar. their mother was so powerful! the three of them jumped up excitedly. ¡°again! again!¡± ¡°alright! watch!¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and aimed at the roof opposite. she jumped up! duang! she hit the side of the roof at the waist and scrabbled a few times. she didn¡¯t grab anything and fell. su li was speechless. and so were the three little ones. su xiaoxiao lay facedown on the grass, unable to dig. she endured the stiffness of her body falling apart and gritted her teeth to threaten, ¡°this, this doesn¡¯t count¡­ forget it all!¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s qinggong was at the stage where it was sometimes effective and sometimes not. after hitting the wall countless times, she finally successfully ascended¡­ uh, no, flew. the three little ones clapped especially supportively. ¡°mother is so awesome! mother is so awesome!¡± su li could not bear to watch. however, when he thought about the time he just learned qinggong, he seemed to be in a worse state than this girl. he had lost two front teeth.. fortunately, they were milk teeth. su li pretended to say, ¡°it¡¯s far inferior to mine back then.¡± su xiaoxiao muttered to herself, ¡°will you die if you don¡¯t posture?¡± after the three little ones fell asleep, su xiaoxiao escorted su li back to the marquis of zhenbei¡¯s estate. yes, she did. otherwise, this kid would definitely have gone to fight. su xuan seemed to be still reading at night. his tall figure and aura were like bamboo, making him look like a peerless young master. su xiaoxiao pulled su li into the house. ¡°fourth cousin, i¡¯ll leave him to you. keep an eye on him and don¡¯t let him go out to fight.¡± su xuan smiled. ¡°okay.¡± su li snorted and muttered softly, ¡°it would be strange if fourth brother could keep an eye on me.¡± su xuan called a team of guards over who surrounded the courtyard. su li was speechless. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°fourth cousin, i have something to talk to you about.¡± su xuan put down his book and came to the courtyard with su xiaoxiao. it was late at night, and the residence was quiet. the moonlight flowed quietly, leaving a clear glow in the courtyard. su xiaoxiao went straight to the point. ¡°fourth cousin specially brought wuhu to the black market in the south of the city today, right? fourth cousin knows that king nanyang is hiding in that area, so you asked wuhu to find him.¡± su xuan smiled without saying anything. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t ask how he knew. everyone had their own secrets. if he didn¡¯t want to tell her, it was useless for her to ask. she said bluntly, ¡°how much does fourth cousin know about king nanyang(¡± su xuan looked at the endless night. ¡°he¡¯s¡­ a terrifying person.¡± he had used the word terrifying. after knowing him for so long, this was the first time su xiaoxiao had heard him describe an opponent like this. ¡°does he have any weaknesses?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. the weakness of sacrificial soldiers was their weakness after exhaustion. a ten-year-old child could easily kill them. for example, when they cast gu, they could not practice martial arts and their bodies were weaker than ordinary people. once they lost the gu, they would be lambs to be slaughtered. su xiaoxiao had always believed that everything in the world had its weakness. as long as she found king nanyang¡¯s weakness, she could easily kill him. su xuan said softly, ¡°he has no weakness.¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°how¡­ su xuan looked at the tree in front of him and said, ¡°he¡¯s not afraid of the gu, and no one can poison him, because no one can get close to him. he¡¯s like this tree in the courtyard. the tree trunk and crown you see are only the tip of the iceberg. the roots deeply embedded in the ground are longer and larger than the entire tree trunk and crown combined.¡± to be able to obtain such a high evaluation from su xuan, king nanyang¡¯s strength probably exceeded their imagination. he originally thought that without the white lotus society and helian ye, king nanyang would lose his right-hand man. however, it seemed that he still had unknown trump cards. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°does fourth cousin know what his trump card is?¡± su xuan shook his head. su xiaoxiao understood and said, ¡°fourth cousin, do you think the assassination tonight will succeed?¡± wei ting and the others came to the vicinity of the black market in the south of the city. this place originally sold antiques. there was a mix of truth and falsehood. later on, there were gradually people doing other businesses. wei liulang and ghostfear were wearing masks, but wei ting and su mo were not. it was getting late. the stalls on the other streets closed one after another, but the business of the black market seemed to have just begun. it was noisy and lively. the four of them found an inn and paid some money to hand the four horses to the servant to feed. wei ting said to the parrot on his shoulder, ¡°wuhu, where is he?¡± the male owner didn¡¯t have any bird food. it was a little lazy and didn¡¯t want to move. wei ting took out a piece of bird food from his pocket. wuhu instantly transformed into the worker who was revived and flew towards the black market. it flew into a brothel. the beautifully dressed procuress welcomed them with a smile. ¡°yo, look who¡¯s here tonight. what handsome four young masters. girls, there are guests!¡± the girls in light muslin swayed towards the four of them. unexpectedly, before they could touch a corner of their clothes, the four of them had already passed through the back door. ¡°what a spoilsport!¡± everyone rolled their eyes and dispersed. wei ting watched as wuhu continued to fly forward. the corners of his mouth twitched. ¡°there are so many shops. do you have to go through a brothel?¡± wuhu simply smirked, ¡°men, i understand!¡± wuhu flew into a courtyard hidden in the city. they were here to kill tonight. there was no need to hide. the few of them rushed in without a word, but the courtyard was empty. there was no one. ghostfear picked up the cold half cup of tea on the stone table. ¡°the tea is cold. he¡¯s long gone.¡± wei liulang frowned. ¡°oh no! it¡¯s a diversion!¡± when su xiaoxiao returned to the wei family, wei ting was not back yet. the house was silent and dark. she closed the door and was about to turn on the light when she realized that someone was sitting in the chair.. Chapter 677 - Chapter 677: Qin Canglan Attacks chapter 677: qin canglan attacks translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao paused and subconsciously looked at him. the house was too dark for her to see her fingers. she could not see the other party¡¯s appearance clearly, but she vaguely sensed a familiar aura. she had entered from outside the house. the other party should have seen her clearly. since the other party did not attack immediately, there was still room for negotiation. su xiaoxiao calmed down and turned on the light as usual. the light of the oil lamp landed on the other party¡¯s handsome face. su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°so it¡¯s your highness.¡± as she spoke, she glanced at the little maidservant who had fallen on her feet. the little maidservant was still breathing evenly. she had probably just fainted. she looked at the canopy curtain again. the breathing of the three little fellows came one after another, but there was nothing unusual. king nanyang took in her vigilance and smiled. his smile was cold and chilling. su xiaoxiao quietly sat down on the stool on the other side of the bed, in case he attacked the children later. she could still be a shield. her little actions could not be hidden from king nanyang who did not mind. su xiaoxiao poured herself a cup of cold tea and asked indifferently, ¡°your highness, why are you visiting late at night?¡± king nanyang looked into her eyes sharply. ¡°where is the late emperor¡¯s edict?¡± yo, so the will had yet to be obtained. at this moment, su xiaoxiao admired zhang feng. he was indeed the most powerful spy to be able to deceive the king of nanyang. back then, king nanyang had carefully nurtured him to let him stay by mo guiyuan¡¯s side without anyone knowing. he did not expect to be pecked by the eagle he raised. thinking of this, why did su xiaoxiao feel a little happy? su xiaoxiao looked innocent. ¡°what will of the late emperor? i don¡¯t understand.¡± king nanyang said, ¡°zhang feng was not killed by the people of northern yan.¡± no way. he even found out about this? su xiaoxiao¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°what does this have to do with me?¡± king nanyang looked at her coldly. ¡°hand it over obediently. perhaps you can live a few more days. otherwise¡­¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°how is it?¡± king nanyang sneered. ¡°i can only take you away and let wei ting redeem you with the edict.¡± treacherous i su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°don¡¯t think that there are no experts in the residence. my sisters-in-law are each better at fighting than the other. there are also secret guards. i just need to call them and they will rush over immediately.¡± king nanyang pointed at the bed behind su xiaoxiao. ¡°if you shout, i¡¯ll kill one.¡± the corners of su xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. what kind of cold-blooded maniac was this! no wonder su xuan said that he did not have any weaknesses. he had already disowned his family. what weakness could he have! su xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°they¡¯re xiao min¡¯s sons and your biological grandchildren!¡± king nanyang sneered indifferently. ¡°what does that coward¡¯s grandson have to do with me?¡± was he¡­ confessing to her? no, no, no. he was testing her understanding of him. once she discovered his secret, she and helian ye would die. it did not matter if helian ye died. it would be a pity if she died. it seemed that he had been secretly monitoring helian ye. he knew what helian ye had said to her, but he did not know the details. with this thought in mind, su xiaoxi understood how to answer. ¡°what do you mean? are you not the real king nanyang? who¡­ who are you? what¡¯s your motive for pretending to be king nanyang?¡± king nanyang looked at su xiaoxiao deeply but didn¡¯t say anything else. instead, he stood up and walked towards su xiaoxiao. he threatened her from above, ¡°will you follow me obediently, or will you follow me after i capture one?¡± su xiaoxiao blinked and asked, ¡°you can just capture one. why do you have to bring me along?¡± because king nanyang did not know how to take care of children¡­ moreover, they were three crazy brats. king nanyang stared at her with a murderous glint in his eyes. he raised his hand and pointed his palm at the bed. su xiaoxiao compromised. ¡°i¡¯ll go with you.¡± king nanyang brought su xiaoxiao out of the courtyard. he was quite familiar with the wei family, even more familiar than su xiaoxiao. after taking many turns, he did not encounter a single guard. su xiaoxiao slowly followed behind him. king nanyang said calmly, ¡°don¡¯t try to stall for time.¡± su xiaoxiao curled her lips and said, ¡°do you feel that you made a mistake? now that the three children are gone, you can¡¯t threaten me anymore. if i scream¡­¡± king nanyang¡¯s sword was pressed against her neck. su xiaoxiao was instantly terrified. ¡°i was just joking.¡± king nanyang brought su xiaoxiao to a courtyard wall. he glanced at it. ¡°climb over.¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°my qinggong is unstable. the wall is too high.¡± king nanyang grabbed her and threw her over. su xiaoxiao was speechless. su xiaoxiao fell into the carriage outside the courtyard wall. king nanyang leaped into the carriage. su xiaoxiao got up and dusted herself off. her eyes darted around. king nanyang said coldly, ¡°if you dare to run, i¡¯ll chop off your feet.¡± su xiaoxiao sat in obediently. in the dark night, an expert quietly used his qinggong to come over. he sat in the outer car seat and grabbed the reins. su xiaoxiao glanced at him and asked, ¡°other than the late emperor¡¯s will, you actually want the wei family¡¯s commander¡¯s seal, right? why don¡¯t we make a deal? i¡¯ll help you get the commander¡¯s seal and you¡¯ll let me go?¡± king nanyang was unmoved. su xiaoxiao continued to chatter. ¡°wei ting and i aren¡¯t as loving as you think. i only lusted after his good looks, but once the oil lamp is extinguished, isn¡¯t it the same? besides, people have to pursue a sense of novelty. no matter how good something is, they will get tired of it if they eat too much. it¡¯s the same for men! what you want is the throne. i have the military power of the qin and su families behind me¡­ king nanyang said impatiently, ¡°you¡¯re very noisy!¡± su xiaoxiao said earnestly, ¡°aren¡¯t i surrendering to you? a good bird chooses a tree to nest in. he who understands the times is a wise man. it seems that emperor jing xuan can¡¯t defeat you. i¡¯ll find a backer for myself first. as long as you promise not to touch me or the su family and the qin family, i promise to help you ascend to the top! what¡¯s the wei family¡¯s private army? can it compete with the huge qin family¡¯s iron cavalry and the su family¡¯s three armies?¡± king nanyang was annoyed by her. just as he was about to tap her mute acupoint, his ears suddenly twitched. he lifted the curtain. on the empty street, a mighty and tall man in black armor and holding a spear rode over like a war god. his warhorse was also wearing silver armor and a ghost mask helmet. he was not an asura of purgatory, but a divine general of the heavenly court. king nanyang narrowed his eyes. ¡°qin canglan?¡± qin canglan tightened the reins and stopped ten steps away. he carried the saber and sent the expert driving away with a palm strike.. he said domineeringly, ¡°did you ask me, qin canglan, if you can touch my granddaughter?¡± Chapter 678 - Chapter 678: Beating up King Nanyang (1) chapter 678: beating up king nanyang (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios king nanyang suddenly came back to his senses and looked at su xiaoxiao coldly. ¡°did you do it on purpose just now?¡± su xiaoxiao said frankly, ¡°if you were referring to me talking, yes, i did it on purpose to distract you so that you wouldn¡¯t notice my grandfather coming over so quickly.¡± king nanyang narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°you knew i would come tonight?¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows with a smile. ¡°this is called¡­ i predicted your prediction!¡± the truth was that she had asked su xuan if his assassination tonight would succeed, and the answer su xuan gave her was no. she was puzzled at that time. ¡°since you don¡¯t know, why did you lure wei ting and the others over?¡± this was an all-out attack. the three brothers had all gone! su xuan¡¯s answer was, ¡°because this is the only way to truly confuse king nanyang.¡± king nanyang was not so easy to deceive. if wei ting knew that this was king nanyang¡¯s plan to lure them away, he would definitely not be at ease leaving su xiaoxiao and the children alone in the bridal room. he would either stay behind himself, send someone to guard them, or let su xiaoxiao and the children go to old madam wei¡¯s courtyard. it would be difficult to find him then. tonight was the only chance. the price was the safety of su xiaoxiao and the three children. ¡°fourth cousin, you¡¯re really ruthless.¡± king nanyang was an out-and-out lunatic. no one could guarantee that he would not kill someone on the spot for fun. su mo was ruthless to his enemies, but su xuan was also extremely ruthless to his own people. she had misjudged the quiet handsome man. su xiaoxiao looked at qin canglan and said, ¡°grandpa! do it!¡± ¡°then i¡¯ll kill you first!¡± king nanyang raised his hand and grabbed su xiaoxiao¡¯s neck. su xiaoxiao suddenly broke the board behind her and rolled down. king nanyang pounced forward to grab her, but he realized that su xiaoxiao, who should have fallen to the ground, had suddenly disappeared. could it be that she had crawled under the carriage? without a word, king nanyang drew his sword and stabbed at the bottom of the carriage¡­ he did not stab anything. king nanyang frowned deeply, not understanding what su xiaoxiao was playing at. qin canglan did not give him a chance to find his precious granddaughter and slashed open king nanyang¡¯s carriage. the horse fled in shock. king nanyang leaped and jumped to the roof at the side before the long saber hit him. he stopped looking for su xiaoxiao and drew his sword to attack qin canglan. his first strike was very fast and fierce, but qin canglan steadily caught it. qin canglan¡¯s skills were shocking. after taking the black technology bone strengthening pills from the pharmacy, not only did qin canglan stop having gout, but his body was also much stronger. a few days ago, he even broke through the bottleneck of more than ten years of internal strength. king nanyang quickly used his second move, but it was still easily blocked by qin canglan. he attacked more than ten times in a row, forcing qin canglan back half a street. qin canglan held the long saber in his hand tightly and looked at him coldly. ¡°now, it¡¯s my turn.¡± just now, he was suppressed and only defended without attacking. it was not that he did not have the strength to fight back, but that he was understanding king nanyang¡¯s moves. ¡°xiaoxiao, you haven¡¯t practiced martial arts for long. don¡¯t learn from me. attack is always the best defense.¡± he faced su xiaoxiao, who was on the street. a minute later, she was thrown out of the pharmacy. su xiaoxiao nodded obediently. ¡°i¡¯ll remember, grandpa!¡± king nanyang frowned. he had just dealt with qin canglan completely and did not notice where this girl came from! su xiaoxiao complained, ¡°grandpa, he just threw me! beat him up!¡± qin canglan said domineeringly, ¡°alright! grandpa will teach this kid a lesson today!¡± kid? king nanyang did not like this form of address. ¡°the first move, fury!¡± qin canglan¡¯s aura suddenly soared. he raised his saber and slashed at king nanyang. king nanyang used his sword as a shield to block his long saber. the weapons collided, causing a series of sparks. king nanyang felt his arm go numb. qin canglan was clearly not so powerful a few years ago¡­ soon, qin canglan used the second move. ¡°flying kill!¡± his internal energy transformed into a drizzle of saber energy that attacked king nanyang from all directions, as if thousands of tiny blades had cut his body. king nanyang¡¯s clothes were torn and his arms were bleeding. ¡°it¡¯s just a light injury. don¡¯t be afraid. don¡¯t escape..¡± Chapter 679 - Chapter 679: Beating up King Nanyang (2) chapter 679: beating up king nanyang (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios with that, qin canglan raised his long saber coldly. ¡°the third move, thunder roar!¡± as he slashed down, his majestic internal strength was like thunder, carrying the momentum of a roaring stream as it suddenly collided with king nanyang! king nanyang tried to block, but he was forced back ten feet. finally, he could no longer withstand this terrifying attack and was sent flying, crashing heavily into the door of a family. king nanyang vomited blood on the spot! creak¡ª the door was pulled open. a young man jumped out. ¡°damn it! who¡¯s there at night? why aren¡¯t you sleeping well? are you trying to cause trouble?¡± a murderous glint flashed across king nanyang¡¯s eyes. swish! su xiaoxiao shot an arrow at the young man¡¯s feet. the young man was shocked and hurriedly jumped back into the house, closing the courtyard door tightly. the bow and arrow were taken from qin canglan¡¯s saddle. su xiaoxiao and the horse stood by the roadside and watched the two big bosses fight. su xiaoxiao walked over with her bow and arrow and looked at king nanyang, who was holding his chest and vomiting blood. she smiled and said, ¡°grandpa! you¡¯re so powerful!¡± qin canglan smiled and said, ¡°my granddaughter is even more impressive!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, his expression changed and he pushed su xiaoxiao away! a powerful sword aura attacked qin canglan. he used half of his internal strength to protect su xiaoxiao and only used the other half to block it. he was forced to stagger. fortunately, he was wearing armor. the armor cracked, but he was fine. su xiaoxiao frowned and said, ¡°grandpa, he¡¯s not in the right state¡­ he vomited blood just now, right¡­ why is he fine after a while?¡± in the words of her previous life, her health bar was full again. qin canglan also found it strange. this guy¡¯s aura had returned to the state it was in when they first fought, but he had clearly seriously injured him. qin canglan did not believe it and used another killing move on king nanyang. king nanyang was injured again, but in the blink of an eye, he recovered. ¡°no wonder su xuan said that he has no weakness¡­ he can¡¯t be killed at all¡­ if this continues, grandpa will definitely be exhausted.¡± ¡°no, he must have a weakness.¡± ¡°he can recover quickly. it¡¯s either medicine or gu.¡± it was most likely a gu because she had been observing him and did not see him take the medicine. ling yun¡¯s zither killing could kill gu, but distant water could not extinguish a nearby fire. su xiaoxiao calmed down at the critical moment. the stronger everything in the world was, the more fatal its weakness was. however, she had not discovered it. their previous methods of thinking about weaknesses did not work on king nanyang. otherwise, king nanyang would have been exposed long ago. ¡°the weather is dry¡ªbe careful of the candles¡ª¡± thud! not far away, there was the sound of a watchman. king nanyang frowned imperceptibly. su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. he hated gongs! ¡°hey, hey, hey! miss, what are you doing?¡± ¡°let me borrow your gong!¡± su xiaoxiao came behind king nanyang with the gong. while he was restrained by qin canglan, she aimed at his ear and knocked him down! king nanyang¡¯s body trembled. he covered his chest in pain and knelt on one imee. ha! it worked! this guy was afraid of gongs! no, the gu worm in his body should be the one that was afraid of gongs¡­ of course, it could also be afraid of noise. such a simple weakness¡­ who would have thought? su xiaoxiao was overjoyed. ¡°grandpa! take his life while he¡¯s down!¡± qin canglan held his long saber tightly and attacked king nanyang. this time, king nanyang really did not continue to recover. he spat out blood and looked at qin canglan coldly. ¡°qin canglan¡­ do you know what you¡¯re doing? qin canglan snorted. ¡°cut the crap! if i want to kill you, i¡¯ll kill the emperor even if he comes!¡± king nanyang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. there was no fear in his eyes. instead, his lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°is that so? have you forgotten your identity? i¡¯m a prince. if you dare to kill me, you should be killed according to the law!¡± qin canglan chuckled and said, ¡°you¡¯re already dead! where would the king come from? this is just someone who¡¯s a little similar to the king.¡± su xiaoxiao observed king nanyang¡¯s expression. he was clearly in a desperate situation, but why didn¡¯t he seem to think that he would die? could it be that he was stalling for time for reinforcements? soon, su xiaoxiao denied this guess. the qin family¡¯s army had long guarded a radius of two miles. it was impossible for large-scale reinforcements to rush over. if it was just a few experts, her grandfather could completely deal with them. so, what was his confidence? king nanyang said coldly, ¡°qin canglan, the new emperor appointed by the late emperor is me!¡± qin canglan looked at the sky with a face that said, ¡°i¡¯ve never seen it before. i won¡¯t acknowledge it.¡± after spitting out another mouthful of blood, king nanyang suddenly reached into his pocket and took out a token. ¡°the great zhou dragon token. seeing the token is like seeing the previous emperor!¡± qin canglan was stunned. su xiaoxiao thought to herself that this guy actually had the dragon token of the previous emperor. qin canglan followed the late emperor everywhere. he was absolutely loyal to the late emperor. otherwise, he would not have immediately supported prince ruyang to ascend the throne after receiving the secret decree. was this king nanyang¡¯s trump card? if he had brought out the late emperor, how could they fight next? qin canglan looked at the dragon token with a complicated expression. ¡°the late emperor¡­¡± king nanyang smiled in satisfaction. ¡°now you should understand who your true master is!¡± qin canglan walked up to king nanyang step by step and knelt on one knee. however, before his knees touched the ground, he suddenly jumped up and slapped away king nanyang¡¯s dragon token. then, at lightning speed, he crushed the dragon token! king nanyang was speechless! he looked at qin canglan in disbelief. ¡°are¡­ are you trying to rebel?¡± qin canglan replied,¡± that¡¯s right! if you have the token of the late emperor, why should i care!¡± king nanyang finally realized that something was wrong. he turned around and used his movement technique to leave. ¡°hmph, you want to leave?¡± qin canglan soared into the air and jumped above king nanyang.. he kicked his chest and kicked him back to the ground! Chapter 680 - Chapter 680: Doting On His Grandchild chapter 680: doting on his grandchild translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao took the opportunity to take out the tranquilizer and pricked his neck. the gu in king nanyang¡¯s body was suppressed. the moment the injection entered his body, he quickly lost consciousness. his eyelids drooped heavily and he finally fell asleep. su xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t underestimate her enemy just because he fainted. she took out a bundle of ropes from the cloth bag hanging on qin canglan¡¯s saddle and tied king nanyang up. qin canglan squatted down and tugged at the knot she had tied. he praised her hard, ¡°this knot is not bad.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°this is called a sailor knot. the more you struggle, the tighter it gets!¡± qin canglan patted su xiaoxiao¡¯s head dotingly. ¡°my granddaughter is so amazing! ¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t stand on ceremony at all. ¡°of course!¡± qin canglan laughed out loud at his granddaughter¡¯s cuteness. he looked at king nanyang on the ground and asked, ¡°what about this guy? he already knew about king nanyang¡¯s situation. he was not an indecisive person, nor was he a foolishly loyal and filial person. not to mention that this guy was no longer the original king nanyang, even if he was, he would be beaten up if he dared to capture his granddaughter. su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°bring him back first and deal with it when wei ting and the others return.¡± as she spoke, she pointed to the alley not far away. ¡°there¡¯s a carriage over there. i¡¯ll call it over. grandfather, watch him.¡¯ qin canglan suddenly stopped moving and was stunned on the spot. su xiaoxiao looked at him steadily. ¡°grandpa, grandpa?¡± qin canglan came back to his senses and took a deep breath to look at his hands. ¡°grandpa, are you feeling unwell?¡± su xiaoxiao was about to take his pulse. qin canglan frowned and shook his head with a smile. ¡°i should have been a little exhausted just now. after the battle, not only do sacrificial soldiers have weakness, but ordinary people will also feel it. this guy is harder to deal with than i imagined. it took me a lot of effort.¡± su xiaoxiao recalled the intense battle just now. this lunatic was indeed difficult to deal with. if not for the night watchman revealing his weakness, she might not have been able to defeat him. this method of using gu to recover internal strength would definitely have a huge backlash. it was like killing a thousand enemies and losing eight hundred. however, before his backlash arrived, the opponent would often be exhausted to death. su xiaoxiao first returned the night watchman¡¯s gong and went to the alley to look for a carriage. su xuan was sitting in the carriage. ¡°fourth cousin.¡± su xiaoxiao got into the car and greeted him. she went straight to the point. ¡°do you know that he can¡¯t be beaten to death?¡± su xuan said, ¡°he¡¯ll die if you cut off his head.¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°the problem is how difficult it is for him to recover his internal energy. who can chop off his head?¡± su xuan said softly, ¡°i¡¯ve said it before. he has no weakness.¡± su xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°but you didn¡¯t remind me that he can recover endlessly¡­ many times.¡± su xuan said, ¡°if i tell you, you will definitely remind granduncle that it will definitely be a long battle of attrition if he fights and recovers once. then, will granduncle still use his full strength from the beginning? su xiaoxiao was stunned and seemed to understand what he meant. for example, a person running a 100-meter race was different from a 10,000-meter race. the former did not leave any strength for himself from the beginning, but the latter had to distribute the rhythm and stamina reasonably. su xuan continued, ¡°when facing an expert like him, we can only use our full strength every time. otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to force out his flaws.¡± su xiaoxiao recalled. ¡°but it wasn¡¯t a flaw forced out today. it was a coincidence. ¡± su xuan thought for a moment and analyzed, ¡°that¡¯s because the gu has already exhausted a large amount of vitality and is slowly weakening. otherwise, it would be useless even if you hit the gong a hundred times. indeed, there¡¯s also luck.¡± he looked at su xiaoxiao. ¡°you were in luck.¡± this was the truth. this girl¡¯s luck every time was so good that it made people doubt their lives. su xiaoxiao cleared her throat. ¡°my luck.. is good, of course.¡± was he envious of her for using her previous life to exchange for this? su xuan said in a low voice, ¡°none of us have a way out. we¡¯d rather step on the tip of a knife than fall into a bottomless abyss.¡± su xiaoxiao felt that there was a deeper meaning in su xuan¡¯s words, but su xuan didn¡¯t continue. he got out of the carriage and disappeared into the night alone. su xiaoxiao and qin canglan took the carriage back to the duke protector¡¯s estate. qin canglan locked the unconscious king nanyang in the room next to sikong yun and threw him on the bed very roughly. he called the guards over to watch him. su xiaoxiao was thinking about her next plan in the courtyard. he strode over. ¡°grandaughter, the trick you just did is not bad.¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°huh? what trick?¡± qin canglan gestured. ¡°you just came out of the carriage and disappeared with a whoosh! i¡¯ve seen it on the streets before, but i think you¡¯ve become better than them. who did you learn it from? teach grandpa too! grandpa will do it for dahu and the others later!¡± he was really childish¡­ su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°i learned it when i was in the countryside¡­ you might not be able to learn it¡­¡± ¡°do it another time for me. i¡¯ll definitely be able to learn it!¡± ¡°this trick¡­ it¡¯s not an ordinary trick. i have to use some tools. this tool works from time to time¡­¡± ¡°have you learned something?¡± su xiaoxiao refused to admit that she had learned nothing! this time was still for show¡­ she straightened her back. ¡°just once? qin canglan made up his mind. ¡°just once! if i can¡¯t learn it once¡­ i won¡¯t learn it anymore!¡± su xiaoxiao brought qin canglan into her room and pointed at the curtains hanging on the ground. ¡°i¡¯ll go in later. grandpa will count to three before pulling the curtain.¡± qin canglan nodded. ¡°sure!¡± su xiaoxiao had a strong aura. she pulled open the curtain and covered herself. qin canglan muttered three times and walked forward to lift the curtain. the two of them stared at each other. su xiaoxiao blinked and coughed lightly. ¡°grandpa, you have to count.¡± ¡°oh, oh.¡± qin canglan felt that it was his fault and took a few steps back. su xiaoxiao pulled the curtain closed. this time, qin canglan counted loudly. ¡°one, two, three!¡± he pulled open the hanging curtain again. the two of them stared at each other again. su xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°you, you counted too quickly.¡± ¡°then i¡¯ll count slower.¡± qin canglan was really slow this time. ¡°one¡ªtwo¡ªthree¡ª¡± swoosh! he pulled open the curtain for the third time. his eyes were wide open as he looked across. after a while, he looked around. ¡°eh? where is she? she¡¯s really gone¡­¡± su xiaoxiao was thinking, ¡°your acting skills are very exaggerated¡­¡± what was going on with the pharmacy? didn¡¯t it care about her face? she had clearly only entered once today. there should be a chance. she, su xiaoxiao, could not afford to lose face. su xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°grandpa, i just used my tools to deal with king nanyang. i have to prepare them again. go outside and wait for a while.¡± qin canglan went out cooperatively. su xiaoxiao closed the door and turned around with a dark expression. ¡°what¡¯s going on? why aren¡¯t you letting me in? you¡¯ll embarrass me!¡± ¡°you¡¯d better not provoke me. i¡¯m super fierce!¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms and shook one foot. she said proudly and coldly, ¡°i¡¯ll forgive you if you let me in.¡± after wei ting, ghost fear, wei liulang, and su mo learned that they had been lured away, they immediately rushed back to the wei family. on the way, they met su xuan and were told that the nanyang king had been captured and returned to the duke¡¯s protector¡¯s estate. the few of them arrived at qin canglan¡¯s courtyard and saw qin canglan standing by the window in a daze. the few of them walked over strangely and were about to ask what was wrong when they heard an indescribable voice. they followed the sound into the house. su xiaoxiao pinched the handkerchief in her hand and rolled her shoulders pretentiously. ¡°let me in okay okay okay you¡¯re the cutest mua Chapter 681 - Chapter 681: The Wei Family’s Revenge chapter 681: the wei family¡¯s revenge translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the four of them seemed to have been struck by lightning and revealed the same expression as qin canglan. wei liulang muttered in shock, ¡°does she¡­ not know that the window is not closed? or has she gone crazy from king nanyang¡¯s stimulation?¡± in the end, su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t enter the pharmacy. she went to open the door with a dark expression. the five of them flashed into the courtyard. qin canglan didn¡¯t forget to flash back. he closed the window and helped his granddaughter settle the awkward event location. su xiaoxiao walked out and saw a few men standing in the courtyard. their postures were even straighter than steel pipes. she looked at them strangely. ¡°what are you doing?¡± they shook their heads in unison. su xiaoxiao was confused. ¡°have you been provoked by king nanyang?¡± the few of them were silent. ¡°go, go, go! interrogate king nanyang!¡± qin canglan, su mo, ghost fear, and wei liulang found an excuse to leave the event location. su xiaoxiao looked at wei ting suspiciously. ¡°aren¡¯t you going? wei ting narrowed his eyes dangerously and walked past her into the study warily. he looked around inside, but there was no one. ¡°what are you looking for?¡± su xiaoxiao leaned against the door frame and asked. wei ting asked coldly, ¡°who were you talking to just now?¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°you eavesdropped on me? wei ting¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°no, i just heard a sound. when i wanted to knock, you opened the door and came out.¡± su xiaoxiao stared straight into his eyes. ¡°are you sure?¡± ¡°forget it if you don¡¯t believe me. i can¡¯t be bothered with you.¡± after wei ting finished speaking with a cold expression, he turned around and went to the room where king nanyang was imprisoned. in the house, the few of them discussed how to deal with king nanyang. king nanyang¡¯s situation was different from that of mo guiyuan. behind mo guiyuan was the white lotus society. many ot the white lotus society¡¯s nests had long been destroyed by the imperial court. it could be said that they knew mo guiyuan very well. if they killed mo guiyuan, all the dangers would be resolved. they did not know who was behind king nanyang for the time being. they could kill him, but if his forces were not eliminated, there would be hidden dangers. ¡°torture,¡± su mo suggested. wei ting shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m afraid this move is useless against him.¡± ¡°big brother, do you have any good ideas?¡± wei liulang asked. ¡°i¡¯m not your brother,¡± ghostfear denied. wei liulang had a bitter expression. ghostfear said, ¡°i have to kill him, but not for the wei family. it¡¯s purely because i don¡¯t like this person.¡± wei liulang remarked, ¡°just make it up. continue to make it up.¡± ghostfear continued, ¡°before killing him, there are two things to obtain. one is the register, and the other is the imperial edict.¡± ¡°what roster?¡± wei liulang was puzzled. wei ting replied on behalf of ghostfear, ¡°there might be members of the royal family and palace on the list of all the officials who secretly interact with him.¡± he could cast a net all over the palace and help the white lotus society infiltrate the various government offices. there were probably many people who had secretly colluded with him. ¡°i agree,¡± qin canglan said. ¡°since king nanyang has returned to the capital, it¡¯s impossible for him to hide for the rest of his life. his majesty will discover him sooner or later. his majesty can guess what we can think of. his majesty will definitely start investigating this list. we¡¯ll need to be faster than his majesty.¡± with this list, it was equivalent to having something on those people. an expert carrying a sword might not kill, but the weapon could prevent himself from being killed. wei liulang scratched his head. ¡°but how can we get the name list? little seven, do you have any medicine that can make someone confess obediently?¡± wei ting said, ¡°brother, are you referring to the five stone powder? taking this medicine can indeed cause mental confusion, but i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not very effective on king nanyang.¡± this person¡¯s willpower was beyond common sense. wei ting paused and said, ¡°i have a suggestion!¡± su mo frowned. ¡°you mean¡­ wei ting nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± the few of them understood. wei liulang slammed the table. ¡°no! i object! you¡¯re betting dahu, erhu, and xiaohu¡¯s lives! they¡¯ll be in danger!¡± wei ting said earnestly, ¡°sixth brother, believe me. as long as you do this, they will be in the same boat as king nanyang. as long as king nanyang is alive, he has to protect them for a day.¡± wei liulang said coldly, ¡°protect from that person?¡± wei ting said, ¡°yes, the current king nanyang is no longer the king nanyang from ten years ago. the royal family owes our wei family too much. it¡¯s time for the wei family to take revenge.¡± wei liulang clenched his fists and raised his voice. ¡°i don¡¯t agree!¡± ¡°i agree,¡± su mo said. ¡°if the two tigers fight and both sides suffer, we¡¯ll sit back and reap the benefits.¡± wei liulang looked at him excitedly. ¡°they¡¯re not your sons. of course you agree!¡± ¡°i agree too,¡± ghostfear said. wei liulang stood up. ¡°brother!¡± wei liulang was anxious and looked at su xiaoxiao. ¡°seventh sister-in-law, tell me!¡± su xiaoxiao was like a different person from the social drama queen just now. she looked at wei ting deeply and said solemnly and calmly, ¡°i trust wei ting¡¯s judgment.¡± at the imperial palace, emperor jing xuan had just approved the memorial and he felt dizzy. he pressed his temples and went to bed under eunuch fu¡¯s service. however, just as he closed her eyes, eunuch quan hurriedly reported, ¡°your majesty! your majesty! something happened!¡± emperor jing xuan said impatiently, ¡°i¡¯ll go take a look.¡± ¡°yes.¡± eunuch fu came to the door, opened it, and glared at eunuch quan. ¡°why are you shouting in the middle of the night? are you going to let his majesty rest?¡± eunuch quan looked inside and shouted, ¡°general wei requests an audience! he said that there¡¯s an urgent report!¡± emperor jing xuan¡¯s first reaction was that there was a war at the border. he lifted the blanket and sat up. ¡°summon!¡± wei ting was led into the emperor¡¯s bedroom by eunuch quan. emperor jing xuan was wearing a bright yellow pajamas. he sat on the dragon bed with a serious expression. ¡°it¡¯s late. where are you urgently reporting?¡± wei ting cupped his hands. ¡°your majesty, it¡¯s not an urgent report at the border.¡± emperor jing xuan was furious. he pointed at his nose and said, ¡®wei ting! you¡¯re lying to the emperor!¡± wei ting did not look flustered at all. he said calmly, ¡°the reason why i said this is because it¡¯s even more urgent than an urgent report at the border.¡± emperor jing xuan said coldly, ¡°it had better be! otherwise, i¡¯ll chop off your head!¡± wei ting said seriously, ¡°your majesty, please allow me to bring him up.¡± emperor jing xuan frowned. ¡°who is it?¡± wei ting said, ¡°a sinner is also a witness.¡± emperor jing xuan glanced at him indifferently. ¡°what are you up to?¡± wei ting cupped his hands again. ¡°your majesty, please dismiss your left and right.¡± emperor jing xuan waved his hand impatiently. eunuch fu brought the palace servants away, leaving him alone to serve emperor jing xuan. wei ting asked his subordinates to carry the unconscious person in and place him on the shiny floor. he was covered in injuries and blood. he was in a sorry state. however, when emperor jing xuan approached, he still recognized him at a glance. ¡°ah!¡± emperor jing xuan¡¯s expression changed drastically.. he screamed and took a few steps back before falling to the ground! Chapter 682 - Chapter 682: Brother Ting’s Means chapter 682: brother ting¡¯s means translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei ting helped him up but did not support him. emperor jing xuan took a few steps back and staggered. emperor jing xuan looked at the man on the ground with cold sweat. ¡°is he a human or a ghost?¡± if it was a ghost, it was a malicious ghost who had come to seek his life. wei ting took in emperor jing xuan¡¯s expression without showing it. ¡°it¡¯s a person.¡± eunuch fu carefully walked forward and checked the other party¡¯s breathing with his hand. he whispered, ¡°your majesty, he¡¯s breathing.¡± emperor jing xuan heaved a sigh of relief and restrained his loss of composure. he regained his high and mighty dragon might. ¡°my people saw him buried with their own eyes. why is he still alive?¡± ¡°it was my grandfather¡­ who saved him.¡± emperor jing xuan was furious. ¡°i didn¡¯t know about it beforehand. i only unveiled this matter step by step recently after investigating the case of the palace.¡± a trace of suspicion flashed across emperor jing xuan¡¯s eyes. it was not that he did not believe that lord wu an had saved king nanyang, but that wei ting did not know that king nanyang was still alive. ¡°continue! i want to hear what story you plan to make up for me!¡± wei ting did not cry out for his injustice. ¡°king nanyang has the secret decree of the late emperor. grandfather is also loyal to the decree.¡± ¡°what a good decree! i¡¯m the emperor of the great zhou! the secret decree in his hand is fake!¡± ¡°your majesty, king nanyang¡¯s secret decree is true.¡± ¡®wei ting!¡± ¡°your majesty, please hear me out. the late emperor issued a total of three imperial decrees back then. the first was a secret decree passed down to the king of nanyang, and the second was an imperial decree sent to qin canglan to confer you as the new emperor.¡± ¡°why did the late emperor do this?¡± wei ting said, ¡°because the late emperor discovered king nanyang¡¯s true colors; his eldest son is not as pure and harmless as he imagined. if he ascends the throne, he will definitely become a tyrant, so he switched to his majesty. he was also worried that there would be trouble, so he left a will before he passed away and demoted king nanyang to a commoner. if he doesn¡¯t behave himself, he will be killed!¡± emperor jing xuan was completely stunned. ¡°he¡­ he was the eldest son that the late emperor doted on the most¡­ he¡­¡± wei ting had a pained expression. ¡°it¡¯s precisely because he doted on him that he had been kept in the dark by him and couldn¡¯t see his true colors earlier. your majesty must have seen through it long ago.¡± emperor jing xuan¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°of course, i can tell.¡± it would be strange if he could tell. he killed everyone in the nanyang prince¡¯s mansion only because he was the greatest threat to his throne. however, this was not important. it was fine as long as he could accept it. wei ting continued, ¡°i was also investigating helian ye¡¯s case and accidentally overheard his conversation with helian ye. only then did i know that he was the one behind mo guiyuan back then. he was also the culprit who killed my grandfather and father!¡± ¡°what?¡± emperor jing xuan thought that the previous news was already shocking enough. he did not expect there to be something even more terrifying. wei ting clenched his fists and said with cold eyes, ¡°four years ago, because my grandfather accidentally learned the content of the will, he killed my grandfather, my father and brothers to silence them¡­ if not for the fact that i was in the capital at that time and didn¡¯t know about his existence and the content of the will, with the wei family¡¯s trust in him, i would have been defenseless against him even if he suddenly appeared in front of me alive. it would have been easy for him to kill me!¡± at this point, most of emperor jing xuan¡¯s doubts about wei ting were eliminated. wei ting really did not know. otherwise, it was indeed impossible for him to live until now. emperor jing xuan looked at wei ting deeply. ¡°if you tell me this, can i understand it as¡­ you surrendering to me?¡± wei ting gritted his teeth and said, ¡°the hatred of killing my father and brothers is irreconcilable!¡± the enemy of an enemy was a friend. this was much more reliable than coveting power. emperor jing xuan understood wei ting¡¯s character. if all of this was true, the wei family would definitely not be loyal to king nanyang! emperor jing xuan revealed a wise smile. ¡°i¡­ believe you. the fact that you can bring him to me is enough to prove your loyalty.¡± wei ting suddenly knelt on one knee and presented something with both hands. emperor jing xuan frowned. ¡°this is¡ª¡± wei ting said, ¡°the commander¡¯s seal was left behind by my grandfather. i went to qingzhou for it. king nanyang has always wanted it. another reason for him not having killed me is probably to obtain this army.¡± wei ting told him everything. actually, xiao zhonghua had long reminded su xiaoxiao that emperor jing xuan had found out wei ting¡¯s motive for going to qingzhou, wei ting had not taken the initiative to confess because he was waiting for a suitable opportunity. the appearance of king nanyang happened to be the best opportunity. if emperor jing xuan had a trace of doubt previously, he was completely moved by wei ting now. after so many years, he finally tamed this unruly wild horse. indeed, it was all thanks to king nanyang courting death and not killing the wei family cleanly. in the end, he pushed wei ting to his side. he was the son of heaven. even the heavens were helping him. this time, emperor jing xuan helped wei ting up. ¡°i can feel your loyalty. i will return everything the wei family lost to you!¡± in the past, the wei family was the wei family of the previous emperor and was only loyal to him. from now on, the wei family was his. wei ting came out of the palace and got into the carriage at the entrance. wei liulang was inside. when he saw him, he hurriedly asked, ¡°little seven, how is it?¡± wei ting handed him something. wei liulang took it and took a look. ¡°the commander¡¯s seal? you didn¡¯t hand it over? didn¡¯t you say that it was no pain, no gain?¡± when wei ting suggested using the commander¡¯s seal to show his ¡°loyalty¡± to emperor jing xuan, he broke out in cold sweat. this was the wei family¡¯s trump card. the wei family¡¯s military power had long been divided. if they lost this private army, they would really become a ferocious tiger with its teeth pulled out. wei ting said calmly, ¡°i gave it to him. he was the one who returned it to me.¡± wei liulang was stunned. ¡°did he really do that?¡± wei ting smiled faintly. ¡°i want to express my loyalty. he wants to win people over with virtue. if he doesn¡¯t even give me this basic trust, how can he win me over to continue working for him?¡± wei liulang was enlightened. ¡°so he has to give it no matter what. little seven, you calculated that he wouldn¡¯t take the commander¡¯s seal!¡± wei ting said, ¡°this is called retreating in order to advance.¡± little seven was so smart. as expected of the top scholar. wei liulang revealed the gratification of an old father. he thought of something and frowned. ¡°but what if he kills king nanyang? he doesn¡¯t have to have the name list. the name list is an important bargaining chip to us. it¡¯s just an icing on the cake for him. it¡¯s fine if he has it, but it doesn¡¯t matter if he doesn¡¯t. anyway, as long as king nanyang dies, his throne will be unshakable. for now, killing king nanyang to eliminate future trouble is his best strategy.¡± wei ting took a sip of tea. ¡°he can¡¯t kill him.¡± at the imperial palace, emperor jing xuan called two imperial experts over who shackled king nanyang. he instructed the two of them and eunuch fu, ¡°take him to the water prison and wake him up. if he doesn¡¯t confess before dawn, kill him immediately! otherwise, there will be trouble! ¡°in addition, this matter must not be publicized, especially not to the empress dowager¡¯s ears.¡± just as he finished speaking, a eunuch¡¯s message came from outside. ¡°the empress dowager has arrived¡­¡± Chapter 683 - Chapter 683: Mother and Son Reunion chapter 683: mother and son reunion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios emperor jing xuan frowned. he looked at the unconscious king nanyang and then at the night outside the hall. ¡°why is the empress dowager here at this hour?¡± he asked coldly. the few people in the room looked at each other. they were even more dumbfounded than his majesty. the empress dowager had always slept early. she should have long entered a dream at this time. eunuch fu hurriedly said, ¡°i¡¯ll stop the empress dowager.¡± the two inner court experts also deftly hid him. the empress dowager¡¯s phoenix carriage had already reached the door. before the phoenix carriage could settle, the empress dowager couldn¡¯t wait to get down. ¡°empress dowager, be careful!¡± eunuch cheng helped the empress dowager up. ¡°make way, make way!¡± the empress dowager hurriedly walked forward. ignoring her age, she quickly entered emperor jing xuan¡¯s bedroom. she saw the man being carried on a stretcher by two internal medicine experts and staggered over. the inner court experts were caught red-handed. they were at a lost of what to do. eunuch fu secretly cursed eunuch quan for being a coward. in such a situation, he should have risked his life to stop the empress dowager, even if it meant knocking into the sedan chair. eunuch quan hid outside the hall and secretly peeped in. at this point, it was useless to hide it anymore. emperor jing xuan said to the two inner court experts, ¡°the two of you, guard outside.¡± the two of them left the sleeping hall. eunuch quan immediately stood up and looked like he had done nothing. the two of them closed the door and guarded it. only emperor jing xuan, the empress dowager, eunuch fu, and the unconscious king nanyang were left in the hall. the empress dowager knelt beside king nanyang. king nanyang was covered in blood. the empress dowager¡¯s tears fell from her heart, and her trembling hands did not know where to land. ¡°sheng¡¯er¡­ you¡¯re really still alive¡­ you¡¯re still alive.. she leaned on king nanvanc and cried silently emperor jing xuan felt jealous. recently, the relationship between the mother and son had eased a lot. he thought that his mother had him in her heart, but compared to his mother¡¯s current attitude towards king nanyang, he knew that his mother¡¯s love for him would never be as much as her love for king nanyang. king nanyang was the most important son in her heart. he wasn¡¯t. he was just a murderer who had killed her son. ¡°mother¡­¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°shut up! ¡± the empress dowager turned to look at him coldly with tears in her eyes. ¡°he¡¯s your biological brother! how can you treat him like this? you hid it from me so bitterly¡ªit¡¯s not enough for you to kill him once¡ªyou have to kill him a second time¡ªif i didn¡¯t arrive in time¡ªhe¡¯s already been killed by you again¡ª¡± emperor jing xuan clenched his fists as the grievance in his heart turned into anger. ¡°ever since we were young, whenever i and brother were injured, mother would never ask for the reason and insist that i bullied my brother¡­ after so many years¡­ mother is still as biased as ever!¡± the empress dowager held king nanyang¡¯s hand tightly and sneered. ¡°it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t admit. tell me, where did you plan to let them take your brother just now?¡± emperor jing xuan looked at her holding king nanyang¡¯s hand and was so angry that his blood surged. ¡°i wanted to ask how mother found out about big brother. i haven¡¯t sent anyone to inform mother.¡± the empress dowager said coldly, ¡°don¡¯t change the topic! answer me!¡± emperor jing xuan did not speak. a mother knew her son best. the empress dowager¡¯s heart turned cold. ¡°you really want to kill your brother, right?¡± emperor jing xuan said, ¡°will mother believe me if i say that you were wrong?¡± the empress dowager mocked, ¡°what did you do to your brother¡¯s family ten years ago? do you expect me to believe you?!¡± emperor jing xuan said angrily, ¡°so whether i say it or not is wrong in mother¡¯s eyes!¡± he was so excited that he even changed his way of calling himself. ¡°mother, do you know what your good son, whom you¡¯re so proud of¡­ has done all these years? he schemed to collude with the enemy to betray the country, harmed loyal people, colluded with the rebels, and committed all kinds of evil¡­¡± the empress dowager rushed over and slapped him. the empress dowager was a biological mother, but she had no right to teach the emperor a lesson. this was against the rules. however, the empress dowager was really furious. the anger that she had accumulated for many years erupted the moment she saw the seriously injured king nanyang. ¡°i wanted to give you this slap ten years ago. your brother treated you as his biological brother and didn¡¯t fight for the throne. in the end, how did you treat your brother? are you worthy of your brother? are you worthy of me? are you worthy of the previous emperor? you still have to add so many groundless, trumped-up crimes to your brother¡­ what is your heart made of?¡± emperor jing xuan was so angry that his body trembled slightly and his eyes turned red. ¡°mother, have you forgotten that i¡¯m also your son!¡± if the empress dowager had scolded him like this before tonight, he would at most be a little unhappy. however, after wei ting exposed king nanyang¡¯s true colors, the empress dowager¡¯s unconditional bias towards him became a sharp knife that stabbed straight into his heart. the empress dowager looked at emperor jing xuan with hatred. ¡°ten years ago, i couldn¡¯t protect your brother well. it¡¯s because i¡¯m weak and useless. this time, either you kill me too, or¡­ don¡¯t even think about touching a hair on your brother¡¯s head!¡± with that, the empress dowager called the palace servants to take king nanyang away. emperor jing xuan was so angry that he felt dizzy. ¡°your majesty!¡± eunuch fu quickly helped him sit down on the dragon bed and put a cloak on him. ¡°it¡¯s cold at night. take care of your body. don¡¯t be angry. the imperial physician said that you must take care of your dragon body and not be angry easily.¡± tears flashed across emperor jing xuan¡¯s eyes. he laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°this is my mother, my biological mother¡­¡± eunuch fu did not dare to answer. on the other side, king nanyang was placed in the side hall of the eternal life palace. eunuch cheng said, ¡°i¡¯ll invite the imperial physician.¡± the empress dowager said coldly, ¡°hmph, the imperial physicians in the palace are all the emperor¡¯s men. i don¡¯t trust them. take my token and leave the palace to get qin su to come over.¡± eunuch cheng agreed. ¡°yes.¡± at the protector¡¯s estate, sikong yun looked at the bag on the table and then at qin canglan, who was standing at the door. ¡°are you really going to let me go?¡± qin canglan said angrily, ¡°if i don¡¯t let you go, will i raise you for nothing for the rest of your life? you look quite thin but have eaten a lot!¡± sikong yun¡¯s teeth hurt. he tentatively picked up the bag on the table and took a few steps out. qin canglan really did not stop him. he crossed the threshold and turned to qin canglan. ¡°goodbye.¡± qin canglan said calmly, ¡°king nanyang doesn¡¯t imow that you were captured.¡± go, gossip boy, assist your master in fighting with emperor jing xuan. king nanyang woke up to the chirping of birds. the moment he opened his eyes, he felt pain all over his body. ¡°your highness, you¡¯re awake?¡± a little palace maid shouted in surprise. ¡°hurry up and inform the empress dowager! his highness is awake!¡± the empress dowager? his highness? was this the yongshou palace? why was he here? what had happened? ¡°sheng¡¯er!¡± the empress dowager walked over excitedly and sat by the bed to hold his hand. ¡°mother was so worried about you! why are you looking at mother like that? don¡¯t be afraid. mother won¡¯t let anyone hurt you again!¡± ¡°his majesty¡­¡± he said tentatively. the empress dowager snorted. ¡°if he wants to kill you, he can kill me too!¡± it seemed that emperor jing xuan already knew. this was much earlier than expected. his plan was completely disrupted. however, it was not too bad. with the empress dowager¡¯s protection, he could at least get rid of some difficult fellows, such as qin canglan and the little girl. just as this thought flashed across her mind, su xiaoxiao came to the bed with a bowl of medicine and smiled at him. ¡°your highness, we meet again.¡± king nanyang¡¯s hair stood on end! Chapter 684 - Chapter 684: Here Come Three Little Ones chapter 684: here come three little ones translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when king nanyang saw su xiaoxiao, a deafening drumbeat involuntarily flashed across his mind he almost instinctiyply raised hiq hand. hilt he was stopped by the gauze halfway. su xiaoxiao said worriedly, ¡°your highness, your arm was dislocated. it wasn¡¯t easy for me to restore it for you.¡± did he want to attack her? dream on! king nanyang stared at su xiaoxiao. the empress dowager took his hand down and held it. she said softly, ¡°don¡¯t be afraid. she¡¯s qin su. she¡¯s one of us.¡± king nanyang glanced at su xiaoxiao and suddenly said to the empress dowager, ¡°mother, she was the one who injured me last night.¡± su xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. was he making a complaint? fortunately, she was prepared! the empress dowager patted the back of his hand. ¡°mother knows. it¡¯s just a misunderstanding between the two of you. qin su has told me everything. she and qin canglan injured you.¡± king nanyang was stunned. su xiaoxiao said sincerely, ¡°your highness, qin su wants to apologize to you for her offense last night. last night, you suddenly infiltrated the wei family and kidnapped me. you even claimed to be king nanyang. we thought that you were impersonating him, so we injured you. wei ting respect you the most in his life and hates it the most when someone impersonates you, so we handed you to his majesty to deal with.¡± king nanyang looked at su xiaoxiao and then at the empress dowager. the empress dowager nodded slowly. su xiaoxiao asked innocently, ¡°but your highness, why did you kidnap me?¡± the empress dowager was also puzzled. ¡°yes, why?¡± king nanyang¡¯s face twitched as he glared at su xiaoxiao, wishing he could punch a hole in her. su xiaoxiao threatened inwardly, ¡°deny it. see if i don¡¯t tell them that you colluded with helian ye!¡± ¡°is it because you were poisoned¡­ you didn¡¯t even know what you¡¯re doing? ¡°in my opinion, that must be it!¡± the empress dowager absolutely trusted su xiaoxiao¡¯s medical skills. since su xiaoxiao said her son was poisoned, he must be. she asked, ¡°do you still remember who poisoned you?¡± prince nanyang looked at su xiaoxiao, who raised her eyebrows and met his gaze. ¡°i didn¡¯t remember,¡± he said. the empress dowager was stunned for a moment before asking, ¡°where have you been all these years? who saved you back then? was it lord wu an?¡± king nanyang looked at su xiaoxiao critically again. su xiaoxiao smiled faintly and said to the empress dowager, ¡°empress dowager, some people who are poisoned might lose their memories. perhaps his highness¡­ doesn¡¯t remember what happened all these years.¡± the empress dowager asked king nanyang, ¡°is that so?¡± king nanyang secretly clenched his other hand and braced himself. ¡°¡­yes.¡± su xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°empress dowager, it¡¯s already good enough that his highness came back alive. we¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± the empress dowager wiped her tears. ¡°yes, yes, there¡¯s still a long way to go. we¡¯ll talk about it in the future! you¡¯ve been here all night and are exhausted. go back.¡± su xiaoxiao bade farewell. king nanyang relaxed. he had finally sent away the little plague. he could finally calm down. the empress dowager held his hand and smiled through her tears. ¡°sheng¡¯er, i have a surprise for you.¡± with that, she looked at the jade cabinet and waved. ¡°come out.¡± one, two, and three children jumped out. one of them carried a small copper gong with a small suona hanging on his back. the three of them jumped onto the bed and immediately began to dance on the grave! king nanyang, who had collapsed, was speechless! in the imperial study, emperor jing xuan summoned wei ting to the palace again. he had already investigated. wei ting had been seen by an old eunuch halfway through bringing him to his bedroom. that old eunuch had served king nanyang before and recognized him at a glance. he immediately reported it to the empress dowager. he did not think that wei ting did it on purpose. after all, wei ting did not know that old eunuch. wei ting did not know him, but he knew zhong shan. ¡°the empress dowager brought him back to yongshou palace with great fanfare. the news can¡¯t be hidden anymore. i summoned you here to ask if you have evidence of king nanyang¡¯s crimes?¡± wei ting shook his head. ¡°unfortunately, no. unless helian ye is willing to testify, but helian ye won¡¯t testify. there¡¯s another way to find the late emperor¡¯s edict or the list of officials who colluded with him.¡± su xiaoxiao came out of the palace and got into the carriage back to the residence. wei ting was sitting inside and reading. su xiaoxiao sat down beside him and placed the medicine box on the table. ¡°how¡¯s emperor jing xuan?¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°everything is going smoothly. it¡¯s my grace that he did not expose that king nanyang once colluded with the wei family to rebel.¡± su xiaochao curled his lips. ¡°he really knows how to win people over. it¡¯s been ten years, but the evidence is long gone. did he agree to look for the register?¡± ¡°yeah.¡± ¡°let him search from the front. we¡¯ll keep an eye on him from behind.¡± su xiaoxiao stretched and thought of something. ¡°however, isn¡¯t this too cruel to the empress dowager? if she finds out the truth one day¡­¡± ¡°here.¡± wei ting handed her a letter. ¡°i intercepted it halfway. king nanyang originally planned to acknowledge the empress dowager. we just disrupted his rhythm. ¡± su xiaoxiao folded the letter. ¡°i see. i feel less guilty.¡± wei ting looked up and glanced at her. ¡°you feel guilty too?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°what are you talking about? i¡¯m a human, not a rock. i have all the emotions you all have.¡± wei ting flipped through the book. ¡°don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something wrong with these words? what do you mean by drawing a comparison between you and us? you seem to like to separate yourself from others, making it seem like we¡¯re not the same kind of people.¡± you¡¯re ancients¡­ su xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°of course i¡¯m not the same as you stinky men!¡± ¡°is that so?¡± wei ting looked at her suspiciously. su xiaoxiao decided not to argue with him. if she continued, he would get something out of her. ¡°let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. we¡¯re almost at the medical center.¡± wei ting said indifferently, ¡°you want to leave before you finish?¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡®what else is there to say? wei ting smiled faintly. ¡°so madam and i have nothing to say after we got married.¡± su xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you today? why are you talking nonsense: wei ting closed the book. ¡°who is that man?¡± ¡°what man?¡± su xiaoxiao glanced at him strangely. just as she was about to say that she was baffled, an image flashed across her mind. she turned around and stared at him with her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°you¡­ you said last night that you didn¡¯t eavesdrop!¡± wei ting said coldly, ¡°the voice wants to enter my ears. what can i do?¡± these words were so familiar¡­ wait, wasn¡¯t this what she had once said to him? su xiaoxiao laughed in anger. ¡°alright, very good. wei ting, you¡¯re very good!¡± she muttered inwardly, ¡°the adulterer is a pharmacy. if you the ability, go and catch him. if you catch him, it would be my loss.¡± ¡°seventh young madam, we¡¯ve arrived at the medical center.¡± the coachman stopped the carriage. ¡°i can¡¯t be bothered with you!¡± su xiaoxiao returned his words to him. then, she stood up, picked up the first aid kit, and was about to get out of the carriage. wei ting stretched out his arm and carried her back. su xiaoxiao¡¯s limbs fluttered. ¡°what are you doing?¡± ¡°back to the residence!¡± ¡°i¡¯m not going back to the residence!¡± wei ting slapped her chubby peach butt. su xiaoxiao blushed. ¡°wei ting!¡± wei ting pressed su xiaoxiao onto his lap and caressed her soft waist with his slender fingertips. ¡°looks like i didn¡¯t work hard enough to let you still have the strength to think about other men.¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s waist went numb, and her legs went limp. ¡°there¡¯s no one at all¡­ you know that!¡± wei ting raised his eyebrows. ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± su xiaoxiao gritted her teeth.. ¡°you¡¯re playing dirty! ¡° Chapter 685 - Chapter 685: The Most Doted Master chapter 685: the most doted master translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t manage to go the medical center in the end. wei ting carried the little fat peacock filled with secrets back to the bridal room. the servants looked at each other in shock. ¡°what did i see just now? was it seventh young master?¡± ¡°he¡­ he was carrying¡­ the seventh young madam?¡± ¡°am i seeing things?¡± the little maidservant su xiaoxiao brought did not know wei ting, but the maids and old maids in the residence did. their seventh young master, who did not get close to women, could not even let a female mosquito get close to him, but he carried the seventh young madam into the house in broad daylight! ¡°wei ting, i¡¯m warning you! this is daytime!¡± ¡°don¡¯t go too far!¡± ¡°that¡¯s enough!¡± at first, su xiaoxiao still had the strength to be fierce, but soon, there was only their intertwined whispers. it was not until dark that the commotion in the house stopped. su xiaoxiao leaned softly in his arms, not even wanting to move her fingers. this person was too bad! wei ting was refreshed and satisfied. ¡°i want to take a bath.¡± ¡°oh.¡± wei ting carried her there. su xiaoxiao suddenly reacted. ¡°no, no, no, i was wrong! i¡¯m not bathing anymore!¡± after coming out of the ear room, su xiaoxiao was like a steamed shrimp. even her round toes were red. her smooth and shiny hair hung down from her shoulders, covering her faintly discernible figure. wei ting hugged her and gently placed her on the bed. he pulled the thin blanket over her. su xiaoxiao slept soundly. she was quiet and beautiful, with the innocence of a young girl and a mesmerizing charm. she always said that hui an was a stunner, but did she know how stunning she was? at yongshou palace, king nanyang also spent an indescribable day. he thought that he would be protected if he escaped to the empress dowager, but when he looked at the three crazy little brats in front of him, he felt that if this continued, he would vomit blood and die before emperor jing xuan and the wei family could kill him. he was here to save his life, not to die. it was dark. it was time for the three of them to go back. emperor jing xuan did not allow anyone to come to yongshou palace. other than the imperial physician and su xiaoxiao, the three little ones only entered the palace through the secret passage of zhaoyang hall. the children were still young, so the empress dowager did not tell them about king nanyang¡¯s identity for the time being. the three little ones only said that they had seen old grandpa. king nanyang used the excuse that he had been poisoned and could not remember. the empress dowager did not suspect anything and hugged the three little fellows reluctantly. when the three little ones immediately said that they would come back tomorrow, king nanyang felt terrible! in late july, the envoy of northern yan left the capital. they had not achieved any of their goals on this trip and had instead suffered a double loss. they did not know if they would be punished by his majesty when they returned. su xiaoxiao went to the courier station to send zhao kangning off. ¡°princess kangning, thank you for your generosity. we¡¯ll meet again!¡± zhao kangning never wanted to see her again. she could not be defeated or killed. she had even cheated her of so much money. she had lost all her face! zhao kangning got into the carriage with a livid expression. helian ye had not fully recovered, but he could ride a horse. he put on his cold armor and sat on the high horse. he glanced at wei ting, who had also come with su xiaoxiao to send him off, and rode over. ¡°we haven¡¯t finished settling the score between us.¡± ¡°of course.¡± wei ting nodded and met his domineering gaze. ¡°one day, i will kill you openly.¡± helian ye said domineeringly, ¡°i¡¯ll wait for that day!¡± he rode his horse a few steps and suddenly stopped. he turned around and said to su xiaoxiao, who was beside wei ting, ¡°although my helian family and the wei family are mortal enemies, i don¡¯t kill unrelated people. if you leave the wei family one day, you can come to northern yan to look for me. my helian family is willing to provide you with a place.¡± was he really poaching her in front of wei ting? su xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°do you want to give me some sincerity first?¡± helian ye was speechless. after the northern yan diplomatic mission left, the western jin diplomatic mission prepared to leave. before leaving, the princess of western jin brought the young princess to the protector duke¡¯s estate. the young princess of the western jin said to her mother as she touched sihu, ¡°can¡¯t i really bring her back to be my aunt?¡± the princess of the western jin glanced at bai xihe, who was wearing a veil in the garden and talking to su cheng. she rejected coldly, ¡°no! absolutely not!¡± the young princess of western jin said softly, ¡°but she¡¯s really beautiful.¡± the princess of western jin dynasty educated her, ¡°the most beautiful person in the world is your mother. remember this sentence!¡± the young princess of western jin muttered, ¡°but you taught me that children are not allowed to lie.¡± the princess of western jin was speechless. could this leaky little cotton-padded jacket be stuffed back into the furnace and remade?! she was here to look for su xiaoxiao today. ¡°have you thought about it?¡± over the past few days, su xiaoxiao had learned about the young royal prince¡¯s condition from the accompanying imperial physicians in the western jin. the young royal prince was born weak and was brought here in his mother¡¯s womb. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it¡¯s not convenient for me to leave these few days. your highness, set off first. when i¡¯m done with my work, i¡¯ll immediately make a house call to the young prince.¡± she could only leave in peace after dealing with king nanyang. ¡°your highness, bring this with you.¡± su xiaoxiao handed her a white porcelain bottle that was sealed with wax. ¡°let the young prince chew it after dinner. let him consume it once every morning and night.¡± originally, when she heard that she could not go with her, the princess of western jin was a little disappointed. now that she had given her medicine, this trip was not in vain. the princess of western jin gave her a travel pass and a token of the princess¡¯s residence. ¡°i¡¯ll wait for you in the western jin. ah, can you consider having me as your stepmother?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°uh.. bai xihe¡¯s face darkened as she pinched a leaf. at pear blossom lane, ling yun sat in the room and wiped the zither on the small table. it was three small five-stringed zithers that he had just made. the three little evil disciples had gone to cause trouble for others, and master zhang had returned to his hometown. the courtyard was silent. ¡°it¡¯s really you.¡± a familiar voice appeared at the door. ling yun¡¯s hand that was holding the zither cloth paused. he didn¡¯t look at the other party and lowered his head to continue wiping. moxie stepped forward. ¡°shoes,¡± ling yun said. mo ye¡¯s raised foot froze in midair. speechless, he retracted his foot, took off his shoes, and entered the room. he was about to sit down on a small futon opposite ling yun when ling yun spoke again. ¡°that¡¯s my disciple¡¯s.¡± moxie changed to sit on the second small futon. ¡°that too.¡± ¡°so is the third.¡± mo ye¡¯s butt froze in a strange posture. he frowned, pulled the futon aside, and sat on the wooden floor. ¡°is this okay?¡± ling yun didn¡¯t say anything and continued to wipe the zither. mo xie¡¯s gaze landed on the three small zithers. he immediately felt that they were cute and fun, but he couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°what did you say about not making zithers anymore? making three of them at once! is your hand injured?¡± there was a cut on ling yun¡¯s left index finger. it was obvious that it was caused by making zithers. moxie teased, ¡°others would offer blood sacrifice to the knife, but you offered a blood sacrifice to the zither.¡± ¡°why are you here?¡± ling yun didn¡¯t want to talk about his small injury. mo ye said, ¡°of course i came to see you. you¡¯re not surprised to see me at all. did you guess that i would come?¡± ling yun didn¡¯t answer him. instead, he asked, ¡°aren¡¯t you pained to give your erhu to xiaohu?¡± ¡°that¡¯s still better than someone giving jiufeng away!¡± moxie said jealously. ¡°to be honest, back then, my sister asked you for it so many times, but you didn¡¯t give it to her. i thought you wouldn¡¯t give it away for the rest of your life.¡± ling yun changed to a zither cloth. moxie said, ¡°i¡¯m going back to western jin. do you want to go back with me?¡± ¡°no.¡± ling yun refused without thinking.. Chapter 686 - Chapter 686: The Empress Dowager Knows the Truth (1) chapter 686: the empress dowager knows the truth (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios before moxie left, he left a letter. ¡°the palace master gave it to you. if you don¡¯t want to see it, throw it away.¡± ling yun sat quietly in the room. the oil lamp burned out, and the surroundings fell into darkness. only a few cold moonlight poured in. he stood up and walked out. the house was empty, except for the slightly wrinkled letter lying alone at the corner of the table. the day after the northern yan diplomatic mission left the capital, the western jin diplomatic mission and great zhou¡¯s reconciliation team also left the capital. the young princess of western jin could not bear to let go. she hugged the sihu and wuhu and did not let go. tears welled up in her eyes. seeing this, su xiaoxiao asked wuhu to send her off. ¡°it can fly back on its own. it¡¯s fine,¡± su xiaoxiao said to the young princess. the young princess of western jin released the wuhu at the west city gate. ¡°you don¡¯t want this?¡± the princess of western jin asked. the young princess of western jin cried, ¡°i¡¯m afraid that if i walk too far, wuhu won¡¯t be able to find its way home.¡± the princess of western jin pulled her crying daughter into her arms and comforted her softly. ¡°we¡¯ll meet again.¡± king nanyang was emperor jing xuan¡¯s greatest worry. every day that he was alive placed emperor jing xuan in an uncomfortable situation. although he had already sealed the yongshou palace and did not allowed anyone to approach, the empress dowager¡¯s ¡°cold¡± had to recover. moreover, she was his mother. he could not put the empress dowager under house arrest for the rest of her life. he mobilized all the scouts of the royal family, including the old scouts nurtured by the previous emperor during his reign and the new scouts nurtured by him after he ascended the throne. he carried out a full search. he finally targeted a secret guard beside king nanyang. this person would infiltrate the yongshou palace late every night to send news to king nanyang. the scouts followed him several times and lost him the first few times. the last time, they finally followed him to the imperial astronomy. ¡°the imperial astronomer? are you sure?¡± emperor jing xuan sat on a chair in the imperial study and looked at the scout in front of him. the scout cupped his hands. ¡°i¡¯m sure! that person did enter the imperial astronomy center! ¡± on the night king nanyang and the empress dowager reunited, qin canglan let sikong yun go. sikong yun had disappeared in the name of going out to find medicine. now, he naturally returned in the name of having found the medicine. emperor jing xuan could not believe that sikong yun, who had always been loyal to him, was actually involved with king nanyang. ¡°keep an eye on the imperial astronomy center!¡± ¡®yes!¡± on the observatory, sikong yun stood under the bright sky in a white robe. yu feng walked over. ¡°master, you¡¯ve been watching here for half the night. go rest. ¡± sikong yun looked at the starry sky and shook his head. ¡°i can¡¯t see through it¡­¡¯ ¡°what can¡¯t be seen through?¡± yu feng didn¡¯t understand. sikong yun sighed and said, ¡°there are some things that it¡¯s better not to understand.¡± yu feng frowned. ¡°master, you¡¯re very strange today. did his majesty not like the pills you refined?¡± sikong yun smiled faintly. ¡°master¡¯s career as an official has come to an end.¡± yu feng was stunned. sikong yun said, ¡°he saved the empress¡¯s life. i¡¯ve returned this favor for so many years.¡± yu feng was at a loss. ¡°master¡­ why do you keep saying strange things? who saved the empress¡¯s life? why do you want to repay the kindness on behalf of the empress? you¡­ and the empress¡­¡± sikong yun looked down at the booklet in his hand. ¡°yu feng, do one last thing for master.¡± yu feng said, ¡°not to mention one thing, a hundred is fine!¡± sikong yun handed him the booklet. ¡°take this out of the city tomorrow morning and go to wu county. someone will naturally pick you up there. remember, don¡¯t read the contents of the booklet.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, master. i won¡¯t look!¡± yu feng put the book away. sikong yun did not say anything else. before dawn the next day, yu feng set off with the booklet. unexpectedly, as soon as he left the city, he was captured by emperor jing xuan¡¯s scouts. the scout snatched his booklet and opened it. it was empty. they had fallen into a trap! sikong yun sent a total of more than 30 experts out from different city gates with the booklet. fortunately, emperor jing xuan had many scouts. otherwise, he would really not have been able to keep an eye on them. in the evening, one of emperor jing xuan¡¯s scouts finally snatched back the real name list outside the northern city gate. wei ting had been frequently in and out of the imperial study recently. he recognized all the graded scouts. he had been staring at the commotion in the imperial study. when he saw a familiar face go to the hall of supreme harmony, he knew what was going on. he immediately went to the hall of supreme harmony and entered the imperial study before the scout. ¡°your majesty!¡± the scout asked to see him. ¡°come in,¡± emperor jing xuan said. ¡°found the register!¡± the scout knelt on one knee and presented it with both hands. eunuch fu was about to get it when wei ting said, ¡°i¡¯ll do it..¡± Chapter 687 - Chapter 687: The Empress Dowager Knows the Truth (2) chapter 687: the empress dowager knows the truth (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios he walked forward, took the register, and checked it carefully. ¡°there¡¯s no poison, no hidden weapons.¡± hearing that he was checking for poison and hidden weapons, emperor jing xuan and eunuch fu did not suspect anything. the moment he turned around, he used a trick. he placed the name list into his wide sleeve and handed the fake name list that he had prepared to emperor jing xuan. the fake register was either filled with corrupt officials or people who had colluded with mo guiyuan. in addition, there were a few big unlucky blokes in northern yan. it could not be said that they had been wronged. emperor jing xuan opened the name list and looked at the familiar names recorded on it. he was so angry that his blood surged. wei ting thought to himself, ¡°is your blood surging just like that? if i show you the real name list, won¡¯t you ascend to heaven on the spot?¡± the real name list was much more impactful than this fake name list. he had just casually flipped through it and saw a few of emperor jing xuan¡¯s trusted aides. emperor jing xuan gripped the name list tightly. ¡°i want to see what else he has to say this time!¡± with that, emperor jing xuan went to the yong shou palace angrily. ¡°your majesty, your majesty, don¡¯t be rash, your majesty!¡± wei ting pretended to call out a few times and came out of the imperial study. imperial city division. su cheng had just returned from his patrol and returned to the office of the imperial guards. it was almost lunchtime when the fragrance of meat wafted out of the kitchen. su cheng¡¯s stomach was rumbling with hunger. he missed his daughter¡¯s cooking. the deputy commander had his own guard room. he had entered the imperial city late, and the guard room was a little behind. he had to pass by the guard room of the main commander and the other deputy commanders. as soon as he arrived under the corridor, he heard low voices talking from the duty room. ¡°have you remembered what i said just now?¡± ¡°commander jin, don¡¯t worry. we¡¯ll remember it!¡± it was the voices of commander jin and deputy commander liu. ¡°someone¡¯s coming,¡± commander jin reminded. the room fell silent. su cheng walked forward openly. when he passed by commander jin¡¯s duty room, he stopped and greeted them. he knew how to bond with his colleagues! the few of them also cupped their hands at him. after he left, he heard a few people discussing. ¡°look at him. does he really think he¡¯s so powerful? if he wasn¡¯t qin canglan¡¯s son, would the imperial city department want him?¡± ¡°he was just born well. we can¡¯t envy him. we work hard all day long and shed blood. we can¡¯t compare to qin canglan.¡± ¡°stop talking. if qin canglan hears that you bullied his son, you¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°he¡¯s dozens of years old and doesn¡¯t have any military merit at all. he¡¯s relying on his biological father. how embarrassing.¡± ¡°he made a contribution when dealing with the white lotus society.¡± ¡°isn¡¯t that because qin canglan led his troops to destroy it? what did he do? he was just riding on his father¡¯s coattails.¡± su cheng stood at the door of his duty room and listened to their mockery. the guard who had cleaned his room walked over and comforted him softly, ¡°don¡¯t take it to heart. they¡¯re jealous of you.¡± su cheng nodded and walked into the duty room. after emperor jing xuan received the booklet, he went to the empress dowager¡¯s yongshou palace without a word. the empress dowazer was eating with kinz nanvanz. the table was filled with king nanyang¡¯s favorite dishes¡ªfuling ji pine mushroom dragon bone soup, clay pot simmered deer tendon, chicken silk silver fungus, osmanthus fish sticks, eight treasure rabbit cubes, candied golden dates¡­ and a few seasonal vegetables. the empress dowager picked up a piece of deer tendon and a fish stick for him. ¡°eat quickly.¡± king nanyang picked up his bowl and chopsticks. his left arm had been dislocated previously, and he had been eating with his right hand ever since. the empress dowager did not think that something was wrong. the empress dowager looked at him and asked, ¡®what¡¯s wrong? don¡¯t you like king nanyang said, ¡°my¡­ taste has changed in the past few years.¡± the empress dowager got someone to replace his bowl. she picked up a candied plum for him. ¡°it was your favorite when you were young. every time you cried and i coaxed you with a candied plum, you would definitely not cry anymore.¡± king nanyang frowned slightly. the empress dowager said awkwardly, ¡°this¡­ you don¡¯t like it anymore?¡± king nanyang said calmly, ¡°i¡¯ve been a little heaty these few days. i¡¯ll eat some light dishes.¡± the empress dowager looked at him with a complicated expression. ¡°mother feels that¡­ you¡¯re different from before.¡± king nanyang paused in his actions. the empress dowager sighed. ¡°you¡¯ve clearly returned to mother¡¯s side, but why does mother still feel that you¡¯re very, very far away? king nanyang scooped a spoonful of chicken wire and silver ear for the empress dowager. ¡°i remember that mother likes to eat this.¡± ¡°you still remember this?¡± the empress dowager beamed and her mood instantly improved.. Chapter 688 - Chapter 688: The Empress Dowager Knows the Truth (3) chapter 688: the empress dowager knows the truth (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios she was too sensitive and worried. this was clearly her son. she should be happy that her son was back. why was she so suspicious? ¡°your majesty!¡± the young eunuch¡¯s greeting came from outside. the empress dowager¡¯s expression darkened and she put down her chopsticks unhappily. as soon as emperor jing xuan entered the house, he happened to see his mother and son in a heartwarming scene. he also saw the disgust on his mother¡¯s face. his heart felt like it had been pierced by a needle. the empress dowager said calmly, ¡°why are you here? isn¡¯t it enough to put me under house arrest? are you going to kill me and your brother?¡± emperor jing xuan recovered his dragon might and said seriously, ¡°i didn¡¯t put mother under house arrest. as long as mother hands over this traitor, the guards outside can be removed at any time.¡± the empress dowager said coldly, ¡°then you should continue to put me under house arrest! it¡¯s best if you can put me under house arrest for the rest of my life! you can carry me out on the day of my funeral!¡± emperor jing xuan¡¯s heart bled. no matter how cruel and cold-blooded he was to others and how pure his heart was to his mother, it was a pity that his mother would never be able to see his true heart. emperor jing xuan suppressed his anger and glanced at king nanyang. ¡°i¡¯m here today to let mother see the true colors of this traitor.¡± the empress dowager smiled coldly. ¡°after not seeing you for a few days, you¡¯ve finally forged the evidence?¡± emperor jing xuan raised the name list in his hand. ¡°these are the names of the officials who colluded with him. there is a gu master beside helian ye and princess kang ning of northern yan! mother probably doesn¡¯t know, but wei ting saw him with the gu masters of beiyan with his own eyes!¡± actually, wei ting didn¡¯t see it. su xiaoxiao and ghostfear saw it. ¡°if you don¡¯t believe me, mother, you can call wei ting over to confront him! you can choose not to believe me, but don¡¯t you believe wei ting?¡± the empress dowager said, ¡°your brother was poisoned and controlled by the people of northern yan. he doesn¡¯t even know what he did.¡± emperor jing xuan took out a letter from the name list. ¡°is that so? then what about this handwritten letter written by helian ye to him? the words on it don¡¯t seem to be addressing a puppet.¡± eunuch cheng brought the letter over. after the empress dowager finished reading, she still said stubbornly, ¡°perhaps it¡¯s helian ye¡¯s scheme to sow discord between you brothers!¡± emperor jing xuan laughed angrily. ¡°i knew mother wouldn¡¯t believe me. fortunately, my people found something else. bring it up!¡± eunuch fu entered with an imperial edict. emperor jing xuan sneered. ¡°mother, have you always thought that the origin of my throne is unknown and that the candidate in father¡¯s heart is big brother? then why don¡¯t you take a look at the will left behind by father before he died!¡± when the calm king nanyang heard the word will, his expression finally changed. other things could be fabricated, but the will 18 years ago was definitely not so easy to fake. this will could sentence him to death on the spot. eunuch fu presented the will to the empress dowager. king nanyang suddenly stood up and grabbed the will. this was indeed an imperial edict from 18 years ago. the color of the cloth had faded a little, but when king nanyang unfolded it and took a look, he realized that it was only an imperial edict to confer a certain county king. he froze. emperor jing xuan smiled. ¡°you finally gave yourself away. you¡¯re very afraid that mother will find out that the late emperor deposed you, right? the wei family was killed by you because they saw that edict.¡± emperor jing xuan knew this news from the beginning. the reason why he did not tell the empress dowager immediately was that he understood that the empress dowager would not believe him at all. he was also waiting for a suitable time. the empress dowager looked at king nanyang in a daze. ¡°sheng¡¯er¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± emperor jing xuan said calmly, ¡°don¡¯t use poison to fool everyone anymore. qin su has treated you for so long. she should have cured you long ago.¡± king nanyang¡¯s last escape route was also blocked. how could emperor jing xuan not have some ability to kill all his brothers to rise to power? ¡°guards! take down this traitor!¡± with his order, several imperial experts swarmed over and grabbed at king nanyang. king nanyang fought with them. the inner court experts were ruthless, but king nanyang was invincible. emperor jing xuan said, ¡°mother, big brother is your biological son. is big brother so skilled?¡± the empress dowager was speechless. king nanyang snatched a guard¡¯s sword. emperor jing xuan said to the empress dowager, ¡°mother, big brother is left-handed. he uses his right hand. how can a person¡¯s habits so different? have you thought about why?¡± the empress dowager looked at the food on the table. actually, it was not only today. actually, the daily food was not to his liking. emperor jing xuan said coldly, ¡°he¡¯s not my brother at all! he¡¯s just a man who looks exactly like my brother!¡± ¡°no¡­ no¡­¡± ¡°if mother doesn¡¯t believe me, i¡¯ll prove it to you.¡± emperor jing xuan suddenly shot a hidden weapon at king nanyang! king nanyang slashed open the hidden weapon with his sword. unexpectedly, it was only a string of bracelets. the gems on the bracelets rolled to the ground. king nanyang stepped on it without even blinking. the empress dowager¡¯s expression completely changed. her throat suddenly swelled and hurt, and the remaining faith in her mind collapsed. ¡°that¡¯s minter¡¯s bracelet¡­ when minter was three years old¡­ you gave her¡­ every gem was picked by you¡­¡¯ emperor jing xuan added ruthlessly, ¡°will big brother not even recognize min¡¯er¡¯s belongings?¡± it was not that king nanyang did not know it, but he did not care. if he did not care, he would disdain it. he might be able to act normally, but at critical moments, he was only left with his instincts. the empress dowager shook her head and looked at him with red eyes.. ¡®you¡¯re not sheng¡¯er¡­ you¡¯re not sheng¡¯er¡­¡± Chapter 689 - Chapter 689: Completely Exposed (1) chapter 689: completely exposed (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios more and more inner court experts surged in. king nanyang¡¯s martial arts were outstanding, but he could not withstand such a round-robin battle. in a moment of desperation, he looked at the empress dowager. he wanted to hold the empress dowager hostage. he only wanted a hostage and did not intend to hurt anyone. unfortunately, he stepped on a round gem. his feet slipped and the sword in his hand stabbed at the empress dowager. his expression changed. everything happened too quickly. he didn¡¯t have time to retract his sword or dodge. the empress dowager watched in a daze as the sword stabbed at her. puchi¡ª the sharp blade struck. emperor jing xuan fell in front of the empress dowager. an expert rushed over and kicked king nanyang away. the sword in emperor jing xuan¡¯s chest was pulled out. blood splattered all over the ground. the empress dowager knelt on the ground and hugged emperor jing xuan. she covered his bleeding wound with her hand and choked. ¡°emperor¡­ emperor¡­ yu¡¯er¡­¡± emperor jing xuan endured the pain and squeezed out a bitter smile. ¡°mother hasn¡¯t addressed me as your son in many years¡­¡± the empress dowager choked. ¡°don¡¯t speak¡­ imperial physician xuan¡­ imperial physician.. eunuch fu hurriedly went to call the imperial physician. eunuch cheng brought medicine and a clean cloth over and treated emperor jing xuan¡¯s wound. emperor jing xuan had lost a lot of blood, and his face was pale. king nanyang¡¯s moves were sharp. soon, he broke out of the encirclement and arrived at the courtyard. however, just as he was about to step out, deputy tong liu led a team of imperial guards and rushed in aggressively. emperor jing xuan sat on the ground weakly, but his aura did not decrease as he looked at king nanyang, who was surrounded by the inner court experts. ¡°surrender and i¡¯ll leave your corpse intact.¡± king nanyang slowly turned around, there was no fear in his eyes. ¡°do you really think they¡¯re here to capture me?¡± an ominous feeling surged in emperor jing xuan¡¯s heart. in the next second, he saw king nanyang raise his hand. ¡°deputy commander liu, capture the people from yong shou palace! don¡¯t let a single one out!¡± everyone was shocked! ¡°you¡­¡± emperor jing xuan looked at king nanyang and then at deputy commander liu, who was holding a sword.¡± even you.. eunuch cheng gritted his teeth and stood in front of emperor jing xuan and the empress dowager. however, surprisingly, deputy commander liu did not move. king nanyang frowned and glanced at deputy commander liu. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to attack? do you want me to say it three times?¡± thud! deputy commander liu faced down and fell to the ground, dying with grievance. su cheng stood behind him, holding a bloodstained dagger. a trace of extreme shock flashed across king nanyang¡¯s eyes. su cheng threw away the dagger, pulled out his treasure saber, and pointed it at king nanyang. he said with a full aura, ¡°take down the renegade!¡± the imperial guards swarmed forward and surrounded king nanyang. king nanyang narrowed his eyes and took out a signal bamboo from his pocket. after lighting it, fireworks exploded in the air. this was the signal to contact commander jin. this operation was divided into two groups. vice commander liu took the lead to control the yong shou palace. commander jin led his troops to lie in ambush everywhere. with an order, he immediately forced the palace. unexpectedly, after the signal was released, there was no movement at all. su cheng raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°are you dumbfounded? aren¡¯t your people gone?¡± in the duty room of the imperial city division, commander jin was tied to a pillar and stuffed with a smelly rag. ¡°wii! wu!¡± ¡°someone!¡± ¡°let me out!¡± the imperial guards under commander jin could not care less about him. su cheng spent money at noon and asked the kitchen to add a plate of red braised pork for them. these people were even secretly amused and mocked su cheng for currying favor with commander jin. su cheng smiled foolishly and turned around to sprinkle two large bags of laxatives inside. everyone vomited and had diarrhea. they fought over the toilet. king nanyang never expected that the plan he had secretly planned for so long would be ruined by a sh*t stirrer. it was fine if he lost the battle, but he had to fall into the hands of a village bandit and bully¡ª it was simply enough to make one vomit blood. seeing that the situation was hopeless, king nanyang could only give up on his plan and leave. he used his qinggong and left. su cheng led his men to chase after them. a few black-clothed experts descended from the sky and blocked the path of su cheng and the others. su cheng raised his saber and attacked the black-clothed experts. sitting on the floor of the bedroom, emperor jing xuan looked at su cheng, who was fighting bravely, and inexplicably saw some traces of qin canglan¡¯s youth. he thought of qin jiang again. if it were qin jiang today, could he kill king nanyang unexpectedly and turn the situation around like su cheng? it was probably impossible. ¡°he¡¯s his biological son after all¡­¡± Chapter 690 - Chapter 690: Completely Exposed (2) chapter 690: completely exposed (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios king nanyang¡¯s qinggong was extraordinary. no imperial guards or inner court experts could catch up to him, but just as he was about to escape from the meridian gate, he was blocked by wei ting. wei ting held his sword and looked at him arrogantly. he said arrogantly, ¡°you¡¯re more impatient than i thought. i thought you could last a few more days in the palace. looks like i overestimated you in the past.¡± this was a mental attack. king nanyang mocked back, ¡°you¡¯re also stupider than i thought. you know that emperor jing xuan won¡¯t let the three children off, but you still want to go against me. it¡¯s clearly best for the wei family if i take over.¡± wei ting sneered. ¡°your words can only fool helian ye. they are not enough to lie to me.¡± after king nanyang ascended the throne, in order to maintain his persona, he would indeed not kill his biological grandsons. however, he would not let go of any of the wei family members who knew about the previous emperor¡¯s edict. king nanyang said calmly, ¡°you joined forces with emperor jing xuan to deal with me. this is asking a tiger for its skin.¡± wei ting said, ¡°this is called a fisherman benefiting from a fight.¡± king nanyang said coldly, ¡°you¡¯re still as sharp-tongued as before. that coward likes you like this. i don¡¯t.¡± wei ting held the longsword in his hand tightly. ¡°i don¡¯t care if you like it. are you going to be killed yourself, or should i kill you?¡± king nanyang said meaningfully, ¡°your appearance suddenly reminds me of wei xu. he was also so arrogant. in the end, didn¡¯t he die at my hands?¡± ¡°you have no right to mention my father!¡± wei ting stopped talking nonsense with him and swung his sword at him. king nanyang dodged to the side and caught his sword with his fingertips. ¡°i saw your skills in the battle with northern yan four years ago. you¡¯ve improved a lot. unfortunately, it¡¯s still not enough to kill me!¡± wei ting took out his sword and attacked again. ¡°you¡¯re a little talkative today.¡± king nanyang admitted generously, ¡°it¡¯s just stalling for time.¡± as he spoke, a few experts holding sabers flew over and stood in front of king nanyang. king nanyang left them to pester wei ting and killed his way out of the palace. these people¡¯s martial arts were extremely high, and every one of them was not inferior to the sacrificial soldiers of the western jin dynasty that they had fought last time. it was already difficult for wei ting and wei liulang to deal with one, let alone wei ting dealing with six alone. fortunately, he had received a lot of guidance from qin canglan during this period of time and his martial arts had advanced by leaps and bounds. ¡°little seven, let me help you!¡± wei liulang flashed over with the qingfeng sword. the two of them turned their backs to each other and looked warily at the six sacrificial soldiers who had surrounded them. wei ting whispered, ¡°these people are not ordinary sacrificial soldiers.¡± wei liulang also sensed it. ¡°that¡¯s right. their aura is so strange. that guy really has a lot of tricks. where did he get these experts from?¡± wei ting said, ¡°if he didn¡¯t have tricks up his sleeves, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to rebel.¡± even if king nanyang¡¯s plan to overthrow the current emperor was ruined, wei ting did not know if king nanyang would secretly vomit blood after leaving the palace. wei ting reminded him, ¡°sixth brother, be careful.¡± wei liulang nodded. ¡°i will.¡± ¡°stand down! who allowed you to come over?¡± not far away, princess hui an berated. wei ting frowned. ¡°oh no, school¡¯s over at the palace academy. they¡¯re taking hostages!¡± a sacrificial soldier¡¯s knife slashed at wei ting¡¯s neck. wei ting leaned back and twisted his arm. he split the other party¡¯s tendons and bones and snatched his dagger, throwing it ruthlessly at a certain man in black who was holding a hostage! with a scream, that person fell in front of princess hui an. princess hui an was shocked and said with a trembling body, ¡°don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid¡­ don¡¯t be afraid¡­ ¡°pull the bow!¡± princess jingning said sternly. the daughters seemed to have woken up from a dream. that was right. they had just finished their riding and archery class and had bows! everyone drew their bows and aimed at the men in black charging at them. princess jingning also drew her bow. her aura was majestic. ¡°fire!¡± with her order, the young ladies let go of the bowstrings and arrows flew out with a piercing sound. swish! swish! two men in black were shot. princess hui an cheered. ¡°we hit it! we hit it!¡± the first arrow came from leng zhiruo. the second arrow came from miss zheng. wei ting was usually too strict. they complained a lot in private, but when it came to life and death, they realized that their hardwork in the past had not been in vain. soon, under princess jingning¡¯s lead, they shot the third round of arrows. although it was not a hundred percent accurate, it bought precious time for xiao zhonghua and xiao shunyang to arrive. after wei ting and wei liulang finished dealing with the six sacrificial soldiers, they immediately chased after king nanyang. the cunning thing about king nanyang was that he was good at confusing people. su mo stopped his horse in front of the two of them. qin canglan had also arrived. su mo said, ¡°just now, king nanyang got into a carriage. after that, seven of him came out of the carriage and went in different directions.¡± wei liulang was dumbfounded. ¡°no way, so cunning? who gave him this idea?¡± only one of the seven nanyang kings was real. wei ting narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°they will definitely leave the city. we¡¯ll split up and chase from the four city gates.¡± qin canglan felt that it was feasible. ¡°bring a team of cavalry each. there¡¯s no need to fight him alone.¡± qin canglan had fought with king nanyang before and knew how powerful this person was. the juniors were still young and their martial arts attainment was limited. they were easily at a disadvantage if they fought that guy alone. the four of them led a team of qin family cavalry towards the four city gates. however, king nanyang¡¯s dirty tricks were definitely not limited to this. the wei family was also attacked. fortunately, baili chen, fu su, and yuchi xiu were all in the wei family. his sisters-in-law were all extraordinary and did not let the other party succeed. fourth sister-in-law, madam lan, retracted her whip and asked, ¡°by the way, where did second sister-in-law go?¡± madam jiang said, ¡°second sister-in-law has returned to her maiden home. have you forgotten? she said that she would be back today.¡± madam li¡¯s mother was already old. as she was going to pass away, madam li had recently brought wei xiyue back to see her.. Chapter 691 - Chapter 691: Tiger Girl Xi Yue chapter 691: tiger girl xi yue translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios king nanyang was too sinister and cunning. wei ting asked yuchi xiu and fu su to stay behind because he was worried that he would attack the wei family again. although this wave of assassins had been subdued, madam li and wei xiyue were outside. who knew if they would encounter any danger? ¡°baili chen, fu su, third sister-in-law, go to the li family immediately.¡± ¡°matriarch, ¡± baili chen said. old madam wei waved her hand. ¡°i understand what you mean, but there¡¯s really no need to guard my place.¡± madam jiang hurriedly said, ¡°xiaohu and the others are also outside!¡± old madam wei said, ¡°they went to young master ling yun. they¡¯ll be fine.¡± wei ting did not hide from his family that ling yun was nalan yun. if he was just the number one zither player in the world, there was nothing to be afraid of. however, wei ting said that that kid had powerful abilities. wei chen tried to assassinate him several times but failed. if he could fight wei chen to a draw, what was there to worry about? ¡°it¡¯s settled then. go do your work.¡± matriarch wei made the final decision. ¡°can we kill him?¡± yuchi xiu said restlessly. as the second-ranked assassin on the assassin ranking, he could finally start a massacre today after being suppressed for so long! matriarch wei poured a basin of cold water on him. ¡°no, leave him alive. we¡¯ll interrogate him when little seven comes back.¡± the little person in yuchi xiu¡¯s heart knelt on the ground and roared, ¡°ugh!¡± madam li had just led wei xiyue out of her maiden home. nanny fang sent the two of them off. madam li let wei xiyue get into the carriage and turned to madam fang. ¡°nanny, you don¡¯t have to send me off. go back and take care of my mother.¡± madam li was the youngest daughter of the li family. her parents had a daughter at an old age. even though she was only in her twenties, the two elders were already in their sixties. madam fang¡¯s eyes were a little red. she waved at her, indicating for her to quickly get into the carriage. ¡°go back.¡± matriarch li was not sick, but she was old. even the doctor was helpless. she understood the logic, but she was still a little reluctant. madam li held back her sobs and got into the carriage. wei xiyue was carrying two jars in her arms. she was confused and did not cry or show much sadness. madam li couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°grandmother is so sick. why aren¡¯t you sad at all?¡± wei xiyue looked at her blankly. ¡°forget it.¡± madam li sighed. her daughter was born different. back then, when the wei family held the funeral, her family was about to faint from crying. she was still small and stood in front of the coffin in mourning. she was in a daze and did not shed a tear. other children who were as young as her would not know what had happened. however, when they saw the adults at home cry, those children would cry with them. madam li looked at the jars in her arms. ¡°why are you still holding them? put them down? you¡¯re either carrying xiaohu or the jars. are you not comfortable without something in your arms?¡± wei xiyue did not let go. madam li snatched it away, and wei xiyue shouted. madam li couldn¡¯t do anything to her and ignored her. the carriage swayed. madam li had been guarding her mother by the bed all night and could not help but feel a little sleepy. in her daze, she felt the carriage suddenly stop. her body swayed violently as she pressed her aching temples and asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± the coachman said, ¡°the wheels seem to be broken. madam, wait a moment. i¡¯ll repair them.¡± although it was autumn, it was still hot in the capital. madam li sat in the carriage for a while and felt very stuffy. she asked wei xiyue, ¡°are you hot?¡± wei xiyue shook her head. madam li wiped her forehead and back. ¡°you¡¯re covered in sweat. aren¡¯t you hot? don¡¯t you even know if you¡¯re cold or hot?¡± she was angry and anxious as she brought wei xiyue out of the carriage. this street was one of the most prosperous streets in the capital. people came and went. madam li found a shady roof to stay under. a vendor pushed the stall towards the two of them quietly. ¡°sister xiyue! second aunt!¡± accompanied by a crisp voice, three children ran over. the vendor paused in the act of pushing the cart. dahu shouted as he ran and was the first to arrive in front of the two of them. when madam li saw the little fellows, a smile immediately appeared on her tired face. she took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off the three of them. ¡°why are you here?¡± dahu said, ¡°master is bringing us around the streets!¡± erhu spread his hands. ¡°because xiaohu is too noisy!¡± xiaohu placed his hands on his hips. ¡°i wasn¡¯t!¡± ling yun walked along the long street unhurriedly with an oil-paper umbrella. he was as beautiful as a painting and as quiet as an immortal. madam li nodded at him in greeting, and ling yun nodded back. wei xiyue peeled pine nuts from the small jar and fed them to the three little ones. then, she handed the jar to madam li and carried xiaohu into her arms. xiaohu was already used to it. he obediently leaned back in sister xi yue¡¯s arms and flapped his small arms. at this moment, the vendor with the cart came to their side. madam li was hot and sleepy and was a little confused. for a moment, she did not pay attention to a vendor. when she yawned and was about to ask wei xiyue to stand inside, the vendor suddenly threw away the cart in his hand and snatched wei xiyue and xiaohu over. everything happened in a flash. madam li stretched out her hand to grab the children, but the person had already tapped his toes and flew up the roof. madam li wanted to chase after them, but dahu and erhu were still here. she was afraid that if she left, she would fall into a trap and cause the remaining two to be captured. ¡°go after him!¡± ling yun instructed the secret guard beside him. the secret guard used his qinggong to chase after that person, but the other party¡¯s qinggong was not weak either. he used all his strength and could only grab one of xiaohu¡¯s arms. the other party did not care if the child would be torn apart and kicked towards ling yun¡¯s secret guard. wei xiyue decisively let go. the secret guard was kicked in the shoulder and fell from the sky with xiaohu in his arms. when he approached the ground, he flipped and stabilized himself. ¡°sister xi yue!¡± xiaohu turned his head and shouted. madam li hurriedly said to ling yun, who had quickly arrived, ¡®young master ling yun, i¡¯ll leave dahu, erhu, and xiaohu to you. i¡¯ll go after xiyue!¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go.¡± a familiar voice sounded above madam li¡¯s head. madam li looked up. ¡°brother?¡± who would have thought that he would encounter the human traffickers? however, that person¡¯s skills were definitely not ordinary. ¡°go back and wait for news! ¡± with that, he disappeared from the eaves. the vendor brought wei xiyue into a very luxurious carriage. no one would have expected the escapee to sit on such a high-profile travel tool. when the coachman saw him carrying the child over, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little strange. he looked behind him and asked, ¡°who is this? where¡¯s the hostage i asked you to take?¡± the vendor handed wei xiyue to him. ¡°she¡¯s a hostage.¡± the coachman frowned and said, ¡°didn¡¯t i ask you to catch a woman!¡± the vendor said righteously, ¡°she¡¯s a woman!¡± the coachman was furious. he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°woman! not a girl!¡± the vendor choked. ¡°then¡­ you didn¡¯t explain it clearly!¡± it was impossible to send her back. if she was caught and thrown away¡­ it would be a pity. after all, this little girl was also a member of the wei family. the coachman said, ¡°master hates children the most because children are very noisy! ¡± ¡°she¡¯s not noisy!¡± the vendor raised wei xiyue with both hands. ¡°it¡¯s true. she hasn¡¯t cried since i caught her. i suspect that she¡¯s a little mute! perhaps¡­ she¡¯s a silly little mute.¡± the coachman sized wei xiyue up. wei xiyue also looked straight at him, her eyes were clear and she was a little adorable. she did not seem not afraid at all. if this person was not bolder than the heavens, she must be stupid. the coachman did not think that a silly little girl would be the former.. Chapter 692 - Chapter 692: The Might of Xi Yue (1) chapter 692: the might of xi yue (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°take her away! ¡± he said. since she was silly and hoarse, she probably wouldn¡¯t disturb his master. the peddler got into the carriage and smiled at the coachman. ¡°i caught this hostage well. i¡¯m not worried with this silly kid!¡± ¡°alright, sit in and close the curtain!¡± the coachman waved his horsewhip and left the capital from the west city gate. more than half of the people planted by king nanyang in the imperial guards had been harmed by su cheng. only a small team of imperial guards patrolling outside had dodged su cheng¡¯s dark cuisine. they did not know the situation in the palace and rushed over with high morale. as soon as they entered the palace, they were attacked by su cheng. as for the sacrificial soldiers and experts who had covered king nanyang¡¯s retreat and captured hostages, they were either dead or injured under the full siege of xiao shunyang, jing yi, and the others. this group of people was too difficult to deal with. every guard¡¯s life was their life. in order to reduce the casualties of the imperial guards and guards, jing yi and xiao shunyang were at the front. they joined in the siege with bai ze,wu mu, hong luan, and qing xuan. among them, the square-faced wu mu was seriously injured and was carried down by the imperial guards. hong luan, bai ze, and qing xuan also suffered varying degrees of injuries. xiao shunyang¡¯s left arm was dislocated and he reattached it himself. jing yi¡¯s right arm had been slashed, and blood stained his sleeve. ¡°jing yi!¡± xiao zhonghua walked over with a serious expression. jing yi put away his sword and said indifferently, ¡°it¡¯s a small injury. it¡¯s fine. a few people were left alive over there. cousin can bring them down for interrogation later.¡± xiao zhonghua nodded and turned to look at princess jingning and the others on the white marble steps. ¡°how are you?¡± princess jingning looked at the daughters beside her. everyone looked a little disheveled. fortunately, they were not injured. ¡°we¡¯re fine,¡± she said. seeing that the fight was finally over, princess hui an threw away the bow and arrow in her hand, raised her skirt, and ran over to throw herself into xiao zhonghua¡¯s arms. ¡°third brother¡­ i was scared to death just now¡­¡± xiao zhonghua rubbed her head helplessly and dotingly. ¡°third brother saw it just now. hui an was very brave.¡± she stretched out her hand aggrievedly. ¡°i shot many arrows. my hand hurts¡­¡± xiao zhonghua rubbed her hand. xiao shunyang came to princess jingning¡¯s side and took the bow from her hand, but he realized that he could not take it. he did not dare to use too much strength. he looked down and saw that princess jingning¡¯s palm was badly mangled from overexertion. the dried blood was stuck to the bow. ¡°bear with it,¡± xiao shunyang said softly. ¡°yes.¡± princess jingning nodded slightly. xiao shunyang took down the bow bit by bit and took out a clean handkerchief to wrap around her wound. ¡°second brother will send you back to kunning palace.¡± princess jingning looked at the daughters of the palace academy who were fighting with her. ¡°second brother, arrange for the guards to send them back to the residence first.¡± xiao shunyang said, ¡°i¡¯ll arrange it.¡± thinking of something, princess jingning¡¯s expression changed. ¡°mother!¡± since this group of people wanted to take hostages, they would not miss out on the women in the palace. their grandmother and mother were in grave danger. when su cheng attacked just now, he said that the assassins in yong shou palace had been eliminated and two people had escaped. he had already sent a team of imperial guards to search the harem with all their might. xiao shunyang seemed to have thought of the empress. he frowned and said to xiao zhonghua, ¡°third brother, i¡¯ll leave this to you! deal with the aftermath. i¡¯ll go to kunning palace!¡± xiao zhonghua nodded. xiao shunyang brought a team of guards and rushed to kunning palace. as expected, kunning palace was broken into by an assassin. however, by the time he arrived, the battle had already ended. the palace maids and eunuchs hid behind the pillar in fear and did not dare to make a sound. in the empty space not far from them, two masked assassins lay in a pool of scarlet blood. su xiaoxiao took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her dagger. her hair was a little messy, and her red headband fluttered in the summer wind. there was a patch of bright red blood on her neck and cheek, making her look battle-worn and cruel. xiao shunyang was stunned. su xiaoxiao sheathed lord wu an¡¯s dagger. suddenly, she grabbed the bow and arrow on the stone table and shot it at xiao shunyang! ¡®i¡¯ms was tne second woman to make mao snunyang tall into a aaze. by tne time he reacted, it was already too late to dodge. his hair stood on end. he had never trembled so much when he fought the experts outside. the arrow flashed past his ear. a scream came from behind him. he quickly turned around and saw an assassin being shot through the chest. the assassin flew back and fell heavily to the ground; his body stiffened and he died.. Chapter 693 - Chapter 693: The Might of Xi Yue (2) chapter 693: the might of xi yue (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios he had been in such a daze just now that he did not notice that someone had ambushed him¡­ if she had not attacked in time, he would have long become a dead soul under the other party¡¯s blade. as this thought flashed through his mind, xiao shunyang broke out in a cold sweat. he couldn¡¯t help but size up su xiaoxiao again. the last time he saw her was three months ago. qin jiang and qin che fought for the military power of the protectorate. at that time, she was not conspicuous, or rather, she deliberately kept a low profile. he had heard that her medical skills were very good and she had treated his father and grandmother, but he did not expect her skills and reaction to be so sharp and decisive. ¡°the empress is inside.¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care what xiao shunyang was thinking. after saying that calmly, she took the big bow that jing yi had made for her, pulled out the arrow from that assasin¡¯s chest, inserted it into the quiver on her back, and left without looking back. after the two experts disguised as vendors and coachmen left the city, they stopped at an official courier station. at the moment of escape, the more secretive they were, the more suspicious it was. they had to fake their identities, so they would not look suspicious. wei xiyue was dressed as a little boy. her face was too beautiful, and the vendor had smeared some black dust on her face, making her look a little dirty, but the intelligence in her big eyes could not be hidden. the vendor held her wrist and took her to a room around the corner before knocking on the door. ¡°master.¡± ¡°come in.¡± king nanyang¡¯s voice came from inside. the vendor brought wei xiyue into the house, and the coachman stood guard at the door. ¡°i asked you to catch¡­¡± king nanyang looked up. halfway through his sentence, he paused and frowned slightly. the vendor said, ¡°she¡¯s a child of the wei family¡¯s second branch.¡± of course, king nanyang knew who she was. before the battle at broken north pass, he had secretly gone to the wei family. even xiao min did not see him. this little girl had bumped into him unexpectedly. however, the little girl was still young at that time. she looked like she was two or three years old? she probably couldn¡¯t remember what happened a few years ago. moreover, he had changed his appearance. even if the little girl remembered, it was impossible for her to recognize him. ¡°master, don¡¯t worry. she won¡¯t make a lot of noise.¡± the vendor pointed at his head, indicating that this girl was a little fool. king nanyang had been traumatized by the three little fellows. when he saw the child, he had a headache. he waved his hand and asked the vendor to take her away. the vendor retreated respectfully. the coachman flashed in and cupped his hands. ¡°master.¡± king nanyang asked calmly, ¡°why did you capture the little girl?¡± it was all his stupid teammates¡¯ fault¡­ the coachman wanted to clear the air, but his master hated it the most when they pushed the blame away. he lowerel his head and said, ¡°i didn¡¯t do it well. master, please punish me.¡± now that he was in need of people, king nanyang did not punish him. ¡°there won¡¯t be a next time.¡± the coachman heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°thank you, master! master, i have something to report.¡± ¡°shoot. ¡± ¡°liu zhou and i were followed. although we used some smokescreen to temporarily shake him off, i¡¯m worried that he might find us soon.¡± liu zhou was the vendor. ¡°qin canglan?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not him. it¡¯s a¡­ sacrificial soldier.¡± his injuries had already healed. as long as it was not qin canglan, there was nothing to be afraid of. the coachman came out of the house and saw the vendor standing alone under the porch eating a drumstick. he glared at him. ¡°where is the child?¡± the vendor glanced at the courtyard. ¡°here.¡± there were many merchants coming and going from various places at the courier station. among them, an old goat seller was squatting in the courtyard and pulling wool. wei xiyue was squatting beside him and watching. the coachman frowned. ¡°watch her closely. be careful not to let her run away!¡± the vendor said, ¡°no! have you forgotten that she¡¯s fool?¡± the fool wei xiyue watched the old man fleece for a full hour. at first, the two of them took turns watching her. later on, when they returned from the toilet, they realized that she was still there and completely ignored her. ¡°time to eat.¡± the vendor brought wei xiyue back to the house. wei xiyue refused to eat by herself and went to king nanyang¡¯s room. king nanyang frowned and looked at her. there were too many people and it was not good if she cried. king nanyang asked someone to add a set of bowls and chopsticks. prince nanyang¡¯s taste was light, but the food at the posthouse was spicy and salty. his mouth was extremely dry after eating a few bites. the tea in the teapot was still greasy when it was poured out. he felt disgusted and put down the teacup again. wei xiyue handed him her water bag. this water bag was new and she had not drunk a sip. king nanyang was extremely affected by the spiciness. he pulled out the stopper and raised his head to take two big gulps. only after drinking did he realize that something was wrong.. Chapter 694 - Chapter 694: The Might of Xi Yue (3) chapter 694: the might of xi yue (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios he looked at wei xiyue in a daze. ¡°what did you give me to drink?¡± wei xiyue said, ¡°grandpa gave it to me.¡± she squatted there and watched her fleece for a long time. the old man thought that she was cute and filled a pot of milk wine for her to bring back for the adults at home to drink. king nanyang had a gu on him and could not drink alcohol. he was furious. ¡°someone! take her out!¡± he said sternly. the vendor hurriedly entered and pulled wei xiyue out. king nanyang stood up and went to his bag to find hangover medicine. wei xiyue had not finished her meal and did not want to go out. the vendor pulled her hard and agitated her. she closed her eyes and opened her mouth. ¡°ah!¡± she screamed! although she was small, her cries were incomparably loud, like demonic sounds piercing one¡¯s ears. just as king nanyang was about to swallow the hangover pill, he was shocked by this terrifying demonic sound. swoosh! the pill was stuck in his throat. he choked on his breath and his face quickly turned dark green. he pressed his neck with one hand and pounded his chest with the other. he staggered to the ground in pain. the vendor¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°master! master!¡± he couldn¡¯t care less about the hostage now and hurriedly went to look for a doctor. wei xiyue tilted her head and looked at him. a servant in the residence choked on food once. just like king nanyang¡¯s symptoms, wei xiyue had seen seventh aunt save that person. however, she was not as strong as seventh aunt and could not carry him. wei xiyue thought for a moment and went to the courtyard to find a wooden stick. she aimed it at king nanyang¡¯s ribs and hit him! king nanyang was beaten until his bile was about to come out. seeing that he still did not vomit, wei xiyue hit him again. she was young and it was her first time exercising, so her aim was a little insufficient. this rod hit king nanyang¡¯s lower abdomen. king nanyang¡¯s hair stood on end! ¡°stop hitting me¡­ if you hit me again, my nuts will shatter!¡± fortunately, the third stroke did not continue to deviate. wei xiyue hit him again and again. after hitting him more than ten times, she finally hit him accurately. in one breath, he spat out the pill that was stuck in his throat. however, wei xiyue did not know that this strike was effective. she was already preparing for the next strike. she used all her strength in this strike. with a serious expression, she spun and jumped up, releasing a big move. ¡°ha!¡± king nanyang suddenly sat up. ¡°i vomited¡ª¡± bang! before he could finish, the club hit him in the face, knocking him out on the spot. when the vendor rushed over with the doctor of the courier station, wei xiyue had already thrown the stick under the bed, hiding her achievements. the doctor squatted down and took his pulse. he touched his neck. ¡°he¡¯s fine.¡± the vendor looked at king nanyang, whose face was swollen like a pig¡¯s head, and the corners of his mouth twitched. ¡°this is¡­ nothing?¡± what had just happened? why had his master become like this when he had just gone out to call a doctor? he looked at the little girl. wei xiyue stood there quietly, looking innocent and adorable. the vendor walked towards her with a cold gaze. just as he was about to lift her up and interrogate her, the coachman returned in a hurry. ¡°not good! there are soldiers chasing after us!¡± the vendor said, ¡°so be it. what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± the coachman said with a solemn expression, ¡°it¡¯s the qin family¡¯s iron cavalry! there¡¯s also a woman from the wei family!¡± the vendor¡¯s expression changed. ¡®what?¡± the qin family¡¯s iron cavalry was fine. they could fool her with their faked identities, but the women of the wei family knew this girl¡ª ¡°where¡¯s master?¡± the coachman was shocked to see king nanyang on the ground. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± the vendor was impatient. ¡°i don¡¯t know either. he¡¯s been like this since i came back¡­ i must have been really unlucky¡­ hurry up and leave!¡± he carried wei xiyue and the coachman carried king nanyang. the two of them slipped away from the back door of the courier station. they did not dare to ride horses or take the official road, so they could only hide in a forest first. however, the other party still caught up. ¡°fifth aunt,¡± wei xiyue shouted. madam jiang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°xiyue!¡± her face turned cold as she rode on the tall horse. she coldly pulled out her sword and pointed it at the two of them. ¡°are you a man? if you have the guts, let go of the child and fight me alone!¡± the coachman put down king nanyang. ¡°i¡¯ll deal with her. if the situation goes wrong later, kill this child and leave with master.¡± ¡°okay!¡± the peddler said. the coachman attacked madam jiang. his skills were not inferior to asura¡¯s. madam jiang¡¯s martial arts were not as high as his, but madam jiang was already prepared and spilled a handful of knockout drug powder. this was su xiaoxiao¡¯s special medicine that could make a cow fall. she was not afraid after taking the antidote, but the coachman was in trouble. he lost his internal energy rapidly and was kicked in the chest by madam jiang. seeing that madam jiang¡¯s sword was about to stab his chest, king nanyang woke up. his cold gaze swept across the entire world, and madam jiang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. king nanyang flew up and slapped madam jiang¡¯s head. madam jiang was suppressed by king nanyang¡¯s internal force and could only watch as her brain cracked. she shouted loudly, ¡°xi yue! don¡¯t look!¡± wei xiyue closed her eyes. ¡°ah!¡± ¡°damn!¡± the vendor covered his ears and bent down, feeling that his eardrums were about to burst. thud! king nanyang had also fallen! madam jiang was stunned. king nanyang gritted his teeth and pressed down on his surging chest to stabilize his reversing meridians. he flicked a small stone with his fingertip and tapped wei xiyue¡¯s mute acupoint! at the same time, he kicked madam jiangs wrist, and her sword flew out. he stood up and steadily caught the sword. without stopping, he stabbed at madam jiang smoothly. suddenly, a black shadow descended from the sky and stood in front of madam jiang, blocking his sword with the scabbard.. Chapter 695 - Chapter 695: The Fall of King Nanyang chapter 695: the fall of king nanyang madam jiang looked at the back view in front of her and recognized him. she was excited. ¡°brother!¡± her brother was here. she and xi yue were saved! ghostfear held the scabbard in his left hand to block king nanyang¡¯s sword, and his right hand held the hilt fiercely. he pulled out the sword and slashed at king nanyang¡¯s throat. king nanyang took a few steps back. ghostfear stomped his feet and jumped into the air to attack king nanyang. at the same time, he threw out the scabbard in his hand. it looked like a casual throw, but it was actually extremely fast. like an arrow leaving the bow, it ruthlessly shot at the vendor holding wei xiyue. he didn¡¯t even look at him. the vendor naturally didn¡¯t think that he would attack him. by the time he reacted, it was too late. the scabbard entered between his eyebrows and pierced through his head. when madam jiang saw this scene, her body trembled. at this moment, she finally believed that her brother was a sacrificial soldier. after exchanging a few moves with king nanyang, he used his qinggong to pull wei xiyue into his arms before she could look up at the cruel scene above her head. ¡°don¡¯t look,¡± he said. wei xiyue obediently raised her hand and covered her eyes. ¡°her acupoints were tapped?¡± ghostfear frowned and undid her acupoints. wei xiyue called out, ¡°uncle.¡± at this moment, madam jiang had also completely dealt with the coachman who had been drugged. ghostfear swept over and handed wei xiyue to her. ¡°bring xiyue back.¡± madam jiang nodded. now was not the time to show off. she could not interfere in her brother¡¯s battle with king nanyang. it was best not to stay here and distract her brother. she carried wei xiyue over. her uncle did not say that she could take a look, so wei xiyue obediently covered her eyes. thinking of something, madam jiang said, ¡°wait, big brother, xi yue seems to be able to interfere with him by shouting. why don¡¯t¡ª¡± ghost fear muttered, ¡°the little guy is simply attacking indiscriminately when she screams. i¡¯m afraid too, okay?¡± really, why was there a child who could shout so loudly? also, if she screamed too much, wouldn¡¯t her throat hurt? ¡°go back.¡± he said in a low voice. madam jiang no longer hesitated. she carried wei xiyue and had just taken two steps when she turned around. ¡°brother, you¡¯ll come back safely, right?¡± it was rare for ghostfear not to say, ¡°i¡¯m a sacrificial soldier. there¡¯s no past for sacrificial soldiers.¡± he hummed imperceptibly. madam jiang smiled with tears in her eyes and quickly turned around with wei xiyue. king nanyang chased after him and stopped him with a sword. the two of them fought for two more times. when ghostfear was talking to madam jiang just now, the reason why king nanyang was not in a hurry to attack was that he was taking hangover medicine and circulating his energy to dissipate the alcoholic vapor of the milk wine. however, it was a coincidence that he heard extraordinary news. ¡°you¡¯re wei chen?¡± wei xiyue called him uncle, and madam jiang called him big brother. he thought that there should be no one else in the world who could be called by them like this. ¡°you¡¯re actually not dead? you even became a death warrior?¡± ¡°you¡¯ll die soon.¡± there was no fear in king nanyang¡¯s eyes. ¡°do you think everyone is qin canglan? even when qin canglan was lucky enough to defeat me, it was because he accidentally discovered my weakness. otherwise, why would i lose to him?¡± ¡°discovering it is an ability.¡± ¡°i won¡¯t deny that you¡¯re right, but if you plan to continue to exploit my weakness, i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ll have to disappoint you. my weakness is gone. i do know one of yours. ¡± ¡°you¡¯re stalling for time by talking too much.¡± ¡°you know me very well.¡± ¡°it¡¯s useless to delay. no matter how many people come, they won¡¯t be able to save you!¡± ¡°i advise you to think carefully about the possibility of you killing me before you attack. if you use your remaining internal energy to turn around and escape now, you might have a chance of survival.¡± as he spoke, he took out a small medicine bottle. ¡°recognize it, right? your cultivation disintegration powder. my people told me that i was being tracked by a death warrior. how could i be unguarded? ¡°you shouldn¡¯t have saved that child. the powder was scattered on her. don¡¯t you sacrificial soldiers have no past? since you chose to be a sacrificial soldier, you should focus on forgetting your previous identity.¡± ghostfear used a killing move on king nanyang and was sent flying by his palm. he turned in the air and kicked the tree trunk with the tip of his foot. he used the momentum to jump back and do a somersault before landing steadily on the ground. king nanyang raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°you still have strength after inhaling for so long. you¡¯re a little stronger than i imagined. however, it¡¯s only a little! this is the end!¡± he raised his sword and slashed at ghostfear. there were no fancy moves in the battle between experts. they were all fist to fist. blood was the closest to instinct. after another round, ghostfear vomited blood and knelt on one knee, the tip of its sword stabbing into the ground to support his body. ¡°you still have strength?¡± his cold sword qi sent ghostfear flying to the ground. he walked towards his step by step. his long sword dragged across the ground, and the blood on the blade meandered down, drawing a long river of blood. he raised his sword and was about to cut off ghostfear¡¯s head. ¡°green grass willow leaf floating thousand birds flying in the sky wei xiyue¡¯s song echoed in the silent forest, her voice clean and ethereal. ¡°xiyue, what are you singing?¡± madam jiang, who was hugging her, asked, ¡°who taught you? why haven¡¯t i heard of it?¡± wei xiyue was immersed in her own world and could not hear madam jiang¡¯s voice. she continued to sing. ¡°white clouds mountain wind ten thousand flowers bloom morning spring morning ¡°father! i¡¯ve learned the song mother taught me. i¡¯ll sing it for you! ¡°green grass ¨C willow leaves floating thousand birds flying in the sky-¡± ¡°green clouds- mountain winds- ten thousand flowers bloom- early- springearly- ¡°father! did minter sing well?¡± king manyang¡¯s neaa seemea to nave deen slasnea dy someone ana was openea bit by bit with his bare hands. it was so painful that his eyes almost popped out. he bowed and held his head with his left hand, roaring in pain. seeing this, ghostfear took the opportunity to kick him down! he fell to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. he stood up and swung his sword crazily. ¡°i¡¯m king nanyang!¡± ¡°i am!¡± ghostfear looked at him strangely and slashed! this sword was blocked by king nanyang. king nanyang looked at ghostfear with a sinister gaze. ¡°no one can kill me! he can¡¯t! neither can you!¡± his aura suddenly soared as he stabbed at ghostfear. ghostfear did not dodge. he used his shoulder to meet his sword and pounced at him. he held the sword in his hand. the throat-sealing sword would not be sheathed! ¡°it¡¯s over!¡± ghostfear did not address him as king nanyang. after saying that coldly, ghostfear¡¯s killing intent surged; it was as if he was the netherworld king who had slit king nanyang¡¯s throat! king nanyang¡­ to be precise, the man in front of him looked at ghostfear in disbelief and almost said in a daze, ¡°i¡¯m the¡­ king nanyang¡­ i¡¯m the¡­ new emperor¡­ i¡­ i¡¯m the¡­¡± his gaze was unfocused as he looked at ghostfear in a daze. ¡°wei chen¡­¡¯ he fell into a pool of blood.. Chapter 696 - Chapter 696: Reward chapter 696: reward translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios madam jiang carried wei xiyue out of the forest and came to the endless official road. her strength was exhausted, but she did not dare to stop. she staggered forward and finally encountered the qin family cavalry who had come to look for her. deputy general zhou hurriedly tightened the reins and got off the horse. he came to madam jiang and caught the child in her arms. ¡°madam wei!¡± madam jiang¡¯s legs went weak and she almost fell. deputy general zhou hurriedly helped her up. ¡°give it to me, madam wei.¡± madam jiang had been maintaining the posture of carrying the child, and her arms were already stiff. deputy general zhou slowly carried the child over and said to her, ¡°i¡¯ll send someone to send you back.¡± madam jiang panted weakly. ¡°the¡­ traitor is inside¡­ hurry up and arrest him¡­ deputy general zhou sent two cavalrymen to escort her back to the wei family. the rest entered the forest with him according to madam jiang¡¯s directions. however, when they rushed to the crime scene, they only saw a few pools of almost dried blood and the corpses of two secret guards. ¡°did you find anything?¡± qin canglan¡¯s voice suddenly appeared behind her. deputy general zhou turned around and saw qin canglan and su mo riding over. he cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°marshal, young master su.¡± qin canglan had already resigned from his position as the general of the world¡¯s army, but the brothers in the military camp were still used to calling him marshal. he continued to answer, ¡®marshal, from the traces at the event location, there was an intense fight here. both sides were injured, but¡­ they¡¯re gone.¡± qin canglan and su mo got off the horse and carefully surveyed the event location. qin canglan had fought with ghostfear and the nanyang king before and knew very well that the two of them fought without caring about their lives. life and death often happened in an instant. the outcome of a battle might not be determined by one¡¯s martial arts attainment . any small factor could change the final outcome. ¡°did they fight in another place?¡± su mo asked. qin canglan squatted down and dipped his fingertip into the blood on the ground. ¡°from the blood loss, one of them was fatally injured. i wonder if it¡¯s ghostfear or that guy. if we split up and search, they shouldn¡¯t have gone far.¡± soon, su xiaoxiao, wei ting, and wei liulang arrived. the three of them looked at the blood on the ground with solemn expressions. ¡°who was seriously injured? could that guy have some life-saving methods like mo guiyuan?¡± su xiaoxiao found a bottle on the ground. during this period of time, she had studied the letter of the poison master of the western jin and recognized that this was the cultivation transformation powder of a death warrior. wei liulang¡¯s expression changed. ¡°brother¡­ was poisoned by the cultivation transformation powder? doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ that guy was already difficult to deal with. coupled with the effect of the cultivation transformation powder, his brother was doomed! a cold glint flashed across wei ting¡¯s deep eyes. ¡°i want to see him whether he¡¯s dead or alive.¡± they followed the blood to a big tree. the blood was gone. they could only scatter and continue to search. qin canglan mobilized the cavalry, and wei ting also returned to the capital to mobilize the imperial guards. he searched from the forest to the mountains for three days and three nights, but he could not find any traces of the two of them. on the fourth day, just as they were preparing for the worst, ghostfear appeared. wei liulang hurriedly stood up from under the tree and pounced over to support his shoulder. he sized up him. ¡°brother?¡± wei ting and su xiaoxiao also walked towards him. there was a perforated wound on his shoulder and a few not-so-serious cuts on his body. su xiaoxiao brought him to the tree and opened the first aid kit to treat his injuries. wei ting followed over. ¡°brother, your cultivation¡­¡± ghostfear said, ¡°i didn¡¯t inhale much cultivation a transformation powder and lost a little strength. i¡¯ll be back after practicing.¡± wei liulang asked, ¡°king nanyang¡­¡± ghost scar said in a low voice, ¡°he¡¯s dead.¡¯ when everyone heard this, they felt relieved. they did not feel that that guy died suddenly. after all, the wei, qin, and su families had been immobilized and even pulled emperor jing xuan along. it would be unreasonable if they could not kill that guy. the battle between them had begun from the beginning of the elimination of the white lotus society. the white lotus society was the most powerful knife in his hand. with white lotus society gone, his wings had been cut off. of course, they could not let their guard down. after all, even if he did not succeed in his rebellion, it was more than enough to kill a few people. fortunately, everything was finally over. wei liulang took a deep breath and was about to ask his brother how he killed that big bastard. where had he been for the past three days? he heard ghostfear say, ¡°don¡¯t ask anything. also, don¡¯t call that nanyang king in the future. call him xiao jun.¡± ¡°xiao¡­ jun, oh,¡± wei liulang agreed obediently. the eldest brother was like a father, and the eldest brother¡¯s words carried a bloodline pressure. ghostfear took out a bag and handed it to them. wei liulang took it and opened it. when he saw the bright yellow cloth, his eyebrows twitched. ¡°is this the previous emperor¡¯s edict? eh? no, it¡¯s blank.¡± ghostfear said, ¡°the previous emperor¡¯s edict was destroyed.¡± xiao jun had still found the late emperor¡¯s edict before them. otherwise, he would not have the guts to force a rebellion . ¡°the secret decree was also destroyed,¡± ghostfear said. ¡°i destroyed it myself.¡± wei liulang said in surprise, ¡°ah¡­ i¡¯m not surprised by the will and secret decree¡­ but what¡¯s with this blank imperial edict?¡± there was the seal of the late emperor on it. ¡°this must be lord xiao¡¯s trump card.¡± they had neglected a key point previously, which was that there were a total of two secret decrees. first, king nanyang was established; this was followed by prince ruyang. it could be said that from the moment prince ruyang was established, king nanyang¡¯s secret decree was ineffective. even if he succeeded in his rebellion, it would still be considered a usurpation of the throne. it would not be legitimate. if there was this blank imperial edict, it would be different. su xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°since he has this, why didn¡¯t he take it out earlier?¡± ghostfear said, ¡°it was hidden by king nanyang. xiao jun has been looking for it.¡± the few of them were stunned and instantly understood. on the way back, su xiaoxiao sat in the carriage while the three brothers rode their horses to the side. ghostfear said to wei ting, ¡°find a graveyard. you can see min¡¯er¡¯s tombstone.¡± wei ting said, ¡°okay.¡± wei ting brought back ¡°xiao jun¡¯s¡± corpse and this matter was settled. emperor jing xuan did not want to hurt the empress dowager¡¯s heart and did not announce to the public that he was king nanyang. he still maintained that someone had pretended to be him and rebelled. wei ting had no intention of telling him the truth about king nanyang and xiao jun. he had not really surrendered to emperor jing xuan. he was just using emperor jing xuan to deal with xiao jun. this incident could be considered the greatest crisis in the 18 years since emperor jing xuan ascended the throne. he almost lost his life. after he could get out of bed, he would immediately reward the meritorious officials. the first credit was su cheng. he had contributed to protecting the emperor and turning the tide, nipping the rebellion of the imperial guards in the bud and reducing a large number of casualties. he was already the protector duke, so his title could not be added. emperor jing xuan promoted him to the commander of the imperial guards and the deputy commander of the imperial city.. Chapter 697 - Chapter 697: Second Brother chapter 697: second brother translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this was the military merit that su cheng had earned with his own strength. qin canglan did not participate the entire time. those who mocked su cheng for only being able to rely on his father to climb up the ranks were finally slapped in the face. ¡°however, i¡¯ve always been puzzled. since jin wu is that person¡¯s lackey, why isn¡¯t it recorded on the register?¡± because the register was fake¡­ wei ting said without changing his expression, ¡°it¡¯s recorded, your majesty. it¡¯s in the middle.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± emperor jing xuan had not been to the imperial study for a few days. he asked eunuch fu to bring the name list over and flipped to the middle. he did see the names of commander jin, deputy commander liu, and the others. ¡°perhaps i missed them last time.¡± wei ting didn¡¯t say,¡±no, i added them in time.¡± other than su cheng, wei ting, who had killed the traitor, had also made a great contribution. he was originally a fourth-grade guard general. now, he had advanced by one grade and was a third-grade general. the civil servants were about to die of envy. no wonder they said that generals were promoted quickly. one had to know that they had worked so hard that they could not be promoted even after three to six years. xiao shunyang and xiao zhonghua had contributed to calming the chaos and were conferred the titles of prince rui and prince an. the eldest prince, xiao duye, did not make it in time. he had nothing to do with the conferment of the titles. he was so angry that his teeth hurt. princess jingning, princess hui an, and the daughters of the palace academy also received a generous reward from emperor jing xuan, who praised them for not being inferior to men. everyone was touched. after this incident, they were not only classmates, but also comrades. finally, it was su xiaoxiao. she had contributed greatly to protecting the empress, saving the second prince, and killing three experts. unfortunately, a woman could not be an official. after some thought, emperor jing xuan conferred her a fourth-grade madam and bestowed her with a miracle doctor plaque and an imperial hospital token. ¡°although you¡¯re not holding the position of an imperial physician, you¡¯re an imperial physician.¡± this was the limit of what emperor jing xuan could do. su xiaoxiao thanked his majesty. the national treasury was deficient, and emperor jing xuan was poor. he could forget about rewarding gold. in fact, emperor jing xuan entertained thoughts of borrowing money from su xiaoxiao. ¡°to be able to enter the palace openly to treat the concubines of the various palaces is also a considerable income. this token is useful.¡± su xiaoxiao left the palace satisfied. there were rewards and punishments. commander jin and the others were sentenced to be beheaded, sikong yun was imprisoned, and prime minister guo escaped a calamity because he failed to participate in the rebellion. sometimes, the person who survived to the end might not be the mastermind. instead, it might be such a ¡°scaredy cat¡±. in just 20 days, the empress dowager experienced a huge ups and downs. the next day, she fell seriously ill. su xiaoxiao went to visit her and didn¡¯t tell her the truth about prince nanyang and xiao jun. firstly, she didn¡¯t imow what to say. ¡°i often feel like i have two versions of myself in my mind¡­¡± even if king nanyang personally told the empress dowager this, the empress dowager might not understand, let alone an outsider like her. the second was that being happy for nothing was better than the pain of parting. su xiaoxiao asked the three little fellows to accompany the empress dowager more. the three little tiger heads crawled on her body and quickly dispersed the haze in her heart. she looked at the three strong little fellows and her smile returned to her lips. in the afternoon, su xiaoxiao brought the three little ones to the directorate to pick up su ergou from school. then, they returned to the su family. as the peace ambassadors, the old marquis and su yuan escorted princess lingxi to western jin. the rest were there. when matriarch su saw her precious grandnephew and great-grandnephews, she was extremely excited. she hugged the three little fellows and refused to let go. if not for the fact that she couldn¡¯t carry su ergou and su xiaoxiao, she would have hugged them. ¡°great-grandma! great-grandma!¡± the three little fellows scrambled into her arms. the three little fellows had completely messed up the way they addressed their elders. they couldn¡¯t call them uncle, so they unanimously called them great-grandma. matriarch su¡¯s arms were filled with smiles. ¡°aiya, let me see who¡¯s here?¡± ¡°mother.¡± su li bumped into madam tao at the door and greeted her obediently! he was the most beautiful child in the capital! madam tao pushed him away without looking and walked towards su ergou and the three little fellows with a smile. su li, who had encountered another wave of disdain from his mother, was speechless. su xiaoxiao found su xuan reading quietly in the garden. ¡°fourth cousin.¡± su xiaoxiao came behind him and bowed slightly to greet him before handing him a safety talisman. ¡°it¡¯s not an ordinary safety talisman. it¡¯s a top scholar¡¯s talisman blessed by a master in the temple. i¡¯m going to make a house call next month during the fall quarter examinations. i might not be in the capital at that time. i wish fourth cousin all the way to high school in advance!¡± su xuan took it and carefully put it away. ¡°thank you.¡± after a moment, su xuan smiled gently. ¡°well done.¡± su xiaoxiao understood that he was referring to xiao jun. she raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°actually¡­ i didn¡¯t do anything. i¡¯m not the main force this time.¡± she chilled almost the entire time. su xuan smiled and didn¡¯t argue with her about the change in everyone¡¯s fate. ¡°i can give you a reward.¡± ¡°there¡¯s a reward? is it gold?¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. fourth cousin was the richest. she had been coveting his gold for a long time. su xuan tilted his head and looked at her. he smiled gently. ¡°a piece of news more valuable than gold.¡± su xiaoxiao refused. no, no, no, she wanted gold. su xuan said, ¡°wei erlang is still alive. it¡¯s about his whereabouts.¡± at the wei family, matriarch wei began to stir up trouble again. she looked bitter and resentful. ¡°the widow has gone to the grave to sing, and the deceased grandson has also acted¡­ she felt that she was about to run out of acting scripts. ¡°why don¡¯t we¡­ repeat it?¡± ¡°if only second brother was still around. he understands boss¡¯s thoughts the best.¡± thinking of wei erlang, matriarch wei¡¯s heart ached. he was a concubine¡¯s son. his mother was gone when he was born. among the brothers, the most sensible was not wei chen, who was the eldest, but the second son, who was the easiest to neglect. as the heir, wei chen was always in the military camp. his brothers were all raised by his second brother. wei yan and wei ting were naughty when they were young and were often taught a lesson by their biological father. he would be the one who got beaten up for his two stinky brothers. after becoming a father, he doted on wei xiyue so much that he carried her all the time during the confinement period. no matter what others said about wei xiyue being different from other children, he always thought that his xiyue was the best. he said that he wanted to be the best father in the world and watch xiyue grow up.. ¡°matriarch, why are you crying again?¡± when nanny li entered, she saw that matriarch wei¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°no, i just miss second brother a little. i¡¯ve been thinking about him recently.¡± matriarch wei wiped her tears and returned to her normal expression. ¡°where¡¯s chen¡¯er?¡± ¡°he went out.¡± nanny li¡¯s expression was indescribable. old madam wei frowned. ¡°has he gone to pear blossom lane again?¡± nanny li smiled dryly and said nothing. ghostfear was here to kill ling yun again. ¡°make your move!¡± he said coldly. the corners of ling yun¡¯s mouth twitched. how many times this month has it been? could he kill that guy with a zither call? the two of them fought again. the neighbor next door had tolerated this troublesome neighbor for a long time. finally, for the fifth time, he was stepped on and made a report. the case was handled by the new deputy commander of the imperial city division. after making drastic changes to the organization on taking charge, su cheng put righteousness before family and arrested the two of them. one party¡¯s sword was confiscated, and the other had his zither taken away. the two of them were locked in the same cell and became loving cellmates.. Chapter 698 - Chapter 698: Second Brother’s Whereabouts chapter 698: second brother¡¯s whereabouts translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao, su ergou, and the three little ones had dinner at the marquis of zhenbei¡¯s estate. su ergou was asked to stay overnight by matriarch su and madam tao. ¡°sister.¡± su ergou looked at su xiaoxiao, unable to make up his mind. su xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°stay for the night. i¡¯ll go to the directorate with my cousins tomorrow morning. i¡¯ll talk to grandpa and father.¡± madam tao hurriedly said, ¡°you don¡¯t have to do it; it¡¯s not on the way. fifth brother!¡± my mother finally remembered me¡­ su li ran to her mother excitedly. ¡°mom!¡± madam tao instructed, ¡°go to your granduncle¡¯s house and say that ergou will stay in the duke mansion tonight.¡± su li glanced at su xiaoxiao and muttered, ¡°why don¡¯t you let her go? isn¡¯t she leaving?¡± mdm tao glared at her son. ¡°xiaoxiao isn¡¯t on the way!¡± su li felt extremely aggrieved. so was on the way for him? it was a shrimp banquet today. the three little ones were worried about their master and even chose a few to bring over for their master. unexpectedly, when they arrived at the ling yun family, they found out that the two of them had been taken away. su xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°who¡¯s so bold?¡± ¡°they dared to capture ling yun and ghostfear?¡± ¡°wouldn¡¯t this person get beaten up by the two of them?¡± deng an said, ¡°your father.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. su xiaoxiao went to the imperial city¡¯s office to look for su cheng. su cheng said, ¡°in their situation, firstly, they have to compensate the neighbors for their losses. secondly, they have to apologize to the neighbors. thirdly, they have to make peace with each other.¡± forget about the first two. the last one was impossible. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°is there any other way to bail them out?¡± su cheng nodded and said, ¡°pay 100 taels each. otherwise, they¡¯ll be locked up for three days. during this period, they can¡¯t attack each other or anyone else in the cell. otherwise, the ransom and detention period will be doubled.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at ghostfear and ling yun in the cell. every second she hesitated was disrespectful to the pouch. ¡°goodbye, big brother! goodbye, ling yun!¡± ghostfear was speechless. and so was ling yun. the date to go to western jin was set. on the third day of august, wei ting took the water route in the first half and the official road in the second half. wei ting applied for marriage leave and went with her. ¡°it¡¯s rounding up. this is a honeymoon.¡± ¡°what?¡± wei ting asked in the carriage back from the palace. ¡°nothing.¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°you guys¡­¡± she was about to say ¡°you ancients¡± when she remembered that this guy was too smart. she changed her words. ¡°you men don¡¯t understand.¡± wei ting scoffed, ¡°heh.¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°heh, why are you so cold? if you have the ability, don¡¯t follow me!¡± wei ting said coldly, ¡°i didn¡¯t go with you to begin with. i¡¯m going to look for second brother.¡± su xiaoxiao scoffed, ¡°heh.¡± wei ting looked at her meaningfully. ¡°i wanted to ask, could it be that you deceived me with fake news and deliberately scammed me to go to western jin with you?¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms and snorted. ¡°i¡¯m not that bored! if you don¡¯t want to go, i¡¯ll go look for su mo! if su mo is busy, jing yi can do it too.¡± wei ting¡¯s face darkened. su xuan did not give a 100% certainty about wei erlang¡¯s news. he only said that if wei erlang was still alive, he should be in the western jin capital. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say that the news was provided by su xuan. on the last day of the month, su xiaoxiao entered the pharmacy as usual. on the table in the office was the reward for this month. her weight stabilized, and she was very satisfied with her current weight and chubby figure. she did not intend to continue losing weight. she no longer needed a large amount of nutrients, and no such potion appeared on the table in the lounge. there were two boxes of bone strengthening pellets, qin canglan¡¯s; a bottle of yellow pills, her own; and a bottle of black ointment, wei liulang¡¯s. in addition, there was an unfamiliar box. su xiaoxiao opened the box. it contained neural magnets for prosthetics. it was also for wei liulang. implanting it into the joint of the broken limb could allow the prosthetic limb to better connect to liulang¡¯s neurons. su xiaoxiao found wei liulang that night and mentioned the surgery to him. ¡°this arm is quite useful. are you going to change it? can you not change it?¡± wei liulang hugged his little golden arm like a child who could not bear to part with his big treasure. su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°no, it¡¯s just a small operation on your broken arm. it won¡¯t hurt much with anesthetic.¡± wei liulang said, ¡°i¡¯m not afraid of pain.¡± he was just afraid of losing his arm. ¡°there¡¯s no time to lose. do it now.¡± ¡°okay.¡± wei liulang was definitely very cooperative when it came to going under the knife. without any hesitation, he lay on the bed and removed the prosthetic limb. he was about to hand it to su xiaoxhe, but after thinking about it, he hugged it again. su xiaoxiao was both angry and amused. ¡°i won¡¯t snatch your arm.¡± su xiaoxiao put on her gloves and took out the scalpel. ¡°you can close your ¡°i¡¯m not afraid,¡± said wei liulang. ¡°that¡¯s up to you.¡± su xiaoxiao injected him with anesthetic. wei liulang was very cooperative and the surgery went very smoothly. wei liulang watched her bandage his wound and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°is this enough?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded and wrapped the gauze around her. ¡°remember to recuperate. don¡¯t use force and don¡¯t pull on your wound. my master will come and remove your stitches in five days.¡± she was going to western jin. wei liulang sat up and looked at her solemnly. ¡°i want to go to western jin with you too.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at her wound. ¡°sixth brother, your situation isn¡¯t suitable for a long journey. moreover, the weather is hot. it¡¯s too hot to ride a horse and it¡¯s too stuffy in the carriage. it¡¯s not conducive to your recovery.¡± wei liulang opened his mouth. ¡°but i¡­¡± su xiaoxiao decisively used her ace in the hole, trump card. ¡°if we all leave, who will take care of dahu, erhu, and xiaohu?¡± thinking of the three little fellows, wei liulang finally compromised. su xiaoxiao began to pack the medicine box. she thought of something and asked, ¡°by the way, brother, did you use the bottle of medicine i gave you last time?¡± wei liulang asked, ¡°what medicine?¡± ¡°it¡¯s that little round black bottle.¡± ¡°ah¡­ you mean that¡­¡± wei liulang¡¯s eyes flashed as he said guiltily, ¡°i applied it a few times.¡± ¡°what do you mean by applying it a few times? i told you to apply it once in the morning and once in the morning!¡± wei liulang coughed lightly. ¡°i¡­ sometimes forget to apply it.¡± ¡°where¡¯s the medicine?¡± su xiaoxiao asked solemnly. seventh sister-in-law was so scary¡­ wei liulang pointed at the bedside table. su xiaoxiao opened the cabinet and took out the medicine to take a look. this guy didn¡¯t apply it at all! she clenched her fists in anticipation from someone and took a deep breath. ¡°take off your mask. let me see your face.¡± ¡°no.¡± wei liulang refused. su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°i¡¯m a doctor. let me take a look.¡± ¡°what¡¯s there to see?¡± ¡°take it off!¡± doctor su said fiercely. ¡°otherwise, i¡¯ll get dahu to pluck it!¡± wei liulang timidly took off the mask on his face. indeed. the scar on his face was still there. su xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°sixth brother, even if i¡¯m a miracle doctor, if you don¡¯t cooperate, i won¡¯t be able to treat you.¡± wei liulang said in a low voice, ¡°my face¡­ can¡¯t be treated.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°how will you know if you don¡¯t try? or do you not want to treat your face? how about this? give me and yourself a chance. it¡¯s a bottle of medicine. this is the only bottle. if it¡¯s useless after you finish applying it, i won¡¯t force you again.¡± wei liulang nodded slightly. in the next two days, su xiaoxiao packed a lot of herbs that might be used for house calls and also brought some emergency medicine on the way. in the blink of an eye, it was the third day of the new year. the two of them bade farewell to their family and got into the carriage to western jin.. Chapter 699 - Chapter 699: The Three Tigers Are Here chapter 699: the three tigers are here translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios on this trip to the western jin, they went out of the west city gate. there was a ferry 20 miles south, where they would board the ship. su xiaoxiao had seen the map in advance. the western jin capital was about a month¡¯s drive from the capital of the great zhou. this was even when they had the best carriage. if it were ordinary people, they would travel longer. ¡°no wonder so many people spent more than half a year traveling. it¡¯s really not an exaggeration¡­¡± su xiaoxiao lowered the curtain and fell silent. wei ting glanced at her. she was resting with her eyes closed, but she was clearly not asleep. wei ting asked, ¡°what are you thinking about?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°children.¡± wei ting¡¯s gaze landed on her soft abdomen. without changing his expression, he said, ¡°then i¡¯ll work harder.¡± su xiaoxiao opened her eyes and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°i¡¯m talking about the children at home ¡ª dahu, erhu, xiaohu! what were you thinking?¡± wei ting was speechless. ¡°¡­isn¡¯t that because you didn¡¯t make it clear?¡± su xiaoxiao was not in the mood to bicker with him today. she hugged a pillow in her arms and leaned against the wall of the car. she said lazily, ¡°i¡¯ve never been separated from them for so long.¡± the corners of wei ting¡¯s mouth twitched. they had yet to leave the city, but she was already thinking about the children. ¡°not long. it¡¯s three months on the road and two to three months for treatment. it¡¯s only half a year!¡± wei ting said exaggeratedly. actually, it would not take so long. three months was enough, but he liked to see her angry. su xiaoxiao was furious. ¡°is the journey going to take that long?¡± wei ting raised his eyebrows. ¡°it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve never traveled out. didn¡¯t you always go to the prefecture city to do business when we were living the countryside?¡± su xiaoxiao curled her lips. ¡°how many days was that?¡± wei ting continued, ¡°it¡¯s far enough to come to the capital, right? then a month¡ª¡± wei ting stopped mid-sentence. su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°i didn¡¯t bring you along when i came to the capital for a month.¡± at the mention of this, wei ting was furious. what did this girl take him for? she took advantage of him in the countryside, but she didn¡¯t bring him to the capital and only took the three brats away. he had never seen such a heartless woman! the past was unbearable to look back on. wei ting knocked on the table with his slender fingers. ¡°figure out a fact. i¡¯m the one going on a housecall with you now. the three of them have stayed at home.¡± he had finally turned the tables. how dare a few brats occupy his little fat peacock? dream on! he was their father after all. ¡°aiya¡ª¡± just as they were about to leave the city gate, xing¡¯er exclaimed from the carriage behind. xing¡¯er was su xiaoxiao¡¯s maidservant. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t have the habit of bringing a maidservant. it was matriarch wei who was worried about her grandson and insisted that su xiaoxiao bring someone to serve them. wei ting asked fu su to stop the carriage, and the carriage behind stopped. wei ting and su xiaoxiao alighted from the carriage and came to xing¡¯er¡¯s carriage. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°what happened?¡± xing¡¯er lifted the curtain and jumped down as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight. she pointed at the carriage and said with a pale face, ¡°table, table, table, table¡­ are the snacks on the table gone?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°make yourself clear.¡± xing¡¯er said fearfully, ¡°just¡­ i¡­ i took out a box of snacks and planned to bring them over for miss and young master, but when i turned around, a few of the snacks were missing. i didn¡¯t mind¡­ i thought i had counted wrongly, so i took a few more out of the food box. when i looked again¡­ a few more were missing¡­ then¡­ that plate seemed to be full¡­ i put a few more¡­¡± xing¡¯er was still young and was good at being a maidservant. however, when she encountered such a strange thing, she was frightened out of her wits. wei ting lifted the curtain and looked at the empty carriage. the furnishings in the carriage were simple. there was a wide carriage stool covered with mattresses, and a small table under the window was fixed to the carriage wall and covered with silk cloth. in addition, there were a few food boxes, bags, and a box. ¡°come out,¡± he said in a low voice. the carriage was as quiet. the coachman, ah fu, went in and opened the box on the ground. there were only clothes in the box and nothing else. xing¡¯er was so frightened that she hid behind su xiaoxiao and couldn¡¯t help but look in. ah fu lifted the silk cloth of the carriage stool again. the area under the carriage stool was empty, and there was nothing there. finally, he lifted the tablecloth again. again, nothing. ah fu scratched his head. ¡°could it be that it¡¯s really haunted in broad daylight?¡± ¡°ah!¡± xing¡¯er grabbed her young lady¡¯s sleeve in fear. wei ting stared coldly at the carriage. ¡°i¡¯ll count to three. if you don¡¯t come out, i won¡¯t want this carriage anymore. we¡¯ll change it to another carriage. one, two¡­¡± before he could finish, three round glutinous rice balls rolled out from under the car stool. wei ting¡¯s face darkened. everyone was dumbfounded. xing¡¯er muttered, ¡°young, young master dahu, young master erhu, young master xiaohu, why are you guys here?¡± ah fu said, ¡°that¡¯s not right. i just checked under the car bench.¡± wei ting snorted. ¡°they pulled another cloth and hid behind it.¡± the three glutinous rice balls looked at their fierce father with an innocent and afraid expression as they slowly moved outside. ¡°hug.¡± they said to ah fu. fu carried the three young masters down. the three of them ran towards su xiaoxiao. little brats, they were itching for a beating. they actually dared to slip into the carriage¡­ wei ting clenched his fists. ¡°fu su, send them back!¡± su xiaoxiao sighed and raised her hand to stop. ¡°there¡¯s no need. i¡¯ll send them off. they¡¯ll feel better if i send them off.¡± she patted the heads of the three little fellows. ¡°get in the carriage.¡± the three of them came to the carriage. the carriage stool was not put down, so their short legs could not climb down. ¡°xing¡¯er, carry them up.¡± ¡°yes, my lady.¡± xing¡¯er carried the three of them into the carriage. she went up and fastened the safety buckle for the three of them. su xiaoxiao sat in the outer car, grabbed the reins, and whipped him. ¡°giddyup!¡± the carriage left! fu su hurriedly said, ¡°young madam, you¡¯re going the wrong way. that¡¯s not the way back to the residence!¡± ¡°giddyup!¡± the carriage dashed faster and faster and left the city. fu su looked at the lonely young master and was enlightened. he couldn¡¯t help but look at his young master sympathetically. ¡°young master¡­ have you¡­ been abandoned by young madam again? wei ting was furious. ¡°su! xiao! xiao!¡± after more than half a month of traveling, su xiaoxiao and the others arrived at the border town of the west city. the jade door was ahead. it was late autumn, and the weather was getting cold. it was cold morning and night. su xiaoxiao changed the three children into layered autumn clothes in the carriage. ¡°do you¡­ want to add a thicker shirt?¡± she smiled at a certain someone sitting opposite her. in the end, wei ting still caught up to her. it was not strange. after all, she had run away under wei ting¡¯s nose. she did not plan to shake him off completely. wei ting looked at her indifferently. ¡°run. why aren¡¯t you running anymore?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and said obsequiously, ¡°how can i bear to leave alone with such a beautiful husband?¡± it was mainly because the road guide was on this guy. if she did not wait for him, they would not be able to leave the jade gate pass! wei ting mocked, ¡°heh!¡± the group left jade gate pass and stepped onto the territory of western jin. there was no waterway in western jin. wei ting and su xiaoxiao brought the three children and xing¡¯er to change carriages at the courier station. after another 20 days of long journey, they finally arrived at the west capital.. Chapter 700 - Chapter 700: Befriending a Sugar Daddy chapter 700: befriending a sugar daddy translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this was the first time su xiaoxiao had gone out so far. to be honest, it was indeed a little bumpy. she patted the heads of the three little fellows. ¡°are you tired?¡± the three of them shook their heads. wei ting snorted. ¡°how can children know how to be tired?¡± especially the three at home. they were extremely energetic and jumped around in the carriage. ¡°mother, i want water,¡± dahu said. su xiaoxiao¡¯s greatest observation when she came to western jin was that it was dry. if she did not drink more water during the day, her throat would be dry and painful the next day. su xiaoxiao looked at their dry mouths and went to get the water bag. she shook it and said, ¡°it¡¯s empty.¡± wei ting lifted the curtain and looked at the long queue at the city gate before looking at the tea sheds on both sides of the road. ¡°we¡¯ll go sit in the tea shed for a while.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°alright.¡± the family of five alighted from the carriage, and xing¡¯er also alighted from the carriage behind. su xiaoxiao finally understood why matriarch wei asked her to bring the youngest maidservant. xing¡¯er was in good health and was fine after a long journey. fu su and ah fu drove the carriage to line up. the few of them chose a tea shed with few customers. although they took a few more steps, it was quiet. xing¡¯er wiped the stool. ¡°young master, young madam, sit.¡± the three little ones sat on one stool, and wei ting, su xiaoxiao, and xing¡¯er each sat on a stool. the waiter in the tea shed walked over and asked them with a smile, ¡°sir, what do you want?¡± ¡°two pots of tea,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°a pot of tea leaves and a pot of warm water.¡± su xiaoxiao and wei ting did not look like ordinary people. it was obvious that they had money. the waiter was very friendly. not only did he bring tea over, but he also sent two plates of pickled vegetables. the three little ones gulped down two large cups and finally felt comfortable. ¡°you drink too,¡± su xiaoxiao said to xing¡¯er. ¡°aye,¡± xing¡¯er agreed and poured tea for su xiaoxiao and wei ting. speaking of which, she was a maidservant and should serve miss. however, along the way, miss had taken care of her a lot. xiaohu pointed at the steamer on the stove and said, ¡°i¡¯m hungry. i want to eat some buns.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and asked dahu and erhu, ¡°do you want to eat it too?¡± both of them nodded. su xiaoxiao asked for two baskets of buns and asked if there were any side dishes. the shop assistant smiled and said, ¡°yes, yes! do you want meat or elements?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°both.¡± the shop assistant introduced, ¡°our shop¡¯s braised meat is not bad. why don¡¯t we give you some?¡± su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°two catties.¡± the assistant was stunned. ¡°two, two, two catties?¡± did they have such huge appetites? su xiaoxiao said, ¡°fry two more plates of side dishes.¡± the shop assistant smiled and said, ¡°madam, please wait a moment. i¡¯ll be right there!¡± the buns came the fastest. wei ting was not hungry yet and let them eat first. ¡°i¡¯ll go get water first.¡± xing¡¯er picked up the four water bags on the table and went to the stove to get cold water. su xiaoxiao washed the three little ones¡¯ hands and gave them each a big meat bun. the three of them held the meat bun with both hands and ate it. ¡°boss! give me two baskets of buns!¡± accompanied by a hearty voice, a young man sat down at the table slightly away from them. he had a golden belt and a golden earring. the crown and hairpin on his head were also jade inlaid with gold. this person was only short of showing his wealth on his face. perhaps because he looked too rich, an old beggar woman walked over with a walking stick and handed him a porcelain bowl. ¡°master, give me something to eat. the children at home are about to starve to death.¡± the servant at the side scolded, ¡°what are you doing? don¡¯t touch my second master with your dirty hands! move aside!¡± the old lady didn¡¯t give in. she tried harder to hand the bowl forward. seeing that she was about to touch his master¡¯s sleeve, the servant couldn¡¯t take it anymore and pushed him. ¡°ouch¡ª¡± she fell to the ground with a scream. the young man quickly stood up and frowned at her. ¡°old lady, are you alright?¡± he turned around and glared at the servant. ¡°what happened?¡± the servant muttered, ¡°i didn¡¯t use much strength.. ¡°ouch¡ªouch¡ª¡± the old lady wailed on the ground in pain. the passersby couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°the old woman is already so old, but she had to come out to beg. it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to do charity, but you still pushed her? do you have a conscience?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! aren¡¯t you afraid of killing someone!¡± ¡°he¡¯s wearing gold and silver and can¡¯t even bear to give a mouthful. what a profiteer! ¡± ¡°hey¡ªwho are you scolding?¡± the servant was unhappy and walked towards the pedestrians. ¡°enough! don¡¯t cause trouble!¡± the young man stopped the servant, squatted down, and personally helped the old lady up. he took out two large ingots from his pocket and handed them to her. ¡°my servant is insensible and made you suffer. take this money back and buy some food for your family. with the rest, go to the medical center and get a ointment.¡± su xiaoxiao took a bite of the bun. two gold ingots at once. how generous. ¡°thank you, sir. thank you, sir! thank you, sir!¡± the old lady accepted the ingots and was about to kowtow to the young man when he stopped her. the old lady left with the ingots. at this moment, xing¡¯er returned with a water bag. the old lady limped and accidentally bumped into xing¡¯er. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, miss. i¡¯m sorry!¡± she apologized profusely. ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± xing¡¯er shook her head. the old lady smiled awkwardly and left with her walking stick. ¡°wait.¡± su xiaoxiao stopped her. it was unknown if the old lady did not hear her or if she was calling her, but she did not stop. su xiaoxiao casually took a chopstick from the bamboo tube on the table and waved her fingers, hitting the other party¡¯s back knee. the other party¡¯s knees went weak and she fell to the ground! the passersby discussed again. ¡°aiya! why is this person like this? she even bullied an elderly?¡± ¡°who is it?¡± ¡°i think it¡¯s from that table! the one with¡­ three children!¡± ¡°you¡¯re a person with children, but you bullied an old woman like this. how heartless!¡± the old lady was about to howl. xing¡¯er suddenly touched her waist and exclaimed, ¡°my money bag is gone! it was still there just now! i even touched it when i fetched water!¡± she quickly thought of that old lady and saw her young lady beating her up. she immediately understood. she turned to look at the old woman on the ground. ¡°did you steal my money the old lady¡¯s eyes flashed. she stood up and ran! everyone was stunned. how was this a crippled olf lady? she could clearly run faster than them! su xiaoxiao threw another chopstick over. this time, she used a little strength and numbed one of her legs. she fell heavily to the ground, and the money bag in her arms was thrown out. the servant looked at the gold purse and gold token on the ground and shouted, ¡°second master! it¡¯s yours!¡± the young man hurriedly dug into his pocket. as expected, the token and money bag were gone. ¡°so she¡¯s a thief!¡± seeing that the situation was bad, the thief couldn¡¯t be bothered to pick up the treasures on the ground. she gritted her teeth and got up. she turned around and glared at su xiaoxiao before limping away. the young man picked up the things on the ground and took back his. he brought the remaining various pouches and money bags to wei ting and su xiaoxiao. ¡°may i ask which is the money bag you lost?¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°all of them.¡± the young man was speechless. and so was the servant. the young man gave su xiaoxiao the pile of money bags that clearly came from different owners. he said politely, ¡°thank you so much just now. are you going to enter the city later? from your accent, you don¡¯t sound like a local. where are you going to the west capital? i¡¯m very familiar with the west capital. i can send you there.¡± su xiaoxiao sized him up and said, ¡°the princess¡¯s residence.¡± the young man was stunned. ¡°miss is going to the princess¡¯s residence? something happened to the princess¡¯s residence. don¡¯t you know?¡± su xiaoxiao and wei ting exchanged glances. ¡°what happened?¡± wei ting asked. the young man sighed. ¡°the princess is practicing the art of anti-winning in the residence. the entire residence is banned..¡± Chapter 701 - Chapter 701: Second Brother Is Online chapter 701: second brother is online translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao took a sip of tea. she wasn¡¯t that unlucky, right? she had come all the way here for a consultation, but something happened to the princess of western jin? the three little ones did not understand what the adults were talking about and ate the big meat bun in their hands seriously. the triplets were cute and attracted the attention of many people. the young man did not think that the children were too eye-catching. he thought that they had been conquered by his baller aura again. he thought for a moment and revealed his big golden chain. su xiaoxiao was speechless. wei ting changed his previous coldness and poured him a cup of tea. ¡°brother, have some tea.¡± wei ting usually did not take the initiative to get close to others, but as long as he was willing, there were few people he could not please. su xiaoxiao ate her buns as she watched him chat happily with the young man. at this moment, he actually had a different kind of mature and restrained charm. the young man patted wei ting¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°little brother, we hit it off. when i saw you, i regretted not meeting you sooner. actually, i¡¯m not from the west capital. i¡¯m here to do business in the west capital, but this is not the first time i¡¯m here, so i¡¯m more familiar with you. my surname is shen, and my name is san jinxin.¡± ¡°wei xichao,¡± wei ting said. not many people knew his name, so it was not easy to attract attention. ¡°i won¡¯t ask why you would go to the princess¡¯s residence.¡± shen xin looked like a rich nouveau riche, but he was actually meticulous. he was tactful and knew when to advance and retreat. ¡®we know each other. let me remind you that the west capital hasn¡¯t been peaceful recently. don¡¯t get involved with the princess¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°second master, the horse is fed.¡± the servant came over and said. ¡°do you need me to send you off?¡± shen xin asked wei ting and su xiaoxiao. wei ting said politely, ¡°thank you for your kindness, brother shen. there¡¯s no need.¡± shen xin did not force the issue. he smiled and said, ¡°then i¡¯ll leave first. if you¡¯re free, you can come to the heavenly fragrance pavilion to look for me.¡± wei ting cupped his hands. ¡°brother shen, take care.¡± after shen xin left the tea shed, su xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes at wei ting. ¡°sure.¡± dahu¡¯s socially impressive and awesome illness had definitely been inherited from him. usually, he looked like he was unapproachable but was like a fish in water when he wanted to. ¡°stand aside, stand aside!¡± it was shen xin¡¯s anxious voice. he retreated to the tea shed again and asked the servant to pull the carriage back. wei ting asked, ¡°what happened, brother shen?¡± ¡°that.¡± shen xin carefully pointed out. following the direction he was pointing, wei ting and su xiaoxiao saw a luxurious carriage pulled by two horses with eight black-armored guards. someone in the other tea sheds also recognized them and asked their coachman to make way. the noisy tea stall suddenly fell silent. it was not until the convoy was far away that shen xin finally seemed to be able to breathe. he patted his chest and said with relief, ¡°i was scared to death. fortunately, i gave in quickly. if i offended that person, i can forget about living in the west capital in the future!¡± ¡°who is he?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. shen xin sighed and said, ¡°mr. zhuge, the strategist of the eldest prince¡¯s residence. his background is very mysterious. no one knows his past. they only know that he came to the west capital three years ago. it¡¯s said that even the 3,000 diners in the eldest prince¡¯s residence combined are inferior to him. did you see those black-armored guards? all of them are brave and good at fighting. they are¡­ his soldiers! he trained a black-armored army in the name of the eldest prince. you don¡¯t know how powerful the black-armored army is!¡± speaking of excitement, he almost gestured. the servant reminded him softly, ¡°second master, it¡¯s time to leave. if you don¡¯t leave now, you won¡¯t be able to make it.¡± shen xin put away his words reluctantly and reminded, ¡°if you encounter him in the future, remember to take a detour!¡± wei ting glanced at the carriage. the carriage had already arrived at the city gate and there was no queue. the guards guarding the city respectfully welcomed the group in. shen xin bade farewell again. this time, he really left. wei ting said, ¡°let¡¯s go too. fu su and the others are almost in line.¡± ¡°okay.¡± su xiaoxiao called the waiter from the tea shed over. ¡°bill.¡± the shop assistant smiled and said, ¡°that master has already paid just now! he even bought two large baskets of buns and two catties of braised meat for you to bring to the coachman later.¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. shen xin knew how to observe and act accordingly. the group brought fu su and ah fu back to the carriage. the two of them had just finished eating and were going to have their road passes checked. due to shen xin¡¯s reminder, wei ting did not show the token of the princess¡¯s residence. fortunately, they did so because not long after they entered the city gate, the guards captured two people related to the princess¡¯s residence. ¡°phew.¡± su xiaoxiao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°that was close.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. it¡¯s so salty!¡± xiao hu mimicked. ¡°it¡¯s not salty,¡± dahu said seriously. the three of them laid out the velvet carpet on the floor and carried the unfinished meat buns to continue eating. ¡°i don¡¯t think it¡¯s salty either!¡± erhu took a bite. su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but laugh. wei ting glanced at the three brats coldly. smart alecs! ¡°back to business.¡± he knocked on the table. ¡°are you still going to treat the young royal prince?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°yes, why not?¡± wei ting said indifferently, ¡°then let¡¯s make it clear first. we won¡¯t get involved in internal strife with the western jin. we only have two goals for this trip. first, to treat the illness of the prince. second, to find someone. the rest has nothing to do with us.¡± su xiaoxiao teased, ¡°isn¡¯t the princess your ally? why did you give up so quickly? it¡¯s not like you.¡± wei ting said coldly, ¡°if you want to interfere, pretend i didn¡¯t say anything.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°don¡¯t. i¡¯m just a weak woman. how can i get involved in the internal strife of the western jin? i don¡¯t have seven or eight heads, right?¡± she was not someone who did not know her limits. before she came, she had already understood that the situation within the western jin royal family and the imperial court was much more complicated than that of the great zhou. it was definitely not something she and wei ting could interfere with just because they wanted to. they could not show off their bravery. they first found an inn to stay in. there were a total of four rooms. fu su and ah fu would have one, xing¡¯er would have one, and su xiaoxiao and wei ting would have one with the three children. xing¡¯er brought the children to her side and washed them up and changed their clothes. fu su went downstairs to inquire about the news and walked around the princess¡¯s residence according to the detailed map provided by ling yun. when he returned, the three little fellows had already washed up and fallen asleep. fu su closed the door and reported in a low voice, ¡°young master, young madam, i¡¯ve heard that the imperial princess is indeed under house arrest. the imperial princess¡¯s residence is heavily guarded. you can¡¯t enter without an imperial edict.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°if i can¡¯t enter, i won¡¯t be able to treat the young prince.¡± fu su said, ¡°speaking of the young prince, i just investigated. in just an hour, more than ten imperial physicians entered the princess¡¯s residence.¡± wei ting asked, ¡°are they treating the young prince?¡± fu su nodded. ¡°yes!¡± su xiaoxiao frowned. this was both good and bad news. the fact that the emperor of the western jin could send more than ten imperial physicians meant that he cared about the young county king. the princess¡¯s residence still had a chance to turn the tables. however, it was also because so many imperial physicians had come at once that the young prince¡¯s situation was probably very critical. wei ting continued, ¡°where do the great zhou envoys stay?¡± fu su said, ¡°the old marquis and the others went to visit the black armored army of the western jin. they¡¯re not in the city.¡± the old marquis was an envoy of the great zhou. perhaps he could recommend a physcian to the emperor of western jin in the name of the great zhou. the problem was that they did not know when they would return. moreover, even if they returned, they could not guarantee that the western jin emperor would accept his kindness. su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°wei ting, i¡¯m afraid the young prince won¡¯t be able to survive tonight.. i have to go to the princess¡¯s residence!¡± Chapter 702 - Chapter 702: Feelings Warming Up chapter 702: feelings warming up translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°okay,¡± wei ting said without thinking. su xiaoxiao rested her chin on her hands and looked at him. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to stop me? that place is heavily guarded.¡± wei ting glanced at her. ¡°is that useful? when have you listened to my opinion?¡± su xiaoxiao blinked. wei ting said calmly, ¡°change into night clothes.¡± ¡°oh,¡± su xiaoxiao agreed. the pair stood up. su xiaoxiao went to the box to look for the night clothes, but suddenly, there was an anxious movement in the corner. ¡°be careful!¡± wei ting took a step forward and blocked her with his body. the two of them were too close, and su xiaoxiao lost her balance and fell back. his strong arms wrapped around her soft waist and protected her tightly. ¡°it¡¯s a big rat!¡± fu su held the rat¡¯s tail and said. wei ting supported the cabinet behind her with one hand and hugged her with the other to prevent her from falling. su xiaoxiao grabbed his lapel. the two of them subconsciously did not think too much about it. however, it was a little conspicuous in fu su¡¯s eyes. he spoke again to show his presence. ¡°i said, it¡¯s a rat.¡± su xiaoxiao lowered her long eyelashes and let go. wei ting wanted to beat fu su out. fu su felt a murderous aura coming from the back of his young master¡¯s head. he decisively brought the rat out. wei ting looked at su xiaoxiao deeply and let go of her. suddenly, su xiaoxiao grabbed his collar again, pulled him down, and kissed the corner of his lips. the sudden intimacy stunned wei ting on the spot. before the wedding, she always liked to take advantage of him. after being legitimate, she became much more well-behaved. if he remembered correctly, this was the first time she had taken the initiative to kiss him since their marriage. his loosened arm tightened again and found her soft lips, planning to deepen the kiss. ¡°young master, i think¡­¡± fu su pushed the door open and entered. when he saw the two of them hugging each other intimately, his mind buzzed. wei ting closed his eyes. ¡°get out!¡± ¡°oh.¡± fu su went out aggrievedly. it was not his fault when they didn¡¯t lock the door. su xiaoxiao licked her lips. ¡°i¡¯m going to the princess¡¯s residence.¡± wei ting¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at her red lips and felt that her waist had clearly slimmed down. he nodded without changing his expression and let go of her. in the princess¡¯s residence. it was late at night, but the mansion was brightly lit. the servants did not say a word and walked quickly along the path with medicine and food. in the east courtyard, the young princess of western jin could not take it anymore. she came to the door of her room and shouted, ¡°i want to go out!¡± the two guards outside the door stretched out their arms to stop her. one of them said, ¡°young princess, you can¡¯t leave this room. this is an order.¡± the young princess said angrily, ¡°whose order was it? my mother¡¯s or his majesty¡¯s?¡± the guard did not answer. instead, he said, ¡°little princess, it¡¯s getting late. please go back and rest.¡± the princess stomped her feet. ¡°i can¡¯t sleep! i want to see my mother!¡± the guard said seriously, ¡°forgive me for being unable to comply.¡± the young princess reached out to push them away, but she could not move them at all. her small fists hit the two of them like tickles. she was so angry that she slammed the door shut! she even inserted the bolt! then, she turned around and was surprised to find another person in the house. she screamed, ¡°ah¡ªoh¡ª¡± the other party covered her mouth. ¡°princess, it¡¯s me.¡± su xiaoxiao whispered. the young princess glared. ¡°wuwu?¡± ¡°qin su?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded and pulled down the black veil on her face. ¡°little princess, did something happen?¡± the guard outside the door asked. su xiaoxiao hushed the young princess, who nodded! su xiaoxiao let go of her mouth. the princess checked the door latch and pressed her thumping heart. she pretended to shout, ¡°ahhh! i hate you! i hate you to death! boohoo¡­ when i see his majesty next time, i¡¯ll definitely complain about you!¡± so she was flipping out¡­ the guard outside the door was relieved. the princess and su xiaoxiao came to the bed and sat down. they asked softly, ¡°qin su, why are you here? did you come alone? it¡¯s so dangerous here.¡± the first person the little girl was worried about was actually herself. su xiaoxiao pinched her cheek. ¡®you¡¯ve lost weight.¡± the princess muttered, ¡°you¡¯re talking about me. you¡¯ve lost weight too.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°alright, let¡¯s not talk about this. i came with wei ting. he went to see your mother.¡± hearing that wei ting was accompanying her, the young princess clearly relaxed. the princess asked, ¡°qin su, are you here to treat my brother?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°yes.¡± the young princess said gloomily, ¡°you came at the wrong time. something happened to my mother.¡± i won¡¯t get involved. i¡¯ll only ask.. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°on the way here, i heard from someone that it seems to be an anti-winning technique.¡± the young princess said helplessly, ¡°they found a little person covered in silver needles under my brother¡¯s bed. the needle was pierced by a very favored noble consort recently.¡± su xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°why did she do this?¡± the young princess said gloomily, ¡°she was pregnant with a dragon fetus and the dragon fetus was gone. they all said that my mother stabbed a small person, causing her to lose it. however¡­ when my mother first returned from the great zhou, she did meet the noble consort in the harem. the noble consort did offend my mother.¡± she even had a motive. the logic chain was perfect. the internal strife in the western jin was much more turbulent than the battle for the throne in the great zhou. the young princess¡¯s eyes were red. ¡®qin su, my mother is innocent.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at her and said, ¡°i believe you.¡± ¡°qin su¡­¡± the grievances the young princess had suffered these past few days finally erupted at this moment. she pounced into su xiaoxiao¡¯s arms, and bean-sized tears welled up. in the main room of another courtyard, wei ting saw the princess of western jin. even though she was in trouble, this royal princess still had a powerful aura and did not look disheveled at all. however, there seemed to be dark clouds between her eyebrows, revealing her worry about her children. ¡°i¡¯m surprised you could come.¡± after this incident, ordinary people would probably avoid it and not want to be related to the princess¡¯s residence. wei ting sat opposite her and said calmly, ¡°these waves are temporary for your highness. i believe that with your highness¡¯s strength, you can quickly break through the situation.¡± the princess of the western jin said calmly, ¡°of course! unfortunately, not everyone is as smart as you.¡± wei ting thought for a moment and asked, ¡°speaking of which, i¡¯m very curious about the person who made your highness suffer a huge loss?¡± the princess of the western jin said angrily, ¡°who else could it be? a strategist in my eldest brother¡¯s residence.¡± the carriage escorted by the black-armored guards flashed across wei ting¡¯s mind. ¡°mr. zhuge?¡± the princess of the western jin was surprised. ¡°you know him? his name is zhuge qing. it¡¯s said that he¡¯s from the northern yan. my brother¡¯s scouts met him at the broken north pass..¡± Chapter 703 - Chapter 703: Heartbeat Speeding Up chapter 703: heartbeat speeding up translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the princess of western jin dynasty and the young princess were placed under house arrest in their respective courtyards and could not step out of the door. naturally, they could not bring wei ting and su xiaoxiao to the young prince. after wei ting came out of the courtyard of the princess of western jin, he went to the young princess of western jin¡¯s courtyard to pick su xiaoxiao up. the two of them met behind a rockery. ¡°how is it?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. wei ting took out a blueprint drawn by the princess of western jin and pointed at a small dot on it. ¡°this is our current location, this side of the young prince¡¯s courtyard. ¡± he pointed at another small dot. ¡°so far?¡± su xiaoxiao was a little shocked. the two dots almost crossed a mansion. wei ting said, ¡°the young royal prince has to recuperate, so they chose a relatively quiet courtyard. his courtyard is heavily guarded.¡± su xiaoxiao frowned slightly. ¡°wait, why does a patient¡¯s courtyard have to be guarded by heavy troops? it¡¯s understandable that there are heavy troops outside the residence. why is even the young prince¡¯s courtyard strictly guarded in order to prevent the princess of western jin from escaping ? he¡¯s already so sick. he can¡¯t walk out even if he opens the door.¡± wei ting narrowed his eyes. ¡°this is also what i¡¯m puzzled about. there aren¡¯t that many troops outside the courtyards of the princess and the young princess of the western jin.¡± su xiaoxiao was deep in thought. ¡°i have an ominous feeling.¡± wei ting nodded. ¡°i¡¯m afraid things aren¡¯t simple¡­ someone is here!¡± he pulled su xiaoxiao behind him and blocked her with his broad body. su xiaoxiao looked at the man who stood in front of her without hesitation and her heart skipped a beat. regardless of how unforgiving this guy¡¯s words were, once they encountered danger, he would really attack. she touched her heart. this was clearly not the first time. why was her heart beating a little faster? she thought inappropriately of the kiss at the inn. his lips were cold and soft¡­ ¡°delicious.¡± ¡°what?¡± wei ting asked her. su xiaoxiao closed her mouth and shook her head. it was nothing. ¡°it¡¯s me!¡± moxie whispered. the person who came was moxie. moxie thought that wei ting was calling him. hearing mo xie¡¯s voice, the two of them walked out from behind the rockery. su xiaoxiao learned from the little princess that moxie and the other experts in the residence were all locked up, but su xiaoxiao was not surprised to see him appear. the situation was urgent, so the three of them skipped the small talk. moxie handed a set of clothes to su xiaoxiao. ¡°the young prince¡¯s courtyard is strictly guarded. unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, it¡¯s best not to barge in. two of the imperial physicians who came this time are his highness¡¯s men. one of them is already hiding in my courtyard. these are his clothes and token. please dress up as him to treat the young prince. imperial physician zheng will cooperate with you.¡± the princess of western jin dynasty was very thoughtful. although they could also sneak in quietly, it was still difficult to approach the young royal prince with so many imperial physicians guarding the bed. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°bring me to see that imperial physician. i¡¯ll disguise myself like him.¡± half an hour later, su xiaoxiao, who was dressed as an imperial physician, carried a food box to the young prince¡¯s courtyard. not only did the heavy-armored soldiers surround the front and back doors, but they also did not let go of the surrounding courtyard walls. even a fly was not allowed to enter freely. the heavily-armored soldier at the door checked su xiaoxiao¡¯s token and food box. seeing that there was only a bowl of medicine in the food box, he let su xiaoxiao in. su xiaoxiao¡¯s disguise technique was alright, but her voice was not. she tried not to speak if she could. she followed moxie¡¯s description and found the young duke¡¯s house. the door was ajar. the young royal prince¡¯s bed was blocked by a mountain and river screen. she could not see the young royal prince¡¯s condition. there were two imperial physicians in the room. one was pounding medicine, and the other was writing a medical case. the rest of the imperial physicians were in another room at the end of the corridor, discussing how to treat the young royal prince¡¯s condition. su xiaoxiao entered the young prince¡¯s room. ¡°imperial physician liang, you are here.¡± an imperial physician in his fifties put down the half-written medical table and walked towards her. su xiaoxiao handed him the food box and tapped it with her fingertip. he nodded back twice. the code matched. it was imperial physician zheng. imperial physician zheng coughed lightly and turned around to say to another imperial physician, ¡°imperial physician zhang, you¡¯ve been busy for the entire night. go rest for a while. it¡¯s fine with imperial physician liang and me here.¡± imperial physician zhang thought for a moment and said, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go see what they say. help me smash the herbs.¡± ¡°aye!¡± imperial physician zheng agreed. after sending imperial physician zhang off, imperial physician zheng quickly looked around the door. after confirming that no one was watching, he quickly pulled su xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist to the side of the screen and pointed at the patient on the bed. ¡°this is the young prince.¡± ¡°i know,¡± su xiaoxiao said. imperial physician zheng was shocked and hurriedly let go. ¡°you, you, you¡­ you¡¯re a girl?¡± her highness actually sent a girl over? he looked at su xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist and then at his hand. ¡°i¡¯m¡­ sorry! i was rude!¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡± after su xiaoxiao finished speaking, she took out a mask and put it on. this was the first time imperial physician zheng had seen such a strange cloth covering someone¡¯s face. he opened his mouth and was stunned. su xiaoxiao came to the bed and set up the divider. the young royal prince was less than two years older than the young princess. he was 13 years old this year. because he was sick all year round, he looked about the same age as the young royal prince. his facial features were very exquisite, but unfortunately, he was too thin. su xiaoxiao put on her gloves and took his pulse. in addition, patches of various sizes were found on his cheeks and arms. ¡°it¡¯s smallpox.¡± ¡°it¡¯s smallpox.¡± imperial physician zheng did not say anything just now because he wanted to see how good her medical skills were. he did not expect her to say that he had smallpox in a few moves. the physican that her highness found was indeed capable. unfortunately, smallpox was a terminal illness. it was useless to diagnose it. it could not be treated. smallpox was indeed a tricky illness. it was extremely infectious and had an extremely high mortality rate. most importantly, it did not have targeted medicine. in her previous life, the reason why the smallpox virus could be eliminated was not because of treatment, but because of prevention. su xiaoxiao understood why the young royal prince¡¯s courtyard was guarded by soldiers. this was to prevent smallpox from spreading. smallpox did not have any symptoms during the incubation period. after that, the patient began to experience high fever, cold war, headache, back pain, and many other pains in the body. this was the invasion period. after that, the body would have plaque rash, which meant that he had entered the state. ¡°how long has this plaque been around?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. imperial physician zheng said, ¡°according to the imperial physician on duty, he discovered it yesterday.¡± su xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°so today is the second day.¡± on the third day, the plaque quickly festers into a blister, and on the seventh day, it develops into a pustule. these few days were the most dangerous. one could survive if they survived those few days, but most patients could not. ¡°let¡¯s lower your temperature first and try anti-viral treatment.¡± su xiaoxiao said to imperial physician zheng, ¡°imperial physician zheng, please guard outside and don¡¯t let anyone in. i¡¯m going to give him medicine.¡± ¡°is¡­ is it using tiger and wolf medicine?¡± imperial physician zheng felt that this must be the case. otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have sent him away.. ¡°don¡¯t be rash¡­ if anything happens, i¡¯ll have to take the blame with you!¡± Chapter 704 - Chapter 704: Here Comes Zhuge Qing chapter 704: here comes zhuge qing translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°if you stay here during my treatment, you¡¯ll really have to take the blame with me.¡± su xiaoxiao hit imperial physician zheng¡¯s fatal acupoint with one move, and imperial physician zheng went out to guard dejectedly. he didn¡¯t believe that su xiaoxiao could cure smallpox. from her voice, she sounded like a very young girl. she probably did not even have much experience in medicine. he did not understand why her highness had invited such a person over. in the next room, the imperial physicians led by chief physician chu were discussing the young prince¡¯s condition. ¡°do you have a good prescription?¡± it would be fine if it was any other illness, but smallpox was an incurable illness. there was nothing they could do. chief physician chu looked at the imperial physician on his left. ¡°imperial physician liu, i heard that you cured a case of smallpox in the past.¡± imperial physician liu smiled awkwardly. ¡°that prescription¡­ might not be effective on the young royal prince. the young royal prince¡¯s body is weak, so he can¡¯t be drugged. otherwise, he will die before his illness is cured.¡± the other imperial physicians nodded in agreement. imperial physician liu heaved a sigh of relief. the truth was that he had indeed treated a smallpox patient in his early years, but that patient did not take his medicine well. he survived. later on, he used the same prescription to treat the other smallpox patients, but all of them failed. ¡°how did the young royal prince get smallpox¡­¡± chief physician chu looked at the young imperial physician sitting at the end and said solemnly, ¡°this is not something you should worry about.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the young imperial physician hurriedly admitted his mistake. chief physician chu said, ¡°everyone, if you have any good prescriptions, remedies, acupuncture techniques¡­ take them all out. don¡¯t think that you can stay out of trouble just because you can¡¯t treat him. his majesty values the young prince. once he can¡¯t keep his life, the entire imperial hospital will be questioned!¡± everyone was disheartened when they heard this. this was smallpox, not some other illness. everyone discussed for a long time but could not come up with a suitable treatment plan. chief physician chu glanced around and asked, ¡°you¡¯re all here. who¡¯s guarding the young prince over there?¡± imperial physician zhang replied, ¡°it¡¯s imperial physician zheng and imperial physician liang.¡± chief physician chu frowned. ¡°i¡¯ll go take a look.¡± imperial physician zheng lingered at the door for a long time and almost rushed in to stop su xiaoxiao a few times. in the end, he held it in. ¡°what is this girl doing? can she treated it or not?¡± ¡°her highness is muddle-headed. she placed the prince¡¯s life in the hands of a girl!¡± ¡°no, i have to find her highness!¡± imperial physician zheng had just taken two steps when the voices of chief physician chu and the others came from the end of the corridor. ¡°follow that prescription later and get a set of medicine first.¡± ¡°yes, chief physician chu. we¡¯ll remember it.¡± not good! someone was here! imperial physician zheng pushed open the door and quickly entered. he said to su xiaoxiao behind the screen, ¡°director chu is here! hurry up and stop!¡± ¡°done.¡± su xiaoxiao put the last cotton swab back into her purse. ¡°i¡¯ll leave first.¡± imperial physician zheng looked at her and then at the young royal prince, who seemed to have not done anything to him. he said hesitantly, ¡°alright, leave.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i just gave him acupuncture, so he will have some needle marks.¡± actually, there was also an injection. there was no need to explain this in detail. when chief physician chu arrived, su xiaoxiao had already left. seeing that imperial physician zheng was alone in the room, courtyard chu could not help but ask, ¡°where¡¯s imperial physician liang?¡± they knew that smallpox was contagious, so they used a cloth towel to cover their mouth and nose. after touching the patient, they would immediately wash their hands with soap. if the contact area was large, they would wash their entire body and change their clothes. ¡°acupuncture?¡± court administrator chu came to the bed and touched the young prince¡¯s forehead to take his pulse. ¡°it¡¯s still very hot.¡± it seemed that it was useless¡­ sigh, what was he counting on just now? could a little girl improve the young royal prince¡¯s smallpox? imperial physician zheng laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°imperial physician zheng, go and eat something first. come over in an hour. you¡¯re on duty tonight.¡± ¡°yes, chief physican chu.¡± imperial physician zheng had no appetite and came to change shifts after eating a few mouthfuls. he felt that his good days had come to an end. of all the things he could do, why did he have to squeeze his head into the imperial hospital, and why did it have to be smallpox? he sighed and glanced at the young royal prince on the bed. he realized that the other party had kicked the blanket away. he walked over and was about to cover the young royal prince with the blanket when he felt that the blanket was damp. he frowned and touched the young prince¡¯s clothes. it was wet! the young royal prince¡­ was sweating he almost stumbled out of the house and shouted, ¡°chief physician chu! chief physician chu! the young royal prince¡¯s fever has subsided!¡± su xiaoxiao took off her mask and gloves and saw wei ting and moxie in a nearby pavilion. after su xiaoxiao gave a few simple instructions, she left the residence with wei ting. before leaving, moxie asked where they lived. wei ting said, ¡°moon chasing inn.¡± after returning to the inn, wei ting asked fu su to return to his room to rest. he placed the sleeping brats on the bed one by one and asked su xiaoxiao, ¡°are you confident in treating the young royal prince¡¯s condition?¡± su xiaoxiao took off her night clothes. ¡°i can¡¯t say for the time being.¡± she had given the young royal prince medicine. he should be able to recover from his fever and sleep well tonight, but he would definitely have a high fever again tomorrow. he would have to endure it for three to five days before he passed the critical period. wei ting looked at her knitted brows and said, ¡°you were never so sad when you treated grandpa, sixth brother, and me.¡± the three of them had one foot in the gates of hell. su xiaoxiao shook her head gently. ¡°the situation this time is different.¡± the past injuries of qin canglan, wei liulang, and wei ting were her forte, and she had enough medicine to treat them. there was no targeted medicine for smallpox, and she did not even have clinical treatment experience, because smallpox had long gone extinct in her previous life. ¡°go to sleep first. i¡¯ll look at the medical case again.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll accompany you.¡± wei ting also took off his night clothes. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t refuse. she took out a pen and paper and seriously wrote down two medical cases. one was her observation and diagnosis just now, and the other was the observation and diagnosis of the imperial physicians she had seen from the young prince¡¯s house. she memorized them word for word. when the two medical cases were placed together, the schedule of the young royal prince¡¯s illness was clear. she listed more than ten prescriptions and pondered over them repeatedly before confirming the final medicine plan. ¡°i brought all these herbs. i have to buy the rest¡­ i¡¯ll go to the pharmacy tomorrow.¡± she took out a collar. wei ting realized that she had the habit of talking to herself when she was immersed in her work. it was not abrupt. instead, it was a little serious and cute. wei ting rested his elbows on the table and supported his temples with one hand as he looked at her meaningfully. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that wei ting was so close to her. after circling the last herb, she turned her head and almost kissed him. she was stunned. looking at his slightly curled lips, she couldn¡¯t help but think of the kiss that had been interrupted by fu su. she swallowed. wei ting suddenly reached out and grabbed the back of her head, covering her soft lips. unlike her light touch, his kiss was domineering and hot, enveloping her with his unique hormonal scent. su xiaoxiao¡¯s heart thumped as if a deer had crawled into it. he slowly let go of her and rubbed her soft and swollen lips with the calloused fingers of his thumb. her chest heaved violently, and her breathing was rapid. her eyes were misty. she touched her burning cheek. they had clearly done more intimate things. why was she still so flustered by his kiss? after midnight, it suddenly rained heavily in the capital. a carriage escorted by the black armored army sped over from the heavy rain and stopped outside the back door of the moon chasing inn. the coachman opened the back door of the carriage, put down the board, and held up the oil-paper umbrella. ¡°sir, we¡¯re here..¡± Chapter 705 - Chapter 705: Acknowledging Brother chapter 705: acknowledging brother translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios a black-armored guard carried zhuge qing down with his wheelchair. the coachman immediately raised the umbrella above zhuge qing¡¯s head. the rain was too heavy, and many raindrops still hit zhuge qing¡¯s thin body. the black-armored guard hurriedly draped a raincoat over him. ¡°there¡¯s no need.¡± he said. the black-armored guard put away the raincoat. without any persuasion or hesitation, every black-armored guard obeyed the military order. ¡°go in,¡± zhuge qing said to the coachman. ¡°yes, sir.¡± the coachman pushed open the door opposite the moon chasing inn and the black-armored guard pushed the wheelchair in. the western jin imperial palace was brightly lit. the western jin emperor sat on a chair in the hall of supreme harmony with a cold gaze. the young royal prince was diagnosed with smallpox only after he had a plaque rash yesterday. previously, it was treated as a cold. since this morning, his condition had taken a turn for the worse. the western jin emperor had sent the most experienced imperial physicians over. what awaited him was imperial physician zhang returning to get a new prescription, saying that the young royal prince was still in danger. everyone understood that the young prince could not be saved. the princes stood at the side with worried expressions. naturally, they were all putting on a show for the western jin emperor. the royal family had no regard for brotherly love. they did not care about yuwen xi¡¯er¡¯s life and death. the young eunuch reported, ¡°your majesty, chief physician chu is here.¡± imperial physician zhang had just come and said that the young royal prince¡¯s condition had deteriorated greatly. he said that he wanted to prepare a new set of medicine to try. less than two hours later, chief physician chu personally came to report. it was impossible that the prescription had worked. the medicine was not ready at all. then there was only one possibility¡ªthe young royal prince had passed away. the western jin emperor said, ¡°summon. ¡± chief physician chu stumbled in and tripped at the door. his anxious appearance confirmed their guess. heh, yuwen xi, your sickly son is finally going to die. ¡°your majesty!¡± chief physician chu said with a trembling voice as he cupped his hands and bowed. the western jin emperor gripped the armrest of his chair. ¡°how¡¯s yi¡¯er?¡± chief physcian chu said with a trembling voice, ¡°the young royal prince¡­ his fever has subsided!¡± the third prince raised his arm and cried, ¡°father, take it easy¡­¡± wait! what did chief phyician chu say? what subsided? what fever? what subsided? that sickly invalid wasn¡¯t dead? had his condition improved? su xiaoxiao slept too late last night. when she woke up, wei ting and the three children were already gone. a beautiful figure leaned over. ¡°qin su, you¡¯re awake?¡± su xiaoxiao was slightly stunned. she looked at the face inches away and asked in confusion, ¡°the young princess?¡± ¡°it¡¯s me!¡± the young princess said. su xiaoxiao slowly sat up. ¡°can you come out alreadt?¡± ¡°yes!¡± the young princess nodded. ¡°my brother¡¯s fever subsided last night. since his majesty was happy, he allowed me to come out to play!¡± thinking of something, she frowned slightly. ¡°mother and moxie can¡¯t come out yet.¡± ¡°i see.¡± su xiaoxiao got out of bed. ¡°where are wei ting and children?¡± the young princess said, ¡°general wei went out. he was afraid of waking you up. he brought dahu, erhu, and xiaohu to buy candied hawthorn. fusu and fu are next door. xing¡¯er is outside. do you want to call for them?¡± how long had this girl been here? she recognized everyone around her. ¡°no.¡± su xiaoxiao washed up, dressed, and ate something simple. ¡°have some too,¡± she said to the young princess. ¡°it¡¯s almost noon. you must be hungry.¡± the princess sighed. ¡°i can¡¯t eat.¡± ¡°wait.¡± su xiaoxiao stood up and walked to the window. the princess thought that su xiaoxiao was going to bring her something else to eat. she said listlessly, ¡°i really can¡¯t eat anything¡­¡± ¡°can¡¯t eat! can¡¯t eat! can¡¯t eat!¡± a familiar voice suddenly sounded. the young princess turned around and looked at the parrot that su xiaoxiao had summoned back from outside. she was so excited that she almost cried. ¡°wuhu!¡± wuhu flapped their wings in fear! why did it have to be her? wuhu were about to run when the young princess hugged it. it was so strangled that its eyes rolled back as it suffocated. ¡°wuhu! i miss you so much!¡± the young princess hugged wuhu and pressed it against her. wuhu rolled its eyes. it was almost out of breath. its bird life was over! the princess looked at su xiaoxiao resentfully. ¡°qin su, why didn¡¯t you tell me yesterday that wuhu is here?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°i want to give you surprises one by one.¡± the princess asked, ¡°then, is sihu here?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and shook her head. ¡°it¡¯s still young. it can¡¯t travel that far.¡± it could not be locked up in a carriage. after all, it was not a two-month-old foal. ¡°it¡¯s fine. when i have the chance, i¡¯ll go to the great zhou to see it! right, wuhu?¡± the princess began to eat again. she was in a good mood and had an appetite. she ate a bowl of noodles. su xiaoxiao still remembered to buy medicine. the young princess was familiar with the west capital. coincidentally, there was a good medicine shop nearby, so she brought su xiaoxiao there. su xiaoxiao personally went to the medicine cabinet in the hall to choose herbs. the young princess didn¡¯t know about medicine, so she quietly sat at the side with wuhu. su xiaoxiao occasionally turned to look at her. who said that this girl had a bad temper? she was clearly very obedient. ¡°miss, the herbs you chose are all here. do you want anything else?¡± ¡°do you have snow lotus?¡± the snow lotus was cold and could reduce heat. ¡°miss, you came at the right time. we have the last box.¡± ¡°shopkeeper, do you have snow lotus?¡± a young girl with a pearl hairpin walked over, followed by two well-dressed maidservants. when the shopkeeper saw her style, he knew that she came from a noble background and could not be offended. however, he could not ruin their reputation when doing business. he pointed at su xiaoxiao. ¡°this girl wants the last box of snow lotus.¡± the girl turned to look at su xiaoxiao. at first glance, her figure was not slender, but her face was unbelievably beautiful. she was stunned for a moment before saying, ¡°miss, i¡¯ll pay double. can you give it to me?¡± ¡°not for sale.¡± ¡°you can look at other shops. there¡¯s more than one pharmacy on this street.¡± ¡°if other shops had it, you would have bought it long ago.¡± the girl choked. this was a life-saving medicine. su xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t use the young prince¡¯s life to accumulate wealth. the maidservant at the side said, ¡°do you know who my young lady is?¡± the young princess carried wuhu and walked over arrogantly. ¡°do you know who i am? when the maidservant saw her, her expression changed and she bowed. ¡°princess xin. ¡± the girl was not afraid at all. she smiled and said, ¡°yo, so it¡¯s sister xin. i thought sister xin had been locked up in the residence. why? are you released she said this as if the young princess was a criminal. the young princess was so angry that her cheeks puffed up. the girl smiled and said, ¡°don¡¯t be angry, sister xin. i¡¯m happy that you came out. i wonder if sister xin is going to be a busybody today, or¡­¡¯ the princess said angrily, ¡°i wanted this box of snow lotus! i bought it for my brother!¡± the girl smiled mockingly. ¡°that invalid¡­¡± the princess¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°who are you calling a sickly person! do you believe that i¡¯ll tell his majesty!¡± there was no panic in the girl¡¯s eyes. she asked her servant, ¡°did i say anything just now?¡± the maidservant from before smiled and said, ¡°miss didn¡¯t say anything. we didn¡¯t hear a word!¡± the shopkeeper lowered his head, clearly not wanting to get involved. the girl took two steps forward and said to the young princess with a smile, ¡°sister xin, i bought this box of snow lotus for mr. zhuge. if you know what¡¯s good for you, give it to me. when mr. zhuge¡¯s old illness relapses and father places the blame, i¡¯m afraid your royal family won¡¯t be able to bear the responsibility.¡± su xiaoxiao asked the young princess, ¡°who is she?¡± the princess said in a muffled voice, ¡°my uncle¡¯s daughter.¡± oh, the daughter of the eldest prince¡¯s residence. the girl reached out to take the snow lotus on the table but su xiaoxiao beat her to it. ¡°what a coincidence. mr. zhuge asked me to buy this box of snow lotus.¡± the girl asked suspiciously, ¡°who are you to mr. zhuge? would mr. zhuge let you buy snow lotus?¡± zhuge qing was a strategist in the eldest prince¡¯s residence. it was obvious that she would not be related to the people in the princess¡¯s residence. su xiaoxiao opened her mouth.. ¡°i¡¯m his sister!¡± Chapter 706 - Chapter 706: The Three Little Ones Meet Zhuge Qjng (1) chapter 706: the three little ones meet zhuge qjng (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as soon as these words were spoken, not only was the girl and her servants stunned, but even the young princess of western jin was shocked. she looked at su xiaoxiao weakly. su xiaoxiao acted as if nothing had happened and questioned confidently, ¡°why? my brother asked me to buy medicine for him. are you going to snatch it from me?¡± the girl clenched her handkerchief tightly, her eyelashes trembling as she said coldly, ¡°nonsense! mr. zhuge doesn¡¯t have any relatives!¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s face was not red or her heart was beating. she said seriously, ¡°does he have report his relatives to you? even your father doesn¡¯t dare to interfere too much in my brother¡¯s private matters. who do you think you are?¡± her arrogance was well controlled, as if she was being supported. the girl was stunned and weak for a moment. su xiaoxiao said arrogantly, ¡°if you don¡¯t believe me, go and verify it with him yourself! don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. my brother has a bad temper and his methods are high. you know how the princess was placed under house arrest¡­¡± the girl¡¯s heart skipped a beat. su xiaoxiao ignored her and paid the bill. she took the herbs and left with the young princess of western jin without looking back! after coming out, the young princess of western jin looked at su xiaoxiao with a dumbfounded expression, as if she had known her for the first time. su xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°you¡­ are you really zhuge qing¡¯s sister?¡± ¡°of course i¡¯m not.¡± the young princess of western jin said in response, ¡°it¡¯s so true that i almost believed it¡­¡± she continued to ask worriedly, ¡°aren¡¯t you afraid that she will really ask zhuge qing?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°so be it. will there be any punishment for lying to the young princess of western jin thought for a moment. ¡°that won¡¯t happen. mr. zhuge probably doesn¡¯t have the time to argue with a little girl. as for yuwen jing, she¡¯s not his majesty. you won¡¯t have to deal with the crime of deceiving the emperor. at most, you¡¯ll offend her.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°if i don¡¯t lie to her, i¡¯ll still offend her unless i give her the snow lotus. this is your brother¡¯s life-saving medicine.¡± the young princess of western jin nodded understandingly. ¡°you¡¯re right. anyway, we have to offend her. why don¡¯t we fool her! i haven¡¯t liked her for a long time. qin su, you¡¯re still the best.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°have you always been bullied by her like this?¡± the young princess of western jin snorted. ¡°no, she hasn¡¯t been conferred the title of princess. her status is lower than mine. if she has a bad mouth, i¡¯ll beat her up. after i¡¯m done, i¡¯ll go to his majesty and cry and complain. his majesty dotes on me. at most, he¡¯ll lock me up for a few days!¡± she was sacrificing herself to attack the enemy. the princess was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, ¡°actually¡­ they¡¯ve never dared to provoke me like this before.¡± she was talking about them, not her. ¡°after mother lost her power, those people who tried to curry favor with me seemed to have changed. on the way to see you, i wanted to bring you a box of snacks. in the past, the best snacks in their family were saved for me. when i went this morning, they said that they were too busy and didn¡¯t have time to make them. they smiled and apologized to me, but when i turned around, i saw my cousin in third uncle¡¯s residence holding the box of snacks. ¡°although i¡¯m young, i think they might not really like me. only you, qin su, are different. i¡¯m actually very worried that i won¡¯t see you again¡­ you don¡¯t know how happy i was last night¡­¡± su xiaoxiao rubbed the top of the little girl¡¯s head and said softly, ¡°welcome to the real world.¡± the princess looked resentful. ¡®what kind of comfort is this?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°our little princess is so strong. she doesn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s sympathy and comfort.¡± the princess straightened her back. ¡°of course!¡± su xiaoxiao returned to the inn and disguised herself as imperial physician liang as usual. she pretended to have met the young princess of western jin halfway and entered the residence with her. there were a few more imperial physicians in the young royal prince¡¯s courtyard today than yesterday. other than the imperial physicians, there were also a few unfamiliar faces. su xiaoxiao stood at the door with the medicine box. imperial physician zheng walked over and said in a low voice, ¡°they heard that the young royal prince¡¯s fever has subsided and rushed over to see if it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°who are the ones who are not physicians?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. imperial physician zheng said, ¡°the one with a goatee on the left is physician sun from the eldest prince¡¯s residence. the one with white hair in the middle is physician li from the third prince¡¯s residence. the other two are steward wu and steward lin from the fourth and fifth prince¡¯s residence.¡± even the stewards were here? was there such a big scene? ¡°what about that one?¡± su xiaoxiao gestured to the white-haired man on the right with her eyes. he looked a little old and had a feminine temperament. his eyes were kind, but they had a sharpness that could see through everything.. Chapter 707 - Chapter 707: The Three Little Ones Meet Zhuge (2) chapter 707: the three little ones meet zhuge (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios imperial physician zheng whispered, ¡°the eunuch beside his majesty.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at him again and he smiled at her. su xiaoxiao felt inexplicably cold. imperial physician zheng said, ¡°also, i have bad news for you. the young royal prince is hot again. he vomited everything he ate this morning.¡± this was within su xiaoxiao¡¯s expectations. high fever could not be eliminated with a dose of fever injection. generally speaking, it had to be repeated for three to five days. su xiaoxiao carried the first aid kit in. she pointed at her throat and gestured to imperial physician zheng. imperial physician zheng smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°imperial physician liang ate too much spicy food yesterday and his voice is hoarse. what he means is¡­ we should all wait outside.¡± physician sun from the eldest prince¡¯s residence mocked, ¡°you¡¯re treating the illness so secretively. why? are you afraid that we¡¯ll secretly learn from you?¡± doctor li of the third prince¡¯s residence said disdainfully, ¡°learn from her? it¡¯s just a flash in the pan. the young prince¡¯s situation today is even worse. in my opinion, he doesn¡¯t have much ability!¡± imperial physician zhang advised kindly, ¡°imperial physician liang, if you¡¯re not confident, don¡¯t take the young royal prince¡¯s life lightly.¡± they also knew some extreme methods to reduce the heat. the risk was very high. it was fine if it was a normal body, but the young royal prince had a weak body and might not be able to withstand it. su xiaoxiao whispered to imperial physician zheng. ¡°what did he say?¡± court adjudicator chu asked. the corners of imperial physician zheng¡¯s mouth twitched as he said with cold sweat, ¡°she said¡­ ¡®get out¡¯.¡± chief physician chu was speechless. ans so was everyone else. everyone flicked their sleeves and left. su xiaoxiao gave the young royal prince fever medicine and anti-inflammatory medicine with viral azole treatment. there were two lesions in his body. one was afflicted in his mother¡¯s womb, and the other was recently infected. she had to prioritize between the two illnesses. for now, she had to treat smallpox to save his life. on the other side, after wei ting bought candied hawthorn for the three brats, he knew that su xiaoxiao had been picked up by the young princess. he handed the brats to xing¡¯er and fu su and brought ah fu to a theater on north street in the west capital. this was the largest theater in the west capital, but he was not here to listen to the show. he entered the theater and handed a fish-patterned token to the shopkeeper. this was given to him by eldest brother before he left. his brother asked him to come to the west capital with this token. as long as he could afford it, he could obtain information that others could not. ¡°young master, please follow me.¡± the shopkeeper returned the token to wei ting and brought him to a room on the second floor. after pressing the mechanism in the seemingly ordinary room, a secret room was revealed. ¡°young master, please.¡± the shopkeeper pointed at the secret room. wei ting entered the secret room. it was dim inside and the furnishings were monotonous. there was only a table and two chairs. facing the chair at the door was a woman wearing a half-fox mask, revealing flirtatious red lips and an exquisite and tempting chin. she was dressed beautifully, revealing a well-defined collarbone. ¡°young master, are you here to buy information?¡± even her voice was filled with charm. wei ting stared straight into her eyes, not looking at any other part of her. ¡°i want to look for someone.¡± ¡°young master is so boring.¡± the woman snorted and retracted her long legs from the armrest. she sat up straight and pulled her clothes back. ¡°if you can do this, i¡¯ll reward you handsomely!¡± wei ting calmly threw a portrait to her with his internal energy. she caught it with her bare hands and opened it. her eyes flickered as she smiled. ¡°i¡¯ve never seen this person.¡± ¡°then go and find him.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not cheap.¡± ¡°charge as you please.¡± the woman looked at him meaningfully. ¡°come for the news in three days.¡± wei ting turned around and left without any hesitation. the woman lowered her head and looked at her proud cleavage in confusion. ¡°which stinky man doesn¡¯t have his eyes on me? he didn¡¯t even look at me¡­ is he blind or a eunuch?¡± in a courtyard facing the back door of the moon chasing inn, zhuge qing sat quietly in a wheelchair. above his head was a lush peach tree, and in front of her was a stone table with various trinkets. a peddler carried his burden in and put it down. he cupped his hands and bowed to him. ¡°sir, mei ji asked me to report to you that someone has taken your portrait to ask about you. mei ji asked you what to do.¡± zhuge qing picked up a small rattle on the stone table and said calmly, ¡°kill him.¡¯ ¡°yes.¡± the peddler accepted the order and stood up to pick up the burden. ¡°hold on.¡± zhuge qing stopped him and stroked the rattle drum in his hand. his voice was gentle. ¡°it¡¯s not appropriate to kill today. we¡¯ll attack tomorrow.¡± what kind of day was september 18th? every year, on this day, sir would always become exceptionally benevolent and forgiving. the peddler did not dare to ask and said respectfully, ¡°i understand.¡± the three little ones played in the backyard of the moon chasing inn. the children were energetic and could not close the house. they ran in the backyard all morning and were sweating profusely, but they did not stop. ¡°dahu, chase after xiaohu and me!¡± ¡°yes, yes, yes! dahu, chase after him! dahu, chase after him!¡± xiaohu bounced around. dahu caught him in an instant. xiaohu was speechless. dahu said to his stinky brother, ¡°it¡¯s your turn to catch now!¡± xiaohu didn¡¯t want to catch it. he turned around and limped towards xing¡¯er, who was guarding them at the side. he said aggrievedly, ¡°sister xing¡¯er, xiaohu¡¯s leg hurts.¡± dahu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°you¡¯re cheating again!¡± xing¡¯er was afraid that xiao hu was really in pain, so she carried him over and asked, ¡°where does it hurt?¡± ¡°here, here, and here.¡± xiaohu pointed at his leg seriously. xing¡¯er was about to say, ¡°then let¡¯s stop playing and go back to the house first.¡± suddenly, the sound of a rattle came from the courtyard opposite. dong dong dong, dong dong. it was pleasant to the ears. the three little ones were immediately attracted. xiaohu also forgot that he was acting as a cripple and ran over with his two brothers! the three children leaned against zhuge qing¡¯s door and stuck their round heads in.. Chapter 708 - Chapter 708: Little Seven Is Here chapter 708: little seven is here translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios they saw an adult sitting in a chair playing with a rattle. eh? did adults play this game too? they had not played with rattle drums for a long time and could not help but be a little envious. what was worse was that that lord had many rattle drums in his hand. every one of them was different, and they were all especially beautiful. zhuge qing sensed the sizing up outside the door. he raised his eyes calmly and looked at the door. the three little ones retracted their heads. zhuge qing did not care too much and retracted his gaze. the three little ones peeked out again. as long as zhuge qing looked out, they would retract their heads. after repeating this a few times, they even thought that zhuge qing was playing with them. the three of them became bold and walked into the courtyard to zhuge qing¡¯s stone table. last night, it rained in the west and water entered the study. the coachman carried the damp book out to dry. he immediately saw three babies in the courtyard. they looked like triplets. triplets were rare these days. his master rarely visited with his neighbors. perhaps it was because he was in a wheelchair, but the children always guessed that he had no legs and felt that it was scary. almost no one dared to walk in. these little fellows were the first. the three of them did not stare at sir¡¯s leg like the other children. they probably won¡¯t be chased out¡­ the coachman thought. as the eldest brother, dahu was the first to speak. ¡°are these your rattle drums?¡± zhuge qing looked at the three sweating little fellows in front of him and paused for a moment before saying, ¡°they¡¯re mine.¡± dahu pointed at the largest red rattle. ¡°this is the best-looking.¡± erhu pointed at a blue rattle. ¡°i think this is the best-looking.¡± ¡°m-m-m-m¡­¡± xiaohu stood on his tiptoes and pointed at the rest of the table. ¡°they¡¯re all the good-looking.¡± zhuge qing was speechless. xiaohu said, ¡°i have a rattle drum at home too!¡± sister xivue¡¯s! zhuge qing said, ¡°it¡¯s not as good-looking as mine.¡± xiaohu said, ¡°no! the one is my house is the best!¡± this adult was not sensible at all. he did not even invite them to play. although the three little ones were very envious, their mother had taught them not to touch others¡¯ things without their permission. other than a few newly bought rattle drums on the stone table, there was also an unfinished chess game. a leaf fell on the stone chess piece. erhu kindly removed the leaf, but his sleeve was a little wide, causing the chess game to be messed up. a few chess pieces even fell to the ground. erhu cried out, ¡°aiya.¡± dahu squatted down, picked up the chess pieces, and placed them back in their original positions. the pieces also returned to their positions one by one, exactly the same as the original chess game. zhuge qing looked at dahu in surprise. ¡°how old are you?¡± ¡°three years old,¡± da hu said. ¡°you know how to play chess?¡± zhuge qing asked. dahu shook his head. ¡°xiaohu knows how to play chess!¡± xiaohu said. zhuge qing wanted to ask more, but xing¡¯er came over and brought the three little ones back to the inn. ¡°ah yuan.¡± the coachman called ah yuan put down the half-done book and walked forward. ¡°sir.¡± zhuge qing picked three rattle drums. ¡°send them to those three little fellows.¡± ah yuan was shocked. this was the first time master had given something to unfamiliar children. he agreed. ¡°yes.¡± in the princess¡¯s residence, su xiaoxiao ended today¡¯s treatment. the young prince¡¯s fever receded again. however, because of the previous lesson, the other imperial physicians still did not think highly of her medical skills. they thought that she had drugged the young royal prince to reduce his fever. this could not save the young royal prince. on the contrary, it would harm the young prince. ¡°just wait to be questioned,¡± physician li muttered disdainfully. he had not liked imperial physician liang for a long time. back then, he and imperial physician liang had competed for the position of imperial physician. in the end, imperial physician liang was successfully selected and he was defeated. he was hoping that something would happen to imperial physician liang. anyway, he was not from the imperial hospital. no matter what trouble there was, it would not implicate him. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. not to mention that she wasn¡¯t imperial physician liang, she wouldn¡¯t care about the jealousy of a defeated opponent. she carried the first aid kit out of the courtyard. eunuch he chased after her. ¡°miss, please wait.¡± su xiaoxiao stopped in her tracks and looked around to make sure there was no third person here. she turned to look at eunuch he. she had long felt that there was something wrong with this old eunuch¡¯s gaze. she had already disguised herself as a beard, but she was still seen through. as expected of the trusted aide of the western jin emperor. he had some skills. eunuch he smiled. ¡°miss, don¡¯t be afraid. no matter who you are, as long as you can treat the young prince¡¯s illness, his majesty will reward you heavily. on the other hand, if anything goes wrong, you and the imperial princess¡¯s residence have committed the crime of deceiving the emperor and will be beheaded. ¡± after coming out of the princess¡¯s residence, wei ting and ah fu were already waiting in the alley opposite. su xiaoxiao saw them and walked over to get into the carriage. ¡°how is it?¡± wei ting asked. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hide it. ¡°i was discovered by the western jin emperor, but he only discovered that i was impersonating imperial physician liang and didn¡¯t know who i was. he doesn¡¯t care who i am, only that i can treat the young county prince¡¯s illness.¡± wei ting said, ¡°if he can¡¯t be cured, i¡¯ll take you away from the western jin.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°you don¡¯t have to be so pessimistic.¡± she had studied it all night last night and already had a direction to treat. not to mention anything else, she was at least 70% confident. ¡°what about you?¡± she asked wei ting. wei ting said, ¡°we went to the opera house that big brother mentioned. they asked me to retrieve the news three days later.¡± su xiaoxiao asked in confusion, ¡°three days? do they know second brother?¡± wei ting thought of the woman¡¯s original words. ¡°she said she didn¡¯t know him.¡± su xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°it only takes three days to check on someone you don¡¯t know. don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too strange?¡± wei ting said, ¡°there are indeed doubts, but this is not a bad thing.¡± su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and realized. ¡°that¡¯s true. if someone has seen him, it means that second brother might really be alive.¡± on the way back to the inn, wei ting asked ah fu to stop the carriage in front of a shop selling jewelry and children¡¯s clothes. su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°after buying candied hawthorn for them in the morning, you¡¯re shopping again. when did you spoil them so much?¡± ¡°i¡¯m buying for xi yue.¡± wei ting got out of the carriage. ¡°today is xi yue¡¯s birthday.¡± ¡°ah, then i¡¯ll choose something too.¡± the two of them chose a beautiful set of clothes for wei xiyue, an exquisite red string bracelet, and a box of shark pearl headbands. in addition, they bought clothes and tiger-headed shoes for the three little ones. the two of them returned to the inn. the three little fellows each held their beloved rattle drums and jumped around the bed. ¡°mother!¡± the three little ones jumped and called out. su xiaoxiao walked over with a smile and looked at the three unfamiliar things. she asked, ¡°who bought the rattle drum?¡± dahu jumped and replied, ¡°uncle gave it to me!¡± ¡°oh? which uncle?¡± erhu said, ¡°good-looking uncle!¡± xiaohu said, ¡°the best-looking uncle!¡± su xiaoxiao was still at a loss. ¡°it¡¯s a young master who lives opposite.¡± xing¡¯er told him about the three young masters playing at his house. su xiaoxiao looked at the three little fellows jumping on the bed and said, ¡°i¡¯ll thank him. ¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go,¡± wei ting said. ¡°rest for a while.¡± ¡°okay.¡± the courtyard door was ajar. he raised his hand and knocked gently. creak¡ª the door was opened from the inside.. Chapter 709 - Chapter 709: Growing a Father chapter 709: growing a father translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was ah yuan. he sized up the unfamiliar man with an extraordinary bearing and appearance in front of him and asked, ¡°young master, who are you looking for?¡± wei ting said politely, ¡°my sons just came to disturb you. he said that an uncle here gave them a rattle drum.¡± ah yuan was enlightened. ¡°you¡¯re the father of the triplets?¡± wei ting said, ¡°yes.¡± ah yuan nodded and looked at wei ting in confusion. ¡®my young master gave them to the children. what¡¯s wrong?¡± it was probably because he had encountered many risks with zhuge qing that he often thought badly of things. his first reaction was that something had happened to the rattle drum and their biological father had come to denounce them. seeing that he was so guarded, wei ting was not angry. he said in a normal tone, ¡°i¡¯m here to thank you. here are two boxes of tea leaves from my hometown.¡± ¡°thank you.. ah yuan heaved a sigh of relief. it was good that he was not here to cause trouble. it was not that his master was afraid of them, but he did not want to trouble himself over such a trivial matter. ah yuan said, ¡°my master has rested. give me the tea leaves. i¡¯ll convey your gratitude.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± wei ting handed him two boxes of tea leaves. ah yuan sent wei ting off and closed the courtyard door to the backyard. the last trace of twilight dissipated in the sky, and the gray night fell like a curtain. zhuge qing sat alone in a wheelchair with a seven-colored rattle in his hand. ah yuan bowed and said respectfully, ¡°sir, it¡¯s the father of those children just now. he came to thank you and sent two boxes of tea leaves.¡± zhuge qing nodded calmly. ¡°you can leave.¡± ah yuan was not surprised by his master¡¯s reaction. countless officials and nobles in the west capital were rushing to curry favor with him. even the princes wanted to meet him. sir did not like to bother with those people. no matter who came to visit, he would not see them. today, he should have rejected these two boxes of tea leaves. he saw that his master did not hate those little fellows, so he took the initiative to accept them. fortunately, his master was not angry. ¡°don¡¯t do this next time,¡± zhuge qing said. ah yuan¡¯s heart tightened and he hurriedly said, ¡°yes!¡± zhuge qing stopped talking. these two boxes of tea leaves¡­ sir probably wouldn¡¯t drink them either. he turned around with the tea leaves and turned around after taking a few steps. every september 18th, master would become exceptionally benevolent and forgiving. he would also become extremely lonely. he sat alone in the wheelchair, as if he had been abandoned by the past. in the capital. today was wei xiyue¡¯s birthday. the wei family gathered in matriarch wei¡¯s courtyard for dinner. seeing wei xiyue, matriarch wei thought of the three little tiger heads. on the day they left the western jin, wei ting sent someone over to deliver news that he couldn¡¯t bear to part with his children and had brought dahu, erhu, and xiaohu along for a sightseeing trip, telling his family not to worry. old madam wei said with jealousy, ¡°hmph, what did he mean he couldn¡¯t bear to? i think his wife was the one who couldn¡¯t bear to. once he has a wife, he¡¯ll forget his grandmother!¡± madam jiang said, ¡°grandmother, when little seven comes back, i¡¯ll beat him up! no, third sister-in-law will beat him up! third sister-in-law¡¯s fists are stronger! ¡± old madam wei coughed lightly. ¡°there¡¯s no need.¡± madam li looked at the night sky outside the window and asked, ¡°little seven and the others have been gone for more than a month. i wonder if they¡¯ve reached the western jin.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± ghostfear said. the western jin capital was not that far away. if he went to the city where he had stayed for a few years, he would have to travel for a few more days. opposite him sat nalan yun, who was dressed in white. the two of them were locked up in prison to reflect on themselves. it was to celebrate wei xiyue¡¯s birthday that the wei family went to fish them out. since wei xiyue also went to ling yun¡¯s class with dahu and his brothers, he was also wei xiyue¡¯s master in the eyes of the wei family, so they invited him over. ¡°young master ling, what do you think?¡± old madam wei asked ling yun. ghostfear¡¯s face darkened. she didn¡¯t believe him! ling yun nodded. ¡°if everything goes smoothly, they should have arrived two days ago.¡± ¡°ah, that¡¯s good.¡± matriarch wei was relieved. she brought a plate of snacks to ling yun. ¡°young master ling, eat some osmanthus cake.¡± ghostfear was about to say, ¡°that¡¯s my favorite.¡± after dinner, the family went to madam wei¡¯s courtyard. madam wei had the habit of planting trees for wei xiyue. she planted one every year. this year, wei xiyue chose a red bean. old madam wei smiled and said, ¡°red beans are born in the south. they will bloom in spring. alright!¡± madam wei and wei xiyue planted the red bean in their courtyard. then, madam wei brought the group to the back to pick pears. when she returned to the courtyard, wei xiyue was squatting on the ground alone with a small shovel in her hand. madam wei walked over and squatted down to ask, ¡°xiyue, what are you doing?¡± ¡°plant,¡± wei xiyue said. madam wei¡¯s gaze landed on the small pit she had filled. it was not a seed or a sapling, but¡­ a piece of wei qing¡¯s clothes when he was alive. madam wei felt an indescribable sadness. ¡°what is xiyue planting?¡± ¡°plant daddy,¡± wei xiyue said. ¡°daddy will sprout next year. she had been scolded as a fatherless child. when she returned, they asked her nothing and thought that she did not understand. from the looks of it, she knew. however, she naively believed that the dead could be planted and grown like a withered sapling. if only that was the case. wei xiyue cultivated the soil seriously, sprinkled water, and fertilized it. if sixth uncle¡¯s arm could grow out, so could her father. the next day, su xiaoxiao woke up early, and so did the three little fellows. ¡°so early?¡± su xiaoxiao was a little surprised. the three little ones jumped out of bed. ¡®we¡¯re going to play with uncle.¡± su xiaoxiao touched their heads. ¡°don¡¯t disturb him.¡± the three of them nodded. they would be very obedient! xiaohu went to get his suona. su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyebrows twitched and she pressed his small hand.¡± ¡°my good son, we don¡¯t need this.¡± su xiaoxiao asked xing¡¯er to follow them. if they disturbed him, she would quickly bring them back. wei ting sent su xiaoxiao to the princess¡¯s residence. su xiaoxiao was still pretending to be imperial physician liang. there were a few more people watching today, but su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t mind. in short, she locked them all outside. physician li could barely contain his anger and said, ¡°chief physician chu, take a look. he doesn¡¯t even take you seriously!¡± chief physician chu looked at eunuch he, who was silent at the side. he was his majesty¡¯s trusted aide, and his attitude largely represented his majesty¡¯s attitude. since his majesty did not say anything, what could they, the imperial physicians, do? he said calmly, ¡°physician li, the young royal prince is a patient and needs peace. if your mouth really can¡¯t stay idle, why don¡¯t you wait outside?¡± phsycian li shut up. after the prince¡¯s fever subsided today, the young prince no longer had any returning feverish symptoms. he was in a much better state than before and could swallow on his own. su xiaoxiao fed him the snow lotus. at noon, he woke up. for the first time in many days, he said that he was hungry.. Chapter 710 - Chapter 710: Little Seven chapter 710: little seven translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the news that the young prince had completely woken up spread like wildfire. the first to receive the news was the eldest prince, yuwen huai. ¡°yuwen yi is really awake?¡± he asked imperial physician sun. imperial physician sun cupped his hands and replied, ¡°it¡¯s absolutely true. i saw it with my own eyes. the young royal prince¡¯s high fever has completely subsided, and his pulse is gradually smoothening. in short, he¡¯s no longer on the verge of death.¡± yuwen huai paced around the room in disbelief. ¡°how could this be? didn¡¯t he get smallpox?¡± ¡°it¡¯s smallpox,¡± physician sun said. he firmly believed that the diagnosis of so many imperial physicians would not be wrong. yuwen huai questioned, ¡°can smallpox be cured?¡± doctor sun was puzzled. ¡°to be honest, i¡¯m also very curious. smallpox is an incurable disease, and imperial physician liang¡­ is not the most brilliant imperial physician. at least, chief physician chu¡¯s judgment and old master cheng¡¯s medical skills are above his. i suspect that he received guidance from some expert.¡± yuwen huai asked, ¡°which expert can treat this illness?¡± physician sun could not answer. yuwen huai placed his hands behind his back and said in disappointment, ¡°i thought that a dead son could severely hurt yuwen xi so she would no longer have the heart to fight with me. i didn¡¯t expect yuwen yi to be so lucky!¡± soon, the news reached the third prince¡¯s residence. the fourth prince and the fifth prince were waiting for news from him today. they thought that they would receive bad news, but who knew that it would be ¡°good news¡±? ¡°that sickly invalid actually survived¡­¡± the third prince was in disbelief. ¡°didn¡¯t they say that he was about to die of smallpox? he survived after obtaining smallpox?¡± the fourth prince snorted and said, ¡°he¡¯s only alive for the time being. he must have used some medicine to keep him alive and let him survive these few days so that the imperial hospital doesn¡¯t have to be punished.¡± the fifth prince said mockingly, ¡°fourth brother is right. with his broken body, even if the smallpox didn¡¯t take his life, he wouldn¡¯t be able to last more than a few days!¡± they did not really care about the life and death of a little sickly person. instead, they hoped to deal yuwen xi a heavy blow. it would be best if she could never recover from this setback and no longer have the fighting spirit to compete with them for the position of heir. at this moment, yuwen xi was sitting quietly in her room. after hearing that her son had woken up and was hungry, she felt relieved. moxie hesitated for a moment and decided to tell her the rumors he had heard outside. ¡°the third prince and the others have spread the news of the young prince¡¯s final moments in the west capital. they said that he¡¯s only using medicine to stay alive and will die soon. do you need to stop them?¡± yuwen xi said calmly, ¡°let them say it! keep the evidence for me!¡± moxie said, ¡°in the past, other than the eldest prince, the third prince and the others did not have the guts to provoke the imperial princess¡¯s residence.¡± yuwen xi said coldly, ¡°it¡¯s rare for them to see me fall, so they naturally wish they could step on me ten thousand times so that i can¡¯t get up again. hmph, do they really think that their chance will come just because i¡¯m in trouble? a monkey is a monkey! how dare they call themselves kings in the mountains!¡± at the imperial palace, the western jin emperor was playing chess with zhuge qing in a beautiful pavilion. ¡°you won again.¡± the western jin emperor sighed. ¡°it¡¯s only half a point,¡± zhuge qing said. ¡°it¡¯s still a win.¡± the western jin emperor raised his finger. ¡°let¡¯s play another round.¡± the palace servants immediately set up the chessboard again. the western jin emperor picked up a black chess piece and placed it on the upper right corner of the chessboard. ¡°have you heard about yi¡¯er¡¯s illness?¡± zhuge qing said softly, ¡°i heard.¡± the western jin emperor smiled and said, ¡°that doctor¡¯s medical skills are not bad. as the princess, she still has some ability.¡± zhuge qing said, ¡°her highness is wise.¡± the western jin emperor said half-jokingly, ¡°but you chose yuwen huai instead of her.¡± zhuge qing said nothing. the western jin emperor fought with him for a few rounds and was quite satisfied. he returned to the previous topic. ¡°since yi¡¯er can be treated, let the physician take a look at you. it rained the night before last. your leg hurts again, right?¡± ¡°i¡¯m used to it.¡± zhuge qing¡¯s expression did not change as he calmly placed a piece. ¡°your majesty.¡± a young eunuch walked forward with a porcelain bottle. the western jin emperor gestured to zhuge qing, and the young eunuch presented the porcelain bottle to zhuge qing. the western jin emperor said, ¡°the medicine for this month is about to dry up. it will last half a year at most. i wonder if i can still keep you at that time.¡± the young prince¡¯s condition changed every day, and the daily treatment plan was changing. it would take a long time today. su xiaoxiao got moxie to help pass a message to wei ting, asking him not to wait outside. he would return to the inn first and pick her up at night. wei ting knew that she was worried about the three little fellows and went along. halfway through, when he turned into an empty alley, he encountered a wave of pursuit. he let ah fu hide in the carriage. ah fu was worried about him and exposed himself several times. fortunately, the other party¡¯s target was him, not ah fu. after a while, the other party realized that the target was very troublesome. they probably could not kill him today. ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± the few of them made a prompt decision and threw a smoke bamboo tube to escape. ¡°young master, are you alright?¡± ah fu lifted the curtain and asked. wei ting said seriously, ¡°i¡¯m fine. head back to the inn first.¡± he had just arrived in the west capital and was being hunted down. he could not take this lying down. he did not think that his identity had been exposed, so it could not be any enemy. after coming to the west capital, he only came into contact with an unfamiliar force ¡ª crimson moon theater. he had been looking for someone with his second brother¡¯s portrait yesterday, but today, someone had come knocking on his door. he definitely did not believe that there was no connection. ¡°could that group of people be second brother¡¯s enemies? what did they do to second brother? were they worried that second brother¡¯s family would come to seek revenge, so they attacked me?¡± thinking of this, endless killing intent flashed across wei ting¡¯s eyes! she could touch him, but she had a death wish if she touched his second brother! he went to crimson moon opera house. mei ji was discussing a new business in the secret room. the fool¡­ uh, no, the sugar daddy was a rich man. his favorite concubine had eloped with someone. he wanted to capture the adulterous couple. mei ji disdained to accept such unchallenging business. however, the other party was really generous. in that case, she could make an exception. the rich man placed the two large boxes of gold on the table and stared straight at her proud chest. mei ji hated it to death. all the stinky men in the world were like this! except for master. master was the only good man who was not bewitched by beauty. ¡°what are you doing¡­ ah!¡± screams came from outside the house. the rich man was staring at mei ji in a daze and did not notice the commotion outside. mei ji frowned. a murderous aura attacked her. she grabbed the rich man opposite her and threw him to the side. with a loud bang, the door to the secret room was split open. the chair the rich man had been sitting on was smashed to pieces by the fallen door. the rich man fell to the ground. when he saw this scene, he broke out in cold sweat. mei ji looked at wei ting, who was standing with a sword in front of her, and said in surprise, ¡°blind man, it¡¯s you?¡± wei ting glanced at the rich man coldly. ¡°if you want to live, leave quickly!¡± the rich man stood up with trepidation and reached for the gold on the table. ¡°who allowed you to cause trouble in my territory!¡± mei ji didn¡¯t even look at the rich man. she slapped the box as if she was just angry and didn¡¯t mean to stop him from taking the gold. the rich man retracted his hand resentfully. forget it, saving his life was more important! he left in pain. ¡°useless thing!¡± mei ji cursed. the rich man who walked out clenched his thighs. he, he was a little fast, but she didn¡¯t have to say it out loud¡­ how could he know that mei ji was scolding her subordinates that went to assasinate wei ting? wei ting placed his sword on mei ji¡¯s neck. ¡°where¡¯s the person in the portrait? i¡¯ll count to three. if you don¡¯t tell me, i¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°one!¡± ¡°two!¡± Chapter 711 - Chapter 711: Family Reunion chapter 711: family reunion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°i¡¯ll tell you!¡± in the end, mei ji could not withstand wei ting¡¯s killing intent. she could feel that this man was not just scaring her. he would really kill her. how could he kill a beauty like her? he was blind! blind! blind! ¡°my patience is limited.¡± wei ting¡¯s sword was sent to her neck. her delicate skin was immediately corroded by a chill. she closed her eyes and said, ¡°can you let me catch my breath! before i answer your question, can you tell me why you¡¯re looking for the person in the portrait?¡± wei ting said calmly, ¡°it has nothing to do with you.¡± mei ji said, ¡°i¡¯ll take you to see him.¡± wei ting threatened, ¡°you¡¯d better not play any tricks.¡± mei ji glared at him angrily. ¡°your sword is against me. how can i play tricks?¡± wei ting¡¯s sword did not leave her neck as he said extremely coldly, ¡°lead the way!¡± mei ji took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to stab this man to death. she slowly left the secret room. the shopkeeper rushed to the door and was shocked to see mei ji being captured. mei ji said calmly, ¡°move aside and get everyone into the rooms.¡± she naturally could not let her subordinate see such an embarrassing thing. it was not that no one had come to cause trouble in the past. this kid was the first to kidnap mei ji. the shopkeeper did not dare to disobey and immediately cleared the scene. ¡°do you want to take your carriage or mine?¡± mei ji asked. ¡°yours.¡± wei ting said. mei ji snapped her fingers and a guard walked over. ¡°boss.¡± ¡°prepare a carriage and wait outside the back door.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the guard prepared the carriage and the two of them got in. mei ji instructed the guards before the carriage drove on the streets and shuttled through the alleys. after about half an hour, it turned into a quiet alley and stopped in front of the courtyard at the innermost end. ¡°we¡¯re here.¡± mei ji said. ¡°get down,¡± wei ting said coldly. mei ji rolled her eyes and jumped off the carriage. wei ting knocked out the guard with a karate chop and got out of the carriage right on the heels of that. mei ji said angrily, ¡°is there a need to be so cautious?¡± wei ting couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath on her. ¡°open the door.¡± mei ji reluctantly opened the door. wei ting gestured with his eyes. ¡°go in first.¡± mei ji glared at wei ting and entered the courtyard indifferently. wei ting noticed that there was actually no threshold in this courtyard. generally speaking, every family had a threshold. mei ji stood in the courtyard and turned around to ask wei ting, ¡°i¡¯m going in. do you want to come in?¡± wei ting walked forward and looked around. he asked, ¡°you said you brought me here to meet someone. there¡¯s no one here.¡± mei ji smiled sweetly. ¡°i didn¡¯t say he was alive.¡± wei ting¡¯s eyes turned cold as the sword was placed on her neck again. mei ji¡¯s scalp went numb. ¡°this is the courtyard where he lived when he was alive. you¡¯re late. he¡¯s already dead!¡± wei ting tapped her acupoints and searched the rooms one by one. he did not make much of a discovery in the room until he entered the study. he immediately saw the calligraphy hanging on the wall. it was second brother¡¯s handwriting! there were many books and calligraphy on the desk. there was even an unfinished one¡­ all of them were second brother¡¯s handwriting. the bookshelves were filled with a dazzling array of books. they were also books that second brother had collected in the great zhou. the furnishings and layout of the house exuded a familiar aura. second brother had lived here before! but what did that woman say about second brother¡¯s death? he could not accept that his second brother had clearly survived the battlefield, but he had died in a foreign country. wei ting turned around and left the house. he wanted to interrogate mei ji, but niel jl was nownere to de seen in tne courtyara. on the endless street, mei ji came out of a rouge shop and took a long breath. ¡°fortunately, i know how to unseal acupoints! that guy is too difficult to deal with! his attainment of martial arts is so high that i almost died at his hands!¡± ¡°one day, i¡¯ll catch him and put him on a show!¡± thinking of wei ting¡¯s impeccable handsome face, mei ji felt that this idea was not bad. mei ji did not return to the opera house. instead, she went to zhuge qing¡¯s new residence. just now, she had brought wei ting to zhuge qing¡¯s house, but it was an old house that had long been abandoned. ¡°sir!¡± she bumped into zhuge qing getting out of the carriage at the door. to be honest, zhuge qing was the most handsome man mei ji had ever seen, but mei ji couldn¡¯t profane him at all. when she first met sir, she felt that she had seen a natural god. ¡°where have you been, sir?¡± she asked, coming to his side. the black-armored guard placed the wheelchair gently on the ground. zhuge qing said softly, ¡°i entered the palace.¡± ¡°ah, today is the day for sir to get the medicine.¡± zhuge qing glanced at her. ¡°why are you here? you even ended up like this?¡± at the mention of this, mei ji was angry. ¡°don¡¯t mention it! the guy who came to investigate sir went to destroy my place! he even kidnapped me! he embarrassed me in public! in order to get rid of him, i had no choice but to bring him to sir¡¯s old residence¡­¡± at the end of her sentence, her voice softened. zhuge qing did not mind. ¡°it¡¯s fine. it¡¯s just a former residence. it¡¯s fine if it¡¯s exposed.¡± the black-armored guard went forward to push the wheelchair. mei ji took it. ¡°let me do it.¡± she pushed zhuge qing into the courtyard and was about to ask sir if he wanted to get two powerful people to kill that guy when she suddenly saw three little children. the three of them were squatting on the ground playing with marbles. they had come to look for zhuge qing, but zhuge qing had gone out. ah yuan felt that sir did not hate these three children, so he asked them to wait for him in the courtyard. this was the first time mei ji saw the triplets. her eyes were fixed on them and she even forgot to take revenge on wei ting. they flashed past and she raised them one by one. the first to be raised was dahu. ¡°aiyaya! so cute!¡± dahu looked at this strange auntie in confusion. mei ji put him down and raised erhu. ¡°this is so cute!¡± erhu was completely unprepared. soon, she put down erhu and raised xiaohu. ¡°what do you want to do?¡± xiaohu asked. ahhh! what a cute little voice. mei ji¡¯s heart was about to melt! she turned to look at zhuge qing in the wheelchair, her eyes bright. ¡°sir! are they your sons?¡± are they, are they, are they? ¡°oh.¡± mei ji put xiaohu down and bent down, smiling at the three children. ¡°little brother, marry me when you grow up!¡± the three little ones were speechless. wei ting left zhuge qing¡¯s old residence and went to the opera house again. he didn¡¯t catch mei ji, so she probably wouldn¡¯t return immediately. he interrogated the shopkeeper of the opera house. the shopkeeper was about to cry. he really did not know the boss¡¯s background, let alone her residence. wei ting noted that she did such a big business at the opera house. he did not believe that she would not appear for the rest of her life. that was all for today. it was almost time. he returned to the inn and brought ah fu to the princess¡¯s residence to pick up su xiaoxiao. after entering the room, he told her about second brother. ¡°she said that second brother is dead, but i think¡­ second brother must still be alive.¡± as he spoke, fu su, who had gone to the west capital courier station to gather information, returned. the old marquis and su yuan entered the house with him. su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°granduncle, uncle!¡± the old marquis said solemnly, ¡°i said to call me grandpa!¡± what granduncle? he didn¡¯t want to be a granduncle! his sister¡¯s granddaughter was his biological granddaughter! wei ting also stood up and bowed. ¡°granduncle, uncle.¡± the old marquis nodded indifferently. he was much colder to wei ting. su yuan smiled gently. ¡°xiaoxiao, little seven.¡± then, he glanced around the room. ¡°fu su said that dahu, erhu, and xiaohu are here too. where are they?¡± speak of the devils. the three children played with zhuge qing for a long time and even had their treatment upgraded. after eating and drinking their fill, they returned with their round stomachs.. Chapter 712 - Chapter 712: Brothers Attending the Banquet chapter 712: brothers attending the banquet translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su yuan carried the heavy little fellows into the house. if one eat too much, one won¡¯t even be able to cross the threshold. the three little ones called him granduncle in a childish voice. ¡°what about me?¡± the old marquis asked. the three little ones: ¡°granduncle!¡± ¡°call me great-grandpa!¡± ¡°great-grandpa!¡± ¡°good children!¡± after eating too much, they really wanted to lie down. the three little ones climbed onto the bed and spread out their arms and legs to dry their stomachs. ¡°how much did you eat?¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know that zhuge qing had fed them for the time being and thought that xing¡¯er had brought them out for dinner. the three little fellows played by themselves and continued with their business. the old marquis and su yuan went to visit the black armored army of the western jin. in just a few days, they had gained a lot. the black armored army had only been established for two and a half years, but their powerful military attainments were even more terrifying than those many old armies. generally speaking, the three armies emphasized overall combat. their individual martial arts were actually not outstanding. the black armored army was different. they were all experts. ¡°so powerful.¡± after hearing su yuan¡¯s description, su xiaoxiao had a clearer understanding of the black armored army. it seemed that shen sanjin was not bragging that day. she was suddenly a little curious about the expert behind the eldest prince of the western jin, zhuge qing. thinking of something, she asked again, ¡°i¡¯ve always had a question. is there an air force in the ancient¡­ western jin? there shouldn¡¯t be an air force. what are the three armies?¡± everyone was confused at the beginning, but they understood what she wanted to ask. su yuan smiled and said, ¡°the three armies refer to the front army, the middle army, and the rear army. the front army is the vanguard army, and archers and surprise forces are usually in this group. the middle army is the main force where the commander is. most of the time, the two armies fight because of the strength of the army. the rear army mainly serves as a cover and guard. sometimes, it can also be a flank army.¡± su xiaoxiao had a serious expression. ¡°forget about this!¡± the few of them held back their laughter for a while before continuing to talk about serious matters. ¡°they also have an archery camp. it¡¯s not inferior to the wei family¡¯s divine bow camp back then.¡± the wei family¡¯s divine bow camp was famous for their bravery. all of them were sharpshooters, but they had been nurtured after many years of hard work by lord wu an and wei xu. in just two years, the western jin had a bow and arrow battalion that could compete with the wei family¡¯s divine bow camp. just thinking about it made one¡¯s hair stand on end. ¡°is it also done by zhuge qing?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. she was even more curious about this person. su yuan said, ¡°the saying of the western jin puts yuwen huai as the person in charge. in fact, it¡¯s that mr. zhuge.¡± it was strange. after coming to the western jin, they had asked many people about the power of the prince and officials of the western jin. in the end, the most shocking person was actually zhuge qing the strategist. su yuan sighed. ¡°i wonder who he is. his background is very mysterious.¡± the old marquis said schemingly, ¡°it¡¯s fine if the western jin is really on good terms with the great zhou. if they secretly have the intention to send troops to the great zhou, you have to kill zhuge qing before you leave!¡± the few of them did not refute. to win a war at the lowest price, one had to shake the other party¡¯s morale to the greatest extent. zhuge qing¡¯s influence was not only in the army, but also in the royal family. killing him was like severing an arm of the royal family. of course, this was the worst-case scenario. for the time being, they had not discovered that the western jin had any ambitions for the great zhou. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i thought you would return to the west capital a few days later. ¡± the old marquis said, ¡°we planned to stay in the military camp for a few more days. isn¡¯t it his majesty¡¯s birthday? tomorrow, your uncle and i will rush back.¡± su yuan also said, ¡°when we first came to the west capital, they said that there was a birthday banquet, but it was canceled later. it was precisely because we had time that we suggested going to see the black armored army, but this morning, they said that the birthday banquet was as usual.¡± su xiaoxiao thought about it and realized that it was most likely related to the young prince¡¯s condition. after the young prince fell ill, even if everyone thought that it was a cold at first, it almost took his life. therefore, the western jin emperor canceled the birthday banquet. however, in the past two days, the young prince¡¯s condition had stabilized. the western jin emperor was happy and held the birthday banquet again. the old marquis looked at su xiaoxiao and wei ting. ¡°since you¡¯re here, come with us to the banquet.¡± su xiaoxiao thought that since she had already been exposed by the western jin emperor, he would find out about her sooner or later. in that case, it was better to take the initiative to appear. ¡°you think?¡± she asked wei ting. ¡°sure.¡± wei ting had also been exposed at the opera house. he could not go to the opera house for the time being. he would let fu su wait. the old marquis asked su xiaoxiao and wei ting to move to the west capital courier station with the children. however, the west capital courier station was too far from the princess¡¯s residence. su xiaoxiao still had to treat the young prince, so she said that she would move there in a few days. in the courtyard, zhuge qing received an invitation from yuwen huai. ¡°what is it?¡± mei ji asked curiously. zhuge qing handed her the invitation. mei ji opened it and took a look. ¡°a palace banquet? is the old emperor celebrating his birthday again? sir, are you going?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not going.¡± zhuge qing said. ¡°why not?¡± mei ji wanted to go. zhuge qing said calmly, ¡°i just returned from the palace today and have already sent a birthday gift to the western jin emperor.¡± mei ji squatted down beside his wheelchair and looked at him with her chin in her hands. ¡°all the more reason to go. you¡¯ve already given the gift. wouldn¡¯t it be a pity not to go for a meal? i heard that there are two chefs from northern yan in the palace. sir is from northern yan. you can try some hometown dishes!¡± ¡°northern yan¡­¡± zhuge qing said calmly. mei ji felt that sir seemed to be suddenly unhappy. did something bad happen to sir in northern yan? every time she mentioned it, she would make him unhappy. mei ji immediately said, ¡°sir, we¡¯re not going. i¡¯ll accompany you to the lake tomorrow! ¡± zhuge qing glanced at her. ¡°you don¡¯t have to do anything anymore?¡± mei ji sighed. ¡°sigh, that guy was tricked by me today. he won¡¯t let it go. in the next few days, he will block me at the opera house. i¡¯d better hide from the limelight unless you lend me an assassin and let me kill that guy.¡± zhuge qing closed the book in his hand. ¡°which one do you want to borrow? the next day, su xiaoxiao went to make a house call to the young royal prince as usual. the young royal prince¡¯s smallpox had entered its final state. the rashes on his body turned into blisters and pustules. when they fell off and scabbed over, it meant that the path of smallpox was over. this process was relatively difficult because the patient was already awake and could not help but scratch the itchy blisters. ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to scratch. you¡¯ll become pockmarked, understand?¡± su xiaoxiao said sternly. the young prince nodded innocently. no one in the western jin could recognize the three little ones. there was no need for them to hide anything. su xiaoxiao openly brought them to the banquet. the three little fellows were overjoyed. they jumped and walked! the family got into the carriage and went to the western jin imperial palace. zhuge qing and mei ji were about to leave when yuwen huai personally came. ¡°sir.¡± yuwen huai strode over. zhuge qing greeted him politely. ¡°your highness, why did you suddenly visit?¡± yuwen huai said, ¡°i want to invite you to the palace banquet tonight. i know that you have never liked such occasions. don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to socialize. you just have to sit beside me. no one will disturb you.¡± mei ji glared at yuwen huai angrily. what was wrong with this person? sir had already rejected him but he personally came to invite sir! zhuge qing paused and smiled. ¡°i¡¯ll oblige.¡± about an hour later, wei ting and su xiaoxiao¡¯s carriage stopped at the entrance of the western jin imperial palace. there were many people at the banquet, and there were also many carriages. the three little ones looked at the crowd and shouted excitedly.. Chapter 713 - Chapter 713: Brothers Meet chapter 713: brothers meet translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ordinary officials had to get out of the carriage and walk here. only the royal family¡¯s carriage could go all the way to the end. mei ji and zhuge qing sat in yuwen huai¡¯s carriage, so there was naturally no need to get out. she lifted the curtain and looked at the crowd. suddenly, she exclaimed, ¡°sir? i think i saw those three little fellows!¡± zhuge qing did not say anything. instead, yuwen huai smiled and asked, ¡°what little fellows?¡± mei ji was dressed like a decent woman today. her clothes were not revealing, but she had picked out a dazzling cloud pattern brocade and put on exquisite and beautiful makeup. she was as beautiful as a peach. an official passing by glanced at her and bumped into a pillar on the spot. ¡°useless.¡± she rolled her eyes before answering yuwen huai with a smile. ¡°the three small tenants of the inn opposite have been coming to sir¡¯s house recently.¡± she didn¡¯t want to talk to yuwen huai. she wanted to see the three children. however, when she looked over again, the children was long gone. mei ji was disappointed. the three little ones, wei ting, and su xiaoxiao were invited into the carriage of the princess¡¯s residence. yuwen xi and the young princess of western jin sat in the carriage. the western jin emperor had given an oral order for yuwen xi and her daughter to come to the banquet. yuwen xi opened a gap in the curtain and said to wei ting and su xiaoxiao, ¡°the carriage in front is yuwen huai¡¯s. zhuge qing is also in his carriage.¡± was she going to see the legendary mr. zhuge? su xiaoxiao was looking forward to it. in the other carriage, yuwen huai looked at zhuge qing in front of him and said, ¡°father released yuwen xi and said that he only wanted her to attend the banquet and would continue to restrict her when she returned. however, i¡¯m afraid things aren¡¯t that simple. with my understanding of yuwen xi, she will seize every opportunity to turn things around. i don¡¯t want to see her make a comeback. do you have a way to deal with it, sir?¡± zhuge qing said calmly, ¡°yes.¡± mei ji thought to herself, so this yuwen huai invited sir to the banquet to deal with yuwen xi. yuwen huai smiled, and the worry on his face dissipated a lot. ¡°as expected, with sir around, it¡¯s foolproof.¡± the banquet was held in chongming hall in the front courtyard. the banquet had yet to officially begin. there was a pavilion, a garden lotus pond, and temporary private pavilions to the east of the hall. to the west was an orchard and a grassland. among them, the garden and grassland were the most lively. the former had women playing pitch-pot, and the latter had male guests playing courtesies. the carriage stopped on the willow path beside the lotus pond. the young princess of western jin asked the three little ones, ¡°dahu, erhu, xiaohu, what do you want to play?¡± dahu wanted to play stilts, erhu wanted to row the boat, and xiaohu wanted to pitch the pot. for the first time, the three brothers¡¯ opinions were not united. ¡°ah, this¡­¡± the young princess of western jin scratched her head. she was in a difficult position. su xiaoxiao tore three pieces of paper and wrote one, two, and three respectively. she asked the three brothers to draw and play according to the order they drew. in the end, dahu got one, erhu got two, and xiaohu got three. there was no difference from following their birth order. xiaohu was depressed. the young princess of western jin brought the three little ones to the grassland to play. xing¡¯er and moxie followed. yuwen xi brought su xiaoxiao and wei ting to a nearby pavilion. the palace servants served tea and snacks and left. yuwen xi took a sip of tea and said, ¡°today is my only chance. if i can¡¯t completely revoke father¡¯s ban on me, it will be difficult for me to come out in the future. ¡± wei ting asked, ¡°what do you plan to do, your highness?¡± yuwen xi smiled faintly. ¡°this time, it¡¯s zhuge qing¡¯s doing. if i don¡¯t want to be schemed against by yuwen huai again, i have to defeat him first.¡± wei ting looked at his calm and confident speech and said, ¡°your highness already has a good plan.¡± yuwen xi said with a deep gaze, ¡°of course. i prepared a huge gift for zhuge qing today! ¡± it seemed that zhuge qing would not be able to escape today. however, what did this have to do with him? his goal was to find his second brother. after finding his second brother, he would immediately bring him back to the great zhou. the internal strife in the western jin had nothing to do with him. the great zhou¡¯s diplomatic mission came over. wei ting went to greet the old marquis and su yuan. su xiaoxiao was a physician invited by yuwen xi. she and wei ting did not come to western jin as officials. it was more appropriate for the two of them to appear with yuwen xi. otherwise, it would be suspicious if they deliberately cut ties with the princess¡¯s residence. ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± su yuan patted wei ting¡¯s shoulder. ¡°see you at the banquet later.¡± wei ting nodded. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go over first.¡± after he left, su yuan smiled and said to the old marquis, ¡°father, wei ting is a good person.¡± the old marquis snorted. mei ji couldn¡¯t sit still in the pavilion. she wanted to go out and wander. yuwen huai found a young eunuch to accompany her, but she rejected him. she hated unrelated people following her. she left the pavilion and saw the three little packrats rolling around the grass field after taking a few steps. ¡°aiya! it¡¯s really them!¡± her eyes lit up and she was about to run over to rub the babies. suddenly, she saw a familiar figure. she took a closer look. ¡°it¡¯s him? why is this blind man here? who is he? i¡¯ve never seen him in the palace before? is he a new advisor hired by someone? ¡°could he be from yuwen xi¡¯s residence?¡± if that was the case, it was no wonder he would investigate sir. it was yuwen xi! it seemed that this guy had to be killed! she took out the bone whistle in her wide sleeve and blew it three times. behind zhuge qing, a man in black armor walked forward. ¡°sir, mei ji is calling me.¡± this person was the assassin that zhuge qing had agreed to lend to mei ji. ¡°go.¡± zhuge qing paused and reminded, ¡°be careful.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the assassin obeyed. he found mei ji. mei ji pointed at wei ting not far away and said, ¡°kill him!¡± ¡°sir told me to be careful.¡¯ ¡°just lure him to an empty place and kill him. it¡¯s fine as long as you don¡¯t hurt the innocent!¡± ¡°okay.¡± the assassin walked towards wei ting. the moment he brushed past wei ting, he snatched wei ting¡¯s pouch. wei ting frowned. in the pavilion, yuwen huai¡¯s trusted aide walked forward and reported to yuwen huai in a low voice, ¡°your highness, his majesty wants you to go over.¡± ¡°got it.¡± yuwen huai smiled at zhuge qing, who was sitting in the wheelchair. ¡°sir, i¡¯ll be back soon.¡± zhuge qing was the only one left in the pavilion. on the other hand, after wei ting¡¯s pouch was snatched, he was naturally unwilling to let the matter rest. that person¡¯s qinggong was extremely high, and he instantly disappeared from the orchard opposite. wei ting chased after him. the orchard was empty and silent. he focused his attention and qi, vigilant of the surroundings. suddenly, a vast killing intent came from above. he looked up and saw the man holding the saber with both hands slashing at him. wei ting dodged sideways. they could not bring weapons into the palace, so he did not know where this person¡¯s long saber came from. the saber missed and slashed the ground, creating a deep gash on the spot. it was obvious that had he not been able to dodge, he would have long been cut into two. it was a black armored guard. someone from the eldest prince¡¯s residence. was crimson moon opera house a force of the eldest prince¡¯s residence? it could also be that zhuge qing. this person¡¯s martial arts were extremely high, and he did not have a weapon. he did not have the advantage in a fight. ¡°don¡¯t you pick the wrong one again.¡± ¡°yes, auntie.¡± not far away, the voices of a few palace maids sounded. the killer, who was about to slash his shoulder, suddenly put away his knife and flashed behind a big tree. after the palace maids walked away, the assassin immediately rushed out. unexpectedly, wei ting was also gone! the killer hurriedly chased after him. wei ting deduced that he could not expose his identity. as long as he came to a crowded place, he would be fine. there was a pavilion ahead. the curtain of the pavilion had been lowered, but one could vaguely see a figure through the gap. wei ting took a few steps up the steps, lifted the curtain, and flashed into the pavilion. ¡°is his eldest highness in the pavilion?¡± ¡°no, he went to see his majesty. i¡¯ll come over immediately. did you pluck these fruits for the people under the hall?¡± ¡°yes.¡± after hearing the conversation between the palace maid and the eunuch at the bottom of the steps, wei ting felt terrible. had he barged into yuwen huai¡¯s territory? yuwen huai was nowhere to be seen in the pavilion. there was only a man in a wheelchair, his thin figure facing away from him. there was a long sword on the stone table beside the man. wei ting took out his sword without a word and placed it on his neck.. ¡°don¡¯t make a sound, or i¡¯ll kill you!¡± Chapter 714 - Chapter 714: Second Brother (1) chapter 714: second brother (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the moment the other party rushed in, zhuge qing had already pressed the mechanism on the wheelchair. with a slight movement of his fingertip, a crossbow hole would appear behind the wheelchair and a row of poisonous arrows would be shot. however, when that familiar voice sounded, zhuge qing¡¯s body froze. wei ting looked at his tense body and said, ¡°if you don¡¯t scream, i won¡¯t hurt you. in addition, you¡¯re not allowed to look back at me.¡± he did not want his face to be remembered. zhuge qing did not move or say anything. he just sat quietly in the wheelchair. wei ting stayed in the pavilion for a while. after confirming that the other party did not chase after him, he sheathed his sword and turned to leave the pavilion. but for some reason, he had clearly walked down and turned back to look at the pavilion. the assassin waited until wei ting was far away before returning to the pavilion. ¡°sir, are you alright?¡± just now, he was afraid that that person would hurt sir, so he did not move and waited for the other party to leave. ¡°i¡¯m fine,¡± zhuge qing said after calming down. assassins had killed countless people and were extremely good at judging people¡¯s emotions through their aura. he felt that sir was a little uneasy at this moment. this was not like sir¡¯s personality. however, he did not dare to ask about his master. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°sir, i¡¯ll continue to kill him.¡± ¡°wait.¡± zhuge qing stopped him. ¡°there¡¯s no need to kill anymore.¡± mei ji heard this as soon as she entered. she asked in confusion, ¡°who are you not killing?¡± ¡°the guy who offended you,¡± the assassin said. ¡°why aren¡¯t you killing him?¡± mei ji was even more puzzled. zhuge qing asked, ¡°is that the person who went to crimson moon theater to ask about me today?¡± ¡°yes,¡± mei ji said. zhuge qing said seriously, ¡°don¡¯t touch him in the future.¡± mei ji and the assassin were surprised. wei ting returned to the pavilion guarded by the servants of the princess¡¯s residence. yuwen xi was not around, as she had been called away by the western jin emperor. su xiaoxiao was alone in the pavilion. su xiaoxiao was peeling an orange. she glanced at him and asked, ¡°you¡¯ve been gone for so long?¡± ¡°an assassination.¡± wei ting sat down beside her. su xiaoxiao stopped peeling the orange. ¡°someone from the opera house?¡± wei ting nodded. ¡°the one chasing after me is a black armored guard. the opera house is related to yuwen huai.¡± su xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°could it be that¡­ the opera house is yuwen huai¡¯s faction? but why were you chased by yuwen huai for investigating your second brother?¡± wei ting pondered for a moment and said, ¡°i suspect that yuwen huai did something to my second brother. he was afraid that someone would avenge my second brother, so he killed everyone who came.¡± su xiaoxiao hummed. ¡°that makes sense, but i keep feeling that something is wrong¡­ xiaohu is crying!¡± she heard cries coming from the grassland. the cries were drowned out by the clamor of the venue, but mothers were always especially sensitive to their children¡¯s cries. ¡°i¡¯ll go take a look,¡± wei ting said. su xiaoxiao put down the half-peeled orange. ¡°isn¡¯t someone after you? i¡¯ll go.¡± wei ting placed the orange back in her hand. ¡°they don¡¯t dare to attack in public.¡± su xiaoxiao watched him walk quickly to the grassland and thought to herself that this guy was always slacking off in the countryside. recently, he had been getting more and more diligent. did he know how to dote on people? oops. what was she thinking? su xiaoxiao pulled her slightly red ears. ¡°yo, miss, who is this?¡± an unfriendly mocking voice suddenly came from below the pavilion. su xiaoxiao could tell that it was the maidservant she had met once in the pharmacy. she looked down at her. as expected, she saw the eldest prince¡¯s daughter who had fought with her for the snow lotus last time. she had already heard her name from the little princess. she was yuwen jing, yuwen huai¡¯s second daughter from his secondary consort. her status was inferior to yuwen xin¡¯s. no wonder she was not conferred the title of princess. however, it was said that yuwen huai doted on her very much. she had a high status in the residence, so she had the guts to go against yuwen xin repeatedly. there was also an old friend who came with her today. yuwen jing and the others entered the pavilion of the princess¡¯s residence 1 in invited yuwen jing looked at su xiaoxiao with a sense of superiority. ¡°it¡¯s really you.¡± su xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze swept past her and landed on the face of an old friend. she smiled. ¡°long time no see, princess lingxi. or should i call you consort ling?¡± the princesses from northern yan and great zhou came for marriage alliance. none of the princes had a share. they were all conferred concubines by the western jin emperor. one was consort ling, and the other was consort jing.. Chapter 715 - Chapter 715: Second Brother (2) chapter 715: second brother (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°do you know each other?¡± yuwen jing asked. guo lingxi was stung by su xiaoxiao¡¯s smile and said coldly, ¡°she¡¯s from the great zhou and i¡¯ve seen her in the great zhou. i¡¯m not familiar with her. does jing¡¯er know her too?¡± yuwen jing said disdainfully, ¡°she¡¯s the girl who snatched my snow lotus i mentioned to you. she claims to be mr. zhuge¡¯s sister.¡± ¡°her? mr. zhuge¡¯s sister?¡± guo lingxi laughed as if she had heard a huge joke. she looked at su xiaoxiao and said, ¡°you really dare to make it up!¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± yuwen jing asked. ¡°since she claims to be mr. zhuge¡¯s sister, why don¡¯t we bring her to see mr. zhuge and acknowledge her in person? if mr. zhuge is willing to acknowledge her as his sister, i¡¯ll chop off my head!¡± guo lingxi didn¡¯t expose su xiaoxiao¡¯s true identity because it wouldn¡¯t be fun if she did. she just wanted to see su xiaoxiao¡¯s face being slapped in public. the maidservant at the side suddenly pointed ahead. ¡°look! mr. zhuge is coming! ¡± azhuge qing was pushed by a black armored guard and was wearing a mask. his characteristics were obvious and were very easy to recognize for those who were familiar with his recent situation. although everyone found it strange why he suddenly put on a mask, they did not take it to heart. ¡°stop,¡± he began. the black armored guard stopped the wheelchair. zhuge qing turned to look in the direction of the grass field. xiao hu sat in wei ting¡¯s arms and cried, feeling extremely aggrieved. dahu looked up and said, ¡°i didn¡¯t do it on purpose. i already said that you couldn¡¯t take it, but you insisted. i¡¯m very strong! next time, it¡¯s your turn to kick. i¡¯ll take it, alright?¡± erhu also advised, ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. xiaohu, come down. don¡¯t let daddy carry you. play with us!¡± mei ji followed zhuge qing¡¯s gaze and couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes. ¡°heavens, isn¡¯t that that blind man? why is he with my three little husbands? my little husbands still call him father? did i hear wrongly? i must have heard wrongly!¡± the three little ones were not loud. ordinary people could not hear them, but martial artists could hear them clearly. ¡°i heard it too. they just called him father,¡± the assassin added. mei ji glared at him. zhuge qing looked at them with a burning gaze. wei ting seemed to have sensed something and looked over. zhuge qing retracted his gaze in time and said calmly, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± wei ting¡¯s gaze landed on zhuge qing. was this the person he had met in the pavilion just now? the young princess of western jin walked over. ¡°wei ting, what are you looking at? ah, zhuge qing!¡± wei ting frowned. ¡°he¡¯s zhuge qing?¡± ¡°master zhuge.. ¡± yuwen jing hurriedly went down the steps, planning to greet zhuge qing. however, zhuge qing had long been pushed away by the assassin and did not even look at her. su xiaoxiao crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at guo lingxi. ¡°go and call him. stop my brother and get him to confront me.¡± guo lingxi gritted her teeth. ¡°don¡¯t be smug! mr. zhuge left first because he had something on. if you meet him again, you won¡¯t be so lucky!¡± su xiaoxiao snorted and looked up at the sky. in the imperial study, the western jin emperor called a few imperial heirs over and ordered them. the content was nothing more than that of his birthday banquet. they had to behave themselves and not cause trouble for the envoys of other countries. the royal heirs repeatedly expressed their filial piety, indicating that they were brothers and sisters and were harmonious. father was overthinking. after coming out, all of them raised their noses to the sky and ignored each other. they left without looking back. yuwen huai and yuwen xi walked at the back. in yuwen huai¡¯s opinion, the two of them were the most powerful competitors for the throne. the other younger brothers were just there for show. he looked at yuwen xi meaningfully. ¡°i believe you understand what father means. ¡± yuwen xi said calmly, ¡°i don¡¯t care what father means. i¡¯m willing to listen to what big brother means.¡± yuwen huai smiled. ¡°big brother is overjoyed that sister was released.¡± yuwen xi sneered. ¡°save your nice words for your advisor. perhaps he won¡¯t be able to hear them in the future.¡± yuwen huai¡¯s smile remained unchanged. ¡°it¡¯s better to say a few more words to sister. perhaps this is the last time i¡¯ll see sister come out.¡± yuwen huai muttered,¡± zhuge qing will consign you to eternal damnation tonight!¡± yuwen xi griited her teeth,¡± i¡¯ll consign zhuge qing to eternal damnation tonight!¡± ¡°hmph!¡± the two of them rolled their eyes at each other and walked away. after returning to their respective pavilions, ¡°what did you say? mr. zhuge left?¡± yuwen huai was in disbelief. what happened to the agreement to deal with yuwen xi? why did he suddenly leave? yuwen xi¡¯s reaction was not much less than yuwen huai¡¯s. ¡°why did he leave? i spent so much effort to teach him a lesson tonight! wouldn¡¯t i have worked for nothing if he left!¡± the siblings were furious. zhuge qing got into the carriage and left the palace. the long-awaited peace was broken. his thoughts surged and he could not calm down for a long time. his leg began to hurt again. it was the pain of needles, the tearing pain, and the discomfort of thousands of ants gnawing at it. he couldn¡¯t get excited. it would make his situation worse. however, he could not calm down at this moment. he clenched his fists. it was unknown if it was pain or longing, but his eyes were slightly red. suddenly, a figure opened the back door and flashed into the car. he sat down beside him and pressed the cold dagger against his neck. it was wei ting. ¡°you¡¯re yuwen huai¡¯s trusted aide. you should know that i went to the opera house to look for someone. what did you do to the person in the portrait?¡± zhuge qing did not speak. he used a lot of strength to suppress the surging emotions in his heart. ¡°if you don¡¯t say anything, i¡¯ll kill you! or cut off one of your arms and send it to yuwen huai¡¯s residence. i believe he¡¯ll be very happy to make a deal with me.¡± zhuge qing¡¯s nails almost dug into his palms. an arrow was shot. zhuge qing suddenly pushed wei ting away and shielded in front of him. wei ting was shocked. he pressed down on his arm and broke the arrow that was about to hit his heart! not far away, the assassin and mei ji appeared and rushed towards the archer who shot arrows at zhuge qing. in the carriage, wei ting looked at zhuge qing curiously. ¡°you just¡­¡± zhuge qing tried his best to maintain his composure, but his breathing betrayed him. the reason why his expression did not change even if mount tai collapsed was that he did not care. however, how could he pretend to be calm when he heard that a certain silly kid did not hesitate to offend the royal family of the western jin on his own to find him? wei ting switched the dagger to his left hand and pointed the tip at himself. he slowly stretched out his right hand to remove the mask on his face. zhuge qing turned his head and avoided his hand. wei ting looked at the pale chin exposed under his mask and said in a daze, ¡°second brother?¡± Chapter 716 - Chapter 716: Recognition (1) chapter 716: recognition (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios zhuge qing¡¯s body stiffened, but he still did not turn his face around. his throat moved slightly, as if he wanted to speak. wei ting looked at him stubbornly, not letting go of any details. if it was just a test just now, he was sure now. before his second brother could reject him, he beat him to it. ¡°i got the wrong person. you lost your memory. you¡¯re a sacrificial soldier. you¡¯re poisoned. which is your line?¡± it was not the first time he had caught one of his brothers and brought him home. he was an experienced wei little seven. he had already learned to find excuses for his brother himself. he would make his brothers speechless by saying their lines. zhuge qing was indeed speechless. after mei ji and the assassin finished dealing with those attackers, there were ten of them lying in ambush on the path to the east of the palace. an archer hid on the eaves and nine others hid in the alley. they left one alive. mei ji kicked that person¡¯s shoulder. ¡°you dare to assassinate sir with this little ability? you are overestimating yourself! tell me! who sent you?¡± the man bit through the poison sac in his mouth. his face twisted and he spat out black blood. he fell to the ground with a pained expression. as he fell heavily, a drop of black blood splashed onto mei ji¡¯s shoe. mei ji stomped her feet. ¡°ah! it¡¯s so dirty! so dirty!¡± the assassin glanced at her shoe. it was just a drop of blood. women liked to make a fuss. mei ji thought of something and suddenly stopped. she looked in the direction of the carriage. ¡°there¡¯s someone else in the carriage!¡± ¡°it¡¯s that man,¡± the assassin said. ¡°which one?¡± mei ji asked. the assassin thought for a moment and chose his words carefully. ¡°your father-in-law.¡± mei ji was speechless. mei ji asked angrily, ¡°did you see that blind man enter sir¡¯s carriage? sir wants to be alone. why didn¡¯t you stop that person? what if he hurts sir?¡± the killer said, ¡°sir said not to touch him. so i can¡¯t touch him.¡± mei ji choked. ¡°you¡­¡± zhuge qing¡¯s subordinates would definitely obey orders. even if the order was for them to kill zhuge qing, they would not hesitate. mei ji walked towards the carriage. the assassin stopped him. ¡°if i were you, i wouldn¡¯t go over.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°a killer¡¯s intuition. sir is very happy.¡± ¡°happy?¡± mei ji blinked in confusion. half of the curtain of the carriage had been shot off by the arrow. from her angle and that of the assassin¡¯s angle, they could see the situation inside clearly. ¡°sir is clearly in pain. look at how tightly he is clenching his fists. his legs must be in pain again, and it¡¯s even more painful than usual. his eyes are red. if he¡¯s happy, what kind of fetish does sir have?¡± at this point, a thought flashed across mei ji¡¯s mind, as if she had opened the door to a new world. ¡°sir¡­ can¡¯t it be the rumored¡­ that he¡¯s the sort who would light candles, tie himself to the bed, and get someone to whip him¡­¡± the killer looked at her speechlessly. what was going on? in the western jin imperial palace, the banquet officially began. the western jin emperor sat on the dragon chair with his empress beside him. on the two seats slightly lower on both sides sat the princesses from the great zhou and northern. they had been conferred the titles of consort ling and consort jing. the western jin emperor was not a promiscuous person. after hearing that the two new concubines had entered the harem, the western jin emperor did not summon them to serve him. it had to be said that the western jin was really good at power play. it was not appropriate to marry the two princesses to any prince. one was yuwen huai, and the other was yuwen xi. usually, they would cause a headache for the western jin emperor. if there were two more princes with the support of northern yan and the great zhou, how chaotic would it be? su xiaoxiao and the three little ones sat down as guests of the princess¡¯s residence. su xiaoxiao and yuwen xi were at the same table. the three little ones were originally at the same table as the young princess of western jin, but they were attracted by su yuan¡¯s candied hawthorn. among the three of them, one sat in su yuan¡¯s arms, and the other two sat in the old marquis¡¯s arms, licking the candied hawthorn. the dance in the middle of the hall was peaceful. the dancers did their best, but more and more people were still attracted to the triplets. there was no other reason. triplets were too rare, not to mention that they were so beautiful and cute. they nestled in the arms of su yuan and the old marquis like three sticky rice balls. the women¡¯s eyes widened. the men also glanced at them from time to time. they felt that if they also gave birth to triplets, they would definitely be able to dominate the world.. Chapter 717 - Chapter 717: Recognition (2) chapter 717: recognition (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the western jin emperor asked about su xiaoxiao¡¯s identity, and yuwen xi openly introduced her: qin canglan¡¯s biological granddaughter, the grandniece of the marquis of zhenbei, married to lord wu an¡¯s youngest grandson, wei ting. when the old marquis heard that yuwen xi¡¯s introduction brought up the marquis of zhenbei, he was very satisfied. this introduction caused a commotion. he had thought that she was just an ordinary guest but he did not expect her to have such a powerful background. although the great zhou was not as powerful as the western jin, qin canglan, the marquis of zhenbei, and the lord wu an were famous. ¡°wei ting was originally here too, but he wasn¡¯t feeling well. i asked him to go back and rest first.¡± yuwen xi gave a reasonable explanation for wei ting¡¯s absence and said, ¡°he prepared a generous gift for father. he wishes father happiness and longevity.¡± the gift was prepared by yuwen xi. wei ting and the others had only found out about the birthday banquet the night before and did not have time to prepare a birthday gift. even if they did, yuwen xi would not let her guests spend money. the western jin emperor nodded and his gaze landed on su xiaoxiao¡¯s face again. ¡°is she the one who cured yi¡¯er¡¯s smallpox?¡± ¡°yes,¡± yuwen xi said. there were a few imperial physicians present. the news had long spread. everyone shook their heads. it was clearly imperial physician liang who cured her, but her highness placed the credit on an outsider. it seemed that she wanted to win over the power of the great zhou. the western jin emperor knew in his heart that it was indeed this little girl who cured yuwen yi¡¯s smallpox. when he let yuwen xi out of the residence for the banquet this time, everyone thought that he had softened his heart and was giving yuwen xi a chance to turn things around. actually, he just wanted to see this physician. he knew yuwen xi well. the little girl¡¯s identity had already been exposed by he gui. yuwen xi would definitely bring her along. he had originally planned to keep the little girl to treat zhuge qing¡¯s illness so that he could keep zhuge qing for a long time and let him be used by the western jin. however, he did not expect the little girl to have some background. the western jin emperor took a sip of tea with an unknown expression. due to zhuge qing¡¯s absence, yuwen huai and yuwen xi did not fight at the banquet. the third prince and the others were a little disinterested and were waiting to see the big show. their eldest brother and second sister did not make a move. they were so disappointed. the dancers were even more disappointed than them. the dancers could be said to be in despair. their waists were broken, their feet were cramping, and their faces were stiff from smiling. however, those guests would rather watch the three little packrats eat candied hawthorn than watch them dance. they had never thought that three children would snatch their rice bowls from them. after the palace banquet ended, yuwen xi called for a carriage to send su xiaoxiao off. the old marquis rode out of the palace with su yuan. at the door, they were about to change back into their carriage. before getting off the carriage, the old marquis asked, ¡°where did wei ting su xiaoxiao said, ¡°he said that he has something on and might be busy until late. he asked me to return to the inn first.¡¯ she did not say that wei ting had encountered a wave of assassinations for the time being. the old marquis frowned. ¡°what is this wei ting doing?¡± su yuan looked at the three little ones sitting in his arms and those of the old marquis and smiled. ¡°father, the children are tired. let¡¯s leave first and let them quickly return to the inn to rest.¡± the old marquis looked down at dahu and erhu on his lap and coaxed them with a smile, ¡°shall we go to great-grandpa¡¯s place tonight?¡± the three little fellows woke up in a second and got off their legs. they walked to su xiaoxiao¡¯s side and waved at them decisively. ¡°goodbye, great-grandpa! goodbye, granduncle!¡± the old marquis was speechless. after wei ting recognized zhuge qing, he refused to leave. ¡°where do you live?¡± wei ting asked. zhuge qing did not answer. ¡°if you don¡¯t say it, do you think i can¡¯t do anything?¡± wei ting raised his eyebrows and threw the unconscious coachman to the assassin. he whipped the horse, and it raised its hooves and dashed off. wei ting sat back beside him and crossed his arms. ¡°old horses knows their way. second brother, you taught me.¡± zhuge qing¡¯s horse recognized the way and really drove the carriage back to zhuge qing¡¯s residence. looking at the familiar door and then at ah yuan, who had pushed the door open to welcome zhuge qing, wei ting¡¯s face darkened. ¡°the handsome uncle that the three brats were talking about is second brother?¡± wasn¡¯t he the first to find second brother? the little brats had already met his second brother a few times! wei xiaoqi felt indignant! ah yuan did not know what had happened. when he saw wei ting and sir return in the same carriage, he thought that the two of them had bumped into each other halfway. ¡°he¡¯s the father of the triplets. sir, do you recognize him?¡± zhuge qing did not say anything and pushed the wheelchair in. wei ting looked at his wheelchair and finally understood why there was no threshold in his courtyard. even the steps were half paved with stone. ¡°my master is going to rest. young master¡­¡± before ah yuan could finish, wei ting walked around him and followed zhuge qing into the house. ah yuan was dumbfounded. he looked at wei ting and then at the assassin and mei ji. ¡°should we¡­ ¡®invite¡¯ that person out?¡± he said ¡®invite¡¯, but he actually meant ¡®throwing out¡¯. sir hated strangers entering his room. even he could only enter when cleaning. the assassin didn¡¯t say anything. mei ji rolled her eyes. wei ting stood behind zhuge qing. ¡°i took your portrait to the opera house to look for you, but i was chased by yuwen huai.¡± zhuge qing closed his eyes. ¡°he has nothing to do with this.¡± wei ting said, ¡°so second brother was the one who wants to chase after me?¡± zhuge qing hesitated. wei ting felt wronged. ¡°i came all the way here to look for you, but you wanted to kill me¡­ i came to see you with tea leaves, but you didn¡¯t see me¡­¡± zhuge qing took a deep breath. ¡°you¡­¡± wei ting sat down on the steps at the door angrily. ¡°i¡¯m angry! it¡¯s the kind anger that can¡¯t be coaxed!¡± after a pause, he glanced behind him from the corner of his eye. ¡°unless you admit that you¡¯re my second brother.¡± zhuge qing said calmly, ¡°up to you.¡± he pushed the wheelchair to the bed and moved himself onto it with difficulty. wei ting listened to the commotion in the room and held back from turning around. ¡°that assassin of yours hit me so hard. it hurts even more than third sister-in-law hitting me. ¡± the assassin muttered, ¡°what does it have to do with me?¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t care about me, let me fend for myself. let me die from the wind, freeze to death from the frost, and be bitten to death by the poisonous bugs of the western jin!¡± wei ting finished speaking in a fit of pique and lay on the ground shamelessly. zhuge qing lay flat on the bed, crossed his hands on her abdomen, and quietly closed his eyes. seeing that something was wrong, ah yuan braced himself and entered the house. he said to zhuge qing, ¡°it¡¯s windy outside. let me get a blanket.¡± zhuge qing said nothing. ah yuan went to get it and handed it to wei ting. wei ting grabbed the blanket angrily and kicked it away. ah yuan stood outside and whispered, ¡°the western jin is very strange. it¡¯s clearly autumn, but poisonous bugs are still out. the insecticide herb hasn¡¯t arrived today¡­¡± the temperature difference between morning and night in the western jin was huge. it was like spring and summer in the day, but at night, it was as if one had fallen into an icehouse. lying outside for a night could really freeze someone to death. fifteen minutes passed. half an hour passed. more than an hour passed¡­ zhuge qing clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. ¡°wei little seven, get in here!¡± wei ting rolled the blanket inside and rolled to his bed. wei ting wrapped himself in a silkworm cocoon and revealed his head from under the blanket. his obsidian-like eyes looked at him. ¡°second brother, you called me little seven. are you going to acknowledge me? if you don¡¯t, i will roll again.¡± zhuge qing was speechless.. Chapter 718 - Chapter 718: Little Seven Will Bring You Home chapter 718: little seven will bring you home translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao and the others returned to the inn. fu su was not around. he had been sent to keep an eye on crimson moon opera house. the poor kid did not know that it was a mistake and spent ten taels of silver to listen to the show. the three little fellows plaved crazilv for the entire dav and fell asleep in the carriage. su xiaoxiao carried two and xing¡¯er carried one. ah fu parked the carriage at the entrance of the inn and handed it to the waiter. he picked up a child from su xiaoxiao and the three of them went upstairs. xing¡¯er took off dahu¡¯s clothes and placed them on the bed. she pulled the blanket over him. ¡°miss, i¡¯ll call for hot water.¡± ¡°okay.¡± su xiaoxiao put erhu down and said to ah fu, ¡°give me xiaohu. you¡¯ve been tired all day. go rest.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll wait for young master,¡± ah fu said. su xiaoxiao took off the two little fellows¡¯ coats. ¡°no need. i¡¯ll wait for him.¡± ¡°yes.¡± ah fu hesitated, then went back to his room. after the hot water was brought over, su xiaoxiao and xing¡¯er bathed the three children. wei ting was not back yet. su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°where¡­ did this guy go?¡± in zhuge qing¡¯s room, wei ting successfully stayed behind with his wave after wave of troublemaking. not only that, but he had also pushed his luck and climbed into his brother¡¯s bed. if not for the fact that zhuge qing could not move his legs, he would have kicked him down. ah yuan thoughtfully carried a stack of clean clothes over. ¡°young master, the ground is cold. change your clothes first.¡± he dared to climb onto sir¡¯s bed after lying on the ground. wasn¡¯t he afraid of being beaten to death by sir¡­ sir was obsessed with cleanliness. ¡°oh, you¡¯re so considerate.¡± wei ting readily changed into zhuge qing¡¯s clean clothes. when the wei family went to the border, he was only 17 years old. in his impression, he was not so tall. on the other hand, wei qing practiced martial arts, so his clothes were always too wide and long on wei ting. but now¡­ ¡°second brother, you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight. your clothes are too small for me.¡± wei ting tied his belt and tightened it heavily. zhuge qing remained silent. he was only wearing his pajamas and his outer robe was set aside. zhuge qing said, ¡°put on your robe.¡± ¡°no need. young people are hot-tempered. i¡¯m not cold!¡± with that, he climbed onto the bed and sat cross-legged on the inside. he looked at zhuge qing without blinking. ¡°second brother, take off your mask. anyway, i already recognized you.¡± zhuge qing said calmly, ¡°no.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, wei ting took off his mask. zhuge qing, who really wanted to beat him to death, was speechless. wei ting actually wanted to see if his second brother¡¯s appearance had changed. after all, his sixth brother was disfigured and his eldest brother had a tattoo on his face¡­ fortunately, his second brother still looked the same. however, he had lost too much weight. it made one¡¯s heart ache. second brother and eldest brother were only a year apart, but because eldest brother was the eldest son and the heir of the wei family, he had carried more burdens than the other brothers since he was young and had less time to himself. most of the younger brothers at home were taken care of by second brother. wei ting and sixth brother were the youngest children in the family and were also the most mischievous. when they were teased and beaten up, they looked for second brother. when they got into trouble, they looked for second brother. when they hurt, they looked for second brother. sometimes, he played hide-and-seek and sixth brother could not find him. he fell asleep where he hid. when he woke up, he would find himself lying on second brother¡¯s back. he still remembered that at dusk in the capital, the setting sun was orange-red, and the young man¡¯s back was thin and warm. he tilted his head and asked, ¡°second brother, how did you find me?¡± the young man smiled and said, ¡°no matter where little seven is, second brother can find him.¡± ¡°second brother, it¡¯s little seven¡¯s turn to look for you this time. little seven will bring you home.¡± ¡°achoo!¡± ¡°achoo!¡± ¡°achoo!¡± after sneezing three times in a row, wei ting successfully became a minor patient. ah yuan brought in a brazier and a clean thick blanket. wei ting wrapped himself in the blanket. not wearing a robe was his last bit of stubbornness! ¡°make a bowl of ginger soup,¡± zhuge qing instructed calmly. ¡°yes.¡± ah yuan went to boil a bowl of worm grass ginger soup. wei ting sniffed and rejected proudly, ¡°i won¡¯t drink it without sugar.¡± zhuge qing looked at him coldly. wei ting received his glare and said bitterly, ¡°second brother, you were never so fierce in the past¡­ alright, you were.¡± under zhuge qing¡¯s sharp gaze, wei ting obediently drank the ginger soup. while getting up and handing the empty bowl to ah yuan, he secretly propped himself up on zhuge qing¡¯s blanket. zhuge qing said calmly, ¡°my leg is still there.¡± wei ting raised his hand again. zhuge qing said, ¡°my right leg is also there.¡± wei ting quietly moved down again. zhuge qing said, ¡°both feet are here.¡± wei ting sat back on the bed without changing his expression. ¡°ah yuan, come here!¡± as soon as ah yuan left the house, he saw mei ji waving at him at the end of the corridor. he walked over with the empty bowl. the assassin was also there, but he was good at hiding. ah yuan only realized it when he approached. ¡°mei ji,¡± ah yuan greeted. mei ji said, ¡°let me ask you, who¡¯s that person inside? what¡¯s his relationship with sir?¡± ah yuan replied, ¡°he¡¯s the father of the previous triplets.¡± mei ji waved her hand. ¡°i know that. i saw it. i asked him what his surname was.¡± ah yuan shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m not sure. i only heard him call himself little seven.¡± ¡°little seven, what¡¯s this name?¡± mei ji frowned and tapped her red lips with her fair fingertips. ¡°what¡¯s his relationship with master?¡± ¡°he called sir¡­¡± ah yuan shook his head again.¡± i can¡¯t say. ¡± mei ji glared at him. ¡°sir let him in openly and didn¡¯t let avoid us. you can tell us.¡± ah yuan thought about it and agreed. ¡°i heard him call sir second brother.¡± mei ji was stunned. ¡°second¡­ second brother?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ah yuan nodded. ¡°he even climbed into sir¡¯s bed wearing dirty clothes. sir didn¡¯t kill him and even asked me to make ginger soup for him.¡± ¡°s-sir¡­ can you be so gentle to someone?¡± mei ji bit the small handkerchief and was on the brink of tears. ¡°i really want to be treated gently by you.¡± the assassin glanced at her speechlessly. mei ji finally thought of something and suddenly took three steps back. she looked at the assassin in fear and said, ¡°you¡¯re finished. you¡¯re dead. you almost killed sir¡¯s brother!¡± the assassin was confounded. ¡°didn¡¯t you ask me to kill him?¡± as they spoke, there was a low knock on the door. wei ting looked at his leg under the blanket and asked, ¡°second brother, what happened to your legs?¡± ¡°nothing,¡± zhuge qing said calmly. ¡°you should leave.¡± wei ting said, ¡°don¡¯t chase me away. second brother, i haven¡¯t stayed long enough. we haven¡¯t seen each other for so long. don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡± zhuge qing thought for a moment. ¡°you¡¯re very noisy.¡± wei ting was speechless. wei ting had made up his mind to stay until the end today. otherwise, if his second brother¡¯s psychological defense was built tomorrow morning, he might reject him again. he grabbed zhuge qing¡¯s sleeve and pursed his lips as he shook it. he said aggrievedly, ¡°why are you chasing me away? am i still the little seven you dote on the most?¡± su xiaoxiao came to look for wei ting. just as she reached the door, she saw such an unusual scene with her husband. she asked in a daze, ¡°wei ting?¡± wei little seven froze.. Chapter 719 - Chapter 719: The Truth About Second Brother chapter 719: the truth about second brother translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao adopted a puzzled tone. this was because the man sitting sideways on the bed looked like wei ting but his words and actions were unrelated to his usual self. wei ting always put on a cold and aloof air. no matter where he went, he looked like he was the number one in the world and everyone had to submit. although he was occasionally very shameless, he was definitely not as childish as this. su xiaoxiao doubted her life. wei ting was the one who doubted his life even more. he had already grown up. of course, he would not be like when he was young, but wasn¡¯t this to nab his brother? he threw caution to the wind. he was not afraid of embarrassing himself in front of his brother. anyway, he had been humiliated since he was young. his dark history was rich. but he could not lose it in front of his wife. did he not care about his pride? he froze on the spot and used the shadow to hide his aura. he changed his voice and said stubbornly, ¡°you¡¯ve got the wrong person. i¡¯m not.¡± ah yuan came to the door and looked at wei ting on the bed. ¡°young master, your madam is here to look for you. hurry up and go back. don¡¯t let madam and the three children worry.¡± wei ting, who had just experienced social death, was speechless. wei ting calmly sat up straight and stepped out of bed with his long legs. he stood up for himself with a cold expression. ¡°i already said that i was going back, but you insisted on holding me back. now, my wife is here.¡± the most shameless person in the wei family¡­ was wei little seven. zhuge qing looked at him coldly. wei ting coughed lightly and placed his hands behind his back. he paced around the house with his official aura and stood between the two of them. ¡°let me introduce you. my wife, qin su, and my second brother¡­ wei qing.¡± ah yuan tactfully retreated. mei ji stood in the courtyard and used the assassin as a human shield to poke her head out from behind him. her intuition told her that a big show was playing in the room. it was more exciting than any show in the opera house. su xiaoxiao looked at wei ting in disbelief. ¡°so it was really you just now.¡± wei ting wanted to say,¡± can¡¯t get over this, right? why hasn¡¯t your attention been diverted?!¡± su xiaoxiao mocked, ¡°heh.¡± wei ting was speechless. only then did su xiaoxiao look at zhuge qing¡¯s face. ¡°i¡¯ve seen you in the palace. you were wearing that mask.¡± she was referring to the silver mask on the pillow. ¡°they said that you¡¯re zhuge qing, so who are you? why are you wei qing?¡± wei ting patted her shoulder. ¡°don¡¯t ask. my second brother doesn¡¯t want to say.¡± zhuge qing said, ¡°ah yuan, close the door.¡± wei ting was stunned. why was he suddenly closing the door? wait, second brother, are you going to say it? he had been grinding for so long and lay on the cold floor for two hours. he used all styles 18 martial arts. second brother didn¡¯t say a word but he was going to answer to the little fat peacock? wei ting felt unbalanced again. ¡°yes, sir.¡± ah yuan, who was guarding outside, slowly closed the door. mei ji couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°sigh¡­ in the room, su xiaoxiao lit up the wick and moved a small stool to sit in front of the bed. she grabbed the robe on the bed and threw it to wei ting. ¡°put it on!¡± wei ting reluctantly put on his robe. ¡°sir, i¡¯ll place in a charcoal basin,¡± ah yuan said outside. ¡°come in,¡± zhuge qing said. ah yuan put down the charcoal basin and made a pot of flower tea before retreating. su xiaoxiao took off the lid of the teapot and sniffed the fragrance of longan and lilies. she asked, ¡°are you not sleeping well?¡± zhuge qing looked at her in surprise and said, ¡°sometimes.¡± su xiaoxiao poured a cup of steaming longan lily tea for him and one for wei ting. she was not thirsty or cold, so she did not drink it. wei ting hooked a stool over with his foot and sat down beside her. ¡°speaking of which, how did you find me?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°wuhu said you were here.¡± the corners of wei ting¡¯s mouth twitched. it was that parrot again. he would stew it later! su xiaoxiao began to seriously sized up zhuge qing. he also looked like a member of the wei family, but he was not as similar to ghostfear and wei ting. it was probably because his eyebrows were more like his biological mother¡¯s. handsome was no longer enough to describe him. he had a faint melancholic aura and firm eyes, but when his eyes were on someone, they could make people feel peace that they had not felt for a long time. actually, ghostfear and wei liulang did not mention how they survived on the battlefield back then. it was probably very difficult, and it was precisely because it was difficult that they did not want to open their wounds for their families to see. if zhuge qing was unwilling to say it, su xiaoxiao and wei ting would not force him. ¡°i woke up on an island.¡± as zhuge qing said calmly, his eyes and tone were exceptionally calm. ¡°it¡¯s an island in northern yan. i stayed there for half a year before leaving and coming to the western jin.¡± he spoke casually and did not mention what had happened on the island. wei ting asked, ¡°what about your martial arts?¡± he was a martial artist. the moment he approached his second brother, he sensed that his second brother¡¯s internal energy was gone. zhuge qing said indifferently, ¡°ah, my martial arts are crippled.¡± wei ting¡¯s heart ached. what had second brother experienced to have his martial arts crippled? he endured his discomfort and asked in a normal tone, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with your legs?¡± zhuge qing said, ¡°i accidentally suffered a small injury on the island.¡± wei ting did not believe him. ¡°what small injury hasn¡¯t healed after three years?¡± ¡°can i take a look at you? i¡¯m a physician,¡± su xiaoxiao said. wei ting said, ¡°second brother, don¡¯t refuse.¡± zhuge qing said, ¡°there¡¯s no need¡­ su xiaoxiao rolled up his sleeve and placed three fingers on his wrist. wei ting was about to say.¡±because it¡¯s useless to refuse.¡± zhuge qing¡¯s situation was a little complicated. after su xiaoxiao took his pulse, she lifted the blanket and checked his leg. while su xiaoxiao was diagnosing second brother, wei ting continued to ask, ¡°second brother, do you know that eldest brother is also alive? he¡¯s also in the western jin.¡± zhuge qing paused. ¡°i know. i was the one who asked someone to give him the crimson moon theater¡¯s token. i thought he will be able to use it one day.¡± at the mention of this, wei ting felt aggrieved and snorted. ¡°i did use it. i was almost killed by you.¡± he glared at zhuge qing bitterly. ¡°you almost killed your beloved brother, did you know that?¡± zhuge qing calmly took a sip of tea. ¡°not injured or poisoned.¡± su xiaoxiao finished her diagnosis. she glanced at zhuge qing and saw that there was no change in his eyes. she asked, ¡°looks like you imow.¡± zhuge qing said calmly, ¡°i stayed in the water prison for a few days. after coming out, i couldn¡¯t move my legs.¡± wei ting looked at him in a daze. ¡°second brother¡­¡± zhuge qing propped himself up with his hand and lay down. he closed her eyes and said, ¡°it¡¯s getting late. the two of you can go back. i have to rest too.¡± the two of them came out of the house and were about to return to the inn when the assassin leaning under the peach tree said, ¡°the island that sir was trapped on is an isolated island where prisoners are imprisoned. the island is filled with death row prisoners, prisoners of war, vicious people¡­ and the descendants of these sinners. sir¡¯s martial arts were crippled before he came to the island, and his tendons were all broken. no one had ever left that island alive before sir went. sir used half a year to kill all the evil people on the island. ¡°mei ji and i were also from the island. we followed him to the western jin, but he never mentioned his past. we always thought that he was from northern yan.¡± ¡°the reason why he stayed in the western jin is that the western jin has medicine to extend his life. he takes it once a month. otherwise, the cold will enter his heart meridians and he will die..¡± Chapter 720 - Chapter 720: Second Brother and the Three Little Ones chapter 720: second brother and the three little ones translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after returning to the inn, wei ting sat on a stool in the room and did not say anything for a long time. he was in a very low mood. thinking of everything that second brother had suffered, he wished he could suffer on his behalf. his three brothers had survived countless hardships. not for the first time, he wondered why it wasn¡¯t him. su xiaoxiao let xing¡¯er return to her room to rest. xing¡¯er looked at the depressed master and didn¡¯t dare to ask further. she quietly went out. wei ting said, ¡°you heard it just now.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°i heard it.¡± wei ting paused. ¡°that medicine is taken once a month, but second brother¡¯s legs still haven¡¯t recovered. in other words, that¡¯s not the final antidote. it¡¯s just a medicine to delay second brother¡¯s condition.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°that should be the case.¡± ¡°are you confident in curing second brother¡¯s legs? ¡°i¡¯ll try my best.¡± this time, she came to the western jin to encounter illnesses that had not been treated before. to her, it was both a training and a considerable challenge. she would do her best. su xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°speaking of which, second brother is really powerful. i now understand that out of the 3,000 guests in the eldest prince¡¯s residence, second brother is inferior to no other.¡± second brother was a real strategist who could rule the world alone. unfortunately, he had a weak body wei ting sighed softly. ¡°among us brothers, eldest brother¡¯s attainment of martial arts is the highest, fifth brother¡¯s archery skills are the best, and second brother¡¯s talent is average in the residence. if not for such an event, i wouldn¡¯t have known that second brother had been hiding his talent for so many years.¡± wei qing restrained his sharpness and did not snatch any of his brothers¡¯ limelight. he was willing to be the unknown second son, a concubine¡¯s son who did not fight for anything. his family had never treated him as a concubine¡¯s son, but he had always maintained what he thought was appropriate. su xiaoxiao placed her arms on the table and said thoughtfully, ¡°i keep feeling that second brother isn¡¯t staying in western jin just to treat his illness. second brother is playing a very big game of chess.¡± wei ting also sensed that if it was just to treat illnesses, his second brother did not have to work so hard for the royal family of the western jin. he said, ¡°no matter what, treat second brother¡¯s legs first.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°yes, i¡¯ll think of a way. by the way, it¡¯s so late. are you hungry? wei ting said, ¡°i¡¯m a little hungry.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°what do you want to eat?¡± wei ting said without thinking, ¡°braised parrot.¡± on the branch, wuhu were speechless. su xiaoxiao remembered second brother¡¯s condition. unfortunately, there was no targeted medicine in the pharmacy for the time being. this was not strange. the pharmacy had followed her from her previous life. in the base in her previous life, no one studied this illness. it was just like how no one had studied how to treat smallpox in her previous life. su xiaoxiao thought of the medical book and letter left behind by the medicine master of the western jin. it recorded all kinds of poison. zhuge qing¡¯s situation could barely be classified as cold poison. she wondered if she could find a related treatment. hard work paid off. she really found a similar case at the corner of an inconspicuous page. the situation was roughly the same as zhuge qing¡¯s. the reason was that the other party was not as serious as zhuge qing. but there was no harm in giving it a try. it was just that this prescription was a little confusing. ¡°i know the first few. what¡¯s the last one?¡± it was too old. the name of the herb was already incomplete, but the herbs could barely be recognized. su xiaoxiao secretly remembered the pattern. before leaving, su xiaoxiao compared the prescription in the medical book over and over again. after confirming that there was no snow lotus, she was relieved. early the next morning, the young princess came to pick her up as usual. after she went to check on the young royal prince and change the medicine, she got into the young princess¡¯s carriage and went to the pharmacy to look for the herb. however, she asked more than ten pharmaceutical shops in a row, but none of the doctors knew it. the princess sighed. ¡°qin su, we¡¯ve searched the largest pharmacy in the west capital. if we continue looking, we can only go to the imperial physician department. are you sure it looks like that?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sure,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°madam wei!¡± just as su xiaoxiao and the young princess were about to get into the carriage back to the inn, another carriage drove over and stopped in front of them. the curtain was lifted. shen xin smiled and said, ¡°madam wei, do you still remember me?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°second master shen?¡± ¡°it¡¯s me!¡± second master shen jumped out of the carriage. ¡°what a coincidence. we meet again. this is¡­¡± he looked at the young princess beside su xiaoxiao. ¡°can i introduce you?¡± su xiaoxiao asked her. the voung princess nodded. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°princess xin of the imperial princess¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°command¡­ commandery princess?¡± second master shen hurriedly cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°i¡¯m shen xin. greetings, commandery princess xin!¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need to be so polite,¡± the young princess said. su xiaoxiao said to the young princess, ¡®we met outside the west capital.¡± second master shen was embarrassed. that was right. he even advised them not to get involved with the imperial princess¡¯s residence¡­ fortunately, su xiaoxiao did not mention the past. second master shen looked at the pharmacy behind her and asked, ¡°are you here to buy medicine? are you not feeling well, or is brother wei not feeling well?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°no. i¡¯m here to help a friend buy herbs. unfortunately, i asked many pharmaceutical shops but found nothing.¡± ¡°what herb? i¡¯ll help you ask around.¡± second master shen was worried that she wouldn¡¯t believe him and said with a smile, ¡°i¡¯m the son of the vice president of the five elements business alliance¡­ i imow many pharmaceutical merchants from various countries. there are some herbs that can¡¯t be bought in western jin. i can get them for you!¡± su xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t let go of any hope of finding medicine. she handed him the blueprint. ¡°in that case, i¡¯ll have to trouble second master shen.¡± second master shen looked at it seriously, folded it, and placed it into his pocket. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go back and ask for you immediately. if i get to the bottom of it, where will i inform you?¡± ¡°moon chasing inn.¡± after bidding farewell to second master shen, su xiaoxiao sent the young princess of western jin back to the princess¡¯s residence. as soon as they reached the door, moxie walked over. beside him was eunuch he, whom she had seen last time. eunuch he smiled politely at su xiaoxiao. ¡°madam wei, his majesty invites you and general wei to the palace as guests. general wei has already been invited. just follow me into the palace.¡± in the courtyard, wei ting knocked on zhuge qing¡¯s courtyard door. ah yuan was cooking in the kitchen. mei ji and the assassin left, leaving zhuge qing alone in the front yard. when zhuge qing heard the rhythm of knocking on the door, she guessed which young brat it was. ¡°come in,¡± he said flatly. wei ting pushed the door open and entered. ¡°second brother, i¡¯m going to the palace later.¡± zhuge qing played chess by herself. ¡°you don¡¯t have to greet me.¡± he didn¡¯t even acknowledge that he was his second brother. wei ting did not care if second brother acknowledged him or not. it was enough for him to acknowledge second brother. god knew how afraid he was that second brother would move away when he woke up. wei ting smiled. ¡°second brother, help me take care¡­¡± zhuge qing was about to ask what to take care of when he saw wei ting let in one, two, and three babies. every little packrat held a small milk bottle in their hands with an innocent expression, not knowing what had happened. zhuge qing said coldly, ¡°take care of your sons¡­¡± before he could finish, wei ting patted the three little ones¡¯ heads. ¡°you have to listen to uncle, understand?¡± with that, he left very coolly. the three of them grabbed the small milk bottles and came to zhuge qing¡¯s side. zhuge qing sighed helplessly and asked, ¡°have you eaten breakfast?¡± the three of them shook their heads. how did this brat become a father? zhuge qing resisted the urge to capture a certain someone and beat him to death. ¡°there¡¯ll be food later.¡± a certain someone was anxious. dahu and erhu were not wearing their clothes properly. they were loose and their collars were asymmetrical. the veins on zhuge qing¡¯s forehead throbbed. he pulled the two little fellows to him and tidied their clothes. ¡°uncle, what were you doing just now?¡± xiaohu asked innocently. his clothes were worn by xinger and were neat. ¡°chess, ¡± zhuge qing said. he could tell the three children apart. ¡°your name is xiaohu, right?¡± xiaohu nodded. ¡°yes, i¡¯m xiaohu!¡± what accent was this¡­ zhuge qing asked, ¡°you said last time that you know how to play chess?¡± xiaohu nodded with the milk bottle in his mouth. zhuge qing said, ¡°then play with me.¡± xiaohu grabbed a handful of chess pieces and placed them on the chessboard. ¡°it¡¯s time to play!¡± xiaohu knew how to play! Chapter 721 - Chapter 721: Doting Second Uncle (1) chapter 721: doting second uncle (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios at nine o¡¯clock, mei ji came over. the moment she entered the courtyard, she saw the three little ones sitting in a row on the threshold, holding the small milk bottle and drinking milk. this was the first time she had seen such a strange water bag. this was not the main point. the main point was that her three young husbands were too cute. she walked over with a smile and pinched their faces one by one. the three little ones drank their milk immersively and did not move. mei ji walked to the stone table and said to zhuge qing, who was playing chess alone again, ¡°sir, get into the carriage first. i¡¯ll help you move your things.¡± zhuge qing had just pinched a chess piece with her slender fingers when he paused and asked, ¡®what carriage?¡± ¡°the carriage outside! moving!¡± mei ji said. ¡°every time sir¡¯s residence is discovered, you will immediately move away. this time should be no exception, right? although that person is sir¡¯s brother, i think sir doesn¡¯t seem willing to pay attention to him.¡± zhuge qing looked at the three little packrats sitting on the steps drinking milk. the boys seemed to sense something and looked at him. their eyes met. the three little ones walked over and blinked at him. mei ji said, ¡°sir, get in the carriage! ¡± the three little ones looked at the carriage at the door and thought that they were going out to play. they grabbed the small milk bottle and climbed up. zhuge qing was speechless. on the other side, su xiaoxiao entered the western jin imperial palace in the carriage sent by eunuch he. the overall architectural style of the western jin imperial palace was not much different from the great zhou. it was just that the climate was dry, and the flowers and plants were not as beautiful as the great zhou imperial palace. ¡°madam wei, are you used to staying in western jin?¡± eunuch he smiled and spoke to su xiaoxiao as ge led the way. ¡°the climate is a little dry,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°there¡¯s wind and sand in many places. in a day, the roof of the carriage can shake off two catties of sand.¡± eunuch he was amused by her. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°but the mutton here is better than the those in great zhou. i like it very much.¡± eunuch he saw from her figure that she was not the kind of person who said that she liked to eat, but was actually unwilling to eat more. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°eunuch he, why did his majesty summon me to the palace today? is it convenient to reveal a thing or two?¡± he smiled and said, ¡°his majesty didn¡¯t give details. he only asked us to invite general wei and madam wei to the palace as guests.¡± compared to the previous two times of alienation and scrutiny, eunuch he¡¯s attitude towards was clearly much friendlier. it seemed that it was indeed not a bad thing. eunuch he brought su xiaoxiao to a pavilion in the imperial garden. the autumn air was refreshing, the wind was gentle, and the scenery in the garden was pleasant. the western jin emperor was playing chess with wei ting. su xiaoxiao heard the western jin emperor¡¯s happy laughter from afar. ¡°the younger generation will surpass us. i lost! i¡¯m convinced!¡± eunuch he reported, ¡°your majesty, madam wei is here.¡± ¡°oh?¡± the western jin dynasty¡¯s emperor looked over with a smile on his face. ¡°come and sit.¡± su xiaoxiao walked forward and bowed. ¡°greetings, your majesty.¡± the western jin emperor smiled and said, ¡°there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. sit.¡± su xiaoxiao sat down beside wei ting. the western jin emperor asked amiably, ¡°how¡¯s yi¡¯er¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°the young royal prince has already passed the critical period. when the scabs fall off, the smallpox will recover.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good, that¡¯s good!¡± the western jin emperor thought of something and asked, ¡°will there be any sequelae?¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°not if he doesn¡¯t scratch it.¡± the scabs that fell off on their own would also leave some marks, but that level could be completely faded and eliminated. the western jin emperor smiled and said, ¡°fortunately, we met madam wei, so yi¡¯er was saved. otherwise, i¡¯m afraid i would have to send my son off.¡± a young eunuch walked forward with two boxes. the western jin emperor gave eunuch he a look. eunuch he opened the first one. it was filled with gold bars. the royal family of the western jin was not like the great zhou. their family background was rich and the national treasury was filled. they were really rich. su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. the western jin emperor pointed at the gold and said, ¡°these are yi¡¯er¡¯s consultation fees.¡± su xiaoxiao coughed lightly and said seriously, ¡°her highness has already paid the consultation fee.¡± the western jin emperor smiled. ¡°just treat it as a reward from me.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at wei ting. wei ting said, ¡°take it.¡± ¡°thank you, your majesty.¡± su xiaoxiao accepted it generously. eunuch he placed the second box of gold on the table. su xiaoxiao wondered, ¡°wait, one box is a reward, so the second box is¡­¡± the western jin emperor looked at su xiaoxiao and said, ¡°i have a presumptuous request. since madam wei is a divine doctor who can treat smallpox, i want to ask madam wei to treat another patient for me. this is only the deposit. if he is cured, i will give you a generous reward..¡± Chapter 722 - Chapter 722: Doting Second Uncle (2) chapter 722: doting second uncle (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the young royal prince¡¯s consultation fee was a box of gold. the deposit for that patient was already a box of gold. who was more valuable than the young royal prince? the western jin emperor said, ¡°you just have to treat him without worry. if you can¡¯t treat him, i won¡¯t blame you.¡± this condition could be said to be very tempting. those imperial physicians were sent to treat the young prince. if they could not be treated, they would all be questioned. it could be seen that the western jin emperor was not a soft-hearted person. the reason why he could compromise to this extent was firstly because of the powers behind su xiaoxiao, and secondly, it was also the most important, the other party was very integral to him, to the extent that he had to humble himself to seek medical treatment. thinking about it, su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i have to see the patient first to see if i can treat him. or, i¡¯ll take a look at his medical case and understand his condition.¡± ¡°bring me the medical report.¡± the western jin emperor chose the latter. she went to the imperial hospital with her eunuch he to get a thick medical case. the medical report did not record the other party¡¯s identity. it only recorded the other party¡¯s age, gender, illness, pulse, and prescription. the prescription would be changed once a month. su xiaoxiao noticed that the only medicine he took once a month had never been changed in three years. the western jin emperor said, ¡°you can take the medical case back and consider answering me in a few days.¡± after leaving the palace, the two of them got into ah fu¡¯s carriage. su xiaoxiao opened the curtain and took a look. after confirming that she was not followed, she opened the medical case and placed it on the table. ¡°this is second brother¡¯s medical case. the person whom he spent a lot of money to get me to treat is second brother.¡± wei ting asked, ¡°are you sure?¡± su xiaoxiao said firmly, ¡°i took second brother¡¯s pulse last night. it¡¯s exactly the same as the pulse record on the medical table. the other symptoms match. in fact, these prescriptions are indeed for second brother¡¯s legs. however, the effect is a little unsatisfactory. ¡°second brother looks like yuwen huai¡¯s strategist, but he¡¯s actually the western jin emperor¡¯s. however, second brother chose to assist yuwen huai from among the many imperial heirs.¡± wei ting pondered. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°in addition, i have a new discovery. do you still remember that assassin said that second brother needs to take the antidote once a month? i¡¯ve been thinking about what the antidote is. i have an answer now. ¡± as she spoke, she pointed at the medicine on the prescription. wei ting frowned. ¡°stone marrow?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it¡¯s also called stalactite. it¡¯s usually produced in natural caves and is very rare. it has the effect of nourishing one¡¯s life, breaking the chronic cold, warming the spleen and stomach, and vital blood. it shouldn¡¯t be ordinary stone marrow.¡± wei ting asked, ¡°you mean that this stone marrow can coincidentally delay second brother¡¯s illness?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°yes, but judging from the way the western jin emperor is in a hurry to find a doctor, he shouldn¡¯t be able to delay it for long. either the effect of the stone marrow isn¡¯t as good as before, or it¡¯s about to dry up. either way, it¡¯s not good news for second brother.¡± wei ting¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°second brother¡¯s illness can¡¯t wait anymore.¡± in the study. zhuge qing finished dealing with the secret letters sent by spies everywhere. he raised his hand to take the seal. his arm trembled slightly, and the seal fell to the ground. ¡°sir!¡± mei ji carried a bowl of lotus seed soup in and placed the tray on the table. she quickly walked to his side, picked up the seal on the ground, and placed it on the table. the seal was not placed properly. the corners were not aligned with the corners of the table. zhuge qing reached out and placed the seal upright. mei ji noticed that his arm was trembling slightly. her gaze landed on his face. his face was pale and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. ¡°sir, do your legs hurt again? didn¡¯t you just take medicine this month?¡± actually, even if sir hadn¡¯t said it, she would have noticed. the first time sir ate it, he would not feel too uncomfortable for an entire month. however, in the past few months, the medicinal effect of the stone marrow had been weakening. it had been reduced from a month to 20 days and then to half a month. now¡­ could it not even last for two to three days? ¡°sir¡­¡± mei ji¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± zhuge qing smiled. ¡°i just haven¡¯t taken my medicine.¡± mei ji¡¯s tears fell halfway, but she held them back. ¡®where¡¯s the medicine?¡± ¡°in the cabinet,¡± zhuge qing said. mei ji hurriedly opened the cabinet door and took out the medicine bottle. she handed it to zhuge qing. ¡°why aren¡¯t you taking it?¡± zhuge qing smiled casually and said, ¡°i forgot.¡± it was purely because a certain young brat made him so angry that he forgot to take the medicine. mei ji heaved a sigh of relief. she was frightened to death and almost thought that the medicine was useless! the medicine was effective, but it was indeed not that good. ¡°uncle. ¡± the three little ones walked in. dahu said, ¡°i¡¯m hungry.¡± zhuge qing said, ¡°what do you want to eat?¡± xiaohu thought for a moment. ¡°pig balls.¡± zhuge qing wondered, ¡°what dish is this?¡± after su xiaoxiao and wei ting returned to the inn, they immediately went to look for zhuge qing and the three little fellows. unexpectedly, the door was locked. ¡°looks like second brother took them out.¡± su xiaoxiao looked around. ¡°ah, right, where¡¯s fusu? i haven¡¯t seen him for two days.¡± wei ting choked. he had forgotten about fu su in the opera house¡­ while wei ting went to the opera house to inform fu su, su xiaoxiao was carefully reading her second brother¡¯s medical case at the inn. about an hour later, there was a knock on the door. ¡°madam, a guest with the surname shen is looking for you.¡± second master shen? su xiaoxiao closed the medical book and went to the lobby on the first floor. second master shen waved at her. ¡°madam wei, here! ¡± su xiaoxiao walked over and sat down opposite him. ¡°second master shen, is there any news that you came to the inn to look for me?¡± second master shen smiled mysteriously and took out the blueprint su xiaoxiao had given him. he unfolded it and asked, ¡°is it this medicine?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°yes.¡± second master shen smiled and said, ¡°i really found it for you!¡± Chapter 723 - Chapter 723: The Protective Second Brother (1) chapter 723: the protective second brother (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios there was news at night about what she had mentioned to him in the morning. su xiaoxiao loved this efficiency. second master shen shook the big golden chain on his body. at this moment, su xiaoxiao felt that the other party was filled with the glory of a wise man. second master shen poured her a cup of tea. in this world, second master shen had nothing to say. he said, ¡°it¡¯s hard to say about your herb. it¡¯s just that you met me. if it were anyone else, they might not have any news for you for three to five months.¡± it was done beautifully. he had to brag for three seconds! those who did not do business might not have heard of the five elements alliance, but in the ears of the merchants, the five elements alliance was a famous existence. its sphere of influence was extremely wide, and even the great zhou had merchants from the five elements alliance. his father was the vice alliance master of the five elements alliance. he used his father¡¯s name to ask around for medicinal herbs. the merchants of the various countries had to give his father some respect and help him ask around. soon, they discovered this medicinal herb in the hands of a merchant from the wei nation. ¡°they traveled thousands of miles to bring the herbs from wei country and planted them in flower pots. they carefully maintained them along the way and spent a lot of effort.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°the price is easy to negotiate.¡± even if she had to spend a lot of money, she would buy it. second master shen waved his hand. ¡°it¡¯s just a medicinal herb. i, shen xin, can afford to give it to you! besides, we¡¯re friends. you¡¯re not allowed to treat me like an outsider! i¡¯ve booked a table at the dongting restaurant. tonight, i¡¯ll be the host. let¡¯s have a meal and drink a few glasses. you won¡¯t need to drink . brother wei will drink as a friend. i still have a lot of good medicinal herbs. if you like anything, just ask him for it!¡± as he spoke, he looked around. ¡°eh? where¡¯s brother wei and his three sons?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°they went out.¡± second master shen said, ¡°where did they go? i¡¯ll send someone to pick them up.¡± su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t say that the three little ones had gone out with zhuge qing, so she said, ¡°my uncle and grandfather picked up the three children. wei ting went to crimson moon theater to meet a friend.¡± ¡°your granduncle is also in the west capital? call him over for dinner! ¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°i¡¯m not sure where they went to play.¡± ¡°ah.¡± second master shen was quite regretful. ¡°i¡¯ll send you to the dongting building first before picking up little brother wei from the crimson moon theater. if master zhouwu arrives, you guys chat first.¡± generally speaking, women did not easily meet unfamiliar men, but how sharp was second master shen? he knew at a glance that madam wei was not a young woman who had entrusted herself to someone else. she was a woman who could take charge. moreover, her opinion was the most important thing when it came to buying herbs this time. brother wei listened to her. su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t find a reason to refuse. she was looking forward to it and was glad that she had made friends with second master shen. dongting restaurant was located in the south city of the west capital. it was the largest restaurant in the west capital and had a total of three floors. the higher one went, the higher the price. it was already good enough for ordinary people to snatch a seat in the lobby on the first floor. the second floor was expensive, so one usually didn¡¯t even think about the third floor. it was not easy to earn money. the five elements alliance had a chance to reserve a room on the third floor every month. second master shen decisively caused trouble for his father¡¯s opportunity. he could very well be whipped again. he would worry about this later. second master shen said, ¡°actually, there¡¯s more upstairs, but it¡¯s not open to the public. sit for a while. i¡¯ll pick up brother wei.¡± ¡°okay,¡± su xiaoxiao agreed. she sat by the window and watched the traffic on the streets. people came and went. she sighed that it was good to live in peace time. the western jin was so lively. it was said that the great zhou had originally been strong. there had been too many wars, and it had exhausted the people¡¯s wealth. the treasury had been depleted, and the lives of the people were difficult. she drank her tea. the other party was not here yet. she could take this opportunity to think about what other herbs she needed later. however, sometimes, it was not easy to find peace. yuwen jing from the eldest prince¡¯s residence also came to the dongting building today. a few other daughters and guo lingxi came with her. logically speaking, the concubines in the harem were not allowed to leave the palace at will. the western jin emperor empathized with her and specially allowed her to leave the palace to say goodbye to her family. there was a concubine¡¯s brother who had sent her off, but what relationship could guo lingxi have with him? she went to the west capital courier station to show her face and went out to stroll with yuwen jing. the two of them passed by the door of the room and saw su xiaoxiao sitting inside. ¡°what a coincidence. we meet again.¡± guo lingxi sneered. su xiaoxiao drank her tea and glanced at her indifferently, ignoring her. yuwen jing felt indignant for guo lingxi. ¡°consort ling is talking to you.. are you deaf or mute?¡± Chapter 724 - Chapter 724: The Protective Second Brother (2) chapter 724: the protective second brother (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°she¡¯s consort ling of your western jin, not the great zhou. why should i care about her?¡± yuwen jing said coldly, ¡°she¡¯s also a princess of your great zhou!¡± su xiaoxiao was fearless. ¡°so what? this isn¡¯t the great zhou.¡± yuwen jing choked and fell back. guo lingxi knew very well that su xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth could anger a living person to death. she was not led by the nose by her. instead, she asked, ¡°qin su, did you come to the wrong place? the third floor of the dongting building is not a place for people like you.¡± her words woke her up from her dream. yuwen jing suddenly looked up at su xiaoxiao. ¡°that¡¯s right. every room here is only reserved for people from western jin. you¡¯re not from western jin!¡± the waiter happened to serve tea. yuwen jing stopped him. ¡°do you put just anyone on the third floor?¡± the shop assistant smiled awkwardly. ¡°this room was booked by the five elements alliance. this girl is a guest of the five elements alliance.¡± hearing that su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t come in on her own, yuwen jing was speechless. guo lingxi¡¯s eyes flashed as she asked with a smile, ¡°jing¡¯er, where¡¯s our room?¡± ¡°inside, the heaven room!¡± thinking of her room, yuwen jing regained her sense of superiority. guo lingxi praised, ¡°jing¡¯er, you¡¯re really amazing. you can actually book the heaven room. i heard that it¡¯s the best room in the dongting restaurant.¡± yuwen jing said proudly, ¡°my father is the eldest prince. our eldest prince¡¯s residence can book any room we want. there¡¯s no need to beg second grandpa and grandma.¡± guo lingxi smiled and said, ¡°let¡¯s go. some people like to swindle others. who knows what lie she told to enter the room of the five elements alliance.¡± ¡°who¡¯s making things up about our five elements alliance?¡± accompanied by a dignified and low voice, a hale and hearty old master who was more than fifty years old walked over. the waiter was caught in the middle and found it difficult to do anything. when he saw him, it was as if he had been pardoned. ¡°old master shen! you¡¯re here!¡± yuwen jing said to guo lingxi, ¡°i¡¯ve seen him in father¡¯s study. he¡¯s vice alliance master shen of the five elements alliance!¡± vice alliance master shen came to the two of them and cupped his hands at yuwen jing. ¡°miss yuwen.¡± yuwen jing smiled faintly. ¡°you came at the right time. the person inside said that she¡¯s a guest of your five elements alliance. do you know her?¡± vice alliance master shen looked at su xiaoxiao and frowned. guo lingxi pretended to exclaim, ¡°old master shen, you don¡¯t know her?¡± yuwen jing snorted and said, ¡°old master shen, i¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know. she¡¯s a big liar who swindles people everywhere. last time, she said that she was mr. zhuge¡¯s sister, but mr. zhuge doesn¡¯t know her at all! if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask this person on my side. she¡¯s a princess of the great zhou, and that woman is also from the great zhou. everyone knows that mr. zhuge is from northern yan. how can he have a sister from the great zhou?¡± ¡°dad! dad! it¡¯s my guest!¡± second master shen climbed up the stairs, panting. he had just gone to pick wei ting up and was told that wei ting had already left. he quickly came over. he grabbed his sleeve and said breathlessly, ¡°i¡­ i¡¯m holding a banquet here tonight.¡± old master shen muttered,¡±l wanted a banquet too!¡± guo lingxi smiled. ¡°old master shen, your five elements alliance is the largest business alliance in the world. it¡¯s best not to befriend any random people. if word gets out, it will be a disgrace to your status.¡± regardless of su xiaoxiao¡¯s status in the great zhou, this was the western jin. the great zhou¡¯s methods were useless. if she dared to scam zhuge qing, she dared to guarantee that no one in the western jin would have the guts to continue interacting with her! there was indeed a hint of hesitation on old master shen¡¯s face. he had never interfered much with his son¡¯s friendships. if he snatched his room, the matter would be over if he beat him up later. however, if that person fabricated a relationship with mr. zhuge, this person could not be befriended. ¡°shut up!¡± old master shen shouted. ¡°invite her out!¡± second master shen¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°dad!¡± more and more people were watching. su xiaoxiao sat in the room of the five elements alliance and was ¡°invited out¡± by the deputy leader of the five elements alliance in public. this was undoubtedly a slap to her face in public. she had lost all her face. however, she deserved it. guo lingxi was extremely happy. she could not defeat her in great zhou. now that she was in the western jin, she was only so-so. this was the feeling of exaltation! ¡°hurry up and invite her out! how many times do i have to say it!¡± ¡°dad! she¡¯s my friend!¡± the father and son almost quarreled. everyone began to point at su xiaoxiao, who was calmly sitting inside drinking tea, and scold her for being shameless and harming others. suddenly, a team of black armored guards walked down the stairs. they came down from above. could it be¡­ that mr. zhuge was in the pavilion on the top floor? this was really great! she was finally going to press this countryside girl¡¯s face to the ground and rub what was more embarrassing than being caught red-handed by mr. zhuge? the black armored guards arrived at the door of the room. the murderous aura of the leader shocked everyone, and the corridor fell silent. he asked, ¡°who said she was mr. zhuge¡¯s sister just now?¡± yuwen jing pointed inside. ¡°it¡¯s her!¡± everyone looked at su xiaoxiao. it was over. this girl¡¯s good days were over. western jin couldn¡¯t accomodate her anymore. the black armored guard came to su xiaoxiao and looked down at her. just as everyone thought that he would slash at su xiaoxiao, he suddenly cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°miss, sir invites you up.¡± everyone was shocked. what did the black armored guard call her? miss? guo lingxi¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°that¡¯s impossible! did you get the wrong person?¡± the black armored guard ignored her. ¡°can i bring my friend up?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. the black armored guard said, ¡°of course. sir said that miss¡¯s friend is his friend.¡± su xiaoxiao put down her teacup and came to the shocked old master shen. ¡°vice alliance master shen, we don¡¯t need this room anymore. you may take it.¡± up, up where? the top floor? a pavilion that was never open to the public? was he going to see mr. zhuge? in his lifetime? second master shen was floating, as if he had drunk a catty of erguotou. old master shen was so shocked that he was speechless. guo lingxi was slapped in the face. she was extremely embarrassed and wished she could find a hole to hide in. yuwen jing was also very surprised. ¡°is sir here too? i¡¯ll go greet him.. the black armored guard escorted su xiaoxiao upstairs. when he heard her words, he turned around and stopped her coldly. ¡°sir said that he won¡¯t see any unrelated people..¡± Chapter 725 - Chapter 725: Banquet chapter 725: banquet translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was not until the last black armored guard disappeared at the end of the stairs that yuwen jing finally came back to her senses. did she just get rejected by mr. zhuge in front of everyone? mr. zhuge was her father¡¯s strategist! he had never been harsh to her! she¡­ she had even asked mr. zhuge for guidance many times. mr. zhuge had patiently explained it to her, and mr. zhuge even praised her for being smart¡­ she was a promising child¡­ ¡°it¡¯s all your fault!¡± she turned around and glared at guo lingxi coldly. guo lingxi felt as if she had been hit in the head. her expression changed slightly as she clenched her handkerchief. ¡°why are you blaming me again?¡± she was also very wronged, okay? yuwen jing was young and impetuous after all, and she was used to being flattered. now that she had suddenly been embarrassed, she was unhappy. ¡°didn¡¯t you say that she was definitely not mr. zhuge¡¯s sister? you even said that if she was related to mr. zhuge, you would chop off your head! show me!¡± the number of onlookers increased instead of decreasing, almost blocking the corridor. when everyone heard yuwen jing¡¯s words, they pointed at guo lingxi. when the two of them fell into the mud at the same time, they only needed to step on each other¡¯s shoulders to come out of the embarassment. guo lingxi was about to vomit blood from anger. she wanted to say that yuwen jing was the one who questioned qin su¡¯s relationship with zhuge qing first. she was just supporting yuwen jing. why did it all become her fault in the end? if it were a few months ago, she would have said whatever she thought. after all, she had been raised in the palm of others. she had even bullied princess hui an. what was a mere princess? unfortunately, this was not the great zhou, and she was no longer princess lingxi, who had the support of the grand empress dowager and the guo family. she was only a concubine of the western jin emperor. she could not really fall out with the biological granddaughter of the western jin emperor. as she hated yuwen jing, she was very puzzled. qin su grew up in the countryside and returned to the capital. she was extremely sure that qin su had never been to western jin. how did she know zhuge qing? why did she become zhuge qing¡¯s¡­ sister? no, she was definitely not his real sister! ¡°is there something wrong with zhuge qing or qin su?¡± guo lingxi looked at the top floor where no one dared to go up and bit her lip coldly. she would figure it out sooner or later! the top floor of the dongting building was very wide. half of it was built into an elegant pavilion, and the rest had been transformed into an open-air garden. there were some flowers, fruits, and grapes planted in the courtyard. mei ji was picking grapes with the three little ones. the three little ones could not pick them themselves. there were black armored guards carrying them. second master shen was still in a daze. his face was red and he was a burly man. suddenly, he became like a shy wife who did not dare to speak. ¡°this is second master shen. we met on the day we entered the city. second master shen, this is my¡­ brother!¡± she would call him that for the time being. second master shen was not a talkative person. it was obvious from the fact that he had never asked about her relationship with the princess¡¯s residence. second master shen really did not question in detail what siblings they were. zhuge qing politely called him second master shen, scaring him so much that he stood up from his chair! ¡°mr. zhuge, just call me shen xin!¡± zhuge qing smiled. second master shen was intoxicated again. as a man, he felt that another man was very charming when he smiled. moreover, mr. zhuge did not put on any airs at all. he was very easy-going, but there was an invisible mysterious dignity that made people not dare to blaspheme and act rashly. ¡°i¡¯ll go pick grapes with my nephews!¡± he could tell that the two of them had something to say and tactfully found an excuse to leave. zhuge qing looked at the grape trellis and instructed, ¡°mei ji, entertain the guests well.¡± ¡°got it!¡± mei ji picked a bunch of grapes and turned around. her proud chest met second master shen¡¯s gaze. second master shen¡¯s nose bled.. su xiaoxiao mentioned to zhuge qing that the western jin emperor had asked her to treat his legs. ¡°so you¡¯re the western jin emperor¡¯s strategist. why did you choose yuwen huai?¡± zhuge qing said, ¡°guess.¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°i won¡¯t guess!¡± zhuge qing smiled and took a sip of tea. he treated her like a child and didn¡¯t want to tell her¡­ forget it, she wasn¡¯t too curious. thinking of something, su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°what do you plan to say to the western jin emperor? if guo lingxi finds out, i can guarantee that the first thing she will do after returning is to report our relationship to the western jin emperor. in addition, if i¡¯m your sister, won¡¯t i be too embarrassed to collect the consultation fee when the western jin emperor invites me to treat you?¡± zhuge qing glanced at her. ¡°the main point is the last sentence, right? about 15 minutes later, wei ting arrived. second master shen was meticulous. he did not find wei ting in crimson moon opera house and sent someone to the moon chasing inn. the servant really bumped into wei ting. wei ting had already heard what had just happened in the lobby. his second brother had supported the little fat peacock. he liked it very much. he greeted second master shen and sat back beside the two of them. ¡°second brother, don¡¯t tell me you own the dongting restaurant?¡± mei ji came over with a basket of grapes and placed them in front of zhuge qing. ¡°the dongting restaurant isn¡¯t teacher¡¯s business. it¡¯s opened by a friend of sir¡¯s. sir once helped him!¡± with that, she glared at wei ting. ¡°blind!¡± wei ting couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with the little girl. mei ji snorted and left, continuing to pick grapes. wei ting pinched a grape. ¡°crimson moon opera house belongs to second brother, right? wait, don¡¯t tell me second brother owns the moon chasing inn zhuge qing said nothing. wei ting was stunned. ¡°second brother really owns it! then why did he charge me for the room?!¡± zhuge qing said, ¡°we¡¯re biological brothers. let¡¯s settle accounts openly.¡± wei ting was speechless. the merchant of wei had not arrived for a long time. second master shen could not let mr. zhuge wait for a pharmaceutical merchant. moreover, there were children. if mr. zhuge was not hungry, the children should be hungry. second master shen said, ¡°he¡¯s not here after so long. he might have been delayed.¡± zhuge qing looked at the three little ones who were yawning. ¡°then let¡¯s eat first.¡± xiaohu ate pig balls as he wished. unfortunately, when he was picking the grapes just now, others were picking for him to eat. his stomach was already full. he only ate a few pork balls and could no longer stuff them in. dahu and erhu each grabbed a roasted lamb chop and ate until their mouths were oily. zhuge qing was a vegetarian. second master shen was very excited tonight. he had seen mr. zhuge¡­ in person. not only that, but he also ate at the same table as the other party. he had to go to his ancestral grave to see if there was smoke. he felt his head heat up. he picked up the wine glass with both hands and stood up. ¡°i, i, i¡­ i¡¯ll toast you!¡± mei ji said solemnly, ¡°my master doesn¡¯t drink!¡± second master shen: ¡°ah¡­ zhuge qing smiled. ¡°i¡¯ll replace wine with tea, okay?¡± second master shen was flattered and his head was about to fall off. ¡°okay, okay, okay! ¡± ten thousand times okay! after one glass, he was even more drunk. wei ting could hold his liquor well and drank two glasses with him. after three rounds of wine, the wei nation¡¯s pharmaceutical merchant finally arrived. ¡°sorry, sorry. i just returned to the west capital. i heard from my medicine boy that you want to buy my herbs.¡± second master shen said, ¡°that¡¯s right. brother liu, is your herb still there?¡± master liu sighed. ¡°if you had come to me a day earlier, i could have sold it to you.. no, it¡¯s to give you! but when i left the west capital today¡­ i¡¯ve already sold it to someone else!¡± Chapter 726 - Chapter 726: Second Brother’s Means chapter 726: second brother¡¯s means translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°why¡­ did you sell it to someone else?¡± second master shen was stunned. he felt that he had not done a good job and was very ashamed. the wei nation merchant said, ¡°i¡¯ve been in the western capital for more than a month, but that herb hasn¡¯t been sold. i thought that i couldn¡¯t sell it anymore, so i wanted to deal with it cheaply before it withered¡­ no one expected that¡­ either no one wanted it, or everyone wanted it.¡± he was in a difficult position. second master shen was the son of the vice alliance master. who didn¡¯t want to cling to this big tree? besides¡­ he glanced at the man in the wheelchair not far away. for some reason, he felt that the other party was a big shot. ¡°brother wei, madam wei¡­¡± second master shen was extremely ashamed. he had just bragged to someone that he had found the herb, but in the blink of an eye, the herb had been bought. he wished he could find a hole to hide in. he did not know that this herb was bought for zhuge qing. if he knew, he would probably jump down from the top floor on the spot. ¡°who did you sell it to?¡± mei ji walked over and asked. the wei nation merchant had never seen such a seductive woman. his gaze subconsciously swept across mei ji¡¯s proud chest. he resisted the urge to bleed from his nose and said awkwardly, ¡°i sold it to an alchemist.¡± mei ji asked, ¡°where did you sell it?¡± the wei nation merchant did not dare to look at her again, afraid that he would lose his composure in public. ¡°a market outside the east city.¡± mei ji continued, ¡°do you remember what that person looked like?¡± the wei nation merchant nodded repeatedly. ¡°i remember, i remember!¡± wei ting asked fu su to get a pen and paper. after the wei nation merchang finished describing him, his portrait was completed. ¡°take a look.¡± wei ting showed him the portrait. ¡°yes! he looks like this!¡± the wei businessman was shocked. how could someone draw such a similar portrait? god! ¡°alright, i understand.¡± mei ji asked for the portrait to be brought over. after rolling it up, she put it into her wide sleeve. ¡°i¡¯ll definitely get the herbs back in twelve hours!¡± the assassin glanced at her. ¡°the premise is that the other party hasn¡¯t use it.¡± mei ji glared at him. ¡°don¡¯t jinx it!¡± she looked at zhuge qing. ¡°sir, i¡¯ll go find the herb. wait for my good news!¡± zhuge qing smiled. ¡°okay.¡± she tapped the tip of her foot and flew down. this small interlude did not affect zhuge qing¡¯s interest. he called the wei nation merchant to sit with him. the wei nation merchant was a little embarrassed. second master shen said with a flushed face, ¡°if sir asks you to sit down, sit down!¡± ¡°wh-what sir?¡± the wei merchant asked slowly. the wei businessman was dumbfounded! wei ting was a little helpless. he wanted to leave the banquet to look for the herb a few times. zhuge qing was calm and chatted from time to time. su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but sigh. this was really a man with terrifying mental fortitude. wei ting had a serious expression. ¡°why do you keep staring at my second brother?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°second brother is good -looking.¡± wei ting¡¯s face darkened. ¡°wife, you¡¯ve changed.¡± second master shen and the merchant of wei country successfully collapsed. zhuge qing called the shopkeeper over and asked him to arrange a room for the two of them. then, the group returned to the inn. ¡°second brother, let¡¯s go together. we live on the same street anyway,¡± wei ting said as he carried the sleeping dahu. erhu and xiaohu were in su xiaoxiao and fu su¡¯s arms. zhuge qing said nothing. wei ting narrowed his eyes slightly and realized something. he said in shock, ¡°second brother, don¡¯t tell me you moved?! what do you mean? you¡¯re deliberately hiding from me! if dahu and the others hadn¡¯t followed you¡­ and happened to meet you tonight¡­ would i never have been able to find you again? how could you do this?!¡± wei little seven was hurt. he stuffed dahu into his arms. dodge, continue dodging! ah yuan looked at zhuge qing awkwardly. ¡°sir.¡± zhuge qing looked at the sleeping little fellow in his arms and sighed. ¡°back to the moon chasing inn.¡± the corners of ah yuan¡¯s mouth twitched. they were moving back¡­ the next day, the western jin emperor summoned zhuge qing to the imperial study of the palace. ¡°i heard that you have a sister. she¡¯s qin canglan¡¯s granddaughter.¡± the western jin emperor went straight to the point. there was no need to beat around the bush when talking to smart people. zhuge qing sat in a wheelchair; his aura was deep and restrained. there was a faint smile on her lips. ¡°ah, there¡¯s such a thing.¡± the western jin emperor paced around the room and frowned at him. ¡°aren¡¯t you from northern yan? how are you related to the qin family of the great zhou? i don¡¯t remember qin canglan having a grandson your age.¡± zhuge qing said softly, ¡°i¡¯m not from the qin family of the great zhou. she¡¯s not my biological sister. i wanted to acknowledge her as my foster sister.¡± ¡°foster sister?¡± ¡°she looks a little like my long-lost sister. the first time i saw her outside the west capital, i had the idea of taking her as my adopted sister.¡± the western jin emperor looked at him suspiciously. ¡°i¡­ have never heard about your sister.¡± zhuge qing smiled bitterly. ¡°i don¡¯t want to mention sad things to anyone. my sister is my only family in the world. unfortunately, we were separated ten years ago. all these years, i¡¯ve searched many places. i only found a trace three years ago.¡± the western jin emperor paused. ¡°three years ago¡­ your sister came to the western jin?¡± zhuge qing nodded slightly. the western jin emperor frowned and said, ¡°so¡­ your real purpose in staying in the western jin is to find your sister?¡± zhuge qing remained silent. in the eyes of the western jin emperor, this was a tacit agreement. the western jin emperor was originally worried that he would not be able to keep him without the stone marrow. from the looks of it, he was overthinking. zhuge qing sighed and said, ¡°however, everything seems to be qing¡¯s wishful thinking.¡± the western jin emperor said in a low voice, ¡°why? she¡¯s still unwilling to be your foster sister?¡± zhuge qing smiled. the western jin emperor quickly remembered that the girl was yuwen xi¡¯s friend, and zhuge qing was yuwen huai¡¯s strategist. the two families did not get along, so it was not strange for the little girl to not agree. the western jin emperor was definitely not an easy person to fool, but zhuge qing had won the trust of this emperor over three years. it was very easy for the current western jin emperor to believe him. the western jin emperor snorted. ¡°so many people can¡¯t wait for such a good thing, but she actually doesn¡¯t care.¡± zhuge qing said, ¡®everyone has their own ambitions.¡± the western jin emperor sighed. ¡°what a strange woman.¡± soon, the western jin emperor thought of something. if that girl refused to acknowledge zhuge qing as her foster brother, would she also refuse to treat zhuge qing¡¯s leg? ¡°hegui.¡± ¡°your majesty.¡± ¡°go to the inn.¡± su xiaoxiao had just finished breakfast with the three little ones and planned to go to the princess¡¯s residence to do a follow-up for the young prince. eunuch he suddenly came. when su xiaoxiao saw him, she remembered that guo lingxi had complained to the western jin emperor. the western jin emperor most likely knew that she was zhuge qing¡¯s ¡°sister¡±. could it be that eunuch he were here to ask her for the gold? he asked, ¡°madam wei, have you thought about it?¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°i¡¯m still considering it.¡± he smiled and took two boxes of heavy gold from the accompanying eunuch. ¡°his majesty said that as long as you agree to treat that patient, the consultation fee will be doubled.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless.. Chapter 727 - Chapter 727: The Might of Wuhu (1) chapter 727: the might of wuhu (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°what did you say? she¡¯s mr. zhuge¡¯s¡­ foster sister?¡± in the imperial garden, guo lingxi heard the young eunuch¡¯s report. after returning to the palace yesterday, she immediately reported what had happened at the dongting tower to the western jin emperor. naturally, she filtered out the process of her and yuwen jing making things difficult for qin su. the young eunuch said, ¡°she looks like mr. zhuge¡¯s long-lost sister, so mr. zhuge proposed to acknowledge her as his adopted sister.¡± guo lingxi was furious. the young eunuch continued, ¡°i heard that she doesn¡¯t want to be mr. zhuge¡¯s sister yet.¡± guo lingxi mocked, ¡°if she doesn¡¯t want to do it, will she use the name of mr. zhuge¡¯s sister to swindle everyone? she¡¯s just deliberately mystifying and keeping zhuge qing in suspense! to think that he¡¯s the number one strategist of the western jin dynasty, but he was actually fooled by a girl. in my opinion, he¡¯s nothing much!¡± just as she finished speaking, she sensed that something was wrong with the young eunuch¡¯s expression. her heart skipped a beat. she turned around and saw zhuge qing sitting in a wheelchair, slowly pushed forward by a black armored guard. did he¡­ hear what she said just now? zhuge qing was a strategist in the eldest prince¡¯s residence, but he occasionally entered the palace to play chess with the western jin emperor. this was something everyone knew. because his legs were not good enough to walk, the western jin emperor exempted him from bowing to anyone. as zhuge qing got closer and closer, guo lingxi¡¯s breathing became more and more stagnant. strange. the person approaching was clearly just a cripple in a wheelchair. why did she feel such a terrifying aura and pressure? it was an invisible pressure, and the air seemed to have materialized. guo lingxi¡¯s heart was in her throat. when zhuge qing¡¯s wheelchair brushed past her, she actually could not move. however, zhuge qing did not do anything. he did not even look at her and walked past her. after the black armored guard pushed zhuge qing away, guo lingxi finally found her breath. she took a deep breath and her legs went weak as she fell to the ground, as if she had died once. ¡°it¡¯s too scary¡­ this man¡­ is too scary¡­¡± second master shen did not return the en tire night and only returned to his house at noon the next day. afraid of being discovered by the old master, he entered secretly. ¡°fortunately, i¡¯m smart.¡± he carefully closed the door and turned around to see a sinister figure standing in front of him. he was shocked and slammed into the door behind him. ¡°ah!¡± ¡°what are you screaming for?¡± old master shen said in a low voice. ¡°dad?¡± second master shen rubbed his eyes and boldly walked forward. ¡°it¡¯s really you. why are you in my room? why aren¡¯t you saying anything? you scared me to death. wait, dad¡­ don¡¯t tell me you waited for me in the room all night?¡± old master shen said angrily, ¡°what do you think?¡± second master shen opened the window and looked at his father¡¯s two big dark circles. he felt that they were close to the mark, not far off. ¡°i didn¡¯t mean not to come back last night. i¡­ i drank too much¡­¡± he explained softly and waited for his father to beat him up. unexpectedly, old master shen did not beat him up. instead, he got someone to bring him a bowl of hangover tea. he didn¡¯t dare to drink it, afraid that his father wouldn¡¯t beat him up and would poison him instead. ¡°good for you.¡± old master shen glared at him. he had been to the eldest prince¡¯s residence so many times, but he had only seen the steward of the residence. he was not even qualified to approach mr. zhuge within ten steps. this son actually reached the heavens in a single step and became mr. zhuge¡¯s guest. ¡°dad, are you still beating me up?¡± yesterday, he had caused trouble in his father¡¯s room and embarrassed his father. he had not returned home at night¡­ just thinking about it, he would have to be whipped three to five times. ¡°get lost¡­¡± old master shen wanted to say get lost and sleep, but when the words reached his lips, he coughed lightly. ¡°sober up first. i still have something on. i¡¯ll leave first.¡± second master shen¡¯s eyes flashed and he tested the waters. ¡°dad, my carriage is a little old.¡± ¡°get someone to get you a new one.¡± ¡°your jade wine pot is not bad.¡± ¡°go get it yourself.¡± ¡°and those calligraphy and paintings in your study¡­¡± ¡°shen xin!¡± ¡°i¡¯m going to sleep. take care, dad.¡± second master shen stopped while he was ahead. old master shen left his courtyard with a straight face. after taking two steps, old master shen couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°bastard, you¡¯ve done well!¡± in the afternoon, mei ji brought back news. ¡°there¡¯s good news and bad news. the good news is that the herb has yet to be used. the bad news is that the person who bought the herbs is an alchemist under feng xiaoran.¡± ¡°who¡¯s feng xiaoran?¡± su xiaoxiao asked.. Chapter 728 - Chapter 728: The Might of the Wuhu (2) chapter 728: the might of the wuhu (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios mei ji didn¡¯t have a good expression when she mentioned this person. ¡°he¡¯s just a defeated opponent of teacher! before teacher came to the western jin, the number one strategist of the eldest prince¡¯s residence was him. there¡¯s no room for two tigers in one mountain. he couldn¡¯t defeat teacher and left. i heard that he recently joined yuwen xi.¡± su xiaoxiao understood. feng xiaoran was zhuge qing¡¯s sworn enemy. the herb would basically die in his hands. mei ji muttered, ¡°i don¡¯t dare to do anything rash. i was afraid that he would recognize me and guess that teacher wanted the herb. if that happened, he would definitely destroy the herb!¡± su xiaoxiao paused. ¡°i¡¯ll think of a way.¡± she went to the princess¡¯s residence and saw yuwen xi in the study in the main courtyard. ¡°you¡¯re saying that feng xiaoran has the herbs you want?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°is it for treating yi¡¯er?¡± ¡°no.¡± su xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°it¡¯s for another friend.¡± yuwen xi had still been imprisoned in the residence for the past two days, but many soldiers had been withdrawn. the emperor¡¯s attitude towards her had clearly loosened, so it was not difficult for her to leave the residence. it depended on whether she was willing to help su xiaoxiao. ¡°alright, wait for me here.¡± yuwen xi called moxie and used his movement technique to leave the princess¡¯s residence. feng xiaoran lived outside the city. the two of them rode for more than two hours before arriving. feng xiaoran was very surprised. he personally went out to welcome him and cupped his hands. ¡°your highness!¡± yuwen xi was wearing a black cloak. her exquisite body exuded the charm of a mature woman in the night. feng xiaoran lowered his eyes. ¡°come in and sit.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need,¡± yuwen xi said. ¡°i came to ask you for something. i have to rush back after taking it.¡± feng xiaoran was a little disappointed, but he still asked respectfully, ¡°what do you want, your highness?¡± yuwen xi said calmly, ¡°a purple herb. you bought it from the wei nation¡¯ merchant yesterday.¡± feng xiaoran¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°your highness¡­ why do you want that herb?¡± yuwen xi said seriously, ¡°to treat yi¡¯er.¡± feng xiaoran smiled. ¡°your highness, that herb is used to treat cold illnesses. the young royal prince has a fever. which physician gave the young royal prince a prescription? i¡¯m afraid he want the young royal prince¡¯s life.¡± yuwen xi was not a physician. she did not know this. she only thought that it would be more logical to use yi¡¯er as an excuse. feng xiaoran looked at yuwen xi deeply. ¡°your highness, that herb is actually not worth much. it¡¯s useless to others, but it¡¯s a life-saving spirit medicine to a person. do you know who that person is?¡± yuwen xi looked at him curiously. feng xiaoran smiled gently. ¡°zhuge qing.¡± yuwen xi¡¯s pupils constricted. feng xiaoran mustered his courage and looked at the number one beauty of the western jin. ¡°looks like your highness doesn¡¯t know. then i¡¯m curious. who asked your highness to take this herb? what¡¯s his relationship with zhuge qing? why did he hide the fact that your highness was going to treat zhuge qing? your highness, the last time at his majesty¡¯s birthday banquet, zhuge qing escape despite our meticulous planning. this time, it¡¯s a good opportunity to kill him without any bloodshed. he¡¯s looking for this herb, which means that he¡¯s terminally ill. he can¡¯t last long. he¡¯s your highness¡¯s greatest worry. if we get rid of him, we¡¯ll get rid of the greatest stumbling block on your highness¡¯s path to the throne! wouldn¡¯t it be faster to let him fall ill and die?¡± yuwen xi clenched her fists. moxie looked at yuwen xi worriedly. feng xiaoran continued, ¡°has your highness forgotten how you were imprisoned? if not for zhuge qing¡¯s scheme to frame your highness, why would your highness fall from the clouds into the mud? also, the young royal prince¡¯s smallpox is most likely zhuge qing¡¯s doing. are you sure you won¡¯t get rid of such a huge problem? even if your highness doesn¡¯t avenge yourself, you have to think for the young royal prince and the young princess. as long as zhuge qing isn¡¯t eliminated, the princess¡¯s pesidence won¡¯t be at peace. ¡°your highness, think about your own ambition. do you really want to save zhuge qing?¡± yuwen xi¡¯s clenched fists relaxed bit by bit. she slowly calmed down and said expressionlessly, ¡°give me the herb.¡± as moxie took a step forward, killing intent lingered between his eyebrows. a trace of struggle flashed across feng xiaoran¡¯s eyes. he looked away indignantly. ¡°your highness, wait a moment.¡± he returned to the house and walked over with a brocade box. ¡°i just plucked the herb. it has to be used within three days. otherwise, it will wither and lose its medicinal effects.¡± yuwen xi opened the box and asked, ¡°why is it only half?¡± feng xiaoran smiled and said, ¡°i¡¯ve used the other half. don¡¯t worry, your highness. this herb grows extremely well. half is enough.¡± yuwen xi left with mo xie. his subordinate walked over. ¡°young master, are we giving them the herb just like that? what if her highness is really going to save zhuge qing?¡± feng xiaoran sneered and said, ¡°it¡¯s fine. i¡¯ve been secretly enduring zhuge qing for so long. it¡¯s time to prove that i¡¯m stronger than him.¡± the subordinate was at a loss. ¡°i don¡¯t understand. could it be¡­ that you gave her a fake herb?¡± feng xiaoran dusted his wide sleeves. ¡°the herb is real, but it was poisoned. if she doesn¡¯t give the herb to zhuge qing, zhuge qing will definitely die. if she gives it to zhuge qing, zhuge qing will also not be able to escape the fate of being poisoned to death!¡± thinking of the scene of zhuge qing being poisoned to death, feng xiaoran was excited. he would soon prove to the world that he was the smartest person in the world. he returned to his room and took out the remaining half of the herb. he was not lying. this medicinal herb was thriving. half a stalk was already powerful enough. it was useful for him to keep it. after the alchemist gathered the rest of the herbs, he could refine a great nourishment pill and offer it to the western jin emperor. he carefully placed the box away and got up to wash up. the moon was dark and windy. a parrot disguised as a black crow landed on the table. its small black wings fused with the night. it swaggered to the box, puffed out its chest valiantly, pecked open the box with its beak, picked up the herb inside, and flew away! Chapter 729 - Chapter 729: Success (1) chapter 729: success (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios at this moment, feng xiaoran did not know that his herb had already been stolen by a bird. he had the habit of taking medicinal baths, especially after autumn. for this reason, he specially built a large bathhouse and dug a small white jade bath. he relaxed and soaked in the hot pool, fantasizing that zhuge qing would die in pain and that everything that was snatched away by zhuge qing would return to his hands. no, it was more than that. he would accept all the connections and forces that zhuge qing had accumulated over the years, including the black armored army. ¡°i¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡¯ su xiaoxiao was waiting for news in yuwen xi¡¯s room. the young princess of western jin secretly pushed open the door and glanced in. ¡°qin su.¡± ¡°little princess.¡± su xiaoxiao turned around and saw her. the young princess of western jin pushed the door open and gently closed it. ¡°qin su, don¡¯t worry. no one discovered me.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. it would be strange it no one discovered it. however, the western jin emperor had turned a blind eye now. other than yuwen yi¡¯s courtyard, yuwen xincould do whatever she wanted. yuwen xin sat down beside su xiaoxiao. ¡°qin su, are you waiting for my mother?¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°moxie just told me that he wants to go out with my mother.¡± yuwen xin did not understand what was going on between adults. she just felt that it was not good for her mother to go out and leave qin su alone, so she decided to come over and accompany her. ¡°qin su, how¡¯s my brother¡¯s condition? when can i see him?¡± su xiaoxiao said to her, ¡°soon. when the young prince¡¯s smallpox recovers, you can see him.¡± ¡°that¡¯s great!¡± the young princess held su xiaoxiao¡¯s arm. ¡®qin su, fortunately, you came. otherwise, i might not have a brother.¡± su xiaoxiao comforted her. ¡°the young princess is a good person. you¡¯ll be fine.¡± the two of them chatted for a while before yuwen xi and moxie returned. yuwen xi took off her cloak and looked at su xiaoxiao and her daughter. she said to moxie, ¡°go out with xin¡¯er.¡± she had something to say to su xiaoxiao alone. ¡°yes.¡± moxie brought the young princess out. yuwen xi placed the brocade box on the table, not with su xiaoxiao, but in front of her. su xiaoxiao roughly understood what had happened. she looked at yuwen xi. ¡°your highness.¡± yuwen xi said seriously, ¡°what¡¯s your relationship with zhuge qing?¡± it seemed that yuwen xi already knew that zhuge qing needed this herb. su xiaoxiao¡¯s expression was very calm. she did not feel guilty or flustered. she asked, ¡°did feng xiaoran tell your highness?¡± feng xiaoran was zhuge qing¡¯s sworn enemy. no, he was feng xiaoran¡¯s self-proclaimed sworn enemy. from the beginning to the end, zhuge qing had never treated him as an opponent. feng xiaoran had been investigating zhuge qing. she remembered that mei ji had said that feng xiaoran had an apothecary under him. perhaps they had seen zhuge qing¡¯s medical case and guessed his condition. there was one thing that su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t figure out. this kind of cold illness was very rare. even the imperial physicians were helpless. how did that medicine master know that that particular herb could treat the illness? yuwen xi said coldly, ¡°it¡¯s him. it¡¯s your turn to answer me.¡± su xiaoxiao lowered her eyes and sighed. ¡°your father asked me to treat zhuge qing.¡± yuwen xi was stunned. ¡°what?¡± su xiaoxiao said in a low voice, ¡°although his majesty didn¡¯t tell me who the patient was, he showed me the other party¡¯s medical case. he¡¯s not well and is someone his majesty thinks highly of. other than zhuge qing, i can¡¯t guess who else.¡± of course, su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t expose zhuge qing¡¯s true identity. at this moment, she just had to push the blame to the western jin emperor. ¡°if your highness doesn¡¯t believe me, you can enter the palace to ask. i believe that with your highness¡¯s ability, it won¡¯t be difficult to investigate this matter.¡± yuwen xi frowned. ¡°yesterday, xin¡¯er said that eunuch he came to look for you to enter the palace for this?¡± su xiaoxiao said gloomily, ¡°half of it is for zhuge qing, and the other half is to ask about the young royal prince¡¯s condition. i showed a look of rejection yesterday, and today, his majesty sent someone over with eunuch he and gave me a double deposit. i¡¯m not doing it all for the money. i¡¯m just worried that his majesty is so determined. if i reject him, i might offend his majesty.¡± yuwen xi asked, ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± su xiaoxiao hesitated. ¡°firstly, i¡¯m only guessing that it¡¯s zhuge qing. there¡¯s no evidence. secondly¡­¡± yuwen xi said calmly, ¡°secondly, you¡¯re also worried that i won¡¯t help you..¡± Chapter 730 - Chapter 730: Success (2) chapter 730: success (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao said in a low voice, ¡°yes. the western jin is powerful. i¡¯m just the daughter of a small family of generals in the great zhou. i can¡¯t afford to offend the emperor of the western jin. i don¡¯t want to offend your highness, but i think with your highness¡¯s personality, even if you know, you shouldn¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± yuwen xi said sternly, ¡°stop flattering me! i¡¯ll know if father asked you to treat zhuge qing! it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not lying, but if you¡¯re lying¡­ su xiaoxiao met her gaze frankly. ¡®your highness, just investigate.¡± other than the fact that her rejection was fake, there was evidence for the rest. it did not matter if she showed any rejection. at least, the western jin emperor thought that she would refuse. yuwen xi pushed the box in front of her. ¡°take the herb and see if it¡¯s right. also, be careful. feng xiaoran gave me the herbs too smoothly. i¡¯m worried that he did something to the herbs.¡± yuwen xi did not want anything to happen to her now. putting aside her personal feelings, yuwen xi still hoped that she would treat her son. su xiaoxiao took the brocade box. ¡°thank you, your highness. i¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± after leaving yuwen xi¡¯s courtyard, she found an empty place and opened the brocade box. there was nothing unusual about the herbs, nor was there anything wrong with the smell. she closed her eyes. this time, she successfully entered the pharmacy. she opened the box again and took a look. ¡°it¡¯s indeed poisonous.¡± she left the pharmacy, picked up the herb that had been thrown out of the pharmacy, and put it back into the brocade box. fortunately, she was prepared. ¡°aiya! crow!¡± the young princess¡¯s scream came from the garden not far away. su xiaoxiao quickly closed the brocade box and walked over. it turned out that wuhu had returned. it held half a medicinal herb that was almost longer than it and flew all the way. its small wings were almost smoking. when it arrived at the princess¡¯s residence, it finally could not fly anymore. both the bird and herb fell. su xiaoxiao decisively took the herbs. the worker, wuhu, fell on the young princess¡¯s shoulder. yuwen xin was shocked and almost grabbed it to throw it into the feces pit. fortunately, she realized that it felt familiar. ¡°wuhu?¡± she widened her eyes. ¡®wuhu, why did you turn black? were you struck by lightning?¡± wuhu, who was only pretending to be a crow, was speechless. su xiaoxiao secretly stuffed the herb into her arms. looking up, she realized that moxie was watching her from not far away. moxie looked away and pretended not to see anything. there was no need to check if the herb that wuhu brought back were poisonous. after all, if it was poisonous, wuhu would have been poisoned to death. in view of its contribution, su xiaoxiao rewarded it with five pieces of bird food after returning to the inn. wuhu felt that its bird life had reached its peak! five pieces of bird food, five! it couldn¡¯t believe it wuhu had its own bird cage. there was no door, but a small bird¡¯s nest had been built in it. it hoarded the bird food into its little nest. in the future, when there was no bird food, it could take it out and eat it slowly. there was no stove for brewing medicine at the inn. su xiaoxiao went to zhuge qing. wei ting was afraid that he would run away again and had been guarding him in the house. zhuge qing sat in the wheelchair by the bed, and the three little ones had already fallen asleep on his bed. to su xiaoxiao¡¯s surprise, the three little fellows slept neatly. even their hair was in the same direction. she blinked awkwardly. wei ting walked over and whispered, ¡°second brother arranged them.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. ah yuan guarded the house while the assassin and mei ji guarded the courtyard. su xiaoxiao, zhuge qing, and wei ting went to the study. ¡°did you get the herb?¡± wei ting asked. ¡°i got it,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°that feng xiaoran is really cunning. he guessed that second brother wanted the herb and actually gave her highness half the herb which was poisoned. fortunately, i was prepared.¡± she took out the other half of the intact herb. half of the stone in wei ting¡¯s heart fell. the other half would probably only completely fall when his second brother recovered. su xiaoxiao looked at zhuge qing. ¡°second brother, before refining medicine, i want to take your pulse again.¡± zhuge qing stretched out his thin wrist. su xiaoxiao took his pulse. ¡°second brother, did you take the stone marrow a few days ago?¡± zhuge qing said, ¡°yesterday.¡± su xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°it¡¯s only been a day¡­¡± wei ting asked, ¡°so what?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°second brother¡¯s pulse hasn¡¯t changed much since taking the medicine. the stone marrow is becoming less and less useful to him.¡± wei ting looked at zhuge qing with heartache. zhuge qing smiled casually. wei ting noticed that his face was much paler than the first time they met. there were fine beads of sweat on his forehead. second brother¡­ had been enduring the pain brought about by the cold poison. su xiaoxiao began to check his legs. ¡°by the way, second brother, did you see guo lingxi when you entered the palace today?¡± ¡°i did.¡¯ ¡°did she recognize you?¡± ¡°i was wearing a mask.¡± su xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°as expected of second brother.¡± zhuge qing¡¯s condition could not be delayed any longer. ah yuan had already bought the medicine jar and pill furnace according to her request and placed them in a separate room. before beginning, su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°second brother, let me make it clear first. i¡¯ve never tried this prescription. the condition of the patients recorded on it is similar to your situation, but they¡¯re not completely the same. therefore, i can¡¯t guarantee the effect of this prescription for the time being.¡± zhuge qing smiled. ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°then i¡¯ll go.¡± su xiaoxiao closed the door and wei ting guarded outside. even if the sky collapsed tonight, he would never allow anyone to disturb her. it was raining heavily again in the west capital tonight. wei ting stood in the rain and did not move at all. su xiaoxiao followed the steps recorded strictly and stayed up all night by the pill furnace. it was fine for other herbs, but there was only half a stalk of this herb. she had no chance to get it wrong. at dawn, the heavy rain finally stopped. su xiaoxiao¡¯s door was pulled open from inside. wei ting walked towards her under the wet rain. ¡°how is it?¡± su xiaoxiao walked out in a daze and was in a sorry state. wei ting¡¯s heart tightened. could it be¡­ su xiaoxiao opened her palm and revealed a palm-sized box. she smiled at the dawn after the rain. ¡°second brother¡¯s medicine..¡± Chapter 731 - Chapter 731: Getting Better (1) chapter 731: getting better (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios mei ji and the assassin also waited outside for the entire night. fortunately, zhuge qing¡¯s house had eaves, unlike the alchemy room, which was bare. wei ting could only stand in the backyard in the rain. however, it was not enough. the wind was too strong, and their clothes were still drenched. zhuge qing closed the door, and no one could enter. mei ji squatted on the ground and drew circles. ¡°how do you think master is? it¡¯s been raining all night. master¡¯s leg must hurt badly.¡± on rainy days, the cold would flare up even more, especially when the stone marrow was no longer very effective. the killer said nothing. ¡°why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± mei ji asked unhappily. the assassin wanted to say something but hesitated. at this moment, wei ting and su xiaoxiao walked over. mei ji threw away the small stone in her hand and quickly walked to the two of them. she looked at su xiaoxiao first and said, ¡°you seem to have been beaten up.¡± the second sentence was, ¡°is the medicine refined?¡± wei ting clenched the small box in his hand. ¡°it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°let me see! let me see!¡± mei ji temporarily coexisted with the blind man. wei ting refused. ¡°no, it¡¯ll be cold if i open the medicine.¡± mei ji muttered, ¡°you¡¯re definitely taking revenge on me!¡± the killer also looked at the two of them. compared to the noisy mei ji, he was much calmer. his deep and sharp gaze swept across the two of them. he did not relax at all because of wei ting and zhuge qing¡¯s brotherhood. in his eyes, there were only two types of people, sir and the others. wei ting met his scrutiny indifferently. ¡°how much longer do you have to watch? my second brother is feeling uncomfortable.¡± the killer slowly moved aside and pushed open the door for wei ting and su xiaoxiao. the three little ones occupied zhuge qing¡¯s bed. zhuge qing rested in the study last night. the two of them walked around the screen and came to a simple bed. they looked at zhuge qing¡¯s slightly pale face. ¡°second brother,¡± wei ting called him. zhuge qing did not react. wei ting took a step forward and grabbed his wrist. ¡°second brother! second brother!¡± ¡°i¡¯m not dead yet,¡± zhuge qing said calmly. wei ting frowned and said, ¡°your body is so hot.¡± ¡°it¡¯ll be fine when the rain stops,¡± zhuge qing said weakly. wei ting no longer wanted his second brother to suffer from illness. he sat down by the bed and helped his second brother up. ¡°second brother, the medicine is ready.¡± mei ji and the assassin followed. su xiaoxiao poured a glass of warm water and said to zhuge qing, ¡°i¡¯ll say the same thing. i¡¯m not sure about the medicinal effect. if it doesn¡¯t work..¡± the killer said, ¡°sir already wrote his last words last night.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. even if this medicine was not effective, it would definitely not poison zhuge qing to death on the spot. however, in zhuge qing¡¯s current state, if the medicine was ineffective, he would die of cold disease before he could survive this month. wei ting opened the small box and took out a brown pill that was full of spiritual energy. su xiaoxiao put poured some warm water. ¡°chew it.¡± zhuge qing looked at her tired face and smiled. ¡°you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°as long as second brother gets better, all the hard work is worth it!¡± it was definitely not for double the consultation fee! zhuge qing took the medicine. then there was a long wait. on the other side, yuwen xi woke up early. she left moxie to take care of the two children while she brazenly left the princess¡¯s residence. the guards wanted to stop her, but they could not defeat her. last night, she could not sleep because of zhuge qing. she thought of many ways and finally decided to ask the western jin emperor in person. today, the emperor of the western jin dynasty was a diligent emperor. he went to the imperial study to review the memorials. as soon as he sat down, she heard someone report that her highness was here. the emperor frowned and put down the memorial. ¡°let her in!¡± eunuch he brought in yuwen xi. the western jin emperor asked unhappily, ¡°you¡¯re getting more and more impudent. what do you take my imperial edict for?¡± she was supposed to be under house arrest but she ran out every day. yuwen xi said seriously, ¡°i have something to verify with father. it¡¯s about zhuge qing.¡± hearing zhuge qing, the western jin emperor¡¯s expression softened. ¡°what about him?¡± yuwen xi asked, ¡°did father ask qin su to treat his leg?¡± the western jin emperor asked, ¡°did qin su tell you?¡± yuwen xi said, ¡°no, that girl didn¡¯t dare to say. i discovered it myself.¡± the western jin emperor nodded. ¡°how did you discover it?¡± yuwen xi said calmly, ¡°zhuge qing needs a herb. that herb was bought by one of my advisors. she was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t give it to her and lied that she was treating a friend. father, don¡¯t ask me in detail how i exposed her. i¡¯ve been a princess for so many years. i can¡¯t be completely useless..¡± Chapter 732 - Chapter 732: Getting Better (2) chapter 732: getting better (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when the western jin emperor heard this, not only was he not angry, but he was also in a good mood. it seemed that the double consultation fee was effective. that girl decided to treat zhuge qing. yuwen xi looked at the emperor¡¯s expression and knew that su xiaoxiao was not lying. the emperor had indeed asked her to treat zhuge qing¡¯s leg. she felt conflicted. on the one hand, zhuge qing was her sworn enemy. she did not want zhuge qing to be cured. on the other hand, if he died under su xiaoxiao¡¯s treatment and the western jin emperor pursued the matter her, su xiaoxiao would definitely be implicated. she muttered gloomily, ¡°what¡¯s going on!¡± after the pill entered his body, it began to take effect about half an hour later. zhuge qing first felt the pain lessen. his legs no longer felt like they were being pricked by needles, and he no longer felt the discomfort of being bitten by ten thousand ants. this process was very slow. at first, he thought that the rain had stopped, so the pain in his leg naturally lessened. however, in the afternoon, the pain almost disappeared. it almost meant that he could still feel a trace of pain, but it was much easier than before. wei ting asked fu su, ah fu, and xing¡¯er to send the three little fellows to the old marquis¡¯s place to play for a day. the few of them stayed by the bed and observed every change in zhuge qing. in the evening, there was a hint of color in his pale face. he felt hungry. in the past few years, he had been tortured by illness until he had no appetite. now, he finally had some appetite. ah yuan was extremely excited. ¡°sir, what do you want to eat? i¡¯ll cook immediately! ¡± zhuge qing thought for a moment. ¡°i want to eat¡­ pearl balls.¡± xiaohu¡¯s pig balls. ¡°i¡¯ll do it, i¡¯ll do it!¡± ah yuan hurriedly went to make glutinous rice balls. sir did not eat meat, so he made them with lotus roots and glutinous rice. su xiaoxiao would take his pulse every hour. his pulse was smooth, and the cold illness in his body was dissipating. everything was developing in a good direction. it seemed that the prescription was right. ah yuan brought in the steamed pearl balls. zhuge qing ate two. he had a sense of taste. ¡°ah yuan, put less salt next time.¡± ah yuan¡¯s eyes turned red. teacher never mentioned his condition, so mei ji and the others didn¡¯t know that teacher¡¯s food was actually tasteless. if not for the fact that he had once placed salt into glutinous rice balls as sugar, ah yuan would not have known that sir had long lost his taste buds. he cried tears of joy. ¡°that¡¯s great¡­ sir, you¡¯re finally well¡­¡± before he could finish, zhuge qing¡¯s body suddenly trembled and he spat out a mouthful of blood. everyone was shocked. wei ting said, ¡°second brother!¡± mei ji said, ¡°sir!¡± su xiaoxiao hurriedly grabbed his pulse. ¡°he¡¯s not poisoned¡­¡± mei ji said anxiously, ¡°why would he vomit blood if he wasn¡¯t poisoned? did you follow the prescription correctly?¡± su xiaoxiao pondered and said, ¡°the prescription is correct. otherwise, his pulse wouldn¡¯t have improved. as for the reason for vomiting blood¡­¡± ¡°the reason is that you only have half of the prescription.¡± an unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded at the door. the assassin and mei ji rushed over and waited solemnly. the other party looked up, revealing a weathered face under the lantern. ¡°it¡¯s you?¡± mei ji recognized him. wei ting walked over. ¡°who is he?¡± mei ji said angrily, ¡°he¡¯s feng xiaoran¡¯s medicine master. his name is sai hua tuo!¡± the killer tightened his grip on the ring-headed knife at his waist. saihua tuo sighed. ¡°i don¡¯t mean any harm. i came to see sir.¡± mei ji said coldly, ¡°you traitor, are you worthy of mentioning sir? have you forgotten who saved you from the island back then? you turned around and joined sir¡¯s sworn enemy and even sold him sir¡¯s information! i wish i could cut you into pieces!¡± she raised her hand to kill sai huatuo. wei ting stopped her and said to sai huatuo, ¡°you just said that there¡¯s only half of the prescription.¡± saihua tuo said, ¡°if i¡¯m not wrong, you obtained the prescription from an apothecary, right? that prescription records a patient¡¯s medical case. his symptoms are very similar to sir¡¯s.¡± su xiaoxiao stood at the door and looked at him steadily. ¡°what¡¯s your relationship with that person?¡± sai huatuo said seriously, ¡°he¡¯s my rascal disciple. he stole those medical skills and notes from me. however, that prescription is incomplete. the medicinal pill you refined according to the prescription is effective, but it¡¯s only half the cure. ¡± su xiaoxiao looked at him deeply. ¡°give me a few words first.¡± saihua tuo picked up a branch from the ground and wrote on the soil. the handwriting was the same as in the medical documents. su xiaoxiao believed that those medical books and notes were his. she didn¡¯t expect to meet the master of the medicine master of the western jin dynasty here. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°come in and talk.¡± mei ji didn¡¯t want this traitor to enter. the assassin pulled mei ji away. wei ting brought sai huatuo into zhuge qing¡¯s room. mei ji looked at his back coldly. ¡°if he dares to touch a strand of sir¡¯s hair, i¡¯ll kill him!¡± saihua tuo came to the bed. zhuge qing had already fainted. he took zhuge qing¡¯s pulse and asked ah yuan to bring over the medicine dregs that su xiaoxiao had refined. ¡°the medicine is fine.¡± not only was there no problem, but it could even be said to have been refined extremely well. if it were him, he might not be able to refine it so well. ¡°but sir vomited blood,¡± mei ji said. sai huatuo said, ¡°what he vomited was the cold air and blood clot in his body. it¡¯s not a bad thing. his meridians are even smoother. for at least half a year, you don¡¯t have to worry about your life.¡± ¡°what about half a year later?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. sai huatuo said, ¡°half a year later, refine the medicine according to the remaining half of the prescription and you can recover.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at him suspiciously. ¡°how do you know about this illness?¡± saihua tuo paused and said in a low voice, ¡°the patient recorded in the handwritten letter¡­ is my son. i traveled around the world to find medicine for him to treat his cold illness. unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t wait until that day.¡± everyone fell silent. sai huatuo said, ¡°i¡¯ve gathered more than half of the herbs on the prescription. i can give them all to you. there are still four herbs left. they¡¯re in feng xiaoran¡¯s hands and in the third prince¡¯s residence..¡± Chapter 733 - Chapter 733: Xi Yue Waiting for Father chapter 733: xi yue waiting for father translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios mei ji came in from the door and said angrily, ¡°why should we believe you? perhaps feng xiaoran sent you to monitor us!¡± sai huatuo was not angry after being questioned by mei ji. he had probably experienced too much and was already disheartened by some things. he whispered, ¡°my life was given to me by sir. without him, i would have been trapped on the island for the rest of my life. i wouldn¡¯t even have been able to go back and burn incense on my son¡¯s grave.¡± in mei ji¡¯s heart, zhuge qing was the most important person. she could not blaspheme him, and he was also someone others could not hurt. if one betrayed her master, she would never trust that person again. ¡°if you¡¯re unfaithful once, you can¡¯t be trusted anymore! i won¡¯t believe a word of your nonsense! ¡± with that, she left angrily. the house fell silent. wei ting guarded zhuge qing¡¯s bed and stared at sai huatuo warily. the two relatively calm people at the event location were the assassin and su xiaoxiao. the assassin had already calmed down, but su xiaoxiao was still in a state of mind. she and saihua tuo sat on two stools in front of the bed. she turned around and asked saihua tuo, ¡°can i ask you¡­ what¡¯s your relationship?¡± one moment, it was an island, and the next moment, it was the mess with feng xiaoran. saihua tuo sighed helplessly. ¡°i didn¡¯t want to mention some sad things, but you won¡¯t believe me if i don¡¯t.¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms and gestured for him to continue. sai huatuo recalled, ¡°when my son was very young, he fell into the cold lake because of a mistake. after that, he contracted a cold illness, which was the cold poison. i was also a physician, but unfortunately, i couldn¡¯t cure the cold poison in his body. i brought him everywhere to seek treatment. the heavens didn¡¯t disappoint those who worked hard. i really found a prescription, but unfortunately, the herbs on the prescription were very difficult to gather. just like you this time, i first received half of the herbs on the prescription and made the first pill. after my son took the pill, i heard that there were herbs i needed on an island in northern yan. i immediately brought that rascal of a disciple to the island. ¡°as soon as we landed on the island, we vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but i was too anxious to find the herbs and asked the rascal to keep an eye on the boat. i¡¯ll be back soon. when i returned to the shore, he had already rowed the boat away. ¡°i was caught by the villain on the island and became a slave. it was sir who saved me and brought me out of the island. when i returned home, my son had already passed away, and my things had been swept away by that villain. my son passed away a year after taking medicine.¡± su xiaoxiao had an epiphany. ¡°but you just said that zhuge qing still has half a year.¡± saihua tuo frowned and said, ¡°sir¡¯s condition is worse than my son¡¯s. the medicine can only last for half a year.¡± what did zhuge qing experience on the island¡­ su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°since zhuge qing saved you, why did you join feng xiaoran?¡± sai huatuo explained, ¡°i¡¯m doing this for the herbs in feng xiaoran¡¯s hand. he has a total of two herbs in his hand, and the purple phoenix grass has already been taken away by you. the other herb is the purple lingzhi. i was going for the purple lingzhi back then. yesterday, i accidentally bumped into the wei nation¡¯s medicine merchant selling the purple phoenix grass. i lied that i needed this herb in his majesty¡¯s great nourishment pill and asked feng xiaoran to buy the herb.¡± mei ji stood at the door and scolded, ¡°nonsense, nonsense, nonsense! you revealed master¡¯s illness to feng xiaoran! you¡¯re a traitor! ¡± the assassin glanced at her. ¡°i thought you left.¡± mei ji snorted. saihua tuo smiled bitterly. ¡°if i want to obtain feng xiaoran¡¯s trust, i have to give him some benefits. moreover, even if i didn¡¯t say it, he would have seen sir¡¯s medical case long ago.¡± mei ji mocked, ¡°but at least he doesn¡¯t know what herbs we need! now, he¡¯ll snatch all the herbs we want!¡± saihua tuo sighed. ¡°i only told him the first half of the prescription. i didn¡¯t mention a word about the second half.¡± mei ji turned her face away. ¡°hmph, who would believe you!¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°can you let me see the second half of the prescription?¡± saihua tuo took out a wrinkled prescription from his pocket. be it the yellowed paper or the blurry handwriting, it was obvious that it was old. it was definitely not forged tonight. in his youth, saihua tuo did not know zhuge qing, so he naturally would not guess that he would one day use a fake prescription to cheat him of his trust. therefore, this prescription was real. su xiaoxiao showed the prescription to wei ting. wei ting was an expert in this area. he would know at a glance if it was fake. he nodded at su xiaoxiao and returned the prescription to saihua tuo. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡®your son has already passed away. why do you still want to refine the antidote? is it to repay zhuge qing for saving your life?¡± saihua tuo laughed at himself. ¡°you can say that. you can also think of it as an obsession in my heart.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded and asked, ¡°you just said that you¡¯re still short of four herbs. which four are they?¡± sai huatuo said, ¡°the purple lingzhi in feng xiaoran¡¯s hand, the jade coral in the third prince¡¯s residence, and the snow region¡¯s snow domain hemp and snake bone flower.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°where are the last two herbs?¡± saihua tuo shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m not sure.¡± he looked at the night sky outside the window and said, ¡°i have to go. i came out with the excuse of buying medicine. i have to rush back later. if i go back late, feng xiaoran will definitely be suspicious. i¡¯ll help you get the purple lingzhi as soon as possible. you can only rely on yourself on the third prince.¡± after saihua tuo left, the assassin left the house. only zhuge qing, su xiaoxiao, and wei ting were left in the room. ¡°what do you think?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. wei ting was not in a hurry to answer. instead, he asked first, ¡°is the prescription correct?¡± su xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°i know most of the herbs in the prescription. the medicinal properties are indeed used to treat cold diseases. why? do you suspect that saihua tuo is lying?¡± wei ting pondered for a moment and said, ¡°the prescription should be true. the purple lingzhi is indeed in feng xiaoran¡¯s hands, but i don¡¯t know if saihua tuo is sincerely helping us or if it¡¯s just a trap set up by feng xiaoran.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°as long as the recipe is not fake and the lingzhi is not fake, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.¡± it was over. could a mere feng xiaoran defeat the number one scholar of the great zhou and the number one strategist of the western jin? besides, he had a cheat in the form of su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡®what are your plans after we get both herbs?¡± ¡°bring second brother home.¡± great zhou, wei family. wei xiyue came to the courtyard to water the plant again. she had recently moved into madam wei¡¯s house and watered it four times a day, morning, noon, and night. she watered it again before going to bed. however, the first thing she did when she opened her eyes the next day was to see if her father had grown out. sometimes, when she woke up in the middle of the night, she would come over to take a look. the courtyard was dark. old matriarch wei and nanny li stood at the entrance of the courtyard and looked at the small figure. old madam wei asked with heartache, ¡°how long has she been squatting there?¡± madam wei sighed. ¡°it¡¯s been almost an hour. she refuses to sleep.¡± old matriarch wei frowned. ¡°didn¡¯t she only squat in the morning in the past? why is she squatting at night now? isn¡¯t she afraid of freezing in the cold?¡± madam wei said softly, ¡°she said that the other saplings have germinated. daddy must be growing soon.¡± old matriarch wei¡¯s heart ached. she walked over with her walking stick and touched xi yue¡¯s hands. aiyo, they were all frozen! she bent down and coaxed softly, ¡°xiyue, be good. it¡¯s too cold outside. let¡¯s go in first.¡± wei xiyue moved to the side. she wasn¡¯t leaving. she wanted to wait for her father.. Chapter 734 - Chapter 734: Father and Daughter’s Heart chapter 734: father and daughter¡¯s heart translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei xiyue fell asleep on the grass before being carried in by madam wei. madam wei felt the little person in her arms become lighter and lighter. madam wei began to regret it. if she had known earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have taught her how to plant trees. she wouldn¡¯t have had such a sudden thought. ¡°mother, go back and rest too.¡± madam wei took off wei xiyue¡¯s dirty coat and placed her under the blanket, persuading old matriarch wei to go back and rest. old matriach wei looked at her sleeping great-granddaughter with worry. on the surface, little seven and her wife went to the west jin to treat the young prince of western jin. their other goal was to find second brother. they did not say it, but she was not stupid. that was his biological grandson. she knew what he was going to fart when he stuck out his butt. they had most likely heard that second brother had appeared in west jin, but she did not know if the news was true. wrongly identified corpses happened on the battlefield from time to time. it was because the war was too cruel. sometimes, even a complete corpse was an extravagant hope. the corpses of the eldest and second brothers did not match. she was already extremely lucky to have an eldest back. how could she dare to hope that the second brother was alive? would the heavens pity the wei family so much? in that case, why did the wei family suffer back then? thinking of her husband, son, and grandsons who had died on the battlefield, old madam wei cried. if not for the fact that she still had to support this family, she would have followed them long ago. ¡°mother,¡± madam wei called out to her softly. old matriarch wei wiped her tears and said in a normal tone, ¡°i wonder how little seven and the others are doing in the western jin. do they have any news of second brother? in the past, i thought that even if we couldn¡¯t find him, it would be good to give them a memory. but looking at xiyue now, if second brother can¡¯t be found, how sad will this child be?¡± madam wei blamed herself. ¡°it¡¯s my fault. i shouldn¡¯t have taught her how to plant trees.¡± old matriarch wei said helplessly, ¡°she¡¯s thinking about her father, so how can we blame you? it¡¯s been four years. she was not even three years old when second brother got into trouble. who would have thought that she would understand everything? i can only hope that second brother is still alive. even if it¡¯s for his biological daughter, he has to live well.¡± west capital, in the courtyard. su xiaoxiao and wei ting guarded zhuge qing¡¯s bed for the entire night. in the latter half of the night, he had a high fever. because he couldn¡¯t take the medicine, su xiaoxiao injected him with a fever-reducing needle. despite all kinds of situations, his pulse was indeed improving. she believed what saihua tuo said about the half-year period. it was also very good to extend his lifespan by half a year. at least in this half a year, he would not have to be tortured by intense illness or be restrained by the stone marrow every month. he could leave the western jin. this was not a bad outcome. wei ting looked at zhuge qing worriedly. ¡°my second brother has been unconscious for the entire night. why isn¡¯t he awake yet? this antidote¡­ won¡¯t keep people unconscious for half a year, right?¡± yesterday, he forgot to ask sai huatuo when his second brother would wake up. if he really fell asleep for half a year, wouldn¡¯t his family be anxious to death? the three little ones woke up and came to look for their parents with a stick of candied hawthorn that ah yuan had bought. ¡°mother.¡± the three little ones only greeted su xiaoxiao. alright, they were mainly looking for their mother. su xiaoxiao hugged them one by one. ¡°have you greeted father?¡± ¡°father.¡± the three little ones had just woken up and were still a little stunned. they did not enter a scammy state and obediently called out. the three of them came to the bed and greeted their uncle. ¡°why isn¡¯t uncle awake?¡± dahu asked. ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. why aren¡¯t you awake?¡± erhu asked. ¡°yes.¡± xiaohu licked the candied hawthorn. the three little ones only wanted to play with their uncle and couldn¡¯t wake him up after calling him for a long time. xiaohu thought for a moment and returned to the next room to dig out his small suona. he licked the candied hawthorn two more times and placed it on the plate on the table before walking to zhuge qing¡¯s bed. he kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed. his cheeks puffed up as he held the suona in his mouth. he aimed it at zhuge qing¡¯s face and was about to blow it down¡­ yue!¡± zhuge qing trembled and opened his eyes. dreaming about wei xiyue successfully allowed zhuge qing to dodge the bullet. su xiaoxiao brought the three little ones out. wei ting stayed in the room and told them about sai huatuo¡¯s visit and the prescription. ¡°according to sai huatuo, second brother, you still have half a year.¡± zhuge qing was not depressed at all. instead, he smiled gently. ¡°that¡¯s good.¡± to a dying person, half a year of life seemed to be stolen time. he was very satisfied. in the courtyard, the three little ones squatted on the ground and played with marbles. mei ji, fu su, ah yuan, and su xiaoxiao sat at the stone table under the peach tree and discussed how to get the two herbs. the assassin wasn¡¯t there. mei ji said, ¡°in my opinion, why don¡¯t we kill our way over and snatch feng xiaoran¡¯s purple lingzhi? anyway, he definitely can¡¯t beat us.¡± fu su said, ¡°we can¡¯t beat him, but what if he destroys second young master¡¯s medicine in a fit of anger?¡± ah yuan was not only zhuge qing¡¯s coachman, but also his personal assistant and handsome butler. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°let¡¯s lure feng xiaoran out, capture him, and force him to hand over the herbs.¡± fu su and mei ji felt that this method was not bad. mei ji asked bitterly, ¡°the problem is how? he¡¯s most likely the one who sent that saihua tuo. he must have been prepared. it¡¯s impossible for him to fall for it obediently.¡± in the morning, sai huatuo returned to the villa outside the city with the herbs he had bought. feng xiaoran sat on a chair in the lobby and glanced at him. he asked indifferently, ¡°why are you back so late?¡± sai huatuo said, ¡°it was not easy to find the herbs. i asked several pharmaceutical shops. when i bought them, the city gate was already closed. i spent the night at the drunken immortal abode.¡± feng xiaoran was the boss behind-the-scenes of the drunken immortal abode. feng xiaoran only needed to ask his subordinates if sai huatuo had spent the night there. feng xiaoran asked, ¡°how¡¯s the matter i asked you to do?¡± saihua tuo said, ¡°it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°the herbs were really stolen by zhuge qing, right?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°hmph, detestable fellow!¡± last night, when he returned to the house after taking a bath, he realized that the herb was gone. although his subordinates said that no one had come, he did not believe that the herbs would disappear on their own. hence, he sent sai huatuo to investigate zhuge qing. ¡°you told him the next half of the prescription too?¡± ¡°1 did.¡± feng xiaoran smiled meaningfully. ¡°in that case, he will come to take the purple lingzhi in my hand next.¡± saihua tuo did not answer. feng xiaoran said in satisfaction, ¡®you did very well. he prided himself as the number one strategist in the world, but he never expected that the people he saved from the island would betray him so easily. it¡¯s time for him to taste the feeling of being stabbed in the back. i can guarantee that in less than three days, his people will definitely come looking for the purple lingzhi. what kind of gift should i give them?¡± sai huatuo said, ¡°mr. feng, i¡¯ve already done what you asked. can you let me see my grandchild?¡± feng xiaoran smiled and said, ¡°there¡¯s no hurry. when zhuge qing dies, i¡¯ll naturally reunite you and your grandchild.¡± as if he had expected to be rejected, saihua tuo took out a medicine bottle. ¡°my grandson¡¯s health is not good. he¡¯s prone to illness on cold days. i brewed some pills for him. please send someone to send them to him.¡± ¡°how troublesome,¡± feng xiaoran muttered disdainfully. he waved his hand and took a bottle of pills from him. he called over a secret guard and asked him to send the medicine to the child. next, feng xiaoran began to wait for zhuge qing¡¯s people to fall into the trap. they would definitely not use force because if they forced him into a corner, he would destroy the herb. they could only steal it like last time. unfortunately, he had hidden the purple lingzhi in a place where no one could find them. they could not steal it and would fall into the trap he had set. however, after waiting for a long time, zhuge qing¡¯s subordinates did not appear. instead, the eunuch beside the western jin emperor arrived. eunuch he smiled and said, ¡°his majesty has summoned you. young master feng, please follow me into the palace..¡± Chapter 735 - Chapter 735: Overwhelming Strength chapter 735: overwhelming strength translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios feng xiaoran was a little stunned. why did his majesty suddenly summon him? he admitted that he had some face in front of his majesty. after all, before zhuge qing came to the western capital, he had always been yuwen huai¡¯s most capable strategist. yuwen huai attended all kinds of palace banquets and brought him along. however¡­ he was no longer in the eldest prince¡¯s residence. he had only joined yuwen xi recently. why did his majesty think of him? a thought-provoking glint flashed across feng xiaoran¡¯s eyes. he smiled politely and said, ¡°wait a moment, eunuch he. it¡¯s not easy for his majesty to summon me. please allow me to change my clothes.¡± eunuch he said, ¡°young master feng, please do as you please, but don¡¯t make his majesty wait.¡± he entered the house and called a secret guard over. ¡°go to the princess¡¯s residence¡­¡± ¡°zhuge qing, zhuge qing, did you go to yuwen huai to get reinforcements? you want yuwen huai to ask the western jin emperor to issue a decree to force me to hand over the herb? you¡¯re too naive. i won¡¯t let you have your wish!¡± feng xiaoran changed his clothes one moment and his shoes the next. he dawdled for a long time before leaving. when the group arrived at the palace, yuwen xi had also arrived. the two of them exchanged an unspoken mutual understanding. yuwen xi said to her eunuch he, ¡°i want to say a few words to young master feng. i hope you can do me a favor.¡± ¡°yes.¡± eunuch he smiled and left. feng xiaoran kept it short. ¡°the other herb that zhuge qing wants is also in my hands. his majesty will definitely force me to hand over the herb later. i¡¯ll say that i¡¯ve already sent the lingzhi to his highness¡¯s residence to treat the young prince.¡± yuwen xi said, ¡°not good.¡± feng xiaoran was stunned. yuwen xi said calmly, ¡°it¡¯s not going to be used for yi¡¯er¡¯s treatment. i¡¯ve already used it up for him.¡± feng xiaoran smiled knowingly. as expected of the princess who could compete with yuwen huai for the throne. her ruthlessness was much stronger than those of many men. he was not worried that yuwen xi would betray him, because the two of them stood on the same side when it came to dealing with zhuge qing. in the imperial study, the western jin emperor was not too surprised to see yuwen xi come over. he had expected that feng xiaoran would not submit obediently. zhuge qing sat in a wheelchair, still wearing a silver mask that covered most of his face. even though only his eyes, lips, and chin were revealed, he was still so handsome that no one dared to look at him directly. his handsomeness was not seductive, but he exuded a mysterious aura that no one dared to profane. yuwen xi had designs on ghostfear, but never on zhuge qing. feng xiaoran¡¯s gaze also landed on zhuge qing¡¯s face. this was a man who made him grit his teeth and go crazy with jealousy. before zhuge qing appeared, he was in the limelight. however, why did the both of them have to exist in the same world? zhuge qing¡¯s arrival snatched his limelight clean. fortunately, the heavens had eyes and gave zhuge qing a sickly body. since he could not defeat him, he would torture him to death! if he died, no one would snatch the limelight from him anymore! zhuge qing sat calmly in the wheelchair, as if he did not notice feng xiaoran¡¯s jealous gaze. the western jin emperor saw it and frowned unhappily. he went straight to the point. ¡°feng xiaoran, do you have the purple lingzhi?¡± feng xiaoran looked very surprised. ¡°your majesty, i did have the purple lingzhi in my hand, but last night, i already gave it to someone.¡± the western jin emperor said in a low voice, ¡°to whom?¡± ¡°her highness.¡± feng xiaoran exclaimed and looked at yuwen xi. ¡°last night, your highness came to me to get the purple phoenix grass. i gave you a lingzhi. it¡¯s a high-grade purple lingzhi. don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already used it to make medicine for the young prince?¡± yuwen xi was about to say, ¡°yes, i did. yi¡¯er drank it all.¡± when she heard zhuge qing say slowly, ¡°speaking of the medicine, i remembered something. there¡¯s something wrong with the herb that her highness brought over last night.¡± the western jin emperor asked, ¡°what was wrong?¡± ¡°it was poisonous,¡± zhuge qing said. feng xiaoran said mockingly, ¡°what a joke. if it was poisoned, why are you sitting here?¡± zhuge qing said calmly, ¡°that¡¯s because i didn¡¯t drink it.¡± feng xiaoran smiled coldly. ¡°didn¡¯t you steal the other half that wasn¡¯t poisonous?¡± ¡°in that case, you admit that the herb you gave her highness was poisonous?¡± feng xiaoran choked. unexpectedly, zhuge qing caught him off guard the moment they met. feng xiaoran could not remain calm in front of zhuge qing. his mind would be too excited and nervous, and it was easy for him to make mistakes. in comparison, zhuge qing was much more at ease. feng xiaoran took a deep breath and calmed his chaotic thoughts. he said coldly, ¡°you said it yourself. i was just guessing according to your words. don¡¯t blame me for everything!¡± zhuge qing said, ¡°alright, in that case, why don¡¯t you tell me what was the deal with the poisonous herb?¡± feng xiaoran snorted. ¡°who knows if you framed me?¡± zhuge qing asked, ¡°what¡¯s in it for me to frame you? what about you, feng xiaoran, is worthy of me plotting against you?¡± it was heartbreaking. feng xiaoran was about to die of anger. he could lose to zhuge qing, but he would never accept that zhuge qing had never taken him seriously! feng xiaoran gritted his teeth and said, ¡°there are so many people who have come into contact with that herb. why must it be me? just because i gave the herb? since your medicine was brewed by that physician from the great zhou, perhaps she poisoned you.¡± zhuge qing said calmly, ¡°she has no grudge against me. why would she poison me? alright, even if she has a grudge, according to you, everyone who comes into contact with her has a chance to poison me. then, is her highness also a suspect?¡± yuwen xi was stunned. why was she involved? feng xiaoran said sternly, ¡°nonsense! how could her highness poison you?¡± zhuge qing spread her hands. ¡°only three people have handled the herbs. one of you must be the perpetrator, right?¡± the western jin emperor¡¯s sharp gaze landed on yuwen xi¡¯s face. ¡°who¡¯s the perpertrator?¡± this made yuwen xi make a choice. feng xiaoran had already said that the murderer was not her. it was too late to bite back now. yuwen xi knew that she had lost to zhuge qing again. indeed, she and feng xiaoran were on the same page when it came to dealing with zhuge qing, but their attitudes towards su xiaoxiao were completely different. in order to protect himself, feng xiaoran had to push the blame to su xiaoxiao. yuwen xi had a characteristic. she was merciless to her enemies and would never repay kindness with ingratitude to her benefactor. it was impossible for her to hurt su xiaoxiao. in that case, she could only abandon feng xiaoran. she clenched her fists and closed her eyes. ¡°feng xiaoran, hand over the lingzhi and make up for your mistake.¡± feng xiaoran looked at yuwen xi in disbelief. ¡°your highness!¡± yuwen xi held back the anger in her heart and said unwillingly, ¡°this is my order and father¡¯s imperial edict. if you want to live, hand it over.. don¡¯t disobey the edict! you can¡¯t afford the price!¡± Chapter 736 - Chapter 736: Got It chapter 736: got it translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios feng xiaoran was about to vomit blood. this was the only chance to kill zhuge qing. yuwen xi gave up just like that! women were indeed fickle! he was so regretful that his face turned green. he shouldn¡¯t have counted on yuwen xi. he thought that with yuwen xi as his witness, he could hide it better. who would have thought that yuwen xi would personally sell him out! if he had known earlier, he would have lied and said that he had eaten the lingzhi! he glared fiercely at zhuge qing. eunuch he took a step forward and blocked his vision. he said with a fake smile, ¡°young master feng, i¡¯ll follow you to get the lingzhi.¡± feng xiaoran held his aching chest and smiled. ¡°alright, please follow me.¡± he had many grades of purple lingzhi in his hands, and the top-grade purple lingzhi that could be used to make medicine for zhuge qing had long been hidden by him. in a farm outside the west capital. su xiaoxiao and mei ji stepped on the tield. ¡°are you sure this is the place?¡± mei ji frowned and asked, ¡°no, the road here is too difficult. i¡¯ll walk down!¡± su xiaoxiao pulled her back. ¡°there are vegetable seedlings planted below. they¡¯ll all be ruined if you walk down.¡± ¡°how do you know they¡¯re vegetable seedlings?¡± they looked like weeds to her. ¡°i¡¯ve farmed.¡¯ ¡°aren¡¯t you a rich young lady? why are you still farming?¡± ¡°yes¡­ in short, i¡¯ve farmed.¡± mei ji was afraid of dirtying herself, so she was picky with every step and almost fell. when su xiaoxiao turned around and pulled her, her head hit su xiaoxiao¡¯s soft chest. the weather was cold, and su xiaoxiao¡¯s clothes were loose. they didn¡¯t look too obvious, but when she collided into them¡­ they were too soft and bouncy. mei ji widened her eyes and stared at the magnificent scenery in front of her. she made a grab and murmured. su xiaoxiao was speechless. mei ji felt inferior. no wonder that blind man didn¡¯t look at her. it turned out that what he had was even more luxurious! saihua tuo did not know what was happening behind him. he brought the two of them to a barn at the end of the field. ¡°the purple lingzhi is hidden inside. there are people inside. you have to be careful.¡± mei ji walked forward and said unrestrainedly, ¡°stand back.¡± she kicked open the barn door and pulled out the folding fan at her waist. she opened it with a snap and fired countless hidden weapons. accompanied by a few muffled groans and screams, the guards inside fell to the ground. su xiaoxiao hummed. ¡°mei ji, you¡¯re quite powerful.¡± ¡°of course!¡± mei ji said proudly. she glanced at a certain someone¡¯s chest and instantly felt defeated. they went into the barn. the barn was very big. there was some grain piled in the corner, and the rest of the place was empty. only an eight-seat table was placed in the middle. the lingzhi was placed on a clean silk cloth on the eight-seat table. ¡°purple lingzhi!¡± mei ji¡¯s eyes lit up and she was about to step forward. after taking two steps, su xiaoxiao grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. her hair swayed forward violently. hiss, a strand of hair was cut and fell gently. mei ji¡¯s expression changed. ¡°this is¡­¡± su xiaoxiao opened her pouch, grabbed a box of rouge, and suddenly spread it forward. the bright red cosmetics drifted down and landed on the almost transparent silk, revealing a mottled ¡°big net¡±. mei ji gritted her teeth and said, ¡°it¡¯s the snow region heavenly silk. it can cut iron like cutting hair and kill people invisible.¡± if she had not been pulled back in time just now, she would have been cut into pieces. she turned around fiercely and glared at saihua tuo. ¡°saihua tuo! you tricked us!¡± saihua tuo said in horror, ¡°i didn¡¯t know!¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°he probably doesn¡¯t know. killing us won¡¯t do him any good. he still expects us to save his grandson.¡± mei ji stomped her feet. ¡°what should we do? the barn is full of the silk. we can¡¯t get through.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll see if i can remove it.¡± su xiaoxiao put on her silver silk gloves. snow region heavenly silk. she tried first and found that there was no problem. she grabbed one of the threads and wanted to pull it down. at this moment, something unexpected happened. the other end of the thread was connected to the mechanism. ¡°look.¡± mei ji pointed above the eight immortal tables. there was a huge rock hanging on the roof of the barn. once the thread was pulled off, the rock would fall heavily and destroy the lingzhi. mei ji was furious. ¡°how despicable! how despicable! feng xiaoran, that despicable person! i want to kill him! i want to cut him into pieces!¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the intertwined net and measured the gap between the grid with her gaze. ¡°wuhu,¡± she called out. wuhu flew over and landed on su xiaoxiao¡¯s arm. mei ji was surprised. ¡°eh? is wuhu here too?¡± of course, wuhu came. in fact, it came even earlier than them. it had long followed sai hua tuo to feng xiaoran¡¯s residence and followed feng xiaoran¡¯s subordinates here. su xiaoxiao had always been a person who made two preparations. she wouldn¡¯t bet all her chips on sai huatuo alone. if sai huatuo deliberately led her the wrong way, she did not mind sending him to see his disciple. fortunately, saihua tuo did not cause any trouble. saihua tuo also realized the use of this bird and broke out in a cold sweat. fortunately, he didn¡¯t have any crooked thoughts. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t even know how he died. su xiaoxiao pointed at the lingzhi on the table and said to wuhu, ¡°bring it over.¡± the big net intertwined. a person couldn¡¯t pass through, but a bird could. it was too dangerous. wuhu would not go. ¡°a piece of bird food,¡± su xiaoxiao said. wuhu looked shocked. could it be dismissed with a piece of bird food? ¡°two.¡± wuhu ignored him. ¡°three.¡¯ hmph, the worker who had eaten five pieces of bird food expressed that he was not interested in three. ¡°four. wuhu hesitated. ¡°five. don¡¯t force me to beat you up.¡± wuhu flapped its wings and flew over. however, what was frustrating was that the lingzhi was too big and heavy for the parrot to pick up. it seemed that he would not be able to earn bird food today. wuhu lay on the table and stopped working. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°add two more!¡± wuhu¡¯s body trembled. it could still hold on for a while! it flapped its small wings and flew out. mei ji¡¯s gaze chased after it. ¡°wuhu, where are you going? eh¡ªwhy are you leaving? at least take two pecks and it can be used as medicine!¡± what mei ji did not know was that the lingzhi was too hard for wuhu to peck at. about half an hour later, wuhu returned. he also brought back a lackey: a valiant black eagle. it pointed at the lingzhi on the table with one small wing and chattered in eagle language. the black eagle flew through the gap between the big net and flew back with the lingzhi on the table. wuhu asked su xiaoxiao for a bird food. rlhvvo birds, one holding the lingzhi and the other asking for bird food, looked incredibly smug at that moment. of the seven pieces of bird food, wuhu spent one to hire an underling, and the remaining six were his.. Chapter 737 - Chapter 737: Second Brother Loses His Cover (1) chapter 737: second brother loses his cover (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su xiaoxiao received the lingzhi and kept the snow region heavenly silk. mei ji was dumbfounded. su xiaoxiao had seen many lingzhi and could tell at a glance that the grade of this lingzhi was not ordinary. seeing that su xiaoxiao was carefully observing the purple lingzhi, sai huatuo walked over and said, ¡°feng xiaoran has a lot of purple lingzhi, but this is the best.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°why does feng xiaoran have so many herbs?¡± saihua tuo explained, ¡°he joined theprincess because he passed by the eldest prince. he was worried that the princess would not accept him wholeheartedly, so he secretly recruited many physicians and medicine masters, hoping to gain the princess¡¯s trust by treating the young prince¡¯s illness.¡± however, su xiaoxiao intercepted him. saihua tuo did not say this. su xiaoxiao handed the purple lingzhi to sai huatuo. ¡°are you sure it¡¯s this one?¡± sai huatuo said, ¡°i¡¯m sure.¡± he returned the lingzhi to su xiaoxiao. ¡°the truth this time is that i have no choice. i wonder if my grandson¡­¡± su xiaoxiao put away the lingzhi. ¡°i won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± the matter had to start from last night. although sai huatuo was extremely sincere, wei ting and su xiaoxiao were still suspicious, so they got the assassin to secretly follow sai huatuo. after knowing that sai huatuo had been threatened by feng xiaoran with his grandson, the assassin brought the news back to zhuge qing¡¯s residence. thus, the few of them had their next plan. zhuge qing entered the palace and asked the western jin emperor to issue a decree for the purple lingzhi. if feng xiaoran obediently handed over the purple lingzhi, it was fine. he was not afraid if he did not hand it over. anyway, he had been lured away. the remaining people split into two groups. wei ting and the assassin went to save sai huatuo¡¯s grandson, while su xiaoxiao, mei ji, and sai huatuo came to get the purple lingzhi. an hour later, su xiaoxiao and the others returned to the courtyard at the back door of the inn. as soon as sai huatuo entered, he saw four children squatting on the ground and playing marbles. the triplets were bold, mainly because they were playing. the other six-year-old boy was a little timid and squatted on the ground without saying anything. ¡°little brother, it¡¯s your turn,¡± erhu said. ¡°here.¡± dahu handed him a marble. xiaohu jumped up. ¡°hurry up and fight!¡± xiaohu cheered. ¡°amazing! amazing!¡± the little boy revealed a shy smile. tears welled up in sai huatuo¡¯s eyes. he took a few trembling steps and held back the lump in his throat. ¡°qi¡¯er.¡± when the little boy heard a familiar voice, he turned around and hurriedly threw down the marbles in his hand and pounced into saihua tuo¡¯s arms. ¡°grandpa!¡± sai huatuo held his lost and found grandson tightly in his arms. his son was dead, and his grandson was his only thought in the world. otherwise, even if feng xiaoran killed him, he would not be threatened by him. ¡°can¡­ can i see you again? i¡¯m sorry, sir¡­ you saved me once¡­ and saved my grandson again¡­ i¡­ i want to apologize to you in person.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need,¡± wei ting said. ¡°leave. don¡¯t appear in front of sir in the future.¡± saving innocent children was human nature, but it did not mean that he had forgiven saihua tuo¡¯s betrayal. saihua tuo bowed deeply to zhuge qing¡¯s room with tears in his eyes and left with the little boy. eunuch he left the palace with feng xiaoran and came to feng xiaoran¡¯s residence. at this moment, feng xiaoran still did not know that the lingzhi had long been stolen. sai huatuo had already left with his grandson. he brought eunuch he to the storeroom and let him choose it himself. ¡°all the purple lingzhi is here. if you want that, take it yourself.¡± he looked very generous. eunuch he was not picky. he simply took everything all at once. feng xiaoran¡¯s teeth hurt. even if these purple lingzhi were not the best, they were not bad. it had cost him a lot of money, okay? he actually did not leave any for him! eunuch he brought the purple lingzhi back to the palace to report. the western jin emperor was also generous. he said to zhuge qing, ¡°bring them all back. let physician qin see which stalk to use later.¡± zhuge qing thanked him but did not leave. ¡°anything else?¡± the western jin emperor asked. zhuge qing said bluntly, ¡°we¡¯re still missing a medicinal item.¡± ¡°what medicinal item?¡± ¡°jade coral. ¡± hearing that it was jade coral, the western jin emperor¡¯s expression did not look good. zhuge qing looked at him strangely. ¡°your majesty¡­ seems to know about the jade coral?¡± how could the western jin emperor only know about it? Chapter 738 - Chapter 738: Second Brother Loses His Cover (2) chapter 738: second brother loses his cover (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios he was the one who gave it away, okay? the jade coral was one of the dowries for the marriage of the princess of northern yan. to put it nicely, it was a dowry, but it was actually a tribute. third prince yuwen qi had always liked such strange things, so the emperor of the western jin bestowed it upon him. it was not anything too valuable, so no one took it to heart. who would have thought that it was actually a medicinal item to treat cold poison? zhuge qing looked at the western jin emperor innocently. the western jin emperor coughed lightly and said in a low voice, ¡°got it. i¡¯ll send someone to¡­ get it. go back and wait for the news.¡± it was embarrassing to ask for back the reward he had given away. zhuge qing smiled. ¡°i¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± when he left the palace, wei ting was waiting for him in the carriage. zhuge qing sighed and glanced at him. ¡°why are you so clingy? wei ting said righteously, ¡°i don¡¯t care. i¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll run away.¡± zhuge qing paused. ¡°forget it. you were the most clingy when you were young.¡± wei ting took a step towards him and said, ¡°so you admit that you¡¯re my second brother, right? no, you admitted it last time. you said that biological brothers should settle accounts clearly.¡± zhuge qing refused to admit it. ¡°i didn¡¯t say anything.¡± wei ting extended his hand. ¡°then return the money to me!¡± ¡°have you obtained the purple lingzhi?¡± zhuge qing asked. wei ting said with a serious expression, ¡°don¡¯t change the topic. do you want your brother or the room fee?¡± zhuge qing thought for a moment. ¡°room fee.¡± wei ting was speechless. on the other side, the old marquis and su yuan came to the inn. the two of them already knew zhuge qing¡¯s true identity and were shocked for a few nights at the west capital courier station. it was not that he was shocked that wei erlang was still alive. alright, he was also shocked about that. however, what was most shocking was that he was actually the number one strategist in the west capital. from the day they stepped into the western jin, they had heard about this person¡¯s deeds along the way. otherwise, they would not have suggested meeting the black armored army that he had trained. in their eyes, zhuge qing was simply a legend. and this legend was actually wei qing, who had once been unknown in the wei family? ¡°isn¡¯t the way he hid his strength a little too ruthless¡­¡± the old marquis felt that he had to get a catty of erguotou to calm down. in the past, he was jealous of qin canglan, but now, he was jealous of wei wei. ¡°father, we¡¯re here.¡± su yuan reminded. the two of them alighted from the carriage. the three little ones were tired from playing and took an afternoon nap at zhuge qing¡¯s side. su xiaoxiao returned to the inn to get their clothes and bumped into the old marquis and su yuan. ¡°granduncle, uncle, um¡­ grandpa.¡± before the old marquis¡¯s expression changed, she decisively changed the way she addressed him. the old marquis instantly beamed. the two of them were here to bid farewell. ¡°you¡¯re leaving just like that?¡± in the room of the inn, su xiaoxiao poured a cup of tea for the two of them. su yuan smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s not too soon. the diplomatic mission of northern yan only stayed for ten days. we¡¯ve stayed long enough. the diplomatic mission is planning to set off in the next few days. father and i came over to ask you if you want to go back with us.¡± this stumped su xiaoxiao. the young royal prince¡¯s body needed to be recuperated, but it was not a big problem. it was mainly zhuge qing¡¯s herbs. currently, they had obtained the purple lingzhi and the jade coral. however, it should not be a big problem. the third prince was not feng xiaoran. he would not disobey the western jin emperor. as long as the jade coral was still in his hands, he would definitely hand it over obediently. fu su had gone to hi residence to keep an eye on him just now to prevent feng xiaoran from coming over to cause trouble. for the time being, no bad news came. everything was under control. su xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°if nothing goes wrong, we can leave together.¡± su yuan smiled and said, ¡°that¡¯s great! father was worried all night last night. he said that if you can¡¯t go back, he would think of a way to stay. father was never so worried about his grandchildren.¡± the old marquis snorted. ¡°how can this be the same? just the few naughty monkeys you gave birth to hurt my eyes!¡± su yuan asked in amusement, ¡°do you dislike mo¡¯er and xuan¡¯er too?¡± not these two. the old marquis was extremely satisfied with su mo. su xuan was a little too quiet, but he did not cause trouble and was considered obedient. the second and third brothers pinched each other when they met, and the fifth brother went out to cause trouble all day long¡­ the few of them chatted in the house for a while. it was getting late, and the old marquis should return to the posthouse. ¡°pack up. i¡¯ll send someone to pick you up on the day we leave.¡± with that, he and su yuan got into the carriage. wei ting and zhuge qing did not return to the courtyard immediately. instead, they let ah fu take a detour to the dongting restaurant. the children loved to eat mutton chops and meatballs from the dongting restaurant. zhuge qing got someone to prepare them and bring them back for the children. wei ting said with a dark expression, ¡°why isn¡¯t there anything i like to eat?¡± second brother, you¡¯ve changed. tm no longer your most beloved little seven! after leaving the dongting building, the two of them returned to zhuge qing¡¯s residence. wei ting carried the wheelchair down and pushed him into the courtyard. zhuge qing took off his mask. the skin of his face, which had been pressed down for a day, was slightly red. guo lingxi had also heard that her brother was about to return to the great zhou. she asked the western jin emperor for permission to leave the palace to bid farewell to her brother. the western jin emperor generously agreed and asked her to bring palace maids and eunuchs out of the palace. she did not want to say goodbye to her brother at all. instead, she wanted to take this opportunity to repair her relationship with yuwen jing. she went to buy yuwen jing¡¯s favorite crab roe pastry, which happened to be beside the crimson moon inn. she took the snacks and looked in when she passed by the crimson moon inn. she saw wei ting at the back door. thinking that she might never see him again in her life, she bit her lip and decided to say a few words to him. however, when she arrived at the backyard of the crimson moon inn, she unexpectedly saw zhuge qing sitting in a wheelchair under the peach tree. zhuge qing was not wearing a mask, revealing the face she had seen countless times in the wei family since she was young. she clenched her fists and the blood in her body froze.. ¡°wei¡­ wei qing?¡± Chapter 739 - Chapter 739: Xiaoxiao Attacks chapter 739: xiaoxiao attacks translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios guo lingxi¡¯s first reaction was that she had recognized the wrong person. after all, wei qing had already died in battle for a few years. how could he suddenly appear in front of others? he had even become the number one strategist of the western jin, zhuge qing? she looked at his face carefully again. to be honest, there was a difference. his face had lost a lot of weight, and his outline was even more perfect. his facial features were especially exquisite, and there was a hint of weakness. in particular, his aura had undergone a tremendous change. if not for the fact that she had grown up with him, she would probably not dare to recognize him. zhuge qing came from northern yan, and wei qing died at broken north pass at the border between great zhou and northern yan. northern yan¡­ shattered north pass¡­ it was wei qing! zhuge qing was wei qing! ¡°madam, are you eating or staying?¡± the waiter from the inn asked from behind. guo lingxi trembled and turned around. ¡°no, i was passing by.¡± with that, she crossed the lobby and left in a hurry through the front door. zhuge qing looked up at the inn with the book in his hand. the backyard of the inn was empty. the waiter had also gone to work, but there was no one. guo lingxi could not remember how she got into the carriage at all. when the coachman called out to her, the carriage had already stopped at the entrance of the eldest prince¡¯s residence. yuwen huai¡¯s carriage had just returned from outside, and yuwen jing was also in it. she lifted the curtain and recognized guo lingxi¡¯s carriage at a glance. she frowned. clearly, she had been a little unhappy with guo lingxi because of what happened last time and did not want to bother with her. however, since she was already here, she could not pretend not to see her. she jumped off the carriage and came to guo lingxi¡¯s side. she knocked on the carriage and said, ¡°why are you here?¡± guo lingxi looked at her and then at yuwen huai¡¯s carriage. she tried her best to calm down and said, ¡°i came to see you and bought you your favorite snacks. ¡± yuwen jing pursed her lips and hesitated to accept guo lingxi¡¯s apology gift. ¡°is your father in the carriage?¡± guo lingxi asked. ¡°yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± yuwen jing asked indifferently. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you want my father to come over and greet you?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t mean that,¡± guo lingxi said softly. she was the concubine of the western jin emperor and was a level higher than yuwen huai. however, yuwen huai was the eldest son of the emperor after all. how could he bow down to her? the reason why guo lingxi asked this was because she was hesitating if she should tell yuwen huai about zhuge qing¡¯s identity. would yuwen huai have a feud with zhuge qing? would he expose zhuge qing¡¯s identity? guo lingxi thought about it carefully and felt that yuwen huai would not. yuwen huai was currently in a fierce battle with yuwen xi and was in need of people. his greatest goal was the throne. as long as everything else could be used by him, so what if it was wei qing? moreover, zhuge qing was his strategist. they were in the same boat. no one could guarantee that yuwen huai would not hide zhuge qing¡¯s identity to avoid being implicated. ¡°i¡¯ll see you another day.¡± guo lingxi left. there was only one person who could really deal with zhuge qing unscrupulously¡ªthe western jin emperor. after su xiaoxiao sent the old marquis and su yuan off, she went to zhuge qing to boil medicine for him. ¡°eh? you¡¯re back?¡± su xiaoxiao looked at zhuge qing and wei ting in the courtyard. the former was sitting in a wheelchair under the corridor reading, while the latter was trimming the peach tree¡ªthe one that zhuge qing asked him to trim was worth a day¡¯s room fee. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°granduncle and uncle came just now. they said that the great zhou diplomatic mission is about to leave the capital and asked if we want to go back together.¡± ¡°we¡¯ve already obtained the purple lingzhi. we¡¯ll leave after we get the jade coral.¡± wei ting cut a piece of dead branch and said to zhuge qing, ¡°right, second brother?¡± zhuge qing was not in a hurry to answer. instead, he quietly closed the book. ¡°guo lingxi came just now. she saw me.¡± su xiaoxiao and wei ting were stunned. after guo lingxi returned to the palace, the first thing she did was ask where his majesty was. a young eunuch said, ¡°his majesty is in the imperial study.¡± guo lingxi walked towards the imperial study without a word. the young eunuch reminded her, ¡°your highness, his majesty is reading memorials and doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed.¡± guo lingxi said coldly, ¡°this is a more important matter than memorials. if you delay it, even a hundred heads won¡¯t be enough!¡± the young eunuch did not dare to make a sound. the great zhou diplomatic mission was still around. the western jin emperor had extremely high tolerance for guo lingxi. if she really rushed to the imperial study, the western jin emperor would not do anything to her. the young eunuch retreated to the side. guo lingxi was not sure if zhuge qing had seen her just now. if he had¡­ she had to hurry and see the western jin emperor before zhuge qing entered the palace to stir up trouble. she quickened her pace. enemies were bound to meet on a narrow road. she bumped into the princess of northern yan, the current concubine jing. concubine jing was walking around the garden with the little palace maid. seeing guo lingxi¡¯s panicked expression, she couldn¡¯t help but smile and say, ¡°where is sister consort ling going? you¡¯re in a hurry, as if you¡¯re on fire.¡± the two countries did not get along, so the relationship between the princesses was naturally not much better. the difference was that consort jing was focused on fighting for favor. guo lingxi was not interested in sleeping with an old man. she wanted to be valued by the western jin emperor and did not like him coming to her bedroom. ¡°i¡¯m not free today. let¡¯s talk another day.¡± guo lingxi walked forward. consort jing stopped her and smiled. ¡°eh? don¡¯t leave. the two of us are both princesses who married here from afar. we¡¯re in the same boat and should sympathize with each other. sister consort ling, why do you have to keep us away?¡± this woman was so annoying! guo lingxi glared at her and covered her stomach. ¡°aiya, my stomach hurts. i want to go to the toilet. i can¡¯t take it anymore. sister consort jing, let¡¯s talk another day!¡± concubine jing wanted to say something but hesitated. she couldn¡¯t stop her from going to the toilet. looking at guo lingxi¡¯s hurriedly disappearing back, concubine jing snorted coldly. ¡°she¡¯s heading towards the imperial study again. how many times has it been this month?¡± ¡°the second time, your highness,¡± the little palace maid replied. concubine jing¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°is she finally coming to fight for favor? just wait and see!¡± guo lingxi walked quickly, as if there was a malicious ghost chasing after her. when she finally saw the imperial study, she heaved a sigh of relief and tidied her temples. she was about to go forward and get someone to report. suddenly, a chubby hand reached over and pgrabbed her wrist. the other hand covered her mouth and dragged her to a nearby rockery. guo lingxi looked at su xiaoxiao in horror. ¡°ugh, ugh?¡± su xiaoxiao took out her dagger and pressed the tip of it against her face. she threatened, ¡°guo lingxi, if you dare to scream, i¡¯ll scratch your face immediately.¡± guo lingxi glared at her fiercely. ¡°ugh, ugh?how dare you?¡± su xiaoxiao said arrogantly, ¡°why wouldn¡¯t i dare? if i destroy you, at most, they¡¯ll choose another one to marry. do you really think great zhou can¡¯t do it without you? you¡¯re the princess who¡¯s the result of prime minister guo selling his grandchild for glory. i think there are many people like him..¡± Chapter 740 - Chapter 740: Threat chapter 740: threat translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios guo lingxi glared at su xiaoxiao fiercely. the blade was pressed against her hot skin, bringing with it a shuddering chill. after making sure that she didn¡¯t dare to shout, su xiaoxiao let go of her. she was about to open her mouth when su xiaoxiao¡¯s knife tip was instantly pressed against her throat. ¡°if you want me to kill you, it¡¯s not impossible.¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly. her calm tone didn¡¯t sound like she was killing anyone, but the killing intent in su xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes was real. guo lingxi sat on the ground with her back against the uneven rockery, panting heavily. ¡°it¡¯s wei qing, right?¡± she asked in a low voice. ¡°no,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°i don¡¯t believe you.¡± guo lingxi gritted her teeth. she wondered why this girl was so lucky. it was fine if she could do whatever she wanted in the great zhou, but when she came to the western jin, she immediately latched onto a big tree who said that she looked like his long-lost sister. to think that she believed this lousy excuse. if zhuge qing was wei qing, then everything made sense. su xiaoxiao did not feel guilty. she bent down and stepped on the rock beside guo lingxi, staring straight into her eyes. ¡°it¡¯s useless if you don¡¯t believe me. he¡¯s not wei qing. he¡¯s just someone who looks a little similar to wei qing. wei qing has long died on the battlefield. wei ting collected his corpse for him. didn¡¯t you leave the city to hold the coffin on the day the corpse was transported back to the capital?¡± ¡°i was¡­¡± guo lingxi did not have the guts to look at the tragic corpse in the coffin. ¡°you¡¯re lying to the emperor!¡± they had even deceived the rulers of two countries! this was a capital crime! su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i¡¯ve said it before. he¡¯s not wei qing. if you insist on talking nonsense in front of the western jin emperor, i don¡¯t mind sending you off!¡± guo lingxi said coldly, ¡°you want to kill me here? you¡¯re crazy! this is the palace! do you really think that no one can find out about you? i don¡¯t mind telling you that the western jin emperor raised a very powerful hound with a sharp sense of smell. if i die, it can smell the murderer!¡± she was not messing around. she had seen that big black dog bite two palace servants to death. it was very ferocious. damn it! the western jin emperor still had such a thing! su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°i¡¯m not the one who wants to kill you. it¡¯s the western jin emperor.¡± guo lingxi¡¯s pupils dilated. su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°why? haven¡¯t you figured out the key? you, guo lingxi, are the cousin of the wei family. if zhuge qing is wei qing, then who are you? zhuge qing lay low for three years in the western jin and established a huge number of black armored army. he is deeply valued by yuwen huai and the western jin emperor. now, his biological cousin¡ªyou¡¯re here. you¡¯re the favorite concubine of the western jin emperor. one day, you¡¯ll definitely give birth to a dragon heir for the western jin emperor. a demon concubine and a cunning minister. will the two of you join forces to seize the western jin?¡± guo lingxi choked. ¡°you.. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°the western jin emperor won¡¯t hand the country over to a son of an outsider¡¯s bloodline, but he¡¯s his biological son after all. he can¡¯t bear to kill his son, but do you think he will leave his son behind? yuwen huai doesn¡¯t want a younger brother who has the ability to compete with him for the throne. will he eliminate the root of the problem? kill your son while he¡¯s still young?¡± guo lingxi¡¯s face was pale. su xiaoxiao¡¯s smile was clean and clear, but her words were like a sharp knife tip, hitting guo lingxi¡¯s vital points. ¡°why? do you want to say that you¡¯ve never had designs the western jin dynasty? but it doesn¡¯t matter what you think. what others think is important. ¡± as su xiaoxiao spoke, she smiled faintly at her. ¡°don¡¯t think that you can gain the trust of the western jin emperor just because you sold zhuge qing. you and zhuge qing are in the same boat, understand?¡± su xiaoxiao reached out to her. guo lingxi broke out in cold sweat. she did not know if it was from anger or fear, but she did not hand over her hand. su xiaoxiao took the initiative to pull her up. she put away the dagger and gently plucked the grass off her body. she glanced at the old eunuch who was walking over not far away and smiled. ¡°look, you came over with eunuch he. it¡¯s not good for him to see you in such a daze. after all, you¡¯re a concubine of the western jin. if you can¡¯t bear to part with your family, it will disappoint his majesty.¡± guo lingxi was drenched in cold sweat. she glared at su xiaoxiao in shock and hatred. how could this woman still speak to her in such a calm tone? su xiaoxiao whispered into her ear, ¡°or do you want me to tell eunuch he that i¡¯m here to teach you how to cause trouble?¡± ¡°physician qin, consort ling!¡± eunuch he noticed the two of them and walked towards them with a smile. he bowed to them. he placed su xiaoxiao in front of her in his address. it could be seen how important su xiaoxiao was to the western jin emperor. ¡°eunuch he.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled and greeted him. su xiaoxiao looked at guo lingxi with a smile. guo lingxi composed herself and suppressed the turmoil in her heart. she said to her eunuch he, ¡°it¡¯s just a farewell.¡± su xiaoxiao tidied her sleeves. ¡°the western jin isn¡¯t far. i¡¯ll come to see you often in the future. why are you crying? he looked at the two of them in surprise. ¡°ah¡­ the relationship between consort ling and physician qin is not like what the rumors say.¡± su xiaoxiao looked confused. ¡°what did they say about me and my cousin? eunuch he smiled awkwardly. ¡°speaking of you¡­ sigh, there¡¯s nothing to it.¡± someone from the guo family had come. she knew lingxi¡¯s brother had probably been tricked into saying a lot. su xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°we were fooling around at home. when we are out, we¡¯re all family. don¡¯t you think so, cousin?¡± eunuch he looked at guo lingxi. guo lingxi clenched her fists. cousin-in-law is right.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°eunuch he, you don¡¯t look too good.¡± at the mention of this, eunuch he sighed. ¡°sigh, it¡¯s about the jade coral. his highness is also here and is arguing in the imperial study.¡± ¡°father! this is what you rewarded me with. why should i return it?¡± third prince yuwen lin hugged the jade coral in his arms and refused to let go. the western jin emperor felt a little embarrassed, but he could not lose his dignity as a father in front of his son. ¡°i can take it back if i want. do i need your opinion?¡± the third prince said seriously, ¡°if father gives it to me, it¡¯s mine! of course you have to ask for my opinion!¡± among the many surviving children of the western jin emperor, other than yuwen huai and yuwen xi, who were already in their thirties, the other princes were not even 25 years old. their personalities were naturally not as restrained as their eldest brother and sister. the western jin emperor looked at him solemnly. ¡°do you want the jade coral or your life?¡± the third prince said without hesitation, ¡°i want the jade coral!¡± the western jin emperor waved his hand. a group of experts from the imperial family rushed in. yuwen lin¡¯s hair stood on end. ¡°no way, father! are you serious?¡± half an hour later, yuwen lin limped out of the imperial study. in his life, the first time he was beaten up was actually for a basin of coral. how could he accept that? eunuch he waited for yuwen lin to walk away before entering the imperial study. no prince wanted his sorry appearance to be seen by the servants. eunuch he had been the butler for so long, so he should have some judgment. he looked at the jade coral on the table and asked, ¡®your majesty, physician qin came just now.¡± ¡°was she here to ask about jade coral?¡± ¡°she came here to see consort ling.¡± the western jin emperor said nothing else. he asked, ¡°do you want to send it to mr. zhuge?¡± the western jin emperor picked up the memorial on the table. ¡°there¡¯s no need. the great zhou envoy is leaving the capital. i¡¯ll hold a banquet tomorrow night to send them off. zhuge qing will also come. i¡¯ll give it to him in person..¡± Chapter 741 - Chapter 741: A Family Moves Out (1) chapter 741: a family moves out (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after su xiaoxiao left the palace, she said to ah fu, ¡°ah fu, do you know where the heavenly fragrance pavilion is?¡± ¡°i know, i know!¡± ah fu had been wandering around the west capital these days. he had gone to all the slightly famous places. ¡°are you going now, young madam?¡± ¡°yes, i¡¯ll go now.¡± su xiaoxiao got into the carriage. ¡°alright.¡± ah fu put away the carriage stool and sat in the outer seat. he drove the carriage to the heavenly fragrance pavilion. su xiaoxiao was here for second master shen. she was originally a little worried that it would be difficult for her to see second master shen without a token. unexpectedly, the shopkeeper brought her to the room upstairs without asking. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to ask who i am?¡± su xiaoxiao asked curiously. the shopkeeper smiled. ¡°my second master said that if a young and beautiful girl comes to look for him, i must respectfully invite her upstairs. that¡¯s his esteemed guest.¡± she was young and beautiful. yes, second master shen was smart. su xiaoxiao was very satisfied. the shopkeeper served her good tea and snacks and asked her to wait inside. he asked someone to call second master shen. second master shen was tasting the new wine at a nearby winery. the taste was not much different from before. second master shen kept feeling that there was something missing, but he could not taste it. ¡°second master! second master!¡± the shop assistant jogged over. ¡°shopkeeper hu wants you to hurry back to the heavenly fragrance pavilion.¡± ¡°i haven¡¯t finished tasting this wine.¡± ¡°that girl is here for you!¡± swoosh! second master shen disappeared. the assistant shuddered and stayed where he was with a dumbfounded expression. what had just happened? was second master around or not? ¡°bring the wine!¡± second master shen¡¯s shout came from outside the wine cellar. the waiter came back to his senses and hurriedly carried a few wine jars into the carriage. second master shen rushed to the room on the second floor of the heavenly fragrance pavilion. su xiaoxiao sat quietly by the window. there was a cup of steaming longjing tea in front of her. the sunlight shone diagonally into her head and landed on her beautiful face. she looked at the busy streets, her side profile calm and perfect. the streets were noisy, but the world she was in was peaceful. second master shen suddenly calmed down. he walked forward. ¡°madam wei.¡± su xiaoxiao retracted her gaze and smiled at him. ¡°second master shen.¡± second master shen was dazzled by this smile. naturally, it was purely admiration. he did not have any thoughts that he should not have. he sat down opposite su xiaoxiao and the waiter went forward to pour him a cup of tea. he was quite satisfied with the table full of tea and snacks and did not neglect his esteemed guest. he waved his hand. ¡°alright, you can leave.¡± the clerk withdrew. second master shen rubbed his hands in embarrassment and said, ¡°the last time i saw mr. zhuge i drank too much. when i woke up, it was already dawn. i didn¡¯t lose my composure, right?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°no.¡± second master shen heaved a sigh of relief. unexpectedly, before he could finish, he heard su xiaoxiao say, ¡°you only pulled mr. zhuge¡¯s sleeve and confessed for the entire night.¡± second master shen was so frightened that his face turned pale! su xiaoxiao was amused by his expression. however, she was telling the truth. after second master shen got drunk, he did grab zhuge qing¡¯s sleeve and tirelessly told him about his admiration for zhuge qing. all the things about being lucky for three lifetimes and smoking in his ancestral grave came out. second master shen was about to cry. it was not easy for him to see mr. zhuge, but he had embarrassed himself like this. su xiaoxiao stopped scaring him and returned to the topic. ¡°i came to look for you this time to ask you to help me find two more herbs.¡± at the mention of this, second master shen asked, ¡°ah, did you get the wei nation herbs last time?¡± ¡°i got it,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°that¡¯s good.¡± second master shen heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°what medicine are you looking for?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°snow domain hemp and snake bone flower.¡± second master shen shook his head. ¡°i¡¯ve never heard of them.¡± su xiaoxiao took out two blueprints. before sai huatuo left, he left behind the herbs he had gathered and the blueprints of the other herbs. su xiaoxiao copied a few. ¡°maybe they have other names,¡± su xiaoxiao said. second master shen took the blueprint and looked at it carefully for a while. ¡°can i take it away? su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°of course.¡± second master shen carefully put away the blueprint. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll ask around for you. i¡¯ll inform you immediately if there¡¯s any news. is it still the moon chasing inn?¡± ¡°yes.¡± su xiaoxiao sniffed. ¡°have you been drinking?¡± ¡°ah, i was tasting a new wine just now.¡± ¡°sorghum wine?¡± ¡°your nose is very sharp.. you¡¯re an expert!¡± Chapter 742 - Chapter 742: A Family Moves Out (2) chapter 742: a family moves out (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°not really.¡± su xiaoxiao looked at the door. ¡°did you bring the wine?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve brought it! i¡¯ve brought it!¡± second master shen quickly asked the waiter to carry a few wine jars over. ¡°try it on my account! however, it might not taste good. our shen family has always been brewing wine. unfortunately, we can¡¯t win against our competitor.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°your competitor is¡­¡± second master shen said, ¡°the qian family. the leader of the five elements alliance is the old master of the qian family. the qian family¡¯s wine is famous in the western jin. there¡¯s no restaurant in the western capital that doesn¡¯t sell his family¡¯s wine. our shen family can¡¯t beat it with money, and the taste is inferior to it.¡± su xiaoxiao tasted the wine in every wine jar. second master shen looked at her expectantly. ¡°these jars are made with the new prescription. how about it?¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°do you want me to tell the truth?¡± second master shen was speechless. second master shen raised his hand. ¡°you don¡¯t have to say anything. i¡¯ve already guessed it.¡± su xiaoxiao had tasted the qian family¡¯s wine. the last time she had wine at the dongting restaurant, it was the wine supplied by the qian family¡¯s winery. her alcohol tolerance was poor, so she only dipped her chopsticks in it and tasted it. it was spicy and strong in her mouth. the taste was indeed not something the shen family¡¯s wine could compare to. second master shen smiled bitterly. ¡°i¡¯m not afraid to tell you the truth. i¡¯m the second son in the family and have a brother above me. he¡¯s the heir of the shen family. he picked out everything that was given to me. when he gave me the winery back then, i expected it to not be so simple¡­ how could he bear to give it to me? as expected¡­ actually, it was my father who saw that i had curried favor with mr. zhuge and instructed my brother to give me some business.¡± so there was such a sad experience behind his big yellow gold chain. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°don¡¯t you still have the heavenly fragrance pavilion? second master shen told her the truth. ¡°mother left the heavenly fragrance pavilion for me.¡¯ a poor, rich boy¡­ su xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°do you want to start a business?¡± second master shen sighed. ¡°of course i want to, but i don¡¯t have the ability.. big brother is right. i should be a rich second-generation heir. anyway, we¡¯re biological brothers. he will support me for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°bring me a brush and ink,¡± su xiaoxiao said. second master shen did not know what she wanted, but he still got someone to bring the four treasures of the study over. su xiaoxiao picked up her pen and wrote a prescription. ¡°since the qian family¡¯s winery business is already unshakable, why use your shortcomings to compete with others¡¯ strengths? why don¡¯t you take another path and open up a new market?¡± second master shen took it and took a look. ¡°medicine wine?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°to remove rheumatism, treat bone pain, soothe the meridians, live blood, and extend your life.¡± second master shen said awkwardly, ¡°will¡­ will this work?¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°i¡¯m not sure about other people¡¯s medicinal wine. my medicinal wine will definitely have an effect. in addition, i didn¡¯t give you the prescription for nothing. invest 20% of the technology.¡± ¡°alright¡­¡± second master shen accepted the prescription hesitantly. it was not that he felt that it was more than 20%, but he seriously suspected that he could not do this medicinal wine business. forget it. anyway, the sorghum wine business had not started. there was no harm in trying something else. at most, he would be beaten up by his father and mocked by his brother. he had been a wastrel for so many years, so he didn¡¯t mind being a prodigal once or twice. su xiaoxiao bade farewell to second master shen and returned to the inn. after using up the anti-inflammatory medicine for the young royal prince, she went into the pharmacy to get the medicine, but she accidentally discovered a new bottle of medicine¡ªimmunoglobulin punch. generally speaking, the health supplements in the pharmacy were all black technology. the efficacy far exceeded that of some prescription drugs. she did not come out early or late. she insisted on waiting for the young royal prince¡¯s smallpox to recover. was she afraid that she would not be able to treat the young royal prince¡¯s smallpox and waste this bottle of medicine? su xiaoxiao looked at it disdainfully. after replenishing the medicine, su xiaoxiao took out a charcoal pen and drew a five animal play. the young royal prince¡¯s weakness was brought about by his mother¡¯s womb, but it was not impossible to improve. compared to letting him stay in the room all year round, su xiaoxiao was more inclined to let him come out and exercise. her painting lasted until night. the three little ones ran up and called her to uncle¡¯s place for dinner. she smiled. ¡°okay, here we go.¡± the moon was dark and windy. feng xiaoran left the west capital and returned to his courtyard. sai huatuo had slipped away. his grandson was gone, and even the snow region heavenly silk and purple lingzhi had been stolen. he was so angry that he vomited blood and swept all the tea sets on the table to the ground. at this moment, there was a knock on the door. it was slow and heavy, making one¡¯s hair stand on end. ¡°who¡¯s here? go take a look,¡± he instructed impatiently. however, there was no movement in the courtyard. ¡°are you deaf?¡± he snapped. there was still no movement. he pulled open the door and walked out, only to see his guards fall to the ground. when did this happen? he actually didn¡¯t notice! knock, knock, knock. the knock came again. he hesitated for a moment before pulling out the dagger at his waist. he walked forward warily and slowly pulled open the door. the next day, su yuan came to the inn with the news that the western jin emperor had organized a banquet for them. ¡°you guys go to the banquet too. last time, wei ting left halfway. this time, you have to show your face.¡± that was only natural. it would be unreasonable not to meet the western jin emperor after coming to the western capital. the two of them changed their clothes and brought the three children along. ¡°zhuge qing is going too, right?¡± su yuan asked. wei ting said, ¡°second brother won¡¯t go with us.¡± su yuan nodded. ¡°that¡¯s true. at the last moment, avoid suspicion if possible. don¡¯t let anything go wrong and return to great zhou safely.¡± the group got into the carriage and went to the palace. this was their last banquet in the west capital. if nothing went wrong, the great zhou diplomatic mission would leave in three days. the three little ones were extremely excited and jumped around the carriage. ¡°do you like the west capital?¡± su xiaoxiao asked with a smile. ¡°i do,¡± the three little ones replied in unison. they were still young and might not understand some things, but they understood that in the west capital, they could follow their mother anywhere. the carriage of the princess¡¯s residence was already waiting at the entrance of the palace. yuwen xi and the vounz princess had arrived earlv and had alreadv entered. moxie and the others were at the door. su yuan got into the carriage and entered the palace.. Chapter 743 - Chapter 743: Wei Qing (1) chapter 743: wei qing (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tonight¡¯s banquet was still held at chong ming hall. the royal relatives and ministers had arrived early. zhuge qing was attending with yuwen huai and sat beside him. the old marquis had also arrived early in the morning. he sat in his seat and had a good chat with a few new ministers of the west jin. when su xiaoxiao and the others entered chongming hall, the young princess of western jin immediately waved at su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao walked over with a smile. ¡°qin su!¡± yuwen xin hurriedly gave up the seat beside her. just now, a few young ladies wanted to sit with her, but she rejected them. although the western jin emperor had not completely revoked the prohibition of the princess¡¯s residence, everyone saw the princess attend the palace banquet time and time again and had a rough idea. the storm of the house arrest was probably going to pass. this princess would soon regain her favor. ¡°i¡¯ll go greet granduncle before coming over.¡± with that, su xiaoxiao brought the three little ones to the old marquis. after greeting them, the three little ones were successfully stopped by the old marquis. the dancers also planned to come out and dance. they rehearsed a new dance and planned to avenge their previous humiliation. unexpectedly, when they came out and saw the three cute little ones, they felt terrible! why was it them again? was they going to let the dancers live? the arrival of the three little ones attracted everyone¡¯s attention again. as the saying went, one would be unfamiliar with them the first time, but they would be pally with them the second time. last time, everyone was too embarrassed to sized up them, but tonight, they all surrounded them. the three little ones were so ruffled up that they doubted their lives. yuwen huai still did not know that the western jin emperor had asked su xiaoxiao to treat zhuge qing¡¯s leg. yuwen xi did not inform him. feng xiaoran thought that he was the one who had begged the western jin emperor, so he did not spread the news. ¡°how have you been recently?¡± yuwen huai asked zhuge qing. zhuge qing was wearing a mask, so yuwen huai could not see his complexion. zhuge qing said, ¡°thanks to your highness, i¡¯ve slept well these few days.¡± after all, his legs no longer endured immense pain day and nigh and the calming medicine su xiaoxiao gave him was indeed effective. yuwen huai smiled and said, ¡°i was originally worried that the stone marrow would be less effective on you, so i planned to find another medicine for you.¡± zhuge qing said politely, ¡°your highness is too considerate.¡± everyone arrived one after another, and the hall quickly became lively. the western jin emperor also allowed the two princesses to attend. guo lingxi did not want to send her so-called relatives of the great zhou off at all, but it was the western jin emperor¡¯s decree, so she had no choice but to obey. she dressed up and brought her trusted female official to chongming hall. when she passed by the imperial garden, she unexpectedly heard a flustered and familiar voice. ¡°why are you here?¡± ¡°i came to see you.¡± ¡°fool! is this a place you should be?¡± ¡°but 1¡­¡¯ concubine jing? and a man? guo lingxi gestured for the female official to stay where she was. she was a martial artist and her footsteps were light and difficult to discover. she slowly walked over, squatted down, and hid behind a flower bush. she sized up the two people opposite her through the gaps in the branches. she imew concubine jing. the other man¡¯s face was a little unfamiliar, but from his accent, he seemed to be from northern yan. he suddenly held concubine jing¡¯s hand. guo lingxi was shocked. concubine jing looked around and said in a low voice, ¡°who asked you to stay in the great zhou? isn¡¯t it good to return to northern yan?¡± the man said, ¡°i can¡¯t bear to leave you alone¡­ i¡¯m worried about leaving you alone in the western jin¡­ i know you don¡¯t want to be a princess¡­ can i take you away? concubine jing said with red eyes, ¡°i¡¯m a princess on a marriage alliance. how can i leave? where is the western jin? where is the northern yan? hurry up and leave. it won¡¯t be good if others find out!¡± the man said, ¡°i joined the third prince and am now an advisor to the third prince¡¯s residence. don¡¯t worry, i entered the palace openly.¡± concubine jing said worriedly, ¡°but this is the harem! if you¡¯re discovered, you¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°who¡¯s there!¡± the man suddenly looked warily in guo lingxi¡¯s direction. had she been discovered? guo lingxi frowned secretly. however, on second thought, she wasn¡¯t the one who should feel guilty. they were the adulterous couple. guo lingxi stood up slowly and looked at the two of them. ¡°it¡¯s me.¡± concubine jing¡¯s expression changed. she was about to shield the man behind her, but the man stepped in front of her. guo lingxi said mockingly, ¡°what a pair of lovers. does his majesty know that you¡¯re so unfaithful to him? to think that you fight for favor every day, but you actually have another man in your heart..¡± Chapter 744 - Chapter 744: Wei Qjng (2) chapter 744: wei qjng (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios concubine jing walked out from behind the man and glared coldly at guo lingxi. ¡°how good can you be? don¡¯t think that i don¡¯t know your past in the great zhou. what right do you have to criticize me?¡± guo lingxi smiled coldly. ¡°no matter what, i¡¯ve never had any physical contact with a man. you said that it was in the great zhou. after coming to the western jin, i was focused on being a imperial concubine and didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives with any man! aiya, i wonder what his majesty will do to you when he finds out.¡± the western jin emperor was a ruthless monarch. if he found out that his concubine had an affair with an outsider, the outcome of the two of them would definitely be worse than death. consort ting¡¯s face turned dale and her attitude softened. ¡°sister guo. we¡¯re all in the same boat. why do you have to do this?¡± guo lingxi chuckled. ¡°you¡¯re wrong. you¡¯re sick, but i¡¯m not.¡± concubine jing smiled. ¡°don¡¯t you want to get wei ting? yes, it¡¯s impossible between you and wei ting, but are you really willing for him to be snatched away by another woman? you¡¯re very jealous of that madam wei, right? that day at the palace banquet, you looked at her more than at wei ting. i guess you wish you could cut her into pieces. although i can¡¯t help you get your ideal husband, i can help you eliminate a thorn in your side. do you think this is more worth it than a deal?¡± guo lingxi said coldly, ¡°she¡¯s not so easy to deal with.¡± concubine jing knew that she was tempted, and her smile deepened. ¡°actually, some things are not as complicated as you think. as long as you agree, i will definitely have a way to help you deal with her. moreover, i can make wei ting hate her forever!¡± ¡°what method?¡± guo lingxi asked. concubine jing looked at the man beside her. ¡®you heard it just now. he¡¯s an advisor to the third prince¡¯s residence and is deeply trusted by yuwen lin. he¡¯ll lure yuwen lin over later, and you will lure madam wei over.¡± guo lingxi was stunned. ¡°you want to frame her and yuwen lin¡­¡± concubine jing smiled wantonly. ¡°she seduced yuwen lin.¡± in chongming hall, su xiaoxiao was listening to the yuwen xin talk about some interesting things in the west capital. suddenly, the female official beside guo lingxi walked over and bowed to su xiaoxiao. she whispered, ¡°my lady is waiting for madam in the imperial garden. she has something to discuss with madam.¡± what important things could guo lingxi have to discuss with her? su xiaoxiao thought for a moment before putting down her wine glass and leaving with the female official. in the imperial garden, guo lingxi paced nervously. ¡°why are you looking for me?¡± the sudden voice frightened guo lingxi. she turned around and looked at su xiaoxiao, who had been brought over by the female official. she suppressed the panic in her heart and said, ¡°i think i found someone just now. it¡¯s a spy from northern yan.¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°if you find a spy from northern yan, just tell his majesty. what are you telling me?¡± guo lingxi¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°i don¡¯t have any evidence. what if i make a mistake and falsely accuse northern yan?¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms and looked at her calmly. ¡°even you, guo lingxi, are afraid?¡± guo lingxi said angrily, ¡°are you going to take a look? it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not going. ¡± su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°i¡¯ll go. the great zhou and northern yan are mortal enemies. since it¡¯s a a spy from northern yan, i have to take a look. otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of your kindness?¡± guo lingxi brought su xiaoxiao to a desolate woodshed, and the female official followed the two of them silently. ¡°it¡¯s the woodshed ahead,¡± guo lingxi said to su xiaoxiao. su xiaoxiao walked forward without a word, not caring if guo lingxi followed. guo lingxi opened her mouth. ¡°wait!¡± su xiaoxiao stopped and turned to look at her. ¡°you¡­¡± guo lingxi hesitated. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°say what you want to say quickly. if it¡¯s too late, the spy from northern yan might not be around.¡± ¡°i¡­¡± guo lingxi hesitated and clenched her handkerchief. su xiaoxiao suddenly smiled. ¡°guo lingxi, you can¡¯t do anything to me. no wonder you can¡¯t defeat zhao kangjing.¡± guo lingxi¡¯s pupils dilated. su xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°but it¡¯s not a bad thing. it means that my threat yesterday was very successful.¡± guo lingxi¡¯s eyes flashed with humiliation. she realized something and suddenly turned to look at the female official behind her. the female official lowered her head deeply. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°don¡¯t make things difficult for her. she¡¯s just a female official.¡± guo lingxi might be stunned by her hatred of the female official from the great zhou, but the female official would not lose her mind. she was here on behalf of the great zhou. she had to take into account the overall situation. she could not watch as the great zhou¡¯s madam was schemed against by the princess of northern yan.. Chapter 745 - Chapter 745: Wei Qjng (3) chapter 745: wei qjng (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios of course, she did not know concubine jing¡¯s plan. she only told su xiaoxiao the truth. she saw concubine jing talking to guo lingxi with an unfamiliar man. that was enough. how could su xiaoxiao not guess that guo lingxi had been used? if guo lingxi hadn¡¯t hesitated for a moment, su xiaoxiao would have thrown her into the woodshed. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°do you want to know consort jing¡¯s true goal?¡± guo lingxi frowned. ¡°what do you mean?¡± su xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°there, they¡¯re here.¡± the few of them retreated behind the tree. a young eunuch walked over with a tall man who was as tall as pine. guo lingxi recognized him at a glance. ¡®wei ting?¡± wait, why was wei ting here? wasn¡¯t it yuwen lin? ¡°where¡¯s my madam?¡± wei ting asked. the young eunuch said, ¡°madam wei suddenly has a stomachache and feels guo lingxi was puzzled. ¡°they didn¡¯t go to the woodshed. they went to the courtyard there.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°i have nothing to do with concubine jing. do you really think concubine jing will scheme against me? believe it or not, if you bring me into the woodshed and lock me up, i¡¯ll immediately be knocked out and thrown into that courtyard. there¡¯s smoke in the house in the courtyard. when wei ting is drugged, she¡¯ll put the two of you on the same bed and let the western jin emperor catch you in the act.¡± ¡°who in the great zhou doesn¡¯t know your feelings for wei ting? they also know that wei ting has always rejected you clearly. if something really happens, no one will think that wei ting kidnapped you. they will only think that you used medicine to scheme against wei ting.¡± guo lingxi broke out in cold sweat. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°of course, consort jing also underestimated wei ting. wei ting won¡¯t fall for it.¡± as expected, the young eunuch asked wei ting to enter, but wei ting did not. then, wei ting threw the young eunuch in. guo lingxi muttered, ¡°so¡­ it wouldn¡¯t have worked.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it would have worked if it were another man. anyway, according to the original plan, if you were unconscious inside and wei ting left, concubine jing could still find another man.¡± guo lingxi gritted her teeth. ¡°damn it! i¡¯m going to expose her for having an affair!¡± su xiaoxiao glanced at her. ¡°so you believed her scheme because you bumped into her weakness? wake up, there¡¯s no adulterer at all. they were acting for you! believe it or not, if you complain to the imperial court, he can take off his pants and prove that he¡¯s a eunuch!¡± guo lingxi was stunned. consort jing grew up in the northen yan imperial palace. with an opponent like zhao kangning and infighting all day, her level of scheming was much higher than guo lingxi¡¯s. su xiaoxiao did not look at the devastated guo lingxi. what she really cared about was if consort jing was really just targeting guo lingxi. su xiaoxiao walked out and saw wei ting. ¡°i¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡± wei ting looked at guo lingxi and her servant behind her. ¡°okay.¡± the group returned to chong ming hall. the western jin emperor had already arrived. concubine jing sat in the seat slightly below him. the hall was filled with singing and dancing. seeing su xiaoxiao, wei ting, and guo lingxi enter safely, a trace of surprise and disappointment flashed across consort jing¡¯s eyes. she quickly lowered her eyes to hide her emotions. guo lingxi glared at her coldly and sat down on the other side of the western jin emperor. everyone could feel guo lingxi¡¯s hatred for concubine jing, but no one suspected anything. after all, the relationship between the great zhou and northern was like fire and water. the two of them were both princesses and wanted to fight for favor. it was normal for them to not like each other. the banquet continued. after the swaying dancers finished dancing, the candlelight in the hall was suddenly extinguished. a group of men wearing ghost masks, red robes, and holding torches rushed in. this was a man¡¯s prayer dance. darkness, torches, ghost faces, wide robes like blood¡­ it was filled with a mysterious and forbidden aura. everyone was entranced, including the three little ones who were eating candied hawthorn. ¡°wow.¡± they had never seen such a strange dance. they watched intently and even forgot to eat the candied hawthorn. everyone focused on admiring the dance and stopped what the were doing. everyone was deeply shocked and could not recover for a long time. the dancer¡¯s figure was a little familiar. when the western jin emperor praised the dance, he bowed and took off his mask. who else could it be but feng xiaoran? everyone looked at yuwen xi. yuwen xi frowned. ¡°i didn¡¯t arrange it.¡± in fact, ever since she abandoned feng xiaoran in the imperial study last time, feng xiaoran had never interacted with her again. feng xiaoran cupped his fists and bowed. ¡°it was a prayer dance for your majesty and the western jin. in addition, i want to offer an immortal pill to your majesty.¡± ¡°oh?¡± the western jin emperor was interested. eunuch he personally walked down the steps. feng xiaoran handed a great nourishment pill that he had placed in a brocade box to his eunuch he. the western jin emperor also thought that yuwen xi had arranged it. he looked at yuwen xi in admiration, and yuwen xi frowned. feng xiaoran smiled and said, ¡°now, please allow me to give his majesty one last big gift.¡± ¡°there¡¯s more?¡± on account of the immortality pill, the western jin emperor was more amiable to feng xiaoran. feng xiaoran took out a portrait from his wide sleeve and opened it in public. everyone looked over. wei ting¡¯s eyes darkened. yuwen lin curled his lips and said, ¡°what? isn¡¯t this mr. zhuge¡¯s portrait? but you seem to have made him fatter.¡± feng xiaoran sneered and glanced at zhuge qing in the wheelchair.. ¡°your highness, the person in the portrait is not zhuge qing, but the second son of the wei family¡­ wei qing!¡± Chapter 746 - Chapter 746: The Three Brave Little Ones (1) chapter 746: the three brave little ones (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei qing? how was that possible? the person in the portrait was clearly zhuge qing. although zhuge qing was wearing a mask today, everyone had seen his true appearance before. he was not exactly identical to the one in the portrait, but he was at least 70 to 80% similar. however, their auras were completely different, and zhuge qing was thinner. yuwen lin said, ¡°feng xiaoran, you¡¯re mistaken. the person in the portrait is clearly mr. zhuge.¡± yuwen huai frowned and glanced at yuwen xi, clearly suspecting that yuwen xi was up to something again. yuwen xi was really wronged. she had long fallen out with feng xiaoran. she did not even know why feng xiaoran was here. however, compared to the others who were at a loss, she had a clue. other than wei ting, the entire wei family had died in battle. however, the eldest son, wei chen, survived and became a death warrior. could the second son, wei qing, also survive? moreover, zhuge qing and wei qing had the word ¡°qing¡± in their names. if zhuge qing was wei qing, it would make sense for qin su to treat him. it would also be more reasonable for wei ting to abandon the official duties of the imperial court and accompany qin su to western jin. the princess hugged wuhu in her arms and tugged at su xiaoxiao¡¯s sleeve. ¡°qin su, is what feng xiaoran said true? is the person in the portrait really wei qing? but why does wei qing look identical to mr. zhuge?¡± su xiaoxiao took a sip of tea without batting an eyelid. ¡°second brother has passed away. i¡¯ve never seen him.¡± the old marquis and su yuan did not look too good. the two of them had seen wei qing before and knew that zhuge qing was wei qing. what puzzled them was where this guy called feng xiaoran had obtained wei qing¡¯s portrait. the western jin emperor said nothing and looked at feng xiaoran with a dark gaze. feng xiaoran felt the tangible might of the emperor, but he had come prepared today. he had confidence. the person who should feel guilty was zhuge qing. he bowed to the western jin emperor and cupped his hands at yuwen lin, who had shouted at him just now. ¡°your majesty, third highness, everything i said is true. zhuge qing is wei qing. he didn¡¯t die in battle back then. his death was just a scheme! it was to change his appearance and secretly infiltrate the western jin to become a spy!¡± yuwen lin was shocked. ¡°what?¡± gasps sounded in the hall. zhuge qing was the number one strategist in the western jin. if he was a spy, this was too terrifying. yuwen huai said sternly, ¡°feng xiaoran, don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± feng xiaoran pointed at zhuge qing and said to yuwen huai, ¡°your highness, if he¡¯s not wei qing, why would he wear a mask in front of the great zhou ambassadors? he didn¡¯t wear it in the past!¡± ¡°that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s because¡­¡± yuwen huai suddenly realized that he had never asked zhuge qing why he suddenly put on a mask. the others were the same. although they were curious, they did not suspect too much. they had almost blind trust and admiration for zhuge qing. zhuge qing said calmly, ¡°my face is a little injured. i don¡¯t want to show it to others. ¡± feng xiaoran sneered. ¡°is that so? then do you dare to take off your mask and let everyone examine your injuries in public? i guess you don¡¯t dare. after all, there are many old acquaintances of yours here. if they recognize you, how will you continue to pretend?¡± wei ting said seriously, ¡°i can testify that zhuge qing is not my second brother.¡± feng xiaoran smiled and looked at him. ¡°of course you have to hide it for him. not only you, but old marquis su, lord su, the daughter of the qin family¡­ you¡¯re all in cahoots!¡± as he spoke, his gaze landed on a seat in the great zhou diplomatic mission. ¡°second young master guo, you¡¯re from the guo family and are cousins with wei qing. you should have seen wei qing before. why don¡¯t i invite you to acknowledge him?¡± the second young master guo he mentioned was called guo ming. he was guo lingxi¡¯s brother born from a concubine. guo lingxi did not have a deep relationship with this brother. if guo huan had not passed away, he would not have had the chance to be an envoy. however, feng xiaoran was right about one thing. he did know wei qing. he raised his flushed face and looked around in a daze. ¡°who¡­ who called me?¡± the old marquis and su yuan, who were sitting not far from him, heaved a sigh of relief. this guy was drunk. fortunately! fortunately! su xiaoxiao said, ¡°who do you expect him to know?¡± feng xiaoran frowned in dissatisfaction. this guy was too useless. he had already drunk to this extent in less than half of the banquet.. no wonder he was useless! Chapter 747 - Chapter 747: The Three Brave Little Ones (2) chapter 747: the three brave little ones (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios feng xiaoran did not give up. he walked up to him with the portrait and asked him if he knew the person in the portrait. guo ming was drunk. everything he saw was double. how could he recognize the portrait? feng xiaoran glared at him, but he was not flustered, because there was someone in the hall who could prove wei qing¡¯s identity. ¡°consort ling, you¡¯re wei qing¡¯s cousin. you should know wei qing, right?¡± su xiaoxiao slapped the table and stood up. ¡°feng xiaoran! don¡¯t go too far! who doesn¡¯t know that she fell out with the wei family? can she be trusted? what if the two of you colluded to frame the wei family?¡± feng xiaoran smiled wantonly and said, ¡°madam wei, you can rest assured. i, feng xiaoran, swear to the heavens that i have never interacted with consort ling. before today, if i say anything to her or have any interaction with her, i will be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!¡± with such a heavy oath, even those who believed in zhuge qing could not help but have a trace of doubt. feng xiaoran was extremely happy. ¡°zhuge qing, the higher you climb, the worse you would fall. how ever much everyone loved and respected you in the past would be how much they hate you the day your disguise is torn.¡± ¡°just wait to be torn apart by everyone!¡± guo lingxi clenched her fists. feng xiaoran looked at her steadily. ¡°consort ling, i believe you won¡¯t lie to his majesty.¡± the crime of deceiving the emperor would be decapitation. even if it was a concubine princess, her outcome would definitely not be good. the old marquis subconsciously grabbed the sword at his waist. he was preparing to fight, but just as he touched it, he realized that he could not bring weapons into the palace. his sword had long been placed in the carriage outside. ¡°wei qing is my second cousin¡­ i¡¯ve seen him many times. i do know his portrait. ¡± feng xiaoran smiled in satisfaction. ¡°the person in the portrait¡­ is not my second cousin.¡± feng xiaoran was stunned. guo lingxi said, ¡°i don¡¯t know where you got this portrait, but i can tell you with certainty that my second cousin doesn¡¯t look like this. if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the female official beside me. she has seen wei qing before.¡± the female official hurriedly said, ¡°that¡¯s right. i¡¯ve seen second young master wei a few times in the capital. the person in the portrait doesn¡¯t look like second young master wei.¡± feng xiaoran gritted his teeth and said, ¡°you¡¯re lying! you must have been bribed by the wei family!¡± su xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°feng xiaoran, you were the one who asked consort ling to testify just now. now you¡¯re the one who¡¯s questioning her testimony! everything you say has to be right. you¡¯re so domineering!¡± guo lingxi walked out of her seat and bowed to the western jin emperor. she said sincerely, ¡°your maiestv, i can swear to the heavens that the person in the portrait is really not my second cousin.¡± concubine jing frowned and glanced at guo lingxi. she felt a change in the other party. other than su xiaoxiao and the others, the only one who knew the truth was probably yuwen xi. she was basically certain that zhuge qing was wei qing, but she did not say a word. the western jin emperor looked at feng xiaoran coldly. ¡°men! take feng xiaoran away!¡± feng xiaoran¡¯s expression changed. two powerful eunuchs walked towards feng xiaoran. just as they were about to support feng xiaoran, something unexpected happened. the ghost face dancers behind feng xiaoran suddenly swarmed forward. the wooden sticks in their hands that were originally used to pray for blessings were pulled by them, turning into sharp rings. they slashed the eunuch in front of feng xiaoran to death. blood splattered on feng xiaoran¡¯s face, and he was stunned. ¡°guards! protect the emperor!¡± it was too late. a few ghost face dancers had appeared behind the originally empty door at some point. they suddenly closed the door and bolted it tightly. the door of such a hall was not an ordinary door and could not be easily broken open. not only was the door closed, but there was a rumbling in the back hall. furthermore, the back door was blocked. the imperial guards could not enter. the ghost face dancers began to slaughter wantonly in the hall. screams rose and fell. chong ming hall, which had been singing and dancing a moment ago, had become everyone¡¯s battlefield. the assassin and mei ji didn¡¯t enter the palace. there was no one beside zhuge qing. however, wei ting could not go over and protect him. otherwise, it would be too obvious. zhuge qing gave him a comforting look and asked him to protect su xiaoxiao and the children. a ghost face dancer rushed over. yuwen huai kicked the table away and sent the other party flying. this group of assassins killed everyone they saw. they did not seem to have a specific target and killed whoever they caught. in the blink of an eye, many ministers who did not know martial arts had been killed. yuwen xi snatched the ring-headed saber of a ghost-faced assassin and turned around to see su xiaoxiao pulling the young princess to avoid the attack of an assassin. she said seriously, ¡°qin su, i¡¯ll leave xin¡¯er to you!¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. it was difficult to fight with a child. wei ting arrived in time. yuwen xi went to zhuge qing. ¡°why are you here?¡± yuwen huai asked unhappily. ¡°i¡¯ll take the opportunity to kill you!¡± yuwen xi said angrily. a long sword stabbed at zhuge qing at an extremely tricky angle. yuwen huai couldn¡¯t reach it in time, but yuwen xi forced the other party back with a reverse slash. yuwen huai was a little surprised, but he did not have the time to think about yuwen xi¡¯s motive. he did not know where these assassins came from, but their martial arts were extremely high and difficult to deal with. yuwen huai said, ¡°protect father!¡± yuwen xi said, ¡°you go!¡± yuwen huai asked, ¡°you don¡¯t want the opportunity to make a contribution?¡± yuwen xi asked, ¡°why don¡¯t you want it?¡± the killers surrounded the two of them. a long saber approached yuwen huai¡¯s back. yuwen huai was focused on dealing with the assassin in front of him and did not notice. yuwen xi only needed to turn a blind eye to it to let yuwen huai die at the hands of the assassin. yuwen xi turned around and stopped looking at the assassin. she stabbed the assassin in the stomach. yuwen huai was stunned. in the next second, a hidden weapon shot at yuwen xi. yuwen huai strode forward and pulled her over. the hidden weapon cut his arm. yuwen xi glanced at him. neither of them spoke. yuwen lin flipped the table. ¡°eldest brother, second sister, i¡¯ll help you!¡± the two of them said in unison, ¡°protect father!¡± yuwen lin said, ¡°oh.¡± yuwen lin brought the fourth and fifth princes to protect the emperor. the western jin emperor had imperial experts by his side and did not need their protection. the old marquis said to the three little ones behind him, ¡°don¡¯t look. cover your eyes.¡± the three little ones obediently covered their eyes. after the old marquis turned around, they quietly separated. an assassin was hit heavily by the old marquis¡¯s elbow and fell to the ground. he was still breathing. he had to get up! the three little ones covered their eyes and quietly moved towards him, stepping on him until he fainted! the assassin was speechless. the old marquis and su yuan thought that the three little fellows were obediently waiting in the corner. little did they know that the three little ones had already begun to secretly pick up scraps everywhere. another assassin was beaten to the ground by the old marquis. erhu raised the small pot in his hand and knocked him out. at a time when other children cried, the three of them were busy picking up the leftovers and masks. they even put them on their faces. an assassin was kicked down. he got up and was about to grab someone when he saw the three ghost masks. he was stunned. xiaohu, who was wearing a ghost mask, gestured for him to stop seriously. ¡°we¡¯re on the same side!¡± the assassin was speechless. dahu climbed onto the pillar and the weight fell.. he fainted! Chapter 748 - Chapter 748: Xi Yue, Daddy Is Back (1) chapter 748: xi yue, daddy is back (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios not only were there a large number of these assassins, but the level of their martial arts was also high. they killed everyone they saw. the hall was in chaos, and for a moment, no one noticed the three little ones who were picking up scraps everywhere. of course, they only picked up those who were half-dead. if they really encountered a tough opponent, they would slip away faster than anyone else. yuwen huai dealt with the assassins for a long time and finally killed the last one beside him. suddenly, three small figures ran over with a large group of bruised and swollen assassins behind them. yuwen huai was speechless! wei ting caught the three little ones who had picked up scraps everywhere. he moved them, the women, and the ministers to the side hall. when the last assassin in the hall was also controlled, yuwen xi wanted to capture him alive. seeing that the other party was about to bite through the poison sac in his mouth, yuwen huai hurriedly said, ¡°cut off his chin!¡± however, it was too late. the poison sac was bitten through and the other party fell to the ground. ¡°damn it!¡± yuwen xi kicked him in exasperation. ¡°your highness, her highness!¡± a general of the western jin squatted down and touched the unconscious assassins on the ground. he said in a daze, ¡°i think¡­ there are survivors.¡± this group of people was too ruthless. in order to minimize the casualties in the hall, yuwen huai and the others had to use their full strength. they killed everyone they saw, causing it to be very difficult to leave anyone alive. ¡°no, more than one is alive,¡± the general said, dumbfounded. yuwen huai and yuwen lin were also a little surprised. who did it? why did they leave so many alive? the three little ones hid their achievements and reputation and were pressed onto the small stool to sit in a row. wei ting said solemnly, ¡°stay here obediently, do you hear me?¡± the western jin emperor was a brave and fearless king. danger lurked everywhere in the hall, but he did not escape in a panic from the beginning to the end. as he sat steadily on the dragon chair, his eyes were filled with the dignity and coldness of an emperor. yuwen huai cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°father, the rebels have been executed. five others are alive and unconscious.¡± the western jin emperor said seriously, ¡°lock them up in jail and interrogate strictly.¡± yuwen huai agreed. ¡°yes!¡± the door of the hall opened, and the imperial guards rushed in and began to quickly clean up the event location. the western jin emperor looked at the old marquis. ¡°marquis su, are you alright?¡± the old marquis cupped his hands. ¡°we¡¯re fine.¡± the western jin emperor sighed and said, ¡°i¡¯ve frightened everyone today. it¡¯s my fault for not setting up well. i¡¯m very ashamed.¡± the banquet could not go on. the western jin emperor arranged for the imperial guards to escort the old marquis and the others back to the west capital courier station. su xiaoxiao and wei ting stayed behind to help the imperial physicians of the western jin treat the injured in the hall. the few imperial heirs were also injured. among them, the third prince, yuwen lin, had the deepest wound and needed to be stitched up. among his brothers, he was the loudest and cried the most. su xiaoxiao cleaned his wound. he sat beside the dragon chair and hugged the leg of the western jin emperor. ¡°father! it hurts!¡± yuwen huai¡¯s right arm was cut an inch long by a hidden weapon. chief physician chu walked over with a first aid kit to treat his injuries. he looked at yuwen xi, who was comforting yuwen xin not far away, and said to chief physician chu, ¡°the princess is also injured.¡± chief physician chu was stunned. did this mean that he had to treat her highness first? as yuwen xi hugged her daughter in her arms, her left arm caressed the girl¡¯s cheek. her right arm hung stiffly by her side, dripping with blood. chief physician chu came to her side and said softly, ¡°your highness, i¡¯ll take a look at your injuries.¡± yuwen xin hurriedly raised her head from her arms and looked at her worriedly. ¡°mother, are you injured?¡± yuwen xi said, ¡°it¡¯s fine. go back to the side hall and wait. moxie will be here soon.¡± she had miscalculated today and did not bring moxie into the palace. fortunately, qin su was protecting xin¡¯er¡¯s. otherwise, her life would be in danger. chief physician chu judged that yuwen xi¡¯s injuries had been tended to and came over to treat yuwen huai. when he raised yuwen huai¡¯s sleeve, he realized that not only had his arm been cut by a hidden weapon, but his shoulder blade had also been cut. ¡°your highness, bear with it, ¡± chief physician chu said. yuwen huai nodded indifferently. the hall was filled with yuwen lin¡¯s wild shrieks and howls. yuwen huai was a little frustrated and asked chief physician chu to quickly treat his injuries while he went outside to take a breather. yuwen xi stood alone by the railing. yuwen huai frowned and looked at her back. he hesitated for a moment before walking over. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to stay inside?¡± yuwen xi said calmly, ¡°yuwen lin is very noisy.¡± in her early years, the empress followed the western jin emperor to conquer the world. her body was damaged and she could not give birth. yuwen huai and yuwen xi were the flesh and blood of consort de and consort shu, respectively. however, the western jin emperor had ordered that all the princes and princesses were raised by the empress before the age of 12. therefore, strictly speaking, they grew up in the same bedroom.. Chapter 749 - Chapter 749: Xi Yue, Daddy Is Back (2) chapter 749: xi yue, daddy is back (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios she had once sincerely called him brother, and he had secretly sworn to take care of this sister for the rest of his life. unfortunately, there was only one throne. at some point, they fell into the vortex of power. not only them, but even the third, fourth, and fifth brothers¡­ even the sixth and seventh brothers, who were about to become adults, might not be able to escape the fate of competing for the throne in the future. the royal family gave them an incomparable identity and gave them extraordinary ambition. ¡°here.¡± yuwen huai suddenly reached out and handed her something. ¡°what?¡± yuwen xi asked. ¡°sweet date.¡± yuwen huai said. yuwen xi had displayed a very domineering side when she was young. she always went to the house with boys to expose the tiles. when she was injured, she did not dare to tell the western jin emperor and empress and hid in the house alone to wipe her tears. yuwen huai would always bring medicine and sweet dates over. yuwen xi took the sweet date. they had fought for too long, and finally welcomed a short period of reprief and peace. ¡°father! father¡­ yuwen lin hugged the western jin emperor¡¯s thigh and cried until his dragon robe was dirty. su xiaoxiao said expressionlessly, ¡°your highness, i haven¡¯t stitched you up.¡± she had just cleaned the wound. what was going on? yuwen lin was so frightened that tears streamed down his face. ¡°i still need stitches? ahhh! i don¡¯t want to! father, save me¡­ the western jin emperor¡¯s temples throbbed. he wished he could kick this embarrassing son down. feng xiaoran had already been arrested. he did not care what others did. he looked at zhuge qing, who was calmly sitting in the wheelchair in the chaos, and really did not understand why he had suffered another crushing defeat. he was clearly wei qing, but no one believed him. for some reason, the group of ghost face dancers suddenly turned into asassins and killed crazily in the hall, but they did not kill zhuge qing. feng xiaoran was escorted down. after the injuries of the few imperial heirs were treated, the western jin emperor called them to the side hall, mainly to talk about tonight¡¯s assassination. yuwen lin glanced at yuwen xi and muttered softly, ¡°feng xiaoran is second sister¡¯s man.¡± if it were a few days ago, yuwen xi would not be able to remove her suspicion no matter how hard she tried. however, not long ago, yuwen xi had just fallen out with feng xiaoran. others might not know, but the western jin emperor knew very well. the western jin emperor asked a few routine questions and let them go back. when she passed by the corridor, yuwen xi saw zhuge qing sitting in the wheelchair. thinking of what had happened tonight, yuwen xi walked over and asked, ¡°did you predict it early on?¡± zhuge qing smiled faintly. ¡°what did i predict?¡± yuwen xi said, ¡°did you predict that feng xiaoran would take action tonight?¡± the assassination tonight seemed fierce, but it did not cause many casualties, especially since the women and children were well protected. most of them were only a little frightened. thinking about it carefully, most of the generals came to the banquet tonight. no wonder they could quickly stabilize the situation. yuwen xi recalled, ¡°that day, father called feng xiaoran over and asked him to hand over the lingzhi. you suddenly mentioned that he used the poison herb to harm you and even forced me to choose between him and qin su. i once thought that you were just giving him a crime so that he had no choice but to make up for his mistakes. but on second thought, if he wasn¡¯t guilty, wouldn¡¯t father force him to hand over the lingzhi? your goal is actually to force me to break up with feng xiaoran in front of father. in this way, he won¡¯t be able to blame me for anything feng xiaoran does in the future.¡± ¡°the portrait¡­ you gave it to feng xiaoran, right? feng xiaoran thought that he had something on you and couldn¡¯t wait to deal with you. those assassins are also your people.¡± others would take three steps with each step, but zhuge qing would take ten steps, or even a hundred steps. yuwen xi suddenly realized that zhuge qing had never really plotted against her. with his methods and schemes, if he really wanted to kill her, she would probably have been unable to turn things around. during his three years in the western jin, he had only done one thing¡ªbalance. yuwen xi looked at him steadily. ¡°zhuge qing, it¡¯s not embarrassing to lose to you.¡± zhuge qing watched her leave and said, ¡°your highness, the assassins are not my men.¡± yuwen xi was stunned. chong ming hall was brightly lit for the entire night. when dawn approached, the western jin emperor called zhuge qing, who had been waiting in the side hall for the entire night, to the imperial study. the western jin emperor looked at zhuge qing. ¡°your body is indeed much better. you wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand it in the past.¡± zhuge qing said softly, ¡°qin su¡¯s medical skills are brilliant.¡± the western jin emperor asked, ¡°i heard that you¡¯re still missing two medicine ingredients. what are your plans next?¡± zhuge qing said bluntly, ¡°qing wants to go look for the medicinal herbs together with them.¡± ¡°with qin su and wei ting?¡± ¡°yes.¡± the western jin emperor said calmly, ¡°that¡¯s true. you only have half a year to live. when you find the medicine, it might be too late to look for qin su in the great zhou. it¡¯s impossible for me to keep her in the western jin. you know that i want to keep you.¡± zhuge qing said, ¡°i¡¯m lucky to be valued by his majesty.¡± the western jin emperor looked into the distance. ¡°when i saw you in the past, i always felt that something was missing from you. it was only these few days that i understood that your heart was dead in the past, like a living dead. after that kid came, you came back to life.¡± zhuge qing said nothing. the western jin emperor did not point out who that kid was. he said with a complicated expression, ¡°you¡¯re someone i can¡¯t even kill. leave.¡± he walked forward with a big brocade box and handed it to zhuge qing. zhuge qing left chong ming hall with the brocade box. he opened the brocade box. inside was the herb he needed¡ªjade coral. in addition, there was a yellowed book. it was a letter of war personally written by lord wu an. zhuge qing touched his grandfather¡¯s relic and felt a swelling pain in his throat. he turned his wheelchair around and bowed to the white-haired and lone western jin emperor, who had long disappeared from chongming hall. ¡°sir!¡± mei ji rushed over. last night, sir did not let her and the assassin follow him. she was about to die of anxiety. at dawn, she could not wait to enter the palace. ¡°sir, are you alright? i heard that there was an assassination last night!¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± zhuge qing smiled. mei ji didn¡¯t notice the military book. her eyes were filled with the jade coral in the box. ¡°have you obtained the jade coral? can we leave western jin now?¡± ¡°yes, we can leave western jin now.¡± zhuge qing looked in the direction of the great zhou. ¡°xi yue, father is coming back..¡± Chapter 750 - Chapter 750: Father and Daughter Meet (1) chapter 750: father and daughter meet (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the date of departure was set to be three days later. su xiaoxiao had spent almost three days in the princess¡¯s residence teaching the young prince the five animal play. the young prince was talented and learned it well. it didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t know. anyvvay, if moxie learned it, he could slowly teach him later. ¡°i know how to do it!¡± yuwen xin said excitedly. su xiaoxiao praised, ¡°the young princess is really amazing.¡± the young princess said, ¡°call me xin¡¯er from now on.¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°okay.¡± yuwen xi had contributed to the capture of the assassin, and her restriction was lifted by the western jin emperor. the people who came to visit almost broke the threshold of the princess¡¯s residence. yuwen xin was not happy to have regained what she had lost. instead, she said calmly and wisely, ¡°when i was imprisoned, none of them came to look for me. now that my mother has made a comeback, all of them are rushing over. i don¡¯t care!¡± an unforeseen event made the little girl grow a lot. however, if she grew up a little more, it would not be difficult for her to discover that some superficial things still had to be maintained, but she did not have to give up her sincerity. it didn¡¯t matter. she was still young and could slowly learn in the future. su xiaoxiao taught yuwen yi the five animal play. ¡°have you learned it?¡± yuwen yi said, ¡°will you stay if you haven¡¯t learned it?¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. she looked into his doe-like innocent eyes and was momentarily unable to answer. yuwen yi suddenly smiled. ¡°i was teasing you. i¡¯ve learned it.¡± the young man had some potential to be scheming. ¡°remember to take the medicine i gave you every day. one packet a day. take it with warm water. you can take it earlier or later.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll remember that.¡± su xiaoxiao explained some things to take note of and left a booklet. before leaving, yuwen yi stopped her and said solemnly in an adult tone that he had not used in the past few days, ¡°qin su, when i recover, i¡¯ll go to the great zhou to look for you.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°okay, i¡¯ll wait for you.¡± after leaving the princess¡¯s residence, su xiaoxiao was about to get into the carriage when she saw a familiar figure at the door. he smiled and bowed to her. ¡°madam wei.¡± su xiaoxiao nodded in return. ¡°eunuch he, what brings you here?¡± he smiled amiably and said, ¡°madam wei, you¡¯re too polite. i¡¯m here on his majesty¡¯s orders to pay for mr. zhuge¡¯s consultation.¡± his address had already changed to refer to a former servant. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t seem to notice the change in his attitude and asked curiously, ¡°didn¡¯t you already pay? ¡°that¡¯s the deposit.¡± he glanced at the young eunuch beside him. the young eunuch carried two more brocade boxes forward. eunuch he opened the box and a golden light rushed towards him, almost blinding him. it was obvious that the two boxes today were larger. did the western jin emperor really not guess that zhuge qing was wei qing, or did he still keep his promise to pay her a high consultation fee? an emperor¡¯s heart was like a needle in the sea. su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t think about the emperor¡¯s thoughts and accepted it generously. ¡°thank his majesty for me.¡± eunuch he smiled and said, ¡°his majesty asked me to pass on a message.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°please tell me.¡± eunuch he said seriously, ¡°please treat him.¡± the news that zhuge qing was leaving the west capital to find medicine quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys. ¡°he¡¯s going with physician qin.¡± ¡°who¡¯s physician qin?¡± ¡°you haven¡¯t even heard of physician qin? how ignorant! she¡¯s the divine physician of the great zhou and general wei¡¯s new wife. she was the one who treated the young royal prince¡¯s smallpox and even nursed his body. i heard that the young royal prince can even walk now.¡± ¡°that powerful?¡± ¡°why didn¡¯t mr. zhuge ask her to treat him?¡± the matter at the banquet was sealed by the western jin emperor and did not spread among the people. zhuge qing was still zhuge qing, the most respected teacher in the hearts of the people of the west capital. they hoped that he would recover. on the day they set off, a strong wind blew in western jin, rustling the curtain of the carriage. the group met at the west capital courier station. yuwen huai, yuwen xi, yuwen lin, and the others came to send him off. yuwen xin hugged wuhu and cried again.. with tears in her eyes, she pulled su xiaoxiao¡¯s arm and cried, ¡°can¡¯t you stay for a few more days before leaving¡­ the west capital is so big¡­ i haven¡¯t even had the time to bring you around¡­ you¡¯re either treating my brother¡­ or someone else¡­ and going to the palace for a banquet¡­ you didn¡¯t play well¡­¡± Chapter 751 - Chapter 751: Father and Daughter Meet (2) chapter 751: father and daughter meet (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios she really couldn¡¯t bear to let go of wuhu, the three tiger heads and qin su. she wanted to keep every one of them. ¡°let wei ting go back himself¡­ wuwah.. wei ting originally wanted to invite the little girl to great zhou with him, but when he heard this, he decisively stopped talking. su xiaoxiao pinched her face. ¡°i just praised you for having matured after the storm. are you crying again? yuwen xin cried. ¡°i don¡¯t want you to leave¡­ if you leave¡­ who am i going to play with.. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°you¡¯ll make new friends. besides, your brother¡¯s health has improved. he can play with you often in the future.¡± thinking of her brother¡¯s health, yuwen xin finally felt a trace of comfort. she sniffed and held su xiaoxiao¡¯s hand. she said seriously, ¡°qin su, it¡¯s so good to know you. i¡¯ve thought about it. why don¡¯t i marry into the great zhou when i grow up? this way, i can be with you every day.¡± yuwen xi wished she could slap this girl to death.¡± how old are you to want to get married? are you trying to anger me to death?¡± su xiaoxiao was amused by her. ¡°okay, i¡¯ll find you a good in-law.¡± the two of them chatted for a while. su xiaoxiao looked around and asked, ¡°so many people are here? was it such a big scene when northern yan left last time?¡± yuwen xin said with a little cry, ¡°no. when northern yan left, there were a few people. only my uncle and third uncle went. they should be here to send mr. zhuge off.¡± she was half right. these officials of the imperial court were indeed here to send zhuge qing off, but not the women. ah fu put down the carriage stool and the three little ones prepared to get into the carriage. ¡°aiya!¡± xiaohu was fished away. ¡°aiya!¡± erhu was fished away. in the end, even the most agile dahu was mercilessly captured. the three little ones were only surrounded by a group of strange sisters and aunties. when they finally squeezed out, their heads were already a little dizzy. every little kid had a face full of fiery red lip marks and was extremely shy. mei ji was furious. she stomped her feet angrily. ¡°who kissed my three little husbands like this?!¡± it was time for the great zhou diplomatic mission to set off. yuwen huai personally sent zhuge qing into the carriage and looked at him deeply. ¡°i¡¯ll wait for your return.¡± zhuge qing said softly, ¡°your highness, take care.¡± ¡°general wei! madam wei!¡± in the crowd, second master shen jumped up and waved at them. with the imperial court¡¯s army guarding him, he could not come over. wei ting asked fu su to bring second master shen over. second master shen said to su xiaoxiao in the carriage, ¡°madam wei, there¡¯s no news of the herbs you asked me to ask about last time for the time being, but my father has already asked the entire five elements alliance to be activated. i¡¯ll inform you as soon as there¡¯s news!¡± yuwen xi walked over. ¡°if there¡¯s news, come to the princess¡¯s residence. my falcon is faster.¡± yuwen huai said calmly, ¡°my messenger pigeon is not slow either.¡± yuwen xi snorted coldly. seeing that the siblings were about to fight again, zhuge qing said softly, ¡°your highnesses, we¡¯ll take our leave. please take care.¡± in october, the group embarked on the return journey to the great zhou. the weather gradually turned cold, and the road was a little difficult to walk. in november, they encountered a few snowstorms, which took a few more days than their trip to western jin. it had not snowed in the capital for a long time this year. the sky had already been dark for a few days, but it could not fall. in the past, at this time, the wei family had already begun to organize new year goods. when chu feifeng was at home, she was the one who took care of everything. now that she was gone, the responsibility fell on madam li and the others. madam li took on most of the work. ¡°second young madam, the sheep from the manor have arrived. please go over and order.¡± ¡°alright, i¡¯ll come,¡± madam li said. ¡°have you made the winter clothes?¡± ¡°yes,¡± the maidservant said. madam li tightened her cloak. ¡°although it hasn¡¯t snowed this year, it¡¯s colder than last year. make another set of clothes for everyone. remember to use new cotton.¡± ¡°yes, second young madam,¡± the maidservant agreed. after the maidservant left, madam li brought the accounts of the residence and the various shops under her name over. she tallied them one by one with her abacus. she had never known how to settle accounts in the past. after she married over, her husband taught her. she had been busy all afternoon and her fingers were frozen. however, she did not rest. instead, she went to madam wei to see wei xiyue. wei xiyue was sick. it was the night before that she secretly got up to water her small pit. then, she squatted in the cold wind and waited for an hour. the next day, she caught a cold. even so, she still had to guard the courtyard. madam li did not know who this child took after. when she entered the courtyard, madam wei was feeding medicine to wei xiyue, who refused to drink it. ¡°mother, give it to me.¡± madam li brought the medicine bowl over and looked at her daughter, whose cheeks were red from the heat. her heart ached and she said solemnly, ¡°if you don¡¯t drink the medicine, i won¡¯t let you go out to water¡­¡± ¡°ah!!!¡± wei xiyue shouted. madam li pinched her fingers and held it in. she said calmly, ¡°this move is useless against me.¡± wei xiyue stopped shouting. madam li said, ¡°drink the medicine.¡± wei xiyue shook her head and refused. madam li took a deep breath. ¡°if you don¡¯t drink medicine, you¡¯re not allowed to water father.¡± her heart ached. when her brother-in-law returned alive, she thought more than once how good it would be if wei qing could return alive. how good would it be if xi yue could see her father again? her xi yue could also be a child spoiled by her father. but she didn¡¯t dare to hope, not at all. wei xiyue obediently drank the bowl of bitter medicine. she was thinking about watering the plants. how could madam li let her go out in the cold with a high fever? she stuffed her under the blanket and forcefully pressed her head to fall asleep. wei xiyue woke up in the middle of the night. she had not watered her father for two days. if she did not water him now, her father would not grow back. she got out of bed barefooted and did not disturb ping¡¯er, who was sleeping on the small bed. she picked up the kettle on the table and walked out gently. the wind was cold, and her small body trembled. she squatted down in front of the small pit and carefully watered it. then, she waited. she did not understand why her father did not move when the little sapling at the side had already grown so tall. did her father not like her anymore? it must be the water. she carried the kettle to the water tank to get water. as she watered it, she filled the soil with her hands. her entire body was dirty. she wiped the messy hair off her face and dirtied her palm-sized face. she was halfway through watering it when the courtyard door suddenly opened. a wheelchair appeared at the door.. Chapter 752 - Chapter 752: Xi Yue Greets Dad chapter 752: xi yue greets dad translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was a tiring journey. when they arrived at the city gate, it was already midnight. the city gate had long been closed. it was zhuge qing who answered wei ting¡¯s call three times before wei ting took out his token and opened the city gate. he saw the streets, the mansion, and the little figure that he missed so much that his heart ached. she squatted on the cold grass barefooted. her clothes were thin, and her black hair fluttered in the cold wind. she was holding a kettle in her hand. she was fiddling with something in the middle of the night. when he left four years ago, she was still a milk ball even smaller than the triplets. in the blink of an eye, she had grown up like a sapling. zhuge qing choked. he was blinded by the sandstorm, and even his eyes were red. he opened his slightly dry lips and said in a hoarse and trembling voice, ¡°xiyue¡­¡± and let othe wei xiyue was a child immersed in her own world and was not sensitive to the outside world, but she immediately heard this call. she turned her head in a daze and looked at the man in the wheelchair and a white cloak at the door. the wind was cold, and his robe fluttered. his eyes were gentle and heavy. the courtyard was wide and the road was long. wei xiyue threw away the water bottle in her hand without a word, stood up, and ran towards him against the cold wind. at this moment, he only hated that his legs could not stand up. he also wanted to run to her, to the longing that he had not been able to express for the past four years. wei xiyue pounced heavily into his arms. she was dirty and her small hands and face were dirty, but he didn¡¯t mind at all. he held her muddy little body tightly in his arms, as if she weighed the weight of his life. mei ji and the assassin followed. the two of them watched this scene from afar. mei ji was stunned. she had never seen sir in such a state. she had been picked up by sir among the dead. she was so hungry that she could not even chew on the bones of the dead. she was about to die, she thought. then she saw a hand reaching towards her. at that moment, it was as if she had seen a god. sir became her faith. for countless days and nights after that, she followed sir. sir loved to smile, but his smile did not reach his eyes. his heart would always be cold, perhaps even dead. sir was very close to them, but she always felt that he was very, very far away. at this moment, master hugged the little girl tightly, as if he wanted to use all his strength. she suddenly felt that ¡ª the god had come to the mortal world. the assassin did not have mei ji¡¯s rich brain. in his heart, sir was a human and not a god. however, it was precisely because of this that sir had endured unimaginable pain and loneliness in the past four years. now that sir was back, he had regained his heart and his past. he was happy for his master. zhuge qing¡­ or to be precise, wei qing. he lowered his head and looked at her gently. ¡°xiyue, do you know who i am?¡± wei xiyue nodded and said in a nasal voice, ¡°father, the father planted by xiyue.¡± wei qing was stunned. at this moment, ping¡¯er woke up in the room. the first thing she did was to see if wei xiyue had kicked the blanket away. unexpectedly, when she touched the bed, she was gone! she was frightened to death. could it be that young miss had gone to water the plants again! what was she doing in the cold? did she really think she could grow a father? sigh! madam was really too much! hurry up and tell little miss the truth. it was impossible to plant a father! wasn¡¯t this a lie? ping¡¯er took wei xiyue¡¯s cloak and hurriedly went out. she had come to madam wei¡¯s side three years ago and had never seen wei qing. therefore, when she came to the courtyard and saw an unfamiliar man, she immediately screamed, ¡°ah!¡± the scream alarmed madam wei and baili chen in the courtyard next door. baili chen¡¯s eyes widened. he stood up, grabbed the sword at the head of the bed, put on the white bamboo hat, and rushed out. in their line of work, they slept with their clothes on at night in case they had to wear clothes when an assassin came. that would be fatal. he followed the voice to madam wei¡¯s courtyard and sensed two unfamiliar martial artists from afar. one of them was especially powerful. without a word, he drew his sword and rushed towards the two of them. the assassin pushed mei ji away and drew his saber. the two of them fought fiercely. few people could withstand baili chen¡¯s sword, but after three moves, the other party was actually unscathed. he frowned slightly. who was this person? his martial arts skills were so powerful. the assassin¡¯s evaluation of baili chen was the same. to be able to become sir¡¯s guard, his martial arts were unquestionable. it could be said that he had never encountered any opponent in the west capital. he thought that he would definitely be able to defeat the enemy in three moves ¡°who are you?¡± baili chen asked. the assassin said, ¡°you¡¯ll only be qualified to know my name if you defeat me.¡± bai lichen said coldly, ¡°then i¡¯ll kill you. anyway, i¡¯m not interested!¡± ping¡¯er¡¯s cry was too loud. not only did it alarm baili chen in the courtyard, but the women also heard it. the first to wake up was madam chen. she casually put on a robe, grabbed the red tassel spear, and rushed out. on the way, she met madam jiang. madam jiang grabbed her sword and walked over hurriedly. ¡°third sister-in-law! did something happen to mother? did you hear her shout just now?¡± madam chen nodded. ¡°i heard it.¡± madam jiang said seriously, ¡°looks like it¡¯s not my imagination.¡± madam chen looked in the direction of madam wei¡¯s courtyard and frowned. ¡°someone is fighting. baili chen attacked. after 20 moves, the outcome is still undecided.¡± madam jiang was shocked. ¡°what? he didn¡¯t decide the outcome in twenty moves? this has to be a perverted expert? however, big brother and little six aren¡¯t here¡ª¡± ghostfear went to fight with ling yun and was caught. this time, it even included wei liulang. the three of them sat in the cell and could be said to be very miserable. madam lan quickly walked over. ¡°third sister-in-law, fifth sister-in-law, did you hear it too?¡± ¡°yes!¡± madam jiang nodded. madam lan said coldly, ¡°he didn¡¯t come with good intentions. xiyue is still in mother¡¯s courtyard. it won¡¯t be good if he catches the child and threatens the wei family! let¡¯s go over quickly!¡± bai lichen and the assassin were fighting fiercely. mei ji was good at hidden weapons, but she couldn¡¯t interfere at all. finally, the two of them exchanged a palm strike and were ruthlessly shaken away by each other¡¯s internal strength. now! mei ji opened her fan and waved it against the wind, shooting out countless hidden weapons. no sooner said than done, a wooden board flew over and hidden weapons hit the board in unison! ¡®who is it?¡± mei ji asked coldly. after madam chen kicked the wooden board, she landed steadily in the empty space in front of mei ji. ¡°a woman?¡± mei ji frowned. it was rare for women to practice martial arts, and it was even rarer for them to be powerful. she didn¡¯t take the other party seriously and slashed at her. madam chen did not dodge and punched her palm. mei ji felt her arm go numb and the strength in her entire arm was scattered. she fell back heavily. just as she was about to hit the big rock behind her, she flipped in the air and stepped back on the rock. she waved her fan and shot countless hidden weapons at madam chen. madam chen waved her spear like a shield and blocked the hidden weapons one by one. at the same time, madam lan and madam jiang arrived. madam jiang said, ¡°third sister-in-law, go to the courtyard and protect mother and xiyue. leave this woman to us!¡± madam chen thought for a moment and said, ¡°be careful. she¡¯s very troublesome.¡± to be said to be troublesome by madam chen, it was an indication of how high the other party¡¯s martial arts were. madam lan opened the nine-section whip in her hand with a bang. ¡°don¡¯t worry, third sister-in-law. we can deal with a mere assassin!¡± the two of them surrounded mei ji and madam chen went to madam wei¡¯s courtyard. madam wei also came out of the house. ping¡¯er quickly walked over and blocked her behind her. ¡°madam, don¡¯t go over¡­ that¡­ that person¡­ captured young miss¡­ don¡¯t let him capture you too¡­¡± after wei xiyue was captured, madam wei had to go over. if they were here for the wei family, she would be the hostage. she had just taken a step when madam chen flew over and stabbed a red tassel spear into the ground, landing steadily in front of madam wei. wei qing¡¯s face was mostly blocked by wei xiyue¡¯s small head. madam chen did not see his appearance clearly, but madam chen determined that he did not know martial arts and might not even be good at it. otherwise, he would not be sitting in a wheelchair. however, this person had at least a dozen hidden weapons on his wheelchair. he was indeed a dangerous person! madam chen pulled out her spear and took a step forward. she rose into the air and stabbed toward the other party¡¯s head. she had already calculated that this angle would definitely stab him to death and avoid the other party¡¯s hidden weapon attack to the greatest extent. wei qing looked up at madam chen and smiled. ¡°third sister-in-law.¡± madam chen was speechless! this person, this face, this voice¡ª madam chen held her breath and fell with her spear! Chapter 753 - Chapter 753: Warmth chapter 753: warmth translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei xiyue leaned softly in her father¡¯s arms and revealed half of her head from her cloak. she looked at madam chen, who was lying on the ground for some reason. ¡°third aunt.¡¯ madam chen raised her head with difficulty from the pit she had smashed. she looked at wei xiyue, who definitely did not look like she had been kidnapped, and then at wei qing, who was carrying wei xiyue. she was stunned on the spot in disbelief. madam wei walked down the steps in a daze. the cold wind almost blew her down. she walked to the center of the courtyard step by step and did not dare to go forward, as if she was afraid that all of this was a dream. if she walked too close, she would wake up from the dream. she found her voice with difficulty. ¡°qing¡¯er¡­ is that you?¡± a smile appeared on wei qing¡¯s weak and pale face. ¡°it¡¯s me, mother. i¡¯m back.¡± the word ¡®mother¡¯ made madam wei¡¯s nose sting and hot tears flowed out. she turned around and raised her head, trying to force the tears back into the corners of her eyes. bean-sized tears fell down her cold face like broken beads. she did not wail and only cried silently. she quickly wiped her tears with her hand, but more and more tears fell. wei qing looked at her, who had also lost too much weight. her tears were like hot iron that smashed into his heart. ¡°mother¡­ he held back the lump in his throat. ¡°qing¡¯er is unfilial.¡± madam wei finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. she wiped the tears off her face and pounced over to hug him and wei xiyue. ¡°it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back¡­ it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back¡­¡± wei xiyue was sandwiched in the middle and could not move. she could only roll her eyes and correct her. ¡°xiyue planted daddy.¡± this was the second time wei qing had heard her words tonight. he could not help but take it seriously. madam wei was originally crying fiercely, but she was caught between laughter and tears by her words. she reluctantly let go and stroked her son¡¯s pale face. she turned around to look at the small pit in the courtyard that had just been watered and told him about wei xiyue planting his clothes on her birthday. ¡°she comes to water it every day. in the morning, at night, even when she wakes up in the middle of the night.¡± wei qing was enlightened. no wonder when he first saw her, she was squatting on the ground with a kettle. it turned out that she was watering ¡°him¡±. wei xiyue looked up at him, her face filled with eagerness for praise. wei qing hugged her with one hand and held her cold feet with the other. he lowered his head and smiled gently. ¡°xiyue is really amazing.¡± wei xiyue also felt that she was amazing. she did not doubt why her father did not come out of the pit. he must have grown out when she went to get water. then, her father went outside to look for her. she happily completed her own logic and snuggled into her father¡¯s arms, enjoying his warmth. madam wei looked at her expression of enjoyment after her wish was fulfilled and her heart softened. she touched her forehead and said, ¡°let¡¯s go in. it¡¯s cold outside. xiyue is sick.¡± wei qing nodded. he had felt it just now. the little girl¡¯s body was hot. he turned to look at the ground at the side. ¡°third sister-in-law, can you get up? as soon as these words were spoken, madam wei was stunned. she suddenly remembered that she had been too busy acknowledging her son and had forgotten about her daughter-in-law. she blushed with shame and hurriedly went to help madam chen. click. madam chen said in pain, ¡°mother, you stepped on my hand.¡± madam wei was speechless. madam chen had a strong physique and could be the most resistant sandbag under qin canglan. it was fine if she fell; when she got up, she would be a good man again! she stood up quickly. wei qing asked softly, ¡°third sister-in-law, are you alright?¡± madam chen patted the dust and picked up the red tassel spear. ¡°oh, i¡¯m fine, but you have to inform me first next time.¡± wei qing smiled and agreed. then, he said, ¡°fourth sister-in-law and fifth sister-in-law probably have something on.¡± ¡°aiya, i forgot about them!¡± wei qing¡¯s return could be said to have thrown everyone into chaos. be it madam wei or madam chen, he had caught them off guard. madam chen flashed out. mei ji, madam lan, and madam jiang had entered a crazy state. their weapons ¡ªthe thousand opportunities fan, the nine-section whip, and the cold light sword¡ªwere thrown aside. they used the most primitive killing move¡ª pulling hair. mei ji slashed the ground with each hand and pushed the two of them away. madam lan and madam jiang waved their claws crazily at her. the three of them were pulled out of their pain masks. mei ji had killed countless people. this was the most embarrassing battle she had ever fought. wasn¡¯t it the same for madam lan and madam jiang? there were so many hairs on the ground, almost all of them belonged to them, okay? madam chen looked at the three of them who were fighting without any regard for self-image and was stunned. she advised them in a few words, ¡°stop fighting. we¡¯re all on the same side.¡± madam jiang gritted her teeth and said, ¡°who¡¯s on her side? she¡¯s clearly an assassin!¡± mei ji shouted, ¡°you¡¯re the assassin!¡± madam chen scratched her head and said, ¡°it¡¯s true. fourth sister-in-law, fifth sister-in-law, she¡¯s second brother¡¯s subordinate. we are second brother¡¯s sisters-in-law. if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask second brother yourself.¡± madam jiang endured the pain in her scalp and pulled mei ji with all her might. ¡°third sister-in-law, don¡¯t lie. how can she be second brother¡¯s subordinate? i¡¯ve never seen her beside second brother¡ªwait, third sister-in-law, what did you say just now?¡± madam chen nodded and said calmly, ¡°i said, let you ask second brother yourself. second brother is back. he¡¯s in mother¡¯s courtyard.¡± madam jiang and madam lan decisively let go. mei ji grabbed the two of them again. it was never too late for mei ji to take revenge! madam chen looked at the saber lights on the roof. ¡°baili chen, stop fighting.¡± baili chen put away his sword. the assassin iso put away his saber. bai lichen said calmly, ¡°that¡¯s all for today. we¡¯ll continue next time.¡± the assassin said expressionlessly, ¡°i¡¯ll accompany you to the end.¡± madam wei wanted to push wei qing¡¯s wheelchair in, but the threshold was too high to push it up. wei qing said, ¡°mother, there are wooden boards below.¡± madam wei realized that he was referring to the bottom of the wheelchair. she squatted down and took out the wooden board, unfolded it, and laid it on the threshold. ¡°let me do it, madam!¡± ping¡¯er hurriedly said. ¡°no need. i¡¯ll do it.¡± madam wei insisted on pushing wei qing¡¯s wheelchair into wei xiyue¡¯s room. madam wei wanted to ask him what was wrong with his leg, but she held back in front of wei xiyue. the charcoal in the house made it warmer than outside. ping¡¯er brought a cloak over for madam wei. madam wei put it on and said to wei qing, ¡°it¡¯s too late. we won¡¯t disturb your grandmother tonight. we¡¯ll see her tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°okay,¡± wei qing agreed. wei xiyue refused to come down from wei qing¡¯s arms. madam wei could not do anything to her and could only ask ping¡¯er to get water to wipe her dirty face and hands. she shook her head and threw herself into wei qing¡¯s arms. madam wei was so angry that she laughed. ¡°as soon as daddy came back, you threw a tantrum. i¡¯ve never seen you like this in the past.¡± wei qing smiled and took the towel. he carefully wiped the mud on wei xiyue¡¯s face and hands. after wiping her hands and face, he wiped her small feet. wei xiyue was no longer sleepy and looked at him with wide watery eyes. wei qing gently placed his forehead on hers. he had left her at such a young age. he was so afraid that she would forget him and that she would not be close to him again. wei xiyue was a quiet child most of the time. she did not dance and jump around the house. she did not even say much. she sat on wei qing¡¯s lap and leaned against his chest, crossing her feet. wei qing only hugged her and felt his heart fill. ¡°mother, where¡¯s wanwan?¡± he asked.. Chapter 754 - Chapter 754: Husband and Wife Meet chapter 754: husband and wife meet translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios madam wei sighed. ¡°our in-law¡¯s madam passed away a while ago. our in-law was also old and his health is not as good as before. her brother went on an errand on behalf of his parents and seems to have failed. i asked her what was going on, but she didn¡¯t say. she went over tonight and will probably be back tomorrow morning. by the way, where are little seven and xiaoxiao? are you with them, or¡ª¡± wei qing smiled and said, ¡®we came back together. dahu and the others are still young. the carriage can¡¯t be too bumpy. they should be arriving soon.¡± the night was dark and windy, beside a certain official road. the three little ones squatted on the ground with their bare butts and grabbed the small stones in front of them. wei ting stood behind them expressionlessly and looked down at the three brats. ¡°are you still pooping? they had been squatting here for fifteen minutes. the wind was so strong. were they iron butts? ¡°yes,¡± dahu said, however, he refused to poop. wei ting said coldly, ¡°get up!¡± xiaohu played with the foxtail grass in his hand and said, ¡°i¡¯m not getting up. i want to poop.¡± wei ting muttered, ¡°i think you guys are asking for a beating!¡± the three of them slept all the way during the day, but at night, they were energetic. they were not sleepy at all and could cause trouble. wei ting said sternly, ¡°erhu, get up.¡± erhu was the most obedient one. wei ting started with him. unexpectedly, erhu asked, ¡°why didn¡¯t you ask dahu and xiaohu to get up?¡± wei ting snorted. ¡°you¡¯re not getting up, right? alright, squat here. your mother and i will leave first.¡± xiaohu said, ¡°mother won¡¯t leave! daddy can leave!¡± ¡°little brat, are you out of control? do you believe that i¡¯ll wake your mother up? wei ting narrowed his eyes dangerously and carried the three little fellows up. he pulled up their pants and stuffed them into the carriage. ¡°ah fu, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°yes, young master.¡± unexpectedly, before the carriage could move, xiaohu shouted, ¡°i have to pee.¡± wei ting did not fall for his trick. ¡°you¡¯ll pee when you get back.¡± xiaohu covered his crotch. ¡°i can¡¯t hold it in anymore.¡± wei ting looked at the sleeping su xiaoxiao. he didn¡¯t want the brats to wake her up. he took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his body. he said to ah fu, ¡°stop for a moment.¡± ah fu stopped the carriage beside the official road. wei ting brought xiaohu out of the carriage. xiaohu peed¡­ a little. wei ting asked, ¡°is this what you can¡¯t hold in?¡± the father and son sat back in the carriage. wei ting thought that nothing would happen this time. erhu pulled his sleeve. ¡°daddy, erhu wants to pee too.¡± wei ting was frustrated. ¡°why didn¡¯t you say so just now?¡± on this side, wei ting was being tortured by the three little ones. on the other side, li wan had also suffered an overwrought. it was not as she had told her mother-in-law. her brother had not run into issues working for her father, but had partnered up with someone to do business and was tricked by the other party. the li family had lost all their assets, including her father¡¯s funeral expenses. not to mention that she could earn more money if they ran out of money. the problem was that they still owed a huge debt. the three sisters-in-law at home cried and threw a tantrum. they were so noisy that they wished they could split up. but now, what was there to split in this family? there was only debt left. li wan¡¯s eldest sister-in-law suggested borrowing money from the wei family, but she was scolded fiercely by li wan¡¯s brother. ¡°the wei family has already helped us enough. don¡¯t cause trouble for sister anymore!¡± li wan¡¯s father was lord wu an¡¯s subordinate. when he was young, he followed lord wu an everywhere. later on, he was injured and could not go to the battlefield. lord wu an found him an official position in the military camp. the li family could be considered a family of generals for several generations and was quite famous in the military. however, they were too honest and unyielding. to put it bluntly, they did not know how to fish for benefits from the imperial court. the few prosperous shops of the li family were sent over by lord wu an in the name of a betrothal gift. li wan¡¯s mother was a smart woman. over the years, she had managed the shops well. unfortunately, li wan was the only one in the family who took after her. her three sons were not cut out for business. she had only been gone for less than two months, but her family¡¯s business had already been ruined. the eldest sister-in-law of the li family cried, ¡°but¡­ if we don¡¯t return the money tomorrow¡­ our shops¡­ and this house¡­ will have to be paid to them¡­¡¯ li wan went to the other party¡¯s shop that night. ¡°fifth master liu, third master qin, how have you been?¡± in the room, two middle-aged men looked at li wan. li wan married into the wei family at the age of 16 and gave birth to wei xiyue at the age of 17. she was only 24 years old and was at the age of being as beautiful as a flower. in addition, she practiced martial arts all year round and had a flexible and powerful figure. there was a hint of heroic spirit in the woman¡¯s gentleness. the two of them had seen many weak beauties. when they suddenly saw li wan, their eyes lit up. li wan automatically ignored their greasy gazes and explained her intentions. third master qin smiled. ¡°in that case, does your li family want to go back on your word?¡± li wan said coldly, ¡°you guys teamed up to cheat my brother. i¡¯ve already done my best by not going to the government to sue you.¡± third master qin said, ¡°it¡¯s written in black and white that i bought your family¡¯s materials at three times the market price. you have to ship the goods within three months. otherwise, you have to compensate me ten times the price. even if you go to the government to sue me, i have a reason! who cheated you? right? back then, it was your brother who personally signed it. i didn¡¯t hold a knife to his neck. i even asked him a few times if he could really provide so much. if not, it¡¯s fine if it¡¯s less. your brother said that there¡¯s no problem!¡± who wouldn¡¯t be tempted by the high price of three times? her brother was stupid because he couldn¡¯t see through the trick. they bought the li family¡¯s fabric at three times the market price, but they secretly bought the silk and sang hemp that was supplied to the li family at twice the price. the li family could not gather so many raw materials for the time being, so they naturally could not deliver them on time. this way, they could earn a sky-high compensation. although their methods were dirty, as they had said, her brother was the one who signed the contract and agreed to the order. if they really reported it to the authorities, the outcome would not be good for the li family. ¡°do you know who i am?¡± li wan asked. third master qin smiled and said, ¡°i know. so what if you¡¯re the second madam of the wei family and wei erlang¡¯s widow? isn¡¯t your man dead? could it be that he can jump out to support you? general wei isn¡¯t in the west capital anymore. your wei family doesn¡¯t even have a man to support you. do you really think i¡¯m afraid?¡± li wan said, ¡°so that¡¯s what you think.¡± fifth master liu smiled and picked up a glass of wine before walking towards li wan. ¡°actually, it¡¯s not impossible to give you a few days. drink this glass of wine. i¡¯ll make the decision and i can give you three days. if you can drink two glasses, then i can give you six days. how many days you can drink tonight. do you think this is a good deal?¡± as he spoke, his perverted hand reached out to touch li wan¡¯s butt. li wan grabbed his wrist and snatched his wine glass. she threw him to the ground and splashed an entire glass of wine on his face. third master qin stood up. ¡°stupid woman! don¡¯t be so shameless! someone! attack! ¡± a group of powerful guards rushed in. these people were not ordinary thugs. they were all well-trained and were not inferior to the martial artists in the military camp. ¡°catch her and tie her up! i want to have a taste of the wei family¡¯s widow tonight!¡± after third master qin finished speaking arrogantly, he looked at li wan and smiled evilly. ¡°you man has been dead for so many years. you must be feeling empty, right? don¡¯t be afraid. master qin will dote on you tonight!¡± the guards closed the door with a bang and rushed towards li wan. it was not a problem for li wan to deal with three or four. she could escape with five or six, but she was outnumbered with more than ten. moreover, the door was closed. seeing the situation turn around, something unexpected happened. with a bang, the door was kicked open fiercely. a terrifying shadow flashed in and knocked down the group of people in one move. before anyone could see how he attacked, all the guards in the house fell. third master qin and fifth master liu were dumbfounded. fifth master liu got up and stood beside third master qin. the two of them looked at the open door in a daze. a wheelchair was slowly pushed in. sitting in the wheelchair was a man in a white cloak. he was wearing a silver mask that covered half of his face, revealing a pair of cold eyes. under the mask, his pale lips were pursed. it was obvious that he was unhappy. the charming girl pushing the wheelchair mocked, ¡°so many stinky men bullying a woman. shameless!¡± the assassin asked, ¡°sir, how should we deal with them?¡± wei qing¡¯s thin lips parted. ¡°break their arms and throw them out.¡± ¡°yes!¡± the assassin pulled the screen closed. the scene was too bloody to dirty sir¡¯s eyes. fifth master liu¡¯s voice came from behind the screen. ¡°stop, stop! do you know who we are? we are¡­ ah¡ª¡± li wan¡¯s heart tingled. she swore that it was the most miserable scream she had ever heard. she stared blankly at the man in the wheelchair. ¡°i¡¯ll go over myself,¡± wei qing said. ¡°oh.¡± mei ji let go. wei qing pushed the wheelchair slowly to li wan and looked up at her with a smile. the moment he entered, li wan¡¯s gaze never left him. she shifted her gaze from the mask on his face to the wheelchair he was sitting on, from his thin jaw to his well-defined wrist¡ª four years ago. her husband said to her in the shop. ¡°choose the jewelry first- i¡¯ll pick you up later.¡± once he left, it would be a separation between life and death. li wan¡¯s eyes flickered. she raised her hand and slowly took off his mask. he smiled gently. ¡°wanwan, i¡¯m here to bring you home.¡± li wan¡¯s tears fell.. Chapter 755 - Chapter 755: Grandmother and Grandchild Meet chapter 755: grandmother and grandchild meet translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios she had waited too long for this sentence. it was so long that she thought she would never hear it again in her life. if that day ever came, it would definitely be on the road to hell. she looked at the man who had appeared in front of her in disbelief. the grievances she had not dared to feel for the past four years, along with the longing and pain of losing her husband day after day, turned into hot tears at this moment and rushed out of her eyes. she suddenly slumped to the ground and sobbed. ¡°why did you only come back now¡­ do you know how hard xiyue and i have waited for you¡­¡± guilt flashed across wei qing¡¯s eyes as he gently touched her head. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i came back late.¡± li wan was furious. she cried and punched his shoulder. mei ji widened her eyes and wanted to stop her, but she was grabbed by the waist by the assassin. her hands and feet fluttered. ¡°what are you doing? put me down! didn¡¯t you see her attack sir?¡± the assassin clipped her downstairs expressionlessly. li wan cried for a long time, as if she wanted to vent all the emotions she had suppressed for four years. halfway through, a guard woke up in a daze. he looked around and tactfully knocked himself out. li wan was almost done crying. wei qing took out a handkerchief and wiped the tears off her face. she looked down at her overly plain clothes and said awkwardly, ¡°i¡¯m not usually like this.¡± wei qing smiled. ¡°wanwan looks good in anything.¡± a trace of shyness flashed across li wan¡¯s eyes. she was thin-skinned and could not continue this topic. she changed the topic and asked, ¡°where have you been for the past few years? when did you return to the capital? why are you here?¡± wei qing said patiently, ¡°i was in western jin. i just returned to the capital at night and went to the li family. big brother said that you came to the jade cloud pavilion.¡± li wan said in a low voice, ¡°i was careless tonight. i¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡± wei qing said, ¡°you can¡¯t be blamed. the two of them have business with the li family, right?¡± li wan nodded. ¡°when my mother was alive, we did a few business deals with them. we¡¯re not very close, but we have some friendship.¡± otherwise, her brother would not have fallen for it so easily, and she would not have come alone. wei qing said, ¡°little seven has just been reinstated and is valued by the emperor jing xuan. even if he¡¯s no longer in the capital, not many people have the guts to provoke the wei family. since you¡¯ve announced your identity, they still dare to have designs on you. it¡¯s not as simple as it looks.¡± li wan frowned and said, ¡°are you saying that there¡¯s someone behind them?¡± wei qing analyzed, ¡°at least they have a backer. this backer is not small and can challenge the wei family.¡± li wan was stunned. a cold glint flashed across wei qing¡¯s eyes. ¡°looks like a lot has happened in the capital in the few months that little seven has been away.¡± someone wanted to touch the wei family again. four years ago, the wei family was almost destroyed. now, he would never let the tragedy repeat itself. as this thought flashed across his mind, he saw that li wan was silent. he restrained the killing intent in his eyes and smiled. ¡°why aren¡¯t you saying anything? did i scare you?¡± li wan pursed her lips and asked angrily, ¡°who was the girl who pushed you in just now?¡± wei qing smiled. ¡°wanwan, are you jealous?¡± li wan said nothing. wei qing said in amusement, ¡°i can¡¯t find a girl like this.¡± li wan¡¯s gaze landed on his leg and she could not hide her worry. ¡°your legs¡­¡± wei qing sighed. ¡°it hurts a little.¡± after baili chen confirmed wei qing¡¯s identity, he did not return to his courtyard immediately. instead, he left the residence. no one knew what he was doing. an hour later, he returned to the wei family and went to matriarch wei¡¯s courtyard to guard her bed. nanny li came over in the middle of the night to cover matriarch wei with a blanket. when she saw a white figure sitting there, she almost thought she had seen a ghost! at dawn, matriarch wei finally woke up. she saw baili chen sitting on the stool and was not frightened. instead, she asked strangely, ¡°did an assassin come last night?¡± otherwise, why would he stay by her bed? baili chen crossed his arms. ¡°no, it was a misunderstanding.¡± did he say that or not? old madam wei asked, ¡°then why are you standing here?¡± baili chen said, ¡°seventh young master, seventh young madam, and three young masters are back.¡± not long after wei qing went to look for li wan, their carriage also entered the residence. wei ting was covered in dust, as if he had been punched a hundred times. the three little ones jumped around energetically for half the night and only fell asleep at dawn. old madam wei was in disbelief. ¡°is he really back?¡± baili chen said, ¡°he even brought second young master back.¡± old madam wei said in a daze, ¡°say that again. who did he bring back?¡± baili chen said, ¡°second young master, wei qing.¡± matriarch wei lifted the blanket. baili chen lowered his bamboo hat. ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ve prepared everything for you.¡± he stood up and moved aside. only then did old madam wei realize that the table was filled with bottles and jars of white silk, daggers, bricks, hammers, and poisons like ¡°crane top red¡±, ¡°arsenic¡±, and ¡°five steps intestine piercing powder¡±. these were more than dealing with ghostfear and wei yan combined. the corners of old madam wei¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°¡­there¡¯s no need. ¡°which one do you want to use?¡± baili chen was clearly very familiar with matriarch wei¡¯s standard operating procedure. old madam wei glared at him. ¡°there¡¯s no need for any of them! second brother is the most sensible and obedient child in the family. among the seven, only second brother will never trouble me. why do you need to do these things?¡± nanny li excitedly drew the curtain and entered. ¡°madam, second young master is here!¡± old madam wei pounced over, grabbed a bottle of red syrup, and poured it into her mouth. when li wan pushed wei qing in, she was already lying back on the bed. her expression was pained and she was on the verge of death. a shocking streak of ¡°blood¡± flowed from the corner of her mouth. she turned her head extremely slowly and reached out to wei qing in the wheelchair with a trembling expression. ¡°qing¡¯er¡­ you have finally returned¡­ if you had come a little later¡­ grandmother wouldn¡¯t have been able to see you¡­ grandmother¡¯s wish is fulfilled¡­ i can go see your grandfather and the others without worry¡­ but if you can¡¯t bear to part with grandmother¡­ grandmother can stay longer¡­¡± wei qing was speechless. and so was baili chen. in the government office, ling yun, ghostfear, and wei liulang, who had been locked up for two days, were suddenly released. the three of them were a little stunned. this was not the first time they had entered a cell. their family never used silver to redeem them. what was wrong today? the three of them looked at su xiaoxiao outside the door. ¡°eh? xiaoxiao is back? so little seven is back too?¡± wei liulang almost cried. ¡°someone finally found a conscience and came to redeem us.¡± su xiaoxiao crossed her arms and shook her head. ¡°it wasn¡¯t me.¡± mei ji jumped down from the carriage behind su xiaoxiao and waved at ghostfear.. ¡°big guy, we meet again!¡± Chapter 756 - Chapter 756: Family Reunion chapter 756: family reunion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it did not take long for ghostfear to recognize her. before he came to the capital to assassinate nalan yun, he had gone to crimson moon theater to investigate his past. otherwise, it was impossible for him to know that he was wei chen before he recovered his memory. he did not understand why the owner of the crimson moon opera house in the western jin came to the great zhou. she was even with qin su. he had too many questions in his heart, but there were many outsiders in the government office, so he held them back. wei liulang asked softly, ¡°brother, do you know her?¡± ghostfear frowned. ¡°i¡¯ve seen him once or twice. also, i¡¯m not your brother.¡± wei liulang was already numb from listening to the last sentence. as the two of them spoke, mei ji suddenly exclaimed, ¡°nalan yun? it¡¯s really¡­ a small world.¡± ling yun didn¡¯t answer and turned to leave. wei liulang was even more puzzled. ¡°ling yun knows her too?¡± who was this woman? mei ji didn¡¯t care about nalan yun¡¯s disregard. she turned around and smiled at the two of them. ¡°young masters, please get in the carriage. my master will wait for you at home.¡± the two of them looked at su xiaoxiao, who nodded. ¡°get in.¡± the four of them got into the carriage and arrived at the wei family¡¯s door. mei ji jumped off the carriage. ¡®we¡¯re here!¡± wei liulang said, ¡°this is my¡­ this is the wei family!¡± mei ji smiled charmingly. ¡°that¡¯s right. go in and see my young master!¡± wei liulang muttered curiously, ¡°could it be little seven?¡± su xiaoxiao and mei ji walked in front towards matriarch wei¡¯s courtyard. ghostfear looked at the two of them deeply and did not say anything. when he and wei liulang followed su xiaoxiao and mei ji into the house, they saw an additional man. he was sitting in a cold wheelchair with his back facing the door. matriarch wei was holding his hand and talking. the hearts of ghostfear and wei liulang skipped a beat. when old madam wei saw the two of them, she looked up and said, ¡°you¡¯re back.¡± the man in the wheelchair turned around. ghost fear and wei liulang were stunned. wei liulang exclaimed, ¡°second¡­ second brother?¡± ghostfear had some guesses just now, but when he really saw him, he was still quite shocked. wei qing was also very shocked. he had already seen his brother and knew that he was still alive. however, wei ting did not tell him that little six was also alive. that¡¯s right. although wei yan was wearing a mask and his voice had changed, wei qing still recognized him at a glance. this was little six, who always crawled into his bed in the middle of the night and said that he was afraid of thunder. wei ting came in through the curtain and looked at his three brothers who were stunned in the room. he said, ¡°eldest brother, second brother, sixth brother, you¡¯re all here! second brother redeemed you today!¡± wei qing clenched his fists. ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell me that little six was still alive?¡± wei ting raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°who asked you not to acknowledge wei qing gritted his teeth. ¡°very good, wei xichao. you¡¯re itching for a beating again.¡± at this moment, li wan and the others came over after sparring. wei qing looked at madam chen and smiled. ¡°third sister-in-law, can i ask you for a favor?¡± madam chen nodded. ¡°sure, second brother, please tell me!¡± wei qing smiled and said, ¡°beat little seven up for me.¡± wei ting was speechless! when brothers met, they naturally had endless things to say, but the three of them only said a few words about their experiences in the past few years. actually, even without saying it, they knew very well. the three of them sat in the room. ¡°so, you¡¯ve seen me long ago?¡± ghostfear said to wei qing. wei qing said, ¡°it wasn¡¯t not too early. i didn¡¯t know that big brother was still alive, let alone that he had come to the western jin. it was only when big brother came to crimson moon theater to inquire about your past that i recognized you. big brother had lost his memory and didn¡¯t remember me, so i didn¡¯t go to you to acknowledge you.¡± ghostfear came to a realization. ¡°i was wondering whv vour crimson moon theater was so well-informed. you found out my past in just three days.¡± wei liulang curled his lips. ¡°why do you respond when second brother calls you big brother? why don¡¯t you respond when i call you big brother?¡± ghostfear said, ¡°shut up.¡± he looked at wei qing. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with your legs? wei liulang also said, ¡°that¡¯s right, second brother. what happened to your legs? i just asked xiaoxiao. she said that you didn¡¯t return to the great zhou because you needed the herbs of the western jin imperial palace every month. what illness do you have?¡± wei qing smiled casually. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i accidentally fell into the cold pool and fell sick. i took medicine.¡± wei liulang said with heartache, ¡°you only took the first half of the prescription. is there another half left?¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t reveal this. mei ji told them. wei qing smiled without saying anything. ghostfear asked, ¡°which two medicinal ingredients are missing?¡± ¡°snow domain hemp and snake bone flower.¡± wei qing smiled. ¡°it¡¯s fine. there¡¯s still a lot of time.¡± he had nothing else to ask for if he could come back to see them alive. wei liulang said in a low voice, ¡°what do you mean by a lot of time? after taking the first half of the prescription, you can only extend your life for half a year. it took you two months on the way back. there are only four months left¡­ outside the window, li wan, madam chen, madam lan, and madam jiang all heard the conversation in the house. it turned out that wei qing had not returned for the past few years because he could not do so. it was not because he did not want to. medicine was given once a month. it had been more than a month since they arrived at the great zhou from the western jin. he might die from the poison halfway. although he could temporarily leave the western jin, he only had four months left to live. it was not easy for them to be reunited. was he going to leave them again? wei qing did not tell matriarch wei about the search for medicine. if he really left one day, he would let his grandmother think that he had only returned to the western jin. on the other side, the west jin diplomatic mission had also returned to the capital. the old marquis and su yuan first went to the imperial study to meet emperor jing xuan and report the situation of the diplomatic mission to the west jin. the old marquis reported, ¡°the marriage is going smoothly. princess lingxi has been conferred a consort. in addition, the western jin emperor has removed a checkpoint at the border and agreed to open a market at the border. the merchants of the two countries can communicate.¡± emperor jing xuan picked up a cup of memorials and asked, ¡°didn¡¯t qin su and wei ting go to treat the young prince? how is it?¡± the old marquis cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°the young prince has recovered. ¡± emperor jing xuan put down the memorial in his hand. ¡°i heard that he has smallpox. can your grandniece even treat smallpox?¡± it seemed that his majesty had already summoned other great zhou envoys before summoning them. su yuan¡¯s expression did not change. the old marquis replied, ¡°your majesty, the little girl has indeed cured the young prince¡¯s smallpox.¡± emperor jing xuan continued, ¡°i also heard that mr. zhuge of the western jin has moved into the wei family?¡± su yuan and the old marquis secretly exchanged glances. the old marquis smiled and said, ¡°ah, mr. zhuge has a leg disease and can¡¯t recover in a day. my grandniece and grandson-in-law can¡¯t stay in the western jin forever, so they brought him back to the great zhou for treatment.¡± emperor jing xuan smiled. ¡°is that so? since he¡¯s an important guest from western jin, i naturally can¡¯t neglect him. let mr. zhuge enter the palace with wei ting and qin su tomorrow.. i¡¯ll set up a banquet to entertain him!¡± Chapter 757 - Chapter 757: Doted On chapter 757: doted on translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after leaving the palace, the two of them got into the carriage back to the residence. su yuan lifted the curtain and took a look. after confirming that no one was staring at them, he asked, ¡°father, what do you think?¡± the old marquis said calmly, ¡°sooner or later. you saw it that day. almost all the powerful people in western jin came to send zhuge qing off. he obtained the permission of the western jin emperor and came to the great zhou to treat his illness openly. it¡¯s impossible to hide the news.¡± su yuan sighed. ¡°our emperor really doesn¡¯t let go of any opportunity to befriend the western jin.¡± the old marquis was not surprised. ¡°the great zhou and northern yan are fighting fiercely. the position of the west jin is very important.¡± su yuan could not help but say worriedly, ¡°but zhuge qing is wei qing. will his majesty recognize him if he enters the palace?¡± his majesty had always been wary of the wei family. if he knew that wei erlang had become the number one strategist in the west capital, zhuge qing, who knew what he would think. the old marquis thought for a moment and said, ¡°wei qing is no longer the wei qing of the past. the wei family is not the wei family of the past either. they won¡¯t be so easily controlled by his majesty. it¡¯s getting late. let¡¯s return to the residence first and pick xiaoxiao up from the wei family tomorrow.¡± su yuan said, ¡°yes, father.¡± in the wei family, wei ting had been beaten up by his third sister-in-law and was lying on the bed. su xiaoxiao was applying ointment on him. looking at the bruises on wei ting¡¯s shoulder and back, su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°third sister-in-law is so ruthless.¡± fortunately, she did not become a sandbag for third sister-in-law. wei ting snorted. ¡°you only know after i was beaten up.¡± as su xiaoxiao applied the medicine for him, she said, ¡°that¡¯s an exaggeration. how many years has third sister-in-law been married?¡± wei ting said, ¡°eldest brother got married early at the age of 18. this is the twelfth year. second brother got married late, in the same year as third brother. it¡¯s the end of the year and the beginning of the year. in total, third sister-in-law has been married for seven to eight years.¡± ¡°how old is second brother?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°he¡¯s two years younger than big brother,¡± wei ting said. su xiaoxiao said, ¡°but second brother looks to be in his early twenties.¡± wei ting said, ¡°the wei family is very good-looking.¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°you just want to praise yourself for being handsome, right?¡± however, wei ting did not brag. the wei family was indeed handsome. even ghostfear could not hide his handsome facial features with the tattoo. the wei family had good genes, and their sons were handsome and capable. ¡°by the way, when will blackie come back?¡± ¡°blackie?¡± ¡°oh, yuchi xiu.¡± ¡°what a strange name¡­¡± wei ting thought about it and found it appropriate. that guy was always dressed in black and occasionally wore a black bamboo hat. the reason why he did not bring yuchi xiu with him to the western jin this time was that wei ting had sent him to qingzhou to hand over some of king nanyang¡¯s belongings to grandmaster hui jue. logically speaking, he should have returned long ago. after all, qingzhou was not far. he would arrive in a month. ¡°he went to look for yuniang,¡± su xiaoxiao said. ¡°forget it, don¡¯t count on him anymore. i¡¯ll go ask whitie about herbs.¡± wei ting asked strangely, ¡®who¡¯s whitie?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°bai lichen.¡± wei ting was speechless. ¡°sss¡­ be gentle.¡± ¡°now that you know it hurts, why didn¡¯t you do it earlier?¡± ¡°you make it sound like there¡¯s only one person who hid it from second brother.¡± ¡°second brother can¡¯t bear to beat me up!¡± that was¡­ hitting him with her share. after wiping the bruise on his back, su xiaoxiao asked him to turn around. only then did she realize that there was also a bruise at the corner of his mouth. she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°did third sister-in-law slap you in the face?¡± wei ting whispered, ¡°i fell myself.¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. what kind of luck was this? the three little ones had been away for a few months. old madam wei missed them so much that she had welded the three little ones to herself tonight. su xiaoxiao and wei ting welcomed a long-awaited private time. after washing up, the two of them lay on the soft bed under their respective blankets. it was still midsummer when she left, but it was already winter when she returned. su xiaoxiao was no longer the 200-pound fatty su from before. she was not so resilient against the cold anymore. she felt a little cold after sleeping for a while and sat up. wei ting glanced at her. ¡°what are you doing?¡± ¡°i¡¯ll get the blanket.¡± as soon as she finished speaking, she was pressed back onto the bed by wei ting. wei ting raised his hand and spread half of his blanket over her. ¡°are you still cold?¡± he asked. ¡°huh?¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t react for a moment. wei ting pulled her into his hot arms. su xiaoxiao blinked. wei ting closed his eyes and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t do anything else.¡± after traveling for so many days, su xiaoxiao was indeed a little tired. he had good stamina, so she might not be able to take his advances. however, she found it a little strange that he was suddenly so well-behaved. as if guessing her doubts, wei ting said softly, ¡°didn¡¯t you say that we have to take it slow?¡± su xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°when did i say that?¡± wei ting said seriously, ¡°you drank too much when you drank with second master shen.¡± su xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°i clearly only took a sip.¡± the alcohol was strong and did not show at that time as wei ting hugged her, his hand was not where it should be. ¡°i won¡¯t force you again until i completely win your heart.¡± su xiaoxiao wondered,¡±what did i say to provoke you? did you misunderstand me?¡± su xiaoxiao coughed lightly. ¡°then, can i still touch your abs?¡± wei ting was speechless. su xiaoxiao lay in his arms and found a comfortable position. her chubby hand pressed on his tight chest and she fell asleep sweetly. wei ting listened to her even snoring and chuckled in amusement. he lowered his head and kissed her before closing his eyes to sleep. the next day, at dawn, someone came to the palace to convey emperor jing xuan¡¯s decree. emperor jing xuan was going to hold a small banquet in the palace and invited the wei family and the distinguished guest of the western jin, zhuge qing. emperor jing xuan originally only planned to let wei ting and su xiaoxiao enter the palace. after a night, he changed his mind and invited the entire wei family. it seemed that emperor jing xuan did not want to give zhuge qing a chance to refuse. after all, the entire family was going. it would seem awkward if he was the only one not going. ¡°second brother, are you going?¡± wei liulang asked wei qing. wei qing had just woken up and was sitting in a wheelchair choosing a table of rattle drums. he had brought them back from the western jin. he did not answer immediately. instead, he took out a brocade box from the pile of neatly arranged rattle drums and handed it to li wan. li wan opened the brocade box and took a look. it was a purple gem and gold jewelry. the workmanship was exquisite, and it was dazzling. some people could be missed openly, but not others. mei ji, ah yuan, and the others had only seen him fiddle with the rattle drum. they had never known that he had always kept a golden ornament. ¡°this is¡­ wei qingwei said, ¡°it¡¯s for wanwan. does wanwan like it?¡± li wan blushed shyly. wei liulang muttered, ¡°am i a little redundant?¡± wei qing continued to choose a rattle drum. ¡°the rattle drum is for xi yue. i wonder which one she likes.¡± li wan laughed dryly. ¡°xiyue is old and doesn¡¯t like to play with rattle drums anymore.¡± wei qing asked, ¡°then what does she like to play?¡± li wan thought for a moment. ¡°xiaohu.¡± wei qing was speechless. wei liulang tried his best to make his presence known and lay on the rattle drums so that his brother could only see him. ¡°alright, alright. we¡¯ll talk about the gift later. anyway, we can¡¯t run away. are you going to the banquet?¡± wei qing looked at li wan. ¡°wanwan, do you want to go?¡± ¡°me?¡± li wan was stunned. she wanted to walk out openly with her husband and tell everyone that her husband was not dead. xi yue was a child with a father, but wasn¡¯t this too extravagant? wei qing put down the rattle drum. ¡°then let¡¯s go..¡± Chapter 758 - Chapter 758: Face Slapping chapter 758: face slapping translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wei ting and su xiaoxiao had to go to the palace banquet. wei ting was an official of the imperial court and could not disobey the decree, and su xiaoxiao had half an official position in the imperial hospital. su xiaoxiao was dressed neatly and was about to call wei ting to ask her grandmother if she was going. when she turned around and saw wei ting looking like he had been beaten up seventeen to eighteen times, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°did you get beaten up by third sister-in-law again? or is my grandfather here?¡± qin canglan was ruthless enough to beat up the sandbag. ¡°no,¡± wei ting said with a dark expression. ¡°then why did you¡­¡± su xiaoxiao leaned closer and stared at his face carefully.¡± you didn¡¯t sleep well? ¡± wei ting asked coldly, ¡°do you know that you sleep very irregularly?¡± ¡°did i? did i snatch your blanket?¡± su xiaoxiao expressed her doubts. ¡°you¡­¡± wei ting hesitated. if only she had just snatched a blanket. it took him a lot of effort not to eat her up, but she touched him all night. she touched everything she should and shouldn¡¯t have touched! how could anyone sleep? he clenched his fists. ¡°behave yourself when you sleep in the future! don¡¯t touch anything below the waist!¡± su xiaoxiao glanced at his body. only she knew what kind of top-notch figure was hidden under these heavy clothes. she raised her eyebrows meaningfully. ¡°oh.¡± the two of them went to old madam wei. matriarch wei had just changed into her traveling clothes and seemed to be preparing to enter the palace. the triplets went too. su xiaoxiao changed their appearance, so they became like the last time they went to the palace. zhuge qing put on his mask. ghostfear and wei liulang did not go. they had an even more important mission to ask about the whereabouts of the two herbs. ¡°brother.¡± before leaving, su xiaoxiao handed him a letter. ¡°please give this letter to ling yun.¡± this was what moxie asked her to bring to ling yun. ghostfear asked, ¡°why didn¡¯t you give it to me yesterday?¡± su xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°the letter is in the box. i only packed it today.¡± the truth was that she had placed the letter in the pharmacy. the pharmacy was intermittently activated, and she had only been let in this morning. ghostfear frowned. he didn¡¯t want to send a letter to ling yun. su xiaoxiao reminded him, ¡°also, brother, don¡¯t fight with ling yun. if you¡¯re locked up again, you¡¯ll be delayed in finding medicine for second brother.¡± these words hit the nail on the head. ¡°got it. when we find the medicine, i¡¯ll definitely take his life!¡± ghostfear called wei liulang along. wei liulang took a step to the side. ¡°i don¡¯t want to. i¡¯m afraid that big brother will trap me in prison again.¡± ghostfear was speechless. ghostfear went to pear blossom lane alone. ling yun said angrily, ¡°it¡¯s only been a day. why are you here again?¡± he had lived in a cell for 27 days out of 30 days in a month. ling yun had never been so speechless in his life. ling yun looked at the faint peony mark in the corner of the envelope and frowned slightly. old matriarch wei led everyone out of the residence and got into the carriage that entered the palace. she, madam chen, madam lan, and madam jiang had a carriage. the children had a carriage with li wan. wei qing, mei ji, and the assassin had a carriage. ah yuan was the coachman. the old marquis and su yuan also came over, and su xiaoxiao and wei ting got into his carriage. emperor jing xuan mainly invited the wei family and zhuge qing to a banquet, but the old marquis and su yuan, as the great zhou envoys who had interacted with zhuge qing along the way, were also present. many things had happened while they were not in the capital. there were two happy events. firstly, fourth cousin su xuan had passed the county examination in august. not only that, but he had also become the top scorer with the first place. the second happy event was su mo¡¯s promotion. the flood in the southwest caused a riot. su mo went south on orders and contributed to quelling the chaos. after returning to the capital, he was conferred the title of fourth-grade pingnan general. along with him was the eldest prince, xiao duye. xiao duye was conferred the title of king liang. su xiaoxiao curled her lips. ¡°what did he do? it was all because of eldest cousin charging in front. h just picked bup the ready-made credit.¡± su yuan smiled. ¡°that¡¯s how the royal family is. when they want to attribute contributions to a prince, they would just send him to the battlefield, have him sit in the tent and wait for the general to make contributions.¡± su xiaoxiao thought of the imperial heirs of the western jin and suddenly understood the reason why the western jin was so powerful. from yuwen huai to yuwen xi to yuwen lin and his younger brothers, they all went to the battlefield with real swords and spears. the western jin emperor would not allow anyone to pick up credit at all. ¡°where¡¯s cousin?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. su yuan sighed. ¡°he only returned to the capital for a few days and went north with uncle. he just left a few days ago.¡± he was a general. he was either fighting a war or on the way to war. su xiaoxiao had an epiphany. ¡°i was wondering.¡± su yuan sensed that there was a hidden meaning in her words. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± su xiaoxiao told him the news she had heard from mei ji, omitting the process of her second sister-in-law being almost bullied by a bastard. ¡°the night we just returned to the capital, the li family encountered some trouble. that group of people knew that second sister-in-law was the young madam of the wei family, but they didn¡¯t take her seriously. it turns out that everyone is no longer in the capital.¡± wei ting was not around, the old marquis, su yuan, and su mo were not around, and even qin canglan had left. wasn¡¯t bullying the wei family a slap to the qin family¡¯s face? as long as qin canglan was still in the capital, no one would dare to touch the wei family. su yuan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°was there such a thing?¡± the old marquis tugged at his sleeve. this action meant that he wanted to beat someone up. wei ting was very silent, but it was not that he was not angry. on the contrary, his calm was more like the calm before the storm. the carriage arrived at the palace. wei ting got out of the carriage first, then helped them down. the weather was cold. su xiaoxiao asked ah fu to sit by the fire in the carriage and not freeze outside. just as they were about to enter the palace, another carriage stopped beside them. ¡°it¡¯s king liang¡¯s carriage,¡± su yuan said. as soon as he finished speaking, the curtain of the car was indeed lifted. king liang, xiao duye, looked at them with a smile. ¡°so it¡¯s marquis zhenbei, prince su, general wei, and madam wei. it¡¯s been a long time since we last met. how have you been? did your trip to the western jin go smoothly?¡± the old marquis cupped his hands. ¡°your highness, everything is fine.¡± xiao duye looked into the palace and said amiably, ¡°it¡¯s still a distance from the qilin hall. if you don¡¯t mind, take my carriage.¡± he had been conferred the title of king. the carriage could be driven into the palace for a long distance. although he could not reach the qilin hall, it would save him a lot of walking time if he could stop at the grassland a hundred steps away. ¡°is he trying to rope in grandfather?¡± su xiaoxiao asked wei ting. wei ting nodded. su mo and xiao duye suppressed the chaos together. in his heart, he felt that he already had a strong relationship with su mo. the su family was a faction he could fight for. unexpectedly, the old marquis refused without thinking. ¡°thank you, your highness. i still prefer to walk.¡± xiao duye looked at the gray sky. ¡°it¡¯s going to snow soon. this road is not easy to walk.¡± thud! his carriage was hit. his body swayed and he almost threw himself out of the carriage. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± he frowned and lifted the curtain of the back window. ¡°who¡¯s so blind? how dare you hit my carriage?¡± mei ji lifted the curtain and looked at him coldly. ¡°a good dog doesn¡¯t block the way! who¡¯s in front! hurry up and move aside for my master!¡± xiao duye wanted to say that she was so rude to him and wanted to drag her out to be killed. however, when he saw the charming mei ji, he was stunned and changed his words. ¡°you, who¡¯s your master?¡± mei ji said seriously, ¡°mr. zhuge! also, if you continue to look around, i¡¯ll dig out your eyes!¡± xiao duye came back to his senses and retracted his gaze from her clothes. mei ji jumped out of the carriage and said to the old marquis and the others with a smile, ¡°marquis su, prince su, general wei, and madam wei, my master invites you.. the emperor of the great zhou said that my master¡¯s carriage can directly enter the qilin hall! you don¡¯t have to take a step!¡± Chapter 759 - Chapter 759: Pregnancy chapter 759: pregnancy translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios xiao duye¡¯s face alternated between green and red. his carriage could not even enter the qilin hall, but the other party could go straight in. to think that he was still smug. did he think that he had given the old marquis a huge favor? look, he didn¡¯t need it at all. ¡°aiya, i¡¯m old. it¡¯s not good to walk too much. let¡¯s take the carriage!¡± after the old marquis pretended to sigh, he brought his son, su xiaoxiao, and wei ting into wei qing¡¯s carriage. wei qing¡¯s carriage bypassed xiao duye and entered the palace. this was the first snub xiao duye had encountered after being conferred the title of king. he could not help but frown. he had heard of zhuge qing from the officials of the diplomatic mission who had returned. it was said that he was a strategist in the residence of the eldest prince of the western jin dynasty, yuwen huai. he had followed yuwen huai for three years and helped him eliminate many opponents. even the western jin emperor valued him. however, no matter what, he was just a strategist. was his father too polite to zhuge qing? xiao duye was unhappy. coincidentally, xiao zhonghua¡¯s carriage arrived. when they brushed past each other, xiao zhonghua stopped the carriage and lifted the curtain to greet him. ¡°so it¡¯s big brother. why aren¡¯t you going in?¡± xiao zhonghua had contributed to the destruction of the white lotus society and was extremely famous among the commoners. however, now that xiao duye had contributed to quelling the chaos in the southwest, he had many supporters among the commoners. he was considered to be on par with him. xiao zhonghua¡¯s advantage was that he was stronger with the support of his mother¡¯s family. xiao duye¡¯s mother was not from a high status, but emperor jing xuan doted on him and gave him a wife with a powerful background. from the looks of it, he had a higher chance of winning. xiao duye found a balance in his younger brother. he smiled and said, ¡°i¡¯m waiting for third brother to go in together.¡± ¡°chi a disdainful snort came from the carriage. xiao duye frowned. xiao zhonghua smiled warmly. ¡°jing yi is playing chess with me. he lost again and is unhappy. big brother, please go first.¡± xiao duye lowered the curtain and left. jing yi said unhappily, ¡°why did cousin give way to him?¡± xiao zhonghua said calmly, ¡°there¡¯s order among the young and old.¡± after wei qing¡¯s carriage arrived at the qilin hall, the assassin and mei ji went to the entrance of the palace to fetch old madam wei and the others. the three little ones jumped out of the carriage impatiently. xiaohu patted the carriage with his small hands. ¡°sister xiyue, sister xiyue, come down too!¡± wei xiyue was led out of the carriage by li wan. she was carrying two jars in her arms, one containing dried meat and the other, pine nuts. this was the first time wei xiyue had entered the palace. looking at the unfamiliar environment, she was a little confused. the three children had been to the palace before, but they had never been to the qilin hall and were stunned. xiaohu scratched his head. ¡°where is this?¡± ¡°qilin hall.¡± dahu pointed at the plaque hanging on the hall. li wan was a little surprised. ¡°dahu, do you know those three words?¡± ¡°yes.¡± dahu nodded. ¡°uncle taught me.¡± li wan touched his little head. ¡°dahu is so smart.¡± erhu said, ¡°erhu is also smart.¡± xiaohu placed his hands on his hips. ¡°xiaohu is the smartest!¡± su xiaoxiao walked over in amusement and pinched his face. ¡°yes, yes, yes. you¡¯re the smartest.¡± the wei family was amused by xiaohu. the little guy professed to be good at everything and bragged about being first. the wind was strong outside, so the group helped matriarch wei in first. the seats were placed on both sides. there were two seats at a table, similar to the palace banquet of the western jin. zhuge qing¡¯s seat was the first seat opposite. from this, it could be seen how much emperor jing xuan valued him. behind him were the seats of the princes, the old marquis, and su yuan. the palace academy was on holiday today, and the officials were also resting. the side hall where the banquet was held alone was extraordinarily lively. the children couldn¡¯t stay in the hall anymore and wanted to play in the small garden. seeing that li wan was worried, su xiaoxiao said to her, ¡°i¡¯ll go take a look. second sister-in-law, sit.¡± old madam wei pressed li wan¡¯s hand. ¡°sit.¡± ¡°aye.¡± li wan sat down again. ever since the wei family¡¯s accident, the women of the wei family had never attended any palace banquet. this was the first time in four years that everyone attended all dressed up, including old madam wei. the wei family had been silent for too long, so long that the people in the capital had already forgotten the wei family¡¯s sharpness. it was time to let those ignorant people witness the might of the wei family! the three little ones played with wei xiyue in the small garden while su xiaoxiao sat on a stone stool at the side and watched them. suddenly, a delicate woman¡¯s voice sounded from not far away. ¡°little sidekick!¡± su xiaoxiao knew who it was. princess hui an picked up her skirt and quickly walked up to su xiaoxiao. she looked at her resentfully. ¡°it¡¯s indeed you¡­ why didn¡¯t you come to see me when you came back? don¡¯t you know that i¡¯m waiting for you in the palace¡­ to greet me?¡± su xiaoxiao stood up and greeted her. ¡°princess hui an, i just returned to the capital. i haven¡¯t even gone to my maiden family and the su family.¡± hearing that she had yet to see her father, brother, and the su family, princess hui an felt a little better. however, soon, she frowned again. ¡°have you lost weight?¡± ¡°did i?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°yes.¡± princess hui an nodded solemnly. she looked at the few little fellows who were laughing. ¡°dahu, erhu, and xiaohu haven¡¯t lost weight. eh? who¡¯s that little girl? she¡¯s so good-looking!¡± su xiaoxiao glanced at wei xiyue, who was sitting on the grass and admiring the three little pets. ¡°xiyue, the child of my second brother and second sister-in-law.¡± ¡°oh, she¡¯s quite pitiful to have lost her father at such a young age.¡± princess hui an sat down beside su xiaoxiao. ¡°by the way, did you treat that young prince¡¯s illness?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°he¡¯s cured.¡± princess hui an heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°that¡¯s good. i was afraid that you would offend him. i won¡¯t know what to do in the future if that happened.¡± su xiaoxiao didn¡¯t have any friends in her previous life. she didn¡¯t expect to meet a few girls who treated her sincerely here. she looked at the entrance. ¡°why don¡¯t i see princess jingning?¡± princess 1¨C1ui an¡¯s expression darkened. ¡®why are you thinking of another princess when you¡¯re with me?¡± su xiaoxiao was speechless. princess hui an snorted angrily. ¡°madam lu and third miss came over today. jingning is probably welcoming guests in the empress¡¯s palace.¡± su xiaoxiao was not familiar with some interpersonal relationships in the capital. ¡°madam lu is¡ª¡± princess hui an said, ¡°consort liang¡¯s mother, my brother¡¯s mother-in-law, and that third miss is consort liang¡¯s biological sister. i was there just now, but i was so bored, so i came out.¡± su xiaoxiao was not interested in xiao duye¡¯s mother-in-law and sister-in-law. princess 1¨C1ui an suddenly opened her mouth. ¡°do you know why they entered the palace?¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°secondary consort qin is pregnant.¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°qin yanran?¡± princess hui an nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. sister-in-law has been married to my brother for many years, but there hasn¡¯t been any movement in her womb. secondary consort qin is still the best.¡± su xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°is their entry into the palace related to qin yanran¡¯s pregnancy?¡± to be honest, qin yanran was only a secondary consort and was already pregnant. could she still fight with the main consort? one had to know that she was no longer qin canglan¡¯s granddaughter. if she had no background or family background, how could she compete with consort liang? princess hui an couldn¡¯t hold back from gossiping. ¡°you weren¡¯t in the capital, so you don¡¯t know. a new official came to the imperial astronomical center. he gave secondary consort qin an order and said that she¡¯s carrying the fate of the great zhou in her stomach. it must be an auspicious male child.. this is the eldest grandson of the emperor!¡± Chapter 760 - Chapter 760: Marriage chapter 760: marriage translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the fate of the great zhou¡­ wasn¡¯t this princess jingning¡¯s style? did emperor jing xuan actually believe it? was there grass growing in his head? su xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but criticize. however, on second thought, if emperor jing xuan hadn¡¯t believed in this, princess jingning and the empress wouldn¡¯t have had so many years of good days. princess hui an said regretfully, ¡°since my second sister-in-law had a miscarriage a while ago. secondary consort qin¡¯s child is especially precious.¡± ¡°does this matter affect princess jingning?¡± su xiaoxiao asked. ¡°how can it affect her?¡± princess hui an didn¡¯t understand. that was true. princess jingning¡¯s birth characters were good. if her birth characters did not change, the fate of the country on her shoulders would not change. however, she could not let her guard down. if that new grand astronomer came and transferred the country¡¯s luck to the eldest grandson, who could guarantee that emperor jing xuan would not believe him? su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°who¡¯s the grand astronomer?¡± princess hui an replied, ¡°he¡¯s not an official from the capital. i heard that he was transferred from another province. i¡¯m not very familiar with him. if you want to understand him, i can ask third brother.¡± with that, she seemed to realize that she had been too proactive and added proudly, ¡°who asked you to be my sidekick?¡± su xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°thank you, princess.¡± princess hui an raised her eyebrows proudly. she thought of something and said, ¡°ah, have i not told you why my sister-in-law¡¯s family entered the palace?¡± su xiaoxiao had more or less guessed something. if qin yanran was really pregnant with such a powerful male child, consort liang¡¯s status would be in danger. they would definitely think of a way to consolidate consort liang¡¯s status when they entered the palace. princess hui an suddenly looked at su xiaoxiao. ¡°speaking of which, this matter has something to do with you.¡± su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°what has it got to do with me?¡± princess hui an to leave someone hanging. ¡°madam lu entered the palace today to ask the empress to decree a marriage. it¡¯s that third miss lu. do you know who the husband of the lu family is to be?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°it can¡¯t be wei ting.¡± princess hui an curled her lips. ¡°of course not brother ting. brother ting is already married. it¡¯s su mo, your eldest cousin!¡± did consort liang and duke lu want to rope in the marquis of zhenbei? they even targeted su mo? with su mo¡¯s age, he should have been betrothed long ago, but he had never met a suitable one. su xiaoxiao asked, ¡°how is this miss lu of the lu family?¡± princess hui an did not answer immediately. instead, she asked, ¡°what do you think of guo lingxi?¡± su xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°the two of them are the same type? princess hui an said, ¡°no, she¡¯s not as arrogant as guo lingxi.¡± guo lingxi was no longer arrogant. after realizing how dire her situation was, she had already tucked her tail between her legs. princess hui an finished speaking. ¡°what i want to say is that third miss lu and guo lingxi are about the same age.¡± so she was talking about her looks¡­ su xiaoxiao said, ¡°she looks like a beauty.¡± guo lingxi¡¯s beauty could definitely be ranked in the top three in the capital. first was bai xihe, and second was princess hui an. qin yanran was also a great beauty. however, her reputation was not mainly because of her looks, but her background and talent. ¡°can that kind of beauty be considered a beauty?¡± princess hui an snorted and glanced at su xiaoxiao. she muttered softly, ¡°she¡¯s far inferior to you.¡± duke lu¡¯s estate really knew how to scheme. they actually wanted to rope in the marquis of zhenbei through a marriage. in this way, consort liang¡¯s status would be stable, and xiao duye would have a solid backing on the path to the throne. su xiaoxiao continued, ¡°by the way, is the empress dowager around?¡± if she was, su xiaoxiao would go over and take a look. princess hui an shook her head. ¡°no. the last time the assassins wreaked havoc in the palace, it seemed to have frightened imperial grandmother. she went to the dragon temple to pray for blessings for the royal family. she won¡¯t return for a while.¡± it was good that she was not in the palace, so that she would not miss her. kunning palace. duchess lu was sitting at the bottom, talking to her daughter and the empress. princess jingning sat silently at the side. ¡°empress, i¡¯ll leave this marriage to you,¡± madam lu said with a smile. the empress was a little hesitant. madam lu smiled and said, ¡°su mo has made a great contribution and emperor jing xuan¡¯s kindness is vast in bestowing out a suitable marriage for him.¡± what a great emperor. she made it sound like su mo could not get a wife. the empress said, ¡°that¡¯s true, but su mo is not related to me. i can¡¯t make the decision for him. why don¡¯t we invite madam su into the palace to ask for her opinion? if she agrees to this marriage, i¡¯ll personally decide the marriage for the two of them.¡± duchess lu was dumbfounded. if the su family could easily agree, why would she beg the empress? the empress changed the topic. ¡°his majesty invited the envoy and important guests back to the capital today. the banquet is about to begin. madam lu and miss lu should go together.¡± madam lu had hit a soft stumbling block in kunning palace. after bringing her daughter out, her expression darkened. consort yu walked over. seeing that there was no one around, she asked, ¡°how is it?¡± duchess lu sighed. ¡°the empress rejected it and refused to matchmake linglong and su mo. your highness, i¡¯m not doing this to consolidate consort liang¡¯s status in the residence, but for his highness!¡± who would believe her if she said it wasn¡¯t for consort liang? however, this matter was also beneficial to xiao duye, so consort yu was very willing to facilitate it. consort yu frowned and said, ¡°the empress has no sons. in order to let ye¡¯er get close to her, i send ye¡¯er to the kunning palace from time to time and never get close to ye¡¯er in front of her. i even let ye¡¯er treat her as his mother; he respects her more than his biological mother. in the end, she actually didn¡¯t even mention a marriage to ye¡¯er.¡± madam lu said earnestly, ¡°your highness, the empress was not like this in the past. it was after princess jingning had that girl called qin su by her side that princess jingning first distanced herself from her brother, and right on the heels of that, the empress¡¯s attitude towards king liang changed. in the long run, the empress might change to supporting king an.¡± king an was xiao zhonghua. consort yu was at a loss. at this moment, a young eunuch walked over and whispered in her ear. she frowned slightly. ¡°is there such a thing?¡± the young eunuch said, ¡°yes, i saw it with my own eyes.¡± concubine yu waved her hand. ¡°got it. you can leave.¡± looking at the young eunuch who was retreating, madam lu asked, ¡°your highness, what happened?¡± concubine yu said, ¡°king liang was embarrassed by someone at the entrance of the palace just now.¡± madam lu said angrily, ¡®who is so bold to offend king liang? king yu said calmly, ¡°the strategist of the western jin, zhuge qing.¡± madam lu said in disdain, ¡°how dare a strategist be disrespectful to prince liang?¡± ¡°he¡¯s not an ordinary strategist. the emperor of the western jin thinks highly of him. he¡¯s a popular person in the western jin.¡± as consort yu spoke, her eyes darted around and she smiled gently. ¡°i heard that this mr. zhuge doesn¡¯t seem to have any wives.¡± madam lu opened her mouth. ¡°your highness, you mean¡­¡± concubine yu stroked lu linglong¡¯s beautiful face. ¡°linglong is so good-looking.. isn¡¯t it a pity to only marry a fourth-grade general? i¡¯ll go to his majesty and ask for a decree to betroth linglong to zhuge qing!¡± Chapter 761 - Chapter 761: Domineering Second Brother chapter 761: domineering second brother translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios consort yu immediately brought lu linglong to the imperial study. emperor jing xuan had just finished dealing with his official business when he heard that zhuge qing had arrived. just as he was about to meet this esteemed guest from the western jin, he heard eunuch quan report, ¡°consort yu requests an audience.¡± xiao duye and qin yanran had been doted on recently, and even consort yu had gained some face in front of emperor jing xuan. emperor jing xuan let her into the imperial study. consort yu explained her intentions to emperor jing xuan and called lu linglong in. emperor jing xuan looked at the young girl in front of him. lu linglong was indeed beautiful and talented. when he was selecting the accompanying students for the two princesses, she was visiting her relatives in ji zhou. otherwise, she would definitely have a place in the palace academy. her background was noble enough, and she was a match made in heaven with zhuge qing. emperor jing xuan was a little tempted. consort yu brought lu linglong out with a smile and saw duchess lu waiting for the two of them near the imperial study. duchess lu hurriedly asked, ¡°you¡¯re out so soon? what did his majesty say?¡± consort yu smiled. ¡°how can his majesty disagree with a good marriage?¡± madam lu looked hesitant. ¡°but i heard that mr. zhuge is a cripple¡­ he can¡¯t walk properly.¡± consort yu said, ¡°so what? many people with healthy limbs can¡¯t defeat him, doesn¡¯t this prove that he¡¯s powerful? the more such a person is, the more unscrupulous he can be. if linglong marries him, she will enjoy endless wealth in the future! the lu family has a chance to become the number one family in the capital. as for the liang king, if he ascends to the throne, the lu family will be the emperor¡¯s maternal family. isn¡¯t that enough?¡± duchess lu was instantly tempted. that¡¯s right. although marrying su mo could rope in the marquis of zhenbei, he was a general after all. if he ended un like the wei family. wouldn¡¯t the lu public house have gained nothing? it was safer to marry a strategist. there was no need to charge forward. he only needed to sit in the court and give ideas. consort yu adjusted the tassels on her hair. ¡°his majesty asked me to attend the banquet too. i¡¯ll return to the bedroom to change my clothes. you guys go to the qilin hall first.¡¯ madam lu bowed with her daughter. ¡°your highness, take care.¡± after bidding farewell to consort yu, the two of them walked towards the qilin hall. after taking a few steps, the two of them saw su xiaoxiao and li wan sitting in the gazebo. ¡°mother, look.¡± lu linglong pulled madam lu¡¯s sleeve. madam lu frowned. ¡°the women of the wei family?¡± lu linglong asked, ¡°is qin su inside?¡± she had just returned from visiting her family in ji zhou and had never seen the eldest daughter of the qin family. madam lu said casually, ¡°yes, that fat girl is¡­ much thinner than before.¡± she did not have a good impression of this eldest daughter of the qin family, especially when she thought of how she had provoked the relationship between princess jingning and king liang time and time again. the more she thought about it, the more she disliked her. however, there was nothing she could do about it. she could not rush over and beat the other party up. ¡°who¡¯s the woman beside her?¡± lu linglong asked. ¡°she looks familiar.¡± madam lu said, ¡°you met the widow of the wei family¡¯s erlang at the new year¡¯s eve banquet a few years ago, but you were still young at that time and might not remember.¡± lu linglong was 16 this year. the last palace banquet was five years ago, and she was only 11 at that time. lu linglong pursed her lips. ¡°mother, her hairpin is really beautiful.¡± even from so far away, the golden light on the hairpin was still dazzling. duchess lu snorted. ¡°what are you envious of? when you become madam zhuge, there will be many jewelry for you to choose from! do you care about a hairpin?¡± as the mother and daughter spoke, su xiaoxiao and li wan stood up and walked down. they saw the two of them come to a path and talk to a man in a wheelchair. the man was wearing a silver fox cloak and a mask, revealing a pair of cold and smiling eyes. his exquisite chin was slightly weak and pale. he had an incomparably noble aura. he sat in the wheelchair without losing his aura. lu linglong¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. eunuch quan ran over with a smile. ¡°mr. zhuge! you¡¯re here? the wind is strong. go back to the qilin hall first. his majesty is already here.¡± lu linglong¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°he¡¯s mr. zhuge?¡± if she had felt a little aggrieved about marrying a cripple before, then at this moment, she was really stunned by the other party. there was actually such a man in the world. every move he made exuded a mesmerizing aura. madam lu saw her daughter¡¯s shy expression and knew what to do. ¡°it seems that consort yu has sincerely found a good husband for you.¡± ¡°mother!¡± lu linglong stomped her feet shyly. she could not help but size up zhuge qing, only to see zhuge qing smile at the women of the wei family. she carefully distinguished that he was smiling at wei qing¡¯s widow. suddenly, a fair-skinned little girl ran over with two jars. she threw herself into zhuge qing¡¯s arms and the jar fell. zhuge qing¡¯s eyes were exceptionally gentle and doting, making him even more charming. li wan quickly carried the little girl over. ¡°that¡¯s¡­¡± lu linglong did not recognize wei xiyue for a moment. madam lu said, ¡°the daughter of the wei family¡¯s erlang, what¡¯s her name¡­ wei xiyue? she¡¯s a stupid child. she¡¯s seven years old and hasn¡¯t been enlightened. i heard that the wei family invited more than ten teachers to her, but none of them could teach her. they all left in anger. sigh, the wei family only has one descendant, but she¡¯s a fool. don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a sin?¡± lu linglong asked in confusion, ¡°but why do i feel that mr. zhuge likes her very much?¡± wei xiyue stretched out her small arm to zhuge qing again. zhuge qing carried her over and she nestled in his arms, crossing her small feet in enjoyment. ¡°maybe he likes children.¡± madam lu thought for a moment and said, ¡°he lives in the wei family and still expects qin su to treat his leg. he has to give the wei family some face. alright, alright, hurry up and sit.¡± lu linglong turned around and looked at zhuge qing. that man¡¯s figure was deeply engraved in her mind. ¡°was that miss lu just now?¡± su xiaoxiao had actually noticed the two of them. li wan nodded. ¡°yes, the third daughter of the lu family. i met her at the palace banquet a few years ago. i didn¡¯t expect her to have grown up. you just said that madam lu wants to matchmake her with su mo?¡± su xiaoxiao said, ¡°the empress probably won¡¯t accept the hot potato. it depends on whether they will go to the emperor jing xuan.¡± ¡°if his majesty gives the decree, su mo can¡¯t disobey it.¡± with that, li wan looked at the little girl who was addicted to staying in her father¡¯s arms. ¡°come down.¡± wei xiyue did not come down. she turned around and crawled into wei qing¡¯s arms. in the end, it was li wan who forcefully pulled a certain little octopus out of her father¡¯s arms. it was a small banquet today. there were not many guests, but there were many singing and dancing to liven things up. there was music in the hall. it was quite lively. when emperor jing xuan saw the legendary mr. zhuge, he greeted him warmly. xiao zhonghua, xiao shunyang, and the others also sat down. jing yi sat beside xiao zhonghua. it was as if there were nails on his butt. he kept moving. xiao zhonghua said with a headache, ¡°go over if you want to!¡± jing yi walked towards su xiaoxiao. ¡°is that mr. zhuge?¡± xiao shunyang asked xiao zhonghua. ¡°i heard that big brother had a misunderstanding with him at the entrance of the palace.¡± ¡°you¡¯ll have to ask big brother.¡± xiao zhonghua did not want to be the messenger. xiao duye raised his wine glass and said without changing his expression, ¡°it¡¯s just a greeting. how have you spread the rumors?¡± emperor jing xuan and zhuge qing drank three rounds. he sighed with emotion that zhuge qing was extraordinary. as expected of the number one strategist. he had benefited greatly from a few casual insights at the royal court. if this person could be used by the great zhou, the great zhou would be like a tiger with wings. emperor jing xuan smiled and asked, ¡°sir has been alone for many years. no one has taken care of the back residence. i have a good relationship with you and want to give something to you.¡± wei qing smiled faintly. ¡°oh?¡± emperor jing xuan looked at the seat of the lu public house. lu linglong lowered her head shyly. madam lu was so excited that she tightened her handkerchief. his majesty actually proposed so quickly in public. it seemed that this marriage was inevitable! su xiaoxiao blinked. what was going on? wasn¡¯t she betrothed to su mo? why was she targeting second brother? the others were also surprised. matriarch wei¡¯s expression darkened. what a shameless emperor. her grandson had already died, but he still did not let her grandson off! xiao duye looked at the consort yu beside emperor jing xuan. consort yu smiled at him. he had an idea. this was his mother¡¯s idea. although he did not like zhuge qing, if zhuge qing could be used by him, he could forget about the past. xiao zhonghua gripped his wine glass tightly. xiao shunyang seemed to be saying it for xiao zhonghua to hear. ¡°father, you¡¯re really biased.¡± emperor jing xuan smiled and said, ¡°what do you think, mr. zhuge? if you¡¯re willing, i¡¯ll immediately issue a decree¡­¡± ¡°no,¡± wei qing said. emperor jing xuan was stunned. xiao duye said coldly, ¡°my father arranged a marriage for you. don¡¯t be shameless!¡± wei qing said calmly, ¡°i¡¯m a strategist of the western jin. when is it your great zhou¡¯s turn to propose? have you asked the western jin emperor?¡± xiao duye had tolerated this guy for a long time. he stood up and pointed at his nose. ¡°you¡¯re just a strategist. you don¡¯t even have an official position in the imperial court, yet you dare to shout in front of my father! do you think this is the western jin? you only have the support of the people of the western jin!¡± wei qing moved the armrest of the wheelchair, pulled out the western jin emperor¡¯s dragon spring sword, and stabbed it into the hall! seeing this sword was like seeing the western jin emperor! Chapter 762 - Chapter 762: Backing of the Western Jin Emperor Chapter 762: Backing of the Western Jin Emperor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Dragon Spring Sword of the Western Jin Emperor was not an ordinary sword. It was the personal sword of the founding emperor of the Western Jin. It had been passed down from generation to generation and was the best symbol of the emperor¡¯s status other than the jade seal. Emperor Jing Xuan had also been to the Western Jin Dynasty. He had seen the Dragon Spring Sword before. Even if he had never seen it, there were many picture books about the Dragon Spring Sword. Other than some women present, almost everyone recognized it. A moment ago, some were still saying that no one was backing him up. At this moment, he pulled out the Western Jin Emperor¡¯s Dragon Spring Sword. This was no longer a slap in the face, but a rub of his face on the ground! Xiao Duye was dumbfounded. What was wrong with this guy? Why did he have the Western Jin Emperor¡¯s Dragon Spring Sword? Within a day, no, to be precise, within two hours, he was slapped in the face twice by Zhuge Qing. Xiao Duye¡¯s face was swollen like a pig¡¯s head. The cold Dragon Spring Sword stabbed into the reflective purple flower stone floor. How could that move be used by a piece of trash? Even though he no longer had internal strength, he was definitely a top martial artist. In the hall, those who recognized the Dragon Spring Sword and those who did not fell silent. The musicians stopped. The event location was silent. ¡°The dates are a little too sweet. Eat this.¡± Jing Yi, who was outside the situation, suddenly said this. The entire side hall was filled with his serious and innocent voice. Marquis Weiwu also came today and sat beside the seat of the Lu Public House. He wished he could find a hole to hide in. Jing Yi had been focused on choosing snacks for Su Xiaoxiao and did not pay attention to what was going on. He turned around and looked at the sword on the ground, then at the trembling musicians in the middle of the hall. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you playing music?¡± The musicians hurriedly continued playing. The music began. Everyone drank wine or tea. The dancers also surged into the center and danced hard with smiles. The awkwardness was covered up by embarrassment. Emperor Jing Xuan drank his tea with a dark expression. Wei Qing rejected his good intentions in public, making him feel a little embarrassed as an emperor. However, compared to Wei Qing¡¯s attitude towards King Liang, it made people feel that his ¡°unwillingness¡± was really not offensive. Of course, there was still some embarrassment. He originally thought that Zhuge Qing was only a strategist beside the Eldest Prince of the Western Jin and was lucky to be valued by the Western Jin Emperor because of Yuwen Huai. Naturally, he admitted that Zhuge Qing had some talent, but no emperor would give a strategist a treasure second only to the jade seal, right? Wasn¡¯t the Emperor of the Western Jin going too far? The Empress said to the eunuch in charge beside her, ¡°Pour the wine.¡± The eunuch in charge looked at his master in shock. His Majesty had just suffered a setback, and she was already drinking to celebrate. Was she watching the show? After Wei Qing stabbed the sword into the ground, he did not pull it back immediately. It was stabbed into the ground openly, coincidentally facing Xiao Duye. Xiao Duye was furious every time he looked at it. He gritted his teeth so hard that they almost shattered. The others looked at Mr. Zhuge differently. If they were only polite to him because of Emperor Jing Xuan, they really felt his strength now. While he did not hold an official position, he was like a powerful minister. Under one person, he was above ten thousand people! The daughter of the Lu Public House was really not worthy of him. Consort Yu¡¯s face burned, let alone Madam Lu. Being rejected in public would ruin her daughter¡¯s reputation in the future. She knew it. She should have said that it was for Su Mo. Why would she find someone from Western Jin? It was not reliable at all! Oh right, Su MO! Su MO was from the Great Zhou Dynasty. His Majesty should be able to make the decision! As long as His Majesty gave Su MO a marriage, the face of the Lu Public House would be restored! The Old Marquis said, ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Mr. Zhuge has a sister and admires Eldest Cousin¡¯s talent very much. If Eldest Cousin doesn¡¯t have a match yet, he might be able to facilitate a marriage. Mr. Zhuge, what do you think?¡± Wei Qing smiled. ¡°I couldn¡¯t ask for more.¡± He was unwilling to accede to Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s suggestion, but he could not ask for more from Su Xiaoxiao and the Su family. It was a double standard. The Old Marquis pretended to say, ¡°Aiya, no problem!¡± Duchess Lu felt a turbid breath in her chest. How could she still ask His Majesty to propose in public? His Majesty could not break up the couple. In the past, it was fine, but¡­ Wei Qing had even pulled out the Dragon Spring Sword of the Western Jin Emperor today and had yet to take it back. Did Emperor Jing Xuan have nothing better to do and look for trouble again? Matriarch Wei heaved a sigh of relief. As expected of her grandson, he should be so stubborn. The Wei family served the country loyally and was worthy of the heavens and the commoners. In the end, they only ended up being wrapped in horse leather and their military power was divided. When the Wei family¡¯s men died in battle and only Wei Ting was left, how did those snobs in the capital look down on the Wei family? It was time to let them suffer. Wei Ting picked up his wine glass and was about to stand up. Old Madam Wei said, ¡°Sit down!¡± It was fine if Second Brother was showing off, but at least he had the identity of the Western Jin. Why did he jump out to cause trouble? Wei Ting opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to speak either.¡± She Imew her biological grandsons well. She knew what they were going to fart. If this kid caused trouble, he could forget about leaving tonight. Wei Ting sighed regretfully. He also wanted to perform. He could not always let his second brother steal the limelight. The three little ones could not sit still in the seats. Matriarch Wei was guarding against Wei Ting and asked him to bring them out to play. Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s thoughts were disturbed by Wei Qing today, so he did not pay attention to the little fellows. There was a small interlude at the banquet. The dancers needed a cauldron for the dance they were rehearsing, but the prop cauldron was broken, so they could only get someone to urgently move a real cauldron over. It was already very difficult to move it. When they had to cross the high threshold, the guards could not lift it at all. Madam Chen walked over and easily raised the cauldron with one hand, shocking the guests! In the palace of Western Jin, the Western Jin Emperor, draped in a thick fox fur coat, picked up a memorial and coughed heavily for a long time. Eunuch He quickly brought in a bowl of medicine and placed the medicine bowl on the table. He raised his hand and patted the back of the Western Jin Emperor to calm him down. The Western Jin Emperor coughed until he broke out in sweat. He had ascended the throne at the age of 25 and had been on the throne for more than 40 years. He was not young anymore. He, who had once galloped the battlefield, was no longer as high-spirited as when he was young. He was old, his hair was white, and his back was a little hunched. Eunuch He picked up the medicine bowl with heartache. ¡°Your Majesty, drink the medicine first.¡± The Western Jin Emperor coughed for a long time. After calming down, he frowned and drank the bowl of bitter medicine in one gulp. ¡°His Majesty didn¡¯t like to drink medicine in the past.¡± He took the empty bowl. The Western Jin Emperor said, ¡°I¡¯m old. I¡¯m no longer young.¡± Eunuch He said, ¡°The imperial physician said that you were thinking too much, which is why the evil aura entered your body. Are you worried about Mr. Zhuge?¡± The Western Jin Emperor said, ¡°It¡¯s been two months. He should have arrived in the Great Zhou.¡± Eunuch He smiled. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Zhuge¡¯s blessing to receive your love.¡± The Western Jin Emperor paused. ¡°No, it¡¯s my fortune to meet him. The world is big, and the only person who knows me is him.¡± A night breeze came and the Western Jin Emperor coughed again. Eunuch He quickly patted his back to calm him down. ¡°Your Majesty, you must take care of your dragon body!¡± The Western Jin Emperor smiled. ¡°I will take care.. If I die, who will support that child?¡± Chapter 763 - Chapter 763: Return Chapter 763: Return Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When it was almost midnight, the banquet ended. Emperor Jing Xuan returned to his bedroom, and the others left one after another. Old Matriarch Wei held her mighty tiger-headed walking stick and led the valiant women of the Wei family out of the Qilin Hall. She simply walked with the aura of a marching army. The three little ones were energetic and ran around the palace. Wei Ting crossed his arms in the cold wind and looked at them happily. What was worth mentioning was that other than Zhuge Qing, the strategist of the Western Jin Dynasty, the women of the Wei family were in the limelight today. In particular, Madam Chen¡¯s move had shut many people up. Apart from that, there were two other people who attracted a lot of attention. The first was Su Xiaoxiao. In the past, everyone only thought that she was a little fat girl who did whatever she wanted, but tonight, they felt that she was indescribably beautiful. Her face was almost comparable to Bai Xihe¡¯s. As for the other, it was Mei Ji, who was beside Wei Qing. She was naturally charming and had an exquisite figure. Coupled with the fact that she was not wearing too heavy clothes, her waist and top-notch figure were outlined to the extreme. Xiao Duye¡¯s gaze never left her. Mei Ji glared at him in disdain and pushed Wei Qing¡¯s wheelchair out. ¡°Princess Hui An, please wait.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped Princess Hui An outside the hall. Princess Hui An raised her chin and said, ¡®Why? Can¡¯t bear to part with me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and handed her a brocade box. ¡°I brought a small gift for Princess Hui An from Western Jin.¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes lit up, but she quickly returned to normal. She took the brocade box with a proud expression and opened it. It was a dazzling gem. She liked gorgeous things like gems. The previous time, Su Xiaoxiao gave her a purple gem. This time, it was a pink gem. It was three times better-looking tnan tne last time. She couldn¡¯t hide the love in her eyes anymore, but she looked forced. ¡°Is it only for me this time?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°There¡¯s only one gem of this quality in the West Capital. I don¡¯t have a second one to give to anyone.¡± Princess Jingning liked jade, so she gave her a pair of imperial green bracelets. Only then did Princess Hui An look satisfied. At this moment, Princess Jingning walked over. Princess Hui An closed the brocade box and went back to show it off to Jingning! Princess Jingning said to Hui An, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back? Aren¡¯t you afraid that Consort Xian will wait for you? The Wei family members are all waiting for her in the carriage.¡± Princess Hui An snorted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me saying a few words to my sidekick? Do I need you to remind me?¡± Princess Jingning said calmly, ¡°Has she acknowledged that she¡¯s your sidekick?¡± ¡°She acknowledges it in her heart!¡± Princess Hui An would never show weakness in front of Jingning. She thought of something and turned to look at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Little sidekick, where are the letters you wrote to me? Why didn¡¯t I receive any?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. Princess Hui An continued, ¡°Did you only write and not send them?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t write them?¡± Princess Hui An stomped her feet. ¡°You promised to write to me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao searched through the few memories in her mind and it seemed she did indeed reply casually on a dark night. The conversation went like this: ¡°Remember to write to me when you¡¯re free.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Didn¡¯t such polite words usually mean that she didn¡¯t need to write? Princess Hui An said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t even have the time to write to me? Not to mention one every three days, there isn¡¯t even one every ten days?¡± Princess Jingning also looked at Su Xiaoxiao, as if asking, ¡°Where¡¯s my letter?¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered,¡± Why do I feel that there¡¯s going to be a fire in the backyard again¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I wrote them, but I didn¡¯t send them. They¡¯re in my bag.¡± Princess Hui An said solemnly, ¡°Then enter the palace tomorrow and bring it to me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s smile remained. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the Public House tomorrow.¡± Princess Hui An said firmly, ¡°Then the day after tomorrow! If you can¡¯t come over, I¡¯ll go to your residence to get them myself!¡± Two days, twenty-four letters¡­ Someone should just kill her. The three little ones played crazily in the palace and exhausted all their strength. Finally, they stuck out their butts and fell asleep on the grass. ¡°Hmph.¡± Wei Ting walked over with a cold expression and picked up the three brats. He could only carry two in a pair. He turned around and said to the darkness, ¡°Give me a hand?¡± The assassin walked out of the night and picked up the last child. The group got into the carriage at the entrance of the palace. Madam Lu¡¯s carriage happened to be beside the Wei family¡¯s carriage. She actually did not have much hatred for the Wei family. At most, she was jealous and looked down on them. She was jealous of Zhuge Qing¡¯s attitude towards the Wei family and looked down on the Wei family¡¯s current downfall. Without military power, there was only one son left, and he was not liked by the emperor. Sooner or later, he would decline. After landing Zhuge Qing, the Wei family could do whatever they wanted. If the Wei family had the ability, they would keep Zhuge Qing, but that was impossible! ¡°Madam Lu, why are you staring at my carriage?¡± Su Xiaoxiao lifted the curtain and looked at her with a faint smile. Madam Lu came back to her senses, and a trace of displeasure flashed across her eyes. It was this girl who ruined her daughter¡¯s marriage with Su Mo. She was really annoying! When her son-in-law ascended the throne and became the emperor, she would teach this girl a lesson! She snorted coldly and stepped on the car stool. At this moment, a parrot flew through the air and landed on Duchess Lu¡¯s forehead. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± She screamed and missed a step, breaking the bridge of her nose on the car bench! Wuhu successfully flew back into the carriage valiantly. It flapped their wings and looked at Su Xiaoxiao for credit. Su Xiaoxiao gave it a piece of bird food in anger and amusement. There was only one! The feathers of Wuhu exploded ¡°Forget it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao reached out to take back the bird food. The worker used its wings to wrap the bird food. One was better than nothing. This was the first day it missed having six pieces of bird food. After returning to the residence, Su Xiaoxiao began to sit under the oil lamp and rush the letters. Her face was scrunched up with vengeance. When Wei Ting sent the three children to Matriarch Wei¡¯s courtyard, a certain fat peacock had already fallen asleep on the table. Wei Ting took the brush from her hand and placed it back on the shelf before carrying her horizontally. Su Xiaoxiao opened her eyes in a daze. ¡°Wei Ting, help me write¡­¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Heh, in your dreams.¡± ¡°So be it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao closed her eyes and fell asleep. She had a beautiful dream in which Wei Ting finished writing all 24 letters. However, reality was cruel. She woke up early the next morning and wrote as much as furiously as the night before before dozing off. She managed to complete¡­ just a pitiful half. ¡°Seventh Sister-in-law! It¡¯s time to cultivate!¡± Madam Jiang came to get her. Su Xiaoxiao instantly woke up. ¡°Fifth Sister-in-law! I¡¯m going back to the Protector¡¯s Estate to see my father today! We¡¯ll spar another day!¡± Madam Jiang said regretfully, ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t forget.¡± Wei Ting went to court before dawn. He left a message for Xing¡¯er that he would head to the Qin family to pick Su Xiaoxiao up. Su Xiaoxiao brought the three little fellows into the carriage to the Qin family. On the way, Su Xiaoxiao remembered that the Directorate was not on vacation today and asked Ah Fu to make a trip there. Ah Fu parked the carriage in a nearby alley, took the carriage stool, and placed it there. ¡°Is Young Madam going to see the young master?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go see Ergou. I haven¡¯t seen him in a long time. I wonder if he¡¯s grown taller.¡± It was time for the Directorate to enter school, and many students entered one after another. Su Xiaoxiao looked for Su Ergou among the students. Suddenly, a familiar young man¡¯s voice sounded from behind. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss Su, is that you?¡± Chapter 764 - Chapter 764: Team Pet Chapter 764: Team Pet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao turned around and saw a handsome scholar in the Directorate uniform. He had a scholarly aura and was elegant. ¡°Shen Chuan?¡± she said softly. Hearing a familiar voice, Shen Chuan¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise. ¡°Is it really you?¡± He looked her up and down. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve lost so much weight. I almost didn¡¯t dare to recognize you! ¡± One had to know that the first time he saw her, she was still a 200-pound little fat village girl. When she stood on the street, she was chubby and round. Shen Chuan did not judge a book by its cover. Otherwise, he would not have become friends with her back then. However, when he really saw her lose weight and become an out-and-out beauty, he could not help but be happy for her. Back in town, because she was fat, she had been mocked. ¡°You remember me, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked. ¡°I remember.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded with a smile. ¡°The first time I met the son of the Dean of Wutong Academy was at Jin Ji. I saved a child who choked. You saw me upstairs, but I didn¡¯t see you. The next day, I set up a stall at the entrance of Jin Ji. You bought ten pancakes and asked me why I didn¡¯t give you a free one. When you said that I had given the first six, I replied that it was for the first businesses of the day. I¡¯d give you a free one if you were the first to come the next day.¡± ¡°Then, I was really the first to come. I really waited a long time that time and was scolded by my father.¡± Shen Chuan continued her sentence and suddenly smiled. When she related their experiences, he felt as if a lifetime had passed. Su Xiaoxiao looked at his Directorate uniform. ¡°You came to study in the Directorate?¡± Shen Chuan smiled and said, ¡°I was the Top Scorer of Qingzhou and was recommended to the Imperial College.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said sincerely, ¡°Congratulations. Dean Shen must be overjoyed.¡± She remembered that Dean Shen had once been an official in the Hanlin Academy and had a good relationship with Xiao Zhonghua. When Xiao Zhonghua went to Qingzhou and was seriously ill, he was recuperating in his Wutong Academy. Shen Chuan brought her to treat Xiao Zhonghua, so she got to know Xiao Zhonghua and Jing Yi. Shen Chuan had once gone to the prefecture to study. There was a period of time when he was not in a good state. Su Xiaoxiao was worried about him, but the second time she saw him, he had adapted. He was a strong-willed person. It was not surprising to Su Xiaoxiao that he could become the Top Scorer. Some people were destined to be extraordinary. Shen Chuan¡¯s appearance did not change much, but his eyes were heavier and more mature. He was someone who had experienced vicissitudes. Shen Chuan actually had a lot to say to Su Xiaoxiao, but he did not know how to ask. He opened his mouth. ¡°Are you here for Ergou?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°You¡¯ve already met?¡± Shen Chuan smiled in embarrassment. ¡°On the first day I came here, I was almost bullied by a few students from the capital. It was Su Ergou who chased them away with his brothers.¡± Su Ergou was now a tyrant in the Directorate. He, who had once taken care of the siblings in the countryside, had the tables turned in the capital. He now received Su Ergou¡¯s protection. Shen Chuan sighed. ¡°I just found out that you¡¯re from the Protectorate. Fortunately, I had the foresight to buy your pancakes. Otherwise, where would I go to cozy up to the Protectorate?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because they taste good?¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Shen Chuan was amused. This laughter resolved the unfamiliarity and estrangement brought about by not seeing her for a long time. ¡°Has Dean Shen come to the capital?¡± ¡°No, my father doesn¡¯t want to return to the capital anymore. I came alone.¡± Dean Shen had once been suppressed by his colleagues in the Hanlin Academy. He had seen through the filth of the officialdom and was unwilling to collude. He could not tolerate sand in his eyes. It was not a bad thing to go back and be an idle dean. The two of them chatted for a while before the carriage of the Protectorate arrived. Su Ergou saw his sister at a glance and jumped out of the carriage. He waved his arms and ran over. ¡°Sister!¡± His lackeys, who were standing at the door and planning to welcome him, were about to say, ¡°Boss, you¡¯ll make us look bad if you¡¯re so childish!¡± Su Xiaoxiao patted Su Ergou¡¯s head. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve grown taller again.¡± The lackeys were shocked to see a woman touch their Boss¡¯s head! Su Ergou obediently let her touch him. It was not enough to touch the left side. He even handed the right side over. ¡°Sister, you.. Ring! The Directorate rang the bell. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Class is about to start. The two of you should go. Shen Chuan, come to the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate for dinner with Ergou tonight.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Shen Chuan agreed. ¡°By the way, Ergou, get Fourth Cousin to come along.¡± ¡°Are you only calling Fourth Cousin? Are you going to invite Second Cousin and Third Cousin?¡± ¡­Yes, but Fourth Cousin must come!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Write.¡± Su Xiaoxiao returned to the carriage. The three little ones were still sleeping soundly and didn¡¯t wake up until they reached the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate. Su Cheng knew that his daughter was here today, so he specially changed his shift. ¡°Grandpa, Grandpa!¡± The three little ones immediately became excited and pounced at him. Su Cheng hugged the three little fellows. ¡°Aiyo, have you gained weight? I can¡¯t hold you anymore!¡± ¡°It¡¯s growing tall!¡± Xiaohu said. Su Cheng brought the three of them to a date tree. He would measure the height of the three little ones once a month by marking on the tree. It had been four months since the last time, and it was indeed a little bumpy. Su Cheng picked them up one by one and raised them high. The three of them gmgglea excitedly. ¡°Did you miss Grandpa?¡± ¡°Yes, I do!¡± ¡°Erhu misses you too!¡± ¡°Xiaohu misses you the most!¡± ¡°Dad.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked in. ¡°Daughter!¡± Su Cheng¡¯s eyes lit up, but soon, his expression darkened. ¡°Didn¡¯t Wei Ting give you food? Why did you lose so much weight?¡± Her chubby cheeks were almost thin! Su Xiaoxiao smiled helplessly. She was not too thin; compared to before, she was still a little chubby when she was with thin beauties like Princess Hui An and Princess Jingning. However, she was already very satisfied. When Su Cheng saw his daughter and the three children, he was overjoyed. His smile never disappeared. ¡°Where¡¯s Great-Grandpa?¡± The three little ones went to each room to look for Qin Canglan. They missed their big great-grandfather and wanted him to bring them high into the sky. ¡®Great-grandpa isn¡¯t around,¡± Su Cheng said to the three little ones. ¡°When will Great-Grandpa come back?¡± Dahu asked. Su Cheng smiled. ¡°Next year if it¡¯s fast.¡± The three little ones went to play with Su Cheng¡¯s newly installed swing. When he mentioned Qin Canglan just now, he could not help but sigh. ¡°If your grandfather had gone to war a few days later, he would have been able to ee you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°Going to war? Didn¡¯t hey say that they were only going north to transport food?¡± Su Cheng sighed. ¡°The transportation of rations is a cover. Northern Yan has been restless recently. Bandits have been causing trouble at the border. Although it¡¯s said to be a bandit problem, it¡¯s actually a test by the Northern Yan people. This battle will start sooner or later.¡± In the evening, Su Ergou returned. Shen Chuan, Su Xuan, and Su Qi, who had come with him, caught a cold and did not go to the Directorate for class today. In addition, Wei Ting came. Wei Ting was going to pick up Su Ergou. Unexpectedly, he picked up a large troop. Su Cheng and Su Ergou brought the three little ones to pick fruits. Su Xiaoxiao and the others sat down around the stone table in the courtyard. There was a cushion on the stone stool, and it was not cold at all. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Xuan. ¡°Fourth Cousin, you came at the right time. I have something to ask of you.¡± ¡°Are you talking about this?¡± Su Xuan took out a stack of letters from his wide sleeve and smiled quietly. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes brightened. Shen Chuan coughed lightly and took out a stack of letters. ¡°I helped you write them too.¡± Wei Ting had just taken out the letters he had been writing in the government office for the entire day when he saw two thick stacks on the table. The corners of his mouth twitched. Was ghostwriting in trend now? Chapter 765 - Chapter 765: Lively Chapter 765: Lively Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was not easy for the walnut peeler to leave, but now there were two substitutes who wrote letters. Wei Ting could not even deal with it. Su Xiaoxiao drew a sample letter from each person¡¯s pile for inspection. Su Xuan and Shen Chuan were both Top Scorers. There was naturally nothing to say about their calligraphy. They each had their own style which was pleasing to the eye. Looking at Wei Ting¡¯s again, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes almost popped out. ¡°What did you write? How can I take out such words? Are you deliberately ruining my reputation?¡± Wei Ting glanced at someone expressionlessly. ¡°Isn¡¯t this your handwriting?¡± He had completely imitated her handwriting! Su Xiaoxiao coughed lightly and refused to admit that her handwriting was like a ghost crawl against the calligraphy of Shen Chuan and Su Xuan. She said righteously, ¡°You¡¯re discrediting me!¡± In the end, she accepted the handwritten letters of Su Xuan and Shen Chuan. One batch was for Princess Hui An, and the other was for Princess Jingning. It was perfect. As for Wei Ting¡¯s, she had accepted them, but it was definitely not to give them away or treasure them. She simply did not want her ¡°ink treasure¡± to circulate! ¡°Hmph.¡± Seeing her accept it, Wei Ting snorted. Su Xiaoxiao had returned from Western Jin with gifts for her family. Her father liked to drink tea. She had brought her father tea leaves from Western Jin. The texture was a little special, and she wondered if her father was used to it. Su Cheng liked it very much. As long as it was a gift from his daughter, he liked Actually, Wei Ting had bought it. Just as the young Princess had said, she was either treating someone or on the way to treating someone in Western Jin this time. She really did not have the time to wander around. She did not know where Wei Ting had bought it from, but it was said to be quite expensive. ¡°Sister! Where¡¯s mine! Where¡¯s mine!¡± Su Ergou couldn¡¯t wait anymore. ¡°Here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed Su Ergou a palm-sized box. Su Xiaoxiao plundered the Snow Region Heavenly Silk from Feng Xiaoran and cut out a portion. She asked Mei Ji for guidance on making hidden weapons and made a mechanism box. When he encountered danger, he could hold both ends with his hands and pulled open the Snow Region Heavenly Silk inside. It could instantly cut iron like mud. In return, she let Mei Ji play with her silver silk gloves for the entire day. The group had dinner in Su Cheng¡¯s courtyard. Qin Canglan had gone out to battle. His daughter was married, and the three children were not around. He felt that the house was much quieter. It was rare for it to be lively tonight, so Su Cheng pulled his son-in-law to have a few drinks with Su Xuan and Shen Chuan. Shen Chuan and Su Xuan had class tomorrow and could not be greedy. It was mainly Wei Ting drinking with him. Su Cheng was drunk and looked extremely domineering. He actually wanted to pull Wei Ting to be his sworn brother, scaring Su Xiaoxiao so much that she quickly persuaded her father to calm down. Su Cheng recalled his experience in the village. Su Xuan was the only one at the table who had never been to Clearwater Village. He could not interrupt and just looked at them quietly with a smile. Su Xiaoxiao turned around and saw the faint smile on his face. For some reason, she felt that he seemed to have experienced something and had a hard-won cherish for everything now. However, it was very strange. He had grown up in the Duke Mansion and did not go to the battlefield to fight like Su Mo. What had he experienced? THUD! Su Cheng fell to the ground and hit his head on the table. Although Shen Chuan had only drunk two glasses, he was still a little dizzy. Wei Ting carried Su Cheng on his back. ¡°I¡¯ll send Dad back to his room. Ergou, help Shen Chuan into our carriage. We¡¯ll send him back to the Directorate later. ¡± ¡°Alright, Brother-in-law!¡± Su Ergou listened to Wei Ting and quickly helped the half-drunk Shen Chuan up. The central room fell silent. Su Xuan was not a talkative person. He sat quietly on the chair and looked at Su Xiaoxiao and the cold moonlight outside the window. ¡°There is also a gift for Cousin,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Just now, Shen Chuan was around; she did not know that he would come to the capital and did not prepare his gift. With Su Xuan as his companion, he would not be so embarrassed. ¡°Oh?¡± Su Xuan looked at Su Xiaoxiao with a smile. Su Xiaoxiao took out a book from the bag she brought over and handed it to him. ¡°Here, it¡¯s the only copy of Master Yun from the previous dynasty.¡± This Master Yun was a famous calligrapher in the previous dynasty. His handwriting was superb, and he regarded fame and fortune as dirt. He did not enter the dynasty as an official or take the imperial examination, but his talent was praised by even the emperors of the various countries. Unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time. At that time, the previous dynasty was troubled internally and externally. He was already an arrow at the end of its flight. It was not easy for him to be persuaded into the court, but a few days later, the previous dynasty was destroyed. He had also gone crazy. It was said that before he died, he burned his calligraphy treasure clean, leaving only some that had already been given to others. However, after so many years, there was nothing left. ¡°I spent a lot of effort to get this.¡± It was exchanged with two pieces of Snow Domain Heavenly Silk and Crimson Moon Opera House. Su Xuan took the lone book and gently opened it. He was about to say, ¡°In your heart, am I really a person who likes to study academics¡­¡± He paused before he could say anything. ¡°This lone copy¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It looks like an ordinary calligraphy piece. Every word has nothing to do with each other, but there¡¯s actually a hidden mystery. I think this is probably what Master Yun wants to pass down. It might be related to the destruction of the previous dynasty. If you decipher it, you might be able to unlock this secret. After all, you like secrets, don¡¯t you?¡± When she said the last sentence, Su Xiaoxiao looked at him without blinking, not letting go of any expression on his face. Su Xuan smiled. ¡°What a smart little girl. Are you so attentive to everyone?¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°That depends on whether it¡¯s worth it. I¡¯ve given Fourth Cousin all my feelings.¡± Su Xuan closed the book and looked at Su Xiaoxiao faintly. ¡°Actually, I want to know more about you than the secrets of the previous dynasty.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll exchange Fourth Cousin¡¯s secret for it.¡± Su Xuan lowered his eyes and smiled quietly. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. You should go back.¡± He was really guarding his secret to death. However, compared to the first ¡°I don¡¯t have secrets¡±, this conversation seemed to have progressed a little. He didn¡¯t agree to an exchange with her, but he admitted that he had secrets. Their relationship had improved. ¡°Dad¡¯s asleep.¡± Wei Ting walked over. The three little fellows also fell asleep on the carpet. Wei Ting looked at the two of them curiously. He kept feeling that the atmosphere between the two of them was strange, as if there was a secret between them. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Su Xuan stood up with a smile, put away the lone book, and picked up a sleeping child from the ground. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression. She also carried a small child and said to Wei Ting, ¡°There¡¯s one left.¡± Wei Ting picked Dahu up. After Su Xuan placed the child in the carriage, he said to Shen Chuan, who was sitting in the carriage and memorizing the Analects of Confucius, ¡°Brother Qinghe, sit in my carriage. I¡¯ll send you back to the Directorate and predict the spring examination questions.¡± Hearing the questions, Shen Chuan immediately left with him. Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao sat up with the children. ¡°What did you just talk about?¡± ¡°Secret.¡± It was not to leave someone hanging, but the topic they were talking about was indeed about secrets. Su Xiaoxiao placed the three little fellows on the simple couch and fastened the safety buckle. The carriage swayed, and she was a little sleepy. Su Xiaoxiao yawned and looked at the energetic Wei Ting. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sleepy after drinking so much?¡± Wei Ting snorted indifferently. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m like you, collapsing after a glass? No, collapsing after a sip.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was miffed. She wanted to sleep on this guy¡¯s shoulder for a while. He was so asking for a beating, so Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t want to lean on him anymore. She lifted the curtain, planning to let the cold wind blow away her sleepiness, but she did not expect to see a familiar and sneaky figure on the street.. Chapter 766 - Chapter 766: Major Discovery Chapter 766: Major Discovery Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Wei Ting, look!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pulled Wei Ting¡¯s sleeve. Wei Ting glanced indifferently and frowned. ¡°You want me to look at another woman?¡± Hearing this resentful tone, Su Xiaoxiao turned around in confusion. ¡°What kind of attitude is that? You¡¯re allowed to look, but you¡¯re aggrieved? Do you know how many women don¡¯t allow their men to look at other women?¡± Perhaps it was because the words ¡°their man¡± pleased Wei Ting, but he snorted softly. ¡°What¡¯s there to see? It¡¯s not like¡­¡± At this point, he paused. He continued coldly, ¡°I¡¯m good-looking.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°You just wanted to say that she¡¯s not as good-looking as me, right?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s expression turned even colder. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sat up straight and looked at him coldly. ¡°I finally understand why you¡¯re always beaten up by your brothers.¡± It was obvious that he deserved it! Did it run in the family? Su Xiaoxiao thought of Xiaohu, who always provoked Dahu. The Wei family had some family background in courting death. She returned to the topic. ¡°Was that Qin Yanran just now? Didn¡¯t you recognize Wei Ting asked, ¡°Why should I recognize her?¡± Full marks for male virtue¡­ she was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao got out of the carriage. Wei Ting also walked down. He had a mouth that deserved a beating, but he definitely had a pair of sensible legs. He hugged Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s soft waist and took a big step forward, chasing after the target with his qinggong. Even after bickering in the carriage for a long time, it was effortless to chase after the person. Su Xiaoxiao occasionally felt that he was always willing to be beaten up by Third Sister-in-law. His strength was definitely not what he showed. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Wei Ting gently landed on an eaves. He did not look at her, but he seemed to have sensed her sizing him up. ¡°Nothing.¡± Su Xiaoxiao retracted her gaze and couldn¡¯t help but look up again. This angle happened to be facing his exquisite jaw. This man¡¯s jawline was perfect. He raised his hand and pressed the top of her head, turning her infatuated head to face the courtyard. ¡°Coming.¡± It was time to do something. Su Xiaoxiao entered a serious state in a second and stared straight at Qin Yanran, who was knocking on the door. Wei Ting tilted his head slightly and looked at her. He realized that she was like a ferocious and serious little eagle in the night as she glared. He wanted to laugh. Qin Yanran was wearing a black cloak that covered her body tightly. If Su Xiaoxiao hadn¡¯t chanced upon her side profile, she probably wouldn¡¯t have recognized her. Therefore, sometimes, one needed a little luck. Coincidentally, Su Xiaoxiao was lucky. Qin Yanran knocked about three times. A servant came over and opened the courtyard door for Qin Yanran. She was only halfway through when Qin Yanran sneaked in. Then, she knocked on the door of one of the rooms. What followed was very interesting, because the person who opened the door to welcome her was a man, and it was the man Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting knew ¡ªXu Qing. Su Xiaoxiao whispered, ¡°This guy was slapped by Ghostfear and didn¡¯t die. He¡¯s really lucky.¡± Wei Ting narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°His foundation is injured, and his martial arts are damaged. He can¡¯t recover to his peak state.¡± Big Brother was so awesome. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Xu Qing¡¯s master is already dead. Why is he staying in the capital? Does he want to take revenge for King Nanyang¡­ Xiao Jun?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it.¡± A person who wanted revenge would not be like Xu Qing. Wei Ting was the person who wanted to avenge his grandfather and brothers. He was too sensitive to his own kind, and Xu Qing was clearly not. The door closed and she was out of sight. Fortunately, they could see silhouettes on the window paper. Qin Yanran took off his clothes and smeared something on his shoulder. Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°Xu Qing is just a guard. Qin Yanran personally took off his clothes and applied medicine for him. Are they too close?¡± She smelled something unusual. ¡°Do you think the child in Qin Yanran¡¯s womb is really Xiao Duye¡¯s? If it¡¯s Xu Qing¡¯s¡­ then it¡¯s interesting.¡± The lights were off in the house, and the shadow on the window paper was gone. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Yohoo ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± The servant in the courtyard was instantly vigilant. This was not an ordinary servant. He was a martial arts expert. Wei Ting hurriedly pounced on Su Xiaoxiao and covered her with his broad body. ¡°Shh.¡± He gestured for her to keep quiet. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes flickered. She turned her head gently and saw a shadow fly up from the roof opposite. The servant expert drew his sword and fought with the other party. Su Xiaoxiao felt that the other party¡¯s figure was a little familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere. ¡°That person is¡­¡± Wei Ting said softly, ¡°Xiao Shunyang.¡± The other party was masked, but he recognized Xiao Shunyang¡¯s move. Su Xiaoxiao had an epiphany. ¡°It seems that he¡¯s also targeting the Eldest Prince¡¯s residence. That¡¯s true. If you¡¯re pregnant, so be it. Why do you have to have a male child? Everyone is fighting for the throne. Who else can theg target but you?¡± Wei Ting had chosen an excellent location. With a chimney blocking the way, Xiao Shunyang should not have noticed them. She continued to watch the battle as Xiao Shunyang fought that expert. ¡°Xu Qing has such an expert by his side¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. At this point, she was basically certain that Qin Yanran and Xu Qing were having an affair. ¡°Xiao Duye has countless women in his backyard. He hasn¡¯t fathered a child for so many years. It¡¯s most likely because his little tadpoles can¡¯t do it. There must be something fishy about Qin Yanran getting pregnant the moment she arrived.¡¯ Wei Ting asked, ¡°What tadpoles?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°Descendants.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the house with the lights off again. The two of them must have heard the fight, but Xiao Shunyang probably didn¡¯t see Xu Qing¡¯s face from his position. He only saw Qin Yanran. Xu Qing must not show his face now. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°I wonder if Qin Yanran and Xu Qing couldn¡¯t help themselves or was she just asking Xu Qing for a seed. If it¡¯s the latter, I respect her for being a ruthless person.¡± To be honest, Xu Qing¡¯s appearance was not bad. He had a cold and tough appearance. After many years of practicing martial arts, he had a strong and well-defined figure. Wei Ting knocked her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to think of other men.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was in pain. She glanced at him from head to toe and snorted angrily. ¡°I think about you, but you didn¡¯t show me.¡± Wei Ting smiled and said, ¡°Where do you want to see?¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. The two of them fought before Wei Ting carried Su Xiaoxiao down the roof from the other side. Xiao Shunyang had already alerted the enemy. They could not uncover anything else tonight. The two of them returned home I n the carriage. Just as she reached the entrance of the residence, Fu Su returned. Fu Su looked at Wei Ting, who had alighted from the carriage, and said, ¡°Young Master, I found the power behind Fifth Master Liu and Third Master Qin, who set a trap for the Li family last time!¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Who is it?¡± Fu Su said, ¡°The Lu Public House..¡± Chapter 767 - Chapter 767: The Wei Family’s Counterattack (1) Chapter 767: The Wei Family¡¯s Counterattack (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The last time, Second Brother deliberately let the two of them live to catch the big fish behind. As expected, Fu Su followed them. Strictly speaking, the Wei family and the Lu family did not have any grudges, and there was not even a battle for military power. However, sometimes, not provoking others did not necessary mean that the other party would not bully you. With Xiao Duye being conferred the title of king, the Lu Public House¡¯s ambition began to swell. If they wanted to establish their prestige in the capital, they had to start with the old guards. Was there a better stepping stone than the Wei family, which had been in power for a long time and had yet to fall? Fu Su was a secret guard sent by Old Matriarch Wei to Wei Ting¡¯s side. After reporting to Wei Ting, he reported to Matriarch Wei. Wei Ting thought for a moment and went over to see his grandmother. On the way, he met his second brother. ¡°The Lu family?¡± Old Matriarch Wei snorted coldly. ¡°Back then, when your grandfather returned from the battle, Old Duke Lu couldn¡¯t wait to stand at the city gate to carry your grandfather¡¯s shoes! Now that he¡¯s old, he¡¯s even more confused. He actually let his son do such a dirty and shameless thing!¡± ¡°Grandmother,¡± Wei Ting said. Old Madam Wei waved her hand. ¡°Alright, the two of you don¡¯t have to worry about this. I¡¯m not dead yet! I¡¯ve just been silent for a few years. Everyone thinks that the Wei family is a pushover! ¡± The brothers exchanged looks. The world was big, and their grandmother was the oldest. Their grandmother was almost done with her acting addiction. It was time to show her real prowess. Early the next morning, Old Madam Wei brought the women of the Wei family to the Lu Public House. She held a tiger-headed walking stick that was taller than her. Even though she was old, her aura was overpowering. In addition, her granddaughters-in-law were all valiant and heroic. The servant at the door was stunned. ¡°This, this, this¡­ are these women from the Wei family?¡± Everyone lined up with raging killing intent. Those who did not know would think that the army had come to flatten the Lu Public House. Old Madam Wei slammed her walking stick on the ground. ¡°Get Lu Zheng to come out!¡± Lu Zhelu was the current Duke, the eldest son of the old Duke, and the biological father of Consort Liang. The servant was shocked speechless by her and hurriedly went. Third Miss Lu was rejected by Zhuge Qing at the palace banquet. The news had long spread in the capital, and the Lu Public House¡¯s face had fallen. For the past two days, Lu Zheng had been refusing guests at home. When he heard that the Wei family had come to cause trouble, he still came out. Madam Lu and his five sons appeared with him. Seeing the women of the Wei family lined up behind Old Madam Wei, all of them holding sabers and spears, looking like they wanted to kill someone, Lu Zheng frowned. ¡°Old Madam Wei, what do you mean by this?¡± Matriarch Wei said disdainfully, ¡°What do you mean? Hmph! You have the cheek to ask me! You know very well what dirty methods you have secretly resorted to!¡± Lu Zheng¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Old Madam Wei, I respect you as an elder and don¡¯t want to argue with you. However, don¡¯t take advantage of your seniority. You came to the Lu Public House early in the morning to pour dirty warter at my door and slander me!¡± Old Madam Wei mocked, ¡°Your door is dirty enough. The dirty water is meant to wash the ground for you!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the commoners who were attracted by the commotion could not hold back their amusement anymore. In the past, they only knew that the Matriarch¡¯s martial arts were powerful, but it turned out that she was also so eloquent. The old lady was too fun. One of Lu Zheng¡¯s sons could not take it anymore. He pointed at Matriarch Wei and scolded, ¡°You stinky old woman, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± Slap! Madam Chen slapped him and sent him flying! Lu Yan slammed into the stone lion at the door and fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The surrounding crowd gasped. This was King Liang¡¯s brother-in-law. The Wei family¡¯s women had beaten him up without a word. Who was the one who said that the Wei family had chickened out after the Wei family¡¯s sons died in battle? If they were afraid, wouldn¡¯t all the men in the world be labeled as cowards? Seeing that his youngest son had been injured, Lu Zheng was furious. ¡°How dare you commit murder at the door of the emperor. Do you still have the law in your eyes?¡± ¡°Son!¡± Madam Lu pounced over and hugged her injured youngest son. The eldest son and youngest son of the Lu family were her flesh and blood, and the rest were the children of concubines. Her heart ached to the extreme. She looked at Matriarch Wei and the others with red eyes. ¡®Why did you hurt my son? How did we offend you? It¡¯s fine if you ruined our marriage with Mr. Zhuge in the place hall, but now, you¡¯re even worse and coming to find trouble with us!¡± Everyone was stunned. From what the Duke¡¯s Estate said, was there something else going on when Mr. Zhuge rejected the marriage in the Western Jin? ¡°I heard that the Seventh Young Madam of the Wei family is Mr. Zhuge¡¯s physician. She must have used her medical skills to threaten Mr. Zhuge not to marry the Lu family..¡± Chapter 768 - Chapter 768: The Wei Family’s Counterattack (2) Chapter 768: The Wei Family¡¯s Counterattack (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Why did she do that?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t want the Lu family to snatch Mr. Zhuge away!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, that¡¯s too much.¡± When Old Madam Wei heard the criticism in the crowd, she was not angered. Instead, she sneered at Madam Lu. ¡°Heh, you went to look for the Empress to propose marriage to Su MO for your daughter. The Empress rejected you, so you turned around and targeted Mr. Zhuge. Why? Is your daughter a princess? Can Lu family can choose all the good men in the world? Is it your turn to be the real princess of the royal family!¡± Slap! This was another huge slap. Duchess Lu was stunned on the spot. No one expected there to be such an inside story. In that case, it was reasonable for Mr. Zhuge to reject the marriage. They looked for Mr Zhuge because they were rejected. Did they think Mr Zhuge was a fool? From the looks of it, the Lu family was shameless. After all, Zhuge Qing was a strategist of the Western Jin Dynasty. His reputation in the capital was not obvious, but Su MO was the dream lover of all the women in the capital. How could such a shameless family have designs on Young Master Su? Pfft! The Lu family was instantly in trouble. Seeing that the atmosphere was almost set, Old Madam Wei struck while the iron was hot and exposed the scandal of Fifth Master Liu and Third Master Qin setting a trap for the Li family. Of course, it saved Li Wan from personally looking for the two of them. ¡°If not for our Wei family being careful, I¡¯m afraid we wouldn¡¯t have been able to trace it to your Lu Public House!¡± Everyone pointed at the Lu family again. ¡°Before Matriarch Li¡¯s corpse turned cold, they already targeted the Li family. How shameless!¡± ¡°How is this shameless? He¡¯s heartless! Just like dogs and wolves!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t insult dogs and wolves.¡± ¡°Our Wei family can¡¯t be bothered to play with these dirty tricks of your Lu family! I only have one goal today¡ªto seek justice for the Li family! Let those thieves who want to use this method to suppress the Wei family open their eyes and take a look. Not to mention that our Wei family still has a single seedling left, even if there¡¯s none left, it¡¯s not something you cowards can bully!¡± With that, Old Madam Wei pointed at the door of Duke Lu¡¯s Estate. ¡°Smash it!¡± Madam Lan gently leaped and whipped down the corridor, cutting the plaque of the Lu Public House in half on the spot! Cheers broke out in the crowd. ¡°Good job!¡± Lu Zheng trembled with anger and clenched his fists. ¡°Outrageous! Outrageous! In that case, don¡¯t blame me for being rude! Men! Attack!¡± Countless guards surged out of the residence and surrounded Matriarch Wei, Li Wan, Madam Chen, Madam Lan, and Madam Jiang. Swish! Matriarch Wei remained motionless. Li Wan, Madam Chen, and the others fought with the guards. These guards were no match for the women of the Wei family at all and were beaten up. Lu Zheng glanced coldly and formed a claw with his hand. A hidden weapon landed in his palm. Swish! An arrow flew through the air and sent his hidden weapon flying! Lu Zheng was shocked. He looked up and saw a woman in plain clothes with a veil standing on the high eaves opposite. Although they were fighting, Li Wan and the others did not kill them, and the guards did not draw their swords. However, if Lu Zheng wanted to play dirty, she did not mind giving him something real. Su Xiaoxiao drew her bow a second time and aimed at Lu Zheng¡¯s arm. Lu Zheng¡¯s eyebrows twitched as a strong sense of danger surged in his heart. He grabbed a guard and blocked in front of him. Swish! Su Xiaoxiao shot her arrow. The arrow pierced through the guard¡¯s armpit and stabbed into Lu Zheng¡¯s right arm with a huge arrow aura. Lu Zheng fell to the ground with a scream. ¡°Father!¡± The Eldest Lu son rushed over with a change in expression. He turned to look at the roof opposite, but there was no one on it. Su Xiaoxiao was not afraid that the Lu family would report it to the officials or complain to Emperor Jing Xuan. Old Madam Wei had already said that the Wei family was here to fight. They were open and aboveboard, and the surrounding commoners could testify. As for her, who did not appear, she had the perfect alibi. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t there an imperial physician in the palace? Must he invite you over? He even went for so long!¡¯ In the imperial garden, Princess Hui An looked at Su Xiaoxiao, who had been sent back by Little Yunzi, unhappily. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°The Empress Dowager has abdominal pain. It¡¯s indeed inconvenient to invite an imperial physician for such an illness. I performed an acupuncture on the Empress Dowager and made the Princess wait.¡± Princess Hui An asked proudly, ¡°Are you here for me first, or for Jingning?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m not with Princess Jingning yet.¡± ¡°The letters were sent to Princess Jingning first,¡± Su Xiaoxiao added in her heart. Princess Hui An felt relieved and forgave her for treating her halfway. ¡°Where¡¯s my letter?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a thick stack of letters from her bag. ¡°One every ten days, a total of twelve. However, because I miss the princess too much, I wrote five more.¡± The last sentence successfully pleased Princess Hui An. Princess Hui An happily took the letter. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then, Princess, read the letter first. Shall I greet Princess Jingning? ¡°Go on!¡± Princess Hui An agreed generously. Su Xiaoxiao went to Kunning Palace. Princess Jingning had just finished reading the letter. ¡°Your handwriting has improved a lot.¡± As expected of a star student. Princess Hui An wouldn¡¯t notice her handwriting. She would only say that her sidekick had written so much for her and must miss her the most. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I was bored on the way. Wei Ting forced me to practice calligraphy every day for four months. If he knew that the princess had praised me, he would definitely feel a sense of accomplishment.¡± Princess Jingning nodded and said thoughtfully, ¡°No wonder the style in your handwriting looks familiar. I think it follows Master Wei¡¯s handwriting.¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°No way. You¡¯ve seen Shen Chuan¡¯s handwriting?¡± That was true. Shen Chuan was the Top Scorer of Qingzhou and was one of the top students in the directorate. Perhaps Princess Jingning had really read his article. There was no need to panic. It was not a big problem. When she returned, she would instruct Shen Chuan not to let his calligraphy treasure spread easily. On the other side, Princess Hui An finished reading the letter and put it away reluctantly. Her sidekick knew how to write letters. There was not a word she did not know. In the future, she would get her sidekick to write to her every day! ¡°It¡¯s better to be happy about this with someone else around than alone.¡± Princess Hui An thought for a moment and proudly took the letter to Jingning to show off.. Chapter 769 - Chapter 769: Wei Xiaobao (1) Chapter 769: Wei Xiaobao (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the warm pavilion of Kunning Palace, Princess Jingning read the letter Su Xiaoxiao had written to her over and over again. The handwriting was pleasing to the eye, and the expression between the lines was comforting. The only regret was that there was nothing novel about the description of the Western Jin. She had seen it all in books. However, when she thought about how Qin Su was going to Western Jin for a house call and not for a sightseeing trip, she was relieved. ¡°Jingning!¡± Princess Hui An appeared valiantly at the door. Unable to stop her, Taozhi panted as she followed beside her and glanced at Princess Jingning guiltily. Princess Jingning knew that she could not blame Taozhi. This idiotic sister was used to relying on her father¡¯s love to dominate in the palace. Who else could stop her? Naturally, it was also because she had committed some sins that she was made to stay in Kunning Palace for a while, causing the servants of Kunning Palace to not dare to provoke her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Princess Jingning put away the letters on the table. Princess Hui An came to her and looked at the letters on the table. She felt that there were not as many as hers. It was probably best to have a sidekick. Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but want to show off. She slammed the thick stack of letters hidden behind her back on the table in front of Princess Jingning. ¡°Here!¡± Princess Jing Ning looked at her in puzzelment. Princess Hui An placed her hands behind her back and said proudly, ¡°Letters from my sidekick! I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t understand the culture and customs of the Western Jin! How is it? I¡¯m very generous, right!¡± Princess Jingning said calmly, ¡°You make it sound like no one has it.¡± Princess Hui An exclaimed, ¡°Do you have as many as me? Is every letter as long as mine?¡± Princess Jingning was not as childish as her and did not play such a small game of comparison with her. However, Princess Hui An had decided to compete with her. After all, Jingning was always above her. She had wanted to suppress Jingning for a long time. No matter what, she had to make Jingning crazy with jealousy today! She sat beside Princess Jingning and opened a letter of her own in an exaggerated manner, showing it off as she read it. Her letter was written by Su Xuan. Su Xuan knew more about the Western Jin than Shen Chuan, so most of the content in the letter was about the Western Jin. Moreover, he was very considerate to write a local culture or a folk legend of the Western Jin in each letter. It was easy to understand and interesting. There was a shortcoming, which was that he did not say much about his longing. It was not as touching as his letter being filled with ink. When Princess Hui An read the fifth letter, Princess Jing Ning gradually frowned. She took the letter over. When she saw the completely different handwriting on it, she paused. Princess Hui An, who had her letter snatched away, was not angry at all. Instead, she smiled very wantonly. ¡°How is it? Are you jealous? She¡¯s my sidekick! Naturally, she wrote a lot and good things for me!¡± Princess Jingning asked, ¡°Are you sure she wrote these letters to you?¡± Princess Hui An snorted. ¡°If she didn¡¯t write them, could it be you? Can¡¯t you read? It¡¯s signed Qin Su!¡± Princess Jingning¡¯s face turned cold as she slammed the letter on the table! After Su Xiaoxiao left the palace, she immediately got into the carriage. ¡°Aiya, it¡¯s already this hour. I wonder if Grandmother and the others have dispersed? The people of the Lu Public House probably won¡¯t report it to the officials because the officials won¡¯t dare to arrest Matriarch Wei. They can only report it to the imperial court. Emperor Jing Xuan will definitely summon me to the palace for questioning. I have to be prepared to be interrogated.¡± As expected, the moment she returned to the Wei family, the people from the palace arrived. Old Madam Wei asked her sisters-in-law to stay in the residence. Eunuch Quan said with a fake smile, ¡°Seventh Young Madam, please go with me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao followed Matriarch Wei into the palace. In the Imperial Study, almost everyone from the Lu family was present. They were injured and crippled. Even Duchess Lu had a big bump on her forehead¡ª the masterpiece of Wuhu. Old Duke Lu was also present. He was about the same age as Qin Canglan and the Old Marquis, but he was clearly not as old as the two of them. Behind him was Lu Zheng, whose right arm had been shot through, Madam Lu, whose makeup was smudged from crying, and their four bruised sons. Old Fifth had been sent flying by Madam Chen¡¯s slap. He had yet to wake up and was lying in the residence. Seeing how miserable this family was, Old Madam Wei paused and whispered to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Did we hit them too hard?¡± Chapter 770 - Chapter 770: Wei Xiaobao (2) Chapter 770: Wei Xiaobao (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not a big problem for you to stop acting.¡± Old Madam Wei composed herself and raised her foot to cross the threshold of the Imperial Study. Unexpectedly, before she could land, she staggered. Su Xiaoxiao quickly grabbed her. ¡°Grandmother!¡± Old Madam Wei was about to cry. ¡°Don¡¯t hold me back! Just let me die! Your grandfather¡¯s corpse hasn¡¯t turned cold yet, but this group of shameless beasts bullied an old widow like me and my weak granddaughters-in-law¡­ I don¡¯t want to live anymore¡­¡± The Lu family trembled! Can she not be so shameless? Who was bullying whom? Weak granddaughters-in -law? Were their injuries caused by themselves?! Emperor Jing Xuan already understood what had happened. Both sides had their own arguments. The Wei family insisted that the Lu family had sent someone to set a trap for the Li family, while the Lu family tried their best to deny it, indicating that the Wei family was pestering them endlessly. However, be it the Lu family¡¯s trap or the Wei family¡¯s fight, they would at most be reprimanded and beaten up 50 times. Duke Lu understood this logic, so they were not reporting the Wei family¡¯s famous physician today. ¡°The Wei family wants to kill me!¡± Lu Zheng said. If it was related to a murder, the nature of the matter would be different. Emperor Jing Xuan asked, ¡°Do you have evidence?¡± Lu Zheng looked at Su Xiaoxiao coldly. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes and the citizens at the event location can testify. Seventh Young Madam was not among the few young madams who caused trouble. She was the murderer who hid on the roof and almost shot me! If not for my guard protecting me with his life, I¡¯m afraid I would have died under her arrows!¡± Protect him with his life? It was clearly him who had captured the guard as a shield! Su Xiaoxiao said frankly, ¡°I¡¯ve been in the palace all morning and only left near noon. What has it got to do with me that you were shot early in the morning?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Eunuch Fu walked forward and reported softly, ¡°Your Majesty, Seventh Young Madam indeed entered the palace early this morning.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan looked at Su Xiaoxiao suspiciously. ¡°Why did you enter the palace?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°The day before yesterday, I agreed to enter the palace today to send letters to the two princesses. His Majesty can summon the two princesses and we¡¯ll know after asking.¡± Jing Xuandi asked, ¡°You were with Jingning and Hui An all morning?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I was invited to see the Empress Dowager halfway. Your Majesty can also send someone to Zhaoyang Hall to investigate.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan sent Eunuch Fu. When Eunuch Fu returned, he nodded at Emperor Jing Xuan. ¡°Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager said that Seventh Young Madam did go to her bedroom. It was Little Yunzi who went to Qixiang Palace to invite her. It was also Little Yunzi who sent her back to Princess Hui¡¯an.¡± In other words, Su Xiaoxiao was watched the entire time. There was no possibility of her slipping out. State Duke Lu gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Who else could it be?¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and said leisurely, ¡°Your Lu Public House is inhumane. Who knows who else you¡¯ve offended? Not everyone is as open and aboveboard as our Wei family!¡± ¡°You!¡± State Duke Lu choked until his face flushed with agitation. ¡°That person¡¯s figure is also like yours!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without any guilt, ¡°My figure is very common!¡± She was not that chubby little fatty anymore! State Duke Lu was about to say something when Emperor Jing Xuan said in a low voice, ¡°Enough!¡± There had been many worrisome things recently. Emperor Jing Xuan did not want to hurt himself over such an ambiguous matter. It was most likely true that Duke Lu had secretly set a trap for someone. Otherwise, with the Wei family¡¯s personality, it was impossible for them to cause trouble. However, the Wei family was really too ruthless. Look at how they had beaten them up¡­ They were all pig heads. As for the archer in the dark, there was no evidence, so it was not on the Wei family. ¡°You have five sons and more than ten guards. You can¡¯t beat a few women, but you still have the cheek to complain!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan did not show Lu Zheng any mercy. It was Lu Zheng¡¯s fault. Why had Emperor Jing Xuan been slapped in the face by Zhuge Qing last time? It was to matchmake Lu Zheng¡¯s daughter. He was holding back his anger. Seeing that something was wrong, Lu Zheng did not dare to say anything. In the end, Emperor Jing Xuan punished the two families and asked them to return. The Lu family was furious. In less than two days, this matter would spread throughout the capital. The women of the Wei family had tortured the men of the Lu Public House into dregs. It went without saying that was the Lu Public House had lost all its face. They originally wanted to step on the Wei family to climb up, but they became the first stepping stone for the Wei family to make a comeback. Madam Chen and the others were worried that their grandmother and seventh sister-in-law would be bullied, so they came to the palace to pick them up. At the entrance of the palace, Lu Zheng and his sons saw Madam Chen from afar and their hearts skipped a beat. Madam Chen was the most ferocious among them. She beat people up like they were chickens. However, she even stopped the carriage beside the carriage of the Duke¡¯s Estate. The men stepped into their carriage with trepidation. Madam Chen raised her arm. The few of them retreated in unison! Madam Chen asked innocuously, ¡°What?¡± She brushed her hair. Old Madam Wei led her granddaughters-in-law into the carriage. Matriarch Wei saw the guard reveal a look of awe. She had not seen such an expression in years. She sighed and smiled. ¡°This is what the Wei family should be like.¡± The Wei family was alive. It was no longer the lifeless Wei family. Su Xiaoxiao sat beside her and held her arm. ¡°Grandmother, are you happy? ¡°Happy!¡± Matriarch Wei smiled. She thought of something and changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯ll be even happier if you give me another great-grandson.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought to herself, Isn¡¯t this a little big? ¡°Ah, this is for you.¡± Matriarch Wei took out a small medicine bottle from her wide sleeve and handed it to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°What is this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Old Madam Wei said, ¡°I went to the temple to ask for the child-giving Guanyin Talisman for you. Hurry up and put it on. There will definitely be good news within a month!¡± It couldn¡¯t be that exaggerated¡­ Old Madam Wei said happily, ¡°I¡¯ve even thought of the name of my little great-grandson. If it¡¯s a boy with a handle, it¡¯s called Wei Xiaobao (Little Treasure).¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What if it¡¯s a girl?¡± Old Madam Wei said, ¡°She¡¯ll also be called Wei Xiaobao.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless.. Chapter 771 - Chapter 771: Blown Cover Chapter 771: Blown Cover Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Seeing Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hesitation, Old Madam Wei urged, ¡°Put it on quickly. It cost me a hundred taels of silver.¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered,¡± Are you sure you weren¡¯t scammed?¡± ¡°Quick, quick, quick! Put it on!¡± Matriarch Wei was really impatient. Su Xiaoxiao put on the safety talisman. Anyway, there would be no babies even if she wore it. She and Wei Ting were busy being celibate! Wei Ting returned from court and saw the red rope around her neck. He knew that she was originally wearing an emerald jade pendant which was given to Su Ergou. When a person cared about another person, it was easy to notice any difference in her. When he approached, he realized that the red string seemed familiar. He stretched out his slender jade-like fingertips and hooked the red string out. When he saw the child-giving Guanyin Talisman hanging on it, a thought-provoking glint flashed across his eyes. ¡°You asked for this?¡± Seeing that he knew her, Su Xiaoxiao took the child -giving Guanyin Talisman from him. ¡°What do you mean I asked for it? Grandmother gave it to me!¡± Wei Ting looked at her meaningfully. ¡°Grandmother clearly asked for this for Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law. She even specially invited the master to bless her, wanting Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law to give Xiyue a younger brother.¡± That was not what Grandmother said¡­ Oh no, this guy was going to use this as an excuse again. Just as Su Xiaoxiao was thinking about this, she saw Wei Ting sit down calmly on the stool opposite her with an unruly and cold expression. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell, Su Xiaoxiao. You even snatched this. Do you want to get pregnant with my child so badly?¡± He had once accidentally addressed her with an amalgam of Su Daya and Qin Xiaoxiao. She said that she liked him calling her that, so he continued. However, he rarely called her by her name unless it was something very important. Clearly, in his opinion, Su Xiaoxiao just wanted to give birth to his child. Su Xiaoxiao insisted, ¡°Grandmother really gave it to me.¡± Wei Ting chuckled and said, ¡°You even know how to use Grandmother as an excuse. If you didn¡¯t take the initiative to ask Grandmother for it, would Grandmother have given you something meant for Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°Ask Grandmother if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± Wei Ting snorted. ¡°Of course Grandmother won¡¯t expose you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao clenched her chubby fists. At this moment, Xing¡¯er came to the door. ¡°Miss, someone from the palace is here. Please enter the palace.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Did something happen?¡± Xing¡¯er shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s the little eunuch beside Princess Jingning. From what he said, Princess Jingning doesn¡¯t look too good.¡± Actually, the young eunuch was talking about her expression. However, Xing¡¯er felt that Princess Jingning and her young lady were close and would never be upset with her young lady. Therefore, it should be in regard to her wellbeing. The young eunuch had made a mistake with his message. Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°Is Princess Jingning sick? She was clearly fine this morning¡­¡± Thanks to Xing¡¯er¡¯s ¡°correction¡±, Su Xiaoxiao successfully missed the key clue, so she naturally didn¡¯t think of the letter. She tidied up and called Ah Fu to drive to the palace. When she arrived at the warm pavilion of Kunning Palace, she inexplicably felt a murderous aura assault her. She took a closer look and saw that Princess Hui An was also there. The two princesses sat on their chairs, looking like they wanted to eat her. On the table between the two of them were two thick stacks of letters. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. No way, no way. Did the two of them compare letters? Princess Jingning did not have the habit of sharing private letters with others. It could only be that little tsundere Hui An. She must have taken the letter she had written to Princess Jingning to show off. This show was overturned. If she had known earlier, she would have used Wei Ting¡¯s. The words were a little ugly, but at least she would not expose herself. She took a deep breath and suppressed her guilt. She walked into the warm pavilion. ¡°Princess, why did you call me over so late?¡± Princess Hui An said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re still pretending! Tell me honestly, what¡¯s wrong with these letters? Why is the handwriting different? Which of our letters was written by you?¡± I didn¡¯t write anyones¡­ The climax came too quickly, like a tornado. Princess Jingning hit the nail on the head. ¡°You didn¡¯t write any of them, right?¡± As expected of a star student, she had a high IQ! Su Xiaoxiao gave Princess Jingning a thumbs up in her heart and said sincerely, ¡°Although I didn¡¯t write these words, I personally dictated the contents of the letter. It¡¯s just that my handwriting isn¡¯t good and I was afraid of dirtying the eyes of the two princesses, so I asked Wei Ting to write for me.¡± Princess Jingning asked skeptically, ¡°Really? Wei Ting can have two types of handwriting? Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°He¡¯s the top scholar. This little ability is nothing.¡± Princess Jingning picked up two exam papers from the table. ¡°Then can you explain why his two handwriting is identical to those of Top Scorer Su and Top Scorer Shen?¡± No way. They even got the exam papers of Su Xuan and Shen Chuan. Were they determined to hammer her to death¡­ Su Xiaoxiao refused to admit it. ¡°If there¡¯s a similarity, it¡¯s a coincidence.¡± Princess Jingning said, ¡°Hmph!¡± Fifteen minutes later, Su Xiaoxiao came out of the palace with her head drooping. Her face was covered in dust, like a little philanderer whose cover had been blown. Princess Jingning was not easy to coax, nor was Princess Hui An. She was punished to write a hundred letters. ¡°Get in.¡± A familiar man¡¯s voice sounded from the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. She walked into the carriage and took a look. ¡°Wei Ting? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I was passing by,¡± Wei Ting said calmly. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t believe that he was just passing by. She had just offended two princesses, so it was good to be comforted by her beautiful husband. Soon, she realized that this was not the way home. She could not help but ask, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there.¡± The carriage stopped on the long street by the lake. At a glance, decorated pleasure boats were docked at the side. The beautiful lake in winter had a new year aura. Red muslin and red lanterns were hung on the pleasure boats, and New Year paintings and couplets were pasteu on cnem. Wei Ting brought her to another extremely quiet pleasure boat. It was bigger and more exquisite and beautiful than the Pearl Pavilion. Other than the servant and maidservant who silently lowered their heads, there were only the two of them. ¡°Wei Ting, why did you bring me here?¡± ¡°Enjoy the cold wind?¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered,¡± Can¡¯t you say something nice?¡± They sat down by the window in a room. The maid immediately served delicacies that Su Xiaoxiao had never seen before. The dishes were especially exquisite. Su Xiaoxiao took a bite. The fish meat was extremely delicious. She tried another small meatball. It was her favorite pickled ginger fishball. The spicy ginger grains and the freshness of the fish meat were mixed perfectly with the vinegar soup. It was a feast on the tip of her tongue. Wei Ting did not take many bites; he was mainly watching her eat. She ate until her cheeks were puffed up, especially when she stuffed the little meatball into her mouth. She looked like a little squirrel foraging and hoarding. Su Xiaoxiao was sweating from eating. It was delicious and satisfying. After dinner, it was already night. There was a lantern meet on the long street tonight. There were colorful lanterns hanging on the stalls in the cold wind, like a winding dragon. The songs of the singers and the sound of the pipa came from the other pleasure boats, making one¡¯s heart sway. Su Xiaoxiao leaned against the railing of the deck and listened to the wind. She enjoyed the night view of the capital. Suddenly, the advancing pleasure boat touched a reef and jolted violently. Su Xiaoxiao fell forward and Wei Ting pulled her over. Su Xiaoxiao fell into his solid arms. She widened her eyes and looked at this handsome face that was inches away. For some reason, her heart suddenly beat faster. Wei Ting did not let go of her, and she did not leave his arms. The two of them stared at each other. Someone on the riverbank set off fireworks. The bright flames soared into the sky and bloomed in the endless dome, competing with the stars and moon. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s heart seemed to have exploded into a string of fireworks. She subconsciously swallowed and stood on her tiptoes to touch his soft lips. Then she looked at him. Wei Ting¡¯s eyes were deep. Was there no reaction? Had she taken the initiative too much? Su Xiaoxiao stepped back on the ground and turned to leave. Wei Ting suddenly pulled her back into his arms, grabbed her head with one hand, and pressed her down heavily. He kissed her, not giving her any chance to escape, taking every breath she had. Su Xiaoxiao was dizzy from the kiss and her body went weak. The maids shyly hid in the house. After the kiss, even her eyes were moist, and every bone in her body gradually went numb. She leaned against his chest and whispered, ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t stand¡­¡± Wei Ting picked her up horizontally and strode towards the room. The fireworks in the night sky were dazzling, and there was a commotion on the shore and on the pleasure boat. Su Xiaoxiao raised her hand in a daze. She felt that she must have been bewitched. This man was too devilishly handsome, so devilish that she had forgotten his ferocity. She took off his crown in a daze. His black hair cascaded down like black brocade and intertwined with her black hair. He pressed down on her weakly and did not take the next step. He just looked at her without blinking. In front of beauty, who could resist¡­ Su Xiaoxiao put down the hair crown, cupped his handsome face with both hands, and gently kissed his good-looking lips. The entire world fell silent, leaving only their breathing and strong heartbeats. Wei Ting raised his hand and lowered the drapes.. Chapter 772 - Chapter 772: Good News Chapter 772: Good News Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao was woken up by the twilight through the gap in the curtain. When she woke up, she realized that she was still lying in someone¡¯s arms. An indescribable memory surged into her mind like fireworks in the night, making her heart pound. It had been a while since the wedding. Although she and Wei Ting were together every day, they did not sleep together many times. Other than the wedding night ceremony, wasn¡¯t it to remove the Gu? Last night, she actually had sex with him without any reason. Indeed, beauty was a hindrance. Su Xiaoxiao closed her eyes and removed the indescribable image in her mind. She gently pulled open the blanket and looked in. The two of them were tightly pressed together naked, their legs intertwined. The impact of the scene was too great, and her mind immediately buzzed. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her ear. It was still magnetic with a hint of laziness, but it sounded very clear. It seemed that he had woken up long ago. Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly pulled down the blanket and pretended not to see anything. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m awake.¡± ¡°Get up when you¡¯re awake. Fu Su has been here a few times.¡± After saying that calmly, he lifted the blanket and got out of bed, revealing a top-notch figure that was thin when dressed and brawny naked¡­ There was definitely no excess fat. He bent down and picked up the clothes scattered on the ground. With every piece, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s memories deepened. Last night¡­ was a little too crazy¡­ But why was Wei Ting so calm? He was a completely different person from his domineering appearance at night. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him suspiciously. Wei Ting had already put on his clothes. His long black hair hung down, making his face look even more beautiful. ¡°I¡¯ll get up. Turn around.¡± He was so calm, so she shouldn¡¯t be shy. Who didn¡¯t care about their face? Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Do you need me to remind you that I¡¯ve already seen what I should have seen? Not only did I see it, but I also¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao clenched her fists. ¡°Shut up!¡± Wei Ting raised his eyebrows and glanced at her. He bent down and picked up her clothes, from one undergarment to another¡­ and finally Luo Qun, handing them to her one by one. Su Xiaoxiao pulled the clothes over and pulled the drapes together tightly. Wei Ting was waiting for her outside. After she was dressed, she walked towards Wei Ting on the deck with a cold expression. ¡ªBoth of them refused to admit it after sleeping together. She coughed lightly. ¡°Why did you suddenly¡­¡± Wei Ting interrupted her. ¡°You seemed to be the one who took the initiative last night.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. She said seriously, ¡°Isn¡¯t that because you brought me here for a date? There was delicious food and beautiful fireworks. Since you¡¯ve tried so hard to please me, I had give you some benefits!¡± If not for this guy attacking first and making the atmosphere so perfect and ambiguous, how could she have been bewitched by his beauty? Wei Ting chuckled and said, ¡°If that¡¯s what you mean,¡± Wei Ting said coldly. ¡°You took the initiative to ask me for sex and reminded me to fulfill my duty as a husband. We¡¯re husband and wife, so I naturally shouldn¡¯t not disappoint you.¡± How did it become her taking the initiative to ask for sex? Su Xiaoxiao was about to speak when she suddenly sensed his meaningful gaze sweep across the Guanyin Child-endowing Talisman on her neck. Could it be that he still insisted that she had taken the initiative to ask his grandmother for this talisman to hint to him to give her a child? She wanted to murder her husband! She did not get pregnant during the wedding or the Gu removal. She did not believe that she would get pregnant this time! On Fu Su¡¯s fifth visit, he finally picked up the two of them. But was it an illusion? Why did he feel that Young Madam wanted to kill Young Master? Young Master had spent so much effort last night. He had hired the entire pleasure boat, asked someone to decorate the streets, and even asked someone to set off fireworks for the entire night. Did these not please Young Madam? ¡°Fu Su,¡± Su Xiaoxiao called. ¡°Ah? Young Madam!¡± Fu Su, who was driving the carriage, came back to his senses. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Is something the matter?¡± She purely did not want to talk to Wei Ting and found someone else to chat with. Unexpectedly, Fu Su did have something serious to do. ¡°There¡¯s news from the Western Jin.¡± Yuwen Xi¡¯s falcon and Yuwen Huai¡¯s messenger pigeon arrived one after another to send news to Su Xiaoxiao. There should be some progress on Second Master Shen¡¯s side. Last time at the entrance of the West Capital, Second Master Shen said that he had found the whereabouts of the herbs and immediately sent someone to inform her. Yuwen Xi asked him to go to the princess¡¯s residence. Her falcon was faster than the courier horse at the courier station. Yuwen Huai was not to be outdone and also said that his messenger pigeon was fast. Second Master Shen probably could not afford to offend either side, so he sent the news to both of them. As soon as Su Xiaoxiao returned to the courtyard, she immediately took off the cloth wrapped around the feed of messenger pigeon and falcon. ¡°Where is Sky Mountain?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Wei Ting. She was not familiar with the terrain of Northern Yan. Wei Ting said, ¡°Thirty miles north of Broken North Pass.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Are my grandfather and Su MO sending food to Broken North Pass?¡± Wei Ting took a map of the border from the bookshelf and spread it out. He pointed at the place with Zi Town written on it. ¡°It¡¯s near to Broken North Pass, but it¡¯s not close to Broken North Pass. They have official business on this trip, so it¡¯s not convenient for them to leave the camp without permission. Otherwise, they will be punished by military law. In addition, they have to transport supplies and march slowly. If the cavalry sets off from the capital now, they might be able to reach the border faster than them.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± At night, Wei Ting contacted Ghostfear and Wei Liulang, who were gathering information outside. The three brothers went to Wei Qing and told him the whereabouts of the two herbs. Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s best to split up. I¡¯ll go to Broken North Pass. Eldest Brother and Sixth Brother will go to the southern border. Second Brother will wait for our news in the capital.¡± This was the safest and most time-saving method. After all, there were less than four months left. Wei Qing paused and said, ¡°I want to go to Broken North Pass.¡± The three brothers said in unison, ¡°No!¡± Wei Qing smiled and said to Wei Ting, ¡°If I don¡¯t go to Broken North Pass, you have no reason to go.¡± Wei Ting was an official of the Imperial Court and could not leave the capital casually. He could not use the same trick and become a monk again. Wei Ting said, ¡°I have my ways. Second Brother, don¡¯t worry.¡± Wei Ting entered the palace overnight to meet Emperor Jing Xuan. Because of the rejection, Emperor Jing Xuan was in a bad mood for the next few days. He even disliked the Wei family, which was close to Zhuge Qing. He asked angrily, ¡°What are you doing so late?¡± Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°Your Majesty, I sincerely request to leave the capital and go to Broken North Pass.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Why are you going to Broken North Pass?¡± Su MO and Qin Canglan had already gone to the border. If Wei Ting went too, people could not help but wonder if they were secretly colluding to rebel. Wei Ting cupped his fists and bowed.. ¡°I want to assassinate Helian Ye! I¡¯m willing to swear a military order that I won¡¯t return to the capital until Helian Ye is beheaded!¡± Chapter 773 - Chapter 773: Brother Ting’s Doting Chapter 773: Brother Ting¡¯s Doting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Emperor Jing Xuan had always had great ambitions for Northern Yan, and Helian Ye was definitely the greatest stumbling block on his path of ambition. Hearing this, how could Emperor Jing Xuan not be tempted? Moreover, Wei Ting had made a military pledge. If he could not do it, he could coincidentally take this opportunity to punish Wei Ting. Of course, if Wei Ting continued to be loyal to him, he could keep this weakness for the time being. In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s mind before he finally agreed to Wei Ting¡¯s request. Since it concerned Wei Qing¡¯s life, the three brothers decided to set off immediately. Su Xiaoxiao prepared some emergency medicine for the three of them, especially the first aid kits of Ghostfear and Wei Liulang. When she heard that there were many poisonous insects in the southern border, she placed a total of two bottles of antidotes. Ghostfear and Wei Liulang set off first. Wei Ting returned from the palace and planned to set off. Su Xiaoxiao handed him a bag. ¡°Clothes and first aid medicine.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Wei Ting brought the bag over, inserted the dagger into his short boots, and armed himself with a few hidden weapons. ¡°Dad.¡± The three little ones walked in cutely and looked up at him and the bag in his hand. ¡°Where are you and Mother going?¡± Dahu asked. Wei Ting pinched his little face and said, ¡°Dad will be gone for a few days. Mom will be at home.¡± Dahu said calmly, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. The three little ones looked at their father, who was about to go on a long trip, and frowned very conflictedly. They reluctantly gave him three farewell kisses. Wei Ting was amused and turned to look at Su Xiaoxiao. It was as if he was asking, ¡°Where¡¯s yours?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the sky and pretended not to see any hints. Wei Ting retracted his gaze and left with his bag. Su Xiaoxiao looked at his back as he disappeared into the night. Snow fell. Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°It¡¯s snowing in the capital.¡± She returned to the house and suddenly realized that there was a bag at the head of the bed. It was a little heavy. She opened the bag and realized that there were two thick stacks of letters inside. There were a hundred of them. Half of them were written to Princess Hui An, and the other half were written to Princess Jingning. They were all in her handwriting. She was extremely sure that she had not written it. She was exhausted last night and fell asleep on the pleasure boat for the entire day. She only woke up at dusk and immediately returned to the Wei family. However, she clearly remembered that when she woke up, Wei Ting was lying beside her. She thought that he had slept until the afternoon like her. Could it be that he had gotten up halfway to write the letters? After writing it, he even restored the event location and made a trip to her side naked? Su Xiaoxiao was at a loss. She didn¡¯t know if she should praise him for his literary talent or for his energy and shocking skills. Below these letters was an exquisite small wooden box. It was empty when opened. Eh? Just as she was wondering why Wei Ting had left her an empty box, Xiaohu suddenly pointed at her bun and said, ¡°Mother, it looks good.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her hand and touched a red hairpin. She pulled it out. This was not her original jewelry, but a brand new purple-gold shark pearl begonia hairpin. She could be considered someone who had seen the world. An unreal memory suddenly flashed across her mind. In a daze, he seemed to have pinned something on the top of her head and whispered to her, ¡°Happy birthday.¡± Yesterday was the first of December, her seventeenth birthday. She had forgotten all about it. No wonder her grandmother suddenly gave her the Child-giving Guanyin Talisman. It was also a birthday gift. She didn¡¯t say anything because she wanted to cooperate with him to give her a surprise. Those lantern meetings, those fireworks¡­ Could it be that he had carefully prepared them too? She was originally wondering why it was so lively by the lake since it was not a big day yesterday. She thought that it was coincidence. ¡°This guy does a lot of romantic things. He doesn¡¯t say a word of romance.¡± Habit was a terrifying thing. When Su Xiaoxiao woke up in the middle of the night, she subconsciously felt for Wei Ting. When she touched a cold spot, she was stunned and suddenly felt that the house was empty. After dawn, Su Xiaoxiao brought the three little ones to the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate to visit Matriarch Su, Madam Tao, and her two miserable sick cousins. The two of them wrapped themselves in the blanket and sat on Su Qi¡¯s bed, blowing snot bubbles. Fortunately, the two of them only had an ordinary cold and did not need to take medicine. They would recover in a few days. After leaving the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s Estate, Su Xiaoxiao brought the three little ones to Pear Blossom Lane. Zhong Shan was not around; he had gone to offer incense to an old friend. The journey was a little far, and he would only return after a few days. The three little ones ran to Ling Yun. ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Master!¡± Ling Yun was wiping the zither when he suddenly heard three small demonic sounds. His hand trembled, and before he could get up to escape, three small figures rushed in like small whirlwinds and pounced on him. Each of them gave him a small kiss and drooled on his face. Ling Yun pulled the three little rascals off his body. The three little ones then sat cross-legged in a row and looked at him cutely. Su Xiaoxiao also came over to greet him. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a few months. You look good.¡± She had left a digestive enzyme for Ling Yun before she left, but counting the days, the medicine should have been finished two months ago. She was originally a little worried about Ling Yun¡¯s body. From the looks of it, he had recovered quite well. Perhaps he would no longer need to use medicine in the future. The three little ones began to play the zither. Ling Yun¡¯s zither was precious. It was difficult to get it even if one was rich. It was difficult for outsiders to take a look. Ling Yun calmly listened to Xiao Hu¡¯s demonic noise and poured Su Xiaoxiao a cup of tea. ¡°That death warrior hasn¡¯t been here for a few days. Has he given up on the mission?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You mean my brother? He has something more important than killing you now.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± After asking, he regretted it. What did that guy have to do with him? ¡°He went to look for medicine for Zhuge Qing,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said truthfully, but she didn¡¯t mention that Zhuge Qing was Wei Qing. However, she felt that with Ling Yun¡¯s intelligence, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to guess. ¡°The Snake Bone Flower and the Snow Domain Hemp. One is in Northern Yan, and the other is in the southern border. Big Brother and Sixth Brother have gone to the southern border.¡± ¡°Wei Ting is going to Northern Yan?¡± Ling Yun asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Ling Yun reminded him, ¡°Then you have to tell him to be careful. The Snow Domain Hemp isn¡¯t so easy to pluck. It¡¯s poisonous. Everyone who plucked it is dead. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. Saihua Tuo didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a medicinal herb?¡± Ling Yun said, ¡°It¡¯s a medicinal herb, but the moment it¡¯s plucked, it will release a strong poison. No matter if you smell it or touch it, you will be poisoned without exception. The poison will gradually disappear within ten days of being plucked, but before that, it¡¯s incurable. This is because it doesn¡¯t immediately cause people to die from the poison, but paralyzes the body, causing people to gradually weaken until they lose their pulse and breathing..¡± Chapter 774 - Chapter 774: Pharmacy and Preservation Chapter 774: Pharmacy and Preservation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In that case, Su Xiaoxiao understood. What it released was not poison, but a natural anesthetic that could paralyze a person¡¯s nervous system and cause shock and organ failure. Her yellow pills could detoxify, but they could not resist anesthesia. In that case, wouldn¡¯t Wei Ting be in danger? Perhaps because she took it to heart, Su Xiaoxiao really had a nightmare at night. She dreamed of the snow-covered Heavenly Mountain Range. It was white and endless. Wei Ting was wearing a robe made of animal skin. Against the cold snowstorm, he finally found a stalk of Snow Domain Hemp. After taking it off, he walked back and fell into the snow forever. However, this was not the only bad news. Seeing that Wei Ting had not returned, Su MO secretly left the camp to look for him. Halfway through, he was ambushed by the people of Northern Yan. The tragedy of Broken North Pass five years ago repeated, and Su MO did not return. Qin Canglan went to collect his corpse, but he did not expect that there was black gunpowder hidden on the corpse¡ª Su Xiaoxiao woke up. Cold sweat broke out on her back. When she calmed down, she realized that she was lying on the table in the pharmacy lounge. ¡°When did I come in?¡± She rubbed her sleepy eyes. Thinking of the dream just now, she was a little shocked. This should be just her worry. It was not something that would definitely happen. However, the Snow Domain Hemp was indeed too dangerous. If Wei Ting went to pluck it, he was very likely to be poisoned. It was a sure bet that Su MO would look for him later. Su Xiaoxiao touched the red hairpin on her head. ¡°On account of my birthday gift, I¡¯ll save you this time.¡± Wait, birthday. Her birthday was on the first of December. After November, the pharmacy still did not reward her. Including the month on the road in October, there was no reward for two months. The last time she encountered such a situation, she had installed Wei Liulang¡¯s prosthetic limb. What heaven-defying good thing was it this time? Su Xiaoxiao was filled with anticipation. She glanced at the table and saw two small medicine bottles. She picked it up and took a look. There was a bottle of folic acid and a bottle of fetal protection spirit. She felt sick. After waiting for two months, this was it? This was it?! Su Xiaoxiao was now officially conferred the title of Madam by Emperor Jing Xuan. People with such a title could not leave the capital casually. Yuwen Xi had informed Emperor Jing Xuan in advance before going to the West Jin. The situation was different this time. Zhuge Qing and Emperor Jing Xuan had just fallen out. If she said that she was looking for medicine for him, Emperor Jing Xuan would definitely not agree. She needed to play some tricks. On a sunny afternoon, Su Xiaoxiao blocked Qin Yanran¡¯s path at the entrance of a jewelry shop. Qin Yanran looked at Su Xiaoxiao unhappily. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk in private.¡± Qin Yanran said coldly, ¡°I have nothing to say to you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Willow Lane, Xu Qing¡­¡± Qin Yanran¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Get in the carriage.¡± Su Xiaoxiao got into Qin Yanran¡¯s carriage. She didn¡¯t waste her breath on Qin Yanran and went straight to the point. ¡°That night, I followed you to Willow Lane and an incredible secret was uncovered. Don¡¯t be anxious. I wasn¡¯t the only one that night. There was also someone who fought with your guard. Do you want to know who he is?¡± Qin Yanran clenched her handkerchief tightly. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not interested in the child in your stomach. Who his father is has nothing to do with me. I¡¯m only here to make a deal with you. If you cooperate obediently, I¡¯ll tell you who discovered you that night. ¡± Qin Yanran stared at her. Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand. ¡°Forget it, forget it. I¡¯m a generous person. I¡¯ll tell you directly. It¡¯s King Rui, Xiao Shunyang. He has already grasped your secret. The reason why he didn¡¯t reveal it is that it¡¯s not time to expose you. After all, there¡¯s no point in exposing you. It¡¯s only worthwhile to drag the entire Prince Liang¡¯s Estate down with you.¡± Xiao Shunyang was the most powerful competitor for the throne. Being discovered by him was worse than being discovered by Xiao Zhonghua. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°But to me, it doesn¡¯t matter who becomes the emperor.¡± Qin Yanran looked at her warily. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°Ask King Liang to go to Northern Yan to find medicine for Zhuge Qing. Bring me along. Otherwise, I¡¯ll expose you immediately! ¡± Doubt and conflict flashed across Qin Yanran¡¯s eyes. ¡°How can King Liang listen to me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°That depends on your ability. If you can¡¯t do it, I can only expose you.¡± At night, Emperor Jing Xuan had just finished approving the memorial and planned to visit the Empress¡¯s palace. Eunuch Quan walked over with small steps. ¡°Your Majesty, His Highness Liang requests an audience.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Summon him.¡± Xiao Duye entered the imperial study. After bowing heavily to Emperor Jing Xuan, he confessed his purpose of entering the palace. ¡°¡­Father, I heard that Zhuge Qing still needs a medicinal ingredient. This medicine is outside Broken North Pass. I beg Father to allow me to go to Broken North Pass to look for the ingredient.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking for a medicinal ingredient for Zhuge Qing?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan did not agree. Zhuge Qing rejected his engagement in public and even pulled out the Western Jin Emperor¡¯s Dragon Spring Sword. It was obvious that he did not take him, the emperor, seriously. Since he could not rope him in, what did Zhuge Qing¡¯s life have to do with him? Xiao Duye knew that his father would not agree easily. He had already thought of an excuse. ¡°Father, I think that Zhuge Qing can be fought for. If marriage doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll do something else and give him a life-saving grace. I don¡¯t believe that he won¡¯t repay the kindness. If he doesn¡¯t repay it, there¡¯s still the Western Jin Emperor to repay it. This is much more reliable than the marriage.¡± Indeed, anyone could marry him. If they could give him a woman, could others not? Life-saving grace was different. Emperor Jing Xuan frowned and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know medicine. What if you find the wrong one?¡± Xiao Duye said firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t know medicine, but someone does. I beg Father to allow me to bring Qin Su along to Broken North Pass to find medicine!¡± News that King Liang was going to find medicine for Zhuge Qing spread throughout the capital. It was said that he would set off early tomorrow morning. Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s current residence had been renamed King An¡¯s Imperial Residence. He was sitting in the study and practicing calligraphy. Jing Yi hugged his sword and moved around in the chair. He looked at the endless night a few times and lowered his eyes a few times. Xiao Zhonghua raised his pen and wrote the word ¡°mountain¡±. ¡°If you want to go, go.¡± Jing Yi asked, ¡®Where am I going?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said calmly, ¡°Broken North Pass.¡± Jing Yi hugged his sword tightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wanted to go.¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled faintly. ¡°Are you really not going?¡± Jing Yi fell silent. After a while, he asked, ¡°What will you do if I go?¡± Xiao Zhonghua let out a long sigh. He raised his pen and wrote the word ¡°rain¡±. ¡°You¡¯re not the only expert beside me¡­ You¡¯re old. It¡¯s time to do your own thing.¡± Just like an eagle spreading its wings and flying high, there would always be a day when its wings would voluptuously fly into the distant sky. Jing Yi had only one mission since he was young, and that was to protect Xiao Zhonghua. This was given to him by his family. Naturally, he was willing. Now, he was still willing to sacrifice his life for his cousin, but he also wanted to protect her.. Chapter 775 - Chapter 775: Xiaoxiao Is Here Chapter 775: Xiaoxiao Is Here Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Old Madam Wei didn¡¯t know about Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s plan and thought that the news of the herbs had spread. She even believed that Xiao Duye wanted to take credit for it and placed it on Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Damn it!¡± The Xiao family was inhumane and killed her husband, son, and grandson. Now, they were here to cheat her of her granddaughter-in-law. Su Xiaoxiao comforted Matriarch Wei, who was furious. ¡°I¡¯ll look for Wei Ting when I reach the border and come back with him.¡± When Old Madam Wei heard this, she relaxed slightly. ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s still Little Seven. Little Seven will definitely protect you.¡± Su Cheng had gone to the military camp and was not in the city. Su Ergou had been living in the Su family for the past few days. It was an emergency, so Su Xiaoxiao did not have time to say goodbye in person and left two letters for Xing¡¯er to send to Su Ergou later. The three children who could not bear to part with her the most. Although she had already explained to them last night that she was going to pick an herb and they had accepted it, the three of them still looked at her aggrievedly early in the morning. Tears were about to fall. Su Xiaoxiao touched their heads. ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll come back immediately after picking the herb. Pinky promise.¡± ¡°No.¡± Xiaohu refused with a sobbing tone. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°If you don¡¯t pinky swear, your brothers will pinky swear.¡± Dahu and Erhu hesitated for a moment, held back their tears, and extended their little fingers. Xiaohu squeezed over. ¡°Xiaohu will do it first!¡± Alright, seeing that he was crying so hard, his two brothers gave in to him this time. After Su Xiaoxiao finished pinky swearing with the three little ones, she also pinky sweared with Wei Xiyue, who was carrying a small jar. In the end, she looked at Wei Qing, who was sitting in a wheelchair. ¡°Second Brother, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Wei Qing smiled. ¡°Take care of yourself and bring Little Seven back safely.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. Second Brother had guessed it. That¡¯s right. Second Brother was so smart. Even if she didn¡¯t say it, what could be hidden from his eyes? She nodded and said seriously, ¡°I will. I will bring back the herb and Wei Ting intact.¡± Wei Qing looked at the carriage that gradually disappeared at the end of the street and smiled. ¡°What a lucky kid.¡± Li Wan pushed his wheelchair and said sincerely, ¡°Yes, Seventh Sister-in-law is very capable.¡± Wei Qing turned around, as his bright eyes filled with doting. ¡°I¡¯m also very lucky to be able to marry Wanwan.¡± Li Wan blushed. The servants were all here. Could he be more reserved? Su Xiaoxiao met Xiao Duye at the city gate. Xiao Duye had fought with Su Xiaoxiao before and knew that she was not an ordinary girl. He was worried about her bringing anyone else with her. He pointed at the carriage behind him and said to her, ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared a carriage for Madam Wei.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him indifferently and got out of her carriage expressionlessly. However, before she could walk over, a brand new carriage stopped in front of Su Xiaoxiao. The coachman was Jing Yi. Jing Yi said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Get in.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was slightly stunned. Xiao Duye frowned. ¡°Young Marquis Jing, what are you doing?¡± Xiao Zhonghua alighted from the carriage and said to Xiao Duye calmly, ¡°Jing Yi is under Father¡¯s orders to escort Big Brother north to find the herb.¡± ¡°Escort me? He¡¯s probably going to kill me halfway! What did this Third Brother do to Father to make him agree to take my share of the loot?¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°Brother, the person you should be wary of is not me. Jing Yi has crossed the clear path in front of Father. If anything happens to Brother, it will be on me and the Marquisdom. If the two of us fight badly, who will benefit? If Jing Yi goes with you, it will be beneficial to you. Don¡¯t worry, the credit is yours. I won¡¯t snatch it from you.¡± This attitude could be said to be sincere. Coupled with the fact that Qin Yanran had repeatedly reminded Xiao Duye to be wary of Xiao Shunyang last night, Xiao Duye finally accepted Jing Yi as his companion. Su Xiaoxiao got into the carriage. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Xiao Zhonghua looked at her deeply. ¡°Take care.¡± This trip was only to find medicine. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, they traveled as merchants. Su Xiaoxiao and Jing Yi did not bring a single follower. Xiao Duye brought a longtime follower, a coachman, and six extraordinary guards. The first snow in the capital fell, quickly enveloping the majestic Imperial City. Wei Ting and Fu Su had only set off a day earlier. It was not that Su Xiaoxiao had not tried to chase after the two of them, but firstly, the two of them were traveling too quickly. Secondly, there was Xiao Duye, the pampered burden. He actually vomited from the carriage ride. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t dare to believe it. Fortunately, Broken North Pass was not as far away as the West Capital. They rushed and arrived at Broken North Pass 20 days later. This place was less than 50 miles away from Zi Town, where Qin Canglan and Su MO were. However, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t have the time to greet them for the time being. She did not catch up to Wei Ting along the way. Wei Ting had most likely already infiltrated Northern Yan. With Wei Ting¡¯s personality, he would not delay for a moment and would immediately enter Heaven Mountain. She could only pray that the Snow Domain Hemp would not be found so easily. That could wait until she saved him. At this moment, the sky was already dark. Su Xiaoxiao asked Jing Yi to park the carriage on the desolate official road. She took out a map and spread it out. She turned on the small flashlight. Jing Yi walked with her and was no longer surprised by the strange trinkets in her hand. ¡°This is Broken North Pass. This should be the Heavenly Mountain Range.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s fingertips moved from Broken North Pass to a winding mountain range. ¡°Can we still pass tonight?¡± JingYi shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had the pass token that Helian Ye had lost to her. No one dared to stop her from walking through the official checkpoint of Northern Yan. However, the checkpoint would close after five. The lives of Wei Ting and Fu Su were hanging on the tip of the knife. They could not delay for a moment. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Is there any other way other than going through the checkpoint?¡± Jing Yi lifted the curtain and looked at the snow-covered mountains in the night. ¡°Yes, cross the mountains. If everything goes smoothly, it will take slightly more than two hours. We will reach before midnight.¡± In a word, it was faster than waiting until tomorrow morning. ¡°Are you confident?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°Alri?ht, let¡¯s enter the mountain.¡± After the two of them finished discussing, Xiao Duye¡¯s carriage drove over. Xiao Duye lifted the curtain and staggered down the ground. He held onto a big tree by the road and vomited. Other than him, there was no one else who had not gotten used to it after vomiting all the way. His face was pale as he said, ¡°I say¡­ why are you going so quickly? Don¡¯t you have eyes? You¡¯ve already gone past the courier station!¡± Along the way, in order to hide their identities, they had never stayed in the government or the military camp. They had now gone past the relay station. Xiao Duye had never suffered so much in his life. He almost regretted coming out to find medicine for Zhuge Qing. Su Xiaoxiao and Jing Yi got out of the carriage with swords, weapons, and dry food. Xiao Duye asked suspiciously, ¡®What are you doing? Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Pass.¡± Xiao Duye frowned and said, ¡°The checkpoint is closed!¡± The two of them did not say anything and just looked at him. Xiao Duye looked at the two of them and then at the mountain not far away. His tiger body trembled as he waved his hand and pointed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to secretly climb over that mountain? You¡¯re crazy! The foot of the mountain is the military camp of the Northern Yan army. If we¡¯re captured, we¡¯re all finished! Even if we¡¯re lucky enough to avoid them, don¡¯t you know how dangerous the snow mountain is? I don¡¯t agree. I don¡¯t agree no matter what!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Up to you.¡± Since they had already come to Broken North Pass, this tool was now useless. ¡°You¡­¡± Xiao Duye gritted his teeth and looked at Jing Yi. Jing Yi followed without a word. Xiao Duye stomped his feet in anger. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care how angry Xiao Duye was. She entered the night and crossed the weed-filled ditch. She grabbed the iron net filled with poisonous thorns with her silver-silk gloves and easily jumped over.. Chapter 776 - Chapter 776: Wuhu Chapter 776: Wuhu Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Needless to say, Jing Yi followed closely behind and used his qinggong to jump into the territory of Northern Yan. As Xiao Duye looked at the two bold fellows, his eyelids were twitching. He really did not understand. Was there a need to risk their lives to find medicine? Who was helping Zhuge Qing find the medicine? Was it him or the two of them? However, Xiao Zhonghua had said that Jing Yi was not here to snatch credit from him. He was only accompanying him as a guard. As for this girl, it was even more impossible. His father knew in his heart that no matter how much credit there was, it would not be on her. Wait, could it be¡­ ¡°Stop right there!¡± he scolded in a low voice. Su Xiaoxiao checked the scabbard on her waist and said to him, ¡°You¡¯d better go back to the courier station and wait. We¡¯ll come back after getting the medicine.¡± Xiao Duye¡¯s expression darkened when he heard this. ¡°Are you actually ordering me around?¡± If he had only guessed just now, he was basically certain now that this girl and Jing Yi wanted to leave him behind. After picking the herbs, they would return to the capital to look for Mr. Zhuge and the Western Jin Emperor to take credit. He was wondering why this girl was more enthusiastic than he was. ¡°I want to go too.¡± He said coldly. Su Xiaoxiao frowned impatiently, a trace of coldness flashing across her eyes. ¡°Troublesome.¡± ¡°You!¡± Xiao Duye clenched his fists. ¡°Qin! Don¡¯t provoke me again and again! My patience is limited. If you disrespect me again, I¡¯ll punish you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao left with Jing Yi without looking back. Xiao Duye felt like he had punched cotton. It was fine if Wei Ting was irritating, but his wife was also freaking infuriating. Xiao Duye crossed the iron net with a dark expression. He brought the six guards with him. His coachman and attendant stayed here to guard the carriage and horses. Su Xiaoxiao and Jing Yi walked side by side at the front. If they wanted to enter the snow mountain, they had to pass through the military camp of Northern Yan. At this moment, it was not long after night. The soldiers in the military camp had yet to rest. It was a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing was that the noise in the camp could cover their movements appropriately. The bad thing was that there were many active soldiers. It would be bad if they accidentally bumped into a few. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s clothes suddenly moved. A little bird with a strand of hair stuck its head out and looked left and right. ¡°Go back!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Wuhu. Wuhu was afraid of the cold. A few days ago, there was a snowstorm and it was almost frozen into a small ice bird sculpture. After that, Su Xiaoxiao put it in her arms. ¡°Give it to me,¡± Jing Yi said. He reached out and pinched Wuhu¡¯s head before stuffing it into his clothes. Wuhu jumped in his arms. The new environment was not big, soft, or elastic. It wanted to return to a fragrant and soft place! Wuhu flapped its wings in protest. The protest was invalid. Wuhu had nothing to live for. It did not move and began to straighten its carcass in Jing Yi¡¯s arms. When Jing Yi slid down, Wuhu was speechless. They walked along the grass at the edge of the military camp. When they passed by tents with oil lamps, a team of patrolling Northern Yan soldiers walked out from behind the nearby tents. Jing Yi hurriedly blocked Su Xiaoxiao behind him and gestured for Xiao Duye and the others to stop. Everyone quickly squatted in the grass and held their breaths. Wuhu continued to play dead. This place should have been patrolled beforehand. The soldiers of Northern Yan walked out of the back of the tent and walked to the other side. Jing Yi was the first to stand up and slowly led everyone forward. Originally, everything was progressing smoothly here, but suddenly, a guard from the Eldest Prince¡¯s residence stepped on the ice on the grass and immediately fell. The Northern Yan soldiers turned around and walked over warily. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The leader asked. Su Xiaoxiao and Jing Yi made a prompt decision. One pulled out the dagger at her waist, and the other pulled out the long sword he was carried and suddenly charged at the other party. Xiao Duye was about to command a battle, but before he could speak, Su Xiaoxiao and Jing Yi had already cut the throats of five Northern Yan soldiers. Xiao Duye was suddenly speechless. He knew that Jing Yi was powerful, but when did this girl¡¯s skills become so superb? With that slash, there was no hesitation. Which woman was as ruthless as her? ¡°There¡¯s no time to deal with the corpses. We have to leave as soon as possible. Let¡¯s go!¡± With that, Su Xiaoxiao wiped the dagger clean in the snow and sheathed it. However, just as they were about to leave, another team of Northern Yan soldiers came over. ¡°It¡¯s time to change shifts. Where did they go?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re slacking off again!¡± ¡°Go, don¡¯t talk nonsense! The few of you go up there and take a look. Are they in the storeroom?¡± The situation this time was more complicated. Two people stood in the distance, and only three came over. Once they killed three people to silence them, the other two would immediately shout. Xiao Duye frowned and a trace of panic flashed across his eyes. ¡°I told you not to barge in, but you didn¡¯t listen. Now, we¡¯re going to be captured alive! Let¡¯s see how you can kill your way out!¡± There were at least 5,000 soldiers in this camp. It was impossible for them to kill their way out. If they became prisoners, they would be humiliated by the Northern Yan people. Su Xiaoxiao had a calm expression and shouted at the parrot in Jing Yi¡¯s arms, ¡°Wuhu.¡± Wuhu flew out with a whoosh. Facing the cold wind, its eyes were decisive as it flapped its small wings until smoke came out. ¡°Water! Water! The general¡¯s tent!¡± ¡°What? There¡¯s water in the general¡¯s tent?¡± The three of them immediately turned back. The other two did not dare to delay and quickly ran towards the general¡¯s tent. A crisis was resolved. Xiao Duye broke out in cold sweat. He looked at the parrot that flew back. Had this bird become a spirit? Wuhu flew towards Su Xiaoxiao and burrowed into her arms. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed it and looked at the energetic parrot. She hummed and said, ¡°You seem to have a faster reaction at Jing Yi¡¯s.¡± It was always half a beat slower in her arms. Wasn¡¯t that because it could no longer snooze in its bird¡¯s nest! The pitiful Wuhu were firmly stuffed back into Jing Yi¡¯s ¡°sorry nest¡± by Su Xiaoxiao. The group successfully passed through the military camp. After more than two hours, they finally arrived at the foot of the Heavenly Mountain. Xiao Duye looked at the endless mountain range and asked with a serious expression, ¡°The Heavenly Mountain is so big¡­ Where can I find the Snow Domain Hemp?¡± Ling Yun had told her that the snow region was near the hot spring on Heavenly Mountain. If she found the hot spring, she would be able to find the herb and Wei Ting. She hoped that it was not too late. The wind howled. rlIV0 figures in animal hide robes walked with difficulty in the snow. The snow was heavy and almost reached their thighs. Wei Ting and Fu Su had been on Heavenly Mountain for a full five days. They had flipped through several mountains, but they still could not find the hot spring. Fu Su¡¯s teeth were chattering from the cold, and his cheeks were numb. He spoke slowly and slowly. ¡°Young Master, will there really be a hot spring in the snow?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Wei Ting stopped in his tracks and gazed at something blue in the distance in front of him. ¡°I found it..¡± Chapter 777 - Chapter 777: Husband and Wife Meet Chapter 777: Husband and Wife Meet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao and the others stood at the foot of Heavenly Mountain like a drop in the ocean. They were so small that they were almost invisible from a high altitude. Xiao Duye was in despair. ¡°Impulsive. If we had known earlier, we would have brought our dry rations over and called a few experts from the military camp to expand the search team. Otherwise, the few of us might not be able to find a small herb even after searching for ten days to half a month.¡± Of course, Su Xiaoxiao was not stupid enough to look for the herb directly. She was looking for the hot spring. She could not be bothered to waste her breath on Xiao Duye. ¡°Wuhu.¡± Hearing her call the parrot again, Xiao Duye laughed mockingly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you expect a bird to help you find the herb? It¡¯s such a cold day. It would freeze to death not long after flying out.¡± One of his concubines had raised parrots before. In winter, they were very fragile and afraid of the cold. If they were not careful, they would freeze to death. Perhaps it was because the bird food in the pharmacy had improved Wu Hu¡¯s physique, but Wuhu was indeed more resistant to the cold than other parrots. As long as it did not encounter a snowstorm, Wuhu was not in danger. Wuhu reluctantly stuck its head out of Jing Yi¡¯s arms and refused to be a working bird. From now on! Su Xiaoxiao took out a piece bird food. Wuhu instantly flapped their wings and jumped onto Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist. It could slack off tomorrow. Birds were very sensitive to water. This was their survival instinct. Su Xiaoxiao fed Wuhu and gave it enough stamina to search for the hot spring. When Wuhu flapped its wings and flew out, Wei Ting and Fu Su had already walked down the mountain through the thick snow. The hot spring pool was located in a valley surrounded by mountains. It was small and filled with smoke. The water was crystal blue. At a glance, it was beautiful. Fu Su wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°After searching for five days, the heavens have not let down those who are determined. But speaking of which, is that person called Sai Huatuo reliable? Could it be that there¡¯s no Snow Domain Hemp near the hot spring?¡± ¡°Yes, there should be. I wonder if it¡¯s this hot spring.¡± ¡°What? Young Master, you mean that there might be other hot springs in this big snow mountain? No! It took five days to find this, and to find the next¡­¡± Fu Su did not dare to think further. Wei Ting took out the blueprint left behind by Sai Huatuo. It was an excellent herb for treating cold illnesses. Wei Ting found it without much effort. It was by the hot spring, a lone stalk with green leaves and brown roots fluttering in the cold wind. He had finally found it. Second Brother was saved. Wei Ting was delighted and walked towards the Snow Domain Hemp. However, just as he bent down and was about to touch the herb, several figures suddenly appeared behind him. A saber beam slashed at his arm. Wei Ting retracted his hand and blocked his wrist with his backhand. His other hand snatched the saber from his hand at lightning speed. He slashed horizontally. The other party retreated and lined up with the other seven experts ten steps away. ¡°Yo, I didn¡¯t expect there to be a kindred spirit.¡± Accompanied by a teasing voice, a middle-aged man walked out from behind the experts with a 16-year-old girl. Fu Su pulled out his sword. Wei Ting looked at the other party suspiciously. ¡°Are you a Gu Master?¡± The middle-aged man smiled and said, ¡°You can recognize me as a Gu Master. Kid, you have some ability. Forget it, leave. I won¡¯t kill you.¡± Wei Ting looked at the other party warily. ¡°Condition?¡± The middle-aged man said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch that Snow Domain Hemp.¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m definitely going to take the Snow Domain Hemp.¡± The middle-aged man smiled. ¡°When it gows again next year, you can still have it.¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°I want it now.¡± The girl said coquettishly, ¡°Why waste your breath on him? Kill him directly!¡± The middle-aged man said earnestly, ¡®Miss, we¡¯re here to look for medicine. Don¡¯t start a massacre.¡± The girl said disdainfully, ¡°Who would know if I kill him? If you don¡¯t kill him, I¡¯ll kill him! ¡± With that, the girl pulled out the whip at her waist and attacked Wei Ting. Fu Su took a step forward to meet her attack. The others split into two groups and fought Wei Ting and Fu Su. ¡°Surrender. Aren¡¯t you interested in¡­¡¯ The middle-aged man looked at Wei Ting. Before he could finish, Wei Ting pierced an expert¡¯s chest. He pulled out his sword and kicked the other party¡¯s corpse towards the other three. The moment the three of them were knocked down, he soared into the air. His sword energy was like a rainbow, reaping their lives in the blink of an eye. The middle-aged man¡¯s expression darkened. He did not expect a young kid to have such skills. Where did he come from? From Northern Yan? Or from Great Zhou? After killing these four, Wei Ting rushed towards the rest. ¡°Miss, come back!¡± The middle-aged man hurriedly berated. The girl¡¯s whip was broken by Wei Ting¡¯s sword. She took a few steps back and glared at Wei Ting in exasperation. ¡°Damn it!¡± She wanted to rush forward again, but was stopped by the middle-aged man. Wei Ting and Fu Su quickly finished off the remaining four. Fu Su used his body as a shield to guard against the girl and the Gu Master¡¯s sneak attack. Wei Ting raised his sword and slashed down the Snow Domain Hemp. Fu Su¡¯s eves lit up. ¡± We got it! That¡¯s great, Young Master!¡± With just a Gu Master and the little girl, it was impossible to snatch the herb from them. Wei Ting grabbed the Snow Domain Hemp and was about to leave with Fu Su when an unbelievable thing happened. His heart skipped a beat as an extremely strong sense of exhaustion surged up. He knelt on one knee and used his sword to support his body that was on the verge of collapse. ¡°Young Master!¡± Fu Su¡¯s expression changed. He wanted to go forward, but his vision darkened and he fell weakly into the snow. The girl smiled. ¡°So you don¡¯t know that the Snow Domain Hemp is poisonous. You snatched it so fiercely and thought that you had taken the antidote in advance. However, that¡¯s true. This antidote isn¡¯t available anywhere else. Only we¡­¡± ¡°Miss.¡± The middle-aged man stopped her in time to prevent her from revealing information she shouldn¡¯t have. The girl smiled and stopped talking. She placed her hands behind her back and walked towards Wei Ting proudly. Wei Ting was about to collapse, and even breathing began to become difficult. The girl used the handle of the broken whip to push away the messy hair on Wei Ting¡¯s cheek. Wei Ting was busy traveling and was in a sorry state. Even his beard had grown, but this did not affect his peerlessly handsome appearance. The girl¡¯s eyes widened. She raised her fair fingertips and raised Wei Ting¡¯s exquisite chin. ¡°You¡¯re so good-looking. I¡¯ll bring you back and make you my husband!¡± The middle-aged man said, ¡°Stop fooling around.¡± ¡°I want him!¡± The girl finished speaking and looked at Wei Ting with a smile. Come back with me obediently, and I¡¯ll save you with the antidote. How about that? Otherwise, the poison of the Snow Domain Hemp will kill you here.¡± A trace of disgust flashed across Wei Ting¡¯s eyes, but all his strength was sucked out. It was even more terrifying than being drugged. The girl raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Uncle Han, carry him on your back!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, there was a destructive sound from not far away. A golden arrow appeared and shot towards the girl. ¡°Miss!¡± The middle-aged man knocked the girl away in shock. His right shoulder was pierced. A sharp pain assaulted him, and his entire face twisted. The girl said angrily, ¡°Who is it?¡± She looked around and did not see anyone. Looking up, she saw a woman in animal skin standing against the wind with a golden bow on her arm. Her eyes were filled with killing intent. Behind her, the mountains and snow made her look like a goddess born from heaven and earth. She moved one hand and shot out a mechanical claw to grab the reef of the cliff. She grabbed the rope inside the mechanism and glided down like an eagle flapping its wings or a god of the nine heavens. She Imelt on one knee and stabilized herself. She used her qinggong to take a few steps forward and knocked the girl down! Right on the heels of that, she stepped on the girl¡¯s chest and stomped this reckless girl back to the ground! The girl cried in pain. Su Xiaoxiao had no pity at all. She looked at her coldly.. ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of snatching my husband! ¡° Chapter 778 - Chapter 778: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder (1) Chapter 778: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The girl¡¯s chest was about to break. Under the pain and discomfort, she felt that she was about to suffocate. She had never seen such a terrifying woman. She knocked her down without saying a word. She felt the other party¡¯s killing intent. The other party really wanted to kill her. ¡°Don¡¯t kill her!¡± The middle-aged man who had been shot staggered a few steps towards Su Xiaoxiao. He covered his arm in pain and said with cold sweat, ¡°I¡¯ll give you the antidote!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°After killing you, the antidote will still be mine!¡± The middle-aged man choked. He opened his mouth and said, ¡°But I have poison here too. You can¡¯t tell¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him indifferently, her feet still stepping on the girl. ¡°I¡¯m a physician and an apothecary. Do you think I can¡¯t tell?¡± The middle-aged man looked at the girl who was about to be trampled to death. He gritted his teeth and made up his mind. ¡°She¡¯s the biological sister of the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness. If you let her go, the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness will agree to a request of yours, as long as it¡¯s not too much.¡± He added the last phrase. Hearing about the southern border, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression changed slightly. She said to the middle-aged man, ¡°Give me the antidote.¡± The middle-aged man thought that she was intimidated by the reputation of the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness and heaved a sigh of relief. He took out a medicine bottle from the pouch at his waist. ¡°There are only two pills left.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. The middle-aged man was stunned. Who was she? Why didn¡¯t she need the antidote? Before he could think about the doubts in his heart, he said, ¡°What I want to say is that two is a person¡¯s dosage.¡± Regardless of whether she needed it or not, this little medicine could not save the two men over there. ¡°Give it to me first,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. The middle-aged man handed her the medicine bottle. Su Xiaoxiao pointed. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about escaping. That person will shoot through you.¡± The middle-aged man looked at the mountain peak where Su Xiaoxiao had glided down just now and saw a young man in black standing there. The young man was holding the golden bow that this girl had used just now and looking at them coldly. The middle-aged man did want to leave with the girl when Su Xiaoxiao was unprepared, but he did not dare to do so now. He stayed where he was obediently. Su Xiaoxiao took off the gas mask from her waist and put it on. As for her hands, she was already wearing silver silk gloves. She walked over and took the Snow Domain Hemp from Wei Ting¡¯s hand. She packed it into a sealed bag, pulled the lock, and casually placed it in the pharmacy. After a while, she took off her mask. ¡°Give Fu Su the antidote,¡± Wei Ting said weakly. Fu Su¡¯s condition was worse than Wei Ting¡¯s. He had completely gone into snocK ana COU1d lose consciousness at any moment. ¡°Everything mutually reinforces and restrains each other. There should be a corresponding antidote where the Snow Doman Hemp grows.¡± He could last a little longer. Su Xiaoxiao came to Fu Su¡¯s side and fed him the two pills. She slapped his chest and helped him swallow them. Then, she looked around. When she saw the hot spring, something flashed across her eyes. She came to the side of the hot spring, squatted down, picked up a handful of spring water, and sniffed it. ¡°Try it,¡± she said. She helped Wei Ting down the hot spring. The edge was not deep. After sitting down, the spring water reached his shoulders. ¡°How do you feel?¡± she asked from behind him. She knelt in the snow, a strand of black hair falling on his shoulder. Her warm breath touched the tip of his ear, making his heart itch. He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so uncomfortable anymore. I can breathe. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s useful. Soak for a while.¡± Wei Ting reminded, ¡°Be careful of that person. He¡¯s a Gu Master.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Okay.¡± The middle-aged man was stunned. So it was so simple to cure the poison of Snow Domain Hemp? Why had no one ever thought of it? Su Xiaoxiao walked towards him. The girl had already gotten up and was hiding behind him. He stretched out his arm to protect the girl behind him. Su Xiaoxiao ignored their cheap shots and tricks. ¡°You just said that the two of you are from the southern border?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the middle-aged man said. Su Xiaoxiao sized him up. Compared to the Gu Master beside King Nanyang, this guy looked much more ordinary, but one couldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover. ¡°Are there Gu Masters in the southern border?¡± she asked. The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Of course. Moreover, our southern border¡¯s Gu Masters are much stronger than those of Northern Yan.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Stop bragging. I don¡¯t like to hear it..¡± Chapter 779 - Chapter 779: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder (2) Chapter 779: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The middle-aged man was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Since you¡¯re a Gu Master of the southern border, have you heard of the Snake Bone Flower?¡± They only knew that the Snake Bone Flower was in the Southern Wilderness, but they did not know where in the Southern Wilderness. If Ghost Fear and Wei Yan went to the Southern Wilderness, they would have to investigate from the beginning. The middle-aged man said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it. You want the Snake Bone Flower? There¡¯s no Snake Bone Flower in winter. It only appears in two to three months.¡± February and March. Wei Qing¡¯s half a year ends in April next year. There was qtill time Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the Snake Bone Flower?¡± The middle-aged man said, ¡°Ordinary people can¡¯t enter the Holy Mountain of the Southern Wilderness.¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡®What kind of place is the Holy Mountain?¡± The middle-aged man instructed helplessly, ¡°The territory of the Saint Lady Temple. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the girl hiding behind him. ¡°You just said that she¡¯s the sister of the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness. Can she enter? Or can both of you enter?¡± The middle-aged man trembled. ¡°Men can¡¯t enter!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Then she can enter.¡± The girl shouted, ¡°I won¡¯t bring you there even if I die!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the girl indifferently. ¡°Jing Yi, kill her.¡± Jing Yi nocked an arrow and drew the bow, aiming in the girl¡¯s direction. The middle-aged man quickly spread his arms to protect her and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Don¡¯t attack! Everything is negotiable! It¡¯s just a Snake Bone Flower. The Saintess of the Southern Wilderness can afford it.¡± The girl said unhappily, ¡°The Snake Bone Flower only blooms once a year. Why should I give it to her!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. It seemed that it was true. This southern border Gu Master was not lying. The Snake Bone Flower was at the Holy Mountain of the Southern Wilderness. The middle-aged man said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve said everything that needs to be said. You can let us go now. When we return to the southern border, I¡¯ll report to the Saintess and ask her to hand the Snake Bone Flower to you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I never place my hopes on strangers.¡± An ominous feeling surged in the middle-aged man¡¯s heart. ¡°What do you want to do? Could it be that you want to silence us? If you kill us, the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness won¡¯t let you off!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°If you die here, who will do the informing? The middle-aged man subconsciously protected the girl and took a step back. Jing Yi¡¯s big bow was always aimed at them. The wind surged, and an extremely sharp sound tore through the air. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Jing Yi, be careful!¡± A pair of sharp battle axes shot towards Jing Yi. Jing Yi pulled out his sword to block and was thrown to the ground by the sudden force. A black-robed man flashed past and grabbed the girl with one hand and the middle-aged man with the other. He used his qinggong and disappeared from the spot. Baby Jing was unhappy to be ambushed and pushed to the ground. He flew down and was about to chase after them. Su Xiaoxiao stopped him. ¡°Stop chasing. They¡¯re far away.¡± Jing Yi was extremely resentful. ¡°The next time I see him, I want to beat him up.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± Today¡¯s harvest was unexpected. Not only did she save Wei Ting and Fu Su, but she also found out that the Snake Bone Flower was at the Holy Mountain. Jing Yi came to the side of the hot spring and stared at Wei Ting expressionlessly. Wei Ting did not need to turn around to feel a pair of eyes staring at him. He asked calmly, ¡°What are you doing? Jing Yi said seriously, ¡± Looking at you. I want to remember your weak appearance so that I can mock you in the future.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Wei Ting said to Jing Yi, ¡°We won¡¯t be able to leave Heavenly Mountain today. GO tind a cave and nunt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Jing Yi refused firmly. Wei Ting sent out his trump card. ¡°It¡¯s very cold here. She¡¯ll freeze and starve.¡± Jing Yi turned around and left. Su Xiaoxiao took Fu Su¡¯s pulse and came behind Wei Ting. She asked angrily, ¡°Why are you ordering Jing Yi around?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t order him around, how can we send him away? ¡°Why did you send him away¡ªah¡ª¡± Su Xiaoxiao was pulled down the hot spring by a force. Wei Ting carried her around in the warm spring and pressed her against the warm pool wall. He placed his hands on both sides and imprisoned her in his arms. He stared at her deeply, his gaze burning. There were crystal clear water droplets on his perfect face, and there was a hint of seductiveness in his weakness. He asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Why did you come to the border? Did you specially come to look for me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao denied it. ¡°No, Xiao Duye came to Northern Yan to find the herb for Second Brother. He was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t recognize it, so he reported it to Emperor Jing Xuan and brought me along.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Wei Ting did not believe him. Su Xiaoxiao said righteously, ¡°That¡¯s right. Xiao Duye has been left behind by Jing Yi and me. Ask him yourself later!¡± Wei Ting looked at her staring at the sky and suddenly chuckled. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him curiously. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Wei Ting said with a faint smile, ¡°I¡¯m laughing at you for not knowing how to lie. You clearly miss me to death. You came thousands of miles to chase your husband and even expressed your feelings to me in public, but you refused to admit it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glared at him. ¡°Who expressed my feelings to you in public? I was¡­¡± Wei Ting lowered his head and covered her lips that were dry from the cold wind. His lips and tongue traced her outline, making her red lips soften bit by bit. A certain someone¡¯s kissing skills had gone from inexperienced to mature. Su Xiaoxiao blushed from the kiss, her heart beating wildly, and her brain seemed to be deficient in oxygen. He slowly let go of her. Su Xiaoxiao caught her breath and immediately said, ¡°I¡¯m not done. I¡­ um¡ª¡± All her words were stuck in her throat. No one knew what kind of sparks flashed across his heart the moment he saw her appear. Fu Su slowly woke up. He looked at the two of them in the hot spring. ¡°Should I continue to faint or continue to faint?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Wei Ting! Let me finish!¡± Wei Ting did not let her finish. He kissed her until she completely lost her temper and her body softened into a pool of hot spring water. He hugged her flushed face and pressed his forehead against hers. His magnetic voice said calmly, ¡°Fu Su, if you¡¯re not dead, get lost.¡± ¡°Why do I need to get lost? Don¡¯t tell me the two of you were thinking¡­¡± Heavens! Heavens! Fu Su covered his eyes and rolled away! Chapter 780 - Chapter 780: Love Chapter 780: Love Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hunting in the snow was a test of a hunter¡¯s ability. Fortunately, Jing Yi was a good hunter. He had caught a pair of pheasants and a pair of hares. He was carrying them back when he saw Fu Su coming over. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jing Yi asked. Fu Su couldn¡¯t say that he had been chased away by Young Master. He coughed lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to help you hunt.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m done,¡± Jing Yi said. ¡°Oh,¡± Fu Su said again. ¡°Then shall we find a cave to stay in together? We probably won¡¯t be able to walk out tonight.¡± ¡°I found it,¡± JingYi said. No way, what kind of all-rounded young marquis was he? Could he leave some dough for secret guards like him? Jing Yi looked behind him. ¡°Where¡¯s Qin Su?¡± Was he sure he wasn¡¯t asking for Qin Su and Wei Ting? Poor Young Master. Fu Su said without changing his expression, ¡°It won¡¯t be so fast to detoxify the poison in the hot spring. They¡¯ll only come over later.¡± Jing Yi paused. ¡°I¡¯ll go look for her.¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± She held Jing Yi¡¯s arm. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look for them. They¡¯ll come themselves.¡± If he went, he would ruin Young Master and Madam¡¯s reunion after a long separation. Fu Su continued, ¡°Moreover, the cave definitely needs to be cleaned up. We can¡¯t let Young Madam stay in a mess.¡± Jing Yi thought about it and felt that it made sense. He brought his prey to the cave and begain cleaning up the cave. Fu Su heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Young Madam was Young Marquis Jing¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel. Otherwise, he might not have been able to stop him. Young Master would have noted his ¡°merit¡± again. More than an hour after, Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting came out of the hot spring. Wei Ting looked satisfied and refreshed. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand. This time, Wei Ting carried her ashore. The spring was warm, and when she came out, her body was wet. The cold wind in the snow mountain made her teeth chatter. Su Xiaoxiao hugged her arms and said, ¡°Wait for me here. I brought clothes and placed them over there.¡± With that, she chirped to the back of the mountain not far away. Ever since she went to Western Jin, she had prepared a family¡¯s luggage in the pharmacy. There were hers, Wei Ting¡¯s, and the three little ones¡¯. She quickly finished changing and handed Wei Ting a set of dry clothes. Wei Ting looked curiously at a certain little fat peacock who had already changed her clothes and returned. He remembered that she had come down from the mountain peak. When did she hide the things behind the mountain? ¡°Put it on quickly.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stuffed the clothes to him. Wei Ting found a leeward place to change his clothes. Su Xiaoxiao secretly took his wet clothes and threw them into the pharmacy. Wei Ting looked at her sneaky expression and felt that she was fiddling with her little secret again. Jing Yi left marks along the way. Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao followed the marks to the cave that had long been cleaned up. There was a fire in the cave, and some dry firewood was piled up at the side. Four rocks were placed beside the fire. Jing Yi and Fu Su were sitting opposite each other on a rock. Because Wuhu had flown in the cold wind for too long, it was frozen into a small ice sculpture. It lay motionless in Jing Yi¡¯s arms. When Jing Yi saw Su Xiaoxiao, his clean and clear eyes were like stars. When he saw Wei Ting, his eyes turned cold. ¡°It takes so long to detoxify the poison. You¡¯re so weak.¡± Su Xiaoxiao choked. Wei Ting looked at Su Xiaoxiao meaningfully and lifted a strand of her long hair with his slender fingers. ¡°Looks like I have to work harder.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡°Why did you change your clothes?¡± Jing Yi asked Su Xiaoxiao. It was not strange for Wei Ting to change his clothes. He was already soaking in the hot spring. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°I accidentally wet them.¡± Jing Yi did not ask where she took out the clothes from. Jing Yi gave his rock to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°I¡¯ve warmed it up for you. I¡¯ll get the prey to roast.¡± The prey had already been cleaned up, but he didn¡¯t know when she would come over. He was afraid that it would get cold again after being roasted, so he hung it on the branch outside. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s heart was about to melt. What kind of angel was this? Wei Ting planned to sit down beside Su Xiaoxiao. Jing Yi pointed opposite. ¡°Your seat is over there. Fu Su is also warming it up for you.¡± Wei Ting smiled faintly. ¡°I like cold seats.¡± Jing Yi went outside and carried an ice block over. ¡°Sit.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. In the end, Wei Ting didn¡¯t give up the seat beside Su Xiaoxiao. Jing Yi moved the rock beside Fu Su over and sat on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s other side. Fu Su looked at the three opposite him and then at himself, who was alone. He was dumbfounded. Su Xiaoxiao and Jing Yi traveled for a day and night. After eating and drinking their fill, they couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. Jing Yi hugged his sword and fell asleep against the stone wall behind him. Su Xiaoxiao also fell asleep on Wei Ting¡¯s shoulder. Fu Su warmed himself by the fire. Not long after, he felt sleepy. Wei Ting said to him, ¡°Sleep first. I¡¯ll keep watch and call you later in the night. ¡± Fu Su lay on the ground and fell asleep. The cave fell silent. Although there was a fire, a few cold winds would pour in occasionally. It was quite cold. Wei Ting turned around and carried her into his arms, using his back to block the cold wind at the entrance of the cave. He looked down at her sweet sleeping face and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You duplicitous little thing.¡± Wuhu finally woke up after roasting over the fire for the entire night. It crawled out of Jing Yi¡¯s arms and jumped in front of Su Xiaoxiao. It flapped its wings and flew into her arms. Swish. It was mercilessly grabbed by a jade-like hand. Wei Ting sneered. ¡°I didn¡¯t manage to eat braised parrot last time. It¡¯s not bad to have a roasted parrot this time.¡± The feathers of Wuhu exploded. Was he even human? In order to find him, its bird wings were frozen! What was wrong with letting it lie in a fragrant and soft place? Wei Ting snorted, ¡°Heh.¡± In order not to be made into a skewered parrot, Wuhu resigned itself to fate and returned to Jing Yi¡¯s arms. It was possessed by Xiaohu in a second and sang incomparably miserably, ¡°The wind in the north ¨C the snow ¡°Shut up!¡± Wuhu shut up. Three seconds later. Wuhu whispered, ¡°Floating After resting in the cave for the entire night, the few of them had recovered a lot. The remaining poison in the bodies of Fu Su and Wei Ting had also been completely eliminated. Next, it was time to return to Heavenly Mountain. Before leaving, they had to bring that unlucky Xiao Duye out of the ravine. Su Xiaoxiao wondered if he had frozen to death that night. Jing Yi and Fu Su went to look for him. Su Xiaoxiao asked Wei Ting, ¡°What are your plans? She knew that other than searching for medicine, he had another mission to assassinate Helian Ye. Wei Ting said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back to Broken North Pass first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°I can go back myself.¡± Wei Ting looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t bear to part with me and secretly follow me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face darkened. ¡°No!¡± Wei Ting smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡°Okay, here they come.¡± Wei Ting heard footsteps a hundred steps away and stood up to walk out. He suddenly turned around and pressed her domineeringly against the stone wall. He pinched her chin and kissed her heavily on the lips. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the rest when I get back..¡± Chapter 781 - Chapter 781: Guard Chapter 781: Guard Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao could feel that Wei Ting was in an extremely good mood. He looked cold and domineering on the surface, but the smugness he inadvertently revealed was like Xiaohu who had eaten pork balls. Wei Ting held Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and left the cave. The two of them saw Xiao Duye and his guards who had been found by Jing Yi. They wouldn¡¯t have known if they hadn¡¯t seen them. They were shocked. It had only been a day and a night since they last saw each other, but Xiao Duye looked as if his Yang qi had been sucked dry by a female ghost. His face was pale, and his eyes were sunken. His face was haggard. Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed, ¡°Your Highness Liang, did you encounter a ghost?¡± Xiao Duye glared at Su Xiaoxiao. He was wrapped in thick leather and was almost unable to speak. That damn brat actually abandoned him with Jing Yi in the middle of the night and left first. It was cold and freezing. He fell and was stunned. He could only find a cave to settle down first. But what good place could a cave be? It was damp and cold. It was not enough to light a fire. The cold wind wrapped in ice poured in. If not for his luck, he would have frozen to death inside! Soon, he saw Wei Ting beside Su Xiaoxiao and frowned. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Wei Ting was not afraid of him and said calmly, ¡°No comment.¡± Xiao Duye said coldly, ¡°You left the capital without permission. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll go back and raise a complaint about you!¡± Wei Ting said fearlessly, ¡°Your Highness, just go and participate and see if His Majesty will punish me.¡± Xiao Duye was stunned. ¡°Did Father ask you to come?¡± Wei Ting did not say yes or no. No matter how stupid Xiao Duye was, he understood that Wei Ting had come to the border on orders and was acting secretly like him. He could not help but be curious. What mission did his father arrange for Wei Ting? It couldn¡¯t be that he was also here to look for medicine. No, it didn¡¯t look like it. Medicine? Xiao Duye thought that he had been frozen silly and had almost forgotten about serious matters. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao solemnly. ¡°Where¡¯s the medicine? Did you pick it?¡± ¡°I picked it. Here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a piece of hemp from Wei Ting¡¯s bag and threw it to him. Xiao Duye¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly caught it. ¡°Be careful not to break it!¡± This stalk of hemp was ordinary. She had prepared it in the pharmacy in advance and only placed it in Wei Ting¡¯s bag this morning. Xiao Duye frowned. ¡°Why do I feel that this Snow Domain Hemp is nothing special?¡± Xiao Duye did not know anything about medicine. He would not recognize the real McCoy even if she gave it to him. He simply felt that this hemp looked very ordinary. ¡°You didn¡¯t pick the wrong one, did you?¡± He asked Su Xiaoxiao suspiciously. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t suspect me. If you don¡¯t trust me, bring another physician to Heavenly Mountain another day.¡± Xiao Duye thought of his experience of almost dying on Heavenly Mountain and expressed that he did not want to come a second time in his life. Forget it. She was also Zhuge Qing¡¯s doctor. She would not fool Zhuge Qing with a fake Snow Domain Hemp. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know about fooling Zhuge Qing. She was simply worried about handing the real Snow Domain Hemp to him. It was time to return to Broken North Pass. They had secretly come over, so they naturally had to return secretly. Xiao Duye disagreed. He said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Don¡¯t you have the token Helian Ye gave you? Can¡¯t you walk through the checkpoint openly? Previously, you were in a hurry to find the hetb. Now that you have the herb, it¡¯s much safer to walk the main road?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°If Wei Ting¡¯s identity is exposed and the mission given to him by His Majesty is affected, can Prince Liang bear the responsibility?¡± Xiao Duye fell silent. The group spent a day walking out of Heavrnly Mountain. In the middle of the night, they arrived at the military camp of Northern Yan. Wei Ting looked at the number of patrolling soldiers in the camp that was clearly doubled and said in a low voice, ¡°Why is the security so tight? Were you exposed when you came over?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me either.¡± Xiao Duye was speechless. It wasn¡¯t him, okay? It was his guard. Wei Ting and Jing Yi took the lead and Fu Su followed. The group avoided the patrolling soldiers, went around the sleeping tents, and carefully walked towards the iron net in front. Halfway through, Wei Ting suddenly stopped. Xiao Duye almost bumped into his back. He gritted his teeth and wanted to scold him, but he was worried that he would be exposed. There was no lamp in the tent. If not for Wei Ting¡¯s good hearing, he would not have noticed the commotion inside. ¡°Is the Great General really here? Is the news reliable?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a letter from the Great General. He has already arrived in Wu Town and plans to rest there for three days.¡± ¡°What happened after that? Do you have any instructions, General?¡± ¡°Not for the time being. You and I will wait for news of the Great General. In addition, the military camp has to be strengthened. Don¡¯t let any mistakes from the night before appear again. You know that the Great General is strict.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± After that, the two of them exchanged a few pleasantries. One of them left the tent and the other rested. Everyone held their breaths until the other party was far away before leaving quietly. An hour later, they returned to Broken North Pass. The two carriages stopped on the official road and were watched by Xiao Duye¡¯s attendant and coachman. Xiao Duye got into the carriage without a word and got someone to set up a stove to warm himself. Su Xiaoxiao and the others also got into Jing Yi¡¯s carriage. Fu Su stood guard outside. ¡°Where¡¯s Wu Town?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Wei Ting said, ¡°About a hundred miles northeast. We can reach it in a day if I ride fast and change horses diligently.¡± After a pause, he said, ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s at the border. It saves me the trouble of going to the capital to look for him.¡± Jing Yi was also in the carriage. Wei Ting did not deliberately hide his mission in front of him. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you to complete your mission and return to the capital together.¡± Wei Ting looked at her deeply with an expression that said, ¡°As expected, you can¡¯t bear to part with me and want to stick to me every day.¡± He sighed. ¡°If you insist.¡± Wait, why was she the one who insisted? If they went back together, wouldn¡¯t a carriage save them a sum of money? Did he know how to live? ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose. I¡¯ll go to Wu Town now. In addition, I¡¯ll leave Fu Su with you.¡± As Wei Ting spoke, he picked up the cloak on the bench and put it on her. His well-defined fingers tied the ribbon for her bit by bit. ¡°I¡¯ll try to come back early.¡± JingYi wanted to say, ¡°Hurry up and leave!¡± ¡°Bring Fu Su along,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Helian Ye isn¡¯t so easy to kill.¡± Wei Ting smiled. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± JingYi asked, ¡°Who asked you to be lousy?¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Wei Ting still left Fu Su behind. The reason was that if he could not kill Helian Ye now, Fu Su would be tempting fate had he gone. If he could kill him, Fu Su would not need to follow. Fu Su said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Actually, Young Master is worried about you.¡± Wei Ting silently thought about increasing his salary next month. Wei Ting set off overnight and infiltrated Northern Yan. Su Xiaoxiao and the others went to a nearby courier station. The conditions at the border were difficult. There were no so-called upper rooms at the courier station. They were all ordinary houses. Xiao Duye could not help but feel disdainful again, but because he was too tired, he quickly fell asleep. ¡°Aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± Jing Yi knocked on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s door. ¡°I¡¯m not asleep. Come in,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Jing Yi carried a bowl of ginger soup in. ¡°I asked the chef at the courier station to make it. Have some ginger soup to warm your body.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the ginger soup. Jing Yi sat down opposite her. ¡®What are you thinking about?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Helian Ye secretly came to Wu Town. From the conversation of the two Northern Yan people, it¡¯s very likely that he will come to the border.¡± Jing Yi asked, ¡°Are you worried that there will be a war?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve seen it along the way. The people at the border are miserable, and the streets are filled with beggars and refugees. The soldiers are probably not having a good time either. If we really fight, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll go hungry.¡± JingYi paused and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t the old Duke and Su MO send a batch of rations to the capital?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s far from enough. Besides, the rations are just a cover. It¡¯s mainly to transport weapons.¡± This was considered a secret, but there was nothing she could not say to Jing Yi. Even Wei Ting trusted him as he fought with him. Jing Yi looked at her. ¡°You¡¯ve already thought of a countermeasure, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°I don¡¯t Imow if I¡¯ll be in time. Tomorrow morning, follow me to the surrounding cities to buy rations..¡± Chapter 782 - Chapter 782: Morning Sickness Chapter 782: Morning Sickness Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Okay.¡± Jing Yi agreed without any hesitation. He looked at the ginger soup on the table that was almost cold. ¡°Drink the ginger soup first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up the ginger soup and took a sip, frowning. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jing Yi asked. Su Xiaoxiao suppressed the discomfort in her stomach and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I probably haven¡¯t drunk it in a long time and I¡¯m not used to it.¡± When she drank again, the nausea and retching were gone. She finished the ginger soup in one go and broke out in a sweat. She felt much better. The next morning, she was woken up by a commotion. It was the county magistrate of Jia County. This county magistrate¡¯s surname was Yuan. He was once a scholar who came from two rankings. Because his outstanding performance attracted Xiao Duye¡¯s attention, he was personally picked up by Xiao Duye. Unfortunately, this person was an alcoholic and was demoted to a bitter place after working in the Hanlin Academy for a few days. He happened to have something to do yesterday and went to Broken North Pass. He saw two carriages parked beside the official road. The carriage was not the main point. He recognized the long follower of the First Prince¡¯s residence who often accompanied Xiao Duye. The guard pretended not to know him, but he was sure that he was not wrong. Look, he had found a courier station today. Su Xiaoxiao washed up and dressed. When she walked out of the door, Jing Yi was already waiting under the corridor with his sword. ¡°Have you waited long?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°No, I just arrived,¡± Jing Yi said. ¡°There¡¯s a situation. The county magistrate of Jia County is here and wants to invite King Liang to the county office to recuperate. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Recuperation means¡­¡± JingYi said calmly, ¡°Oh, King Liang is sick.¡± Xiao Duye was freezing in the snow mountain and started to feel uncomfortable in the middle of the night. This morning, he had a high fever. County Magistrate Yuan came to pay his respects and was frightened to death by his pale face. However, since he was already here, he could only brace himself and invite Xiao Duye to the county office to recuperate. ¡°Should we let him go?¡± Jing Yi asked. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°Let him go. We¡¯re going to buy rations in the next few days. We can¡¯t care less about him. Let the county magistrate watch him. He¡¯s more dedicated than us.¡± At this moment, in the room next door, Xiao Duye was sitting cross-legged on the bed with a thick cotton blanket. He said to County Magistrate Yuan in a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯m traveling incognito this time. Remember, you can¡¯t expose my identity.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± County Magistrate Yuan hurriedly agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll them everyone that you¡¯re a distant relative of mine.¡± Xiao Duye weakly gave him a cold gaze that was harmless. County Magistrate Yuan lowered his head. Xiao Duye said, ¡°I shall pose as a merchant. You can call me Boss Xiao.¡± County Magistrate Yuan hurriedly said, ¡°I understand.¡± Su Xiaoxiao and Jing Yi came over. Su Xiaoxiao took Xiao Duye¡¯s pulse. County Magistrate Yuan sized up Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°This is¡­¡± Xiao Duye said calmly, ¡°My medicine woman¡¯s surname is Qin.¡± ¡°Miss Qin.¡± County Magistrate Yuan cupped his hands. A medicine woman had a lowly status in the Great Zhou, but as the saying went, a seventh-grade official in front of the Prime Minister was not someone a county magistrate like him could neglect. He looked at Jing Yi beside him. He had not been in the capital for long and had never seen Young Marquis Jing. Xiao Duye continued, ¡°My guard¡¯s surname is Jing.¡± Qin and Jing were famous surnames in the capital. However, the two of them should not have anything to do with the Protecto Duke¡¯s Estate and the Marquis of Weiwu¡¯s Estate. Otherwise, how could they be a medicine woman and a guard beside King Liang? ¡°I¡¯m going out with Jing Yi,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Xiao Duye. Xiao Duye asked warily, ¡°What are you doing now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°To get medicine for His Highness.¡± Xiao Duye snorted. ¡°At least you have a conscience.¡± Xiao Duye was brought to the county office by County Magistrate Yuan. Su Xiaoxiao brought Jing Yi and Fu Su to buy food. Jing Yi took out all his assets and did not even hide a small piece of silver. If Fu Su was poor, he would not have money. ¡°These don¡¯t seem to be enough.¡± Young Marquis Jing didn¡¯t know the price of food, but he felt that a few hundred taels seemed to be too little. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Jing Yi, take the banknotes and silver back. I brought the military salary.¡± Her pharmacy contained the White Lotus Society¡¯s gold and all the assets she had extorted from Zhao Kangning. It was more than enough to buy rations. She was not doing this for the Imperial Court, nor was she doing this for Emperor Jing Xuan. Instead, when they really fought, the ones fighting on the battlefield on their stomachs were Qin Canglan and Su MO, and the tens of thousands of soldiers under them. ¡°It¡¯s still for you.¡± Jing Yi insisted on giving it to her. Su Xiaoxiao had no choice but to accept it. The three of them would buy it in Jia County first. They could not buy it all. They had to leave some for the commoners. Fu Su looked at the sparse five carts of rations. ¡°These are not enough either.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Which county is richer next door?¡± Fu Su exclaimed, ¡°Chong County! There are many caravans stationed there all year round. There are those from the Great Zhou, the Western Jin, and the Northern Yan. We can buy rations from the caravans.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How far is Chong County? Like Wei Ting, Fu Su had the habit of carrying a map with him. He spread it out and pointed at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°A hundred miles west.¡± Su Xiaoxiao made a prompt decision. ¡°Alright, go to Chong County.¡± Before leaving, she grabbed a set of medicine and left a letter for herself to visit Qin Canglan in Zi Town. She found a shop assistant to send it to the county office. ¡°Ask Boss Xiao for the medicine money.¡± She would not spend money for Xiao Duye. The three of them immediately set off for Chong County. 50 miles east of Broken North Pass, there was a military camp. At this moment, the soldiers were training on the drill ground. Su MO chose a few soldiers to spar with him. Qin Canglan and General Liu watched from the side. General Liu smiled and said, ¡°General Su¡¯s martial arts have improved again. When I saw him a few years ago, he didn¡¯t seem to have such skills.¡± Qin Canglan had long resigned from his position in the army and was no longer the Duke Protector, but Liu Ren still respected him as the Grand Marshal. Qin Canglan placed his hands behind his back and looked at Su Mo. ¡°This kid hasn¡¯t revealed his true ability.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Liu Ren was shocked. Su MO knocked down the two soldiers with a spear and retaliated, sending the ambushers behind him flying. He had shown mercy when they exchanged blows. Otherwise, they would have died these few days with those two moves just now, but the Grand Marshal said that he had not shown his true ability? ¡°How¡¯s the salary of the various battalions?¡± Qin Canglan asked. Liu Ren sighed. ¡°Sigh, the military salary has been delayed. The soldiers have a lot of objections. You have to know that most of these soldiers are poor commoners. When they joined the army, they used their lives to exchange for food and surplus food for their families, but now¡­¡± Qin Canglan only knew that the situation here was worse than he had imagined after coming to the border. If this continued, the soldiers would not have the morale to fight. ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± Before the army arrived, the rations had to reach first. Since ancient times, it had always been like this when marching and fighting. After all, His Majesty had been the emperor for so many years. It was impossible for him not to know this. Qin Canglan sneered. ¡°His Majesty has no intention of starting a war.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan only wanted to use Qin Canglan¡¯s reputation to shock Northern Yan and make them not dare to invade. However, he had underestimated the ambitions of the Northern Yan. Back then, when Qin Canglan and Lord Wu An guarded the border together, the Northern Yan did not give up, let alone now that they had lost Lord Wu An. Northern Yan had tasted the sweetness of it. She would probably not let Qin Canglan return alive this time. The last soldier was also beaten down by Su Mo. Qin Canglan took a big step forward and grabbed a red tassel spear from the shelf. ¡°Mo¡¯er, exchange a few moves with me!¡± Su MO said, ¡°Okay!¡± Chapter 783 - Chapter 783: The Happiness of a Baller Chapter 783: The Happiness of a Baller Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was rare for two top-notch experts to fight. The soldiers surrounded them to watch. In the battle with Qin Canglan, Su Mots strength was displayed bit by bit. Seeing that Su MO had actually taken so many moves in the hands of the Grand Marshal, Liu Ren finally believed that Su MO had indeed not used his full strength just now. Qin Canglan¡¯s spear shot out like a dragon and attacked Su Mo¡¯s lower body. Su MO tapped the ground with his spear and jumped up. He flipped over Qin Canglan¡¯s back and attacked him with a beautiful reversal the moment he landed. Qin Canglan did not turn around. He stabbed the red tassel spear into the ground. Su MO¡¯s spearhead pierced his red tassel spear. ¡°Great!¡± In the crowd, someone clapped and cheered. Su MO smiled. ¡°Granduncle, it seems you¡¯re still young. Then what about this He decisively retracted his spear, raised it above his head, and turned in the air before slashing down. There were no complicated moves, only simple heavy strikes. Qin Canglan held the red tassel spear with both hands and blocked his attack. Then, Qin Canglan praised, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since welast fought. Your internal strength has become much deeper.¡± Su MO retracted his spear. ¡°Thank you for letting me win!¡± The two of them exchanged more than ten moves. The soldiers¡¯ blood boiled as they watched, wishing they could be as powerful as the two of them. The soldiers were intoxicated and wished that the two of them could continue fighting. However, at this moment, a cold voice sounded from behind everyone. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you training early in the morning? Why are you all gathered here?¡± Everyone¡¯s expressions changed. Qin Canglan and Su MO stopped gesturing. A general in armor and holding a helmet strode over. This person was none other than Leng Tiannan¡¯s biological uncle, Leng Kui. Five years ago, after Wu Anjun died in battle with Wei Xu and a few children of the Wei family, he took over the army at the border. Emperor Jing Xuan conferred him the title of First-grade General of the North. In the Great Zhou, the highest position of a general was the Grand Marshal, and below that was athe First-grade General. Leng Kui said with a dignified aura, ¡°All of you are standing here. Is there no need to train?¡± Everyone dispersed. Only Leng Kui, Liu Ren, Qin Canglan, and Su MO were left on the noisy venue. Qin Canglan and Su MO came to the border in the name of escorting the provisions. If necessary, the two of them could be mobilized, but the real person in charge was Leng Kui. Leng Kui seemed to have only seen Qin Canglan and Su MO at this moment. He cupped his hands at Qin Canglan indifferently. ¡°So it¡¯s the Old Duke who¡¯s guiding the soldiers in martial arts. I came at the wrong time.¡± Qin Canglan smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s not guidance. I¡¯m bored and want to spar with Mo¡¯er.¡± Leng Kui gave a fake smile. ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disturb the two of you. Why don¡¯t we talk in the tent? General Liu, come too.¡± Liu Ren cupped his hands. ¡°Yes.¡± The group went to Leng Kui¡¯s tent. It turned out that the spy had sent back information that Wan City, which was 50 kilometers to the east, had been invaded by bandits and raiders again. This was the second time this month. Leng Kui hoped that Su MO could bring troops to Wan City to quell the chaos. Leng Kui said, ¡°Hurry up and bring your troops to Wan City. You must eliminate the rebels in Wan City!¡± Su MO asked, ¡°How many men does the general plan to give me?¡± Leng Kui said, ¡°5,000.¡± Liu Ren was stunned. ¡°How can only 5,000 be enough?¡± Leng Kui said seriously, ¡°The situation at the border is tense now. I can only assign so many troops.¡± ¡°5,000 is enough,¡± Su MO said. Leng Kui smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. You can set off later.¡± Qin Canglan suddenly said, ¡°General, what arrangements do you have for the defense at the border?¡± Leng Kui looked at him. ¡°In what capacity are you asking me?¡± Qin Canglan smiled. ¡°I was just asking. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s not convenient for you to answer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not inconvenient. I plan to station troops in Barbican and Liao City.¡± ¡°What about Jia County?¡± Qin Canglan asked. Leng Kui said, ¡°Jia County is just a poor town with a poor population. Our military strength is limited, so we have to try our best to defend a larger city, right? Moreover, Jia County¡¯s geographical location is special. Once we increase our troops, it will undoubtedly be provoking the Northern Yan. We have to prevent the Northern Yan from causing trouble, not initiate a war.¡± With that, he stood up and walked out. Qin Canglan said calmly, ¡°Leng Kui, this battle is destined to be fought.¡¯ Leng Kui stopped in his tracks and did not say anything. He lifted the curtain and left. Su MO looked at Qin Canglan. ¡°Granduncle.¡± Qin Canglan nodded. ¡°He¡¯s a First-grade general. Do as he says first. At the same time, investigate the situation in Wan City.¡± Su MO pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Granduncle, with all due respect, His Majesty doesn¡¯t want to fight this battle.¡± The Leng family was Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s trusted aide. Otherwise, why would Emperor Jing Xuan give the greatest benefit to the Leng family? Leng Kui¡¯s attitude was largely Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s attitude. Qin Canglan snorted. ¡°I know he doesn¡¯t want to fight. I didn¡¯t count on him in the first place. The Qin family¡¯s cavalry is on the way. Last time, Wei Ting defeated Northern Yan and could have pursued them to the end. It was our emperor who was afraid of wasting the people¡¯s money and forcefully summoned Wei Ting back. He even disbanded the Wei family¡¯s military power. I don¡¯t want the Qin family and the Su family to become the second Wei family. We have to fight this battle!¡± This did not mean that he had to send the soldiers to their deaths. It was just that even if he endured it, it would not be able to exchange for the Northern Yan peace. The yearly tribute of Northern Yan was getting more and more perfunctory every year. Wasn¡¯t Northern Yan¡¯s defeat tragic enough? No, it was Northern Yan that controlled Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s attitude. They knew that although he had won on the surface, he was afraid in his heart. Qin Canglan would rather die on the battlefield than submit to the enemy! Su Xiaoxiao, Fu Su, and Jing Yi rushed for a day and night before finally arriving at Chong County in the morning. Due to the fact that merchant groups from various countries were stationed in Chong County, even Northern Yan seemed to deliberately avoid this place during the battle. Therefore, after seeing the devastation at the border, Su Xiaoxiao found it unbelievable that they had barged into Chong County. ¡°Chong County¡­ is so lively,¡± she sighed. ¡°There are many caravans.¡± Fu Su parked the carriage in front of a rice shop. ¡°Young Madam, we¡¯ve arrived at the first one.¡± He went to get a stool, but Jing Yi had already reached out to help Su Xiaoxiao down. Fu Su wanted to say, ¡°Can you not fight with a secret guard for work? You¡¯ll cost me my increment!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked about the price of food. It was probably because the situation at the border was tense that the price of food had increased. The price of rice increased by three copper coins per catty, and the price of white flour increased by four copper coins. There was no need to mention the price of chicken, duck, and mutton. They shopped from morning to night. Almost all the shops in the county city had been cleaned out by them. Even the food shipped to the Western Jin was intercepted by her at a high price. Needless to say, she would not leave a single grain of rice for Northern Yan! After intercepting all the provisions of the Northern Yan caravan, Su Xiaoxiao finally experienced the joy of being a baller. Fu Su turned around and looked at the carriages that occupied almost half the street. ¡°These provisions should be enough to last through the winter. How should we transport them to the border next? With so much provisions, it will be very eye-catching on the way..¡± Chapter 784 - Chapter 784: Baby Jing Shows Off Chapter 784: Baby Jing Shows Off Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was indeed too eye-catching. There was no war in Chong County, so it was still considered peaceful. However, the citizens of the cities near Broken North Pass were struggling. It was hard to guarantee that they would not encounter robbery. There were only three of them. It was not easy to keep an eye on so many carts of provisions, and it would delay the journey. This place was a hundred miles away from Jia County. It was 150 miles to the Zi Town military camp where Qin Canglan was. The more rations they brought, the slower their progress. Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and looked at the two of them. Without changing her expression, she said, ¡°Ask the local escort agency if they can transport so many carts of food. I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± ¡°Jing Yi and I will take one each,¡± Fu Su said. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°No need. I can do it alone. It¡¯s very safe beside the county office. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Fu Su muttered, ¡°I¡¯m worried about the rations.¡± ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s still¡­ Howl!¡± Halfway through, Fu Su was forcefully pulled away by Jing Yi. The two of them visited three escort agencies. When they heard that they had to escort more than a hundred carts of rations, they all expressed that they did not have the strength. When the two of them returned to the quiet alley in the back street of the government office, Su Xiaoxiao was leaning against a mule cart, panting. She was sweating and out of breath. Seeing the two of them come over, she straightened her back, looking like she was not tired and had done nothing. ¡°Young Madam, what did you do? Did you practice martial arts just now?¡± Fu Su asked. Su Xiaoxiao coughed lightly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a little cold. I moved around.¡± Jing Yi walked over and handed her a clean and soft handkerchief. ¡°Wipe your sweat and rest for a while.¡± Baby Jing was still the obedient one. ¡°I¡¯m not tired¡­¡± Duang! Her legs gave way and she went limp. The pharmacy was not human. The last time she filled it with gold, it was very happy. She lay on the gold and went in. This time, she had to throw them in bag by bag¡ª Woah¡ª Jing Yi quickly supported her. Fu Su¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Young Madam, are you alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s smile was uglier than crying. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Call me next time,¡± Jing Yi whispered. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes darted around. It was over. She had exposed herself too quickly along the way. She could no longer hide her little secret in front of Jing Yi. Fu Su suddenly exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Eh? Young Madam, where¡¯s the food? Why are there only five carts left?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°I found someone from the county office and gave them a sum of silver to transport it away.¡± The pharmacy¡¯s storeroom was filled to the brim. It seemed that she had to work harder in the future to unlock more space in the pharmacy. ¡°Let¡¯s leave quickly,¡± Su Xiaoxiao urged. Fu Su muttered, ¡°Sigh, why are there only these few carts left¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao hired a few coachmen for the remaining carts of rations and rode east. However, when they passed by a canyon, Wuhu in Jing Yi¡¯s arms suddenly cried out. Right on the heels of that, countless burly men with sabers and swords rushed out of the forest on both sides and surrounded Su Xiaoxiao and the others. A middle-aged burly man with a scar on the left side of his face walked forward fiercely. ¡°Leave the things and horses behind and I¡¯ll spare your lives!¡± Jing Yi and Fu Su grabbed their sword hilts at the same time. The scar-faced man said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t move, or I¡¯ll shoot you.¡± On the slopes on both sides, countless archers drew their longbows and aimed at them. Su Xiaoxiao lifted the curtain and looked at the scar-faced man indifferently. ¡°Which one of you is the boss?¡± The scar-faced man said domineeringly, ¡°I am! ¡± ¡°Boss! It¡¯s a woman!¡± ¡°She¡¯s very beautiful!¡± ¡°Go away! Shut up!¡± The scar-faced man shouted, and the people on the hill fell silent. He continued to look at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Miss, we don¡¯t mean to hurt anyone. As long as you leave the things and horses behind, I promise to let you out of the mountain safely.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± The scar-faced man said, ¡°Then we can only snatch them by force. When the time comes, I hope you won¡¯t blame me for hurting you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s just five carts of food. How long will it take for so many of you to eat? Why don¡¯t you make a bet with me? I have two guards. Pick one and if you can last three moves against either of them, I¡¯ll give you another box of gold, other than these five carts of food!¡± As soon as these words were sD0ken. evervone was stunned. What did this woman say? Gold? A box?! The scar-faced man was also a little tempted. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao deeply. ¡°Is what you said true?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If I can¡¯t take out the gold, there are so many of you. Are you afraid that you can¡¯t kill me?¡± The scar-faced man said, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡®Wait, I haven¡¯t said what will happen if you lose.¡± The scar-faced man pointed his saber. ¡°Tell me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°If you lose in three moves, cut off your hands and you won¡¯t be a bandit anymore!¡± Looking at the delicate and soft little girl who actually wanted to cut off her hands the moment she opened her mouth, the scar-faced man was stunned. ¡°Boss!¡± Everyone¡¯s expression changed. ¡°We can¡¯t agree to her!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Boss! You can¡¯t lose your hands! If you don¡¯t gamble with her, we can snatch it directly!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°You can¡¯t even take three moves and still call yourself boss. How shameless.¡± The scar-faced man gritted his teeth. ¡°A man can be killed but not humiliated. Alright, I¡¯ll bet with you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao pointed at Fu Su and Jing Yi. ¡°Pick one.¡± The scar-faced man looked at Jing Yi. Jing Yi looked like an inexperienced young man who was easier to bully than Fu Su. It seemed that he had not completely lost his mind from the goading. He still knew how to pick on the weak. However, he would soon understand that Jing Yi was definitely not a pushover. Jing Yi jumped out of the carriage and said to the scar-faced man, ¡°Make your move. ¡± The scar-faced man slashed at Jing Yi. Jing Yi moved forward with his legs and leaned back. The shocking waist strength allowed him to steadily slash past the other party¡¯s knife. Seeing that his first move had missed, the scar-faced man hurriedly used a vertical slash. Jing Yi blocked his saber with his scabbard and sent him flying. His pupils constricted. With a flip, he slashed at Jing Yi¡¯s right arm. Jing Yi turned around and grabbed his wrist with his right hand. His left hand, which was holding the sword, slapped his chest with an inch of force. He took a few steps back and a metallic taste surged in his throat. Jing Yi looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°You¡¯ve finished your three moves. Now, it¡¯s my turn.¡± He slowly drew his sword. The young man¡¯s killing intent fused with the unsheathed sword. Sword light flashed, and the scar-faced man felt his vision go white. In the next second, a sword qi attacked. In the crisis, he dodged to the side and dodged an attack in a sorry state. However, at this moment, he had already sensed how terrifying the young man was. Jing Yi¡¯s second strike broke his long saber. Jing Yi¡¯s third sword pressed against his neck. ¡°I lost.¡± The scar-faced man stretched out his arms in resignation. ¡°Take my hands. I only have one request. Don¡¯t make things difficult for my brothers.¡± ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cut off Boss¡¯s hands! Cut mine!¡± ¡°Cut mine! ¡± ¡°Mine!¡± Chapter 785 - Chapter 785: Incorporating the Army Chapter 785: Incorporating the Army Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Shut up, all of you!¡± The scar-faced man stopped everyone and said impatiently to Jing Yi, ¡°Hurry up and do it. I can only cut one off myself.¡± ¡°Do you want to cut it off?¡± Jing Yi asked Su Xiaoxiao. A short man rushed out and knelt in front of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s carriage. ¡°Miss, Aunt! Please, let our boss go! We won¡¯t snatch your things anymore!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If you don¡¯t snatch ours, you¡¯ll snatch others later. You¡¯ve also snatched a lot previously, right?¡± The short man choked and said, ¡°Miss, we had no choice. The people at the border were struggling to survive, and the Imperial Court had reduced their troops. They didn¡¯t even give us a salary or silver. We were chased out of the military camp just like that. Our brothers were just trying to make a living. The old and young in the family are about to starve to death¡­ We only robbed those rich businessmen¡­ We didn¡¯t touch a single strand of hair of ordinary people¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Are you soldiers fromthe border?¡± No wonder this group of people was well-trained and knew how to arrange troops and attack from both sides. The short man said, ¡°Some are, and some are poor commoners who can¡¯t live anymore. They came up the mountain to join us. Miss, I swear on the lives of my entire family that if I say anything false, I¡¯ll be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned and said, ¡°The situation at the border is tense. We should have increased our troops. Why did they cut the troops?¡± The short man said angrily, ¡°If the salary isn¡¯t enough, they¡¯ll protect the regular army first. The so-called regular army are actually the direct descendants of the Leng family. Those of us who went later, who were unwilling to pledge loyalty to the Leng family, and those who were unwilling to submit to the Imperial Court, were all chased out of the military camp by the Leng family. ¡± Cutting the troops required a large sum of money, and if one violated military law and was expelled from the military camp, they did not need to pay any money. Su Xiaoxiao looked at everyone. ¡°Are there members of the Wei family army among you?¡± There was silence for a long time. Suddenly, a sallow young man walked out. A moment later, a man with a limp on his left foot walked out. One after another, there were more than a hundred people. These were all soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for the Great Zhou. Who would have thought that they would become bandits? ¡°Whose subordinate are you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked the first young man to walk out. ¡°General Wei Xu¡¯s subordinate.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Lord Wu An¡¯s subordinate.¡± ¡°General Wei Xu¡¯s subordinate.¡± ¡°General Wei Xu¡¯s subordinate.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the scar-faced man. ¡°Are you a soldier of the Imperial Court?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± the scar-faced man said coldly. ¡°I won¡¯t work for the Imperial Court for the rest of my life!¡± It seemed that there was a story¡­ Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Then are you willing to work for your brothers?¡± The scar-faced man asked warily, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°No matter what difficulties you have, a thief is a thief. If the army of the Imperial Court comes, they still have to eliminate you. If you want to save these people¡¯s lives, there¡¯s only one way¡ªsubmit.¡± ¡°We will never submit to the Imperial Court!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Everyone¡¯s dissatisfaction with the Imperial Court had long reached its peak. Su Xiaoxiao raised her voice. ¡°Not to the Imperial Court, but to me.¡± The scar-faced man asked strangely, ¡°Who are you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out two tokens. ¡°Qin Su of the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate. Qin Canglan is my grandfather, and Wei Ting is my husband.¡± The short man was stunned. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re from the Duke¡¯s Protectorate and the Wei Manor? Wait, why are these two families married? Aren¡¯t they sworn enemies?¡± Su Xiaoxiao alighted from the carriage and looked at the remaining bandits and soldiers around her. She said solemnly, ¡°What happened back then was a misunderstanding. The two families were schemed against and provoked by traitors. Now that the misunderstanding has been resolved, the two families have already formed a good relationship. If you trust me, follow me. I¡¯ll give you the salary that the Imperial Court didn¡¯t give you! If the Imperial Court doesn¡¯t treat your injuries, I¡¯ll treat them! I only have one condition. Once the war starts, you have to fight alongside me!¡± It was not that she wanted them to protect her, nor was it that they were at the front. Instead, they were fighting alongside her. As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned. Their hearts seemed to have been hit by something. The scar-faced man looked at all his brothers and knew that they were already tempted. However, they had been hurt once, so they had to be more careful. He asked suspiciously, ¡°Are you really not with the Leng family?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°I killed Leng Rui and crippled Leng Tiannan¡¯s legs. What do you think?¡± Everyone gasped. Heavens, what kind of ferocious girl was this! The scar-faced man frowned and said, ¡°I have to go back to the village first. If my brothers are willing, I¡¯ll bring them over. If not¡­ I¡¯ll come back and give you my arms.¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed generously. ¡°Okay.¡± After the group left, Fu Su asked, ¡°Young Madam, aren¡¯t you afraid that they will run away?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re starving. If they really intended to run, they would have snatched the food first.¡± About an hour later, the scar-faced man came over with a group of people. Fu Su looked at the endless bandit stream and was so shocked that his hand trembled. Heavens, how many bandits were there? The scar-faced man cleared his throat and said worriedly, ¡°There are 2,000 people. Other than women, children, and old people who can¡¯t move, everyone is here! Do you think we can take them in?¡± There were some disabled soldiers here. Ordinary people would only want strong troops. Su Xiaoxiao said without hesitation, ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s eat first!¡± The scar-faced man swallowed. ¡°If we don¡¯t eat this meal, can we send it to the family in the village?¡± Su Xiaoxiao refused. ¡°No.¡± Everyone was stunned. They had just thought that she was a good person, but now they were not allowed to help their families? They were saving their rations, not asking her to fork out more money.. Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°They will eat, but you have to eat too.¡± Su Xiaoxiao experienced the joy of the White Lotus Society. It was good to have gold to raise an army. Everyone started cooking on the spot. This was the only full meal they had in more than ten days. They thought that it was already very good to be able to eat white steamed buns, but they did not expect there to be meat soup! Not only that, but everyone¡¯s bowls also had a piece of meat! At first, they were extremely excited, but as they ate, they cried. Su Xiaoxiao took the opportunity to treat the injured soldiers while everyone was eating. Actually, these injuries were not too serious at first. If they were serious, they would not have lasted until today. However, because they were not treated in time, their injuries worsened. ¡°Don¡¯t look. ¡± A soldier refused Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s treatment. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How can I treat you if I don¡¯t look.¡± This soldier was about the same age as Jing Yi. He carried the innocence and shyness of a young man. His leg was rotten and emitted a nauseating stench. He didn¡¯t even dare to look at them himself, let alone let a girl see them. Su Xiaoxiao forcefully pulled his foot over and used the scissors to cut open his pants and the cloth that had long been stuck to his wound. An unpleasant stench assaulted her nose. The young man panicked, but Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Bear with it. I¡¯m going to scrape off the rotten flesh on it.¡± This place was a little far from where everyone was eating. Everyone could not smell it, but they all knew how serious the young man¡¯s injury was. They saw the rich young lady kneeling on the dirty ground, holding a rotten leg. She did not show any disdain or avoidance and treated the injury seriously and attentively. This scene made everyone¡¯s throat hurt again.. Chapter 786 - Chapter 786: Attack Chapter 786: Attack Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao looked at his frown. ¡°If it hurts, I¡¯ll anesthetize you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± the young man asked in confusion. Su Xiaoxiao switched to a more comprehensible word. ¡°The numbing powder. The medicine that doesn¡¯t stops the hurt.¡± The young man quickly shook his head. ¡°That medicine is very expensive and rare. I can tolerate this minor injury. Leave it to someone more serious.¡± His wound was not major, but anesthesia was not. He was young, and Su Xiaoxiao wanted to let him use it. If it was an adult man, Su Xiaoxiao would definitely let him bear with it. Considering that there was indeed a limit to the anesthetic, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t insist. ¡°I¡¯ll try to be quick.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s actions were very straightforward. After dealing with it for less than half an hour, the young man¡¯s entire face was red and his forehead was covered in cold sweat. Half of it was due to the hurt, and the other half was due to shame. This was the first time a girl was so close to him, and she was even treating such rotten injuries. ¡°Rest well. Get into the carriage later.¡± She had already asked the scar-faced man to transport three carriages of rations back to the village for the families. Coincidentally, three carriages were vacated to haul the injured. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Zhang Yu.¡± After that, Su Xiaoxiao treated the other injured soldiers who needed urgent treatment. Jing Yi and Fu Su came over to help her. Those who were not serious would be treated at night. After eating, everyone set off. The scar-faced man gave up his position as the boss and respectfully addressed Su Xiaoxiao the new boss. His name was Zhang Yong. The short man who had knelt in front of Su Xiaoxiao to plead was Wei Xun. Wei Xun was not good at martial arts, but he knew how to read and write. He was also smart and had always been an advisor in the village. Su Xiaoxiao could tell. In the evening, the army arrived at Yao City. What was strange was that it was still early, but the city gate had already closed. Su Xiaoxiao lifted the curtain and asked the scar-faced man, ¡°Zhang Yong, does Yao City usually close so early?¡± As the former boss, Zhang Yong was lucky to obtain a mount. He tightened the reins and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°No, it should be another hour before the city gate is closed.¡± At this moment, the guards on the city tower also discovered the 2,000 people and immediately asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Jing Yi looked at him and said coldly, ¡°Ask your general to come out and talk!¡± The guard opened his mouth and said, ¡°How dare you! Which traitor is worthy of our general coming out to see you!¡± Jing Yi turned to look at Su Xiaoxiao, who nodded slightly. Jing Yi said, ¡°Jing Yi of the Marquis of Weiwu Estate!¡± With so many armies, it was impossible to hide their identities. The guard said, ¡°Nonsense. The border has never received any news of the nobles of the Duke Mansion coming over! ¡± JingYi said coldly, ¡°Call Dou Xiao out!¡± Hearing this person call their general by his name, the guard could not help but be stunned. After hesitating for a moment, he still went to spread the news. Not long after, a burly middle-aged general wearing a helmet ascended the city tower. This person was Dou Xiao, Leng Kui¡¯s trusted aide. He had seen Jing Yi before. He recognized him at a glance, and a trace of surprise flashed across his eyes. One of his subordinates whispered in his ear. He frowned and glanced coldly at the 2,000 people. Then, he asked, ¡°Does the Third Highness want to come to the border?¡± JingYi said truthfully, ¡°No.¡± Dou Xiao asked warily, ¡°Who¡¯s sitting in the carriage?¡± Su Xiaoxiao opened the curtain and slowly walked out. ¡°Qin Su from the Protectorate.¡± Dou Xiao looked at her suspiciously. ¡°The eldest daughter of the Protector Duke doesn¡¯t look like this.¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°You don¡¯t know much about the situation in the capital. This is the real eldest daughter of the Protector Duke.¡± Dou Xiao pointed at the 2,000-strong army. ¡°What¡¯s going on with the people behind you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°These are all soldiers who rushed to join my grandfather.¡± Dou Xiao looked at this woman who could be so calm in front of the array and said indifferently, ¡°You can come in. Those people have to stay.¡± ¡°You want us to stay? What do you mean? Are you saying that we can¡¯t enter the city?¡± ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t we have followed for nothing?¡± ¡°Dou Xiao, that bastard, is hand in glove with the Leng family! The Leng family chased us out, so he naturally won¡¯t take us back! ¡± Many of them had been ruthlessly abandoned and hurt, and their hearts were filled with uneasiness. They had just filled their stomachs. Were they going to be abandoned to endure the hunger and cold again? Everyone looked at Su Xiaoxiao, hoping that she could reject Dou Xiao. Unexpectedly, Su Xiaoxiao only said one word, ¡°Okay.¡± Everyone¡¯s hearts sank to the bottom. Zhang Yong did not say anything. He only held the reins tightly. The city gate was only half open, allowing Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s carriage to enter the city. The first thing Jing Yi did after entering the city was to rush up the city tower and capture Dou Xiao alive. To capture a bandit, one had to capture the leader first. This move worked at any time. Dou Xiao flew into a rage. ¡°You¡¯re rebelling!¡± Jing Yi kicked him in the chest and threw him to the ground. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him coldly. ¡°The situation at the border is so tense, but you¡¯re doing everything you can to stop the reinforcements here. You don¡¯t care about the safety of the people and the fact that the mountains and rivers are shattered. Who¡¯s rebelling?! Who gave you the guts? The current Emperor or Leng Kui?¡± Dou Xiao¡¯s face was firmly stepped on the ground by Jing Yi and he could not say a word. Su Xiaoxiao said to the soldiers on the city wall, ¡°I¡¯ll say this today. I¡¯m here to recruit soldiers! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to hit my own people. My enemy is Northern Yan. If you¡¯re willing to follow me, I¡¯ll give you twice the salary the Imperial Court gives you! If you¡¯re unwilling to follow me, go to the barracks and collect tonight¡¯s rations.¡± Fu Su shouted outside the city, ¡°We¡¯re entering the city! We¡¯re entering the city! Hurry up and set up camp. Start cooking!¡± Sometimes, the most touching thing was not the greatest temptation, but the kindest bottom line. ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ve long disliked Northern Yan!¡¯ A burly man threw the saber in his hand to the ground. With the first person taking the lead, the rest was easy. A young man took off his helmet. ¡°Everyone is using their lives to make a living. I haven¡¯t been paid by the military for three months¡­ Do you really have the military salary? Really?!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll send it tonight.¡± Su Xiaoxiao recruited soldiers all the way. When she approached Jia County, she had already grown from the initial 2,000 to an army of 10,000. This was good news. The bad news was that Northern Yan had already taken Broken North Pass. This was also why Yao City closed the city gate in advance. Jia County was conquered by Northern Yan. When the mighty 10 ,ooo troops arrived at Jia County, County Magistrate Yuan thought that a new Northern Yan army had arrived. The people of Northern Yan thought so too. As far as they knew, the troops at the border had long gone to the two cities to fight. There was no excess troops to mobilize. It was impossible for these troops to be reinforcements from the Imperial Court. They would not be so fast. This negligence allowed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s army to advance an additional 100 meters. By the time they realized that something was wrong, it was already too late.. Su Xiaoxiao had already led 10,000 troops to the city! Chapter 787 - Chapter 787: Massacre Chapter 787: Massacre Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Report! Report!¡± A Northern Yan soldier rode on a horse and dashed all the way to the county office. He couldn¡¯t even stabilize his horse and couldn¡¯t wait to get off. The few generals guarding Jia County were sitting in the backyard and letting the women in the county office set up a grill to roast meat. One of them even used the back of a woman as support for his feet, forcing her to kneel in the cold snow while trembling. ¡°Report¡ª¡± The Northern Yan soldier staggered into the courtyard. When he saw this scene, he did not have time to be stunned. He immediately panted and said, ¡°General! There¡¯s an enemy attack!¡± The person he called General was the man who had stepped on the back of the woman. His surname was Lu, and he was the leader of the garrison in Jia County. Not only did he not panic when he heard this, but he also glanced at the panicked soldier indifferently. ¡°Where did the enemy attack from?¡± The two deputy generals at the side teased. ¡°Qin Canglan and Leng Kui can¡¯t even take care of themselves. They¡¯re surrounded by our Northern Yan army. Who will attack us at night?¡± ¡°Yes, did you make a mistake?¡± The Northern Yan soldier said anxiously and fearfully, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true! They¡¯re holding the flag of the Great Zhou and wearing the armor of the Great Zhou. They¡¯re soldiers of the Great Zhou!¡± General Lu¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°How many people came?¡± The Northern Yan soldier stammered, ¡°I¡­ Initial estimate¡­ is 10,000 troops.¡± They didn¡¯t discover it in time. They would be punished if they were questioned. They was scared to death, afraid that they would be beheaded in anger. The courtyard was silent for a moment. After a moment, a few generals laughed. It was one of the deputy generals. ¡°What did you say? 10,000? The Great Zhou border can¡¯t even mobilize 2,000 troops now. How can they take out 10,000 troops? It must be some trick! General Lu¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What?¡± Outside the southern city gate of Jia County, Su Xiaoxiao put on her shining armor and rode on a mighty and strong warhorse. Beside him were Jing Yi and Fu Su, who were also fully armed. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the city tower in the darkness as if it had been swallowed by a huge beast. She raised her hand with determination. ¡°Attack!¡± With her order, the horn sounded and the war drums beat. The quiet world was instantly filled with a surging killing intent. Jing Yi led the first group of people to cover the charge and hit the city gate. Fu Su led another group to build a ladder to climb the city tower. The Northern Yan soldiers discovered it late. Be it the charging carts or the scaling ladder, they had already successfully entered a safe range. The arrows on the city gate tower could not be shot, and the catapults had lost their effectiveness. They could only carry rocks down with their bare hands. Su Xiaoxiao said as she rode on her horse, ¡°Archers, get ready!¡± The first row of archers quickly got into position and drew their bows in the direction of the city tower. ¡°Fire!¡± Swish! Swish! Swish! The arrows that covered the sky and earth formed an indestructible rain of arrows that shot towards the Northern Yan soldiers on the city tower. Countless Northern Yan soldiers were shot. Some fell to the ground, and some fell off the city tower. In order to let their arm strength reach ths optimum state, Su Xiaoxiao only shot three arrows per round. After three arrows, the first row of archers retreated, and the second row of archers calmly and orderly went forward to take their positions. There were a total of three rows of archers who listened to her orders and took turns seamlessly. Three rounds of arrows shot down, and Jing Yi successfully knocked open the city gate. At this moment, Fu Su also ascended the city tower. Su Xiaoxiao pulled out her sword and rushed over. The scar-faced man, Zhang Yong, did not expect the new boss to be so fierce. What happened to fighting side by side? At least give him one. What did she mean by leaving the brothers behind! How could he let a little girl charge forward? He raised the long saber in his hand. ¡°Brothers! Kill! Kill the bastards from Northern Yan!¡± ¡°Kill! ¡± ¡°Kill! ¡°Kill! For a moment, the sound of killing shook the sky! They were all recruited halfway. Because they were in a hurry, they did not have uniform armor or standard weapons. Some of them even held butcher knives, but this did not affect their morale. The vanguard led the troops into the city and opened a bloody path. The right-wing and left-wing armies followed closely behind like a surging torrent. Wherever they passed, there were corpses of the Northern Yan. When General Lu and the others arrived with their troops, the city gate had already been completely occupied by the Great Zhou army. On the long official road, the generals of both sides were at each other¡¯s throats. Blood flowed like a river on the ground, and the smell of blood filled the entire street. On a closer look, almost all the casualties were from Beiyan. ¡°Damn it! Damn it!¡± The deputy general was furious! General Lu looked coldly at the armored youth opposite him. ¡°Who are you? Tell me your name!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡°A beast is not worthy of knowing my name!¡± It was a girl! The few Northern Yan generals were even more surprised. The furious deputy general just now placed his hands on his hips and laughed. ¡°Is there no one left in your Great Zhou? Letting a woman lead the army! Hahaha! What a joke! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re the women¡¯s army? Hahaha! There¡¯s no one left in the Great Zhou!¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up the spear in a soldier¡¯s hand and shot it at this person! General Lu¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°Dongze! Be careful!¡± It was too late. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s spear pierced through the other party¡¯s chest and sent him flying from the horse¡¯s back. He fell heavily onto the corpse of the Northern Yan soldier. His body stiffened and he spat out a mouthful of blood as he died! What a ruthless little girl! What powerful skills! General Lu¡¯s expression changed. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t turn around. She looked straight at General Lu and the Northern Yan army behind him. ¡°Jing Yi! Spread the flag!¡± Jing Yi picked the flag platform of the city tower and cut off the flag of Beiyan with a sword. He raised the Great Zhou flag in his arms and put it on the flagpole before stabbing it back onto the flag platform! The flags of the Northern Yan fell to the ground. The soldiers of the Northern Yan were dumbfounded. Along the way, they had always been caught the Great Zhou army off guard. Who would have thought that they would be counterattacked by the Great Zhou army one day? They had originally thought that it was no big deal if there were 10,000 troops. It was obvious that they were scattered soldiers. They would definitely be killed by the regular army of Northern Yan. However, they were not so sure now. Zhang Yong looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Boss!¡± Su Xiaoxiao wiped the drop of blood under her lips with her thumb and said calmly, ¡°Kill..¡± Chapter 788 - Chapter 788: Victory in the First Battle Chapter 788: Victory in the First Battle Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was no unnecessary nonsense, not even a word of galvanization. However, it was this simple sentence of killing that raised everyone¡¯s morale to the peak. The blood in their bodies was boiling, and the anger in their hearts was burning. There was only one thought in everyone¡¯s minds: Kill. The sudden change made the well-trained Northern Yan soldiers panic! They could not help but wonder if this group of people were really scattered soldiers who had gathered halfway. Why did they have tactics, martial arts, and morale? That was only natural. Su Xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t let new recruits who had never been to the battlefield take the lead. The vanguard camp was filled with elites she had selected, many of whom had been under Lord Wu An and Wei Xu. They had been to the battlefield with real weapons. They were all brave and good at fighting, fearless of death. More importantly, they hated Northern Yan! The two sides fought. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s army went berserk. Su Xiaoxiao raised her hand and slashed down, reaping countless heads in the blink of an eye. A deputy general of Northern Yan saw that the situation was bad and fled. Su Xiaoxiao raised the golden bow on her saddle without a word and shot mercilessly at the back of his head! An arrow pierced through the head! The deputy general did not even have time to scream before he fell off the horse. He was trampled by the Northern Yan soldiers in the chaotic battle, and even his sternum caved in. General Lu saw that in a few short moments, two deputy generals had already died in this little girl¡¯s hands. He immediately wanted to kill Su Xiaoxiao. While Su Xiaoxiao was surrounded by three Northern Yan soldiers, he quietly found his way behind Su Xiaoxiao and stabbed toward her back! Su Xiaoxiao had just blocked the attack of the person in front of her with her sword. General Lu¡¯s shadow was reflected on the blade. She leaned back and lay on the horse¡¯s back before raising her leg to kick his saber away! General Lu did not expect her to be so fast and powerful. His arm went numb. When he went to draw another saber from his waist, Jing Yi leaped down from the city tower and cut off his hands! Blood splattered across Jing Yi¡¯s face. JingYi did not turn around when he cut his throat! With the commander and deputy general dead, the Northern Yan army in Jia County was completely defeated. They finally stopped resisting and fled with all their might. But how could Su Xiaoxiao let them escape? In a woodshed in the county office, County Magistrate Yuan was tied up and had a cloth ball stuffed in his mouth. Suddenly, the door was kicked open. His body trembled. He thought that the people of Northern Yan were going to torture him again. ¡°County Magistrate Yuan.¡± Hearing a familiar voice, County Magistrate Yuan thought that he had heard wrongly. He opened his eyes uncertainly and was blinded by the dazzling sunlight. When he adapted to the light, he saw Su Xiaoxiao standing at the door in armor and holding a blood-stained sword. Su Xiaoxiao entered and took the cloth from his mouth. ¡°Physician¡­ Physician Qin?¡± He asked in disbelief, ¡°Have you been captured by the Northern Yan people too? No, you¡¯re wearing armor. They forced you to go to war!¡± A bearded man walked in. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? My boss snatched Jia County back!¡± The bearded man¡¯s name was Li Da. He was once a sergeant under Wei Xu and was also a brother of the scar-faced man, Zhang Yong. County Magistrate Yuan was even more surprised. ¡°You took back Jia County? You chased away the Northern Yan army?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t get chased away,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°They were all killed.¡± County Magistrate Yuan was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao got someone to untie County Magistrate Yuan. His family had already been rescued and sent back to their rooms. ¡°Where¡¯s King Liang?¡± she asked. County Magistrate Yuan hurriedly said, ¡°I hid His Highness Liang in the cellar and didn¡¯t let the people of Notrthern Yan discover him!¡± It was mainly because Xiao Duye had a high fever. He was in a daze like a limp shrimp and kept quiet in the cellar. County Magistrate Yuan thought that Su Xiaoxiao was here to denounce him and said fearfully, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to carry His Highness out of the cellar!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Let him stay in the cellar. Watch him carefully. Don¡¯t let him be discovered or come out to cause trouble.¡± County Magistrate Yuan was at a loss. That was the King Liang. Was it really fine to treat him like this? Just as he was about to say this, he saw everyone in the courtyard staring at him, as if they would rush in and hack him to death as long as he made this little girl unhappy. He swallowed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll definitely take good care of His Highness Liang according to your request.¡± Su Xiaoxiao left his house and came to the courtyard. Fu Su led everyone back from cleaning up the battlefield. ¡°A soldier from Northern Yan wanted to burn the rations just now. Fortunately, I caught him!¡± Fu Su snorted. ¡°All the yearly tributes that the people of Northern Yan haven¡¯t paid in the past few years have been used as military pay, right? He¡¯s really rich!¡± Wei Xun smiled and said, ¡°We collected a lot of rations! In addition, we have armor. All the soldiers in our army can wear armor and equip themselves with weapons!¡± This was how zero to hero came about! Su Xiaoxiao was quite satisfied with her gains on this trip. ¡°Remember to return the people¡¯s things that have been plundered by Northern Yan.¡± Wei Xun instantly felt deep veneration. ¡°Yes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°How are the casualties?¡± Wei Xun said seriously, ¡°About a hundred people were slightly injured, more than ten were pierced, and five were killed.¡± To be honest, this was the least casualties Wei Xun had experienced. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The families of the buried will be paid three times the standard of the Imperial Court. I¡¯ll go see the injured later.¡± Wei Xun bowed deeply to Su Xiaoxiao. If everyone had followed her previously because of her coercion and temptation, after tonight¡¯s battle, they admired her from the bottom of their hearts. If there was a war, she would really fight. If there was a need for money, she would really pay. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know what everyone was thinking. Anyway, it didn¡¯t matter to her whether it was her personal charm or her money. Zhang Yong came over. His scar was stained with the enemy¡¯s blood, looking cruel and bloody. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°Have you investigated the situation at the border?¡± Zhang Yong nodded with a complicated expression. ¡°The Northern Yan army focused their forces on attacking the barbican. Leng Kui took 50,000 troops from the border and went to the barbican to fight.¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean Zi Town only has 10,000 troops left?¡± Zhang Yong said, ¡°A few days ago, Leng Kui gave Su MO 5,000 people to quell the chaos in Wan City. Therefore, there are actually only 5,000¡­ less, including supplies and logistics soldiers.¡± Li Da exploded. ¡°This is too much! How can these people guard Zi Town? Who¡¯s guarding it?¡± Zhang Yong glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Qin Canglan.¡± Li Da fell silent. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Even my grandfather won¡¯t have it easy to defend Zi Town with 5,000 troops.¡± Zhang Yong nodded. ¡°Northern Yan sent 20,000 troops to attack the city for three days and three nights. There¡¯s another thing. When Leng Kui left, he took all the rations with him. The soldiers of Zi Town have probably been hungry for three days.¡± Killing intent flashed across Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. ¡°Pass down the order. All soldiers, rest on the spot.. In two hours, force the army! Head to Zi Town!¡± Chapter 789 - Chapter 789: My Darling Granddaughter is Here Chapter 789: My Darling Granddaughter is Here Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Forcing the army was the most intense method of marching. Infantry could travel a hundred miles a day, but this method of marching consumed a huge amount of stamina. It might even reach the limit of humans. Unless it was absolutely necessary, they would not use forced armies. When they received the military order, the new recruits were at a loss, but the veterans understood. After a night of fighting, they only rested for four hours before taking forceful measures to support Zi Town. Even Lord Wu An and Wei Xu had never challenged this hellish difficulty when they were alive. However, no one complained. They hugged their weapons and lay down. They closed their eyes and began to rest. Su Xiaoxiao seized four hours and operated on the seriously injured. Then, she handed it to the medical officer in the army. In addition, she left 2,000 people for Jia County. They were led by Fu Su and disguised as the Northern Yan army. Zi Town was a total of 50 miles from Jia County, but because most of the roads were mountain roads, the roads were dangerous and brought considerable difficulty to the forceful army. Heavy snowfall fell from the sky, and the cold wind whistled over with snowflakes. The army marched on the uneven mountain path against the cold snow. Suddenly, a soldier slipped and fell towards the cliff at the side. Fortunately, Zhang Yong was behind him and pulled him over in time. The army continued forward. ¡°Chirp chirp!¡± Wuhu in Jing Yi¡¯s arms flapped their wings and cried out. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned cold. She raised her hand and gestured for him to stop. The sergeants passed down the hand gestures one by one, and the army instantly stopped. Everyone lay on the ground and quietly hid on the mountain range. Su Xiaoxiao brought Jing Yi and Zhang Yong to a big tree and looked at a group of people on the official road ahead under the cover of the branches. ¡°It¡¯s the cavalry and archers under Leng Kui,¡± Zhang Yong said. ¡°That person in armor is Leng Kui. I know his armor.¡± Leng Kui! Su Xiaoxiao muttered this name in her heart. She raised her hand to take the golden bow on her back, drew an arrow, and pulled the bowstring, aiming at Leng Kui¡¯s head. Zhang Yong looked at her in shock. Jing Yi¡¯s gaze did not change at all. Anyway, if she wanted to kill him, so be it. No matter if it was right or wrong, he would only protect her. The bowstring was pulled taut, making a creaking sound, almost breaking. However, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t shoot until Leng Kui turned the corner and disappeared at the end of the official road. Zhang Yong relaxed. An indescribable complicated feeling surged in his heart. For a moment just now, he hoped that she would kill Leng Kui. However, after she let Leng Kui off, he actually felt relieved. Leng Kui had brought at least 2,000 cavalry and archers, and there were a few generals beside him. If they killed him now, it would cause both sides to fight. Qin Canglan and the soldiers of Zi Town could not wait, and it would put the situation in the barbican into a passive state. Not only did she not nurse personal grudges in her heart, but she also cared about the lives of the soldiers and the righteousness of her country. ¡°Continue on your way.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put away her bow and returned to the team. She would personally come and take Leng Kui¡¯s life another day! Zi Town. This was the fourth day since Qin Canglan led the troops to the city. They had run out of food three days ago. When they were hungry, they would grab a handful of snow from the ground to eat. Qin Canglan took out all his money to buy food, but the food in the city had long been bought by Leng Kui. The commoners did not have much leftover food for the winter. Some of the items that Qin Canglan barely bought were given to the injured soldiers and patients as a priority. He had not eaten for three days. Starvation and cold was not the most terrifying thing. What was terrifying was that after attacking continuously for the past few days, more and more soldiers had fallen. If this continued, they would not last through the night. ¡°Marshal. ¡± Liu Ren walked up the city tower with unsteady steps. He was dizzy from hunger, his lips were dry and bleeding, and there were frostbites on his cheeks and the back of his hand. He held a cornbread with both hands and handed it to Qin Canglan. ¡°Marshal, eat some.¡± Qin Canglan placed his hands behind his back and frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to send it to the injured soldiers?¡± Liu Ren held back his sobs and said, ¡°This was for Little Stone. He¡­ left.¡± Qin Canglan closed his eyes in pain. This old general, who had dedicated his life to the Great Zhou, could not help but tear up at this moment. Liu Ren said, ¡°Marshal, eat some first.¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Eat it. I can¡¯t eat.¡± Liu Ren said earnestly, ¡°If you fall, this city will really not be able to hold on! The Qin family¡¯s army is already on the way. If we persist¡­ reinforcements and provisions will arrive¡­¡± Qin Canglan looked at the snow that filled the sky. ¡°The Qin family¡¯s army¡­ I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able to make it. Leng Kui didn¡¯t take all his troops away to fight to the death with Northern Yan.¡± Liu Ren was stunned. ¡°Then what does he want to do?¡± Qin Canglan said coldly, ¡°Guard the barbican and wait for peace talks.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Qin Canglan said with a complicated expression, ¡°If the Qin family¡¯s army wants to come over, they have to pass through Yao City first. City Guardian Dou Xiao is Leng Kui¡¯s trusted aide. He won¡¯t open the city gate for the Qin family¡¯s army unless someone deals with Dou Xiao. However, you and I know very well that this is impossible.¡± Without Su MO, who would go against the Leng family at the border? Liu Ren swallowed. ¡°Then what if¡­ what if something happens to Dou Xiao?¡± Qin Canglan looked at the Northern Yan tent downstairs. ¡°It will take at least two days to arrive, but look, Northern Yan is preparing to attack the city again.¡± ¡°Damn it! Is there no end to it! This is the third time today! They¡¯re forcing us to our deaths! They must know that we don¡¯t have any rations and keep wasting us!¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Don¡¯t be agitated. Save your strength.¡± Qin Canglan did not eat a single bite of that cornbread. Liu Ren distributed it to the other weaker soldiers. At night, Northern Yan attacked again. The archers on the city gate tower were so hungry that they were dizzy and almost lost the strength to draw their bows. On the other hand, the arrows of Northern Yan were like an overwhelming rain of arrows that shot towards the soldiers on the city gate tower. At the same time, the charger under the city tower slammed into the city gate. THUD! THUD! THUD! Again and again, the winch that was missing from the city gate loosened. The city gate was about to be knocked open! Qin Canglan raised a spear and shot a Northern Yan soldier pushing a cart. However, in the blink of an eye, another soldier took his place. They were energetic and full of energy. They were far from what the Great Zhou soldiers who had been hungry for four days could compare to. ¡°Set up the ladder!¡± Accompanied by the shout of the Northern Yan general, towering ladders leaned against the city wall. Qin Canglan slashed through the ladder! A huge wave of dizziness hit him. He swayed, but held on to the city wall. The soldiers of Northern Yan climbed the ladder. Qin Canglan led Liu Ren and the other generals to kill the enemy bravely. The difference in stamina was too great. They relied on hatred and obsession to fight. In order to protect a soldier, Qin Canglan¡¯s arm was cut by a Northern Yan soldier who jumped onto the city tower. The Northern Yan general downstairs was overjoyed. ¡°Everyone, look! Qin Canglan is injured! He can¡¯t hold on anymore! Tonight, the reward for whoever takes Qin Canglan¡¯s head is ten thousand¡­. Swish! Before he could finish, a soul-stealing arrow sped over from behind and mercilessly shot off one his right ear with a destructive killing intent! He covered the side of his ear, bowed, and let out a scream. ¡°General!¡± The Northern Yan soldiers exclaimed. The Northern Yan general pulled the reins tightly and turned the horse around. He looked coldly at the night. ¡°Who dares to ambush me?!¡± The response was the uniform sound of hooves, the cold and murderous sound of armor rubbing against each other, and the majestic shouts of the soldiers. ¡°Roar! Roar! Roar!¡± The entire ground seemed to be trembling. The Northern Yan soldiers, who were attacking the city, were suddenly stunned.. Chapter 790 - Chapter 790: Grandfather and Grandchild Meet Chapter 790: Grandfather and Grandchild Meet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡®What¡¯s the situation?¡¯ Why were there suddenly so many soldiers? ¡°General, it¡¯s reinforcements from the Imperial Court!¡± ¡°Damn it! Where did the Imperial Court get reinforcements from? If there were reinforcements, wouldn¡¯t Jia County have reported it long ago?¡± The Northern Yan general, whose right ear had been shot off, wrapped the wound with a cloth. The cold wind was like a knife, cutting his wound, making him gasp in pain. He would never believe that there would be reinforcements at the border unless Leng Kui returned. However, would Leng Kui abandon the rich barbican and come to support a small Zi Town? If they had not calculated Leng Kui¡¯s personality, would they have sent troops here to attack Qin Canglan? However, he did not expect Qin Canglan to be a tough nut to crack. He lasted until the fourth day on an empty stomach. This should be the limit of the soldiers in the city. As long as they continued to attack, they would definitely be able to kill Qin Canglan and attack Zi Town! ¡°General, there seems to be no movement, and I don¡¯t see anyone coming,¡± his deputy said as he looked at the pitch-black night. The Northern Yan general said disdainfully, ¡°Hmph, a feint! They are probably just soldiers who returned from outside. Don¡¯t worry about that. Continue to attack the city!¡± However, the deputy general had an ominous feeling, as if something terrifying was about to happen. His premonition did not disappoint him, because in the next second, dense arrows swept over. With the cover of the night, they were only discovered when they approached. They were focused on attacking the city, and they were all exposed in the open space at the city gate. Like live targets, a large number of them immediately fell to the ground. The deputy general was shocked. ¡°General, be careful!¡± The Northern Yan general swung his sword and broke an arrow that was shot at him. He gritted his teeth and looked at the end of the dark night. ¡°Shields! Right wing, form a formation!¡± The right-wing army raised their shields in unison. The sound of countless arrows colliding could be heard on the shields, and the attack was stopped. The generals of Northern Yan were very satisfied! Perhaps because they were angered, the Great Zhou archers gradually lost their aim. They could not even hit their shields and all fell to the ground. He said mockingly, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of a group of trash!¡± The deputy general sniffed. ¡°Sir, something doesn¡¯t seem right! Is there something wrong with these arrows?¡± Su Xiaoxiao drew her golden bow and loaded a burning arrow before shooting towards the opposite side. The moment the arrow hit the ground, the kerosene was all ignited. The flames rushed to the Northern Yan soldiers and burned the event location into a sea of fire. This scene stunned everyone! The Great Zhou soldiers, who had been besieged for four days and four nights, finally heard the screams of the Northern Yan soldiers. They rose and fell, intersecting endlessly. Even the charging cart was on fire, and the ladder was not spared. ¡°An!¡± People kept falling down the ladder. The camp of Northern Yan began to panic. The Northern Yan general said sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Attack the city! You¡¯ll be safe after entering the city!¡± The deputy general shouted in fear, ¡°General! Look! It¡¯s the Qin family army!¡± The army finally appeared. It was a black mass that swept towards them like a surging torrent. The leader seemed to be a general in silver armor. She wore a helmet and mask, revealing only a pair of cold eyes. The flag bearer beside her raised the fluttering Vermillion Bird Banner. Vermillion Bird, the signature of the Qin family army. Qin Canglan frowned. He recognized his own army. These people were not the Qin family¡¯s army. Could it be that Mo¡¯er was back? That was not right. Mo¡¯er had only brought 5,000 people back then, but this looked closed to be 10,000 reinforcements. Who rushed over to reinforce them under the name of the Qin family¡¯s army? No matter who it was, they came at the right time! He cut off another ladder with a slash and looked at the reinforcements below the city tower. ¡°Qin family army, listen up! Kill all the Northern Yan bastards! Tong Ke! I want Zhou¡¯s head!¡± Zhou Lie was the name of the Northern Yan general. If Zhou Lie still had a trace of doubt before, Qin Canglan¡¯s words undoubtedly confirmed the identity of the ¡®Qin family army¡±. Tong Ke was one of the three fierce generals under Qin Canglan. Was he here? At this moment, the morale that had finally been encouraged by Zhou Lie fell again. Liu Ren was excited. ¡°Brothers! The Qin family¡¯s army is here! The provisions are also here! Kill! Kill all these wretched thieves! We¡¯ll eat meat tonight!¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the lead and rushed in front of Zhou Lie. Zhou Lie glared at the fully armed Su Xiaoxiao warily. ¡°You¡¯re Tong Ke? No, you¡¯re not! Tong Ke, you.. Su Xiaoxiao stabbed him down! Zhou Lie fell off the horse and looked at her in shock. He was even more certain that this guy was not Tong Ke. He had fought Tong Ke before, and Tong Ke¡¯s martial arts skills were not like this. ¡°Who are you? ¡°The person who wants your life.¡± Zhou Lie stabbed at Su Xiaoxiao, who caught his sword with her bare hands. Zhou Lie could not believe it. What kind of weapon was this girl¡¯s glove? It was impenetrable even by a long sword! He wanted to pull his sword back, but he realized that the other party was holding it tightly. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him calmly. ¡°The marshal has orders to take your head.¡± Zhou Lie¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°You¡¯re a woman¡­¡± Puchi¡ª Su Xiaoxiao stabbed him in the heart. He knelt down stiffly. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed his hair and cut off his head! Su Xiaoxiao used her qinggong and stepped onto Northern Yan¡¯s chariot in a few steps. She looked down at the people fighting and suddenly raised the bloody head in her hand¡ª The morale of the Northern Yan soldiers completely collapsed. The arrogant soldiers of the Northern Yan finally collapsed at this moment. The deputy general abandoned his helmet and armor with the remaining thousands of soldiers and fled in all directions. The battle ended. On the city tower, the last Northern Yan soldier was kicked down. The surroundings suddenly fell silent. Qin Canglan endured the dizziness in his body and looked at the armored youth with a burning gaze. He said seriously, ¡°Open the city gate!¡± Liu Ren hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, open the city gate! Brothers! Hurry up and let the reinforcements enter the city!¡± The city gate was slowly opened. Qin Canglan walked down covered in blood. He passed through the long entrance of the city gate and came to the battlefield where he had just experienced a bloody battle. He looked at the young man on the horse without blinking. ¡°You are¡ª¡± Su Xiaoxiao took off her helmet. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s me.¡± Qin Canglan was stunned. It had been more than four months since Su Xiaoxiao and Qin Canglan parted in August. At that time, Su Xiaoxiao was still a slightly chubby little girl, but now, she was so thin that she was almost unrecognizable. No wonder he felt an indescribable heartache when he looked at ¡°him.¡± So it was his precious granddaughter. But why did the little girl come to the border? She had even lost so much weight. How much had she suffered? Qin Canglan looked at her and then at the nearly ten thousand soldiers behind her. Endless pain and pride suddenly surged in his heart. Su Xiaoxiao got off the horse and ran over. ¡°Grandpa!¡± She would let him pat her head. Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes burned as he hugged his precious granddaughter tightly.. Chapter 791 - Chapter 791: Domineering Xiaoxiao Chapter 791: Domineering Xiaoxiao Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Canglan hugged her too tightly. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face was pressed down so hard that she couldn¡¯t close her mouth. ¡°Grandpather, your armor is a little cold. Uh.. Only then did Qin Canglan realize that he had been too excited. His body was dirty and covered in the enemy¡¯s blood. How could he rub blood on his precious granddaughter? Su Xiaoxiao simply felt that it was so cold. Qin Canglan reluctantly let go of his precious granddaughter and raised his hand to touch her head. ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight. Give me the helmet.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao gave him the heavy helmet. Not far away, the two soldiers who were cleaning up the battlefield whispered. They had participated in the failed robbery at the event location but were subdued by Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Boss was a little cute just now?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Wei Xun waited for the two of them and scolded them in a low voice, ¡°Are the two of you crazy? Zhou Lie¡¯s head is still hanging on the chariot. Who cut it off? You or me?¡± Wei Xun was a private advisor. His martial strength was average, so he did not charge forward. Instead, he prepared weapons and tools at the back, such as the special arrows and kerosene he had just used. At first, when he robbed her, he only felt that she was very fearless and calm in the face of danger. Later on, he felt that she was rich and smart. Later on¡­ she was not delicate and had a good backer¡­ She was a little bold. Until today¡­ Please accept their knees! ¡°Sigh, how suicidal was I to rob her back then¡­¡± As Wei Xun touched his undamaged neck, he went to clean up the next battlefield in fear. Qin Canglan looked at his travel-worn precious granddaughter in front of him. If he knew, how could he bear to let her suffer the hardships of marching and fighting? ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you go to Western Jin? Where¡¯s Wei Ting?¡± He asked three questions in one breath. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell you later. Grandpa and the soldiers must be hungry? Eat something first.¡± After saying that, she turned to an armored young man who was silently cleaning up the battlefield and said, ¡°Jing Yi, get everyone to take out their dry rations first and distribute it to the soldiers in the city.¡± Qin Canglan was surprised. Was Jing Yi here too? Indeed, when they were fighting just now, this kid had been guarding his precious granddaughter. He thought that he looked a little familiar. Qin Canglan asked, ¡°You¡¯ve already given it to us. What will you eat?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°I hoarded a lot of rations. Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa. We don¡¯t lack food. My people just lack sleep. They haven¡¯t slept for too long and need to rest.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± Qin Canglan called Liu Ren over and asked him to bring Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s army to the camp to rest and clean up the battlefield. The soldiers in the city were only hungry. When they filled their stomachs, they would have the strength to work. Jing Yi and Liu Ren reorganized the troops of both sides and handed them over one-on-one. They received their rations in an orderly manner. Su Xiaoxiao was generous with her food. Not only did every soldier have steamed buns, but there were also pancakes, green onions, and a small piece of cooked cured meat. When they opened the bag of rations and saw that there was meat inside, the eyes of the Zi Town soldiers widened. They had not eaten meat for a month! They had even forgotten what the meat soup tasted like! ¡°Is¡­ is this something you can give?¡± a soldier asked. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to keep it for yourself? Wei Xun said generously, ¡°Take it.¡± If he followed Boss, there would be meat to eat! After four days and four nights of hunger, the soldiers of Zi Town finally had a full meal. It was snowing. They sat in the blood-colored snow below the city gate and chatted and laughed. Many of their faces were dirty, and some of them had frostbite, but this harsh winter would no longer be difficult for them. Qin Canglan waited until the last soldier received his food before taking the dry ration Jing Yi handed him. He turned to look at Su Xiaoxiao and realized that the little girl was already asleep in the corner of the city gate. ¡°After taking back Jia County last night, the battle just ended this morning. The army rested for four hours. She didn¡¯t rest and was treating injuries. After that, she forced the army here without taking a break and started another battle.¡± Jing Yi calmly recounted their experience on the way, but Qin Canglan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. They fought overnight, forced the army, did not rest, and fought again. Even he and Lord Wu An did not dare to do this. Qin Canglan looked at the army that Su Xiaoxiao had brought. Even the armor ana weapons were not umrorm. ?rne armor was mecea togetner, DUL me morale she had condensed was invincible. Qin Canglan¡¯s heart swelled, and he did not know how to describe it. He bent down and carried his sleeping granddaughter into the carriage. He brought her and Jing Yi back to Zi Town¡¯s camp. Su Xiaoxiao slept until the next morning. When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying in an unfamiliar tent. Her armor had been removed. She moved her toes in confusion. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Qin Canglan walked over and looked at her dotingly. The serious marshal would only show such a gentle side in front of her. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sat up. ¡°Did I sleep for a long time?¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°It¡¯s still early. Why don¡¯t you sleep a little longer? Forget it, you¡¯re already awake. Eat something before sleeping.¡± Speaking of food, Su Xiaoxiao remembered that she had yet to take out the rations. ¡°Grandpa, wait for me.¡± She secretly found a warehouse and moved out the rice and cured meat. Fortunately, the pharmacy only liked gold. She moved half of these things herself. The pharmacy probably got impatient and threw her out with the rations. That was good. It saved her trouble. She clapped her hands and took a long breath. She lifted the curtain of the warehouse and Wei Xun and Zhang Yong looked at her in shock. ¡°Boss, why are you here?¡± Wei Xun asked. Su Xiaoxiao cleared her throat. ¡°I¡­ count the rations!¡± Wei Xun was surprised. ¡°The provisions have arrived?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Yes, Fu Su got someone to send it over when you were sleeping.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Wei Xun nodded. ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve worked hard. Leave the counting of rations to me in the future.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Sure.¡± She returned to Qin Canglan¡¯s tent, and Wei Xun pulled Zhang Yong away. Zhang Yong turned around and looked at the storeroom. ¡°I clearly passed by here this morning. The storeroom was empty.¡± Wei Xun said, ¡°Then you must have seen wrongly! Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time to train!¡± When Su Xiaoxiao returned to Qin Canglan¡¯s tent, Qin Canglan was repairing Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s armor. Jing Yi was also there. ¡°Grandpa, Jing Yi.¡± She greeted them. Qin Canglan pointed at the stool opposite him. ¡°Come and eat something.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over and was slightly stunned when she saw the delicious food on the table. ¡°Roasted rabbit?¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Jing Yi went out to get it. Eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡± Su Xiaoxiao tore off two rabbit legs. ¡°Grandpa, Jing Yi, you guys eat too. I don¡¯t want to eat alone.¡± Qin Canglan smiled helplessly. ¡°Alright, leave it there. I¡¯ll eat it after repairing the armor.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put one down and handed one to Jing Yi. ¡°Jing Yi, eat it.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Jing Yi took the rabbit leg. Su Xiaoxiao took a bite. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It was extremely delicious. Perhaps it was because she had consumed too much energy in the war, but her appetite had increased a lot recently. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Grandpa, I met Leng Kui yesterday. He came out of the barbican with 2,000 people. I don¡¯t know what he went to do.¡± At the mention of Leng Kui, a trace of coldness flashed across Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes. Taking away all the military rations caused so many soldiers to almost starve to death. Qin Canglan let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the pass in Yao City is difficult. The Qin family¡¯s army won¡¯t be able to arrive for a while. Otherwise, I would have brought my troops over now and killed Leng Kui!¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Yao City?¡± Qin Canglan nodded. ¡°Mayor Yao, Dou Xiao, is Leng Kui¡¯s trusted aide.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes darted around as she silently took out Dou Xiao¡¯s token and placed it on the table. ¡°Dou Xiao has been killed.¡± Qin Canglan was stunned. ¡°¡­There¡¯s also the guardian of Cloud Water Town, Quan Fei, and the county magistrate of White Crane County, Sun Peng¡­ These places are all necessary routes to Zi Town. They¡¯re all controlled by the Leng family¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out Quan Fei¡¯s token, County Magistrate Sun¡¯s official seal, and General Zhang¡¯s military seal¡­ Qin Canglan gasped! How many of Leng Kui¡¯s trusted aides did she kill? Chapter 792 - Chapter 792: Doting On His Granddaughter, Showing Off His Granddaughter Chapter 792: Doting On His Granddaughter, Showing Off His Granddaughter Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At the foot of a hill outside the barbican, the snow that should have been empty was filled with Leng Kui¡¯s 2,000-strong army. In a tent surrounded by the army, Leng Kui was having his first negotiation with the Northern Yan General opposite him. Leng Kui said coldly, ¡°General Tuoba, don¡¯t you think your request is too much?¡± Tuoba Lie sneered and said, ¡°Since you want to negotiate, you have to show your sincerity? Why? Do you think the battlefield is run by your family and we won¡¯t fight just because you say so? Are our 100,000-strong Northern Yan army playing with you?¡± Leng Kui said in a low voice, ¡°But you can¡¯t ask for too much!¡± Tuoba Lie smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to give up the barbican. Exchange Qin Canglan¡¯s head for it!¡± Leng Kui said angrily, ¡°You want me to kill Qin Canglan? Are you crazy or am I crazy?! Tuoba Lie smiled slowly and said, ¡°General Leng, why are you so agitated? Didn¡¯t you want to kill Qin Canglan long ago? Lord Wu An is already dead. If anything happens to Qin Canglan, the position of the general of the army in the world will definitely be yours, right? Although there¡¯s still the Marquis of Zhenbei, his body hasn¡¯t been well for the past few years. He hasn¡¯t gone to court for a long time. General Leng, do you want to take a gamble?¡± Leng Kui glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re trying to sow discord within our Great Zhou!¡± Tuoba Lie sneered. ¡°Tsk tsk, General Leng, we¡¯re all smart people. Why are you acting here? If you didn¡¯t want Qin Canglan to die, will you take all the provisions and leave him hungry in Zi Town? It¡¯s been four days and four nights. Why don¡¯t we guess if Qin Canglan¡¯s life is still intact?¡± Leng Kui looked at him sternly and coldly. Tuoba Lie smiled and said, ¡°General Leng, I¡¯ll only give you three days to consider. If you don¡¯t cede these cities to Northern Yan in three days, our 100,000-strong army will flatten the barbican! We¡¯ll kill every soldier in the surrounding passes!¡± Leng Kui clenched his fists. On the way back, Leng Kui rode his horse at the front. When he thought of Tuoba Lie¡¯s conditions, his expression was a little solemn. His trusted general rode his horse beside him and glanced at him. He asked, ¡°General, are you worried that the Northern Yan army will attack the city in three days? We only have 50,000 troops. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have given Qin Canglan and Su MO so many troops.¡± Leng Kui said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Dou Xiao still has military strength. Make a trip to Yao City and get Dou Xiao to bring his troops over.¡± ¡°Report! Report!¡± A scout hurriedly blocked Leng Kui¡¯s path. Leng Kui frowned and glanced at him. ¡°Did something happen in Barbican?¡± Didn¡¯t they agree to attack in three days? Three days was enough for him to gather the forces scattered in the various cities. The scout said, ¡°It¡¯s not the barbican, it¡¯s Yao City! General Dou was killed by someone!¡± The trusted deputy general was stunned. ¡°What! Who did it?¡± The scout said, ¡°Someone who claims to be Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter.¡± The trusted general frowned and said, ¡°Nonsense. Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter is in the capital! Someone must be impersonating her! She¡¯s doing evil under the guise of the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate!¡± Leng Kui asked, ¡°Where are Yao City¡¯s troops?¡± The scout whispered, ¡°They were taken away¡­¡± The trusted general said angrily, ¡°What do you mean by being taken away? The scout trembled. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ the soldiers ran away with her!¡± The trusted general clenched his fists. ¡°Damn it! That¡¯s 3,000 troops! And 1,000 elites!¡± Leng Kui asked coldly, ¡°Where¡¯s Cloud Water Town? Didn¡¯t Quan Fei go to support them?¡± ¡°General Quan was also killed, and his soldiers were taken¡­ There¡¯s also County Magistrate Sun and General Zhang¡­¡± At the end of the story, the scout did not have the guts to continue. What was going on? That fake eldest daughter of the Qin family killed as she advanced, wiping out all the trusted aides of the Leng family and snatching all the soldiers. What was worse was that those soldiers were all willing to run with her. Leng Kui suppressed the surging anger in his heart. ¡°Where are they now?¡± The scout said in fear, ¡°It seems to be¡­ going to Zi Town.¡± His trusted general smiled and said, ¡°Zi Town? General, don¡¯t worry. They have at most 10,000 troops. Zi Town has 20,000 Northern Yan troops. They might have already fed them to the Northern Yan army!¡± Zi Town. The last corpse of the Northern Yan soldier had been transported away. The battlefield was finally cleaned up. Liu Ren returned to report to Qin Canglan. Qin Canglan said, ¡°The Qin family¡¯s army is about to arrive. Go to Liangshan tomorrow to receive them.¡± Liu Ren was shocked. ¡°Are they really coming? Isn¡¯t it said that the Leng family won¡¯t let them pass through the city?¡± Qin Canglan said proudly, ¡°It¡¯s already resolved.¡± Liu Ren asked, ¡°No way? Who¡¯s so powerful? Who killed those bastards from the Leng family?¡± cun canglan naa a proua expression. ¡®¡±MY granaaaugnter.¡± In the afternoon, Qin Canglan brought Su Xiaoxiao to choose weapons. ¡°Your golden bow is not bad, but it¡¯s only suitable for long-range attacks. You need a suitable weapon. Choose. These are all my private collection.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked around at the shelves on both sides that displayed all kinds of cold weapons. She first picked a red tassel spear. Her third sister-in-law was good at spears and had taught her a little about spearmanship. She tried to play a few moves. It felt good. She put the red tassel spear back and picked a nine-section whip. Fourth Sister-in-law had taught her how to whip. The whip could attack and defend, and it was very agile. Its shortcoming was that it was not suitable for close combat. She came to a row of saber racks again. Qin Canglan introduced one to her. ¡°It¡¯s a ring-headed saber with a one-sided edge. It¡¯s suitable for slashing.¡± Su Xiaoxiao played two moves. Not bad. In the end, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze landed on a long sword that had been placed aside. She took the sword and slowly unsheathed it. A sharp cold light flashed across the corners of her eyes. Qin Canglan said, ¡°The Heavenly Origin Sword is a sword created by the previous dynasty¡¯s Martial Emperor. It¡¯s three feet and three inches long and has two sides. It¡¯s suitable for various sword techniques. The flaw is that it¡¯s heavy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao gestured a few times. ¡°I like this weight.¡± Qin Canglan recalled, ¡°Wei Xu liked it back then too. I didn¡¯t give it to him. He already has the Green Peak Sword. The sword of the Martial Emperor doesn¡¯t share a master with other swords.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and looked at the sword in her hand. At first glance, it was nothing special. The more she looked at it, the more she liked it. Qin Canglan continued, ¡°Do you want to give your army a name too?¡± This was tacit agreement that Su Xiaoxiao would lead the army herself. Su Xiaoxiao thought about it seriously. ¡°Red Shadow, my army is called the Crimson Shadow Army!¡± Qin Canglan smiled dotingly. ¡°Okay!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was very satisfied with the name she gave. ¡°By the way, why isn¡¯t Eldest Cousin back yet? Should I go and receive him?¡± Qin Canglan smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Those rebels in Wan City are nothing. He can deal with them. I guess the reason why he hasn¡¯t returned is that he must have found some news in Wan City. However, in a day or two, he and the Qin family¡¯s army will arrive.¡± Su Xiaoxiao twirled her sword. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She had been waiting for this day for a long time. When everyone was here, they could go to the barbican to kill Leng Kui and fight to the death with Northern Yan! Chapter 793 - Chapter 793: Siblings Meet Chapter 793: Siblings Meet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wan City. Su Mo had just come out of a restaurant. After the restaurant closed, there were no more shops on the entire street. Due to the war, the streets were not very lively even though New Year¡¯s Eve was approaching. The commoners closed their doors and windows, and the streets were as quiet as snow. Su MO got on the horse and planned to return to the military camp. Halfway there, a shadow silently caught up. The ground was frozen, and Su MO was not fast. The shadow used his qinggong and quietly followed behind Su Mo. He raised the long saber in his hand and slashed at the back of Su MO¡¯s neck. Su MO blocked him with his sword. He took the force and turned around in the air. His feet landed on the frozen ground, and the ice cracked. Su MO got off the horse and looked at him with a long sword in his hand. He said coldly, ¡°You¡¯ve followed me all the way and endured until now. Who sent you?¡± The man in black said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to know!¡± He rushed towards Su MO again and fought with him. After exchanging blows, Su MO gradually sensed that his aura was different from that of an ordinary expert. ¡°A sacrificial soldier?¡± The man in black said expressionlessly, ¡°Since you know, obediently accept your death. Go underground to accompany Qin Canglan and suffer less.¡± Su Mo ts sword blocked his saber. He had to admit that the combat strength of the sacrificial soldiers was far higher than that of ordinary experts. The man in black¡¯s moves were unbelievably fast, almost sealing off all of Su Mot s escape routes. However, Su MO was not to be trifled with. After dozens of moves, the man in black did not have a chance. The man in black narrowed his eyes and shot a row of hidden weapons at Su Mo. Su MO hurriedly flew away to dodge. Found it. A flaw! He stepped onto the wall and jumped, slashing at Su Mo¡¯s life! Just as he was about to split Su MO in half, an unbelievable thing happened. Su MO did a backflip and brushed past the top of his head. The moment he landed, his back was facing him. The longsword in his hand stabbed back and pierced through his heart. He looked at the sword tip that had pierced through his chest in disbelief, not understanding how Su MO had done it. Unfortunately, he would never have an answer. He fell straight to the ground. Su MO pushed him back with his foot. The tip of his sword opened his pouch and took out a token. It was indeed Northern Yan¡¯s doing. ¡°He just asked me to accompany Granduncle underground? Is Granduncle in trouble?¡± Su MO frowned and rode his horse back to the military camp as quickly as possible. He rushed back to Zi Town overnight with his troops. He arrived in the evening of the next day. As soon as he arrived at the city gate, he saw large patches of blood. Logically speaking, the snow was falling so heavily. If not for a terrifying battle, the snow at the city gate would have covered most of the empty space. However, at this moment, the snow had long been swept away. Blood seeped into the soil like a frozen river of blood. Su MO¡¯s expression changed slightly. He looked up at the dilapidated city tower in the cold wind. It was also covered in dried blood. There had been a battle in Zi Town¡­ ¡°Granduncle!¡± Su MO pulled out his sword. ¡°All troops, listen up! Kill your way in!¡± He had also forcefully returned to Zi Town. The soldiers were not in a good state, but if the enemy was in front of them, he could not care less! The deputy general waved the flagpole in his hand and shouted, ¡°Charge¡ªI¡® The group followed Su MO into the city with surging killing intent. Then, they were dumbfounded. The citizens on the streets were also dumbfounded. They looked at the sudden and sharpening army and suppressed their bargaining voices. Everyone looked at each other, and the scene was extremely awkward. Liu Ren shouted from the city tower, ¡°General Su!¡± Su MO turned the horse around and looked at him in shock. ¡°General Liu?¡± Liu Ren smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re finally back! You haven¡¯t eaten, right? Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you and the soldiers back to the military camp. We¡¯ll eat dumplings tonight!¡± Hearing that there were dumplings, the soldiers swallowed. Liu Ren brought a horse over and walked side by side with Su Mo. At the same time, he relayed how Leng Kui had taken away all the provisions and troops, causing them to be surrounded by the Beiyan people for four days and four nights on an empty stomach. ¡°Fortunately, reinforcements arrived in time!¡± Su MO stammered, ¡°The blood outside the city¡­ is from the Northern Yan army?¡± Liu Ren smiled and said, ¡°Of course! The 20,000-strong army was defeated by our Red Shadow Army!¡± Liu Ren subconsciously added ¡°our¡± in front of the Crimson Shadow Army. Forget it, they were all on the same side in the future. There would be food to eat with Boss Crimson Shadow! Su MO asked curiously, ¡°What kind of army is the Crimson Shadow Army? I¡¯ve never heard of it before? Is it a new army trained by my grandfather?¡± The two of them entered the military camp. Liu Ren pointed at the large army training on the drill ground and said, ¡°There, the Crimson Shadow Army!¡± The reputation of the Crimson Shadow Army at the border had already spread. They were famous for being inhumane. Over the past two days, people came to join them one after another. They had originally left 2,000 in Linzi, and there were only 8,000 left. Now, they had another 10,000 troops. Liu Ren had never seen any army expand so quickly, and they were all elite soldiers. The overall adaptability of this army was still very inexperienced, but the vitality and combat strength they emitted were what the old army lacked. Su MO saw a familiar side profile in the crowd. Su Xiaoxiao was wearing armor and no helmet. She stood beside the tall Qin Canglan. Su MO dismounted and quickly walked towards her. Su Xiaoxiao turned around. ¡°Su MO? Cousin! ¡± When Qin Canglan heard the voice, he turned to look at him and smiled in surprise. ¡°Mo¡¯er is back?¡± ¡°Granduncle!¡± Su MO cupped his hands and bowed. He looked at the imposing Crimson Shadow aAmy on the drill ground and then at his sister in armor. Su Xiaoxiao puffed out her chest. Hurry up and praise her! Su MO smiled gently. ¡°Is the Crimson Shadow Army Sister¡¯s?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Su MO smiled and said, ¡°Sister is so amazing.¡± He felt comfortable. Su Xiaoxiao raised her chin! Su MO looked at her thin cheeks and the tip of her nose, which was red from the cold. He couldn¡¯t help but raise his hand to touch the top of her soft head. Liu Ren brought the soldiers to the barracks to eat dumplings. Su MO, Qin Canglan, and Su Xiaoxiao returned to the commander-in-chief¡¯s tent. Su MO asked, ¡°When did you return from Western Jin? Why are you at the border? Where¡¯s Wei Ting?¡± As expected of a family. These words were almost identical to Qin Canglan¡¯s question. ¡°I arrived in the capital a few days after you left.¡± Su Xiaoxiao answered Qin Canglan, including Wei Qing in her recount. ¡°Wei Ting and I came to the border to find medicine for Wei Qing. We¡¯ve already obtained the medicine. Wei Ting went to assassinate Helian Ye.¡± Hearing that Wei Qing was still alive and had even gone to Western Jin to be a strategist, Su MO sighed. The men of the Wei family were all extraordinary. Su Xiaoxiao smiled at him. ¡°Cousin is also not an ordinary person.¡± His sister praised him so well. Qin Canglan looked at him and said, ¡°Have you eliminated the rebels in Wan Su MO said, ¡°It¡¯s done. They¡¯re all supported by Northern Yan. These people have committed all kinds of crimes. I didn¡¯t leave anyone alive. In addition, I found two pieces of information..¡± Chapter 794 - Chapter 794: Seizing the Troops Chapter 794: Seizing the Troops Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°There are actually traces of the sudden rise of the Northern Yan army. For the past two years, the Northern Yan has been secretly accumulating wealth. A mysterious person provided endless wealth to the Northern Yan, so the Northern Yan dares to raise troops wantonly.¡± ¡°Mysterious man?¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. If not for the fact that she had all the money from the White Lotus Society, she would have thought that the White Lotus Society was funding Northern Yan behind her back. She said thoughtfully, ¡°Someone wants the Great Zhou to start a war with Northern Yan? Purpose? The fisherman benefits from the fight?¡± Su MO nodded. ¡°We can¡¯t rule out that possibility.¡± Su Xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°Northern Yan hid it really well. We all thought that Northern Yan was so bold as to get close to the Western Jin, but if it has already lasted for two years, it has nothing to do with getting close to the Western Jin. No, it¡¯s still related. In order to hide the truth, they deliberately pretended to get close to the Western Jin. They tried to please the Western Jin Emperor and sent the Princess of Northern Yan to the Western Jin to reconcile. It made us think that Northern Yan¡¯s backing is strong because it has the backing of Western Jin.¡± In this way, everything that Northern Yan did could be traced. Su MO paused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s true that it wants to hide the origin of its wealth and wants to cozy up to the Western Jin. Northern Yan probably understands that what it did was to ask a tiger for its skin. After dealing with the Great Zhou, in order to prevent the other party from counterattacking, Northern Yan will pull the Western Jin to its side first.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t it be the Western Jin?¡± Qin Canglan asked. ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± Su MO looked at his sister. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the Western Jin Emperor. What¡¯s his personality?¡± Su Xiaoxiao recalled and shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t see through him. I only know that he cherishes talent. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the Western Jin. Wei Qing is a strategist of the Western Jin. Every move of the Western Jin can¡¯t be hidden from him. He won¡¯t provide financial support to Northern Yan.¡± Su MO nodded. ¡°No matter what, we have to get rid of Northern Yan¡¯s ambition.¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed with this. Northern Yan had killed so many sons of the Wei family, harmed so many soldiers of the Great Zhou, burned, killed, and plundered countless commoners at the border. These debts had to be paid! Qin Canglan looked at Su Mo. ¡°You said that you found two pieces of information. What¡¯s the second piece of information?¡± Su MO said seriously, ¡°Helian Ye has gathered 100,000 troops in Feng City.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked curiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t Helian Ye go to Wu Town? We heard it with our own ears that night.¡± Su MO said, ¡°Wu Town was fake news released by Helian Ye. There¡¯s indeed a someone who looks like Helian Ye there, but this was a substitute.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°Is Wei Ting going to miss? If it¡¯s a 100,000-strong army, will it be troublesome to break through the Broken North Pass?¡± When Su MO spoke to her, he subconsciously softened his voice. ¡°Speaking of which, there¡¯s good news. The snow outside Feng City has sealed the mountain and blocked the path; 100,000 soldiers cant get through. They can¡¯t come to Broken North Pass for the time being.¡± Qin Canglan took out the map and spread it on the table. He pointed at a forest outside the southern gate of the barbican city. ¡°Northern Yan camped here. Now, the commander of Northern Yan is Tuoba Lie. He brought 100,000 troops. 20,000 of them were involved in the siege of Zi Town a few days ago. 10,000 were killed by the small Crimson Shadow Army, and the remaining 8,000 fled. When these 8,000 troops converged with Tuoba Lie¡¯s, it was 90,000 troops. If you count Helian Ye¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s almost 200,000 troops.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the map and asked, ¡°Grandpa, how many troops do we have?¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Your Crimson Shadow Army has 10,000. Mo¡¯er¡¯s troops in Zi Town adds another 10,000. In addition to the 20,000 Qin family troops that are coming, there are 40,000.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°How many troops does Leng Kui have?¡± Qin Canglan frowned and said, ¡°50,000, but we can¡¯t count on it. He won¡¯t take the initiative to start a war with Northern Yan.¡± It was already good enough that Leng Kui did not turn around and hit his own people. Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and chuckled. ¡°A crooked stick will have a crooked shadow. Emperor Jing Xuan is the same. He¡¯s as cowardly against Northern Yan as he is ruthless against the Nanyang King¡¯s family.¡± ¡°Marshal!¡± Liu Ren¡¯s anxious voice sounded outside the tent. ¡°Come in,¡± Qin Canglan said. Liu Ren entered with a small note and cupped his hands to greet the three of them. He came to Qin Canglan and said with a complicated expression, ¡°I just received a letter from a pigeon. The Qin family¡¯s army encountered an avalanche near Jia County.¡± ¡°How are the casualties?¡± Qin Canglan asked. Liu Ren said, ¡°General Tong Ke discovered it in time and led the army back to avoid it. There were not many casualties. General Tong Ke himself was injured in saving the warhorse.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Do they have anything to eat?¡± Liu Ren was stunned for a moment before saying, ¡°Yes, they brought food.¡± Liu Ren handed the note from the Qin family¡¯s army to Qin Canglan. After Qin Canglan read it, he gave it to Su Xiaoxiao and Su Mo. After the two of them finished reading, they fell silent. Just now, they were still glad that Helian Ye¡¯s army was trapped in the mountains and could not come over. In the end, their reinforcements had also been sealed off by the snow. They really did not know what to say. Su MO narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Looks like they¡¯ll be trapped for a few days. ¡± Qin Canglan looked at the map again. ¡°Our plan is about to change.¡± They could not wait for the Qin family¡¯s army to arrive because Helian Ye¡¯s 100,000 -strong army was also working hard to leave the mountain. Perhaps before the Qin family¡¯s army arrived, Helian Ye¡¯s 100,000-strong army would reach first. Su Xiaoxiao pointed at the barbican on the map. ¡°The only one with military strength now is Leng Kui.¡± Qin Canglan nodded. ¡°We can only seize Leng Kui¡¯s troops.¡± It was not easy to snatch these troops. After all, they were Leng Kui¡¯s direct descendants. However, no matter how difficult it was, they had to snatch them. Life and death were in front of them, and the commoners were behind. They could not be reduced to pawns of the Northern Yan. ¡°Xiaoxiao, your Crimson Shadow Army will be the main force against Leng Kui. Follow me to the barbican later.¡¯ ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Liu Ren, I¡¯ll leave you 6,000 troops to defend Zi Town.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Mo¡¯er, between you and Jing Yi, who will go to Jia County?¡± Jing Yi walked in. ¡°Su MO is going.¡± Su MO said, ¡°Hand game?¡± Su MO lost. Su MO looked at Qin Canglan resentfully. ¡°Grandpa, why don¡¯t you go to Jia County?¡± He wanted to attack Leng Kui with his sister. Qin Canglan was speechless. In the end, Wuhu, the working bird were forced to fly to Jia County. Wuhu exploded and its small wings were fanning until smoke came out. ¡°I might not be human, but you¡¯re real dogs!¡± Leng Kui could not be trusted. In order to prevent him from cooperating with Northern Yan, Qin Canglan and Su MO led 4,000 troops to the southern gate of the barbican and hid in the col on both sides. The Northern Yan army was stationed ten miles away. Su Xiaoxiao and Jing Yi brought 10,000 Crimson Shadow soldiers to the city and knocked on the east gate of the barbican. ¡°Who are you?¡± On the city tower, the archers aimed at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s army. Su Xiaoxiao rode on the horse. The cold wind blew across her eyes, and her expression was calm as snow. ¡°I want to see Leng Kui.¡± The guard general who had spoken just now sneered. ¡°Who do you think you are? You actually dare to call the general by his name! You¡¯re rebels from Wan City, right? Su MO is really cowardly! You can¡¯t even eliminate a mere group of rebels! Forget it! Your good days are over if you fall into the hands of us brothers today! Men! Fire arrows!¡± With his order, a rain of arrows fell from the sky like a waterfall, shooting towards Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s red shadow army. However, just as they were about to shoot the army into a hedgehog, the army raised their shields in a well-trained manner. Their uniform movements seemed to have been trained thousands of times, and in an instant, they formed an indestructible iron wall. Clang, clang, clang! The rain of arrows landed on the shield, making clanging sounds. The army under the shield was majestic and unharmed. The guard general was stunned. How could there be such defense? Not a single arrow hit their target? Wei Xun shouted provocatively, ¡°Thank you for lending me the arrows! I was just worried about not having any arrows to use!¡± The guard general trembled and gritted his teeth. ¡°Shoot her! Shoot her! I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± He snatched a soldier¡¯s bow and arrow and aimed it at Su Xiaoxiao. However, before he could let go of the bowstring, Jing Yi flew up and picked up a spear in the soldier¡¯s hand with his toes.. He caught it with his bare hands in midair and flipped in the air, suddenly shooting at the guard general, piercing him and nailing him to the wall behind him! Chapter 795 - Chapter 795: Suppressing Leng Kui Chapter 795: Suppressing Leng Kui Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jing Yi¡¯s ferocious killing move stunned the soldiers on the city wall. Everyone was frozen after drawing them halfway. Su Xiaoxiao still had a calm expression as she said word by word, ¡°I¡¯ll say it one last time. Ask Leng Kui to come over.¡± In the end, Leng Kui came. It was not that he was afraid of Su Xiaoxiao. He was just here to see what this so-called rebel army was about. When he ascended the city tower and saw his subordinate nailed to the wall, his eyes turned cold. He turned around and looked at the black mass of 10,000 troops in the open space. This army was holding the flag of the Great Zhou, led by the little girl in armor. Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t wearing a helmet, revealing her original appearance. However, Leng Kui had never seen Su Xiaoxiao, so he naturally did not recognize her. He had seen Jing Yi before, but it had been a few years. Ever since the battle at Broken North Pass five years ago, he had never returned to the capital. Jing Yi had changed too much from a child to a murderous young man. He didn¡¯t recognize him immediately. Leng Kui¡¯s cold gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. ¡°Are you the girl who pretended to be Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter at the border and recruited soldiers everywhere?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter.¡± Leng Kui said coldly, ¡°Nonsense! Why would Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter come to the border and even bring a group of men to cause trouble?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said mockingly, ¡°What a good way to rebel. I don¡¯t know if you know how to lead troops to war, but your ability to slander others is first-rate.¡± The deputy general at the side shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t insult our great general!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him coldly. ¡°If you say another word, you¡¯ll be the next person to be nailed!¡± The deputy general¡¯s scalp went numb. Leng Kui narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°How dare a mere 10,000 troop come to the barbican to cause trouble? With a great enemy in front of me, I don¡¯t want to waste mv troops on vou scattered soldiers. If vou know what¡¯s good for you, leave quickly. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him arrogantly. ¡°The last person who said that is already dead. That¡¯s right, I mean Dou Xiao.¡± Leng Kui was furious. ¡°As expected, you killed Dou Xiao!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Open the city gate!¡± Leng Kui raised his hand. ¡°Archers, get ready!¡± ¡°Leng Kui, that¡¯s enough!¡± A furious and hoarse voice suddenly came from behind the army, followed by a violent cough right on the heels of that. Leng Kui frowned. In the next second, the army spread out to the sides and automatically made way. At this moment, Leng Kui realized that there was actually an inconspicuous carriage behind the army. His intuition told him that the person in the carriage was not simple. The carriage stopped beside Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao never got off the horse. She sat on the horse and said helplessly, ¡°Your Highness, as you can see, Leng Kui refuses to open the city gate.¡± Your Highness? Leng Kui was shocked. The coachman curtained Xiao Duye. Xiao Duye covered his mouth with a handkerchief and walked out coughing. The cold wind outside made him shiver. He had already caught a cold and had been in a daze for a few days. He only felt a little better this morning. What if he caught a cold and his condition worsened? Damn Leng Kui! He glared fiercely at Leng Kui. ¡°Leng Kui! Open the city gate for me!¡± Leng Kui never expected to see the Eldest Prince here. No, it was King Liang now. He was dumbfounded. ¡°Your Highness¡­ how did you¡­ Xiao Duye said impatiently, ¡°Have you said enough? Open the city gate quickly! Do you want to freeze me to death!¡± Leng Kui did not dare to refuse opening the city gate for the Liang King. He personally went down the city tower and instructed the guards to turn the winch to open the closed city gate. He quickly came out to welcome him and knelt on one knee in front of the carriage. ¡°Greetings, King Liang!¡± Wuhu flew to Jia County to send news to Fu Su and asked him to send King Liang over. Su Xiaoxiao wanted to snatch Leng Kui¡¯s troops for her use. From the beginning, she had no intention of fighting with Leng Kui¡¯s 50,000-strong army. At this moment, Xiao Duye, this tool, came in handy. Leng Kui said to Xiao Duye, ¡°Your Highness, you can enter the city, but with all due respect, this renegade killed our border general, snatched the border soldiers, and formed her own rebel army. She really has ulterior motives. We have to be wary!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said righteously, ¡°Leng Kui, who was the one who didn¡¯t do anything and let the Northern people break through the Broken North Pass? Jia County was occupied by the Northern Yan army, but you ignored it and let the people of Jia County fend for themselves. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to subdue the enemy, but I was obstructed by your subordinates. If I don¡¯t kill them, how can I rush to Jia County to save His Highness Liang!¡± Leng Kui¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Your Highness was in Jia County? County Magistrate Yuan told Xiao Duye about being surrounded by the Northern Yan army, including the reason for letting him stay in the cellar. County Magistrate Yuan also explained that the cellar was the safest. They had also been staying in the cellar. The situation outside was not up to County Magistrate Yuan to make up. However, Su Xiaoxiao was not lying about the trajectory of the battle. She had indeed come from Yao City and fought her way to Jia County to fight with the Northern Yan army. Even Leng Kui could not distort this fact. ¡°So she¡¯s really¡­ Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter?¡± Leng Kui already had the answer in his heart. No wonder so many soldiers had joined her. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t know that you were in Jia County. If I had known, I would definitely have led troops to save you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sneered. ¡°General, do you mean that His Highness¡¯s life is his life and the lives of the people of Jia County are not? His Highness loves the people like his children. If you think you can deceive His Highness with such excuses, you¡¯re underestimating His Highness too much!¡± Xiao Duye had no choice but to put on this high hat. He coughed lightly and said seriously, ¡°Alright, they¡¯re all soldiers who risked their lives for me. They shall enter the city with me!¡± Leng Kui frowned. He did not want to let this group of people in. He felt that nothing good would happen if they came in. However, he was in the wrong when it came to the matter of Jia County and King Liang¡¯s attitude was so firm. He could only let the Crimson Shadow Army go. The Crimson Shadow Army successfully entered the barbican without expending a single soldier. Xiao Duye did not dare to stay in the government office anymore. He wanted to stay in the military camp, even if the conditions were a little harsh. Hence, Leng Kui gave up his tent. Su Xiaoxiao also entered the tent and said to Leng Kui, who was following beside Xiao Duye, ¡°Ah, can I trouble General Leng to open the southern city gate? My grandfather and eldest cousin are chasing after the fleeing Northern Yan army outside the southern city gate. They should be almost done. It¡¯s so late. We can¡¯t let them rush back to Zi Town overnight in the snow, right? Can we borrow the barbican?¡± He was afraid that some people would stay and not leave¡­ Leng Kui looked at Su Xiaoxiao deeply and reluctantly got someone to open the south city gate.. Chapter 796 - Chapter 796: The Joy of New Year’s Eve Chapter 796: The Joy of New Year¡¯s Eve Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Canglan and Su MO came over very quickly. At this moment, Su Xiaoxiao was in Xiao Duye¡¯s tent, treating the tool, Xiao Duye, for a cold. Leng Kui wanted to chase this irksome little girl out, but other than her, Xiao Duye did not want to see any other physicians. He said that their medical skills were not as good as hers. Su Xiaoxiao gave him a prescription. The list was filled with herbs. The medical official took the prescription and went to get the herbs. When Qin Canglan and Su MO arrived at Xiao Duye¡¯s tent, he had just finished a bowl of bitter medicine. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Qin Canglan looked at his precious granddaughter and cupped his hands and bowed to Xiao Duye with Su Mo. Xiao Duye frowned at the bitterness. He seriously suspected that this girl had deliberately prescribed such bitter medicine for him. It was so disgusting. He nodded and held back the bitterness in his mouth. ¡°How are the remnants of the Northern Yan?¡± Qin Canglan said without changing his expression, ¡°They escaped into Little Phoenix Mountain.¡± ¡°Where is Little Phoenix Mountain?¡± Xiao Duye was not familiar with the terrain of the border. Qin Canglan said, ¡°It¡¯s a mountain ten miles outside the southern gate of the barbican. The entrance is a canyon with mountains on both sides. There¡¯s a very empty valley. Currently, the army of the Northern Yan is stationed there.¡± Xiao Duye almost died at the hands of the Northern Yan army. He hated the Northern Yan deeply. Qin Canglan looked at Xiao Duye¡¯s expression and struck while the iron was hot. ¡°The situation at the border is chaotic. With Your Highness presiding over it, the soldiers are much more at ease. I wonder why Your Highness suddenly came to the border?¡± Xiao Duye was wearing tall hats tonight and felt a little smug. He cleared his throat. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask about my mission at the border. However, since I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t sit back and do nothing about the situation at the border. Northern Yan is too much. Old Protector Duke, do you have a good plan?¡± Leng Kui was unhappy to hear this. He was the general at the border. Since he was commander-in-chief in all but name, he felt that King Liang should ask for his opinion first. It would be strange if Xiao Duye asked him. If not for this guy giving up Jia County, he would not have had to hide in the cellar for so many days. Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°I think we should fight a big battle with Northern Yan and chase Northern Yan out of Broken North Pass!¡± Leng Kui went forward and said, ¡°Your Highness, there are 100,000 troops in Northern Yan. We don¡¯t have enough troops. Fighting with them is no different from throwing an egg at a rock. Other than causing unnecessary casualties, it might also threaten Your Highness¡¯ safety!¡± The old rascal also knew to drag Xiao Duye into it. Qin Canglan snorted. ¡°What do you mean? Are you trying to say that His Highness is a coward? A mere 80,000 troops has frightened you so much. No wonder Northern Yan dares to attack. It¡¯s because of a coward like you! Northern Yan is fearless! If you don¡¯t dare to hit Northern Yan, I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°Qin Canglan!¡± Leng Kui was furious. He had been a general for too long and no one was suppressing him. He had long forgotten what it felt like to be stepped on and scolded. Even when Qin Canglan came to the border this time, he had always listened to him. He really thought that Qin Canglan was afraid of him. Heh, what was there for Qin Canglan to be afraid of! He didn¡¯t embarrass him in public because he didn¡¯t want to mess up the morale of the army. He really treated himself as the main dish! ¡°Stop arguing!¡± Xiao Duye had a headache. ¡°One of you said that there are 100,000 troops in Northern Yan, and the other said that there are 80,000 troops. How many are there?¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Your Highness, my granddaughter destroyed 5,000 Beiyan troops in Jia County and 10,000 in Linzi. Including the 2,000 that she had exhausted previously, Northern Yan only has 85,000 troops now.¡± Leng Kui¡¯s expression turned ugly. She had silently destroyed nearly 20 ,ooo troops. Even the men of the Leng family could not achieve such merit. ¡°How many troops do you have?¡± Xiao Duye asked. Qin Canglan looked at Leng Kui and said, ¡°If we include the 50,000 troops in General Leng¡¯s hands, there are a total of 70,000 troops. Your Highness is guarding the rear, and the morale of the soldiers is high. I think that the difference of 10,000 troops is not a problem. Our chances of winning are very high!¡± ¡°Then fight!¡± Xiao Duye said impatiently. Leng Kui said, ¡°Your Highness! You can¡¯t fight!¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you waiting to be bullied by Northern Yan?¡± Leng Kui said, ¡°His Majesty¡­¡± Qin Canglan cupped his hands. ¡°If His Majesty knew that His Highness won this battle, he would definitely praise His Highness.¡± Indeed. If he defeated Northern Yan, he would have established his second battle achievement this year. How could his second and third brothers compare to him? The more Xiao Duye thought about it, the more he felt that it was feasible. ¡°It¡¯s settled then. General Leng, Old Protector Duke, discuss the battle plan. This battle can only be won and not lost!¡± Leng Kui¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qin Canglan agreed loudly. Leng Kui was so angry that his eyelids twitched. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time to eat dumplings.¡± The guard carried a bowl of steaming dumplings in. Xiao Duye had just drunk a bowl of bitter medicine and his stomach was churning. He had no appetite when he saw the dumplings. The guard smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve today. When you¡¯re outside, things can¡¯t be compared to the palace. Make do and eat.¡± Xiao Duye was enlightened. It was New Year¡¯s Eve. Qin Canglan brought Su Xiaoxiao and Su MO out of the tent. It was snowing heavily. Jing Yi lit a small fire to roast sweet potatoes at the side and Su MO went over to help him. Qin Canglan took off the shawl on his shoulder and draped it over Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°The battle is tomorrow.¡± ¡°Will Leng Kui ruin it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the guts.¡± After all, since Xiao Duye was here, Leng Kui couldn¡¯t harm him no matter what. Otherwise, if His Majesty pursued the matter, Leng Kui would lose his official position. ¡°Killing generals before the war is a big taboo in the military. I understand what you¡¯re thinking. There¡¯s always such helplessness in life. This is the battlefield. Everything is important.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Qin Canglan patted her shoulder. ¡°You fought well in the first few battles. Tomorrow, it might be a little harder.¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°I understand.¡± Whether it was killing the trusted aides of the Leng family or attacking the soldiers of the Northern Yan, they won by surprise. It was more or less due to luck and trickery. However, the Northern Yan, who had suffered two defeats in a row, would definitely be on guard. Tomorrow was the real battle. Laughter came from the drill ground. Tonight was New Year¡¯s Eve, so Su Xiaoxiao gave the Crimson Shadow Army a break. Wei Xun pulled Li Da and the others to light a few large bonfires on the school grounds. They surrounded the bonfire and ate dumplings and roasted sweet potatoes. As they ate, they started playing. Some played tricks, some juggled, some toy with someone, and even some broke rocks on their chests. The drill ground was extremely lively, attracting Leng Kui¡¯s troops. When Su Xiaoxiao went over, Zhang Yong had just finished practicing a set of fist techniques. Everyone clapped and cheered. Actually, everyone knew that the war with Northern Yan would officially start tomorrow. Some of them would stay on the battlefield forever. The people they protected might not know who they were at all. They would not know that so many young men had died on the battlefield. ¡°Boss, sit!¡± Wei Xun gave up his seat to her and pulled Li Da to the side. ¡°Go, go, go! Who¡¯s next?¡± Perhaps it was because Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arrival made the soldiers a little shy and nervous, but for a moment, no one went forward. The atmosphere turned cold. Wei Xun was so embarrassed that he dug his feet. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the burning bonfire in front of her and suddenly remembered her days in the military camp in her previous life. She chanted softly, ¡°Amidst the vast sea of people, which one am I? In the surging waves, which one am I? In the army that conquered the universe, the one who silently contributed is me. In the long river of glorious career, the one who will always run is me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to know me- I don¡¯t long for you to know me- I¡¯ll melt my youth into the river of my motherland-¡± ¡°The mountains know me- The rivers know me- The mountains and rivers won¡¯t forget- They won¡¯t forget me-¡± The soldiers sang along. ¡°The mountains know me- The rivers know me- I¡® At first, there were only one or two. Gradually, there were dozens or hundreds. Soon, the entire drill ground sounded with heartfelt singing. The soldiers¡¯ eyes turned red as they sang. Even Leng Kui¡¯s army was filled with tears. Yes, even if they died in battle, the mountains and rivers would remember them! Chapter 797 - Chapter 797: Fighting Northern Yan Chapter 797: Fighting Northern Yan Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Little Phoenix Mountain where the Northern Yan army was stationed was in a special geographical location. It was easy to defend and difficult to attack. There were two ways to fight the Northern Yan army. One was to lure the Northern Yan army out, and the other was to attack from the canyon. The former was unlikely. The Northern Yan army was not stupid. How could they come out easily? This was unless Helian Ye¡¯s army arrived and ordered them to cooperate with him. Then there was only the second way. In the tent, Qin Canglan pointed at the map on the table. ¡°Northern Yan must have set up an ambush on the mountains on both sides of the canyon. We have to deal with them first to ensure that the soldiers can successfully enter the canyon. General Leng, do you have any objections?¡± Leng Kui said, ¡°No objections!¡± How could he not have any objections? Who was the commander? These plans should be formulated by him. Qin Canglan pretended not to notice his unhappiness. ¡°If you don¡¯t have any objections, decide on the candidates for the surprise attack on the two mountain peaks. ¡± Both sides had to send out a surprise attack team. They could not let either side take the risk alone, nor could they let either side monopolize the credit. Leng Kui chose the mountain peak with the easier terrain on the west. Qin Canglan was not picky, and so the rest was his. Xiao Duye was not too biased towards Leng Kui. He was more at ease with Qin Canglan as the commander. ¡®l¡¯ne tmal outcome ot tne discussion was tnat Qin canglan and Leng Kul¡¯S trusted general, Kou Jun, would lead 20,000 troops to attack head-on. Su MO and Leng Kui¡¯s eldest grandson, Leng Hua, would lead 20,000 troops to detour to the back of the Northern Yan army to surround and kill them. Leng Kui and 10,000 troops would stay in the barbican to prevent the Northern Yan army from coming to snatch the city after losing. The remaining 10,000 troops split into two groups and were led by Su Xiaoxiao and Leng Kui¡¯s second grandson, Leng Jue, to attack the east and west peaks. In short, Leng Kui was worried about handing all his troops to Qin Canglan and the others. He had have his own people in the lead. Qin Canglan was not as scheming as he was. He did not care about military merits. He only wanted to defeat Northern Yan. After everyone received their missions, they immediately set off. The surprise attack team went first. Their mission was to attack the east and west peaks and then split their forces to support the attack below. The mission was quite heavy. Su Xiaoxiao brought her 5,000 Crimson Shadow Army troops and arrived near Little Phoenix Mountain with Leng Jue and the others. Leng Kui and Qin Canglan were of the same generation. His grandson was only a few years older than Su Xiaoxiao. Leng Jue was 18 years old this year and had followed Leng Kui to eliminate bandits at the border a few times. Leng Kui had once written to the Imperial Court to invite battle achievements for him, and he relied on the fact that he had battle achievements recognized by the Imperial Court to look down on Su Xiaoxiao. He glanced at Su Xiaoxiao indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t be a burden later!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°You should mind your own business.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Leng Jue left with the elites of the Leng family without looking back. ¡°Jing Yi, let¡¯s go.¡± Su Xiaoxiao, Jing Yi, and their army quietly climbed up the mountain to the east. They were very cautious along the way. They walked for a full two hours. The effect was immediate. The Northern Yan army really did not notice them. Su Xiaoxiao and Jing Yi hid behind a thorny bramble. Su Xiaoxiao asked softly, ¡°Jing Yi, did you see it clearly? How many of them are there?¡± ¡°On our side, 2,000.¡± Jing Yi whispered and pointed opposite. ¡°Leng Jue¡¯s side has at least 6,000.¡± His biological grandfather had chosen this for him. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Has Leng Jue gone up the mountain?¡± This was a cooperation. No one could act alone because no matter who moved first, the opposite mountain would immediately be vigilant. ¡°Wait a little longer.¡± Jing Yi stared straight at the commotion opposite. After a moment, he said, ¡°They¡¯ve made their move.¡± Su Xiaoxiao made a prompt decision. ¡°Let¡¯s attack too!¡± Both sides immediately attacked the Northern Yan army on the mountain. The Northern Yan army was caught off guard. At first, they were clearly flustered. However, the Northern Yan army, who had already suffered two defeats, would not be as careless as before. Those who could be despatched here were all elites. They quickly adjusted themselves to receive the Great Zhou¡¯s attack. Su Xiaoxiao had always pursued the strategy of capturing the leader first to capture the bandits. She specialized in killing the powerful ones. Not only did this require extremely high martial arts to allow her to be at ease in the battle, but it also required extremely strong observation skills. When she went to fight, Jing Yi would be her eye. When she went to observe the situation, Jing Yi would be her weapon. ¡°Found him! He¡¯s there!¡± As soon as he fell, the screams of the Northern Yan soldiers immediately sounded. ¡°General Lu¡ª¡± The morale of the Northern Yan soldiers, who were already tired from dealing with the attack, fell by half again. Li Da laughed. ¡°Brothers! Their general has already been killed by Boss! Kill them! Kill them all!¡± Not only did Li Da have outstanding martial arts, but he also had an even more outstanding voice. A Northern Yan soldier moved behind him and slashed at him! Su Xiaoxiao kicked the Northern Yan soldier who ambushed him away. ¡°Damn!¡± Li Da turned around and was shocked. He immediately went forward and stabbed him! Su Xiaoxiao continued to attack. The Crimson Shadow Army quickly occupied the east mountain peak. At this moment, Qin Canglan¡¯s army had also arrived. Both sides fought fiercely with the Northern Yan army below. Su Xiaoxiao sheathed her sword and took the golden bow from her back. ¡°Archers, get ready!¡± An entire row of archers came behind her and drew their bows. Su Xiaoxiao aimed at the mountain opposite. ¡°Fire!¡± The first round of arrows shot towards the Northern Yan army like a meteor. A Great Zhou soldier fell to the ground. Just as he was about to be cut in the throat by the Northern Yan soldier, an arrow pierced through the temple of the Northern Yan soldier. The hearts of the Great Zhou soldiers trembled! One by one, the Northern Yan soldiers fell. The Great Zhou soldiers looked at the hill opposite. The archers of the Crimson Shadow Army shot arrows one after another. The archers chosen by Su Xiaoxiao were all under Wei Xu. They had no choice but to leave after being ostracized by the Leng family. In terms of archery, they were not inferior to the Leng family¡¯s Divine Bow Camp. With the help of this side, the West Mountain was quickly taken down. The battle below shook the sky, and blood mist filled the entire valley. Su Xiaoxiao left the archers to occupy the high ground and brought the others down to kill the enemy. Seeing her like this, Leng Jue thought that she wanted to snatch credit from him. Not to be outdone, he brought his troops down. When Qin Canglan saw his precious granddaughter coming over with the Crimson Shadow Army, he slashed two Northern Yan soldiers and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡®Xiaoxiao, I¡¯ll leave this to you. I¡¯ll kill Tuoba Lie!¡± Su Xiaoxiao accepted the order. ¡°Yes! Grandpa!¡± Qin Canglan¡¯s bravery was not exaggerated. The battle achievements of others needed to be asked for, and when necessary, one even exaggerated them. Qin Canglan was simply too lazy to take them. When he led troops into battle, there was no one who did not have high morale. The Northern Yan army was beaten back step by step. Qin Canglan forced the battle to the central tent. Su Xiaoxiao and Leng Jue bet on the canyon to clean up the escapees. Everything was originally going very smoothly. Unexpectedly, a team of cavalry wearing ghost masks suddenly rushed out of the forest outside the canyon. There were more than a hundred of them, and every one of them held an incomparably ferocious wolf fang hammer. They killed everyone they saw and were invincible. She looked around and swept her gaze across the stone wall of the canyon. ¡°Leng Jue, block it!¡± She wanted to take out the Snow Region Heavenly Silk and fix it to the mountain wall but it would take some time. Leng Jue was afraid of death. He had never seen such ferocious experts. The soldiers fell one by one. If he was hit, he would definitely die. Leng Jue fled with his subordinates. The two wolf fang hammers attacked the back of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s head at the same time. Jing Yi blocked one with his sword, and he could only block the other with his body. Pain came from his back and entire chest. He spat out a mouthful of blood and knelt on one knee behind her. He even fell to protect her. Su Xiaoxiao turned around. However, the sacrificial soldier was faster than her. He grabbed Jing Yi onto the horse and rushed out of the canyon.. Chapter 798 - Chapter 798: Her Anger! Chapter 798: Her Anger! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the other hand, Qin Canglan led 20,000 soldiers and killed his way to Tuoba Lie¡¯s central tent. The battle was so intense that Tuoba Lie naturally heard the commotion. He scolded Leng Kui in his heart. On the surface, he pretended to want to negotiate with him, but in the blink of an eye, he came to ambush his army. Leng Kui was nothing! He quickly integrated the Northern Yan army to meet the Great Zhou ¡®s attack. When he realized that the Great Zhou only had 20,000 troops, he was relieved. No matter what, he had an army of 80,000. It was definitely not something that a mere 20,000 troops could shake. However, in the next moment, he saw Qin Canglan charging forward. His expression changed slightly. Less than 10,000 of the 20,000 soldiers who went to besiege Zi Town returned. This was a fierce general who had starved for four days and four nights and had not given up the city to Northern Yan. He alone had the aura of an army! However, Emperor Jing Xuan had only sent him to the border to stabilize the situation. The commander of the border was Leng Kui. With Leng Kui ¡®s personality, how could he let Qin Canglan lead his troops to fight Northern Yan? ¡°General! It¡¯s Qin Canglan!¡± His deputy general also realized this disadvantage. Qin Canglan had fought on the battlefield for dozens of years. His ferocious reputation was enough to scare the soldiers of Northern Yan. Every soldier of the Great Zhou was proud to follow him. Under such morale, the combat strength of the Great Zhou soldiers was very terrifying. Only Emperor Jing Xuan did not treat treasures like treasures. If there were a few more valiant generals like Qin Canglan in Northern Yan, they would have long flattened the other countries and unified the world! Tuoba Lie calmed down. ¡°Don ¡®t panic first. No matter how powerful Qin Canglan is, it¡¯s impossible for him to defeat my 90,000 troops with 20,000 troops! It¡¯s not like he personally brought out the Qin family¡¯s heavy cavalry! ¡± Everyone knew that iron cavalry was the most powerful. However, Leng Kui only had 5,000 heavy cavalry out of 50,000 troops. They were no match for the Northern Yan army! ¡°I¡¯ll go meet him! ¡± With that, Tuoba Lie rode his horse towards Qin Canglan. Along the way, he raised his sword and killed many Great Zhou soldiers. Just as he was about to go next, Qin Canglan¡¯s big saber slashed over. When the Great Zhou soldier was saved, he did not hesitate or panic. He turned around and reaped the live of a Northern Yan soldier! Tuoba Lie looked at Qin Canglan with an unfriendly gaze and sneered. He pulled out his sword and stabbed at his horse¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Marshal Qin, it¡¯s been many years since we last met. You¡¯re still so strong. Why? Do you want to attack my camp with just 20,000 troops? Have you been tricked by someone?¡± This was a hint that Leng Kui was lying about military intelligence. However, coincidentally, Qin Canglan only hated Leng Kui, but wasn¡¯t not deaf and blind. Qin Canglan blocked his attack accurately. ¡°Even 20,000 is too many for you cowards! Using a sledgehammer to kill a chicken is giving your Northern Yan face! ¡°It¡¯s useless to just talk, Admiral Qin! ¡± Tuoba Lie and Helian Ye were from the same sect. He was not only Helian Ye¡¯s junior, but also Helian Ye¡¯s most valued confidant. Although he was not as good at using troops as Helian Ye, he was not inferior to Helian Ye in a one-on-one battle. He was confident that he could defeat Qin Canglan. However, reality proved that he had overestimated himself and underestimated Qin Canglan. His longsword was clearly in front of Qin Canglan, but Qin Canglan cut off his sword! If he had not dodged quickly, Qin Canglan ¡®s second slash would have cut off his arm! Fortunately, their military strength did have the advantage. He only needed to delay Qin Canglan. The longer he delayed, the more tragic the casualties of the Great Zhou would be. They would definitely lose! Just as this thought flashed through his mind, the screams of the Northern Yan soldiers came from behind. The deputy general shouted, ¡°General! There are also Great Zhou soldiers behind!¡± Su MO¡¯s troops arrived and attacked from the back. The 90,000 soldiers of Northern Yan were forced to retreat in front of the Great Zhou¡¯s 50,000 troops. Tuoba Lie watched as more and more Northern Yan soldiers fell. His morale collapsed, and he was injured. The situation was hopeless, so he could only order the troops to retreat. They fled into the forest. ¡°Mo¡¯er! Don¡¯t chase after a desperate enemy. ¡± Qin Canglan stopped Su Mo. After fighting for so many years, Qin Canglan knew at a glance the type of terrain that allowed for a chase. Su MO frowned. ¡°Unfortunately, Tuoba Lie escaped. ¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°They won¡¯t be able to escape. They don ¡®t have any rations and won¡¯t be able to last long in the mountains. Go and see how Xiaoxiao is doing.¡± Su MO agreed. ¡°Yes, Granduncle.¡± The two of them went to find Su Xiaoxiao. After Jing Yi was captured, Su Xiaoxiao immediately led her troops to chase after him. However, the other party rode a horse and immediately disappeared into the forest. She returned to the canyon with a bloodstained sword in her hand and blood on her cheek. The cold wind blew against her cold face, and her eyes were cold. ¡°Xiaoxiao!¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around, her eyes red with anger. ¡°Jing Yi was captured. ¡± Su MO was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes were very cold. ¡°How¡¯s your situation?¡± Su MO said, ¡°Tuoba Lie was chased away and hid in the mountains with the army. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked in the direction where Jing Yi had disappeared. ¡°They also captured Jing Yi into the mountains. ¡± Su MO said seriously, ¡°Jing Yi is not an ordinary soldier. He¡¯s the Young Marquis of the Weiwu Marquis ¡®s Estate. The people of Beiyan probably won¡¯t kill him immediately after capturing him. He¡¯s an important hostage. Go back to the barbican and wait for news. I¡¯ll bring people to investigate. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and went to the forest a mile away to get a horse. She rushed back to the barbican as quickly as possible. The first thing she did when she entered the military camp was ask Leng Jue where he was. Wei Xun stayed at the camp today. Seeing her murderous expression, he did not dare to ask further and hurriedly replied, ¡°He just returned. I just spoke to him and asked him how the battle was, but he ignored me! So what if he¡¯s Leng Kui¡¯s grandson? He¡¯s too arrogant! ¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to Leng Jue¡¯s tent without a word, pulled the frightened Leng Jue out, and threw him to the ground mercilessly. Leng Jue sat up in pain and shouted, ¡°Qin, you ¡®re crazy! ¡± Su Xiaoxiao kicked him in the chest and threw him to the ground, as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Seeing this, Wei Xun hurriedly ran over. ¡°Boss! ¡± The other soldiers also surrounded them. There were those from the Crimson Shadow Army and Leng Kui ¡®s army. No one understood what had happened. Su Xiaoxiao pulled out her sword and pointed it at Leng Jue coldly. Leng Jue was stunned by Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s killing intent. He escaped quickly and did not know that Jing Yi had been taken away. He said righteously, ¡°Qin, don¡¯t think that you can do anything at the border just because you¡¯re Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter! I¡¯m warning you, this is our Leng family¡¯s territory! You ¡®d better show some respect! Since you¡¯re a woman and it¡¯s your first offense, I won ¡®t argue with you! If you continue to pester me, I won¡¯t be polite to you!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Su Xiaoxiao cut his hamstring! Chapter 799 - Chapter 799: Slaying Deserters! Chapter 799: Slaying Deserters! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Leng Jue let out a miserable scream. The soldiers were shocked by this scene and did not understand why the two of them were fighting. To be precise, Su Xiaoxiao was suppressing Leng Jue. One of the two of them was Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter, and the other was Leng Kui¡¯s grandson. Their identities were extraordinary and were far from what they, a group of soldiers, could afford to provoke. Wei Xun had fought a few battles with Su Xiaoxiao. He knew that she was decisive and merciless to her enemies, but he had never seen her so murderous. What wicked thing had Leng Jue done to anger his boss to this extent? It was noisy outside. The soldiers surrounded him, not knowing what had happened. He walked over and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± When everyone heard his voice, they hurriedly made way and bowed to him. ¡°Your Highness Liang.¡± Xiao Duye shivered in the cold wind, but he had to put on a calm expression in front of everyone. He saw Leng Jue rolling on the ground in pain. The ground was covered in blood from his leg. Su Xiaoxiao held her sword and looked at Leng Jue murderously. Xiao Duye frowned. ¡°Qin Su, what are you doing? Why did you hurt Leng Jue?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡®Why don¡¯t you ask him what he did!¡± Leng Jue was in so much pain that tears streamed down his face. He choked and said to Xiao Duye, ¡°Your Highness Liang! Save me¡­¡± Xiao Duye wanted to save him, but when he looked at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s bleeding Heavenly Origin Sword, he had the illusion that if he dared to help Leng Jue, Su Xiaoxiao would sever his hamstring. He asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t the two of you go to attack Northern Yan? Did something go wrong halfway and you came back?¡± That was the point. He was more concerned about how the battle was going than about personal grudges. Unfortunately, Leng Jue had escaped. He did not know the final situation at all. Could it be that this crazy woman had suffered a defeat? That must be it! Leng Jue glared at Su Xiaoxiao fiercely. ¡°What does it have to do with me if you lost? Are you blaming me because you can¡¯t beat me? I came back to get reinforcements for you out of kindness. Couldn¡¯t you persist for a while?!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was disgusted and looked at him coldly. ¡°What a good saying. You came back to get reinforcements for us? I¡¯ve witnessed your Leng family¡¯s shamelessness again.¡± Other than Leng Zhiruo, no one in the Leng family was good! ¡°What happened! ¡± Leng Kui¡¯s dignified voice sounded behind the crowd. The soldiers who had finally surrounded him made way again. Leng Kui had gone to guard the city gate just now and heard his subordinate report that Leng Jue had brought a group of people into the city in a panic. He thought that he had suffered a defeat and immediately rushed back. He did not even have time to get off his horse. When Leng Kui saw his grandfather rushing over from afar, it was as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw. He immediately stretched out his arm to Leng Kui and cried, ¡°Grandpa! Save me!¡± Seeing his grandson¡¯s hamstring severed, Leng Kui was shocked and furious, and his entire face darkened. ¡°Who did it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him coldly. ¡°General Leng, how should we deal with deserters?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s beheading. Is there a need to ask?¡± Leng Kui was confused by his concern. His mind was filled with his grandson¡¯s tragic state, and the words slipped out of his mouth. After saying that, he realized something. His body trembled and he suddenly looked up at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said word by word, ¡°The general said this himself. Then, please be a witness.¡± She gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands and cut off Leng Jue¡¯s head without hesitation! Blood splattered three feet! Leng Kui sat on the horse and paled. ¡°Jue¡¯er! I¡¯m going to kill you!l¡¯m going to kill you!¡± A tall and muscular figure came from the air and stabbed at Su Xiaoxiao with a spear. Su Xiaoxiao had just finished slashing Leng Jue and had yet to retract her sword. This move was simply a sneak attack. ¡°Boss, be careful!¡± Wei Xun pounced at Su Xiaoxiao without thinking. Just as the spear was about to pierce Wei Xun and Su Xiaoxiao, another figure followed closely and parried his spear! Su MO landed steadily in front of Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Xun. Leng Hua looked at Su MO murderously. ¡°Move aside, or I¡¯ll kill you too!¡± Su MO held his sword and looked at him coldly. ¡°Then come and try!¡± Leng Hua pointed his sword at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°She killed my brother!¡± Su MO said, ¡°Your brother deserves to be killed!¡± Leng Hua said sternly, ¡°What do you think the military camp is?¡± Su MO said coldly, ¡°What do you think the battlefield is! We kill those who run away at the last minute! Leng Hua, you¡¯re a general yourself. Do you not know or are you pretending to be stupid with me?¡± Leng Hua said, ¡°My brother didn¡¯t desert!¡± Su MO did not spoil him. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes! The battle hasn¡¯t ended yet, and he ran away. If he didn¡¯t escape, what else could it be!¡± Leng Hua gritted his teeth. ¡°Maybe he just came back to get reinforcements!¡± Su MO mocked, ¡°Northern Yan was defeated by us. Why do we need reinforcements! He was clearly the one who was afraid to fight. He was so frightened when he encountered a few death warriors from Northern Yan that he ran away! If we don¡¯t kill such deserters, how can we boost our morale!¡± Xiao Duye felt that he could not interrupt at all¡­ Was Su MO so eloquent? Why hadn¡¯t he realized it before¡­ Leng Hua glared at him. ¡°It¡¯s not her place to kill him!¡± ¡°I ordered it!¡± Qin Canglan rode his horse over. Leng Kui had already pounced over and hugged his grandson¡¯s head, unable to control his grief. Qin Canglan did not sympathize with him. Spoiling a son was like killing a son, and the same applied to a grandson. Leng Jue had ended up like this because the Leng family had spoiled him. Leng Kui trembled with anger. ¡°What right do you have to give orders?¡± ¡°I¡¯m under the orders of His Highness King Liang to lead the army to attack the Northern Yan army. If one follows me to battle, he has to listen to my orders. If he deserts without my orders, why can¡¯t I order him to be beheaded in public?¡± After Qin Canglan finished speaking, he got off the horse and cupped his hands at the stunned Xiao Duye. ¡°Your Highness, I was lucky not to disappoint you. I killed 30,000 enemies and drove the remaining troops of Northern Yan into the forest.¡± Xiao Duye originally thought that he had suffered a defeat and was worried that he would be punished after returning to the capital. The sudden victory was simply great news! Xiao Duye¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Did you really kill so many Northern Yan soldiers?¡± Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true. Your Highness, you can ask General Leng Hua. He also participated in this battle.¡± To be honest, Leng Kui¡¯s eldest grandson, Leng Hua, had some strength on him. Moreover, unlike Leng Kui, he was a supporter of war. Xiao Duye looked at Leng Hua. ¡°General Leng, is that really the case?¡± Leng Hua clenched his fists. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Xiao Duye clapped his hands in joy! It was stable, the credit was stable! ¡°Your Highness, my grandson¡­¡± Xiao Duye said righteously, ¡°Your grandson was a deserter! So be it! Why are you talking so much nonsense!¡± Chapter 800 - Chapter 800: The Might of Wuhu Chapter 800: The Might of Wuhu Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Canglan interrupted him bluntly. ¡°Your Highness, Leng Jue became a deserter and evacuated the right wing of the canyon, causing the soldiers who stayed behind to be killed and Young Marquis Jing to be captured! I want to ask General Leng if he colluded with Northern Yan and deliberately harmed the soldiers of our Great Zhou, leaving them to at the mercy of the death warriors of Northern Yan!¡± Leng Kui was furious. ¡°Qin Canglan! Don¡¯t slander me!¡± Qin Canglan snorted coldly, ¡°My granddaughter has a way to kill the sacrificial soldiers. If Leng Jue had not deliberately evacuated the right wing, that group of powerful sacrificial soldiers would have died long ago! Leng Kui, do you know who those people who were released by your grandson are? It will be very difficult to have such a chance next time! Who knows how many soldiers will have to die and what kind of tragic price they have to pay to kill that group of sacrificial soldiers! Moreover, thanks to you, His Highness exposed his identity outside the barbican. I believe it won¡¯t be long before Northern Yan knows that His Highness has come to the border. Guess if that group of sacrificial soldiers will come to assassinate His Highness?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Leng Kui choked, his blood rushing to his head. Qin Canglan¡¯s every word hit Xiao Duye¡¯s Achilles heel. Firstly, he was afraid that the price would be too high. At that time, even if he fought, it would only be a narrow victory and his credit would be greatly reduced. Secondly, he was indeed afraid of being assassinated by the Northern Yan¡¯s death warriors. Moreover, Qin Canglan was right. It was Leng Kui who exposed him by not opening the city gate! Qin Canglan sighed faintly. ¡°If Jing Yi is here, I am not afraid that someone will assassinate His Highness.¡± That¡¯s right. Jing Yi¡¯s martial arts skills were so high that he could definitely protect him. Who was the reason why Jing Yi was captured by Northern Yan? Leng Kui¡¯s biological grandson. Could this Leng guy really be in cahoots with the Northern Yan people? Looking at Xiao Duye¡¯s suspicious gaze, Leng Kui felt extremely aggrieved. He did live in peace, but he did not collude with the enemy to betray the country! He knelt on one knee. ¡°I am willing to swear on my life that I am loyal to Great Zhou and will never betray you!¡± ¡°Who cares about your blabbering¡­¡± Xiao Duye was vexed by the assassination attempt by Northern Yan. He entered the tent without looking back. Xiao Duye was a perfect tool. If Su Xiaoxiao had brought Xiao Shunyang with her, he would not have been so easily instigated. Qin Canglan said to the two juniors, ¡°Xiaoxiao, Mo¡¯er, let¡¯s go.¡± Su MO put away his sword and wiped Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s sword clean. He placed it back into her scabbard and held her wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked past Leng Kui and his grandson expressionlessly in the cold wind. As he watched the three of them leave, Leng Kui hugged his grandson¡¯s head as boundless hatred and anger flashed in his eyes. After returning to the tent. the three of them bezan to discuss their Dlan to rescue Jing Yi. Su MO recalled, ¡°I followed the tracks of the horses¡¯ hooves. When I chased them to the river, the clues were gone. I guess they either crossed the river on the ice or have a hidden secret passage nearby.¡± Qin Canglan sat opposite the two of them. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Tuoba Lie chose Little Phoenix Mountain as his camp. It seems that he had already made arrangements. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in a low voice, ¡°If they lose, they won¡¯t treat Jing Yi well. They will take it out on him.¡± Qin Canglan did not speak. There had been prisoners of war from the Great Zhou who had fallen into the hands of the Northern Yan people. They had been tortured to the point where they could not even beg for death. Su MO said with a solemn expression, ¡®We don¡¯t know where Jing Yi is hidden now. Otherwise, we might be able to secretly save him.¡± On the Little Phoenix Mountain, the fleeing Northern Yan army had set up camp in the forest. In his tent, Tuoba Lie took off his shirt, revealing his muscular upper body. The accompanying medical officer was treating his injuries. His left shoulder had been cut by Qin Canglan¡¯s saber. It was so deep that his bones could be seen. Blood flowed all the way, and his face was a little pale. However, compared to the casualties of the army, his injuries were nothing. He had lost 30,000 soldiers after meeting Qin Canglan. This was a great humiliation! The physician did not dare to reply and focused on treating his injuries. The trusted deputy general said, ¡°General, don¡¯t be angry. After all, it¡¯s Qin Canglan, a person that can even cause General Helian headaches and fears.¡± Of course, Tuoba Lie knew that it was not embarrassing to lose to Qin Canglan, but that was under the circumstances that their military strength was equal. Today, his military strength clearly far exceeded the other party¡¯s, but he was defeated in less than half a day. He could not take this lying down! ¡°That Su MO isn¡¯t easy to deal with either! ¡± Of the 30,000 troops, 10,000 were surrounded and killed by Su MO and Leng Hua. Su MO even killed three sacrificial soldiers who were protecting him! His trusted lieutenant said, ¡°General, this trip is not without gains. We have captured Jing Yi. Jing Yi has always been with Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter and their relationship is quite close. We can use Jing Yi to negotiate with Qin Canglan. We are not afraid that Qin Canglan will not agree!¡± Tuoba Lie said indifferently, ¡°Give this young duke a good greeting! Don¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± His trusted lieutenant brought a spiked whip to the tent where Jing Yi was being held. After the death warrior brought Jing Yi over, he threw him into the tent and didn¡¯t care. After all, he was seriously injured and couldn¡¯t run away. No one was watching him. He had a high fever and was lying on the cold ground in a daze. In his arms, Wuhu woke up from the heat and crawled out with its smoking tongue. His humble abode was finally no longer a humble abode. It had become a furnace, but Wuhu could not be happy. It jumped onto Jing Yi¡¯s head and used its wings to scratch Jing Yi¡¯s face. Jing Yi didn¡¯t react. It jumped onto Jing Yi¡¯s body again and bounced around, trying to wake him up. But Jing Yi just wouldn¡¯t wake up. Wuhu thought for a moment, flapped its wings, flew under the curtain, and crawled out through the gap with difficulty. A gust of cold wind mixed with ice and snow blew over, causing it to roll on the ground. It shook off the snowflakes on its body and was about to fly away when suddenly, a falcon swooped down from the branch and swoop towards Wuhu. Wuhu were so frightened that they hurriedly crawled back into the tent! This falcon was domesticated by Tuoba Lie and was used to communicate with Helian Ye. It was very ferocious and loved to eat rabbits and birds like Wuhu. Wuhu found a few decorative bird feathers in the tent and disguised itself as an enchanting female falcon. It first stretched out its enchanting little bird claws and shook them twice outside. After confirming that the other party did not attack it, it walked out boldly. It shook its little bird butt enchantingly and shook its beautiful tail. The falcon was dumbfounded. Wuhu walked forward enchantingly. As it walked, it twisted. Suddenly, Wuhu flapped its wings and flew away! The falcon reflexively flew to catch it. Unexpectedly, Wuhu passed through an intertwined vine. The falcon was too big and was instantly stuck. Wuhu successfully escaped. It endured the biting wind and snow and flapped its small wings until they were smoking. Finally, it flew back to the barbican¡¯s military camp. ¡°Boss! Boss! Wuhu is back!¡± Wei Xun held the small ice sculpture that had fallen from the sky and quickly ran to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s tent. Su Xiaoxiao took the frozen parrot. ¡°Is Jing Yi still alive?¡± The parrot nodded. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Take me to him!¡± The parrot hesitated. Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Five pieces of bird food.¡± This was not a matter of whether the bird could eat or not. The wind outside was so strong that the bird¡¯s small wings could not flap! It wanted to live in a fragrant and soft place! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Ten.¡± Wuhu¡¯s frozen wings recovered their vitality in a second, and it flew up valiantly. Stay? What the heck! As long as one¡¯s life lasted, one would never stop fighting! The working bird was so domineering! Su Xiaoxiao put on her cloak, grabbed the sword on the table, and looked at the snow. ¡°Jing Yi, wait for me..¡± Chapter 801 - Chapter 801: Rescuing Jing Yi Chapter 801: Rescuing Jing Yi Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao had just left the tent when she ran into Su MO and Qin Canglan, who was looking for her. The two of them had just arrived from Xiao Duye¡¯s tent. Xiao Duye was worried that someone would come to assassinate him, so he asked the two of them to take turns to protect him. ¡°Xiaoxiao, are you going out?¡± Su MO asked. He was wearing a cloak to ward off the cold and had brought a weapon. He did not look like he was walking around the camp. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Wuhu is back. There¡¯s news of Jing Yi¡¯s whereabouts. I¡¯ll go and save him.¡± Su MO said without thinking, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± As he spoke, he turned to look at Qin Canglan. ¡°Granduncle, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to go to King Liang¡¯s place tonight.¡± Originally, after today¡¯s battle, Su MO planned to let Qin Canglan return to the tent to rest first while he went to keep watch for Xiao Duye. Qin Canglan wanted to accompany Su Xiaoxiao. In his opinion, rescuing Jing Yi was more dangerous than protecting Xiao Duye. He did not want Su MO to be in danger. Su Xiaoxiao had to go because Jing Yi was seriously injured. In addition, the people of Northern Yan might have tortured Jing Yi. A physician was needed. However, Su MO said, ¡°Granduncle, the two of us are not eye-catching. If we go out, nobody notices. If you¡¯re not in the military camp, you¡¯ll definitely arouse Leng Kui¡¯s suspicion. We just killed Leng Kui¡¯s grandson. If he reveals your whereabouts to Northern Yan in a fit of anger, you and Sister will be in danger.¡± Qin Canglan thought about it and agreed. He did not insist and only reminded the two of them to be careful. The two of them left the military camp in a carriage. The Leng family¡¯s spies were everywvhere, so the fact that the two of them had gone out definitely could not be hidden from Leng Kui. After Leng Hua heard the soldier¡¯s report, he said to Leng Kui, ¡°Grandfather, Su MO and Qin Su went out.¡± Leng Kui asked, ¡°Why are they going out?¡± Leng Hua said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Qin Canglan?¡± ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± Leng Kui did not say anything else. In order to confuse Leng Kui, the carriage left from the east gate and took a detour to Young Feng Mountain, which was ten miles away from the southern gate. The carriage stopped outside the canyon. The carriage could not go any further. The siblings alighted from the carriage. The snow was getting heavier. In such weather, it was really difficult for Wuhu, the working bird. Su Xiaoxiao took Wuhu out from her bosom and fed it a piece of bird food. ¡°I¡¯m full. Let¡¯s get to work.¡± If one wasn¡¯t enough, then another one! Wuhu was now a baller parrot with ten huge sums of money. There was no heartache for it to eat three in one bite! Su Xiaoxiao fed it two more. It was full of energy and flew into the snow. Su Xiaoxiao and Su MO followed it into the forest. After many twists and turns, they arrived at a small mountain peak filled with rocks. Wuhu passed through a narrow crack in the stone. ¡°What a narrow crack in the stone.¡± Su Xiaoxiao measured with her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll go over first.¡± She sucked in her stomach, held her breath, and slowly crawled over. Fortunately, she had lost weight. If she was still the chubby little fatty from before, she would have been stuck between the rocks tonight. Su MO also crawled over. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the flickering flames in the distance. ¡°Look! It¡¯s a tent! We¡¯ll reach it after crossing this mountain.¡± The top of the mountain looked close, but it was very far away. Su Xiaoxiao temporarily recalled Wuhu. Wuhu was warming itself in a fragrant and soft place. The bird was so proud of itself. Su MO suddenly spoke. The feathers of Wuhu exploded! It raised its head in an extreme sense of crisis and looked at Su MO with a domineering warning gaze. ¡°The last man who did this to this bird has already been locked in. Are you sure?¡± Su MO took Wuhu and stuffed it into his arms. Wuhu slid down like it had nothing to live for. The two of them crossed the mountains for a full hour before they finally arrived near the Northern Yan military camp. Northern Yan had just suffered a defeat. The morale of the soldiers was a little low, but what followed was unprecedented vigilance. The two of them hid behind a huge rock. Su Xiaoxiao asked in a low voice, ¡®Wuhu, which tent is Jing Yi in?¡± Wuhu looked to the east. The defense over there was even tighter. Su Mo¡¯s gaze swept across the patrolling Northern Yan soldiers and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡®Wait for me here.¡± With that, he stood up and silently followed behind a group of patrolling Northern Yan soldiers. Soon, they turned a corner and disappeared. Su Xiaoxiao waited for about half an hour before Su MO returned. He was wearing a set of Northern Yan soldier¡¯s armor and holding another set of armor in his hands. ¡°Here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took off her cloak and put on her armor. Their faces were too eye-catching. After thinking for a while, Su Xiaoxiao took out a charcoal pen from her pouch and smeared their faces with dirt. Su MO pointed to the north. ¡°That¡¯s the place to cook. Enter from the kitchen.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them went around to the kitchen and took some food to put in a food box. Wuhu led the way and flew to the tent where Jing Yi was imprisoned. Its luck was not bad. Tuoba Lie¡¯s falcon had been sent to do a mission and was not in the camp. Otherwise, it would have eaten Wuhu to avenge its previous humiliation. The two of them brought the food box to Jing Yi¡¯s tent. Su MO raised his five senses to the limit and gestured to Su Xiaoxiao with his eyes. There were two death warriors in the east tent, three in the north and three in the west. Jing Yi¡¯s tent was unguarded. It wasn¡¯t good news that there were five guards. It meant that Jing Yi was so weak that he couldn¡¯t get out. Su Xiaoxiao clenched her fists. At this moment, a pair of patrolling soldiers passed by. ¡°What is it?¡± The leader asked. Su MO said impatiently, ¡°Sending him something to eat!¡± The soldier asked strangely, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just delivered?¡± Su MO said without changing his expression, ¡°I gave it to him but he didn¡¯t eat it. Let me give it to him again. This Young Marquis is really difficult to serve!¡± The few of them laughed and looked at the tightly shut tent before continuing their patrol. The two of them entered the tent. Wuhu nestled on Jing Yi¡¯s hot cheeks, using its small body that was frozen by the wind and snow to cool him down. Su MO guarded behind the curtain. There was no lamp in the tent, so it was pitch-black. Su Xiaoxiao listened to the sound of breathing and walked over. She reached out and touched Jing Yi¡¯s forehead. It was so hot! She turned on the small flashlight and shone it on Jing Yi¡¯s body. Her eyes instantly turned cold. Jing Yi had been hit by the Wolf Fang Hammer in order to protect her, but she didn¡¯t remember that he had suffered any other injuries. At this moment, Jing Yi was covered in blood. His clothes were torn, and there was no part of his body that was intact. The people of Northern Yan were torturing him.. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s murderous aura was instantly ignited! Wuhu trembled in fear. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned red from anger, and the blood vessels in her eyes seemed to explode one by one. They had hurt her Jing Yi to this extent. She wanted Northern Yan to pay the price! Su MO turned around and whispered to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Those death warriors have left. They shouldn¡¯t have gone far. We have to bring Jing Yi out of the military camp before they return¡­ Xiaoxiao, Xiaoxiao!¡± Su Xiaoxiao came back to her senses and suppressed the demon in her heart. She resisted the urge to kill everyone and simply stopped Jing Yi¡¯s blood flow and fed him an internal injury medicine. Su MO walked over and pulled Wuhu into his arms. He tied the unconscious Jing Yi to his back with a cloth. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 802 - Chapter 802: Kill, Leave No One Alive! (1) Chapter 802: Kill, Leave No One Alive! (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Barbican camp. Leng Kui sat in Leng Hua¡¯s tent. His main general¡¯s tent had been given to the King Liang, and he was now resting with Leng Hua. The two of them had lost their grandson and brother, and their hearts were filled with sorrow. Their dissatisfaction with Qin Canglan¡¯s family had also reached its peak. ¡°Grandfather, this can¡¯t go on. His Majesty sent Qin Canglan here to intimidate Northern Yan, not to kill the enemy.¡± Although Leng Hua was pro-war, he hoped that he would be the commander-in-chief and not Qin Canglan. Leng Kui said, ¡°Do you think I want to? That King Liang just had to come at this time and ruin my plans!¡± King Liang was the eldest son of the emperor. Who would dare to disobey his words? Moreover, no one knew why the King Liang suddenly came to the border. Was he under the emperor¡¯s secret decree? Leng Hua said, ¡°In today¡¯s battle with Northern Yan, Northern Yan¡¯s combat strength was only so-so. Even without Qin Canglan, I can still beat them to a pulp!¡± He didn¡¯t even think about it. If it wasn¡¯t for Qin Canglan scaring the soldiers of Northern Yan, how could they have shaken the morale of Northern Yan so easily? In his heart, he would never admit it. He would only think that Noorthern Yan was weak to begin with, which made him more determined to fight. Leng Kui glanced at him. ¡°You¡¯re only facing Tuoba Lie. Don¡¯t forget that there¡¯s still Helian Ye in Northern Yan.¡± Leng Hua inadvertently agreed, ¡°Grandfather, why do you have to boost the morale of others and lower your own prestige?¡± Leng Kui said, ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts. I don¡¯t want the Leng family to become the second Wei family. Moreover, His Majesty doesn¡¯t want a war.¡± Leng Hua frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Five years ago, Northern Yan lost. Why is His Majesty the one who is afraid?¡± Leng Kui paused for a moment. ¡°Because the price is too heavy. How many warriors have died in the Wei family, and how deficient is the national treasury? His Majesty even thinks that if Qin Canglan had not been transferred away, he would have died at the hands of the Northern Yan people.¡± Leng Hua said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If you win, you win. How can there be a war without paying a price? Speaking of tragic, isn¡¯t Northern Yan even worse? His Majesty vented his anger, and that¡¯s why he has stoked the ambition of Northern Yan.¡± Leng Kui said sternly, ¡°Enough! His Majesty is not someone you can interfere with!¡± ¡°I realized my mistake.¡± Leng Hua admitted his mistake insincerely. ¡°But Grandfather, even if His Majesty doesn¡¯t want to fight anymore, he has already done so. There¡¯s no turning back now that the arrow has been fired. Are we supposed to hand over this battle merit to the Protectorate?¡± These words hit Leng Kui¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel. He had been guarding the border for many years and had worked hard. In the end, wouldn¡¯t it be too aggrieving if he gave up the credit just for a battle? ¡°But King Liang¡­¡± ¡°Grandfather, I have a plan.¡± Leng Kui looked at him. Leng Hua stood up and went outside the tent. He asked the guard a few questions and returned to his seat. He smiled at Leng Kui and said, ¡°It¡¯s already the middle of the night, but Su MO and Qin Su haven¡¯t returned. They went out from the east city gate.¡± ¡°Did they go to Wan City?¡± Leng Kui asked. Leng Hua said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where they went. We can only lie that the two of them were ambushed by the Northern Yan and let Qin Canglan lead his troops to save them. Naturally, we can only take away that girl¡¯s Crimson Shadow Army. We can¡¯t let Qin Canglan squander our Leng family¡¯s forces.¡± Leng Kui looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Are you trying to¡­¡± Leng Hua sneered, ¡°Send a message to Tuoba Lie and tell him where Qin Canglan is. Ask him to lead his troops to surround Qin Canglan.¡± Leng Kui was a little tempted. Due to the sudden attack, the peace talks had been ruined. If he could take this opportunity to do Tuoba Lie a favor, he might be able to ease their relationship and restore the possibility of peace talks. He convinced himself that this was for Great Zhou, not for his own selfish desires. Leng Kui had a way to contact Tuoba Lie. He found his confidant and asked him to go to Young Feng Mountain. He went to find Qin Canglan and told him about the ¡°discovery¡± of the Leng family¡¯s scouts outside the east city. ¡°Northern Yan has about 5,000 troops.¡± The reason why he didn¡¯t say much was because Qin Canglan also needed a lot of troops. If he wanted to borrow troops from him, there was no reason for him not to. As if Qin Canglan would believe him. He was afraid that if he led the Crimson Shadow Army out, he would be ambushed by the Northern Yan army. However. Oin Canclan still went. This was because if they could split a portion of Tuoba Lie¡¯s troops, he could reduce the pressure on his precious granddaughter and Su Mo. There were casualties in the battle during the day. There were 10,000 Crimson Shadow Troops, but there were still 9,000 combat troops left. Qin Canglan led 9,000 soldiers out of the east gate of the barbican. Zhang Yong asked, ¡°General, how are we going to fight tonight?¡± Chapter 803 - Chapter 803: Kill, Leave No One Alive! (2) Chapter 803: Kill, Leave No One Alive! (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Canglan said indifferently, ¡°No.¡± Zhang Yong was stunned. ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Canglan said nonchalantly, ¡°Going around in circles until dawn.¡± In the military camp. Tuoba Lie looked at the black-robed master in front of him and asked, ¡°Are you sure Qin Canglan only brought 9,000 troops?¡± The expert said, ¡°Yes, and they don¡¯t have any cavalry.¡± Without cavalry, it meant that their combat power was greatly reduced. Today, Qin Canglan¡¯s attack was too sudden, and the terrain was not suitable for cavalry combat. The cavalry of Northern Yan did not have much advantage, but if they were outside, the combat power of the cavalry was several times that of ordinary soldiers. 10,000 cavalry was more than enough to wipe out 9,000 troops. However, to be safe, Tuoba Lie brought a total of 30,000 troops. At the thought of killing Qin Canglan, Tuoba Lie felt that his injuries had completely healed! Su MO and Su Xiaoxiao carried Jing Yi out. The camp seemed to be mobilizing troops, and the originally tight defense suddenly had an opening. The two hid behind a tent. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What happened? Are they going to send troops?¡± Su MO nodded. ¡°Looks like it. Tuoba Lie also called the death warriors away.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the surrounding death warriors were suddenly called away, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to bring Jing Yi out so smoothly. Su Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°Strange, who is Tuoba Lie going to attack in the middle of the night? It seems like¡­ he only took away half of his troops?¡± Su MO also found it baffling, but no matter what, Tuoba Lie¡¯s army and sacrificial soldiers could not have left at a better time. ¡°Let¡¯s go back first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a cloak and put it on Jing Yi. Su MO asked strangely, ¡°Didn¡¯t you throw away your cloak?¡± When he changed his armor just now¡­ Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Cough, you¡¯re mistaken. I put it away.¡± It was stored in the pharmacy. Su MO replied, ¡°Oh.¡± His sister was always right. The two of them left the military camp. Tuoba Lie¡¯s movements were too loud, and the footsteps of Su MO and Su Xiaoxiao were completely covered. Everything went very smoothly. They had come back to guard Jing Yi. There were a total of ten people, and each of them was holding a ferocious Wolf Fang Hammer. It was this group of people who had severely injured Jing Yi and taken him away. Their methods were cruel and their martial arts were extremely high. Things didn¡¯t look good. Su MO blocked Su Xiaoxiao behind him and began to untie the rope around his waist. ¡°I¡¯ll kill them. You take Jing Yi and leave first.¡± However, Su Xiaoxiao walked out from behind Su MO and gestured for the eight of them to stop with her silver-gloved hand. ¡°Wait a moment! If you guys wear masks, we have to wear them too! This is only fair!¡± With that, she took out three gas masks from the pharmacy. One of them was for herself and Jing Yi, and the other was for Su Mo. The sacrificial soldiers had never seen such an eye-piercing mask. They could not figure it out for a moment. In the next second, Su Xiaoxiao released Wuhu and took out the Snow Domain Hemp. The poisonous gas that had been sealed for several days spread out. The eight of them did not understand what was going on at all. Their legs went weak and they fell to the ground one after another. Su MO, who was prepared to fight to the death, was speechless, ¡°Phew!¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a deep breath. This thing was very useful. However, the Snow Domain Hemp could not be exposed to the cold wind for too long or it would lose its efficacy. She quit while she was ahead. She put the Snow Domain Hemp back in a sealed bag and tossed it into the pharmacy. Seeing that danger was approaching, Su MO tied the rope around his waist tightly again. Just as the two of them were about to continue forward, the sound of a slow slap came from the hill behind them. Snap, snap, snap. ¡°Wonderful, wonderful!¡± The two of them stopped in their tracks and turned around. Su Xiaoxiao fought in the canyon during the day and did not go deep into the back of the enemy camp. However, Su MO had fought with Tuoba Lie and his trusted subordinates. He recognized the other party at a glance. It was Tuoba Lie¡¯s trusted lieutenant, Qi Sheng. Qi Sheng was far away and was not poisoned by the snow region¡¯s natural anesthesia. He looked down at Su Xiaoxiao and Su Mo. ¡°General Tuoba was right. Before General Tuoba left, he told me that once he left with his troops, someone would definitely take advantage of the situation to save this half-dead hostage. General is smart. One hostage for three. This deal is really worth it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Did you hurt Jing Yi?¡± Qi Sheng laughed arrogantly. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about the whip injuries on his body? Yes, so what if I did it? This kid is really resistant to beatings. If it were anyone else, they would have died after taking two whips from me. He was so seriously injured and suffered forty-nine whips. He¡¯s still alive.¡± Forty-nine lashes¡­ Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s every bone was filled with killing intent. She looked at him coldly and said word by word, ¡°I¡¯ll whip you back.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Qi Sheng seemed to have heard a huge joke. ¡°You¡¯re about to become a prisoner yourself, yet you still want to whip me. In my opinion, why don¡¯t you think about how to kneel and beg for mercy so that I can whip you less!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Su MO shot out a dart and swiped it past Qi Sheng¡¯s helmet. Qi Sheng¡¯s cheek was cut open, and a trace of scarlet blood flowed out. He wiped the wound with his fingertips and looked at the blood on it. His eyes turned cold. ¡°You have a death wish! Guards! Fire the arrows!¡± With his order, the archers behind him stepped out and drew their bows, aiming at Su Xiaoxiao and Su Mo. Just as they were about to release their arrows, a rain of arrows shot from a higher mountain peak. Qi Sheng¡¯s archers fell to the ground in unison and wailed. Qi Sheng was shocked. He quickly pulled out his long sword and cut off the cold arrow that almost hit him. ¡°Who is it! Who is it!¡± He shouted angrily. On the snow-covered mountain range, ghostly figures appeared one after another. Each of them held a crossbow and surrounded Qi Sheng¡¯s army. Qi Sheng was stunned. Great Zhou¡¯s main force was clearly in the barbican. Where did these tens of thousands of troops come from? Then, he saw a tall figure standing at the peak of a majestic mountain. The red cloak on his silver armor fluttered in the cold wind. He was like a god who had descended and a Yama who had walked out of purgatory. Qi Sheng¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Wei Ting?!¡± He felt terrible! Why was Wei Ting here? And why did he bring so many troops? Why was there no news of them at all? The two names that the Northern Yan soldiers feared the most were Qin Canglan and Wei Ting. Back then, the entire Wei family had died in battle, leaving only the young Wei Ting. He was the top scorer and a scholar. No one took him seriously. However, it was this young top scorer that they looked down on who gave up the peace in the capital and went to the border to revive the Wei family¡¯s army. He snatched back Lord Wu An¡¯s corpse and massacred Northern Yan until it could not fight back. Qi Sheng was the only general who survived that battle. The others¡­ had all been killed by Wei Ting! Qi Sheng panicked. General Tuoba went to kill Qin Canglan and took away 30,000 soldiers. Now, there were still more than 20,000 soldiers left in the camp. Wait, General Tuoba shouldn¡¯t have gone far¡­ Qi Sheng hurriedly took out his fireworks to send a signal to Tuoba Lie. Wei Ting drew his bow and shot the bamboo tube down! Wei Ting looked at Qi Sheng and the Northern Yan army behind him and ordered, ¡°Kill them all!¡± Chapter 804 - Chapter 804: Complete Victory Chapter 804: Complete Victory Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios With Wei Ting¡¯s order, countless arrows covered the sky and shot towards Qi Sheng and the army behind him. In fact, capturing only two assassins did not require 20,000 troops. Qi Sheng was guarding against them secretly bringing troops, so he brought everyone out to besiege them. However, Qi Sheng did not expect that there were really only two people from the other party. The two of them had fished out 20,000 of his men and were completely exposed on the mountain slopes and valleys, becoming live targets for the Divine Bow Camp. The archers of the Divine Bow Camp did not miss their shots. The Northern Yan army fell in large numbers, and screams of pain rang out. There were also archers among them who tried to shoot back at the army on the mountain. However, the attacks of the army were too fierce and dense. There were no gaps, and they had almost no room to fight back. Even if one drew his bow, he would not be able to hit the target. Qi Sheng was so angry that he vomited blood. He understood that he could not continue like this. Wei Ting¡¯s archers had the advantage of the terrain. Everyone knew that shooting down and shooting up had different ranges. They were exposed to the range of the enemy archers, but the enemy was outside their range. The disadvantage was too great. It was not that they could not kill their way up, but the hill was too steep. Before they could fight, they would all be shot to death halfway. Qi Sheng had no choice but to give the order to retreat. At the same time, Qi Sheng also stared at Su Xiaoxiao and the other two at the foot of the mountain. ¡°Capture them!¡± An army of 20,000 was more than enough to capture the three of them. Wei Ting¡¯s army was far away. It was both an advantage and a disadvantage because they could not save the three hostages in time. The army of the Northern Yan charged towards Su Xiaoxiao and the other two like mad hounds. Just as they were about to bite, two groups of cavalry suddenly charged out from behind the hill on both sides. Not only were the soldiers wearing armor, but even the warhorses were wearing sharp helmets and cold armor. The Iron Cavalry held spears in their hands as if they were stepping through the void. They charged towards Qi Sheng¡¯s Northern Yan army with the momentum of mountains and rivers. The unparalleled combat power of the Iron Cavalry was vividly displayed at this moment. They pierced through the heads of the Northern Yan army and broke their spines. Their wails reverberated throughout the entire valley. ¡°General! I¡¯ll escort you out!¡± A trusted expert fought his way to Qi Sheng¡¯s side. Qi Sheng¡¯s sword cut down a Great Zhou cavalryman. However, in the blink of an eye, dozens of cavalrymen rushed forward. At this moment, he had to admit that the situation was hopeless. He fled into the forest with his trusted experts. In order to cover him, his trusted expert was caught up by the cavalry and died under their spears. Qi Sheng gritted his teeth and continued to escape. He swore that when he escaped, he would come back one day and behead Wei Ting! He had only taken a few steps into the forest when he suddenly saw a dark figure standing in front of him, holding a long sword and not moving. He was shocked and almost thought that he had seen a ghost. ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked warily. The other party did not turn around. The back of his head, which was covered by a black bamboo hat, emitted endless arrogance. ¡°You ordinary people are not worthy of asking for the name of God.¡± Qi Sheng muttered, ¡°Is this guy seriously ill?¡± Qi Sheng sized up the other party suspiciously. His brain didn¡¯t seem to be working well, so he shouldn¡¯t be difficult to deal with. He first shot out a few hidden weapons. Using the cover of the hidden weapons, Yuchi Xiu stomped his foot and soared into the air. He did a backflip and landed steadily on his sword. He still had his back facing him. Just as Qi Sheng raised his head to look at him, wanting to see if this fellow was so ugly that he was too ashamed to face anyone, Yuchi Xiu turned in the air and kicked him in the face, sending him flying. He fell heavily onto the snowy ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. Yuchi Xiu looked at the longsword in his hand and narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. ¡°Today, I can finally start a massacre!¡± Feel the anger of the number two killer on the Assassin List! I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for a long time! ¡°Heaven, Kill, Slash!¡± Yuchi Xiu¡¯s qi settled in his dantian, and a powerful move slashed towards Qi Sheng. ¡°Keep him alive.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Yuchi Xiu¡¯s breathing stagnated, and he stopped his big move halfway through his kill. He staggered and fell deeply into the snow, unable to pick himself up. What¡¯s going on? Couldn¡¯t they let him be a killer? As the hunt continued, the screams of the Northern Yan soldiers could be heard. Su Xiaoxiao came in front of Qi Sheng coldly and looked down at him. She held a nine-section whip with a barb in her hand. ¡°I said that I would whip you back.¡± When Su Xiaoxiao came out of the forest, the battle at the foot of the mountain was nearing its end. The Northern Yan army was either dead or fleeing. Wei Ting had given the order to not let a single one of them go. The cavalrymen were chasing them everywhere. Wei Ting rode his horse over. He came to Su Xiaoxiao, who was covered in blood. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± he asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s not my blood,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. She glanced at Su MO and Jing Yi. ¡°Are you guys alright?¡± Su MO glanced at Jing Yi from the corner of his eye. ¡°He¡¯s a little weak.¡± Wei Ting took off his cloak and draped it over her cold armor. His slender fingers tied a ribbon around her. A cavalryman gave his horse to Su Mo. Su MO sat down with Jing Yi. Wei Ting reached out his hand to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao gave her hand to him and he gently pulled her onto the back of the horse. Wei Ting held her in his arms and held the reins with both hands. He said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back first. Jia County?¡± ¡°Barbican,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Her back was straight. Wei Ting held her waist and let her lean against his chest. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°The news in Wu Town was wrong. I thought you were ambushed.¡± ¡°There was indeed an ambush,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Helian Ye guessed that I would come to assassinate him and secretly set up a trap. Little fat peacock, I almost couldn¡¯t come back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was immersed in the joy of his return. Her face darkened when she heard him call her a little fat peacock! Why did a handsome man have to grow a mouth?! ¡°What¡¯s going on between Yuchi Xiu and those troops?¡± Su MO asked. He remembered that Yuchi Xiu had been sent to Qingzhou by Wei Ting. Su Xiaoxiao was angry. The back of her head was saying, ¡°You¡¯re the fat peacock!¡± Wei Ting rubbed her little head in amusement and said to Su MO, ¡°When I set off from the capital to the border, I sent a pigeon to Yuchi Xiu and asked him to bring the 10,000 troops that my grandfather had secretly trained to meet me north. I didn¡¯t pass through the capital, so I came through Tongzhou.¡± On the surface, Yuchi Xiu had gone to Qingzhou to give Grandmaster Hui Jue the King of Nanyang¡¯s belongings, but in fact, he had also gone to gather troops. He had been staying in Qingzhou and not returning. Although it was also because of Su Yuniang, he was mostly waiting for Wei Ting¡¯s orders. Su MO paused. ¡°Just now¡­ you weren¡¯t the only one with troops, right?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°You mean the cavalry? It¡¯s the Qin family¡¯s army. When I returned from Wu Town, I immediately went to pick up Yuchi Xiu. Halfway there, I encountered a snow-covered mountain. There, I met the Qin family¡¯s army that was also blocked.¡± ¡°Why would they listen to you?¡± Su MO had seen the Qin family army before. Unless his granduncle personally gave the order, the Qin family army would not listen to anyone¡¯s orders. Wei Ting said nonchalantly, ¡°Oh, I said I¡¯m their young master-in-law.¡± Su MO was speechless. ¡°You¡¯re so shameless.]¡¯ Chapter 805 - Chapter 805: Disdain for Dad Chapter 805: Disdain for Dad Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The young master-in-law was what the bride¡¯s family called their lived-in son-in-law. Who would call him that? This was no different from saying, ¡°I¡¯m your young lady¡¯s man.¡± He felt a sense of superiority as a lived-in son-in-law. Could it be that this guy was acting shamelessly? Su MO had never seen such a shameless person in his life¡­ He could not look straight at the Qin family army anymore! ¡°Take care, Young Master!¡± ¡°Young Master, be careful!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master and Young Miss. We¡¯ll clean up the mess! We promise not to leave a single one alive!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ting sat on the high and mighty horse and raised his eyebrows proudly. He looked like he enjoyed it, making Su MO want to slap him. The group arrived at the valley of the Little Phoenix Mountain. Su Xiaoxiao and Su MO came in a carriage. It was not convenient for the carriage to go inside, so they parked the carriage here. Just now, when Tuoba Lie¡¯s army passed by the canyon, the coachman pulled the carriage to the forest at the side and covered the traces of the wheels with snow in order not to expose his identity and cause trouble for Su Xiaoxiao and su Mo. At this moment, he heard the familiar signal and pulled the carriage out again. The carriage was not big and could only seat three people. Su Xiaoxiao and Jing Yi sat in it. Su MO said to Wei Ting, ¡°You ride the horse.¡± He wanted to sit with his sister. Wei Ting stood beside the carriage and lifted the curtain. ¡°Aiya, the stool is wet. ¡± Su MO, who had just bowed and walked into the carriage muttered, ¡°Can you be more obvious when splashing the water?¡± Wei Ting looked at Su MO with a faint smile. ¡°Brother-in-law, let¡¯s ride a horse together! ¡± Su MO really wanted to slap him! The group returned to the camp. Regarding whether they should expose their identities, this was no longer important. Since Helian Ye had guessed that he had come to the border, there was no need to hide anything. The four of them openly took their tokens and entered barbican. Leng Kui knew nothing about Wei Ting¡¯s arrival. He fell asleep in the latter half of the night. Before he fell asleep, he was still thinking about Tuoba Lie¡¯s encirclement of Qin Canglan. His scouts returned and said that Tuoba Lie had mobilized 30,000 troops, including 10,000 cavalry. The combat ability of the cavalry could be maximized on the flat ground. Qin Canglan relied on the 9,000 stragglers gathered here and there. It was impossible for him to be Tuoba Lie¡¯s match. To be able to defeat Northern Yan in the daytime, other than the Northern Yan cavalry being restricted, it was also to catch Northern Yan off guard. Furthermore, Qin Canglan had also mobilized the Leng Family¡¯s forces. Without the Leng family¡¯s regular army, Qin Canglan¡¯s combat strength would definitely be greatly reduced. Early the next morning, they should be able to receive the good news of Qin Canglan¡¯s death. That irksome Crimson Shadow Army would also be wiped out completely. It could be considered as taking revenge for Dou Xiao and the others. He had also done Tuoba Lie a favor. Tuoba Lie would definitely thank him. How could Leng Kui know that when Tuoba Lie rushed to the location he revealed with an army of 30,000 to surround and kill Qin Canglan, he did not even find a shadow of the Crimson Shadow Army! Tuoba Lie suspected that Leng Kui was toying with him and was about to lead his troops back when he heard a commotion in front of him. He hurriedly led his troops to chase after the source. When he arrived, he only saw a few scarecrows in armor. There was a note stuck in the scarecrow¡¯s body with an arrow. Tuoba Lie pulled it off and opened it to take a look. It was a big stupid donkey drawn by Qin Canglan. There were three words below it: Tuoba Lie. Being called a stupid donkey, Tuoba Lie was furious. ¡°Find him! Dig three feet into the ground and dig out Qin Canglan!¡± Then, the Northern Yan army found all kinds of eye-piercing paintings left behind by Qin Canglan: Tuoba Lie the pig, Tuoba Lie the chicken, Tuoba Lie the tortoise, Tuoba Lie the pricking little human¡­ Tuoba Lie was so angry that he jumped three feet high. Furious, he drew his saber on the spot! It was easy for a person to lose their rationality in a fit of anger. In order to prevent Tuoba Lie from realizing that he had been tricked, Qin Canglan had put everything he had learned in his life on the line. When he was pursuing Su Huayin, he had never worked so hard to write love poems for her. Zhang Yong looked at his awkward posture of holding a pen and thought to himself, ¡°General, why don¡¯t I do it?¡± ¡°Your drawing is not vivid.¡± Qin Canglan drew a pair of super asymmetrical big nostrils. If Wei Qing was here, he would definitely go crazy. Zhang Yong looked at the indescribable painting. ¡°What did you draw this time?¡± Qin Canglan replied, ¡°The number one beauty, Tuoba Lie.¡± Zhang Yong looked at the pair of big nostrils and was speechless. Qin Canglan single-handedly held back Tuoba Lie¡¯s 30,000-strong army. Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao returned to the military camp without any obstructions. Su MO got out of the carriage. ¡°I¡¯ll go tell Granduncle. You guys bring Jing Yi to recuperate first.¡± Wei Ting carried Jing Yi to the tent next to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s. Jing Yi didn¡¯t like to sleep on a soft bed. His mattress was thin, and below it was a hard wooden board. Su Xiaoxiao disinfected her hand and took out a sterile towel from her first aid kit. ¡°Put it on.¡± Wei Ting placed him on the bed. Su Xiaoxiao put on sterile gloves and took out scissors and surgical tools. ¡°Do you need help?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao thought about it and disinfected his hand. ¡°Help me cut his clothes.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s wound had long since dried up, and his clothes had been congealed with blood. Not only did Wei Ting have to use scissors to cut it, but he also had to tear it apart with his bare hands. Jing Yi¡¯s body temperature was still high in the mountains, and it slowly dropped on the way. Su Xiaoxiao did not give him any fever medicine. It sounded like a good sign, but as his body temperature got lower and lower, the situation became less optimistic. Su Xiaoxiao said to Wei Ting, ¡°Help me prepare a pot of charcoal and a few thick quilts.¡± Jing Yi had lost too much blood, and his blood pressure had dropped to a critical level. He was starting to lose temperature. He needed an emergency blood transfusion. Unfortunately, too many soldiers had been injured in the past few days. The blood bank in the pharmacy was running out, and there was no more blood suitable for Jing Yi. Su Xiaoxiao could only collect it on the spot. She collected her own, Wei Ting¡¯s, and Su Mo¡¯s. She wanted to find a few more people to come over, but the main force of the Crimson Shadow Army was not around, and she could not find the people from the injured camp. Fortunately, the results showed that Wei Ting¡¯s blood type matched Jing Yi¡¯s. Wei Ting stretched out his arm and said very generously, ¡°Draw more.¡± Su MO asked,¡±Because you need a beating?¡± Wei Ting was speechless. After an entire night of emergency treatment, Jing Yi¡¯s condition finally stabilized at dawn. Su MO said, ¡°I¡¯ll guard it. You guys go and rest. Don¡¯t worry about Granduncle. I believe he won¡¯t fall for it.¡± The two nodded and returned to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s tent. After a busy night, Su Xiaoxiao was indeed tired. Wei Ting got someone to make porridge. ¡°Eat something before you sleep.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sat on the stool and couldn¡¯t even open her eyes. She was on the verge of collapse. ¡°Just two bites.¡± Wei Ting said. Little Miss Su picked up the spoon in a daze and scooped up a spoonful of lean meat soup before stuffing it into her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve eaten before,¡± Wei Ting reminded her and pointed to another bowl of porridge on the table. ¡°This bowl is yours.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s body trembled and she suddenly retched. Wei Ting was confounded. Was there a need to despise him so much? Chapter 806 - Chapter 806: Happy Pulse Chapter 806: Happy Pulse Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Su Xiaoxiao finished retching, she slammed her head on the table and fell asleep, leaving Wei Ting alone to hold his injured heart and doubt his life. However, Wei Ting was not the only one who was depressed. In the distant mountains, in the biting wind and snow, Wuhu was shivering in a certain cold lapel. ¡°I say, the four of you, have you forgotten something?¡± Luxury soft sleepers were no longer available, and the heated hard seats were gone. All that was left was the leaky old train. The green train was noisy and bumpy. ¡°Hahaha! I, the number two assassin in the world, have returned!¡± ¡°Northern Yan b*stards! Come out and die!¡± Not a single wretched thief was left, let the army kill them all, alright? ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Where are you? Come out and die!¡± He was like a celestial monkey on steroids. One moment, he was swishing up the treetop, and the next moment, he was rushing down the hill. As a bird, Wuhu actually experienced the feeling of weightlessness. It was too difficult¡­ What kind of creature was this guy? After being played by Qin Canglan for the entire night, Tuoba Lie finally woke up the moment the dawn light shone on his head! Something was wrong! Qin Canglan was not someone who avoided battle. Why did he tease him for the entire night? Was Qin Canglan that bored? ¡°Not good! Let¡¯s go back to Little Phoenix Mountain!¡± Tuoba Lie immediately led the army back to Little Phoenix Mountain, but it was too late. Qi Sheng¡¯s badly mangled and bone-deep corpse hung under a big tree. The snow had long been dyed red, and it was filled with the corpses of the Northern Yan army. His army¡­ his army! He finally understood what was going on. No wonder Qin Canglan had fooled him for the entire night. The information was wrong from the beginning. Qin Canglan knew that he had not captured that girl and Su Mo. He did not intend to bring his troops out to save them. He was luring the tiger away from the mountain. There was only one explanation for this, and it was that Leng Kui had betrayed him! ¡°Leng Kui, you¡¯ve teamed up with Qin Canglan to plot against me again and again! Just you wait, I¡¯ll definitely take revenge!¡± Qin Canglan met the Qin Family Army and the Wei Family Army near the city gate. He knew about the Qin Family Army on the way. It was a little surprising that the private army left behind by Lord Wu An had also come. That kid, Wei Ting, was indeed two-faced. He brought the army into the city. The guards on the gate tower were dumbfounded. When they went out last night, there were only 9,000 soldiers. Why did they have so many extra soldiers in one night?! In the military camp, Leng Kui woke up. When he heard his subordinate report that Su MO and Su Xiaoxiao had saved Jing Yi, his expression did not change It turned out that these two people had gone out to save Jing Yi. It was unexpected, but also reasonable. Moreover, Tuoba Lie had led his troops to chase after Qin Canglan last night, which gave the two of them an opportunity. However, he soon sensed that something was wrong. How could Qin Canglan not know that the two of them had gone to save Jing It was impossible for the two of them to be captured outside the eastern city gate. If they were to be captured, they would be captured at Little Phoenix Mountain. If Qin Canglan knew, why did he still bring his troops out? An ominous feeling welled up in Leng Kui¡¯s heart. In the next moment, the sound of galloping horses could be heard. Leng Kui frowned. ¡°Is the cavalry training so early today?¡± His aura was not bad. It sounded more murderous than usual. The subordinate went outside to take a look and walked in in a panic. ¡°General, it¡¯s not our cavalry! It¡¯s the Qin family¡¯s cavalry!¡± Leng Kui¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What did you say?¡± His subordinate repeated, ¡°Qin Family Iron Cavalry! Qin Family Army!¡± Leng Kui strode out of the tent. The cold wind, wrapped in ice and snow, hit him in the face, making him almost unable to open his eyes. However, even with just a glance, he recognized the majestic Qin Family Cavalry. From warhorses to armor, to every cavalryman, they were all one in a million. One horse out of a hundred, one soldier out of a hundred. This was the Qin Family¡¯s Iron Cavalry. Leng Kui thought that he had trained hard in the border for the past few years and had also trained a powerful cavalry. However, when the Qin Family¡¯s Iron Cavalry arrived, he immediately felt a wave of overwhelming morale! With a simple gesture from Qin Canglan, the Qin Family Cavalry stopped in unison. The well-trained army even had the same breathing rhythm. The event location fell silent, but the silent aura was so strong that everyone felt the pressure of the army. Xiao Duye was woken up. He brought Leng Hua out of the tent. Last night, Qin Canglan wanted to save his granddaughter and Su Mo. Leng Hua volunteered to be his guard, so Xiao Duye had no choice but to agree. He did not sleep well the entire night. He looked at the black mass of troops outside the house and was a little stunned. Wasn¡¯t Leng Hua the same? Wasn¡¯t Qin Canglan besieged by Tuoba Lie¡¯s army? Why did he come back unscathed? Not only did he come back himself, but he also brought the Qin Family Army over? No, it was not just the Qin Family Army. There was also an army behind them! What was going on? Leng Kui came back to his senses and questioned sternly, ¡°Qin Canglan! Who allowed you to bring troops to the border without permission? The army was not allowed to leave the camp without permission, or they would be accomplices to the crime. Leng Kui was extremely sure that the imperial court had not given the order for the Qin Family Army to send out troops. This time, he wanted to see what Qin Canglan would say! Qin Canglan was already prepared. He took out a piece of paper from his pocket. ¡°The bandits in Youzhou are causing trouble. The Imperial Court has sent troops to eliminate them. My army is here to deal with the bandits.¡± The official document was true. It took the Old Marquis a lot of effort to convince Emperor Jing Xuan to send the Qin Family Army to suppress the bandits. Leng Kui said coldly, ¡°Then why did they come to the border¡±¡® Qin Canglan spread his hands innocently and said, ¡°Ah, didn¡¯t they hear that there was going to be a war at the border halfway? So they rushed over to provide support. General Leng should know this better than me!¡± Was this how the generals were supposed to be treated? Leng Kui gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°What¡¯s going on with the 10,000 behind us?¡± Qin Canglan cupped his hands to the sky. ¡°Those are the righteous benovolent who came because of the reputation and fought for His Highness King Liang!¡± In terms of shamelessness, Qin Canglan was on par with Wei Ting. ¡°Nonsense! You¡¯re clearly¡­¡± Qin Canglan dismounted from his horse and said to Xiao Duye piously, ¡°Your Highness, last night, the Qin Family Army and that benevolent army had already entered the depths of Little Phoenix Mountain and killed 20,000 enemies!¡± Xiao Duye was stunned. ¡°Another¡­ another 20,000?¡± Qin Canglan replied, ¡°Yes! Your Highness is guarding the border. The soldiers seem to have the help of God. The troops of Northern Yan can¡¯t withstand a single blow!¡± Xiao Duye felt like he was floating in the air! He had killed so many Northern Yan soldiers. How much merit did he have? Previously, he had only pacified the southwest and was already conferred a king. If he pacified the borders this time, wouldn¡¯t he be immediately conferred the title of Crown Prince when he returned? He slapped Qin Canglan¡¯s shoulder, and even the way he addressed him changed, ¡°Minister Qin! Good job! I order you to temporarily resume your position as the Grand Marshal, and you will be in charge of the border!¡± Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°I will not let you down!¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t know about the changes in the camp for the time being. She had already slept in the tent for a day. Wei Ting sat beside her and looked at her resentfully. It was obvious that he still had not let go of what had happened in the morning. Qin Canglan was also a little puzzled outside. He paced back and forth, lifted the curtain, and came in. ¡°Is Xiaoxiao still not awake? Should we call the physician to take a look?¡± Wei Ting wanted to say that she was a physician herself, but on second thought, physicians did not treat themselves. Perhaps she was feeling unwell, so she vomited at him. He would never accept that he was being despised! Qin Canglan got someone to call a medical officer from the Crimson Shadow Army over. The doctor took Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s pulse and suspected that he had made a mistake. Qin Canglan and Wei Ting became nervous because of him.. Chapter 807 - Chapter 807: The Joy of Being a Father Chapter 807: The Joy of Being a Father Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qin Canglan had never been so anxious when righting a war, but when he faced his precious granddaughter, he immediately lost his cool. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Can you do it?¡± The doctor took Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s pulse for the third time and finally confirmed it. He couldn¡¯t believe it. The little devil who was always at the forefront of the battle and killed Zhou Lie and Leng Jue with a single slash of her sword If not for his confidence in his medical skills, he would have invited a few more physuician over to take a look. ¡°Tell me!¡± Qin Canglan was extremely anxious. The medical officer took a step back and cupped his hands at Qin Candlan and Wei Ting. He said excitedly, ¡°Congratulations, Grand Marshal. Congratulations, General Wei. It¡¯s a happy pulse!¡± Wei Ting¡¯s hand trembled and the teacup was splashed. Qin Canglan suspected that he had heard wrongly and asked in a daze, ¡°What did you say? What pulse?¡± The medical officer smiled and said, ¡°Happy pulse!¡± Qin Canglan was petrified.. After many consecutive days of fighting, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s stamina was severely exhausted. She had not dared to relax for a moment. It was not until all the troops arrived tonight and Wei Ting returned safely that she finally had a good sleep. Unexpectedly, she slept through the night. When she opened her eyes, she saw three grown men sitting in front of her bed. They were looking at her with shining eyes, as if they were expecting her to send them three small fruits. Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Wei Ting asked softly. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him curiously. ¡°Why are you suddenly saying that?¡± Where was that cold and aloof person who deserved a beating? ¡°I¡¯ll speak with her, I¡¯ll speak with her!¡± Qin Canglan raised his hand and coughed lightly. He smiled at his precious granddaughter and asked in an extremely doting manner, ¡°Xiaoxiao, you¡¯ve slept for a day. Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?¡± Su Xiaoxiao answered in a daze, ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry, not too thirsty¡­ I¡¯m not uncomfortable?¡± What was going on? The two of them were weird! Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze landed on Su Mo¡¯s face. Her eldest cousin should be normal. Su MO slowly stood up and took a purple pottery jar from the table. He said seriously, ¡°I peeled walnuts for you.¡± It was one, large, vat! Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Qin Canglan said seriously, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll announce it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be an uncle. Granduncle is going to be a great-grandfather. Wei Ting is going to be a father!¡± Su MO finished speaking in one breath. As the most filial and polite eldest son in the family, this was the first time Su MO had snatched the words of an elder. This was also the first time Qin Canglan wanted to beat him up. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three of them and blinked. ¡®You mean¡­ The three of them nodded in unison! Su Xiaoxiao paused for three seconds. ¡°You guys go out for a while.¡± The three of them obediently went out. Su Xiaoxiao felt that it wouldn¡¯t happen so easily. She went into the pharmacy and took out a pregnancy test kit. After a while, Su Xiaoxiao looked at the two bright lines and fell silent. Unwilling to give up, she tested two more. There were a total of six bars. Very good, she had been hit. Thinking about it carefully, it had indeed been a long time since she had her period. However, because her period had been unpredictable for the past few months, she did not take it to heart. Who would have thought that pregnancy would hit her? Counting the days, it should be the night of her birthday on the pleasure boat. So the pharmacy¡¯s folic acid and pregnancy preservation drugs were actually for her? ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Calm down. It¡¯s just a pregnancy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked out of the pharmacy with a serious expression. Wei Ting, Qin Canglan, and Su MO moved stools and sat outside Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s tent. Yuchi Xiu and Tong Ke came over to look for the three of them. From afar, they saw the three of them sitting boldly on the bench. The corners of their mouths almost reached their ears as they smiled like three idiots. The corner of Yuchi Xiu¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®What stimulated you?¡± Tong Ke thought for a moment. ¡°Perhaps the Marshal is happy that he has regained control of the military.¡± Yuchi Xiu¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°Why are you so happy? A commotion came from Jing Yi¡¯s tent next door. Wei Ting stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± He entered Jing Yi¡¯s tent with a pleased expression. He couldn¡¯t suppress the smile on his face. Thinking that he was about to be a father, his body began to be enveloped in the radiance of a benevolent father. Although he had already been a father to the three brats, they were too infuriating. This time, it would definitely be an obedient and soft little cutie. Jing Yi had just woken up and was still in a daze. When he saw Wei Ting, he was slightly stunned. He was surprised that the other party had returned from Wu Town. Then, he felt that something was wrong with Wei Ting. Wei Ting sat down by his bed and looked at him with concern. ¡°Xiao Yi, how do you feel?¡± Jing Yi was startled awake! Jing Yi looked at him in shock. Wei Ting reached out his well-defined hand and gently touched Jing Yi¡¯s forehead. He said gently like a kind father, ¡°It¡¯s still a little warm. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bring you medicine later.¡± Jing Yi was even more disturbed. He seriously suspected that Wei Ting had gone to look for Helian Ye and was beaten silly by Helian Ye. Wei Ting¡¯s eyes gradually became kind. ¡°You were seriously injured and lost too much blood. You almost couldn¡¯t be saved. I was the one who gave you a blood transfusion.¡¯ Jing Yi had already started to reach for his sword. Wei Ting thought that he did not understand and patiently pointed at his arm. ¡°That¡¯s right. My blood flows in your body. If you really want to, I don¡¯t mind you calling me father.¡± Jing Yi slashed down with his sword. Medical Officer Zhou brought Su Xiaoxiao a bowl of red date porridge to replenish her energy. Su Xiaoxiao asked him how Jing Yi was doing. Imperial Physician Zhou said, ¡°I went to see him a few times during the day and changed Young Marquis Jing¡¯s dressing. When I came over just now, I seemed to have heard a sound from Young Marquis Jing¡¯s tent. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s awake.¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to Jing Yi. But Jing Yi had already fallen asleep again. -the sword didn¡¯t hit Wei Ting, and Jing Yi fainted on the spot. Su Xiaoxiao came to the bed and asked in confusion, ¡°Wasn¡¯t he awake?¡± Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°He¡¯s asleep again.¡± Su Xiaoxiao checked Jing Yi¡¯s injury. Medical Officer Zhou had already changed the dressing. The wound did not show any signs of inflammation, but the gauze had fallen off in some places. She turned back to look at Wei Ting. Wei Ting¡¯s body trembled. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Do you suspect that I pulled it? Why would I pull his gauze for no reason? He moved it himself!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked suspicious. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t provoke him?¡± With his personality, would he be kind enough to come and see Jing Yi? Wei Ting flicked his sleeves and placed his hands behind his back. His fatherly aura was fully released. ¡°Pfft, I¡¯m an adult. Why should I be calculative with a child!¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t have any evidence, so she retracted her questioning gaze and bandaged Jing Yi¡¯s wound again before going out to brew the medicine. As soon as she left, Wei Ting flashed to the bed and bragged, ¡°I¡¯m going to be a father, I¡¯m going to be a father, I¡¯m going to be a father¡­¡± Jing Yi, who was still in a deep sleep, was speechless. If there was a bolt of lightning, one of them had to die! Chapter 808 - Chapter 808: Brother Ting Takes Action (1) Chapter 808: Brother Ting Takes Action (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Su Xiaoxiao came over with the brewed medicine, she felt that the unconscious Jing Yi had nothing to live for. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wei Ting solemnly. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t do anything to Jing Yi?¡± Wei Ting looked innocent. ¡°After all, I risked my life to save him. How can I not hope for him? I saw that he was unconscious, so I was kind enough to talk to him just now.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What did you say to him?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°Ahem, nothing. They¡¯re calling me outside. I¡¯ll go out first! ¡± He placed his hands behind his back and walked out with his old fatherly gait. Regarding Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s happy pulse, Qin Canglan decided not to announce it to the public for the time being. Su Xiaoxiao had no objections, and so did Wei Ting. Su Xiaoxiao ate and drank when she needed to. She ordered soldiers when she needed to and handed the training to Wei Ting. No one suspected anything. After all, before Wei Ting arrived, Qin Canglan and Su MO had trained in the Crimson Shadow Army. Moreover, there were many old subordinates of the Wei family in the Crimson Shadow Army. Everyone accepted Wei Ting quite well, but they changed the way they addressed him from Young Master to Young Master-in-law. On the other side, Leng Kui¡¯s son, Leng Zhao, had returned from Northern Yan. As soon as he entered the camp, he heard that Leng Jue had been dealt with. Leng Jue was his most beloved son, and his heart ached. ¡°Dad! How could you let Jue¡¯er be dealt with? No matter what mistake Jue¡¯er made, he¡¯s your biological grandson!¡± In Leng Hua¡¯s tent, Leng Kui glanced at him and said coldly, ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t want to save Jue¡¯er?¡± Leng Zhao clenched his fists and said, ¡°You¡¯re the commander-in-chief at the border. What right does Qin Canglan have to interfere?¡± Leng Hua sighed. ¡°Father, King Liang has come to the border. Now, he has appointed Qin Canglan to be temporarily reinstated.¡± Actually, Su Xiaoxiao had killed Leng Jue before this, but since it had already happened, there was no point in arguing. In short, she had the support of King Liang. Leng Zhao was puzzled. ¡°When did King Liang get together with Qin Canglan?¡± Leng Hua shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. King Liang came to the border with Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter. King Liang Wang has always been unwilling to reveal what he is doing. When King Liang was trapped in Jia County, that girl recruited troops and bought horses to save King Liang. She even slandered us in front of him, saying that we harmed him. In short, the current situation is very disadvantageous to our Leng family.¡± Leng Zhao narrowed his eyes. ¡°No wonder when I came over from the Qin family¡¯s tent just now, I saw Qin Canglan sitting on the stool and laughing foolishly. So he¡¯s back to his official position. He laughed so loudly, as if he was afraid that no one would know. He¡¯s deliberately embarrassing the Leng family!¡± Leng Kui looked at Leng Zhao and then at the young man in black behind him. ¡°Did the two of you gain anything from your trip to Northern Yan?¡± Leng Zhao told her what he had found out. ¡°Northern Yan planned to ask the Western Jin to send troops, but they rejected Nprthern Yan.¡± The terrain of the Northern Yan, the Western Jin, and the Great Zhou was like the forehead and cheeks. The forehead was the Northern Yan, the left face was the Western Jin, and the right face was the Great Zhou. The Western Jin¡¯s camp was all the way to the west of the Broken North Pass, which was also connected to the border of the Northern Yan. If the Western Jin was willing to send troops, they could go straight to Broken North Pass through the territory of Northern Yan. Leng Kui was not surprised. ¡°A slight move will affect the entire situation. The Western Jin will not send troops easily. They have to be wary of Wei Country¡¯s covetous gaze. At the end of the day, this is a battle between the Great Zhou and Northern Yan. How¡¯s the food supply?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to say.¡± Leng Zhao¡¯s expression was not good. ¡°After we returned from Northern Yan, we immediately went to Chong County, but guess what, Dad? The last batch of rations has been bought up! Most of the rations that were sent to the Western Jin were bought, and not a single grain of rice was left behind! The rations we reserved were also intercepted at a high price!¡± ¡°It was that girl!¡± Leng Hua punched the table. ¡°Which girl?¡± Leng Zhao asked. Leng Hua said coldly, ¡°Qin Canglan¡¯s granddaughter. She recruited soldiers and bought horses at the border. Her salary is twice that of the Imperial Court; her pension is three times that of the Imperial Court, and her rations are extremely abundant. The Crimson Shadow Army has meat to eat every meal. Even the troops of Qin Canglan and Su MO are enjoying life.¡± As he spoke, the fragrance of meat came from outside. The Crimson Shadow Army began to stew big bone soup again. Tonight, they would eat radishes and roasted meat. They swallowed. Leng Zhao said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for our Leng family to reach our current status. We can¡¯t let others snatch it away.¡± The position of the marshal was originally Qin Canglan¡¯s, and the military strength at the border was originally the Wei family¡¯s. It was only because Qin Canglan took the initiative to retire from his official position and something happened to the Wei family that the Leng family felt that everything was theirs.. Chapter 809 - Chapter 809: Brother Ting Takes Action (2) Chapter 809: Brother Ting Takes Action (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If others took it back, they would be snatching it from them. Leng Hua said, ¡°Qin Canglan is already old. There will always be times when he is powerless. What we really have to be wary of are those few little ones.¡± Leng Zhao glanced at his eldest son. ¡°You mean Wei Ting and Su MO?¡± Leng Hua analyzed, ¡°Over the years, the Su family¡¯s military forces have gradually moved to the southwest. They don¡¯t have much conflict with us for the time being. Wei Ting is Lord Wu An¡¯s grandson. If he raises his arm and shouts, it¡¯s hard to guarantee that the subordinate Lord Wu An and Wei Xu old subordinates won¡¯t be tempted.¡± The man in black, who had been silent, said calmly, ¡°It was not easy to kill him in the capital. Now that he¡¯s at the border, are you afraid that he won¡¯t have a chance?¡± Wei Ting, Su Xiaoxiao, Qin Canglan, and Su MO were sitting in the tent eating. Their food was the same as the soldiers¡¯. Halfway through the meal, Xiao Duye sent someone over to summon them and said that he had something urgent to discuss. The few of them put down their bowls and chopsticks and went to Xiao Duye. Leng Kui and Leng Hua were also there. They sat on Xiao Duye¡¯s left. In addition, there were two new faces. One sat between Leng Kui and Leng Hua, Su Xiaoxiao had never seen them. Wei Ting introduced them to her in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s Leng Zhao and his deputy, Leng Ziling.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°His surname is also Leng?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s said that he¡¯s Leng Zhao¡¯s illegitimate son. He¡¯s not on the family tree. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao sized him up and happened to look at him. Their eyes met, and Su Xiaoxiao felt a dangerous aura. This illegitimate son was not simple. He was probably the most powerful expert of the Leng family. ¡°Sit,¡± Xiao Duye said. Qin Canglan sat down on the right of the Prince of Liang with Su Xiaoxiao and the others. Xiao Duye said solemnly, ¡°I suddenly summoned you here to discuss attacking Northern Yan. General Leng Zhao has just returned from his investigation in Northern Yan. Helian Ye¡¯s army has already marched out of the snow mountain and will reach Broken North Pass in three days at most. He has 100,000 soldiers and Tuoba Lie has 30,000. We don¡¯t have the advantage in terms of military strength, so I want to hear your opinions.¡± Leng Kui looked at Qin Canglan with a rare humble attitude. ¡°Now that the old Protector Duke is the commander-in-chief at the border, why don¡¯t the old Protector Duke speak first?¡± Qin Canglan nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s fight head-on.¡± Leng Kui smiled faintly. ¡°That¡¯s a little inappropriate. I know that your Qin Family Army is powerful, but if the casualties are too heavy, we¡¯ll lose even if we win.¡± Qin Canglan looked at him indifferently. ¡°So what do you think?¡± Leng Kui pointed at the map on the table and said, ¡°I think we should send troops to exterminate Tuoba Lie¡¯s 30,000-strong army first and make Helian Ye lose his help. At the same time, send 50,000 troops to Broken North Pass to fight Helian Ye head-on. Of course, this is only a method to confuse Helian Ye. What we really want to do is assassinate Helian Ye.¡± Qin Canglan smiled. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s so easy to assassinate Helian Ye? Do you think his 100,000-strong army is just for show and will let you come and go freely to his military camp? Leng Kui said confidently, ¡°That¡¯s why we must choose experts with top martial arts and outstanding qinggong.¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°It sounds like you already have a suitable candidate in your heart.¡¯ Leng Kui said, ¡°Leng Ziling.¡± Leng Ziling walked out from behind Leng Zhao and cupped her hands at Xiao Duye. ¡°I¡¯m willing to work for Your Highness!¡± ¡°You¡¯re Leng Ziling?¡± Xiao Duye was surprised. He had heard of him. He was a rare talent in the Leng family. Because his mother was from a brothel, the Leng family had never officially recognized him. His martial arts were unfathomable. When he was only 14 years old, he had fought Wei Xu. Even Wei Xu praised him for being stronger than his sons. ¡°Are you willing to assassinate Helian Ye?¡± Xiao Duye asked excitedly. If he attacked, he would definitely succeed! ¡°Heh.¡± Wei Ting laughed mockingly. ¡°When is it your Leng family¡¯s turn to kill Helian Ye?¡± Xiao Duye frowned. Leng Kui smiled. ¡°From General Wei¡¯s tone, he seems to be dissatisfied with the Leng family¡¯s arrangements. ¡± Wei Ting said arrogantly, ¡°Helian Ye¡¯s life is mine. If some one has to kill him, I should be the one.¡± An idea flashed across Xiao Duye¡¯s mind. He slammed the table and said, ¡°That¡¯s easy! The two of you go together!¡± Leng Ziling said indifferently, ¡°Ziling is used to being alone and never carries out missions with others. If he goes, Ziling won¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Xiao Duye was in a difficult position. Wei Ting looked at Leng Ziling with a faint smile. ¡°Not everyone is qualified to assassinate Helian Ye. If you can defeat me, I¡¯ll let you go!¡± Qin Canglan frowned and said, ¡°This is not child¡¯s play¡­¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Leng Ziling agreed. Wei Ting narrowed his eyes. ¡°However, in view of your past actions, I have every reason to suspect that your Leng family went to collude with Northern Yan.¡± Leng Zhao glared at him and said, ¡°Wei Ting, don¡¯t slander me!¡± Wei Ting smiled faintly. ¡°Then let¡¯s make it clear first. If I win, I¡¯ll kill Helian Ye. If I lose, he has to make a military pledge not to leave Northern Yan until he kills Helian Ye!¡± Leng Ziling said, ¡°I promise you.¡± The two of them went to the arena on the drill ground. The soldiers of the three armies rushed over to watch. Leng Zhao said to Leng Ziling, ¡°In a while, you only need to injure him and lose to him. Let him kill Helian Ye with injuries. I don¡¯t believe he can come back alive.¡± Leng Ziling had a unique palm technique. The person who was struck did not suffer any abnormalities at that time. Only after 12 hours would he suffer serious internal injuries. When Wei Ting¡¯s internal injuries acted up, he would already already in Helian Ye¡¯s military camp. As for Leng Ziling¡­ Leng Zhao glanced at Su Xiaoxiao below the arena. He had an even more important mission. The two of them went into the arena. Su MO said, ¡°Granduncle, I suspect that the Leng family wants to send us away and let sister be alone.¡± He and his grandfather had to go to Broken North Pass. His sister would stay in the barbican to treat the injured soldiers. This was already the news. However, Jing Yi was also seriously injured. If even Wei Ting went to assassinate Helian Ye at this time, his sister would be in danger. Leng Ziling was not a soldier in the army. He could choose not to fight and stay in the barbican. Qin Canglan looked at the Leng family coldly and snorted. ¡°A group of ingrates.¡± The competition officially began. Leng Ziling was the Leng family¡¯s killing tool. He was cold-blooded and calm enough. He had been feeding Wei Ting more than ten moves, but he was not anxious at all. He was waiting for a perfect opportunity. He had to hit Wei Ting in the chest. Finally, Wei Ting revealed a flaw. He sank his qi into his dantian, circulated his internal energy, and slapped toward Wei Ting¡¯s chest! However, at this moment, something unexpected happened. Wei Ting suddenly clutched his chest and fell. Leng Ziling missed and staggered a few times, almost falling to the ground! Wei Ting exaggeratedly spat out a circle of ¡°blood¡± into the sky. ¡°What powerful internal strength! What a powerful palm technique! I can¡¯t move my entire body¡­ I can¡¯t mobilize my aura¡­¡± As he spoke, he turned around in extreme grief. ¡°You win¡­ Go and kill Helian Ye! Don¡¯t forget the military pledge you made. If you don¡¯t kill Helian Ye, you won¡¯t leave Northern Yan!¡± And so was the Leng family.. Chapter 810 - Chapter 810: Satisfying Chapter 810: Satisfying Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting¡¯s actions stunned the Leng family. The soldiers of the three armies were watching. Didn¡¯t he feel embarrassed to ¡°lose¡± like this in public? If the soldiers could not tell, how could the Leng family, who was familiar with Leng Ziling¡¯s martial arts, not tell? This was not a palm technique that could exert force from afar at all. Why was he injured? Was there such a shameless person? At this point, it would be unreasonable for them to not react. Actually, they had prepared two plans in the beginning. The first plan was to directly recommend Wei Ting as the candidate to assassinate Helian Ye, but this would show that they had ulterior motives, so they changed to using provocation against Wei Ting. Helian Ye had killed so many members of the Wei family, so Wei Ting was irreconcilable with him. He would definitely want to kill his enemy personally. They dug a pit and waited for Wei Ting to jump in. Unexpectedly, Wei Ting did not jump in and pushed the Leng family into the pit! Leng Hua clenched his fists. ¡°Damn it, he deliberately asked Ziling to make a military order!¡± Now, it would be impossible for Leng Ziling not to go to Northern Yan. If he could not kill Helian Ye, he could not leave Northern Yan. It was no different from trapping the Leng family¡¯s most powerful killing tool in Northern Yan. Leng Hua was furious to the extreme. He took a step to the edge of the arena and pointed at Wei Ting¡¯s nose. He said sternly, ¡°Wei Ting, don¡¯t you want to kill Helian Ye?¡± Wei Ting looked at him mockingly and mouthed silently, ¡°Is there a conflict between wanting to kill him and tricking you?¡± Leng Hua knew how to read lips. He was so angry that his head hurt and his fists cracked. If not for the fact that the occasion was not right, he would have rushed forward to fight Wei Ting to the death! ¡°You were clearly cheating!¡± he shouted angrily. Wei Ting said in shock, ¡°No way? I¡¯m already injured like this. Do you have a conscience? Do I have to die in the arena? What is your Leng family thinking!¡± Everyone looked at the Leng family. The faces of the Leng family darkened. Leng Zhao said sarcastically, ¡°The grandson of Lord Wu An, Wei Xu¡¯s biological son, actually lost to an unknown guard of our Leng family. Looks like your ability is only so-so! The reason why you could defeat Northern Yan back then was probably because Helian Ye was seriously injured and did not go to the battlefield. This time, Helian Ye is personally leading his troops to Broken North Pass. You were intending to lose, right!¡± Did he deliberately lose? Alright, he would let him live up to your name as trash! The army was a place where the strong were respected. If one¡¯s fists were strong enough and their martial arts were high enough, countless soldiers would willingly follow them. Be it Qin Canglan, Lord Wu An, or Wei Xu, all of them were top experts. Leng Hua¡¯s eyes lit up. His father¡¯s move was brilliant. Wei Ting had shot himself in the foot. It was not bad to make him lose his prestige in the army! ¡°Disperse, disperse, disperse. Stop looking!¡± It was Zhang Yong¡¯s urging. Li Da also turned around and tugged at his comrades. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The Crimson Shadow Army left one by one. Disdain flashed across Leng Kui¡¯s eyes, and pride was written all over the faces of Leng Zhao and Leng Hua. ¡°Wei Ting, Wei Ting, this is called¡ª¡± Leng Zhao was halfway through when there was a commotion in the Crimson Shadow Army¡¯s camp. He turned around and saw that the Crimson Shadow Army, who should have been dejected, had all picked up their weapons, lined up, and started practicing on the field. It was stronger than before and worked harder. It couldn¡¯t be helped. The young master was too weak. He couldn¡¯t even withstand a palm strike from the Leng family. If they didn¡¯t work harder, how could they protect the young master on the battlefield? The Qin family army was silent for a moment before silently training. It was heartbreaking to have such a son-in-law. This wave of reverse troops was really impossible to deal with for the Leng family. How could this be? Wei Ting coughed lightly and his gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao. Thinking of her womb, he turned to Su MO and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help me up?¡± Su MO really didn¡¯t want to acknowledge this guy. He jumped onto the arena with an indescribable expression and helped a certain ¡°sick¡± brother-in-law off the arena. Xiao Duye did not suspect that he had faked his loss. When Wei Xu was still alive, he had praised Leng Ziling for not losing to his sons. It was not surprising that Leng Ziling had won against Wei Ting. ¡°Pack up and leave tonight! Kill Helian Ye as soon as possible to avoid any trouble!¡± With that, Xiao Duye turned around and returned to his tent. The wind was so strong that he was about to freeze to death! The Leng family looked at Wei Ting. Wei Ting smiled. ¡°Have a safe trip.¡± The Leng family returned to Leng Hua¡¯s tent with dark expressions. Leng Kui, Leng Zhao, and Leng Hua sat on the stool angrily. Leng Ziling stood behind Leng Zhao without saying a word. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do it earlier?¡± Leng Hua questioned Leng Ziling, ¡°If you had caught him off guard, he shouldn¡¯t have given you so much trouble!¡± Leng Ziling said nothing. Leng Zhao said in a low voice, ¡°Wei Ting pretended to lose. Do you think he¡¯s really weak? Ziling fed him more than ten moves before finding his flaw.¡± Leng Hua said indifferently, ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s a flaw that Wei Ting deliberately exposed!¡± ¡°Stop arguing, the two of you!¡± Leng Kui said sternly. Leng Zhao frowned and said, ¡°Dad, are we really going to let Ziling assassinate Helian Ye?¡± Leng Kui said angrily, ¡°Do you have a better idea? It¡¯s hard to say if he¡¯ll kill Helian Ye, but he can¡¯t stay at the border. Once he¡¯s discovered, the entire Leng family will be implicated.¡± Leng Zhao clenched his fists in pain. Such a good card was ruined just like that. Leng Kui looked at Leng Ziling and said calmly, ¡°Since the matter is settled, go to Northern Yan and continue to investigate that matter.¡± Leng Zhao pondered and said, ¡°Dad, could there be a mistake? Ziling and I have been investigating in Northern Yan for so long this time, but we haven¡¯t found any clues.¡± Leng Kui snorted and said, ¡°That¡¯s why I asked Ziling to continue investigating! If he really found it, then it was worth it to be schemed against by Wei Ting today.¡± As they spoke, a soldier¡¯s message sounded outside the tent. ¡°General, His Highness Liang invites you over.¡± It was Leng Kui¡¯s turn to protect Xiao Duye tonight. Leng Kui left expressionlessly. ¡°Father,¡± Leng Hua said. ¡°Did Wei Xu really leave anything behind back then?¡± Leng Zhao sighed. ¡°Who knows? In the past few years, we¡¯ve investigated the borders of Great Zhou and Northern Yan but found nothing. However, your grandfather insisted that he heard it with his own ears. He asked us to find what Wei Xu left behind no matter what.¡± Leng Hua complained, ¡°Grandpa doesn¡¯t even know what it is. How can we find it? Just that incomplete map, we had to compare countless terrain to recognize that it¡¯s the border of Northern Yan.¡± The few of them had different expressions and did not notice that there was a parrot squatting on the top. The parrot eavesdropped on the corner of the wall and flapped its wings before flying back to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s tent valiantly.. Chapter 811 - Chapter 811: Fighting for Favor Chapter 811: Fighting for Favor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao was counting the herbs. The army was going to Borken North Pass, and there would definitely be casualties in the war. She had taken all the medicine in the pharmacy, but she still needed a large amount of anesthetic boiling powder and golden sore medicine. Wuhu flew in and landed on her table, shaking the snow off its feathers.it ¡°Don¡¯t wet my herbs,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to it. It swaggered forward and exchanged information for bird food with Su Xiaoxiao. A word of information for a bird¡¯s meal. ¡°Looking for something! Looking for something! Looking for something!¡± ¡°The repetition is only one sentence.¡± Wuhu was speechless. Wei Xu¡¯s things, the incomplete map, the border of Northern Yan. Su Xiaoxiao counted that after three and a half sentences, and gave it four pieces of bird food. Qin Canglan went to order the troops. Wei Ting and Su MO had just come from the injured camp. At this point, the show was over. Su MO immediately let go without hesitation. Wei Ting suddenly lost his support and staggered in an extremely sorry state. ¡°Do you want me to fall to my death?¡± Su MO snorted. He came to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s side. ¡°Do you need help?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said, ¡°Just put the herbs on the table into the bamboo basket.¡¯ Wei Ting also came over to help. He spread the cut oil paper to prevent snow and moisture. The three of them divided the herbs, laid out the bamboo basket, and stored the herbs. The division of labor was clear, and the efficiency increased. While distributing the herbs, Su Xiaoxiao told him the information that Wuhu had obtained. The three of them were actually not surprised that Leng Ziling would not assassinate Helian Ye. Putting aside Leng Kui¡¯s attitude, this was an impossible mission. The Leng family would not let Leng Ziling take the risk. It was not that the Leng family doted on Leng Ziling, but Leng Ziling was the sharpest killing tool in the Leng family. It was a pity to lose it to Helian Ye. What really surprised the three of them was the last two pieces of news¡ªWei Xu had left his belongings at the border of Northern Yan. The Leng family had been searching through a fragmented map. ¡°What relic is it? Do you have any clues about this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Wei Ting. Su MO also looked at him. Wei Ting shook his head with a complicated expression. ¡°I wasn¡¯t at the border at that time. I don¡¯t know what Father did.¡± Su MO asked, ¡°Do you have any clues from your brothers?¡± Ghostfear, Wei Qing, and Wei Liulang might not know that Wei Xu had left behind a relic, but they might be able to extract some clues from their last interaction with Wei Xu. Wei Ting said, ¡°Eldest Brother and Second Brother are in the southern border now, so it¡¯s very difficult to contact them. I¡¯ll send a pigeon to Second Brother later and ask him about Father.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pondered and said, ¡°Something that the Leng family hasn¡¯t given up on after searching for a few years must not be an ordinary relic.¡± Su MO frowned. ¡°The Leng family is too greedy.¡± After snatching the Wei family¡¯s military power, they actually wanted to pocket Wei Xu¡¯s belongings. ¡°There¡¯s something I can¡¯t figure out. Why did your father leave the relic in Northern Yan?¡± Wei Ting replied to Su MO, ¡°I want to understand too.¡± Back then, after Wei Xu was killed by Helian Ye, he was thrown into the ice volcano and his body was not even recovered. If they could find Wei Xu¡¯s belongings, it would be a comfort to everyone in the Wei family. ¡°I¡¯m done packing the herbs,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Wei Ting called Yuchi Xiu over. Yuchi Xiu was still angry that he didn¡¯t let him kill Qi Sheng. He asked angrily, ¡°What?¡± Wei Ting pretended not to see his emotions. ¡°Leng Ziling is going to Northern Yan. I¡¯ll give you a new mission.¡± The light in Yuchi Xiu¡¯s dim eyes gathered. ¡°Do you want me to kill him?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Keep an eye on him.¡± Yuchi Xiu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Do you remember that I¡¯m a killer?¡± When Su Xiaoxiao brought Jing Yi and Fu Su to Feng County to buy rations, she also bought a lot of herbs. Some of the herbs were given to her at that time, and some needed to be transferred from other places. The pharmaceutical dealer originally didn¡¯t want to give them to her and asked Su Xiaoxiao to wait until after the new year. The pharmaceutical dealer only agreed after Su Xiaoxiao increased the price. Previously, she did not know that they would come to the barbican. She told the medicine merchant to send them to Zi Town. Counting the days, they should pass by the relay station on the ten-mile slope today. To the north was the barbican, and to the east was Zi Town. Wei Ting and Su MO accompanied Su Xiaoxiao to get the goods. The three of them waited at the courier station for about an hour before the pharmaceutical merchant¡¯s carriage arrived. There were a total of ten carriages of herbs, two of which were already made into golden sore medicine and anesthetic boiling powder. Su Xiaoxiao checked the goods one by one. Although this pharmaceutical merchant charged high prices, the quality was top-notch. Su Xiaoxiao was quite satisfied and paid for the remaining half of the medicine. ¡°Please send it to the barbican camp.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely send it for you!¡± The pharmaceutical merchant did not dare to neglect the business of the military camp. Su Xiaoxiao and the other two got into the carriage. Their carriage was faster than those of pharmaceutical merchant¡¯s and walked in front. However, their direction was a little off. Su Xiaoxiao lifted the curtain. ¡°This isn¡¯t the way back to the military camp.¡± Wei Ting said coldly, ¡°Doesn¡¯t someone want to eat roast duck?¡± Su MO looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Did you want to eat roast duck? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± The eldest cousin expressed that he was hurt. Su Xiaoxiao was at a loss. ¡°I don¡¯t think I said that.¡¯ Wei Ting snorted. ¡°You kept talking about it in your dreams.¡± Su Xiaoxiao cleared her throat. She seemed to have dreamed of a lot of food. She looked at the cold street. ¡°It¡¯s the new year. Is there a shop selling roast duck?¡± Of course not. Wei Ting asked Yuchi Xiu to search through the barbican and finally found a chef from a restuarant who made roast duck. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the restaurant. The door was ajar. The three of them got out of the carriage and the fragrance of roasted duck assaulted their noses. Su Xiaoxiao instantly swallowed. Wei Ting brought the two of them upstairs and asked for a room facing the street. Not long after they sat down, a freshly baked roasted duck was served by the waiter. The roasted duck was fried first before braising. After it was marinated, it was roasted over the fire. The oil on the outer skin was roasted into a layer of crispy skin, and it was smeared with sweet honey and sprinkled with white sesame. It was salty and sweet, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When she took a bite, the honey and gravy exploded in her mouth. It was indescribably delicious and satisfying. Su Xiaoxiao ate it bite by bite. Even if she had lost weight, she still had a round face. When she ate, her cheeks were puffed up, making her look like a little squirrel eating seriously. A certain someone said, ¡°Roast duck is better than walnuts, right?¡± Su MO wanted to say, ¡°Come out and fight!¡± On the second floor of the inn opposite, a girl in a pink cloak pushed open the window a crack. ¡°Uncle Han, look! It¡¯s those two people!¡± The middle-aged man called Uncle Han walked over and looked in the direction she was pointing. The girl said, ¡°I didn¡¯t get it wrong, right? It¡¯s the person who snatched the Snow Domain Hemp from us on Heavenly Mountain! Eh? The third person has changed.¡± Instead of Jing Yi, it was now Su Mo. That day, the two of them were tired from traveling and looked a little disheveled. Wei Ting had even grown a beard. Now, the two of them were neat and tidy. Wei Ting¡¯s face was like jade, and Su Xiaoxiao was also beautiful. Something flashed across Uncle Han¡¯s eyes.. Chapter 812 - Chapter 812: Playacting Couple Chapter 812: Playacting Couple Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Someone¡¯s watching us.¡± Su MO said calmly. Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°The few southern border people I met on Heavenly Mountain last time.¡± Su MO had heard about their experience of looking for medicine. He asked, ¡°The people who fought with you for the Snow Domain Hemp?¡± Wei Ting picked up a piece of meat for Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°One claims to be the sister of the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness, and the other is a Gu Master. His surname is¡­ Han?¡± The sister of the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness seemed to call him Uncle Han. The girl¡¯s gaze was a little unfriendly, but the Gu Master beside her did not have much killing intent. The battle was imminent. If they did not cause trouble, Wei Ting could not be bothered with them for the time being to avoid unnecessary trouble. Su Xiaoxiao was almost full and asked the shopkeeper to pack one for Qin Canglan. Jing Yi was injured and could not eat anything too greasy at the moment. The three of them went downstairs and got into the carriage. The girl glared. ¡°Uncle Han! They left! I¡¯m so angry! I want to kill them! I want revenge! Uncle Han! Uncle Han!¡± Uncle Han came back to his senses and looked at the carriage that had walked away. ¡°Miss.¡± The girl complained, ¡°Did you hear what I just said? Why are you in a daze? They¡¯ve left! I won¡¯t be able to catch up even if I want to!¡± Uncle Han smiled. ¡°I just remembered something.¡± The girl muttered unhappily, ¡°Why do you have to think about it at such a critical moment? It wasn¡¯t easy for us to meet them. We should kill them and snatch the snow region back!¡± Uncle Han said, ¡°They¡¯re riding a carriage from the military camp. They¡¯re from the Imperial Court.¡± The young girl was not afraid of anything and did not take the Great Zhou Imperial Court seriously at all. ¡°So what? Can¡¯t we afford to offend the people of the Imperial Court? Don¡¯t forget our goal in coming to the Broken North Pass!¡± Uncle Han said to her, ¡°I¡¯ll think of another way to get the herb.¡± Actually, they had another motive for coming to the border between the Great Zhou and Northern Yan. That thing was more important than the Snow Domain Hemp. ¡°What exactly is the thing my sister asked you to find?¡± the girl suddenly asked. Uncle Han was stunned. The girl curled her lips and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think I dont know that you¡¯re looking for something else other than Snow Domain Hemp! If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll find out sooner or later, unless you can shake me off!¡± Uncle Han looked at her stubborn face and sighed helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s a relic of the previous dynasty¡¯s Martial Emperor. It concerns the restoration of our Nanjiang.¡± When Su Xiaoxiao and the other two returned to the military camp, the atmosphere in Xiao Duye¡¯s tent was strange. It turned out that the scouts at ¡°Didn¡¯t you say three days?¡± Xiao Duye was furious. ¡°There¡¯s less than a day left!¡± Qin Canglan sat in the tent with Leng Kui, Leng Zhao, and Leng Hua. The Leng family remained silent. Qin Canglan said calmly, ¡°Didn¡¯t General Leng already give us a strategic plan before the competition just now? Why don¡¯t we follow the plan?¡± Xiao Duye¡¯s mind did not process for a moment. ¡®What plan?¡± Qin Canglan pointed at the location on the map and said, ¡°Lead your troops to surround Tuoba Lie¡¯s 30,000-strong army first to prevent him and Helian Ye¡¯s 100,000-strong army from attacking us from both sides, causing our army to be attacked from the front and back. A day should be enough. What do you think, General Leng?¡± The Leng family had been tricked by Wei Ting. Leng Kui was holding back his anger and said tit for tat, ¡°What can I say? Aren¡¯t you the new commander-in-chief?¡± He was starting to give up. Qin Canglan smiled generously. ¡°I think General Leng¡¯s suggestion is not bad. Let¡¯s fight like this. Since you¡¯re the one who came up with the idea, why don¡¯t you harvest Tuoba Lie¡¯s head? I can¡¯t keep letting my subordinates obtain battle merits. What do you think?¡± Leng Kui¡¯s expression darkened. He wanted him to hit Tuoba Lie so that he would completely fall out with him. Qin Canglan said to Xiao Duye, ¡°Your Highness, General Leng will lead a 50,000-strong army to kill Tuoba Lie. Su MO and I will bring troops to Broken North Pass.¡± Xiao Duye frowned. ¡°If General Leng takes 50,000 away, would you have enough troops?¡± The Crimson Shadow Army had 12,000 soldiers; they had 20,000 who guarded Jia County, 20,000 from the Qin family, and 10,000 of Wei Ting¡¯s ¡°benevolent troops¡±. In addition to the 5,000 troops that Su MO had brought over from Wan City, there were less than 50,000. Qin Canglan looked at Leng Kui calmly. ¡°Then, can General Leng defeat Tuoba Lie with 30,000 troops?¡± Leng Zhao slammed the table. ¡°Who are you looking down on!¡± ¡°Report¡­¡± A scout came to the outside of the tent. Leng Kui let him in. After hearing the scout¡¯s report, Xiao Duye¡¯s expression became even uglier. ¡°Great, General Leng doesn¡¯t have to worry about how many soldiers he will bring to kill Tuoba Lie.¡± Tuoba Lie escaped with 30,000 people back to the border of Northern Yan. Xiao Duye said with a headache, ¡°Then go to Broken North Pass together.¡± The army had already arrived and had to set off overnight. The biggest battle finally came. Helian Ye was neither Zhou Lie nor Tuoba Lie. He was the real Northern Yan Battle God. Even the former Lord Wu An and Wei Xu had been defeated by him. His appearance was the greatest morale of the Northern Yan soldiers. Qin Canglan and Su MO brought the army out of the military camp. After Su Xiaoxiao changed Jing Yi¡¯s dressing, she said to Wei Ting, who was standing at the entrance of the tent and looking up at the army, ¡°Go.¡± ¡°What?¡± Wei Ting turned around. ¡°Is it cold? I¡¯ll lower the curtain.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not cold,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Go and kill Helian Ye. I know you¡¯ve always wanted revenge. You stayed because you were worried that the Leng family would scheme against me. Now that the Leng family has left, you don¡¯t have to stay here.¡± Wei Ting was silent. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Are vou worried about me? I¡¯m not a pushover. If vou don¡¯t leave now, you won¡¯t be able to catch up.¡± Wei Ting took a step forward and hugged her tightly. ¡°Wait for me to come back!¡± He returned to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s tent, changed into his armor, and rode his horse after the army. Su Xiaoxiao lowered the curtain, packed the medicine box, and turned off the lights. When Su Xiaoxiao came out of Jing Yi¡¯s tent, the army in the camp had left. The camp instantly became empty, and only the sound of the wind in the night could be heard. The tent was pitch-black. Su Xiaoxiao placed the first aid kit on the table. Suddenly, a sword stretched out from behind and pressed against her neck. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have let Wei Ting go.¡± It was Leng Ziling¡¯s voice. He looked coldly at the hostage sitting in front of him. ¡°My mission was you from the beginning. Although I was schemed against by you and had no choice but to go to Northern Yan, you didn¡¯t expect me to bring you along, right?¡± As he spoke, he threw a set of servant¡¯s clothes to the ground. ¡°Put it on! Follow me!¡± The person in front of him had his back facing Leng Ziling. He obediently picked up the clothes and put them on. The night was too dark. Leng Ziling did not see that this hand was slightly larger than that of an ordinary woman. There was hair on his finger.. Chapter 813 - Chapter 813: Decisive Battle! Chapter 813: Decisive Battle! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The army set off and rushed to Jia County overnight. Currently, the 2,000 Crimson Shadow Army soldiers left behind by Su Xiaoxiao were guarding Jia County. When the Crimson Shadow Army soldiers saw Zhang Yong and the others at the front, they opened the city gate for the army. County Magistrate Yuan personally went out of the city to welcome her. When he did not see the little demon leader of the Crimson Shadow Army, he heaved a sigh of relief. Although he was unwilling to admit it, he was extremely afraid of the little girl. Xiao Duye also came to Jia County. County Magistrate Yuan invited him to stay in the county office, but Xiao Duye rejected him. ¡°I¡¯ll advance and retreat with the soldiers. Wherever the army goes, I¡¯ll go.¡± County Magistrate Yuan muttered, ¡°You¡¯re just afraid that it¡¯s not safe to leave the army¡­¡± County Magistrate Yuan thought about this and naturally did not dare to say it out loud. He personally followed the army to the military camp. Although he could not help much, he could at least get a familiar face and express his stance. Xiao Duye stayed in the largest tent. No matter how spoiled he was, he was forced to a life and death situation. He understood the gravity of the situation. Unlike the battle in the southwest, where there were only thousands of rebels, Su MO easily overwhelmed the other party. This time, they fought one battle after another. It was not easy for them to destroy more than half of Tuoba Lie¡¯s troops, and Helian Ye brought another 100,000 troops. Xiao Duye could not sleep or eat in peace and summoned Qin Canglan, Su MO, and the Leng family. When he saw Wei Ting appear behind Qin Canglan, he was slightly stunned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you injured and recuperating in they barbican?¡± Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°I feel much better after taking the medicine. Moreover, the battle is imminent. I won¡¯t be at ease even if I recuperate. ¡± Leng Kui and the others snorted in their hearts. He made it sound dignified. Didn¡¯t he rush over to help because he was sure that no one was a threat to that girl after Leng Ziling left? However, he probably did not know that Leng Ziling had turned back, right? At this moment, Leng Ziling had already kidnapped that girl to Northern Yan. Xiao Duye had been in a lot of scuffles with Wei Ting in the past. Now, he found Wei Ting much more pleasing to the eye. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, let¡¯s discuss the next countermeasures.¡± The few of them sat down in the tent. There was a large sand table on the table in front of them. The city and terrain at the border had been restored. Xiao Duye asked solemnly, ¡°Helian Ye¡¯s army will arrive at Broken North Pass tomorrow evening. I want to ask you, are you confident in this battle?¡± Leng Kui was not in a hurry to speak. Instead, he looked at Qin Canglan. Qin Canglan said, ¡°As long as everything goes according to plan, it¡¯s not difficult to defeat Helian Ye.¡± Leng Zhao smiled when he heard this. ¡°Victory and defeat are common in war. We haven¡¯t even fought, and you¡¯re already saying that you¡¯ll definitely win. Did you underestimate your enemy a little?¡± Wei Ting smiled. ¡°We haven¡¯t even started, but you¡¯re already raising others¡¯ morale and undermining your own prestige. Aren¡¯t you a little cowardly?¡± Leng Zhao choked. Xiao Duye frowned. He hoped to win, but at the same time, he was worried that if he lost, it would be difficult for him to answer to his father when he returned to the capital. He said seriously, ¡°What good plan do you have? Tell me.¡± Qin Canglan looked at Leng Kui with a faint smile. ¡°Does General Leng have anything to say? If it¡¯s about a peace talk, there¡¯s no need.¡± Leng Kui said coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wanted to negotiate!¡± He was not a fool. At this point, how could there be any hope of peace? He could only brace himself and fight. He stood up and pointed at the sand table. ¡°Helian Ye¡¯s army wants to cross Broken North Pass. There are three paths to choose from. One is the official road of Broken North Valley. The other is Mang Mountain in the west, which is the snow mountain that connects to the Broken North camp. The third path is Jade Ice Lake in the east. It¡¯s winter now, and the surface of the lake is covered in thick ice that can allow the army to pass. Helian Ye definitely won¡¯t put all his troops in one place. His main force will take the official road of the valley, but he will also send two groups of people to detour and attack from Mang Mountain and Jade Ice Lake. I suggest setting up an ambush in these two places.¡± Xiao Duye nodded in agreement. ¡°This plan is indeed wonderful.¡± ¡°What happens after the ambush?¡± Qin Canglan asked. Leng Kui said in a low voice, ¡°Of course we¡¯ll kill them! If anyone comes, we¡¯ll kill them. We¡¯ll set up an ambush and wait for their forces to come over and wipe them all out at once!¡± Qin Canglan said bluntly, ¡°I don¡¯t agree. First of all, let¡¯s not talk about whether you can do it or not. Even if you take a small portion of his military strength, the main force is still there. We don¡¯t have the advantage in terms of military strength to begin with. If we can¡¯t effectively kill their main force, we will lose even if we kill this portion of their military strength.¡± Leng Kui¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°How do you want to fight?¡± We can let 10,000 troops wait near the Jade Ice Lake. If we fight with Tuoba Lie, we will only lose. We will lure Tuoba Lie into the city in Jia County and catch him.¡± Leng Kui said sternly, ¡°Lure them into the city? You¡¯re crazy! What about the citizens in the city?¡± County Magistrate Yuan said weakly, ¡°This morning, I received news from the marshal asking me to evacuate the people in the city in advance. I¡¯ve already evacuated them. Those who really don¡¯t want to leave have been hidden in the cellar. In addition, the Crimson Shadow Army has been setting up mechanisms in the city since three days ago.¡± The Leng family was stunned. Su MO glanced at them coldly. Did they really think that his grandfather¡¯s name was picked up casually? Qin Canglan continued, ¡°There¡¯s no good ambush location along the way from Jade Ice Lake, so your so-called to be wiped out all at once doesn¡¯t exist on the battlefield of Jade Ice Lake. Unless you can also take out 30,000 troops to fight to the death with Tuoba Lie, but you and I know very well that this is impossible.¡± Leng Kui said nothing. Leng Zhao said disdainfully, ¡°What makes you think Tuoba Lie will bring 30,000 troops to Jade Ice Lake?¡± Qin Canglan looked at County Magistrate Yuan. County Magistrate Yuan said awkwardly, ¡°When Tuoba Lie¡¯s army returned to Northern Yan, the spies of the Crimson Shadow Army followed them. Tuoba Lie divided a thousand cavalrymen to take a detour around Jade Ice Lake to return to Northern Yan.¡± Needless to say, these 1,000 people were going to Jade Ice Lake to scout. When Tuoba Lie fled, he had already thought about it. He wanted to kill his way back from Jade Ice Lake and catch the Great Zhou army off guard. Qin Canglan said, ¡°If we catch them in the city, 10,000 troops will be enough. In addition, there are a few good ambush locations in Mang Mountain. They are easy to defend and difficult to attack. I guess Northern Yan won¡¯t send too many troops to die. However, we can arrange 10,000 troops to ambush here. Remember to leave no one here and kill them all. Then, the army will push north and circle to the back of the Northern Yan army to burn their rations. Burning rations will shake the morale of the army more than killing generals!¡± Xiao Duye¡¯s blood boiled. When he heard Leng Kui¡¯s plan, he felt that Leng Kui was indeed the most outstanding general of the Leng family. However, after hearing Qin Canglan¡¯s words, he realized what it meant to use troops like a god. Qin Canglan continued, ¡°Wei Ting will lead 10,000 troops to Jade Ice Lake. If I hand Mang Mountain to your Leng family, it will be 10,000 troops. Do you have any objections?¡± The credit of killing 30,000 troops was much greater than burning rations. The Leng family was naturally unconvinced by this arrangement. Leng Hua said seriously, ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m willing to fight Tuoba Lie!¡± Chapter 814 - Chapter 814: It’s a Fat Lass Chapter 814: It¡¯s a Fat Lass Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Leng Kui asked, ¡°Tuoba Lie has an army of 30,000. Are you sure you want to fight him?¡± 10,000 against 30,000. The disadvantage in military strength was too great. Leng Zhao was actually worried for his son again. Did Qin Canglan do it on purpose? Was he using military merit to provoke the Leng family to jump into a trap so that the Leng family could die? ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m sure!¡± Leng Hua said without thinking. Leng Kui¡¯s gaze swept across Qin Canglan and Wei Ting. ¡®Marshal Qin, General Wei, are the two of you agreeable?¡± Qin Canglan looked at Wei Ting. ¡°Go to Mang Mountain.¡± Wei Ting smiled faintly. ¡°Alright, I have no objections.¡± Did these idiots of the Leng family think that Tuoba Lie¡¯s 30,000 -strong army was easy to deal with? Tuoba Lie¡¯s army had been defeated and suffered a few defeats. Did the Leng family think that Tuoba Lie was a pushover? Tuoba Lie had lost so badly that he had no way out. This time, he would fight with his life on the line. He would use all his strength. Qin Canglan had given the most arduous mission to his own people. He had never thought about military merit at all. ¡°Your Highness Liang?¡± Leng Kui handed the final decision to Xiao Duye. Xiao Duye did not know how to arrange troops. Since both parties had agreed, he had nothing to say. ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way. Wei Ting will go to Mang Mountain, and Leng Hua will go to kill Tuoba Lie. What about Helian Ye? How should we deal with him?¡± Qin Canglan pointed at the valley on the sand table and said, ¡°The main force will fight in the front of the valley. Both sides will use the cavalry as the vanguard. The Divine Bow Camp occupies the high ground on both sides of the valley, but the time left for the Divine Bow Camp is very limited. The cavalry is very fast. From Helian Ye¡¯s vanguard cavalry entering the range to the cavalry of both sides fighting, they won¡¯t be able to shoot many rounds. We must ensure that our arrows are accurate.¡± These words were directed at Wei Ting. The Divine Bow Camp was his subordinate. He understood the combat strength of the Divine Bow Camp the best. Wei Ting nodded solemnly. ¡°No problem.¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°General Leng and Su MO will lead their troops to attack the left and right wings of the main force of Northern Yan. ¡± Leng Kui asked, ¡°How do you plan to distribute the specific military strength?¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Wei Ting will attack Mang Mountain with 10,000 troops, Leng Hua will lure Tuoba Lie to death with 10,000. I led 20,000 Qin Family Iron Cavalry and 10,000 Crimson Shadow Army soldiers to fight Helian Ye¡¯s main force head-on. The remaining 40,000 troops were divided equally between the left and right flanks.¡± Leng Kui frowned. Qin Canglan took in his expression. ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡± Leng Kui said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it too far-fetched to fight Tuoba Lie¡¯s 30,000 troops with 10,000 troops? I think we should give him at least 20,000 troops. As long as we kill them quickly, we can immediately reinforce the valley after dealing with Tuoba Lie.¡± Wei Ting said indifferently, ¡°If your Leng family can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll do it!¡± Leng Kui snorted coldly. ¡°Young man, it¡¯s a good thing to be arrogant, but this is a battlefield. There are civilians in Jia County who haven¡¯t evacuated. We can¡¯t risk the safety of the civilians. I¡¯ll send 10,000 troops to Leng Hua!¡± Xiao Duye also felt that 10,000 against 30 ,ooo was too strenuous, especially when Leng Kui said that he could not risk the safety of the people. It was fine if he did not say it out loud. Now that it was obvious, if he did not increase his troops, wouldn¡¯t it mean that he did not care about the lives of the people? He said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll follow General Leng¡¯s plan and give Leng Hua 20,000 troops.¡± It was too risky to only have 10,000 soldiers left on the left. Su MO divided 5,000 troops to Leng Kui. After coming out of Xiao Duye¡¯s tent, Qin Canglan brought Wei Ting and Su MO back to his tent. At the table sat an armored soldier who was holding a walnut and eating it. Seeing her, the sharpness in Qin Canglan¡¯s eyes faded and an endless layer of gentleness and doting surged into his eyes. ¡°Xiaoxiao.¡± He walked over. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s cheeks puffed up. ¡°Are you done discussing? ¡°More or less.¡± Qin Canglan rubbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s head and sat down beside her. Su MO quickly snatched Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s other side. Wei Ting, her dear husband, was forced to squeeze to the opposite side. ¡°Are we going according to the original plan?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Qin Canglan sighed. ¡°The Leng family refused to give up on a fat piece of meat like Tuoba Lie and insisted on letting Leng Hua eat it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao finished the walnut in her mouth. ¡°Tuoba Lie isn¡¯t fat. He¡¯s a piece of dried cured meat. It¡¯s best if Leng Hua eats it.¡± A person who risked everything was very terrifying. Tuoba Lie had no way out. If he did not make some contributions, he would be dealt with by Helian Ye when he returned. ¡°However, Leng Hua is quite brave,¡± Su MO commented objectively. He had gone to the battlefield with Leng Hua. Leng Hua was a little overzealous, but he was not an undeserved person. Compared to Leng Jue, he had some ability. In addition, his position was different from Leng Kui¡¯s. He fought, so he would definitely use all his strength to deal with Tuoba Lie. ¡°Leng Hua has 20,000 troops. As long as nothing goes wrong, it¡¯s not a big problem.¡± Qin Canglan looked at Wei Ting. ¡°How many archers do you have?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°2,000.¡± The other 8,000 were elite soldiers who charged forward. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The Crimson Shadow Army also has a few powerful archers. We can transfer them over.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Canglan nodded. ¡°More than 2,000 should be enough.¡± No matter how many mountains there were, it may not be enough to accommodate more than 2,000. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Leng Ziling should have already entered the border of Northern Yan, right? Fusu hasn¡¯t been exposed, right?¡± Wei Ting thought for a moment and said, ¡°Leng Ziling hasn¡¯t seen you much, and you¡¯ve been wearing an armor. If Fu Su is careful, the possibility of being exposed is not high.¡± Originally, they planned to let Yuchi Xiu disguise himself as Su Xiaoxiao, but firstly, Yuchi Xiu was too tall. Secondly, that guy was too good at causing trouble. If they asked him to wear a human skin mask, he would tear it off him in minutes. Wei Ting said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°You¡¯d better not expose your identity first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°I won¡¯t expose myself. I¡¯ll hide in the Divine Bow Camp and be a low-key archer.¡± Wei Ting said solemnly, ¡°Do you still want to go to the battlefield?¡± Su Xiaoxiao pinched a walnut. ¡°The archers don¡¯t fight. They just stand on the mountain peak and shoot a few arrows.¡± Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask if my daughter agreed?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s in my stomach. It has to go if I go! Also, why must it be a daughter?¡± Wei Ting snorted. ¡°It¡¯s a daughter.¡± There were already three mischievous young brats. This time, it had to be a little fat lass playing with her feet! Little Fat Lass, Little Fat Lass, Little Fat Lass! Su MO smiled. ¡°A nephew or a niece is fine. As long as it¡¯s my sister¡¯s children, the child will definitely be very cute.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Wei Ting, ¡°Did you hear that? That¡¯s human language.¡± Wei Ting wanted to say, ¡°Su MO, come out and fight!¡± ¡°Let Xiaoxiao go,¡± Qin Canglan said. He was the only one who was still in the situation and not led astray. If she was not allowed to go, she would go secretly herself. He might as well keep her under his nose openly. At least he would know where she was. Su MO said, ¡°I agree to let my sister go.¡± Wei Ting muttered, ¡°So I¡¯m the only one who goes against her, right?¡± In the end, Wei Ting did not insist. After all, once there was a battle, there was no absolutely safe place. Even the military camp in the city might be filled with flames of war. Qin Canglan clapped his hands and said, ¡°It¡¯s settled then.. At dawn, the army will set off!¡± Chapter 815 - Chapter 815: The Strongest Qin Army! Chapter 815: The Strongest Qin Army! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At dawn, the army split into three groups and set off in the direction of Broken North Pass. When they reached the fork in the relay station, Leng Zhao and Leng Hua led a 20,000-strong army towards Jade Ice Lake. Wei Ting led a 10,000-strong army towards Mang Mountain. The destination of Qin Canglan and Leng Zhao was the valley of Broken North Pass, which was facing the checkpoint of Northern Yan. As the commander-in-chief of the three armies, Qin Canglan led the Qin family¡¯s iron cavalry at the front of the team. His mighty aura echoed in the mountains. The Crimson Shadow Army followed behind the Qin family army in unison. The former head of the mountain bandits, Zhang Yong, was appointed the Left Commander of the Crimson Shadow Army, and another Wei family soldier, Chen Tao, who had been a deputy commander under Wei Xu, was appointed the Right Commander. Qin Canglan had something to explain. The few of them rode over and heard Qin Canglan give instructions about the key points of the battle. When they left, they inadvertently turned around and noticed a little soldier beside Qin Canglan. His little head swayed, and just looking at the back of his head made him look a little cute. The little soldier carried a big bow wrapped in cloth. Li Da opened his mouth. ¡°Could that be¡­ ah!¡± Zhang Yong and Chen Tao poked him with the hilts of their knives. Wei Xun could not reach them from behind. He rode his horse a few steps and stood up on the horse¡¯s back, giving him a slap on the back of his head! Li Da shut up. Helian Ye¡¯s troops were not forceful. They rested as they walked and preserved a large portion of their combat strength. Therefore, even though they had a perfect deployment plan, everyone had to be 120% vigilant. The soldiers of the three armies lined up in the valley. Behind the Qin family¡¯s Iron Cavalry was Qin Canglan¡¯s central army tent. It was unknown if Xiao Duye was infected by everyone¡¯s morale or something else, but he actually followed without hesitation. After confirming the battle plan for the last time, the people of the Divine Bow Camp and the archers of the Crimson Shadow Army set off towards the two mountain peaks. Su Xiaoxiao went to the main peak on the east, and Chen Tao went to the small mountain on the west. The mountain peak surrounded most of the valley, making it an excellent place to ambush. As for whether Helian Ye would send troops to occupy this place, Su Xiaoxiao was not worried. Just as Qin Canglan had said, the archers had a limited time to attack. Helian Ye had already lost the initiative after coming from afar. He would not send a wave of people to their deaths just for this short range of a few hundred steps. Strictly speaking, the mountaintop was the safest. No wonder Qin Canglan agreed to let her come over. The leader of the Divine Bow Camp was Zhang Duo. Zhang Duo instructed everyone to find the best ambush spot. This time, they did not resort to front and back rows. Instead, they interlocked and fired. They fired singly and double-numbered arrows. Every arrow was fired to rest. It required extremely strong arm strength and observation. There was too little time. In order to exhaust the Northern Yan army to the greatest extent, they had to take away an enemy with every arrow! The Northern Yan army arrived faster than expected. Just after noon, they advanced towards Broken North Pass. The first fight was at the Jade Ice Lake battlefield. Tuoba Lie¡¯s 30,000-strong army stepped on the thick ice and charged at the 20,000-strong army of Leng Zhao and Leng Hua. Leng Hua was the first to rush forward and fight with Tuoba Lie. After dozens of moves, he pretended to be injured by Tuoba Lie. ¡°Father! There are too many of them! Retreat!¡± The father and son retreated with the army. Tuoba Lie chased. ¡°Close the city gate! Close the city gate!¡± Leng Hua shouted. The city gate would definitely not be closed. Tuoba Lie shot a few arrows in a row. The soldiers fell and fled. The half-closed suspension bridge fell with a bang. Tuoba Lie raised the sword in his hand. ¡°Soldiers! Charge! Kill all the troops of the Great Zhou! Avenge your previous humiliation!¡± The 30,000-strong army rushed into the city with a world-destroying aura of revenge. On the other side, Helian Ye¡¯s main force also attacked the valley. Helian Ye had a total of four ferocious generals under him. Other than Tuoba Lie, there were three experts, Gao Yuanshan, Qi Jin, and Zhou Hao. Qi Jin was Qi Sheng¡¯s biological brother. Qi Sheng died at the hands of the Great Zhou army. Qi Jin wanted to avenge his brother, and the first wave of attacks was launched by him. Su Xiaoxiao and Zhang Duo stared fixedly at the Northern Yan cavalry charging from the opposite side of the valley, estimating when they would enter the range. If they shot too quickly, it would waste their arm strength and arrows. If they shot too slowly, it would be a waste of time. ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Zhang Duo raised the flag in his hand and waved it three times before swiftly dropping it! Upon receiving the order, the archers of the two peaks drew their longbows and shot at the Northern Yan cavalry. The rain of arrows covered the sky and instantly took the lives of the first wave of the Northern Yan army. ¡°Shield!¡± Qi Jin shouted. With the help of the shields, half of the second wave of arrows from the Divine Bow Camp was blocked. This was not a good sign. They were already halfway through the hundreds of steps. The Great Zhou had also begun to attack. Zhang Duo made a prompt decision. ¡°Shoot the horses!¡± Another wave of arrows came, and another large number of the Northern Yan army fell. Qi Jin was furious. He looked at Zhang Duo on the mountain peak, suddenly drew the bow behind him, and shot an arrow at Zhang Duo. Zhang Duo was shot and almost fell off the mountain. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed him and pulled him back. She took over the commander¡¯s position. ¡°Fire!¡± When everyone heard her voice, their hearts trembled! Chen Tao, who was on the opposite mountain, was excited. ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve finally shown yourself! ¡± Qi Jin narrowed his eyes slightly and drew his bow again, aiming at Su Xiaoxiao on the mountaintop. Facing the valiant general of Northern Yan, Su Xiaoxiao was not afraid at all. She looked at Qi Jin coldly and drew the golden bow in her hand. The two of them shot an arrow at each other with boundless killing intent! As the two arrows collided in midair, Qi Jin felt a little regretful. In the next second, there was a bang. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arrow forcefully split open Qi Jin¡¯s arrow and flew towards Qi Jin with a murderous aura! Qi Jin¡¯s pupils constricted. He did not expect the little girl¡¯s archery to be so powerful. Clang! His helmet was shot off. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao in disbelief. She stood under the sky and at the top of the mountains. She was supposed to be as small as a millet, but she emitted endless battle intent. The archers¡¯ morale was even higher than before. Su Xiaoxiao drew her golden bow. An arrow sent Qi Jin¡¯s deputy general flying! The Great Zhou army charged over. Ten steps, five steps, one step! The shooting was over! Qi Jin heaved a sigh of relief. However, before he could heave a sigh of relief, Su Xiaoxiao shot two arrows in a row and took away two more of his deputy generals! Qi Jin was furious. He picked up his spear and was about to shoot at Su Xiaoxiao. Tong Ke flew over and kicked his spear off the horse! Tong Ke held his spear and looked at Qi Jin coldly. ¡°You have a death wish for touching Miss! ¡± The Qin family¡¯s army could not fight for the emperor or the Imperial Court, but they would protect Eldest Miss to the death and the rivers and mountains that Eldest Miss wanted to protect! Chapter 816 - Chapter 816: Victory Chapter 816: Victory Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao remembered that Tong Ke had been injured in the snow mountain a while ago. However, even so, he was still invincible against an expert like Qi Jin. He could even be said to be at ease. He had the longest saber in the world. His moves were wide and powerful, and were extremely lethal. Qi Jin was forced off his horse by Tong Ke and rolled on the ground. He stood up in a sorry state and glared fiercely at Tong Ke! Tong Ke did not waste his breath on him. He tapped the ground with his saber and jumped up, kicking Qi Jin in the chest. Qi Jin crossed his arms to block and was forced back a few steps. He only stopped when he collided with a soldier from Northern Yan. Su Xiaoxiao led the archers to find a target in the killing army. This was much more difficult than before. After all, they could not accidentally injure their own people. However, they had actually already killed a lot. Even Helian Ye felt envious and afraid of the combat strength of the Divine Bow Camp. Helian Ye had always wanted to nurture a Divine Bow Camp like the Wei family, but unfortunately, he could not do anything about it. The advantage of the Northern Yan army was the size of their cavalry; it was almost two to three times that of the Great Zhou cavalry. This brought a lot of pressure to the Qin family¡¯s iron cavalry. Someone approached Tong Ke¡¯s back and Su Xiaoxiao shot an arrow through his chest. Tong Ke looked up and saw Su Xiaoxiao suppressing the Northern Yan soldiers with arrows. The blood in his body began to boil. They were not the only ones protecting Missy. Missy was also protecting them. Just as the two sides were in the midst of an intense battle, Zhang Duo, who was wrapped in gauze, realized that something was wrong in the south. ¡°Young Madam, look! It¡¯s Jia County!¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and looked in the direction he was pointing. ¡°Wu Yan? Something happened in Jia County!¡± Zhang Duo was puzzled. ¡°Jia County has 20,000 troops and has made such a quiet deployment. Why did something happen?¡± Su Xiaoxiao stood up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I have to take a look! Can you still command?¡± The 20,000 people in Jia County were not used to feed Tuoba Lie. After killing Tuoba Lie, they had to rush back to continue fighting. Otherwise, the difference in strength between the two sides was too great, and it would be very difficult to defeat Helian Ye. Zhang Duo suddenly pulled the gauze tight and tied a knot. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I can!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave this to you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned around and went down the hill. She killed a Northern Yan cavalryman, snatched his horse, and dashed toward Jia County. Halfway there, Tong Ke followed. ¡°Miss!¡± ¡°Why are you here? Where¡¯s Qi Jin?¡± ¡°Killed him. The Grand Marshal asked me to protect you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t refuse. The two of them sped all the way to Jia County. The city gate was a mess, but there was not much blood. There was not much fighting here. The two of them entered the city. The street was empty. There was no soldier in sight. ¡°Dismount!¡± Su Xiaoxiao suddenly said. Tong Ke did not question anything and firmly obeyed the order. After the two of them dismounted, they hid the horses in an alley and circled to the nearby market from the other end. This was once the largest market in Jia County. Now that the commoners did not set up their stalls, it had been empty for a few days. Now, it was filled with troops from both sides. Leng Zhao was tied to a pillar, and Tuoba Lie sat arrogantly at the side. He was surrounded by the soldiers of Northern Yan, and Leng Hua led the Great Zhou army to confront him in the open space 30 steps away. What happened was very simple¡ªTuoba Lie captured Leng Zhao alive and threatened Leng Hua with him, forcing him to disarm the Leng family and surrender. The smoke signal was burned by the spies of the Crimson Shadow Army that Su Xiaoxiao had left in the city. ¡°Hand him over!¡± Tuoba Lie said coldly. Leng Hua said seriously, ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t know who burned the smoke signal!¡± Tuoba Lie sneered. ¡°You¡¯re unwilling to hand it over, right? Alright, I¡¯ll give you a choice. I¡¯ll cut off one of your father¡¯s hands, or you can choose a hundred people of your own to kill and apologize!¡± Leng Hua clenched his fists tightly. Tuoba Lie said mockingly, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s useless even if you release the smoke signal. Do you really think anyone will dare to come and save you? Our 100,000-strong army of Northern Yan has long broken through your Broken North Pass! I¡¯ll count to three. Whether it¡¯s to protect your father¡¯s hand or the lives of a hundred soldiers, it¡¯s up to you. One!¡± ¡°Two!¡± A hint of conflict appeared in Leng Hua¡¯s eyes. ¡°How¡¯s your qinggong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Tong Ke softly. Tong Ke said, ¡°Very good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took off the golden bow from her back, drew an arrow, drew the bow, and shot it at Tuoba Lie. Tuoba Lie sensed a murderous aura coming at him and hurriedly dodged, falling off the chair. ¡°Guards! Protect the general!¡± There was a moment of chaos at the event location. Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly shot a second arrow, breaking the rope on Leng Zhao¡¯s body. Tong Ke used his qinggong and stepped over the heads of the Northern Yan soldiers. He grabbed Leng Zhao and brought him out in the chaos. Seeing this, Leng Hua could not care less what was going on. He drew his sword and was about to rush forward. Su Xiaoxiao shouted, ¡°Retreat!¡± Leng Hua was stunned. This voice¡­ There was no time to think. At the critical moment of life and death, he looked at his father who had been taken away by Tong Ke and gritted his teeth to give the order to retreat. As soon as everyone left the market, Su Xiaoxiao immediately shot at a roof behind Tuoba Lie. There was a mechanism hidden there. In an instant, the wall exploded, and countless fist-sized sandbags flew out of the house. The Northern Yan army thought that they were hidden weapons and raised their swords to slash. The contents of the sandbag scattered all over the ground. Su Xiaoxiao took out a dart and waved her hand to throw it, hitting a Northern Yan soldier¡¯s spear. The dart went off immediately, and sparks instantly ignited the sandbag on the ground. With a few loud bangs, a large number of Northern Yan soldiers were blown up! Tuoba Lie fled quickly, but he also fell to the ground from the shock, two of his front teeth falling off! Leng Hua arrived at the alley and saw Su Xiaoxiao, confirming his guess. He was shocked. ¡°Why are you here? Aren¡¯t you¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao finished his sentence calmly. ¡°Wasn¡¯t I captured by your Leng Ziling? Where¡¯s the person controlling the mechanism?¡± She gave Leng Hua a mechanism map and asked her men to bring Leng Hua¡¯s troops to identify the mechanism. Leng Hua opened his mouth. ¡°He was captured and killed by Tuoba Lie. The mechanism was also destroyed by Tuoba Lie.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t waste her breath on him and blew the bone whistle. In an instant, more than a hundred Crimson Shadow Soldiers rushed out of the houses from all directions. Su Xiaoxiao said to everyone, ¡°Follow the plan!¡± Everyone agreed. ¡°Yes! Boss!¡± Leng Hua looked at the Crimson Shadow Army that quickly disappeared into the various alleys and was stunned. He said, ¡°They¡¯re also in charge of the mechanism. You¡­ never trusted us from the beginning?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯m used to making two preparations. I never bet on others!¡± Leng Hua was speechless. The mechanisms in the city were not set up yesterday. Some had indeed been set up yesterday, but most of them were set up with the soldiers when Fu Su was around. Tuoba Lie¡¯s army encountered fire attacks, water attacks, rock formations, arrow formations, poison formations¡­ They were all mechanisms and formations that Su Xiaoxiao had learned from the peach forest of the White Lotus Society. Leng Hua listened to the screams of Tuoba Lie¡¯s army and felt his hair stand on end! Chapter 817 - Chapter 817: Everyone’s Hope Chapter 817: Everyone¡¯s Hope Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Leng Hua had never seen such a person on the battlefield. She had countless methods to deal with the enemy. She fought every battle brilliantly. In terms of formation, she might not be as experienced as her grandfather and Qin Canglan, but she was too smart and cunning. She could always win by surprise. Every time the enemy thought that they had figured out her methods, she could always come up with new tricks. The Northern Yan army was stunned by the mechanisms. The unknown danger was the most terrifying. A small county city that looked barren and empty was like a ferocious beast with its bloody mouth open. No matter where the Northern Yan army went, they felt panic. Su Xiaoxiao stood on the street and observed the situation around her. Suddenly, two death warriors rushed towards her and Leng Hua. The martial arts of the sacrificial soldiers were far above the skills of ordinary experts. Leng Hua was entangled by the other party and had no time to care about her. Just as he was about to remind her, he saw her take two steps forward and kick the wall in front of her. She used the momentum to soar into the air and do a backflip to avoid the attack behind her. The death warrior missed and turned to slash at her. Su Xiaoxiao held his saber with her silver-silk-gloved hand. Leng Hua was shocked. Su Xiaoxiao cut off the sacrificial soldier¡¯s ring-headed saber with her sword, not giving him any chance to resist. She pushed him against the wall behind him. The mechanism was triggered, and a sharp knife broke out of the wall and pierced the back of the sacrificial soldier. After more than ten moves, Leng Hua also dealt with the death warrior. The back of his hand was cut by the death warrior. To a general, this small injury was nothing. He came to Su Xiaoxiao and looked at her, who was unscathed, then at the death warrior nailed to the wall. He wanted to say something but hesitated. In the past, Qin Jiang was not important. They all thought that the Qin family¡¯s army had no successor. Even if the real Qin Che returned later, what was the use of someone who grew up among the commoners? Although they were unwilling to admit it, no one would say that the Qin Family Army had no successor after this battle. Leng Hua put away his sword and walked towards Su Xiaoxiao. He asked suspiciously, ¡°I was here yesterday. Why don¡¯t I remember there being a mechanism here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What are you trying to say? Leng Hua frowned and said, ¡°The mechanism on the blueprint you gave me has been destroyed by Tuoba Lie. The mechanism you used to deal with them today is not on the blueprint. You¡¯re hiding something from us!¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°If I tell you everything, will there be any remaining mechanisms?¡± Leng Hua choked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Besides, as long as you use it well, the mechanisms on the blueprint are enough. Who was stupid enough to hand over the blueprint?¡± Leng Hua gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Tuoba Lie captured my father!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡°Your father¡¯s life is his life, and so are the lives of the soldiers! They¡¯re the sons and fathers of other people!¡± Leng Hua was speechless again. Tong Ke had also finished dealing with the two sacrificial soldiers nearby and walked over with Leng Zhao. He saw the sacrificial soldiers at the scene and asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. There should be many sacrificial soldiers in the city. Lure them into the mechanisms.¡± There were mechanisms in the city that were specially used to deal with death warriors. They were made of Snow Region Heavenly Silk. ¡°You have to be careful,¡± Su Xiaoxiao reminded. That was the most dangerous mechanism. If one was not careful, he would be cut into pieces. It was precisely because it was dangerous that she did not allow the soldiers of the Crimson Shadow Army to control this mechanism. She had originally asked Fu Su to control it, but the plan could not keep up with the changes. Fu Su had to be disguised as her to fool Leng Ziling. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Tong Ke said. Leng Hua glanced at Tong Ke. Tong Ke was a proud talent. In the past, when Qin Jiang was still the Protector Duke, Tong Ke had never treated him with the courtesy of a young master. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Also, go find Tuoba Lie. I want his head.¡± The corners of Leng Hua¡¯s mouth twitched. Why did this girl like to chop off peoples¡¯ heads so much? No wonder those people called her the little demon in private. Su Xiaoxiao said to Leng Hua, ¡°We can bring troops to kill them now.¡± The Northern Yan army, which had been scared out of their wits by the mechanisms, no longer had any morale to speak of. With 20,000 troops, they finished off the Northern Yan army in less than an hour. Tong Ke also brought back Tuoba Lie¡¯s head. Su Xiaoxiao said to Leng Hua and the soldiers, ¡°Leave 2,000 people to clean up the fish that escaped the net. The rest of you, follow me to help Broken North Pass.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± Leng Zhao covered his injured chest and walked out. He had been seriously injured just now and had been unconscious in the corner for a long time. ¡°Father!¡± Leng Hua walked over quickly. ¡°How are your injuries? ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡± After Leng Zhao answered his son, he looked coldly at Su Xiaoxiao, who was not taken away by Leng Ziling. ¡°You¡¯re not the commander. You¡¯re not qualified to order the Leng family¡¯s army.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Leng Hua, ¡°Alright, bring them there.¡± Leng Hua wanted to go. Killing all of Northern Yan and making contributions had always been his long-cherished wish. Unexpectedly, Leng Zhao said in a low voice, ¡°Nonsense! Do you know how to lead troops? Do you know how to fight on the battlefield? Do you really think that you can rest easy after killing a small army of Tuoba Lie? Have you thought that there might be hidden sacrificial soldiers in the city and Northern Yan¡¯s reinforcements nearby?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°That¡¯s why I left 2,000 people. Coupled with the mechanisms in the city, these troops are enough to defend Jia County!¡± Leng Zhao snorted. ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say! I won¡¯t discuss with you if they can defend it or not. The soldiers have fought a huge battle and are exhausted physically and mentally, but you still want to bring them to the battlefield! Are you sending them to their deaths! At least let them rest! In order to save your grandfather, you don¡¯t care about the lives of the soldiers!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him indifferently. ¡°You¡¯re so considerate of the soldiers. When Tuoba Lie captured you alive, why didn¡¯t you bite your tongue to commit suicide? When Tuoba Lie used you as a threat to force your son to hand over the soldiers controlling the mechanism, who killed them? Do you have the cheek to care if everyone is tired?¡± In terms of words, ten Leng Zhaos were not Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s match. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her breath on Leng Zhao. She looked at the soldiers resting on the spot. ¡°The battle in the valley is tense. I know that everyone is very tired, but the soldiers in the valley are even more tired than us. They have been fighting until now without any mechanisms. Without a moment to catch their breath, it¡¯s a battle of life and death. ¡°I¡¯m rushing to the valley now not only to help my grandfather, but also for the thousands of soldiers of the Great Zhou. I don¡¯t know their names or where they came from. I only know that they¡¯re my comrades and heroes who protect the people. I want to fight alongside them. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to follow me, pick up the weapons in your hands.¡± Her words were powerful. The streets were quiet, and all the soldiers were silent. Leng Zhao smiled coldly. Did this ignorant girl really think that she could command his Leng family army just because she had won a battle? They would not listen to her at all! Just as this thought flashed through his mind, he saw a soldier sitting on the ground stand up with a sword. Leng Zhao frowned. In the next second, a soldier slowly stood up from the ground with his helmet and sword. One, two, three¡­ The more soldiers picked up their weapons and walked towards Su Xiaoxiao. Leng Zhao watched as his army walked towards Su Xiaoxiao one after another. His expression changed. ¡°What are you doing? I order you to rest on the spot! Come back! Do you want to disobey the military order!¡± The Leng family¡¯s army lined up behind Su Xiaoxiao. Leng Zhao exploded. ¡°Are you crazy! Do you not want to work anymore! Disobeying military orders is a capital offense! I order you to come back!¡± No one came back. Su Xiaoxiao said to Tong Ke, ¡°Spread the flag and set off!¡± Chapter 818 - Chapter 818: Wei Xu l s Secret (1) Chapter 818: Wei Xu l s Secret (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Leng Hua followed. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care if he was doing it for military merit or for his ambition. Everyone had their own goals. Some used their lives to protect the rivers and mountains, while others used their lives to exchange for a full meal for themselves and their families. No matter which it was, as long as they went to the battlefield, they would be warriors of the Great Zhou. The battle in the valley had already entered a white-hot stage. The soldiers of both sides were red-eyed from killing. Helian Ye¡¯s 100,000 elite soldiers were definitely not comparable to the army led by Tuoba Lie. Coupled with the fact that more than half of the cavalry had greatly increased the combat strength of Northern Yan, the Great Zhou soldiers fought an extremely difficult battle. On the right wing, Su Mo¡¯s 15,000 troops took on the attack of 30,000 Northern Yan troops. This was because Northern Yanrealized that he and Leng Kui had attacked the left and right wings respectively. However, between the old general and the young general, Northern Yan chose to crush Su MO as a soft persimmon. Su MO was naturally not a pushover, but because Northern Yan had too many troops, it placed a lot of pressure on him and the soldiers on the right. The soldiers beside him fell one after another and were trampled by Northern Yan¡¯s iron hooves. Su Mo¡¯s eyes emitted an extremely strong killing intent. After saving another Great Zhou soldier, he cut off the head of a Northern Yan soldier, snatched his horse, and rushed towards a Northern Yan general in silver. This person¡¯s name was Zhou Hao, and he was one of the four ferocious generals under Helian Ye. Shoot the horse first. Capture the leader first. In a situation where there was insufficient military strength, killing the general was the most effective way to win. Zhou Hao used strength to intimidate his opponent. His weapon was a big iron hammer. It was said that his hammer weighed a thousand pounds. Even his warhorse was stronger and taller than ordinary warhorses. ¡°Come on! Haha! Kill you cowards of the Great Zhou!¡± He hammered them one by one. The soldiers of the Great Zhou could not fight back. He frowned and looked at Su MO fiercely. Su MO was too young, so young that Zhou Hao did not take Su MO seriously at all. He smashed his hammer at Su Mo. Su MO leaped up to avoid it. He spun in the air and stabbed at him with his sword. Su Mo¡¯s figure and sword technique were too fast. Zhou Hao was strong, but he could not dodge and allowed Su MO to slash his arm. Zhou Hao was furious and punched toward Su Mo¡¯s head! Su MO turned around and easily dodged. It was not worth it to fight this person head-on. Su MO used the advantage of his movement technique to dodge and anger Zhou Hao, causing him to lose his cool. After more than ten moves, Zhou Hao became more and more irritable, and his flaws were gradually revealed. Su MO maintained his calm during his frequent and fast attacks. Finally, Zhou Hao revealed a huge flaw. Su MO stepped onto the horse¡¯s back and flipped in the air. The longsword in his hand pierced through Zhou Hao¡¯s throat like an icicle. Zhou Hao¡¯s body stiffened and he spat out large amounts of blood. His eyes widened as he fell off the horse. His trusted deputy hurriedly took the token flag. ¡°He killed General Zhou! Avenge General Zhou! Kill him! Kill them all!¡± Everyone swarmed forward. Su MO pointed his sword. ¡°Fight!¡± Swish! Swish! Swish! Three arrows flew over at lightning speed and sent three Northern Yan soldiers flying. Su MO turned around and saw Su Xiaoxiao and Leng Hua rushing over with the mighty Leng family army. They surged into the battlefield like a tide. They stood in front of the injured soldiers and stood beside their comrades. They could be tired, they could die, but they could not retreat! Those who violated their mountains and rivers will be killed! The soldiers on the right were so excited that their eyes turned red. ¡°Reinforcements are here! Brothers! Kill!¡± The sounds of battle resounded throughout the entire valley. At the same time, the 10,000-strong army led by Wei Ting crossed Mang Mountain and took a detour to the back of the Northern Yan camp. However, what awaited them was not the supply troops of Northern Yan, but Helian Ye¡¯s personal soldiers. On the white snow, Helian Ye was wearing cold armor and riding a white warhorse that was also in armor. He held a spear and looked at Wei Ting calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time. You¡¯re finally here.¡± Wei Ting held the reins, his expression unchanged. ¡°So you¡¯re here.¡± Helian Ye smiled faintly. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect this, right? Actually, I also hesitated. Between killing you and killing Qin Canglan, what choice was better? In the end, I still chose you. As for Qin Canglan, it¡¯s the same killing him after I¡¯ve killed you.¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have that fate..¡± Chapter 819 - Chapter 819: Wei Xu’s Secret (2) Chapter 819: Wei Xu¡¯s Secret (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Helian Ye looked at Wei Ting arrogantly. ¡°Wei Xu said the same thing to me back then, but you saw the outcome. Do you regret not killing me in the capital Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s the same if I kill you today.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Helian Ye laughed arrogantly. ¡°Wei Ting, oh Wei Ting, your courage is admirable, but if you want to kill me, you should go back and practice for another eight to ten years! On account of that little girl treating me, I¡¯ll give you a chance to protect the army. As long as you can defeat me, I¡¯ll let you go. If you lose, leave all your lives behind!¡± Wei Ting held the hilt of his sword at his waist. ¡®You don¡¯t have to give me the chance. I want your life today!¡± Helian Ye looked up at the sky and laughed again. After he had enough of laughing, he looked at Wei Ting again. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you were born in the Wei family. Otherwise, if you came under me, I would definitely nurture you wholeheartedly. If you can really kill me today, I¡¯ll tell you something, something about Wei Xu.¡± ¡°Cut the crap and hand over your life!¡± Wei Ting drew his sword and slashed at Helian Ye. Helian Ye raised his spear to block Wei Ting¡¯s sword. The weapons collided with a crisp and sharp sound. Helian Ye frowned slightly. ¡°Your internal strength has improved. You¡¯ve improved a lot compared to half a year ago.¡± ¡°Because I want to kill you all the time. I train hard every day with Big Brother, Sixth Brother, and Admiral Qin. Guess if I¡¯ll still lose to you?¡± As soon as Wei Ting finished speaking, he retracted his sword and slashed down again. This time, Helian Ye clearly felt his arm go numb. Helian Ye was shocked. He had to admit that Wei Ting¡¯s martial arts talent was indeed the most powerful he had ever seen. If he was Wei Ting¡¯s age, he would not even be able to use half of Wei Ting¡¯s strength. But so what? How could the difference of 20 years of internal strength be made up for by hard work? Helian Ye also used his spear and successfully forced Wei Ting back. Seeing Wei Ting retreat more than ten steps in the snow, Helian Ye snorted coldly. ¡°You¡¯re still too inexperienced to kill me! If your brother comes, he might be able to exchange a few moves with me!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Wei Ting used the Roaming Dragon to Sea technique. Sword qi bloomed in the snow, and snowflakes instantly scattered. Helian Ye was blinded and could not help but frown. Suddenly, his right ear moved and he stabbed to the right. Wei Ting turned around and cut the back of his neck. Helian Ye hurriedly leaned forward to avoid this attack. His neck was spared, but his helmet was cut off. To an expert at Helian Ye¡¯s realm, it was already difficult to knock down his helmet. He finally realized how terrifying Wei Ting¡¯s improvement in the past six months was. ¡°Do you really think I get beaten up for nothing every day?¡± He was beaten up by his eldest brother, sixth brother, and the little fat peacock¡¯s grandfather. He was often beaten up by his sisters-in-law, especially her third sister-in-law. He had not taken a single punch for nothing! The flames of revenge in his heart had long burned to the extreme, but killing Helian Ye was not only for revenge, but also to win this battle at the border. The little fat peacock was still fighting, and so were the soldiers. He could not let Helian Ye off! A hint of danger flashed across Helian Ye¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to get serious.¡± He dismounted and smashed his spear at Wei Ting. Wei Ting blocked this spear and was so shocked that a few of his meridians were broken. Helian Ye took the opportunity to attack fiercely. Wei Ting was shot again and spat out a mouthful of blood. This time, it was not an act. He had really vomited blood. As he knelt on one knee in the snow, his sword supported his swaying body. In the past six months¡­ Helian Ye¡¯s internal strength had also increased a lot. Helian Ye snorted coldly. ¡°I told you, you can¡¯t kill me.¡± Wei Ting raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. Helian Ye shot down again. Wei Ting blocked with his sword and was sent flying, falling heavily to the ground. His body suddenly lost control and he was so stiff that he could not move. He could not die here. The little fat peacock and child were still waiting for him to return¡­ He clenched his fists bit by bit. He looked at Helian Ye coldly and said with a glint in his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m already in this state. I¡¯m most likely going to die in your hands. Why don¡¯t you tell me about my father?¡± Helian Ye came in front of Wei Ting and looked down at him. ¡°I won¡¯t tell a dead person the secret because a dead person isn¡¯t worthy!¡± It was not surprising that he would say such a thing. He was an extremely strong person. Otherwise, he would not have easily believed that he was Lord Wu An¡¯s flesh and blood. He hoped that he would have such a powerful father. Unfortunately, Lord Wu An did not have a son like him.. Chapter 820 - Chapter 820: Wei Xu l s Secret (3) Chapter 820: Wei Xu l s Secret (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In his eyes, only the surviving experts were qualified to negotiate with him. Wei Ting smiled weakly. ¡°Helian Ye, you¡¯ve killed your entire life and have no children. You¡¯re just a tool used by the Helian family to climb up the social ladder. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s not worth working for them?¡± ¡°Stop distracting me with such words,¡± Helian Ye said and kicked away the hidden weapon in Wei Ting¡¯s palm. ¡°If you lose, you and your 10,000-strong army will die here.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Wei Ting suddenly pulled up. A thread hidden in the snow suddenly tightened and wrapped around Helian Ye¡¯s feet. Helian Ye was caught off guard and tripped. He fell back hard into the snow, and the red tassel gun in his hand fell out. He did not expect Wei Ting to be able to move so quickly after taking so much internal energy from him. Wei Ting grabbed the longsword beside him, stood up, and stabbed toward Helian Ye¡¯s heart. Helian Ye hurriedly rolled to the other side. Wei Ting¡¯s sword stabbed deeply into the snow behind him. Helian Ye stabilized himself and kicked Wei Ting¡¯s sword away. Wei Ting picked up the red tassel spear that he had dropped. ¡°Helian Ye, your injuries have yet to completely recover. You¡¯re dead!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, Helian Ye frowned slightly. The expressions of the Northern Yan army behind him changed. Wei Ting was right. He was injured in the previous battle with Ghostfear and was schemed against by King Nanyang and the Gu Master. His foundation was injured, and he had indeed barel healed. ¡°It¡¯s enough to kill you!¡± He stood up and threw a punch at Wei Ting. Wei Ting tapped the tip of his foot and rose into the air. The red tassel spear transformed into a flood dragon and climbed down at him from midair! The two of them exchanged more than ten moves. Wei Ting was even more certain that his opponent¡¯s old injuries had not healed. This was a good opportunity to kill him. There would not be a second time! This was also a heaven-sent opportunity. He had countless troops beside him. Originally, he had no chance to approach him, but who would have thought that Helian Ye would actually wait for him here? After killing so many people from the Wei family, Helian Ye was arrogant. Helian Ye did not consider that it was due to King Nanyang and the White Lotus Society secretly causing trouble for the Wei family back then that he had succeeded so easily. Wei Ting held the Red Tassel Spear and looked at him with a burning gaze. ¡°Helian Ye, you¡¯ve underestimated your enemy!¡± He admitted that Helian Ye was powerful, but he was not invincible! ¡°This spear is for my grandfather!¡± He slashed down and stabbed Helian Ye¡¯s arm. ¡°This spear is for my father!¡± He stabbed over again and pierced Helian Ye¡¯s armor. ¡°And my brother, Third Brother! Fourth Brother! Fifth Brother!¡± His good brothers¡­ were all gone! Wei Ting¡¯s moves became fiercer and fiercer. Even though Helian Ye had slapped him a few times, he did not seem to feel any pain and charged at Helian Ye without caring about his life. Helian Ye was really shocked by Wei Ting at this moment. The killing intent and battle wrath on his body did not seem to come only from him. He also included vengeance on the behalf of Lord Wu An, Wei Xu, and all the children of the Wei family. Helian Ye and Wei Ting exchanged a palm strike. The two of them were sent flying by the other party and fell to the ground, vomiting blood. However, Wei Ting did not delay for a moment and rushed forward fearlessly again. Helian Ye was in a daze for a moment. The person running towards him seemed to have become Lord Wu An, or Wei Xu, Wei Sanlang, Wei Silang, Wei Wulang¡­ Pfft¡­ Wei Ting¡¯s red tassel spear pierced his shoulder! He grabbed the red tassel spear and kicked Wei Ting in the chest, sending him flying. Wei Ting hit the rock behind him, and his bones cracked. But he didn¡¯t fall. Ignoring his injuries and pain, he stood up resolutely again. The expression of Helian Ye¡¯s deputy general changed. How was this kid fighting? He clearly wanted to die with the general! He could not continue like this! He gritted his teeth and hurriedly ordered, ¡°Protect the general! Kill!¡± The general of the Wei family army also drew his sword. ¡°Protect Young Master! ¡± The troops of both sides fought fiercely. Soldiers fell one after another, and the white snow was dyed red. Snow began to fall from the sky, mixed with the splashing blood, forming a blood mist that filled the sky. Wei Ting and Helian Ye were both seriously injured by the other party and were on their last breaths. The two of them fell to the ground. Helian Ye turned to look at Wei Ting and smiled with a trembling body. ¡°Kid¡­ come and kill me if you dare¡­¡± Wei Ting went to grab the red tassel spear a few times. Helian Ye stood up with difficulty before him, picked up Wei Ting¡¯s sword, and walked towards Wei Ting shakily. He pointed his sword between Wei Ting¡¯s eyebrows. ¡®You lost.¡± Puchi¡ª The sharp blade entered his body. Wei Ting knelt on one knee and stabbed Helian Ye in the chest. Helian Ye¡¯s body stiffened and he knelt on the ground. Wei Ting looked at him with red eyes and asked with his last bit of strength, ¡°Now¡­ am I qualified¡­ to know my father¡¯s secret?¡± Helian Ye broke away and fell forward onto Wei Ting¡¯s shoulder. He looked at the snow that filled the sky and smiled faintly. ¡°Wei Ting¡­ you¡¯re very powerful¡­¡¯ There was no fear of death in his eyes. If there was nothing, it was probably admiration for the strong, relief from the past, and relief from the suffering and killing in this life. He leaned on Wei Ting¡¯s shoulder and said weakly, ¡°Wei Xu¡­ is still alive..¡± Chapter 821 - Chapter 821: Be Good, Wei Xiaobao Chapter 821: Be Good, Wei Xiaobao Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The winter at the border was cold and long, and the goose feather-like snow fell for the entire day. Wei Ting was woken up by a loud shout. It seemed that someone was calling for dinner. His body was very weak. Even when he opened his eyes, he could feel the pain in his eyelids. ¡°Chi A soft snort came from the side. Wei Ting endured the pain and opened his eyes. He turned his neck with difficulty and his eyes slanted. He finally saw who was making that annoying sound. The legitimate son of Marquis Weiwu¡ªJing Yi. Jing Yi was wrapped in bandages. He sat on the bamboo bed opposite him. Although he was sitting, he was actually lying down. However, there was a thick folded mattress behind him, making him look like he was sitting up. ¡°Where are we?¡± Wei Ting asked weakly. Jinz Yi, who had vet to completelv recover, said in a slizhtlv hoarse voice, ¡°Jia County, military camp.¡± ¡°Jia County?¡± Wei Ting frowned. He began to recall what had happened. He and Helian Ye fell into the snow. After that, he seemed to have picked up his sword to kill the enemy again, but as he killed¡­ he had no impression of what happened after that. The fact that he was in the military camp meant that he was not dead, and that the army should not have lost. He would not ask Jing Yi. This kid¡¯s face was filled with smugness. He was determined not to let this kid have a chance to posture. Wei Ting asked calmly, ¡°Why are you in Jia County too? Aren¡¯t you in the barbican?¡± Jing Yi snorted Wei Ting muttered, ¡°Kid, are you itching for a beating as soon as you wake up?¡± Jing Yi woke up in the morning and refused to stay in the barbican. The medical officials had no choice but to send him to Jia County. As for why he was in the same tent as Wei Ting, it was because there were too many injured soldiers and the tent was limited. Jing Yi had been whipped by Qi Sheng for 49 times and Su Xiaoxiao had wrapped him up like a dumpling with bandages and gauze, revealing only his handsome head. Wei Ting¡¯s situation was not inferior. Two of his ribs had even cracked, and his leg had almost broken. Not only was he wrapped like a big white dumpling, but one of his legs was also hanging. He was also wearing protective gear around his neck. He was really as miserable as could be. ¡°I knew you were noob. You can kill someone and end up like this!¡± Jing Yi was not stingy with his poisonous tongue. Who asked this guy to show off when he fainted? Now, he wanted to get back at him. Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re amazing. If you have the ability, don¡¯t let me carry you back next time.¡± Jing Yi said, ¡°Didn¡¯t someone carry you back too?¡± Wei Ting didn¡¯t have the strength to argue with him. He closed his eyes and muttered, ¡°The pot calling the kettle black.¡± The battle in the valley continued. As the news of Helian Ye¡¯s death spread, Northern Yan¡¯s aura weakened. They began to retreat, but Qin Canglan did not let them off so easily. After all, with the lessons of the past few years, Qin Canglan knew very well the ambition of the Emperor of Northern Yan. It was useless even if the imperial edict came. If the general did not accept the imperial edict, he would beat Northern Yan until it could not fight back for 20 years! The situation at the front line was basically stable. Su Xiaoxiao returned to the injured camp in Jia County and treated the soldiers¡¯ injuries with the medical officers. There was sufficient rations and herbs, enabling her to save the lives of the soldiers to a large extent. At night, Qin Canglan called for the army to retreat and fight tomorrow. He left Leng Hua and Tong Ke to guard Broken North Pass and brought Su MO back to the military camp in Jia County. Jia County was not far, only more than ten miles away from Broken North Pass. The two of them went to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s tent first. Su Xiaoxiao had just come over from Wei Ting and Jing Yi¡¯s side and carried Jing Yi¡¯s blanket away. She ordered him to lie down and not sit up secretly again. Baby Jing expressed his resentment. Qin Canglan and Su MO were covered in blood, most of it from the enemy, but they were also slightly injured¡ªQin Canglan¡¯s armor was broken, he was slashed a few times on his shoulder, and Su Mo¡¯s left palm was cut by a sword. Even the two of them were injured. It was obvious how fierce this battle was. ¡°Tend to Mo¡¯er first,¡± Qin Canglan said. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Tend to Granduncle first.¡± Su MO really did not think that this small injury was a big deal. Su Xiaoxiao gave the two of them a serious look and the two of them obediently shut up. Su MO bled more. Su Xiaoxiao debrided him first to stop the bleeding. ¡°How¡¯s Wei Ting?¡± Qin Canglan asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°He¡¯s awake. His life is saved.¡± This time, he was actually more seriously injured than when he killed MO Guiyuan, but he woke up faster, which meant that his physique was stronger. Qin Canglan could not help but say, ¡°That kid really doesn¡¯t care about his life!¡± It was the same whether he was killing MO Guiyuan and Helian Ye. Back then, he really thought that Wei Xu¡¯s youngest grandson was a weak scholar. Who would have thought that he was a ferocious dire wolf? He had misjudged! After Su Xiaoxiao cleaned Su MO up, she applied golden sore medicine and blood-staunching elixir. ¡°By the way, Helian Ye said something before he died.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Su MO and Qin Canlan asked in unison. Su Xiaoxiao took a fistful of gauze and bandaged Su Mo. ¡°It¡¯s possible hat Wei Ting¡¯s father is still alive.¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°You mean Wei Xu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Canglan asked strangely, ¡®What do you mean by possible?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. That¡¯s what Helian Ye told Wei Ting.¡± The few of them did not suspect that Helian Ye was lying to Wei Ting. With Helian Ye¡¯s personality, he would only use deception on the battlefield. He would not lie about his last words before he died. Su MO pondered and said, ¡°Back then, Wei Xu was killed by Helian Ye and thrown into the ice volcano. If he might still be alive, did Helian Ye throw a living person down?¡± Unfortunately, Helian Ye could not give them an answer. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Wei Ting¡¯s father left a relic at the border of Northern Ya a few years ago. If we find the relic, we might be able to find some clues.¡± Qin Canglan felt that it made sense. ¡°When you have obtained Wei Xu¡¯s belongings, leave immediately and return to the capital. There¡¯s no suspense in the battle here. Without Helian Ye, even if there are still some generals in Northern Yan, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. Mo¡¯er and I can deal with it.¡± Su MO felt that it was feasible. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao and said, ¡°You can¡¯t work too hard.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She took the pregnancy preservation medicine from the pharmacy. This pregnancy was stable. Of course, it could be that the baby was too obedient. However, it was indeed time to return. Wei Qing was still waiting for the herbs to treat his illness. She wondered how Fu Su and Leng Ziling were doing and if they had found any relics. The moon was dark and windy. Leng Ziling arrived at the mountain range on the incomplete map again. This was the fourth time he had come here. The first three times, he had come with Leng Zhao and found nothing. However, this time, he discovered a cave entrance. There was a secret passage under the hole. ¡°Hurry up!¡± ¡°Su Xiaoxiao¡± turned her face away coldly. This place was isolated from the world. Leng Ziling did not know how the battle at Broken North Pass was going. However, no matter who won, as long as this girl was in hand, Helian Ye and Qin Canglan could be threatened. After all, they had already found out that Helian Ye had openly recruited this girl. He held the torch and led a certain hostage through the secret passage. Finally, they reached the end. Ahead of them was a stone wall. He patted it with his hand and found the wall to be empty. There must be a mechanism here. He began to feel around, but he couldn¡¯t find anything. On the other hand, Fu Su accidentally stepped on a protruding stone. With a heavy rumble, the stone door slowly opened, revealing a secret room where weapons were displayed. As Leng Ziling raised the torch warily and shone it in, he was stunned. There was actually a person sitting in the secret room! Chapter 822 - Chapter 822: Father, Brother Ting Chapter 822: Father, Brother Ting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fu Su, who had followed in, was also shocked. It was really terrifying for a person to suddenly appear in the gloomy secret room, okay? However, when the two of them came back to their senses, they realized that it was not a living person. Or rather, not human. Fu Su walked forward. Leng Ziling looked at the hostage who was even more anxious than him and frowned slightly. However, when he thought of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s courage in killing enemies, he felt that it was normal for her not to be afraid. It was a golden armor filled with dust and cobwebs. Fu Su wipe the armor with his sleeve. Leng Ziling raised the torch. Under the light of the fire, Fu Su recognized this armor. Wei Xu once had a golden armor. It was rumored to be made of gold, but that was not the case. Gold was soft and its defense was not strong at all. The golden armor was made of black iron and brass. It was incomparably hard and abnormally heavy. Usually, when people put it on, they would pant after taking a few steps. Only an internal force expert like Wei Xu could do it. Fu Su never expected to see the general¡¯s armor here. Wasn¡¯t the general killed by Helian Ye and his corpse thrown into the entrance of the ice volcano? Could it be that Helian Ye took off the general¡¯s armor and hid it here? However, from the reaction of the Leng family, this was clearly found according to the incomplete map left behind by the general. Helian Ye should not know. Could it be that¡­ the general had come here and left his golden armor behind? Was the golden armor and the weapons in this room the general¡¯s relic that the Leng family had been looking for? Was there a need? Alright, he admitted that these weapons looked quite good, especially this golden armor. Countless generals had coveted it in the past, and even Helian Ye wanted it. Forget it. Even if it was just a nail, it could not fall into the hands of the Leng family! Fu Su looked at Leng Ziling calmly. At this moment, Leng Ziling also recognized Wei Xu¡¯s armor. He was the illegitimate son of the Leng family and could not see the light. He could only appear by Leng Zhao¡¯s side as a guard or as an assassin to secretly resolve some trouble for the Leng family. He envied Leng Hua and Leng Jue and hoped that he could wear armor openly like them one day. Fu Su frowned secretly. This guy had taken a fancy to the general¡¯s golden armor! They had snatched the Wei family¡¯s military power and official position. In the end, they did not even let go of the general¡¯s belongings. Dream on! If he were to let Leng Ziling take away a weapon today, he would write name backwards! Leng Ziling looked greedily at the armor in front of him, as if he had already imagined himself wearing it in his mind. He slowly reached out to the armor. Just as he was about to touch the armor, a murderous aura suddenly came from behind. He felt a chill on his back and turned to catch the other party¡¯s fist. ¡°You¡­¡± He looked at Fu Su and could not help but look at the fist. There was actually hair on the hand! Leng Ziling¡¯s heart trembled. Fu Su hurriedly raised another fist. Leng Ziling could only block it with his hand that was holding the torch. The torch was shaken off and fell to the ground. Afraid that the armor would be blackened, Fu Su kicked the torch to a corner of the secret room. Leng Ziling took the opportunity to attack Fu Su. Fu Su did not dare to take his palm head-on. He dodged to the side and staggered, almost hitting the wall. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Yuchi Xiu! How long are you going to watch!¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone else?¡± Leng Ziling¡¯s eyes turned cold as she looked at the entrance of the secret room. A black-robed man wearing a black bamboo hat and holding a cold sword stood at the door in a very postured manner. ¡°Are you mortals summoning the Divine Lord?¡± Fu Su was speechless. And so was Leng Ziling. Leng Ziling came back to his senses and unsheathed his sword without hesitation. The passageway was too narrow and was not a place to fight. Fortunately, Yuchi Xiu welcomed him head-on and rushed into the secret room to fight Leng Ziling. Leng Ziling was indeed the most powerful killing tool of the Leng family. After more than ten moves, Yuchi Xiu actually did not gain much. Of course, Yuchi Xiu didn¡¯t suffer any blows. Fu Su said to Yuchi Xiu, ¡°You deal with him! I¡¯ll get the general¡¯s armor!¡± Leng Ziling said coldly, ¡°None of you can leave!¡± Yuchi Xiu smiled disdainfully. ¡°Very good, I was waiting for you to say this! As the second-ranked assassin on the Assassin Ranking, my sword hasn¡¯t drunk blood for too long. Tonight, I¡¯ll use you as a sacrifice!¡± ¡°Heavens, this armor is so heavy!¡± It was not easy to take the armor. Fu Su had originally planned to wear it on himself and bring it out, but it seemed that he had to give up. Such heavy armor would suppress half of his qinggong. Now, he finally understood how powerful the general was back then. Yuchi Xiu took off his cloak and threw it to Fu Su. ¡°Keep it! I¡¯ll get it!¡± Fu Su took the cloak and carefully placed the armor on it, packing it up and tying it. Leng Ziling gave up on Yuchi Xiu and attacked Fu Su. Yuchi Xiu stopped him with a sword. ¡°Your opponent is me!¡± Leng Ziling slashed back. This guy actually hid a dagger! Yuchi Xiu¡¯s clothes at his abdomen was cut open. Fortunately, it only scratched his clothes, but he still felt the cold air from the blade. This Leng Ziling was indeed an expert! Leng Ziling slapped Fu Su¡¯s back. Fu Su picked up the armor in the cloak to block it and was instantly sent flying, knocking down the weapon rack behind him. However, at this moment, a wall behind him rumbled open, revealing a more hidden secret room. Fu Su was dumbfounded. No way, what luck did he have tonight? There were no traps in the outer room just now, so this place should be safe. After all, the general was an upright person and would not launch those sneak attacks. With this thought in mind, he hurriedly entered the secret room. Compared to the armor and so many weapons displayed outside, this place was empty. There was only a stone platform with an iron box on it. He reached for it. However, Leng Ziling was faster than him. In a flash, he knocked him away and raised the iron box with a sword. However, at this moment, something unexpected happened. A cold arrow shot out of a small hole in the wall and pierced Leng Ziling¡¯s left shoulder, sending him flying to the ground. Fu Su¡¯s expression changed. He hugged the falling iron box and fled. If Leng Ziling hadn¡¯t snatched it quickly, he would have been the one shot through. He was indeed too young. He actually thought that the general wasn¡¯t scheming¡­ Fu Su grabbed Yuchi Xiu and dashed out. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him!¡± ¡°Kill for what? Hurry up and leave!¡± Fu Su stuffed the heavy armor into Yuchi Xiu¡¯s arms and stepped on the mechanism in the passageway to close the stone door of the secret room. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me kill him!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to kill! It would too late if we don¡¯t leave!¡± The moment the cold arrow was shot from the secret room, Fu Su felt that something was wrong. As expected, after the two of them took a few steps, a very terrifying commotion came from the stone door. It seemed that the mechanism inside had been fully activated. Fu Su said, ¡°I saved your life, Dumbo!¡± Yuchi Xiu exploded. ¡°Who are you scolding, little man!¡± Fu Su also exploded. ¡°Who¡¯s little!¡± With a loud bang, the two of them could not be bothered to argue and fled without looking back! When they returned to Jia County, it was already after midnight. Jing Yi fell asleep. Wei Ting tried his best to hide his tiredness. The weak and smug eyes looking at Jing Yi seemed to be saying: Your father is still your father. ¡°Alright, you should sleep too,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly. ¡°Young Master!¡± Fu Su walked in with an iron box covered in snow.. ¡°We found the general¡¯s belongings!¡± Chapter 823 - Chapter 823: The Leng Family’s Retribution Chapter 823: The Leng Family¡¯s Retribution Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°That was fast.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was a little surprised. Fu Su said, ¡°Leng Ziling has already looked for this many times. It¡¯s natural that he would eventually find it.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Yuchi Xiu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°At the back,¡± Fu Su replied. The armor was too heavy. After a while, Yuchi Xiu calmly entered the tent. He placed the armor on the table and said with all his might, ¡°I¡¯m not panting¡­ I¡¯m not panting.. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Wei Ting could not move at this moment and could only look at them. ¡°Shall I open it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked him. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. Su Xiaoxiao opened the cloak first. When he saw the familiar golden armor, Wei Ting¡¯s throat immediately swelled and hurt. His eyes were red and watery. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the armor that was faintly emitting killing intent and righteousness even though it was covered in dust and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡®Wow.¡± Then, they looked at Wei Ting. Wei Ting restrained his emotions and asked with red eyes, ¡°Where did you find ¡°It was near Heavenly Mountain.¡± Fu Su told him about his experience following Leng Ziling to find the armor and what had happened in the secret room. ¡°That was close. I almost couldn¡¯t come back.¡± He said in shock. He had never been so sensitive to mechanisms in the past. It was Su Xiaoxiao who asked him to build a city¡¯s mechanisms according to the blueprint. It looked like nothing, but he had actually developed an intuition about mechanisms. Therefore, it might not have been a fortuitous encounter for him to have accidentally entered the secret room twice tonight. He had unintentionally discovered his talent in mechanisms! Fu Su was excited. The few of them did not know what he was excited about. Su Xiaoxiao said to Wei Ting, ¡°Dad¡¯s armor is here. Is Dad alive or¡­¡± The conversation between two them stunned Fu Su and Yuchi. What exactly happened during the two nights they were not around? Why was the general suddenly¡­ alive again? Wei Ting analyzed, ¡°When my father was captured by Helian Ye, he was wearing this armor. We know that the secret room was left behind by my father and has nothing to do with Helian Ye. Therefore, only my father could put the armor in personally.¡± Su Xiaoxiao understood. ¡°So Dad either escaped from Helian Ye or climbed up from the Ice and Fire Mountain. Then, he went to that secret room and placed the armor inside.¡± Wei Ting nodded. ¡°That should be it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was deep in thought. ¡°I still can¡¯t figure it out. If it¡¯s the former, since Helian Ye knows that Father has escaped, where did he get the guts to say that Father has been killed by him? Isn¡¯t he afraid that Father will appear and let his rumors collapse? If it¡¯s the latter, Helian Ye probably doesn¡¯t know that Father climbed up from the volcano. He will firmly believe that Father is dead. He can¡¯t have seen Father climb up with his own eyes and let him leave. Then, we¡¯ll return to the first situation.¡± Wei Ting thought for a moment. ¡°Unless¡­ Helian Ye is certain that my father won¡¯t be able to return.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked curiously, ¡°Then why did he say that Dad might still be alive? Perhaps he¡¯s not sure if Dad is dead or alive.¡± Wei Ting could not figure it out either. However, no matter what, even if there was only a small chance, he would definitely not give up. ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s in the box,¡± he said. ¡®Yes!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. To be cautious, she put on a gas mask and silver silk gloves. ¡°Hold your breath first.¡± The three of them held their breaths. Su Xiaoxiao took a gas mask and put it on Jing Yi. The iron box was locked, but this ordinary copper lock was not a problem for it. She took a wire and easily pried it open. But when she went to open the iron box, she couldn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t pry it open with her hands or with a dagger. ¡°I¡¯ll use my fists!¡± Yuchi Xiu said. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him. ¡°If you punch it, the things inside will be destroyed!¡± This was probably the ¡°relic¡± that Wei Xu really wanted to leave behind. The golden armor was only placed outside to hide its existence. Its value was far above that of the golden armor. What kind of treasure was this? Wei Ting said softly, ¡°Keep it well first and think about it later.¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed. While putting the iron box into the box, she secretly placed it in the pharmacy. This was the safest place and she was not worried that it would be stolen. When she turned around to look at Wei Ting, Wei Ting was already breathing evenly. A certain heavily injured soldier, who had been determined for the entire day, finally fell asleep. Previously, he refused to sleep. Other than being serious with Jing Yi, he was also worried about Wei Xu. Now that he knew that Wei Xu had escaped from Helian Ye back then, he felt relieved. Second Brother¡¯s medicine had been picked, Wei Xu¡¯s belongings had been found, and the battle was almost over. After leaving enough military pay for her grandfather, they could return to the capital. However, before zoing back, she had something to do. Wei Ting¡¯s plan to burn the rations at Mang Mountain was a secret. Helian Ye looked certain that Wei Ting would come over. It was obvious that someone had leaked the news to Helian Ye. Did the Leng family really not have to pay the price for colluding with the Northern Yan army time and time again? In the latter half of the night, the soldiers who had fought for the entire day fell asleep. The entire camp was silent. In a tent in the Leng family, a parrot crawled in with a pill in its mouth. It threw the pill into the brazier and jumped out! Smoke came out of the brazier and was sucked in by the sleeping Leng Zhao. About half an hour later, Leng Zhao suddenly opened his eyes and sat up from the bed. He opened his eyes and saw the golden armor standing in front of the bed. He trembled in fear. ¡°Wei Xu!¡± Wei Xu was wearing his golden armor and his black iron sword was held upright on the ground. His hand was calmly on the hilt. ¡°Long time no see, Leng Zhao.¡± Leng Zhao was so frightened that he rolled off the bed. He stood up in a sorry state and took a few steps to the side. He said with a trembling voice, ¡°You¡­ Why are you here¡­ Aren¡¯t you dead¡­¡± Wei Xu said, ¡°It¡¯s not enough that you killed me, but you also harmed my sons. I¡¯m here to take revenge on you, Leng Zhao.¡± Leng Zhao swallowed and looked at Wei Xu in fear. ¡°What happened back then¡­ It¡¯s not my fault¡­ The White Lotus Society wanted to harm you¡­ I just revealed your whereabouts¡­¡± Wei Xu pointed his sword at him. ¡°The White Lotus Society has already perished. It¡¯s your turn now.¡± He slashed at Leng Zhao. Leng Zhao¡¯s mind had long been messed up by the drug. How could he still raise his martial arts and strength? He felt a sharp pain in his body and blood splattered three feet away! He fell to the ground in a sorry state and looked at the blood on the tent before looking at Wei Xu, who was walking towards him like a Purgatory Asura. He was so frightened that he collapsed. If he was awake, he would definitely not be like this. The drug aggravated his hallucinations and magnified the emotions in his heart, which was his fear of Wei Xu. He covered his head and fled the tent, bumping into a team of patrolling soldiers. ¡°General Leng, what¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± The leader of the team asked. Leng Zhao was actually not injured, but his hallucination was too serious. He felt that he had long been injured by Wei Xu. He trembled as he turned around and grabbed the corporal¡¯s lapel with his ¡°blood-covered¡± hand. ¡°Wei Xu was here¡­ Wei Xu came to take revenge on me¡­ It wasn¡¯t me¡­ It was the White Lotus Society¡­ The White Lotus Society asked me to do it¡­ Leng Tiannan also agreed¡­ I only released a message¡­ They asked me to do this¡­ I only released a message¡­¡± He spoke incoherently, but everyone still understood. Back then, he was the one who leaked the whereabouts of Wei Xu and his sons to Northern Yan. No wonder they were ambushed by Northern Yan in the middle of the night. As for Wei Ting leading the troops to burn the rations at Mang Mountain today, it was also him who informed Helian Ye. Everyone looked at Leng Zhao differently. Under Leng Zhao¡¯s illusion, Wei Xu continued to chase after him with his sword. He fled in panic and fell into the well. ¡°Heln__ heln me_ _ heln me!¡± The soldiers stood at mouth the well and looked at him. He shouted desperately. More and more soldiers surrounded him. ¡°Save me¡­ well¡­ I can¡¯t swim¡­ well¡­ save me!¡± He stretched his arms and struggled painfully underwater. However, no one saved him.. Chapter 824 - Chapter 824: The Three Tigers Are Here Chapter 824: The Three Tigers Are Here Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yuchi Xiu returned in the golden armor to the tent Wei Ting shared with Jing Yi. After posturing a a few times, he felt that his waist was about to break. He held his sore waist and gritted his teeth. ¡°General Wei Xu has a good waist and kidney¡­ No wonder he can give birth to so many sons¡­¡± Leng Zhao deserved this outcome. However, this was not the end. The Leng family¡¯s retribution had just begun. From this moment on, they would return everything they had stolen from the Wei family bit by bit. A heart-wrenching wail came from Leng Kui¡¯s tent¡­ Su Xiaoxiao turned around and slept peacefully. Su Xiaoxiao left a large sum of money for Qin Canglan. At this point, she had almost spent all the money she had earned from Zhao Kangning and the envoy of Northern Yan. In addition, she used some gold from the White Lotus Society as compensation for the soldiers. After everything was packed, Qin Canglan came over to send his precious granddaughter and miserable grandson-in-law. ¡°It stopped snowing two days ago. You can travel.¡± He touched his precious granddaughter¡¯s head reluctantly. This was the joy of family that had come many years late. He wished he could be with them every day, but he couldn¡¯t leave for the time being. He had to guard the border, Northern Yan had to fight, and the traitors of the Leng family had to be killed. Su Xiaoxiao had never experienced the warmth of a family in her previous life, but in this life, she was deeply cared for by every family member. She obediently let him pat her head. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll wait for you in the capital. Come back quickly after you and Cousin are done fighting.¡± Qin Canglan smiled. ¡°Okay!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su MO, who was helping her move her luggage. ¡°Cousin, take care too.¡± Su MO nodded. ¡°I will.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°The Crimson Shadow Army is in your hands, Grandpa and Cousin.¡± Qin Canglan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mo¡¯er will personally lead the troops and treat them as his trusted aides.¡± Then, Qin Canglan instructed Wei Ting, ¡°You¡¯re a father now. Don¡¯t be so reckless in the future. Do you really think you have nine lives?¡± Wei Ting put on a show of obedience. ¡°Yes, Grandpa. I¡¯ll remember it.¡± Qin Canglan was quite satisfied. ¡°Recuperate carefully. When I return to the court, I¡¯ll give you more guidance.¡± Was he going to be beaten up again¡­ Wei Ting¡¯s smile froze on his lips. Qin Canglan looked at Jing Yi, who was sitting in another wheelchair. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re not bad.¡± Little Dumpling Baby Jing blushed. Admiral Qin praised him. Admiral Qin praised him. Admiral Qin praised him¡­ Xiao Duye also wanted to go to the capital. He couldn¡¯t wait to return to the capital to claim credit from Emperor Jing Xuan. He was alone in a carriage. Su Xiaoxiao, Jing Yi, Wei Ting, and Wuhu were in one other carriage. When they came, they were all energetic. When they returned, only Su Xiaoxiao and the parrot were left standing. Xiao Duye was extremely tired. Jing Yi and Wei Ting were wrapped up like dumplings. Because they could not move, they were not allowed to quarrel. They could only fight in the carriage with unwilling gazes. The group embarked on their journey back to the capital. On the other side, Uncle Han and the girl sneaked into the snow mountain of Northern Yan with a group of experts. ¡°Uncle Han, is this the place? We went the wrong way last time. Could it be that we made a mistake this time?¡± the girl asked. Uncle Han said, ¡°Last time, I accidentally lost my way when locating the Snow Domain Hemp. This time, I followed the map carefully. There won¡¯t be any mistakes.¡± As they spoke, the few of them arrived at the entrance of the passageway. They raised their torches and entered. After walking for about half an hour, they arrived at the end. Uncle Han squatted down and found the mechanism on the ground. He stepped on it and the stone door opened. However, when they entered, they were stunned by the scene in front of them. ¡°Uncle Han, why is it so messy inside?¡± The weapons racks had all fallen, and swords, sabers, spears, and halberds were scattered all over the ground. There were also many broken cold arrows and hidden weapons. The girl simply had no place to stand. Uncle Han sized it up carefully and said with a serious expression, ¡°Someone fought here and triggered a mechanism.¡± The girl fanned herself with her hand. ¡°Did anyone arrive before us?¡± There was a weak breathing sound from behind the stone wall. Uncle Han¡¯s eyes flickered as he hurriedly found a mechanism to open the stone door of another secret room. The stone table was empty, except for a dying man under a huge rock at the side. Uncle Han pounced on the stone table and searched carefully, but he found nothing. ¡°It¡¯s gone¡­ It¡¯s gone¡­¡± The two missions to Broken North Pass this time had failed. The Snow Domain Hemp had been snatched away, and even the treasure to restore the country had been snatched away. He clenched his fists in disbelief. ¡°Who is it¡­ Who is it?!¡± When she came, she was concerned about saving Wei Ting. Along the way, Xiao Duye vomited a few times. Although she did not have to save anyone when she returned, she was still worried about the children. The carriage continued to travel quickly. Xiao Duye was vomited out again. He was even worse off than Wei Ting and Jing Yi. Their injuries improved day by day. When they approached the capital, the two of them could already get out of the carriage. In late January, it actually snowed again in the capital. Snowflakes fell in large Datches. and not long after. a thick laver accumulated on the ground. The three children returned to Ling Yun¡¯s class after 15th January. However, unlike the past, the three little evil disciples had been much quieter recently. The three of them sat on their small futons like little puppets whose souls had been sucked out. They were indifferent to the small zither placed in front of them. Ling Yun was suddenly not used to it. ¡°Do you want to play flower drums?¡± he asked. The three of them shook their heads. ¡°Hit the gong?¡± he said again. The three of them still shook their heads. Ling Yun took a deep breath. ¡°Xiao Hu, don¡¯t you like to play erhu the most?¡± Xiaohu turned his back. He didn¡¯t want to play erhu. He only wanted his mother to come back. Why wasn¡¯t his mother back yet? Ling Yun sighed. ¡°That¡¯s all for today. I¡¯ll send you back.¡± The three little ones drooped their heads and left listlessly. Ling Yun carried them into the carriage one by one and sent them back to the Wei family. It was the new year. The other children had gained weight, but the three children had lost weight. Old Madam Wei¡¯s heart ached. She tried her best to make the three little fellows happy, but the three of them could not muster their spirits. There were times when Old Madam Wei was at her wit¡¯s end. The three little ones would go to the door to wait for Su Xiaoxiao after dinner every day. The snow was unobstructed. It was snowing heavily today and the weather was cold. The three little ones carried the farmer¡¯s bags and obediently sat at the threshold to wait for their mother. Their faces were red from the cold, and their tears were coming out. However, it was useless no matter who tried to persuade him. They refused to go in. Wait, wait, wait. It was dark. The aunties watched anxiously. Finally, a carriage arrived in the snow and stopped at the Wei family¡¯s entrance. The three little ones¡¯ eyes lit up as they ran over clumsily. However, it was Su Li who came down. Su Li smiled. ¡°Did you know that Uncle was coming and were waiting for me here?¡± The three little ones lowered their heads and sat back on the threshold in disappointment. ¡°Hey¡­ you guys¡­¡± Su Li was here today to give the little fellows new clothes made by his mother. When he left, the three little ones were still sitting on the threshold, looking aggrieved and pitiful. After waiting for another fifteen minutes, a second carriage arrived. This time, it was a guest who was visiting. The third carriage came, followed by the fourth, and the fifth. The three of them were filled with hope and disappointment again and again. In the end, the three of them were extremely sad. Tears of grievance welled up in their eyes, but they did their best not to let them fall. Li Wan squatted down and touched their faces. ¡°We¡¯ll wait tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go back.¡± Madam Lan also said softly. Mdm Jiang said, ¡°Fifth Aunt will bring you to see the lanterns, okay?¡± They didn¡¯t want lanterns. They only wanted their mother.. Chapter 825 - Chapter 825: Mother and Sons Meet Chapter 825: Mother and Sons Meet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When the carriage arrived at the capital, the city gate had already closed. However, with a tool like Xiao Duye around, the city guard did not dare to not open the city gate for them. After entering the city, Xiao Duye parted ways with the Wei family¡¯s carriage. Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting first sent Jing Yi back to the Marquis of Weiwu¡¯s Estate, then rushed home without stopping. However, the wheels broke halfway. Without a word, Su Xiaoxiao rode a horse and rushed into the snow. The night was completely dark, and the last family on the street hung its lanterns. The three little ones were led by Li Wan, Madam Lan, and Madam Jiang. The border was so far away. It would take at least two months. It was impossible for Seventh Sister-in-law to rush back so quickly. Just as they led the three little ones across the threshold, there was the sound of hurried hooves on the street, right on the heels of which was a call that they had been waiting for dozens of days. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu!¡± Hearing a familiar voice, the three little ones suddenly turned around. Su Xiaoxiao tightened the reins and got off the horse. ¡°Mother!¡± The three little ones retracted their hands and ran down the steps towards Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Be careful!¡± Madam Jiang shouted. Xiaohu fell. Su Xiaoxiao quickly stepped forward and caught the little guy who almost rolled down the steps. She looked at his red eyes and quickly asked, ¡°Did you hurt yourself?¡± Xiaohu choked and shook his head. At this moment, Dahu and Erhu pounced into her arms. Su Xiaoxiao knelt on one knee and hugged the three children. The three of them couldn¡¯t hold back their tears anymore. They didn¡¯t wail. Big golden tears just fell silently with the feeling of heartbreak. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s heart ached. She hugged them tightly and wanted to say that she was back, but her throat was blocked and she could not say a word. The eyes of the three sisters-in-law turned red. Li Wan wiped her tears and urged with a choked voice, ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s go into the house first. It¡¯s snowing heavily outside. Don¡¯t freeze.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched their hands. They were indeed frozen, and their faces were red from the cold. Xiaohu¡¯s ears were also frostbitten. The three of them looked behind her. She smiled and said, ¡°Are you waiting for Daddy? Daddy will be here soon.¡± As she spoke, she looked at her three sisters-in-law. ¡°Second Sister-in-law, Fourth Sister-in-law, Fifth Sister-in-law, the carriage broke down halfway. Wei Ting is in the carriage.¡± In front of the children, she did not say that Wei Ting was injured, but the three sisters-in-law understood Little Seven¡¯s character. If Little Seven could ride a horse himself, he would have returned long ago. Li Wan held the handkerchief and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get someone to pick him up immediately!¡± Madam Jiang said, ¡°Second Sister-in-law, Fourth Sister-in-law and I will pick Little Seven up. We¡¯ll be quick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Li Wan nodded and pulled Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand. ¡°You must be tired from the journey. You¡¯ve lost weight. I¡¯ll get someone to prepare dinner. You guys go first.¡± Wei Xiyue had been coughing recently. Matriarch Wei had ordered her not to go anywhere, so Wei Qing was taking care of her in the house. The children stopped causing trouble, and Old Madam Wei was as lonely as snow. Suddenly, she heard three small chattering voices. She suspected that she had heard wrongly. Her granddaughter-in-law had been gone for too long. The three children were so depressed that they were almost mute. How could they still speak excitedly? Then, she saw Su Xiaoxiao walk in with the three children. The three wilting little fellows were jumping around again. Their small chests were raised high and they were extremely arrogant! Dahu said, ¡°Great-Grandma, Mother is back!¡± Old Madam Wei was both angry and amused. ¡°That¡¯s right. Your mother is back. Are you happy now?¡± The three little ones raised their chins. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Xiaohu said, ¡°A child with a mother is a treasure. A child without a mother is like glass (grass)!¡± Old Madam Wei glared at the little fellow. Who treated them like grass? Weren¡¯t they all treasures at home? When Su Xiaoxiao returned, the three little fellows were visibly happy. They were in the mood to mess around and began to tear down the house. Old Madam Wei¡¯s temples throbbed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys a little fast? You were still sighing in the morning. Why are you so¡­¡± Clang! The copper basin on the shelf was knocked over. THUD! A chair was brought down. Creak¡ªcreak¡ª The three of them were playing with the window lattice again. Old Madam Wei closed her eyes. ¡°Alright, go make a fuss. It¡¯s much better than your little puppet appearance. Children should make more noise. How can you be lifeless all day?¡± She was not an unreasonable elder. Clang! Her antique blue and white porcelain shattered.. Old Madam Wei was speechless! When Wei Ting arrived at the residence an hour later, Matriarch Wei had already been defeated by her three energetic great-grandsons. She pulled the blanket over her head and fell asleep. Wei Ting went to Madam Wei¡¯s courtyard. Su Xiaoxiao had just come with the children and left not long ago. Madam Wei thought that Su Xiaoxiao had returned. She turned around and realized that Wei Ting was standing at the door. Madam Wei¡¯s eyes trembled. She subconsciously stood up and wanted to walk towards her son. However, she had just taken a step when she lost her courage. ¡°I heard you were injured.¡± She said softly and slowly sat down again. ¡°Come and sit down.¡± Wei Ting sat down opposite her. Madam Wei had neglected her son for too long. Although she had no choice, their relationship was already distant. From time to time, it would be so easy for all the barriers to disappear. ¡°How are your injuries?¡± she asked. ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Wei Ting said. Madam Wei looked at his pale face and did not say anything else. Wei Ting asked, ¡°How have you been recently?¡± His tone was very polite. Madam Wei lowered her eyes and picked up a half-made sachet. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Wei Ting looked at her without blinking. ¡°I came to look for you so late because I have something to tell you about Father.¡± When Madam Wei heard this, she instantly looked up at him. Wei Ting said, ¡°Five years ago, Father escaped from Helian Ye. He might still be alive.¡± Click. The sachet in Madam Wei¡¯s hand fell to the table. Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Mother was the last to know about Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Sixth Brother, but I think you should be the first to know about Father.¡± Madam Wei said with a calm expression, ¡®Where¡­ is your father now?¡± Wei Ting shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± Madam Wei held back her red eyes and said calmly, ¡°I understand. Thank you¡­ for telling me first.¡± Wei Ting stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go back first. Mother, rest early.¡± After he left, Madam Wei raised her head and closed her eyes to force back her tears. ¡°Wei Xu, are you still alive?¡± ¡°Wei Xu, where are you?¡± Wei Ting returned from Madam Wei¡¯s courtyard. After lying back on the bed, his mood was a little heavy and sad. However, he was only sad for three seconds before he was shocked by a terrifying demonic cacophony. The three little ones ran in excitedly. Each of them held an instrument in their hands, kicked off their shoes, and climbed into bed. Then, they surrounded their father and began to dance. The gong was struck! The suona was blown! The erhu was played! They swayed their little heads¡­ Wei Ting, who was about to be sent to the sky muttered, ¡°You guys are my good sons¡­ ¡° Chapter 826 - Chapter 826: Double Happiness Chapter 826: Double Happiness Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Su Xiaoxiao returned to her room after taking a shower, the three little ones immediately ended today¡¯s dance and sat on the bed obediently. ¡°Put the instruments away,¡± Su Xiaoxiao instructed. The three little ones climbed out of bed and placed the instruments back in the storage room next door. However, they did not want to sleep yet. After all, they had accumulated energy for almost two months and had not used it up so quickly. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t force them to sleep. After being separated for so long, she missed them very much. She couldn¡¯t get enough of watching them play. She sat on the bed. The three little ones climbed up and stuck to her shoulders and back, her foreheads and the back of her head. When that was not enough, the three of them rubbed against her again, on her shoulders, on her back, in her arms¡­ Breathing in her breath, the three hesitant and aggrieved hearts found satisfaction and stability. Wei Ting looked at the three obedient brats and the corners of his mouth twitched. Why didn¡¯t he receive such treatment? The three of them somersaulted for a while more and fell asleep. Su Xiaoxiao tucked the three little ones in with the blanket. Today, Xiaohu was sleeping beside her. The three brothers had already agreed that Erhu and Dahu would sleep further away. Wei Ting lay on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s other side. He had yet to recover from his serious injuries and was tired from the journey, so he quickly fell asleep. ..He was definitely not knocked out by the three brats! Su Xiaoxiao lay down and prepared to sleep. Unexpectedly, just as she closed her eyes, a little packrat crawled over from Xiaohu¡¯s body and burrowed into her blanket. ¡°Erhu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. The child trembled. ¡°Aiya, don¡¯t find out!¡± Erhu closed his eyes and pretended not to hear. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Are you pretending to be asleep?¡± Erhu still had his eyes closed. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± He regretted it after saying that. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say, ¡°Look, didn¡¯t you let the cat out of the bag.¡± She tucked Erhu in. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Erhu lay in her arms and fell asleep beside her. Not long after, another little packrat crawled over and pulled the sleeping Erhu away before arching into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arms. It was Dahu. Su Xiaoxiao laughed. ¡°You weren¡¯t asleep either?¡± Dahu said very honestly, ¡°Sleeping with Mother.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was caught between laughter and tears and hugged the little fellow. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Among the three brothers, only Xiaohu had really fallen asleep from the beginning. How would he know that his two scheming brothers were pretending to sleep? He even thought that he had slept with his mother for the entire night. There was no difference from following their birth order. The next day, the three little ones woke up from their sleep and looked for Su Xiaoxiao first. Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao was still asleep, the three children crawled over and gently pressed their lips against her face. Su Xiaoxiao was actually awake long ago and deliberately didn¡¯t get up. Indeed, the three little ones were especially happy to see that their mother was still around. That overflowing emotion made the entire room seem to become rm Wei Ting was also awake. He was waiting for the three brats to finish sticking to their mother and come to stick to him, their father. Unexpectedly, only a small foot came. Wei Ting, whose mouth was crooked, was speechless! Which little brat was it? After washing up, the five of them went to Matriarch Wei¡¯s courtyard. Wei Qing and Wei Xiyue also came over. Wei Xiyue came to the two of them and obediently called them Seventh Uncle and Seventh Aunt. Wei Ting pinched her face. A daughter would be obedient. She would not be noisy. When his little fat lass came out, she would definitely be as soft and cute as Xi Yue. She would not be a little demon. ¡°Is Xiyue¡¯s cough better?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked softly. Wei Xiyue nodded. The few children went out to play. Su Xiaoxiao greeted their grandmother and looked at Wei Qing. ¡°Second Brother.¡± Wei Qing smiled. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± He looked at Wei Ting. ¡°You¡¯re really lucky.¡± The others did not know what had happened, but Wei Qing guessed that Wei Ting was in danger, so Su Xiaoxiao thought of a way to rush to the border. Now that the two of them had returned safely, he knew that the little girl had saved Little Seven¡¯s life again. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°How has Second Brother been recently?¡± Wei Qing said warmly, ¡°Everything is fine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took Wei Qing¡¯s pulse. From the pulse, he was fine for the time being. Su Xiaoxiao greeted Second Sister-in-law, Fourth Sister-in-law, and Fifth Sister-in-law. Madam Chen was not around, as she had gone back to her mother to visit her family. The capital had also received news about the war at the border. It was said that they had won, but they did not know the exact situation. Su Xiaoxiao highlighted the main point of the battle at Broken North Pass. Northern Yan had lost Helian Ye, and their defeat was set. Next, Qin Canglan would pursue them and definitely beat Northern Yan until it could not fight back for at least 20 years. Old Madam Wei agreed. ¡°That¡¯s how it should be. What about the traitors of the Leng family?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Leng Zhao is dead. Leng Jue was beheaded.¡± Hearing this, the Wei family felt very happy. Good and evil would always be rewarded. The heavens had opened their eyes! Before Leng Zhao died, he had revealed many secrets. The Leng family¡¯s good days were over. After Northern Yan is beaten and the last bit of value had been squeezed out from Leng Kui, he would be the next to be kicked off. Old Madam Wei said, ¡°In a while, I¡¯m going to offer incense to your grandfather and father to comfort their spirits in heaven.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wei Ting. ¡°Are you going to tell her about this?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Madam Jiang was puzzled. She looked at everyone for on Wei Ting¡¯s behalf and told him that Wei Xu might still be alive. Matriarch Wei¡¯s hand trembled and her walking stick hit the ground. Her body trembled slightly. ¡°Is what you said true?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°That¡¯s what Helian Ye told me. Fu Su and Yuchi Xiu also found Father¡¯s armor in a secret room. I think he must have escaped from Helian Ye back then. ¡± Old Madam Wei was so excited that tears streamed down her face. ¡°Dad might have fallen into another danger. Even Helian Ye is not sure if he survived.¡± Wei Ting had also considered if he told the family the news and his father did not survive. Would it make the family happy for nothing? However, from his perspective, if it were him, he did not want to be kept in the dark. Wei Qing looked calm, but his grip on the wheelchair was already a little tight. If his father was still alive¡­ if his father was still alive¡­ This was even more exciting news than killing Helian Ye. ¡°I knew it¡­ I knew it¡­¡± Old Madam Wei wiped her tears and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Your father won¡¯t die so easily in Helian Ye¡¯s hands¡­¡± Her biological son, her only son. When the bad news of his death came back then, she almost fainted from crying. It was good that he had escaped! Even if she only lived for another day, as a mother, she felt relieved. Wei Ting cleared his throat. ¡°There¡¯s another piece of good news.¡± Everyone in the room looked at him in unison. Wei Ting pulled Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and said proudly, ¡°Xiaoxiao is pregnant. The family is going to have a child.¡± Everyone in the room was stunned! Wei Ting had a smug expression on his face. Why was he so powerful? Hurry up and praise your precious grandson. ¡°Give me the walking stick,¡± Matriarch Wei said. Madam Jiang picked up her walking stick and handed it to her. Matriarch Wei picked up her walking stick and hit Wei Ting. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant, but you still let her fight! What were you doing! How could you take care of your wife like this?¡± Wei Ting covered his head and scurried around.. Why was he being beaten up? Chapter 827 - Chapter 827: Wei Xu ‘s Whereabouts Chapter 827: Wei Xu ¡®s Whereabouts Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was because Madam Chen was not around today. Otherwise, Matriarch Wei would never have done it herself. Old Madam Wei was almost done beating him up. She chased the young brat out and pulled Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand to sit beside her, asking her everything. This was not enough. Matriarch Wei even got someone to invite Physician Fu over from the medical center. ¡°Although you¡¯re a doctor yourself, doctors don¡¯t treat themselves. It¡¯s better to get your master to come over and take a look.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled helplessly. ¡°Okay.¡± Physician Fu came very quickly and skipped the greetings between the master and disciple. If he was invited to take Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s pulse, he would think that something big had happened. After taking her pulse, he was shocked. The little girl was pregnant! ¡°How¡¯s her pulse? Is her body alright? This girl went to the border and even fought¡­¡± Matriarch Wei¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Physician Fu hurriedly said, ¡°Her pulse is smooth and powerful. You can rest assured. ¡± Very good, Wei Xichao¡¯s life was saved. Today¡¯s good news came one after another. Old Madam Wei smiled from ear to ear and gave money to Physician Fu and everyone in the residence. The sisters-in-law were also sincerely happy for Su Xiaoxiao. When she was asked how many months had passed, Su Xiaoxiao was in a dilemma. ¡°It must have been more than two months. I don¡¯t remember the last day I had my period in November.¡± The month of pregnancy did not start from the day she was inseminated, but from the first day of the last period. Wei Ting, who was standing outside to reflect, said, ¡°16th November.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. After breakfast in Old Madam Wei¡¯s courtyard, Su Xiaoxiao wanted to perform acupuncture treatment on Wei Qing. Wei Ting terminated today¡¯s punishment with the excuse of carrying the first aid kit for his wife. After ten days, the Snow Domain Hemp was no longer poisonous. Su Xiaoxiao took it out. Wei Qing looked at the herbs on the table. ¡°It¡¯s so ugly.¡± The Snow Domain Hemp was speechless. After the acupuncture was performed on Wei Qing, Su Xiaoxiao took out the iron box she had found in the secret room. She did not say anything in Old Madam Wei¡¯s courtyard just now because she was not sure if this was related to Wei Xu¡¯s whereabouts. Wei Qing took the box and tried to open it, but it was in vain. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We tried, but we couldn¡¯t open it.¡± Wei Qing called Mei Ji over. Mei Ji had been living an interesting life in the residence recently. Every day, she would spar with Madam Lan and Madam Jiang. Every time, the three of them would start with weapons and finally pull their hair. Fortunately, they were young and had a lot of hair. Otherwise, they would have long become three bald women. She did not spar with Li Wan because she was Sir¡¯s Madam. The reason why she did not spar with Madam Chen was that she could not defeat her. Wei Qing handed her the iron box. ¡°You¡¯re proficient in hidden weapons and mechanisms. Take a look at this box and see if there¡¯s anything special about it.¡± Mei Ji took the box and checked it. ¡°Heaven Secrets Box.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a Heaven Secrets box?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Mei Ji said, ¡°It¡¯s a box with a mechanism. You can¡¯t break it by force. Otherwise, you¡¯ll trigger the mechanism of the box and destroy the thing inside.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was glad that she didn¡¯t agree to Yuchi Xiu slashing with his sword. ¡°How can we open it?¡± Mei Ji replied, ¡°The key.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°But we didn¡¯t find the lock.¡± ¡°Over here!¡± Mei Ji buttoned the four corners of the mechanism box. A piece of metal bounced off the top, revealing an exquisite small lock. Mei Ji stared at the keyhole and asked curiously. She brought the box to the window to catch the light from the sky. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s from the previous dynasty¡¯s royal family. I was wondering why you could still locate it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked over. ¡°How can you tell that it¡¯s from the previous dynasty?¡± Mei Ji asked her to stand beside her and pointed to the right of the keyhole. ¡°Can you see it? This phoenix feather is the emblem of the previous dynasty¡¯s royal family.¡± ¡°I saw it,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°It can only be revealed against the sunlight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Mei Ji said. Su Xiaoxiao asked curiously, ¡°Why does Dad have something from the previous dynasty¡¯s royal family? Did he obtain it by chance, or¡­¡± Wei Ting also wanted to know about this. Wei Ting looked at Wei Qing. ¡°Does Second Brother have any impression of what happened back then? Did Father do anything strange?¡± Wei Qing shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t remember what happened at Broken North Pass five years ago.¡± Wei Ting thought of his previous conversation with Wei Liulang and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Sixth Brother said that too. He said that he seemed to have forgotten something. I asked him what he had forgotten, but he couldn¡¯t answer.¡± Wei Qing pondered and said, ¡°Big Brother too.¡± The brothers had lost a portion of their memories about Broken North Pass. This part might be the clue to find their father. As they spoke, the maidservant reported that Su Xuan was here. Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Does Fourth Cousin know that we¡¯re back?¡± Wei Qing smiled calmly. ¡°Oh, Su Xuan is here to play chess with me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao wondered, ¡°When did the two of you get together?¡± Su Xuan came at the right time. He had a lot of information and could ask him. ¡°It¡¯s indeed from the previous dynasty.¡± Su Xuan put down the Heaven Secrets box. ¡°So?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked forward to Su Xuan providing clues. Su Xuan must have investigated what happened at Broken North Pass five years ago. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have known that Wei Qing might be in the Western Jin. Su Xuan looked at the little girl¡¯s expectant eyes and smiled quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯ll feel bad if I disappoint you. I don¡¯t know that General Wei Xu is still alive, nor do I know his whereabouts.¡± This matter was a secret. Helian Ye was only willing to say it on his last breath. Su Xuan said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m already very surprised that he¡¯s willing to say it.¡± Helian Ye hated the Wei family to the core. If Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting had not found out the truth about his background and resolved the misunderstanding between him and Lord Wu An, he might have continued to hate them. It was a worthy death to die in Wei Ting¡¯s hands. He had no regrets, so he told the truth. Su MO looked at the silent crowd. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know General Wei Xu¡¯s whereabouts, I have some guesses about this relic.¡± These words successfully piqued their interest. Su MO said, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, it should be a relic of the previous dynasty¡¯s Emperor Wu. I deciphered a portion of the booklet you gave me last time. It does contain some secrets about the previous dynasty.¡± As Su Xiaoxiao looked at him, her eyes were filled with anticipation. Su Xuan smiled. ¡°Back then, Master Yun entered the court and became an official. Not long after, the dynasty was destroyed, and the Martial Emperor died in battle. However, the royal family of the previous dynasty was not completely wiped out. Someone escaped. One lineage is the descendant of the Crown Prince, and the other is the descendant of the Emperor Wu¡¯s younger brother, the Liao King. The descendant of the Liao King went to the Southern Wilderness, and established the current royal family of the Southern Wilderness. As for the descendant of the Crown Prince, his whereabouts are unknown. He might have long died.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What does this have to do with the things in the box?¡± Su MO said, ¡°The descendant of the Crown Prince escaped with the jade seal. All these years, the royal family of the Southern Wilderness has always wanted to restore the country and unite the countries.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned.. ¡°So the thing inside¡­ is the Emperor Wu¡¯s jade seal?!¡± Wanna ift the stor ? Tr one. Chapter 828 - Chapter 828: Fetal Movement Chapter 828: Fetal Movement Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°This is just my guess,¡± Su Xuan said. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him suspiciously. ¡°You think it¡¯s the right size, right?¡± Su Xuan coughed lightly. ¡°Ahem.¡± Wei Qing said, ¡°I think Su Xuan¡¯s guess makes sense.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Reason?¡± Wei Qing smiled gently. ¡°There¡¯s no reason. It¡¯s just my intuition.¡± Did the two of them become best friends? Thinking of something, Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Speaking of the Southern Wilderness, I remember something else. When we went to pluck the Snow Domain Hemp, we encountered a group of people from the Southern Wilderness. One of them said that she was the sister of the Southern Wilderness¡¯ Saintess. They were also here to pluck the Snow Domain Hemp. In the process of fighting, we even killed a few experts from the Southern Wilderness. Logically speaking, they should hate us to the core and will think of ways to snatch the Snow Domain Hemp back. However, they didn¡¯t. After that, we met on the streets once, but they didn¡¯t take any action. It¡¯s true that we were sitting in the military camp¡¯s carriage, but we weren¡¯t lead troops. If I were them, I would do my best to snatch it.¡± Su Xuan said thoughtfully, ¡°It means that they have something more important than picking herbs. They didn¡¯t want to complicate matters.¡± Wei Ting felt that this guess was reliable. ¡°Could they also be looking for Emperor Wu¡¯s relic?¡± Now, they could basically confirm that the secret room was not built by their father, but left behind by the previous dynasty. Perhaps their father had accidentally discovered it. Su Xiaoxiao analyzed, ¡°Dad discovered this secret room and left his armor in the outer room, making others think that this secret room was a place he used to hide his armor. Dad doesn¡¯t seem to want anyone to find the Heaven Secrets Box, so we can¡¯t guess Dad¡¯s motive for the time being. However, the Leng family stole the incomplete map from Dad before confirming that he was hiding some treasure. If that group of southern border people also wanted to find the Emperor Wu¡¯s relic, how did they know that it was near Broken North Pass?¡± Su Xuan paused. ¡°Are you trying to say that¡­ General Wei Xu has fallen into the hands of the southern border?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m just guessing.¡± Everything at the moment, be it the jade seal or Wei Xu¡¯s whereabouts, was their guess. ¡°Second Brother, what are you thinking about?¡± Wei Ting sensed that Wei Qing had not said a word. ¡°I listened to your conversation.¡± Wei Qing first showed that he had not missed their analysis. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering what our missing memories are. Why did we forget? Who tampered with us?¡± In the past, they thought it was ¡°King Nanyang¡±, but now that they thought about it, ¡°King Nanyang¡± had made up his mind to silence them back then. Why would he have to destroy their memories? He said softly, ¡°It seems that there¡¯s more to what happened at the Broken North Pass back then.¡± Su Xuan left the second branch with Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting. Su Xuan looked at Su Xiaoxiao quietly with a smile. ¡°I heard that I¡¯m going to have a nephew.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little niece,¡± Wei Ting corrected. Su Xuan smiled and said, ¡°A little niece is quite good.¡± Wei Ting and Su Xuan could not quarrel. Su Xuan did not have any aggressiveness. As for whether he was born like this or just the personality he displayed, it was unknown. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ting got along well with this brother-in-law. Su Xuan looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Since you¡¯re back, go see Grandmother and my mother. They miss you. I¡¯ll get someone to bring Uncle and Ergou over later. We¡¯ll eat dinner at the Duke Mansion. ¡°Where are you going to pick them up?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°The Imperial City Department and the Directorate.¡± Su Xuan didn¡¯t understand why she asked this. Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes dangerously and said seriously with her hands on her hips, ¡°So the Directorate has class today. You skipped class again!¡± Su Xuan, who was caught by his sister every time he skipped class, was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting sent certain someone who had skipped class back to the Directorate. ¡°Sigh, Wei Qing delayed me.¡± Su Xuan hugged his books and went to class helplessly. Su Ergou¡¯s lesson was riding and shooting. When he rode his horse around the field, he met Su Xuan, who was forced to go to school. Su Xuan told him that Su Xiaoxiao was at the door. Without a word, he rode out of the Directorate. The servant guarding the door did not stop him. Which hall and class was this? Demerit! Great demerit! ¡°Sister! Sister!¡± Su Ergou got off the horse and ran towards Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s carriage. He also saw Wei Ting and shouted excitedly, ¡°Brother-in-law!¡± Wei Ting nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve grown taller.¡± Su Ergou scratched his head and smiled. ¡°Hehe.¡± Su Ergou would be 15 in a few days. The 15 -year-old young man was in high spirits and stood tall. He was more than half a head taller than Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao took out a handkerchief and wiped his sweat. ¡°You¡¯ve really grown up.¡± He was the fastest-growing in the family. A year ago, he was thin and shorter than her. Now, he was almost as tall as Su Cheng. Su Xiaoxiao thought of his actions just now and said solemnly, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to ride a horse in the Directorate in the future, let alone ride a horse and rush out. What if you bump into someone?¡± ¡°I was watching. I won¡¯t hit anyone. My riding skills are very good now¡­¡± As Su Ergou spoke, he met his sister¡¯s death stare. His scalp went numb and he obediently lowered his head. ¡°Got it, Sister. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Really, the only person in the world who could make the little tyrant of the Imperial College admit his mistake like this was his biological sister. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Are you still in class?¡± Su Ergou replied honestly, ¡®Yes, riding and archery class.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Go back to class. I¡¯ll pick you up for dinner after school.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Su Ergou was happy again. ¡°Sister, Brother-in-law, I¡¯ll go first! See you later! Remember to pick me up! You definitely have to remember!¡± Su Xiaoxiao urged, ¡°Got it. Hurry up.¡± ¡°Aye!¡± Su Ergou turned around and was about to get on the horse. Just as he raised his foot, he thought of something and put it down timidly. He obediently led the horse in. ¡°Ergou has grown up.¡± Wei Ting placed his hands behind his back and suddenly felt relieved, like an old father. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him. He had been a little addicted to his father act recently. The two of them got into the carriage and planned to buy something on the street. After buying it, they could pick Su Ergou up from school. The carriage swayed on the endless streets. The flames of war at the border could not reach the capital. This place was shockingly peaceful. ¡°Are you still thinking about Dad?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Wei Ting, who was in a daze. Wei Ting came back to his senses and said, ¡°After asking those people from the Southern Wilderness about the Snake Bone Flower in the Saint Lady Temple on Heavenly Mountain, I sent secret guards to the Southern Wilderness. I wonder if they have met up with Big Brother and Sixth Brother. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t contact them. Otherwise, I could ask them to find out Father¡¯s whereabouts.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Speaking of which, Dad is indeed the most likely to be in the southern border.¡± The two countries bordering the Broken North Pass were the Western Jin and the Northern Yan. In the Western Jin, Wei Qing would have found out long ago, and it was impossible in the Northern Yan. The Northern Yan was Helian Ye¡¯s sphere of influence, and Wei Xu could not hide there for five years. Moreover, from the clues he had so far, only the southern border was related to the secret room where Wei Xu hid his armor. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wei Ting without blinking. ¡°You also want to go to the southern border, right?¡± Wei Ting pondered for a moment and said, ¡°The two southern border people said that the Snake Bone Flower blooms every February and March, and Second Brother¡¯s medicine can only last until the end of March. At the latest, at the beginning of April. If there¡¯s only the Snake Bone Flower at the end of March¡­¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°Then we won¡¯t be able to send it back to the capital in time. Looks like we still have to go to the southern border.¡± Wei Ting was a little hesitant. ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient for you since you;re pregnant. This little thing is so delicate. What if¡­¡± ¡°Urgh¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao looked down at her stomach in confusion. ¡°It seemed to have moved just now¡­ But that was not right.. How could there be such an early fetal movement?¡± Chapter 829 - Chapter 829: Meeting Chapter 829: Meeting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Gulp- Her stomach growled. Su Xiaoxiao hummed. ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯m hungry.¡± Wei Ting took a deep look at her stomach. Could this child also be a little devil.. Impossible. She must be a soft and cute little girl. Wei Ting got out of the carriage and went nearby to buy her a box of osmanthus cake. Just as he was about to sit back in the carriage, another carriage drove over. ¡°General Wei, please wait!¡± Wei Ting frowned slightly and turned around. He saw Eunuch Quan get out of the carriage with a smile and cup his hands at him. ¡°Greetings, General Wei.¡± As he spoke, he looked at the osmanthus cake in Wei Ting¡¯s hand and then at the carriage. He smiled and asked. ¡°Madam Wei is also in the carriage. right?¡± Wei Ting asked calmly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Eunuch Quan smiled and said, ¡°His Majesty has summoned General Wei and Madam Wei to the palace.¡± In the Imperial Study, Xiao Duye, who had rested for the entire night and had barely recovered some energy, reported the battle situation at the border to Emperor Jing Xuan. Although Emperor Jing Xuan was in the capital, battle reports came from the border from time to time. What Xiao Duye said was basically the same as in the battle reports. At least, Xiao Duye did not lie when he attacked first in Northern Yan and in several important battles. There was no sadness or joy on Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s expression. This confounded Xiao Duye. He had spent a Herculean effort to establish battle achievements and almost lost his life. Why didn¡¯t his father look as happy as when he conquered the southwest? Could it be that the credit for defeating Northern Yan was not as much as calming the internal strife? It couldn¡¯t be¡­ The internal strife was a small mess, but Northern Yan was an enemy country. Xiao Duye was puzzled. Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°Did you really order the attack on Northern Yan?¡± Xiao Duye cupped his hands and bowed. He said solemnly, ¡°Northern Yan was extremely arrogant. It actually let Tuoba Lie lead a 100,000-strong army into Broken North Pass, invade our border, and seize our city. If I don¡¯t take revenge, I¡¯m not a gentleman. Moreover, I¡¯m a prince of the Great Zhou. I naturally have to protect the rivers and mountains of the Great Zhou and the people of the Great Zhou!¡± Emperor Jing Xuan continued, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use Leng Kui?¡± He had used Leng Kui. Didn¡¯t he go to the battlefield to kill enemies well? Xiao Duye quickly realized that his father was referring to not needing Leng Kui to be the commander-in-chief of the three armies. Was his father¡­ questioning him or asking? Xiao Duye could not figure out what Emperor Jing Xuan meant for a moment, so he could only say truthfully, ¡°Father, when Leng Kui was the commander-in-chief, he repeatedly failed. Not only did he let Tuoba Lie attack Broken North Pass, but he also lost the border city. The morale of the soldiers fell greatly, so I elected Qin Canglan as the commander-in-chief.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Leng Zhao and Leng Jue?¡± Xiao Duye said, ¡°Leng Jue fled at the last minute, causing the soldiers to die tragically. Jing Yi was captured, so it would be difficult to energize the army if we didn¡¯t kill him! As for Leng Zhao, he was seriously injured when fighting Tuoba Lie. He was delirious and ran out to drown in the well.¡± When Leng Zhao died, he was sleeping in the tent. He only heard the news the next morning. Everyone said that he had drowned himself and could not find evidence of any other possibilities, so it was decided. Emperor Jing Xuan calmly picked up a memorial. ¡®Why did I hear that there¡¯s something strange about this?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something strange¡­¡± General Xiao Duye told the truth. ¡°When he ran out, he said a lot of nonsense. He said¡­ that he was the one who leaked the whereabouts of Wei Xu and his sons back then, causing them to be ambushed by the Northern Yan army. Moreover, in this battle against the Northern Yan, he also revealed Wei Ting¡¯s battle plan to Helian Ye, causing Wei Ting to be ambushed. The word is that¡­ he committed suicide to avoid punishment.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan put down the memorial. Xiao Duye fell silent. Eunuch Quan came over and reported that Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao had arrived. Emperor Jing Xuan asked Xiao Duye to return to the residence to rest and summoned Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao into the Imperial Study. It had only been two months since they last met, but Emperor Jing Xuan had changed a little. His eyes were puffy and his complexion looked rosy, but he was actually a little weak. It was said that recently, Emperor Jing Xuan had become more and more obsessed with the art of immortality. He took the pills sent by the Imperial Preceptor every day and two concubines in the harem were pregnant. This made Emperor Jing Xuan believe that he had returned to his youth. ¡°I heard that you were injured. Are you feeling better?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan said. Wei Ting bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan smiled. ¡°You did a good job with Helian Ye. I heard that the two of you even went to the battlefield and subdued some troops at the border. It¡¯s said that those troops are very brave and don¡¯t look like ordinary scattered soldiers.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him. It was impossible for this emperor not to be afraid of the Wei family for a day. When they were dealing with King Nanyang, he had clearly pretended to be generous and returned the Commander¡¯s Seal to Wei Ting. Now, he was pursuing the matter of them incorporating the troops. Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°His Highness Liang was surrounded by Northern Yan, and General Leng gave up Jia County and ignored His Highness¡¯s life and death. I and Madam had no choice but to gather some people at the border. Speaking of which, it¡¯s strange. Many of those people were clearly soldiers of our Imperial Court. They had gone to the battlefield and killed enemies, but they were expelled from the military camp for no reason. They didn¡¯t even have compensation. I think there¡¯s something wrong with this matter. Your Majesty, please order a thorough investigation!¡± These words were telling Emperor Jing Xuan that if he did not incorporate the troops, his son would have died long ago. Also, he said that they were brave, but weren¡¯t the veterans of the Imperial Court brave? It was the Leng family who turned them into scattered soldiers. Why didn¡¯t he settle the Leng family first? Emperor Jing Xuan was speechless. He glanced at the two of them and said calmly, ¡°Alright, I didn¡¯t ask the two of you to denounce you. You¡¯ve contributed to killing the enemy. If I treat you badly, won¡¯t I disappoint the soldiers and commoners at the border? Tell me, what do you want?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s my duty to serve Your Majesty. I won¡¯t take credit.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan looked at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°What about you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t take credit.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan relaxed. He did not want to give the two of them any rewards, but at the same time, he looked forward to what they wanted. This was because only by asking for it would they seem arrogant. ¡°But Your Majesty.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a list. ¡°Please reimburse the soldiers¡¯ salary. I was the one who paid for the Leng family¡¯s lack of provisions and silver. As the ruler of a country, you won¡¯t owe me a debt, right?¡± Emperor Jing Xuan was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao left the Imperial Study first. Wei Ting stayed. Emperor Jing Xuan still had something to ask Wei Ting. Coincidentally, he had something to discuss with Emperor Jing Xuan. Not long after Su Xiaoxiao came out, she bumped into Princess Hui An. Princess Hui An was wearing a light yellow palace robe with a tender pink cloak over it. She was as beautiful as a peach blossom. She picked up her skirt and walked over quickly. ¡°Little sidekick!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and bowed. ¡°Princess Hui An.¡± Princess Hui An looked at her anxiously. ¡°I heard that you went to war.. Were you injured?¡± Chapter 830 - Chapter 830: Good Things Come in Pairs Chapter 830: Good Things Come in Pairs Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Princess Hui An, don¡¯t worry.¡± Princess Hui An sniffed her body but did not smell the medicine. She was slightly relieved. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to look for medicine? Why were you fighting?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled helplessly. ¡°I happened to make it.¡± Princess Hui An frowned slightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go to the border next time. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± At the side, Little Shunzi said, ¡°Princess Hui An was worried about you. She hasn¡¯t slept for a few nights, and she hasn¡¯t had a good appetite. She¡¯s even lost weight.¡± Princess Hui An glared at Little Shunzi. ¡°Who asked you to talk too much! If you continue talking nonsense, I¡¯ll pull out your tongue!¡± Little Shunzi shrank his neck resentfully. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the thin Princess Hui An and said softly, ¡°Princess, you have to take care of yourself in the capital.¡± Princess Hui An said stubbornly, ¡°I took good care of myself. I even gained weight. As for you, you look much thinner.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and didn¡¯t continue the topic. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to write to you this time. Please forgive me, Princess.¡± Princess Hui An said proudly, ¡°Of course you won¡¯t have time to write letters since you went to war. I¡¯m not such an unreasonable person.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out a small box. ¡°This is for Princess Hui An.¡± ¡°What?¡± Princess Hui An asked. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The snow lotus I picked when I went to Heavenly Mountain to look for medicine. This is a real Heavenly Mountain snow lotus.¡± Princess Hui An¡¯s eyes were bright as she looked at the box. She looked very calm. ¡°At least you¡¯re considerate. What did you give Jingning? She would never ask if she was giving a gift to only her again because she knew that this girl was a person who benefited from both sides! If she was given a gift, she would give one to Jingning! Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°I haven¡¯t given it yet.¡± Princess Hui An extended her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to her for you.¡± There was no need¡­ As they were speaking, Princess Jingning walked over. ¡°Princess Jingning!¡± Little Shunzi hurriedly bowed. Princess Hui An snorted angrily. ¡®What are you doing here? Are you done? Have you chosen your husband so quickly?¡± Su Xiaoxiao hummed. ¡°Picking a consort?¡± Princess Hui An smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s old enough to get married. Mother has been looking for a husband for her recently!¡± After Jingning got married, she would not be able to snatch her sidekick! Princess Jingning calmly looked at her idiotic sister. ¡°I¡¯m also picking one for you.¡± Princess Hui An exploded. ¡°Why are you picking one for me? I¡¯m not getting married!¡± Princess Jingning said, ¡°You¡¯re already at the age of marriage. Mother Xian has come to look for Mother several times and asked her not to leave you behind when choosing a husband for me.¡± ¡°Is there a suitable candidate?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Princess Jingning said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t have any for the time being. She does have a few¡­ Mother Xian likes Jing Yi the most.¡± Princess Hui An said angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry Jing Yi! ¡± The two children would be in a tizzy after getting married. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t dare to imagine that scene. Princess Hui An thought of something and suddenly looked at Princess Jingning with a smile. ¡°I heard that Mother likes Top Scorer Su very much. She might even let Su Xuan be your husband!¡± Princess Jingning said readily, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll marry Su Xuan and be Qin Su¡¯s cousin-in-law in the future.¡± Wasn¡¯t this a family¡­ Princess Hui An¡¯s face darkened. Su Xiaoxiao shook her head secretly. Like Xiaohu, she clearly couldn¡¯t win against him, but she still had to pinch him. After defeating her sister, Princess Jingning turned to Su Xiaoxiao and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have any arrangements next, right? Coincidentally, I ordered a batch of jewelry. Follow me out of the palace to choose one or two.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Okay.¡± Princess Hui An snorted. ¡°I want to go too!¡± The three of them left the palace in the carriage and went to the Jade Pavilion to choose jewelry. Su Xiaoxiao had only eaten some osmanthus cake in the carriage to fill her stomach and was a little hungry now. There was a tea shop nearby that was not bad. It was clearly a tea shop, but it made good plum blossom meat. The three of them chose a room on the second floor. Just as she sat down by the window, Su Xiaoxiao heard a familiar voice from next door. She leaned out of the window and asked tentatively, ¡°Fourth Cousin?¡± The voice next door stopped abruptly. Su Xiaoxiao had just sent Su Xuan back to the Directorate when Su Xuan skipped class again and was caught by his sister. Su Xuan decided to hide and deny it no matter what, but he could not help but have stupid teammates beside him. ¡°Miss su?¡± Shen Chuan also leaned out of the window and smiled in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s really you? What a coincidence! Brother Su! It¡¯s Miss Su!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled dangerously. Hide, Su Xuan, continue hiding. Su Xuan slapped his forehead. Shen Qinghe got him into trouble! The two of them came over to greet him. This was the first time Shen Chuan had seen the two royal princesses. He was so nervous that he was at a loss. He cupped his hands and bowed obediently. ¡°Greetings, Country Protecting Princess. Greetings, Princess Hui An.¡± ¡°Rise,¡± Princess Jingning said. Shen Chuan looked straight ahead, not daring to blaspheme the two royal princesses with his eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Chuan didn¡¯t know the two of them, but Princess Jingning knew him. As one of the most outstanding Top Scorers in this batch, Princess Jingning had read a few of his articles and had a deep impression of him. Naturally, she had also seen Su Xuan¡¯s. The two of them could be considered outstanding. However, Su Xuan was a Top Scorer in the capital, while Shen Chuan was only a Top Scorer from a local area. In addition, his background was not as good as Su Xuan¡¯s, so his reputation was not as great. Princess Jingning glanced at Shen Chuan again. He was a talented person and looked innocent. She could see through him at a glance, unlike Su Xuan. He looked quiet and harmless, but he had a pair of unfathomable eyes. This man was like a deep pool with endless secrets. Princess Jingning did not like this feeling of being out of control, but her mother had taken a fancy to him¡­ ¡°Since you¡¯re here, sit down,¡± she said. Shen Chuan looked at Su Xuan. Su Xuan smiled quietly. ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Tea with the princesses¡­ Shen Chuan was so nervous. There was an empty seat beside Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xuan walked over and sat down. Shen Chuan sat on the side. On his right was Su Xuan, and on his other side was Princess Jingning. The storyteller was telling the story of the war at the border in the lobby on the first floor. Princess Hui An sat by the window and listened with interest. Su Xiaoxiao realized that Su Xuan was looking at her and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xuan said softly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. The storyteller talked about marriage. That devastatingly beautiful royal princess married into a barbarian land. The two armies fought and used her as a bargaining chip to force her to offer wine to the soldiers like a female slave. She even had to stand on the city tower with disheveled clothes. She couldn¡¯t stand the humiliation and jumped off the city tower. It¡¯s really a pity.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Su Xuan strangely. ¡°The storyteller didn¡¯t tell this part.¡± Su Xuan picked up his teacup and lowered his eyes. ¡°Oh, it was from the last time.¡± Shen Chuan leaned over. ¡°Which time? Why haven¡¯t I heard of it?¡± Su Xuan smiled quietly. ¡°You weren¡¯t around.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Princess Hui An. Princess Hui An was excited when she heard this. As she placed her hands on the windowsill, her eyes were bright, revealing the purest beauty of a young girl. ¡°We¡¯ll go back to attend class first.¡± Su Xuan bade farewell to them and went downstairs with Shen Chuan. Su Xiaoxiao thought of Su Xuan¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help but look at the lobby again. Su Xuan seemed to have sensed something and stopped in his tracks, looking up. ¡°Who are you looking at?¡± Princess Hui An followed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze and looked down. Seeing that it was her follower¡¯s brother, she waved at him. With this wave, the snow lotus box in her arms fell. ¡°My snow lotus¡­¡± She hurriedly flew forward to grab it. She used too much strength and pounced forward. Su Xuan looked at the princess who was smashing down at him.. Chapter 831 - Chapter 831: Family Reunion Chapter 831: Family Reunion Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xuan hesitated for half a second. Then, he decisively took a step to the side. ¡°Miss! I¡¯m here to save you!¡± In the hall, a burly man who had long noticed Princess Hui An rushed over. It would have been fine if Su Xuan hadn¡¯t dodged, but when he did, he bumped into the burly man. ¡°Aiyo, why are you blocking my way? The burly man could not stop. Su Xuan staggered two steps forward from the impact and was hit by Princess Hui An. It perfectly explained what it meant to accept what was meant for one. Princess Hui An thought that she was dead for sure, but it didn¡¯t seem to hurt that much. Su Xuan lay on the ground helplessly. This was the first time in his life that he had become a human cushion. Su Xiaoxiao rested her chin on the windowsill with one hand and looked at him calmly. Her gloating eyes seemed to be saying, ¡°Who told you to dodge? Is this good? If you didn¡¯t dodge, you might not have fallen.¡± The burly man, who could not save the damsel in distress, felt extremely suffocated. He wanted to see which pretty boy had hindered his good deed. When his gaze landed on Su Xuan¡¯s impeccable and noble handsome face, he immediately stopped talking. This scholar was good-looking. He couldn¡¯t compare to him. As the guests gathered to watch, the boss of the teahouse knew that their identities were precious and hurriedly instructed the waiter to stop the guests. Shen Chuan was a little dumbfounded. What had happened? He had only taken a few steps and did not look back. Why did the two of them fall together in public? What should he do? Su Xuan sighed helplessly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting up?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Princess Hui An got up. Soon, she squatted down at him again. He thought she was going to help him up. In the blink of an eye, he saw her pick up a small box on the ground. After opening it, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s not ruined.¡± Su Xiaoxiao, Princess Jingning, and the others walked down. Princess Jingning looked at her idiotic sister and asked in anticipation better from someone, ¡°Are you injured?¡± Princess Hui An shook her head. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Does it hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Your head doesn¡¯t hurt either?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Then, do you feel dizzy, nauseous, and want to retch?¡± Su Xuan muttered ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ Su Xiaoxiao was confirming if Princess Hui An had a concussion. It seemed that the quality of Su Xuan¡¯s flesh cushion was not bad. This matter did not have much impact on Princess Hui An¡¯s reputation. After all, she was a royal princess. If a lady had physical contact with a man, she would not be able to get married. This did not apply to her. No one dared to cast this grievance on the emperor¡¯s daughter. Princess Hui An did not take it to heart. She felt bad for smashing into her sidekick¡¯s brother. ¡°Is your cousin alright?¡± she whispered to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Su Xuan. ¡°Very good.¡± Su Xuan sighed softly. Princess Hui An was a little frightened. Princess Jingning bade farewell to Su Xiaoxiao and Su Xuan and brought Hui An back to the palace. Su Xiaoxiao went to the Directorate with Su Xuan and Shen Chuan. She didn¡¯t send them back to class. School had already ended at this time. Wei Ting was still in the palace and had someone send a message to the Marquis of Zhenbei. He wouldn¡¯t be able to come over tonight. There was no need to wait for him for dinner. He would accompany Su Xiaoxiao to return another day. The Su family appreciated the word ¡°return¡±. Su Xiaoxiao went to Pear Blossom Lane to pick up Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu. Ling Yun really couldn¡¯t stand the dispirited state of his three little evil disciples anymore. He made up his mind and took out his trump card¡ªthe Myriad Flower Drum. This drum was comparable to a war drum. It was big, loud, and majestic. Its sound effect was very shocking. In the past, he did not dare to let his little evil disciples touch it because he was afraid that he would be beaten away too. However, now that the three of them seemed to have lost their souls, he could not sit back and do nothing as their master. In the morning, Deng An came in first. He was holding three boxes of snacks. ¡°Young Master, here.¡± ¡°Where did you get the snacks?¡± Ling Yun asked. Deng An smiled and said, ¡®Madam Wei is back. She made these herself and asked Dahu and the others to bring them to Young Master!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ wait, who did you say is back?¡± ¡°Madam Wei!¡± Ling Yun¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he stood up! ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Put the drum away!¡± Too late. The three little ones had already kicked off their shoes and dashed in. They were like three small cannons that knocked Ling Yun down and covered his face with saliva. ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Wow! What a big drum! Xiaohu wants to play the drum!¡± ¡°Erhu wants it too! Erhu wants it too!¡± Even the most obedient Dahu could not hold it down. When Su Xiaoxiao came to pick up the three little ones, she saw Ling Yun sitting cross-legged under the corridor with an ashen face. She walked forward and checked his breathing. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still breathing. I almost thought you were dead.¡± At this moment, Ling Yun, who really wanted to become a monk, was speechless. At night, Su Cheng returned from the Imperial City. After not seeing him for a long time, he had the aura of a Protector Duke. Dressed in an official robe, he looked even more handsome, valiant, and extraordinary. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°Daughter!¡± Su Cheng strode into the house and came to Su Xiaoxiao. He held her shoulder and sized her up. She had lost weight again, making his heart ache. Was it easy for him to raise 200 catties? He had lost half of his daughter! ¡°Eh? Where¡¯s my son-in-law?¡± He looked around but did not see Wei Ting. As long as he did not work, he was a good son-in-law. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°He¡¯s in the palace and can¡¯t come over tonight. He¡¯ll come back another day to see Dad.¡± Su Cheng pondered for a moment and nodded. ¡°He just returned from the border. His Majesty must have a lot to ask him.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. Her father had also matured and looked at the problem from a different perspective. ¡°Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa!¡± The three little fellows ran over and hugged his legs, rubbing their little heads against him. Su Cheng looked at the little guys who had recovered their energy and was both angry and amused. ¡°Your mother is back. Are you happy? ¡°Happy,¡± Dahu said. ¡°Erhu is also happy,¡± Erhu said. ¡°Xiaohu is the happiest!¡± Xiaohu puffed out his chest. Su Cheng picked up the nearest Dahu. ¡°This is Grandpa¡¯s good grandson!¡± ¡°Erhu wants to be hugged too!¡± ¡°Grandpa! Grandpa! Carry Xiaohu! Carry Xiaohu!¡± The two of them stretched out their small arms for a hug. ¡°Uncle will come and carry you!¡± Su Li carried Xiaohu away. Xiaohu refused and twisted his butt in his arms. ¡°I want Grandpa to carry me!¡± ¡°No, I want to hug you!¡± Soon, Su Qi and Su Yu came over. The two of them went to snatch Erhu. Erhu shouted, ¡°Aiya¡­¡± Wuhu stood on the branch and flapped its small wings. ¡°Run! Run! Run!¡± It had been a long time since the Duke Mansion was so lively. The family ate dinner happily. Su Xiaoxiao vaguely felt that she had forgotten to say something important. The forgotten Wei Xiaobao was speechless. When Wei Ting returned to the residence from the palace, Su Xiaoxiao had already returned with the children. The three little ones played for the entire day and exhausted all their energy before falling asleep. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± Wei Ting asked Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I¡¯ll sleep after eating.¡± Having to eat for two made her hungry quickly.. Chapter 832 - Chapter 832: Killing God Wei Xu Chapter 832: Killing God Wei Xu Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Wei Ting sat down beside her. ¡°I ate a little and am a little hungry.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Perfect. Let¡¯s eat together.¡± There was a big bowl of red date silver ear soup stew in the kitchen, and Su Xiaoxiao scooped a bowl for him. ¡°Speaking of which, why did you go for so long? Have you been talking to His Majesty in the Imperial Study?¡± Wei Ting took the silver fungus soup. ¡°No, I went to the Ministry of War to hand it over and wrote a few documents. It has to be done in detail.¡± Wei Ting had yet to eat. He glanced at her and picked out all the dates in his bowl. Then, he gave her his bowl. This guy was quite considerate. Su Xiaoxiao took another bite. It was sweet and she liked it very much. ¡°How has Dad been recently?¡± Wei Ting was also very concerned about Su Cheng. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Not bad. Granduncle, Grandaunt, and the others are fine.¡± ¡°I should be able to finish my work in the next few days. I¡¯ll accompany you back then. ¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Ah, right, did you mention the matter of going to the southern border to His Majesty?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°I checked with him and said that Zhuge Qing is still missing a medicine. He said that my injuries have yet to recover and it¡¯s inconvenient. He will send someone else to find the herb and let me recuperate in the capital in peace. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Looks like you made a great contribution at the border this time and touched the Leng family, making him feel that you¡¯re getting more and more uncontrollable. He¡¯s afraid that your contribution will overshadow him, and he¡¯s also afraid that you¡¯ll have treasonous thoughts. He¡¯ll only be at ease if he keeps you under his nose.¡± Wei Ting scooped a spoonful of silver fungus soup. ¡°Hmph, he wishes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao also felt that Emperor Jing Xuan was a little unwise this time. Wei Ting looked obedient, but he was actually rebellious. Emperor Jing Xuan thought that he could control Wei Ting as the Son of Heaven, but little did he know that Wei Ting would one day be voluptuous. Su Xiaoxiao fell asleep as she ate. Wei Ting carried her to the bed and covered her with the blanket. He stuffed the three brats who had kicked off the blankets back into their small blankets. After doing this, he went to the courtyard of the second branch and knocked on the door of Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law. ¡°Second Brother, are you asleep?¡± Wei Qing said softly, ¡°I¡¯m not asleep. Wait for me in the study.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± In the study, Wei Qing sat in a wheelchair and looked at his younger brother with a calm expression. The little troublemaker, who had always been mischievous and needed his elder brothers to pick up after him, had finally grown up and become an indomitable man, holding up the Wei family. ¡°Yes, Second Brother. I¡¯ve decided,¡± Wei Ting said word by word. Wei Qing nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. The days of hiding should be over. The Wei family should live openly.¡± They had been waiting for an opportunity. Now was the right time. Wei Qing looked at him with a smile. ¡°Go. I support you. If there¡¯s risk. I¡¯ll bear it with you.¡± Wei Ting was injured at the border. Emperor Jing Xuan exempted him from attending the court, but the next morning, Wei Ting still went resolutely. He was not wearing the official robe of the imperial court, but an armor that had experienced killing on the battlefield. He was holding another armor in his arms. Many officials recognized it. ¡°Isn¡¯t that General Wei Xu¡¯s armor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It was said to have been lost back then.¡± ¡°General Wei Xu was killed by Helian Ye and his corpse was dumped. We didn¡¯t even find a piece of armor. What¡¯s going on?¡± The civil and military officials whispered Xiao Duye could not take it anymore and rested in his residence. He did not come to court today, but Xiao Shunyang and Xiao Zhonghua were both there. The two princes looked at Wei Xu¡¯s armor and did not speak for a moment. The most shocked person was Emperor Jing Xuan. He sat on the high dragon throne and looked down at the entire imperial court. He was the emperor, but the moment Wei Ting walked towards him with Wei Xu¡¯s armor, he felt that Wei Xu was walking towards him. If there was anyone in the entire Wei family that the Emperor feared the most, it would be Wei Xu. Wei Xu had surpassed his master. His martial arts attainment was even higher than that of Lord Wu An. If he had not been schemed against by a traitor, how would Helian Ye have a chance? Most importantly, he was in his prime at that time. He was too powerful and terrifying. Wei Ting stopped with the golden armor in his arms. A murderous aura filled the entire throne room, and the hall was instantly silent. Seeing the armor was like seeing Wei Xu return. Everyone held their breaths. The imperial court looked at the armor with more fear than they did at him, the emperor. Emperor Jing Xuan felt a little upset. You¡¯re not so afraid of Qin Canglan, right? He¡¯s just Wei Xu! It was not that everyone was not afraid of Qin Canglan, but that Qin Canglan¡¯s style of doing things was more predictable. If they were careful, they would not provoke him. As for Wei Xu¡­ Everyone could not help but remember the night of the rebellion when the late emperor was in power. He guarded the throne room alone. By the time the reinforcements arrived, he was already covered in blood. The battle was over, and the ground was filled with the heads and corpses of the rebels. He carried the fed blood sword and his entire body dripped. It was unknown if it was the blood was his or the rebel¡¯s . Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the sky. He stood expressionlessly in the bloody night. Anyone who had seen that scene would never forget it. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at the armor facing him and had the illusion that he was being stared at by Wei Xu. This feeling made him uncomfortable. He frowned and said, ¡°Wei Ting, what¡¯s going on?¡± Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°Your Majesty, this is my father¡¯s armor.¡± The ministers were shocked. The Minister of Revenue said, ¡°Is it really General Wei Xu¡¯s armor? Didn¡¯t General Wei Xu die without a corpse? Did you find General Wei Xu¡¯s body?¡± Wei Ting said to him, ¡°I didn¡¯t find my father¡¯s body because my father might not be dead.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, it caused a storm in the throne room. What did Wei Ting say? Wei Xu was not dead? Although it was only a possibility, this was too shocking! Xiao Zhonghua was the only one who knew in advance. He had gone to see Jing Yi. Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting did not tell Xiao Duye about Wei Xu, but they did not hide it from Jing Yi. However, Jing Yi did not say that Wei Xu might still be alive. The young brat was helping outsiders even more. Xiao Shunyang glanced at him and said calmly, ¡®Why? Third Brother doesn¡¯t know either? Jing Yi must know since he was traveling with them. Didn¡¯t he even tell Third Brother this? Third Brother, you have to be careful. Don¡¯t let your cousin be kidnapped.¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled and said, ¡°Second Brother doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡± Wei Ting looked at Emperor Jing Xuan on the dragon throne. He was clearly looking up, but he was neither humble nor arrogant. He said, ¡°Before Helian Ye died, he unintentionally revealed my father¡¯s whereabouts. It turned out that my father had escaped from him back then. However, he was seriously injured and was captured by someone else. I found my father¡¯s armor and confirmed that Helian Ye was not lying.¡± As he spoke, he took a step back and knelt on one knee with his father¡¯s armor.. ¡°I request to go south to find my father!¡± Chapter 833 - Chapter 833: Suppressing the Emperor Chapter 833: Suppressing the Emperor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting did not say where he found the armor. It was related to the relics of the previous dynasty. He still understood this principle. The Wei family was already eye-catching enough. There were some things that did not need to be said to complicate matters. If Leng Ziling was still alive, he might have told the Leng family about this. However, he was not afraid that the Leng family would jump out and report him for taking Wei Xu¡¯s armor and the relics of the previous dynasty. Not to mention whether the Leng family knew that the box contained the relics of the previous dynasty, so what if they did? Did they dare to say it? They held their father¡¯s incomplete map and did not hand it to His Majesty. Instead, they held it in their hands. It was obvious that they wanted to take the treasure for themselves. Emperor Jing Xuan promoted the Leng family because they were obedient. Once the Leng family was disobedient, it would be the next Wei family. The Leng family did not have the guts to gamble. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at Wei Ting with a complicated expression and tightened his grip on the dragon throne. ¡°When you say that you¡¯re going south to look for your father, have you confirmed General Wei Xu¡¯s whereabouts?¡± The person who asked was Xiao Zhonghua. Wei Ting said without changing his expression, ¡°After my father escaped, Helian Ye tracked him all the way and found a few items from the southern border where the clues were broken.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said, ¡°So you suspect that General Wei Xu was brought to the southern border.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xiao Zhonghua asked suspiciously, ¡°But¡­ why did the southern border capture General Wei Xu?¡± Wei Ting said truthfully, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, that¡¯s why I want to find out the truth.¡± Xiao Zhonghua looked up at Emperor Jing Xuan, who was sitting on the dragon chair, and said solemnly, ¡°Father, there are many fecious points about this matter. If General Wei Xu really fell into the hands of the southern border, we have to be wary of the southern border¡¯s intentions.¡± An old general said disdainfully, ¡°The southern border is just a barbarian land. So what if they have ulterior motives? Can we be afraid of them!¡± There was also a chain of disdain between countries. The Western Jin and the Wei Country were large countries that were at the top of power. The Great Zhou and Northern Yan was not like these two countries and had to look up to them. On the other hand, the southern border was only a small country formed by Xiao Zhonghua said unhurriedly, ¡°That was the former southern border. Now that they have unified all the tribes and small countries in the region, it¡¯s a force that can¡¯t be underestimated. Moreover, the southern border uses mountains as a miasma and has a natural terrain that¡¯s easy to defend and difficult to attack. It¡¯s an excellent place to nurture soldiers. If they have ambitions, there will be endless trouble in the future!¡± The minister of the Honglu Temple had not said anything, but he frowned. Emperor Jing Xuan noticed his abnormality. ¡°Minister Honglu, do you have something to report?¡± The head of the Honglu Temple was in charge of diplomatic relations with various countries. Most of the things that the minister of the Honglu Temple wanted to report were related to news from other countries. Emperor Jing Xuan thought that Northern Yan had come to ask for peace, but who knew that it was the southern border? Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What did you say? A marriage proposal?¡± The minister of the Honglu Temple said awkwardly, ¡°Yes, the King of the Southern Wilderness requests to marry a princess of the Great Zhou for his son.¡± The old general spoke again. ¡°Hmph, I think the King of the Southern Wilderness is dreaming. How can a noble princess of our Great Zhou marry into a barbarian land?¡± The minister of Honglu Temple knew that there was no chance. He did not plan to say anything in the court. He only wanted to hand over a memorial and wait for Emperor Jing Xuan to reject. It was only today that Wei Ting mentioned that General Wei Xu might be in the southern border that he hesitated to mention it. It was impossible for Emperor Jing Xuan to agree to marry his daughter to such a godforsaken place; he would not even send the daughter of a minister. If the news of the princess of the Great Zhou marrying a barbarian spread, she would probably become the laughing stock of the countries. Emperor Jing Xuan did not take it to heart at all. What really gave him a headache was Wei Ting going south to look for his father. Wei Ting said, ¡°Your Majesty asked me yesterday in the imperial study that I had made a great contribution and wanted to reward me heavily. He asked me if there¡¯s anything I want. I don¡¯t want anything except to look for my father.¡± The corners of Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s mouth twitched. He said yesterday that he didn¡¯t want anything else! Wei Ting had just made a great contribution at the border. Now that he had suggested finding his father in front of the civil and military officials, how could Emperor Jing Xuan not agree? Did he still want his image as a wise ruler? Emperor Jing Xuan said, ¡°But your injuries haven¡¯t healed¡­¡± Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m eager to find my father. What¡¯s this small injury?¡± The ministers nodded. How could Wei Ting¡¯s filial piety not move them? ¡°Your Majesty, let Wei Ting find General Wei Xu.¡± ¡°Please let General Wei Xu return to the court!¡± ¡°We beg Your Majesty to let General Wei Xu return to the court!¡± The entire court asked for orders on behalf of Wei Ting and Wei Xu. Emperor Jing Xuan could not go against the entire court, so he could only agree. After leaving the palace, Wei Ting got into the Wei family¡¯s carriage. The Old Marquis and Su Yuan were also sitting inside. The two of them deliberately took leave today and did not go to court. Others could ask for orders on behalf of Wei Ting, but the Qin and Su families had to temporarily lie low. ¡°Did His Majesty agree to let you go to the southern border?¡± Su Yuan asked. ¡°He agreed,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Thank you, Uncle and Granduncle.¡± On the surface, the Old Marquis and Su Yuan did not go to court, but they secretly made arrangements. Those who jumped out to plead on Wei Ting¡¯s behalf were all asked by them. The Old Marquis sighed. ¡°I can only help you until here. Anything more will backfire.¡± Wei Ting nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Today, we¡¯ll consider it as facing His Majesty head-on. There¡¯s no turning back.¡± The Old Marquis looked at Wei Ting. ¡°I hope your deduction is right. Your father is still alive and in the southern border.¡± Su Yuan said, ¡°Regardless of whether Wei Xu is in the southern border or not, he has to go for Wei Qing¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Old Marquis said to Wei Ting. ¡°How do you plan to go?¡± Wei Ting thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go south through Qingzhou. I¡¯ll bring Xiaoxiao back to pay respects to the ancestors and offer incense to Mother.¡± The biological mother of Su Ergou and Su Xiaoxiao, Madam Chen, was buried in the countryside of Qingzhou. Previously, they were not sure of Su Cheng¡¯s identity. Now that Su Cheng had already acknowledged his roots and ancestors, it was actually time for them to move Madam Chen¡¯s grave. They planned to move Madam Chen¡¯s coffin back to the capital after returning from the southern border and set up the stone tablet to protect the Duchess and bury it in the Qin family¡¯s fengshui treasure land. The Old Marquis sighed sadly. ¡°That¡¯s how it should be. Sigh, that child is also a pitiful person.¡± Although Madam Chen was born in the countryside, she had parents and an elder brother. Her life should not be bad, but she had not been treated well since she was young. It was not easy for her to get married, but she passed away after a few years. The Old Marquis patted Wei Ting¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Go and see your mother. It¡¯s good to do so.¡± The matter of Wei Ting going to the southern border was settled. Wei Qing also traveled with him. He was a strategist of the Western Jin Dynasty, and Emperor Jing Xuan could not care less about his whereabouts. Li Wan couldn¡¯t bear to part with him, afraid that this farewell would be forever. Wei Qing looked at her gently. ¡®Wanwan, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Wei Xiyue could not bear to part with her father either. She sat on Wei Qing¡¯s lap and hugged his neck tightly. Wei Qing stroked her little head dotingly. ¡°Daddy will miss Xiyue too.¡± Old Madam Wei sat in the room. Her heart ached at the thought that the children would have to leave again. ¡°You¡¯ve only been back for a few days and have to leave the capital. It¡¯s always cold and desolate here.¡± Wei Ting squeezed his grandmother¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. This small injury of mine is fine.¡± Old Madam Wei glared at him and removed his hand in disdain. ¡°Who¡¯s worried about you? I¡¯m worried about my granddaughter-in-law and great-grandchild!¡± Wei Ting looked hurt. ¡°Grandmother, you¡¯ve changed. You don¡¯t dote on Little Seven anymore.¡± In the evening, Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s imperial edict arrived to formally instruct Wei Ting to find General Wei Xu. In addition, Emperor Jing Xuan arranged for a prince to accompany him. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Is it Xiao Duye?¡± Wei Ting looked at the imperial edict and said, ¡°Xiao Shunyang..¡± Chapter 834 - Chapter 834: Su Xuan l s Secret Chapter 834: Su Xuan l s Secret Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was actually Xiao Shunyang. It seemed that Emperor Jing Xuan was really guarding against them. He was even more worried about letting them go to the southern border alone than picking herbs at the border. That was true. It was her and King Liang who went to the border. Wei Ting had been issued a military order to kill Helian Ye. At that time, Emperor Jing Xuan did not think that such an arrangement could pose any threat. Who would have thought that she would recruit troops at the border and that Wei Ting would also go into battle to kill the enemy and make contributions? Even Qin Canglan, who was sent to act as the facade, was reinstated as a marshal under the approval of King Liang. Emperor Jing Xuan began to feel uneasy. ¡°Shall we go secretly or openly?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s neither sneaky nor ostentatious. It would not be related to the Imperial Court. It¡¯s only going to the southern border in the name of traveling.¡± The southern border did not have many restrictions on outsiders. When they reached the border, they would go to the government office to provide a deposit and fill in a few official documents. They could enter by pressing their fingerprints. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°When are we leaving?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Tomorrow morning.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked curiously, ¡°So rushed?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°The person in the throne room is afraid that something will happen if we delay and wants to know my father¡¯s whereabouts as soon as possible. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao took another bite of the silver ear soup. ¡°I wonder what he¡¯s up to.¡± Wei Ting paused and said, ¡°Sleep first after eating. I¡¯ll go see Dad, Grandaunt, and the others.¡± He had met the Old Marquis and Su Yuan today, but had yet to greet Su Cheng, Matriarch Su, and Madam Tao. Actually, it was understandable if he did not go. Her family would not blame Wei Ting, but Wei Ting insisted on going. In a way, it meant that he valued her family. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep anymore. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Coincidentally, she wanted to look for Su Xuan. The two of them went to the Protectorate. Su Ergou was asleep, but Su Cheng was still practicing martial arts. In the past, he was in a daze in the countryside. After coming to the capital, Su Cheng felt the burden on his shoulders especially after his daughter got married. He wanted to carry the Protector Duke¡¯s Estate and not let his father and daughter suffer. ¡°Dad.¡± Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao walked over. Su Cheng put away the red tassel spear and looked at the two of them in surprise. ¡°Why are you here in the middle of the night?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°We¡¯re here to see Dad.¡± Su Cheng said reproachfully, ¡°Come tomorrow morning. It¡¯s so late, why aren¡¯t you sleeping? My son-in-law is still injured!¡± Although he said that, he could not hide his joy at seeing his daughter and son-in-law. Wei Ting said warmlv, ¡°I¡¯m fine. We¡¯re here to bid farewell to Dad Su Cheng¡¯s expression froze. ¡°You¡¯re leaving again?¡± Wei Ting told him about his trip to the southern border. Su Cheng had heard his colleague mention the morning court assembly during the day. He had guessed that they would go to the southern border, but he did not expect it to be so soon. ¡°Well¡­¡± He had a thousand words in his heart, but he suddenly could not say a word. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll get it.¡± Wei Ting took the heavy red tassel spear for him and placed it on the weapons rack at the side. The three of them sat around the stone table. Su Cheng said nothing. Su Xiaoxiao gently tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Dad.¡± Su Cheng said sadly, ¡°It¡¯s all Dad¡¯s fault. In the early years¡­ if Dad had been more diligent¡­ and not neglected my martial arts¡­ Perhaps I could be of some use now¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not easy for you to raise Ergou and me. Besides, you didn¡¯t waste your martial arts. I know that you often secretly practice martial arts in the forest behind our house. You would break big stones on your chest and cut bricks with your bare hands.¡± Su Cheng choked. Ah, how embarrassing. To Su Xiaoxiao, her father was the best father in the world. His hand was crippled, but he did not give up on his martial arts. Without a master, he relied on himself to secretly learn. After coming to the capital, he began to practice martial arts with his father and uncle. It was already very impressive to have his current achievements. The two of them chatted with Su Cheng for a while. Since Su Cheng was so worried about her, Su Xiaoxiao decided to tell him about her pregnancy when she came back. This was to prevent him from becoming more worried. The two of them went to see the sleeping Su Ergou again. Wei Ting left a letter. Then, the two of them went to the Marquis of Zhenbei¡¯s residence. After Matriarch Su rested, and Su Yuan, Madam Tao, and his cousins had also gone to sleep, the Old Marquis called Wei Ting to the study, and Su Xiaoxiao went to Su Xuan¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Fourth Cousin, are you asleep?¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Su Xuan said. Su Xiaoxiao pushed the door open and entered. Su Xuan lit the oil lamp. Su Xiaoxiao looked at his tidied clothes and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯re not asleep?¡± Sitting in the house in the dark, what fetish did he have? The two of them sat down at the table. Su Xuan poured Su Xiaoxiao a glass of warm water. ¡°It¡¯s so late. Why are you looking for me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took it and took a sip. ¡°The southern border is here to propose marriage to the Great Zhou. They want to marry a princess of the Great Zhou. I wonder if you¡¯ve heard of this?¡± Su Xuan said, ¡°I heard Dad mention it at dinner.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him deeply. ¡°Why do you think it was such a coincidence that the storyteller hit the nail on the head?¡± Su Xuan smiled quietly. ¡°Yes, what a coincidence.¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t see any flaws. Trying to find flaws with the head of the secret service was similar to finding water in a pot of oil. Su Xiaoxiao dispelled the thought of testing him and said bluntly, ¡°I¡¯m going to the southern border. Before I leave, I want to ask Fourth Cousin for a favor.¡± leu me. ¡°Protect someone for me.¡± Who?¡± ¡°Princess Hui An.¡± Su Xuan also poured himself a glass of warm water and took a sip. He said, ¡°I¡¯m just a scholar. How can I have the ability to protect the princess of the royal family? I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t even defeat a guard beside her.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him and said, ¡°Fourth Cousin only needs to say yes or Su Xuan said calmly, ¡®What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shouted at the door, ¡°Granduncle! Fourth Cousin skipped class!¡± Su Xuan covered her mouth with his hand and closed his eyes. ¡°Stop shouting. I¡¯ll agree.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took his hand off and smiled. ¡°You can¡¯t let her lose a strand of hair.¡± Su Xuan held his forehead helplessly. ¡°Got it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao valiantly left Su Xuan¡¯s courtyard. Suddenly, a casual voice came from above. ¡°If you want someone to protect your friend, why didn¡¯t you look for me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked up and saw Su Li lying on a tree branch, his hands crossed behind his head, his legs crossed, and a foxtail in his mouth. So this guy had been eavesdropping. The distance from here to the courtyard was not short. His hearing was not bad. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°Are you very powerful?¡± Su Li snorted. ¡°Among the brothers in the family, other than my eldest brother, my martial arts are the best! Of all the people you can look for, you have to look for Fourth Brother. He doesn¡¯t know martial arts at all!¡± However, that guy had money and could spend money to hire experts. Thinking of this, Su Li felt a little resentful. Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Fourth Cousin practice martial arts?¡± Su Li said, ¡°He couldn¡¯t learn it. When he was five years old, he fell seriously ill and had a high fever for three days and three nights. When he woke up, his foundation was damaged and he couldn¡¯t practice martial arts anymore. Even if he could barely learn some moves, he couldn¡¯t cultivate a trace of internal strength. In order to treat him, the family visited famous doctors and even sent him to our maternal grandfather¡¯s house in the south for a few years, but he barely survived.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was deep in thought. ¡°I see.¡± Su Li turned around and looked at Su Xiaoxiao with one hand. ¡°Now you understand why my fourth brother is focused on his studies. He only has the path of a civil servant ahead of him.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. It was a pity that the head of the secret service didn¡¯t know martial arts. Su Li raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°So do you want to consider letting me protect your friend? We¡¯re siblings, so I¡¯ll charge you a thousand taels!¡± The moon was dark and windy. Su Xuan put on his cloak, turned off the lights, and left the house. He came to the small pond at the back of the Marquis¡¯ Mansion. The surface of the pond was covered in thick ice, reflecting a cold light under the moonlight. Suddenly, a pigeon landed on his arm. He took off the note and let the pigeon fly. After reading the contents of the note, a cold glint suddenly flashed across his quiet and gentle eyes. ¡°The southern border!¡± He waved his hand and slapped out. The night was like water and silent. He turned and disappeared into the night, his face expressionless. Behind him, a crack appeared in the ice of the pond. Boom! Boom! Right on the heels of that, the thick ice kept cracking, and cracks snaked across the entire ice surface. Finally, with a bang, the entire ice exploded.. The water in the pond rushed into the sky and rushed out of the waterfall-like water curtain¡­ Chapter 835 - Chapter 835: The Four Little Ones Are Here Chapter 835: The Four Little Ones Are Here Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Imperial Palace. Emperor Jing Xuan and Xiao Shunyang ended a conversation between father and son. Emperor Jing Xuan looked at the silent Xiao Shunyang and asked, ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to go?¡± Xiao Shunyang hurriedly said, ¡°No, Father thinks highly of me. I¡¯m extremely grateful. I just can¡¯t bear to part with Father.¡± Emperor Jing Xuan smiled and walked forward to straighten his clothes. ¡°How old are you? Why are you still like when you were young? Can¡¯t you bear to part with me every day?¡± Xiao Shunyang¡¯s biological mother passed away early, and his first adoptive mother did not treat him well. The person he relied on the most was Emperor Jing Xuan. Xiao Shunyang said, ¡°As long as Father is around, I can always be a child.¡± Few children of the Royal family hoped for the emperor¡¯s father to live a long life. All of them wanted to ascend the throne themselves. Xiao Shunyang¡¯s words revealed an unshakable father-son relationship with Emperor Jing Xuan. Emperor Jing Xuan was moved and patted his shoulder. ¡°Go early and come back early. Father will be waiting for you in the capital.¡± Xiao Shunyang cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°I accept the order!¡± After leaving the imperial study, Eunuch Quan sent Xiao Shunyang out of the palace. Xiao Shunyang stopped in his tracks and said to Eunuch Quan, ¡°I¡¯m leaving tomorrow. I want to say goodbye to Mother and the Grand Empress Dowager. Please accompany me, Eunuch Quan.¡± Eunuch Quan vaguely felt that it was inappropriate to say goodbye to the Grand Empress Dowager. After all, they were not biologically related. On second thought, the Empress was not his biological mother. No one could find any fault with the two of them. Moreover, the other party was one of His Majesty¡¯s favorite princes. How many heads did he have to offend the other party? ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re too polite.¡± Eunuch Quan smiled and accompanied Xiao Shunyang to Kunning Palace. Xiao Shunyang bade farewell to the Empress and Princess Jingning. Then, he went to Zhaoyang Hall. ¡°Prince Rui and Eunuch Quan are here,¡± Little Yunzi reported. Eunuch Quan was Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s eunuch. Many people felt that it was Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s idea for him to appear here. Bai Xihe put down the half-made clothes and placed them in the embroidered basket on the table. She pulled the silk cloth over and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Xiao Shunyang and Eunuch Quan entered the warm pavilion. Bai Xihe was still as beautiful as a fairy without any makeup. Time could not bear to leave any traces on her face. Xiao Shunyang was so stunned that he forgot to speak. ¡°Greetings, Grand Empress Dowager.¡± Eunuch Quan smiled and bowed. Xiao Shunyang came back to his senses and cupped his hands. ¡°Grand Empress Dowager.¡± Bai Xi asked coldly, ¡°Did His Majesty ask you to come over?¡± Eunuch Quan smiled awkwardly at Xiao Shunyang. Xiao Shunyang looked up at her devastatingly beautiful face and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving the capital tomorrow. I came over to say goodbye to you.¡± As he spoke, his gaze swept across Bai Xihe and the embroidered basket beside him. There was a piece of man¡¯s clothes that had not been covered. Bai Xihe had long been bereaved of a husband and had no children. This clothes He said to Eunuch Quan, ¡°I have a few words to say to the Empress Dowager. Please wait at the door.¡± Eunuch Quan looked around. There was still Little Yunzi and a few palace maids in the room. He was not the only one. ¡°Yes.¡± He retreated awkvvardly. Xiao Shunyang looked straight at the man¡¯s clothes in the basket. ¡°Grand Empress Dowager, your clothes¡­¡± Bai Xihe did not panic at all. Without changing his expression, he said, ¡°It¡¯s for my brother.¡± Xiao Shunyang was stunned. ¡°Your brother¡­¡± Bai Xihe looked at him. ¡°My brother isn¡¯t dead. He escaped with the help of the Guo family back then and has been living incognito ever since. Prince Rui, please keep this a secret for me.¡± Xiao Shunyang met her gaze and his heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly lowered his eyes and agreed. ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting stayed in the Marquis¡¯ Mansion for a while. When they arrived at the Wei family, it was really late at night. Unexpectedly, the small garden was actually noisy. The two of them walked over and realized that Yuchi Xiu was fighting with someone. The target of the fight was none other than the assassin beside Wei Qing. Mei Ji squatted at the side and ate a roasted sweet potato while watching a good show. ¡°Why are the two of them fighting?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re back?¡± Mei Ji raised her head and looked at the two of them. She said calmly, ¡°There, that man in black insisted that the assassin is the first on the Assassin Ranking. He wants to defeat him and snatch the first ranking.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The assassin had been defending and did not attack Yuchi Xiu. Yuchi Xiu snorted coldly. ¡°Cut the crap and attack quickly! I¡¯m going to defeat you today!¡± The assassin could only mutter, ¡®Where did this lunatic come from?¡± ¡°Is he the number one assassin?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Mei Ji. ¡°No.¡± Mei Ji shook her head and broke off half of the roasted sweet potato before handing it to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Do you want to eat it?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took it. The two of them squatted down side by side and began to eat roasted sweet potatoes. The corners of Wei Ting¡¯s mouth twitched. Alright, there were two squirrels now. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Who exactly is first?¡± Mei Ji took a bite of the hot roasted sweet potato and said, ¡°Jade-faced Rakshasa. ¡± The name was quite flashy¡­ Su Xiaoxiao also took a bite of the sweet potato. To be able to be friends with Mei Ji, it was most likely that Mei Ji had never been a selfish person. ¡°Is Jade-faced Rakshasa very powerful?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Impressive!¡± Mei Ji said without hesitation. Mei Ji was not the kind to praise others easily. It seemed that the number one assassin was extraordinary. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Have you seen him?¡± Mei Ji shook her head. ¡°No, no one in the martial world has seen him. Everyone who has seen him is dead. There has always been a rumor in the martial world ¡ªThe Rakshasa Sword is out, and the King of Hell¡¯s Hall is open.¡±¡® Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°If everyone who saw him is dead, how did his reputation spread?¡± Mei Ji was stumped. She would never admit that she had not discovered this loophole. She did not want to be stupid Mei Ji. She was the smart Mei Ji. She said solemnly, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to ask Mei Ji when she¡¯s eating!¡± The masters were about to set off, and the residence became busy before dawn. Matriarch Wei also woke up early and called Wei Qing and Wei Ting to her room. She said to the two brothers, ¡°The risk of going to the southern border is unknown. Although the southern border is not like Northern Yan and the Great Zhou, it¡¯s still a barbaric place. The two of you have to be careful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Grandmother.¡± The two of them agreed. Old Madam Wei looked at the two of them again and reminded them earnestly, ¡°I know that you can¡¯t bear to part with Xiyue and Wanwan, and the two of you can¡¯t bear to part with Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu. However, the journey is bumpy and long. Don¡¯t let the children suffer. Let them stay at home obediently. You brothers, go quickly.¡± Wei Ting asked Wei Qing, ¡°Second Brother, what do you think?¡± Wei Qing said without thinking, ¡°I naturally have to listen to Grandmother. What about Little Seven?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Me too.¡± The brothers bade farewell to his grandmother and left the residence to the big carriage parked at the door. Wei Ting lifted the curtain and saw Su Xiaoxiao, Li Wan, and the four little ones sitting in a row. The four little ones looked at them without blinking. Wei Ting was speechless. And so was Wei Qing. ¡°Ahem, I didn¡¯t see anything. What about Second Brother?¡± ¡°Me too..¡± Chapter 836 - Chapter 836: Fourth Brother Attacks Chapter 836: Fourth Brother Attacks Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios They could finally go out and play. The four little ones were extremely happy, and the three little tiger heads were so excited that they wanted to tear down the house. Wei Xiyue lay on her mother¡¯s lap one moment and on the car window the next. She was also a little excited. To Li Wan, this was her first time traveling far. However, as long as she could be with her husband, she did not care even if she was punished by her grandmother when she returned. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Second Sister-in-law. Let Second Brother take the beating for you!¡± In the carriage in front, Wei Qing sneezed violently. This place was full, so Wei Ting could only freeload on his second brother¡¯s carriage. The coachman was the assassin, and Mei Ji sat beside him. In order to cause unnecessary commotion, she reluctantly wrapped a large cloak around her proud figure. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s coachman was Fu Su. Where was Yuchi Xiu? Oh, he was standing on the roof of the car pretentiously. He was dressed in black, had a black bamboo hat, and a killer sword. Fu Su braked. Duang! Yuchi Xiu fell to the ground. According to the agreement, they were going to meet Xiao Shunyang at the south city gate. When they approached the city gate, the four little ones were attracted by the shouts of people selling candied hawthorn on the street. Su Xiaoxiao asked Fu Su to stop the carriage while she brought them to buy candied hawthorn. There were many types of candied hawthorn, orange, and yam eggs and red dates with walnuts. ¡°Xiaohu wants hawthorn!¡± Dahu said, ¡°Then I want oranges ones.¡± Xiaohu stretched out his arm and jumped up. ¡®Xiaohu wants oranges too!¡± Erhu pointed at a string of sparkling candied hawthorn. ¡°I want those that look like yam eggs.¡± Xiaohu changed his mind again. ¡°Xiaohu wants yam eggs!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in amusement, ¡°Do you want everything?¡± Xiaohu blinked cutely. ¡°If Mom must buy them all for Xiaohu, Xiaohu can take them too.¡± ¡°Little greedy thing.¡± Su Xiaoxiao scratched his head and asked Wei Xiyue, ¡°What does Xiyue want?¡± ¡°All of them.¡± Wei Xiyue said. This was definitely someone who doted on Xiao Bai. There were only two sticks left of each. Su Xiaoxiao bought them all. Coincidentally, there were eight sticks. The four little ones each grabbed two sticks and happily sat back in the carriage. ¡°Second Sister-in-law, watch them first. I¡¯ll go over for a while.¡± She had just sensed that someone was following them. She went to the alley diagonally opposite and said calmly, ¡°Come out.¡± No movement. Su Xiaoxiao shot out three silver needles! A figure flew over the eaves and the silver needles were nailed to the wall behind his feet. That was close. He had almost been shot! He landed in front of Su Xiaoxiao angrily and said bitterly, ¡°What are you doing? Why are you so ruthless?¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows calmly. ¡°So it¡¯s you.¡± Su Li dusted the wall dust off his sleeve unhappily. ¡°So what if it¡¯s me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why did you follow me?¡± Su Li rolled her eyes. ¡°Do you think I want to? Fourth Brother asked me to come! He has something for you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao reached out. ¡®Give it to me.¡± Su Li curled her lips and took out three small brocade bags from her pocket, placing them in her hand in a fit of pique! Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao was about to open it, he hurriedly said, ¡°Fourth Brother said that the brocade bag can only be opened when the time is right.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Su Li pointed at her palm and said, ¡°The first brocade bag will be opened after entering the southern border. The second brocade bag will be opened after arriving in the capital. As for the third, Fourth Brother didn¡¯t say. Do as you see fit.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How do you differentiate between one, two, and three?¡± Su Li said, ¡°It¡¯s written below!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised the brocade bags to take a look. As expected, there were two, three words written at the bottom of each brocade bag. Su Li smiled and said, ¡°I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t remember, so I specially marked it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you were the one who couldn¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t remember, Fourth Brother. Which is the first and which is the second?¡¯ An image flashed across his mind. Su Li suppressed his anger and forcefully shattered the image. If he didn¡¯t say it, it didn¡¯t happen. He said seriously, ¡°No!¡± Su Xiaoxiao weighed the sachet in her hand. ¡°Just give them to me. Why are you following me so sneakily? Are you planning to give it to me when we reach the southern border?¡± Su Li straightened his back. ¡°Fourth Brother also gave me another mission, which is to protect you in secret!¡± Su Xiaoxiao gave him a sideways glance. ¡°I doubt it.¡± Su Li coughed lightly and said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you suspect me or not. In short, I¡¯ve accepted Fourth Brother¡¯s money, so I have to do things for him. Go ahead, I¡¯ll follow you secretly!¡± Su Xiaoxiao hit the nail on the head. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t pay for it yourself?¡± Su Li was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao returned to the carriage with the brocade bags. Since Su Xuan did not say when the third brocade bag could be opened, it meant that it could open at any time. ¡°Eh? Where did these brocade bags come from?¡± Li Wan asked curiously. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Su Li sent them over.¡± Su Li¡¯s qinggong was not bad. If she had not gone down to buy candied hawthorn, she would not have discovered him so early. Inside the brocade bag was a golden jade bracelet with a hollow cloud pattern. The carving was very exquisite. It was made of high-grade suet jade with a faint pink color. Coupled with the dullness of the gold, the bracelet was unique and beautiful. The four little ones were busy eating candied hawthorn and did not have the time to observe the bracelet. Only Li Wan noticed. ¡®What a beautiful bracelet.¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed it to her. Li Wan exclaimed, ¡°Which family is this? What a unique style. I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said that she had never seen it either. Why did Su Xuan give her a bracelet? A farewell gift? Li Wan put it on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s wrist. The jade bracelet was beautiful, and it looked even more beautiful on her fair wrist. She said sincerely, ¡°It looks good. This bracelet is probably priceless. It suits you very well. Wear it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao hummed and almost forgot that the Head of the Secret Service was also a big baller. He was so generous. She would greet him a few more times when she returned! The group bumped into Xiao Shunyang, who was already waiting outside the southern city gate. How proactive was he to arrive earlier than them? Su Xiaoxiao lowered the curtain and said to the four little ones who were licking the candied hawthorn happily, ¡°Have you remembered what I told you?¡± The four little ones nodded obediently and continued to lick the candied hawthorn. Wei Ting and Wei Qing¡¯s carriage was in front. Xiao Shunyang was not as easy to fool as Xiao Duye. He recognized at a glance that the people driving the carriage were Wei Qing¡¯s two subordinates and could not help but ask, ¡°Is this Mr. Zhuge¡¯s carriage?¡± Wei Ting lifted the curtain and smiled at him. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re early.¡± Wei Qing sat beside Wei Ting. Xiao Shunyang asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wei Qing wore a mask and said unhurriedly, ¡°I happen to be going to the southern border to look for an herb. I¡¯ll accompany you on the way. Your Highness, do you mind?¡± Wei Ting had mentioned to Emperor Jing Xuan that Zhuge Qing was still missing a medicinal herb. He did not mention the exact place, but there was indeed such a thing. Xiao Shunyang looked at Wei Qing and Wei Ting deeply. ¡°Mr. Zhuge, please help yourself.¡± With that, he rode his horse towards Su Xiaoxiao and Li Wan¡¯s carriage. ¡°Who¡¯s in the carriage?¡± he asked.. Chapter 837 - Chapter 837: Background (1) Chapter 837: Background (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao pushed open the car window. ¡°Your Highness Rui, nice to meet you.¡± Li Wan was wearing a veil, and between her and Su Xiaoxiao sat four children. The four little kittens licked the candied hawthorn on their faces. They were definitely four little kittens. However, even if their faces were blurred, it was not difficult to guess their identities. After all, triplets were too rare in this world. As for that young lady and the other woman,¡­ Su Xiaoxiao introduced openly, ¡°My second sister-in-law, my niece, and my sons.¡± ¡°Why are they going?¡± Xiao Shunyang asked suspiciously. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Did His Majesty say that you¡¯re not allowed to bring your family?¡± Of course, Emperor Jing Xuan did not say anything because he did not expect it at all. Xiao Shunyang said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s probably inconvenient for Second Madam Wei to travel with the children.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, Your Highness. I¡¯ll take good care of my second sister-in-law and the children.¡± If Xiao Duye was here, Su Xiaoxiao would definitely say, ¡°My sons can¡¯t bear to part with me, his mother. They cried and insisted on following me. My heart softened and I agreed, but I can¡¯t take care of three children alone. The men can¡¯t do anything about such children. I can only ask Second Sister-in-law, who has given birth. Since Second Sister-in-law is here, Xiyue naturally can¡¯t fall behind.¡± However, while Xiao Duye might believe these words, Xiao Shunyang might nnt In any case, he had to be careful. She might as well not waste her breath. He could think whatever he wanted. What could he do without evidence! Soon, Xiao Zhonghua¡¯s carriage arrived. Xiao Shunyang looked at King An and Jing Yi, who had alighted from the carriage. ¡°Third Brother, Young Marquis Jing.¡± He greeted them politely. Xiao Zhonghua smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯m here to send Second Brother off.¡± Jing Yi didn¡¯t cooperate with him at all. He came to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s carriage and said to her, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You¡¯re still recovering.¡± JingYi pointed at Wei Ting¡¯s carriage. ¡°Then why can he go? He¡¯s so lousy.¡± Wei Ting muttered, ¡°Kid, what did you say about your father?¡± Xiao Zhonghua looked at Xiao Shunyang and said, ¡°Second Brother, take care.¡± Xiao Shunyang said, ¡°While I¡¯m not in the capital, I¡¯ll have to trouble Third Brother to go to Father to be filial.¡± Xiao Zhonghua smiled. ¡°I will. I¡¯m just afraid that Father won¡¯t be willing to see me, his son.¡± Xiao Shunyang did not answer. ¡°I¡¯ll go say goodbye to my old friend.¡± With that, Xiao Zhonghua went to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Take care too.¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at Xiao Shunyang not far away and smiled. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll take him away. Make good use of the opportunity.¡± Xiao Zhonghua said meaningfully, ¡°I will.¡± Jing Yi came to Xiao Shunyang expressionlessly and looked up at him on the horse. He recommended himself and said, ¡°Do you still lack a brother?¡± Xiao Shunyang was speechless. And so was Xiao Zhonghua. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t bring Jing Yi along. Firstly, Jing Yi really needed to recuperate. Secondly, Xiao Shunyang wouldn¡¯t be around. This was a good opportunity for Xiao Zhonghua to cause trouble. He needed Jing Yi by his side. After bidding farewell to Wei Qing and Wei Ting, Xiao Zhonghua brought Jing Yi back. Su Xiaoxiao, Xiao Shunyang, and the others also set off south. The four little ones woke up early and fell asleep licking their candied hawthorn. Fortunately, the carriage was spacious enough. Su Xiaoxiao and Li Wan arranged the four children and covered them with blankets. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not bad to travel out like this¡­¡± Li Wan was a little relaxed. When she realized that her seventh sister-in-law was silent, she turned to look at her and saw Su Xiaoxiao staring at her wrist in a daze. ¡°Seventh Sister-in-law, what¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°Oh.¡± Su Xiaoxiao came back to her senses. ¡°Second Sister-in-law, have you practiced martial arts since you were young?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Li Wan nodded. ¡°I started practicing martial arts when I was three.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°If a person¡¯s foundation is damaged and he can¡¯t cultivate internal energy anymore, will he still have the chance to practice martial arts?¡± Li Wan thought for a moment and said, ¡°That depends on what this person wants. If it¡¯s just to strengthen his body and practice some moves, it won¡¯t be a problem. However, it¡¯s basically impossible for him to become an expert. Unless¡­ ¡°Unless what?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was curious. Li Wan said, ¡°You have to endure the pain of your bones being scraped and your meridians being broken, but to let a person break your bones inch by inch and tear your meridians one by one¡­ So far, no one has been able to do it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched the bracelet and muttered, ¡°So it¡¯s so difficult¡­ She believed that the Head of the Secret Service no longer had any martial arts. After all, what kind of terrifying obsession did one have to endure such inhumane torture? Chapter 838 - Chapter 838: Background (2) Chapter 838: Background (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xuan¡¯s carriage stopped at the door of the Directorate. After reading the note on the table, he clenched his fist and the note turned to ashes. ¡°Su Xuan!¡± A crisp and pleasant voice came from outside the carriage. Su Xuan pushed open the car window and greeted the other party, ¡°Princess Hui An.¡± Princess Hui An wanted to go to the city gate to send her sidekick off, but her sidekick had already set off. She could only turn back. When she passed by the Directorate, she saw a familiar carriage. She remembered that it was Su Xuan¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s really you.¡± Although the two of them had been in an intimate situation before, as a princess of a country, she did not have to be bogged down by these so-called trappings of reputation. Coupled with the fact that it was an accident, she did not take it to heart. Her interactions with Su Xuan were no different from usual. She sat in her carriage and raised her chin at Su Xuan. ¡°My sidekick has left. You¡¯re her brother and my future brother-in-law. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you!¡± When Su Xuan heard her call him her future brother-in-law, his expression did not change at all. He only smiled quietly. ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± Su Xiaoxiao and the others went south by water. They traveled quickly day and night. Originally, they were supposed to pass by Qingzhou. This way, they could visit Grandmaster Hui Jue and Su Yuniang and return to the countryside to offer incense to Madam Chen. Unexpectedly, the boatman traveled past at night. When dawn came, they realized that they had already left Qingzhou. They came from Qingzhou on the river current and were going extremely fast. If they turned back, they would be go against the current. Coupled with the fact that the weather had become bad, they would not be able to arrive in three to five days. They could only go to Qingzhou when they return from the southern border and. After walking for a few more days, they changed carriages in Xuan Town and drove all the way to Yuzhou before changing the waterway again. This time, after entering the territory of the Su family¡¯s navy, Xiao Shunyang revealed his identity and the customs document given by Emperor Jing Xuan. The group boarded the warship and was escorted by the Su family¡¯s navy. They arrived at White Water Town in mid-February. Further ahead was the border of the southern border. It was already late and they could not get through the pass today. The group found a good inn in town to stay in. Su Xiaoxiao and the three little ones had one room. Li Wan, Wei Xiyue, and Mei Ji had another room. Wei Ting and Wei Qing lived in the same room. Yuchi Xiu and the others had to take turns on night duty, so they shared xone room. The three children ran down the second-floor corridor. ¡°Dahu, come and catch me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! Dahu, come catch us!¡± Dahu went to chase away his two stinky brothers who dared to provoke his eldest brother¡¯s authority and decided to suppress them with his bloodline. Xiao Shunyang was about to enter his room when he saw Li Wan enter Zhuge Qing¡¯s room. Wei Ting was negotiating with the shopkeeper in the lobby. Why did she enter Wei Qing¡¯s room alone? What was her relationship with Wei Qing? Xiao Shunyang felt that something was wrong and wanted to go over to take a look. At this moment¡­ Phew! A little packrat rushed over and stepped on him. He frowned in pain and retracted his foot. Phew! Another little packrat rushed over and stepped on his other foot. Although the little fellows were only three years old, it hurt when they stepped on him! When the third little packrat rushed over, he decisively took two large steps back. Indeed, this little packrat did not step on him. But who would have thought that the two of them would turn back and step on him again¡­ Xiao Shunyang gritted his teeth.¡± You did it on purpose, right?¡± It was strange. After traveling for so many days, the adults were listless, but the three little fellows were each more energetic than the other. They had never been dejected. What had they eaten to grow up? Xiao Shunyang couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances. He suddenly remembered something important and walked towards Wei Qing¡¯s room. However, when he pushed open Wei Qings door, he saw Wei Qing sitting alone in the room. Wei Qing looked at him indifferently. ¡®What¡¯s the matter, King Rui?¡± Xiao Shunyang was about to speak when Su Xiaoxiao walked over holding Li Wan¡¯s arm. ¡°Second Sister-in-law, you know how to shop!¡± Xiao Shunyang stopped the two of them and asked suspiciously, ¡°You¡­ just returned from outside?¡± Su Xiaoxiao waved the steaming paper bag in her hand. ¡°Yes, we went to the opposite side to buy a few pieces of rice cake.¡± Xiao Shunyang glanced at Li Wan and Wei Qing and did not continue asking. He turned around and returned to his room. Li Wan heaved a sigh of relief. Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. He was really a big problem. He was much harder to fool than Xiao Duye. She had to find an opportunity to shake him off. Su Xiaoxiao called Wei Ting up and went to Wei Qing¡¯s room with him. She told them what she thought.. Chapter 839 - Chapter 839: Background (3) Chapter 839: Background (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Qing had long wanted to shake off Xiao Shunyang who had been keeping him from hugging his wife and child. He could only watch and not hug them along the way, which was suffocating. However, it was not wise to shake off Xiao Shunyang in the Great Zhou. Xiao Shunyang had brought Emperor Jing Xuan¡¯s official document. With his order, the border would intercept and investigate them. However, once they entered the southern border, they would be out of the royal family¡¯s sphere of influence. Wei Qing said coldly, ¡°Get rid of this hindrance tomorrow!¡± The rice cake was too delicious. The four little ones did not have enough at all, mainly because Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu did not have enough. They were energetic and had a shocking appetite. Su Xiaoxiao brought the three children to buy it. This shop was doing well and there were many people queuing up. As Su Xiaoxiao was queuing up, an uncertain voice suddenly came from her side. ¡°Daya?¡± Su Xiaoxiao never expected to meet Liu Ping here. Liu Ping actually did not recognize Su Daya. He recognized the triplets first. Su Daya had changed too much. When she went to the capital, she was a fat girl. It had only been a year, but she had already lost so much weight. Su Xiaoxiao greeted him and said to the three little ones, ¡°Do you remember Uncle Liu?¡± ¡°I remember!¡± Dahu said. ¡°Sister Meizi¡¯s father.¡± She was also Little Wu¡¯s husband, a former neighbor of the Su family. Later on, they split up with their family and lived alone. ¡°Is Sister Wu alright?¡± Little Wu was Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s first employee. She was agile, smart, and capable. She learned her skills as soon as she started. Now that she was the master of Su Ji, she had also taken in a few disciples. Liu Ping was here to buy goods for Su Ji. Su Ji¡¯s business was expading well, so Su Yuniang spread it out to the prefecture and provincial cities. The price of spices in Qingzhou was too high, so it would be much cheaper to buy them in White Water Town. ¡°Good, she¡¯s very good! Yuniang is also well¡­ Everyone is doing quite well! They just miss you!¡± Liu Ping said excitedly. In the carriage in front, the coachman waved at Liu Ping. ¡°Brother Liu! We¡¯re going to sail! Hurry up! Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to make it!¡± Such a large merchant ship was escorted by soldiers and they would not need to worry about encountering pirates. Its shortcoming was that it was rare. If they missed this trip, the next trip would be five days later. ¡°That¡¯s Dongzi, our Su Ji¡¯s friend in the provincial city.¡± Liu Ping muttered to himself, ¡°Why are you rushing me? This is the boss!¡± ¡°Daya¡­ I¡­ that¡­ I have to go!¡± If he didn¡¯t leave now, he really wouldn¡¯t be able to make it! He had many things to say to Daya and wanted to ask her about her recent situation. Why was she here¡­ ¡°Brother Liu!¡± The coachman was anxious. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Brother Liu, go ahead. I¡¯ll return to Qingzhou in a few days.¡± Liu Ping¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s good! I¡¯ll go back and tell your Sister Wu and Yuniang. They¡¯ll definitely be overjoyed! Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°Ah, I almost forgot something else. Your cousin from the Chen family passed the middle school examination. His ranking is inferior to Young Master Shen¡¯s. Young Master Shen has been recommended to the capital. He also went to the capital to take the examination a few days ago.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s my cheap cousin¡¯s name again? Chen¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t remember such a person at all. ¡°Chen Haoyuan!¡± Liu Ping said. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, that seems to be the name. I didn¡¯t expect him to have passed the middle school examination too.¡± Liu Ping said, ¡°What I want to tell you is not about his examination. I know that the Su family has completely cut ties with the Chen family. It¡¯s your mother. When Chen Haoyuan was rushing to the capital for the examination, he bumped into Yuniang and was accidentally provoked by her to reveal it. So your mother is not the Chen family¡¯s biological daughter.. She was carried over from outside!¡± Chapter 840 - Chapter 840: The Number One Killer in the Southern Border Chapter 840: The Number One Killer in the Southern Border Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Her mother was actually not the Chen family¡¯s biological daughter. No wonder everyone in the Chen family did not treat her mother as a human. If Liu Ping was really about to leave, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t ask him too much. Anyway, she would return to Qingzhou after settling the matters in the southern border. When the time came, she would ask the Chen family. The three little ones waved at Liu Ping. ¡°Goodbye, Uncle Liu!¡± ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Liu Ping smiled awkwardly and hurriedly got into the carriage with a hint of reluctance. ¡°Brother Liu, who is that girl? Why do you keep talking to her? Can¡¯t you walk away when you see a beautiful girl? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll go back and tell Sister Wu to make you kneel on the washboard?¡± ¡°Young brat, what do you know? That¡¯s the big boss of our Su Ji!¡± ¡°What? Big boss? Aiya, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? I have to go greet her¡ª Brother Liu, don¡¯t stop me¡ªHey! Brother Liu, Brother Liu!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to sail. Let¡¯s go!¡± When they returned to the inn after buying the rice cake, Wei Ting came over. Su Xiaoxiao asked the three little ones to bring the rice cakes to Wei Xiyue while she told Wei Ting about meeting Liu Ping. Wei Ting was also very surprised. He knew that Su Yuniang¡¯s business was doing well. Yuchi Xiu had never stopped talking after going to the border from Qingzhou. He just didn¡¯t expect to meet Liu Ping here, nor did he expect Madam Chen to not be the Chen family¡¯s biological daughter. ¡°When we return from the southern border, we¡¯ll go to the Chen family.¡± Since they were not her biological parents, she had to ask where Madam Chen¡¯s biological parents were. His thoughts coincided with Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s. It was getting late. The few of them planned to rest after dinner, but the three little ones were too energetic to sleep. They rolled around on the bed and leaned on Su Xiaoxiao from time to time to suck her mother¡¯s aura, like three clingy little rollie pollies. Wei Ting leaned to the side and was prepared to be sucked away, but what he ended up with was always only three bare feet. Wei Ting was speechless. ¡°Very good. When the one in her belly comes out, let¡¯s see who still cares about the three of you brats! ¡± At dawn, Su Xiaoxiao was woken up by hunger. Recently, she often felt hungry. Sometimes, she would wake up in the middle of the night to find food. The three little fellows played until midnight and could not be woken up. Su Xiaoxiao had just finished washing up when Wei Ting came over. Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao was about to put clothes on them, he said, ¡°Let me do it.¡± He had been the one taking care of her along the way. Other than his mouth, this man was quite considerate in other aspects. The three little ones did not wake up. Wei Ting said, ¡°They probably won¡¯t eat breakfast anymore. Let them eat on the way later.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had no objections. After all, no one could bear to wake up the three sleeping children. Su Xiaoxiao went to the hall for breakfast. Li Wan, Mei Ji, Wei Qing, and Fu Su also arrived. The assassin and Yuchi Xiu were guarding the carriage outside. Wei Xiyue sat beside Wei Qing and hugged the two small jars obediently. Xiao Xiyue had been holding it in for the past few days. ¡°Soon.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pinched her face. Wei Ting came over and sat down beside Su Xiaoxiao. He opened the bun, emptied the meat filling into his bowl, and handed the bun skin to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao liked to eat buns recently, but she didn¡¯t eat the filling. Xiao Shunyang had gone to settle the official documents early in the morning. This person was troublesome, but in terms of ability, he was indeed much better than Xiao Duye. Wei Qing said, ¡°After entering the southern border later, follow the plan.¡± Wei Ting nodded. Wei Qing continued, ¡°Although the conditions for entering the southern border are not harsh, the people of the southern border are very xenophobic. It¡¯s best if we dress up as people of the southern border to avoid unnecessary trouble. Wanwan, have you bought the clothes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve bought them,¡± Li Wan said. Wei Qing said, ¡°Change into your clothes after shaking off Prince Rui.¡± Xiao Shunyang returned very quickly. He looked at Wei Qing, Wei Ting, Su Xiaoxiao, and the others, who seemed to be waiting for him in the lobby. The more he looked at them, the more he felt that they were like an intimate family. Wei Qing smiled. ¡°Your Highness, have the passes been settled?¡± Xiao Shunyang retracted his scrutinizing gaze and said, ¡°It¡¯s done. They are with me. We can come out of seclusion.¡± This was to prevent them from leaving him behind and escaping. It seemed that he knew very well that they had long wanted to get rid of him. The few of them got into their respective carriages with an unspoken mutual understanding. With Xiao Shunyang¡¯s outstanding ability, the process of coming out of seclusion was very smooth. Even those complicated documents were filled in by Xiao Shunyang on their behalf. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly felt that this tool was quite useful. After entering the southern border, what greeted their eyes was a long official road. The official road meandered up and passed through endless mountains before arriving at the first small town in the southern border. The southern territory was a country formed by many tribes. Although the power of the Imperial Court had become stronger after experiencing two queens of the southern territory, overall speaking, the southern territory was a complicated place. It was not rare for a few nests of bandits to jump out of the mountain at the border. Wei Xiyue sat obediently in the carriage, and the three little ones were still sleeping soundly. Su Xiaoxiao and Li Wan listened to the surroundings. Suddenly, hurried tootsteps came trom ahead. The two ot them exchanged glances. They were here! Li Wan pushed open the car window and looked out. ¡°Seventh Sister-in-law, why do I feel that something is wrong? Didn¡¯t they say that they were lying in ambush near the canyon?¡± Last night, Mei Ji and the assassin sneaked into the southern border overnight and bribed a group of local bandits to make a deal with them¡ªto kidnap a few merchants of the Great Zhou, but they could not hurt anyone. Su Xiaoxiao also glanced out. ¡°Yes, we haven¡¯t reached the canyon yet.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the two of them understood. They had probably encountered real robbers. Xiao Shunyang¡¯s first reaction when he saw the robbers was that Wei Ting and the others had played a trick to shake him off. However, when those desperadoes attacked everyone without a word, he knew that this was not an act. Fu Su and Yuchi Xiu protected Su Xiaoxiao and Li Wan¡¯s carriage. Wei Ting protected Wei Qing in the carriage. Mei Ji tapped her feet and jumped onto the roof. ¡°Assassin, you and Wei Ting protect Mister. I¡¯ll kill them!¡± She took off her annoying cloak, revealing an extremely charming and exquisite figure. Her proud curves made her look extremely seductive, and the killing intent in her eyes was extremely strong. The robbers were stunned. Mei Ji rose into the air and opened the mechanism fan. With a wave of her hand, countless hidden weapons shot at the bandit like flying flowers. Screams intersected, and in an instant, the robbers fell. The others came back to their senses. Mei Ji landed on the roof of the carriage. When she saw the second wave of bandits charging over, she turned around again. Her robe fluttered in the wind like a blooming fire lotus. Another seven or eight robbers fell. One of the hidden weapons flashed past Xiao Shunyang¡¯s ear. Xiao Shunyang¡¯s eyes flickered, and he raised his sword to block. The hidden weapon was blocked and sent flying. He turned around and looked coldly at the charming girl who had landed on the roof. Mei Ji smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There were too many hidden weapons and I almost injured Your Highness..¡± Chapter 841 - Chapter 841: Fourth Brother Blows His Cover Chapter 841: Fourth Brother Blows His Cover Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What bad thoughts could Mei Ji have? She was just beating up the guy who made Sir unhappy. Mei Ji was a rare beautiful woman in the world. She didn¡¯t hide her proud curves. Due to the hot weather in the southern border, she even took off her shoes and stood barefoot like a high-grade jade. This was an indecent woman. However, she was also a woman from whom all men in the world could not take their eyes off. If he had never seen that person. Mei Ji was surprised. ¡°Eh? This guy isn¡¯t bewitched by my beauty? Has he ever seen a woman better looking than me?¡± This group of people was not considered experts if they fought alone, but they had many people. Wave after wave, they really held them back. The two carriages pushed open the windows at the same time. Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting exchanged glances. Wei Ting understood and said to Wei Qing, ¡°Second Brother?¡± The brothers had a free tacit understanding. Wei Qing understood without saying it. Wei Qing nodded. Wei Ting got off the carriage and pretended to fight with someone before calling Mei Ji down. Seeing this, a robber jumped into the carriage with a whoosh, grabbed the reins, and drove the carriage away. ¡°Sir!¡± Mei Ji shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll chase after him!¡± With that, Wei Ting used his qinggong to give chase. Mei Ji wanted to go too, but she was caught by the assassin. Mei Ji fluttered, ¡°Aiya, let go of me, let go of me!¡± The killer clamped her to his waist with one hand and dealt with the robber with the other. Xiao Shunyang was surrounded by more than twenty robbers and could not spare any effort to stop the carriage. Bang! Su Xiaoxiao got out of the carriage and knocked out a robber. Then, she grabbed the robber and threw him into the carriage, placing the reins in his hand. The robber was dizzy. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Giddyup!¡± Then the carriage was gone. The robber was speechless. Fu Su said in shock, ¡®Young Madam! Yuchi Xiu! Stop fighting! They took the two Young Madams away! Hurry up and chase after them!¡± Just like that, both carriages dashed away. The robbers who stayed here really thought that their brothers had committed kidnapping. They actually did not chase after them and stayed behind to deal with Xiao Shunyang. It was no wonder that the robbers were staring at Xiao Shunyang. Xiao Shunyang did everything along the way. The money and official documents were all in his carriage. It was not the first time the robbers had come out to rob. How could they not tell that this kid was the sugar daddy? This was really a mistake. The real sugar daddy hid his achievements and reputation. After the carriage dashed for a while, they decisively knocked out the robbers outside. She stopped the carriage. Wei Qing¡¯s carriage stopped in front. Wei Ting threw the unconscious robber down and jumped out of the carriage. ¡°Second Brother, are you alright?¡± ¡°Your driving skills are not bad. Don¡¯t drive next time¡­ Urgh.. Wei Qing vomited. The Wei family¡¯s younger brothers were indeed good at getting their brothers into trouble. ¡°Put me down,¡± Mei Ji said to the assassin holding her with a dark face. The assassin let go. Mei Ji fell to the ground. She glared at the assassin and stood up to dust herself off. She muttered, ¡°If I had known that I would encounter this group of people, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to look for those bandits last night.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pushed open the car window and smiled. ¡°If you didn¡¯t look for them, how would you have attracted these people?¡± Mei Ji was stunned. ¡°You mean¡­ they¡¯re together?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°They have a lot of people. They clearly came prepared. If they were just robbing ordinary merchants, there¡¯s no need to spend so much effort. They must have sensed last night that the two of you are experts. If they can¡¯t beat with eight to ten, a hundred will come.¡± Mei Ji was enlightened. ¡°I see.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°You killed many of them just now. They can¡¯t find us, so they can only vent their anger on Prince Rui. Prince Rui is highly skilled in martial arts. He might not die in their hands, but it¡¯s enough to pester him for a while. ¡± This result was satisfactory. If they really followed the plan and only put on an act, they would not go all the way. If they could not arouse hatred, Xiao Shunyang would easily escape. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Since Xiao Shunyang, that troublesome fellow, was no longer around, there was no need for them to pretend to be from the two families. Wei Ting, Li Wan, and Wei Xiyue changed carriages. At this moment, Xiaohu woke up. Among the three brothers, Dahu was always the first to wake up. Erhu was second, and Xiaohu was always the one who could not wake up. Did the sun rise from the west today? ¡°Mother.¡± Xiaohu climbed into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arms and happily occupied his mother¡¯s hug. Su Xiaoxiao asked him, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Hungry.¡± ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Xiaohu thought for a moment, crossed his feet, and said, ¡°Big pig trotters.¡± Wei Ting, who had just sat down, was speechless. The two carriages started swaying. The three little ones were awake and drinking milk from the milk bottle. They were also sucking happily, and the entire carriage was filled with the sound of them swallowing seriously. Su Xiaoxiao looked at them and was overwelmed by their extreme cuteness. Wei Ting snorted. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s there to see about a few brats?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°If I don¡¯t look at them, do I look at you?¡± Wei Ting crossed his arms and said coldly, ¡°Look if you want. There¡¯s no need to find an excuse.¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°This mouth is still asking for a beating.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t continue to bicker with him because she remembered something. Su Xuan¡¯s brocade bag. She took out the number one brocade bag. ¡°What is this?¡± Wei Ting asked. Su Xiaoxiao said truthfully, ¡°Oh, Su Li gave it to me on the daywe set off. There are a total of three brocade bags. The first brocade bag contains the bracelet on my wrist. I told you last time. The second brocade bag can only be opened after entering the southern border. The third one will be opened when we reach the capital. I should be able to open the first brocade bag now.¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°Granduncle asked him to send it over?¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡®What do you think? Can that kid have such thoughts?¡± This was a coincidence. He did not answer, but it made people feel that he had been answered. Wei Ting thought that the Su family¡¯s army was in the south. It made sense that the Old Marquis could make some arrangements for their trip to the southern border. Su Xiaoxiao opened the brocade bag, which contained a note and a jade thumb ring. Su Xiaoxiao picked up the note and read, ¡°Phoenix Town, Silken Cloth Manor.¡± Wei Ting glanced at the note and tapped the words on it with his slender fingertip. He said suspiciously, ¡°This is Su Xuan¡¯s handwriting.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡°Head of Secret Service, your cover is blown!¡± ¡°Ahem, is that so?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. Wei Ting said, ¡°The Old Marquis knows how to write.¡± In other words, there was no need for Su Xuan to write for him. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao without blinking. ¡°Su Xuan gave you the brocade bags?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°How would I know? Why don¡¯t you ask him yourself when we return to the capital?¡± ¡°Head of the Secret Service, I did my best. Wei Ting brought his brain out.¡± Wei Ting chucked, ¡°Heh.¡± This chuckle was quite intriguing.. Chapter 842 - Chapter 842: Successful Escape Chapter 842: Successful Escape Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was not that Su Xiaoxiao had never considered hiding the brocade bag, but after thinking about it, she could not hide it at all. Wei Ting was with her at all times. If she took action, he would definitely notice. However, it was not so easy to uncover the truth about the head of the secret service. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this.¡± Su Xiaoxiao got back to the topic. ¡°Is Phoenix Town the town we¡¯re going to soon?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Wei Ting replied. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Change your clothes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao opened the bag. ¡°That¡¯s right. We have to change quickly.¡± Not only was it to better integrate into the southern border, but it was also to prevent Xiao Shunyang from recognizing them at a glance. The women of the southern border mostly wore silver jewelry or silver crowns, while the men mostly wore headscarves. The color of their clothes was also brighter. Su Xiaoxiao changed the three little ones first. Everyone was wearing a silver collar around their necks. The three of them were extremely curious and played with the silver collar. Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting only changed their clothes outside. Since it was not awkward, they changed in the carriage. After arriving at Phoenix Town, Wei Ting first found an inn to stay in. Li Wan and Wei Xiyue alighted from the carriage. The two of them were wearing the clothes of the women and girls of the Southern Wilderness, looking extremely beautiful. Wei Qing was in a wheelchair and was carried down by the assassin. He and Wei Ting were incomparably handsome and could easily carry off any clothes and headwear. The only one who didn¡¯t change clothes was Mei Ji. She hated such thick clothes! Wei Ting went to book a room. ¡°Second Brother, stay with Second Sister-in-law for now. I¡¯ll leave Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu to you. Xiaoxiao and I will go out for a while.¡± ¡°Xiaohu wants to go too!¡± ¡°Erhu wants to go too!¡± ¡°Dahu wants to go.¡± The three little ones refused to leave their mother for a moment. Su Xiaoxiao pinched their faces. ¡°Be good. Play with Sister Xiyue for a while. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Alright.¡± Dahu was the first to compromise and fight to be an obedient baby. Seeing that Dahu was not making a fuss, Erhu stopped making a fuss himself. In terms of pretending to be obedient, who lost? Only Xiaohu, this silly boy, still hugged Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s leg and refused to let go. ¡°Xiaohu wants to go! Xiaohu wants to go! Xiaohu likes Mom the most!¡± Who could withstand this wheedling? Su Xiaoxiao was about to give in. Wei Ting picked the little fellow up and stuffed him into his second brother¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯ll leave him to you.¡± Wei Qing knew that the two of them had serious matters to attend to. He smiled at the little packrat in her arms. ¡°Go play with Uncle.¡± Failing to act cute, Xiaohu turned his face away angrily. ¡°Smelly Daddy!¡± Xiaohu hesitated for half a second. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Ting gave the rice cakes to the four little ones and left the inn with Su Xiaoxiao. He had already asked the innkeeper just now. The Silken Cloth Manor was not far. After passing through the alley opposite, they would be able to reach there in half an hour. The Silken Cloth Manor was only a small cloth shop. The shopkeeper recommended a few large ones to him and asked them to buy fabric from the other shops. The two of them walked on the endless streets and looked at the people coming and going. Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°Phoenix Town is quite lively.¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°There are many caravans at the border. As long as there¡¯s no war, it can be lively.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Wei Ting looked at the shop on the right. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± The two of them were about to walk over when a delicate shout suddenly came from above. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± The two of them stopped and looked up at the window on the second floor. Su Xiaoxiao was expressionless. It was her again. Who else could it be but the sister of the Saintess who had fought with her for the Snow Domain Hemp on Heavenly Mountain? She had encountered her three times. She did not know what kind of ill-fated relationship it was. ¡°Alright, you actually dare to come to the southern border?¡± The girl jumped down from the window and landed opposite Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting. The girl had seen Wei Ting three times and was stunned by him three times. The first time, Wei Ting was slovenly. She felt that this man was very charming. The second time, he was wearing armor, and she felt that he was heroic. Today, he changed into the outfit of a man from the southern border, making her eyes light up even more. Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes dangerously. ¡°If you look again, I¡¯ll dig out your eyes.¡± The girl looked at Su Xiaoxiao. The first two times she saw Su Xiaoxiao, she was either travel-worn or wearing armor and a helmet. Most of her beauty had been ruined. Now that she was casually dressed up, she was as beautiful as a fairy. The girl frowned unhappily and grabbed the whip in her hand. She snorted and said, ¡°Do you think this is your Great Zhou? Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re wearing the clothes of the southern border, you would be a member of our southern border! If you stay in the Great Zhou obediently, I might not do anything to you, but you actually came here fearlessly¡­¡± As she spoke, she pointed the whip at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Hand over the Snow Domain Hemp!¡± There was no fear or emotion in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes. ¡°And what if I don¡¯t hand it over?¡± The girl flicked the whip in her hand away and the end of the whip hit the ground heavily, raising three feet of dust. ¡°Then don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°How would you be rude? Who can you scare with your lousy skills?¡± The girl recalled the experience of being beaten to the ground by Su Xiaoxiao and felt a little embarrassed. She choked and said angrily, ¡°You were the one who ambushed me last time! Do you really think I¡¯m afraid of you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said arrogantly, ¡°Come on.¡± There were many pedestrians on the street to begin with, and the commotion attracted many passersby. Seeing that there were many people, the girl took the opportunity to get back at them. She whipped toward Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao put on her silver silk gloves in a second and grabbed the end of her thorny whip. The surrounding commoners gasped. She even dared to grab a thorny whip. Wasn¡¯t she afraid of cutting her flesh? Soon, they realized that their worries were unnecessary. It was unknown what the little girl was wearing, but she actually grabbed it unscathed. ¡°You¡­¡± The girl¡¯s gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s silver silk gloves. She had wanted to ask on Heavenly Mountain, where did this glove come from? Why was she not even afraid of the poison of the Snow Domain Hemp? It had to be known that when the Snow Domain Hemp was first picked, it was the most poisonous. Even if they followed the thick ten layers of fabric, they would be attacked by the poison. ¡°I want your things!¡± ¡°I think you should care about your dignity first!¡± Su Xiaoxiao suddenly pulled the whip. The girl cried out in surprise and was pulled over by a strong force. Su Xiaoxiao grabbed her shoulder, turned her around, and strangled her with a whip. Fortunately, only the end of this whip had thorns. Otherwise, her throat would have been pierced long ago. At this moment, another figure flashed down from the room and slapped toward Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. Wei Ting, who had not made a move, stood in front of Su Xiaoxiao and raised his scabbard without a word! Chapter 843 - Chapter 843: Brilliant Plan Chapter 843: Brilliant Plan Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The reason why he did not use his hands was to prevent the other party from using poison. That person was blocked, but he did not stop immediately. In fact, his palm was just a feint. His real goal was to save the hostage in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand. His other hand was already holding the blade and cutting the whip that trapped the girl. Then, he slashed at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s neck. Wei Ting blocked his wrist. The man pulled the girl over with his other hand and used his qinggong to leave with her. She was already far away, but they could still hear the girl¡¯s indignant roar. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill her! I¡¯m going to kill her!¡± Everyone was a little unsatisfied. When experts fought, they always wanted to watch more. Unfortunately, they had already left, so everyone could only disperse. Wei Ting took the half whip from her hand and threw it away. ¡°Are you injured?¡± ¡°NO. ¡®That person¡¯s palm was poisonous just now.¡± su xlaoxlao smelled lt. After getting pregnant, her sense of smell was much more sensitive than before. ¡°You didn¡¯t touch his hand, did you?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°No.¡± Before setting off, the Old Marquis had reminded him that the people of the southern border were good at Gu and poison. He had to be careful when fighting the people of the southern border. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the scabbard. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The two of them entered the Silken Cloth Manor. The innkeeper did not lie to them. The Silken Cloth Manor was indeed a small cloth shop. Business was not good, and there were few types of materials at a glance. The quality was not good. Other than the two of them, there was no other customers in the cloth shop. The shopkeeper did not seem to care about the state of business. He did not entertain any customers and rested his head on his hand in boredom, tapping his abacus on the counter. A clerk walked forward and asked with a smile, ¡°What material do you want to ¡°I¡¯m not here to look at the materials,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. The clerk was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao came to the counter. The light above the shopkeeper¡¯s head dimmed. He did not even look up. ¡°I only sell materials, not shoes, not ready-made clothes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out the jade thumb ring and placed it on his abacus. The shopkeeper paused and immediately looked up at Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting. His gaze told Su Xiaoxiao that they had come to the right place. ¡°Secret signal!¡± the shopkeeper whispered. Su Xiaoxiao looked confused. ¡°There¡¯s no secret signal.¡± Could it be that Su Li had forgotten to mention it? The shopkeeper patted his chest. ¡°It¡¯s good that there¡¯s no secret signal.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. The shopkeeper continued, ¡°Excuse me, is the brocade bag here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took out the brocade bag and the note inside. After the shopkeeper took it, he found a dagger and cut open the brocade bag, pulling out a golden thread from the compartment. ¡°It¡¯s the boss¡¯s brocade bag!¡± The corners of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. There was actually a secret hidden in the brocade bag. Why didn¡¯t Su Xuan tell her? What if she had thrown the brocade bag away? Su Li must have left something out! This Fifth Brother! After confirming Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s identity, the shopkeeper¡¯s attitude immediately changed. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to sew the brocade bag. I guarantee it¡¯ll be exactly the same as before it was opened!¡± Su Xiaoxiao replied, ¡°No need.¡± The shopkeeper walked out from behind the counter and extended his arm towards the stairs. ¡°Miss, Young Master, please go upstairs!¡± Wei Ting corrected her seriously. ¡°She¡¯s my Madam.¡± The shopkeeper was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao had a tender face and a round face. She had lost weight, but there was a little baby fat on her cheeks. It was no wonder that the shopkeeper had misjudged her. He said awkwardly, ¡°Ah, yes, Young Master. Madam, please go upstairs.¡± The two of them followed him to the accountant on the second floor. He made tea for the two of them. It was actually the Great Zhou¡¯s Longjing Tea. It seemed that this place was indeed related to the Great Zhou. Wei Ting brought Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s tea to him and said to the shopkeeper, ¡°Please pour a cup of warm water.¡± The shopkeeper was experienced; if she could not drink tea, could it be¡­ The shopkeeper did not ask further and respectfully poured warm water over. He sat down opposite the two of them and said with a smile, ¡°My surname is Zheng and my name is Hai. Young Master and Madam can call me Old Zheng.¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up the warm water and took a sip. ¡°I want to ask, the person who asked me to look for you¡­¡± Zheng Hai understood what she wanted to ask. He smiled and said frankly, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s our boss.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked around. ¡°Is your boss¡¯s shop¡­ so deserted?¡± With Su Xuan¡¯s wealth, it was not to the extent that he could not even afford a few high-grade fabrics. A trace of reverence flashed across Zheng Hails eyes. ¡°This is exactly what¡¯s so brilliant about Boss. To put it bluntly, we¡¯re in the southern border to gather information for Boss. If the business of the shop is too good, it¡¯s easy to be targeted.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. She had learned. Zheng Hai asked, ¡°Does Boss give the two of you anything else?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and took off the bracelet on her wrist. ¡°This.¡± She did not mention the third brocade bag for the time being. That could only be opened when she went to the capital. It should have nothing to do with Phoenix Town. Zheng Hai took the bracelet with both hands and looked at it carefully for a while. ¡°I see.¡± He took a clean handkerchief and wiped the place he had touched. He placed it on the handkerchief and returned it to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°What do you see?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Zheng Hai smiled and asked, ¡°You¡¯re going to the capital, right? This bracelet can only be used for this.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put the bracelet back on her wrist. ¡°Is this bracelet related to going to the capital?¡± Zheng Hai was not in a hurry to answer her. Instead, he asked, ¡°You just came to the southern border. Do you think it¡¯s easy to enter?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s right. One can even fill in the official documents on my behalf.¡± Zheng Hai smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to enter the border of the southern border, but not everyone can go to the capital of the southern border. Your identities should not be exposed. Do you know who attacked you on the streets just now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The sister of the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness?¡± Zheng Hai looked at the two of them in surprise. ¡°You know?¡± Wei Ting drank his tea silently and was willing to be the background. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Zheng Hai and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if it was true before, but I¡¯m sure now. However, that¡¯s all I know.¡± Zheng Hai said, ¡°She¡¯s indeed the biological sister of the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness and the second daughter of the Cheng family¡­ Let me tell you about the situation in the Southern Wilderness. In the Southern Wilderness, the royal family of the Southern Wilderness is at the top of the power, followed by the Saintess Temple, and below that are the four big families and eight tribes. The Cheng family I mentioned just now is one of the four big families. It has the support of two big tribes. The new identity arranged by the boss for Miss is the daughter of the Cheng family.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Xiaoxiao blinked. ¡°Why did you arrange a new identity?¡± Zheng Hai hurriedly explained, ¡°The situation in the capital of the Southern Wilderness is different from the Great Zhou, Northern Yan, Western Jin, and Wei¡­ If outsiders don¡¯t have enough background, it will be difficult for them to take a step forward.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin.. ¡°If I¡¯m the daughter of the Cheng family, wouldn¡¯t I have to be sisters with the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness and that girl just now?¡± Chapter 844 - Chapter 844: New Family Chapter 844: New Family Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Sisters¡­ not really.¡± Zheng Hai smiled awkwardly. ¡°The situation of the Cheng family¡­ is a little complicated. When Old Master Cheng was alive, he didn¡¯t have a son and only had two daughters, one legitimate and one from a concubine. In order to continue the Cheng family¡¯s bloodline, Old Master Cheng found a live-in son-in-law for his legitimate daughter. Not long after the wedding, Madam Cheng was pregnant, but fate made a fool of her. She gave birth to a stillborn baby girl. ¡°Madam Cheng couldn¡¯t take the blow and went crazy. In less than two years, Old Master Cheng and Matriarch Cheng also passed away one after another. The heavy burden of the family fell on the shoulders of the Cheng family¡¯s son-in-law. ¡°Speaking of which, this son-in-law of the Cheng family is quite capable. He manages the family well. He doesn¡¯t have a son, so he supports the children of the side branches. The Cheng family is thriving day by day, rising from the bottom of the four families to the top two. ¡°Later on, he married the concubine sister of the Cheng family, saying that he wanted to leave a descendant for the Cheng family. The Cheng family¡¯s bloodline could not be cut off, so the family agreed. Their eldest daughter is the current Saintess, and their second daughter is the one you met on the streets today.¡± When Su Xiaoxiao heard this, she felt that the Cheng family was brewing a huge pot of melodramatic dog blood. She asked Zheng Hai, ¡°So, where did the daughter of the Cheng family come from?¡± Zheng Hai smiled at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°That baby girl didn¡¯t die back then. She survived in the coffin. A kind -hearted person passing by heard her cries and saved her. He took her in and raised her. And you are her daughter.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡°The Cheng family will acknowledge it?¡± Wei Ting finally spoke. Zheng Hai smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°This bracelet was buried with the baby girl back then. You just have to insist that your mother left it for you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡®What about my mother?¡± Zheng Hai said, ¡°She passed away and only told you the truth before she died. On the surface, she didn¡¯t care, but she had actually asked around long ago. This bracelet is something that only exists in the capital. She hoped that you could return to the capital to find your background. After asking around, you finally found out your background.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°This ¡®multiple inquiries to find out her background¡¯¡­ Isn¡¯t it a little perfunctory? This isn¡¯t something a weak woman can find out, right?¡± Zheng Hai coughed lightly. ¡°That¡¯s all I can think of for now. If there are any loopholes, find them yourself.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. ¡°I don¡¯t look like a Cheng family member.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like your father.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s my father?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead too.¡± ¡°What about the family that adopted my mother?¡± ¡°The epidemic. They¡¯re all dead.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless again. Zheng Hai opened the cabinet and took out a stack of documents. ¡°I found two places where there was a plague. The household registration and travel passes for both places have been settled. Choose one yourself.¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered,¡± You only have props and don¡¯t have a script, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao brought the household registration and travel passes over. Thinking of the people accompanying her, she said, ¡°My household registration alone is not enough. Many people have come this time.¡± ¡°How many?¡± Zheng Hai asked. Su Xiaoxiao extended her fingers one by one. ¡°There aren¡¯t enough hands to count.¡± This time, it was Zheng Hail s turn to remain silent. Boss didn¡¯t say that a nest would come¡­ He took a deep breath and said slowly, ¡°Give me a day. I¡¯ll prepare a travel pass for you at noon tomorrow at the latest.¡± After leaving the Silken Cloth Manor, Su Xiaoxiao was in a good mood. Wei Ting glanced at her. ¡°Why are you so happy? Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Of course I¡¯m happy to be able to go to the capital! Xiao Shunyang thinks that by detaining our travel passes, he can make it difficult for us to move. Are you dumbfounded?¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°I think you can¡¯t wait to be the daughter of the Cheng family, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao cleared her throat. ¡°Ahem.¡± Why did he have to expose it? Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°Isn¡¯t this to make it easier for me to find Dad and Second Brother¡¯s medicine? Didn¡¯t you hear Old Zheng say that the current Saintess is the eldest daughter of the Cheng family? What does this mean? The Cheng family is related to the Holy Maiden Temple! If I enter the Cheng family, it will be much easier to ask for information or find medicine!¡± Wei Ting looked at her skeptically. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not doing it for your own fun?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Su Xiaoxiao placed her hands behind her back and swung her head before walking away valiantly! After returning to the inn, the two of them went to Wei Qing. The four little ones were sitting in a row and eating rice cakes. A parrot stood at the side and was also happily pecking at the rice cakes. Seeing their mother return, Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu immediately stopped sitting. They came over and stuck to her body before continuing to eat the rice cakes. Wei Ting told them about going to Silken Cloth Manor to see Zheng Hai. Regarding the origin of the brocade bag, Wei Ting only mentioned that it was sent by Su Li. When Li Wan saw Su Li coming to send her off that day, she also thought that it was the Old Marquis¡¯s arrangement. As for what Wei Qing was thinking, no one knew. He was as shrewd as Su Xuan. Who knew if he was able to sniff his own kind? Anyway, Wei Qing did not ask anything on the surface. Li Wan said softly, ¡°I was just talking to your second brother about road passes. We have to get our road Dasses checked all the wav to the caoital. Can that Shopkeeper Zheng really get so many road passes?¡± ¡°He said yes,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. It was a good thing that the problem of road passes had been resolved, but when she thought of how her seventh sister-in-law was going to the Cheng family, she could not help but be a little worried. She looked at Wei Qing. ¡°Husband, is the Cheng family safe?¡± Wei Qing closed the half-read book. Wei Ting¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I talk to you, but you read the entire time. As soon as Second Sister-in-law speaks, you immediately stop reading.¡± Was this how a brother should be? Wei Qing ignored his stinky brother¡¯s resentment and replied to his wife softly, ¡°The situation of the Cheng family is indeed as that shopkeeper said. The current head is the son-in-law of the Cheng family back then, and the current Madam is a daughter of the concubine. As for the first wife of the Cheng family¡¯s son-in-law, it¡¯s said that she hasn¡¯t come out to see anyone for many years.¡± Li Wan looked at Su Xiaoxiao worriedly. ¡°Then¡­ won¡¯t Seventh Sister-in-law be alone and helpless?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Second Sister-in-law, how can we get tiger cubs without entering the tiger¡¯s den? The herbs we need are in the Saint Lady Temple. The Cheng family is the only chance to approach the Saint Lady Temple at the moment. Moreover, I¡¯ve long fallen out with the second daughter of the Cheng family. She¡¯ll look for trouble even if I go to the capital. Instead of being schemed against by her, it¡¯s better to attack openly. At least on the surface, she can¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°You agree too?¡± Wei Qing looked at Wei Ting. Wei Ting snorted. Wei Qing sighed. Wasn¡¯t it just reading for a while? How old was he? Why was he being jealous? Wei Ting glanced at a certain little fat peacock coldly. ¡°Is it useful if I don¡¯t agree?¡± A certain someone was waiting to cause trouble in the Cheng family. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t like to be aggrieved. Why wouldn¡¯t she use such a good identity? Although there was indeed a certain risk in going to the Cheng family, this was the style of the Head of the Secret Service. He had always risked lives and was ruthless to everyone.. Chapter 845 - Chapter 845: The Third Brocade Bag Chapter 845: The Third Brocade Bag Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Qing and Li Wan were not indecisive. Since they had decided, they could do it boldly. They faced all the risks together. Mei Ji brought the four little ones to the courtyard to play while Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting returned to the room next door. Li Wan was in a daze. Wei Qing pushed the wheelchair over and gently held her hand. ¡°Wanwan, what are you thinking about?¡± Li Wan regained her consciousness and pinched his slender fingers. ¡°I was just thinking when we can reach the capital if we set off tomorrow, ?¡± ¡°Ten days,¡± Wei Qing said. Seeing Li Wan¡¯s disappointed expression, he asked, ¡°Is Wanwan worried about me?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Li Wan opened her mouth.¡± The Saint Lady Temple is so powerful. I¡¯m afraid the Snake Bone Flower is not easy to obtain. ¡® Wei Qing smiled. ¡°There will be a way.¡± Li Wan switched from her usual shyness and took the initiative to lean into his arms. She held his hand longingly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you again.¡± Wei Qing caressed her hair. ¡°Wanwan won¡¯t lose me. I won¡¯t leave Wanwan.¡± Li Wan closed her eyes. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t leave me and Xiyue behind anymore.¡± Wei Qing looked at the endless night and said softly, ¡°Okay.¡± The night fell and enveloped the entire world. In February this year, the capital was in spring, but the southern border had long entered a warm climate. Xiao Shunyang finally shook off the bandits with his subordinates, but it was dark and they could not tell the direction at all. They were lost in the mountains. What was worse was that Wei Ting and Zhuge Qing were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Your Highness, did they do it on purpose?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Your Highness. They were the ones who hired the robbers, right? Otherwise, why did they escape? Only the few of us are left here to feed the robbers!¡± ¡°Where did they escape to? The road guide is with us. They can¡¯t go to the capital at all!¡± Xiao Shunyang sat on a rock, a complicated look flashing across his deep eyes. ¡°Stop talking!¡± The leader of the guards berated, and the others shut up. Xiao Shunyang wiped the blood off his sword and suddenly sheathed it! ¡°Rest on the spot. We¡¯ll find a way out at dawn.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± At noon the next day, Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting arrived at Silken Cloth Manor as promised. Zheng Hai had already arranged the household registration and travel passes according to their specific situation. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re going to the capital to do business. I¡¯ve already gotten someone to prepare the fabric. Someone will receive you when you reach the capital. ¡± Wei Ting took the household register. ¡°Thank you.¡± Zheng Hai smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s my duty.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to Zheng Hai, ¡°We¡¯ll leave first.¡± Zheng Hai personally sent the two of them into the carriage. ¡°Take care.¡± He looked at the departing convoy and muttered, ¡°Boss, are they the people you chose? Can they¡­ really succeed?¡± Ten days later, the group arrived at the capital of the Southern Wilderness. It was getting late, and the city gate was about to close. ¡°Don¡¯t close, don¡¯t close, don¡¯t close!¡± Fu Su drove the carriage all the way and braked at the city gate. Fortunately, Yuchi Xiu was not around. Otherwise, he would have fallen like a big toad again. Fu Su jumped off the carriage. ¡°Officers, we want to enter the city.¡± A guard said bluntly, ¡°Come back tomorrow!¡± ¡°Make an exception.¡± Fu Su took out the silver. Who would have thought that money would not work? ¡°Yo, what¡¯s wrong with the two of you? Why did you stop our carriage?¡± Accompanied by this delicate voice, an extremely charming woman slowly alighted from the second carriage. She was wearing a bright purple dress with wide sleeves. Her waist was soft and slender, and she was unbelievably proud. Her half-covered lapel, hidden by the thin veil, displayed her charm to the extreme. The two guards were instantly stunned. Mei Ji¡¯s folding fan half covered her face as she said charmingly, ¡°Sirs, I want to enter the city with my family. Can you do me a favor? Is it convenient?¡± The two of them nodded repeatedly. ¡°Convenient! Convenient!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± With that, Mei Ji turned around and ended the business in a second. She rolled her eyes and got into the carriage. After entering the city, they had only taken a few steps when someone really came to receive them. He walked forward and stopped Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s carriage. He asked, ¡°Excuse me, are you from Phoenix Town?¡± Wei Ting lifted the curtain and sized him up. ¡°Yes.¡± The man said again, ¡°Do you have a token?¡± Su Xiaoxiao handed the jade thumb ring to Wei Ting. Wei Ting showed him the jade ring. The man hurriedly said, ¡°Please follow me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°How did you recognize us?¡± The man smiled. ¡°I recognized the carriage of the Silken Cloth Manor.¡± Zheng Hai prepared a cart of goods for them. The carriage looked ordinary, but there were patterns and emblems on the canopy that only they could understand. Su Xiaoxiao nodded slightly and sat back in the carriage. The man had ridden over. He mounted and led the way. The capital of the Southern Wilderness was bustling with activity. There were rows of shops, and the streets were filled with hawkers and endless pedestrians. They were busy checking in and did not have the time to admire the night scenery of the capital of the Southern Wilderness. The man led them through the busy long street into a secluded alley and dismounted in front of a courtyard at the end. The man¡¯s name was Deng Huan, and he was Zheng Hail s distant cousin. Before they set off, Zheng Hai ordered someone to send him a letter. He already knew the purpose of their trip. He pushed open the courtyard door and said, ¡°Boss bought this courtyard three years ago. The original layout was not like this. Boss got someone to change it. This place is not far from the Cheng family, so it¡¯s convenient.¡± How old was the Head of the Secret Service three years ago? Seventeen? At that time, he had already developed his faction to the capital of the Southern Wilderness? Could it be that he had been playing this game of chess with the Cheng family since three years ago? The courtyard had been changed to the second courtyard of the Great Zhou. There were a total of six rooms and two study rooms, enough to accomodate them. Deng Huan even prepared two servant girls. ¡°Young Masters, Madams, don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re trustworthy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Deng Huan said, ¡°I¡¯m at the coffin shop ahead. Call me if you need anything.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. ¡°Your boss sells coffins?¡± Deng Huan smiled and said, ¡°Boss said that coffin shops are taboo. Ordinary people won¡¯t go threre, so it¡¯s convenient to do things and stay out of sight.¡± ¡®l¡¯nat was true. In a Place 11Ke tne capital wnere every mcn or lana was expensive, any shop was precious. If business was too popular, people would covet it. If there was no business, people would also covet it. Only a coffin shop was not robbed. Su Xiaoxiao expressed that she had learned again. Based on the Head of the Secret Service¡¯s unique way of thinking, he would have been a big shot in her previous life. Su Xiaoxiao and Li Wan accepted the two maidservants. Wei Qing and Li Wan lived in the east wing of the second courtyard. The two of them originally planned to ask for the west wing, but Wei Qing was not in good health, so Su Xiaoxiao insisted on giving him the best room for lighting and ventilation. Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao stayed in the west room with the three little ones. Mei Ji lived in the small west room next door. The others stayed in the rooms in the front row. The three little fellows were tired today and went to bed early. She was going to the Cheng family tomorrow morning, so Su Xiaoxiao quickly went to rest. Just as she lay down, she remembered something. The third brocade bag! Chapter 846 - Chapter 846: Visit Chapter 846: Visit Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Since Su Li said that it could be opened after entering the capital of the Southern Wilderness, Su Xiaoxiao took out the brocade bag from the pharmacy. Speaking of the pharmacy, this guy hadn¡¯t given her a reward for two months. However, this time, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t think that it was holding back its big move. It was very likely that she had used too much medicine at the border. Su Xiaoxiao touched the bridge of her nose resentfully and opened the last brocade bag. She took a look. ¡°This is¡­ When the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds and landed on the vermillion glazed tiles, Su Xiaoxiao came out of the west wing. Today was the day to go to the Cheng family to acknowledge her family. Zheng Hai gave her two real household registrations: one identity was already married and relied on her poor husband and half-year-old daughter in the countryside; the other was still unmarried. It was easy to find a poor husband in the countryside, but it was not easy to get a half-year-old daughter. Su Xiaoxiao could only choose a second identity. The children in the family were left behind and their handsome faces filled with resentment. It was rare for Wei Ting to see the few brats suffer. He smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve finally been abandoned by your mother, right?¡± Dahu gave him a speechless look. ¡°You make it sound like your wife didn¡¯t leave you behind.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. It hurt. Su Xiaoxiao squatted down and touched their heads. Erhu said, ¡°I need a kiss to be obedient.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was amused and decisively kissed the three little ones on the face. The three little ones covered their faces shyly. Thinking of something, the three of them ran to Wei Ting. Wei Ting wondered, ¡± Do you know how good Dad is now?¡± The three of them looked up. Wei Ting thought that they wanted him to kiss them too. Although he was a little surprised that he had such treatment, he still bent down. Unexpectedly, three small hands mercilessly pressed his forehead. The three of them expressed, ¡°Stinky Daddy, we¡¯re just showing off our little kisses to you!¡± Wei Ting was speechless! The little brats were simply itching for a beating! Su Xiaoxiao said to everyone in the room, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Wei Qing smiled. ¡°Go.¡± Li Wan said, ¡°Be careful.¡± Wei Ting silently displayed his lonely handsome face. ¡°Where¡¯s mine?¡± Su Xiaoxiao went alone. Her family was worried, so Wei Qing asked her to bring Mei Ji along. No one in the Cheng family had seen Mei Ji. There was no risk of her being exposed if she followed as a maidservant. The only thing was that she had to change into the clothes of a woman from the southern border. Mei Ji didn¡¯t hate pretending to be a maidservant. She hated wrapping herself up like a dumpling. ¡°Mei Ji hates wearing such thick clothes!¡± Mei Ji was very bitter. The second daughter of the Cheng family had seen Su Xiaoxiao, and Su Xiaoxiao had changed her appearance. After everything was prepared, the two of them brought two bags and pulled at their hair. They rubbed some dust on their shoes and arrived at the Cheng family¡¯s door. When the servant guarding the Cheng family heard that two relatives had come, he immediately wanted to chase them away. Su Xiaoxiao had expected this. She had even broken through the city gate at Broken North Pass. She did not believe that she could not enter the Cheng family¡¯s door. She said calmly, ¡°Call your head over.¡± The servant laughed angrily. ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood today and won¡¯t argue with the two of you. You came to the Cheng family to cheat. Do you know what kind of place the Cheng family is? If you don¡¯t leave, I won¡¯t be polite!¡± Not only was Mei Ji wrapped up like a dumpling, but her face was also smeared with dust. She was also repeatedly reminded by Master not to use bewitching techniques, let alone fight. She could only roll her eyes at the side. Coincidentally, the head steward of the Cheng family came out. ¡°Steward Pang!¡± The servant nodded and bowed. Steward Pang looked at the two poor girls at the door and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The servant hurriedly said, ¡°Two charlatans. I¡¯ll chase them away now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a cheat,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously. ¡°I¡¯m the eldest daughter of your Cheng family.¡± The servant hurriedly berated, ¡°Nonsense! Our Cheng family has a eldest daughter! The current Saintess is our Cheng family¡¯s eldest daughter!¡± Su Xiaoxiao took off the bracelet on her wrist and said to Steward Pang, ¡°You¡¯re the steward ot the Cheng tamily( I don¡¯t think you¡¯re young anymore. You should have been in the residence for many years. Do you know this bracelet?¡± ¡°Madam! Madam! Something big has happened!¡± A maidservant rushed to the east courtyard of the Cheng family. The current mistress of the Cheng family, Cheng Lian, was teaching her daughter embroidery in the room. ¡°This needle goes here.¡± She said. The girl snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t want to learn embroidery!¡± Cheng Lian said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s for your sister, not someone else. Can¡¯t you put some heart into it?¡± The girl bit her lip. ¡°Madam!¡± The maid hit the door. Cheng Lian frowned slightly. ¡°How many times have I taught you? You have to follow the rules in the residence. Don¡¯t always be rash and stumble. It¡¯s inappropriate!¡± The maidservant swallowed her dry throat and panted. ¡°Madam! A girl came outside and claims to be the eldest daughter of the Cheng family. She even has our Cheng family¡¯s token!¡± The girl mocked, ¡°What nonsense! The eldest daughter of the Cheng family is my sister, who is the current Saintess in the Holy Maiden Temple. Which shameless person dares to come and pretend to recognize her identity? Token? Heh!¡± The maidservant said, ¡°It¡¯s true! Madam!¡± The girl said disdainfully, ¡°What¡¯s true? My mother has never given birth to a third daughter!¡± The maidservant stammered, ¡°She said she is¡­ is¡­ ¡°First Madam¡¯s flesh and blood.¡± At the door, Su Xiaoxiao said to Steward Pang without changing her expression, ¡°The baby girl First Madam gave birth to back then didn¡¯t die and came back to life in the coffin. That baby girl is my mother.¡± Steward Pang looked at Su Xiaoxiao deeply. At this moment, there were already many people gathered at the door to watch the show. The news would soon spread¡­ Steward Pang asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you know the outcome of impersonating the daughter of the Cheng family?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was not an ignorant girl who would be frightened by his fierce gaze. She said firmly, ¡°Do you know the outcome of rejecting the eldest daughter of the Cheng family!¡± The words ¡°daughter of the first wife¡± woke the onlookers up from a dream. The eldest daughter of the Cheng family had been crazy for more than 30 years and had long been forgotten. Now, the world only knew that Old Master Cheng had given birth to the second daughter, Cheng Lian. However, Cheng Lian was actually the daughter of a concubine. She was married to the Cheng family¡¯s son-in-law, but Miss Cheng was not dead. No matter how powerful she was or how glorious she was, she was still a concubine. Therefore, strictly speaking, her daughters were still a of a lowly status. It had been many years since anyone had exposed this. No one even dared to talk about Cheng Lian and her daughters¡¯ background. Cheng Lian became the First Madam, and her eldest daughter was chosen as the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness. That was an even more noble status than the princess of the Southern Wilderness. So what if she was born of a concubine? So what if someone else was born of the first wife? The younger generation was enlightened. It turned out that the Cheng family still had a eldest daughter. It turned out that the Saintess¡¯s mother was not the first wife, nor was she the daughter of the first wife. So¡­ Seeing that the situation was out of control, the servant approached Steward Pang and whispered, ¡°Steward Pang, do you want me to chase her out?¡± Steward Pang glared at him. ¡°Idiot!¡± If they didn¡¯t fight when there were fewer people, wouldn¡¯t they be exposing themselves by fighting when there were too many people? ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Just as the discussion was getting more and more suppressed, a dignified voice sounded from behind the crowd. The person who came was none other than the assumed identity¡¯s grandfather and the husband of the eldest daughter of the Cheng family¡ªXie Yunhe.. Chapter 847 - Chapter 847: Grandfather and Grandchild Meet Chapter 847: Grandfather and Grandchild Meet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xie Yunhe married into the Cheng family at the age of 16. His first daughter was born when he was at the age of 17. Now, he was only in his early fifties. Time had left a mark on his face, but it could not hide his good bones and handsome facial features. It was obvious how beautiful he was when he was young. It was said that the eldest daughter of the Cheng family fell in love with him at the poetry conference back then and would never marry anyone other than him. After being the head of the Cheng family for 30 years, he was already the true head of the Cheng family. He carried the dignity and aura of the family head. The noisy commoners immediately quietened down and spontaneously retreated to the sides to make way for him. Xie Yunhe had just alighted from the carriage. He came to Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Ji and glanced at them. Steward Pang hurriedly walked down the steps and said respectfully, ¡°Master, you¡¯re back.¡± Just as he was about to explain what had happened, he heard Xie Yunhe say calmly, ¡°Bring her into the residence to talk.¡± Steward Pang was stunned for a moment before he quickly understood what Old Master meant. As the saying went, one should not wash his dirty linen in public. Regardless of whether the girl who came to acknowledge her family was real or fake, he could not let these people outside see her as a joke. ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed with a bow. Xie Yunhe strode into the residence. Steward Pang turned around and said indifferently to Su Xiaoxiao and Meijhi, ¡°The two of you, follow me into the residence. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself outside!¡± Mei Ji sneered. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s embarrassing yourself!¡± Steward Pang¡¯s expression darkened. However, because of the crowd of onlookers outside, he could only suppress The Cheng family was one of the four great families of the Southern Border. Its mansion had experienced a few expansions, and the entire street outside belonged to the Cheng family. ¡°Oh, the Cheng family is quite big,¡± Mei Ji said. The Western Jin was a big country. Mei Ji had been to countless luxurious mansions with the number one strategist. For her to praise it, it meant that the Cheng family was indeed not small. Steward Pang, who was leading the way, sneered disdainfully. It was obvious that they had never seen the world. It was their good fortune to enter the Cheng family today! The group went to the reception hall of the outer residence. Xie Yunhe sat down at the master seat and did not let Su Xiaoxiao and the others sit down. His sharp gaze landed on Su Xiaoxiao. Steward Pang leaned over and bent down to report softly, ¡°It¡¯s this girl who claims to be the daughter of the Cheng family¡­¡± Although Old Master might have already heard it in the carriage, he still reported the incident in detail. Xie Yunhe¡¯s gaze never left Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. He noted every expression on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t deliberately provoke this cheap grandfather. She just let him sized her up as if she was new and unfamiliar. ¡°That¡¯s about it.¡± After Steward Pang finished reporting. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you to be the Cheng family¡¯s flesh and blood,¡± Xie Yunhe concluded without thinking. He did not even suggest taking a look at the token. ¡°Is Old Master Xie so unwilling to acknowledge me?¡± It did not matter if she called him Grandpa or not. In any case, it was just a show. However, she clearly could not call him Grandpa now. She had to stabilize her persona. Xie Yunhe said solemnly, ¡°That baby girl was born stillborn.¡± ¡°Has Old Master Xie carried the baby himself?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly with a questioning tone, ¡°Has Old Master Xie taken the child¡¯s pulse? Have you checked the child¡¯s breathing? Have you heard the child¡¯s heartbeat? Did she feel cold in your arms?¡± Steward Pang scolded angrily, ¡°The midwife had already examined the child! She was a stillborn!¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°So you can throw away your biological daughter just by saying that she¡¯s stillborn.¡± A stillborn could not be buried in their ancestral grave, nor could they erect a monument, let alone burn paper to pay respects. Usually, they would dig a pit and bury it. It was indeed not an exaggeration to say that they would throw it away. However, Old Master Cheng couldn¡¯t bear to see her like this. In the end, he found a box to store the child and placed some burial items inside. Xie Yunhe¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°You don¡¯t look like me or your mother.¡± Fortunately, he had bet on this question early. Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°We¡¯re already a generation apart. People have been saying that I look like my father since I was young.¡± Xie Yunhe asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the bracelet?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took off the bracelet and handed it to Steward Pang, who was walking towards her. Steward Pang handed the bracelet to Xie Yunhe. Su Xiaoxiao was not worried that the bracelet was not real. Of course, Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t think that just a bracelet could make the Cheng family acknowledge her. you been all these years? How did you find the Cheng family?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said with a sad expression, ¡°After my grandfather and grandmother saved my mother from the small coffin, they brought her back to Yunyao Town. My family was in the satin business. In the first few years, it was not bad. My grandfather and grandmother also doted on my mother very much. Later on, my mother married the county scholar in town, my father. My mother accidentally found out about her background and started to ask around. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to find out the origin of this bracelet, but she encountered a plague. Half of the town was sick¡­ I was the only one in the family who survived.¡± Two years ago, there was indeed an epidemic in Cloud Water Town. Xie Yunhe looked at Su Xiaoxiao suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re just ordinary merchants in Cloud Water Town. How did you find out the origin of this bracelet?¡± Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands innocently. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. You have to ask my mother. She¡¯s underground. Do you want to ask?¡± Xie Yunhe was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao took out her household register and travel pass. The name on the household register was He Yuying. This was not important. As long as she was the flesh and blood of the legitimate daughter of the Cheng family, she was a proper member of the Cheng family and would not be a useless miss. After all, the daughters of the Cheng family were all looking for husbands and were not interested in marrying outside. Steward Pang said softly, ¡°Master, I think she¡¯s a liar. She most likely stole from that little ¡®coffin¡¯ back then and stole property from it. She made it up to deceive us!¡± Xie Yunhe said nothing. He looked at Su Xiaoxiao without blinking. Su Xiaoxiao met his gaze. He was looking into her eyes, but also seemed to be looking at someone else through her eyes. Xie Yunhe placed the household register and bracelet on the table and stood up. He said with dignity, ¡°I¡¯ll investigate clearly. Before that, stay in the residence first! ¡± Steward Pang was stunned. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°Go arrange it.¡± With that, Xie Yunhe left the reception hall without looking back. ¡°I¡­ this¡­ Steward Pang was dumbfounded. These two girls were clearly fake. Why did Old Master keep them? To be honest, Su Xiaoxiao was a little surprised. This ¡°recognition¡± went more smoothly than she had imagined. She still had many things to say, but Xie Yunhe actually kept her. Mei Ji placed her hands on her hips and said fiercely to Steward Pang, ¡°Hurry up and prepare a courtyard for my¡­ Young Miss!¡± Chapter 848 - Chapter 848: Here Come the Four Little Ones Chapter 848: Here Come the Four Little Ones Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Since Xie Yunhe had given the order, Steward Pang could only accept his fate and prepared a residence for the two of them. However, Old Master did not specify where they would stay. If it was up to him, ne could torget about arranging a good Place tor tnem. He brought the two of them to the small courtyard in the most remote part of the residence¡ªWest Wind Courtyard. Mei Ji frowned in disdain. ¡°Are you asking for a beating? Steward Pang chuckled and said, ¡®Master didn¡¯t acknowledge your identities. When we find out the truth later, he will chase you out! It¡¯s already a bargain for you to stay here! ¡± Killing intent flashed in Mei Ji¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mei Ji.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped her. Mei Ji snorted coldly and entered the courtyard without looking back. Steward Pang looked at her back and frowned inexplicably. Was it an illusion just now? The back of his head suddenly turned cold. Steward Pang left after bringing them in, not even giving Su Xiaoxiao a maidservant. Mei Ji looked at the courtyard on the ground and was in a dilemma. ¡°Mei Ji has never lived in such a bad courtyard!¡± She thought of something and added, ¡°After leaving the island with Sir.¡± On the island, her days with the assassin were very bitter. After Master saved them, he did not let them live a bitter day. Su Xiaoxiao entered the central room and wiped her fingertips on the table. Looking at her clean fingers, she said to Mei Ji, ¡°It¡¯s quite clean inside. Come in. ¡± The Cheng family was huge and the servants were diligent. There should be people coming here to clean often. As for the fallen leaves outside, they might not have cleaned that area today. Su Xiaoxiao was right. Less than 15 minutes later, a servant came to clean the courtyard. When the servant saw the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar girl, she was stunned for a moment before running out. She was probably going to ask someone about the situation. After returning, the servant did not say a word and silently swept the courtyard. The two of them sat down in the central room. Mei Ji thought of Steward Pang and snorted. ¡°They are so stuck-up. You don¡¯t even have a maidservant to order around. ¡® Su Xiaoxiao poured a cup of tea on the table and sniffed it. ¡°It¡¯s good that no one comes over. It¡¯s quiet and convenient to do things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Mei Ji lay on the rattan chair at the side and shook it. ¡°Anyway, our goal is to pick herbs and find someone.¡± The Cheng family¡¯s relationship with the Holy Maiden Lady Temple was not fake. After getting the herbs from the Holy Maiden Temple, Sir would be saved. Thinking of this, Mei Ji suddenly felt that this courtyard was not so dilapidated. Mei Ji was happy, but someone was unhappy. ¡°What did you say? My father didn¡¯t chase them out? He left them behind?¡± After hearing the maidservant¡¯s report, the girl¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°How did this happen?¡± The maidservant was afraid that her mistress would flare up and said fearfully, ¡°Master said¡­ to investigate that woman¡¯s identity.¡± The girl said angrily, ¡°What¡¯s there to investigate? Back then, my aunt gave birth to a stillborn child. How could she have come back to life? It¡¯s such a coincidence that the entire family died from the epidemic, leaving only a little girl in her teens. Since there was an epidemic, why was she spared?¡± The maidservant said awkwardly, ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t know either.¡± How could they, as servants, guess what Old Master was thinking? Cheng Lian had a calm expression and said in a normal tone, ¡°Alright, your father must have his reasons for doing this.¡± The girl asked unhappily, ¡°What reasons?¡± Cheng Lian smiled at her daughter and said, ¡°I guess your father doesn¡¯t want them to spout nonsense outside. It would have been fine in the past, but now that the Holy Selection of the Holy Maiden Temple is imminent, many eyes are on our Cheng family. It¡¯s better not to teach them a lesson at this juncture.¡± The girl stomped her feet and muttered, ¡°Mother always speaks up for Father!¡± Cheng Lian glared at her daughter and said in amusement, ¡°If I don¡¯t side with your father, do I have to side with a ruffian girl like you? You and your sister clearly came out of my womb. Your personalities are worlds apart!¡± The girl said gloomily, ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to find Dad and ask him to chase out that girl who pretended to be from the Cheng family!¡± She left angrily. The servant girl looked at Madam worriedly. Cheng Lian only lowered her eyes and took a sip of tea unhurriedly. On the other side, Yuchi Xiu, who had entered the capital first, found Ghostfear and Wei Liulang through the secret signal left behind by their people. When Wei Ting was still at the border, he had already sent a secret guard over to contact the two of them and tell them the whereabouts of the Snake Bone Flower. The two of them did not expect someone else to come, and it was Yuchi Xiu. ¡°Yuchi Xiu, why are you in the southern border?¡± Wei Liulang asked in surprise. Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s here. Everyone is here! I probably entered the city a day earlier than them. I happened to spend a day looking for you. Calculating the time, the others should have entered the capital.¡± Wei Ting had entered from the north city gate. He had also left a secret signal along the way. The three of them returned to the north city gate and followed the secret signal to find the residence of Wei Ting and the others. As soon as he entered the courtyard, Wei Liulang saw the three little ones holding brushes and scribbling on the ground with water. He was excited. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu!¡± The three of them turned around, threw away their pens, and pounced at him. ¡°Sixth Uncle Daddy!¡± The three of them should call him Sixth Elder Uncle. However, before they acknowledged him, they followed Wei Xiyue and called him Sixth younger Uncle. They were used to it. Later on, Wei Liulang became their father for a day. From then on, Sixth Uncle Daddy became the exclusive address for Wei Liulang. Wei Liulang knelt on one knee, his arms filled with the three little fellows. His heart swelled, and he was speechless. ¡°Sixth Uncle Daddy, it hurts too much when you hug Xiaohu.¡± Xiaohu, who was sandwiched between his two brothers, could only move his eyes. Wei Liulang hurriedly let go of the three little fellows. They had been separated for too long. He missed them too much. He couldn¡¯t hug or see enough. ¡°Let Sixth Uncle see if you¡¯ve grown taller.¡± ¡°Dahu has grown taller.¡± ¡°Erhu has also grown taller.¡± Xiaohu tried his best to stand on his tiptoes and compete with his two brothers. ¡°Xiaohu is the tallest!¡± Wei Liulang smiled. Why did he still have his strange accent? The three of them jumped around happily in Wei Liulang¡¯s arms, their small voices shouting. Wei Liulang did not mind the noise. He shouted with them. He successfully dodged three little farts. After entering the central room, he heaved a sigh of relief. He planned to look for Wei Qing and Wei Ting at the back. Unexpectedly, just as he crossed the back threshold of the central room, he saw a beautiful little girl dressed in the southern border squatting on the ground and smashing walnuts. On the way, the pine nuts were finished, leaving only walnuts. Wei Xiyue wanted to feed Xiao Bai with walnuts. When Ghostfear saw Wei Xiyue, he felt terrible! Yuchi Xiu only said that the children were here, but he didn¡¯t say that this girl was also here! The fear of being dominated by the carrot surged. Ghostfear trembled and ran¡­ Wei Xiyue turned to the house and said, ¡°Dad, Uncle ran away.¡± Ghostfear muttered,¡± You¡¯re even complaining!¡± Chapter 849 - Chapter 849: The Real Heir Chapter 849: The Real Heir Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The person whom Ghostfear couldn¡¯t do anything about was Wei Qing. His other brothers should be beaten up. There was nothing that a beating could not resolve. If one meal of fists didn¡¯t work, two meals would do, especially the naughty Little Six. He had really suffered a lot from his fists. However, Ghostfear had never been able to do anything to his sensible brother, Wei Qing. Wei Qing knew how to pretend to be weak. He did not do anything and just smiled at his brother. The innocence in his eyes could always defeat his brother immediately. ¡°Brother.¡± Wei Qing pushed his wheelchair out. Ghostfear could not move his feet. If he took another step, what if his brother fell out of the wheelchair when he was anxious? As a big brother, he really had endless worries. In the beginning, there was the energetic Wei Little Six who tore down the house with his sons, and then there was the weak Wei Little Two. He was also very helpless. ¡°Brother.¡± Wei Ting walked out of the west room. Ghostfear glanced at Wei Ting. In contrast, Wei Ting could be considered a normal brother. Wei Ting had been ¡°normal¡± since he was young. He was not like Wei Liulang, who went to his room to tear down his house. He came in a coquettish manner. On the surface, he was obediently studying, but he was at least responsible for half of Wei Little Six¡¯s destruction in secret. The key was that Wei Little Six did not know even know it himself yet. It was confirmed that Wei Ting was the classe menace to his brothers. Wei Xiyue went to the kitchen, grabbed a carrot, and staggered to Ghostfear. Wei Xiyue tilted her head and looked at him. Ghostfear looked at the little girl and then at the innocent Wei Qing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He squatted down and said earnestly to Wei Xiyue, ¡°You¡¯re a girl. A girl can¡¯t¡­¡¯ Wei Xiyue fed him a mouthful of carrot. Then, she let him hold it himself while she circled behind him and lay on his back. She grabbed his ears with both hands. ¡°Giddyup!¡± Ghostfear was speechless. The four little ones kept playing until Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu fell asleep on the grass. Wei Liulang finally won against his sons. He was dizzy as he walked. Wei Xiyue fell asleep on the back of Ghostfear. Li Wan came over and carried Wei Xiyue and the three little tiger heads back to the room. ¡°Second Sister-in-law, let me do it.¡± Wei Ting carried the sleeping boys to the west room. Li Wan went to get water and bathed the children. The three brothers went to the study. Wei Liulang asked Wei Ting and Wei Qing about their situation. Wei Qing was the same as before, and the injuries on Wei Ting from his fight with Helian Ye had almost healed. ¡°Are Big Brother and Little Six alright?¡± Wei Qing asked. Wei Liulang said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with us. We just don¡¯t have a pass and have to hide from the officials.¡± They had secretly infiltrated the southern border without any documents or travel passes. This had both advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage was that they had to avoid the authorities. The advantage was that he could move freely and was not easy to track. ¡°Do Big Brother and Little Six know why we came to the southern border?¡± Wei Qing asked. Wei Liulang nodded and said, ¡°I know. Yuchi Xiu said on the way that Dad might still be alive and might have been captured by the people of the Southern Wilderness. Little Seven came to look for Dad on a decree, and King Rui is also here. However, he was shaken off by you. Second Brother is here to look for medicine.¡± Yuchi Xiu was simply the most talkative assassin in the world. What should have been relayed among the brothers personally when they reunited had already been broadcast by him. Wei Qing wanted to beat him up. Ghostfear also wanted to beat him up. He said whatever he shouldn¡¯t say and didn¡¯t say a word about the things he should mention, such as Wei Xiyue. Yuchi Xiu still didn¡¯t know that he had been hated by the two big bosses. He was acting cool on the roof and felt a chill on his back. Wei Liulang looked at Wei Ting. ¡°Little Seven, is Dad really still alive?¡± Was there a possibility that this was an excuse to accompany Wei Qing to the southern border to find medicine? It was not that Wei Liulang did not want Wei Xu to live, but he did not dare to hope. He was afraid that too much hope would eventually become despair. Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°Dad must have escaped from Helian Ye at that time. As for whether he¡¯s still alive¡­ I¡¯m not completely sure.¡± Wei Liulang clenched his fists. Wei Qing asked, ¡°Big Brother, Little Six, did you discover anything in the southern border?¡± Wei Liulang sighed and said, ¡°We didn¡¯t Imow that Father¡¯s disappearance might be related to the Holy Maiden Temple. We didn¡¯t ask anyone, only the herbs. The Snake Bone Flower hasn¡¯t bloomed yet, but it should be soon. It¡¯s either at the end of the month or early next month.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Second Brother¡¯s medicine will last until the end of March. From the looks of it, there¡¯s more than enough time.¡± Wei Liulang looked around. ¡°By the way, why don¡¯t I see Seventh Sister-in-law?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°Xiaoxiao is in the Cheng family.¡± Wei Liulang was stunned. ¡°Which Cheng family? It can¡¯t be the Cheng family of the Holy Maiden Temple, right?¡± There was something wrong with these words, but everyone understood what he meant. He was asking about the Cheng family, a big family related to the Saintess. Wei Ting looked at Sixth Brother and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Liulang was dumbfounded. ¡°No way, how did Xiaoxiao enter? That¡¯s the Cheng family! ¡± As one of the four great families of the Southern Wilderness, the Cheng family¡¯s status was not inferior to that of the emperor¡¯s relatives. Coupled with the appearance of another Saintess, they were simply like the midday sun. It was too difficult to enter the Holy Maiden Temple. They had once had designs on the Cheng family, but unfortunately, they had all failed. Unexpectedly, Seventh Sister-in-law easily entered the Cheng family. At the Cheng family, Xie Yunhe left the residence to do something after he saw Su Xiaoxiao. He only returned at night. Cheng Lian went forward to undress him. Xie Yunhe cooperated and spread his arms. ¡°Steward Pang said that Qingxue came to look for me. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Cheng Qingxue was the youngest daughter of Cheng Lian, and Xie Yunhe. Cheng Lian untied his jade belt and said gently, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve gotten used to her. There¡¯s no need to take it to heart.¡± Hearing Cheng Lian¡¯s words, Xie Yunhe understood what was going on. He frowned. Cheng Lian glanced at him and said considerately, ¡°We¡¯ve caused such a big commotion today. No matter what, we have to show evidence to stop everyone from talking. If we really chase her away like this, it will be exposed. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll talk to Qingxue.¡± Xie Yunhe did not say anything. Cheng Lian took off his outer robe for him and helped him into a wide robe that he wore at home. She said, ¡°Back then¡­ Sister¡¯s child did die prematurely. She died when she was born. I don¡¯t know where this girl came from. Could she be a pawn deliberately planted by the other families for the Holy Selection? Why don¡¯t I tell the Saintess to investigate?¡± Xie Yunhe said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to alarm the Saintess.¡± ¡°Husband, do you want to investigate it yourself?¡± Cheng Lian smiled gently. ¡°Alright.¡± In the courtyard, Su Xiaoxiao lit a bonfire in the courtyard and roasted sweet potatoes for Mei Ji. Mei Ji squatted at the side and smelled the fragrance of roasted sweet potatoes. She drooled. ¡°Is it ready to eat?¡± she asked. Damn the Cheng family. It was fine if they let them stay in a leaky house, but they actually didn¡¯t give them food. Su Xiaoxiao picked up a sweet potato with the tongs and looked at it before putting it back. ¡°It¡¯s still a little short.¡± Mei Ji slurped. ¡°I just went out for a walk and realized that they were all talking about the Holy Selection.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the Holy Selection?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Mei Ji said, ¡°It¡¯s the selection ceremony for the new Saintess.¡± Sil Xianxian was a little Rurprispd ¡°The Sainteqq of the Cheng family is abdicating? Mei Ji looked at the roasted sweet potato and smacked her lips. ¡°That¡¯s for sure. She can¡¯t be a Saintess for the rest of her life. She¡¯s not young anymore. She¡¯s ten years apart from than her biological sister. ¡°Ordinary Saintesses will stay in the Saintess Temple as elders after abdicating, and their status will still be respected. The Saintess of the Cheng family is in a special situation. I suspect that she will come back to inherit the family and let her biological sister be the new Saintess.¡± Crimson Moon Opera House had gathered all the news in the world. Mei Ji had her own unique intuition about such melodramatic things. She glanced at Su Xiaoxiao, who was roasting sweet potatoes thoughtfully. ¡°But do you know? With your current identity, you should be the true heir of the Cheng family..¡± Chapter 850 - Chapter 850: Teaching a Concubine’s Daughter a Lesson Chapter 850: Teaching a Concubine¡¯s Daughter a Lesson Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The daughters of the Cheng family did not marry outsiders. They all found live-in sons-in-law at home. If Miss Cheng was not crazy, she should be the current head of the family. Unfortunately, she had gone crazy. Her daughter had also died, and her lineage had been completely severed. Only then did it come to Cheng Lian and her daughter. ¡°The sweet potato is ready.¡± Su Xiaoxiao picked up a steaming sweet potato with a pair of tongs and placed it on the big leaf in front of Mei Ji. The leaves were clean. Mei Ji had washed them. The sweet potato was very hot, but Mei Ji couldn¡¯t wait anymore. As she blew with her mouth, she opened it with her hand. After eating, Mei Ji burped while Su Xiaoxiao was full. Mei Ji looked down at her round stomach. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯ll feel uncomfortable lying like this. Let¡¯s go out for a walk.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao had no objections. The two of them left the courtyard. The bright moon in the sky scattered a cold light. The two of them strolled along the quiet winding path. It was quiet all around. There was not even the sound of the wind. ¡°What kind of place did the Cheng family arrange for us? Ah, ah, ah!¡± Mei Ji called out a few times emotionlessly. Indeed, no one heard it. It was too remote. ¡°There¡¯s a lotus pond over there. Let¡¯s take a walk.¡± It was mainly because the water of the lotus pond reflected a little moonlight. It was not so dark. The two of them walked along the lotus pond. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the faint light opposite the lotus pond and asked, ¡°Is there anyone there?¡± Mei Ji glanced in the direction she was looking. ¡°You mean that courtyard? It¡¯s Miss Cheng¡¯s courtyard.¡± The Miss Cheng she was talking about was Old Master Cheng¡¯s legitimate daughter, Cheng Sang, and Xie Yunhe¡¯s first wife. Mei Ji said, ¡°Although it¡¯s on the other side, it¡¯s actually quite far. It¡¯ll take a while to circle around.¡± During the day, Mei Ji had already walked through the Cheng family and had a rough idea of the map. ¡°It¡¯s quite remote,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Mei Ji agreed. ¡°Sigh, she¡¯s crazy. How can the Cheng family let a lunatic live in a crowded place? Generally speaking, the excuse is to recuperate. In fact, they think she¡¯s embarrassing herself.¡± Mei Ji had seen many such melodramatic things. Miss Cheng was really pitiful. After her child died, she became crazy. Even the family business fell into the hands of her husband and concubine sister. She was alone and would probably be like this for the rest of her life. Su Xiaoxiao retracted her gaze. ¡®Go back. It¡¯s getting late.¡± The two of them returned to the courtyard and lay down in their rooms. Su Xiaoxiao had just closed her eyes and entered the pharmacy. Ever since the pharmacy was emptied during the war, there had been no reaction for a while. This time, it was finally time to reward her again. However, the reward was only a bag of bird food and a bag of¡­ organic fertilizer. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. She could understand giving bird food. She had to feed Wuhu. What did it mean to give fertilizer? She didn¡¯t grow vegetables¡­ Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°You should have given this to me in the countryside.¡± Forget it. She was already here. Su Xiaoxiao went to the shelf and took three jars of milk powder. She also wanted to give Wei Xiyue a jar, but Wei Xiyue did not like it. The next day, Mei Ji grabbed four big and fat pigeons from somewhere and handed them to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°I want to eat roasted pigeons today.¡± Su Xiaoxiao went to prepare the pigeons. The pigeons she roasted were crispy, fragrant, and fat. She sprinkled some green onions that Mei Ji had taken from the kitchen. It was simply too fatty. Mei Ji gave the fattest and largest one to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°You have to eat for two. Eat more.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t refuse. Su Xiaoxiao was about to eat Mei Ji¡¯s pigeon when she heard a delicate shout from outside the house. ¡°Go in and find them!¡± The two servants kicked open the closed courtyard door and barged in without a word. They could smell the fragrance from afar, but when they saw that it was two unfamiliar women roasting something, they could not help but be shocked. They looked at the barbecue in their hands and then at the pigeon fur that had fallen to the ground. They instantly understood. One of them shouted, ¡°You ate Second Miss¡¯s pigeons!¡± The other person shouted out the door, ¡°Second Miss! I found them!¡± Cheng Qingxue walked in with an unkind expression. The first servant pointed at the pigeon fur on the ground. ¡°Second Miss, look!¡± Cheng Qingxue was furious. ¡°Okay, you ate my pigeons!¡± The two of them, who had been caught, continued to eat the pigeon calmly. Cheng Qingxue was even angrier. ¡°Which room are you from?¡± Were they servants? Well, Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Jits clothes were too simple. They were indeed not as good as the materials worn by the Cheng family¡¯s servants. A maidservant walked forward and whispered into Cheng Qingxue¡¯s ear. Cheng Qingxue frowned. ¡°Are you the two little liars who came yesterday?¡± Su Xiaoxiao changed her appearance, so Cheng Qingxue didn¡¯t recognize her. As for Mei Ji, she didn¡¯t disguise herself and washed the dust off her face. She turned to look at Cheng Qingxue. That charming face instantly stunned everyone present. Mei Ji¡¯s charm was mostly sealed by her clothes, but her face was also beautiful, and her eyes were even more seductive. How could these people resist? The servants swallowed in unison. Cheng Qingxue was also a little surprised. Mei Ji said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. Get out. Don¡¯t disturb my Miss¡¯s meal! ¡± What an arrogant maidservant! However¡­ she was really a beautiful maidservant. Even in front of a stunning beauty like Second Miss, she was not inferior at all. No, it should be said that she was more beautiful than Second Miss¡­ If Su Xiaoxiao knew what these people were thinking, she would definitely tell them that her Second Miss had dressed up meticulously and that Mei Ji was only wearing a piece of tattered linen. Cheng Qingxue hated people who were prettier than her, except for her sister. Moreover, these two were liars who had come to the Cheng family to cause trouble. She could take this opportunity to chase them out of the Cheng family! Cheng Qingxue pointed the whip in her hand forward. ¡°You actually dare to eat my pigeon? Someone! Beat them out!¡± The two servants immediately rushed over. Su Xiaoxiao calmly ate the roasted pigeon without looking up. ¡°Can I attack now?¡± Mei Ji came over and asked. ¡°Sure,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Mei Ji curled her lips and smiled. She slapped her palm down and used her internal energy to shake up two pigeon feathers. Then, she waved her hand and the feather shot towards the two of them like an arrow. The two of them screamed and fell heavily to the ground. Mei Ji snorted and continued to eat the roasted pigeon. Xiaoxiao¡¯s culinary skills were really good. She wanted to eat roasted mutton for the next meal. This scene stunned everyone. Not only was this maidservant beautiful, but she was also so skilled! Cheng Qingxue frowned and looked at the servants who had fallen to the ground. She had beaten them up with just two feathers¡­ Was she really a maidservant from town? She narrowed her eyes and whipped toward Mei Ji¡¯s face when she was unprepared! Chapter 851 - Chapter 851: Meeting Grandmother Chapter 851: Meeting Grandmother She knew that her sneak attack was not honorable, but why was there a need to be honorable to two little liars? This whip would definitely swell Mei Ji¡¯s face. Unfortunately, she was too arrogant. She only cared about dealing with Mei Ji and did not take the ¡°fake young lady¡± beside her seriously. Su Xiaoxiao moved her fingertips calmly and a broken bone hit Cheng Qingxue¡¯s knee. Cheng Qingxue¡¯s knee hurt and she pounced forward. The whip she threw out was subconsciously pulled back and hit her face. She cried out in pain. The maidservants hurriedly surrounded her. ¡°Second Miss, are you alright?¡± ¡°Second Miss! How are you? How was Cheng Qingxue? Her face was naturally swollen. Su Xiaoxiao secretly felt that it was a pity. Previously, Cheng Qingxue¡¯s whip had thorns, but today, she used an ordinary whip. Otherwise, how exciting would it be? Half of Cheng Qingxue¡¯s face was instantly swollen like a pig¡¯s head. She flew into a rage out of humiliation and glared fiercely at Su Xiaoxiao and the others. ¡°You¡­ you plotted against me! ¡± Although she didn¡¯t see what was going on, she could still feel the pain in her knee. Someone must have hit her with a hidden weapon. Mei Ji chuckled. ¡°Who plotted against you? Do you have evidence?¡± After saying that, she complained to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°This so-called Second Miss of the Cheng family is really shameless. Not only did she ambush others, but she also has to be accounted for when others plot against her.¡± Her voice was not soft, and everyone in the courtyard heard her. However, how could they dare to mock their Miss? They could only lower their heads resentfully. Cheng Qingxue was furious. It was fine if they were just two wild girls, but they deceived the Cheng family. They even humiliated her in public and injured her face. She had never suffered such grievances since she was young! Cheng Qingxue was really lucky. When her sister was born, as the live-in son-in-law of the Cheng family, Xie Yunhe did not completely control the Cheng family. Many clansmen jumped out to oppose Cheng Lian and her daughter. By the time Cheng Qingxue was born, Xie Yunhe had the entire Cheng family in his hands, and Cheng Lian had become the mistress of the Cheng family. Her sister was a Saintess. She was doted on and was simply too carefree. When Steward Pang heard that Second Miss had been looking for her pigeons at the side courtyard, he hurriedly came over to see what was going on. He could hear screams from afar. He quickened his pace and saw Cheng Qingxue with a swollen face. He also saw two servant boys lying on the ground wailing. He was shocked. ¡°What happened?¡± Cheng Qingxue said coldly, ¡°You came at the right time. Beat these two liars out!¡± Steward Pang hesitated and said, ¡°Second Miss¡­ Master asked them to stay in the residence.¡± Cheng Qingxue said sternly, ¡°They ate my pigeon and injured me! If I report it to my father, he will chase them out!¡± ¡°Did they injure Second Miss?¡± Steward Pang was very surprised. It had to be known that Second Miss knew martial arts. Did she actually get injured by two inconspicuous girls? With this thought in mind, Steward Pang looked at the two people sitting on the small stools eating pigeon meat. Su Xiaoxiao looked ordinary after changing her appearance, but Mei Ji revealed her original appearance. Steward Pang was also a man. How could he not be distracted when he saw such a charming face? He was immediately stunned. Cheng Qingxue glared at him. ¡°Steward Pang!¡± ¡°Second¡­ Second Miss.¡± Steward Pang came back to his senses. Cheng Qingxue was just unruly and domineering, but she was not brainless. She restrained the anger in her heart and said matter-of-factly, ¡°How can the people from the town be skilled? The two of them are clearly spies planted by others. Steward Pang, you¡¯ve worked in the Cheng family for decades. You can¡¯t possibly not see through such lowly tricks, right?¡± ¡®Well¡­ Steward Pang was in a dilemma. Mei Ji said mockingly, ¡°So what if we¡¯re from a small town? You can only blame yourself for not having any experts around. Do you know that there¡¯s a saying that there¡¯s someone beyond the heavens and there¡¯s always someone better? My martial arts are at the bottom in our world. I can¡¯t even rank in the top ten. How many experts are there in your Cheng family?¡± ¡°You!¡± Cheng Qingxue was furious. ¡°Report it to Old Master, ¡± Steward Pang said to the servant at the side. ¡°Yes.¡± The servant left quickly. Cheng Qingxue looked at Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Ji proudly. ¡°The two of you have decided privately. Do you know that my father dotes on me the most? If you dare to hurt me, my father won¡¯t let you off!¡± The servants looked at the master and servant with sympathy. In the Cheng family, Xie Yunhe¡¯s most valued daughter was Eldest Miss, but he doted on Second Miss the most. If Second Miss wanted stars, Old Master would never pluck the moon for her. Just because they had injured Second Miss, they could not stay in this family anymore. As they spoke, Wuhu came over and landed on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s shoulder. Wuhu had come to the Cheng family with Su Xiaoxiao yesterday. This morning, it went back to convey news of her safety to Wei Ting and the others. Su Xiaoxiao fed it a piece of bird food. Wuhu were so happy that it flew high. Cheng Qingxue narrowed her eyes coldly. Did this girl raise a bird? Very good. Since they killed her pigeons, she would use this bird to pay for their lives! She lashed out at the Wuhu¡­ Only to have Mei Ji kick her whip away. Wuhu was so frightened that its hair stood on end and it flew up. Cheng Qingxue said, ¡°Catch this bird!¡± Everyone went to catch the bird. Of course, Mei Ji couldn¡¯t let them catch it. She put the half-eaten pigeon back on the fire to save Wuhu. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t pay much attention at first. Wuhu weren¡¯t so easy to catch, but when she heard Cheng Qingxue say that they would release the falcon, she frowned. Cheng Qingxue was not very capable and had many props. She took the slingshot and got up to look for Wuhu. The Cheng family¡¯s side courtyard had never been in such a tizzy. The servant was busy catching the bird, Mei Ji was busy beating people up, and Wuhu was busy avoiding the pursuit of the falcon. Seeing that the falcon was about to eat this parrot in one bite, the parrot flipped its wings and flew into a quiet courtyard. The falcon was going to fly over too. Seeing this, Cheng Qingxue, who had followed over, suddenly blew her whistle and summoned the falcon back. ¡°What happened?¡± Xie Yunhe¡¯s low voice sounded behind everyone. The servants bowed. ¡°Master.¡± Cheng Qingxue walked over aggrievedly and pointed at Su Xiaoxiao with tears in her eyes. ¡°Dad! She bullied me! She killed my pigeon and even got her maidservant to slap my face!¡± Xie Yunhe looked at his daughter¡¯s swollen cheek and his eyes turned cold. ¡°Qingxue!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Cheng Lian came too. She touched her daughter¡¯s face, and a trace of heartache flashed across her eyes. She turned to look at Xie Yunhe and said, ¡°Master, you know Qingxue¡¯s martial arts. Ordinary experts can¡¯t hurt her. I think there must be something wrong with the background of these two. Letting them stay in the residence will be a disaster in the end. Why don¡¯t we find another place for them to stay and gather enough evidence before handing them over to the authorities?¡± Mei Ji snorted. ¡°What evidence? I think you want to perjure yourself!¡± Wasn¡¯t sending them to stay outside the residence equivalent to locking them up somewhere else? She was really something! ¡°Dad!¡± Cheng Qingxue hugged Xie Yunhe¡¯s arm and wheedled. Xie Yunhe looked at the closed courtyard door in front of him and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Cheng Qingxue glared at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Isn¡¯t it her fault? Her bird flew here. We¡¯re here to catch bird.¡± The servants hurriedly said, ¡®Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± Actually, it was them who chased after the bird all the way that caused it to fly everywhere, but why would they say this? Xie Yunhe said, ¡°How many times have I said not to disturb your Elder Mother¡¯s peace?¡± Cheng Qingxue lowered her head and said, ¡®Got it, Dad.¡± She looked at her mother again. Cheng Lian¡¯s expression did not change at all, as if she did not hear her husband ask her biological daughter to address another woman as Elder Mother. Xie Yunhe turned around and looked at Su Xiaoxiao with a deep gaze. ¡°Move out of the residence today. I¡¯ll find another place for you¡­¡± Before he could finish, the courtyard door creaked open. A haggard old woman was pushed out by a servant in a wheelchair. When everyone saw her, they were stunned. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ Mei Ji tugged at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Your grandmother, the eldest daughter of the Cheng family, Cheng Sang..¡± Chapter 852 - Chapter 852: Recognization Chapter 852: Recognization Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hearing Mei Ji¡¯s words, Su Xiaoxiao could not help but be surprised. Was this Cheng Sang? According to Shopkeeper Zheng¡¯s investigation, Cheng Sang was a year younger than her live-in son-in-law, Xie Yunhe. She had just turned 50 this year, but her temples were already graying. She looked much older than Xie Yunhe. Her half-sister, Cheng Lian, was only two years younger than her, but they seemed two generations apart. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was in a mess. Leaves were still stuck to a strand of her hair. Her shoes had been stepped on somewhere and were covered in mud. In comparison, Cheng Lian was dressed in luxurious clothes. She wore a exquisite silver crown on her head and a pair of exquisite embroidered shoes. No matter how one looked at her, she looked like the mistress of the family. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s gaze swept across Cheng Lian¡¯s face and then to the rest of the Cheng family. Everyone¡¯s gaze was a little intriguing¡­ The moment the servants saw Cheng Sang come out, they fell silent. Everyone knew that the person living in the courtyard was the real eldest daughter of the Cheng family. Unfortunately, she had been crazy for decades. Everyone no longer treated her as a proper master. However, Xie Yunhe, who held the power of the Cheng family, was very protective of his first wife and did not allow anyone to slight her. Therefore, no matter how much they looked down on her, they did not dare to offend her overtly. After Cheng Sang came out, Xie Yunhe quickly strode forward and bent down to speak to her. ¡°Madam, why are you out today? The sun is hot outside.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Cheng Lian. How did this matriarch feel when she heard her husband call another woman Madam? Cheng Lian lowered her eyes, making it impossible to tell her emotions. On the other hand, Cheng Qingxue, who was holding her arm, was a little unhappy. True. He was clearly her biological father, but he left her mother to call another woman Madam. Even if this woman was her biological aunt, she would still be a little unhappy. Cheng Sang said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s so noisy outside.¡± All the servants lowered their heads even more. ¡°Are they afraid of this First Madam?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked Mei Ji softly. Mei Ji explained to her in a low voice, ¡°I just heard this morning that Xie Yunhe takes good care of this wife. Anyone who disrespects her in the residence will be beaten up and chased out by Xie Yunhe. The servants in the residence say that Old Master values friendship and righteousness. Old Master didn¡¯t despise First Madam even after she went crazy for so many years. He treated her as usual. He¡¯s a really responsible man¡ª¡± Mei Ji stuck out her tongue. Xie Yunhe did not notice the situation here. Since Cheng Sang came out, he seemed to only have this person in his eyes. He personally removed the fallen leave from Cheng Sang¡¯s hair and straightened her wrinkled clothes. He looked at the servants behind Cheng Sang and said in a low voice, ¡°Is this how you take care of Madam?¡± The maidservant pushing the wheelchair and the servants at the courtyard door knelt down with a plop, all of them trembling Cheng Lian tried to smooth things over. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know Sister. How can these servants watch her when she causes trouble? They usually do their best to take care of Sister. This time, we¡¯ll fine her a month¡¯s salary.¡± A fine was already the lightest punishment. The few of them hurriedly kowtowed to Cheng Lian to thank her. ¡°Thank you, Madam!¡± ¡°Thank you, Madam!¡± If not for Madam often pleading for them, they would have been chased out of the Cheng family countless times. Cheng Sang was crazy. She could not remember many things, and many people did not know her. She looked at Cheng Lian. ¡°Yunhe, who is she?¡± Cheng Lian smiled and walked forward. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m Lian¡¯er.¡± ¡°Ah, Lian¡¯er.¡± Cheng Sang looked at the sky and recalled such a person. She looked at Cheng Qingxue again. ¡®Who is she?¡± Cheng Lian smiled gently. ¡°She¡¯s Qingxue.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Cheng Sang nodded in realization with disdain. ¡°She¡¯s so ugly.¡± Cheng Qingxue was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°Why do I feel that their conversation is strange? Why are they so secretive about their relationship?¡± Mei Ji whispered, ¡°Because Miss Cheng can¡¯t take the stimulation, no one dares to tell her that Xie Yunhe married Cheng Lian and gave birth to two little bastards.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°How do we know that she can¡¯t stand this stimulation if no one has ever told her?¡± Mei Ji frowned. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at them deeply. It seemed that he had told her, but it attracted Miss Cheng¡¯s intense reaction. From then on, Xie Yunhe had ordered the residence to keep quiet and not mention Cheng Lian and her daughters in front of Miss Cheng. It seemed that Xie Yunhe treated Miss Cheng differently. Su Xiaoxiao kept staring at Xie Yunhe and Cheng Sang and successfully attracted Cheng Sang¡¯s attention. She looked at Su Xiaoxiao with her weathered eyes. She was crazy, but there was no dust in her eyes. When she was serious, she was as pure as a child. ¡°Who is she?¡± Cheng Sang asked. ¡°She is¡­¡± Xie Yunhe hesitated. For a moment, he did not know how to introduce her to Cheng Sang. The servants did not dare to say anything. Everyone knew that the stillbirth back then was a taboo for First Madam. They could not mention it even more than Cheng Lian and her daughters. If once it was mentioned, First Madam would definitely go crazy and faint. Seeing this, Cheng Qingxue suddenly realized that her chance had come. As long as they provoked Elder Mother, these two liars would be dead! Cheng Qingxue immediately said, ¡°They¡¯re liars!¡± As she spoke, she pointed at Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°It¡¯s her. She lied that she¡¯s your granddaughter and said that your daughter didn¡¯t die back then. She even got married and had a child outside.¡± Xie Yunhe shouted, ¡°Shut up!¡± Cheng Qingxue was shocked. Her father had never been so fierce to her. Cheng Lian¡¯s eyelashes trembled as she clenched her sleeves and turned to Cheng Qingxue. ¡®What nonsense are you talking about? Hurry up and shut up!¡± Cheng Qingxue felt extremely aggrieved. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! They¡¯re liars! Elder Mother¡¯s daughter is long dead! Where did¡­¡± She stopped in mid-sentence. Because she saw Su Xiaoxiao walking towards Cheng Sang. Su Xiaoxiao squatted down in front of Cheng Sang and looked up at him. ¡°Grandmother.¡± Cheng Sang, who was about to flare up, was suddenly stunned. Su Xiaoxiao took off the bracelet on her wrist. ¡°Grandmother, do you still remember this bracelet? Did you give it to my mother?¡± Cheng Sang took the bracelet and muttered crazily, ¡°It¡¯s for Weiwei¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°So my mother¡¯s name is Weiwei. What a good name.¡± ¡°Weiwei¡­ Weiwei¡­ Where¡¯s Weiwei?¡± Cheng Sang¡¯s gaze moved from the bracelet to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s face. She began to feel agitated. ¡°Where¡¯s Weiwei? Where¡¯s Weiwei?¡± ¡°Weiwei¡­¡± ¡°Weiwei¡­¡± She began to look around, her eyes red with anxiety. ¡°Weiwei¡­ Weiwei¡­ Where did Weiwei go?¡± Her chest heaved violently, and tears fell. The despair of not being able to find the child made her collapse instantly. She began to roar, scream, and shout her daughter¡¯s name heartbreakingly. Xie Yunhe went to caress her, but she pushed him away. She had completely lost control of her emotions. Even Xie Yunhe was helpless. Cheng Qingxue was frightened and quickly hid behind Cheng Lian. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly grabbed her hand. ¡°Mother!¡± Cheng Sang was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her steadily and called out softly, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m here.¡± Cheng Sang looked at Su Xiaoxiao with tears in his eyes. ¡°Weiwei?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Weiwei. Look, this is the bracelet you gave me. Do you still remember?¡± Cheng Sang remembered the bracelet. She asked aggrievedly, ¡°Are you really Weiwei?¡± Su Xiaoxiao gently wiped her tears with a handkerchief. ¡°I am..¡± Chapter 853 - Chapter 853: Grandmother’s Backing (1) Chapter 853: Grandmother¡¯s Backing (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She had actually comforted the ill First Madam. Everyone was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Ji had just arrived and didn¡¯t know how serious First Madam¡¯s condition was. Xie Yunhe, Cheng Lian, and all the servants who had taken care of her understood. Once her madness acted up, the entire courtyard would suffer. She had to be tied up with rope so that she would not hurt others and herself. Especially when it came to the deceased baby girl¡­ Sometimes, she didn¡¯t even need anyone to mention it. It was a lot of trouble when she thought about it herself. She was so excited that she fainted and could not breathe. There were a few times when she actually committed suicide and tortured the servants. There was silence at the entrance. No one dared to make a sound. ¡°Weiwei¡­ You¡¯re Weiwei¡­¡± Cheng Sang grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and kept repeating this sentence. Su Xiaoxiao also patiently answered her over and over again. Although the servants did not say it, they already had an ominous feeling. As expected, after Su Xiaoxiao wiped Cheng Sang¡¯s tears, she lowered her head and said softly, ¡°Mother, Weiwei is leaving.¡± Cheng Sang¡¯s heart tightened as he grabbed her hand tightly. ¡°Why is Weiwei leaving?¡± Su Xiaoxiao turned to glance at Xie Yunhe and said gloomily, ¡°Father asked Weiwei to leave and wants to chase her out.¡± Xie Yunhe was speechless! ¡°Weiwei can¡¯t leave!¡± Cheng Sang suddenly became fierce, like a mother beast protecting her children. Xie Yunhe¡¯s face turned pale from Cheng Sang¡¯s gaze. He hurriedly braced himself and said, ¡°I¡¯m not chasing Weiwei away. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± ¡°Dad, are you really not chasing Weiwei away?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked innocent as she pointed at the dumbfounded Cheng Qingxue. ¡°Weiwei ate her pigeon and slapped her face. Are you sure you¡¯re not angry with Weiwei?¡± The corners of Xie Yunhe¡¯s mouth twitched. Cheng Sang protected her child and glared at Cheng Qingxue fiercely. ¡°Weiwei likes to eat pigeons, so catch all her pigeons for Weiwei to eat!¡± Cheng Qingxue exploded. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Cheng Lian warned softly. Cheng Qingxue felt extremely aggrieved. She originally wanted to use her Elder Mother to chase away the two little liars. Why did she raise the identity of the little liar in the end? Elder Mother even stood up for her! Cheng Lian looked at her daughter¡¯s red eyes and smiled. She came to Cheng Sang and said, ¡°Sister, Weiwei didn¡¯t say that she likes to eat pigeons¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh, I like them.¡± Cheng Lian was speechless. Mei Ji raised her chin. ¡°That¡¯s right. My Miss likes pigeons very much. The pigeons raised by Miss Cheng Qingxue are fat and tender. They¡¯re most suitable to be roasted pigeons. Miss, why don¡¯t I catch the pigeons myself later!¡± The last sentence was directed at Cheng Sang. Cheng Sang looked at Mei Ji in confusion and asked Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Who is this little demon?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°She¡¯s my maidservant, Mei Ji. ¡± ¡°Ji (Chicken)?¡± Cheng Sang was extremely surprised. ¡°She¡¯s a chicken?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Uh, no¡­ ¡°I understand!¡± Cheng Sang lowered her voice and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°She¡¯s a bird spirit!¡± Mei Ji¡¯s face darkened. She was so beautiful. No matter what, she would be a vixen or a siren. How did she become a bird spirit? Su Xiaoxiao suppressed the corners of her lips and said to Cheng Sang, ¡°That¡¯s a bird spirit, but it¡¯s also a very powerful bird spirit. It protects Weiwei and doesn¡¯t let anyone hurt her.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Cheng Sang reluctantly accepted and instructed solemnly, ¡°Little bird spirit, go catch the pigeon.¡± Mei Ji didn¡¯t like this nickname, but she liked to eat pigeons. Alright, she compromised. She came to Cheng Qingxue with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Cheng Qingxue stomped her feet in anger! With Cheng Sang¡¯s protection, Su Xiaoxiao successfully stayed in the Cheng family. Not only that, but she could not live in her original courtyard anymore. Xie Yunhe wanted to stop her. ¡°No!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed. ¡°Mother, Father probably doesn¡¯t like me. I¡¯d better leave.¡± Cheng Sang hugged her. ¡°I like you! Live with me! I¡¯ll see who can chase you out!¡± The servants did not dare to breathe loudly. Cheng Sang glared at Xie Yunhe fiercely. ¡°Tell me quickly! Are you chasing Weiwei away? Xie Yunhe closed his eyes helplessly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not chasing her away.¡± Cheng Lian looked at Xie Yunhe. Cheng Sang continued, ¡°Let Weiwei stay with me!¡± Xie Yunhe sighed. ¡°..Alright, she¡¯ll stay with you..¡± Chapter 854 - Chapter 854: Grandmother’s Backing (2) Chapter 854: Grandmother¡¯s Backing (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cheng Sang pulled Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand. ¡°Weiwei, let¡¯s go in!¡± Then she stood up from the wheelchair. Mei Ji was dumbfounded. She could walk¡­ Su Xiaoxiao moved into Cheng Sang¡¯s courtyard. Finally, she remained in the Cheng family. The first step was successful. Next was to think of a way to enter the Holy Maiden Temple because be it the herbs Wei Qing needed or Wei Xu¡¯s whereabouts, they were all related to the Holy Maiden Temple. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m going to catch pigeons!¡± Mei Ji said. Su Xiaoxiao instructed in a low voice, ¡°Go and check if there¡¯s a Gu Master surnamed Han in the residence.¡± When Cheng Qingxue went to Broken North Pass, she brought a Gu Master with her. She remembered that Cheng Qingxue called him Uncle Han. Cheng Qingxue really did not seem to be too shrewd. It was most likely Uncle Han¡¯s mission to search for the relics of the previous dynasty¡¯s Emperor Wu at Broken North Pass. He might know Wei Xu¡¯s whereabouts better. ¡°Leave it to me!¡± Mei Ji patted her chest and hummed a tune as she went to catch pigeons. After Cheng Sang entered the house, she realized that Weiwei had not followed her. She asked in jealousy, ¡°What did you say to that little bird demon just Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I asked her to catch a few more pigeons. I¡¯ll roast them for Mom to eat.¡± Cheng Sang was happy again. ¡°I want to eat Weiwei¡¯s pigeons!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her sorry state and said, ¡°I¡¯ll change Mom¡¯s clothes first.¡± Cheng Sang agreed obediently. The servants carried the clothes in and handed them to Su Xiaoxiao hesitantly. One of the maids hesitated, as if she wanted to remind her, but was stopped by her companion¡¯s gaze. Her companion pulled her out. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me say it?¡± ¡°What are you saying? She¡¯s not the real master. She¡¯s just an impostor. First Madam is crazv. Are vou crazv too?¡± ¡°But she¡¯ll be scratched by First Madam.¡± First Madam hated changing clothes the most. Before they changed First Madam¡¯s clothes, they had to put on gloves for First Madam first. Otherwise, they would be scratched by First Madam without exception. ¡°She¡¯s showing off. Let her do it!¡± The two maidservants guarded the door, waiting for the sound of wild shrieks and howls to come from inside. Surprisingly, the house was extremely quiet. The two of them mustered their courage and leaned against the door, quietly looking inside. They wouldn¡¯t have known if they hadn¡¯t seen it, but they were shocked. First Madam had already changed her clothes and even had her hair combed neatly! One had to know that First Madam hated changing clothes and others touching her hair. She did not know how long it would take to coax her every day. Cheng Sang sat obediently in front of the bronze mirror and looked at Su Xiaoxiao in the mirror with a smile. Su Xiaoxiao put a golden jade hairpin on her hair. ¡°We won¡¯t wear silver today. The gold looks good too.¡± ¡°Weiwei¡¯s picks are all beautiful!¡± Cheng Sang smiled like a child. After Cheng Lian returned to her room, she said nothing. ¡°Mother! That little bitch caught all my pigeons!¡± Cheng Qingxue opened the curtain angrily and entered the house. She saw Cheng Lian sitting in the room in a daze. She was slightly stunned. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Cheng Lian came back to her senses. ¡°What?¡± Cheng Qingxue pointed at her hand. ¡°You cut the pouch you made for Sister.¡± Cheng Lian looked down and her eyelashes trembled. ¡°I¡­ I saw that this pouch wasn¡¯t made well, so I made another for your sister.¡± Cheng Qingxue looked at her curiously. ¡°You said yesterday that you did it very well and asked me to send it to Sister today.¡± Cheng Lian smiled. ¡°I suddenly feel that it¡¯s not good enough.¡± Cheng Qingxue did not suspect anything. She sat down beside Cheng Lian and muttered, ¡°Mother, could she really be Elder Mother¡¯s granddaughter? I¡¯ve never seen Elder Mother so close to anyone! Do you still remember that a few years ago, in order to comfort Elder Mother, Father found a baby girl to pretend to be Elder Mother¡¯s child? Elder Mother said on the spot that that child was not.¡± ¡°Your Elder Mother only recognizes that bracelet.¡± Cheng Lian¡¯s expression did not change as she put away the scissors. ¡°She can¡¯t be legitimate.¡± Cheng Qingxue snorted. ¡°She better not be! Otherwise, what will become of me and Sister?¡± Cheng Sang had been crazy for so many years and had long faded from the world. When everyone mentioned the Cheng family, how could they still remember Cheng Sang? They only knew Old Master Cheng¡¯s daughter, Cheng Lian. Cheng Lian¡¯s children were the legitimate children and the only heir of the Cheng family. Cheng Lian lowered her eyes and slowly touched the pouch that she had cut. She said calmly, ¡°The Cheng family belongs to you and your sister. No one can snatch what belongs to you two sisters.¡± Cheng Qingxue nodded. ¡°Does your face still hurt?¡± Cheng Lian asked. ¡°It hurts,¡± Cheng Qingxue wheedled. ¡°Come over and let Mother take a look.¡± ¡°Mother, Elder Mother actually said that I¡¯m That imposter is the uzlv one! I think Elder Mother is crazy¡­¡± When she said the last word, she received Cheng Lian¡¯s stern gaze. She shut her mouth resentfully. ¡°Got it. I won¡¯t talk nonsense about Elder Mother anymore. Mother, you¡¯re too kind. Elder Mother has hurt you so many times, but you never bickered with her and even respected her as your biological sister.¡± Cheng Lian brought the medicine over. ¡°This is what I should do. She¡¯s my sister after all.¡± Cheng Qingxue snorted. ¡°If my sister treats me like this, I won¡¯t care about her!¡± Cheng Lian smiled. ¡°Your sister won¡¯t treat you like this. You were born from the same womb.¡± ¡°Of course. Sister dotes on me the most! Hiss¡­ it hurts! ¡± Cheng Qingxue cried. Cheng Lian put down the ointment and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s too swollen. Go get some medicine from Uncle Han and bring the materials I bought for your sister over.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Cheng Qingxue put on her veil and left. Mei Ji followed behind her silently. Wuhu nestled in Mei Ji¡¯s chest. Mei Ji¡¯s chest were also fragrant and soft! ¡°He¡¯s actually not in the Cheng family.¡± Mei Ji muttered and followed with her movement technique. The carriage did not travel for long before turning into an alley. It was dark there, and the air smelled of dye and spices. After Cheng Qingxue alighted from the carriage, she entered one of the dye shops. Mei Ji flew over the eaves and walls to a roof. She gently removed a tile and the sound of conversation came from inside. It was a man and a woman. The woman said, ¡°The Saintess is very disappointed that you couldn¡¯t bring back the Snow Domain Hemp this time.¡± Uncle Han said in fear, ¡°Saintess, please forgive me.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°If not for the fact that Second Miss took part of the blame for you, you should know your outcome.¡± Uncle Han cupped his hands. ¡°Yes.¡± The woman continued, ¡°The Saintess said that the plan has to be brought forward.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Uncle Han asked in confusion. The woman said with a complicated expression, ¡°That person is about to wake up.¡± Mei Ji scratched her head. Who was that person? Chapter 855 - Chapter 855: Wuhu Earning Bird Food Chapter 855: Wuhu Earning Bird Food Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Uncle Han!¡± Cheng Qingxue¡¯s voice came from outside the house. Uncle Han turned around and looked at the unlatched door. He said to the woman, ¡°Second Miss is here.¡± The woman took the veiled bamboo hat on the table and put it on. ¡°I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Uncle Han cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°Goodbye, Emissary.¡± The woman left through the back door and Cheng Qingxue entered through the front door. ¡°Uncle Han!¡± ¡°Ah, Second Miss is here.¡± Uncle Han smiled and invited her into the house to sit down. He made her a cup of tea and took her favorite preserved fruit. Uncle Han smelled the medicine and asked with concern, ¡°Second Miss, are you injured?¡± At the mention of this, Cheng Qingxue was furious. Scowling, she took off her veil, revealing her swollen cheek. Uncle Han frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on? It looks like a whip injury¡­ Did Second Miss accidentally hurt yourself while practicing martial arts?¡± The reason why he asked this was because Uncle Han did not think that anyone in the capital would dare to bully the second daughter of the Cheng family. Cheng Qingxue said aggrievedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt myself by practicing martial arts. Two little liars came to the residence and claimed to be my Elder Mother¡¯s granddaughter.¡± Uncle Han was surprised. ¡°Where did Madam Cheng get a granddaughter? She¡¯s not¡ªshe¡¯s only been pregnant once, right? She gave birth to a stillborn child.¡± Cheng Qingxue said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The entire capital knows about this. My aunt doesn¡¯t have any descendants. That girl insisted that the baby girl didn¡¯t die back then and was saved by a kind person who passed by. She was even raised and had a child in the town¡­ My face was injured by that girl and her maidservant.¡± On the roof, Mei Ji snorted. What did it have to do with her? Cheng Qingxue said angrily, ¡°That maidservant looks like a vixen. It¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s not a decent person.¡± Mei Ji rolled her eyes. Who¡¯s not a decent person? Uncle Han continued, ¡°Has Old Master acknowledged her?¡± Cheng Qingxue snorted. ¡°Of course my father won¡¯t acknowledge her. She¡¯s scanned my Elder Mother. That countryside girl took out the bracelet my Elder Mother gave her daughter and even called her mother. You know that my Elder Mother is crazy and fell into her trap.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Uncle Han fell into deep thought. Cheng Qingxue frowned. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that these two have ulterior motives. My mother originally wanted to tell my sister to investigate their background, but my father wouldn¡¯t let her. He said not to bother my sister with such a small matter. He can investigate it himself.¡± Uncle Han smiled. ¡°Old Master has put in a lot of effort.¡± Cheng Qingxue sighed. ¡°I can only tell you, Uncle Han. My father usually dotes on me so much, but when he meets Elder Mother, my father¡¯s heart will soften.¡¯ Uncle Han smiled and said, ¡°Master is a loyal person.¡± Cheng Qingxue said gloomily, ¡°But this has wronged my mother. I don¡¯t know how many years she¡¯s suffered from Elder Mother. She¡¯s never complained in front of my father or resented Elder Mother.¡± Uncle Han said warmly, ¡°Madam is kind-hearted. She¡¯s Old Master¡¯s good wife.¡± Mei Ji couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes on the roof. Her tongue was about to cramp. Cheng Qingxue continued to complain for a while until Mei Ji was about to fall asleep. Uncle Han said, ¡°Miss, wait a moment. I¡¯ll get you medicine. It¡¯s high-grade medicine from the Holy Maiden Temple.¡± Cheng Qingxue said, ¡°By the way, Uncle Han, my mother asked me to bring some materials over for Sister. Remember to help me bring them to the Holy Maiden Temple one day.¡± Uncle Han¡¯s eyes moved. ¡°Okay.¡± After Cheng Qingxue left, Uncle Han immediately loaded the materials she had sent into the carriage. Mei Ji was puzzled. ¡°Cheng Qingxue brought these materials to the Saintess. Is he going to the Saintess¡¯s Hall?¡± Mei Ji decisively used her movement technique to chase after him. When she saw the majestic plaque of the Holy Maiden Temple, she raised her eyebrows. ¡°1 guessed correctly.¡± There were experts guarding the entrance of the Saint Lady Temple. Uncle Han showed his token and entered through the side door. Mei Ji wanted to go in too, but she couldn¡¯t leave through the main door or the side door. She couldn¡¯t go through the back door either. She could only climb the wall. She came to a courtyard wall that no one had passed by. She tapped her feet and soared into the air, her body spinning like a blooming fire lotus. However, just as she was about to cross the wall, she suddenly saw an extremely thin thread. ¡°Snow Region Heavenly Silk!¡± Her expression changed. She forced herself to stay in the air and hit the wall with her palm. She used her internal force to push herself back. That was close! If not for the fact that Xiaoxiao had given her two pieces of Snow Region Heavenly Silk, she would have fallen for it just now. After flying over, she would no longer be the beautiful Mei Ji. She would be the Mei Ji who had been cut into pieces. A chill ran down her spine. Just as she was about to try another place, she did not expect that her self-protection palm just now would alarm the experts of the Saint Lady Temple. A terrifying sword qi slashed over. Mei Ji blocked it with the Fractured Bone Fan. With a crack, the folding fan cracked and the sword qi hit her chest. She felt a pain in her ribs and spat out a mouthful of blood! What a terrifying expert! Mei Ji stopped fighting and used her movement technique to enter the night. When Mei Ji returned to the Cheng family, it was already night. Cheng Sang had been coaxed to sleep by Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao had just covered this poor elder with the blanket when there was a collision at the door. Su Xiaoxiao went to open the door. Mei Ji¡¯s body softened and she fell in front of her. Su Xiaoxiao quickly carried her into the house and looked around. She closed the door and inserted the bolt. She carried the pale Mei Ji to a chair. ¡°Mei Ji!¡± Mei Ji spat out another mouthful of blood. Seeing that she was not injured, Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly took her pulse. ¡°What serious internal injuries. Mei Ji, who did you meet?¡± Mei Ji panted and said, ¡°I followed that Uncle Han¡­ to the Holy Maiden Temple¡­ and suffered a sword qi.. A single sword qi was able to injure Mei Ji to this extent. It seemed that the Saint Lady Temple¡¯s strength was unfathomable. Su Xiaoxiao opened her pouch and took out the medicine she carried with her to feed Mei Ji. After Mei Ji took the medicine, she sat cross-legged on the chair and adjusted her Inner Breath. After she felt less uncomfortable, she told him what had happened along the way. Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Outsiders are not allowed to enter the Holy Maiden Temple. That Uncle Han should be an outer sect disciple or deacon of the Holy Maiden Temple.¡± To put it bluntly, these outer sect disciples and deacons were actually handling external chores for the Holy Maiden Temple. Su Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°Uncle Han is related to the Holy Maiden Temple. I guessed it long ago, so I¡¯m not too surprised. However, Cheng Lian¡¯s actions are a little intriguing. She¡¯s the mother of the Saintess. How can she not have access to any good medicine from the Holy Maiden Temple? She deliberately asked Cheng Qingxue to get the medicine to leak the news of my arrival to Uncle Han through Cheng Qingxue. She asked Cheng Qingxue to bring materials to the Saintess to give Uncle Han an excuse to go to the Holy Maiden Temple¡­ She¡¯s contacting the Saintess.¡± Mei Ji asked, ¡°She¡¯s the Saintess¡¯s biological mother. Is there a need to go through so much trouble to see the Saintess?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°The closer you are, the more you have to avoid suspicion. Besides, it was Xie Yunhe who didn¡¯t let her tell the Saintess. Wouldn¡¯t she be disobeying her husband if she went to look for the Saintess?¡± Mei Ji narrowed her eyes. ¡°This Cheng Lian has 800 hearts!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Wuhu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Here¡­¡± Mei Ji lowered her head and touched her clothes. Where was the parrot? Chapter 856 - Chapter 856: Doting on the Daughter (1) Chapter 856: Doting on the Daughter (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Night opened its abyssal mouth and swallowed the entire capital into its dark stomach. The lights in the Holy Maiden Temple gradually lit up. A woman in the white clothes of the Holy Maiden Temple with red cloud patterns covering her knees under her belt walked over from the night. ¡°Emissary Lin.¡± ¡°Someone barged into the Holy Maiden Temple just now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s already been injured and escaped.¡± ¡°The Holy Selection is imminent. If anything goes wrong, you won¡¯t be able to bear the blame of the Saintess.¡± After instructing coldly, the woman turned around and walked towards a quiet attic. Tonight was the day to change that person¡¯s dressing. She came to the heavily guarded attic. There were many experts here, and no one could easily barge in. No, to be precise, they could not barge in at all. That¡¯s right, no one could enter. But who would guard against a bird? A parrot that had disguised itself as a crow flew into the attic. Emissary Lin carried an oil lamp and walked on the dark corridor. Halfway there, she frowned and turned around. Wuhu, the little crow immediately stuck to the wall and fused with the night. Emissary Lin did not notice anyone and retracted his gaze to continue forward. Wuhu could not hold on anymore and slid down the wall, leaving two long black lines. The woman came to the end and pressed the mechanism on the wall. A stone door rumbled to the side, revealing a spacious and cold secret room. In the center of the secret room was a stone bed made of jade. It looked transparent and beautiful. There was a person lying on the stone bed. Emissary Lin came in front of this person and placed the oil lamp on the ground. She took out a medicine bottle and poured out a red pill. She opened the other party¡¯s mouth and placed the pill in his mouth. Sometimes he swallowed unconsciously himself, and sometimes he needed a little assistance. Just as Emissary Lin was considering whether to slap him to help him swallow it, the wind chime in the secret room was pulled. Someone was looking for her outside. She looked at the unconscious person, bent down, picked up the oil lamp, and walked out. The stone door closed with a rumble. Night pearls were placed around the stone bed, so it was not too dark. A little crow that had lost its color flapped its wings and flew to the stone bed. Boohoo! Ice and ice! It hurriedly hopped up and jumped onto this person. It looked at the unconscious person as if it was in deep conflict . It raised its small head, took a deep breath, made up its mind, and pecked out the pill. It was the bird¡¯s first kiss! Emissary Lin saw Uncle Han near the attic. She asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t we just meet? Why are you here at the Holy Maiden Temple so late?¡± If Mei Ji was here, she would definitely recognize her as the woman who had gone to the dye shop to talk to Uncle Han. Uncle Han cupped his hands and said politely, ¡°I have something to ask of the Saintess.¡± Elder Lin said, ¡°The Saintess has rested. Tell me what you want.¡± She was not lying about this. For some reason, the Saintess had indeed rested early recently. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Uncle Han told her the news he had learned from Cheng Qingxue. ¡°.. The origins of those two girls are unknown. I hope to let the Saintess know.¡± Emissary Lin said calmly, ¡®Got it. I¡¯ll tell the Saintess.¡± Uncle Han smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± After he left, Emissary Lin returned to the secret room. She opened that person¡¯s mouth and took a look. ¡°Have you swallowed it?¡± She didn¡¯t suspect anything and carried the oil lamp out of the secret room. Wuhu brought the pill back to the Cheng family. Su Xiaoxiao had just made a bowl of pigeon noodles for Mei Ji. Mei Ji ate. Su Xiaoxiao also ate a little. Mei Ji was a natural foodie. She had been eating a lot recently, and the two of them were coincidentally alike in that aspect. Wuhu flew in and landed on their table. After Mei Ji finished slurping the noodles into her mouth, she said in surprise, ¡°Wuhu? Where did you go? I couldn¡¯t find you. I was so worried.¡± With that, she burped. Wuhu muttered, ¡± Is this how you show concern about me?¡± Wuhu placed the pill on the table. Wuhu never brought back random things from outside unless they were useful. Su Xiaoxiao took a clean white handkerchief, placed the pill on it, and crushed it with a clean spoon. ¡°Wuhu, did you go to the Holy Maiden Temple?¡± Wuhu nodded. This pill must belong to the Holy Maiden Temple. ¡°What pill is it?¡± Mei Ji came over with a soup bowl and asked. Su Xiaoxiao carefully identified the composition of the herbs. ¡°San Qi, saffron, Chuan Qiong, Dan Ginseng¡­ These are medicine for internal injuries, but¡­ there are some ingredients I¡¯ve never seen before. They¡¯re herbs I¡¯m unfamiliar with.. Chapter 857 - Chapter 857: Doting on the Daughter (2) Chapter 857: Doting on the Daughter (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mei Ji held the bowl and asked curiously, ¡°Is someone injured in the Holy Maiden Temple?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wu Hu. ¡°Who¡¯s injured?¡± Wuhhu did not say anything. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Three.¡± She¡¯s offering less and less! Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t force me to say one.¡± The feathers of Wuhu exploded! Mei Ji stretched out her hand and touched the little parrot. ¡°Alright, alright. Wuhu is so capable. Give it a few more pieces of bird food. How about I let you lie in my arms?¡± Wuhu was instantly dizzy when he could lie in a fragrant and soft place. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°For Mei Ji¡¯s sake, four.¡± Wuhu replied, ¡°Deal!¡± Wu Hu said two keywords: secret room, man. Then, it spread out Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s white handkerchief and used its small wings to curl it into the shape of a bed. It lay up straight and looked extremely peaceful! Mei Ji said in a daze, ¡®Why is there a man in the Holy Maiden Temple?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wuh mu, who was pretending to be dead. ¡°He¡¯s unconscious. The medicine is for that man.¡± Thinking of all the clues and the purpose of their trip, Mei Ji had a flash of inspiration and suddenly had a bold guess. ¡°Xiaoxiao, could that man be¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought of the same thing. ¡°There¡¯s no evidence yet. Everything is just our guess, but no matter what, we have to go to the Holy Maiden Temple.¡± Emissary Lin told Uncle Han that that person was about to wake up, as if reminding Uncle Han to carry out some plan. Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°Looks like I have to hurry.¡± The next day, at dawn. Cheng Sang was still asleep. Su Xiaoxiao got up first. She went to the small kitchen. Cheng Sang did not eat regularly. Sometimes, she did not eat for the entire day, and sometimes, she woke up in the middle of the night to eat. In order to not let her go hungry, Xie Yunhe arranged this small kitchen. Seeing her come over, the chef looked at her warily. In the eyes of maidservants like them, Su Xiaoxiao was neither the real master nor someone they could easily offend. ¡°Is there anything to eat?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± the chef replied. ¡®What do you want to eat, Miss? I¡¯ll cook.¡± Su Xiaoxiao rolled up her curiously. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll do it.¡± The cook looked at her strangely. Su Xiaoxiao pointed at the stove. ¡°I already did it last night.¡± The cook was even more surprised. When she came over this morning, she realized that the kitchen was cleaner than usual. She was wondering which maidservant had cleaned it up. It was much better than her work. Xie Yunhe came to Cheng Sang¡¯s courtyard early in the morning. He was still worried about the two girls and even more worried about them being with Cheng Sang. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he heard a long-lost laughter. It was both familiar and unfamiliar. It was familiar because it was Cheng Sang¡¯s voice, but unfamiliar because he had not heard this heartfelt laughter for many years. ¡°Master.¡± When the maidservants in the courtyard saw him, they hurriedly went forward and bowed. ¡°Madam, what are you doing?¡± Xie Yunhe asked. ¡°Madam¡­ is having breakfast,¡± the maidservant said. Cheng Sang refused to eat properly. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be a separate kitchen. Every day, she would cause a ruckus and cause the entire courtyard to fall over before barely eating a few mouthfuls. Xie Yunhe came to her room. She sat at the table obediently and enjoyed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s feeding. She ate whatever Su Xiaoxiao picked up for her. She was not picky at all. The maidservants in the room were dumbfounded at what they saw. Cheng Sang had laughed so loudly just now because of Mei Ji. Mei Ji knew how to joke. Mei Ji also sat at the table and ate. Xie Yunhe frowned. It was inappropriate for a maidservant to eat at the table. ¡°Say it again! Say it again!¡± Cheng Sang urged Mei Ji. ¡°Master.¡± When the maidservants in the room discovered Xie Yunhe, they turned around and bowed to him. Mei Ji continued to eat. Su Xiaoxiao gave her a look. Aiya, she almost forgot. Mei Ji stood up and bowed perfunctorily. Xie Yunhe sat down beside Cheng Sang and looked at the sumptuous breakfast on the table. He asked gently, ¡°How did you sleep last night?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Cheng Sang said. Xie Yunhe nodded and glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. He asked the two maidservants in the room, ¡°Who made breakfast today?¡± The two of them looked at each other. Cheng Sang said proudly, ¡°Weiwei did it!¡± ¡°Is Weiwei¡¯s food delicious?¡± Mei Ji asked. ¡°Delicious!¡± Cheng Sang praised generously. Xie Yunhe looked at the table of exquisite and delicious dishes and looked deeply at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know Dad would come back. I only made enough for the three of us.¡± Cheng Sang asked Su Xiaoxiao softly, ¡°You can¡¯t give it to your father, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°If he eats it, I¡¯ll have none.¡± Cheng Sang immediately gathered the dishes on the table in front of Su Xiaoxiao. What was a man? His daughter was the treasure. Cheng Sang burped while Mei Ji accompanied her to the courtyard for a walk. The two maidservants followed. Only Su Xiaoxiao and her cheap grandfather were left in the house. Xie Yunhe had a powerful aura. Su Xiaoxiao stayed with him, but she did not feel any pressure. This little girl was not simple. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°Grandpa, why aren¡¯t you leaving? Are you looking for me for something?¡± She addressed Cheng Sang as her mother because Cheng Sang treated her as a deceased daughter. Her real identity was the granddaughter of Cheng Sang and Xie Yunhe. Xie Yunhe said seriously, ¡°Who are you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao met his domineering gaze frankly. ¡°I¡¯m your granddaughter. No, I was wrong. I¡¯m not your granddaughter. If I change my surname back to Cheng, it should be your paternal granddaughter.¡± Xie Yunhe tried to find a flaw in her face. What a pity. Su Xiaoxiao was extremely open. ¡°Weiwei! Weiwei!¡± Cheng Sang was calling her. Su Xiaoxiao stood up. ¡°Grandmother can¡¯t leave me for a moment. If Grandfather is still thinking of ways to chase me out, I advise you to give up.¡± She took a few steps before turning back. ¡°By the way, I realized that Grandmother had quite a few ligature marks on her. Do servants often tie her up with ropes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s to prevent her from hurting herself.¡± As soon as Xie Yunhe finished speaking, his face immediately darkened, as if he felt that he should not need to explain to her. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°I learned the Qihuang technique from a divine doctor in town for a few years. I might have a way to treat my grandmother¡¯s illness, but I¡¯m still short of some herbs. I heard that there are many herbs in the Holy Maiden Temple.. Can you let me go to the Holy Maiden Temple?¡± Chapter 858 - Chapter 858: Entering the Holy Maiden Temple Chapter 858: Entering the Holy Maiden Temple Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mei Ji was accompanying Cheng Sang in the courtyard. Cheng Sang was very happy and kept urging the little bird demon to hurry up. Xie Yunhe walked out. ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll go get busy first.¡± He said to Cheng Sang. Cheng Sang had just received the flower rope and was thinking about how to turn it over. She didn¡¯t have the time to look at him. ¡°I know, I know.¡± Xie Yunhe did not say anything else and left. A moment later, Su Xiaoxiao came out. Mei Ji looked at Su Xiaoxiao and said to Cheng Sang, ¡°Think about how to flip it yourself. Call me when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Cheng Sang nodded seriously and began to fiddle with the thin red rope on her fingertips. Mei Ji came to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s side. ¡°What did you guys talk about just now? That Xie Yunhe doesn¡¯t seem to be happy.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°I told him that I wanted to go to the Holy Maiden Temple. ¡± Mei Ji looked at Su Xiaoxiao in admiration. ¡°So direct.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I said that I know the Qihuang technique and can treat his wife¡¯s illness, but I lack medicinal herbs.¡± Mei Ji smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The Holy Maiden Temple has herbs! The most precious herbs in the entire capital are in the Holy Maiden Temple. This reason is too suitable. Did he agree?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No.¡± Mei Ji was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the disappearing figure. ¡°Xie Yunhe is very vigilant.¡± Mei Ji snorted. ¡°This stinky man can¡¯t even protect his daughter. In the end, he still missed the opportunity to treat his wife because of a little suspicion¡­ You can treat Miss Cheng, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Cheng Sang, who was sitting in the wheelchair and fiddling with the flower rope. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say yet.¡± Mei Ji also looked over and sighed. ¡°Sigh, actually, she¡¯s quite pitiful. Her daughter is gone, her parents are dead, and even the family business that should have belonged to her has fallen into the hands of others. Do you think it¡¯s a relief for her to be crazy for the rest of her life?¡± ¡°Little bird spirit! Little bird spirit! I¡¯ve flipped it!¡± Cheng Sang was as excited as a child. ¡°It¡¯s my turn so quickly. You¡¯re so smart! I¡¯m coming!¡± Mei Ji smiled and walked over. When Cheng Lian brought Cheng Qingxue to Cheng Sang¡¯s courtyard, she saw Cheng Sang and Mei Ji flipping the flower rope and laughing happily. The two of them stood at the door and did not enter. Cheng Qingxue muttered unhappily, ¡°Mother, look, Elder Mother has been coaxed by them. If this continues, who knows when we can chase them out! We can¡¯t let them stay in the residence for the rest of their lives, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say.¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in their ears. Cheng Qingxue was shocked. She had used the medicine from the Holy Maiden Temple yesterday, and most of the swelling on her face had disappeared, but she still felt a slight pain, especially when she saw this girl. Cheng Qingxue said disdainfully, ¡°What¡¯s there to be proud of? How long do you think you can coax Elder Mother with some flowery words? My Elder Mother can forget all of you once she falls ill!¡± There had been a few maidservants who had been liked by Cheng Sang, but in the end, Cheng Sang would not always remember them. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°Everyone exchanges their hearts for their hearts. You only want to coax my grandmother and haven¡¯t hoped for her to be well. Of course, she won¡¯t be willing to remember you.¡± Cheng Lian was not angered. She turned to look at Su Xiaoxiao and said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t care what your motive is for coming to the Cheng family. You¡¯re not allowed to do anything to hurt my sister. Otherwise, the Cheng family won¡¯t let you off. Qingxue, let¡¯s go! ¡± Mei Ji walked over and stuck out her tongue. ¡°How disgusting. If you care so much about your sister, why did you sleep with your sister¡¯s man?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to flip the flower rope anymore?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Mei Ji said helplessly, ¡°She¡¯s not playing anymore.¡± Cheng Sang could never win. Feeling defeated, she squatted on the ground and poked at the ant nest. Su Xiaoxiao paused and walked over to squat beside her. ¡°Mother, do you still remember what happened in the past?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ the Holy Maiden Temple.¡± She wanted to ask about Cheng Lian, but her heart suddenly softened and she did not want to agitate her. Strange, why was she soft-hearted towards a stranger? ¡°The Holy Maiden Temple¡­¡± Cheng Sang looked at the sky and thought hard.¡± I remember. It¡¯s a very, very big place with many women. ¡® Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I want to go to the Saint Lady Temple.¡± Cheng Sang frowned. ¡°Why are you going there? It¡¯s not fun there!¡± ¡°Has Mother been there?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Cheng Sang thought about it again. ¡°I¡¯ve been there a few times. I was bored to death. ¡± Cheng Sang said, ¡°Ru, Ru brought me.¡± ¡°Can Ru take me there too?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Ji sighed secretly. The opportunity was extinguished just like that. This person called Ru could bring someone into the Holy Maiden Temple. She must be from the Holy Maiden Temple and her status was not low. Unfortunately, she was no longer alive. Otherwise, things would have been much simpler. Just as the two of them were at a loss, Steward Pang came over. Mei Ji blocked the door and asked angrily, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Although Steward Pang looked down on two little liars from the countryside, he couldn¡¯t be unyielding in front of Mei Ji¡¯s charming face. He coughed lightly and said solemnly, ¡°Master asked me to bring your Miss to the Holy Maiden Temple.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Mei Ji was surprised. Su Xiaoxiao was also a little surprised. Just now, Xie Yunhe clearly looked like he would never let her go to the Holy Maiden Temple. In less than half a day, he actually changed his mind? Steward Pang said impatiently, ¡°Are you going or not? If not, I¡¯ll let Old Master know. ¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Where is Weiwei going?¡± Cheng Sang hugged Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arm nervously. Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°I¡¯m going out to do something. I¡¯ll bring delicious food back for Mom.¡± Cheng Sang hugged her and refused to let go. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything delicious! I only want Weiwei! Weiwei, don¡¯t go! Don¡¯t leave me behind!¡± Su Xiaoxiao comforted him. ¡°I won¡¯t abandon you. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Cheng Sang was so anxious that her eyes turned red. ¡®What if you don¡¯t come back? What if I can¡¯t find you again?¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s heart softened again at the fear in her eyes. Was her heart softening because she was about to become a mother? Why did she have to soften when facing a stranger time and time again¡­ Su Xiaoxiao looked at her steadily. ¡°No, I promise Mother that I¡¯ll be back before dark.¡± Cheng Sang looked at Su Xiaoxiao aggrievedly. ¡°Are you really going? Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°Then¡­ then alright.¡± Cheng Sang reluctantly let go of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and choked. ¡°You must remember to come back. I¡¯ll hang up all the lanterns in the residence for you so that you won¡¯t be unable to find your way home.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect her to say that. ¡°Alright, Mother, hang up the lanterns and wait for me to come back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Ji got into the Cheng family¡¯s carriage. An hour later, the two of them arrived at the Holy Maiden Temple. Not long after, a young disciple of the Holy Maiden Temple walked out arrogantly. She glanced at Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Ji at the door and asked casually, ¡°Are you the ones who want to come to the Holy Maiden Temple to pick herbs?¡± Mei Ji rolled her eyes. What attitude was this? Did this disciple think Mei Ji would not be able to slap her away? Su Xiaoxiao said in her usual tone, ¡°Please lead the way.¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± The female disciple said calmly and entered the Holy Maiden Temple without giving the two of them a good expression. Mei Ji was furious. If not for the fact that the occasion was not right, she would have started beating her up. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. After entering the temple, Wuhu stuck out a small bird head from Mei Ji¡¯s arms.. Chapter 859 - Chapter 859: Success, Life Stealing Personality (1) Chapter 859: Success, Life Stealing Personality (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to the medicine pavilion. Don¡¯t walk around.¡± The female disciple turned around as she spoke. Mei Ji hurriedly pressed Wuhu back. The female disciple did not see Wuhu. She only saw Mei Ji tidying her clothes. To do such an indecent thing in broad daylight, she could not help but look down on the two of them. ¡°Do you remember what I said just now? You¡¯re not allowed to walk around. There are many experts in the Holy Maiden Temple. They don¡¯t know you. If strangers barge into the Holy Maiden Temple, they will be killed!¡± Mei Ji rolled her eyes. Su Xiaoxiao said politely, ¡°Thank you for the reminder.¡± Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao was still sensible, the female disciple¡¯s expression softened a little and she brought them to the medicine pavilion. Along the way, they encountered many female disciples of the Holy Maiden Temple and sensed the aura of many experts hiding in the dark. It seemed that the other party was not lying. The Holy Maiden Temple was definitely not a place to act rashly. The medicine pavilion was located north to south. There were a total of two floors. The second floor was where medical books, books, and pills were stored. The first floor was filled with countless herbs and placed in neat rows of medicine cabinets. The weather in the Southern Wilderness was very humid. In order to prevent the tide, these herbs had to be often taken out to dry. Coincidentally, it was the day to dry the herbs. The medicine pavilion was very busy. The female disciple pointed at the medicine cabinet in the medicine pavilion. ¡°I¡¯ve already informed the elders of the medicine pavilion. What herbs do you want? Go and choose. After you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll bring you to register.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked her, ¡°What did the Cheng family tell you?¡± The female disciple said mockingly, ¡°A quack physician came and thought that her medical skills were brilliant. She wants to treat the eldest daughter of the Cheng family. Hmph, who knows how many such doctors have come in the past. Even the Holy Maiden Temple is helpless. Does she really think she¡¯s better than the Holy Maiden Temple? Alright, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore. I¡¯ll wait for you over there. Call me when you¡¯re done.¡± She went to chat with a familiar female disciple outside. Mei Ji curled her lips. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this Xie Yunhe? He actually referred to us as quack physicians?¡± ¡°It would be strange if he was willing to say that we¡¯re here to acknowledge our relatives.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t care how Xie Yunhe introduced them. She only wanted to achieve the goal of getting to the Holy Maiden Temple. Su Xiaoxiao casually opened a small drawer of the medicine cabinet in the front is really good.¡± Mei Ji brought a dustpan over and asked Su Xiaoxiao to put the herbs she had picked in. ¡°Why do you think Xie Yunhe is suddenly so kind? He doesn¡¯t believe that you¡¯re his granddaughter but asked you to come to the Holy Maiden Temple to get the herbs¡­ Why don¡¯t I understand what he¡¯s thinking?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡®Maybe he just wants to treat Miss Cheng?¡± Mei Ji snorted. ¡°I keep feeling that he doesn¡¯t have good intentions! In my opinion, he probably guessed that we have ulterior motives for entering the Holy Maiden Temple and wants us to court death in the Holy Maiden Temple. He wants to use the Holy Maiden Temple to solve the troublesome matter with us .¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a little of another herb. ¡°Your guess is reasonable.¡± Mei Ji said, ¡°Of course! I¡¯m the smart Mei Ji!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and gave Mei Ji a look. Mei Ji understood and asked tacitly, ¡°Miss, do you think¡­ there are no herbs you need here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that the Holy Maiden Temple had all the herbs, so I came over. I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao looked extremely disappointed in the Holy Maiden Temple, causing a female disciple of the Medicine Pavilion not far away to be dissatisfied. She walked over with a dustpan of herbs meant to be dried and frowned. ¡°There¡¯s no herb in the world that can¡¯t be found in the Holy Maiden Temple!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Snow Domain Hemp.¡± The female disciple was speechless. What a joke. If the Holy Maiden Temple had Snow Domain Hemp, they wouldn¡¯t have sent someone to Heavenly Mountain to pluck it. Before they could pluck it, Su Xiaoxiao picked it up. Su Xiaoxiao smiled sincerely. ¡°There¡¯s no Snow Domain Hemp. Then, is there a Snake Bone Flower?¡± The female disciple from the Medicine Pavilion, who had just been slapped in the face, immediately straightened her back. ¡°Of course there is. In the entire world, only the Saint Lady Temple has the Snake Bone Flower!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked skeptical. ¡°Really? Why didn¡¯t I see it?¡± The female disciple of the Medicine Pavilion said, ¡°The Snake Bone Flower is in the Saintess¡¯s bedroom. Of course you can¡¯t see it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°I see.¡± The female disciple of the Medicine Pavilion said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t have any ideas about the Snake Bone Flower. The Snake Bone Flower only blooms once every few years. The Saintess doesn¡¯t even have enough herself. She won¡¯t give it to you!¡± Then she could only snatch it¡­ Chapter 860 - Chapter 860: Success, Life Stealing Personality (2) Chapter 860: Success, Life Stealing Personality (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Got it. I was just curious and asked casually.¡± The female disciple of the Medicine Pavilion went outside to dry the herbs. Mei Ji asked softly, ¡®What should we do?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry for the Snake Bone Flower. It hasn¡¯t bloomed anyway. I¡¯ll snatch it when it blooms. I¡¯ll think of a way to meet the man hidden in the Holy Maiden Temple today.¡± ¡°Yeah. Mei Ji nodded. Su Xiaoxiao liked to move with Mei Ji. Because Mei Ji was bold enough to really charge forward if there was danger. She really dared to go through mountains of blades and seas of fire. Even though she was injured last night, she did not become too careful. It was not a bad thing to be careful, but sometimes, one needed to be unafraid of death. Su Xiaoxiao carefully chose the herbs for less than an hour. Every herb had to be registered, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t choose blindly. Even if an apothecary came to check her her herbs in the end, it would definitely be a prescription to nourish the heart, support the qi, and relieve the liver. When she was almost done, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly covered her stomach. Mei Ji cooperated and held her arm. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Her voice was loud enough. The female disciples arranging the herbs in the Medicine Pavilion looked at the two of them. Su Xiaoxiao looked pained. ¡°My stomach hurts¡­¡± Mei Ji looked worried. ¡°Did you eat something wrong this morning? Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s fingers exuded endless exaggerated acting skills. She grabbed the medicine cabinet and trembled. ¡°Is there a toilet?¡± The female disciple who let the two of them enter the Holy Maiden Temple walked over. Her surname was Lu, and she was also an emissary, but her qualifications were inferior to that of Emissary Lin¡¯s. She was ranked at the end. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mei Ji said aggrievedly, ¡°My Miss has a stomachache. Can you help find a toilet?¡± Emissary Lu frowned in disdain. ¡°Follow me.¡± She brought the two of them to the nearby toilet. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± ¡°We remember the way. We can return to the Medicine Pavilion ourselves.¡± Emissary Lu ignored them and walked to a big tree 30 steps away. She waited with a dark expression. Mei Ji stayed behind as a cover while Su Xiaoxiao climbed out of the back door of the toilet. Wuhu flew into the sky and led the way for Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao followed Wuhu to a place with a plaque of the Book Storage Pavilion. It was also a two-story attic. It looked no different from a Medicine Pavilion. However, this place was much quieter than the Medicine Pavilion and there were not many disciples. Su Xiaoxiao was lucky. The disciple guarding the library went to eat. She quietly arrived at the entrance of the Book Storage Pavilion. Thanks to the qinggong taught by her sisters-in-law, her movement technique was much more hidden. After entering the library, Wuhu brought her to the end of the corridor. Wuhu were patting the wall with their wings. ¡°Behind here?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Wuhu nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a mechanism here, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao searched up and down and found a groove that looked like a pattern decoration. ¡°The shape of this groove¡­ looks familiar¡­¡± She opened the pouch and took out the third brocade pouch given to her by the Head of the Secret Service. There were three strange metal pieces inside. She took out one of the small iron pieces and placed it in the groove. Rumble¡­ The stone door was opened. ¡°So this small iron block is the key. Why does the Head of the Secret Service have the key to the Holy Maiden Temple?¡± She was not curious. She was not curious about the Head of the Secret Service at all. She retrieved the key and brought her and Wuhu into the secret room. The stone door rumbled shut behind her. A sinister and cold aura enveloped her. The weather in the southern border was warm. She had not felt this cold temperature for a long time. She glanced around and saw the stone bed in the middle of the secret room that was illuminated by the night pearls on the ground. There was indeed a man lying on the stone bed. He was breathing evenly and heavily. Even lying there, one could tell that he was tall. Even though he was unconscious, there was still a terrifying aura. Wuhu flew over and jumped on him, as if it wanted to wake him up. However, the person under its claws did not react. Su Xiaoxiao came to the stone bed and looked at the cold and sleeping face. At this moment, there was a crack outside the stone door. Someone was opening the stone door! Su Xiaoxiao grabbed Wuhu and hid behind a stone pillar! With a rumble, the stone door opened. The two emissaries walked in with four disciples. The four of them were carrying a big box. What were they doing¡­ Su Xiaoxiao was at a loss. Emissary Lin came to the stone bed and looked at the unconscious man. She poured out a pill from the medicine bottle and fed it to the man. This time, she did not wait for the man to swallow it himself. Instead, she slapped the man and helped him swallow it.. Chapter 861 - Chapter 861: Success, Life Stealing Personality (3) Chapter 861: Success, Life Stealing Personality (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was the pill that Wuhu brought back yesterday¡­ Su Xiaoxiao frowned slightly. Another emissary beside Emissary Lin said, ¡°Are you sure you give him the pill every day?¡± Emissary Lin smiled and said, ¡°Emissary Loo, don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t leave a single pill behind. Emissary Loo said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s best if he doesn¡¯t fall behind. His injuries have to be treated, and he has to be controlled. We can¡¯t lose control of him like the previous few times. You¡¯ve seen how strong his martial arts are. No one in the Holy Maiden Temple can defeat him. He even injured the Saintess.¡± Losing control¡­ the previous few times¡­ In that case, this man had woken up before, but he was not very obedient. In addition, because he was too powerful, the experts of the Holy Maiden Temple could not defeat him, so they could only give him medicine. Those pills were not only used to treat his injuries, but also to control him. In addition, the Saintess was injured. This was an important piece of information. Emissary Lin instructed his disciple, ¡°Alright, carry him to the Qionghua Hall.¡± The four female disciples went forward and moved him into the box. Su Xiaoxiao tried her best to see the man¡¯s face, but unfortunately, she was blocked by the disciple who was in the way. However, she noticed that there was a faint scar on the man¡¯s right hand from the palm to the back of his hand. This scar was at least ten years old. It was definitely not left over these few years. ¡°Hey! Are you guys done?¡± Emissary Lu was getting impatient. Mei Ji pretended to say, ¡°Miss, are you alright? It still hurts? Alright, alright, alright. I won¡¯t rush you!¡± She looked out. ¡°Have you never had a stomachache? Why are you rushing me! If you rush me again, I won¡¯t be polite! We¡¯re from the Cheng family after all. Aren¡¯t you afraid that the Saintess will punish you for treating us like this?¡± These words successfully hit Emissary Lu¡¯s sore spot. Emissary Lu suppressed her impatience and waited for a moment. The longer she waited, the more she felt that something was wrong. From the beginning to the end, there was only this little maidservant¡¯s voice. Where was that quack physician? Emissary Lu thought to herself that something was up and quickly walked towards the toilet with a cold expression. ¡°Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?¡± Mei Ji came out to stop her. Emissary Lu said sternly, ¡°Move aside!¡± Mei Ji gritted her teeth. ¡°I won¡¯t dodge!¡± Emissary Lu pushed Mei Ji away with a palm and took a few steps forward to open the straw curtain of the toilet. Su Xiaoxiao fastened her belt and looked at her in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ wrong?¡± Emissary Lu choked and lowered the straw curtain. ¡°It took you so long to go to the toilet!¡± She covered her nose with her hand in disdain and left without looking back. Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Ji followed behind her. ¡°How is it?¡± Mei Ji asked softly. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Emissary Lu¡¯s back and told her about the discovery of the Book Storage Pavilion at a volume that only the two of them could hear. Mei Ji gritted her teeth. ¡°The Holy Maiden Temple is so despicable. They actually used medicine to control people? Is that Wei Xu?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I only took a look. I can¡¯t conclude.¡± Actually, she might not recognize him after taking a few more glances. After all, she had never seen Wei Xu. However, the scar on the other party¡¯s hand left a deep impression. Mei Ji said, ¡°This temple must have some shameful secrets.¡± Emissary Lu turned around and said impatiently, ¡°Why are the two of you dawdling? Hurry up and follow!¡± Mei Ji stuck out her tongue. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the large group of women not far away and probed, ¡°Eh? Why are there so many people over there? From their clothes, they don¡¯t look like disciples of the Holy Miaden Temple.¡± Emissary Lu said without restraint, ¡°What does a village doctor like you know? Those are here to participate in the Holy Selection.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the plainly dressed girls and asked, ¡°There seem to be some women from the commoners.¡± Emissary Lu snorted. ¡°Hmph, some people overestimate themselves. How can some common women compare to the daughters nurtured by the four great families?¡± Mei Ji pointed and asked, ¡°Is that Cheng Qingxue with the veil?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a look and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s her.¡± Cheng Qingxue stood with the daughters of a few big families. The youngest of them looked to be only eight or nine years old. Su Xiaoxiao asked in confusion, ¡°Can you participate at such a young age?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no age limit. You can taken part even in your mother¡¯s womb. Back then¡­¡± Emissary Lu knew that she had misspoken and changed the topic.¡± Hurry up and go to the medicine pavilion! ¡± Mei Ji whispered into Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s ear, ¡°I heard rumors in the Cheng family that when Miss Cheng was pregnant, the Holy Bird of the Saintess Temple landed on her belly. At that time, there were rumors that she was pregnant with the next Saintess.. Who knew that in the end, her daughter was gone and Cheng Lian¡¯s daughter became the Saintess? Do you think¡­ Cheng Lian and her daughter took Cheng Sang¡¯s daughter¡¯s fate?¡± Chapter 862 - Chapter 862: Maternal Strength (1) Chapter 862: Maternal Strength (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao planned to leave after choosing the herbs in the Medicine Pavilion. Just as she was about to get into the carriage, a girl who looked to be eight or nine years old walked over with her servants. She was young, but her aura was not weak. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re Cheng Sang¡¯s granddaughter.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her. ¡°Who are you?¡± The nine-year-old daughter raised her chin and said sternly, ¡°My name is Yin Ling. I¡¯m the seventh daughter of the Yin family.¡± The Yin family was once the head of the four great families. Later on, the daughter of the Cheng family became the Saintess and suppressed the Yin family. However, the Yin family produced another imperial concubine and turned the tables. They had been evenly matched for two years and had secretly competed for who would be the first for many years. Another Little Seven¡­ Su Xiaoxiao thought of Wei Ting. Was there a fearless bandit aura around the seventh born? She smiled and said, ¡°You know a lot.¡± Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you cause a scene at the entrance of the Cheng family to let everyone know?¡± Despite her age, she spoke methodically. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her and inexplicably felt that this child was a little serious and cute. Would her Dahu also be so milky and serious when he grew up? Yin Xiaodie asked, ¡°Do you want the Cheng family to acknowledge you and accept you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked in amusement, ¡°Why? Do you have a way?¡± Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°Yes, but I can¡¯t help you for nothing. If you succeed, you have to be my sister-in-law!¡± Su Xiaoxiao, who was inexplicably pulled by a marriage thread, was speechless. She looked at Yin Xiaodie with a faint smile. Yin Xiaodie raised her chin. ¡°Why? Are the conditions of the marriage with the Yin family not enough to move you? With the support of our Yin family, you can successfully take back everything that belongs to you and Cheng Sang!¡± Su Xiaoxiao flicked her forehead. ¡°Little one. who are vou minting a nancake Yin Xiaodie said fiercely, ¡°If you touch me again, believe it or not, I¡¯ll chop off your hand!¡± Su Xiaoxiao bent down and stared into her eyes. ¡°Then I¡¯ll cut off your hands and feet.¡± Yin Xiaodie, who had never been threatened, was stunned. Su Xiaoxiao was very satisfied. She should be more ruthless than anyone when dealing with brats. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Who are you speaking for, Little One?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a Little One. I¡¯m nine years old this year!¡± Yin Xiaodie thought for a moment and said seriously, ¡°In three days.¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°You¡¯re not even nine years old. Why should I believe you?¡± The nine-year-old Miss Yin took out a token from her waist and said with a powerful aura, ¡°This is our Yin family¡¯s family head token. My words are my grandfather¡¯s words!¡± A child was a child. No matter how fierce she was, she was still a baby. Su Xiaoxiao was not afraid of her. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell me about it first? I¡¯ll consider if I should agree.¡± Yin Xiaodie refused. ¡°No, you have to agree to my conditions. Otherwise, I won¡¯t tell you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you just going to run for the Saintess? Yin Xiaodie was shocked. ¡°How did you guess?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m smart.¡± Yin Xiaodie frowned and pondered seriously for a moment. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re indeed a little smart to be able to guess here, but it¡¯s useless if you only guess. You¡¯re not qualified to run!¡± She was still digging a trap for her¡­ Su Xiaoxiao said in amusement, ¡°Little One, you just want me to fight with Cheng Qingxue so that you can reap the benefits. You¡¯re not helping me. I¡¯m helping you. You still have the cheek to negotiate with me. I should be the one asking you for compensation.¡± The little one frowned deeply. Her entire young face said, ¡°This guy is not easy to fool¡­ Su Xiaoxiao hit the nail on the head. ¡°Moreover, I have to obtain the qualifications of the Saintess to make the Cheng family agree to accept me, but you probably won¡¯t give me the position of the Saintess. To put it bluntly, you¡¯re using me to help you eliminate the most advantageous competitor!¡± The little one¡¯s thoughts were exposed, and her eyes flashed. Su Xiaoxiao rubbed her head. ¡°Alright, on account that you¡¯re quite cute, I¡¯ll protect you if there¡¯s a chance. However, you¡¯re not allowed to be too naughty. I don¡¯t like naughty children.¡± She clearly said the last sentence with a smile, but there was a chilling sternness in her eyes. Yin Xiaodie subconsciously took half a step back. Only half a step¡­ The little One¡¯s mental endurance is stronger than she thought¡­ Su Xiaoxiao smiled and got into the carriage. Yin Xiaodie came back to her senses and clenched her fists in frustration.. Chapter 863 - Chapter 863: Maternal Strength (2) Chapter 863: Maternal Strength (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Was she threatened by a brat just now? Shame! Shame! On the way back to the Cheng family, Su Xiaoxiao drew the man¡¯s hand. This was the only characteristic that could prove the man¡¯s identity. Mei Ji looked at it. ¡®Wow, was this injured by a scimitar? What a strange wound.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed strange, but it¡¯s precisely because it¡¯s strange that those who have seen it must have a deep impression of it. Give it to your Master and Wei Ting later.¡± Mei Ji nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± After she put away the drawing paper, Su Xiaoxiao lifted the curtain and said to the coachman, ¡°I want to buy some snacks. Find the best shop.¡± The coachman pointed perfunctorily at a shop by the road. ¡°The snacks there are not bad.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, ¡®Who are you fooling? That shop is deserted. It¡¯s obvious that no one bought it. It would be strange if the snacks are delicious! I¡¯m buying these for my grandmother. If she finds it disgusting, I wonder if you can continue to work in the Cheng family tomorrow!¡± The coachman could not afford to offend Cheng Sang, so he could only bite the bullet and rush the carriage to an old bakery. The people queuing almost reached the opposite street. Su Xiaoxiao was very satisfied. ¡°There are too many people. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to wait for a long time. It¡¯s almost dark. My grandmother will be worried if I go back too late. Mei Ji, go buy it.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss!¡± Mei Ji jumped off the carriage. Su Xiaoxiao and the coachman returned home. After choosing for half a day in the Holy Maiden Temple today, it was already dusk when they arrived at the Cheng family. Cheng Sang sat alone in the wheelchair outside the courtyard and looked eagerly in the direction of the path. Ever since Su Xiaoxiao went out in the morning, Cheng Sang had been sitting here motionless. She didn¡¯t eat lunch or dinner, nor did she drink a drop of water. It was not until she saw that familiar figure that she finally felt emotion. ¡°Weiwei¡­¡± ¡°Mother.¡± Su Xiaoxiao saw her too. The softest part of her heart suddenly ached. Su Xiaoxiao quickly walked up to her and bent down to tidy her wind-tossed hair. ¡°Have you been waiting long?¡± She lacked experience in taking care of such patients and forgot to tell Cheng Sang to wait for her in the house. ¡°Yes.¡± Cheng Sang nodded aggrievedly, his eyes red. ¡°Why were you gone for so long? I was so afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to find you again¡­ Weiwei¡­ Don¡¯t abandon Mother¡­ Su Xiaoxiao wiped her tears. ¡°How could I not want my mother? Look, I¡¯m back now.¡± Cheng Sang handed the box in her arms to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Here.¡± Su Xiaoxiao opened it. There was a box of shortbread inside. She had been hugging it to warm it. ¡°Weiwei, eat,¡± Cheng Sang said. Su Xiaoxiao looked up into her child-like eyes and smiled. ¡°Mother should eat too.¡± She took a piece and handed it to Cheng Sang. ¡°Weiwei, eat first.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll eat.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a bite. Not to mention anything else, Xie Yunhe had put in a lot of effort in food and clothing, accommodation, and transportation. The chef he found was extremely skilled. The shortbread was sweet but not greasy, and it was oily and fragrant. However, when she bit it, she felt the tip of her nose turn sour and her throat swell. ¡°Is it delicious, Weiwei?¡± Cheng Sang tilted his head and asked. ¡°It¡¯s delicious, especially delicious. Mom, try it too.¡± She picked a piece and fed it to Cheng Sang. Cheng Sang ate happily. The shortbread that Weiwei fed her was the best! ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Hungry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cook for Mother.¡± ¡°I want to go too!¡± Cheng Sang stuck to Su Xiaoxiao. After going crazy, Cheng Sang¡¯s mind was similar to a child¡¯s, but even so, a lunatic could sense whoever treated her sincerely or superficial. The servants in the courtyard respected Cheng Sang, but it was a mission that they had to complete. They thought that Cheng Sang did not understand or hear them and mocked her. Su Xiaoxiao went to make dinner, so Cheng Sang moved a small stool to the stove and helped Su Xiaoxiao add firewood. Even if she only had the mind of a child left, Su Xiaoxiao only taught her once before she learned it. She was very smart. If he had not gone crazy, who knew what kind of family head she would be. As Su Xiaoxiao cooked, she didn¡¯t forget to keep watch on Cheng Sang, afraid that she would burn herself. Cheng Sang shook her head and hummed a tune she had learned from Mei Ji. She was carefree and immersed in the happiness of interacting with her daughter. Su Xiaoxiao made red braised pork, crucian carp tofu soup, and stir-fried vegetables. Cheng Sang didn¡¯t like vegetables and refused. Su Xiaoxiao wanted to feed her, so she covered her mouth and ran around the house. ¡°Mother, you have to eat vegetables.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to eat it.¡± ¡°Weiwei wants Mom to eat it.¡± Cheng Sang was extremely conflicted. ¡°Then¡­ alright.¡± She ate a few vegetables fearlessly and felt wronged. Halfway through her meal, Su Xiaoxiao asked calmly, ¡°By the way, Mother, have you heard of the Holy Selection?¡± ¡°Holy Selection¡­¡± Cheng Sang looked up at the sky and tried her best to think about what the word meant. ¡°It¡¯s choosing the Saintess.¡± ¡°Ah, about that. I know.¡± ¡°If I want to go too, would you agree?¡± ¡°Agreed. I agree to whatever Weiwei wants to do!¡± ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m not qualified to participate, and I don¡¯t know how to do it.¡± ¡°To participate¡­¡± Cheng Sang tilted his head and thought for a moment. ¡°Ah! I have it!¡± She put down her bowl and chopsticks and quickly went to her big box. A clean diaper covered Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s head. Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. After emptying the box, she crawled in and opened a small secret compartment at the bottom of the box. She took out a token and came to Su Xiaoxiao excitedly. ¡°Weiwei, here!¡± Su Xiaoxiao took it. ¡°This is¡ª¡± Cheng Sang said, ¡°The family head token! Dad said that it can¡¯t be given to anyone except Weiwei!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Can I participate with this?¡± Cheng Sang nodded heavily. ¡°Yes!¡± No wonder the little guy carried the Yin family¡¯s family head token with him. Wasn¡¯t she going to participate in the election today? There should be another way to participate. Otherwise, Cheng Qingxue and those women from the commoners would lose their qualifications. However, the family head tokens of the four great families must have some advantage. Unexpectedly, the family head token of the Cheng family was not in the hands of Xie Yunhe and Cheng Lian. Xie Yunhe and Cheng Lian had been locking Cheng Sang up for this family master token. Who would have thought that Cheng Sang would never forget Old Master Cheng¡¯s instructions after being crazy for so many years? If they found out that the family head token that they had racked their brains for 30 years had fallen into her hands, would they be so angry that they would vomit blood? Chapter 864 - Chapter 864: Battle for the Saintess Chapter 864: Battle for the Saintess Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mei Ji went to the courtyard where Wei Ting and the others were staying. It was already night. Rotating octagonal glass lanterns were hung under the corridor, and there were many hanging around the courtyard, illuminating the dark courtyard. The three little ones squatted on the ground and played with marbles. Wei Xiyue sat on the steps with the jar. Whoever put one in would be fed a sugar-stained walnut by Sister Xi Yue. When Mei Ji came over, Xiaohu had just gotten one¡­ Dahu and Erhu had already gotten a few tonight. Xiaohu danced with joy and ran to Wei Xiyue. His small arms fluttered behind him as he opened his mouth and obediently waited to be fed. Wei Xiyue secretly fed him three pills. It could be said that she doted on Xiao Bai very much. ¡°Sister Mei Ji.¡± Erhu was the first to notice Mei Ji. ¡°Erhu!¡± Mei Ji¡¯s eyes were not bad. She could differentiate the three little fellows clearly. Xiaohu loved to snooze. As long as there was one who did not move, it would definitely be Xiaohu. Dahu was the most diligent. He would be the one who was sweating the most. Erhu was a little slv and liked to slack off unnoticeablv. She walked over and pinched Wei Xiyue¡¯s face. ¡°Xiyue.¡± She scratched the heads of the three little ones. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu.¡± The four little ones looked behind her. Erhu asked, ¡°Aunt Mei Ji, where¡¯s Mother?¡± Mei Ji said, ¡°Your mother still has something on and can¡¯t come over.¡± Hearing this, the three little ones were a little sad. Mei Ji took out the hand behind her back. In her palm was a box specialty rice cakes from the southern border. ¡°But she misses you very much and asked me to bring you snacks. Be good and you¡¯ll be able to see your mother soon.¡± The three of them nodded vigorously! Mei Ji distributed the rice cakes to the four children and went to the study to see Wei Ting, Sir, and the others. When the brothers saw the hand in the portrait, their expressions changed in unison. Wei Yan was the cheekiest in the family when he was young. Once, when the entire family went to the manor in the summer, he did not stay obediently in the house but ran to the cotton fields. He fell and almost fell on the sickle. It was his father who arrived in time to pick up this disobedient brat. However, he lost his balance and pressed his arm on the sickle. The sickle tilted up and cut from his palm to the back of his hand. Would there be a second scar like this in the world? The brothers felt their blood surge. ¡°Could it be Dad?¡± Wei Liulang¡¯s voice was trembling. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say now.¡± Wei Qing remained calm. ¡°We can¡¯t be sure that it¡¯s Dad just because of a scar.¡± Ghostfear said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Holy Maiden Temple.¡± Mei Ji said, ¡°There¡¯s no past for sacrificial soldiers. Why are you going? Ghostfear was speechless. Mei Ji sighed. ¡°You should have explored the Holy Maiden Temple before. It¡¯s not easy to enter, right? There are many experts and the Snow Region Heavenly Silk as a guardrail. It¡¯s almost impossible to enter. It¡¯s best not to act rashly.¡± ¡°Have you broken through the Holy Maiden Temple?¡± the assassin asked. Mei Ji said indifferently, ¡°Oh, I went once and suffered a sword qi. I¡¯m fine now. The hateful thing is that I didn¡¯t even see what the other party looked like.¡± The asassin frowned. Wei Liulang said, ¡°If I had known that you would go secretly, I would have reminded you. The experts of the Holy Maiden Temple are indeed a little suspicious. Big Brother and I almost fought them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that you slipped away quickly.¡± After interacting with Su Xiaoxiao for a long time, Mei Ji had learned to hit the nail on the head. Wei Liulang coughed lightly. Ghostfear said thoughtfully, ¡°Those are not ordinary experts. They are sacrificial soldiers, but¡­ they are different from sacrificial soldiers like me.¡± ¡°How is it different?¡± Mei Ji asked. Ghostfear said, ¡°They don¡¯t have their own thoughts. Ordinary sacrificial soldiers just don¡¯t have their past, but they¡­ are more like puppets.¡± Mei Ji snorted. ¡°No, I think some sacrificial soldiers still have their past.¡± Ghostfear muttered, ¡°You can¡¯t get over this, right?¡± Mei Ji held her cheek with one hand. ¡°Could it be¡­ that they plan to refine that person into a puppet?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mei Ji pointed at the painting on the table. ¡°It¡¯s this man with the scar on his hand. He woke up a few times, but he didn¡¯t listen to them every time. Last time, he even injured the Saintess. They¡¯re feeding him medicine, as if they want to control him.¡± Wei Qing said, ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that there¡¯s a secret technique in the southern border that can control people¡¯s hearts. Although the rumors are exaggerated, this medicine that can mess with one¡¯s mind is probably real.¡± Wei Liulang pondered and said, ¡°Five years ago, we lost a portion of our memories at Broken North Pass. Could it be related to this secret technique?¡± It was already very painful for his brother to become a sacrificial soldier. The Wei family could no longer yield a puppet that could be manipulated by others. Wei Ting frowned and said, ¡°We all underestimated the southern border.¡± When the countries mentioned the southern border, they all mocked it as a barbaric land. When they mentioned it, they snorted. However, how could they know that the southern border had been dormant for many years, secretly nurturing forces, strengthening their military forces, and gathering all the experts in the world for themselves at all costs? The southern border was already an awakening ferocious beast. When Mei Ji returned to the Cheng family, Cheng Sang had already rested. However, she was not sleeping in her room, but in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s room. ¡°Where should I sleep if she sleeps here?¡± Mei Ji asked. Mei Ji was a maidservant in name, not a real maidservant. How could she sleep on the floor like a maidservant? She slept with Su Xiaoxiao every night. Su Xiaoxiao smiled helplessly. ¡°I left for too long during the day. She was frightened and insisted on sleeping with me at night.¡± Mei Ji sighed. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s squeeze. Eh? What is this?¡± Mei Ji saw the token on the table. ¡°The Cheng family¡¯s family head token,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Mei Ji was puzzled. ¡°Why is the family head token of the Cheng family here? Don¡¯t tell me it was given by Xie Yunhe.¡± ¡°Cheng Sang gave it to me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said Cheng Sang¡¯s original words. Mei Ji was stunned. ¡°Wait, before Old Master Cheng died, that baby girl had already passed away, right? Why did he say that the family head token can only be given to Weiwei? Weiwei doesn¡¯t exist in this world.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°If she can¡¯t meet Weiwei in her life, she won¡¯t give away the family master¡¯s token for the rest of her life. Old Master Cheng should mean this and let her hold the family master¡¯s token forever.¡± ¡°Old Master Cheng is a wonderful person,¡± Mei Ji said with sincere admiration. ¡°As long as Xie Yunhe and Cheng Lian can¡¯t get the family head token, they have to keep Cheng Sang alive. Old Master Cheng even brought out his dead granddaughter. He¡¯s really thoughtful.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°To Cheng Sang, who has already gone crazy, that¡¯s the only way to keep her safe.¡± Mei Ji said happily, ¡°Fortunately, Cheng Sang is obedient and has her daughter in her heart. However, why did she suddenly give you the family head token?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I said that I want to run for the Saintess.¡± Mei Ji looked at her in a daze. ¡°You¡­ are running for the Saintess?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, ¡°This is the only chance to enter the Holy Maiden Temple again.¡± Mei Ji played with the token in her hand. ¡°So, you plan to participate in the Holy Selection with this?¡± Peony Courtyard. Cheng Lian finished applying medicine to her daughter¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ll completely recover tomorrow. You can take off your veil.¡± ¡°How annoying!¡± Cheng Qingxue complained. ¡°What now?¡± Cheng Lian asked with a smile. Cheng Qingxue muttered, ¡°Today, I¡¯m the only daughter of the four great families who doesn¡¯t have a family head token. Even the nine-year-old Yin Xiaodie has it! How embarrassing!¡± Cheng Lian said warmly, ¡®Everyone knows about our family¡¯s situation. Your Elder Mother has been crazy for so many years. I don¡¯t know where she kept the family master¡¯s token. I can¡¯t find it even if I ask her. There¡¯s nothing I can do. ¡± Cheng Qingxue was not so easily comforted. ¡°Although they don¡¯t say it, they must be laughing at me in their hearts for not being the heir of the Cheng family.¡± Cheng Lian stroked her hair. ¡°You and your sister are both heirs of the Cheng family. Who cares what others say? Sleep early. Do you still have to take the exam tomorrow morning?¡± Cheng Qingxue stomped her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. They don¡¯t have to take the exam. I¡¯m the only one who has to take it! ¡± With the family head token, one could skip the first three rounds and directly enter the palace selection three days later. Cheng Lian smiled comfortingly. ¡°Aren¡¯t those exams easy for you? Your sister has already taught you.¡± Cheng Qingxue said unhappily, ¡°I still need a body checkup!¡± The first round was a physical examination. Cheng Lian smiled and said, ¡°Alright, didn¡¯t your sister also get through this back then? With it, Miss Yin, Miss Ji, Miss Yue, the final position of the Saintess will definitely be yours.¡± Cheng Qingxue felt better. ¡°That¡¯s right. Sister has arranged everything.. I will definitely become the Saintess!¡± Chapter 865 - Chapter 865: Slapping a White Lotus (1) Chapter 865: Slapping a White Lotus (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cheng Sang slept early and woke up early. She opened her eyes and saw Su Xiaoxiao lying beside her and sleeping cutely. A great sense of joy and satisfaction surged in her heart. Mei Ji fell asleep on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s other side. Cheng Sang shook her awake and whispered, ¡°Little bird demon, little bird demon!¡± Mei Ji opened her eyes in a daze. ¡°What?¡± Cheng Sang¡¯s eyes were as bright as stars. ¡°Look at Weiwei. She¡¯s sleeping so soundly! ¡± Mei Ji was speechless. Cheng Sang had the urge to show off her daughter and successfully strangled all of Mei Ji¡¯s sleepiness. Mei Ji regretted it. If she had known that Cheng Sang was so obsessed, she wouldn¡¯t have squeezed with the two of them last night. It would have been better for her to sleep alone at Cheng Sang¡¯s place. Breakfast was made by the kitchen maid in the courtyard. Ever since Su Xiaoxiao moved into the courtyard, the chef¡¯s work had almost been snatched away. If this continued, the chef was worried that she would lose her job, so she made a sumptuous breakfast. Cheng Sang¡¯s appetite was much better now and She was willing to eat obediently. Her complexion had recovered a little. Su Xiaoxiao was not in a hurry to use any medicine to nourish her body. Her diet was irregular all year round and she was as thin as a matchstick. Her stomach was also damaged and she could not withstand the strong medicinal effects. She would get her to eat properly first to nourish the stomach. Su Xiaoxiao scooped a bowl of porridge for Cheng Sang and picked up the meat that Cheng Sang had secretly hidden under the steamed bun. ¡°Don¡¯t eat anything too greasy in the morning.¡± Cheng Sang was like a child who had been caught and was a little shy. Su Xiaoxiao talked about serious matters. ¡°Mother, I still have to go out today. I¡¯ll be back tonight.¡¯ When Cheng Sang heard that her daughter was going out again, she was extremely reluctant. However, because Su Xiaoxiao returned safely yesterday, she was not as afraid as before that she would not be able to find her daughter. ¡°Fine. ¡± She nodded in agreement. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to protect Mom in secret later. Mom, don¡¯t be afraid when you see him, and don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Cheng Sang counted with her fingers to remember her daughter¡¯s instructions. Su Xiaoxiao had always been prepared. Su Xiaoxiao was not sure if Xie Yunhe and Cheng Lian were benevolent to Cheng Sang or if everything they did was just to obtain the family head¡¯s token. Now that the family head¡¯s token was in her hands, she had no choice but to be prepared for the two of them to do something desperate. It would be best if she was overthinking. If not, prevention was better than cure. Not long after, Wuhu brought a certain man in black and a black bamboo hat to the courtyard. The man hugged his sword and pressed down on his bamboo hat with one hand. He made a cool and arrogant pose outside the window. ¡°Which mortal summoned the Divine Lord? I¡¯m.. Cheng Sang looked at a certain someone who was dressed in black from head to toe. Her eyes lit up and she shouted in a very vivid manner, ¡°Little Black!¡± Yuchi Xiu was speechless. Leaving Yuchi Xiu behind, Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Ji left the residence. After returning from the Holy Maiden Temple last night, the coachman immediately reported their actions in the Holy Maiden Temple to Xie Yunhe. He even asked Emissary Lu to bring back a copy of the prescription they had chosen. Xie Yunhe found a physician. After the physician saw the prescription, he said that the herbs on it were indeed used to treat mental illnesses. He even asked where such a brilliant prescription came from. From this, it could be seen that Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s medical skills were at least genuine. After the physician left, Xie Yunhe sat quietly in the study for a long time without even seeing Cheng Lian. Early this morning, he went out to do something. Su Xiaoxiao brought Mei Ji out of the residence and was stopped by a servant. ¡°Master didn¡¯t say that he would allow you to leave the manor today.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Then did he say that I¡¯m not allowed to leave the residence?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The servant choked. Mei Ji scolded, ¡°Get out of the way! If you offend my Miss and First Madam blames you, you don¡¯t have to be a servant here anymore!¡± This trick worked every time. Cheng Sang had long lost her real power in the Cheng family, but that did not stop Xie Yunhe from treating her well. Whoever provoked her would be immediately chased out. Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Ji left the residence. The two of them did not look for Steward Pang to arrange a carriage. Instead, they rented one from a nearby car dealership. Cheng Qingxue arrived first. Cheng Lian was going to the streets to buy today and sent Cheng Qingxue over. She looked at her slender youngest daughter and was very happy. ¡°The position of the Saintess belongs to my child. Go. Don¡¯t worry about anything. Your sister has her own arrangements.¡± Whichever family produced a Saintess had a huge advantage in the next Holy Selection. Back then, when Cheng Sang was pregnant, the Saintess was the daughter of the Ji family. The Ji family had a high chance of winning another term. If not for the fact that the Holy Bird had landed on Cheng Sang¡¯s pregnant belly by a freak combination of factors and given the Cheng family a Saintess destiny, Cheng Qingyao would probably not have become a Saintess so easily.. Chapter 866 - Chapter 866: Slapping a White Lotus (2) Chapter 866: Slapping a White Lotus (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going!¡± Cheng Qingxue got out of the carriage excitedly. Her face had healed and she no longer needed to wear a veil. Her beautiful face appeared at the entrance of the Holy Maiden Temple, which was filled with people. She was outstanding enough. Many young ladies who came to participate in the election surrounded her. ¡®Miss Cheng, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time. We just want to see the next Saintess.¡± Cheng Qingxue maintained a posture of humilty. ¡°You must be joking. The Holy Selection hasn¡¯t even begun. How did I become the next Saintess?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that the position of the Saintess has long been yours, Qingxue? We¡¯re not here to covet the position of the Saintess, but to be chosen to be a disciple of the Holy Maiden Temple.¡± The status of the disciples of the Holy Maiden Temple was not low, especially after they were promoted to official positions like the emissary. They were comparable to the officials of the Imperial Court and could bring glory to their ancestors. Everyone spoke one after another, praising Cheng Qingxue. They could not be selected as the Saintess, so they hoped to get close to Cheng Qingxue and see if they could obtain some care from the Saintess during the disciple selection. Yin Xiaodie, Yue Qinghuan, and Ji Rou from the other three families stood at the side. The three of them watched coldly and had no intention of currying favor with Cheng Qingxue as she was flattered. ¡°Sister Yin, I heard that you already came to register yesterday. Why are you still here today?¡± The person who asked was Yue Qinghuan. She and Ji Rou did not come yesterday. Yin Xiaodie crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for someone.¡± Yue Qinghuan smiled with a hint of mockery. ¡°Your Yin family recommended many more people this time, right?¡± Yin Xiaodie said coldly, ¡°Who said that? Not a single one! No, if she comes, it¡¯s one.¡± Yue Qinghuan asked curiously, ¡°Who¡¯s so arrogant that you¡¯re actually waiting here to recommend her?¡± Yin Xiaodie didn¡¯t want to talk to her anymore. Although the two families were discussing Yue Qinghuan and her brother¡¯s marriage, she did not want Yue Qinghuan to be her sister-in-law at all. She stood on her tiptoes and looked at the busy street. ¡°It can¡¯t be that she won¡¯t come¡­¡± Seeing her daughter surrounded by stars and a smile on her face, Cheng Lian was relieved and planned to leave. At this moment, an inconspicuous carriage stopped outside the Holy Maiden Temple. There were too many carriages. Cheng Lian did not care at first. However, the moment the people in the carriage came down, it immediately caused a commotion. Even Yin Xiaodie waved her hand and shouted, ¡°Over here, over here!¡± Yue Qinghuan took the opportunity to look and asked in confusion, ¡°Is she the person you¡¯re waiting for? She looks very ordinary.¡± Yin Xiaodie asked unrestrainedly, ¡°Do you know who she is?¡± Yue Qinghuan asked, ¡°Who?¡± Yin Xiaodie placed her hands behind her back and looked like her grandfather. She raised her eyebrows and introduced, ¡°Cheng Sang¡¯s granddaughter, the real daughter of the Cheng family!¡± Her voice was not soft. The surrounding people heard it and looked in the direction she indicated. Su Xiaoxiao was still in disguise. She was ordinary and was not as beautiful as Mei Ji, who was a maid. However, one could not resist her calm bearing. For a moment, they could not take their eyes off her. A daughter who was familiar with Cheng Qingxue tugged at her sleeve. ¡°Qingxue, are the rumors outside true? Is the eldest daughter of the Cheng family back?¡± The speaker had no intention, but the listener had a heart. The mention of the eldest daughter was like a slap to Cheng Qingxue¡¯s face. Cheng Qingxue and Cheng Qingyao had been the heirs of the Cheng family for so many years and had long been legitimate. However, Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s appearance was tantamount to engraving the word ¡®concubine¡¯ on her head. Cheng Qingxue¡¯s smile instantly disappeared, and her expression darkened. She turned to look at Su Xiaoxiao and asked unhappily, ¡°What are the two of you doing here?¡± The nine-year-old Yin Xiaodie walked over boldly. ¡°She¡¯s here to run for the Saintess!¡± Cheng Qingxue asked angrily, ¡°What right does she have to run for the Saintess?¡± Yin Xiaodie said bluntly, ¡°You¡¯re the daughter of a concubine of the Cheng family. You¡¯re already here. As the legitimate daughter, isn¡¯t she more qualified than you?¡± Cheng Qingxue choked on Yin Xiaodie¡¯s word. Whether she was a concubine¡¯s daughter or not, only Yin Xiaodie dared to be so blunt. Yue Qinghuan watched the commotion. ¡°Qingxue, what¡¯s going on?¡± Yin Xiaodie chuckled. ¡°Sister Yue, you were the one who told me this news yesterday. There¡¯s no need for you to pretend to be dumb, right?¡± This was the tea appraiser Yin Little Seven! Yue Qinghuan tightened her grip on her handkerchief and glared at Yin Xiaodie. Cheng Qingxue pointed at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s nose and said, ¡°She¡¯s a liar! My father didn¡¯t acknowledge her at all! Everyone, don¡¯t believe her!¡± Yin Xiaodie smiled and said, ¡°Your father didn¡¯t acknowledge it, but I heard that Cheng Sang did.¡± Cheng Qingxue gritted her teeth and said, ¡°My Elder Mother has been crazy for many years. How can her words count?¡± Yin Xiaodie sneered. ¡°She¡¯s the head of the Cheng family. If her words don¡¯t count, do your words count?¡± Cheng Qingxue couldn¡¯t win against this child and exploded in anger. ¡°This is our Cheng family¡¯s matter. Your Yin family shouldn¡¯t get involved!¡± With that, she looked at Su Xiaoxiao again, her chest heaving. ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you stole a relic, you can be the daughter of our Cheng family. You¡¯re not qualified!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not proving my identity to you today. Please move aside.¡± Cheng Qingxue sneered. ¡®What do you want to do? Are you really going to run for the Saintess? Do you really think you¡¯re qualified just because Yin Xiaodie provoked you? Without the Cheng family¡¯s recommendation, let¡¯s see how you can run!¡± Yin Xiaodie said loudly, ¡°If your Cheng family doesn¡¯t recommend it, our Yin family will! ¡± A stone stirred up a thousand ripples. Everyone whispered. ¡°The Yin family¡¯s recommendation?¡± Cheng Qingxue smiled. ¡°If there¡¯s no agreement from the Cheng family, so what if your Yin family recommends her? Unless she doesn¡¯t participate as a member of the Cheng family, she has to obtain my father¡¯s agreement!¡± Yin Xiaodie muttered,¡± Oh no, I forgot about this.¡± Cheng Qingxue looked at Su Xiaoxiao proudly. ¡°Did my father agree to let you come?¡± Was a little liar from the countryside worthy of competing with her for the position of the Saintess? What nonsense! Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Oh, your father didn¡¯t agree.¡± Cheng Qingxue smiled mockingly. ¡°I knew it!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°However, the family head agreed.¡± ¡°One moment, you say that my father didn¡¯t agree, and the next¡­¡¯ Cheng Qingxue was halfway through mocking her when she saw Su Xiaoxiao take out a shiny golden token. Cheng Qingxue had never seen the family head¡¯s token before, so she didn¡¯t recognize it. In the carriage, Cheng Lian¡¯s expression changed! Chapter 867 - Chapter 867: The Might of the Family Head (1) Chapter 867: The Might of the Family Head (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Every family¡¯s family head¡¯s token was different. For example, the Yin family¡¯s token was made of black iron, the Ji family¡¯s token was made of black gold, and the Yue family¡¯s token was made of bronze. only tne cneng ram11Y was In sniny gold. The head of the Cheng family had been ¡°missing¡± for 30 years. Like Cheng Qingxue, these young girls had never seen it before. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Yin Xiaodie. ¡°Little One, do you need to queue if you have a family master token?¡± ¡°family head¡¯s token? The one in your hand¡­ is the Cheng family¡¯s family head¡¯s token?¡± Yin Xiaodie was completely shocked. She even forgot to argue with Su Xiaoxiao. However, when she saw the mighty and domineering Cheng word on the token, Yin Xiaodie believed it. No one dared to fool the Holy Maiden Temple with a fake family master token. This was considered cheating and they would be executed. After living for nine years, Yin Xiaodie stuttered for the first time. ¡°No, no need¡­ you can go in directly.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled at Cheng Qingxue, who was queuing up. ¡°Looks like I have to go in first. Take your time.¡± Cheng Qingxue¡¯s pupils trembled, and she could not say a word. On the other hand, Yin Xiaodie came back to her senses and walked over with the authority of a small family head. ¡°Hey! My name is not Little One!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at her in amusement. ¡°You said your name was Yin Ling yesterday, but your name is clearly Yin Xiaodie.¡± Yin Xiaodie said righteously, ¡°Yin Ling¡­ is my name when I travel the martial world!¡± Why was this child so funny? Su Xiaoxiao wanted to laugh even more. ¡°You want to travel the world at the age of eight. Have you read too many novels?¡± Yin Xiaodie, who had indeed seen a basket ful of novels, was dumbfounded. Other eight-year-old children did not know how to read, but Yin Xiaodie had been smart since she was young. She had already memorized a thousand words at the age of three. After that, she improved faster and faster every year. It was not an exaggeration to say that she was a little prodigy. Therefore, while others were playing with mud at the age of eight, she had already read a lot of books, including many melodramatic books. ¡°Nine years old!¡± Yin Xiaodie corrected. She was only two days away. She gritted her teeth. Su Xiaoxiao pinched her fat cheeks. Yin Xiaodie took a step back fiercely and the young patriarch¡¯s aura was fully released. ¡°I told you, if you touch me again, I¡¯ll chop off your hand!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°After chopping off my hand, you¡¯ll deal with Cheng Qingxue alone.¡± Yin Xiaodie¡¯s fatal acupoint was hit. Cheng Qingxue was actually not scary. What was scary was the Saintess and the Cheng family behind Cheng Qingxue. If there was internal strife in the Cheng family, it would be a good thing for the Yin family. Yin Xiaodie was a shrewd and resourceful girl. She glanced at Su Xiaoxiao and calmed down. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep your hand for now! ¡± With that, she placed her hands behind her back and left without looking back. ¡°I really want to pinch her,¡± Mei Ji said. It was meaningless to pinch a child who was too obedient. She was afraid that she would get carried away. Just the thought of pinching such a little chili until she cried made her excited. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°What kind of hobby do you have?¡± With the family head¡¯s token, Su Xiaoxiao easily entered the Holy Maiden Temple. Mei Ji was stopped outside. This was the rule. She was not allowed to bring a mmaservanc to participate. ¡°Qingxue, was that really your Cheng family¡¯s family head¡¯s token in her hand just now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Qingxue, didn¡¯t your Cheng family¡¯s family head¡¯s token disappear? Could it be fake?¡± ¡°It must be fake. Qingxue didn¡¯t even get the family master token. How could she have gotten it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Cheng Sang has gone crazy. The family head¡¯s token has long been lost by Cheng Sang¡­¡± ¡°A group of ignorant people!¡± Yin Xiaodie raised her chin and stopped beside them. ¡°Just because you¡¯re ignorant, does it mean the same for the Holy Maiden Temple? If the Holy Maiden Temple can¡¯t even distinguish a token, the Holy Maiden Temple can forget about living!¡± This was the number one vicious tongue in the Southern Wilderness¡ªYin Little Seven! Everyone gritted their teeth at her retort, but they could not refute because Yin Xiaodie was right. The Holy Maiden Temple would never allow anyone to muddle through with a fake family head¡¯s token. That token¡­ was most likely real! At this point, everyone looked at Cheng Qingxue with a different expression. Now that the legitimate daughter had returned, could Cheng Qingxue still be the heir of the Cheng family? Indeed, that legitimate daughter¡¯s seniority was much lower in terms of generation. However, the southern border had always established the legitimate wife and not the concubine. The eldest daughter was the first heir. Everyone¡¯s attitude became subtle. There were also people who believed in Cheng Qingxue or braced themselves to continue chatting happily with her, but everyone¡¯s eyes were no longer as focused as before. Cheng Qingxue was so angry that her face turned pale. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. ¡°Get used to it early,¡± Yin Little Seven said with an incomparably poisonous tongue. ¡°There are still many embarrassing days in the future..¡± Chapter 868 - Chapter 868: The Might of the Family Head (2) Chapter 868: The Might of the Family Head (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios With that, she left. Cheng Qingxue was about to explode. Cheng Lian, who was in the carriage, was not in a better state than her. From the moment she saw the family head¡¯s token, she could not remain calm. She didn¡¯t know how she returned to the Cheng family. She stopped going to the shop to manage the business. She just used scissors in the room to cut whatever she could. ¡°Madam, Madam, Madam!¡± Nanny clasped her wrist and shook it hard. Cheng Lian returned to her senses and looked at the clothes that she had cut on the table. Her throat moved as she said, ¡°You were in the carriage just now. You saw it too, right?¡± The nanny sighed. ¡®Yes, I saw it. It¡¯s our Cheng family¡¯s family head¡¯s token.¡± The maidservant at the side said, ¡°Old Master is really biased. You are both clearly his daughters. Why would he rather hand the family head¡¯s token to a lunatic than Madam?¡± The nanny said, ¡°At that time, Madam had yet to marry Young Master. Perhaps Old Master thought that Madam was going to marry outside¡­¡± The daughters of the Cheng family did not marry outsiders, which meant that they were legitimate daughters. A concubine¡¯s daughter was not an heir and could be married off. The maidservant said unhappily, ¡°But what¡¯s the use of giving it to a lunatic? If you want to give it to someone, it should be to Old Master!¡± The nanny did not know how to persuade her. Cheng Lian said softly, ¡°All these years, Old Master has done his best for the family. Because there was no family head¡¯s token, some old fellows in the family didn¡¯t give Old Master face and made him suffer a lot. I once asked Sister where the family head¡¯s token was, but she always ignored me. I thought that she had long forgotten what the family head¡¯s token was and that she would never be able to find it in her life, but look, she gave it to that girl.¡± The nanny thought for a moment and said, ¡°It might not have been given by Eldest Miss. Perhaps that girl stole it from Eldest Miss¡¯s courtyard. Didn¡¯t she move in with Eldest Miss? At that time, I felt that this person was strange and must have some motive for coming to the Cheng family. Now, it seems that her to show one¡¯s her colors; the jig is up!¡± The maidservant hurriedly said, ¡°That¡¯s right, Madam. I heard that she hooked up with the Yin family. She¡¯s most likely a spy sent by the Yin family!¡± The Yin family and the Cheng family had been competing for many years, fighting openly and covertly. They had endless methods, so it was not surprising that they would do such a thing. Cheng Lian shook her head. ¡°We searched for 30 years but couldn¡¯t find it. The girl has only lived in there for two days. How could she have stolen it?¡± The nanny said, ¡°Even if Eldest Miss really gave it to her, she was most likely coaxed by her. Madam, have you forgotten that Eldest Miss treats her as her dead daughter?¡± Cheng Lian looked at the nanny in surprise. ¡°You mean¡­ the family head¡¯s token is invalid?¡± The nanny sneered. ¡°At least it¡¯s useless in her hands! What¡¯s the big deal about her lying to a lunatic? As long as everyone understands this, Madam can naturally take back the family head¡¯s token!¡± Cheng Lian shook her head slightly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it¡­ not good for Sister if I do this?¡± The nanny snorted. ¡°They¡¯ve all deceived Eldest Miss. You¡¯re Eldest Miss¡¯s only sister and the closest person to Eldest Miss. You¡¯re protecting Eldest Miss by doing this! Don¡¯t let her be deceived by a scammer!¡± After Su Xiaoxiao entered the Saintess¡¯s Hall with the family head¡¯s token, she was brought to the side hall where the register was made by a disciple. A disciple who was tidying up the documents looked at the family head¡¯s token handed over and was first stunned before saying in surprise, ¡°Second Miss Cheng, you found the family head¡¯s token? You¡ªyou¡¯re not Cheng Qingxue!¡± The disciple saw a completely unfamiliar face. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Cheng Su, should I fill it in myself, or should you write it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao came out very quickly. Cheng Qingxue was still queuing up. When she saw Su Xiaoxiao, she wished she could skin her alive. Mei Ji blocked Cheng Qingxue¡¯s vision and walked towards the carriage with Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°You came out so quickly?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I just found out that the family head¡¯s token can yield so many privileges. The first three rounds are free of exams and you can directly enter the selection the day after tomorrow.¡± Mei Ji whispered, ¡°Then there¡¯s no need for a physical examination? I heard from them just now that the first round is a physical examination. I was wondering how you could hide it. We can¡¯t lie that the one in your stomach is the Saintess¡¯ fate.¡± The Saintess had to be a virgin. For example, those who had their saintess¡¯ fate in their mother¡¯s womb were rare. One or two could not be found in hundreds of years. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I only logged in today. There¡¯s no reason for me to stay inside forever. When the selection is held, I¡¯ll think of a way to meet the man locked up by the Saintess. There¡¯s something more important now.¡± Mei Ji asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao played with the token in her hand. ¡°The family head¡¯s token has appeared. Someone can¡¯t sit still anymore.¡± When Xie Yunhe returned from outside, he heard that Su Xiaoxiao had taken the family head¡¯s token to participate in the Saintess election. He immediately went to Cheng Sang¡¯s courtyard. At the door, he bumped into Cheng Lian and her servant, who had also rushed over. A complicated look flashed across Cheng Lian¡¯s gentle expression. ¡°Master, you¡¯re back.¡± Xie Yunhe went straight to the point and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on with the family head¡¯s token?¡± Cheng Lian said worriedly, ¡°I sent Qingxue to the Holy Maiden Temple today, and that little girl also went. She actually took our family head¡¯s token and said that Sister agreed to let her participate. I was worried about Sister¡­ so I came to take a look.¡± Xie Yunhe entered the courtyard with a dark expression. Su Xiaoxiao lay leisurely on the rattan chair under the sun, a book covering her face. Mei Ji was sitting beside her, eating a sweet potato. The maidservants were not around. Cheng Sang was nowhere to be seen. The entire courtyard seemed to have been taken by the master and servant. Xie Yunhe¡¯s expression darkened again. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Mei Ji glanced at him and continued to eat the sweet potato. Su Xiaoxiao gently took away the book on her face and glanced at him before sitting up calmly. ¡°Master is here.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Madam?¡± Xie Yunhe asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t she beside you?¡± After Su Xiaoxiao finished speaking, she nodded in enlightenment. ¡°Master, are you referring to my grandmother? So you still remember that she¡¯s your Madam. This concubine beside you asked the entire residence to call her Madam. I thought you thought so too.¡± Cheng Lian pinched the handkerchief imperceptibly. Cheng Lian¡¯s trusted nanny said, ¡°Master, before she came to the Cheng family, First Madam was so energetic. The courtyard was noisy all day long. Ever since she came, First Madam seemed to have been drugged and became extremely quiet. In my opinion, she probably poisoned First Madam.¡± The maidservant agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right, Master! She must have poisoned First Madam! Otherwise, why would First Madam give her the family master token?¡± The nanny looked at Su Xiaoxiao coldly. ¡°Hurry up and hand over the family head¡¯s token!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°What if I don¡¯t hand it over?¡± The nanny said to Xie Yunhe, ¡°Master, this person is stubborn. We have to get serious. In my opinion, there¡¯s no need to be polite with her. Just tie her up and send her to the government! Let her eat the prison meals for a few days. Let¡¯s see if she would still be so tough!¡± Xie Yunhe did not object. The nanny said sternly, ¡°Someone! Tie her up!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares!¡± With a dignified woman¡¯s voice, the door to the main room opened. Cheng Sang¡¯s aura was fully released as she walked out with a dignified gaze. She looked at the people in the courtyard and said domineeringly, ¡°Cheng Lian, Xie Yunhe, long time no see!¡± Chapter 869 - Chapter 869: Relieved (1) Chapter 869: Relieved (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At the Yin family. After Yin Xiaodie returned from the Holy Maiden Temple, she immediately went to the Old Master¡¯s study. ¡°Grandfather! ¡± She bowed properly. In a big family, it was only right for children to know etiquette, but it was rare for them to be as serious as her, who was like a little adult. Old Master Yin put down the half-read account book and kindly called her over. ¡°Are you done so quickly?¡± If Yin Xiaodie wanted to take the Yin family¡¯s recommendation letter, she needed him to seal it before it took effect. He naturally knew about this. ¡°Xiaodie is here to return this to Grandfather.¡± Yin Xiaodie took out the recommendation letter and placed it on the desk in front of Old Master Yin. Old Master Yin couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡°That person didn¡¯t go?¡± ¡°She did.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not running anymore?¡± ¡°She is.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡¯ Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°She has the Cheng family¡¯s family head¡¯s token and doesn¡¯t need our Yin family¡¯s recommendation letter.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Old Master Yin stroked his white beard. ¡°She¡¯s only been in the Cheng family for a few days, but she actually brought over the family head¡¯s token that Xie Yunhe hasn¡¯t succeeded in obtaining for the past 30 years? Are you sure you¡¯re not wrong? Yin Xiaodie said neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°I can be mistaken, but the Holy Maiden Temple can¡¯t be wrong. Grandfather can send someone to the Saint Lady Temple to investigate.¡± Old Master Yin smiled lovingly. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I believe you. Since this person can obtain the family head¡¯s token, she must have extraordinary methods. Xiaodie, don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± Yin Xiaodie said confidently, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do my best! I have a feeling that this Holy Selection will be very interesting!¡± After Yin Xiaodie left, a middle-aged man walked over from next door. ¡°Dad.¡± Old Master Yin restrained his benevolence and doting attitude towards Yin Xiaodie and looked at his son sternly. ¡°How¡¯s the investigation going?¡± Yin Chongshan said, ¡°I¡¯ve already investigated clearly. The little girl who went to the Cheng family to acknowledge her family is called He Yuying. Her household registration is in Cloud Water Town. Her biological mother was indeed raised from outside. About two years ago, Cloud Water Town suffered from the epidemic. Her family was all dead, and she was the only one left.¡± Old Master Yin was not surprised. ¡°Since she can come to the Cheng family to acknowledge her family, her identity will naturally be flawless.¡± ¡°Then why did you ask me to investigate¡­ ¡°Yin Chongshan looked at the Old Master bitterly. ¡°Dad, I heard what Xiaodie said outside just now. Could that girl really be Cheng Sang¡¯s granddaughter? Back then, that baby girl was said to be a stillbirth. Who knows if someone played tricks and buried the living fetus?¡± Old Master Cheng said, ¡°That¡¯s not important. Whether Cheng Sang¡¯s granddaughter inherits the Cheng family or Cheng Lian¡¯s daughter inherits the Cheng family is the same to our Yin family. What I¡¯m really curious about is if Cheng Sang has been pretending to be crazy all these years.¡± At the Cheng family. After Cheng Sang said ¡°long time no see¡± in a deep voice, Xie Yunhe and Cheng Lian were stunned. The latter could even be said to be dumbfounded. They had clearly just met yesterday. Why had it been a long time? This was unless¡­ This was not the crazy First Madam Cheng who could be imprisoned, but the Miss Cheng who could make the entire Cheng family tremble with a stomp of her feet! The sober Miss Cheng had been gone for more than 30 years. It was indeed a long time. Cheng Lian swayed. Xie Yunhe tried his best to maintain his calm, but his eyes still revealed his shock. ¡°Madam¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t call me Madam.¡± ¡°Sister! ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me sister either.¡± Cheng Sang was not polite. Cheng Lian choked. She sized up Cheng Sang carefully. Cheng Sang¡¯s gaze was sharp, like a sword that had finally been unsheathed, making one shudder. She walked down the steps indifferently. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve been sick for too long. The servants in the courtyard are getting more and more unruly. When they saw the family head, they didn¡¯t even bow. In the early years, when Ah Qi and Uncle Quan were around, there weren¡¯t so many servants who didn¡¯t know the rules.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, a sense of oppression assaulted them, bending the spines of the maidservants in the courtyard. Everyone knelt down. The maidservant and nanny beside Cheng Lian wanted to resist, but when they met those murderous eyes, their legs went weak and they fell to the ground heavily. Su Xiaoxiao stood up and came to Cheng Sang¡¯s side. Cheng Sang patted the back of her hand comfortingly, as if telling her not to be afraid. She would uphold justice for her. Cheng Sang let go of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand and walked up to Cheng Lian. Cheng Lian¡¯s heart skipped a beat.. She squeezed out a smile and said, ¡°Sister, have you recovered?¡± Chapter 870 - Chapter 870: Relieved (2) Chapter 870: Relieved (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°If it¡¯s any worse, I¡¯m afraid someone will ride on my head.¡± ¡°Eldest Madam¡­ Eldest Miss!¡± The nanny hurriedly changed her words. To be honest, it was a little awkward for Cheng Sang to be addressed that way. Calling her Eldest Madam in front of Cheng Lian made the latter seem like a concubine, so she still called her Eldest Miss. In front of Xie Yunhe, in order to show off his status as the family head, she often called Cheng Sang Eldest Madam. When she arrived in front of Cheng Sang, in order not to let Cheng Sang know that Xie Yunhe had married someone else, she could only call her Madam. When Cheng Sang was crazy, she had no objections to calling her Madam. However, when Xie Yunhe called her Madam just now, she rejected him. The nanny¡¯s eyes flashed as she looked up at Cheng Sang and complained righteously, ¡°Miss! It¡¯s good that you¡¯re sober! Do you know that you were almost deceived! That girl¡­¡± Cheng Sang said calmly, ¡°Slap her.¡± The nanny was stunned. Mei Ji put down the sweet potato and flashed over, slapping the old fellow away. ¡°Ouch!¡± The nanny screamed and fell out of the courtyard in pain. Cheng Lian¡¯s maidservant began to tremble. Cheng Sang glanced at her casually. ¡°And get this out too.¡± Mei Ji smiled. ¡°Yes, Family Head!¡± The maidservant grabbed Cheng Lian¡¯s skirt in fear. ¡°Madam, save me! Madam, save me¡­¡± Mei Ji grabbed her collar and lifted her up effortlessly before slapping her! Her trusted aide cried out in pain from behind. Cheng Lian clenched her handkerchief and closed her eyes. The servants in the courtyard did not even dare to breathe loudly. The two servants were Cheng Lian¡¯s trusted aides. Eldest Miss didn¡¯t just hit them, but Cheng Lian¡¯s face. Cheng Sang looked at Cheng Lian with a powerful aura. ¡°You¡¯re still staying. Why? Do you want to be kicked out too?¡± As Cheng Lian opened her mouth, a hint of grievance appeared in her eyes. ¡°Sister¡­¡± Cheng Sang said in disgust, ¡°I told you not to call me sister. I don¡¯t like to hear it. Also, stop pretending. I¡¯m disgusted!¡± The servants¡¯ heads drooped even lower. Cheng Lian was reprimanded by Cheng Sang in public. It was as if she had returned to her childhood. Cheng Sang used to reprimanded her like this. However, it had been more than 30 years after all. She was used to being a high and mighty Madam. How could she stand this humiliation? Her nails dug into her palms. Mei Ji glared at Cheng Lian. ¡°Family Head, should we beat her up too? Those two just now were her trusted aides. Who knows if they were instructed by her to kidnap my Miss?¡± Cheng Sang looked at Cheng Lian and smiled meaningfully. ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of a concubine of our Cheng family after all. Don¡¯t do anything.¡± Cheng Lian secretly relaxed. Cheng Sang continued, ¡°If anyone should attack, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Cheng Lian was shocked. Xie Yunhe¡¯s pupils constricted. In the next second, Cheng Sang raised her hand and slapped Cheng Lian¡¯s face! A crisp sound exploded in everyone¡¯s hearts like firecrackers. Cheng Lian had been the mistress of the household for many years, and the servants in the residence had long determined her unshakable status. However, Cheng Sang¡¯s slap easily shattered the dignity she had accumulated for many years. Cheng Sang grabbed Cheng Lian¡¯s chin and sneered. ¡°If I, Cheng Sang, don¡¯t die, you, Cheng Lian, will still be a concubine!¡± Cheng Lian was supported out by two maidservants. Xie Yunhe said with a complicated expression, ¡°Madam¡­ you¡¯ve been ill for many years and have just recovered¡­¡± Cheng Sang interrupted him calmly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been sick for many years. There are many rotten accounts waiting for me to slowly settle. I¡¯m tired today. Or do you want me to settle the score with you here?¡± Xie Yunhe sighed and said, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s some misunderstanding between us. Since you¡¯re tired, I¡¯ll come back tomorrow to explain it to you.¡± With that, he left with a helpless expression. The servants in the courtyard knelt on the ground in fear. They could not move. ¡°Kneel outside the courtyard!¡± After Cheng Sang punished the maidservants, she brought Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Ji back to the house. Mei Ji closed the door. Cheng Sang, who was sitting on the chair, suddenly tilted her head and smiled cleverly. ¡°Weiwei! Was Mother powerful?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and praised, ¡°Impressive. Mother acted really well.¡± Not only was she good at acting, but her acting skills were also superb. It would be a pity not to give her a golden statuette. What she should have said was that Old Madam Wei¡¯s acting skills were blinding, and Cheng Sang¡¯s acting skills were godlike. What happened today was Su Xiaoxiao predicting Cheng Lian and Xie Yunhe¡¯s reaction. She had thought of a few countermeasures in advance and asked Mei Ji to act it out while Cheng Sang imitated it. Cheng Sang was really a smart person and remembered it all. Su Xiaoxiao made a meal of roast goose (vegetarian roast goose) and red braised pork (vegetarian meat). ¡°Xiao Hei, eat meat!¡± Cheng Sang did not forget her little friend. Yuchi Xiu sat on the beam and made a concave pose. ¡°Heh, I don¡¯t¡­¡± He sniffed. ¡°It smells so good!¡± He jumped down from the beam. The old and young began to fight for food. Mei Ji asked. ¡°Do vou think Cheng Lian and Xie Yunhe will believe it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°They won¡¯t believe it all, nor won¡¯t they. When they come back to their senses, they¡¯ll think of a way to test Cheng Sang.¡± Mei Ji continued, ¡°Will Cheng Sang expose herself?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Yuchi Xiu, who was focused on snatching food, and then at Mei Ji, who was eating the sweet potatoes. The corners of her mouth twitched. ¡°I think she won¡¯t expose herself even if you expose yourselves.¡± After Cheng Lian returned to her courtyard, she locked herself in her room. Nanny Gui and Biter fainted on the way back. The other servants did not dare to knock on her door. She sat in the room for a long time and looked at the door that no one had knocked on. She subconsciously grabbed the scissors on the table. She was about to cut something when she threw the scissors back on the table with a snap. Her eyes reddened again. Still, no one dared to disturb her. She opened the door angrily. ¡°Are all of you dead?¡± The servants looked at her dumbfounded. She had never been angry with the servants and had always been gentle and virtuous. She took a deep breath and said gently, ¡°Go tell Master that I¡¯m not feeling well..¡± Chapter 871 - Chapter 871: The Four Little Ones Go to the Holy Maiden Temple (1) Chapter 871: The Four Little Ones Go to the Holy Maiden Temple (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Today, Cheng Sang¡¯s crazy illness suddenly recovered and she returned forcefully, giving everyone an opening gambit. Even Xie Yunhe was shocked. Xie Yunhe and Cheng Sang had been married for many years. Although he did not know Cheng Sang¡¯s personality like the back of his hand, he was at least close. Cheng Sang¡¯s reaction just now¡­ was a little too fierce. ¡°Master.¡± Steward Cui entered with a bowl of ginseng soup. ¡°You¡¯ve been busy with the Cheng family¡¯s business recently and haven¡¯t slept well. Have some ginseng soup to nourish your body.¡± Xie Yunhe said nothing. The Cheng family had two stewards. Steward Pang was Cheng Lian¡¯s trusted aide. Steward Cui was Xie Yunhe¡¯s trusted aide. The commotion on Cheng Sang¡¯s side was very big, and it spread throughout the Cheng family. ¡°Is Old Master thinking about Madam?¡± Steward Cui asked and placed the ginseng soup beside Xie Yunhe. Xie Yunhe looked at the ginseng soup and clearly had no appetite. Steward Cui said, ¡°If Madam has really recovered, Master doesn¡¯t have to worry about anything. You¡¯ve been meticulous to Madam all these years. Other than marrying her sister, there¡¯s no other fault Madam can find with you. Moreover, marrying Second Madam is for the greater good. We can¡¯t let the Cheng family have no descendants.¡± Xie Yunhe still had a complicated expression. Steward Cui continued, ¡°Besides, I think Madam treated you a little differently.¡± Xie Yunhe¡¯s expression changed slightly. Steward Cui said, ¡°She gave Second Madam a big opening gambit today but she¡¯s only a little angry with you, Master. I think Madam has you in her heart. She¡¯s angry that you married someone else and love and hate are intertwined, but as long as this friendship is there, you and Madam will have a chance to reconcile.¡± ¡°Master.¡± The maidservant outside the house reported, ¡°Madam is not feeling well. Please go over.¡± ¡°Which Madam?¡± Steward Cui asked. The maidservant also heard that Cheng Sang was awake and reported in a trembling voice, ¡°Second¡­ Second Madam.¡± Before today, no one dared to call Cheng Lian by those two words. At most, they would address the sisters as Madam Sang and Cheng Lian. Xie Yunhe frowned. No one knew what he was thinking. Cheng Lian sat in the room and waited. After waiting for a full hour, no one came. Her heart turned cold. ¡°Master!¡± The maidservant greeted him in surprise. The light in her dim eyes gathered. She tidied the silver hairpin in her bun in front of the bronze mirror and stood up to welcome him. She was only two years younger than Cheng Sang, but because she took good care of herself, she still looked charming. ¡°Husband.¡± She looked pitifully at Xie Yunhe, who had entered the house. Even her eyes were red. Xie Yunhe looked at the red finger marks on her cheek and sat down with a complicated expression. Cheng Lian sat beside him and raised her hand to touch her slapped face. She said aggrievedly, ¡°Husband, is Sister angry with me? If I had known earlier, I would have shaved my head and gone to the nunnery to be a nun instead of implicating Sister and Brother-in-law.¡± ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Xie Yunhe asked. Cheng Lian bit her lip to prevent the tears from falling. ¡°It¡¯s fine if I hurt, but I feel terrible when Sister treats me like that¡­ Xie Yunhe said earnestly, ¡°She can¡¯t accept it for a moment. Don¡¯t blame her.¡± Cheng Lian¡¯s eyelashes trembled. ¡°Husband, are you speaking up for Sister? That¡¯s true. Sister is your first wife. What am I? I just had a one-night stand with Brother-in-law and was pregnant with your child. Brother-in-law had no choice but to give me a status. I¡¯ll apologize to Sister tomorrow and tell her that everything is my fault and has nothing to do with you.¡± Xie Yunhe frowned. ¡°Stop fooling around! ¡± Cheng Lian smiled bitterly. ¡°Sister hitting me is what I deserve. If I go and say a few words to Sister, I¡¯ll be fooling around¡­¡¯ Xie Yunhe paused and said, ¡°She just got better. Don¡¯t provoke her.¡± Cheng Lian sneered. ¡°If she¡¯s crazy, she won¡¯t be able to take the stimulation. If she¡¯s awake, she won¡¯t be able to take the stimulation¡­ I¡¯ll be able to take everything! ¡± Xie Yunhe frowned even more. Before he could speak, Cheng Lian changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯m curious. After Sister went crazy for so many years, no matter how many doctors the Cheng family found and how many methods they thought of, they couldn¡¯t make Sister¡¯s illness improve at all. Why did Sister completely recover as soon as that girl arrived? Was Sister pretending to be crazy all these years, or is there something strange about today?¡± Usually, when Cheng Lian was unhappy, Xie Yunhe would rest in her courtyard to comfort her. Tonight, he left after a while. Cheng Lian tasted what it was like to be alone in an empty room. Early in the morning, Xie Yunhe came to Cheng Sang¡¯s courtyard.. Chapter 872 - Chapter 872: The Four Little Ones Go to the Holy Maiden Temple (3) Chapter 872: The Four Little Ones Go to the Holy Maiden Temple (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cheng Sang did not meet him. Last night, the servants in the courtyard were punished to kneel for half the night and completely experienced the power of Cheng Sang as the family head. Now, no one dared to barge into Cheng Sang¡¯s door without permission. That¡¯s right. A few days ago, regardless of whether Cheng Sang was willing or not, if Xie Yunhe wanted to see her, they would have opened the door and brought Cheng Sang out. At noon, Xie Yunhe came again. Cheng Sang still did not see him. There was no choice. Cheng Sang was too busy. Yuchi Xiu had nothing to do, so he actually taught her how to play cards. He had only taught blindly. He did not expect Cheng Sang to learn it immediately and even win a lot of money from him and Mei Ji. Cheng Sang could not beat Su Xiaoxiao, but she did not mind not winning. The four of them played cards in the courtyard, and the working bird, Wuhu, went out to earn bird food. This time, the Wuhu did not go to the Holy Maiden Temple to investigate. Instead, it went to the residence of Wei Ting and the others and brought them a note, asking them to contact Deng Huan and find someone called Quan Youcai. When Su Xiaoxiao asked Cheng Sang who else treated her the best, Cheng Sang said Uncle Quan. Uncle Quants original name was Quan Youcai. He was once the steward of the Cheng family. At the age of ten, he had run errands with the young Old Master Cheng and was as loyal to Cheng Sang. Fifteen years ago, he was framed for taking bribes and using inferior wood to build an attic. In the end, it resulted in a serious attic collapse. Because of this, he was chased out of the Cheng family. Xie Yunhe did not tell Cheng Sang that Quan Youcai had made a mistake. He only said that Quan Youcai wanted to return to his hometown to be filial to his mother. Su Xiaoxiao decided to call him over. Deng Huan was Su Xuan¡¯s spy in the capital of the Southern Wilderness. After many years of operation, he had long had his own network. In addition, all the talents did not hide their identities, so it was not difficult to find them. Two days later, Uncle Quan was brought to Su Xiaoxiao and Cheng Sang. All of them looked at the Eldest Miss, whom they had not seen for many years. Her face had aged in the past, and there were silver strands at her temples. His heart ached, and his eyes were wet as he knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Miss!¡± Cheng Sang tilted his head and looked at him. ¡°Uncle Quan, you¡¯re old. Your hair has turned white.¡± Missy still remembered him¡­ He choked and smiled. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m old.¡± Su Xiaoxiao called everyone to the study and told him about Cheng Sang. ¡°I haven¡¯t left the capital all these years, waiting for Eldest Miss to recover her senses¡­ I¡¯ve actually heard that Young Miss came to the Cheng family to acknowledge her relatives, but¡­¡± At this point, he smiled awkwardly. ¡°I thought it was arranged by Xie Yunhe and Cheng Lian again.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked strangely, ¡°What do you mean again? Quan Youcai sighed. ¡°Young Miss, you might not know this, but before you returned to the Cheng family, the Cheng family had gotten people to come to ¡®acknowledge¡¯ her several times. Most of them were babies, pretending to be Eldest Miss¡¯s children who had died young. On the surface, it was to treat Eldest Miss¡¯s crazy illness and make her think that her daughter had returned. From then on, she would no longer be sad¡­ But in fact, they were thinking of the family head token.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be true this time!¡± Everyone looked at Su Xiaoxiao excitedly. Su Xiaoxiao thought to herself that it was fake this time too. She looked at Quan Youcai. ¡°I¡¯ve blocked Xie Yunhe for three days. Tomorrow, I¡¯m going to the Holy Maiden Temple to participate in the Holy Selection. I can¡¯t be by Grandmother¡¯s side at all times. Please take care of Grandmother and don¡¯t let the people in the residence see through her.¡± Only then did he say seriously, ¡°Little Miss, don¡¯t worry. I know what to do!¡± After coming out of the study, Su Xiaoxiao went to Cheng Sang¡¯s room first. Cheng Sang was tired from playing and slept soundly. Mei Ji guarded him in front of the bed. Yuchi Xiu sat on the beam with one leg bent. Even if he lost money, he had to continue to maintain his cool, handsome, and arrogant appearance. Su Xiaoxiao came to the bed and touched Cheng Sang¡¯s forehead before taking her pulse. ¡°You can brew her medicine tomorrow morning.¡± These words were directed at Mei Ji. ¡°Oh.¡± Mei Ji indicated that she would remember. ¡°Chi A soft scoff came from the beam. ¡°Girl, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too nosy?¡± Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him indifferently. ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡± Yuchi Xiu hugged his sword and leaned against the pillar behind him. ¡°Our goal in coming to the southern border is only to find the Snake Bone Flower and Wei Xu. The Cheng family¡¯s matter has nothing to do with us. Be careful not to attract trouble.¡± Mei Ji glared at him and smiled mockingly. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re just unhappy about losing money!¡± Yuchi Xiu was speechless. ¡°I agree with Yuchi Xiu.¡± A familiar voice suddenly appeared outside the door. ¡°Assassin Mei Ti hurriedly went over to open the door. Fortunately, they had just eaten lunch at this hour. The servants in the courtyard had all returned to their rooms. She pulled the assassin in and closed the door. ¡®Why are you here? Also, why are you hand in glove with him?¡± The assassin said, ¡°I just think that you guys are a little too good to her.¡± It was already beyond the scope of use. ¡°Mei Ji, do you still remember what Master told us when we were doing the mission ¡°Don¡¯t get emotional.¡± Mei Ji moved behind Su Xiaoxiao weakly, as if she was just a maidservant. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Cheng Sang, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, and gently brushed away the hair on her cheek. ¡°I have my own ideas,¡± she said. The killer felt a firm aura from Su Xiaoxiao. He had a feeling that she would definitely protect this person called Cheng Sang. Mei Ji also liked Cheng Sang. Mei Ji changed the topic. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me why you¡¯re here.¡± The assassin said, ¡®Wei Ting and Ghostfear went to the Holy Maiden Temple.¡± These few days, the brothers had been looking for an opportunity to enter the Saint Lady Temple. It was too difficult to barge in, and it was easy to alert the enemy. Hence, they targeted Uncle Han. After following him for a few days, she realized that Uncle Han was sending a batch of clothes to the Holy Maiden Temple this evening. Wei Ting and Wei Liulang tied Uncle Han and the coachman to their residence without a word. After blindfolding him, he put hemp sacks over their heads and locked them in the woodshed. Wei Ting had interacted with Uncle Han before, so it was easier to imitate him. He disguised himself as Uncle Han. Ghostfear fought with Wei Liulang and finally obtained the qualifications to disguise as a coachman with bloodline suppression. The two of them were Gu Masters and did not know martial arts. In order not to let the disciples of the Holy Maiden Temple notice, the brothers consumed the poisonous pill sent by Deng Huan. ¡°This is a poisonous pill unique to the southern border. It can suppress one¡¯s cultivation and reduce one¡¯s five senses. You¡¯re two ordinary people now. Remember to be careful.¡± ¡°Will it affect the body?¡± Wei Qing asked. Deng Huan said, ¡°They will recover after the effect passes. By the way, I forgot to mention that the effect is 12 hours.¡± Wei Ting smiled. ¡°Second Brother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect Big Brother.¡± Ghostfear gave him a look that said he did not know the immensity of heaven and earth. Wei Ting returned to his room to change his appearance. The three little ones walked in. ¡°Are you going out?¡± Dahu asked. Wei Ting said, ¡°Yes.¡± Erhu said, ¡°Are you secretly looking for Mother without us?¡± Recently, the few brats had been showing off endlessly. It was rare for Wei Ting to let them suffer. The childish Wei Ting said arrogantly, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m going out with your mother! Only the two of us!¡± The three little ones went out with dark expressions. Stinky Daddy! In the courtyard, Wei Xiyue was pulling at the boxes on the carriage. Li Wan carried her down. ¡°Xiyue, don¡¯t touch it. Your Seventh Uncle will take it away later.¡± Did Stinky Daddy want to take it away? The three little ones blinked and climbed in tacitly. Hmph, they were going to look for their mother too! Chapter 873 - Chapter 873: The Four Little Fellows Chapter 873: The Four Little Fellows Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Xiyue saw the three little ones squeezing into the box. Wei Xiyue thought for a moment, hugged her walnut jar, and crawled in. The two brothers came out after changing their appearance and got into the carriage. In the past, the two brothers would definitely have sensed that a few little fellows were hiding in the box. However, the two of them had taken the poisonous pills and their five senses had become less sensitive. Now was the time when their consciousness was a little chaotic. The carriage drove all the way to the Holy Maiden Temple. Wei Ting took out Uncle Han¡¯s token at his waist. Uncle Han had sent goods to the Holy Maiden Temple for so many years, but nothing had ever gone wrong. The Holy Maiden Temple did not suspect anything and let the carriage go. Although Uncle Han was an outer sect deacon of the Holy Maiden Temple, he could not walk around the Holy Maiden Temple casually. Under the lead of a female disciple, the two of them drove the carriage to the storeroom. The female disciple opened the copper lock of the storeroom with a key and said to the two of them, ¡°Move the things in.¡± Wei Ting and Ghostfear alighted from the carriage and pulled open the back door. Before unloading the goods, the two of them exchanged glances. Su Xiaoxiao had heard with her own ears that that person had been moved from the Book Storage Pavilion to Qionghua Hall, but along the way, they did not discover the plaque with Qionghua Hall written on it. The Holy Maiden Temple was too big. The Qionghua Temple might not be in this area. Thinking about it, it was not strange. That person was so important. The place where he was imprisoned must be a place more well-hidden than the Book Collection Pavilion. After moving the goods, they had to leave. It was not easy for them to come in. They had to think of a way to stay. As they were thinking, a shout came from not far away. ¡°Let¡¯s wrap up! Let¡¯s wrap up!¡± It was a man¡¯s voice! The two of them looked back and saw that there were many pavilions and straw sheds built on an empty space separated by a small garden. It could not be considered a coincidence. It was obvious that they were temporary. They would have to be demolished after being used up. The brothers exchanged an unspoken mutual understanding. Although the two of them did not have internal strength for the time being, it was not a problem to move a few boxes. However, just as they moved down, the two of them sensed that something was wrong. One of the boxes was clearly heavier than the others. There was even a mark at the corner of the box. It was definitely not made of clothes. It seemed that Uncle Han had given something to the Holy Maiden again. It was more important to find that person. The two of them did not complicate matters and moved the box into the storeroom. This place was filled with clothes, and there were also many new clothes of the female disciples of the Holy Maiden Temple hanging on the wall. It was terrifying at a glance in the night. In order to stall for time, the two of them dawdled for a long time. The female disciple who led the way was a little disgusted. A man who did not know martial arts was useless. It was so difficult for them to move a box. The last box had been moved, and the craftsmen who set up the stage and shed had long left. The female disciple led them back, Wei Ting suddenly looked in the direction of the pergola and said, ¡°Is the roof of that shed about to collapse?¡± The female disciple followed his gaze. ¡°What¡¯s about to collapse?¡± Wei Ting raised his hand and pointed. He said worriedly, ¡°Counting from the west to the east, the third one. It¡¯s obvious that the shed isn¡¯t stable. If it rains tonight, it will definitely collapse!¡± It had been raining heavily in the southern border. Today, the Saintess had observed the stars at night and indeed deduced that it would definitely rain heavily within three days. In order not to affect the holding of the Holy Selection as scheduled, she ordered someone to build these sheds. ¡°Really?¡± The female disciple was a little hesitant. Wei Ting said, ¡°If you dont believe me, I¡¯ll go with you to take a look!¡± The three of them left the carriage where it was and came to the third shed that Wei Ting had mentioned. Ghostfear shot out a hidden weapon without a trace. Without internal strength, his speed and strength would be greatly reduced, but to a powerful sacrificial soldier, even wrist strength was enough. ¡°I¡¯ll shake it for you to see.¡± Wei Ting raised his hand and held the pillar to shake it casually. Boom! The shed collapsed! The female disciple¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What were those craftsmen doing? They¡¯re going to be used tomorrow! A group of useless people! They haven¡¯t finished their work and are gone! I shall report to the Saintess!¡± Wei Ting smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble the Saintess with such a small matter. The roof of this shed is quite sturdy. Perhaps the person who set up the shed is a newbie and it¡¯s not firm enough. How about this? I¡¯ll set it up again for you and check the other sheds.¡± The outer sect deacon was in charge of these external chores. In fact, Uncle Han was the one who introduced those craftsmen. The female disciple thought that he did not want to be punished by the Holy Maiden and did not suspect him. ¡°Are you sure you can stabilize it?¡± the female disciple asked skeptically. ¡°I¡¯m sure. After I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll bring you to check them one by one.¡± Uncle Han was running an errand for the Saintess, and the female disciple was not willing to offend him. ¡°How long will it take?¡± Wei Ting probed, ¡°Two hours¡­¡± The female disciple frowned. ¡°That long? The Holy Maiden Temple is closed. No, you have to finish it in an hour!¡± Wei Ting agreed calmly. ¡°Alright, an hour it is!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go report to Emissary Lin first. I¡¯ll come over in an hour to bring you out.¡± The female disciple did not specially instruct him not to walk around. After all, Uncle Han had been an outer sect deacon for so many years and knew the rules of the Holy Maiden Temple like the back of his hand. As soon as she left, Ghostfear was about to take action. Wei Ting grabbed him. ¡°Brother, where are you going?¡± ¡°Look for the Qionghua Hall.¡± Ghostfear glanced at Wei Ting, who did not seem to want him to go. ¡°Stop dawdling. There¡¯s only an hour.¡± Wei Ting pointed at him and then at himself. ¡°I know it¡¯s only an hour, but don¡¯t you think that if we wander around the Saint Lady Temple like this, we¡¯ll be killed by those experts as assassins in less than a hundred steps?¡± Ghostfear frowned. ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± Fifteen minutes later. In the storeroom. Ghostfear¡¯s expression was indescribable. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Wei Ting¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Brother, do you have a better way?¡± Ghostfear endured the humiliation and looked at his female clothes. He gritted his teeth and put on the big red flower that Wei Ting handed over. Wei Ting was about to suffer internal injuries from holding back his laughter. He had picked the red flowers as an improvisation. There was no need to wear them. However, since his brother liked it, he would give it to him. The two peerless great beauties left the storeroom. The literal meaning was beautiful and the literal meaning was great. Not long after the two of them left, Emissary Lin brought a few trusted disciples to the storeroom. She got someone to carry the marked box to Qionghua Hall. Then, Emissary Lin went to the Holy Maiden¡¯s bedroom. The Holy Maiden sat cross-legged on the bed. Her veil was lowered, covering her beautiful appearance. Emissary Lin bowed. ¡°Saintess, the things have been sent to Qionghua Hall.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The Holy Maiden replied indifferently and waved her hand through the hazy veil. A female disciple came to Emissary Lin with a porcelain bottle. Elder Lin took the porcelain bottle. ¡°This is the last medicine, right?¡± Actually, it should have been the last one yesterday, but the Holy Maiden found two strange traces of charcoal on the wall of the secret room of the Book Depository Pavilion and suspected that someone had been here. Perhaps that person had not been fed the medicine that night. But it didn¡¯t matter. If she added one tonight, the effect would be the same. Emissary Lin said excitedly, ¡°After tonight, it¡¯s done. I congratulate the Holy Maiden in advance. With the help of the God of War, it¡¯s only a matter of time before you succeed!¡± The Holy Maiden did not like these flattering words and asked Emissary Lin to go to the Qionghua Hall to feed that person the last medicine. The four little ones slept soundly in the box and woke up in darkness. Wei Xiyue pushed open the lid of the box and a clear night pearl shone over. Wei Xiyue, Dahu, and Erhu climbed out of the box. This was not an empty secret room, but more like an exquisitely decorated house. It was just that it was too unfamiliar to them. Xiaohu climbed halfway and ruthlessly got stuck on the box. ¡°Xiaohu is not coming! ¡± Wei Xiyue carried him down. He scratched his head. ¡°Where? Where¡¯s Mom? Where¡¯s Stinky Daddy?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone on the bed,¡± Erhu said. Dahu and Wei Xiyue were the boldest. Xiaohu was a little afraid and did not dare to go over. Wei Xiyue carried him over. Xiaohu was speechless. Erhu followed his brother and ran over. The four of them stood by the bed. From left to right were Wei Xiyue, Xiaohu, Dahu, and Erhu. The four of them looked at the man on the bed without blinking. The other party was motionless. It was unknown if he was asleep or dead. Xiaohu grabbed Dahu¡¯s finger and poked the man in the face with it. Dahu was speechless.. Chapter 874 - Chapter 874: Awakened Chapter 874: Awakened Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Emissary Lin walked towards Qiong Hua Hall with his trusted disciple. On the way, she bumped into an elder of the Holy Maiden Temple. She bowed politely. ¡°Elder Ji.¡± In the Holy Maiden Temple, the person with the highest status was the Saintess, followed by the eight elders. Among these people, some of the Saintesses became elders after abdicating, and some started as disciples and relied on their qualifications and strength to become elders. Elder Ji was the former. At the same time, she was also a member of the Ji family. ¡°It¡¯s so late. Where are you going instead of serving the Saintess?¡± Elder Ji asked as if it was a routine question. Emissary Lin replied, ¡°I¡¯m bringing people to clean Qionghua Hall.¡± Elder Ji asked, ¡°Has the Saintess¡¯ injuries healed?¡± Qionghua Hall was where the Saintess usually practiced martial arts. A few days ago, the Saintess was injured while practicing martial arts. After that, she had been recuperating and did not even appear in the first three rounds of the Holy Selection. However, it was time for the palace selection tomorrow to appear no matter what. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Emissary Lin said. Elder Ji said indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s good. The palace selection tomorrow is very important. If the Saintess is absent, it won¡¯t look good. Go clean the Qionghua Hall. I still have something on. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± ¡°Elder Ji, take care.¡± Emissary Lin bowed slightly. She only retracted her respectful expression and stood up after Elder Ji had walked far away. She instructed the person beside her, ¡°No one is allowed to leak anything about the Qionghua Hall.¡± Her trusted disciple agreed. ¡°Yes.¡± Emissary Lin continued, ¡°Also, if anyone is discovered in Qionghua Hall, no matter who it is, kill them!¡± One of the disciples hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°But if a disciple of our sect accidentally walks in¡­¡± Emissary Lin looked at her dangerously. The disciple hurriedly cupped her hands. ¡°I understand! Those who trespass will be killed without mercy!¡± Emissary Lin looked at the silent sky. ¡°No one can discover the Saintess¡¯ secret.¡± At this moment, four small intruders were lying beside the bed, observing the man on the bed. Dahu¡¯s finger poked the man¡¯s face. It was warm. After confirming that he was only asleep, Xiaohu was no longer afraid of him. His small fingers poked his face. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he awake? I want to go find Mother?¡± Xiaohu asked. They couldn¡¯t open the door. He had to wake him up, but this adult could sleep better than his stinky father. He could not be woken up no matter what. Dahu slapped him on the head. Erhu hurt for him. However, there was still no reaction. Erhu took out his little talisman and placed it on his forehead. He imitated the witch in the countryside and chanted, ¡°Heavenly spirit, earthly spirit¡­¡¯ Wei Xiyue looked at him quietly and did not say anything. Emissary Lin brought his trusted disciple into Qiong Hua Hall. After passing through the dignified and solemn main hall, the group stepped into the corridor on the east side. There was a faint yellow oil lamp hanging on the inner wall of the corridor. Emissary Lin turned into a training room at the end. Just as she was about to press the mechanism on the wall, the wind chimes under the roof rang. Her eyes turned cold as she said warily, ¡°Someone barged into Qionghua Hall!¡± Ever since the Holy Maiden discovered suspicious charcoal dust on the wall of the Book Depository, she had strengthened the security of the sleeping hall and Qionghua Hall and secretly set up the Wind Chime Array. Anyone who did not walk through the door would easily encounter the mechanism of the Wind Chime Array. Lin Chang left two disciples behind and rushed out with the others to capture the assassin. Ghostfear asked, ¡°Was it you?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± The two brothers looked at a faint thread under their feet and confirmed that they had not stepped on it. Wei Ting clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Looks like other than us, there¡¯s someone else coming to barge into the Qionghua Hall tonight.¡± Ghostfear said, ¡°Don¡¯t be happy too early. They might not be friends.¡± Those who would come to Qionghua Hall seemed to be on bad terms with the Saintess, but who could guarantee the people inside were easy to deal with? If they were here to snatch that puppet or simply destroy it, their actions tonight would make things worse. ¡°The southern border is not peaceful either.¡± Wei Ting narrowed his eyes. Ghostfear said, ¡°The Holy Maiden Temple is already one of the largest forces. To have the guts to bring so many people to barge into the Holy Maiden Temple, the force behind them can¡¯t be underestimated.¡± Wei Ting looked at him. ¡°Brother, do you have any guesses?¡± Ghostfear paused. ¡°It¡¯s either one of the four great families or the royal family of the Southern Wilderness.¡± Wei Ting thought for a moment and said, ¡°We can eliminate the Cheng family. The Cheng family is prepared to be reelected as the Saintess and won¡¯t do anything to weaken the strength of the Holy Maiden Temple. The other three families¡­ are hard to say. In addition, there are eight other tribes in the southern border. They are also suspicious.¡± Ghostfear listened to the commotion of the two sides fighting. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who it is. We only have one goal.¡± There were more than 20 assassins in this wave, all of them experts. Emissary Lin blew the bone whistle, and the experts of the Holy Maiden Temple moved out. The two sides fought fiercely. Emissary Lin retreated to the ground and secretly observed the battle. So many experts had come at once. They had clearly come prepared.. ¡°Not good! The secret room!¡± Emissary Lin realized that she had been lured away and hurriedly walked towards the secret room where the person was imprisoned. The disciples she had left behind to guard had long fallen to the ground and was unconscious. She squatted down and checked their necks. Rumble¡­ The stone door of the secret room opened. Her eyes flickered. She could not care less about the two seriously injured disciples and quickly ran towards the stone door. Unfortunately, they were a step too late. The two men in black had already barged into the secret room with bloody swords. What was even more abominable was that they actually closed the stone door and destroyed the mechanism. She couldn¡¯t open it! She punched the stone door. ¡°Damn it!¡± These people did not come with good intentions. It was unknown if they were targeting the Saintess or the entire Holy Maiden Temple. In short, the news of that person had been leaked. They were here to kill him! However, that person had yet to wake up and was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered¡­ ¡°Emissary Lin!¡± A disciple rushed over with a sword. She looked at her junior sisters on the ground and asked worriedly, ¡°Emissary Lin, are you alright?¡± Emissary Lin gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Hurry up and inform the Saintess! Someone has broken into the secret room!¡± In the secret room, two men in black slowly approached the bed with swords. The two of them were wary of that person¡¯s movements and exchanged glances. One of them continued walking. The other had his back to him, wary that the stone door would open at any moment. The person came to the bed and looked at the unconscious man on it. He suddenly raised his sword. ¡°What are you doing?¡± A round head suddenly crawled out of the blanket. This person was shocked! He staggered back! The two of them looked at Xiaohu in shock. The man in black asked, ¡°Why is there a child here?¡± His companion said, ¡°Could it be that the Saintess secretly gave birth to him?¡± The man in black stared at Xiaohu and said, ¡°This child doesn¡¯t look more than three years old. This person has been here for five years. The time is completely right. ¡± ¡°Capture the child!¡± ¡°Who are you arresting?¡± Erhu also crawled out of the blanket. The two of them were shocked again! T-twins? Dahu also crawled out of the blanket. ¡°It¡¯s not right to capture someone.¡± Three! The two of them widened their eyes. His companion said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s enough to capture one. If there¡¯re too many, they¡¯ll be in the way. The other two¡­ kill them with that person!¡± The man in black nodded. That was the only way. They were cold-blooded killers to begin with. In their eyes, a child was no different from a few stones. It was impossible for them to be soft-hearted towards a child. The man in black grabbed a child with one hand and threw him to his companion. He raised his sword and slashed mercilessly at the other two. Swoosh! His blade was gripped by a hand as cold as a skeleton.. Chapter 875 - Chapter 875: Grandfather and Grandchildren Reunion Chapter 875: Grandfather and Grandchildren Reunion Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The man on the bed woke up. He opened his cold eyes. It was as if two dark holes had been chiseled out of purgatory. A murderous aura swept over. He moved slightly, and the sword under his hand instantly shattered into blades. The man in black was almost blinded by a flying blade fragment. After dodging, he looked at the other party in disbelief and finally understood why his master had sent so many experts to assassinate this person. It was not only because there were many experts in the Holy Maiden Temple, but that this guy was simply an expert among experts! However, he had just woken up and his aura was still very weak. They would take advantage of his illness to take his life! The man in black pulled out the dagger from his waist with his left hand and stabbed the man in the chest. However, before his saber could touch the man, he was sent flying by the man¡¯s palm attack. He crashed into the table behind him and fell to the ground in a sorry state. Four of his ribs broke, and his internal organs were damaged. He vomited a pool of blood. This was only the power of a palm attack. His companion was also a little shocked. Everyone who came here tonight was a top expert, but they could not even withstand a single move from this person. At this moment, he glanced around and saw the swaying curtain beside him. He reached out and grabbed a little girl from behind the curtain. ¡°It¡¯s really lively tonight¡­¡± He mocked coldly. Just now, the four little ones were bored and played hide-and-seek. Wei Xiyue stood behind the curtain and closed her eyes to count. The three tiger heads hid and she would look for them when she counted to 20. She had only counted halfway. ¡°Be a good girl and surrender, or I¡¯ll kill¡­¡± Before he could finish his last word, the man in black¡¯s companion felt his throat being strangled by a terrifying internal force. His face turned purple, and his eyes bulged. The veins on his forehead bulged. The man on the bed waved his hand and a powerful internal force hit him, sending him flying into the wall. There were a few more cracking sounds, and all the bones in his body broke. He lay facedown on the cold floor, trembling like a dying fish. ¡°No¡­ this isn¡¯t¡­ possible.. The man sat up with a cold expression and walked down barefooted. Perhaps it was because he had not walked for too long, his footsteps were a little sluggish. His eyes were also very empty and bloodshot. The two men in black were already unable to move and had lost all their combat strength. They looked at the man with empty eyes and suddenly realized that he had been refined into a puppet. His killing move just now was not to save the children. He had sensed their killing intent himself. The man stepped over a man in black expressionlessly. He came to the thick stone door and punched down. A small hole opened in the stone door. He punched twice more. When the third palm landed, the thousand-pound stone door shattered with a bang. Dust and stone fragments assaulted his face, but he didn¡¯t even blink. Just as he was about to step out, Wei Xiyue said softly, ¡°Grandpa.¡± The man stopped in his tracks. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Wei Xiyue called him again. He turned around slowly and looked at Wei Xiyue with bloodthirsty eyes. The man in black reminded her sarcastically, ¡°The little girl¡­ he¡¯s not your grandfather¡­ He¡¯s a puppet¡­ a monster with no humanity¡­¡± Wei Xiyue ignored him. Holding the jar in her arms, she ran to the tall and powerful man and raised her palm-sized face. ¡°Grandpa.¡± He slowly squatted down and knelt on one knee. His eyes were still empty, as if he didn¡¯t know what he was doing. Wei Xiyue put down the jar and opened her soft arms to hug his neck without any fear. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Not a puppet, not a monster. It was Grandpa. The best grandfather. Puppets had no memories and no emotions. In fact, because they were controlled by medicine all year round, some powerful puppets might even lose the ability to express themselves. The man was in a daze as the little girl hugged him. A trace of confusion flashed across his bloodthirsty eyes. But gradually, the killing intent in his eyes seemed to fade bit by bit. He opened his mouth with difficulty and said awkwardly, word by word, ¡°Xi, Yue.¡± ¡°Saintess! Saintess!¡± The Holy Maiden had been injured a while ago and had finally recovered, so she naturally had to rest early. However, just as she lay down, she was woken up by the commotion outside. She frowned unhappily. ¡®What is it?¡± The disciple who came to report hurriedly said in a panic, ¡°Someone barged into the Qionghua Hall! They broke into the secret room! They even locked Emissary Lin outside!¡± It was not strange to barge into the Holy Maiden Temple, but it was a little intriguing to barge into the Qionghua Hall. The fact that they could directly find the secret room meant that the uninvited guests tonight were targeting that person. The Holy Maiden put on her clothes and walked out. ¡°How many people are there?¡± The disciple said nervously, ¡°There were so many¡­¡± The Holy Maiden said calmly, ¡°How many went in?¡± The disciple said with a trembling voice, ¡°Two¡­¡± That person had yet to wake up. Not to mention two, just one of them could kill him. The Holy Maiden¡¯s expression turned cold and she immediately went to Qionghua Hall. The experts of the Holy Maiden Temple and the assassins in black were still fighting. The Holy Maiden only glanced at them indifferently before entering the hall. However, when she arrived at the door, she saw only the mess on the ground, the destroyed stone door, the unconscious disciples, and Emissary Lin, who was pressed under the ruins. As for the secret room, it was already empty. The Holy Maiden squatted down and pricked Emissary Lin¡¯s acupoint with a silver needle. Emissary Lin regained some consciousness and looked at the Saintess weakly. ¡°Saint¡­ Saintess¡­¡± ¡°Has he been taken?¡± the Saint asked. Emissary Lin shook her head slightly. ¡°He¡­ he left himself¡­¡¯ The Saintess frowned. ¡°He¡­ he even brought¡­¡± Emissary Lin was too weak and fainted again before she could finish. In this situation, it was useless to use silver needles a second time. At this moment, Emissary Loo rushed over. She looked at the destroyed stone door and the unconscious Emissary Lin and his disciples. Her expression changed. She quickly entered the secret room to check again and saw two dead men in black. She left the secret room with a serious expression. ¡°Saintess?¡± The Holy Maiden said calmly, ¡°He just woke up and doesn¡¯t have enough stamina. He can¡¯t go far. Bring people and chase after him separately.¡± Emissary Loo cupped her hands. ¡°Yes!¡± When they came out of Qionghua Hall, the assassin had already been repelled by the experts of the Saint Lady Temple. However, because the commotion was too great, it still disturbed many elders. Elder Ji rushed over with his disciples and bumped into the Holy Maiden, who was about to leave. Elder Ji asked, ¡°It¡¯s so late. Where are you going?¡± The Saintess said calmly, ¡°Capturing the assassins.¡± Elder Ji smiled. ¡°The palace selection will be tomorrow. Leave the capture of the assassin to your subordinates. Saintess, you should rest early and not delay the serious matter.¡± The Holy Maiden did not answer and walked away. After taking two steps, the Holy Maiden suddenly stopped. Without looking back, she looked ahead and said, ¡°Qionghua Hall is where I cultivate. It¡¯s more than half a hall away from Elder Ji¡¯s Hui He Courtyard.. How did Elder Ji rush over first?¡± Chapter 876 - Chapter 876: Wei Xu Kills Everyone Chapter 876: Wei Xu Kills Everyone Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Elder Ji said gently, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep and went to the Medicine Pavilion to get a few herbs. The Medicine Pavilion isn¡¯t far from here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not far. It¡¯s even very close.¡± With that, the Saintess ended this topic and led her subordinates to the door. Elder Ji took a few steps and suddenly stopped. The disciple asked, ¡°Elder Ji, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Elder Ji said, ¡°The Medicine Pavilion is not far from Qionghua Hall. When I heard the commotion, I rushed over. I¡¯m not so slow.¡± The disciple panicked. ¡°Then aren¡¯t we¡­¡± Elder Ji snorted and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just watching coldly from the sidelines. If she wants to suspect me, she has to be have the evidence. It¡¯s stranger that she went to capture the assassin personally.¡± The disciple agreed and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. She was injured a few days ago.¡± The Qionghua Hall was in chaos. Other than Elder Ji and the two elders who were in seclusion, the other elders had all come over. However, on this night, the assassins fled or died. Not a single one was left alive. It was useless for the elders to stay here. After instructing the disciples to carefully clean up the event location, they returned. Wei Ting and Ghostfear pretended to be disciples of the Holy Maiden Temple and sneaked into the Qionghua Hall. The people in the secret room had long disappeared. In that case, there was nothing to hide. The disciples who were not qualified to approach in the past were also called over to move the stones. The night was too dark, and there were too many people and chaos. The event location was dusty, and the two of them deliberately bent down, so they did not expose themselves for a moment. The damage in the secret room was also very serious. The two of them went in to move the broken tables, chairs, and stools. Wei Ting noticed the marked box. It was transported over by him and his brother. It was heavier than the other boxes. Everyone was busy with their own things. No one was staring at him. He quietly opened the lid of the box a crack and realized that there was a set of armor inside. He gave Ghostfear a look. Ghostfear walked over and looked in. He asked softly, ¡°Brother, did you notice that something was wrong?¡± Ghost Fear said, ¡°The armor looks familiar.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°It¡¯s exactly the same as Father¡¯s armor.¡± However, Wei Xu¡¯s armor was golden and this armor was silver. How could there be so many coincidences in the world? That person¡¯s identity was obvious. Wei Ting said in a low voice, ¡°The Saintess went out and said that she was going to capture the assassins. In my opinion, it¡¯s most likely¡­¡± Ghost Scar nodded. The two brothers exchanged glances and casually moved a broken table before retreating unobtrusively. However, when he passed by the bed, Wei Ting stepped on something. He moved his foot away. It was actually a small talisman. The Saintess brought Elder Lu and the others out of the Holy Maiden Temple. It was easy to guess the direction they fled. First of all, he didn¡¯t go out the main door. Secondly, the surroundings of the Holy Maiden Temple were heavily guarded. Only the Snow Region Heavenly Silk in the northeast corner had been destroyed. It was destroyed by the assassins tonight, but it also gave that person an opportunity to escape. The Saintess blew her bone whistle and summoned a falcon. This was an eagle personally tamed by the Saintess and had a powerful tracking ability. The falcon flapped its wings and flew into the night sky. On the empty street. Wei Xu gradually lost his strength. As he knelt on one knee, his head was aching. Wei Xiyue opened the jar and finished the walnuts. She whispered, ¡°Grandpa.¡± Someone was chasing after them. However, they were not from the Holy MaidenTemple; it was those assassins. He stood up and hid the four children under an abandoned cart by the road. He turned around and instantly regained his bloodthirsty eyes. The assassins in black felt a powerful killing intent. The dust on the ground flew up, and the surrounding window lattices trembled. The tiles on the eaves seemed to be unable to withstand the huge internal force and fell piece by piece. Everyone subconsciously took a step back. A chill surged in their hearts. The leader mustered his courage and said, ¡°His stamina has long been exhausted. He won¡¯t be able to last long. We can kill him when he¡¯s exhausted!¡± That¡¯s right. They did not have to be serious with him. They only had to surround him and constantly exhaust his combat strength to easily exhaust him. Unfortunately, they had underestimated Wei Xu¡¯s combat strength. They only wanted to feint around him, but Wei Xu punched them one by one; every punch was fatal. If this continued, it was unknown if he would exhaust them to death. They would be wiped out. At this moment, the leader noticed the children hidden under the broken cart. He quietly flashed towards the children. Just as he reached out to grab the little girl, a hand as cold as a skeleton grabbed the back of his head and dragged him over, blocking the children¡¯s vision with his tall figure. Then, he slammed him to the ground and crushed his skull! Brain matter mixed with blood splattered all over the ground. Everyone was stunned. In the end, none of the twelve top assassins escaped. Wei Xu reached his limit and fell to the ground facedown. A falcon circled past high in the sky, screeched, and flapped its wings to leave. The Saintess looked at the eagle that flew back and knew that it had found Wei xu. She hurriedly used her qinggong to follow. But when she arrived at the event location, she was still a step too late. There were only corpses on the ground and Wei Xu was nowhere to be seen. Emissary Loo looked at the bloody and terrifying event location and er heart trembled. ¡°Is¡­ is this all his doing?¡± So many experts¡­ ¡°It was him,¡± the Saintess said. Emissary Loo was so shocked that she was speechless. That person had just woken up, but he was already so terrifying. If he recovered his peak combat strength, who in the world would be his match? The falcon circling high in the sky suddenly screamed. The Saintesss eyes flickered. ¡°There¡¯s a carriage!¡± She tapped the tip of her foot and soared into the air, flying into the alley and blocking the carriage¡¯s path. ¡°Phew¡­¡± The coachman hurriedly stopped the carriage. The Saintess looked at the lantern hanging on the carriage. There was a big word ¡°Cheng¡± written on it. She asked, ¡°Whom from the Cheng family?¡± She wore a veil when she came out, revealing only a pair of cold eyes. She was not wearing the clothes of a Saintess and looked like an ordinary disciple of the Holy Maiden Temple. ¡°Young Miss, it¡¯s someone from the Saint Lady Temple,¡± the coachman turned to the curtain and said. ¡°Got it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pushed open the side window and stuck her head out to look at the Saintess. ¡°Why did the Holy Maiden Temple stop my carriage?¡± The Saintess looked at Su Xiaoxiao deeply. Sitting in the Cheng family¡¯s carriage, the coachman called her Young Miss, but she had never seen her before. Recently, the Saintess had been busy with that person¡¯s matters and had yet to interfere with the Cheng family¡¯s matters, but it did not mean that she was ignorant. She was already knew who Su Xiaoxiao was. But she had no intention of acknowledging her. Her gaze swept the coachman¡¯s feet. There were a few drops of blood that had yet to dry. The coachman seemed to sense her gaze and stepped on it with his foot. She retracted her gaze and said calmly, ¡°Get the people in the carriage out.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Why should I come out?¡± The Saintess said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not you. It¡¯s that man!¡± Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying? I¡¯m warning you. I¡¯m from the Cheng family, and the Saintess is my aunt. It doesn¡¯t matter if you offend me. If my aunt blames you, you¡¯ll have to be unable to bear the consequences of failure!¡± The Saintess did not waste her breath on her.. She used her qinggong to step into the carriage and suddenly lifted the curtain! Chapter 877 - Chapter 877: Father and Sons Meet Chapter 877: Father and Sons Meet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was indeed a man sitting in the carriage. The man was dressed in black and wore a black bamboo hat. He held a long sword in his arms. The moment the curtain was lifted, he was not shocked at all. Instead, he raised his slender fingers and pressed the edge of his bamboo hat. Right on the heels of that, he said coolly and arrogantly, ¡°How dare a mere mortal barge into a Divine Lord Immortal¡¯s carriage¡­¡± Before he could finish. The Holy Maiden coldly lowered the curtain. The inertia was too great, and the curtain was thrown at Yuchi Xiu¡¯s face. Yuchi Xiu, who had inexplicably been slapped in the face, was speechless! The person sitting inside was not Wei Xu. Wei Xu had long lost his speech and was not so crazy. The Holy Maiden got out of the carriage and looked at Su Xiaoxiao coldly. ¡°Since you¡¯re the Miss of the Cheng family, why are you meeting a man in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°Who said that my young lady met a man in private?¡± Mei Ji strolled over from the other end of the alley and said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°I went to the toilet. Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss.¡± ¡°Come up,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Make way!¡± Mei Ji said to the Saintess. The Saintess had a respected status in the southern border. Even the royal family of the southern border had never ordered her around. How dare a maidservant do this? The Saintess¡¯ cold gaze swept across Mei Ji¡¯s charming face. However, she remembered her priorities and did not tangle with these people. Mei Ji refused. ¡°What are you doing? Do you want to leave after glaring at me?¡± The Saintess couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her breath on her and slapped toward her. A powerful internal force poured out, and even the curtain of the canopy swayed. Mei Ji was not stupid enough to receive this palm. Everyone had their own strengths. Charm techniques and hidden weapons were her trump cards. In terms of martial arts and internal strength, she could not defeat these abnormal experts. She dodged. The palm wind landed on the wall behind her. Crack! The wall cracked. Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. What powerful internal strength. The Saintess left. Mei Ji got into the carriage. Yuchi Xiu was using his internal strength to treat his face. Mei Ji asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop her?¡± Yuchi Xiu said, ¡°I¡¯m an assassin yet I¡¯m not allowed to kill her. Why should I stop her?¡± Mei Ji hit the nail on the head. ¡°You just can¡¯t beat her!¡± Yuchi Xiu was speechless Yuchi Xiu said seriously, ¡°In terms of internal strength, I admit that she¡¯s on par with me, but in terms of killing, she¡¯s inferior to me.¡± As usual, everyone had their own strengths. Yuchi Xiu was good at assassination. There were many ways to kill someone. If one¡¯s martial arts were not higher than the other party, he would not be able to kill the latter. Of course, that woman¡­ Ahem, he really could not kill her. Mei Ji suddenly clutched her chest and gasped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. ¡°I was injured by her internal force.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you dodge it?¡± ¡°I did dodge¡­ but I was still injured.¡± If she hadn¡¯t dodged, her diaphragm would have shattered and she would have died. ¡°Her palm attack¡­ was much stronger than the sword qi I suffered outside the Holy Maiden Temple last time.¡± Yuchi Xiu frowned. Su Xiaoxiao looked at him. ¡°Are you injured too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a few broken meridians¡­ It¡¯s not considered injured.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°With such terrifying strength, only the Saintess of the Holu Maiden Temple can do it.¡± Mei Ji looked at Su Xiaoxiao worriedly. ¡°Do you feel anything?¡± Su Xiaoxiao felt it carefully. ¡°I¡­ feel a little comfortable.¡± Mei Ji was speechless. And so was Yuchi Xiu In the dead of night. A carriage drove past a coffin shop, circled into the alley behind it, and stopped in front of a quiet courtyard. Li Wan paced around the courtyard anxiously. Hearing the sound of the carriage, she hurriedly opened the courtyard door. Wei Ting and Ghostfear had already changed back into their clothes, but there were traces of unusual looks on their faces, making them look a little comical. However, Li Wan was not in the mood to pay attention to this. ¡°Brother, Little Seven, the child¡ª¡± ¡°Sister-in-law, don¡¯t worry.¡± Wei Ting jumped out of the carriage and lifted the curtain, planning to carry Wei Xiyue out. Ghostfear was one step ahead of him and carried Wei Xiyue out of the carriage. Wei Ting asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you most afraid of Xi Yue?¡± Ghost Fear replied, She¡¯s asleep.¡± The four little ones slept soundly. Wei Ting had a cub in each hand, and there was still a little tiger left. After Ghostfear handed Wei Xiyue to Li Wan, he carried Xiaohu down. Wei Liulang and Fu Su went out to look for them. When they returned, they finally saw the children. The two of them heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Little Seven?¡± Wei Liulang asked. Wei Ting said, ¡°They must have crawled into the box.¡± This was not the first time they had done this. Back at the Imperial Astronomy Center, the few brats liked to crawl into boxes and even acknowledged the emperor as a wild father. Li Wan went into the house to take care of the children. Wei Qing pushed his wheelchair out. Under the moonlight, the brothers stared at one another wordlessly. The carriage stopped quietly behind Wei Ting. He and Ghostfear clearly did not say a word, but Wei Liulang and Wei Qing still discovered something from their excited eyes. Wei Liulang strode into the carriage! Wei Qing also quickly pushed the wheelchair over! ¡°Lttle Six!¡± Wei Qing hated himself for not being able to stand up. Wei Liulang¡¯s suppressed cries came from the carrriage. Wei Qing sat in a daze, his throat swelling and aching bit by bit. Wei Ting and Ghostfear found them along the fallen walnuts. They had fallen from Xiaohu¡¯s leaky mouth along the way. If only the walnut kernels were not enough to determine that it was them, Wei Ting found Erhu¡¯s talisman in the secret room. The brothers¡¯ eyes turned red. The sacrificial soldier who did not have any past experiences also returned to being a child the moment he saw his father. Wei Xu was very weak. When Su Xiaoxiao, Mei Ji, and Yuchi Xiu came over, he was still lying unconscious on the bed. The brothers guarded the bed and looked at their father, whom they had not seen for five years. Their eyes were all swollen like walnuts. Su Xiaoxiao was shocked. ¡°Did something happen to Dad?¡± She hurriedly took his pulse. He was alive. Why were they crying like this? What happened to being an unyielding man? Were they so aggrieved when they saw their father? Wei Xu had been drugged for too long, and his breathing was very chaotic. Su Xiaoxiao needed to wait for Wei Xu to wake up and diagnose him according to his condition and reaction to treat the right illness. Wei Ting asked in his usual tone, ¡°Won¡¯t the Cheng family suspect you for coming out so late?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him deeply and hesitated. Forget it. She won¡¯t expose his sorry state since he just found his dad. Ghostfear was the most comical. He had no idea that there was a big red flower on his head. His three brothers did not remind him either. They were definitely going to embarrass him in front of his biological father. This was the Wei family¡¯s ancestral skill in scamming their brother on full display. Wei Ting said, ¡°Dad has been locked up in the Holy Maiden Temple for the past few years. Big Brother and I saw many experts from the Holy Maiden Temple tonight. Those people are also puppets. The Holy Maiden Temple probably wants to make Dad like them.¡± ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand.¡± Wei Liulang said, ¡°The Holy Maiden Temple doesn¡¯t allow men to enter and leave at will. Why are there a large group of puppet experts? Aren¡¯t they men Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I happened to ask Uncle Quan the same question today. Uncle Quan just told me that all the puppet experts in the Holy Maiden Temple have been cleansed.¡± The brothers were shocked! Could it be that after not seeing him for five years, their Father Wei had become Eunuch Wei? Wei Liulang stood up and pounced over to lift Wei Xu¡¯s blanket. Although they did not need anymore brothers and sisters , it was still unacceptable for their father to become a eunuch! Wei Liulang tore off Wei Xu¡¯s belt. Wei Xu woke up in a daze. Just as he opened his eyes and was completely unaccustomed to the light, he saw a young brat taking off his pants. Wei Xu was speechless. Wei Qing punched Wei Liulanz awav. Wei Liulang stuck out his tongue and flew out.. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it yet¡­¡± Chapter 878 - Chapter 878: Fatherly Love Chapter 878: Fatherly Love Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting smiled gloatingly. To think his Sixth Brother would have such a day. Wei Xu looked at the other young brat who was laughing so hard that he frowned. Another punch. Boom! Wei Ting was sent flying. The brothers hung from the branches in the courtyard and swayed. Ghostfear slowly stood up and casually folded his sleeves. Of course, his eldest son had to do it. No matter what, he had known his father for a few more years than these two brats. Only he could recall his father¡¯s memories and arouse his father¡¯s benevolent heart that had been sealed for five years. Ghostfear came to the pillow. He revealed his first smile after becoming a sacrificial soldier. The corners of his mouth froze. Wei Xu looked at the third young brat strangely. His clothes were not bad, but his face was dirty. His sleeve was torn, and there was a big red flower on his head. Most importantly, he was grinning with his rouge-covered red lips. He was the silly son of a landlord. ¡°Dad¡­ Bang! Ghostfear was sent flying. Su Xiaoxiao took a sip of tea and had just put down the teacup. Looking up, Second Brother was the only one left among the four brothers. Wei Qing, who had pushed the wheelchair to a corner muttered, ¡°Fortunately, I retreated quickly¡­¡± After taking care of his three sons, Wei Xu used up his last bit of strength and closed his eyes to sleep again. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the three brothers hanging on the branch and held her cheek with one hand. ¡°Fatherly love is really like a mountain¡­ It¡¯s like the earth is collapsing.¡± In the end, the three of them still checked his lifeblood. Su Xiaoxiao was waiting for them in the courtyard. Li Wan settled her daughter and three nephews down and sat on the stone stool to accompany Su Xiaoxiao. Wei Liulang was the first to come out. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why Dad can give birth to so many sons.¡± Ghost Scarlet was the second to come out. ¡°Old ginger is spicy.¡± Wei Ting was refreshed. ¡°The student surpasses the master.¡± Then, he was beaten up by Ghostfear and Wei Liulang. Wei Qing came out last. He said nothing. After all, he didn¡¯t see anything. This was the most sneaky. In any case, he had the answer. When Wei Xu found out that he had been watched by his three sons under the moon, he would definitely beat them up again. Wei Qing was not in a hurry to be beaten up. ¡°Is Dad alright?¡± Li Wan did not understand their dirty jokes and asked seriously. Wei Qing smiled gently. ¡°Dad is very good. He can give us another younger brother or sister.¡± Li Wan coughed lightly. She was thin-skinned and did not like to intrude into her father-in-law¡¯s privacy. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll go see the children,¡± and immediately got up to return to the house. Su Xiaoxiao was a physician. In her eyes, Wei Xu was just a patient. She had no scruples in this aspect. If the few of them were too embarrassed to do a physical examination tonight, she would personally check. The few of them sat around the stone table. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°From what we know, the Holy Maiden Temple wants to make Father into a puppet, but why didn¡¯t they make Father into that kind of puppet?¡± Wei Ting nodded. ¡°This is indeed suspicious.¡± It could not be that the Holy Maiden Temple did not have a chance. It was still possible in five months. It had been five years. No matter how little medicine Wei Xu had been drugged with, he would eventually lose consciousness. Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°Is this the Saintess¡¯ personal actions or the joint decision of the Holy Maiden Temple?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°I¡¯m inclined to the former. The others in the Holy Maiden Temple don¡¯t seem to know of Father¡¯s existence.¡± Su Xiaoxiao touched her chin. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to hide for so long.¡± Wei Ting paused for a moment and said, ¡°She¡¯s the Saintess and has absolute authority in the Holy Maiden Temple. It¡¯s not impossible for her to deceive the others. However, the news still leaked.¡± The children said that two men in black went to kill their grandfather. Later on, he and his brother found his father¡¯s location and also discovered more than ten corpses of men in black. They had been killed by their father. It was obvious that after their father left the Holy Maiden Temple, he continued to be hunted down by this group of people. Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°But why did they assassinate Dad?¡± Wei Qing said unhurriedly, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s to weaken the Holy Maiden¡¯s strength and not let her have such a heaven-defying expert. Or perhaps there¡¯s another mystery, and this mystery might be related to the reason why the Holy Maiden didn¡¯t cleanse Father.¡± Su Xiaoxiao suddenly had a thought. ¡°Could it be that the Holy Maiden has taken a fancy to Dad and wants to have children with him?¡± The brothers gasped. They didn¡¯t want a stepmother! It was late at night. Wei Ting sent Su Xiaoxiao back. Before leaving, Su Xiaoxiao went to the house to see the children and kissed their little faces. Yuchi Xiu had already returned to the Cheng family first and changed his shift with the assassin. The assassin returned to continue protecting Wei Qing. Mei Ji was sleeping soundly in the Cheng family¡¯s carriage. Su Xiaoxiao actually didn¡¯t understand. She could have just let Fu Su drive, but he had to be the coachman himself. When they were about to reach the Cheng family, Su Xiaoxiao said to Wei Ting, ¡°I should get out of the car.¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°I told Mei Ji. She¡¯ll go in first. I¡¯ll send you off later.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at him strangely. ¡°When did you tell her? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± Wei Ting pointed at the lights in the distance with his horsewhip. ¡°I just said that the carriage went in.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked up. It really went in. The servant probably did not dare to search her carriage. Mei Ji appeared and the servant did not dare to suspect that she was not in the carriage. Wei Ting found a safe place to stop the carriage. This was the back alley of the Cheng family. No one lived here, and no one came over at night. The moonlight was quiet. Wei Ting entered the carriage and sat down beside her. ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Since he had brought her out alone, it must be inconvenient for him to speak in front of his brothers. ¡°Is it related to Dad¡¯s condition? Are you worried that Dad will be like Cheng Sang and lose his mind? Actually, no. Cheng Sang was too shocked back then. Dad was drugged by the Saintess. As long as the medicine is stopped, Dad should be able to slowly recover.¡± She was not sure if others could recover. However, Wei Xu¡¯s situation was clearly different from other puppets. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have not taken him down for five years. ¡°Compared to Dad¡¯s mental state, we should be more vigilant about Dad¡¯s health. His aura is too chaotic¡­ The Saintess should have a way to treat him. By the way, the Saintess has been looking for Snow Domain Hemp. I think this is probably Father¡¯s medicine.¡± ¡°When I go to the Holy Maiden Temple tomorrow, I¡¯ll steal the formula!¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a long time, but Wei Ting did not respond. She blinked and leaned closer to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you too worried¡­ well¡­ Before she could finish, her voice was blocked by Wei Ting. Wei Ting hugged her soft waist and kissed her heavily. He lifted her onto his lap. She had a good appetite recently and had recuperated a little. Her skin was smooth and fair like jade. Her body was lustrous and moist, making one want to take a bite. Wei Ting caressed her abdomen that was not too obvious and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I heard from Second Sister-in-law that it won¡¯t be a problem in three months.¡± Su Xiaoxiao wondered, ¡°So that¡¯s why you decided to be the coachman and fed the mosquitoes?¡± Wei Ting had been holding it in for a long time. In the past, he was worried about her health, and the other was that his father¡¯s whereabouts were unknown. Now that his father had been found, and her body was stable, he naturally had to fulfill his obligations as a husband.. Chapter 879 - Chapter 879: Slapping the Scumbag Chapter 879: Slapping the Scumbag Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There were many people at home. In order to make it easier for them to travel, Deng Huan prepared two carriages for them. One was slightly larger with a soft couch, and the other was smaller with only stools. She did not understand why he wanted to use this big carriage for her. She was still wondering if he was worried that she would be too tired and wanted her to sleep on the way. It was not until he pressed down that Su Xiaoxiao solved the case. This guy was doing it for his own convenience! Speaking of which, they had been married for more than half a year, but the number of times they had spent the night together could be counted on one hand. The last time was her birthday, and after that, the two of them went north one after another. Blood flowed like rivers in a war. He could not still be in the mood to think about this. After that, it was diagnosed that she was pregnant. To be cautious, he had been abstinent. When the month was finally over, she moved into the Cheng family again. ¡°This is in the carriage¡­¡± It was rare for Su Xiaoxiao to find her breath. She pushed him weakly. Wei Ting lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips and cheek. ¡°The mattress has been changed, and the pillow is new. The corners of the carriage have been washed.¡± She liked to be clean. He knew that. During a war, she could have a dirty face and be covered in blood. However, she was usually very particular. Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°You¡¯ve done your homework?¡± Su Xiaoxiao was still worried that someone would come over. As if seeing her scruples, he said softly, ¡°No one would come over in the middle of the night. I checked.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Had he even checked on this? Wei Ting had indeed been here a few times, but not for this. It was because he was worried about her when she first went to the Cheng family and would come here every night to guard her. This place was quiet and hidden. If there was any movement in the Cheng family, he could rush over immediately. He naturally wouldn¡¯t tell her this. He found it mushy. Su Xiaoxiao was dizzy. This body was already sensitive, so how could she withstand his deliberate flirting? However, she still retained her last bit of rationality. ¡°Why did you ask Second Sister-in-law about this?¡± At the thought of him running to Li Wan in all seriousness and saying, ¡°Second Sister-in-law, what can a wife do with her husband after being pregnant for a few months?¡± She wished she could find a crack in the wall and stuff him in it. Wei Ting said, ¡°I asked Second Brother to ask.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. How much better was this than asking Second Sister-in-law? The rest of the topic could not be continued. The big-tailed wolf started eating. Su Xiaoxiao, the soft little rabbit, was eaten clean. The next morning, Su Xiaoxiao woke up to the sound of gongs and drums. Mei Ji sat at the side and ate a sweet potato. Sensing that there was something wrong with the breathing behind her, Mei Ji raised her head. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Her throat was a little dry, but fortunately, her voice was not hoarse. Wei Ting remembered the selection today and did not indulge too much, nor did he leave any suspicious traces on her. He sent her back in just two hours. Su Xiaoxiao sat up. ¡°What time is it?¡± Mei Ji took a bite of the sweet potato. ¡°It¡¯s still early.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already dawn!¡± Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly lifted the blanket. Just as she stood up, her legs were sore and she sat back down. She gritted her teeth. wei Ting! Mei Ji said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. The selection hasn¡¯t begun, and Cheng Qingxue hasn¡¯t set off.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it would start at seven?¡± Mei Ji said, ¡°Something happened in the Holy Maiden Temple last night. Half of the platform was destroyed. This morning, they built a temporary and delayed for a few hours. Those gongs and drums are the Holy Selection Ceremony of the Holy Maiden Temple.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Cheng Sang?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked again. Mei Ji nibbled on the sweet potato and said, ¡°Fighting crickets with Yuchi Xiu in the courtyard.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t he a secret guard?¡± Mei Ji said, ¡°Oh, Uncle Quan gave me a clear path.¡± ¡°Servant?¡± ¡°Actor.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. Today, Su Xiaoxiao was going to the Holy Selection, but Xie Yunhe still came. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Cheng Sang and a young man squatting on the ground, engrossed in playing. Xie Yunhe frowned. Steward Cui whispered, ¡°That person is a guard Uncle Quan found, but I heard¡­ ¡± ¡°What did you hear?¡± Xie Yunhe asked. Steward Cui braced himself and said, ¡°He¡¯s actually an actor.¡± Xie Yunhe¡¯s expression darkened. His Madam was openly raising an actor in the residence, and he was so much younger and stronger than him. Xie Yunhe instantly felt a little green. However, since Cheng Sang had already recovered from her madness, why was she still squatting on the ground and fighting crickets? A trace of suspicion flashed across Xie Yunhe¡¯s eyes. ¡°Miss, Old Master is here,¡± Uncle Quan reminded. Cheng Sang threw away the stick in his hand in a second and stood up with a powerful aura, giving Xie Yunhe an extremely cold gaze. ¡°Xiaoxiu, let¡¯s go in.¡± Yuchi Xiu followed Cheng Sang in. Xie Yunhe¡¯s expression turned ugly. Yuchi Xiu¡¯s identity was indeed that of a guard. The so-called actor identity was spread by the people in the residence, but now that it was spread like this, Xie Yunhe felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Madam, let¡¯s talk.¡± He came to the door and said to Cheng Sang. Cheng Sang picked up her fan and waved it indifferently. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about between us.¡± With that, she closed the door. Xie Yunhe was rejected again. When Cheng Sang played with crickets, it made people feel that she had not recovered from her madness. However, the way she looked at him just now was too unfathomable. Mei Ji muttered, ¡°He¡¯s here to test again. Why hasn¡¯t he given up?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Xie Yunhe through the crack of the door. ¡°If he gives up so easily, he would not Xie Yunhe. He does control the power of the Cheng family, but as long as the family head¡¯s token is not in his hands, he will not be legitimate enough. There¡¯s only one way to take back the family head¡¯s token¡ªto prove that Cheng Sang has yet to recover from her illness.¡± Su Xiaoxiao put on her hairpin. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. Uncle Quan is watching over the house. Xie Yunhe won¡¯t be able to find a chance to get information out of her. ¡± Su Xiaoxiao went next door to say goodbye to Cheng Sang. Cheng Sang was already very relieved that she had gone out. She would even remind her to be careful on the way. The carriage could go slower and there was no need to rush. Uncle Quan sent Su Xiaoxiao to the door. Coincidentally, Cheng Lian also came to send Cheng Qingxue off. It was unknown if it was to save some face, but Cheng Lian actually got a carriage from the Holy Maiden Temple. Logically speaking, Cheng Qingxue was born by a concubine, so her carriage had to be ranked behind Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s. However, other than her identity as the daughter of the Cheng family, Cheng Qingxue was also the sister of the Saintess. The carriage of the Holy Maiden Temple naturally did not have to make way for anyone. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the mother and daughter who were deliberately placing an opening gambit and said to Uncle Quan, ¡°Can that person also enter and leave the Cheng family freely?¡± Uncle Quan said tactfully, ¡°The women in the back residence are not allowed to enter and leave at will unless they obtain the family head¡¯s permission.¡± Cheng Qingxue couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She turned around and scolded, ¡°My mother is the Madam of the residence! She can go wherever she wants! I don¡¯t need you to interfere!¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°Madam? Did my grandmother agree?¡± Uncle Quan said, ¡°Young Miss, no.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at Cheng Lian calmly. ¡°So, she can only be considered an aunt at most?¡± Cheng Lian¡¯s hand that was arranging Cheng Qingxue¡¯s clothes paused. Mei Ji added, ¡°That¡¯s not right, Miss. You can only be a concubine if you serve tea to the first wife. Otherwise, you¡¯ll just be a concubine maidservant!¡± Cheng Lian¡¯s expression changed. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°Did you hear that, Uncle Quan? In the future, Second Miss Cheng¡¯s monthly allowance will be paid according to that of a maidservant.¡± Uncle Quan said excitedly, ¡°Yes, Miss!¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡®Who¡¯s in charge of the accounts?¡± Uncle Quan said, ¡°It¡¯s Second Cheng¡­ Aunt Cheng¡­ Cheng Lian!¡± ¡°Remember to hand it over later so we can take back the accountings.¡± Su Xiaoxiao walked up to Cheng Lian and smiled at the anger dancing in her eyeS. ¡°Since you¡¯ve become my grandfather¡¯s concubine maidservant, don¡¯t even think about being the second daughter of the Cheng family. You should understand this on the first day you climbed into his bed, right?¡± Cheng Lian¡¯s nails dug into her palms.. Chapter 880 - Chapter 880: Battle for the Saintess Chapter 880: Battle for the Saintess Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s words were explicit and straightforward. If it were an ordinary person, they wouldn¡¯t have said it even if it was because of their status and self-restraint. However, Su Xiaoxiao was not an ordinary person. It was easy to guess who was spreading the rumors about Cheng Sang raising an actor. If she dared to slander Cheng Sang, she should not blame Su Xiaoxiao for turning her into a maidservant. Actually, Cheng Lian had married into the Cheng family according to the wedding ceremony, but that was because everyone thought that Cheng Sang was crazy. Cheng Lian was the only heir of the Cheng family. Now that Cheng Sang was ¡°sane¡±, there was a future. If Cheng Sang did not acknowledge her, her venture capital could only fail. If Cheng Lian really recruited another man to be her live-in son-in-law at home, the risk would not be so great, but she insisted on touching her brother-in-law. She was purely giving Su Xiaoxiao something to use against her. Su Xiaoxiao brought Mei Ji into the carriage. Only the mother and daughter, who were aggravated at the entrance, were left. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Su Xiaoxiao instructed. The coachman was arranged by Uncle Quan. He was a trustworthy servant. He was agile and bold. With a whip, the carriage left, raising dust on the mother and daughter¡¯s faces. Cheng Lian was speechless. And so was Cheng Qingxue. Cheng Qingxue wanted to go to the Holy Maiden Temple and could not delay. No matter how angry she was, she could only swallow it for the time being. She looked at the departing carriage and gritted her teeth. ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson in the selection later!¡± In the carriage, Mei Ji was eating fried candy. ¡°Do you want it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not eating. You eat.¡± Mei Ji stuffed two jelly beans into her mouth. ¡°Will Cheng Qingxue trip you up later?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°I can¡¯t wait for her to trip me up.¡± Cheng Qingxue¡¯s methods were not enough to deal with her, but Cheng Qingxue had the Joker card. Su Xiaoxiao was looking forward to the official confrontation with the Saintess. On the other hand, after Cheng Lian was humiliated by Su Xiaoxiao at the entrance, she got someone to prepare a carriage and was about to leave the residence. Uncle Quan smiled and said, ¡°Please hand over the key to the accounting room so that I can report to Missy.¡± Cheng Lian asked, ¡°Has my sister¡¯s illness really recovered?¡± Uncle Quan smiled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it with your own eyes?¡± Uncle Quan was loyal. Since Young Miss had said that Cheng Lian was only a maidservant, he would never greet her as Second Miss again. Cheng Lian smiled faintly. ¡°Uncle Quan, are you working with outsiders to deceive the Cheng family?¡± Uncle Quan had another point. ¡°I don¡¯t have the guts or ambition.¡± Cheng Lian¡¯s smile disappeared and she said calmly, ¡°The key to the accounting room isn¡¯t with me. I¡¯ll ask Old Master later and ask him to give you the key!¡± She was using Xie Yunhe as a shield. Xie Yunhe had worked hard in the Cheng family for 30 years and had long replaced the people he could use in the residence with his trusted aides. It was not so easy to shake him. Uncle Quan had long guessed that she would say this. ¡°Master went to see Madam this morning. I just asked him. He said that the key to the accounting room is with you.¡± Cheng Lian was speechless! ¡°I put it in the shop. I¡¯ll go get it now, alright!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait here.¡± He had to be thick-skinned. If she didn¡¯t give it to him once, he would ask for it a second time. If she didn¡¯t give it to him the second time,he would ask a third time. If three times didn¡¯t work, he would ask for it every day! Missy¡¯s enemies were not easy to deal with. However, Uncle Quan had confidence in Little Miss. Little Miss would definitely be able to snatch back the Cheng family business! On the other hand, after Cheng Lian was angered Su Xiaoxiao, she went to Uncle Han¡¯s dye shop with a dark expression. However, as soon as she entered the courtyard, she sensed that something was wrong. The dye shop was in a mess. Uncle Han and the coachman were tied to the ground with big rags stuffed in their mouths. Cheng Lian quickly asked the maidservant to untie the two of them. ¡°What happened?¡± Cheng Lian asked. Uncle Han took off the big rag in his mouth and quenched it a few times. He said angrily, ¡°Yesterday evening, I went to deliver something to the Holy Maiden Temple. On the way, I was knocked unconscious and only just woke up.¡± Cheng Lian hurriedly instructed the maidservant to report this matter to the Saintess. The Saintess knew that the ¡°Uncle Han¡± last night was fake. The Saintess did not suspect Su Xiaoxiao and only thought that they were accomplices of the assassins in black. ¡°The Ji family!¡± The Saintess clenched her fists. Five years of planning was ruined. The man was gone. The Cheng family¡¯s family head¡¯s token had also fallen into the hands of others. To make matters worse, there was actually a rumor about the Saintess circulating in the capital. It was said that the Saintess raised a pretty boy in her secret room and gave birth to three sons and a daughter with him. The three sons were triplets, about three years old. The daughter was older. The rumors spread like wildfire. Even the young ladies who came to participate in the palace selection heard about this and discussed softly at the door. ¡°Have you heard about it too?¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. I don¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t hear it. You were there when I passed by that teahouse this morning.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s really¡­ The Saintess really had a secret relationship with someone and gave birth to four children?¡± Not one or two, but four! ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Cheng Qingxue got out of the carriage. The young ladies¡¯ eyes flashed and the discussion stopped. Cheng Qingxue asked suspiciously, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything the moment I arrived? Did you secretly badmouth me behind my back? Did that girl say it?¡± She pointed at Su Xiaoxiao, who had arrived before her. Su Xiaoxiao had just humiliated her mother as a concubine maidservant this morning. In her opinion, Su Xiaoxiao must have made this matter known to everyone. The young ladies looked at each other. ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything bad about you!¡± Yin Xiaodie placed her hands behind her back and walked over valiantly with the authority of a small family head. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Cheng Qingxue asked angrily. Yin Xiaodie smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you what they were discussing.¡± The few of them turned pale. ¡®Miss Yin!¡± Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°They said that the Saintess was secretly pregnant with another man and gave birth to four children.¡± Cheng Qingxue said sternly, ¡°Nonsense!¡± Yin Xiaodie snorted. ¡°You were the one who asked them what they said just now. I¡¯m just telling you the truth.¡± Cheng Qingxue didn¡¯t like Yin Xiaodie, but she understood that Yin Xiaodie never bothered to lie. Her face turned cold as she looked at the few daughters who usually chased after her and tried their best to curry favor. The few of them wiped the sweat off their foreheads awkwardly. ¡°We¡­ heard it from others,¡± a young lady whispered. Fortunately, the side door of the Holy Maiden Lady Temple opened and the selection began. The palace selection was different from the first three rounds. Everyone had to draw the right cards and line up. Su Xiaoxiao drew behind Yin Xiaodie. Su Xiaoxiao said in amusement, ¡°What a coincidence. Did you do something?¡± Yin Xiaodie didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Why? Are you unwilling to be with me? You¡¯ll know the benefits of being close to me in a while!¡± Su Xiaoxiao wanted to pinch her face again. But Yin Xiaodie had learned her lesson. The moment Su Xiaoxiao raised her hand, she immediately dodged three feet away! Su Xiaoxiao laughed uncontrollably. ¡°Little guy, since you know so much about the Holy Maiden Temple, do you know what punishment the Saintess will receive if those rumors are true?¡± Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°The Saintess must be a virgin and not have an affair with a man. This is the commandment of the Holy Maiden Temple.. If you break the commandment, you will be stripped of your qualifications as a Saintess! In serious cases, you might even be burned to death!¡± Chapter 881 - Chapter 881: Wei Xu Who Dotes On His Grandchildren Chapter 881: Wei Xu Who Dotes On His Grandchildren Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the meeting hall of the Holy Maiden Temple, the Saintess and the eight elders sat in their respective seats. An elder surnamed Liu looked at the Saintess and said, ¡°Saintess, please explain what happened last night.¡± The Saintess said neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°Last night, someone barged into the Qionghua Hall and injured many disciples of the Saintess Temple. This is my negligence. After the Holy Selection, I will go to the Holy Mountain to receive my punishment.¡± The Holy Mountain was a forbidden area of the Holy Maiden Temple. If the Saintess made a serious mistake, she would go to the Holy Mountain to reflect. As soon as these words were spoken, the elders were silent for a moment before looking at the white-haired Elder Lou. She was the oldest and most experienced elder now. Her status was almost comparable to the Saintess. Seeing that everyone had thrown the hot potato to her, Elder Lou did not casually throw it away. She said, ¡°If that¡¯s all, there¡¯s no need to go to the Holy Mountain to suffer. However, I also heard some bad things.¡± The Saintess said, ¡°Elder Lou, please speak.¡± Elder Lou¡¯s expression was gentle, but her gaze was sharp. ¡°Did you refine puppets privately in the Qionghua Hall?¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze returned to the Saintess¡¯s face. The Holy Maiden said seriously, ¡°No.¡± Elder Ji smiled faintly. ¡°But why did I hear that an expert escaped from your Qionghua Hall?¡± The Saintess asked, ¡°Who did Elder Ji hear it from? Why don¡¯t you call her up and let her confront me?¡± The corners of Elder Ji¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°There¡¯s no wind from an empty hole. The outside world is spreading that you raised a man in the secret room of the Qionghua Hall and gave birth to four children with him. One is a daughter, and the other three are triplets. The rumors depicted a vivid description, and it¡¯s really damaging the reputation of the Holy Maiden Temple. I believe that the Saintess won¡¯t violate the rules of the Holy Maiden Temple. However, if such rumors are only caused by the escape of the puppet that the Saintess refined privately, it¡¯s better for the Saintess to clarify it early. Anyway, it¡¯s not a big mistake to raise a puppet privately.¡± The Saintess looked at Elder Ji meaningfully. ¡°Elder Ji seems to be very interested in the puppet I raise?¡± Elder Ji mocked indifferently, ¡°Every generation of Saintesses has their own trusted puppets. You¡¯re not the first to do this. Although we don¡¯t say it on the surface, we actually know it in our hearts.¡± The Saintess sneered. ¡°In that case, Elder Ji also secretly hid a few puppet experts when she was the Saintess?¡± Elder Ji gasped and said coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± The Saintess swept her gaze across everyone and she said firmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t refine puppets privately in the Qionghua Hall, nor did I hide any men, nor did I give birth to four children with any man. If there¡¯s nothing else, the Holy Selection is about to begin.¡± A few elders hesitated. Elder Lou¡¯s old voice sounded. ¡°Alright, this matter ends here. Go prepare for the Holy Selection.¡± The few of them stood up and waited for the Saintess and Elder Lou to leave before leaving. Elder Ji walked last. She looked at the Saintess¡¯s back. ¡°You speak as if it¡¯s true!¡± His trusted disciple said, ¡°Elder Ji, could they have made a mistake last night?¡± Elder Ji narrowed his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re all well-trained assassins. The clues left behind before they died can¡¯t be wrong. There was a man and four children in the secret room! As long as we find them, the position of the Saintess will belong to the Ji family.¡± Just like the preliminaries, the selection was also divided into three rounds. Only those who passed each round were qualified to enter the next round. The first round was divided into two rounds. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. ¡°They¡¯ll conduct the medical examination in the morning and the math examination in the afternoon.¡± Yin Xiaodie explained enthusiastically to Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao could understand the medical examination. To put it bluntly, the Holy Maiden Temple was a religion. Its constitution was a little similar to the former White Lotus Society. The difference was that the White Lotus Society believed in Buddha, and because of MO Guiyuan¡¯s selfishness, it finally turned into a cult. The Holy Maiden Temple believed in the Heavenly Gods of the southern border. From the current situation, the Holy Maiden Temple had contributed a lot in the southern border. As the servant of the Heavenly God, the Saintess conveyed the Heavenly God¡¯s decree. In order to strengthen their reputation, the people of the Holy Maiden Temple were also proficient in the Qihuang technique and took on the function of saving the dying and helping the injured. ¡°Why do you still need to take the math test?¡± Su Xiaoxiao voiced her doubts. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you haven¡¯t done your homework. I seriously doubt if you¡¯re running for the Saintess position.¡± Of course not. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°If I¡¯m not here to run for the Saintess position, then why am I here?¡± This question stumped Yin Xiaodie. No matter how smart she was, she wouldn¡¯t have guessed that Su Xiaoxiao wanted the Snake Bone Flower and the formula for refining a puppet. Su Xiaoxiao coaxed, ¡°Alright, I came from a small town. It¡¯s not strange for me to be ignorant.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true.¡± Yin Xiaodie looked at Su Xiaoxiao awkwardly and said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to speak to me in the tone of coaxing a child!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Su Xiaoxiao agreed with a smile and pinched her cheek. ¡°How cute.¡± Yin Xiaodie was speechless. Yin Xiaodie regretted speaking to her. She had never had her face pinched since she was five years old! This was really inappropriate! Only children would have their faces pinched! Yin Xiaodie decided to get back at her in other ways, such as showing off her knowledge. She straightened her back and said, ¡°The test is to deduce the stars. You need to know the weather and celestial consumption and tell the people when to farm and when to harvest. Farming is the foundation of the people and ensures the stability of the country. Farming time is very important. You can¡¯t make a mistake.¡± This was really not something a nine-year-old child could say. Sometimes, a child¡¯s words and actions could reflect the bearing of the family. The Yin family was not bad. Yin Xiaodie was not bad. ¡°You¡¯re quite impressive,¡± Su Xiaoxiao praised. ¡°Of course.¡± Yin Xiaodie accepted. Su Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°In that case, the Saintesses are all capable.¡± ¡°Of course they¡¯re capable! No one who came to participate is an idiot. Take Cheng Qingxue for example. Don¡¯t judge at her not being too smart. That¡¯s because she¡¯s been spoiled by her family and doesn¡¯t know how to restrain her personality. However, she¡¯s been nurtured since she was young.¡± After a pause, Yin Xiaodie added, ¡°Of course, she¡¯s far inferior to me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Oh.¡± Yin Xiaodie spoke like an adult, ¡°Stay close to me later. I¡¯ll teach you and guarantee your advancement!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°Okay.¡± On the other side, Wei Xu finally woke up again after sleeping for the entire night. He had been controlled by the medicine for too long and his mind was a little confused. He didn¡¯t remember who he was or what he had done. His head and body felt like they were about to explode. However, he did not go crazy like the other puppets. He tried his best to control the surging of his internal energy. Clang! The door burst open. Xiaohu ran in with the small gong. ¡°Grandpa, save me!¡± Xiaohu was in trouble again. Wei Ting was first punched by his father last night, then beaten up by his two brothers. After returning from spending a good night with his wife in the middle of the night, he swaggered around and received his three brothers¡¯ three beatings again. This time, even Wei Qing participated; the assassin did it for him. Wei Ting was really miserable. It was not easy for him to catch up on sleep. However, his Xiaohu actually ran to his room to hit the gong¡­ Wei Ting, who had been a poor father, decided to teach the little brat a lesson. Xiaohu hurriedly carried the gong to climb into bed. Aiyaya, he couldn¡¯t climb up! He was going to catch up! He was going to catch up! His little Butt was going to be beaten up! ¡°Stop right there! See if I don¡¯t teach you a lesson today¡­¡± Wei Ting rushed over murderously. Bang! The moment he stepped into the room, the originally open door was slammed shut by a strong force. Wei Ting¡¯s head buzzed.. Chapter 882 - Chapter 882: Taking Xiaohu Out, Holy Selection (1) Chapter 882: Taking Xiaohu Out, Holy Selection (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He looked in disbelief at the closed door in front of him. Had he, Wei Xichao, his father¡¯s favorite son, been actually ruthlessly rejected by his father? ¡°This couldn¡¯t be true!¡± He scratched his heart and said aggrievedly, ¡°Dad, am I still your most beloved Little Seven?¡± Creak.. The door was pulled open from the inside. Wei Ting¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Dad¡­¡¯ He was hung on the big locust tree. Wei Liulang had just returned from listening to the news outside. The moment he entered the backyard, he was shocked by a certain someone who had been ¡°hanged¡±. ¡°Little Seven, what are you doing?¡± Wei Ting hung from the branch and swayed. He spun around and said helplessly, ¡°Ask Dad.¡± Wei Liulang indeed asked aggressively. Three seconds later, a pair of brothers hung on a branch and swayed together. Ghostfear had cleaned himself up today. He looked dignified and valiant. Last time, he had disguised himself as a woman. It was really painful to the eye. He was sure that he would not be beaten up by his biological father today. Then he saw Xiaohu holding the gong. His body trembled. ¡°Why is the little fart here?!¡± Creak¡ª The branch took the weight it shouldn¡¯t. There was only one left. Wei Qing sat in the wheelchair, his eyes red and filled with tears, like a helpless and sad leaf floating into a storm. Wei Xu muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t do this¡­ Wei Xu returned to the house. The three brothers hanging on the tree were dumbfounded. Was Second Brother so shameless? Why didn¡¯t they notice it in the past? After so many years of being brothers, they had made a mistake¡­ Wei Qing wiped his tears and smiled at the three brothers on the tree. ¡°I¡¯m going to look for Wanwan.¡± The three brothers gritted their teeth. So Second Brother was the one who deserved a beating the most! Wei Xu sat back on the bed and rested his hands gently on his knees without saying a word. Her mind was in a mess. Strange images flashed across his mind. He wanted to grab them, but he couldn¡¯t. It was as if dusty memories had broken out of the ground, but they were covered by thick fog. Wei Xu¡¯s head began to hurt. ¡°Grandpa, what are you doing?¡± Xiaohu¡¯s childish voice woke Wei Xu up and all his thoughts stopped. Wei Xu turned to look at him. Xiaohu had already hit the gong and didn¡¯t want to hit it anymore. He put down the small gong and slapped it on Wei Xu¡¯s leg. He raised his calf and swayed. ¡°Grandpa, I want to go to Dahu, Erhu and and Sister Xiyue.¡± Li Wan was going shopping today and wanted to take the children out for a walk to prevent them from being bored at home. She was successful with the first three. When Xiaohu woke up, the little guy refused to get up and insisted on sleeping in. Left with no choice, Li Wan could only bring Xi Yue, Dahu, and Erhu over first. At first, Xiaohu felt quite carefree. The huge courtyard was his alone. No one fought with him for the swing, the small gong, the suona, and the small flower drum anymore. However, it was so boring after playing for a while. In the end, Wei Xu brought Xiaohu out. At first, Xiaohu did want to look for his sister and brothers, but as soon as he reached the bustling streets, he immediately forgot about them. In front of them, someone was performing acrobatics and spewing fire. The onlookers were surrounded by people, and from time to time, there were claps and cheers. Xiaohu grabbed Wei Xu¡¯s clothes and jumped up with his short legs. ¡°Xiaohu wants to see! Xiaohu wants to see!¡± The two of them came to the back of the crowd. Xiaohu used all his strength. Ah! He could not squeeze in! A strong palm lifted the little fellow up. The moment his body soared into the air, Xiaohu looked at the ground that was now further away and widened his eyes excitedly. ¡°Wow!¡± Wei Xu placed Xiaohu on his neck. Wei Xu stood out from the crowd. When Xiaohu rode on his neck, he was simply the most beautiful child on the street! The other children who were carried by the adults were extremely envious. Xiaohu hugged Wei Xu¡¯s head and swayed arrogantly on his shoulder! ¡°Young Master, look!¡± In front of a stall not far away, a guard pointed in the direction of the crowd. The person he called Young Master was none other than Xiao Shunyang, who had come to the capital incognito. Xiao Shunyang had just arrived in the capital this morning. After finding an inn to stay in, he immediately came out to ask for information. Speaking of which, he was also unlucky. Wei Ting and the others killed those robbers, but their comrades vented their anger on Xiao Shunyang, who encountered waves of pursuit along the way. Only when they were close to the capital did that group of people give up.. Chapter 883 - Chapter 883: Taking Xiaohu Out, Holy Selection (2) Chapter 883: Taking Xiaohu Out, Holy Selection (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiao Shunyang was haggard. He looked in the direction the guard was pointing, but he only saw the surging crowd. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Wei Ting¡­¡± The guard also took a closer look, but there was no sign of that little fellow. ¡°You saw Wei Ting?¡± Xiao Shunyang asked with a frown. The guard scratched his head. ¡°I saw his son riding on a man¡¯s neck. It should be Wei Ting.¡± Xiao Shunyang asked, ¡°Are you sure you were not mistaken?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The guard was in a dilemma. Xiao Shunyang said, ¡°How many?¡± The guard said, ¡°One.¡± Xiao Shunyang said thoughtfully, ¡°They¡¯re triplets and won¡¯t be separated easily.¡± The guard had only taken a glance just now and felt that the boy was a little similar. However, after hearing His Highness¡¯ words, he was subconsciously affected and suddenly felt that it was not that similar. ¡°Maybe¡­ I was mistaken.¡± The travel passes of Wei Ting and the others were all on Xiao Shunyang. If they really wanted to come to the capital of the Southern Wilderness, they could only use illegal means. Those methods could not be faster than his. Furthermore, it was impossible for them to obtain travel passes from the officials of the Southern Wilderness. Had it been one or two, they might be able to buy it at a high price, but a large pile¡­ was simply a fantasy. ¡°Hold on.¡± Xiao Shunyang suddenly became vigilant. The guards were instantly on guard. ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s wrong? ¡°We¡¯re being watched.¡± It was a terrifying and unfamiliar aura, causing Xiao Shunyang, a prince from the royal family, to tremble. A guard asked, ¡°Could it be that group of people had given chase into the capital?¡± Xiao Shunyang said, ¡°It¡¯s not them.¡± He did not know who it was, but his intuition told him that he might die if he stayed any longer. He made a prompt decision. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here for long. Let¡¯s return to the inn first! ¡± Xiao Shunyang left hurriedly with the guards. Wei Xu came out of the alley with Xiaohu. To a peak expert, turning from prey to hunter was just a blink of an eye. Xiaohu was extremely anxious and his small body swayed. ¡°Grandpa, Grandpa! Xiaohu still wants to see it!¡± In the Holy Maiden Temple, the disciples who came to participate in the competition sat separately in the open-air courtyard of the medicine pavilion. Everyone was given a short table, a futon, and a basket of random herbs. Every herb was tied with a string and numbered. They had to write the names of the herbs on the paper in order. If they got more than two wrong, they would be eliminated. What was worth mentioning was that the herbs in each basket were not completely the same. It was impossible to copy someone else¡¯s answers. Opposite them sat two elders who used to serve as Saintesses. On the left was Elder Yin, Old Master Yin¡¯s biological sister and Yin Xiaodie¡¯s aunt. On the right was Elder Lu. She was not from the four great families, but had some connections with the royal family. In addition, there were also a few ministers inspecting the surroundings to prevent anyone from cheating. Yin Xiaodie sat beside Su Xiaoxiao. She had planned to finish writing her own answers before helping Su Xiaoxiao write hers. Unexpectedly, she looked into the basket and was dumbfounded. No way, it was so difficult! She was halfway through when Su Xiaoxiao handed in her paper. Yin Xiaodie looked at her dumbfounded. Don¡¯t give up on yourself! Ifyou can¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll answer for you! I admit that the question is a little difficult.. It was over, it was over. Her ally was going to be eliminated in the first round. Cheng Qingxue watched as Su Xiaoxiao was the first to hand in the herbs and answers. A trace of disdain flashed across her heart. No matter how she disguised herself as the daughter of the Cheng family, she was just an idiot from the countryside. Did she think a pheasant could become a phoenix? Dream on! The position of Saintess was not something a lowly girl like her could touch! Every round of exams had a ranking. The first day of medical skills was won by accuracy, but if there were two or more who answered as many correctly, those who handed in the paper earlier would be considered more favorably. Cheng Qingxue was not in a hurry. That girl had clearly filled it in casually. Her real opponents were Yue Qinghuan, Ji Roushu, and Yin Xiaodie. She was the second to hand it in. After them were Ji Roushu and Yue Qinghuan. The youngest, Yin Xiaodie, was the most calm. Since her ally had given up, there was no need for her to be in a hurry. She even handed in later than many women from the commoners. After identifying the herbs, there was still the second medical examination. Taking the pulse of a real patient. It was also a lottery. Whoever was drawn would be chosen. Su Xiaoxiao drew Al. Yin Xiaodie drew B18. Yin Xiaodie looked at Su Xiaoxiao resentfully. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me just now? I would have done it for you! Why did you hand it over after writing randomly?¡± ¡°So you wrote nonsense. Didn¡¯t you say that you know medicine? You even came to the Holy Maiden Temple to get medicine for my Elder Mother. Could it be that you¡¯re just swindling?¡± Cheng Qingxue sneered. ¡°Emissary Loo is here!¡± A young lady shouted. Everyone turned around and bowed to Emissary Loo. Emissary Loo returned the greeting with a smile and came to Cheng Qingxue. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your paper. You did well.¡± Cheng Qingxue said, ¡°If I did well, you mean¡­¡± Emissary Lu deliberately didn¡¯t look at Su Xiaoxiao and clarified with a smile, ¡°You didn¡¯t mistake a single herb.¡± On the other side, the Ji family and the Yue family¡¯s connections also came to report. However, from Yue Qinghuan and Ji Roushu¡¯s vexed expressions, they did not do as well as Cheng Qingxue. Emissary Loo had long seen the examination papers of the four of them. Cheng Qingxue and Yin Xiaodie got all their answers right, but Cheng Qingxue handed in the papers before Miss Yin. Her final results would definitely be ahead of Yin Xiaodie. There was nothing to worry about for the next segment. The Saintess had already made arrangements. Emissary Loo tidied Cheng Qingxue¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Just wait to enter the second round with the first place.¡± Yin Xiaodie rolled her eyes. Su Xiaoxiao asked her, ¡°Is there a reward for first place?¡± Yin Xiaodie said in surprise, ¡°You don¡¯t know? If you get first place in every round, regardless of whether you can become the Saintess in the end, you can obtain a reward from the Holy Maiden Temple. If you don¡¯t want a reward, you can exchange for a treasure from the Holy Maiden Temple.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Medicinal herbs too?¡± Yin Xiaodie: ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°What about the Snake Bone Flower?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Yin Xiaodie thought for a moment. ¡°The Snake Bone Flower is also from the Holy Maiden Temple. You can take it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. That would be great.. Chapter 884 - Chapter 884: Investigating the Truth Chapter 884: Investigating the Truth Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Why would you want the Snake Bone Flower? There are so many treasures in the Holy Maiden Temple. Why would you like a flower? Yes, that flower is rare, but you¡¯re not sick. Why do you want it? Ah, I understand. You want to treat Cheng Sang¡¯s madness? But I¡¯ve never heard of the Snake Bone Flower having such an effect?¡± Yin Xiaodie was puzzled. The little girl¡¯s senses were quite sharp. She had only asked, but she had already thought so much. To be honest, Su Xiaoxiao was not interested in being a Saintess at all. She came to participate in the election for the Snake Bone Flower and Wei Xu¡¯s medicine. If she got first place in the first three rounds, she would have a chance to obtain the Snake Bone Flower. It was a good opportunity for her. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Young one, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to make a deal with me last time?¡± Yin Xiaodie frowned and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you not agree? Why? Did you fail the exam just now and finally realize that you need a backer?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll help you deal with Cheng Qingxue. If you get first place in all three rounds, ask the Saint Lady Temple for the Snake Bone Flower as a reward.¡¯ Yin Xiaodie was surprised. ¡°You really want the Snake Bone Flower?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°To be honest, a good friend of mine is sick and needs the Snake Bone Flower as a medicinal catalyst.¡± Yin Xiaodie sized up Su Xiaoxiao suspiciously. ¡°So you came to the Holy Maiden Temple just for the medicine primer?¡± Su Xiaoxiao admitted generously, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡¯ ¡°No wonder you attended the selection with such an attitude. You didn¡¯t do any homework¡­ Yin Xiaodie was a smart little adult. Although she was only nine years old, her eyes were sharp. Those who really wanted to participate were all prepared, unlike a certain someone who looked like she was trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Su Xiaoxiao praised, ¡°It¡¯s so easy to talk to smart people.¡± If it were someone stupid, she would have to think of a way to convince the other party that she did not want to snatch the position of the Saintess. ¡°Stop flattering me!¡± Young Master Yin said seriously. ¡°In addition, you¡¯re not allowed to call me a little guy anymore!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, ¡°Can I call you Miss Yin Seven?¡± Only then was Yin Xiaodie satisfied. She gave the lowdown on the last two rounds to Su Xiaoxiao. Whoever finds the Holy Bird first and successfully brings it back to the Holy Maiden Temple will win. Those who can¡¯t find the Holy Bird can advance if they find the Holy Grass. As for the last round, the Holy Bird will choose its master. Whoever can obtain the recognition of the Holy Bird will become the new Saintess.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°The second round doesn¡¯t sound directly related to the third round. In any case, the Holy Bird has to choose its master. Then why bother to look for the Holy Bird in the second round? Can¡¯t I still advance by plucking the Holy Grass?¡± Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°But on the way back with the Holy Bird, you can have the chance to interact with it and let it familiarize itself with you and remember your aura. It will be more likely to choose you in the third round. Of course, if you anger it, it will be a different story. Those who are abandoned by the Holy Bird will lose their right to compete on the spot.¡± Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡®What should I do to be hated by the Holy Bird?¡± Yin Xiaodie raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Let it attack you.¡± The rules of this selection were indeed characteristic of the Holy Maiden Temple¡­ Su Xiaoxiao had one last question. ¡°What kind of bird is the Holy Bird?¡± Yin Xiaodie took out a portrait from her pouch and handed it to her. Su Xiaoxiao opened it and took a look. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a pigeon?¡± Yin Xiaodie said solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary pigeon. It¡¯s a divine pigeon domesticated by the Holy Mountain!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smirked. Wasn¡¯t that still a pigeon? Speaking of which, could it be that Cheng Qingxue raised so many pigeons in ordern to learn to catch the holy bird in advance? Those pigeons might also be from the Holy Mountain and had been tamed with the Holy Bird. They had similar habits. No wonder she was so angry when she ate her pigeon. Su Xiaoxiao almost had a countermeasure. The medical skills and calculations on the first day were all under the invigilators of the Holy Maiden Temple. It was possible to manipulate certain factors internally, but the possibility of the examinees tampering with the results was not high. Tomorrow¡¯s trip to the Holy Mountain was the best time to eliminate the competitors. Su Xiaoxiao suddenly smiled. Yin Xiaodie asked, ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m smiling at myself. I really should have handed in a blank paper just now.¡± Yin Xiaodie was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Because I¡¯ve formed an alliance with you. I believe you can protect me in advancing.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Yin Xiaodie was a little embarrassed to be suddenly praised like this. ¡°Stop fooling around. Wait for my answer. You will definitely advance.¡± It had nothing to do with Yin Xiaodie. Instead, tomorrow¡¯s trip to the Holy Mountain was a good opportunity to get rid of her. Even if she did badly today, the Holy Maiden would definitely let her advance. Indeed, when it was time for her to treat the patient, she realized that the patient she had drawn was only suffering from an ordinary cold. In order to further verify her guess, during the math test in the afternoon, when Emissary Loo walked over to invigilate, Su Xiaoxiao deliberately dropped a ball of paper that seemed to be an answer at Emissary Loot s feet. However, Emissary Loo acted as if she did not see anything and walked over. Su Xiaoxiao sat behind Yin Xiaodie. After Yin Xiaodie finished, she stuffed her exam paper to Su Xiaoxiao to copy. Su Xiaoxiao glanced at it. These questions were considered difficult in ancient times, but the young one only got one question wrong. After the examination ended, everyone came out of the examination hall one after another. The calculations in the afternoon were more difficult. Even the daughter of the Yue family revealed a trace of displeasure. Cheng Qingxue looked confident, as if the first place was already in her bag. Cheng Lian came to pick her up. She didn¡¯t even look at Su Xiaoxiao and got into the carriage with the maidservant waiting in the side hall. Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t leave yet. She had to steal Wei Xu¡¯s prescription. She stopped Yin Xiaodie. ¡°Young one, I want to borrow a few books from the library. Can you bring me there?¡± Yin Xiaodie said in a tone, ¡°What did you call me just now?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Miss Yin Seven.¡± Yin Xiaodie was satisfied. ¡°Hmph, follow me!¡± Yin Xiaodie went to find Elder Ji. Elder Ji was Old Master Yin¡¯s sister and Yin Xiaodie¡¯s grandaunt. Yin Xiaodie was only bringing a friend to the library. It was not difficult. ¡°Who is it?¡± Elder Ji asked. Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°Cheng Sang¡¯s granddaughter, the one who just came back to acknowledge her family.¡± Elder Ji¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°Her¡­¡± The Saintess and Cheng Sang¡¯s lineage did not get along. That girl was someone the Yin family could use. Elder Ji agreed. She asked her trusted disciple to send the two of them to the library. ¡°What book are you looking for?¡± Yin Xiaodie asked. Su Xiaoxiao looked around. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to tell anyone if I tell you.¡± Yin Xiaodie patted her chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a trustworthy person!¡± Su Xiaoxiao whispered to her, ¡°I heard that there are many experts in the Holy Maiden Temple who are controlled by medicine.¡± Yin Xiaodie looked at her strangely. ¡°Are you curious about this?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°Looks like you know too. Aren¡¯t you curious?¡± Yin Xiaodie was about to speak when Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s ears twitched and she gestured for her to keep quiet. Someone was coming! So be it. Why were they being so mysterious? Yin Xiaodie turned around resentfully. It was the Saintess. Eh? To think the Saintess was at the Book Storage Pavilion so late. Yin Xiaodie was curious and squatted behind the bookshelf to secretly observe with Su Xiaoxiao. Rumble. The stone door of the secret room opened. Yin Xiaodie was extremely surprised. She had been to the Book Depository so many times. Why didn¡¯t she know that there was a secret room inside? Su Xiaoxiao knew about the secret room here. Wei Xu used to lie inside, but he was moved to Qionghua Hall by the a trusted aide. In the dim light, an expert from the Holy Maiden Temple came to the Saintess in a black cloak. The Saintess opened a portrait. ¡°Find this person and bring him back.¡± From Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s angle, she could see the portrait. It was Wei Xu. Yin Xiaodie did not know Wei Xu and only felt that the man in the portrait was so heroic. How strange. Who was he? Why was the Holy Maiden looking for him? Could those rumors¡­ After looking at the portrait, the expert walked out of the hall. The Saintess stopped him and instructed, ¡°Remember, I want him alive.¡± The expert turned around and nodded indifferently at the Saintess. However, this casual action allowed Su Xiaoxiao to see the other party¡¯s face clearly. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°It¡¯s him?¡± Chapter 885 - Chapter 885: The Big Boss Is Here Chapter 885: The Big Boss Is Here Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t expect to see Leng Ziling here. Fu Su and Yuchi Xiu saw with their own eyes that Leng Ziling was pressed under the huge rock in the secret room, and the stone door of the secret room closed. Logically speaking, even if Leng Ziling was not crushed to death by the huge rock, he should have starved to death inside. Su Xiaoxiao thought about it and guessed the key. It seemed that their previous guess was right¡ªUncle Han had gone to Broken North Pass not only to find the Snow Domain Hemp, but also to bring back the relics of the previous dynasty¡¯s Emperor Wu. Uncle Han went to the secret room and found the seriously injured Leng Ziling. He brought him back to the Holy Maiden Temple. Leng Ziling was tenacious. Although he could not the greatest martial arts expert, he was definitely not easy to tame. Unless¡­ ? Leng Ziling was willing. Leng Ziling might not have taken it to heart that Su Xiaoxiao had killed Leng However, Leng Ziling would definitely not let Leng Zhao¡¯s death go. He wanted to avenge his father, so he was willing to be the Saintess¡¯ executioner. This way, things would be troublesome. At that time, Leng Ziling had personally seen Fu Su and Yuchi Xiu take Emperor Wu¡¯s relic away. Did he tell the Saintess this news? ? He didn¡¯t tell her! He must not have told her! Leng Ziling had been at the border for many years. He had seen Wei Xu and even fought with him, receiving his praise. It was impossible for him not to recognize that the person in the portrait was Wei xu. The Leng family and the Wei family were like fire and water. Leng Zhao was even forced to death bv the Wei familv. Althouzh there was no obvious evidence, who could not guess? You killed my father, so I¡¯ll kill your father too¡ª Leng Ziling would not have second thoughts. From the moment he confirmed that Wei Xu was still alive and was related to the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness, he had planted a plan of revenge in his heart. Therefore, he would definitely not tell the Saintess of the Southern Wilderness who he was, nor would he let her know that he knew Wei Xu. Since he was not supposed to not know Wei Xu, he naturally could not know Wei Ting and his trusted secret guards. He could only tell the Saintess that someone had taken the things away, but he didn¡¯t know who they were. Not only was the Saintess making use of Leng Ziling, but Leng Ziling was also making use of the Saintess. If the Saintess asked him to capture Wei Xu alive, Leng Ziling would definitely not do it. He would kill Wei Xu¡­ ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡± Yin Xiaodie whispered. There was no one else in the library. The two of them walked out from behind the bookshelf. Thinking of the scene just now and the recent incident in the Holy Maiden Temple, Yin Xiaodie asked, ¡°Is the Saintess looking for the assassins that night?¡± ¡°No,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said firmly. ¡°How do you know?¡± Yin Xiaodie asked. Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, ¡°That person doesn¡¯t look like a sneaky person.¡± Yin Xiaodie recalled the man in the portrait and could not help but agree. The man was righteous and heroic. Compared to an assassin, he was more like a general on the battlefield. Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Why are the experts of the Holy Maiden Temple so powerful?¡± Yin Xiaodie thought of the black-robed expert just now. ¡°Are you referring to those people? They¡¯re different from ordinary experts. They¡¯re all puppets and don¡¯t have their own thoughts. They¡¯re not afraid of death or pain. They¡¯re no different from walking corpses. Just this alone would put them above many experts. In addition, they also use medicine to increase their strength.¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°It¡¯s about the same as a sacrificial soldier.¡± Yin Xiaodie corrected her, ¡°The sacrificial soldiers are mainly about cultivation techniques. Their cultivation techniques are the opposite of ordinary cultivation techniques. At the cost of overdrafting their lifespan, they will be weak for a few days after the battle, but the sacrificial soldiers don¡¯t have to take medicine every day unless it¡¯s a life-and-death situation.¡± Of course, Su Xiaoxiao knew about the situation of the sacrificial soldiers. She continued, ¡°What medicine is that? Can ordinary people take it?¡± Yin Xiaodie immediately became serious. ¡°No! That medicine is addictive. You can¡¯t leave it after taking it. Don¡¯t use this method to improve your martial arts!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± The little girl was quite kind. Since it was an addictive medicine, just the ramifications of withdrawal were enough. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the endless bookshelves. ¡°Ah, we haven¡¯t found it after searching for a long time. It¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s go back first.¡± Yin Xiaodie asked, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to look anymore? Which book do you want? I can help you find it.¡± Seeing that she was so serious, Su Xiaoxiao stood on her tiptoes and retrieved a copy of the Southern Border Calendar. ¡°So it¡¯s here.¡± Yin Xiaodie expressed her disappointment. ¡°That¡¯s it? I have it at home. I already said that I would get someone to bring it to you. Take it back and take a look. I¡¯ll get someone to tell Elder Yin.¡± Su Xiaoxiao pinched her cheel. ¡°Thank you, young one.¡± Yin Xiaodie was so angry that she turned into a pufferfish in a second. What was going on?! Su Xiaoxiao had to quickly look for Wei Ting and inform them that Leng Ziling wanted to kill Wei Xu. However, when she arrived at their residence, she realized that Wei Xu was not around. He had gone out to hang out with his grandchildren. ¡°Is Leng Ziling is here?¡± Wei Ting narrowed his eyes. Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°He joined the Saintess.¡± Wei Liulang asked, ¡°Little Seven, you fought with Leng Ziling. How¡¯s his martial arts?¡± Wei Ting raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°A little worse than me¡­¡± Wei Liulang said, ¡°Speak human language!¡± Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°Among the Leng family, he has the highest martial arts. Dad was right when he praised him back then. His potential is not inferior to yours.¡± Wei Liulang frowned. ¡°Why weren¡¯ you compared?¡± Wei Ting said shamelessly, ¡°I was the top scholar. Dad didn¡¯t compare me to him! Everyone in the family thought that Wei Ting would be a civil servant his entire life. Therefore, when Wei Xu said that Leng Ziling¡¯s talent was not inferior to his sons¡¯, he did not include Wei Ting. Wei Liulang muttered, ¡°Something seems wrong, but I can¡¯t put my finger on it.¡± Ghostfear activated his eldest brohisr¡¯s pressure and used his bloodline to suppress his two stinky younger brothers. Wei Ting said seriously, ¡°Find Dad first.¡± Leng Ziling had excellent aptitude, and now he had used the medicine of the Holy Maiden Temple to forcefully enhance his cultivation. Wei Xu was experiencing a weak period and withdrawal period, and his condition was not stable. They could not let him meet Leng Ziling. Ghostfear, Wei Liulang, and Wei Ting split up to search. Su Xiaoxiao and Mei Ji went too. The assassin stayed behind to protect Wei Qing. Wei Qing was sitting in a wheelchair. There was a chess game under the big locust tree in the courtyard. ¡°Come out. ¡± He said casually. The assassin looked around warily. A man in a black cloak descended from the roof and strolled towards Wei Qing. ¡°Wei Erlang, long time no see.¡± The assassin frowned. When did the other party appear? He did not notice it. Wei Qing smiled faintly. ¡°You haven¡¯t appeared for so long. I thought you wouldn¡¯t come.¡± The man sat down on the stone stool opposite Wei Qing. ¡°If I don¡¯t come, how can this game go down?¡± Wei Qing continued to place his piece. ¡°That¡¯s right. The chess pieces are all in place. We¡¯re just waiting for the person holding the chessboard to control the chessboard.¡± The man picked up a black piece with his slender fingers and placed it in the center of the chessboard. ¡°Every one of us is a chess piece, and every one of us is a flag bearer. No one can stay out of this game.¡± Wei Qing looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°Even you can¡¯t?¡± ¡°I wish?,¡± The man was halfway through his sentence when Su Xiaoxiao returned. ¡°Second Brother! I forgot to tell you something!¡± She walked through the central room to the backyard and looked at the half-played chess game on the table. She asked, ¡®Eh? Who are you playing chess with?¡± Wei Qing smiled calmly. ¡°I¡¯m just playing casually. What do you want to tell Su Xiaoxiao looked up at the leaves that moved without wind and pointed at the empty stone stool opposite Wei Qing. ¡°Was there really no one here just now?¡± Why did she feel that someone had been here? But that shouldn¡¯t be possible.. Whose qinggong was so good that he disappeared in the blink of an eye? Chapter 886 - Chapter 886: The Three Little Ones Only Scammed the Saintess Chapter 886: The Three Little Ones Only Scammed the Saintess Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You said you had something to tell me just now?¡± Wei Qing changed the topic. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°We¡¯re about to get the Snake Bone Flower. The antidote is a little strong. I¡¯ll take care of Second Brother¡¯s internal organs first. Do you have a pen and paper?¡± Wei Qing nodded at the assassin. The killer went into the house and brought out a brush and paper. After Su Xiaoxiao finished writing the prescription, she said to Wei Qing, ¡°Three bowls of this in water. Boil it over a fire and boil it until there¡¯s only one bowl left. Take it after dinner, once in the morning and once in the morning.¡± Wei Qing smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand. ¡°We¡¯re a family. I also hope that Second Brother can stand up as soon as possible. Xiyue is still waiting for Second Brother to accompany her to fly a kite.¡± A trace of yearning flashed across Wei Qing¡¯s eyes. Indeed, how could he not look forward to that day when he could survive and stand up from the wheelchair. As if reading his thoughts, Su Xiaoxiao said firmly, ¡°That day won¡¯t be long. When I get the Snake Bone Flower, I¡¯ll immediately make Second Brother¡¯s antidote!¡± After bidding farewell to Wei Qing, Su Xiaoxiao got into the carriage and went to look for Leng Ziling with Mei Ji. The capital was neither big nor small. Leng Ziling might not be able to find Wei Xu, and they might not encounter Leng Ziling. However, they did not know if it was too much of a coincidence today. As soon as Wei Ting went out, he bumped into Leng Ziling. Wei Ting was wearing a mask. Leng Ziling did not recognize him. However, as soon as they fought, Leng Ziling sensed that something was wrong. After all, the two of them had fought on the arena. It was impossible not to recognize them. Wei Ting slapped Leng Ziling¡¯s shoulder. Leng Ziling raised his scabbard and blocked the palm. At the same time, he jumped onto the roof. He looked down at Wei Ting. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Wei Ting looked at Leng Ziling unrestrainedly and used his qinggong to jump onto the roof. At this moment, it was just night, but there was already a crowd on the street. Someone noticed this and looked over curiously. Wei Ting said provocatively, ¡°It¡¯s easy to cause unnecessary casualties here. If I move somewhere else, would you dare to follow me?¡± Leng Ziling did not say anything and slashed at Wei Ting. Wei Ting stomped his feet and flew away. Leng Ziling caught up. The two of them flew over the eaves and walls, gradually leaving the noisy street market and arriving at a quiet fork. To the east was a market, but it was only open in the morning. The stall would close at noon at the latest. At this moment, the market was empty. There was not even a rat. Leng Ziling¡¯s sword qi was like a rainbow as he attacked Wei Ting one after another. Wei Ting dodged nimbly and jumped into the empty market. Wei Ting observed the terrain as he tried his best to provoke Leng Ziling. It had been two months since the last time the two of them fought. Wei Ting clearly felt that Leng Ziling¡¯s moves had changed from before. They were more tricky and fierce. In the past, he was an expert. Now, he was more like a killer who took people¡¯s lives. His internal strength had also become thicker. It seemed that he had taken a lot of medicine from the Holy Maiden Temple. When Leng Ziling slashed again, Wei Ting stepped forward and kicked the wall. He did a backflip to avoid Leng Ziling¡¯s sword qi and jumped over Leng Ziling¡¯s head. The moment he landed, he finally pulled out the sword at his waist and stabbed back. Leng Ziling almost fell for it. Was this Wei Ting¡¯s strength? It was indeed impressive. However, that was all. Wei Ting¡¯s death had arrived. He wanted to avenge his father. Leng Ziling sank his qi into his diaphragn and mobilized all the internal energy in his body to slash at Wei Ting. Wei Ting frowned. Leng Ziling¡¯s internal strength had increased again! What medicine did the Holy Maiden Temple give those people? Could it actually increase the level of one¡¯s martial arts to such an extent in a short period of time? Wei Ting blocked this attack, but his arm was slightly numb. Leng Ziling did not give Wei Ting a chance to catch his breath. After three consecutive strikes, a drop of blood flowed out of the corner of Wei Ting¡¯s mouth. Just as Leng Ziling was about to slash for the fourth time, a row of sharp hidden weapons sped over from behind him. Leng Ziling had no choice but to change direction and meet the hidden weapons with his sword. The hidden weapon was shattered. Mei Ji snorted coldly. ¡°Also, take this!¡± Another row of hidden weapons shot out. Mei Ji was not a top expert in close combat, but her hidden weapons were top-notch. Wei Ting took the opportunity to pounce over. Leng Ziling felt a little troubled. At this moment, a stretch of white silk flew over and hit Mei Ji¡¯s back. Mei Ji immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. Mei Ji fell from the roof and fell to the ground awkwardly. The Saintess put away the white silk and landed steadily in front of Mei Ji. At this moment, Wei Ting was too far away from Mei Ji. He was about to throw the sword when Leng Ziling stopped him. The Saintess wore a veil, revealing only a pair of cold and dangerous eyes as she walked towards Mei Ji. Mei Ji couldn¡¯t move. The Saintess raised her hand coldly and slapped Mei Ji¡¯s forehead. Swish! An arrow shot through the air with irresistible killing intent. The Saintess¡¯ eyes flickered and she raised her arm. The arrow pierced her sleeve and nailed her heavily to the wall. The tail of the arrow swayed violently, leaving an afterimage. It could be seen how strong it was. Su Xiaoxiao stood in the attic and drew her bow again, aiming at the Saintess¡¯ forehead. The Saintess looked at Su Xiaoxiao coldly and finally gave up on killing Mei Ji. She threw out countless tiles to block Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s vision. Su Xiaoxiao knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to hit her again, so she stopped fighting her head-on and turned around to lure her away. Su Xiaoxiao had just learned qinggong and was unfamiliar with the southern border. She was quickly caught up by the Saintess. The Saintess blocked her at the entrance of an alley. ¡°Let¡¯s see where you can run to.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t come over! This is the streets. There are so many commoners watching. Even if you¡¯re the Saintess, you can¡¯t kill people on the streets!¡± The Saintess said coldly, ¡°You assassinated the Saintess. With this crime, I can punish you on the spot!¡± This was the truth. The Saintess of the Southern Wilderness was sacred and could not be offended. In the laws of the Southern Wilderness, there was a crime of disrespecting the Saintess, and the Saintess did have the right to punish the offender. Behind Su Xiaoxiao was a dead end with eaves on both sides. The possibility of passing the Saintess opposite and charging into the crowd on the street was almost zero. She had another way out. She would hide in the pharmacy. However, if she exposed her secret in public, she would be burned to death as a demon. Moreover, the pharmacy had a time limit and she would be thrown out in a while. The Saintess walked towards Su Xiaoxiao. Just as she was about to tie Su Xiaoxiao up with white silk, a childish cry suddenly came from a room on the second floor opposite. ¡°Mother!¡± This cry was crisp and loud. The commoners on the street immediately looked at the child. ¡°Where¡¯s Mother?¡± Dahu asked. ¡°There, there!¡± Xiaohu leaned on the windowsill and reached a hand toward Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Mother! Mother!¡± Erhu and Xiaohu also began to call her mother. This was the first time the commoners had seen such a cute child. They felt that they had seen an immortal child under the Guanyin, and it was a triplets! This was too rare! Su Xiaoxiao smiled and took a step back. She said firmly to the Saintess, ¡°Saintess! They are calling you Mother!¡± The Saintess was stunned. Everyone looked over. Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed exaggeratedly, ¡°So the rumors are true! You, the dignified Saintess of the Southern Wilderness, are indeed secretly getting together with someone and even gave birth to triplets!¡± The Saintess said sternly, ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked heartbroken. ¡®Why did they call you Mom if you didn¡¯t give birth to them? Children don¡¯t lie!¡± As she spoke, Su Xiaoxiao turned to look at the three children. ¡°What did you call just now? Say that again!¡± The three little ones said obediently, ¡°Mother!¡± The Saintess was speechless. And so was everyone else! Chapter 887 - Chapter 887: Face Slapping (1) Chapter 887: Face Slapping (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The news of the Saintess secretly giving birth to a child with a man had long spread throughout the capital of the Southern Wilderness. However, rumors were still rumors. The Holy Maiden Temple had been in prestige for many years, and most people did not believe it. In particular, the triplets were ridiculous. It was difficult to give birth to a child, and twins were even rarer. It could be said that they had never seen triplets. Even if she took the risk and survived the gates of hell, it would be difficult to raise all three children. But now, the triplets had appeared in everyone¡¯s vision and even addressed her as their mother¡­ No one suspected that the triplets were calling the girl in front of the Saintess. The triplets looked to be three or four years old. How old was that girl? Coupled with the fact that she had to be pregnant for ten months, it was impossible for her to give birth. The Saintess was just the right age. ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± The three little ones continued to fight to call her mother. Those anxious eyes and urgent tone. Anyone who had raised a child knew that they were definitely not pretending. They had really seen their mother. ¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± a woman said. ¡°Why did I hear that there¡¯s a daughter? She¡¯s a few years older than the triplets. She¡¯s quite a beautiful little girl.¡± The woman and the others looked towards the room where the triplets were. Hearing the three little ones call her mother, Wei Xiyue also went to the window. The eldest daughter and triplets were all alive. Wei Xiyue was a quiet person. She was not someone who knew how to call someone from afar. She only waved at Seventh Aunt. Everyone looked at the Saintess. The Saintess¡¯ expression was very ugly. After entering the Holy Maiden Temple for many years, she had never been slandered like this. She didn¡¯t suspect that those little fellows were calling Su Xiaoxiao. She had already found out that the person who came to Qionghua Hall to assassinate Wei Xu that night was sent by the Ji family. Elder Ji was their spy, allowing them to successfully infiltrate the Holy Maiden Temple. The news that she had given birth to bastard children with a man was also spread by that group of people. At this moment, she naturally felt that the children in front of her were arranged by that group. She planned to capture the children. Unexpectedly, Li Wan carried the child over first and closed the window. In everyone¡¯s eyes, this had another meaning. ¡°Is the Saintess feeling guilty?¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not guilty, why did you hide the child?¡± The Saintess clenched her fists. She didn¡¯t! The onlookers blocked the entrance of the alley. The windows on the second floor of the shop were opened by customers one after another. The streets suddenly became livelier than lights. Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and leaned close to the Saitess to ask softly, ¡°You seem to be in some trouble. You can¡¯t even take care of yourself. How is it? Are you still capturing me?¡± This gloating look made the Saintess¡¯ eyes turn cold. She naturally had to capture them. She would not let any of them off. However, when the Holy Maiden looked at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hands again, she was surprised to find that the bow in her hand and the quiver on her back were gone. What had happened? Wasn¡¯t it still on her just now? Su Xiaoxiao generously let her sized up. She had chased her all the way just now and did not have the chance to retract her bow. Just now, everyone¡¯s attention was attracted by the three children, including the Saintess. Su Xiaoxiao hid behind the Saintess and put the bow and arrow into the pharmacy. As the saying went, catch an adulterer in bed and take the stolen goods. If the Saintess were to claim that Su Xiaoxiao shot at her, she should at least find the murder weapon first. The matter of the children was causing her to be questioned. At this moment, she could not persuade the commoners at all. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the Saintess fearlessly. Come on, catch me. The Saintess left coldly! Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Take care.¡± The Saintess stopped in her tracks and turned around to give her an extremely dangerous look. Su Xiaoxiao was not afraid of her. As she looked at her openly, her entire face revealed arrogance. Su Xiaoxiao was the first to dare to be so arrogant in front of the Saintess. The Saintess¡¯ eyes darkened. She held the sword in her hand tightly and turned to leave. Su Xiaoxiao looked at the Saintess as she left and knew that she was furious with herself. Very good. If she was unhappy, Su Xiaoxiao would be happy. ¡°Please make way.¡± Su Xiaoxiao squeezed out of the crowd. Li Wan had guessed that she would come over and had already brought the children to the carriage in the back alley to wait for her. Su Xiaoxiao found the carriage, greeted Fu Su, lifted the curtain, and sat in. ¡°Mother!¡± The three little ones were extremely excited and pounced into her arms. Dahu and Erhu pounced the fastest. Xiaohu could not beat his brothers and could not squeeze in. He was extremely anxious.. Chapter 888 - Chapter 888: Face Slapping (2) Chapter 888: Face Slapping (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Xiaohu wants it too! Xiaohu wants it too! ¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and carried the little guy up. The three of them buried themselves in her arms and rubbed against each other. They had not seen their mother for a few days. They wanted to breathe in their mother¡¯s fragrance! Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s heart melted. She rubbed their heads and her eyes were filled with them. Li Wan smiled in relief. To put it bluntly, when she first found out that her seventh sister-in-law was pregnant, she was actually worried that her seventh sister-in-law would not dote on Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu as much as before. However, after interacting with her along the way, she completely understood. In Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes, the three children were no different from her biological children. They were her eldest son, second son, and third son. Wei Xiyue leaned into Li Wan¡¯s arms. Li Wan looked down at her. ¡°Xiyue, did you greet Seventh Aunt?¡± Wei Xiyue said to Su Xiaoxiao, ¡°Seventh Aunt.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Xiyue is so obedient.¡± She also liked Xi Yue, a soft and cute little girl that made people want to dote on her. Li Wan asked, ¡°Seventh Sister-in-law, what happened just now? Who was that person?¡± ¡°The Saintess of the Southern Wilderness,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. Li Wan¡¯s expression changed slightly. It was not good for her to ask too much in front of the children. She only sized Su Xiaoxiao up. Su Xiaoxiao understood and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. However, didn¡¯t Dad bring Xiaohu out to look for you? Where¡¯s Dad?¡± ¡°After finding us, Dad went back,¡± Li Wan said. ¡°I was worried that Dad would get lost and asked Fu Su to secretly follow him. Fu Su saw him enter the courtyard with his own eyes.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Su Xiaoxiao still had to look for Mei Ji and couldn¡¯t stay for long. The three little ones couldn¡¯t bear to part with her and only let go after three kisses each. Mei Ji was injured. After Su Xiaoxiao lured the Saintess away, she immediately found a place to hide. Su Xiaoxiao found her according to the mark she had left. She leaned against an abandoned horse shed with a resentful expression. The horse shed was too dirty. She would take a bath with ten buckets of water when she got back! ¡°Mei Ji.¡± Su Xiaoxiao squatted down and took her pulse. She poured out two internal injuries pills from the porcelain bottle for her to take. Mei Ji recovered and sized Su Xiaoxiao up. ¡°How did you shake her off? Are you alright?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°She¡¯s in a little trouble and couldn¡¯t care about me. I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s leave this place first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mei Ji grabbed Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand. The two of them had just come out of the stable when they met Wei Ting. Wei Ting had suffered some internal injuries from fighting Leng Ziling, but this small injury was not a problem for him. ¡°How are you two?¡± he asked. Su Xiaoxiao supported Mei Ji and said, ¡°Mei Ji was attacked by the Saintess. I¡¯m afraid she needs to recuperate for a few days. I¡¯m fine for the time being. What about you?¡± Wei Ting said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked behind him. ¡°Where¡¯s Leng Ziling? Wei Ting frowned and said, ¡°Big Brother and Sixth Brother are here. Leng Ziling saw that the situation was bad and escaped.¡± Mei Ji snorted. ¡°How cunning! ¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and reminded him, ¡°He should have recognized you. You have to be careful.¡± Wei Ting recalled the situation of the two of them fighting. ¡°When Leng Ziling fought me, he actually didn¡¯t use a killing move. He doesn¡¯t seem to want to kill me for the time being. At least, he doesn¡¯t want to kill me immediately.¡± Mei Ji was puzzled. ¡°Why is he suddenly so kind?¡± Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°He¡¯s not being kind. He wants to keep my life and let me suffer the pain of losing my father again.¡± Leng Ziling hated him for causing Leng Zhao¡¯s death, so he wanted to torture him in this way. Mei Ji clicked her tongue. ¡°Crazy!¡± Leng Ziling was an illegitimate son. The Leng family did not even allow him to enter the genealogy. They had always treated him as a killing tool. Growing up in such an environment, it was very easy for his heart to become twisted. Wei Ting said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t refuse. The two of them had just entered the house when Cheng Qingxue rushed over aggressively. ¡°He! What did you do!¡± Su Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment before realizing that she was referring to her. The household registration arranged for hherim by the Head of the Secret Service was the daughter of the He family¡ªHe Yuying. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°I have to correct you. My surname is Cheng, and my name is Cheng Su.¡± Cheng Qingxue flew into a rage out of humiliation and said, ¡°Are you on the Cheng family tree? My father didn¡¯t acknowledge you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Does it matter if your father acknowledges it or not? My grandmother is the head of the Cheng family.¡± Cheng Qingxue choked. Su Xiaoxiao looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Cheng Qingxue, what¡¯s wrong with you? You shouted at me as soon as I came back. Let me guess¡­ The results of the first round of the palace selection are out. Did I do better than you?¡± Cheng Qingxue was so angry that she clenched her fists. Ordinary people would not know their results until the rankings were released the next day, but Cheng Qingxue was related, so Uncle Han heard about it at night. The result shocked her. She was actually not first! She was not even second! Cheng Su and Yin Xiaodie were tied for first place. She was pushed to third place. She was unconvinced that she had lost to Yin Xiaodie, but she was even more unconvinced that she had lost to a brat from the countryside. However, she could not find trouble with Yin Xiaodie and could only vent all her anger on this little liar. Cheng Qingxue gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You must have cheated!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said meaningfully, ¡°I can¡¯t compare to you in terms of cheating. Are the pigeons of the Holy Mountain easy to raise?¡± Cheng Qingxue¡¯s expression changed. ¡°How did you know¡­¡± She shut up halfway. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Mei Ji, let¡¯s go.¡± Mei Ji raised her chin. ¡°Yes, Miss! Some people don¡¯t have the ability and specialize in finding trouble with others. We won¡¯t lower ourselves to the level of such people!¡± Cheng Qingxue was so angry that she trembled. She turned around and looked at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s back. ¡°What¡¯s there to be proud of? You¡¯re just a shit stirring stick! ¡± The maidservants laughed gloatingly. Second Miss had finally turned the tables. Unexpectedly, in the next second, they couldn¡¯t smile anymore. Su Xiaoxiao said casually, ¡°I¡¯m a stick after all. It¡¯s better than shit like you.¡± Cheng Qingxue was speechless. And so were the maids.. Chapter 889 - Chapter 889: Retribution Chapter 889: Retribution Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cheng Qingxue came to Cheng Lian¡¯s room with red eyes. She was not aggrieved. She was crying from anger. Ever since that little liar came to the Cheng family, she had not had a comfortable day. ¡°Alright, alright. Isn¡¯t it just a rank higher than you? There are still two rounds left. She won¡¯t be able to defeat you.¡± To be honest, she was not in a good mood. The news that she had been demoted to a concubine maidservant had already spread throughout the residence. The servants did not dare to laugh at her on the surface, but the way they looked at her had changed. Not only that, but that bastard had blocked the door and asked for the key to the storeroom. If she could not get it, she was not allowed to enter the residence. She got someone to pull open the door, but the new actor was so powerful that he beat up all her guards. She went to look for Xie Yunhe again. However, Xie Yunhe said, ¡°Since your sister wants it, give it to her.¡± This was the man she had loved all her life. He had been like this to Cheng Sang in the past. Now, it was her turn. Cheng Lian¡¯s heart was bleeding. She felt a deep betrayal, even though Xie Yunhe had yet to do anything¡­ However, at times, it is this inaction that is even more disappointing. Cheng Lian¡¯s heart was in a mess. On the one hand, it was because of Xie Yunhe¡¯s coldness. On the other hand, she did not want everything she had painstakingly built to be taken back by Cheng Sang. She really did not have the time to deal with her daughter. ¡°Bear with it for two more days. With your sister suppressing her, she won¡¯t be able to turn things around. When you become the Saintess, your father will understand that the people he can really rely on are still us.¡± These words might be useful to the Saintess, but how could Cheng Qingxue, who had been spoiled since she was young, listen? Cheng Qingxue refused to give up. ¡°I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care! I hate her! I don¡¯t allow her to ride on my head! Didn¡¯t you hear how she humiliated me at the door just now? She¡¯s a little liar. She deceived Elder Mother and stole the family head¡¯s token. Now, she cheated and snatched my first place! I can¡¯t take this lying down!¡± Cheng Lian said in frustration, ¡°Stop fooling around! With your sister watching, the position of the Saintess will definitely be yours. Why do you have to fight for the first place in the selection?¡± Cheng Qingxue was stunned by Cheng Lian¡¯s scolding. ¡°Mother, why are you so fierce to me?¡± The servants did not even dare to breathe loudly. Madam had always had a good temper and spoke softly to everyone, especially Second Miss. However, ever since the little girl came to the Cheng family, Madam had become more and more easily aggravated. Cheng Lian also realized that she had lost her composure. She smiled and patted her daughter¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired today. Didn¡¯t you take the exam all day? Go back and rest early. I¡¯ll send someone to tell your sister later and ask her to think of a way. How about that?¡± These words finally comforted Cheng Qingxue. She curled her lips and said, ¡°Alright, Mother, rest early too.¡± After Cheng Qingxue left, Cheng Lian did not immediately get someone to go to the Holy Maiden Temple. Instead, she called her trusted maidservant over. ¡°Go and see if Old Master is back.¡± It was not that Cheng Lian did not care about her daughter¡¯s feelings, but in her opinion, her daughter was almost certain to be the Saintess. She did not have to worry at all. On the other hand, the situation in the Cheng family was not optimistic. She had to think of a way to get the family head¡¯s token back. Su Xiaoxiao returned to Cheng Sang¡¯s courtyard and learned her results from Uncle Quan. Uncle Quan had told Cheng Sang long ago. Cheng Sang smiled. ¡°Weiwei is amazing!¡± Su Xiaoxiao sat down beside her on the newly set swing. ¡°How was Mom at home today?¡± Cheng Sang whispered, ¡°I miss Weiwei.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said softly, ¡°Did you do anything else when you missed me?¡± Cheng Sang¡¯s eyes darted around as she answered honestly, ¡°I played cards.¡± At the mention of this, Yuchi Xiu¡¯s face darkened. He, who was ranked second on the Assassin Ranking, could not defeat a little crazy woman. He had lost all his monthly allowance again and even borrowed ten taels from Uncle Quan. .. On high interest. Uncle Quan was also black-hearted! Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Yuchi Xiu and Uncle Quan plated with you. Who was the other player?¡± The chef came over with a plate of freshly cooked snacks and smiled awkwardly. ¡°It was me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t have a bad impression of the chef. The others always pointed at Cheng Sang and disobeyed her. The chef didn¡¯t get involved and only cooked in the small kitchen. ¡°Young Miss, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t say a word.¡± She could tell that Cheng Sang was pretending to have recovered. Since Uncle Quan could agree to her coming over, he must have investigated her background. She could be trusted. ¡°In the future, the ingredients in the courtyard will not be taken from the main kitchenl. You will only use the ingredients Uncle Quan bought from outside.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Although the chef did not understand why Young Miss had instructed her like this, she still agreed solemnly. ¡°Mother, other than the few of us, don¡¯t eat anything anyone gives you. Do you remember?¡± ¡°I shall remember.¡± Cheng Lian couldn¡¯t win and would soon play dirty tricks. With Yuchi Xiu around, she wasn¡¯t worried about assassination, but she still had to be wary of poisoning. ¡°Why is Cheng Lian so bold?¡± Mei Ji asked Su Xiaoxiao after entering the house. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°If a dog is anxious, it will jump over the wall. If she doesn¡¯t make a move soon, the power in her hands will be taken over. The key is that Xie Yunhe isn¡¯t on her side.¡± When Mei Ji heard this, she was enlightened. ¡°No wonder you only slapped Cheng Lian when you let Cheng Sang act at the beginning and didn¡¯t completely fall out with Xie Yunhe. You¡¯re not worried that Cheng Sang won¡¯t be able to do it. You want to sow discord between Xie Yunhe and Cheng Lian.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Xie Yunhe only wants the Cheng family. It¡¯s not difficult to guess who can give it to him.¡± Mei Ji said happily, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Cheng Lian feel terrible? She¡¯s been trying to please him for 30 years.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took a sip of tea. ¡°This is called reaping what you sow.¡± Xie Yunhe returned from outside and bumped into Cheng Lian when he passed by the small garden. Cheng Lian dismissed the servants and looked at him with tears in her eyes. Xie Yunhe frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s so late. Why aren¡¯t you resting?¡± Cheng Lian asked aggrievedly, ¡°Are you avoiding me?¡± Xie Yunhe said, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? There have been many things happening in the family recently¡­¡± Cheng Lian looked at him deeply. ¡°No matter how busy you were in the past, you would come over. But recently, you¡¯ve been going to Sister¡¯s place every day. You haven¡¯t taken the initiative to look for me and Qingxue for a few days.¡± Xie Yunhe said, ¡°Qingxue is going to the Holy Selection. I don¡¯t want to disturb her. ¡± Cheng Lian smiled bitterly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that girl need to go for the Holy Selection? Aren¡¯t you afraid of disturbing her? Are you planning to return to Sister¡¯s side again? ¡°If you want to think that, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± With that, Xie Yunhe brushed past her. ¡°Xie Yunhe!¡± Cheng Lian stopped him, her tone carrying a rare intensity. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? Sister is trying to sow discord between you and me. Do you think she will really forgive you? She has hated me since she was young, but you married me. She can¡¯t wait to cut you into pieces!¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± Xie Yunhe was very calm. Cheng Lian looked at his extremely cold gaze and it pierced her heart like a sharp knife.. Chapter 890 - Chapter 890: The Truth About Wei Xu Chapter 890: The Truth About Wei Xu Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°It¡¯s too late. Go back. The wind is strong at night. Take care.¡± After Xie Yunhe comforted Cheng Lian softly, he took off his cloak and covered her. This man was like this. No matter how cold he was, he could always coax her with the gentlest words. Cheng Lian almost fell into his gentle trap. It was not until Cheng Lian saw him turn a corner in the night and walk towards Cheng Sang¡¯s courtyard that her heart sank to the bottom. Had Cheng Sang felt so uncomfortable back then? No. Cheng Sang went crazy. She didn¡¯t know what discomfort was at all. Only she had endured all the pain from the beginning to the end. ¡°Madam.¡± The maidservant whispered. She only dared to speak like this. Cheng Lian had already been addressed in public as a concubine maidservant. The maidservant was afraid that if she called Madam and the eldest branch heard her, they would chase her out. Cheng Lian took a deep breath and slowly asked, ¡°Prepare the carriage. I want to leave the residence.¡± ¡°Madam, it¡¯s very late¡­¡± ¡°Now, I can¡¯t even order a little maid around, right?¡± ¡°No, Madam!¡± The maidservant was so frightened that her face turned pale. Madam had really become more and more temperamental recently. The maidservant prepared the carriage. Cheng Lian sat in it and went to the dye shop. She found Uncle Han and asked him to go to the Holy Maiden Temple. Originally, she did not care. She was just a little liar from town. So what if she was lucky enough to get first place in a round? The final position of the Saintess would not fall into her hands. At the thought that Cheng Sang would be smug about that girl¡¯s first place, she felt disgusted, jealous, and crazy! ¡°Madam, are you sure you want to do this?¡± Uncle Han asked. ¡°Even you are questioning my decision?¡± Cheng Lian asked angrily. Uncle Han sensed Cheng Lian¡¯s anger. He did not ask what had happened. Instead, he said, ¡°I just feel that the privileges in the Saintess¡¯s hands are very precious. It¡¯s not too late to use them at the end.¡± The Saintess could not directly decide who would be the next Saintess, but she could decide who would not be the Saintess. This was the privilege of the Saintess. However, it could only be used once. That was why Uncle Han said that it was more appropriate to use it last. Cheng Lian said, ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. Go find the Saintess. I don¡¯t want to see that girl in the next round.¡± Uncle Han sighed helplessly. ¡°Yes.¡± Uncle Han immediately brought a batch of satin to the Holy Maiden Temple. Unexpectedly, something happened to the Saintess. In the meeting hall, the eight elders gathered and sat on both sides. The Saintess stood in the middle of the hall. ¡°As I said, I don¡¯t know those children, and I didn¡¯t break the rules of the Holy Maiden Temple.¡± Elder Ji smiled. ¡°But what did the three children say? They called you mother on the streets. This is an undeniable fact. You can¡¯t deny it, right?¡± The Saintess looked at her coldly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Elder Ji know this better than me?¡± Elder Ji chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t put the blame on me. You make it sound like those children were found by the Ji family and me.¡± That was right. The assassins that night was indeed arranged by the Ji family. The rumors that the Saintess had given birth to a few children were also spread by those men in black. But she did not fabricate the children. If not for the fact that there were really children in the secret room of the Qionghua Hall, who would have thought of using the triplets to ¡°trap¡± the Saintess? After all, a rumor about the Saintess giving birth to triplets sounded very fake! The current situation was that the Saintess was certain that the triplets and the little girl were arranged by the Ji family, and Elder Ji was certain that the children were secretly born by the Saintess herself. Elder Ji said, ¡°Five years ago, you left the Holy Temple to travel around. You left for more than half a year. Who knows if you gave birth to triplets at that time?¡± The Saintess asked, ¡°What did that girl say?¡± ¡°Alright, stop arguing,¡± Elder Lou, who was the oldest, slowly said. She was the most experienced elder. Even the Saintess had to give her some face. The Saintess said seriously, ¡°If everyone doesn¡¯t believe me, I¡¯m willing to accept a physical examination.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Elder Lou said. ¡°Saintess, go to the Holy Mountain for a few days.¡± ¡®Why?¡± The Holy Mountain was a forbidden area of the Holy Maiden Temple. Other than the regular opening of the Holy Selection, one could only enter when they were picking herbs or being punished. In this situation, it was obvious that she was not asking the Saintess to pick herbs. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why should I be punished?¡± The Saintess was not convinced. ¡°This is the will of the King of the Southern Wilderness.¡± A feminine voice sounded unhurriedly outside the hall. The Saintess turned around. ¡°Eunuch Jin.¡± Eunuch Jin was in his thirties and was a eunuch. There was a faint smile on his lips, but the sharpness in his eyes was chilling. ¡°I wonder if the Saintess has any objections?¡± If the Saintess¡¯ personal actions humiliated the Holy Maiden Temple, she should be punished. This was the rule of the Holy Maiden Temple and also the commandment of the Holy Maiden Temple. ¡°Qingyao has no objections,¡± the Saintess said calmly. Eunuch Jin smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the next Holy Selection.¡± This meant that she was not allowed to participate anymore. The Saintess clenched her fists. Eunuch Jin¡¯s smile did not change. ¡°In addition, His Majesty asked me to ask the Saintess for something.¡± ¡°Hurry up and go back.¡± Outside the Holy Maiden Temple, Emissary Lu said to Uncle Han, ¡°Don¡¯t come over again for the time being. The Saintess is at the center of the storm and her reputation is damaged. Even the royal family is alarmed.¡± The people of the Southern Wilderness believed in the Holy Maiden Temple. The more pious they were, the more they could not tolerate it. They firmly believed that once the Saintess was impure, it would attract the wrath of the heavens and bring calamity to the entire southern border. Uncle Han did not expect this to happen. She had been a Saintess for so many years and had never made any mistakes. She was about to step down in glory when such a thing suddenly happened. THis was going to ruin the Saintess¡¯s reputation¡­ Uncle Han left with a headache. It seemed that Madam¡¯s instructions could not be completed. However, fortunately, they had already planned everything. The position of the Second Miss¡¯s Saintess was in the bag. The most important thing now was to find a way to prove the Saintess¡¯ innocence. ¡°Where did the Ji family get the triplets? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen triplets in so many years¡­¡± In the carriage, Uncle Han was puzzled. When he reacted, he suddenly sensed that something was wrong. He lifted the curtain and looked at the coachman. This was not his coachman. He was too burly! ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked warily. The other party did not say anything and knocked him out with an iron fist. Literally, iron fists. After all, Wei Liulang¡¯s golden arm was indeed made of metal. When Uncle Han woke up, he realized that he was blindfolded and sitting on a cold chair with his hands and feet tied. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Wei Ting asked coldly. Uncle Han frowned. He felt that this voice was familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had heard it before. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath on him. I¡¯ll cut off one of his fingers first,¡± Wei Liulang said as he pulled out his dagger and grabbed Uncle Han¡¯s hand. Uncle Han was frightened and struggled in the chair. ¡°What are you doing! Stop! Stop!¡± Wei Liulang threatened, ¡°If you don¡¯t want us to cut off your finger, tell us the truth. Why did the Saintess capture Wei Xu?¡± wei xu? They had already found out that person¡¯s identity? Uncle Han asked, ¡°Are you¡­ from the Ji family?¡± ¡°Do you want to silence him, Brother?¡± Wei Ting asked. Silencing¡­ was indeed from the Ji family! Ghostfear said, ¡°If he¡¯s willing to cooperate obediently, I¡¯ll spare his wretched life.¡± Wei Liulang patted Uncle Han¡¯s face with his dagger. ¡°Did you hear that? Our brother said that if you cooperate obediently, he won¡¯t kill you. But if I find out that you¡¯re lying, I¡¯ll immediately chop off your fingers one by one and feed them to you!¡± Uncle Han shivered. The three brothers had endless methods of torturing people. In the end, Uncle Han could not resist and confessed the truth he knew. ¡°It¡¯s for the sake of restoring the country¡­ Wei Xu¡­ is a descendant of Emperor Wii!¡± Chapter 891 - Chapter 891: Doting Chapter 891: Doting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Emperor Wu? What Emperor Wu?¡± Wei Liulang was stunned for three seconds. Ghostfear glared at his stinky brother and wanted to beat him up. Ever since he became a sacrificial soldier, a certain someone¡¯s temper gradually couldn¡¯t be controlled. After all, the rules of sacrificial soldiers were to do people in. ¡°The previous dynasty¡¯s Emperor Wu, ¡± Wei Ting said. Ghostfear¡¯s violent temper eased a little. At the mention of the previous dynasty, Wei Liulang remembered. He was wondering why it was so familiar. His father¡¯s golden armor was placed in a secret room in the ruins of the previous dynasty to cover the relics of the previous dynasty inside. That relic was now safeguarded by Seventh Sister-in-law. As for what was in the box, Su Xuan guessed that it was the jade seal of the previous dynasty. However, this was only a guess. They would only know if they opened the box. Unfortunately, up until now, they had tried many methods but could not open the box. Perhaps their father knew. But their father¡¯s current memories were chaotic¡­ In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Wei Liulang¡¯s mind. ¡°Didn¡¯t the royal family of the Southern Wilderness descend from the previous dynasty¡¯s royal family? Why would there be a need for a descendant of Emperor Wu to revive the country?¡± Wei Ting spoke. This time, he deliberately lowered his voice. Uncle Han said, ¡°It¡¯s different. The royal family of the Southern Wilderness is a side branch of the previous dynasty¡¯s royal family. Only Emperor Wu¡¯s lineage is the direct descendant and has the prestige to command the world.¡± Wei Ting continued, ¡°How do you know that Wei Xu is a descendant of Emperor wu?¡± Uncle Han shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the details. I was following the Saintess¡¯ instructions. She doesn¡¯t need to explain everything to me, and I don¡¯t have the guts to ask. I swear, what I said is true!¡± The three brothers exchanged a look. Wei Ting continued, ¡°You went to Broken Pass with Cheng Qingxue a while ago. What did you do?¡± Uncle Han was shocked. The Ji family had actually found out that they had gone to Broken North Pass? Wei Liulang threatened, ¡°Tell me quickly! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll chop you up!¡± Uncle Han trembled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you! Wei Xu suffered internal injuries. We wanted to find the Snow Domain Hemp to treat him.¡± Wei Ting gave Sixth Brother a look. Wei Liulang stabbed the back of his hand. ¡°Ah!¡± Uncle Han let out a scream of pain, his face twisting. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Ghostfear scolded Wei Liulang in a low voice. Uncle Han was about to cry. At least there was someone sensible. Ghostfear said unhappily, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to chop off his finger? If your saber technique isn¡¯t good, get someone else!¡± Uncle Han was speechless! L dLLdCK¡¯. 1 11 expldlll! 1 11 expldlll evuyunmg: He was really afraid. He did not dare to hide anything anymore and told him about finding the relics of the previous dynasty. ¡°What¡¯s that relic?¡± Wei Ting asked. Uncle Han cried and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I really don¡¯t know¡­ The Saintess only said that it¡¯s related to restoring the country¡­ With him¡­ the identity of Emperor Wu¡¯s descendant can be legitimate¡­¡± If it was a jade seal, this explanation matched. Wei Ting continued, ¡°Is the revival of the country the ambition of the King of the Southern Wilderness or the Saintess¡¯?¡± Uncle Han said with a trembling voice, ¡°The¡­ the King of the Southern Wilderness¡­ the Saintess of also has a little selfish thought.¡± Wei Liulang asked anxiously, ¡°What selfish thought?¡± Uncle Han swallowed and braced himself. ¡°She wants¡­ to marry the descendant of Emperor Wu after she abdicates and give birth to the bloodline of the Emperor¡¯s descendant.¡± This shameless woman had indeed taken a fancy to their father! Not to mention that their biological mother was still around, even if she was not around, it was not her turn to be their stepmother! The reason why the Saintess did not turn Wei Xu into a eunuch was solved. The dignified Saintess actually coveted their father. Their father and the Saintess were more than a generation apart. He already had seven sons. What was the Saintess thinking? Fortunately, they arrived in time. Otherwise, they would really have a younger brother or sister. She did not care about ordinary people. She did not even care about the royal family of the Southern Wilderness. If she wanted to marry, she would marry a true descendant of Emperor Wu. What an ambitious woman. After coming out of the alley, Wei Ting lowered his voice and teased Ghostfear. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re Father¡¯s eldest son. The Saintess can¡¯t get Father. If she finds out that you¡¯re still alive, she might capture you as her son-in-law.¡± Ghostfear muttered, ¡°Why is this guy being even more annoying than Sixth Brother? ¡°What about that person?¡± Wei Liulang asked. His voice was neither loud nor soft, just enough for Uncle Han to hear. Wei Ting said in a dramatic manner, ¡°The family head didn¡¯t ask us to take his life. It¡¯s better not to complicate matters. Let¡¯s go back and report to the family head.¡± Uncle Han gritted his teeth. Family head¡­ It was undoubtedly the Ji family. Just you wait, the Saintess will take revenge! The three of them returned to their residence. Li Wan had just finished bathing Dahu and Erhu and was drying their hair when Wei Xiyue fell asleep in Wei Qing¡¯s arms. ¡°Second Sister-in-law, where¡¯s Xiaohu?¡± Wei Ting asked. ¡°In Dad¡¯s room,¡± Li Wan said. ¡°Dad doesn¡¯t seem to be feeling well.¡± Actually, he was already uncomfortable just now. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have gone back alone after giving Xiaohu to her. Li Wan was a little worried. ¡°Your second brother said that ever since Dad returned, he has been locked in the room alone and didn¡¯t eat dinner. Xiaohu went in just now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look!¡± Wei Liu ang said. Li Wan reminded, ¡°Little Six, be careful!¡± Just now, when the assassin went to their father, he was slapped by Wei Xu. Their father¡¯s condition was not right. Only the children were not attacked by him when they approached him. Wei Xu was experiencing a very painful withdrawal reaction. It was as if ten thousand ants had crawled into his bones and blood. He fell into an extremely manic state. Before he completely lost his mind, a round ball climbed up. He looked at him cutely. ¡®Grandpa, what¡¯s wrong? His childish voice was like a clear spring that flowed into his sea of consciousness. A moment of clarity returned to his eyes. Xiaohu rolled around the bed, bumping into him from time to time or crawling all over him. He was like a small mountain. Xiaohu climbed over the mountain with a sense of accomplishment. Wei Xu hugged the little guy. Xiaohu couldn¡¯t move. His big black eyes blinked and his eyes darted around. ¡°Is Grandpa going to sleep? Alright.¡± Xiaohu wanted to twitch his small arm, but he couldn¡¯t. Only his small head could move. He thought for a moment and rubbed his head against Wei Xu¡¯s chest. ¡°Grandpa, be good. Sleep.¡± Wei Xu¡¯s mania was comforted by the little fellow¡¯s head bit by bit. ¡°Grandpa, be good and sleep.¡± Xiaohu coaxed Wei Xu like an adult coaxing him to sleep. ¡°Grandpa, be good¡­ be good¡­ sleep¡­ hu-¡± Xiaohu coaxed himself to sleep. Wei Liulang pushed the door open and entered. He heard Xiaohu¡¯s even snoring and saw that his father was also asleep. He walked over quietly, bent down, lifted the thin blanket, and planned to carry Xiaohu out. Just as he grabbed the little fellow¡¯s shoulder, Wei Xu opened his eyes. ¡°Dad¡­ Howl¡ª¡± Wei Liulang was sent flying again. Wei Xu rolled the little guy into his arms. To think Wei Liulang wanted to snatch the little packrat from him.. Hmph! Chapter 892 - Chapter 892: The Might of the Family Head Chapter 892: The Might of the Family Head Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting, Wei Qing, and Ghostfear sat in the study for a meeting. Wei Liulang was hung on the treetop again. The three of them did not even look up; it was as if they had expected this outcome. Ghostfear looked at Wei Qing calmly. ¡°What do you think?¡± Wei Qing said, ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be lying, but whether what he said is true remains to be verified.¡± Wei Qing chuckled. ¡°That guy is right. This trip to the southern border is becoming more and more interesting.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that guy?¡± Wei Ting asked. Wei Qing casually played dumb to demur. ¡°In short, there¡¯s such a person.¡± Seeing that his second brother was unwilling to say, Wei Ting stopped asking. Wei Liulang swayed on the branch. ¡°Hey, you guys, at least get me down¡­¡± The next day, Su Xiaoxiao woke up early. Mei Ji was already squatting in the courtyard and eating sweet potatoes. Looking at her eating heartily, she should be fine, but her face was still a little pale. The last time, Mei Ji was attacked by the puppet expert of the Holy Maiden Temple and basically recovered in a night. From this, it could be seen that the Saintess¡¯ martial arts were even above that the skills of the puppet expert. As for whether all the puppet experts were inferior to the Saintess, Su Xiaoxiao could not conclude easily for the time being. Su Xiaoxiao walked over and took Mei Ji¡¯s pulse. ¡°Remember to take the medicine. Take one every morning and night.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Mei Ji agreed. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You won¡¯t be following me today. You won¡¯t be able to enter the Holy Mountain even if you go. There¡¯s nowhere to rest.¡± Mei Ji said, ¡°I can wait for you in the carriage.¡± Su Xiaoxiao shook her head slightly. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Stay at home and take care of Cheng Sang.¡± Mei Ji took a bite of the sweet potato. ¡°Are you afraid that the old lotus will attack Cheng Sang?¡± Su Xiaoxiao took off a leaf that had landed on her head. ¡°Guess who she went to see last night?¡± Mei Ji asked vaguely, ¡°Who is it?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Uncle Han, although I don¡¯t know what she said to Uncle Han, Uncle Han immediately went to the Holy Maiden Temple after seeing her. I guess it¡¯s most likely related to me. She can¡¯t sit still anymore.¡± Mei Ji put down the half-eaten sweet potato. ¡°If it¡¯s related to you, shouldn¡¯t I protect you even more? I¡¯ll sneak into the Holy Mountain!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°It¡¯s better for you to stay at home and recuperate. I have ways to protect myself.¡± It was not convenient to use her methods in front of Meiji. After Su Xiaoxiao reminded Mei Ji, Cheng Sang woke up. Su Xiaoxiao went to have breakfast with her. After a few days of recuperation, Cheng Sang looked much better and was clean. Her clothes were no longer wrinkled, and there were no leaves or grass on her head. It was not an exaggeration to say that she was refreshed. ¡°Mother, I still have to go out today. I¡¯ll come back tonight.¡± Su Xiaoxiao proved her credibility with her actions and Cheng Sang had grown more and more at ease with her. She pulled her to play for a while and personally sent her to the carriage. This was also the first time Cheng Sang had stepped out of the Cheng family in so many years. She sat in the wheelchair and looked at the blue sky above her. A trace of confusion flashed across her eyes. Su Xiaoxiao tidied her hair and said softly, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Cheng Sang nodded. ¡°Mother will wait for Weiwei to come back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Okav.¡± Mei Ji pushed Cheng Sang. Cheng Sang could walk, but she was too lazy to. Su Xiaoxiao was about to get into the carriage when Xie Yunhe came over. He was here to send Su Xiaoxiao to the Holy Mountain. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly and gestured behind Xie Yunhe with her eyes. ¡°Grandpa, are you sure you¡¯re here to send me off?¡± Xie Yunhe turned around and saw Cheng Lian and Cheng Qingxue at the door. Cheng Lian was expressionless. Cheng Qingxue looked aggrieved. As for Cheng Sang, she had long gone away. She did not see Xie Yunhe acting as a doting father at all. Xie Yunhe frowned. Su Xiaoxiao said mockingly, ¡°You should save this face for your concubine maidservant and concubine daughter. As the future head of the Cheng family, I don¡¯t need it!¡± After saying that domineeringly, she did not return to the carriage. Xie Yunhe was so angry that his face turned ashen. The Holy Mountain was located at the back of the Holy Maiden Temple and was connected to the Holy Maiden Temple. Because of its special nature, it had always been regarded as a forbidden area of the Holy Maiden Temple. This was the year of the Holy Selection, so people had a chance to enter the Holy Mountain, but it was also clearly divided. With the stream as the boundary, one could enter and exit the Southern Holy Mountain freely. However, they were not allowed to cross the stream to enter the Northern Holy Mountain. When Su Xiaoxiao arrived at the entrance of the Southern Holy Mountain, many women had already gathered there. Yin Xiaodie was also there. Yin Xiaodie saw her from afar and stood in the carriage, waving at her. Su Xiaoxiao arrived too late and path ahead was already congested with carriages. She could only walk over. Fortunately, it was not too far. ¡°Why are you only here now?¡± Yin Xiaodie jumped out of the carriage. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I can¡¯t enter even if I¡¯m early.¡± Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°That¡¯s true, but you can get the right cards first. I¡¯ve already helped you get them. Here!¡± Su Xiaoxiao took the cards and hummed. ¡°Can you collect this on someone else¡¯s behalf?¡± A certain little guy raised his chin proudly. ¡°For others, of course not. But I¡¯m Yin Xiaodie!¡± Su Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t help but want to pinch her face again. Yin Xiaodie was pinched into a bun face. ¡°If you continue to pinch me, I will take them back!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and rubbed the top of her head. Yin Xiaodie snorted, ¡± Hmph!¡± Su Xiaoxiao noticed that everyone was sizing them up. This was the treatment of getting first place in the first round. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why they¡¯re looking at us like that?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked despite knowing the answer. Yin Xiaodie was indeed very happy. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you didn¡¯t pay attention to the results. You and I were tied for first place yesterday! Speaking of which, you wrote randomly yesterday. How can you still get first place?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Who said I wrote it randomly?¡± Yin Xiaodie was shocked. ¡°Did you really know the answers?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°Half of it?¡± Yin Xiaodie didn¡¯t know what to say. Soon, it was their turn to enter the Holy Mountain. Yin Xiaodie and Su Xiaoxiao handed in their cards and received a sheepskin map of the South Holy Mountain. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°What are the specific rules? Do we just look for the Holy Bird?¡± Yin Xiaodie was used to her never listening to the rules. Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s best for one to find the Holy Bird. If you can¡¯t find the Holy Bird, finding the Holy Grass will be considered a pass. However¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Yin Xiaodie coughed lightly. ¡°You said last time that you wanted the Snake Bone Flower, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao saw that her expression was strange. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is the Snake Bone Flower gone? Yin Xiaodie sighed. ¡°Last night, the King of the Southern Border sent Eunuch Jin to see the Saintess and took away the Snake Bone Flower in the Saintess¡¯s bedroom.¡± Su Xiaoxiao stopped in her tracks. Yin Xiaodie hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Let me finish. There¡¯s actually another Snake Bone Flower in the Holy Mountain¡­ in the Northern Holy Mountain..¡± Chapter 893 - Chapter 893: Wuhu Taking Action Chapter 893: Wuhu Taking Action Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Uncle Han had indeed said that the Snake Bone Flower was on the Holy Mountain. Later on, Ghostfear and Wei Liulang found out that the Snake Bone Flower was in the Saint Lady Temple. She thought that the Snake Bone Flower had been transplanted by the Holy Maiden to her bedroom. So they were not talking about the same Snake Bone Flower. Between taking the Snake Bone Flower that was with the King of the Southern Border and the one on the Holy Mountain, Su Xiaoxiao naturally chose the latter. Yin Xiaodie said in shame, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your deal with me¡­¡¯ Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. ¡°No, the deal with would not have been possible.¡± She was close to Yin Xiaodie. Once Yin Xiaodie said that she wanted the Snake Bone Flower that was useless to the Yin family, the Saintess would definitely guess that it was for her. Since she had already completely fallen out with the Saintess on the streets last night, the Saintess would rather destroy the Snake Bone Flower than to give it to her. The Snake Bone Flower on the Northern Holy Mountain was really a pleasant surprise. Seeing Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s silence, Yin Xiaodie thought that she was afraid. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. At most, I¡¯ll go with you later. If I¡¯m discovered, I¡¯ll say that I¡¯m lost. Anyway, I¡¯m only nine years old. It¡¯s not surprising that I¡¯m lost.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was amused by her. ¡°You remember that you¡¯re a child now. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yin Xiaodie looked at her and then at the map in her hand. ¡°That¡¯s not the direction to the Northern Holy Mountain! You¡¯ve gone the wrong wav! ¡± Yin Xiaodie chased after Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve gone the wrong way!¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°No, it¡¯s here.¡± Seeing that Yin Xiaodie did not follow, she said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking for the Holy Bird?¡± Yin Xiaodie said in a daze, ¡°Yes, I want to find it, but you¡­ you¡¯re not here to participate in the Holy Selection¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao pinched her fat. ¡°If you can accompany me to the Northern Holy Mountain, why can¡¯t I accompany you to catch the bird?¡± Yin Xiaodie: ¡°You just want to pinch my face, right?¡± Su Xiaoxiao coughed. Su Xiaoxiao folded the map. ¡°Tell me, what are the characteristics of the Holy Bird? You can¡¯t just catch a pigeon and call it a Holy Bird.¡± Yin Xiaodie sighed. ¡°This¡­ can only depend on luck.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean by we can only try our luck?¡± Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°I only know that the Holy Bird is a pigeon, but they didn¡¯t reveal in advance the characteristics of the Holy Bird. After catching it, I¡¯ll have to hand it to the Saintess and the elders to screen it. They naturally have the means to screen the Holy Bird.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said suspiciously, ¡°So, it¡¯s dependent on luck?¡± Miss Yin corrected her seriously. ¡°This is called a divine decree. If you¡¯re chosen by the Heavenly God, you will definitely be able to find the real Holy Bird. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be one.¡± The corners of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. Yin Xiaodie continued, ¡°No one can guarantee that they caught a Holy Bird, so it¡¯s best if we pick a few holy grasses. At least, we have a chance to advance first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao patted her shoulder. ¡°Alright, I understand. Next, I¡¯ll let you see what it means to be able to catch a Heavenly God¡¯s bird even if you¡¯re not chosen by him.¡± Wait, she felt that she could not think too much about the latter sentence. ¡°Let the people following us disperse.¡± Su Xiaoxiao retracted her hand. Yin Xiaodie was shocked again. ¡°You, you discovered it?¡± ¡°Is it difficult?¡± Ever since they entered the Holy Mountain, she had sensed that a few people were following them secretly. The other party had no ill intentions, so Su Xiaoxiao ignored them. ¡°They¡¯re also here to participate, but their main mission is to protect me, not to snatch the position of Saintess from me.¡± This was the advantage of a large family. Not only could they give the best resources to their descendants in all aspects, but they could also arrange for their trusted aides to protect the seeded contestants. Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s enough that you have me. You don¡¯t need them. They can follow us if you want. They¡¯re not allowed to get within a hundred steps of us.¡± Yin Xiaodie was stunned. ¡°Why?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Are you afraid that others won¡¯t notice you? What if you catch the Holy Bird and it¡¯s snatched away? The other families had similar arrangements, but Su Xiaoxiao clearly sensed that the martial arts of the Ji family and Cheng Qingxue were at the highest level, followed by the Yue family. The Yin family could only be ranked at the bottom. In addition, Yin Xiaodie was only a few years old. The possibility of her being robbed was very high. Su Xiaoxiao bent down and looked into her eyes. ¡°The rules didn¡¯t say that you can¡¯t snatch it, right?¡± Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°No.¡± Su Xiaoxiao straightened up. ¡°That¡¯s right. From this moment on, you have to protect your whereabouts carefully.¡± Yin Xiaodie was not an ungrateful person. She could tell that Su Xiaoxiao was sincerely concerned for her sake. She hesitated for a moment before agreeing readily. She raised her palm-sized face and said seriously, ¡°Cheng Su, regardless of whether you can find the Holy Bird or not, I¡¯ll remember your kindness. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re from the Cheng family. The Yin family won¡¯t treat you badly.¡± Did the little fellow guess that she was not Cheng Sang¡¯s biological granddaughter and was still willing to provide her with protection? She did not do this all for Yin Xiaodie. She had read about the Snake Bone Flower in the Book Depository yesterday. The Snake Bone Flower was first used to feed the Holy Bird. The Holy Bird liked to eat the seeds of the Snake Bone Flower. Many years ago, the Southern Wilderness experienced an earth dragon infestation and a large number of Snake Bone Flowers were destroyed, causing the herb to become rare. The Holy Mountain was so big. It was no different from finding a needle in a haystack for her to locate the Snake Bone Flower. However, if she let the Holy Bird find it, it would be much simpler, right? Su Xiaoxiao said in amusement, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember it. You¡¯re not allowed to go back on your word on that day.¡± Yin Xiaoqi said seriously, ¡°I won¡¯t! Our Yin family keeps our word!¡± Yin Little Seven went to explain to the candidates who were secretly protecting her, and everyone retreated. When she returned to Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s side, two groups of people not far away actually fought. ¡°I discovered it first!¡± ¡°So what if you discovered it? I caught it first!¡± It was Yue Qinghuan and Ji Roushu. The two of them were fighting fiercely for a white pigeon. Yin Xiaodie said disdainfully, ¡°The two of them have always been friends. At the critical moment, they turned hostile faster than flipping a book. Should we snatch it too?¡± Su Xiaoxiao: ¡°Little one, your change in attitude is very fast.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the branch in front of her and gave Wuhu, who had stopped on the branch, a look. Wuhu flew over with its small wings. The pigeon was locked in a bird cage and hung from a branch. The two sides fought fiercely, constantly on guard against anyone approaching, but Wuhu was a bird. Wuhu landed on a branch and spoke to the white pigeon in the bird cage. Wu Hu said, ¡°Gugugu!¡¯ ¡°Are you a holy bird?¡± White Pigeon: ¡°Coo, coo, coo!¡± ¡°Thats not the case!¡± Wuhu said, ¡°Coo, coo!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± The white pigeon was dumbfounded! ¡°You bastard! At least let me out before leaving!¡± Su Xiaoxiao patted Yin Xiaodie¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go. That¡¯s not a Holy Bird.¡± Yin Xiaodie looked at her in confusion. ¡°How did you know?¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Maybe¡­ I have a special bird recognition technique?¡± Uh¡­ she felt that this sentence was not proper.. Chapter 894 - Chapter 894: Battling to Vent Her Anger Chapter 894: Battling to Vent Her Anger Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoxiao and Yin Xiaodie searched the South Holy Mountain. Along the way, they encountered many famous scenes of participants snatching white pigeons. Everyone wanted to be the Saintess. It didn¡¯t matter if she was the daughter of the four great families. As long as she became the Holy Maiden, there would be many opportunities to make the family stronger. The four great families could arrange for their trusted aides to participate in the selection. Although the others could not, they could temporarily team up. ¡°It¡¯s intense.¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked at the two groups fighting fiercely in the southeast. She really did not understand the thinking of the person who first created the Holy Selection in the Holy Maiden Temple. How could that person think of such an unreliable method to choose the Saintess? The first generation, the second generation¡­ and even the previous generations might really have a lot of luck. However, it had evolved to this point where it was all based on the family¡¯s strength. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to snatch this?¡± Yin Xiaodie pointed at the pigeon they had locked in the cloth bag. Su Xiaoxiao looked at Wuhu that flew away. ¡°No.¡± Yin Xiaodie suddenly whispered, ¡°Did you notice that we were followed?¡± Su Xiaoxiao looked around. ¡°Really?¡± Yin Xiaodie nodded seriously. ¡°It¡¯s a bird. It seems to have been following us. Could it have been sent by the Saintess to monitor our whereabouts?¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°Wuhu, you little spy. You were discovered.¡± Su Xiaoxiao called Wuhu over and said to Yin Xiaodie, ¡°It¡¯s a little secret agent I raised¡­ a parrot.¡± Yin Xiaodie did not hear the first few words. She understood the little parrot. She didn¡¯t probe further and thought that it was a dialect. She looked at the blue parrot on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arm with sparkling eyes. ¡°It¡¯s so cute.¡± Wuhu spread its wings, puffed out its chest to show off its small chest muscles. Yin Xiaodie could not hold back her nature as a child. Her small body wished she could jump up, and her invisible tail wished it could wag. Seeing that she liked it, Su Xiaoxiao handed her arm over. ¡°I¡¯ll let you touch it.¡± Yin Xiaodie blinked and raised her hand. Just as she was about to touch it, her expression suddenly turned serious and she retracted her hand. ¡°Who wants to touch it? Childish!¡± Wuhu did not understand. It turned around to look at Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao smiled and fed Wuhu a piece of a bird food before letting it fly. Wuhu did not fly far. It kept circling in the sky and landed on the branches from time to time. Yin Xiaodie did not care on the surface, but her eyes wished they could grow on Wuhu. What a cute parrot. Boohoo! What was worth mentioning was that the two of them met Cheng Qingxue twice on the way. On both occasions, different people were snatching the white pigeon, but Cheng Qingxue was the same as them and did not fight for it. Yin Xiaodie clicked her tongue. ¡°Why is she so kind?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°She knows that those birds aren¡¯t the real holy birds.¡± It seemed that Cheng Qingxue also had a way to recognize the Holy Bird. ¡°Follow her,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Oh.¡± Yin Xiaodie followed. ¡°It¡¯s not you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. Wuhu flew over. Wuhu followed Cheng Qingxue, and they followed Wuhu. This way, there was less risk of being discovered. Cheng Qingxue was not searching aimlessly. She had been heading southeast ever since she entered the mountain. Su Xiaoxiao was basically certain that Cheng Qingxue knew where the Holy Bird was. In the past, the Saintess was not so bold. Even if Yin Xiaodie had a grandaunt who was an elder in the Holy Maiden Temple, the other party did not reveal any news about the Holy Bird. It was obvious how bold the Saintess had grown to be and how ruthless her methods were. It was not strange to think about it. She would not have targeted Wei Xu if she did not have the guts or means to target Wei Xu. Cheng Qingxue stopped in front of a small valley filled with bell orchids. She took out a few dark purple seeds from her accompanying pouch. Yin Xiaodie was shocked. ¡°The seeds of the Snake Bone Flower!¡± Unfortunately, these seeds had already dried and could not be planted. Otherwise, Su Xiaoxiao could snatch them and plant one. The seeds of the Snake Bone Flower were fatally attractive to the Holy Bird. It seemed that the Holy Bird was nearby. As expected, Cheng Qingxue only took a few steps in the valley with the seeds in her palm when a snow-white bird flew over from the sky. It was a pigeon, but it did not look like a pigeon. It was even more beautiful than a pigeon. Its wings were voluptuous, and its figure was light. There was a small fan-shaped feather crown on its head. Cheng Qingxue¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw it! The Holy Bird was here! ¡°Sister was right. These seeds are really useful!¡± The position of Saintess was hers! Just as Cheng Qingxue was feeling smug about her victory, the Holy Bird suddenly spun in her palm and flew away without eating a bite! Cheng Qingxue was shocked. What was going on? Wasn¡¯t the Holy Bird clearly here for its bird food? Why did it turn around and leave when it had already flown here? The Holy Bird suddenly flew into the forest, as if there was a delicious feast there that was more appealing than these few Snake Bone Flower seeds. Cheng Qingxue frowned and immediately chased after it. When she saw the Holy Bird landing on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arm and eating the bird food in Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s palm, she felt terrible. ¡°You again!¡± Su Xiaoxiao hid Yin Xiaodie first. She was alone now. She touched the Holy Bird¡¯s wings and looked at Cheng Qingxue with a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± As Cheng Qingxue looked at the bird eating heartily, a trace of shock flashed across her eyes. The Holy Bird¡¯s favorite food was clearly the seeds of the Snake Bone Flower. She frowned fiercely. ¡°Give me back the Holy Bird!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said calmly, ¡°Return it to you? Does the Holy Bird belong to your family?¡± Cheng Qingxue said coldly, ¡°I found it first! No one knows this place. You must have followed me!¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked, ¡°If no one knows this place, how would you know? Could it be that you and the Saintess cheated?¡± Cheng Qingxue¡¯s face turned pale. Cheating would result in disqualification¡­ But she was indignant. She was clearly the one who lured the Holy Bird out, but this little liar from the countryside beat her to it! ¡°I¡¯ll say it one last time. Aren¡¯t you going to return it to me? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯m going to be rude to you!¡± That little maidservant called Mei Ji was not around. She wanted to see who could protect her today! Su Xiaoxiao placed the Holy Bird on a branch at the side. With Wuhu following, she was not afraid that the Holy Bird would fly away and not be found. Cheng Qingxue was worried. The Holy Bird was extremely timid and might not show itself again after being frightened. However, she would rather not get it than let Su Xiaoxiao have it. She whipped Su Xiaoxiao. It was another nine-section whip with thorns! With a bang, the Holy Bird was sent flying. Cheng Qingxue was even angrier. Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t wearing silver silk gloves. After all, Cheng Qingxue had seen silver silk gloves twice. She would expose herself if she took them out. She pulled out Lord Wu An¡¯s dagger and cut off the tail of Cheng Qingxue¡¯s whip. Cheng Qingxue looked at her in disbelief. ¡°You¡­ you know martial arts?¡± ¡°Not really, but it¡¯s enough to beat you up.¡± Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t give Cheng Qingxue a chance to attack. She took a few steps forward, hooked a branch with one hand, and kicked Cheng Qingxue¡¯s chest. Cheng Qingxue felt a pain in her ribs and was sent flying. She fell headfirst into the mud-filled ditch.. Chapter 895 - Chapter 895: Wuhu Earned a Great Merit (1) Chapter 895: Wuhu Earned a Great Merit (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cheng Qingxue was wearing a white waist-length immortal dress with a light green translucent gauze shirt. This shirt, coupled with her falling headfirst, made her look like a seedling stuck in water. Su Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t so kind as to pull out the seedling. Cheng Qingxue struggled for a long time but could not pull her head out. Su Xiaoxiao wondered if she should kick her or not. At this moment, something unexpected happened. Many hidden weapons shot over from the surrounding forest. Su Xiaoxiao gently jumped onto the branch. The hidden weapons landed on the ground and flew past. ¡°Second Miss!¡± A woman in blue pulled Cheng Qingxue out of the ditch. Cheng Qingxue¡¯s face was covered in mud, and even her nostrils were filled with mud. She was so angry that she wailed. ¡°Kill her! Kill her! Ahem!¡± She choked on the mud when she exerted force. At the thought of the black mud entering her stomach, Cheng Qingxue retched in disgust. Killing candidates violated the rules. They would be disqualified from running and would be punished by the law. However, since they were not here for the position of Saintess or the spot of a disciple of the Saintess Temple, it would be a different story. Furthermore, with the Saintess backing them, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for them to escape punishment? Thinking further, if they killed this girl to silence her, who would know that they were the ones who did it? A woman in blue looked at Su Xiaoxiao on the tree and said coldly, ¡°How dare you hurt Second Miss? You have a death wish!¡± Su Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and looked down at the four of them. ¡°It¡¯s not certain who has a death wish. Cut the crap. I¡¯m in a hurry. The few of you can attack together.¡± The four of them revealed their weapons. The weapon of the woman in blue was a soft sword at her waist, while a woman in red wielded a dragon whip. A woman in yellow held a long sword, and a woman in white specialised in hidden darts and white silk. The woman in white shot a hidden dart at Su Xiaoxiao before the white silk in her hand wrapped around Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s waist. As long as she entangled her and made her unable to move, the hidden weapons she shot could turn Su Xiaoxiao into a sieve. She was confident in her strength. However, just as her white silk was about to succeed, Su Xiaoxiao jumped into the air and the white silk wrapped around the branch under her feet as the hidden darts flew over. She frowned. In the next second, she saw Su Xiaoxiao land on her white Wilk and slide down. Su Xiaoxiao kicked her into the ditch. The other three frowned. They did not expect a little scammer from the countryside to have such skills. Su Xiaoxiao took in their expressions. During her time in the Cheng family, she had held back and did not attack. Be it making an example or teaching Cheng Qingxue a lesson, Mei Ji would do it for her. This made people think that she was weak and that she was only good at talking. Therefore, the Saintess did not send any top experts. When the other three saw their companion being sent flying, their faces darkened and they surrounded Su Xiaoxiao. There were many experts in the southern border. Although these people¡¯s martial arts were not the most powerful, they could not be underestimated. If Su Xiaoxiao had just transmigrated, she might not have been able to gain much on them. However, now that she had experienced the tempering of her sisters-in-law, the golden spears and iron horses on the battlefield and Wei Ting¡¯s heaven-defying talents, wouldn¡¯t her improvement also rapid? The woman in white finally climbed up from the ditch, but she was smashed back by the woman in red. Right on the heels of that was the woman in yellow. rne woman In Diue persistea. unrortunate1Y, sne Still could not escape tne rate of being kicked down the ditch. ¡°I¡¯m going to look for the Holy Bird. I won¡¯t continue to play with you!¡± Su Xiaoxiao clapped her hands, dusted off her clean clothes, and turned to leave. If not for Yin Xiaodie and the other candidates hiding in the dark, she actually wanted to be more ruthless. She could not do it in front of them, even if it was an alliance. Su Xiaoxiao carried Yin Xiaodie down from under a big tree. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± Yin Xiaodie was far away just now and did not see it clearly. She only knew that she had met Cheng Qingxue and the others. Yin Xiaodie sized her up. ¡°Are you injured? Did they make things difficult for you? It¡¯s fine if the Holy Bird is missing. You can look for it again.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t lose the Holy Bird. Let¡¯s go.¡± Yin Xiaodie did not believe it. Cheng Qingxue¡¯s martial arts were not weak. The people she brought must have been carefully arranged by the Saintess. They must be even stronger.. Chapter 896 - Chapter 896: Wuhu Earned a Great Merit (2) Chapter 896: Wuhu Earned a Great Merit (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Could Cheng Su escape unscathed from them? Yin Xiaodie said seriously, ¡°If you¡¯re injured, just say it. I won¡¯t laugh at you. Coincidentally, I brought medicine.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Little one, you¡¯re so concerned about me. Do you want to be my sister?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± Yin Xiaodie walked to the front with the official aura of a small family head. Beside the ditch, the four of them climbed up in a sorry state. They looked at Cheng Qingxue, who was working hard to deal with the mud, with guilty expressions. The woman in blue said, ¡°Second Miss, please forgive me!¡± Cheng Qingxue said gloomily, ¡°Seriously, who did Sister send? You can¡¯t even defeat a girl from town. What¡¯s the use of you?¡± The four of them lowered their heads. They didn¡¯t want to either. When they received the mission, they only said that she was a sharp-tongued little girl. It wasn¡¯t mentioned that she had such skills. If the Saintess had known that the other party was so difficult to deal with, she would have sent someone more powerful. Naturally, if they had not underestimated the enemy just now, they would have had a chance to capture that girl. However, there were no ifs in this world. There were only consequences and results. The woman in blue comforted her, ¡°Second Miss, don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t be able to snatch the Holy Bird away. The Holy Bird will definitely return to Second Miss.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°The Saintess has already made arrangements. Second Miss, just wait here for the good news.¡± The Saintess was a person who had calculated everything. She had also made alternative plans. On the other hand, after the Holy Bird was frightened away by Cheng Qingxue¡¯s whip, it fled in a panic. Wu Hu spent a lot of effort to catch up to it. Two birds landed on the branches. Wu Hu said, ¡°Gugugu!¡± ¡°Beauty, are you a holy bird?¡± The Holy Bird said, ¡°Coo!¡± Hmph! Wuhu said, ¡°Gugugu! Gugugu!¡± ¡°Come with me! I have bird food. It¡¯s delicious!¡± The Holy Bird flapped its wings and sent Wuhu down. ¡°Wuhu stuck out its bird tongue and fell.¡± A domestically abused female bird is too adorable. After the Holy Bird beat up the bird dealer, it immediately fled. Unexpectedly, it had only taken a few steps when it was blocked by a falcon that swooped down from the sky. This was a falcon raised by the Saintess. It was ferocious by nature and was good at tracking and hunting. The Holy Bird trembled in fear. The falcon approached it step by step and took it into its mouth. The Holy Bird closed its eyes in despair. However, at this moment, a fearless blue parrot rushed towards the falcon. The falcon flapped its wings. The parrot suddenly dodged. Behind it, a flapping golden eagle spread its wide wings and pounced at the falcon. The golden eagle was several times the size of a falcon and was a true overlord of the sky. The falcon lost a few feathers to the golden eagle¡¯s claws. It threw away the Holy Bird in its mouth in pain and fled. Wuhu landed beside the Holy Bird. ¡°Gugugu! Gugugu!¡± ¡°Are you injured? The bad guy will come back. Come with me. I¡¯ll protect you!¡± The holy bird blushed shyly. Wuhu brought his beautiful bird and golden eagle brother to look for Su Xiaoxiao. The appearance fee for the golden eagle lackey was too expensive. It cost two pieces of bird food. The beautiful bird was frightened and wanted two pieces of bird food. Wuhu was instantly poor. It had to struggle to earn bird food again. It was not easy for birds to make a living. Wuhu sighed! With the Holy Bird in hand, it was time to look for the Snake Bone flower. Su Xiaoxiao gave the Snake Bone Flower seeds she had taken from Cheng Qingxue to Wuhu. This seed was irresistible to birds, but Wuhu, who were used to eating bird food in the pharmacy, were not greedy at all. This was the first time the Holy Bird had encountered a bird that did not snatch the seeds from it. It was a little dumbfounded. Wuhu brought the seeds to the Holy Bird and told it a lot. The Holy Bird finished the seeds and brought Wuhu away. In the past, the Holy Bird would not share the plantation of the Snake Bone Flower to prevent birds from snatching food. However, for some reason today, it suddenly felt that the seeds were not that delicious¡­ Wuhu remembered the route and flew back with the Holy Bird. Su Xiaoxiao handed the Holy Bird to Yin Xiaodie and asked her to quickly go down the mountain to complete this round of competition. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Northern Holy Mountain with you! ¡± Yin Xiaodie said. Su Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°I snatched the Holy Bird from Cheng Qingxue. She must be chasing me everywhere now and won¡¯t notice you. If you¡¯re with me, you¡¯ll only increase the risk of being exposed. Hurry up and bring the Holy Bird down the mountain.¡± Yin Xiaodie hit the nail on the head. ¡°You just think I¡¯ll drag you down, right? You¡¯re just finding an excuse to send me away.¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered,¡± It¡¯s not good for children to be too smart. Yin Xiaodie touched the Holy Bird in her arms. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave. However, I have to remind you that the North Holy Mountain is the true forbidden area of the Saintess Temple. No one knows how dangerous it is because everyone who has broken through is dead. Only the Saintess is qualified to enter and leave at will. Speaking of the Saintess, I remember something else.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Tell me.¡± Yin Little Seven said, ¡°The Saintess was publicly called Mother by a few children on the streets yesterday. It seems to confirm the rumors that she was pregnant and gave birth. The citizens are very suspicious. In order to appease the anger of the people, the King of the Southern Wilderness asked the Saintess to go to the Northern Holy Mountain to reflect. You must not meet her.¡± Su Xiaoxiao smiled and pinched her fat. ¡°Got it, little one. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± This time, Yin Xiaodie did not forbid her from pinching her face or correcting her address. She only carried the Holy Bird and left without looking back. She was not in a hurry to receive the credit. She wanted to look for Chief Yin quickly to get help. Su Xiaoxaio even dared to barge into a place like the Northern Holy Mountain. She was really a reckless fellow! Su Xiaoxiao and Wuhu to the stream. This stream was used as a boundary. Those who crossed this boundary were responsible for their lives. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t hesitate and stepped across the stream. Perhaps it was because there were few people around, but the vegetation in the Northern Holy Mountain was even more lush, and there were more ferocious beasts, snakes, and insects. The snakes and insects in the southern border were too poisonous. Su Xiaoxiao applied insect repellent and realgar powder on her body in advance. There was indeed danger. Su Xiaoxiao had just walked half a mile when she encountered a group of wolves. Just as she jumped onto the treetop, a python slowly crawled towards her. She couldn¡¯t jump down or not. She could only hide in the pharmacy. Fortunately, when she came out of the pharmacy, the wolf pack and the python had left because they had lost her aura. She and Wuhu continued forward. There were many such dangers along the way. She encountered them no less than eight times. Finally, two hours later, she arrived at a fragrant herb garden. In the small flowerbed in the center of the herb garden, there was a red herb. There was a beautiful flower bud at the top, like a fairy waiting to wake up. It was the Snake Bone Flower.. Chapter 897 - Chapter 897: Success Chapter 897: Success Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After going around in circles from Northern Yan to the southern border, she finally found the last herb. With it, Wei Qing¡¯s cold poison could be cured. Wei Ting did not have to lose his brother anymore, nor did Xi Yue have to lose her father. There was also Matriarch Wei and all the Wei family members. They would not lose their family again. The Snake Bone Flower was not poisonous. However, the Snake Bone Flower in front of her had yet to bloom. The medicinal properties of the flower bud were not enough, so it could only be dug out and transplanted into the flower pot. The pharmacy had cultivating dishes, which were almost the same as flower pots. Just as Su Xiaoxiao took out her dagger and was about to dig out the Snake Bone Flower, a dangerous and terrifying aura suddenly came from ahead. ¡°Who trespassed on the Holy Mountain?¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s first reaction was that it was the Holy Maiden. Then, she felt that it was not loud. That person¡¯s qinggong was outstanding. When she spoke, her voice seemed to be far away, but as soon as she finished speaking, she had already arrived in front of Su Xiaoxiao. It was a cold-looking woman in her early thirties. Her eyes were filled with killing intent. When she saw the cards on Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s waist, her killing intent froze. ¡°Are you here for the Holy Selection? Didn¡¯t anyone tell you that the Holy Selection is to the south of the stream, not the north?¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°How can I answer that?¡± She wanted to say, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m here for the Snake Bone Flower. You probably think I have a aeatn v.nsn.¡± However, ifI lie that I accidentally entered this place, you will ask me to leave immediately¡ª The woman said coldly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving quickly? The Northern Holy Mountain is not a place you can come to!¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°What should I say?¡± Su Xiaoxiao secretly pinched the silver silk gloves in her sleeves, ready to put them on at any time. ¡°Senior Sister Yu, did something happen?¡± Another female disciple walked over. This person was about 25 or 26 years old. She was not as outstanding as Senior Sister Yu, but she could be considered handsome. Senior Sister Yu turned around and said, ¡°A girl who came to participate in the selection accidentally entered the forbidden area.¡± The female disciple didn¡¯t care. ¡°Just send her away. Our junior sisters are waiting for you.¡± Junior sisters¡­ In that case, there were more experts here than the two in front of her. Su Xiaoxiao decisively stuffed the silver gloves back and smiled. ¡°Please show me the way back to the Southern Holy Mountain.¡± The female disciple behind said, ¡°Keep walking forward. Go east after leaving the forest.¡± ¡°The east is¡­¡± Su Xiaoxiao was confused. The female disciple frowned. ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell north from south?¡± Su Xiaoxiao muttered, ¡°If I could tell, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten lost¡­¡± The female disciple said angrily, ¡°Are you still reasoning with me?¡± Su Xiaoxiao bit her lip and lowered her head, looking extremely aggrieved. ¡°Forget it,¡± Senior Sister Yu said. ¡°After you leave the forest, turn right and keep walking. You¡¯ll hear the sound of a stream. After you cross the stream, you¡¯ll be at the Southern Holy Mountain.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thanked her and left. The conversation between the two of them came from behind. ¡°It¡¯s really getting worse every time!¡± ¡°Alright, you can say these things in front of me. Remember to be careful when you go to the Saintess.¡± ¡°Got it, Senior Sister Yu. I won¡¯t speak nonsense in front of the Saintess.¡± This was a wild medicinal garden. Because many precious herbs were grown here, they were guarded by the Holy Maiden Temple to prevent anyone from picking them or wild beasts from eating them. It was almost impossible for Su Xiaoxiao to pluck the Snake Bone Flower without alerting the other party. She could only do it when there were fewer people. From their words, they seemed to be going to see the Saintess. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for. Su Xiaoxiao pretended to walk away. About half an hour later, she returned. This time, Senior Sister Yu caught her again. ¡°Why is it you again?¡± Senior Sister Yu frowned. Su Xiaoxiao thought to herself that she should be the one asking this. Didn¡¯t her junior sister call her away? Why wss she lingering here? ¡°I dropped something,¡± Su Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression. ¡°What is it?¡± Senior Sister Yu asked warily. Su Xiaoxiao pointed at her feet. ¡°You stepped on it.¡± Senior Sister Yu raised her left foot. No, she raised her right foot. There was indeed an extremely small safety talisman. This safety talisman was not given by Matriarch Wei. It was taken from Erhu. There were still many such small talismans with Erhu. It was impossible for Senior Sister Yu to pick up the talisman and give it to her. She took a step back and gestured for Su Xiaoxiao to pick it up herself. Su Xiaoxiao reluctantly walked over and picked up the small talisman. She sighed and said, ¡°It was given to me by a very important relative but you stepped on it. What do you think I should do?¡± Senior Sister Yu said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve already done my best to not kill you for trespassing the forbidden area of the Holy Mountain. Hurry up and leave. If I see you a third time, I won¡¯t let you off easily!¡± Su Xiaoxiao snorted and left with the small talisman. When she returned for the third time, Senior Sister Yu stood in front of her expressionlessly. Alright, this hurdle could not be avoided. Senior Sister Yu said angrily, ¡°I think I said that if I see you again, you¡¯ll be dead.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You said won¡¯t let me off easily. You didn¡¯t say that I would definitely die.¡± Senior Sister Yu was speechless. No matter how stupid Senior Sister Yu was, she could tell that something was wrong. She slapped Su Xiaoxiao. Su Xiaoxiao wouldn¡¯t fight her head-on. She hid behind the tree. The wind from Senior Sister Yu¡¯s palm landed on the tree. The tree swayed violently, and its leaves fell. This internal force¡­ broadened Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s horizons. Su Xiaoxiao continued to run. At this moment, she was really lucky that she had learned some qinggong from her sisters-in-law. Senior Sister Yu chased after her and was distracted by her. She did not notice that a parrot had landed beside the Snake Bone Flower. The little parrot dug with its bird claws. After digging for a long time, its small claws were about to smoke. It finally dug up the snake bone flower. It picked up the snake bone flower with its mouth. It fell. It was so heavy! The golden eagle landed beside it. ¡°Do you want me to run an errand? It¡¯s very cheap. Three pieces of bird food!¡± ¡°Two! Otherwise, how many birds would there be?¡± Two it was. The golden eagle picked up the Snake Bone Flower. Wait. Wuhu stopped it with its small wings and flew onto its body. He wanted to have a golden eagle carriage. The golden eagle, who had a parrot riding on its back for the first time, was speechless. For the sake of bird food, the golden eagle had endured humiliation. The golden eagle carried Wuhu and left with the herb in its mouth. Not long after, a disciple of the Holy Maiden Temple realized that the Snake Bone Flower had been taken away by the golden eagle. She took out the slingshot she carried and shot a sm?ll stone at the golden eagle. The golden eagle let out a sharp cry when it was hit, and the Snake Bone Flower fell. Su Xiaoxiao looked up and tapped her toes to grab the Snake Bone Flower. Senior Sister Yu slashed at her. Su Xiaoxiao quickly threw the Snake Bone Flower into the pharmacy and caught her blade with her hand that was wearing silver silk gloves. Senior Sister Yu was stunned. Clearly, she had never seen such an invulnerable defensive weapon. Su Xiaoxiao took out her dagger with her left hand and cut off her blade! Chapter 898 - Chapter 898: The Big Boss Appears Chapter 898: The Big Boss Appears Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Senior Sister Yu was shocked again. What kind of weapon was this? Why was it able to cut iron like mud? ¡°Senior Sister Yu! The Snake Bone Flower was taken away by a golden eagle!¡± The junior sister from before chased after her. Senior Sister Yu thought of a red herb that had fallen from the sky just now and looked at Su Xiaoxiao coldly. ¡°Hand over the Snake Bone Flower.¡± Su Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. ¡°What Snake Bone Flower? I didn¡¯t see it!¡± Senior Sister Yu said coldly, ¡°What did you catch just now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about this.¡± Su Xiaoxiao then took out a holy grass picked from the South Sacred Mountain. ¡°There are many in this mountain. If you want it, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± A sharp glint flashed across Senior Sister Yu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Stop pretending! Hand over the Snake Bone Flower!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°There¡¯s no Snake Bone Flower! If you don¡¯t believe me, search! If you find it, I lose!¡± Senior Sister Yu asked her junior sister to search. His junior sister only had one feeling after searching. This girl¡¯s figure was really good! It was just that her stomach was a little bulging, but it could not be seen under the spacious exterior. She shook her head. ¡°Senior Sister, I didn¡¯t find it.¡± Senior Sister Yu did not believe that the disappearance of the Snake Bone Flower had nothing to do with her because she had clearly seen it. It was a red medicinal herb, but she did not find a similar one on this girl. Therefore, this girl must have hidden the Snake Bone Flower. Senior Sister Yu pointed at Su Xiaoxiao with the broken sword. ¡°Hand it over quickly, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Senior Sister, your sword¡­¡± Only then did Senior Sister Yu remember that her sword had been broken by this girl. Where did this girl come from? The weapons were each more powerful than the other. She threw away the broken sword and drew the soft sword at her waist. The corners of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth twitched. No way? Was she an equipment freak too? The disciples guarding the herb garden were clearly more skilled than the four people beside Cheng Qingxue. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t think that the four of them were too difficult to deal with. However, Senior Sister Yu alone already made Su Xiaoxiao feel troubled. She wondered how this junior sister¡¯s martial arts were. If she was on par with Senior Sister Yu, it would probably be difficult for her to retreat. ¡°The Saintess has arrived! The Saintess has arrived!¡± This shout made Senior Sister Yu and her junior sister turn around at the same time. They cupped their hands and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Saintess!¡± For a long time, the Saintess did not react. The two of them looked up strangely and saw that the path was empty. Where was the Saintess? ¡°Senior Sister, we¡¯ve fallen into a trap!¡± Senior Sister Yu¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Chase!¡± ¡°Wait, call Junior Sister Bing and Junior Sister Qin over!¡± ¡°Is there a need for so many people to deal with a girl?¡± Any disciple of the Northern Holy Mountain was an expert, let alone the talented Junior Sister Bing and Junior Sister Qin. The two of them were experts who could exchange blows with the Saintess. Senior Sister Yu looked at the broken sword in her hand. ¡°Do you think you can break my sword?¡± Her junior sister was stunned. After Wuhu played with Senior Sister Yu and the others, it immediately sat on its new mount and left. Because it had almost lost the Snake Bone Flower, the golden eagle decided to make up for its mistake and send Wuhu to its destination safely. Wu could track movements below from the sky and constantly remind Su Xiaoxiao to change her route. However, when Su Xiaoxiao entered a lush forest, the shade of the tree blocked the sun. Wuhu could no longer see any movement in the forest. Su Xiaoxiao could actually hear a thing or two, but it was a pity that she was a little exhausted. She was caught up by Junior Sister Qin from the herb garden. Junior Sister Qin looked even younger than Senior Sister Yu and the junior sister just now. However, her internal strength and moves were not weak at all. Her expression was cold as she attacked. Su Xiaoxiao met all the puppet experts in the Holy Maiden Temple. They were disciples of the Holy Maiden Temple and did not have much martial arts. From the looks of it, the true experts of the Holy Maiden Temple were all hiding in the forbidden area of the Northern Holy Mountain. What secrets were there in the forbidden area that was worth the Holy Maiden Temple going through so much trouble to guard? A Snake Bone Flower should not be it¡­ Su Xiaoxiao was getting more and more curious. While she was thinking, Junior Sister Qin had already exchanged more than ten moves with her. Junior Sister Qin said coldly, ¡°Senior Sister Yu asked me to chase after you, the thief who stole the medicine. I originally disdained it. To be able to last ten moves against me, you have some ability. You¡¯re worthy of me taking you seriously.¡± What? Had she only been playing? Su Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. ¡°On account of your humble request for guidance, I¡¯ll be a little serious with you.¡± She still had to put on a show. The two of them were clearly even more fierce in fighting. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s internal strength was inferior to theirs, but her moves were strange. In addition, Lord Wu An¡¯s dagger could cut through iron like mud, and the silver silk gloves were invulnerable. For a moment, the other party was really helpless. Junior Sister Qin¡¯s eyes turned sharp. She threw away her sword and called out to Su Xiaoxiao with her bare hands. ¡®You have some brains.¡± It was definitely not wise to use a weapon against her , because not only would it occupy an arm, but it would also be difficult to hurt her. Now that she had lost her sword, it was easier to control Su Xiaoxiao. The two of them exchanged a palm. The silver silk gloves removed most of the other party¡¯s internal energy, but the other half more or less made Su Xiaoxiao suffer. Junior Sister Qin looked calm on the surface, but her internal energy had already stirred. After being hit by her palm, Su Xiaoxiao only frowned. She was not injured and did not vomit blood. This was too strange. ¡°Junior Sister Qin, let me help you!¡± It was Senior Sister Yu. Su Xiaoxiao felt that something was wrong. One was already very troublesome. Two more¡­ No, not two, but three! The four of them arrived and surrounded Su Xiaoxiao. Among the four of them, the second junior sister used the white silk to entangle Su Xiaoxiao and suddenly pulled her forward. Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arm was tied, but her wrist could still move. The moment she approached her, Su Xiaoxiao threw a bag of knockout powder at her. The junior sister was caught off guard and choked. She let go and took a few steps back. ¡°Junior Sister Yue, are you alright?¡± Senior Sister Yu supported her. ¡°It¡¯s knockout medicine¡­¡± Junior Sister Yue gritted her teeth and said. Senior Sister Yu frowned and said, ¡°This girl has a lot of strange things. Everyone, be careful!¡± Su Xiaoxiao broke free from the white silk and used her qinggong to enter the forest. She planned to hide behind a big tree and enter the pharmacy. However, sometimes, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. She, who had always been unbelievably lucky, did not expect to encounter such a day. She stepped on a round branch and slipped forward. Her forehead hit the tree trunk and she immediately fainted. The four people who were about to use their ultimate moves were stunned. Junior Sister Yue said, ¡°This girl is cunning. Senior Sister, could she be playing tricks again?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know after giving it a try.¡± Senior Sister Yu moved her fingertip and took out a dart. The dart was coated with poison. None of the people who were hit by it survived! ¡°Be careful! There¡¯s a golden eagle!¡± Junior Sister Bing reminded. Senior Sister Yu flicked her wrist and shot a dart at the golden eagle. The golden eagle lost a feather and flew away with a wail. After wasting a dart, Senior Sister Yu was a little angry. She shot another one. This time, she took aim at Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s neck. She wanted Su Xiaoxiao to see blood and die! At the critical moment, a stone flew through the air and hit Senior Sister Yu¡¯s dart an inch away from Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s neck. The dart bounced off. A white-robed man wearing a jade half-face mask descended from the sky and stood in front of Su Xiaoxiao.. Chapter 899 - Chapter 899: Rakshasa’s Might Chapter 899: Rakshasa¡¯s Might Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He turned around and looked at a certain someone who was sleeping soundly. He said to the four people of the Holy Maiden Temple, ¡°I¡¯ll take this person away.¡± Senior Sister Yu said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s a capital offense for a man to trespass on the Holy Mountain! She can¡¯t leave today, and neither can you!¡± The man said casually, ¡°Is that so? Then it depends on whether you can make me stay.¡± With that, the man flicked his sleeve and a powerful internal force attacked Senior Sister Yu. Senior Sister Yu struck out with her palm, but she was sent flying on the spot! She fell to the ground in a sorry state, her body trembling as she spat out a mouthful of blood. What terrifying internal strength. Who was this person? Or rather, who was this girl? There were so many strange things and such a powerful accomplice¡ª Among the four of them, one was seriously injured and the other was drugged. Only Junior Sister Qin and Junior Sister Bing were left. Fortunately, these two people had excellent aptitude. The two of them raised their swords and rushed towards the man. At the same time, Senior Sister Yu blew the whistle and gathered more disciples from the forbidden area. The man did not go on an offensive attack and easily dealt with Junior Sister Bing and Junior Sister Qin. It was obvious that he did not use his full strength at all. Senior Sister Yu¡¯s expression was solemn. This person¡¯s strength was probably not inferior to that of the Saintess. Not long after, eight disciples of the Northern Holy Mountain rushed over. The man narrowed his eyes slightly. He held the scabbard in his left hand and the hilt of his sword in his right. The moment he slowly drew his sword, everyone felt a terrifying pressure. ¡°Spare them!¡± An old voice slowly sounded with an ancient bell-like aura. The disciples of the Holy Maiden Temple were shocked and turned to look at the person. ¡°Elder Lou?¡± Everyone quickly bowed to her. Elder Lou was the most respected person in the Holy Maiden Temple. Other than the Saintess, she was the most respected. She walked over with her walking stick and stared at the man with her old but not turbid eyes. ¡°Sir, please leave. Don¡¯t hurt my disciples.¡± The man smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt anyone. If they didn¡¯t stop me, I would have left long ago.¡± Elder Lou held his walking stick and nodded. ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°Elder Lou!¡± Junior Sister Yue was drugged and gradually could not move. Even her voice became weak. ¡°We can¡¯t let them go¡­ They stole the Snake Bone Flower¡­¡± The man smiled and bent down to pick up the sleeping Su Xiaoxiao. He tapped his feet and flew away. Senior Sister Yu looked at the two of them leave and could not help but frown. ¡°Elder Lou, the two of them trespassed into the forbidden area of my Holy Mountain. One of them is a man. According to the rules of the Holy Maiden Temple, we should kill them. Why did you let them go? Moreover, even if they want to leave, we should let them leave the Snake Bone Flower before leaving.¡± Elder Lou said, ¡°You¡¯re not his match.¡± Junior Sister Yue was the most impulsive and had the most intense reaction. ¡°Not one or two, but we have many people. Can¡¯t all of us defeat him?¡± Elder Lou said unhurriedly, ¡°So what if you can beat him? Is it worth it to lose your lives? It¡¯s just a Snake Bone Flower. It¡¯s not something that can¡¯t be taken.¡± Junior Sister Yue carelessly agreed, ¡°The Snake Bone Flower is formed once a year, sometimes only once every three years. It¡¯S a very precious herb. Elder Lou, we respect you, but forgive us for not agreeing to let the intruder go.¡± Elder Lou slowly asked, ¡°Did any of you see that person¡¯s sword clearly?¡± Everyone frowned in deep thought. They were only focused on that person¡¯s face and skills, so no one noticed what sword he was holding. Elder Lou said seriously, ¡°It¡¯S the Rakshasa Sword.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone¡¯s expression changed drastically. They had heard of the Rakshasa Sword; it could even be said that it was etched in their minds. Once the Rakshasa Sword was drawn, the King of Hell¡¯s Hall would be opened. Was that person was the number one assassin in the world¡ªRakshasa Jade Face? How was this possible? Jade-faced Rakshasa had disappeared for many years, and his whereabouts were long gone in the martial world. Why had he come to the southern border? He even appeared in the Holy Mountain? Su Xiaoxiao was woken up by the sound of running water. When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying in a relatively clean cave. There was warm hay under her and a cloak that emitted a familiar fragrance. And her head seemed to be resting on a pair of slender legs. Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. She sat up and looked at him. ¡°Wei Ting? Why are you here? Where is this?¡± She remembered that she was being chased by Senior Sister Yu and the others of the Northern Sacred Mountain. She wanted to find an opportunity to hide in the pharmacy but fell. She had just regained consciousness. Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°Southern Holy Mountain, near the stream.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was enlightened. ¡°Oh, no wonder I heard the sound of running water. But¡­ why are you here?¡± Be it the Northern Holy Mountain or the Southern Holy Mountain, they were all forbidden areas for men. They would be killed without a word. ¡°I was passing by, ¡± Wei Ting said coldly. Su Xiaoxiao leaned closer to him and looked into his deep eyes without blinking. ¡°You were actually worried about me. You were afraid that I¡¯ll get into trouble.¡± Wei Ting chuckled. ¡°I was worried that you won¡¯t be able to get Second Brother¡¯s medicine and will delay Second Brother¡¯s treatment.¡± ¡®You don¡¯t mean what you say.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sat up, removed the messy bun on her head, and re-tied her hair. ¡°In that case, you were the one who saved me from those people just now? There were many of them. I wonder if they will chase after us. Let¡¯s quickly leave this place.¡± In any case, they had obtained the Snake Bone Flower. There was no need to continue staying in the Holy Mountain. At this time, Yin Xiaodie should have ended the second round of the selection. Wei Ting said nothing. In Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes, his actions became a tacit agreement. However, he was actually very puzzled. He heard the sound of fighting. On the way over, he bumped into Su Xiaoxiao, who was sleeping by the stream. He thought she had escaped on her own. However, from what she had said just now, she was trapped by the people from the Holy Maiden Temple. Then, who saved her and who placed her by the stream and coincidentally let him bump into her? ¡°Done!¡± Su Xiaoxiao inserted the hairpin. Wei Ting looked at her deeply and then at the green stream. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Su Xiaoxiao sensed his gaze. Wei Ting said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s a golden eagle outside. When did you take in an eagle?¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t accept it. It was Wuhu.¡± Wei Ting was speechless. Thinking of something, Su Xiaoxiao said to Wei Ting, ¡°Wait for me outside. I¡¯ll tidy up my clothes.¡± Wei Ting glanced at her coldly and said, ¡°Which part of your body haven¡¯t I seen? Or haven¡¯t touched?¡± . What a hooligan! Su Xiaoxiao chased him out. In the pressing situation just now, she only threw the Snake Bone Flower into the pharmacy and did not plant it. After entering the pharmacy, she found a pot and placed the snake bone flower inside. Although she did not dig up the Snake Bone Flower in the herb garden, she shoveled dirt to secure it. After planting the Snake Bone Flower, she planned to come out. When she passed by the lounge, she was surprised to find a large bag of bird food on the table. Didn¡¯t she just give the bird food? Another batch? The pharmacy doted on that bird too much! Chapter 900 - Chapter 900: Wuhu and the Three Little Ones Chapter 900: Wuhu and the Three Little Ones Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Su Xiaoxiao came out, Wuhu flapped it¡¯S wings and moved towards her. It was as if it had smelled bird food. ¡°You¡¯re so smart!¡± Su Xiaoxiao opened the pouch expressionlessly. ¡°How many do you want?¡± Wushu flapped its small wings and cried out excitedly, ¡°Ten! Ten! Ten!¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to speak like Xiaohu!¡± Xiaohu¡¯s accent led the Wuhu astray¡­ In a cold cave in the forbidden area of the Northern Holy Mountain. When the Holy Maiden heard that someone had trespassed on the herb garden, she ordered someone to invite Elder Lou over. ¡°I let them go.¡± Elder Lou looked at Senior Sister Yu and the other three kneeling on the ground. ¡°Saintess, you don¡¯t have to make things difficult for them.¡± The Saintess said, ¡°Under their care, the Snake Bone Flower was plucked away. They have sinned for not taking good care of it and should be punished.¡± Senior Sister Yu cupped her hands. ¡°I¡¯m willing to accept my punishment!¡± The other three also asked to be punished. Elder Lou sighed and stopped talking. The Saintess ordered someone to escort them to the water prison. Elder Lou said, ¡°If the Saintess is angry, just come at me. There¡¯s no need to make an example.¡± The Saintess said indifferently, ¡°Elder Lou, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. I didn¡¯t think of making an example. I¡¯m just stating the facts. They deserve punishment, so they received their just desserts. Elder Lou let that person go to protect a few overconfident disciples. Elder Lou has put in a lot of effort, so why would I have any grief with you? I just have something to verify with Elder Lou.¡± Elder Lou said, ¡°Saintess, please speak.¡± The Saintess asked, ¡°Is this person really the Jade-faced Rakshasa?¡± Elder Lou paused and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Rakshasa in person either. I¡¯ve only seen that Rakshasa Sword in a picture book.¡± The Holy Maiden said, ¡°I understand. It¡¯s all thanks to Elder Lou today. Otherwise, it would be a pity to lose a herb and so many talented disciples.¡± Elder Lou said, ¡°If I had known that the Holy Maiden was nearby, I wouldn¡¯t have let him go no matter what. I was rude. At the same time, I congratulate the Holy Maiden. Your attainment of martial arts has entered the perfected realm. I couldn¡¯t even sense that the Holy Maiden was approaching.¡± A disciple reported at the door, ¡°Saintess, Elder Yin is here.¡± After coming out of the cave in the forbidden area, Elder Lou did not return to the Holy Maiden Temple immediately. Instead, she turned around and went to the back mountain behind the herb garden alone. ¡°Come out.¡± An old voice sounded from her throat. A white-robed man wearing a jade mask and holding a long sword walked out from behind the parasol tree. ¡°Granny, long time no see.¡± Elder Lou sighed. ¡°Do you have to cause such a big trouble for me the moment you arrived? Although my surname is Lou, I don¡¯t like Louzi (messing around).¡± The man smiled gently. ¡°Granny, you must be joking.¡± Elder Lou said, ¡°I¡¯ve already returned your kindness. Don¡¯t disturb me in the future.¡± The man smiled and said, ¡°I still have to send my granny off.¡± Elder Lou glanced at him from the corner of her eye. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. You only have to remember what you promised me¡ªregardless of whether you succeed or not in the future, you¡¯re not allowed to kill people in the Holy Maiden Temple. Every injustice has its perpetrator and every debt has its debtor. Most of them are innocent disciples.¡± The man said, ¡®¡±I¡¯ll try.¡± Su Xiaoxiao and Wei Ting went down the mountain. Su Xiaoxiao asked him how he got in. ¡°There are many people. There will always be some who are greedy for money.¡± Wei Ting said. Not everyone participating in the Holy Selection was here for the position of Saintess. Some only hoped to enter the Holy Maiden Temple to be a disciple without worry and earn a generous ration for their family. ¡°So you bought someone else¡¯s spot? Where did you get the money?¡± Did he keep a secret stash? Seeing her expression, Wei Ting knew what she was thinking. He snorted. ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you all my money? What money can I have? Second Brother bought it.¡± The baller, Wei Qing. Very good, she would go back and tell Second Sister-in-law. As Su Xiaoxiao thought about it, she suddenly felt that something was wrong. ¡°You bought someone else¡¯s spot to enter. Doesn¡¯t that mean that you¡ªHey! Wait!¡± Wei Ting did not wait for her. ¡°Let me see it!¡± Wei Ting slipped away. At this moment, they were almost at the foot of the mountain. There were patrolling disciples of the Holy Maiden Temple everywhere. Yin Xiaodie waited for her at the door and heaved a sigh of relief. Elder Yin must have arrived in time. In order to beg Elder Yin to save a candidate who had barged into the Northern Holy Mountain, she shamelessly used her ability to cozy up to Elder Yin. It was so embarrassing to think about it! Naturally, she would not tell Cheng Su about this dark history. ¡°Here, here!¡± She waved at Su Xiaoxiao. After Su Xiaoxiao handed the holy grass she had picked and the matching cards to the disciple guarding her, she walked out. Yin Xiaodie ran forward. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time! Why did you only come out now? You¡­¡± She looked around and lowered her voice. ¡°Do you have it?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± It was the Snake Bone Flower that had already budded. She estimated that it would bloom in three to five days. ¡°And you?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked the little one. ¡°Here!¡± Yin Xiaodie proudly handed a golden pair of cards to Su Xiaoxiao. ¡°Did you advance?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked. Yin Xiaodie said proudly, ¡°First place!¡± The other advancements were only posted on the rankings. Only those who found the Holy Bird could obtain this symbol of reputation. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Is there a need to hand it over?¡± Yin Xiaodie said, ¡°No need. This is a reward for me. If you like it, I¡¯ll give it to you! Anyway¡­ you found it.¡± Su Xiaoxiao returned the cards to her. ¡°A gentleman loves money.¡± It was definitely not because it was not pure gold. Su Xiaoxiao bade farewell to Yin Xiaodie and got into their respective carriages. Su Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t go far. She asked Uncle Quan¡¯s coachman to stealth-park the carriage in the dark until Wei Ting came out in women¡¯s clothes. She collapsed on the carriage couch in laughter. In the end, she gave him some face and did not let him die on the spot. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said to the coachman. ¡°Are you going back to the Cheng family?¡± the coachman asked. ¡°Go to Changliu Lane.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± The carriage stopped at the door. Li Wan was sewing a pouch for Wei Xiyue in the courtyard. ¡°Seventh Aunt.¡± Wei Xiyue obediently called out. Su Xiaoxiao touched her head. ¡°Xiyue is so obedient.¡± Then, she said to Li Wan, ¡°Second Sister-in-law.¡± Li Wan nodded and looked behind her. ¡°Didn¡¯t Little Seven come back with you? He said he went to look for you.¡± Su Xiaoxiao held back her laughter. ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon.¡± Li Wan pointed at Wei Ting¡¯s room. ¡°Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu are taking a shower.¡± The three children wanted to wash themselves and not let the adults get involved. They were really getting more and more assertive. Su Xiaoxiao planned to surprise the three little fellows when they came out of the shower. Unexpectedly, just as she arrived at the door, she heard Xiaohu¡¯s childish voice. ¡°Why is my jiji (chick) so small? Dahu, your jiji is so big! I don¡¯t want my jiji! I want your jiji!¡± The scene of the boys fighting over their members immediately flashed across Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s mind. She pushed open the door. ¡°No!¡± The three little ones sat in the basin filled with warm water and looked at her blankly. Su Xiaoxiao glanced around and realized that the three of them were each holding a lively yellow chick. Su Xiaoxiao stammered, ¡°So, so you were referring to this jiji..¡± Chapter 901 - Chapter 901: The Heaven-Defying Fourth Brother Chapter 901: The Heaven-Defying Fourth Brother Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the three little ones took a bath, they rubbed against Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arms one by one and asked for a kiss. Only then did they bring their chicks to the courtyard to get to play with Xi Yue. Su Xiaoxiao was ashamed of the big mistake she had made, but she would not admit it. ¡°Ahem, Second Sister-in-law, what¡¯s wrong with these chicks?¡± She asked seriously. Li Wan smiled and said, ¡°I brought them to the market today. When they saw those chicks, they suddenly couldn¡¯t walk anymore and picked one each to bring back.¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought of the horse market in town. The three little fellows couldn¡¯t walk anymore when they saw the foal. This was the confused behavior of a human cub. Wei Qing pushed the wheelchair over and whispered to Li Wan, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the child. Go rest for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tired,¡± Li Wan said. Wei Qing smiled dotingly. ¡°You¡¯ve been busy all day. My heart aches.¡± Li Wan glared at him. Sister-in-law was still here! This sudden display of affection¡­ Su Xiaoxiao thought of Wei Ting. Why didn¡¯t that guy learn any flirting skills from his brother? ¡°Whoa!¡± The sound of Ghostfear practicing martial arts came from the backyard. Su Xiaoxiao seemed to understand who Wei Ting took after in this aspect. ¡°Second Brother, how have you been these past few days?¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked about serious matters. Half a year was up, and Wei Qing¡¯s condition could worsen at any time. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Wei Qing said. ¡°Wanwan, I¡¯m a little thirsty.¡± Li Wan hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± Wei Qing said warmly, ¡°I want to drink the honey flower tea you make.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Li Wan put down the half-sewn pouch and stood up to go into the house to make tea. Su Xiaoxiao knew that he had deliberately sent Li Wan away. She had a guess. ¡°Are you starting to feel unwell?¡± Wei Qing smiled. ¡°It¡¯S still better than before.¡± Su Xiaoxiao took Wei Qing¡¯S pulse. Yesterday, Wei Qing¡¯s pulse was quite stable. After a day and night, his pulse began to feel weak. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°You should be able to last a few more days. We¡¯ve already obtained the Snake Bone Flower and it¡¯s about to bloom. Second Brother, endure it a little longer.¡± Wei Qing smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± It would only be a few days. When the Snake Bone Flower bloomed, she would be able to concoct Wei Qing¡¯s antidote. She looked at the closed door and said, ¡°How¡¯s Dad?¡± Wei Qing sighed. ¡°It fluctuates. When he¡¯s lucid, he can recognize Xi Yue. When he¡¯s not clear, he doesn¡¯t know anyone. The few of us can¡¯t get close to him at all, but the children can calm Dad down.¡± It seemed that Wei Xu¡¯S withdrawal reaction was very serious. Thinking about it, it made sense. The Holy Maiden Temple had given Wei Xu medicine for five years, but they could not completely control him and even increased the dosage. His withdrawal reaction should be the most serious among all the puppet experts. Wei Qing suddenly asked, ¡°Is the Snake Bone Flower also useful to Dad?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Wei Qing analyzed, ¡°The Saintess wouldn¡¯t transplant the Snake Bone Flower to her bedroom for no reason. She personally guarded this Snake Bone Flower, so it must be of great use. I can¡¯t think of anyone else she can use it on.¡± Su Xiaoxiao paused. ¡°I saw records about the Snake Bone Flower in the Book Storage Pavilion yesterday. It does have a certain effect on internal injuries.¡± Wei Qing opened his mouth. Su Xiaoxiao raised her hand. ¡°Stop, do you want to give the Snake Bone Flower to Dad?¡± Wei Qing laughed. ¡°The prescription given by Sai Huatuo might not be reliable. I might not be saved. Instead of¡­ Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Instead of betting on whether you can live, why don¡¯t you give it to Dad? Anyway, it must be useful to him. Were you planning to say this? Then let me tell you what I think. ¡°First of all, I believe in Sai Huatuo. It¡¯s not only because I¡¯m sure that he¡¯s not lying, but because I¡¯ve indeed read many medical books and know the medicinal properties of every herb like the back of my hand. I¡¯m sure that the prescription is correct. ¡°Secondly, the Snake Bone Flower is a life-saving medicine for you. To Father, it¡¯s not an irreplaceable medicine. Without the Snake Bone Flower, his injuries might not completely recover, but if you lose the Snake Bone Flower¡­ you will lose your life. ¡°I¡¯m a physican. I save the dying and heal the injured. I save the dying before healing the injured.¡± Wei Qing smiled helplessly. This girl was indeed not an ordinary woman. Ordinary people would at least be conflicted. Her thoughts had been clear from the beginning and she would not be influenced by anyone. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I¡¯ll return this thing to you.¡± Wei Qing took out a small DOX from the secret compartment under the wheelchair and handed it to Su Xiaoxiao. It was Emperor Wu¡¯s relic found in the secret room at Broken North Pass. Su Xiaoxiao handed it to Wei Qing the last time and asked him to think of a way to open it or ask Wei Xu if he could open it. Why didn¡¯t she hand this responsibility to Ghostfear, Wei Liulang, or Wei Ting? Wasn¡¯t it because the three of them were always asking for a beating? Before they could hand over the box, they would be sent flying by Wei Xu¡¯s punch. Wei Qing said, ¡°Before Dad recovers his senses, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to open this box.¡± Su Xiaoxiao sighed and took the small box. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll put it away first. Speaking of which, is Dad a descendant of Emperor Wu?¡± Wei Qing shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, but even if Dad is, I believe he doesn¡¯t have the ambition to restore the country and unify the world.¡± Su Xiaoxiao said thoughtfully, ¡°Dad doesn¡¯t have it, but the King and the Saintess do. If they spread the news that Dad is the descendant of Emperor Wu, they can more or less command a portion of the heroes in the world.¡± Wei Qing nodded in agreement with her guess. ¡°Do you know who will be the first to suffer if the Southern Wilderness really rises and restores the country?¡± Su Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ¡°The Great Zhou?¡± Wei Qing said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The Southern Wilderness is connected to the Great Zhou. If they want to vie for supremacy in the world, they have to use the Great Zhou as a stepping stone. The Su family army guarding the south of the Great Zhou will bear the brunt and will be the first batch of souls to die under the blades of the Southern Wilderness. The Southern Wilderness will bleed all the soldiers and the Su family to obtain the flag of the southern border.¡± No wonder the Head of the Secret Service paid so much attention to the movements in the southern border and even developed his intelligence organization to the capital of the Southern Wilderness. That was not right. How old was the Head of the Secret Service? It would take years to develop these forces, right? How did he see through the ambitions of the Southern Wilderness so early? Was he going against the heavens? She was not curious. She was not curious about the Head of the Secret Service at all¡­ Wei Qing looked at her clenched fists and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Xiaoxiao had a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m not curious!¡± Wei Qing was speechless. Wei Qing smiled and did not continue the topic. ¡°Did you meet Little Seven at the Holy Mountain today?¡± Speaking of the devil, Wei Ting had returned. He walked out with a disregard for his family, as if he was showing off his male domineering aura. Wei Qing smiled mischievously. ¡°Where¡¯s the outfit I spent a hundred taels of silver to buy for you? That¡¯s an immortal dress that the seamstress took a month to make.¡± Wei Ting¡¯s face darkened. Coincidentally, Li Wan came out with the flower tea. Wei Ting took revenge on the spot. ¡°Second Sister-in-law! Second Brother is hiding some money!¡± Wei Qing was speechless.. Chapter 902 - Chapter 902: The Big Boss Takes Action (1) Chapter 902: The Big Boss Takes Action (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wei Ting had wanted to get his second brother into trouble for a long time. Every time the three of them were beaten half to death by their father, not only was the sly old fox of a Second Brother unscathed, but he was also happy to watch the show from the side. Wei Qing sighed and looked at Li Wan. ¡°Wanwan¡­¡± There it was again¡­ Wei Ting decisively did not give his second brother a chance to perform. ¡°Second Sister-in-law! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Big Brother and Sixth Brother! They know best!¡± Ghostfear and Wei Liulang had just finished practicing and came over from the backyard. Hearing this, the two of them frowned. Wei Liulang accidentally looked at Wei Ting in agreement. ¡°Don¡¯t slander Second Brother. What secret money did he hide?¡± Wei Qing heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, there was a reliable Sixth Brother. Wei Liulang continued, ¡°He just raised a bunch of actors. So what if a man raises actors? He didn¡¯t bring them home. Right, Second Brother?¡± Wei Qing¡¯s fist hardened. What actors? His Crimson Moon Opera House was an intelligence organization!!! Ghostfear slapped the back of his two stinky brothers¡¯ heads with both hands. ¡°Shut up, both of you! He¡¯s your second brother! How can you say that about your brother? You have no respect for your elder brother!¡± He looked at Li Wan again. ¡°Second Brother does raise actors and has private savings!¡± He was the eldest brother. He could say it! Wei Qing was in pain. ¡°Brother, what happened to the saying that there was no past for sacrificial soldiers? Have you forgotten that you¡¯re a sacrificial soldier?¡± Li Wan placed the teacup on the stone table and smiled gently at Wei Qing. ¡°Erlang, it¡¯s time to drink medicine. I¡¯ll push you into the room to drink medicine.¡± Wei Qing¡¯s temples throbbed. ¡®Wanwan, Wanwan, let me explain¡­¡± Li Wan smiled extremely gently. ¡°If you don¡¯t drink it now, the medicine will turn cold.¡± She pushed Wei Qing into the house, closed the door, and bolted it. There was a clanging sound in the room, accompanied by Wei Qing¡¯s aggrieved begging from time to time. The three brothers heaved a sigh of relief. Heh, it was comfortable. Ghostfear and Wei Liulang continued to cultivate. The two of them turned around and immediately waved their arms with their backs facing them. Just like Erhu jumping on the rope, their movements were synchronized, and so were their voices. ¡°Red dress, red pomegranate! Rouge, cardamom, and jade hair! Ask me which daughter is prettier? Wei Xichao from the House of Lord Wu An!¡± Wei Ting was speechless! Wei Ting never expected that the two alliances he had made would actually trap him after tricking his second brother. It was fine if Sixth Brother vvas up to no good. Big Brother, did sister-in-law know you are crazy? Did you discover any amazing talent after becoming a sacrificial soldier? Ah! A bunch of scammers! Schemers! Su Xiaoxiao usually didn¡¯t laugh unless she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡± She held her stomach and laughed. The three little ones did not know what their mother was laughing about, but when their mother laughed, they laughed too. ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± The three little ones were so supportive that they rolled on the ground with laughter. Even Wei Xiyue opened her mouth and laughed expressionlessly. In the end¡­ Beauty Wei endured everything. Su Xiaoxiao went to take Wei Xu¡¯s pulse. She carried a little packrat into the house. As soon as Wei Xu¡¯s mania appeared, she immediately stuffed the little packrat into his arms. Wei Xu was speechless. Wei Xu took Erhu and obediently stretched out his hand for Su Xiaoxiao to take his pulse. Wei Qing¡¯S worry was not unreasonable. Wei Xu had been fighting against the medicine, and his internal injuries were deteriorating violently. If this continued, even if he did not become a puppet, his rationality would be completely lost due to the manic aura in his body. The most serious consequence would be killing himself after killing everyone. There was a common name for such illnesses in the pugilistic world: Qi Deviation. From the looks of it, the little fellows could calm the mania in his heart. However, it was only to comfort him. He was constantly suffering the backlash of his internal injuries. Coupled with the withdrawal reaction from time to time, he was experiencing unimaginable pain. However, his face was calm, as if nothing had happened. He was also filled with patience and doting towards the children. What an amazing man. Unfortunately, there was only one Snake Bone Flower¡­ Su Xiaoxiao suddenly thought of the organic fertilizer in the pharmacy. She wondered if that thing could activate a second Snake Bone Flower. She would give it a try. If she really could not rush it, wasn¡¯t there another one in the Southern Wilderness¡¯ palace? Although it was difficult to steal from the palace, had they not done enough difficult things? Su Xiaoxiao was not a timid person. She would not stop just because the success rate was not high. In this world, there was never a result before working hard. Only by working hard could there be a result.. Chapter 903 - Chapter 903: The Big Boss Takes Action (2) Chapter 903: The Big Boss Takes Action (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios No matter what, she would fertilize it first. Su Xiaoxiao returned to her room with Wei Ting and entered the pharmacy. She fertilized the Snake Bone Flower according to the dosage on the bag. It was late. The three little fellows couldn¡¯t bear to part with Su Xiaoxiao. They leaned into her arms and wanted to be hugged. Wei Ting snorted. ¡°Are you two years old? Are you still sticking to your mother all day!¡± Dahu said, ¡°You¡¯re already in your twenties. Aren¡¯t you always clingy? Did we criticize you?¡± Wei Ting was speechless. ¡°The few of you have become bold, right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deal with the older ones, but I sure can deal with the younger ones.¡± He took the little packrats out of Su Xiaoxiao¡¯s arms one by one. The packrats obediently ran away. Wei Ting was feeling smug. In the next second, Wei Xu came out with a murderous aura. Wei Ting was speechless. After being scammed by his brothers, Wei Little Seven was tricked by his three sons again. He could be said to be miserable. At night, Wei Ting sent Su Xiaoxiao back to the Cheng family. The coachman was Uncle Quant s trusted aide and didn¡¯t ask anything he shouldn¡¯t have. It was time for the night market to be set up. The streets were a little congested. Su Xiaoxiao lifted the curtain to get some air. Suddenly, she frowned. When one really cared about someone, he would not let go of any abnormal expression on her face, even if it was a cheap shot. Wei Ting asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± When Su Xiaoxiao looked over again, that figure was gone. She shook her head. ¡°Maybe I saw wrongly.¡± Princess Hui An was far away in the capital. How could she have come to the southern border? How could she even be dressed up as a young man from the southern border? She had asked Su Xuan to take good care of her. Even if she wanted to come to the southern border to look for her, Su Xuan would not let her go out to take risks. ¡°I wonder how the results of Su Xuan and Shen Chuan are.¡± On the 9th, 12th, and 15th of February, there were a total of three rounds. Each round lasted three days. The top ranking candidate would become a scholar, and the first place would be Huiyuan. It was already March, and the results should have been out long ago. Unfortunately, they were far away in the southern border and could not see the rankings. Su Xiaoxiao continued, ¡°Do you think Shen Chuan or Su Xuan is the rankings?¡± Wei Ting asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t it be someone else?¡± Su Xiaoxiao said righteously, ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone else. I naturally hope that they can get first place.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°Examinations are very subjective. Some examiners prefer sharp literary style, and some examiners prefer the middle path. If they¡¯re in the same batch as me, I know who will be first.¡± Su Xiaoxiao asked curiously, ¡°Who is it?¡± Wei Ting boasted shamelessly, ¡°Me.¡± Su Xiaoxiao was speechless. The carriage continued forward. When it left the noisy street and turned into a quiet alley, Wei Ting acutely caught a trace of killing intent. He slowly gripped the hilt of the sword on the table. ¡°What happened?¡± As soon as Su Xiaoxiao finished speaking, Wei Ting pulled out his sword and cut the arrow that broke through the window. Su Xiaoxiao smelled the incense on the arrowhead and frowned. ¡°It¡¯s someone from the Holy Maiden Temple! The arrow is poisoned! Have your whereabouts been exposed?¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Wei Ting said. ¡°This is the only way to the Cheng family. They might just be waiting here. Don¡¯t get out of the carriage.¡± Su Xiaoxiao nodded. Wei Ting told the coachman to be careful. He jumped onto the roof and forced a puppet expert from the Holy Maiden Temple out of the darkness. The Saintess wanted to kill Su Xiaoxiao. Not only because Su Xiaoxiao had obtained the Cheng family head¡¯s token, but also because the Saintess had been repeatedly defeated by Su Xiaoxiao and her right to interfere in the Holy Selection had been taken away. This caused Cheng Qingxue¡¯s position as the Saintess to be precarious. In addition, the Saintess probably knew everything that happened on the Holy Mountain today. She snatched Cheng Qingxue?s Holy Bird and cut away the Snake Bone Flower of the Holy Mountain. It would be strange if the Saintess could take this lying down. Since she did not get rid of her on the Holy Mountain, she would wait for her on the way home and kill her. Wei Ting faced four puppet experts. Su Xiaoxiao said, ¡°No way. You think so highly of me and sent four top experts to kill me?¡± Wei Ting¡¯S martial arts had advanced by leaps and bounds. He was not at a disadvantage in the battle with the four of them. However, just as the two sides were fighting fiercely, a shadow peeled off from the night and suddenly pulled out its sword to stab at the carriage. Wei Ting¡¯S eyebrows twitched. It was Leng Ziling! ¡°Be careful!¡± He shouted. Seeing this, the coachman decisively used his body to block the sword for the young lady. Unfortunately, Leng Ziling sent him flying with a palm. The sword pierced into the carriage. Clang! A dart shot through the air and hit his sword. The sword deviated an inch and stabbed the wall of the carriage. Leng Ziling was slightly stunned. He did not expect someone¡¯s martial arts to be so high that a small stone caused him to miss. Wei Ting was also a little surprised. Wind and sand suddenly swept up in the alley, and a dangerous and terrifying aura filled the sky. It was not Big Brother¡¯s, nor was it Sixth Brother¡¯s or the assassin¡¯s. It was a completely unfamiliar aura. However, he was not hostile to him and the little fat peacock. Who was this person? Wei Ting suddenly remembered the mysterious expert who saved Su Xiaoxiao from the Northern Holy Mountain during the day. Could it be the same person? The four puppet experts were also confused. Wei Ting took the opportunity to rush down, grab the coachman, and throw him into the carriage. He held the reins. ¡°Giddyup!¡± The carriage sped away. Leng Ziling and the four puppet experts wanted to chase after them, but a long sword shot over with irresistible force. The scabbard stabbed into the hard limestone ground for a full foot! It was already difficult for the tip of the sword to stab into the stone, let alone the scabbard. This person¡¯s internal strength was unfathomable! The few of them looked at the sword in front of them, as if they would die without a burial place if they dared to take a step forward. However, puppet experts were not afraid of death. Once they received a mission, they only had two choices: Either the target would die or they would. Just as they were about to chase after Su Xiaoxiao, a white-robed man in a jade mask descended from the sky and landed beside the sword. ¡°Don¡¯t force me to attack.¡± He said calmly. A puppet expert did not listen to him and swung his sword at him. He pulled out the sword that was stuck in the ground. Leng Ziling, who was on the roof opposite, was stunned. That was¡­ The Rakshasa Sword! Once Rakshasa Sword was drawn, the King ofHell¡¯s Hall would open. The first move ¡ª the appearance of the King of Hell. The four puppet experts did not even see the other party¡¯s actions before they fell into a pool of blood. ¡®What a fast sword technique!¡± In the world of martial arts, only speed could not be broken. Leng Ziling decided to retreat and used his qinggong to enter the night. The white-robed man looked at the puppet experts on the ground who had died with grievances. He retracted his gaze and turned to leave. The bright moonlight landed on his jade-like hand. He moved his wrist and waved a sword qi, closing everyone¡¯s eyes.. Chapter 904 - Chapter 904: Xiaoxiao Catches Fourth Brother (1) Chapter 904: Xiaoxiao Catches Fourth Brother (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Leng Ziling flew over the eaves and walls in the night. He inadvertently looked back. The four puppet experts were actually instantly killed. Even he, who had taken the medicine, could not guarantee that he had the strength to kill so many in one strike. He had to get more medicine¡­ He increased his speed, rising and falling in the night like a bat in the night. He was a little worried that the other party would chase after him, but for some reason, the other party did not do so. He returned to the Northern Holy Mountain. He was different from other puppet experts. He had willingly become a puppet on the condition that his memories were not erased. Secondly, he had been controlled by the medicine for a short period of time and still retained his intelligence and speech ability. In the cave of the Northern Holy Mountain, just as Elder Lou left, Elder Yin and Elder Ji came. Elder Yin had been asked by a little one to come to the Northern Holy Mountain to save someone. Elder Ji bumped into Elder Yin halfway and thought that she was going to do something. He was worried and followed her. ¡°I heard that someone accidentally entered the forbidden area of the Northern Holy Mountain,¡± Elder Yin said bluntly. The Saintess asked calmly, ¡°Where did Elder Yin hear the news?¡± Elder Yin smiled without changing her expression. ¡°Yin Xiaodie saw it. She said that she bumped into a conflict between the two daughters of the Cheng family. The Second Miss of the Cheng family was so powerful that she used the seed of the Snake Bone Flower to attract the Holy Bird. However, Cheng Su, who came to acknowledge her family, was even more powerful. She attracted the Holy Bird with bird food that was even more delicious than the Snake Bone Flower. Second Miss Cheng was not convinced, so she joined forces with four candidates to teach Cheng Su a lesson and even forced her into the North Holy Mountain.¡± The truth was that Su Xiaoxiao had gone to the North Holy Mountain herself, but how could Yin Xiaodie tell the truth? She pushed everything to Cheng Qingxue and insisted that Cheng Qingxue had deliberately forced Su Xiaoxiao into the forbidden area. Elder Ji said sarcastically, ¡°It¡¯s really strange. The seeds of the Snake Bone Flower can¡¯t be given to outsiders. This is the same as cheating. You will be eliminated from the Holy Selection. I wonder where Second Miss Cheng got the seeds of the Snake Bone Flower?¡± The Saintess ignored Elder Ji and said to Elder Yin, ¡°Did Miss Yin Seven see wrongly? Cheng Qingxue didn¡¯t use the seeds of the Snake Bone Flower and didn¡¯t touch Cheng Su. As for the person who barged into the forbidden area, she has long fled. I don¡¯t know who she is.¡± It would be strange if the Saintess didn¡¯t I-mow. However, if she did not say that, how could she get Elder Yin and Yin Xiaodie to modify their testimony on Cheng Qingxue¡¯s cheating? Cheating and trespassing into the forbidden area were serious crimes and would result in punishment. One wanted to protect Cheng Su, and the other wanted to protect Cheng Qingxue. Both sides reached a consensus. Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Elder Yin did not push her luck ¡°I think she must have seen wrongly. I¡¯ll talk to her later and ask her not to spout nonsense.¡± Elder Ji could tell that something was wrong. Unfortunately, she had no evidence and could only stare. She thought that her opponent was Cheng Qingxue, but who knew that the nine-year-old Yin Xiaodie had even more momentum than Cheng Qingxue? There was still the last round tomorrow. Ii knll